Spectacular World

Another Word For Hope

"Young Master, you truly are amazing!"

"I am?" P frowned as he stared down at his hand. He could see the flesh in his palm start to tear away, the metal beneath shining through. Soon he would shed his human form and become a warrior of the Emperor as his power evolved. "Am I really that good?" P considered and lowered his hands, turning his ability off and causing the various metal objects that had been floating to crash down.

"Of course you're amazing, young master." In the corner, a woman stood. Sharp wings jutted from her back, and she sported a face twisted into a smile, with bits of grass that formed clothes that barely covered her body. Fairy Queen, one of the four elite members of the Organization, tasked with serving the Emperor himself. "You've been selected to serve in the Emperor's army after all. You're a member of the Organization, now. The group that will bring all of humankind to its knees." Her voice was always sly and almost seemed to have a mocking tone to it.

The two of them were in a fairly boring room, or at least that was what P thought—a training room built somewhere in the dark castle the Emperor had created. There were dozens of scattered training dummies about, many of which he had blown to bits, as well as weapons and weights he had been using his control on to throw around. The only thing he liked about the room was a large window that was near the back. Built out of glass strong enough to resist even a nuke, it allowed him to see past the walls of the castle and watch the small planet known as 'Earth' float out in space.

P found himself often looking at the planet from where they were on the moon. They said that the planet was where the humans lived. The people who had betrayed the Emperor. The people they had been created to wipe out. P scratched at his head, feeling his hair begin to fall out as more of his skin started to rip away, showing the metal bones beneath. "Are humans really that bad?"

"Of course they are!" The Fairy's tone suddenly changed, her eyes snapping over to him. "Humans are disgusting, hideous freaks. They created us for their own gain and then went out of their way to get rid of all of us the moment they realized we were free. They lie, cheat, and steal, and that's to their own kind. This entire universe is better off without them!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Forget that I asked." P sighed. He scratched at more of his skin, wincing. It was itchy, so much so that he couldn't help but pick and pull at it. His hair had mostly fallen out long ago, as had his nose and large bits of his face. It wasn't just a physical change that was happening to him, though. There was a voice, one that stayed in the back but had been getting louder. It was always screaming and howling, ordering the death of humanity. He mostly ignored it, more focused on the fact that his powers had been getting unstable. Metal seemed to want to cling to him constantly now. "We all used to be humans, didn't we? You and dad were normal people once; I was too."

"That was before his majesty saw fit to wipe out the impurities within us, creating us into perfect beings."

"Perfect being, my ass..." A glob of his skin and muscle tore away, causing black blood to gush down his arm and soak the floor.

"Polaron."

"Huh?" He snapped his head back up to the woman as she floated gently into the air.

"Your new name. It has been chosen by the Princess of Life. You will be known as Polaron from now on."

Human, no more. After being betrayed by mankind, the Emperor left the planet and claimed the moon as his domain. There he built his castle and used his power to transform his loyal subjects. They had lost their old names; many didn't even remember who they used to be. Changed to such an extent that even those without powers had suddenly gained them. All of them waited for one thing. To be given a new goal from the Princess of Life. A new name.