At Sixes and Sevens

A collection of Jr./Rubedo & Albedo one-shots, drabbles, and short stories

COPYRIGHT NOTE: I don't own Xenosaga

COMMENTS: Hello, everyone! Long time no see, eh? I've been on hiatus for a while, but now I return bearing gifts in the form of fanfiction. With U.R.T.V.s!

I've always wanted to write a one-shot collection, and who better to star than our delightfully dysfunctional twins? There will be other Xenosaga characters stopping by throughout this anthology, but Jr. and Albedo will still be the center of attention (as usual). I'm hoping to add as much variety in this series as possible, including various characters, genres, styles, and of course relationships. Some chapters will feature Jr. and Albedo as brothers, others as lovers, and some chapters will feature a little bit of both! :3 Every episode will have its own genre and rating posted, too. As of this series' debut, I haven't decided how high the content ratings will go, but appropriate warnings will be provided at the beginning of each chapter as needed.

The meme for this collection is numbers, a play on the idiom "at sixes and sevens" for 666 x 667, so every chapter will be feature a number in its title. But unless otherwise noted, these stories aren't in any strict chronological order. This first mini chapter is intended to give readers a small taste of what's to come in this collection. Enjoy!


6&7#1: "One Once" | Genre: General | Rated: K


One Once
Aiselne Nocturnus

Sometimes there can only be one.

That was Dmitri Yuriev's intent from the start, believing he alone was capable of opposing, and ultimately surpassing, U-DO. Naturally, such an arrogant delusion was shattered early on in Yuriev's life—no one man, however metempsychotic, can defy God—prompting him to form powerful government alliances, build an empire all his own, and eventually create an army of super-humans. And from this army would rise the greatest warrior of all: the one perfect anti-existent U.R.T.V. who would obliterate U-DO and pave the road for his father's ascension into omnipotence.

There was supposed to be only one, but Yuriev's plans were foiled yet again when the Red Dragon's egg split in half. And to add insult to injury, the split never completely separated the twins; they were conjoined at birth, and even after surgery those boys were utterly inseparable.

But not all was lost. The Dragon's genes took a liking to one baby after all, and Dmitri considered scrapping the other kid…especially when the younger brother was hopeless from the onset. Whereas the Dragon's selection was strong and independent, his lesser half was clingy and cried for no apparent reason, more so than typical babies. Eliminating him would be no problem; defective U.R.T.V.s were disposed off regularly, so nobody would care if Albedo died.

Except Rubedo.

It was a mistake Dr. Yuriev made only once.

In hindsight, it was a stupid mistake. He did not know if it was due to the U.R.T.V.s' inherent telepathic link, or an even deeper bond between the previously conjoined twins, but it was almost as though Rubedo knew what Dmitri was about to do to his brother. And being the devilish Dragon's host, it was not difficult for a mere infant to best his almighty-aspirant father. One blast of red-hot ether later and every window within the nursery was shattered, not to mention uncountable dollars worth of equipment.

Nobody was seriously hurt, though Dmitri did need to purchase a new pair of spectacles afterward. But even without his glasses he was not blind to what happened—nor could he ignore how he found the twins thereafter, huddled underneath a fallen incubator. It was one of the most astounding sights Dmitri ever saw during his long lifetime: there on the floor lay two tiny babies, their naked bodies covered in small cuts, bruises, and flakes of debris from the explosion. Aside from being perfectly alive, the twins were perfectly quiet—shockingly Albedo, who seemed unfazed by the whole ordeal, so as long as he was curled back-to-back with his other half. It was the first time Dmitri ever found his crybaby son so silent.

Rubedo was equally content, looking about ready to fall asleep after expelling such power. Dmitri highly doubted the baby was conscious of his actions, but what difference did it make? The child's compatibility with the Red Dragon was incredible already! Though it did pique Dmitri's curiosity as to why the monster would display any sort of care for Albedo when it already had Rubedo.

Or perhaps that was the point: one could not have Rubedo without Albedo. Half or whole, the boys were vital to each other. Separate them and there would be hell to pay.

Sometimes there can only be one. But this once, Dmitri settled for two.

Fin


A/N: I am (tentatively) leaning towards monthly releases for this series' chapters. Whether or not I can actually stick to that schedule is another matter entirely, but I will do my best! ^_^

Thanks for reading this sneak preview of my new anthology, and I hope to see readers again next time! Feel free to let me know what you think of my latest U.R.T.V. venture, too.