A/N: this actually a piece in a series of random stories with an odd connection... but its so easy to take out and stand on its own, i felt like posting it, especially since i'm in a delighted mood after being reacquainted with my lost lov- er, flashdrive :D
This is a look at the opening Scene for Digital Devil Saga (the first one) from an unnamed member of the embryon's point of view, just the inner thoughts of someone before and after the 'event'
Dis: I LOVE YOU ATLUS! and i didn't make Digital Devil Sage (1 or 2) since they are part of the Shin Megami Tensei series, and this was actually the first game in that series i ever played, i love it so much, i'm rather sad they stopped at 2 T.T
ENJOY!
Another Deep Intake…
Another deep intake, air expanding my lungs to their fullest potential, triggering the slowing of my heart, the lessening of the shock, and the fading of the adrenaline my adrenal glands have been pumping through my system.
For a ridiculous moment I'm reminded of Argilla; my only rival, only True rival in terms of the only skill I'm good at: Sniping.
She is a beautiful woman. One I both idealize and despise with every fiber of my being.
I burn with a simmering cold rage towards her, wondering why SHE is the one our leader favors…
Between our skills, as a sniper I am the victor.
But what for want that a battlefield required more of a skill then just that one…
In that respect, I begrudgingly admit she is the victor…
My finger comfortably finds its way into the smooth groove of my familiar life time companion, its cold metal cool against my tempered flesh, nostalgia and memory of thousand times before comes to me the same as a calming breath or a cool breeze.
This is where I'm comfortable. This is where the pounding stops, the flesh cools, and the blood burns with a tempered inferno, the excitement and anticipation filling me.
Down the barrel of my rifle, as if due to its sheer size I could even call it that anymore. Argilla uses a scoped rifle; I use a hand of God in comparison. With its scope I can see the world, at least, the entirety of my world, the Junkyard, can fit in the sphere of my vision. I wonder what she can see, a scrap, a shred? Maybe the battlefield if that…
I see them from my vantage point, a wall at my back as I sit on a precipice, the world in my view, but more specifically them, the leaders of the Embryon, my leaders, Her. I can see her position on a ledge, with natural cover, and our leader as her support with the others ready to charge in.
I'm partially disgusted.
More because of how surrounded she is and how close she NEEDS to be to hit her target.
I can hit something at over 5 miles, especially from this kind of vantage point with my hand of God.
… I doubt she could hit beyond 500 meters from her point.
I take a deep intake of air into my lungs, hoping to calm myself further and brush aside all nonsense thoughts like those I've been having lately, in all honesty I don't even understand them. They feel like a haze, like something beyond a cloud that I should be familiar with but I can't quite grasp, like this uncalled for variant hostility in my mind towards Argilla and the constant need to compare the two of us.
I don't understand it, and my skin is crawling like in a few moments that haze will be lifted and I might just be able to grasp whatever it is I'm trying to get.
My grey colored eyes, same and as emotionless as everyone else's peers through my scope again, pinpointing them, the enemy leader, and anyone else's location that would be of value to our mission to finally take some territory and become a full-fledged clan in the Junkyard.
… My mind wonders again.
I wonder again, why I'm not down there, why I'm up here, why she gets to be with our leader and what is the real difference between us?
I watch the scene before us, that strange object, Gale, our spokesmen and top tactician's voice over the com all of us have on us, as well as that of the leader of the other party.
I wait.
Waiting is what a sniper does best, something that doesn't quite fit well with Argilla's personality, although I'm not even sure why I'm saying that since she's just as emotionless as I am… perhaps more actually.
Now that I think about it, something is wrong with me.
There is this itch I've been having for a short while now; time is always so irrelevant in the Junkyard, and I try so hard to ignore it, but the world feels 'off' to me, it's the only way to describe it. Like… things used to be cut and clean and simple, I just did, I didn't have all these annoying side thoughts, but now… now I can't get rid of them…
The rattling of gunfire takes my thoughts back to the present and the mission at hand.
I watch our leader and Cielo back up Argilla while she snipes two guys, then one goes ahead while the other gets someone from behind her.
I hate it…
What's the difference between us…
I gaze through my scope, completely focused as I take a breath and fire a shot, all I see is a splatter of grey matter on the other end.
I don't understand this burning in me. There goes another shot.
This itch that keeps bugging me… Another…
I can feel something changing in me as I go to take another shot, my finger pulling the trigger as I feel the explosion of the tip of the bullet being propelled forward, all the while at the same time some strange light rams into my non-firing arm, right on the outside of my bicep.
It burns for a moment, stinging deep and seemingly burrowing deeper. I clinch my teeth together as I try for my last shot in the clip, the searing of my flesh from whatever that was causing my aim to slip only the slightest. I see half of a red-haired man's face get blown away, the look of anguish on the remaining half is perhaps the most horrifying thing I've ever seen.
For a moment my mind goes blank, the image for some reason sticking in my mind and causing this strange reaction I've never felt before…
No…
It's not that I haven't felt it before; it's just that I haven't felt it 'here' before…
My mind stirs, confused by the odd thought. It takes away from myself a moment for my mind to click back to what I was doing. I go to reach for my other clip, but my left arm seizes because of the 'burn' that light did to it, the wound itself glowing some strange patter as it seems to spread out. I grit my teeth, ignoring it and reaching with my firing arm for the clip…
This is the first time on a battlefield I have ever removed my finger from the trigger before combat was over…
And this would certainly be my last…
My arm pulses and I can't help the noise that comes out of my throat as I grab for it, rolling away from my precious life-time-companion.
This is the first time I have ever moved from my gun in combat…
The sensation horrifies me, as my eyes widen, in both fear and shock as I see three people wearing enemy colors stalking up my small path, aiming for my precipice…
And the thing that scares me perhaps the most is that while running up to me, they're screaming in pain and agony, as something spreads all over their bodies and they transform into horrible creatures that bellow fury at me.
I am scared.
That is the sensation, the word for it and the feeling that is welling up inside of me as I am about 5 inches from my gun, clinching my arm as it tries to reach for my only other weapon, a trench knife, as I can feel my eyes grow huge and change into a strange glowing variant of my orangeish hair.
'I don't want to be a monster…'
I don't know if I think it, speak it or pray it, but it is the all consuming thought in my mind right now as those things are upon me, claws poised to shred my body armor and everything underneath.
A tear falls down my cheek as I feel something burning spread from the mark on my arm all over my body…
It is in that moment I realize the difference between us…
Why Argilla and I are in the positions we're in…
She is with the Leader and the others because she chooses to be, and it's her place, she has backup that way and can get help when she needs it…
I don't…
It is with a horrifying moment like this, as pain engulfs my body that one shining truth is revealed to me…
I'm absolutely alone…
…
..
.
Rend, Slaughter, Devour your enemies…
It's the only way you can survive…
Child of Purgatory.
.
..
…
I gasp in deep heavy gasps of air, my heart beating in my ears, sweat flowing down my skin, along with-
-Blood - my mind screams, roaring the one word in my head just over the rapid gasps and pounding heart filling my eardrums. The fluid flowing in my arteries adding to the down pouring lack of my dimishing consciousness…
The world is dim, almost black, blindingly so…
And in another moment I'm back to the world of the living, the precipice, and those 'things'… I don't feel anything, see anything, and now I only hear the howling going on down below…
A cold sensation crawls up my spine, my body feeling alien and a thousand things running through my mind that I've never thought of before.
Most importantly, the thing I notice most that I'm trying hard to ignore, and pray isn't true…
It is with a chilling realization that it hits me, the worst thing possible for someone like me…
I'm completely blind.
A/N: i'm making a big assumption here that everyone heard angel's words when they transformed... then again, this piece is more on the feel of becoming 'human' for the people of the junkyard, and the whole awakening to the demons they become...
the key here is the irony... and how sad it is...
Comments, Questions, Opposing Views? (Review?)
till next -salute-waves- Sayounara, Mina!
-Ikasury
Ps: i AM working on my other stuff, since i now have flashy back, i can get back to work... after i'm done packing :D