Chapter 3: A Light By Day, A Shadow Resides (Sunrise)

Every morning, under the light of the Goddess, you offer a prayer to the Adversary.

Or at least, normally, that's what you do.

Instead, right now, you lie awake in your bed, peeking at the clock. 06h14, 13 Thermidor LXIX...

(nearly ten years to the day, when you left your luxurious life behind, to claim the name 'Himeko' for yourself.)

Your heart really is a little troubled, huh?

…you very rarely remember your dreams. Your nights are filled with silence. That you had such a vivid dream is…unusual to you.

A dream of a future...ruled by you? Competing with Mother? Of Mother's ambitions, what you've always secretly feared but could never quite confirm, and of White Glint a puppet on her strings...and you, surrounded by girls who are set free from the bondage of the Fallen world, able to love one another, able to be...

You can't say you don't like the idea, not entirely.

A dream is your own subconscious. (You consider if, perhaps, it's a message...but you're not sure you're willing to accept that.) Your own desires. That your desires take such a shape isn't really surprising to you, but the whole idea of them being achievable...

Or even whether it'd be a good thing, if it was.

You walk to your window, and stare out into the sky, into the sunlight. It's about sunrise, now, still some time before your alarm, as you touch your hand to the glass.

Mother has provided for you, of course. And loved you. You really can't ask for anything more...

Yet, you want it.

To walk as an equal to her. To reclaim the Fallen world, using the technology of the Complex, that sleeps beneath Mountain View, under the Abyss Watchers...

And to love her as an equal, when she finally claims her place on the throne.

...well, maybe you'd prefer to be on the throne...?

Ugh.

This dream of yours didn't help your mood...because in the real world, you're still just an operator working for Mother, with no power to call your own. And you've really got to start getting ready. This morning's task is not something you relish, but it is one you still must do.

For Ariel, if no one else.

---

Stepping into the shower is another reminder of the struggles of the Underground.

The water supply for the Underground is fraught with issues. Most bathing is done at least somewhat communally - you remember slowly getting used to your body with other girls like you, especially as it changed. A shower like this is a rare luxury, though even in the Underground it can be found now and again; you'd even managed to afford one yourself, after a scare or two.

(To be fair, the electrocuted, unconscious bodies of your attackers probably also helped it keep it only to 'a scare or two'.)

But at the very least, thanks to the efforts of the community, they have that. There was a time they didn't, though that was long before you were even born. In the face of Father's rule, the people had to come together to survive, even thrive...

If an image like your dream could ever exist, if a world like that could ever exist, you'd do whatever it takes to get it.

...but it's still not best to dwell on it.

Sighing, you step into your shower, letting the hot water stream down your naked body, that pale moonlight-like skin you bear after nearly a decade underground, as you hear your alarm go off, the radio's sound filtering in from the other room, just a tail-end of a pop hit coming on before the DJ starts...

"- and that was Marina Arisa with 'Only In My Dreams', spending another week at the top of the charts! I still can't get enough of that one. For those just joining us on this lovely summer morning, this is Radio LUNA 103 point 7, and I'm your host, Rebeka Renata, for Becky's Breakfast in the morning."

You reach over and grab your shampoo, squeezing it into your hand and saturating your hair with it. Long hair has always been your preference, but maintaining it is always a bit of a pain. For special occasions, you knew another girl in the Order who helped you look your best, but these days -

"And we've got a special guest in the studio with me today, really quite special. You've seen him on the news, you've seen him on the battlefield, you've seen him in the Arena - and now he's here in my humble little studio. It's our very own Rank 3 Raven, Chase Greyward!"

...despite yourself, you audibly groan at learning who's going to be ruining your morning. Of all the people in this entire City, why did it have to be Angelina Delacroix's little boy toy?

"Thanks a lot, Becky. Really happy to be here, on your show. People are always asking me, 'when are you going to be on Radio LUNA?', and now I can finally tell them - yes, I have been!"

"...really, Chase?"

"No, not really. This station's too small for that. But this is fine, right? Cozy. It's not about your audience, right?"

Scrubbing and lathering your hair, working right through it - it's a little easier today, for some reason? - your nostrils flare a little as you feel that pit in your stomach. An independent radio station's DJ and Delacroix's pet, you can imagine them both wanting to murder each other.

"Right, yes, well. Ms. Delacroix can contact me in the proper channels if she wants to 'expand my audience'. That's not what you're here for, is it?"

"Of course not, Becky. Rebeka. Can I call you Rebeka?"

"No!"

(You snort, unable to help but laughing. Well, there is a reason you listen to this when getting up in the morning...)

"Right, Rebeka. We're here to talk about the Arena, of course! The Alloy Gate's finest sports entertainment. Your voice is pretty familiar to fans, but you don't talk about it a lot here on your station, do you?"

"Well, I figure we all deserve a little distraction from Ravens in the morning, you know? I'll be there announcing for today's match, so why don't we talk a little about that, Chase?"

...oh no.

Oh no.

Of all the things to talk about, why did it have to be Ariel's Order Match...

with fucking Red Rum?

"I'd love to, Rebeka. Really, I could talk with you all day. I don't know why they make fun of your weight -"

"I'm fine with my weight, trust me, Chase. What, don't tell me you're secretly the 'man in the jacket' in your spare time?"

"I do own a nice jacket! Quite a few, actually. But no, I'm not a vigilante. And my AC is no 'glint of white', either. Those are just rumors, right? Imagine some guy going around playing superhero, there's just no way."

Rebeka laughs again, and you're always rather impressed by her composure. You reach for your soap as you rinse out your hair...

"Well, Chase, today's Classics Cheap Seat, brought to you by Delacroix Video Classics, features our good friend Rank 9, Shamir RaviRavi, piloting Red Rum...and, her opponent? Our up-and-comer, Rank 17, Akarui Akuma, pilot of the AC Lilith!"

(You smile, despite yourself, as you think of your Ariel.)

"Red Rum...she's never actually shown up to a match with me, you know that?"

"I'm well-aware, Chase, how Red Rum likes wasting all our valuable time, when she's not tearing up the City for fun."

"Yeah, I have fought with her, but that wasn't in the Arena. Seeing her on the battlefield is...it's terrifying. You're not even safe if you can disarm her - you should've seen the scratches I got on Dual Face! All she needs are her legs!"

...you wonder how he can speak so casually of it. You're sure some of your old friends in the Underground would call him a sociopath, but can you so easily say that of another person? In a world that has Fallen, where you do whatever you have to to survive?

(He's still an asshole, though.)

"Right, let's maybe not talk about Red Rum too much, Chase. Too many bad memories! Instead, I'm more interested in what you think of this Akarui Akuma girl. Even I don't know too much about her, she hasn't given an interview..."

(Yeah, like you would let people expose your Ariel to the limelight.)

"I think her callsign's terrible, Rebeka."

...fuck you, you gave it to her yourself! Just like her emblem! He may as well be insulting you, but...given Delacroix, you're sure if he wanted that he'd say much worse. You know the type, after all, you know the words, and it wouldn't be the first time you'd hear him making that kind of joke about girls like you...

"No, really, Chase."

"She's pretty interesting, actually. I've been going over her match history. She's not even been in the Arena that long, but there's no one who fights quite like her. See, Lilith's body type is designed for her high AMS compatibility, so it's really mobile. But it's equipped with a sniper cannon, and I just don't get it. Why would you make a mobile machine like that and give it such a massive gun?"

"Her match history is actually pretty impressive at her rank, Chase. But she hasn't been able to beat anyone in higher tiers yet, so maybe you're onto something."

You designed that AC yourself, too. But it wasn't really made for the Arena, so you're not too bothered by it, as you reach for your conditioner and continue lathering into your hair. Really, you've kind of resigned yourself to losing today...

You're going to be there for your Ariel, of course. As always. But you don't have high hopes.

"Alright, we've got a few callers coming on the line, so maybe they have some opinions? Any questions, any at all. I know a lot of listeners don't know all the ins-and-outs of the Arena, so while I'm here with Chase, why not tell me what's on your mind?"

...you're almost a little tempted to call in yourself, honestly. Defend your Ariel's honor. But...you can't imagine it'd have much impact, especially when no one knows who you are.

But you're kind of in the middle of your shower, scrubbing yourself down as you let the conditioner work its magic. Rubbing down your body, over what Mother helped you gain, over what so many other girls in the Order might never have...

Don't they deserve the body they've always dreamed of, too? To look as beautiful as they've always desired? And there are so many girls like you, born having to think they're boys, and -

"Ooh, we've got a caller in right now. Hello there, caller! This is Becky, do you have a question for us?"

"Yes, uh...hi, my name's Joe -"

"Hey Joe!" Rebeka's voice is always a little relentlessly cheerful. Maybe sickly sweet, in a way, but it does warm your cold heart at least a little..."Right, you're on the air Joe. What's your question?"

You are reading story A Shadow Resides: Armored Core at novel35.com

"Well uh, first off, I just wanna say, I like that callsign! It's, uh, like them weird girls you see near subway stations, the ones with the weird hair colors -"

"Who think they're too good for men, right? They've never met a man like me." You can just imagine Chase's smile like that, the blonde, sunglasses-wearing shit-stain, and you feel sick imagining what he'd do -

"But, uh. Right, Becky, I love your show, by the way, but isn't it true arena performance is really different from how ACs are in missions?"

"Yes, that's right," Rebeka says. "I've actually got the printouts from Collared here, that's the nest Akarui Akuma works for, and she's got a high mission success rate. Maybe she's not really an Arena type of girl?"

"If she's not an Arena type of girl, I'll show her a good time after a match," Chase says, and you find yourself tossing your soap across the shower in absolute rage.

No. You won't let him anywhere near your Ariel. You may not be willing to take advantage of her, but you know Ariel thinks little better of men than you do. To think, in the Goddess' world, she protected her children from men like Chase...

Breathe, Himeko.

Anger's no good for you like this.

"So it seems like maybe, uh, maybe she's just not that into it? I dunno, um...I just think Chase Greyward is really mean!"

(Mentally, you add Joe to your 'men who aren't that bad' list. It's a pretty short list, but any new entry helps, really...)

"Yeah, well, Joe - Joe, sweet Joe - some guys are limp-wristed. And switch-hitters. If you wanna fight in the Arena, you have to play to win. You really sound like something of a -"

"Yes, thank you, Chase. Uh, next caller? Yes, hello, you're on Becky's Breakfast!"

You silently thank Rebeka for her discretion as you start rinsing out your hair. It'll probably take too long to dry, as ever, but at the very least you'll be presentable for the Arena. For Mother, and for Ariel...

"Hi, um...this is Areum, and I love your show, Becky. But I don't really get much of this Raven stuff. I mean, I know what an AC is, but you mentioned something, um. An 'AMS'? And I don't get how ranks work, either...or even how you become a Raven in the first place."

"Welcome to Becky's Breakfast, Areum! Right, I know the answer, but maybe I'll let you answer, Chase. You're the Raven here, right?"

(You swear the regret is audible in Rebeka's voice.)

"Of course. And I'm glad you asked that, Areum, and may I just say - your voice is beautiful."

You hear a giggle from Areum, and can't believe that line worked on her. "Um, thanks!"

"But yes, to answer your question - no, not just anyone can become a Raven. You have to have a special psychic trait, that is your brain needs to work a certain way. Some say this gives us special powers, but I don't believe that bullshit. I mean, psychic powers? Magic? That's not real, right?"

Well, maybe not now...but it was, once. (Though to be honest, Chase Greyward might be the best evidence there is against Ravens being the Goddess' children.)

"Some say otherwise, Chase."

"Yes, Rebeka, and some of those girls think they don't like guys, that doesn't mean they're right." (You let the comment pass, because if you let him work you up right now...) "Listen, whatever it is, you have to have it. And it lets you use the Allegorical Manipulation System - that's what 'AMS' stands for. You need it to make the AC move, and you control it like an extension of your own body. The higher your compatibility, the easier it is to make it move, the faster you can move - just, everything's better. Apparently this...Akarui Akuma? That's her shitty name, right? She's got one of the highest in the Arena. So she'll be faster, and her AC will move in a life-like fashion, like a human. But she's just Rank 17, so she can't be that tough - if you're under Rank 15, it just doesn't matter. You're all shit."

"Right, um...Chase? How do these ranks work, anyway? I don't really get it..."

"Can I handle this one, Chase?"

"Of course, Rebeka. Go ahead. It's my pleasure."

You sigh, as you turn off the shower, stepping out to towel yourself off. Of all the arrogant bastards the world has produced, why do they have such power? Why would any woman want that?

Maybe you might've understood once, but if you did...you'd be a lot less happy. You wouldn't have this body, you think, as you grab your hair dryer and start working along your raven-colored locks...

"The top three Ravens are the A tier. Number three is my guest Chase here. Number two is Rossweisse, the '13th Zodiac' of the City Police. And number one is the infamous Zinaida, public enemy number one if you believe Father."

"Even I can't beat her, Rebeka. I'm not surprised the City Police has trouble."

"The next five ranks - four through eight - are the B tier. Then the next seven, nine through fifteen, are C, and sixteen through thirty are D. Being a higher Rank means you're tougher in the Arena, and if you're a mercenary, you get better missions, more money...you might even get a corporate sponsor!"

"The real Arena begins at C tier, though, Rebeka. In my opinion? No one under Rank 15 is even worth talking about."

(That hasn't stopped him from saying disgusting things about your Ariel, has it?)

"Wow, um...so Rank 3 means you're really strong, right? And handsome, too..."

"I'm sure you're very beautiful, Areum. Who knows? If you come see one of my matches, maybe I'll see you there?"

"Oh, I definitely will! Thank you very much, Chase! Thanks for letting me on your show, Becky!"

Ugh.

Such...hollow words. Hollow pursuits. You're not sure which would be worse for Areum - to never get her hopes up, or to have her be discarded as just another notch on Chase's bedpost...

"But, um...isn't it dangerous? Those are real guns!"

"ACs have a mode for non-lethal tests, Areum," Rebeka says. "The computers inside ACs determine damage and react appropriately. The rounds used in the Arena are for show, just simulated."

...it's something you've always kind of wondered about. Why did the Fallen world create humanoid weapons? Weapons that walk upright, and move like a human? And why did they make them able to fight in the Arena? It's -

...oh, Chase is being disgusting again.

And trying to sell merchandise.

...right, maybe stop paying so much attention right now.

You sigh, tuning out the rest by closing the bathroom door as you step in front of your mirror, and take a good look at yourself as you brush out your hair, knowing all you're missing is empty words and sponsors and the news reports, all the reminders of the world after the Fall, the one you were born into, long after the Earth was coated in contamination.

You wish you could've been born, before then. In the golden age. They say girls like you were everywhere, and it was easy to choose that path. That the treatment and surgery you benefited from was so simple, that you would never have to worry about men like Chase Greyward...

You're not sure if you believe it.

But you know it's not wrong to hope.

...

...but, you know...

Skin as pale as moonlight.

Long, silky raven-black hair.

A small, petite, slender figure.

And mysterious eyes, that appear a deep violet, that resemble neither of your parents.

Have you...

Have you always been this pretty?

You reach out, and touch the mirror, touch your reflection, and think...maybe you just didn't notice before. Focused as you were on your work, on Ariel, on everything else. Or perhaps, focused on Mother, though she's said you're beautiful countless times, even before the surgery, and you wondered how anyone could match her endless beauty.

But, maybe if there's one thing you can thank the dream for...

it's letting you see your own beauty more clearly.

---

"- and that's all for today. I'll be headed to the Arena for today's Classics Cheap Seat."

"I'd buy that for a dollar, Rebeka."

"Thank you, Chase. So for now, let me just rifle through my tapes here..."

You sigh, walking toward your closet, and pulling out one of your suits. Even if your Ariel is likely to lose, you'll look your best for her...and for Mother, of course.

The Fallen world may not be a kind place, but you can at least be happy that you're loved. By Ariel, by Mother...by people who accept you as you are, and welcome it.

If Mother's ideals are for a world greater than this one, then you will help her...

And no matter what, you will protect your beloved Ariel with your life.

And so you begin to dress yourself, make breakfast, and prepare for the day ahead.

"...ah, this one's from the Underground. An old hymn given a modern sound! To get you started with your day? Here's Astrophysics, with his new track 'Duvet'!"

...you smile to yourself, letting those tones fill your ears, pledging to do your best for the people you love...

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