IF's motorcycle roared against the sandy bridge that'll be gone in a couple of hours. As we drove towards Zune District, IF spoke up.

"Alright. Here's the deal. Don't take any risks, understand? If you feel the least bit threatened, retreat to safety right away. You've got a little brother to look after, after all."

I chuckled. "This is just like our first mission together, remember, IF? It was, what, three years ago? When we were driving to that cave?"

"Oh, right. I remember I saved your skin."

"I'm sorry. I remember saving your skin from an Ancient Dragon!"

IF blushed. "That's... right... You also..." She blushed harder, remembering the little accident we had that neither of us filed.

I chuckled. "I said I was sorry. Anyways, head in the game."

"Right."

We began to drive along a rocky ledge and I got anxious. "It's quiet..."

IF's eyes began to dart. "Too quiet."

Suddenly, a large robotic monster shot up from over the cliff before us and as IF swerved to avoid it, I drew my sidearm and took one single shot. The thing burst into data as IF smiled.

"Thanks, Mot."

I kept my gun up, ready for anything else. "Don't thank me yet. We're not out of the woods yet." I looked around. "Where are the goddesses?"

IF began to look around as well. "I don't know..."

I looked up ahead and saw an ominous purple glow. "IF! Up ahead!"

We drove towards the glow, then skidded the bike to a stop. In the center of some old crater, the four goddesses were being held up by wire monsters, entrapped by a strange purple diamond. As I carefully got off IF's bike, I took a couple of steps forwards and felt sick all of a sudden. Feeling something wrong pulse through my body, I fell to my knees, panting and paralyzed.

"Motta? Motta! What's wrong?!"

I tried to move but couldn't. "I..." I looked up at the diamond entrapping the goddesses, feeling as if it was repelling me. "I... can't get close to that... thing." I looked at IF, panic in my eyes. "IF, we need to go. Now. Something's wrong here, and it's affecting me in the same exact way it's affecting the goddesses. We need-"

IF hauled me onto her bike, grimacing. "I understand. Let's go."

Driving off, the feeling in my body faded as I regained control of my limbs. Grasping IF tightly, I began to mutter to myself the legends.

"... a humble boy of equally humble birth...

... drawing upon Gamindustri's Hope...

The first male CPU, hiding in the body of a young man...

With powers to protect the weak, and countless weapons to punish the strong...

When the goddesses are in danger, he shall rise...

The Guardian of Angels will come."

IF looked back at me as we drove along the sand bridge, now wet with the rising tide. "Motta? What is that?"

I kept muttering "The Guardian of Angels" and gazed at my hand. From everything I had gathered, it all began to click together. All my life, I had been able to summon any number of weapons, whenever I want, wherever I want. Like a goddess. My skills, they're more similar to the goddesses' skills than to, for example, IF's Flame Soul Slice. That time I rammed my back against a goddess barrier? Lady Black Heart didn't even budge and Uni was too worried to do anything. And besides, Lady Black Heart seemed suspicious, looking back on it. I have strange powers that aid me in protecting the weak, such as the power to track any footsteps, along with my uncanny ability to block almost any blow.

"It can't be me..."

"Motta, you're scaring me. Speak to me! In English!"

I noticed my hand began to shake. With fear? Excitement? Worry? I wasn't sure. "There's no way... I can't possibly be a CPU..."

"What?" IF sighed. "Hang on, we'll get you to Compa. She'll figure out what's wron-"

I cut her off by pulling out my phone to call a certain someone. "Histoire? Histoire, please, pick up. Please!"

IF glanced back at me, a look of worry and sadness plastered across her face. Suddenly, Histoire picked up. "Hel-?"

"Histoire, this is dire. I have two things we need research on, right away."

There was a pause before Histoire answered with confusion in her voice. "What are they?"

"First, anticrystals. We ran across a pyramid-like structure of them with the goddesses trapped inside." What am I saying? How do I know this stuff? "Second is... something a little personal."

"I'm listening."

"Could you see if there are any specifics to this 'Guardian of Angels' I keep coming across in old legends? I..." I couldn't croak out any more words.

Histoire sighed. "I'll start looking, but I've prioritized the anti-"

"That's fine. Get to work, please!" I hung up and buried my face in IF's back.

Please, don't be true. Please don't be true. Just be some kind of coincidence, please. I don't wanna change, I don't wanna change!

Nothing was said between IF and me as I silently dug my fingers into her coat.

Please, please, please! I don't wanna be different! I don't wanna be a god! I just wanna protect Hulo and give him a bright future! Please! Please, let it be someone else. Or not real at all! Just a feverish fantasy! Please!

Tears started to blur my vision as I closed my eyes and tried to hide my face in IF's back.

Pleasepleaseplease! Just let me be me! Motta! Big brother to Hulo and any orphans of Gamindustri! I don't wanna be high and mighty! I just! Want! To! Be! ME!

IF bit her lip as I clutched onto her so hard, I was leaving marks. However, she didn't let a single sound escape her lips as we made our way back to the Leanbox Basilicom.

Please! Please let this all be a dream! I don't wanna change! I don't!

When we got back, IF pulled me off her bike and ushered me into a guest bedroom the staff had prepared. As she began to leave, I grabbed her hand and looked into her eyes, pleading.

"Please. Don't let me change. I don't wanna change."

She sighed, placing her free hand gently over mine. "I promise. I won't let you change. Now get some sleep. I'll... explain the situation to the others."

And with that, IF laid me down and tucked me to sleep.

Please. Please keep your promise, IF. You're one of the only people I can count on. Please. Don't let it change. Don't let anything change. I don't want things to change.

Suddenly, a voice I've heard echo through my mind for seven straight years, ever since that day, spoke up once more. Power. Give me more power!

However, something seemed... different about the voice. Almost... as if it wasn't what I thought it was...

-------------------------

I walked into the room where we left the others, a soft blanket wrapped around my shoulders as I shuddered with fear of change. Inside, everyone was gathered around IF, who had her phone out and was talking with Lady Histoire. The hologram faded away as IF turned around.

"Well, you hear her--"

"Wait!" Uni cut IF off. "I'm not going anywhere until you give me a proper explanation of this. Can't we do anything?"

I watched as Ram stood up. "Usually Blanc takes down bad guys with one punch, so what gives?"

Rom spoke up. "She's not gonna die, is she?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but froze as the reality of the situation dawned on me. Two little girls, with what equates to their only mother-figure (even though she's their big sister) are close to facing the same dark emptiness I felt. That Hulo felt. That the goddesses pulled us out of. IF noticed me simply standing in the middle of the room, deep in memory, when she spoke up.

"Motta?"

Everyone turned around to see me standing there, head hanging, looking pathetic. Hulo took a step forwards, guessing what I was thinking. "Big bro...?"

I clenched my fists and remembered that damned void once more.

Power. Give me more power!

I began to take deep breaths, trying to get a hold of my emotions. What was I thinking, breaking down like that? When have I ever been afraid of change? What's gotten into me? As I regained my true feelings, not those of some coward with seemingly nothing to lose, Compa tried to comfort Rom and Ram.

However, Uni brought the reality of the situation crashing down on us. "Normally! But you said their powers were stolen, didn't you?"

Nepgear spoke up. "I'm sorry."

"Hm?" We all turned to her as she sat solemnly on a chair.

Compa spoke up. "It's not your fault, Ge-Ge."

"It is, though. The stone I picked up when we were shopping. I knew it was strange. It must have been an Anticrystal." She was obviously shaking.

IF turned away slightly. "This is pointless. Playing the blame game won't help anyone."

"You say that. But if I'd just stopped to think..." I began to glare and dropped the blanket, finally making up my mind. "If I'd tried to figure out why I got dizzy, even a little... If I'd told our sisters, we could've stopped this."

"That's right, you idiot!" My mind froze. Uni did not just say that. "Noire is strong! She would never get captured. Well, not on her own at least! You did thi-!"

A loud smack cut Uni off as everyone froze. All eyes were on Uni and me as I slowly lowered my hand. "Shut. Up."

Uni began to glare, tears starting to form in her eyes. "This has nothing to-!"

I snapped, finally spilling the secret Hulo and I've been holding for so many years. A secret only Neptune, Lady Noire, Lady Vert, Lady Blanc, and Lady Histoire knew. One that they kept from their sisters. One that I kept from my friends. "IT HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH ME!" They all took a shocked step back. "I HAVE BEEN THROUGH A SIMILAR SCENE BEFORE! SEVEN YEARS AGO! SEVEN! MY MOTHER GAVE HER LIFE TO PROTECT HULO AND ME!" The silence from the girls was deafening as Hulo covered his ears, trying his hardest not to remember. "HULO AND I HAVE LIVED ALONE FOR SEVEN FULL YEARS, HAVING NO FATHER TO SPEAK OF, NO MOTHER TO RUN TO BECAUSE SHE IS BURIED IN THE GODDAMN DIRT!" Rom and Ram were shaking from my fury as tears swelled in Hulo's eyes. "THE HELL I FELT-- THE EMPTINESS I WENT THROUGH! I OWE EVERYTHING TO THE GODDESSES! AND IT IS MY FAULT THAT THEY ARE TRAPPED! NOT NEPGEAR'S, NOT YOUR'S, NOT EVEN THEIRS! IT'S MINE!" IF tired to step forwards, hand raised.

"Motta..."

I snapped at her. "SHUT UP! WHOSE IDEA WAS IT TO SEND THEM TO ZUNE DISTRICT WITHOUT HELP? MINE! WHO WENT TO THE ISLAND AND CAME BACK A PATHETIC MESS? ME!" I took a deep breath, lowering my voice, but not my force. "Who's willing to go back and fight to his last breath to stop two little girls," I pointed at Rom and Ram, where were hugging each other, "from losing the only thing they can call a mother figure?" I glared right into Uni's eyes. "Me." The silence we held for ten full minutes was deafening. "I'll wait until sunrise for you girls to make up your mind. Will you stay? Or will you go?"

Ram looked around. "M-May-"

"The answer is yes or no." I let out a sigh I hadn't realized I had been holding. "I'll be outside. Don't talk with me for at least an hour."

I began to storm out, then noticed that Hulo was silently bawling in the corner. I bit my tongue. "Someone, please comfort Hulo for me. I'm not in the right mind..." I stormed out of the room, leaving the girls to ponder my words. Behind the door, Uni still had her hand held against her stinging cheek, waves of guilt beginning to crash over her.

-----------------------

It had been three hours since my snap in the party room. As I leaned on the railing, gazing at the city below, memories of Mom crashed through my head and I did nothing to stop them.

Mom. You should have been the 'Guardian of Angels'. I don't give a damn that you're not a boy, you truly guarded angels like Hulo from the pains of the world, in a way I could never hope to replicate. So why? Why did you have to die?

"M-Motta...?" I turned my head to the right to see Rom.

"Oh, hi Rom. Sorry for scaring you and your sister. Who's taking care of Hulo?"

"Compa is."

I nodded, looking back out at the city. "Good call. Compa's always been the caring type." I paused for a while and Rom didn't go away. "Why are you still here, Rom? Shouldn't you be with your sister, especially now?"

She walked over to my right side, gazing at my distant face. "Motta... You're crying."

I didn't budge. "I know."

Rom gently slipped her tiny hands around my older, scarred ones. "Why?"

I scoffed. "Oh, I don't know. It can't possibly because the goddesses' lives are on the line and it's my fault. It can't possibly be because of my memories of my dead mother." I looked down and saw Rom frowning. Letting out a sigh, I sat down on the pavement. "I..." I let go of another sigh. "I guess... I'm scared."

"Scared of what?" She climbed into my lap, almost instinctively.

"Scared... of the unknown, I guess. Scared of 'what if we lose? What if we mess up?'" I gazed at my hand. "Scared... of becoming something more, and leaving the ones I love behind."

She wrapped her hands around mine. "What makes you say that?"

I gazed up at the Constellation of the Guardian, Mom's favorite constellation. "There... are legends, in Gamindustri. Legends that speak of a boy ascending to godhood to protect the goddesses. A 'Guardian of Angels', if you will. And I..." I looked down at Rom, seeing her as so much more grounded than I. "... And I think I may be him."

Rom suddenly began to pout. "You big dummy!" She lightly hit my chest.

"Huh?"

"You don't have to leave your loved ones, even if you're the Guardian of Angels! I mean, I mean... Look at Noire!"

I felt my lips begin to quiver, a smile threatening to break out. "Lady Noire isn't a good example."

Rom froze, then pouted. "Then... Then... Look at Big Sis!"

I bit my tongue, trying desperately to not give Rom the satisfaction of watching me break. "Still not a good example. Does Lady Blanc even have any friends? I know Lady Noire doesn't."

"Then... uh... Vert!"

I almost laughed, almost. "Seriously?! She tries to hide the fact that she's a goddess online, and does it poorly!"

"See?"

I looked at Rom. "She still tries to hide the fact that she's a goddess! I want to be out on the streets, and not have anyone second-guessing me, wondering if I'm a CPU or not!"

"Fine! Then look at Neptune!"

I broke, bursting into laughter. "Neptune?! Rom, did you hear yourself just now?! She can hardly be considered a goddess!"

Rom pouted. "But doesn't she walk around, letting everyone know that she's a goddess? That's what you wanted, right?"

I couldn't stop laughing. "I guess, but I don't wanna act like I'm the main character of some video game or fanfiction! That'd be torture!"

Rom froze, started to giggle, then broke into laughter with me. "I know, right?! And it'd be absolutely crazy if I was some side character in the story, right?"

I nodded. "Right! Exactly!"

The two of us continued to laugh at the absurd thought of being in a fanfiction. Please! As if that would ever happen! Wait... why do I hear tape? And why the hell is this invisible wall cracked? Wait, there's someone on the other side. Hello! What's your name?

....

(Y/N)? Wait, oh crap... Uh... REWIND TIME, REWIND TIME!!! FOURTH WALL IS BROKEN, REPEAT, FOURTH WALL IS BROKEN!!!

Yeah, it got pretty dark but ended on a light note. We're getting closer to the big battle! The polls are still open! Give Motta a love interest!