Gaiganny looked out over the ocean. She roared at it, and her voice was carried away by the wind. What had she done? He had saved her and what had she done? She killed him. She killed him. She dragged herself over to him, and fell next to his battered carcass. "I didn't mean to, I'm sorry. This wasn't supposed to happen." Her visor was full of tears. Why had she let her temper control her actions? She had never before acted like this. More thoughts entered her mind. "His powers, why? I don't want Trajan's powers!!!! I don't want them!! I don't...I didn't..." Her head perked up and her eye lit up. "Darn it, if I have his powers," she wonder, her hook rubbing her chin, "how may of them do I have? I only care to have on right now. Gosh, I've gone and done what he did to me." Gaiganny made a fist and held out her right arm. With her hooked claw, she made a cut along the upper part of the arm. She watched the red fluid emerge from the breaks in her skin.
She looked at Gogar and swallowed. "Oh my. I...I wasn't this badly hurt when, when I...OH!! I hope this works." She lifted his head toward her and held her hand over his beak. Slowly her crimson blood poured like honey onto his beak. She watched and waited.
In the forest, Trajan stopped. His eye began to glow, and he tilted his head to the side.
She continued to watch him and licked her cut hopping to seal the self inflicted wound. The blood ran into his beak, coursed over and fell into the water below him. The droplet of blood on his beak started to flatten, and thin veins reached toward his face. More droplets hit the water, they stained it and formed a small red cloud, it too spidered out towards his body. Gaiganny looked at him and could see vein definitions overtake the burned flesh, like the muscles were rebuilding. "Live free and die" she sung. "Some day you'll find what's hiding deep in your fantasy. Don't give up your life and give up your dreams. Open the door and tell me what do you see? In your heart made of fire and steel." The blood seemed to multiply in its volume, soon it seemed to be a thin skin over Gogar's body. A thick bubbling pool of clear fluid filled his shattered eye. Blood branched over the fluid and started to harden. "Fight! Fight for the things you believe in." continued Gaiganny. Skin began to form over his newly formed muscles. It was blue. She smiled. The blood drew away from his silver beak and the red cloud in the water was almost gone as more skin stretched over his body. Gaiganny was amazed by the whole process. Thump. Thump. Gaiganny tilted her head at the sound. Thump. Thump. It was a faint heartbeat. A light flickered in Gogar's eye, and soon increased. "Gogar?" she called softly. Slowly his head began to loll.
"Nnnnnh..." The light in his eye flickered in and out then finally remained.
"Gogar?"
NNGAAHH!"
She watched him stir. His breaths were fast, sporadic and uncertain. He tried to move his head, but the motions came very jerky. "Hhh..hnnn..wha..wh." He took deep breaths, and tried to focus. "Whh..what happened?" He said still breathing raggedly.
"I- I'm sorry." Gaiganny said in a weak voice, she looked away. Gogar looked at her trying to keep his head up.
"P...pretty...ghhhirl...hnnn...my...pretty girl..." His breathing began to calm, and he tried to smile. Gaiganny looked up.
"You still insist." She said.
"What..did you? How? I died..."
"Yes," began Gaiganny. "I killed you. I'm sorry."
"I-I...you?" He said. Gaiganny nodded. He tried to remember, but his thoughts were fuzzy. Gaiganny looked at her arm.
"You were not meant to die though. I...I gave you my blood."
"Pain was...was..." He looked at her, his focus returning. "Your blood?"
She looks up as she kneeled beside him. "I caused you pain? Of course I did...I was heartless. I'm sorry."
"You did- for me? H-How?" he asked looking at the cut on her arm.
"Yes" she replied. "I gave you my blood and now you are healed." Gogar looked at his own arm, and almost laughed. "I'm blue!" He called.
"Huh?" Gaiganny was just so glad he was alive she hadn't noticed, but indeed he had lost his yellow coloring and was blue now. Even the bright red on his chest had changed to a rust color. She couldn't help but smile.
"I...hadn't noticed." She said.
"Do you...like this shade better?" Gogar said timidly.
"Actually...yes." she said matter of factly. Gogar tilted his head, surprised. "You...you do?" Gaiganny's eye went wide and she covered her beak. Gogar leaned back a little. "I MUST have died...heh heh." Gaiganny is a little confused.
"You...you're not mad?" she asks. He looks at her.
"You...you're still pretty. Mad? How could... I be mad? You gave me...my life back, and now I want...I want to give my life to you. Forever."
"GASP!" Gaiganny was taken by his words. He touches her cheek with his claw.
"Do you feel the same?" He asked.
"I don't understand you." Said Gaiganny. "I hurt you so badly..."
"I know."
"I saw you suffer..."
"I know."
"Why do you still insist? You.. I don't deserve you." Cried Gaiganny.
"Because...if it meant having you with me...I'd suffer through it again."
Gaiganny felt something too now. "I can't believe you said that. I still feel bad, but I'm so glad you're alive."
"You're so much more than you know Gaiganny. Much more than any of us knows. You complete me." He said to her.
"You know my name?" said Gaiganny surprised. Gogar blinked. "I...yes. I...do. But how? You never told me. I just- knew." He said looking at her.
"No I never did." Said Gaiganny," and I was going to tell you now, but, oh well. Strange." She reached down and helped him to sit up. Gogar sat bent over still weak and breathing hard. Gaiganny had to support some of his weight with her hand. Gogar shivered and brought his claw up to his head, another named entered his mind.
"And...who...is Trajan?"
At the same moment Gogar had uttered his name, Trajan afar in the forest stood, looked at the sky and growled. A cold feeling creeped over Gaiganny.
"Wha...who..." continued Gogar, then he whispered. "Trajan. Who is Trajan? Why is his name in my head?" Gaiganny looked at him concerned and said.
"He's the that gave me my back my life." Gogar began to shake violently, then stopped. His breathing became sharp and tight. He tried to stand but was shaky. "Gogar? Are you OK? You're still weak. Lean on me." He leaned on her a little and tried to stand on his own. He felt very strange, but when he looked down at her, Trajan's name faded from his mind. He began to feel stronger. Gaiganny had her hand on his chest supporting him. She smiled. Slowly Gogar's muscles strengthened.
"You know Gogar you were right. You are good looking." He looked down at her, tilted his head and smiled.
"And you...you're so beautiful." He stepped closer to her. "So very pretty." She finally accepted it for what it was, a compliment. "Thank you." Gaiganny said softly. He leaned closer to her.
"For you my pretty girl."
Gaiganny watched wondering as he backed away a few steps and then gloriously spread his wings. Gaiganny beamed with delight. They weren't torn anymore! Their color too had changed to a dark grey from the original orange. He took to the air and she watched him, knowing all too well the gift of restored flight. He extended his claw beckoning her to join him. Gaiganny smiled and opened her own wings and was off in an instance.
"This time we really fly!" she said.
"Together." He responded.
"Yes together."
Gogar and Gaiganny began their aerial display, the first true test. Gogar swung around her in a tight circle then leveled off flying next to her. She sped up the wind rushed through her face and she began to do rolls. He followed her lead knowing full well she was not trying to lose him this time. He turned on an angled and righted himself beside her. Gogar curled under then flew above her. Gaiganny wanted to see what he was capable of. She had been rather impressed by his flight in the canyon, so she dove down as they flew over a lush green forest. Wings folded tight against her side she opened them just before hitting the canopy. She pulled up and her buzzsaw just nicked the upper most branches. A trail of severed green leaves was left in her path. Gogar followed and mimicked her dive almost exactly. The only difference when he pulled up was he had two fruit halves stuck to the end of his claws.
Gaiganny looked at him a little nervous. "Oh no." She said. He raised his arms and offered her one. Gaiganny gasped, "Thank you." She thought that surely he would have paid her back for what she had done by throwing the half in her face. The thought never once had crossed his mind. Gogar spun twice and ate his half. They both laughed at the situation and then Gaiganny made short work of hers. "Gogar, I think you just needed to eat something." He smiled and fell in beside her. He moved closer until their wings almost touched then he veered off. Gogar kept a straight path, while Gaiganny banked left then flew under him face up, her back to the ground. Gogar flattened his wings to stay level, then reached down with his claws and gently rubbed her sides. Gaiganny's eye faded in and out and she cooed. It felt nice. It was time to reverse position and they both turned kept the same distance from each other the whole time so that it looked like an hour glass turning over. Now it was Gaiganny that was above him. She reached with her hand for his chest, and her fingers played over him.
Gaiganny broke the formation when she saw they were over a lake. The two of them flew straight up, when suddenly Gaiganny closes her wings and just droped. On the way down she caught Gogar's claws in her own, and he fell with her. The two began to spiral while their claws were still locked. Faster they twirled falling over each other as the water rusheed up to them, their eyes fixed on each other the whole time. In this maneuver the trick was to let go just before hitting the ground. The wind rushed all around them and Gogar could smell the mist coming off the lake. It raced up toward her as they plummeted faster. Gaiganny concentrated on the flight. Gogar concentrated on Gaiganny. She started to get nervous. He waited for it. Waited for it. Gaiganny thought that they should have let go by now. Gogar smiled. Gaiganny looked at him, and he broke off with a burst of speed that parted the water's surface. He IS an expert flyer she noted. It was obvious that he truly loved to fly as much as she. She smiled. Perhaps, he was even better than she.
She hovered over the water, her feet just touching it. Gaiganny held her wings out stretched, and only flapped occasionally. This gave the appearance that she was walking on water. Only the circular ripples below her gave away her secret of propulsion. Gogar flattened his wings and did the same. He watched how graceful she was, then joined her circling around like an ice skater. The two soon appear to be standing on the water. Gaiganny lifted her claws in a motion to be picked up. "Take me to some dry land Gogar."
"Right away, my lady." He put his arms around her and lifted her up. He looked her in the eye, "I spread my wings together we will fly. I'll show you feelings better than the sky." She's touched by his words. He then took off with her.
He carried her through the air. He saw a nice wooded area on the lake edge and alighted softly a sandy beach. They walked a little ways into the greenery and soon Gaiganny stopped. She turned and faced him. Gogar stared at her. When he flew her in, he carried her away from his body. He's obviously very strong, but Gaiganny wondered why he had done it. Yet that was alright. They were on land now, and it was time. Gogar raised his head slightly into the air. His heart pounded. Gaiganny tilted her head some, and smiled. She couldn't let him know just yet...no hens have to play with them first. He wanted to step closer but didn't dare. Instead he ruffled his wings. Gaiganny let out an approval call. "KKKEEEEE!!!!!!!!!" As soon as she had let out her loud call, she spread her wings in the final act of approval and acceptance. Her pattern of blue and green dots were highly visible now and her blade edges glistened in the sunlight. Gogar breathed a heavy sigh of joy and clacked his pincers. Her wings were beautiful and mesmerizing. He just stared at her, but soon raised his head to the sky, "SCREEEEEAK!!!"
"KKKEEEEEEEEEE!!!!" She responded to his call. The two only had each other on their minds.
She folds her wings and reached up to him with her claws. She wanted an embrace. He moved towards her, slowly raised his own to meet her. She was so happy and excited she couldn't believe this. He was her mate now!! Gogar wrapped his arms around her and pulled her towards him. She rushed into his loving arms. She squeezed him hard, and then her saw bumped him.
((CLANG))
"Huh? Clang? Did you say clang?" Asked Gaiganny surprised. Gogar tilted his head and quickly jerked back.
"Uh...I..."
"Gogar?"
He looked about, trying to find an excuse then he looked back down at her and pulled back a little. "Uh..."
"Wait! What's wrong?" she called.
"Nothing." He said with a nervous voice.
"Wait!"
She quickly, but gently, put her hooked claw on his should by his neck to keep him from backing away. Gogar looked down at his chest then back at her.
"It's...I..."
She felt that area and found it to be hard. He gently took her claw from his shoulder, a painful look on his face.
"I'm...no"
"Y...you..." Both struggled with their words.
"It's..."
"You're hard." Gaiganny finally said. Gogar went limp, he looked down and could no longer stare at her directly.
"It's metal." He finally admitted.
"Wha? On the outside too?" asked Gaiganny still not fully aware of what Gogar was going through. His wings began to lower. He shook his head slowly and whispered. "No." Gaiganny felt a chill run through her. She felt like she had hurt him again. With his head hung down, he looked up at her but not in the eye.
"Gogar, come 'ere."
"You're so beautiful, you're so naturally beautiful Gaiganny."
"Let me see." She extended her hand out to him, but he remained where he was.
"I'm not. I'm..." He tapped his chest and it clanged. "It's metal Gaiganny.' He tapped his shoulder, it also clanged. "And so is this."
"Gogar." She said with concern. Gogar getting frustrated tapped his forehead.
"And so is this..." His eye began to glow. He hated the metal beneath his skin. She watched him a little surprised and confused. He tapped his arms and part of his tail.
"And so is this. And THIS! OH! I feel...I feel so..." He lowers his head. She stared at him with a sad look on her face.
"I feel so...artificial. Synthetic. A robot."
"Ah! No. No." She tried to reassure him and stepped closer to him. He looked at her, but still indirectly. "No." He said and took a wary step back.
"Gogar, listen to me. Gogar, wait!"
"I'm barely real. Do you know how much metal I have in me?" A tear started to glisten in the corner of his eye.
"But we all do, wait a sec." Gaiganny said desperately.
"I don't deserve you." He said with a quivering voice. She walked over to him as he started to curl his arms over himself as if he was cold. Gaiganny got right under him so he would have to look at her.
"I'm more robot than flesh Gaiganny, I'm a balated robot."
"Stop that. Don't say that." She put her hand on his arm.
"Do you know how hard it is for me to feel anything?" He tapped his chest again. She continued to run her hand up his arm, and to his shoulder again. He watched her.
"There's nothing there Gaiganny, nothing..."
She felt his shoulder. "What happened to your attitude?"
"I..." He looked down.
"Only moments ago you were telling me how good and handsome you are." She said to him.
"I can't be what I want to be for you. I'm not...I'm not real.."
She stepped closer to him. She wished he didn't hurt so.
"I never felt real until you came." Gaiganny continued to feel his neck.
"Well you seem real to me." She said trying to cheer him up. He looked at her again and she at him. "I don't know you. What happened to the Gogar that was confident and knew he was good looking?" She said sternly.
"How can such a pretty girl love me? The skin under your hand, its not...it's not real. How can I love you the way you need to be loved?"
She grabbed his beak. "Shhh." Gogar's eye darkened as he began to close it.
"No hey. Look at me. I didn't..." A tear formed again in his eye and Gaiganny wiped it away. "I didn't bring you back so you could feel sorry for yourself." She stopped a moment and couldn't believe she was saying this, she sounded like "him". Gogar looked at her, almost in the eye this time. "I brought you back because I felt something for you."
"You...you don't mind..." He looked down at his chest. "...what I am?" "No, I don't mind." She responded. "And I still feel something, now listen to me. If you where not real my blood would not have given you life. As far as I've known robots are not alive. Gogar, you are NO robot." She ran her claws down his chest.
"There...there was a time when I wouldn't have believed you." He leaned closer to her. "But now, for you...I believe you. I love you."
She backed away from him again. He tilted his head. "Perhaps you did no see the last time." She said. Once again she spread her wings in approval and acceptance. Gogar couldn't help but smile.
"My pretty girl."
"My dark angel. I love you too." She said. He wrapped his arms around her again and hugged her hard. "Mmmmmm. Gogar?" His eye darkened as he hugged her.
"Yes?"
"I like everything about you."
"And I you Gaiganny. I you."
"You're sweet and I've chosen you as my mate..." she leaned her head on his chest. "I like this."
"You have no idea how much those words mean to me. I never thought I could feel this way, not about anyone." Gaiganny smiled. "Oop, be careful with my wings, they are metal too."
"Ouch!" He said as he had already placed his arms around her, and cut himself on her blade wings.
"OH no!" She cried as he lifted his arms off the blade. "Are you OK?" He looked at it and saw no real damage only a little blood. "As good as the day I rolled off the assembly line." Gaiganny smiled and said, "That looks real to me."
"Ah, it's merely a flesh wound." He looked up a moment and realized what he had just said. "HA Flesh!" He laughed.
"Yes it is." She said to him, then grabbed one of his wings and partly opened it feeling the soft membrane. "Also your wings are more flesh than mine." He looked at his wings.
"Yeah, I-I guess they are at that."
Gaiganny lay her head on him again. "Gogar? How can you say there's nothing there? I can hear your heart. Mmmm." Her eye got brighter as she listened to it.
"I never, I never heard my own heart before." He held her closer and she cooed.
"My dark angel." The light in her eye began to fade. Gogar looked at her and thought how glad he was to have her. "Angel. Mine." She mumbled. Gogar thought to himself. "How could he not see her beauty? Theromin..." He thought his name, Thermoin over and over. He stroked her head gently. "Theromin, if only you had left her alone. You made me choose. I didn't want too. He looked at her once more and realized she'd fallen asleep on his chest. "I hope you are at peace, I know I am." One last tear rolled down his face and hit the ground. With that he picked her up in his arms and cradled her.
"I spread my wings together we shall fly. I'll show you feelings better than the sky." He then lifted off softly into the air with her to take her to a secluded place.
**********
Gaiganny awoke not long after, and the first thing she saw was Gogar before her looking at her sweetly. She went to him. It was time.
Trajan remained standing in the forest. His hand was placed on a nearby tree. He made a fist that easily splintered the massive plant. He stood in the place before the tree he had wreak, his hand a tight fist. He shook lightly as blood oozed from his tightened fist. Trajan saw flashes of blue and green. Of silver and red.
...
There was a deep throbbing sensation inside, something he had never before felt. More flashes.
...
............
He saw swirls of red and yellow, blue crystalline forms. He breathed heavily and deeply, a thin trail of blood leaked from his mouth. It hit the forest floor and turned black, sizzling the ground. A thick trail of smoke rose up. He stared at it, and suddenly he knew. He could not deny it. He knew what she had done.
...
Flashes.
"Gaiganny..."
He took a step, opened his hand and placed it on another tree.
"Gaiganny...no..."
Trajan snarled and with a solid motion ripped the tree from the ground, its roots snapped as they were torn from the dirt. He let it fall and ROARED!
"Gaiganny...you do not know... what you have done..."
Flashes of blue, green, red and yellow assaulted him once more. He roared again.
"You do NOT know...what
you have done!"