Chasing a Demon

Echo's Demon

Three more days passed, and the batch were seeing Omega less and less. More often than not she wasn't eating at all, and when one of them got her attention she just looked at them listlessly, like she was looking right through them.

Hunter, Tech, and Wrecker had gone on a quick supply run for Cid and would be back by evening. It was supposed to rain, so Echo had stayed home to help preserve his cybernetics. However, it ended up being a beautiful summer day. Echo approached Omega in her gunners nest.

"Omega..." Echo said gently, getting her attention. Those eyes... those sad eyes looked at him like he was a ghost. "Omega, come here Ad'ika..." he said, gathering her up into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck, clinging to him like her life depended on it. She felt lighter. She was loosing too much weight...

He stepped outside in to the warm sunlight. Omega unraveled her arms from his neck and angles her face up towards the sun. Her eyes drifted down then and she gasped, showing expression for the first time since that fateful day. Echo had set up a little area for them to enjoy the sun. He had filled a giant moveable tub that Tech used to wash the ship with water and soap, and had some chairs sitting in the sun.

"What's this?" Omega asked, for the first time since he could remember gently smiling.

"It's a beautiful day out, and I remember how much you loved swimming. Unfortunately, there's no where around for you to swim, so I did the next best thing. You could use a bath in the sun and some TLC. Go put your bathing suit on."

Omega gave him the biggest of smiles, which melted his heart. He didn't know how much it could hurt in both good and bad ways to love someone as much as he loved his little sister. There were days he was in so much residual pain from his cybernetics that he wished he had lost his heart too. But other days, like today, he was forever grateful he had saved it and held it safe for his little sister. Omega returned, wearing her favorite orange one-piece swimsuit with little daisies on it.

"Echo, don't get too close I don't want your cybernetics to malfunction..." she said thoughtfully.

"I'll be careful Ad'ika, thank you for worrying. But you hop in the tub and enjoy!" With a smile, Omega climbed into the makeshift pool. Echo produced out of thin air a small plastic ship that looked kind of like the Marauder and handed it to Omega.

"Ooooo what's this?" She asked, holding the figure carefully. "It's a swim toy. For you to take in the water since you can't take Lula or Trooper!" Omega gave the smallest, most precious and pure giggle, and began playing with her toy. Echo sat under an umbrella he had set up and smiled. After letting her play for awhile while he read his book, he stood up.

"Okay, Omega, you have to let me wash your hair. You need freshened up. You haven't been taking care of yourself like you should Ad'ika. I know it's been hard for you, so I can help."

"But Echo..." Omega said with a worried start. "You can't get wet or be in water!"

"Oh Omega, I can get wet sometimes. I have had missions in the rain you know. It's just often times unpleasant when I'm wet or in the rain for too long. However, it will be no trouble at all for me to wash your hair, sweetie."

He situated himself next to the tub and gently began washing her hair as she continued to play with her toy. He rinsed her hair and then brushed it out as gently as he could with his one good hand.

"There, now, don't you feel better Omega?"

"Yeah... I do. Thank you Echo."

"Of course Omega. Now, it's starting to get cloudy and it might rain. How about you get out so you don't get cold?" Omega got up and Echo assisted her in pulling the towel around her like a cape. He sat down and motioned for her to come over. She put her toy on the ground next to the chair and climbed up on his lab.

"Omega, you know you can talk to me about anything." Echo said, holding her close.

"I know Echo. I just... I've been nothing but a bother and don't want to burden you or the others any more than I already have..."

"Omega, you are never a bother to any of us. And it's not healthy for you to hold your emotions in. When I had gone through my changes, I struggled a lot to come to terms with it. Talking to our brothers helped. I was angry. I kept thinking it would be better if I hadn't survived. But our brothers talked me through it. And they made me realize how much I still had to offer the world."

Omega looked up at him, tears in her eyes. "Echo... why don't I feel anything?"

"What do you mean Omega?"

"I... I'm not mad or angry. I'm not sad, or happy. I just..."

".....am" Echo said, finishing her sentence. Omega looked up at him with surprise in her big brown eyes. "Exactly Echo! How did you know?!" She exclaimed credulously. "I went through the same thing." He continued. "I dissociated most of the days. Our brothers had their work cut out of them. But they helped me. And now I can help you. Because I've been where you are. Granted, my injuries were in the war. But I was also grown. Omega..." he said, cupping her face with his one good hand and his scomp arm. She was the first and only person who didn't shy away from it, but leaned into it like it was an actual hand. An actual source of comfort. "Omega... I can't even begin to imagine the... pain... you must be feeling. The turmoil your mind is in. But if you give me a chance. Give your brothers a chance. We will help you through it. We won't let you go Omega. We all love you... more than life itself." He held her chin up as he said that so she would look in his eyes and see that he was telling the truth. To his surprise, tears were streaming down her face.

"I love you too Echo. I love everyone. That's why.." her voice trailed off, sounding meek. His eyes searched her face, encouraging her to continue.

"Echo... I've been... bad." "Tell me why you think that." he continued gently but with a bit of firmness to encourage her to continue. "I... I... sometimes I..."

At this point, he could see her trembling, fear in her eyes. He could tell she was scared to tell him. "Omega, nothing you could say would make me stop loving you, my Ad'ika."

Tears were streaming down her face, and she looked away, unable to force herself to look at his face, as she slowly held up her finger.

At first, Echo wasn't sure what he was looking at. It appeared to be her finger, a little banged up from playing or... wait. His eyes grew wide. All these marks were on one finger. In the same shape. None of her other fingers had scratches or scrapes. He grabbed her hand with his, causing her to flinch slightly. His blood turned to ice.

"Omega..." he sighed despondently. "Did you... do this?"

After many minutes of silence and her tears, he heard "...yes".

She was expecting his anger. She was expecting his disappointment. She was expecting him to yell, to tell her off... but before she knew what was happening, he had embraced her in the biggest hug. His hand cradled the back of her head, nestling her face against his neck. His other arm was wrapped around her tightly. He was rocking her soothingly as she bawled. And before she knew it, he was crying too. This made her feel worse. She had never actually seen Echo outright cry. If anything, it scared her a bit. But he held her tight, like he'd never, ever let her go. And that's how the others found them, an hour later when they returned. Echo holding Omega in the most gentlest but closest of embraces, rocking her as she slept, for the first time in a week, peacefully.