NieR:Remnant

XVIII - Supernova

Long ago, it was written that the path to victory was not through unity, but in knowing your opponent.

The words themselves, however, implied a bond even closer than that with one's dearest friends. Were humans afraid? Did they lie awake at night, fearing betrayal from the very ones they shared their beds with?

This, while taking the common philosophy of "finding one's other half" into account, made for quite the confusing read.

The majority of those who took this vow of matrimony at a distant point would wind up right where they'd started, two halves of a whole unraveling on their own through passage of time, worse than ever for wear.

Is that the nature of life, then? Is life all about finding fight after fight to give oneself purpose in a greater scheme than self? Was that vow devised as a foil to this drive?

That's what'd made sense to her, but everything she'd perceived these past few days seemed to turn these thoughts on their heads. So many had united against this foe, individuals who were former enemies and two whole sides whose nature was to destroy one another. Sure, they had a fight in Remnant, but she'd been led to believe that fight as a concept was the path to victory, the path to having purpose, and these souls, these spitting images of humanity, contradict what Pod-006 had thought she'd known.

Even 10H, the amount of times she'd "killed" her; that was Pod-006's purpose. That was her fight. At the time, that was all she knew, and thus, she performed her duty without a bat of the eye, figuratively speaking. Even all those times she'd watched the hope drain from 10H's face, Pod-006 harbored no remorse, until Remnant. All that time she'd had to think and watch after her wounding, drifting in a sub-orbital path between two celestial bodies as the fabric of reality itself broke down within and around her. That was when Pod-006 understood.

That was when she'd reached enlightenment.

Remnant was to thank. Despite what It was doing, she had Remnant to thank for giving her life, for the touch of awakening. Was that the meaning? Remnant was the enemy, after all.

Either way, Pod-006's understanding of the world had been shaken; her persistence with these beautiful, diverse souls was proof enough. Perhaps the purpose was perspective, to see the best in others, and hope that they'd carried that best out into the world around them.

But that's what Remnant was doing, and It was a threat to all.

Pod-006 was out of time. She wouldn't break this box, solve this puzzle; check this mate. The battle was upon them, and as many working as one, she would see this scourge destroyed, even to her dying breath.

And if that breath is to go out with a whimper, then so be it. At least Pod-006 found solace in the fact that somehow, somewhere, her voice would be heard.

That somewhere, that someone, is you.

Thank you so much for hearing our story, and no matter what is to happen in the coming hours, know that you are the ones who've made my short life one worth living.

The call has been made. The time has come.

May love always be with you.

Rain had started to trickle from the blue-less sky. Various platforms, huge and sturdy despite their ramshackle look, had been fixed on what remained of the few remaining half-sunken skyscrapers out on the water. Many resistance androids equipped with long-ranged weaponry had garrisoned these towers, taking over-watch on the battlefield from way far out. There, moving forward into the valley flanked by more ruined buildings and gargantuan plant life was the rest of the crew, mixed of android and machine of various sizes and altitudes; on the left side of the force was Pate, fronting what remained of his force from the Forest Kingdom. Towards the front and center of the mass was Tiny, one of the crew's last remaining Goliath troops of their own. Fronting this unlikely army from left to right was 2B, A2, mounted on the albino elk Wendy, and 9S, along with their respective pods. Anemone and a company of the resistance forces had amassed on the left.