The white angel floated upon the serene surface of the ocean, eyes fixated upon the blue skies dotted with low hanging puffy white clouds. Life went on around RahXephon, even when it felt that it shouldn't for Raldon. The island he had woken up on drifted further and further into the distance, and with it the strange old man and his... well... The old man claimed it to be a "gundam", but Raldon would more describe it as a "tin can" with about the same structural integrity. Perhaps he should have gone with the old man rather than striking out on his own.
Not exactly alone. Raldon shifted his glance from the clouds to the young woman beside him, patiently waiting in silence. Something about her seemed familiar, but he could not place her. Sometimes she was there, sometimes she was not. Somehow, she knew how to maneuver the angel and they had spent a good bit of the morning teaching him as well. Somehow, after several missteps, Raldon had managed to get the RahXephon into the ocean and onto it's back, floating along in silence with nothing but the ocean to break the silence. It felt quite lonely. But what was he to do? He couldn't go back home, they would just mess with his head again and use him. He couldn't go back to the old man, pride would not let him, and what were the odds he was still there? Not that he trusted the old man, he seemed to make bad choices with whatever tore that tin can of his up. A sigh escaped his lips, his knees pulled to his chest, and his arms wrapped around his knees. Alone and no where to go.
The young woman beside him put a hand on his shoulder before stepping away and disappearing as she often did. Giving him space to sulk no doubt. Suddenly, the ocean began to rise around him, slowly swallowing the RahXephon into it's embrace. The angel slowly fell down into the dark depths, hidden from the living world by the dark blue expanse that spanned endlessly around him. Rah righted itself and stilled, floating below the surface, hidden away like a pearl in a clam, tucked safely away. Raldon panicked at first and righted himself in his seat, controls unresponsive as Rah stubbornly ignored his input. Panic subsided when he shifted his gaze back out to the world around him. He stared wide eyed at the underwater world slowly coming to life around them.
Light flashed across the scales of tropical fish, seaweed danced and swayed in the current, crabs scuttled along the bottom of the ocean floor, sharks stalked in the distance, and curious creatures swam close to inspect the RahXephon. It was like being in a submarine! Sure, it wasn't responding but hey, at least if he died down there it would be beautiful. It had been everything he had wanted from his life, to explore and learn, find new things, meet interesting creatures, and be free. It was like living a dream, even if it was only temporary. A sense of satisfaction filled the cockpit, radiating warmly through it. Raldon was as enraptured as a child, watching the sea life outside, woes forgotten. Rah moved slowly, drifting as if on the current, giving Raldon an eye full of anemone, corals, shoals, and the various sea life around him.
Raldon lost track of time and distance as the angel drifted. Night fell and new life emerged, silhouettes in the distance. Eventually, he fell asleep and Rah settled to wait. Morning came, and with it the search continued. Glints of shorn metal passed by under foot, tangled in the rock and reef below where Rah had found the old man's tin can. The feel of the cabin changed to something of a giddy excitement. Raldon frowned and glanced around. He was used to the odd shift in feel within the cabin by now, but the last time he had sensed this feeling from another living being... There was something... A sense of doing something he wasn't supposed to be doing... But nothing more, and it frustrated him to no end. Frustration melted into awe. He stared, jaw agape at the massive crab that loomed in the distance.
RahXephon approached slowly, cautiously, softly singing. It's hand ran along the shell of Orphan, drifting along side it.
Not exactly alone. Raldon shifted his glance from the clouds to the young woman beside him, patiently waiting in silence. Something about her seemed familiar, but he could not place her. Sometimes she was there, sometimes she was not. Somehow, she knew how to maneuver the angel and they had spent a good bit of the morning teaching him as well. Somehow, after several missteps, Raldon had managed to get the RahXephon into the ocean and onto it's back, floating along in silence with nothing but the ocean to break the silence. It felt quite lonely. But what was he to do? He couldn't go back home, they would just mess with his head again and use him. He couldn't go back to the old man, pride would not let him, and what were the odds he was still there? Not that he trusted the old man, he seemed to make bad choices with whatever tore that tin can of his up. A sigh escaped his lips, his knees pulled to his chest, and his arms wrapped around his knees. Alone and no where to go.
The young woman beside him put a hand on his shoulder before stepping away and disappearing as she often did. Giving him space to sulk no doubt. Suddenly, the ocean began to rise around him, slowly swallowing the RahXephon into it's embrace. The angel slowly fell down into the dark depths, hidden from the living world by the dark blue expanse that spanned endlessly around him. Rah righted itself and stilled, floating below the surface, hidden away like a pearl in a clam, tucked safely away. Raldon panicked at first and righted himself in his seat, controls unresponsive as Rah stubbornly ignored his input. Panic subsided when he shifted his gaze back out to the world around him. He stared wide eyed at the underwater world slowly coming to life around them.
Light flashed across the scales of tropical fish, seaweed danced and swayed in the current, crabs scuttled along the bottom of the ocean floor, sharks stalked in the distance, and curious creatures swam close to inspect the RahXephon. It was like being in a submarine! Sure, it wasn't responding but hey, at least if he died down there it would be beautiful. It had been everything he had wanted from his life, to explore and learn, find new things, meet interesting creatures, and be free. It was like living a dream, even if it was only temporary. A sense of satisfaction filled the cockpit, radiating warmly through it. Raldon was as enraptured as a child, watching the sea life outside, woes forgotten. Rah moved slowly, drifting as if on the current, giving Raldon an eye full of anemone, corals, shoals, and the various sea life around him.
Raldon lost track of time and distance as the angel drifted. Night fell and new life emerged, silhouettes in the distance. Eventually, he fell asleep and Rah settled to wait. Morning came, and with it the search continued. Glints of shorn metal passed by under foot, tangled in the rock and reef below where Rah had found the old man's tin can. The feel of the cabin changed to something of a giddy excitement. Raldon frowned and glanced around. He was used to the odd shift in feel within the cabin by now, but the last time he had sensed this feeling from another living being... There was something... A sense of doing something he wasn't supposed to be doing... But nothing more, and it frustrated him to no end. Frustration melted into awe. He stared, jaw agape at the massive crab that loomed in the distance.
RahXephon approached slowly, cautiously, softly singing. It's hand ran along the shell of Orphan, drifting along side it.