The battle in space around the Pirate’s Nebula raged on, while the station slowly turned its massive red eye towards the mass of black ships looming before it. Eruptions of light flashed in the blackness as the pirate ships assaulted the Da-Ku cruisers, keeping them from causing too much damage to the station; its shields were barely holding as it was. The Pirate King Daichi stroked his beard, calm yet anxious- he was anticipating the moment when the tension would break. Even his noisy robotic bird, still perched on his shoulder, had stopped its twitching and squawking, as if it too felt the suspense.

“Sir!” an underhand suddenly called to him over the intercom. “The Eye of the Storm is charged and ready! Request activation immediately!”

“First prepare for massive impact,” Daichi spoke over him, his voice deep and commanding. “When that thing fires, its going to drain this station of its energy; the shields are gonna be down and we’re gonna get hit hard! After that order’s completed fire immediately!”

The warning went out to everyone within the Pirate’s Nebula, projected across screens and intercoms throughout the station; it also went to all the pirate ships in battle. Natsumi looked back towards the station upon hearing they were ready; the giant red circle in the center of the eye-shaped dome flared with energy, crackling and pulsating, eager to be released. She immediately began to pilot her ship away from the fleet, doing her best to find an escape route through the swarm of enemies.

“Everyone fall back!” Natsumi yelled to the remaining pirates. “Don’t get caught in that thing’s path!”

The crew of the Kon-Rensa snapped their heads up at hearing this; Tanshin almost leapt out of the bed he lay on in the sick bay, his one good eye wide in fear. Gama didn’t rise, but a look of concern tightened his wrinkled green face. Ryu and Kaze, on the bridge of the ship, almost jumped out of their seats.

“They’re firing it already?!” Ryu shouted in alarm. “Toshi’s not off the Da-Ku ship yet!”

“Tell them to wait!” Kaze yelled back to Natsumi, as the Kon-Rensa dodged a volley of missiles. The mobile turrets shot down those that got too close, and gave the starship time to fire back; the hail of laser blasts instantly wiped out the fighter planes tailing them. “Give Toshi just a little more time!”

“It can’t be held back once it’s charged!” Natsumi argued back. “Tell him to get out and MOVE!” Her golden arrowhead ship, The Calypso, rocketed away from the battle to prove her point, dodging anything that came her way; the other ships were already beginning to follow her.

“Shit!” Ryu yelled. “What do we do?”

Kaze’s mind spun, trying to think of a way to get Toshi off the cruiser. She spun around to the mechanical egg behind them. “Kaiya, can you contact Toshi?” she asked. “Didn’t he say something about you two having a ‘connection’?” Kaiya attempted to contact Toshi, calling his name with her mind. Toshi was in the middle of fighting the Da-Ku Lord; for a moment, she was able to reach him. Ryu shouted out to him, trying to warn him of the situation, but soon Toshi’s focus was torn away and Kaiya lost the connection. Even though he would have enough time to kill Gokan, Toshi wouldn’t have enough time to get off the ship before the Eye of the Storm was activated.

Ryu slammed his fist on the control panel before him. “Come on, Toshi! Get outta there!”

At the same time, King Daichi slammed his fist on the table and yelled, “Fire!”

The Pirate’s Nebula released the energy it had been gathering- the energy fueled directly by the core of the nebula. The constantly growing power of a nurturing star gave them an endless amount of fuel, and the power to defend their station against those who would try to mess with the pirates. The Eye of the Storm- their best defense system, which literally turned the station into a giant gun- unleashed the power it had gathered in a massive stream of stellar light, flowing wildly towards the fleet before it. The incredible size of the blast engulfed almost every ship, and the mighty Da-Ku fleet was shattered. Smaller ships simply disintegrated, while the bigger cruisers cracked and broke into fragmented pieces. The stream flowed steadily, as the energy continued to pour out of the station until it used up what it had gathered.

The pirates all turned their averted eyes back to the fleet, once the energy had subsided; each had to turn away from the incredible brilliance of the blast. When they looked again, only a cloud of debris and metal pieces drifted before them, the only remnants of the Da-Ku’s fleet. Natsumi had seen the Eye of the Storm used a few times before, but regardless, it always impressed her. Ryu and Kaze had never seen it; however, their marvel at the power of the Pirate’s Nebula was crushed by their despair for their friend. Toshi was nowhere in sight.

“Did he make it?” Kaze asked, hoping someone could answer.

Kaiya gave her a mechanically cold and simple response. “It is impossible to sense any energy at the moment; the scanners were temporarily overloaded by the nebula’s surge of power. Operations will return to normal shortly.” Kaze leaned forward, her eyes scanning the wreckage of ships hopefully.

“Is everyone all right?” Natsumi sent out a general question. The pirates answered her with hushed voices; they were all awed by the decimation. A pause, then Natsumi spoke again. “Kaze? Ryu? You guys okay?”

Kaze continued to scan the ships without answering, so Ryu took the call. “We’re still waiting on one. He was in one of the cruisers.” There was another pause- Natsumi narrowed her eyes in concern, hoping they didn’t actually expect their friend to have survived.

“Ryu… “ she replied carefully. “What about Gama and Tanshin? They will need our medical assistance; your ship alone can’t give them the support they need. You should be more concerned about them… they can still be helped. Toshi… I don’t think someone could have survived… “

“Shut up!” Kaze interrupted her, still scanning the wreckage of the ships wild-eyed. “He made it! Just wait.” She gripped the control panel tightly, slightly leaning over it. “Come on, Toshi… you made it, I know you did… “

Ryu looked over at her sadly, then turned his gaze to the debris. He knew Natsumi was right; nothing could have survived that. He dropped his head and closed his eyes, thinking of the young boy, whom they barely knew that well. Toshi, Ryu thought. You died protecting us… all of us, the entire Pirate’s Nebula, are here only because of you… what an amazing kid…

“Scanners functioning. Energy source detected, and approaching rapidly,” Kaiya announced casually over the intercom, as if she weren’t surprised in the least.

“What? Where?” Kaze look around frantically, trying to spot the said energy source. A ball of blue light appeared from the black drifting metal, and it rocketed with powerful speed towards the Kon-Rensa.

“Source identified,” Kaiya spoke. “It is the Symbiote Alpha.”

Ryu spun around to her, looking confused. “Symbiote Alpha? You mean Toshi?”

“The Symbiote and Toshi are one, regardless of what form they take,” Kaiya responded, sounding like a teacher patiently lecturing her children. “That is the nature of the Symbiote.”

Ryu turned back to the approaching object before them; he could see the white giant’s armored body glistening inside the blue light, his wings outstretched as he soared through space. “Alpha? Things just keep getting weirder and weirder.”

Ryu and Kaze ran down to the docking bay as the Symbiote entered, arcing its way through the transparent force shield protecting it. The weak wall, meant only to deflect space’s pressure, rippled as he passed through it. The white creature dropped to the ground heavily, its wings folding to its sides.

“Toshi!” Kaze shouted. The Symbiote looked up as they ran towards him; he lifted a white armored hand, waving like a casual teen- the act looked ridiculous with the Symbiote’s body. Then, he suddenly collapsed face-first onto the floor with a thud.

“Toshi!” Kaze and Ryu ran over to him, becoming alarmed as blue fire enveloped him again, though it dissipated as quickly as it came. Lying on the floor was now Toshi’s teenager body, returned to its regular form. Regular… minus the fact that the Symbiote Beta still replaced his right arm, and he still wore the alien, black-and-white swirled robe he acquired from Gama’s people. For Ryu and Kaze, however, that was regular, and they wasted no time grabbing their friend and bringing him to sick bay with Gama and Tanshin.

For Toshi, it was as close to normal as he would get, for the time being.

The Da-Ku at the Pirate’s Nebula were completely annihilated, destroyed by the star’s fury… except one. A single scout ship, its sleek black shape floating far out of harm’s way, turned its nose around and headed home to report these events. The pilot sat in quiet thought, wondering what it was he had seen and felt. Toshiou’s eyes were the only visible part of his face, the rest being hidden by a ninja-like mask. They narrowed in concern; the knot which had been growing in his stomach since Shinkou’s death was uncoiling uncomfortably. Something isn’t right…

He had seen the destruction caused by the pirates. He had felt the energy from Gokan and Toshi’s battle; he had seen the Symbiote Alpha flying back to its vessel, that powerful starship that had escaped the main cruiser and taken out almost a tenth of the fleet on its own. That creature isn’t one of the pirate’s weapons… maybe an ally, but that thing was more alien than any other life form I’ve encountered. They don’t have the technology to build such a weapon. Toshiou hated to admit it, but there was only one thing he could think of that explained the events. Shinkou… were your ramblings not so crazed, after all? Were you actually more aware than the rest of us?

The mad scientist had prophesized the return of the Symbiote, telling anyone who had cared to listen, his eyes frenzied and wild as he spoke. Toshiou was ever calm and stoic, a true shadow, and had stood quietly disinterested as Shinkou had indulged him in his diluted fantasies.

But now, Toshiou realized there might be some truth to his words. The information fit too well… the white giant, a well of energy, potential lying untapped. Toshiou knew the energy he sensed had not been its limit. The fluxuating power had much more room to grow, to evolve. All these words he had heard Shinkou himself speak to describe the Symbiote’s nature, and his slight encounter fit the description too perfectly.

Perhaps The Emperor will not brush this aside so easily, now. This could put a large hole in his plans…

While the Prince of the Da-Ku could not sense the energy’s battling so precisely as Toshiou- the latter was in the vicinity of the sources, while Enma was across the other side of the galaxy- he still felt the dark power of Gokan dissipate as his good friend died. He half-knelt on the floor, sweating and breathing heavily. He held his black wooden katana for support, gripping the hilt tightly. For those who get close to one another and form bonds, their energies become more sensitive and tuned to each other. Enma and Gokan, two of the youngest Da-Ku, had been friends for decades of their long lives, and Enma was struck hard by his death.

Another factor disturbed him greatly; this made four Da-Ku Lords now murdered, all by the same person. Shinkou, Shokou… now Soutei and Gokan. Enma’s grip on his katana tightened violently. Do their lives mean anything to you, father?

Prince Enma stormed out of his room, determined to hear the answer from the Emperor himself.

Gotoutenrin was in his throne room, as always. He stood above Shishei, his empress, as they inspected her dark loom before her. It showed them the flows of fate, each strand of a person intertwined with one another- except now the patterns had changed. Gokan and Soutei were supposed to keep living, but upon their deaths each of their strands had snapped. Those who were supposed to die- the crew of the Kon-Rensa- had survived once again. Shishei was trying to determine just what could have caused such a phenomenon when Enma burst into the room.

“He’s dead, father?” he shouted at his Emperor. “Gokan is dead!?”

Gotoutenrin never turned to Enma; he kept his eyes on the dark loom, disinterested. “Yes, it appears he is. Quite an unfortunate event.”

“You knew this was dangerous!” Enma yelled. “Those pirates killed Shokou, and you didn’t think to send enough reinforcements to handle them? You knew they were going to die!”
“I sent them with more than enough forces,” the Emperor responded absent-mindedly. “If they failed in their mission it was their own fault; they deserved their deaths. Weakness is not tolerable in the Dynasty.” Enma’s eyes darkened in hatred. Father… you monster…

“What is more important is this disruption in Shishei’s weave.” Gotoutenrin still had eyes only for the loom before him. Shishei, however, was trying to catch Enma’s eye, looking pleading and sympathetic. “It has unfailingly predicted the flow of time for centuries up until now. Not only are these enemies successfully standing against the Dynasty… they are successfully standing against the flow of fate.” The Emperor raised a thin, white finger to his beard, stroking it curiously. “Or perhaps it is not they… “

“Are you not concerned at all?” Enma asked, his voice straining to hold back the rage he felt. “Are you not ashamed at letting a group of pirates best us, not once, not twice, but now three times?! You don’t care about your subjects anymore; you don’t care about our pride! All you care about is your wife’s fucking weaving!”

Shishei gasped at Enma, her face twisted in hurt and despair. “Enma! Don’t speak like that, I’m your mother!” Enma never turned from Gotoutenrin, his eyes burning with hate. The Emperor never turned from the loom; he was as emotionless as a statue.

“Enma… how many times must I teach you?” Gotoutenrin spoke quietly, and deadly. “How many times must I tame this wild streak in you, like that ugly white streak in your hair?” Finally, Gotoutenrin turned towards his son, eyeing the streak as he spoke of it. All the Da-Ku had black hair, and black eyes to match. Enma’s hair had a single white streak through it, as long as a knife, and his eyes were white with black pupils. Such a deformation in the Da-Ku was unheard of… especially in a young prince. It was only one of the many things that made Enma loathe his position.

“Those who died by the hands of the pirates… that was not strength.” Gotoutenrin continued in his ice-cold drone. “This is not strength… this show of disgusting emotion you are displaying. You do not gain power from caring about friends, then despairing once they die. You do not gain power from caring about others. You grow weak, Enma, and you let others have advantage of your weakness. Soutei and Gokan were too emotional about Shokou’s death. They let it get the better of them, and now they are dead. Weakness has been cleansed from our great Dynasty; you should consider thanking the pirates for doing us a favor.”

“How DARE YOU!” Enma screamed, slashing his katana through the air viciously.

“You also show your weakness in your hatred for me,” Gotoutenrin continued; Enma curled back, not expecting him to strike from that angle. “I know you hate me; you hate me, because you fear me. You hate me because I am strong, and you are weak. You are the Prince, Enma! You cannot be weak!” The Emperor’s energy suddenly jumped; his aura became a churning shadow, almost drowning out his figure, though his eyes shone red through the darkness. The Prince visibly shrunk back as it seethed around The Emperor in shadowy tendrils. Enma gritted his teeth, raising his wooden katana against the energy pushing against him. He righted himself, forcing his body to keep steadfast against the waves.

“I’ll show you… “ he growled between clenched teeth. “I’ll show you how weak I am!” With a mighty heave, he pushed off the ground and flew towards the Emperor. Shishei cowered as the wooden katana crashed into Gotoutenrin’s forehead; Enma thought he had connected, but realized with a start that his father had stopped the blade a mere centimeter from his face. Suddenly, he was forced to his knees on the ground, and pain wracked his entire body. He gasped and shuddered, unable to get enough air to scream as his body contorted and twisted. The Emperor stared down at him, his eyes crinkled in deranged amusement. The shadowy tendrils were wrapping around him, constricting his bones and muscle.

Something caught the Emperor’s eye, and he looked up from his son towards the doorway. Standing there was Toshiou, patiently waiting for the father-son battle to finish. Gotoutenrin casually released Enma, returning to his calm and emotionless state.

“Welcome back, Toshiou,” he said. “I trust your mission went well?”

Toshiou nodded, giving the Prince a fleeting glance. “Yes, my Lord. I witnessed the entire battle, and was able to learn much about the enemy. I’m sure that this information will help solve our mystery.” Enma tried to stand, failing halfway through and falling on his side to the floor. Empress Shishei leaned over to him, draping herself over his body and whispering in comforting sorrow to him. He struggled to get back up again; Toshiou wondered cynically if his mother’s show of affection only fueled his desire to escape.

Enma eventually got to his feet, though he could barely stand and had to allow Shishei to grip his waist in a tight hug; Toshiou had never seen her move from her small bed, seated directly in front of her loom, since she had arrived in the palace. She kneeled on the bed, protectively hugging her son and practically keeping him from collapsing.

“Toshiou,” The Emperor snapped the Da-Ku out of his thoughts. “Tell me your report.”

Toshiou snapped back to attention. “My Lord, I believe this is a much bigger matter than we perceived. During the battle, I witnessed something that stood out from everything else, a thing I didn’t believe was capable of existing. I have no doubt that it must be the key factor in the sudden shift of power … my Lord, did you ever hear Shinkou talk about his research?”

“No, I never granted him enough time to speak of such nonsense.”

“As is expected; we all thought he had lost his sanity. Now, however… I’m forced to reconsider.”

Gotoutenrin’s eyes narrowed. “What are you getting at, Toshiou?”

“This sounds ridiculous, but please, consider what we’ve witnessed. Shishei’s power is failing her, and Da-Ku Lords are being vanquished. Both times there was a massive spike in energy, from some unidentifiable source, and this time I saw what the source looked like. All that power was coming from some alien being, a white armored creature with wings and the most bizarre energy I have ever sensed.” Toshiou turned towards Enma, his eyes slightly apologetic. “My Prince, I apologize for asking you to speak in your state, but could you confirm if Gokan spoke of a boy with a white glove on his hand? He was the one who killed Shokou, was he not?”

Enma, still breathing heavily, managed to nod his head.

Toshiou turned back to the Emperor. “That boy was the one figure we weren’t counting on. He killed Shokou, and I believe he was able to kill Gokan as well. Shishei, you said there should be only four targets, correct? Four strands that were supposed to die long ago?”

Shishei nodded, still pressed against her son. “Yes, that’s what the weave shows.”

“Then it is only fair to assume that boy is the anomaly causing our problems. What Shinkou had rambled on about was the return of the Symbiote, a hypothetical being that lives off of other people. I do not recall specifically all the things he mentioned, but I know that this creature definitely reminds me of his research . He said the being would evolve, expand its energy and mutate to compensate for any battle or situation. He explained the stories referring to some giant, white, winged demon; it descended from the sky and wielded enough power to level a planet. Like I said, such ridiculous stories were never taken seriously, but… I do not know how else to explain what I saw. This creature, whatever it is… it’s power is wild, and it has much more room to grow. I do not know if it is this mythical Symbiote, but that is as close as I can come to describing the danger it poses to us.”

The Emperor stared at Toshiou, his face blank. It was impossible to tell what he thought of his explanation. Toshiou started to wonder if he’d made a mistake, speaking so honestly about such nonsense to the Emperor. Finally, Gotoutenrin turned around, walking calmly back to his throne.

“Thank you, Toshiou. I will consider this information and deal with it in the future.”

Toshiou bowed respectfully, accepting it as the end of their conversation; he supposed he should have expected such a detached attitude from the Emperor. He turned to leave, but suddenly Prince Enma spoke up again.

“Emperor… you truly do not care about anything, anymore. You are faced with a serious threat to the Da-Ku… and you choose to ignore it, put it off for another day? What kind of leadership is that? Where’s the strength in that, father?”

The Emperor took a seat on his throne, folding his hands together and saying nothing. Enma stared at him for a long time, then shook himself free of the clinging Shishei and stormed out of the room. Toshiou stepped aside for him, then bowed again before leaving as well. Shishei looked up at her Emperor; he was staring at the ground, deep in thought. She crawled back onto her bed and curled up miserably.

Gotoutenrin mused over these events; though he showed no emotion, he was deeply interested in what was happening. The Symbiote? The power to destroy planets? Perhaps I will find a worthy adversary after all. I am sick of these petty games… the rebellious pirates, the bullheaded Uniti Solari, even my own kind are turning on me. They turn on me… because they all fear me. A smile grew beneath his smooth black beard. They have not yet begun to feel true fear. A threat to the Dynasty you say, Enma? Once my plans are underway, no threat will be great enough to stop me. I will rule the universe, and the Da-Ku will know what true power is.

Still, the Symbiote proved to be a new factor in the game; Gotoutenrin felt a slight curiosity to see how it might change things. Perhaps I’ll have to actually give some effort, now. How… invigorating.

Toshi was the happiest he had ever been. He was back among the stars, soaring through the universe at the speed of light, but still slow enough to study it all in perfect detail. The planets, meteors, space stations and magnificent works of art- both natural and technological- soared overhead and below him, floating in the vast emptiness of space; the whole time, a wondrous smile lit Toshi’s eyes.

The galaxy was such a beautiful thing- now that he could see it in the bigger picture, it had much more of an impact on him. He watched the planets and stellar bodies float around in small systems, each drawn towards a greater source such as the suns. They got close enough to feel its power, to bask in the sun’s warmth and live, but stayed far enough away to keep from being burned and injured. It was all in perfect harmony; the emptiness, the magnificent void of space keeping track of every single living entity that moved within it, each one contributing to the balance. He saw how each part fit, everything giving and taking to create an environment in which life could exist and flourish. Some thought life was cruel and unfair; Toshi knew now that it was nothing but fair, in every aspect. It gives and takes as it needs. Before him, a star was being born, the nebula swirling around it in its first stages of life. Further down, a star collapsed into a black hole, the death of its energy falling in on itself and tearing the fabric of space. Both were just as beautiful; balance.

Toshi understood it all, and felt enlightened beyond words. In his subconscious, the Symbiote felt it as well, and saw a glimpse of how much the young boy was capable of. It made the alien being glow in pride, realizing what a wonderful host he would become.

Toshi wouldn’t be able to recall all of his enlightenment once his dream was over.

Wake up, young one.

Toshi’s eyes opened slightly, and bright lights greeted his vision. He winced at them, raising a hand to shield himself from the glare. Once his eyes adjusted, he realized he was in some sort of hospital. He glanced to his side, and saw Gama’s familiar face smiling at him.

“Welcome back. I don’t know how you managed it, but you escaped with the least injuries out of all of us.” He gave a little chuckle. “Excuse me, I meant to say you won with the least injuries. Thank you, Toshi. You protected all of us.” Gama gave a nod towards his right arm. “You and the Symbiote.”

Toshi smiled back at him. “Thank you. I’m glad everything turned out alright.” Behind the green frogman, Tanshin’s head peered over at him, a slight smile on his grisly face. Although Toshi was exhausted, his heart still overflowed with pride and satisfaction at his friend’s gratitude. I did it… I protected everyone.

Ryu and Kaze suddenly burst into the room, having heard Toshi was finally awake. They crowded around him, giving him hugs and messing his hair up. Behind them, Toshi could make out Natsumi’s figure standing in the doorway, a bemused smile on her face. Behind her stood King Daichi himself, his robotic parrot squawking out of control because of all the excitement. Daichi gave Toshi a nod when their eyes met, and the young boy gave them both a thumbs up. He hugged Kaze and Ryu back, ignoring the slight pains in his aching body. He was just happy to be alive.

Once the three patients were deemed fit to leave by the doctors, the Pirate’s Nebula had a massive celebration. King Daichi made all the alcohol free; it was an insane night, with everyone in high spirits. Some still mourned the death of their lost comrades, but they celebrated all the harder to honor their memories. And everyone wanted to see Toshi; stories had spread about ‘the boy with the strange arm’, and how he had rallied everyone into fighting back. The pirate’s victory was due to him, as far as they were concerned; Toshi was a hero. They hoisted him on their shoulders and paraded him around rooms, handing him drinks and offering their thanks over and over.

The night was a blur of handshakes and loud compliments, and Toshi was finally able to get back to bed. The crew stumbled their way back to the ship- Ryu and Kaze were especially drunk, and had to be carried by Tanshin for half the trip- and went to their respective rooms. They said goodnight to Kaiya before going to sleep.

The next morning, Toshi’s ears still rang, but he awoke with a smile on his face. Whatever headache or hangover he got from the night before was worth it; he couldn’t remember feeling more happy in his entire life. He hadn’t known he was capable of so much.

Then again, he thought, it wasn’t entirely me, was it? I owe you a lot too, Symbiote. It was the first time in a while Toshi had to himself; he hadn’t spoken to the Symbiote throughout the celebration, since his thoughts where elsewhere.

The Symbiote replied in its simple, logical voice, as always. You’re welcome, Toshi. We are equally worthy of praise, though; we became a single entity, a single will. To be honest, I’m impressed you made it this far.

Did you know that would happen? Toshi asked suspiciously. He still wasn’t quite sure himself what had happened. You knew about that power within you, right?

Yes, but remember, it is not from within me. That ability came from within you, for you are the key to unlocking my abilities. Kaiya mentioned before the Symbiote Beta is the first form; you have now discovered the next step. You took the form of the Symbiote Alpha.

Alpha? What is that? How did I even do it?

Symbiote Alpha is the recognition of your strength of will. As you saw, you freed your will from others influence, and from fear’s influence. This freed your physical body from the restraints it holds. You made choices thoughtfully and clear-headed, and that brought you to the next step of our evolution. It was an honorable choice; you endangered yourself for everyone else’s sake, even though you did cause the problem to start. However, many would run away- you walked forward proudly to face your fears.

Toshi was stunned. That’s all it took? Saying alright, I’ll go face the Da-Ku?

Not entirely, the Symbiote replied. There were many parts of your journey that led up to this point. You should know them by now; they are nothing more than the morals you uphold. You even said them yourself, in Alpha form.

Toshi thought for a minute. You mean… the choices I made… like standing up for myself. And standing up for my friends, and others who would be hurt by the Da-Ku’s bloodthirsty nature. Toshi felt a slight shiver throughout his body; how similar it was to him standing up to the school bully, Goro. In fact… it felt no different, only enhanced- more.

Toshi continued his thoughts. I understand… at first, I was too afraid to fight, and to help the people who helped me. I was alone, in a new place, unsure… unconfident. I wasn’t sure of myself anymore, and that’s what caused these problems. I wasn’t staying true to myself; I was afraid.

It’s to be expected, the Symbiote replied. Whenever I choose a new Master, they must always first overcome the fear of uncertainty.

But I did it… I overcame it, all by myself. Toshi stopped himself. No, not by myself. If I were by myself, I’d have been dead from the start. I overcame it with the help of my friends- Ryu, Kaze, Tanshin, Gama, and especially Kaiya and the Kon-Rensa. Their strength helped me find mine. Toshi shook his head, smiling in wonder. It’s like they’re my guardian angels or something.

You do understand, the Symbiote answered, sounding slightly relieved. Life is not meant to be lived alone, Toshi; the power of one person is incredible, but nothing can survive by itself. All things in life must learn to coexist with one another, and help each other, even if that means some sacrifices. The wolf eats the deer, but he does not eat all the deer, for then he will have killed himself. They keep the balance. The Da-Ku, as you have heard, believe they are the most powerful empire in the galaxy, and cannot be matched. They neglect the fact that they only survive because of what they steal from others, and it is from them that they get what they need. It is like you said to Gokan; destruction will turn around on itself, and soon the Da-Ku will destroy themselves.

But not before they destroy the rest of us, first, Toshi thought grimly.

Yes… but you’ve stopped them for now. You’ve defeated more Da-Ku than most thought possible. You admit the truth of their anti-life nature, and you have chosen to fight for the side of life.

Life... Toshi wondered. You said life needs balance; is this why I’m here? Did you take me to this universe to be the balance to the Da-Ku?

Toshi swore the Symbiote actually laughed. Bravo, Toshi. That is a small part of the answer. There is much to fix in the universe, and the Da-Ku are surely part of it. There will be other problems, though, and much more for you to learn, but I believe in you. I know that you have the potential within you.

Thanks. I hope I can do it again though; will I be able to transform into Alpha any time I want?
If your will is strong enough, it will happen on its own. You must uphold your part, and I will uphold mine. Keep in mind what you are fighting for, and why. If you forget, or change your mind for some reason, you will know the consequences of what you choose.

I see… I’ll remember. My life, and my friend’s lives… all of life itself is what I fight for. I fight for continuation, not destruction; I fight by choice, not from fear. I will protect those who have protected me, and continue to learn from them. I will cherish my own life, and never deny myself any possibilities, because it is up to me to decide what I’m capable of, and no one else.

Precisely, Toshi. Well spoken.

Toshi finally made his way to the bridge after his morning preparations, and was greeted once again by cheers. The crew stood below him, clapping loudly and hooting. Toshi let out a laugh, amazed that they could still keep going after so much celebrating already. He went down to greet them, giving them all hugs and his thanks.

“You guys are crazy,” he said to them. “We already had a party; don’t make this into an everyday thing. Seriously, it’s embarrassing!”

Gama patted his arm. “Don’t you worry, my boy! This will probably be your last day of glory; after this, you can get back to cleaning the urinals, mopping the floors, and all your other chores while onboard our ship. How’s that sound?” Toshi groaned, wishing he had kept his mouth shut.

“I thought it was pretty much my ship, by now… “ Toshi grumbled.

“Honestly,” Kaze spoke up. “We were gonna just get right back to work, but someone wanted to congratulate you personally. We decided to make it a proper celebration and include all of us, since we arepretty much your family at this point… but anyways, I think she’d like to speak to you now.” Kaze pointed behind Toshi, to the egg sitting behind the captain’s chair.

Toshi turned as the egg hissed, and Kaiya’s small female shape rose from the bed. As the ship’s computer, she hadn’t left to attend the celebrations; she had been inside the Kon-Rensa the whole time. Toshi once again felt a little guilty for always leaving her there, but he pushed it aside and approached her, giving her his full attention.

“Kaiya,” he said, smiling softly.

She smiled back at him; once again, he wasn’t prepared for it. It was too perfect, mechanical but somehow still natural, like a portrait of beauty itself. “Toshi, I am sorry I wasn’t able to go to your celebration last night. I sensed that it was very important to you.”

“Oh, no!” Toshi shook his head. “You don’t have to apologize. I should have taken the time to talk to you afterwards; I know you can’t leave the ship. It’s not your fault.”

Kaiya nodded, accepting his answer. “I wanted to congratulate you on achieving the Symbiote Alpha; it was very brave of you, doing what you did, and you deserve all the praise you are given. I know Professor Hayyani would be proud of you.” She stopped herself suddenly, then continued on. “I know I am proud of you.”

Toshi felt something inside him give way. After all the celebrating, all the talk with the Symbiote, and all the revelations he had, nothing had touched him so deep as hearing Kaiya’s words. He wasn’t sure why they made such an impact on him- he barely knew the android girl or Professor Hayyani- but hearing that he made them proud suddenly made him feel ten times his size.

With tears brimming his eyes, he embraced Kaiya. He was a little surprised to find that she was warm, not what he would expect from an android; regardless, he gave her the most sincere hug he could. She hugged him back stiffly, as if surprised and unused to the gesture.

“Thank you,” he whispered to her. “Thank you, all of you.” Kaiya hugged him back a little more firmly, smiling to herself. The gears in her crystal blue eyes whizzed energetically as they spun. Ryu tried to start a slow clap for Toshi, but Kaze elbowed him to shut him up. Gama and Tanshin shared a knowing look; they all knew about Toshi’s connection to Kaiya and the Kon-Rensa through the Symbiote, but it looked like that connection was blossoming into something else. Toshi didn’t see their smiles, though; he was still hugging Kaiya, trying to keep back the tears of joy.

For the first time since he’d arrived in this strange universe, he truly felt at home.