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[archive] #13 - excessive chain (Vital Link by 100_series)
Title of the work: Vital Link
Author/Artist: 100_series
Pairing: Rubedo/ Jr. x MOMO
Fandom: Xenosaga
Theme: #13 - excessive chain
Disclaimer: Xenosaga characters don't belong to me and all that disclaimer jazz.
Rating: Teens (just to be on the safe side)

This contains a spoiler for Xenosaga III

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It was difficult to believe, or maybe the fact that it was not so difficult simply made it hard to accept.

Albedo still exists in this realm.

After everything, after releasing himself from this prison he was in and finding some peace in rest, he was still there. How? they asked themselves, but more importantly, Why?

Jr. couldn't get it out of his head. He was angry, fuming mad. It was a miracle that red sparks didn't fly off of his body as he ran through the corridors of the structure they were trekking through in order to reach their next destination. At the same time, somehow he was unbelievably happy. This was his second, no-- actually, third or fourth chance to get through to his brother, and he wasn't going to screw it up. But, he was sure going to beat him half to death in the process.

MOMO however, was both sad and fearful. She had found some measure of comfort at last in the idea that Albedo had died the way he did. Not that she wished for him to die, it was not in her nature to hate or wish death upon anyone, no matter how much she had been hurt. However, it did seem a peaceful and unavoidable end, something that would finally close the matter and Jr.'s torture would cease. All of that was completely gone, when the white cloak removed his mask. Safety and faith shattered.

Trough the eerily silent winding halls they ran, with KOS-MOS at the front, Shion and the others filling in behind her as usual. MOMO fell ever-slightly to the rear just for a moment, but a moment was all that he had been waiting for.

It took her by surprise, as nothing at all showed on her sensors which were usually so precise. She gasped as someone grabbed her from behind, clasping a white, clawed hand over her mouth.

He waited in amusement for a moment for the others to actually notice that MOMO had stopped running, and turn around. "Rubedo really is slow to the mark, isn't he?" he whispered in her ear, as she watched his headtrong red-haired brother run off without her.

Ziggy was the first to notice and stopped, alerting everyone to the disturbance. They found MOMO held rough thirty feet behind them by the cloaked and unmasked White Testament. A bullet shot into his direction in a fury did absolutely nothing.

"Would you still fire if you thought it could hurt me?" Albedo snickered, as he defelected the bullet without a hint of effort. Jr. was glaring at him with a burning desperation. "Is it because you honestly care for this girl, or because you'll feel guilty if anything were to happen to her? Ask yourself this question seriously, Rubedo. It's not multiple choice."

Jr. started shouting and running, and Albedo replied with some clever barb, but it was all a blur to her. She was fading into a white void. It was geting thicker and thicker, until she could no longer see her friends. Though this felt so much like being buried in snow, it wasn't cold.

* * *

When reality faded back into place, MOMO had no bearing on the passage of time. Her location was different, though it appeared to be another chamber within the same facility. The room was circular, with several halls adjoined. It was totally unguarded, screaming of a baited trap. What MOMO found more disturbing at the moment however, was the white figure kneeling over her body as she laid on the floor.

Quickly she jumped up and ran for one of the exits, her breaths near hyperventilation in distress. Though she could see nothing and no sign of a barrier appeared on her monitors, she felt herself run into an invisible wall with a light thud. Albedo laughed, watching her smack into the field as if he'd set it up that way on purpose. MOMO did not find this humorous at all, and beat with both hands against the barrier. Though striking the wall created a loud noise, it was obviously not going to give to her attacks.

Albedo pulled the cloak from his head and stretched his neck, giving the impression that he had experienced a long day. MOMO winced in fear, though she stood her ground as he approached and reached out for her with his taloned fingers.

"Now I know what you are thinking, Ma Peche," Albedo crooned, gently rubbing the smooth side of his hand against the back of her head, trying to get at the strands of her hair underneath the hat she was now wearing. "This whole revival thing is getting a tad excessive, isn't it? Yes, I know it's overdone. But I had to come back this world just one more time. I am the eternal chain, after all--The best suited to weave our eternal circle!"

MOMO shivered and backed away an inch, while still doing her best to stand strong. She forced her eyes open to look at him. "How could you do this to Jr.?" she asked him accusingly. "He blames himself for not saving you, he tortures himself for you! "

"Jr.?" he responded, oblivious to the question. "Oh, that is what you call him isn't it? Because he won't allow you to use his real name. Oh ho ho, poor peche. So woefully naive, but then... it is your charm."

"What do you want with me?" she hurried on, remembering suddenly that to attempt reason with Albedo was completely impossible. "I don't have any importance to anyone anymore!"

"Oh, no... that is simply not true," he crooned, and pulled her closer to him. "All of those people who my associates find important consider you very valuable, for whatever reason. But most of all, your importance to Rubedo is the main issue. You see, you've been fooled just as I was. You give your heart to Rubedo, and he abandons it for his own selfish reasons. That liar!"

He bellowed his trademark maddening laugh, as MOMO tightened all over and her entire body became rigidly stiff. "Stop it!" she said firmly. "You're just torturing him for fun! You're despicable!"

"I am a monster," Albedo chuckled, "But you've been greatly misled if that's what you think. Ah, Ma Peche... Let me ask you something... Doesn't it still hurt?"

His words were met with a small but violent shudder. She shook her head and denied the response welling up in her. Albedo kneeled to one knee, the robes pooling around his feet, and looked into her eyes at her level with taunting grin. He pulled the hat from her head and threw it over his shoulder, laughing softly for once. "It still stings where I dug into you, doesn't it? It's still raw in those places within you, and you're so terribly afraid and hurt... and yet no one will comfort you!"

MOMO clenched her fists and pressed her eyes shut, turning her head sharply away. He caught her chin and turned her face to his again. "Rubedo could have made it all better by now, but he hasn't. Why? Because he's a weak man who wouldn't risk exposing himself for anyone! Even for poor Ma Peche, who he claims to care for so deeply."

"What do you mean?" she whimpered. "What could he have done about it?"

"Ha!" he laughed. "So sweet, you never dared to question him! I think you might be too good for him, Ma Peche." He released her chin from his grasp and her head snapped back away in distaste, which he ignored. He rubbed his own chin playfully instead. "How to explain this to you, oh frail and innocent being of purity... Rubedo also possesses the power to enter your spirit, and I'm quite sure you wouldn't mind, seeing as he is that person. His unopposed entrance would be a balm to those wounded areas inside of you. Haven't you ever thought about it? Don't you want to hold a piece of him, the way you hold a piece of me?" He stroked her cheek tenderly as he said the words. It was too familiar, too similar.

"Stop! Stop it!" she said, and backed up until she was against the wall again. He watched her, greatly amused, as she tried to explain herself. "I can't hate you, I even pity you sometimes, but I can't forgive you! For what you did to me, and even more, what you did to my sisters! Stay away from me! I really don't care what you think about Jr., as long as you're only interested in hurting him!"

Albedo began to cackle again, as if MOMO had just told him the most hilarious joke. "I thought you would have figured it out by now! You're all so slow. You see, everything I'm doing is for Rubedo's sake. Your limited perception disappoints me."

"What do you mean?"

"So glad you asked," he replied, and swung his arms in a grand gesture teasingly. Then he began a speech that sounded extremely rehearsed. "You may believe that Rubedo is the pillar of strength which supports the entire universe! I did at one time, sure enough. I'll always protect you, he says! I'll never leave you, he says! But what does he do? Ignores you! And all for the image of some brown-haired whore. Ah, Ma Peche! When I first learned about his place in your heart, I thought Oh, the irony! It doesn't get much better than this! She drowned in life just to spite him, to spite us, and you emerged from death just to be with him, and yet nobody sees the injustice!"

It was then, MOMO began to discover yet another level of Albedo's insanity. "You're talking about Sakura," she said. It was the first time that the name had actually fallen from her lips, as if for her to speak it was a blaspheme against her own being.

"No," Albedo sarcastically replied. "I was talking about the tooth fairy! Please try to keep up."

MOMO regained her bearings and controlled her fear enough to stand facing him, unwavering. "I know that Jr. may not be perfect," she said. "But... I still feel the same way, despite his flaws. I know that he has always done his very best, and given his all. He may fail, but nobody can be perfect. If you can't see that, then you'll never know how much he loves you. Right now you might be an absolute perfect chain, but you're still just a monster."

She expected some response for that, But Albedo did not react violently as she expected. He slowly closed the space between them, stepping calmly towards her.

Footsteps in the hallway beyond the barrier were heard. MOMO turned her head to see Jr. running, leading everyone to her. Ziggy was right behind him, along with KOS-MOS charging her guns. Relief washed over her, until in her distraction, Albedo grabbed her face again with one hand, the clawed fingertips grazing her skin. She looked back up at him terrified, bracing herself for whatever he might do. She heard Jr. shouting something, and felt a breath on her neck.

Then, Albedo tenderly placed his lips to her cheek.

Jr. fumed and sprayed bullets in their direction. "You bastard! Get away from her!" The shots flew into the barrier, proving that it had been dropped just at that instant.

Albedo rose up, his pure white figure standing tall and menacing over them both. "Temper temper! You wouldn't want to hit your lovely mechanical angel, would you?" Then he smiled and grinned at her, while waving his hand and turning his back to Jr. "Later, MOMO," he said in a tone that was much too friendly for her tastes.

He took a step away, and faded out of sight.

Jr. ran after him, running vainly into the spot where he had disappeared, as if he could grab onto the tail of his robe and catch him just barely, as if he could beg him to stay. But he gave up, and his shoulders slumped, head turned down in agony.

"Jr.," MOMO cooed softly. There was nothing but concern for him in her voice.

Jr. suddenly turned his head up, posture changing all at once. He put on a mask. "I'm okay," he said, turning to her, and putting his guns away. Then, his expression changed again. "What about you?" He walked close to her, while the others crowded around. Ziggy, Shion, and the others allowed Jr. to ask. He swallowed hard, trying to hide it but failing. "Did he..."

"No," MOMO replied, and did her best to smile. "He didn't hurt me at all. I'm completely fine, see?" She put on her own mask, and assumed that to be the end of it.

"No, its not fine!" Jr. retorted. She looked up at him and found his eyes flitting around anxiously. "I let him take you away from me again! He could've... you could have gotten hurt again."

She cupped his shoulder with her hand comfortingly and smiled, coyly dipping her head to see his face as it was turned to the floor. "It seemed like he just wanted to talk to me," she reassured him. "Though... I am not entirely sure what he meant."

Shion approached and looked at them both curiously. "What did he say?" she asked.

"He said..." MOMO began, and had to think of what to say. She had no idea how to explain it in a way that would not cause suspicion or alarm.

Jr. grimaced and pulled the hand MOMO placed on him away, rejecting the touch. He held it in his own instead, and squeezed firmly. "I don't care what he said. He's going to pay for everything he's done to you. I'll make him pay, but first I've got to make him understand. I've got to try."

MOMO smiled sympathetically. "I know," she said softly. "I'll help you."

---

(note: I have to say that inspiration for this was given to me by Murky, my favorite Albedo writer ever!)