1 Shadow of Destiny - Once Again
Disclaimer: I own nothing in this story except the different storyline I'm using. Eike, Homunculus and all other characters belong to Konami, unless I say otherwise (which isn't likely, I don't have enough imagination to make up my own characters).
Summary: Originally this was going to be just a conclusion to SoD but I will probably make it a full story. Basically my own sequel to the game. This takes place after ending B (the one where you go and find Hom but not the fortune-teller).
1.1
He walked slowly, with his head down. Only looking where he placed his feet on the cobblestone road. The sound of his shoes on the road rang clearly in his ears. Clearer than before, just like everything seemed slightly more...enhanced. People said you came to appreciate life more when you come close to dying. This young man knew differently.
The best way to appreciate life is by dying.
Eike Kusch knew what he was talking about. Despite his being alive in every way, he had in fact already died. Frequently, in fact. But who knew? No one. Well, aside from a few selected people. To everyone else however he seemed very much an ordinary young man. Blonde hair swept back into a ponytail, a few stray lock falling down either side of his face, a face with beautiful jade-green eyes. And those eyes would be different to a person who met Eike only a day or so ago. Now, his eyes looked as if they had seen centuries. This was actually quite true. Eike had seen many centuries. But he hadn't lived through them. Just...visited them.
Eike's story is long and complicated, despite only taking place in the space of 24 hours. Well, it would have seemed like 24 hours to anyone else. Eikes astonishing story began with an ending. His own death. But, mysteriously resurrected and, at the time unaware of the reason why, gifted with the ability to travel through time in order to prevent his fate from ever occurring, he had begun an amazing adventure, which upon reaching its inevitable climax, had left him drained and feeling a lot older than his 22 years.
But he was alive and free of his destiny, despite its consequences. He had accidentally set a lot of things in motion, interfered with a lot of lives and ended up preserving two. One being his own and the other...
Eike didn't like to think about it. It brought feelings of disgust and rage to him. His handsome face contorted into a grimace at the thought of the deception he had been the victim of. Wasn't he worth more than a simple tool? Didn't he deserve better treatment from that twisted bastard? He was not someone who enjoyed being deceived. He knew of very few people who did. But still, making him believe he was simply saving his own life when he was in fact destroying innocent lives and preserving the destiny of the one who brought about that destruction...
Eike was approaching his destination. The Bar Zum Ei. He had been planning to celebrate. When you survived a day like this you deserved a drink. Maybe several.
Eike opened the door. He had a vision of flames leaping up around him, the sound of smashing glass, his own coughing as he died. He gave himself a mental kick back into reality. Nothing was wrong. Nothing.
He sat down in a dark corner, not wanting to be approached right then. Eventually the bar man came over, enthusiastically offering him a drink, on the house of course. Eike accepted, requesting a vodka and tonic. Five minutes later, he was still staring blankly at the clear liquid in his glass. He leaned back and shut his eyes. Then he reached out and picked up the glass. He took a small sip.
"Eike?"
Eike opened his eyes. Mr Eckhart was standing by his table, his arm up in a homemade sling. He looked concerned.
"Hi Mr Eckhart." Said Eike with only slightly false cheerfulness. "I can see you've sorted out your arm."
"Judging from the look on your face when I came in I would say you are the one with the problem!"
Eike couldn't withhold a smile. "Its been quite a rough day. Sorry."
"Do you want to talk about it? I mean, obviously its not a great topic of conversation, someone trying to murder you in cold..." Eckhart trailed off. He hung his head at his own hypocritical words.
"Don't be so hard on yourself. I know you only did it because you wanted your daughter back. Anyone could understand that. You weren't the real killer."
"I know but still.... Well I was worried about you so, I wanted to just make sure you were still on your feet. Miriam was asking after you to. We thought you might like to stay with us for a while?"
"That's really nice of you both." Said Eike, actually feeling happier now. "If it's not too much trouble...?"
"Are you kidding? Of course it isn't any trouble! If you're finished here then shall we head off?"
"Sure." Eike downed the rest of his drink in one go and stood up, smiling gratefully.
They stepped out of the bar and headed down the street. They passed the Former Alchemist's House and Eike felt an irresistible urge to go inside. Instead he just paused for an instant. Then he heard the voice, speaking almost as if from another world. A dead world.
"Would you cheat fate once again?"
Disclaimer: I own nothing in this story except the different storyline I'm using. Eike, Homunculus and all other characters belong to Konami, unless I say otherwise (which isn't likely, I don't have enough imagination to make up my own characters).
Summary: Originally this was going to be just a conclusion to SoD but I will probably make it a full story. Basically my own sequel to the game. This takes place after ending B (the one where you go and find Hom but not the fortune-teller).
1.1
He walked slowly, with his head down. Only looking where he placed his feet on the cobblestone road. The sound of his shoes on the road rang clearly in his ears. Clearer than before, just like everything seemed slightly more...enhanced. People said you came to appreciate life more when you come close to dying. This young man knew differently.
The best way to appreciate life is by dying.
Eike Kusch knew what he was talking about. Despite his being alive in every way, he had in fact already died. Frequently, in fact. But who knew? No one. Well, aside from a few selected people. To everyone else however he seemed very much an ordinary young man. Blonde hair swept back into a ponytail, a few stray lock falling down either side of his face, a face with beautiful jade-green eyes. And those eyes would be different to a person who met Eike only a day or so ago. Now, his eyes looked as if they had seen centuries. This was actually quite true. Eike had seen many centuries. But he hadn't lived through them. Just...visited them.
Eike's story is long and complicated, despite only taking place in the space of 24 hours. Well, it would have seemed like 24 hours to anyone else. Eikes astonishing story began with an ending. His own death. But, mysteriously resurrected and, at the time unaware of the reason why, gifted with the ability to travel through time in order to prevent his fate from ever occurring, he had begun an amazing adventure, which upon reaching its inevitable climax, had left him drained and feeling a lot older than his 22 years.
But he was alive and free of his destiny, despite its consequences. He had accidentally set a lot of things in motion, interfered with a lot of lives and ended up preserving two. One being his own and the other...
Eike didn't like to think about it. It brought feelings of disgust and rage to him. His handsome face contorted into a grimace at the thought of the deception he had been the victim of. Wasn't he worth more than a simple tool? Didn't he deserve better treatment from that twisted bastard? He was not someone who enjoyed being deceived. He knew of very few people who did. But still, making him believe he was simply saving his own life when he was in fact destroying innocent lives and preserving the destiny of the one who brought about that destruction...
Eike was approaching his destination. The Bar Zum Ei. He had been planning to celebrate. When you survived a day like this you deserved a drink. Maybe several.
Eike opened the door. He had a vision of flames leaping up around him, the sound of smashing glass, his own coughing as he died. He gave himself a mental kick back into reality. Nothing was wrong. Nothing.
He sat down in a dark corner, not wanting to be approached right then. Eventually the bar man came over, enthusiastically offering him a drink, on the house of course. Eike accepted, requesting a vodka and tonic. Five minutes later, he was still staring blankly at the clear liquid in his glass. He leaned back and shut his eyes. Then he reached out and picked up the glass. He took a small sip.
"Eike?"
Eike opened his eyes. Mr Eckhart was standing by his table, his arm up in a homemade sling. He looked concerned.
"Hi Mr Eckhart." Said Eike with only slightly false cheerfulness. "I can see you've sorted out your arm."
"Judging from the look on your face when I came in I would say you are the one with the problem!"
Eike couldn't withhold a smile. "Its been quite a rough day. Sorry."
"Do you want to talk about it? I mean, obviously its not a great topic of conversation, someone trying to murder you in cold..." Eckhart trailed off. He hung his head at his own hypocritical words.
"Don't be so hard on yourself. I know you only did it because you wanted your daughter back. Anyone could understand that. You weren't the real killer."
"I know but still.... Well I was worried about you so, I wanted to just make sure you were still on your feet. Miriam was asking after you to. We thought you might like to stay with us for a while?"
"That's really nice of you both." Said Eike, actually feeling happier now. "If it's not too much trouble...?"
"Are you kidding? Of course it isn't any trouble! If you're finished here then shall we head off?"
"Sure." Eike downed the rest of his drink in one go and stood up, smiling gratefully.
They stepped out of the bar and headed down the street. They passed the Former Alchemist's House and Eike felt an irresistible urge to go inside. Instead he just paused for an instant. Then he heard the voice, speaking almost as if from another world. A dead world.
"Would you cheat fate once again?"