Xenogears Chapter 03: Fallen Shadows

[Black screen. Crickets are heard.]

FEI
"Mmmm! That was good!"

[Scene opens on Yui's kitchen. Fei, Citan, Yui and Midori are taking their dishes to the kitchen. Fei stops at the exit door.]

FEI
"Your cooking never fails to impress me, Yui!"

[Fei keeps talking.]

FEI
"Thank you for such a delicious meal!"

YUI
"You're welcome.
If you like my cooking that much, then I'd be happy to cook for you anytime, Fei!"

[Yui continues.]

YUI
"Oh, and the bread tasted really good because I used that egg you brought us."

NOTICE
Fei gained a bit of weight, but felt he did a bad thing. ... Well, just a little bit!

[Bird in the kitchen crows.]

CITAN
"I will bring the equipment you need to the village tomorrow morning, myself...
It does not exactly make me feel comfortable to have you handle such delicate instruments, I am afraid!"

[Fei turns and looks at the floor.]

FEI
"... Where have I heard that line before!?"

[Fei looks up, and back at Citan and company.]

FEI
"That's alright by me... Well, see you tomrrow, doc! Good night, Yui, Midori!"

YUI
"Good night. We're looking forward to tomorrow's wedding."

MIDORI
"..."

[Fei and Citan exit the door. They stop just beyond it. It is now nightfall.]

FEI
"Well, good night, doc."

[Citan nods.]

CITAN
"Yes, good night."

[Fei begins to walk down the path.]

CITAN
"Oh, Fei! Please be careful..."

[Citan taps his foot.]

CITAN
"Ah, I mean... the path is dangerous when it is so dark..."

[Fei turns around.]

FEI
"What's wrong, doc?
There is nothing to worry about! Well, anyway, I'll see you tomorrow."

[Fei walks down the path and away from Citan's house. Scene change.]

[Scene opens on the darkened mountain path. Fei walks down the path. Fei has gone about halfway down the mountain path and is almost over the bridge when he stops. A huge rumbling is heard.]

FEI
!?

[Fei looks up.]

FEI
"What's that...?"

[A giant shaped machine is flying over the canyon, pursued by three equal-size "giants", but of a different shape.]

[Begin music: "Knight of Fire"]

[Scene cuts back to Fei on the bridge.]

FEI
"Giants...?"

VOICE
Fei!!!

[Citan comes running onto the bridge.]

FEI
"Doc! Some flying objects went toward Lahan!!"

CITAN
"So you saw them too!
Judging by their shadows, they appear to be a group of Gears from our neighbor country, Kislev."

FEI
"Those were... Gears...?"

[An illuminated red flash and rumble echo throughout the canyon.]

CITAN
"!! Oh no! They are headed directly for Lahan!"

FEI
"The ones I just saw?"

CITAN
"Let us make haste!"

FEI
"Right!"

[Fei and Citan run full speed back to Lahan.]

[Stop music. Scene fade.]

-----

[Scene opens on the village. Lahan is a mess. Fires are burning everywhere. Timothy and Alice are looking up in front of Fei, oblivious to his presence.]

FEI
"No! Lahan's...!?"

[Rumbles are heard and more fires break out as the Gears continue their maniacal warfare. The camera surveys the damage, then back to Fei as Citan comes up beside him.]

CITAN
"Alice!? Timothy!!"

[Alice and Timothy turn around, noticing the two.]

ALICE
"Doctor Uzuki!? Fei!!"

[Both of them run up to Citan.]

TIMOTHY
"Doctor! They just came outta nowhere and landed right in our village...!"

CITAN
"I know. What on earth are they doing starting a battle here...!?
Are you all okay?"

ALICE
"Yes! But it's Dan... We can't find him!!"

[Alice turns back to Timothy.]

TIMOTHY
"I'll go look one more time! Alice, go ahead and get out of the village."

[Citan and Fei run up to Timothy.]

CITAN
"No, Timothy, wait!!
You, Alice and the rest of the villagers should evacuate to a safer location!"

[Alice looks back at Citan and Fei.]

TIMOTHY
"Doc, you know I can't just leave Dan behind!"

[Alice looks back at Timothy.]

ALICE
"Timothy..."

[Alice turns back to Citan.]

CITAN
"I understand how you feel, but leave the rest up to Fei and me!
The primary thing you should be concerned with is your own safety...
Timothy, your responsibility is to protect Alice!"

TIMOTHY
"... But..."

FEI
"It's just as doc says. The two of you should get out of the village now!
Don't worry about Dan. Knowing him, he has already evacuated and is waiting for you!"

TIMOTHY
"... I guess you're right..."

[Timothy turns to Alice.]

TIMOTHY
"Okay! Alice, let's let Doctor Uzuki and Fei handle it from here!"

ALICE
"... Yes, okay. Thank you, Doctor!"

[Alice turns to Fei.]

ALICE
"But, Fei... Please look out for Dan!"

FEI
"Yeah, don't worry.
If he still happens to be in the village, I'll be sure to save him!"

CITAN
"Now, both of you, hurry!!"

[Timothy and Alice run out of the village. Citan turns to Fei.]

CITAN
"I will go check inside the houses to see if there is anyone left behind.
Fei, please go around the village and guide the stragglers to a safe location!"

FEI
"Alright! But doc... You be careful, okay!!?"

[Citan nods.]

CITAN
"You too, Fei!"

[Citan runs off. Fei starts to run and then looks at the giant Gears fighting. Scene cuts between Gear shots and closeups of Fei. A shot misses him barely and he lands at the feet of a Gear with what appears to be a dead pilot underneath it.]

FEI
"Whoa!!"

[Fei now realizes the Gear is empty.]

FEI
"... Ah...!?"

[The Gear is in the landing position, and heartbeat sounds start to pepper the scene.]

FMV 03: The Call of Destiny
[Fei looks up, and sees a red-haired boy in the cockpit of this Gear - at least, in his eyes he sees one. A pendant flies over the screen and flashes. Fei seems to respond to this flash unusually, not unlike a reaction. He turns and sees that the pilot who had been flying this Gear is lifeless at the feet of it. The pendant crosses and flashes again. Fei looks up and sees the red-haired kid in the cockpit, and he seems to be laughing. A sinister smile comes over the kid's face as the cockpit closes on him, and Fei stands up straight, looking directly at the empty Gear.]
[----END FMV 03----]

[The heartbeats are going twice as fast now as Fei stares at the Gear. After a second, he runs towards the Gear, and jumps onto it.]

[Scene cut to in front of a nearby house. Citan is just coming out of one of the houses when he sees Fei jump onto the Gear's arm.]

CITAN
"Huh... Fei!?"

[Citan runs a couple of steps towards Fei and the Gear.]

CITAN
"Wait, Fei!!"

[All sounds stop.]

FEI
"..."

[Fei jumps into the Gear's cockpit. A shifting sound is heard from the Gear, and then, it gets to its feet. The Gear turns around, looking ready for battle.]

CITAN
"Do not do this, Fei! You must not fight here...!!"

[Begin music: "The Steel Giant"]

[The Gear runs away from Citan towards the battle.]

CITAN
"Fei!!"

[----Battle mode----]

[Screen is different from normal battle, picture of Gears are shown from front to back rather than left to right at this time.]

NOTICE
.....XafbEWfadJZ..... ...Linguistic Modifier enabled.
Identified: Lamb, Ignas dialect No piloting exp. -> Easy Mode Set
Synchronizing input interface with pilot's normal reflex time
Warning to Pilot: C O M B A T M O D E About to enter combat! 1200 units of fuel left
Utilize Command Ring in upper left of screen to select ATTACK
then, A, [] and X buttons to commence auto-attack sequence.
Power and fuel usage differs with type of attack (button): A10 []20 X30 (CHARGE restores 30 fuel units)
[Warning sounds]
WARNING! Enemy Gears are now preparing to attck! Terminating Help Mode.

[Battle: Weltall vs. Musha Mk100 x2]

[Two Gears jump in front of Fei, but are different than the ones he just disposed of.]

FEI
"Reinforcements, huh?!"

[Two more Gears jump on the other side of Fei's Gear.]

FEI
"On my right too! Damn it! How many of them are there...?"

[Silence music.]

[A far more sinister looking Gear, with a complete aura of confidence about it, lands behind the four Gears flanking Fei. A heartbeat sound is heard. The four Gears begin to take shots freely at Fei's Gear.]

[Unmute music.]

FEI
"I guess... there's no choice... but to fight..."

[Fei's Gear runs towards his opponents as screen goes white.]

[Stop music.]

[----End battle mode----]

[Begin music: "Tears of the Stars, Hearts of the People"]

[Citan is standing by the well looking at the goings-on, in thought.]

CITAN
"Fei...!! The way you are fighting...
Oh no... This is not good! If 'he' awakens here..."

VOICE
Doc!!

[Citan turns towards the voice. Scene cut to show Dan on top of Alice's house.]

CITAN
"Dan!?"

[Dan jumps down. Citan runs over to him.]

CITAN
"Are you alright!? What on earth are you doing here!?
Do you not know how worried Alice and Timothy are!?"

[Dan turns to Citan.]

DAN
"I'm sorry Doctor Uzuki! I got out of the village earlier, but I came back...
... I just couldn't bear to think of leaving my sister's wedding dress behind here..."

[Dan looks up at Citan.]

CITAN
"You returned to save your sister's wedding dress...!?"

[Citan looks down.]

CITAN
"Heh... You are such a sentimental little boy...!"

[A flash puts Citan back to earth. He and Dan run to the well area.]

CITAN
"Let us evacuate to a safer spot while Fei has their attention!"

[Citan turns towards Fei's Gear.]

CITAN
"It appears that they are after that Gear Fei is in..."

DAN
"...!?"

[Dan turns and looks the same way as Citan.]

DAN
"Fei's... inside that monster!?"

[Camera switches angles and pans back from Dan and Citan to the face of Fei's Gear.]

CITAN
"Fei is bound... by the dark, cruel destiny of god..."

DAN
"... Fei...?"

[Camera moves back to Dan and Citan.]

CITAN
"Come on now, Dan! We had better get away from here."

TIMOTHY
"Dan!!"

[Citan and Dan turn. Camera changes to reveal Timothy coming up the path to the village.]

TIMOTHY
"I knew you were still in the village! Boy, I'm glad you're okay!"

[Stop music.]

TIMOTHY
Huh...!?

[One of the Gears lands beside Timothy, looking directly at him.]

CITAN
"Oh no...! Timothy!!"

[Timothy is an ant, compared to the Gear, while the camera is looking at him from the height of the Gear's cockpit.]

TIMOTHY
"Uh...!"

[Scene cut to a side view of Fei's Gear. Fei's Gear puts up a hand.]

FEI
"Wait!! Don't shoot!!"

[Fei is frantic.]

FEI
"Stop it!! These people have nothing to do with you!"

[----Battle mode----]

[Fei's Gear is still in the same terrain it was before. And so are the other five Gears.]

FEI
"Timothy!"

[Two of the Gears move right up to Fei's, blocking his path.]

FEI
"Out of the way, you bastards!"

[Camera pans back to the sinister Gear, taking this all in, arms still folded. It turns to the right, then back towards Fei, and makes one motion with its hand, signalling a fist. The Gear on its left turns to the right and unleashes a flurry of bullets towards Timothy's direction.]

FEI
"Stop it! I said sto-p i---t!"

[Scene fade.]

FMV 04: The Destruction of Lahan
[Timothy is hit by the bullets and killed as blood spurts from him. Fei moves forward in an initial reaction, , then the pendant flashes again. Fei writhes in agony without warning, as if responding to the pendant's flash, and a scene of what appears to be a young Fei with blood on his face is shown. The pendant flashes again. Same scene, but this time it's the kid that was in the Gear before, and his face breaks into an evil smile. The pendant flashes again and falls off its chain. Fei's head is below the camera, then it rises. But it's not Fei. A red-haired being has taken his place. Suddenly, huge amounts of energy are dispersed from the Gear. Everything is wiped out in its path. Gears, houses, and people. One of those people is Alice. She can do nothing but look at her hands as she is wiped out by the ether blast.]

DAN
"Alice!!!!!"

[Dan screams as Alice is vaporized. He tries to reach for her, but Citan holds him back from a nearby cliff. Dan can only wail in despair and disbelief.]

DAN
"Noooooo!!!!!!"

[The energy lights up the night sky like an orange ball of fire, as the Ether energy explodes for miles, wiping out the entire village.]
[----END FMV 04----]

-----

[Black screen. Sound of birds chirping.]

FEI
Uh... Uhn...?

[Scene opens on Fei holding his face in his hands under a tree on the mountain path. He gets to his feet.]

FEI
"Huh...! Where am I...!?"

[Fei shakes his head. Camera pans back a bit to show Citan and Dan, with some of the survivors huddled in a corner.]

FEI
"Doc!!"

[Citan turns around to see Fei.]

FEI
"Oh, you have finally gained consciousness, Fei..."

[Scene cut to behind Fei. Fei runs a couple steps towards the group.]

FEI
"Doc... What happened...?
Where's Chief Lee, Timothy, Alice...? What did I...?"

CITAN
"Yes... Well that is..."

[Dan turns around suddenly and looks directly at Fei.]

DAN
"You murderer!!"

[Citan turns back to Dan.]

CITAN
"Dan!"

FEI
"...!? Dan, what do you mean...?"

[Dan walks towards Fei a few steps and stops.]

DAN
"Fei..."

[Dan turns to one side. Camera pans in closer to him.]

DAN
"It... was because you had to go get in that monster...
Alice and Timothy... The people of the village are all...!!"

[Dan turns back and points a finger at something behind Fei.]

DAN
"You killed everyone using that monster...!!"

FEI
"...!?"

[Fei turns around. Camera changes to show that standing behind him is the Gear he used during the battle, dwarfing everything and even standing on the lower level of the canyon it's a good height taller than him. But now it is silent, as the camera examines it, and then flies down it. Fei hears villagers talking behind him.]

VILLAGERS
Why did you have to fight in the middle of the village...?
How do you even know how to operate such a monster...?
Mother...? Where mother...?
See, I told you so...I said allowing someone we knew nothing about into our village would spell disaster...
Owww... Hurts... It hurts...

[Fei turns back to the huddle.]

FEI
"Dan...!"

[Scene cut to behind the villagers. Fei begins to walk towards the group. But they all shun him and back away as if he were a...mass murderer. All of them except Citan and Dan.]

VILLAGERS
Yikes...!
No! Keep away... I'm scared...
Waaaaaaahhh...

DAN
"Murderer!! My sister... Give me back my sister!!"

[Scene cut to behind Fei. Citan walks in front of Dan.]

CITAN
"Dan...
There is nothing to be gained from putting the blame all on Fei alone.
What is more, you know Fei had no control over the malfunction of that Gear."

[Dan turns to Citan.]

DAN
"I... I know that!"

[Dan looks away from both Fei and Citan for a moment.]

DAN
"But... But...!!

[Dan turns back to Fei and screams at the top of his lungs.]

DAN
"I HATE YOU!!"

[Dan runs off from everyone.]

DAN
"Uuuaaaaaaahhhhh...!!"

[Fei moves towards the group a bit, then he stops.]

FEI
"Dan...!?"

CITAN
"It might be better if we left him by himself for a little while...
He does not know what to do with his grief, his anger..."

FEI
"..."

[Citan turns towards Fei.]

CITAN
"And Fei... It may be a good idea for you to leave this place.
There is no gurantee that reinforcements from yesterday's unit are not going to come...
They will probably want to know what happened to their comrades.
Also, if you stay here, I do not think the atmosphere is going to be very joyful... if you know what I mean.
It is probably best for both you and all the other villagers here."

[Fei looks away for a minute, then back at Citan.]

FEI
"I guess you're right... This disaster happened because I was here..."

[Fei looks off to the distance again.]

FEI
"But...what am I supposed to do now...?"

[Citan assumes his thinking posture.]

CITAN
"Yes, well... Why not go through the Blackmoon Forest and head for Aveh?
I am sure those soldiers from yesterday were not from Aveh.
If you can manage to get to the Aveh side, they will not be able to track you down very easily."

[Fei nods, still looking off to the distance.]

FEI
"Okay... I understand, doc..."

[Fei turns back to Citan.]

FEI
"Well anyway... Please take care of the rest of the things here, doc."

[Citan nods.]

CITAN
"Of course... Well, do take care now."

[Fei turns around and walks towards the Gear, then he stops, and looks back at the villagers. They all have suspicious eyes, as the camera pans slowly over the crowd. Only Citan seems somewhat friendly. Then he walks a different direction for a couple steps, back still facing everyone as Citan walks up the path behind him and stops at a distance.]

FEI
"..."

[Fei walks over to the edge of the cliff, looking at the Gear he piloted. The camera pans slowly up it until Fei and the Gear make Eye contact. He hears voices echo in his mind as the camera looks at the Gear from different angles.]

VOICES
You killed everyone with that monster...!!
Murderer!! My sister... Give me back my sister!!

[Fei breaks eye contact.]

FEI
"Gh...!!"

[Fei jumps off the cliff to the lower level. Then he walks briskly away from the Gear and out into the world. The camera shows him going from the Gear's point of view, as if the Gear is simply watching him leave. Scene fade slowly.]