The title is a bit of a place holder. I may have the idea for an alternate ending to Wayward's fan-fiction Resistance Chronicles, but I'm being totally brain dead in regards to a decent title for it. So this is what you get. :p
Anyway I've no idea how long this will be. I'm thinking no more than say 3-5 chapters but I honestly don't know for sure. Just doing this preview or setting the stage took way more than I expected so... we'll see. Also, I've never done fan fiction of any kind, so keep that in mind when you read it.
Oh and if you have no idea what I'm talking about, go to wayward's world and read up. Otherwise you'll be a bit lost as to what is going on.
Final Fantasy Otaku: Resistance Chronicle
Resistance Chronicle: Chapters 14 to 24
Dark Shadow
SunfallE had stopped looking through the information on the computer screen in front of her without even realizing it. Lost in thought she stared off at some unknown point in her mind’s eye. Something didn’t set right. The feeling was elusive, as it skirted the edges of her consciousness, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t pin it down. It wasn’t so much any one thing as it was a dizzying flood of tiny little nuisances that felt off.
She could understand why the fuss over the missing operatives wasn’t generating a huge stir for the adults. But for someone younger like AnimeArchAngel, or those who still lived at home, she had fully expected them to be more than a little upset. Their distress was genuine but at the same time it felt like it lacked something. Perhaps it felt that way since no one had pointed any fingers in Adam’s or her direction. But she knew it was more than that.
The same could be said of Katana’s funeral. She had fully expected to be confronted, even detained by the police perhaps, but nothing like that had happened. Everything was being blamed on the odd appearances of Animu’s clones that had wreaked havoc in some parts of the country. Most of it was being chalked up to someone developing something for a gaming system that got out of control. They weren’t being seriously considered as if they might have been responsible. It just didn’t make sense to her. At the very least the police should have asked her more questions than they did.
SunfallE reached up and stretched a bit before attempting, in vain, to turn her attention back to her search. Her mind was still on other matters though. Perhaps the biggest thing that felt off was Adam. She was certain that Animu was gone; however, his behavior towards her and the others was one of someone who didn’t quite believe what he was being told. It was if he had no memory of being possessed by the virus, at all. If not for the obvious proof of Animu’s underground lab he had created, she suspected that he would have thought it was some elaborate hoax they were pulling on him.
“Don’t you think you should take a break?” Darren’s voice chided her.
Beth looked over to see Darren entering her small office. He was carrying two mugs of what smelled like hot chocolate, when he got close enough he offered her one. With a small smile of appreciation she took the mug, mindful of the heat.
“Thanks.” She breathed in the rich smell of chocolate before taking a sip.
He was right of course; she had been searching through theOtaku’s database for any signs of Animu for hours. Just as she had also been looking for anything that might let her know what he had done to the missing operatives. Since she had deleted Animu, it had been unable to go back into theOtaku’s mainframe and remove the traces of its activities that still lingered in the system. So far, other than to verify the location of the underground lab and other things that Animu had done, she had found nothing.
Darren pulled a chair up and sat down next to her. “Everyone is working hard to find out what happened. You don’t have to do this by yourself.”
Beth sighed. “It’s not that simple Darren. Until we find the others, Adam and I agreed that it would be best if I don’t give him full access yet, just to be safe.”
“Wait, you have full access? How did that happen?”
She looked away, “I took advantage of a glitch that Adam hadn’t fixed yet. When I realized that Animu had taken over Adam, I went into the system and locked down certain things in an attempt to limit its movements.” She shook her head and looked back, “Not that it did us much good.”
He stood back up, offering her one of his hands. Puzzled she took it and let him pull her to her feet. “Let’s go see how the others are doing, alright?” She nodded and let him lead her through the door.
*****
There were those who would tell you that ghosts did not exist. She was not one of them. She had always believed that there was more beyond death. The very idea that one would die and cease to exist was an absurdity that couldn’t exit in her mind. It might not be as a ghost, but she was certain that they were possible. Though to be honest she hadn’t expected to become one. But it was the only explanation for what she was seeing.
How else could one see their own body lying on the cold hard ground? How else could she realize that her corpse wasn’t breathing? More than anything she wanted to cry, to somehow ease the all too real pain. She could not. Nor could she cry for those fighting a losing battle. She couldn’t even remember their names. She could see the tangible pain in the eyes of one just standing there, staring down at her lifeless body. It hurt with an intensity that was startling.
There was something else she was feeling and it took her a moment to realize that she was breathing. Startled she stared down at her unmoving corpse again and then to herself. Her chest wasn’t moving and yet slow gentle breathes were being taken. Why was she breathing? The dead had no need. Her entire body ached from the blow she had taken. She couldn’t understand that pain either. She knew something had hit her but she couldn’t remember what.
It was as if she was caught in a moment of time, helpless to do anything but stare at her surroundings in confusion. If this was what being a ghost was like, she didn’t want it. What was the point of continuing on of you couldn’t remember anything? Oblivion would be better than this empty space of pain and loss. As if heeding her unspoken wish a brilliant flash of hot white light enveloped her, and everything faded from view.
With a gentle sigh of relief she closed her eyes and tried to drift into nothingness; but she was held back by the throbbing pain and slow, but steady, breathing. At least she couldn’t see the horrible battle anymore or the pain that hovered hatefully in the air. She tried to drift away again only to hear a faint buzzing that slowly grew louder until it felt as if her head would explode.
With a startled gasp her eyes snapped open to blue skies. Searing pain ran through her causing her to gasp for air. The ground was cold and hard and all she could do was stare upwards, wondering what had just happened.
