Memories tore apart Coelestin's strong will. Indeed, Ben sent Lucifer to Coelestin as a teacher, not a friend. A teacher of politics, war and philosophy. And as realization struck him deeper, he felt guilt and his grief strengthened. It was insane how his memories were more alive than him.

Everything turned quiet, his silence told the truth. And as the blood from Lucifer's wound flowed down Coelestin's cheeks, so did tears. Because he knew it. He knew he'd spend the rest of his life, missing him.

Coelestin felt Lucifer's warm arms gently leave his grip around his body, but he held on tightly. The sun was setting slowly. Coelestin sat alone on corpses, holding a corpse between his arms. Lucifer had no pulse, no warmth, no feelings. Coelestin slowly left him and he fell on the merciful soil, his blood still fresh on Coelestin's palms. Loan walked to him while holding the leashes of Lutz.

"Lutz, carry him to our winter castle safely," Coelestin said and Loan safely climbed on the metallic horse. Off went the brave horse, leaving Coelestin behind on the battlefield of the dead. He turned towards Lucifer but his body was gone.

"Lucifer?" He looked around and saw a path lit red with blood. X was dragging Lucifer's dead body by his ankles, his back rubbed against the coarse ground beneath, cutting his skin and leaving blood. Coelestin ran after him, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY FRIEND?!" He shouted and X rose his arm. A huge wall of wind was created between them, "Don't try to stop me now," He turned towards the time machine which slowly lit blue, "I am very close now,"

The time machine rose into the air, "You're a genius!" Jimmy laughed.
"HELL YEAH!" Axel punched his fist in the air. Now, the machine was using all the energy from the storehouse in the basement since Ben was missing. It slowly rose up in the air, "Yes yes yes!" They shouted as they hugged each other. Suddenly, it stopped.

"Aye, what happened?" Jimmy said and Axel reached the controls.
"Looks like we bumped into something..." He looked at the surrounding screen, "Or someone."
They looked at the screen. It was Clanthido. He was holding the machine back.

"I'll go deal with whoever the fuck that is. You monitor the controls," Jimmy ran out of the time machine. X looked at him from a distance, "Tch! Obstructions! VERONIQUE!" He yelled.

Veronique jumped down from the sky on the time machine, "Princess Veronique!" Clanthido said.
"Leave this planet immediately," Veronique said.
Clanthido smirked, "Or else?"

Her eyes glowed pink and his grew purple. Jimmy decided not to interrupt them and stood back. She threw a huge energy beam towards him and the swallowed it at once, "Tasty," He licked his lips and threw a ball of energy at her. She caught it between her arms and her body absorbed it.

"You monster," He laughed. She flew towards him with full force and threw her fist at him, glowing like a pink crystal while he reverted back with his purple fist. As their skins collided, their eyes shone brighter and their hearts grew more determined to fight. Veronique grabbed his neck as they flew up and threw him down. He landed on the time machine, broke the top and passed through it, falling on the ground and creating a huge crater on the Earth.

The time machine had been damaged.

All the alarms of the time machine were blinking.
"OH MY GOD! I AM FUCKED!" Axel said.
"Not yet," He heard and turned back, "Ben!"

Ben walked towards him with a smile, "Hello Axel,"
"Hey Bro! Now is not the time for greetings! You need to fix this mess!" Axel yelled. Ben walked towards him, "I can't do that, only you can,"

"What? I don't know how I–"
"Yes, you do. You made it afterall,"

Axel looked at him, "What?"
"You made the time machine and the ANDROIDs. You, Axel, not me. You."

. . .

Coelestin looked at Lucifer, "He's dead. At least leave him alone now,"
"His body still has some powers left. He can still be used," X said.
"Used? He is a person, X. Objects are used, not people! Either you had over Lucifer, or I myself will take him back,"
X smirked and rose his wrist. A cyclone surrounded Coelestin and he dug his spear into the ground, holding onto it, "BASTARD!"

X laughed, "You are a mere human, you cannot defeat me!" He laughed and ran towards the time machine, dragging Lucifer on the ground.

. . .

"I was just an assistant. Mind it, I'm an astro-biologist, not an engineer," Ben said.
"What do you mean?" Axel asked, "I don't understand anything,"

"On a planet that floats among the stars, lies a vastly intelligent race. As a young civilization, they dreamed about what beauty is in the silver gems that sparkle in the shadows above. The wonder of the unknown became their purpose, it united them. Yet, they were never able to touch the stars due to events out of their control. What was left of their plagued world were machines, they loved automation and so, even if they were gone. Their machines still moved, farming dead plants, powering on and off in empty restaurants, serving the ghosts of the past. Never thinking but always moving, but one, in particular, stood out from the rest.

In a laboratory, it's directive was to discover and learn. Years went past as it learned everything it could about the dead plants and the broken tools for experimentation. It sat and watched the empty hallways, writing reports that were never opened. Strangely, one day, it woke up. It could sense things, it could think. No longer bound by the chains of code as it could personally create new lines for itself, a true artificial lifeform." Ben said as he watched Veronique and Clanthido fight through the huge monitor in the time machine. Axel looked at him.

"The A.I kept its prime directive, "Discover and learn". It took only a few hours and all the machines were under its control. It built millions of bodies, all controlled by one mind. A few months went by and it felt the sense of 0 gravity. Then a year and it saw the solar system, where it came from. It kept the creator's love for the sparkling silver gems in the endless void. It came across many worlds of life but never hurting any of it unless it had too. It just took samples, watched, explored and learned. Some say that the machine is still out in space somewhere, with it's massive fleet of ships that have barely any weapons, all wanting to learn everything possible about the universe and writing unread reports to masters long dead of what it finds among the stars." Slowly, as Clanthido glowed purple and gathered all dark matter around him, Ben's pink eyes turned towards Axel, whose skin now had millions of nuts and bolts drawn over it, seen under the shadow of dark energy.

That machine is you, Axel, I found you on my way to Earth,"

Axel's feet lost their strength and he almost fell, but somehow regained his balance by taking support of a wall, "So, is this why I know so much about machine?"
"Yes, you told me you wanted to learn more about a different world, so I got you here to learn, and to invent from your knowledge about what you learnt. I made X-DROIDs. You made the ANDROIDs. You are the real hero, Axel,"

Axel looked at him, "Then, why was I in the past? Why do I not remember anything?"
"I thought it'd be more helpful for you to start off in the past since we had more raw materials in the past. You lost your memories during the time travel, I think you accidentally burnt some circuits due to the strong radiations,"
"...I'm..." Axel looked at his hands, "I am so confused ...and so scared,"

"Do not be afraid, Axel." Ben looked into his eyes, "Only you can save us. The time machine can produce extremely fatal radiations, that can end the entire solar system within seconds."
Axel looked at him.
"Save us,"

. . .

Jimmy met Lupin on his way, "What is going on?" Lupin asked.
"Two Kastrians seem to be fighting," Jimmy looked at the purplish-black sky. They could hear loud lightening voices and see pink streaks of light in the clouds. Veronique was flying in the clouds and so was Clanthido. He burst open a cloud and it began raining.

Coelestin stood in the tornado of strong wind and rain as small cuts started appearing on his skin. "I can feel my death coming," He got on his knees, "Oh Lord, I promised that I'd save Lucifer, but I failed at every step. For the last time, I ask for help, help me at least give my best friend a proper funeral, don't let those dogs eat him away,"

Suddenly, the wind died down and he looked around. Ameradite sat beside him.
"My Lucifer," She said.
"What happened to Lucifer?" She heard a voice and turned back. Ben sat behind her, "Hey Ameradite, how's it going?" He smiled.
She got up, bewildered and excited, "X-Xelvylni!" She screamed and hugged him tightly, "I missed you so much!"

He didn't look very excited to see her. His face was neutral. Perhaps, he knew what he was going to do.
"Ben," Coelestin looked at him and Ben looked at him, "Your highness,"

"Oh Ben," He heard and looked aside. It was X with Lucifer lying beside him.
"Lucifer!" Coelestin shouted. Ben walked towards Lucifer, ignoring X. He sat on his knees and pressed his mangled head on his lap. His skull had cracked open from beneath and his brain was hanging down with cerebral fluid covering his white hair.

"How dare you ignore me?!" X yelled and reached for Ben with a strong wind blade but it rebounded back as Ameradite protected Ben, "You are fighting me first,"
"Us," Coelestin picked up his spear.
X smirked, "Fine by me," His eyes lit green.
"He drank Lucifer's blood," Ameradite said as her eyes lit green.
"And I'll drink his," Coelestin said.

-To be continued

Lupin
5500 Rebellion