This is my very first Megami Kouhosei fanfiction...I actually got the idea
when my sister told me about a very weird dream she had about a planet
being split into half with a pillar of water in the middle.
So, after thinking and thinking and thinking, I finally came up with a plot (I'm not very sure whether it is good or not) and wrote this chapter.
WARNING: This is an AU (Alternate Universe). Some OOCness here.regarding Ernest, well, he's acting that way because he is guilty. As for why... read it for yourself.
^^U Feel free to express your opinions and stuffs even if it is very bad criticism.
ZELION Tale of the broken planet by XiaoBai
CHAPTER 01-- THE GAME
There once was a beautiful planet where everything there was perfect.
One day this planet was attacked by a meteor shower and it was separated into two halves. As strange as it seemed, the people on the planet still lived, yet something extraordinary happened to them.
On one half of the planet, everything was the same as it had been. The weather was fine, the trees still grow and the air was fresh. But although that half remained as it had been, the people living there were exposed to the extreme radiation of the meteor rocks that had settled in orbit around it. Due to this radiation, the people there developed special powers. This power was later named EX.
On the other half of the planet, everything was totally different. The land became a desert filled with huge meteor boulders and emptied of life. And yet, the people there found a way to live on. They too developed special abilities from the radiation and had used them for their own living.
Separating this two halves was a large pillar of water that was impossible itself. At first, the people from the desert land passed across the pillar of water to the other half of the planet to refresh themselves. But over decades, the people from the two halves stopped communicating with each other. Eventually, the people of the desert formed themselves into a clan and distant themselves from outsiders while the people of the living land had a democratic government and built up their own countries, cities and towns.
Both parties leave each to their own peace for many centuries, but as a new generation rose to became the leaders of either side, it seemed that the peace their ancestors worked hard to preserve was about to be thrown away...
The sword blade made a low swishing sound as he dodged the stroke.
Clang!
He gritted his teeth as his opponent locked their swords together, threatening to hit his own sword out of his hand. Narrowing his eyes, he pushed forward and kicked his opponent's legs. The other man stumbled and he took this chance to sent his opponent's sword out of his hand and flying to the other side of the arena. He poked the man's chest with the tip of his own sword and the gong was sounded.
The game was over.
A tall and thin man dressed in the Prime Minister formal robes walked towards the two players.
" Congratulation, Erts Virny Cocteau. A very good fight you have there, I must say."
He took off his helmet, shook his head and smiled, " I won by accident, Mr. Kuro." He bend down and pulled his opponent up. " Force nearly got me with his previous strike."
The other man pulled off his helmet and snorted, " I didn't even touch you with the sword, Erts."
Erts laughed and replied, " I dodged it in time, Force. If I never see that coming, the game will be over at that time."
" It is most likely you read it from my mind..." Force muttered quietly, but Erts caught it. The three men stood there for a moment in an uncomfortable silence before Kuro spoke again.
"Let's go in and have something to eat. I'm sure you two are hungry after such a fight."
Erts nodded and followed the tall man in, not caring if Force was following or not.
Erts Virny Cocteau worked in the government as one of the department assistant leader. The Government was basically separated into five departments, each in charge of a different issue. Erts was the assistant leader of Department 05, the Ministry of Finance. His brother, Ernest Cuore was the leader and his secretary was Tune Youg.
" Erts!"
Erts sighed, and stopped walking. Aracd Narocke came running up and punched Erts arm friendlily.
" Hey Erts! Heard that your fight with Force was intense! How's the game anyway?" Aracd greeted brightly.
Erts held back as sigh as he stared at Aracd for a moment. He knew from his EX that under the cheerful mask was a spiteful and arrogant person. Aracd was probably fuming on how everyone's attention was on Erts now and not on him.
'This will mean...' Erts thought tiredly, 'That Aracd will be doing something big later on...'
He smiled politely back and started walking into the Government building.
" Force was very strong, Aracd. He can change the direction of his attacks at the very last minute. I was almost caught."
Erts could read people minds and their feelings because of his EX ability. His brother had the same ability too and Gareas Elidd, the leader of Department 02 and Ernest best friend usually joked that perhaps the brothers were fortunetellers in their previous life. Erts had taken this joke seriously and was rather offended, as telepathy had nothing to do with foretelling the future.
Once Erts stepped into the building, Ernest hurried over to him and started asking about him. Erts sighed. His brother had become paranoid, as Erts had been missing for a year when he was 12 because Ernest had lost Erts in a crowded night market. Even though a year had passed since Erts came back as a 13-year-old boy, Ernest was still protective of his brother as if afraid that he will disappear again. His parents had express their happiness when he came back and had told him never to let go of his brother's hand like that.
But in that one whole year of his disappearance, Erts found something ugly about the Government. He realized that the Government was not truly as it seemed.
He had gone to the forbidden deserts that day he let go of Ernest's hand. He had met the desert people who claim themselves as the Inner Clan. He was told of the truth behind the Government and had refused to believe it at first.
Until Rome Lotte, his secretary and his childhood friend appeared from the passage that passes through the water pillar and gave the Clan Council information from Department 03-The Ministry of Defense.
The Government was planning to invade the Inner Clan and take the other half of the planet for itself.
Erts was extremely disgusted at that time. Isn't one hemisphere of the planet enough for the Government? Why do they want to take the Inner Clan when they had already ruled billions of people?
Erts became a double agent for Inner Clan, just like Rome, and occasionally passed information through the Mirage Passage to the Council member in charge there.
He did not tell Ernest about it, because his brother had too many close friends that were in the Government Circle (Government Council), although he knew that if Ernest became a double agent too, they will get more valuable information.
But he didn't want to take the risk.
That was the number one rule of the game:
NEVER TAKE A DANGEROUS RISK IF YOU ARE UNSURE OF THE OUTCOME.
It was one of those meetings again.
The Members of the Council were gathered once again in the conference room. Recently, the meetings became more frequent, as if something big was going to happen.
Well, something big was definitely going to happen.
" Erts had passed Yamagi news that the Ministry of Defense is building up something. He is unsure of what it is, but it must be something great as his Department, the Ministry of Finance, was told to fund the Ministry of Defense with huge amounts of resources and money."
The person speaking was Roose Sawamura, the secretary of the Council. He was also in charge of getting updates from Yamagi, who was a minor Council member and was not allowed to attend the meetings unless necessary.
The Clan Head Azuma Hujikata nodded thoughtfully and prompted, " So...the Government is getting to work now..."
" Well, our own preparations are half way done already, Azuma." Clay Cliff Fortran replied. He was the treasurer of the Council but he usually records and oversees big projects the Council works on.
" I went through the reports and feel that there is a need for some changes in the defense system." Came a cold voice at the other end of the table. It was Hiead Gner, one of the potential heirs to the Clan Head position. He crossed his arms and was about to continue when another voice cut in.
" Well, I personally reckon that the tanks are way too heavy."
Zero Enna had spoken up. He eyed defiantly at Hiead and copied Hiead's posture. Hiead glared back in respond.
Azuma sighed. It was really expected that Hiead will pick on the area Zero was in charge of and Zero will retort back with a comment on Hiead's sector. Although this two were stepbrothers, they don't seemed to like each other at all.
Perhaps it is because of the succession of the Clan Head position.
Azuma cleared his throat and brought everyone's attention to him. He thought for a moment before starting.
" I had reviewed all the reports and statements you people gave me and I realized that we need more information. In other words, two spies isn't enough for us if we want to get information from the five Departments in the Government."
" Therefore, I'm sending four of you over. We already had Department 05 covered with Rome and Erts there. So we need four to cover the remaining Departments."
" As for who is going, I will inform you in the next meeting."
The Council members around the table nodded their heads and Azuma let out a small quiet sigh of relief. He was actually expecting some protests.
" If there isn't anymore issues then you are all dismissed."
" Phew! That was tough, speaking in front of thirteen people." Clay remarked. Zero eyed his friend and said dryly, " Come on Clay, its just a few people who like seating in the dark. Besides, all you had said was just one sentence."
Roose laughed and punched Zero lightly on the arm, " Come on Zero, give Clay a break. Let's go find Yamagi and tell him about Azuma's decision. Maybe Yamagi will get chosen, you know!"
Zero rolled his eyes, " Oh please. Yamagi is in charge of the Mirage Passage and the double agents. How can they let him go over? Whose going to look after the Passage and plan out the next trips for the visiting agents, eh?"
Roose frowned a little at his own mistake and nodded. Zero shook his head and grinned, " Hey, why don't we get the girls first then find Yamagi? Tukusa will be so happy to see him..."
The three of them laughed and went off.
"The Inner Clan is basically a very huge country build in the middle of a ring of four giant meteor boulders; The Blue, The Red, The Green and The Black. The Mirage Passage is the passage through the water pillar separating the two halves of the planet. Its location is unknown to us but we knew that it leads to the living land."
" Teacher?"
" Yes, Yujiru?"
" What is the name of the living land?"
" ...It is named Zelion."
" Can you tell us more about it?"
" Umm...well, the land there is unlike here, Yujiru. The grass, the trees, the flowers, everything grows there. It was said that the original planet was as beautiful as it is."
" Can you describe to us how that other half looks like?"
" Um...Its mainly a hemisphere with meteor rocks orbiting around it. There is also a rumor that every 500 years, a meteor rock will loose its stability and burst into billions and billions of crystals."
" Teacher, do you know how the pillar of water was created?"
" Well...the scientist assumed that the water might be from a big ocean that is located in the middle of the original planet. When the meteor rain came, the planet was separated into two halves and the water became a pillar?"
" How?"
" That, Hiroshi, is a question we humans had not know even till this day."
" Well.do the people on the other half know of the Mirage Passage?"
" Yes...yes. They do know of the passage, Hiroshi."
" Then why don't they come over?"
" Because they do not know what will happen to them if they come over, Hiroshi. That is the second rule of the game: Never tread into the unknown."
NEVER TREAD INTO THE UNKNOWN.
" Tukasa!"
The tall woman that's being surrounded by little children raised her head and smiled.
" Koniichiwa, Kizna. Everyone, this is Teacher Kizna. Greet her now."
Kizna blushed and she laughed, " Come on, Tukasa, I'm too young to be a teacher."
Tukasa shrugged and replied, " Well, I'm the same age as you but I'm a teacher. So why can't you be a teacher?"
Kizna sighed and shook her head, " Okay, Okay. You win. Anyway, Zero and the others are waiting. They want to go visit Yamagi and tell him something about Azuma's announcement today."
" Yama-chan?" Tukasa's eyes lilted up. Kizna laughed again and nodded, " Yep, we are visiting your Yama-chan."
" I'm going!" Tukasa squealed. She turned back to her students and smiled, " Class, today you will be getting a privilege of having school dismissal early."
The children cheered and hugged Tukasa and Kizna. They thanked the two of them and rushed out of the room, chatting happily and yelling noisily.
Kizna shook her head and sighed, " Why do I keep on getting the feeling that that was us when we were 8-years-old?"
" Because we act like them when we were 8-years-old." Tukasa replied without missing a beat and locked the classroom door. Zero, Clay, Roose, Wrecka and Saki were waiting impatiently at the gate, tapping their foots and staring exasperatingly at the two.
" Come on! We are going to be late!" Zero called and started to walk away. Kizna frowned and grumbled, " I must start teaching him to be patient someday. I bet you anything that he caught that from Hiead."
The eight of them, including Yamagi, were friends since they were in kindergarten. They had grown and played together for 12 years (They attend kindergarten when they were 3) in the city of the Inner Clan. And now, they were all members of the Council and were also trained to be double agents, just incase they need to replace one of the spies on the other half.
The Inner Clan was actually the desert people. When the planet was split into two halves, the people on the desert half had formed themselves into a clan and had worked together to made their life better. They had used their EX abilities to build up the country and also lifted and arrange the surrounding meteor boulders to form a barrier against the terrible weather and the occasion storms of the desert.
Yamagi did not live in the city as Zero and the others had. He was needed to guard and manage the Mirage Passage and also to collect any information passed by the double agents through the passage. He also provides lodging for the double agents when they come to the deserts to visit and plans out a foolproof route for the agents to get back without being discovered.
Yamagi's house is located right in front of the Mirage Passage, giving him a clear view of the passage opening from every corner of the house. It was built exactly northeast of the Council Headquarters at a small arch near the Red meteor boulder. The house wasn't really big, as it only need to provide lodging for three people, Yamagi, Erts and Rome.
When the seven of them got there, Yamagi was standing at the gate already.
Clay looked surprised and asked Yamagi as he opened the gate, " You know we are coming?"
Yamagi grinned, " Nope, I was actually going to check on the Passage when you guys came. Wanna come along?"
" Sure." Zero responded immediately. Kizna smacked him upside the head and scolded him, " Zero! Learn to ask people what they think of before making a decision!"
Zero winced from the smack and eyed Kizna rebelliously, " Well, don't you want to go with Yamagi, Ms I'm-Zero-Enna's-secretary-who-is-in-charge-of- his-behaviour?"
Kizna rolled her eyes and sighed, " Zero, your sarcastic remarks will never work on me. And, yes, I want to go to the Passage. But you should at least ask people first, Zero."
" What is the use of asking when I already know what is your decision?" Zero retorted. Roose laughed uneasily and stopped Kizna.
" At this rate, Yamagi won't be able to check on the Passage." He muttered. Kizna raised and irritated eyebrow and huffed. Zero shrugged and grinned at Kizna's irritated look, " Okay, okay. I'll remember that next time, okay?"
" Now, you are learning." Kizna noted, satisfied.
Wrecka smirked at Kizna's statement and said, " Isn't that the third rule of the game?"
Everyone nodded and looked at each other meaningfully.
ALWAYS LEARN AS MUCH AS YOU CAN.
The day passed uneventfully in Department 05. Rome did not overhear any useful information from the workers there.
It seemed that Department 01 was operating silently and was keeping everything secret. Rome frowned when she realized that even Erts wouldn't be able to fish out information from the Government Circle, as he was only an assistant leader.
" Are you okay, Rome?"
Rome snapped out of her thoughts and found Tune Youg staring at her worriedly. Rome wiped her forehead and smiled, " I'm all right, Ms. Tune."
Tune frowned lightly, " I thought I told you to call me Tune. I hate that title. Its too formal."
Rome laughed and nodded. Tune was very helpful and friendly towards her ever since the first time she began working here. In fact, she treated Rome like a little sister and helped her with many things.
Staring at Tune's worried and concerned look, Rome really felt like sitting down and telling everything to her.
She shook her head and smiled again at Tune.
She will never do that. She had sworn secrecy to the Clan and she was never going to reveal anything.
This was the fourth rule of the game:
TRUST NO ONE WHEN YOU ARE BEHIND THE ENEMY LINES.
Erts wasn't looking where he was going, as he was busy thinking up a plan to get information from Department 01 and he knocked into someone in that process and causing a huge stack of paper to fly.
" Uh...! Sorry!" Erts began, bending down to collect the papers. The title of one of the papers caught his eye and he was surprised.
It was a finishing report of a major project ongoing in Department 03. Erts was about to read on when he remembered the person he had knocked over. It was the leader of Department 03, Yu Hikura.
'He is probably sending this to Department 01...' Erts thought. Even though it was very tempting, Erts returned the report to Yu and smiled apologetically, " I'm sorry I knocked into you. Are you all right?"
The other man checked the papers briefly, his eyes scanning the report particularly and nodded.
" Thanks." He said quietly. " You are not hurt, aren't you?"
Erts smiled again and shook his head, " I'm fine..." His eyes trailed over to the report again and he started, " Erm...Is--"
'No...I can't ask him that.' He remembered suddenly and he changed his words in time, " Is that at scratch on your hand? You really sure you are not hurt?"
Yu nodded curtly again, eyed Erts for a moment before moving towards Department 01.
Erts let out a small breath and congratulated himself for shutting his mouth.
He mustn't act or speak without talking. That is rule number five of the game.
DO NOT SPEAK OR ACT WITHOUT THINKING.
" I have ordered for the presence of every single member of the Council, regardless of rank, as I will announce the four people who will go to the other side as double agents."
" Before I start, I wanted to remind each of you that you must obey the game rules, particularly rule number three and five. Please remember that this game is very dangerous and if you are not careful enough, you will be eliminated from the game and also from the surface of this world."
" The objective of this game is very simple. You go there, play your part as your character there and get information for the Clan along the way. Do not give away your true identity no matter what happened. The keeping of the secret of the Clan is the top priority."
" Now, I will announce the four people."
" Zero Enna."
There was an unmistakable whoop from one end of the table. Azuma ignored it and continued.
" Hiead Gner."
From that same end of the table came a gasp of shock.
" Kizna Towryk"
A soft 'What?!' was heard.
" And Ikhny Allecto. This is my final decision and nothing anyone said is going change it. The four of you stay back while the rest can go."
After the other Council Members cleared out of the room, Azuma signaled the four of them to stand in front of him.
" You must understand that once you go, you might never come back. If you still want to back out, speak up now." Azuma said solemnly. Nobody said anything and Azuma was pleased.
' I have trained you well. I am going to assign you to the different Departments. Use whatever methods you have to get into the Department, but make sure that your alibi is valid. Remember the rules of the game whenever and wherever you go. Understand?"
" Yes sir!" The four of them saluted and went out of the room.
Zero smirked as he remembered Azuma words again.
He knew that he would never loose this game, no matter what it takes. He will obey the rules and play it well.
And now he will have to learn to never become a sore loser, as it will mean that he was terminated from the game.
That was the last rule:
NEVER BE A SORE LOSER.
How was it? Lame? -_-'' I kept on thinking to myself that it is a lame story...actually I wrote it for my sister...she is the person who dreamed the setting up...
Anyway, is it confusing? My sister said it is... Please review everyone...
So, after thinking and thinking and thinking, I finally came up with a plot (I'm not very sure whether it is good or not) and wrote this chapter.
WARNING: This is an AU (Alternate Universe). Some OOCness here.regarding Ernest, well, he's acting that way because he is guilty. As for why... read it for yourself.
^^U Feel free to express your opinions and stuffs even if it is very bad criticism.
ZELION Tale of the broken planet by XiaoBai
CHAPTER 01-- THE GAME
There once was a beautiful planet where everything there was perfect.
One day this planet was attacked by a meteor shower and it was separated into two halves. As strange as it seemed, the people on the planet still lived, yet something extraordinary happened to them.
On one half of the planet, everything was the same as it had been. The weather was fine, the trees still grow and the air was fresh. But although that half remained as it had been, the people living there were exposed to the extreme radiation of the meteor rocks that had settled in orbit around it. Due to this radiation, the people there developed special powers. This power was later named EX.
On the other half of the planet, everything was totally different. The land became a desert filled with huge meteor boulders and emptied of life. And yet, the people there found a way to live on. They too developed special abilities from the radiation and had used them for their own living.
Separating this two halves was a large pillar of water that was impossible itself. At first, the people from the desert land passed across the pillar of water to the other half of the planet to refresh themselves. But over decades, the people from the two halves stopped communicating with each other. Eventually, the people of the desert formed themselves into a clan and distant themselves from outsiders while the people of the living land had a democratic government and built up their own countries, cities and towns.
Both parties leave each to their own peace for many centuries, but as a new generation rose to became the leaders of either side, it seemed that the peace their ancestors worked hard to preserve was about to be thrown away...
The sword blade made a low swishing sound as he dodged the stroke.
Clang!
He gritted his teeth as his opponent locked their swords together, threatening to hit his own sword out of his hand. Narrowing his eyes, he pushed forward and kicked his opponent's legs. The other man stumbled and he took this chance to sent his opponent's sword out of his hand and flying to the other side of the arena. He poked the man's chest with the tip of his own sword and the gong was sounded.
The game was over.
A tall and thin man dressed in the Prime Minister formal robes walked towards the two players.
" Congratulation, Erts Virny Cocteau. A very good fight you have there, I must say."
He took off his helmet, shook his head and smiled, " I won by accident, Mr. Kuro." He bend down and pulled his opponent up. " Force nearly got me with his previous strike."
The other man pulled off his helmet and snorted, " I didn't even touch you with the sword, Erts."
Erts laughed and replied, " I dodged it in time, Force. If I never see that coming, the game will be over at that time."
" It is most likely you read it from my mind..." Force muttered quietly, but Erts caught it. The three men stood there for a moment in an uncomfortable silence before Kuro spoke again.
"Let's go in and have something to eat. I'm sure you two are hungry after such a fight."
Erts nodded and followed the tall man in, not caring if Force was following or not.
Erts Virny Cocteau worked in the government as one of the department assistant leader. The Government was basically separated into five departments, each in charge of a different issue. Erts was the assistant leader of Department 05, the Ministry of Finance. His brother, Ernest Cuore was the leader and his secretary was Tune Youg.
" Erts!"
Erts sighed, and stopped walking. Aracd Narocke came running up and punched Erts arm friendlily.
" Hey Erts! Heard that your fight with Force was intense! How's the game anyway?" Aracd greeted brightly.
Erts held back as sigh as he stared at Aracd for a moment. He knew from his EX that under the cheerful mask was a spiteful and arrogant person. Aracd was probably fuming on how everyone's attention was on Erts now and not on him.
'This will mean...' Erts thought tiredly, 'That Aracd will be doing something big later on...'
He smiled politely back and started walking into the Government building.
" Force was very strong, Aracd. He can change the direction of his attacks at the very last minute. I was almost caught."
Erts could read people minds and their feelings because of his EX ability. His brother had the same ability too and Gareas Elidd, the leader of Department 02 and Ernest best friend usually joked that perhaps the brothers were fortunetellers in their previous life. Erts had taken this joke seriously and was rather offended, as telepathy had nothing to do with foretelling the future.
Once Erts stepped into the building, Ernest hurried over to him and started asking about him. Erts sighed. His brother had become paranoid, as Erts had been missing for a year when he was 12 because Ernest had lost Erts in a crowded night market. Even though a year had passed since Erts came back as a 13-year-old boy, Ernest was still protective of his brother as if afraid that he will disappear again. His parents had express their happiness when he came back and had told him never to let go of his brother's hand like that.
But in that one whole year of his disappearance, Erts found something ugly about the Government. He realized that the Government was not truly as it seemed.
He had gone to the forbidden deserts that day he let go of Ernest's hand. He had met the desert people who claim themselves as the Inner Clan. He was told of the truth behind the Government and had refused to believe it at first.
Until Rome Lotte, his secretary and his childhood friend appeared from the passage that passes through the water pillar and gave the Clan Council information from Department 03-The Ministry of Defense.
The Government was planning to invade the Inner Clan and take the other half of the planet for itself.
Erts was extremely disgusted at that time. Isn't one hemisphere of the planet enough for the Government? Why do they want to take the Inner Clan when they had already ruled billions of people?
Erts became a double agent for Inner Clan, just like Rome, and occasionally passed information through the Mirage Passage to the Council member in charge there.
He did not tell Ernest about it, because his brother had too many close friends that were in the Government Circle (Government Council), although he knew that if Ernest became a double agent too, they will get more valuable information.
But he didn't want to take the risk.
That was the number one rule of the game:
NEVER TAKE A DANGEROUS RISK IF YOU ARE UNSURE OF THE OUTCOME.
It was one of those meetings again.
The Members of the Council were gathered once again in the conference room. Recently, the meetings became more frequent, as if something big was going to happen.
Well, something big was definitely going to happen.
" Erts had passed Yamagi news that the Ministry of Defense is building up something. He is unsure of what it is, but it must be something great as his Department, the Ministry of Finance, was told to fund the Ministry of Defense with huge amounts of resources and money."
The person speaking was Roose Sawamura, the secretary of the Council. He was also in charge of getting updates from Yamagi, who was a minor Council member and was not allowed to attend the meetings unless necessary.
The Clan Head Azuma Hujikata nodded thoughtfully and prompted, " So...the Government is getting to work now..."
" Well, our own preparations are half way done already, Azuma." Clay Cliff Fortran replied. He was the treasurer of the Council but he usually records and oversees big projects the Council works on.
" I went through the reports and feel that there is a need for some changes in the defense system." Came a cold voice at the other end of the table. It was Hiead Gner, one of the potential heirs to the Clan Head position. He crossed his arms and was about to continue when another voice cut in.
" Well, I personally reckon that the tanks are way too heavy."
Zero Enna had spoken up. He eyed defiantly at Hiead and copied Hiead's posture. Hiead glared back in respond.
Azuma sighed. It was really expected that Hiead will pick on the area Zero was in charge of and Zero will retort back with a comment on Hiead's sector. Although this two were stepbrothers, they don't seemed to like each other at all.
Perhaps it is because of the succession of the Clan Head position.
Azuma cleared his throat and brought everyone's attention to him. He thought for a moment before starting.
" I had reviewed all the reports and statements you people gave me and I realized that we need more information. In other words, two spies isn't enough for us if we want to get information from the five Departments in the Government."
" Therefore, I'm sending four of you over. We already had Department 05 covered with Rome and Erts there. So we need four to cover the remaining Departments."
" As for who is going, I will inform you in the next meeting."
The Council members around the table nodded their heads and Azuma let out a small quiet sigh of relief. He was actually expecting some protests.
" If there isn't anymore issues then you are all dismissed."
" Phew! That was tough, speaking in front of thirteen people." Clay remarked. Zero eyed his friend and said dryly, " Come on Clay, its just a few people who like seating in the dark. Besides, all you had said was just one sentence."
Roose laughed and punched Zero lightly on the arm, " Come on Zero, give Clay a break. Let's go find Yamagi and tell him about Azuma's decision. Maybe Yamagi will get chosen, you know!"
Zero rolled his eyes, " Oh please. Yamagi is in charge of the Mirage Passage and the double agents. How can they let him go over? Whose going to look after the Passage and plan out the next trips for the visiting agents, eh?"
Roose frowned a little at his own mistake and nodded. Zero shook his head and grinned, " Hey, why don't we get the girls first then find Yamagi? Tukusa will be so happy to see him..."
The three of them laughed and went off.
"The Inner Clan is basically a very huge country build in the middle of a ring of four giant meteor boulders; The Blue, The Red, The Green and The Black. The Mirage Passage is the passage through the water pillar separating the two halves of the planet. Its location is unknown to us but we knew that it leads to the living land."
" Teacher?"
" Yes, Yujiru?"
" What is the name of the living land?"
" ...It is named Zelion."
" Can you tell us more about it?"
" Umm...well, the land there is unlike here, Yujiru. The grass, the trees, the flowers, everything grows there. It was said that the original planet was as beautiful as it is."
" Can you describe to us how that other half looks like?"
" Um...Its mainly a hemisphere with meteor rocks orbiting around it. There is also a rumor that every 500 years, a meteor rock will loose its stability and burst into billions and billions of crystals."
" Teacher, do you know how the pillar of water was created?"
" Well...the scientist assumed that the water might be from a big ocean that is located in the middle of the original planet. When the meteor rain came, the planet was separated into two halves and the water became a pillar?"
" How?"
" That, Hiroshi, is a question we humans had not know even till this day."
" Well.do the people on the other half know of the Mirage Passage?"
" Yes...yes. They do know of the passage, Hiroshi."
" Then why don't they come over?"
" Because they do not know what will happen to them if they come over, Hiroshi. That is the second rule of the game: Never tread into the unknown."
NEVER TREAD INTO THE UNKNOWN.
" Tukasa!"
The tall woman that's being surrounded by little children raised her head and smiled.
" Koniichiwa, Kizna. Everyone, this is Teacher Kizna. Greet her now."
Kizna blushed and she laughed, " Come on, Tukasa, I'm too young to be a teacher."
Tukasa shrugged and replied, " Well, I'm the same age as you but I'm a teacher. So why can't you be a teacher?"
Kizna sighed and shook her head, " Okay, Okay. You win. Anyway, Zero and the others are waiting. They want to go visit Yamagi and tell him something about Azuma's announcement today."
" Yama-chan?" Tukasa's eyes lilted up. Kizna laughed again and nodded, " Yep, we are visiting your Yama-chan."
" I'm going!" Tukasa squealed. She turned back to her students and smiled, " Class, today you will be getting a privilege of having school dismissal early."
The children cheered and hugged Tukasa and Kizna. They thanked the two of them and rushed out of the room, chatting happily and yelling noisily.
Kizna shook her head and sighed, " Why do I keep on getting the feeling that that was us when we were 8-years-old?"
" Because we act like them when we were 8-years-old." Tukasa replied without missing a beat and locked the classroom door. Zero, Clay, Roose, Wrecka and Saki were waiting impatiently at the gate, tapping their foots and staring exasperatingly at the two.
" Come on! We are going to be late!" Zero called and started to walk away. Kizna frowned and grumbled, " I must start teaching him to be patient someday. I bet you anything that he caught that from Hiead."
The eight of them, including Yamagi, were friends since they were in kindergarten. They had grown and played together for 12 years (They attend kindergarten when they were 3) in the city of the Inner Clan. And now, they were all members of the Council and were also trained to be double agents, just incase they need to replace one of the spies on the other half.
The Inner Clan was actually the desert people. When the planet was split into two halves, the people on the desert half had formed themselves into a clan and had worked together to made their life better. They had used their EX abilities to build up the country and also lifted and arrange the surrounding meteor boulders to form a barrier against the terrible weather and the occasion storms of the desert.
Yamagi did not live in the city as Zero and the others had. He was needed to guard and manage the Mirage Passage and also to collect any information passed by the double agents through the passage. He also provides lodging for the double agents when they come to the deserts to visit and plans out a foolproof route for the agents to get back without being discovered.
Yamagi's house is located right in front of the Mirage Passage, giving him a clear view of the passage opening from every corner of the house. It was built exactly northeast of the Council Headquarters at a small arch near the Red meteor boulder. The house wasn't really big, as it only need to provide lodging for three people, Yamagi, Erts and Rome.
When the seven of them got there, Yamagi was standing at the gate already.
Clay looked surprised and asked Yamagi as he opened the gate, " You know we are coming?"
Yamagi grinned, " Nope, I was actually going to check on the Passage when you guys came. Wanna come along?"
" Sure." Zero responded immediately. Kizna smacked him upside the head and scolded him, " Zero! Learn to ask people what they think of before making a decision!"
Zero winced from the smack and eyed Kizna rebelliously, " Well, don't you want to go with Yamagi, Ms I'm-Zero-Enna's-secretary-who-is-in-charge-of- his-behaviour?"
Kizna rolled her eyes and sighed, " Zero, your sarcastic remarks will never work on me. And, yes, I want to go to the Passage. But you should at least ask people first, Zero."
" What is the use of asking when I already know what is your decision?" Zero retorted. Roose laughed uneasily and stopped Kizna.
" At this rate, Yamagi won't be able to check on the Passage." He muttered. Kizna raised and irritated eyebrow and huffed. Zero shrugged and grinned at Kizna's irritated look, " Okay, okay. I'll remember that next time, okay?"
" Now, you are learning." Kizna noted, satisfied.
Wrecka smirked at Kizna's statement and said, " Isn't that the third rule of the game?"
Everyone nodded and looked at each other meaningfully.
ALWAYS LEARN AS MUCH AS YOU CAN.
The day passed uneventfully in Department 05. Rome did not overhear any useful information from the workers there.
It seemed that Department 01 was operating silently and was keeping everything secret. Rome frowned when she realized that even Erts wouldn't be able to fish out information from the Government Circle, as he was only an assistant leader.
" Are you okay, Rome?"
Rome snapped out of her thoughts and found Tune Youg staring at her worriedly. Rome wiped her forehead and smiled, " I'm all right, Ms. Tune."
Tune frowned lightly, " I thought I told you to call me Tune. I hate that title. Its too formal."
Rome laughed and nodded. Tune was very helpful and friendly towards her ever since the first time she began working here. In fact, she treated Rome like a little sister and helped her with many things.
Staring at Tune's worried and concerned look, Rome really felt like sitting down and telling everything to her.
She shook her head and smiled again at Tune.
She will never do that. She had sworn secrecy to the Clan and she was never going to reveal anything.
This was the fourth rule of the game:
TRUST NO ONE WHEN YOU ARE BEHIND THE ENEMY LINES.
Erts wasn't looking where he was going, as he was busy thinking up a plan to get information from Department 01 and he knocked into someone in that process and causing a huge stack of paper to fly.
" Uh...! Sorry!" Erts began, bending down to collect the papers. The title of one of the papers caught his eye and he was surprised.
It was a finishing report of a major project ongoing in Department 03. Erts was about to read on when he remembered the person he had knocked over. It was the leader of Department 03, Yu Hikura.
'He is probably sending this to Department 01...' Erts thought. Even though it was very tempting, Erts returned the report to Yu and smiled apologetically, " I'm sorry I knocked into you. Are you all right?"
The other man checked the papers briefly, his eyes scanning the report particularly and nodded.
" Thanks." He said quietly. " You are not hurt, aren't you?"
Erts smiled again and shook his head, " I'm fine..." His eyes trailed over to the report again and he started, " Erm...Is--"
'No...I can't ask him that.' He remembered suddenly and he changed his words in time, " Is that at scratch on your hand? You really sure you are not hurt?"
Yu nodded curtly again, eyed Erts for a moment before moving towards Department 01.
Erts let out a small breath and congratulated himself for shutting his mouth.
He mustn't act or speak without talking. That is rule number five of the game.
DO NOT SPEAK OR ACT WITHOUT THINKING.
" I have ordered for the presence of every single member of the Council, regardless of rank, as I will announce the four people who will go to the other side as double agents."
" Before I start, I wanted to remind each of you that you must obey the game rules, particularly rule number three and five. Please remember that this game is very dangerous and if you are not careful enough, you will be eliminated from the game and also from the surface of this world."
" The objective of this game is very simple. You go there, play your part as your character there and get information for the Clan along the way. Do not give away your true identity no matter what happened. The keeping of the secret of the Clan is the top priority."
" Now, I will announce the four people."
" Zero Enna."
There was an unmistakable whoop from one end of the table. Azuma ignored it and continued.
" Hiead Gner."
From that same end of the table came a gasp of shock.
" Kizna Towryk"
A soft 'What?!' was heard.
" And Ikhny Allecto. This is my final decision and nothing anyone said is going change it. The four of you stay back while the rest can go."
After the other Council Members cleared out of the room, Azuma signaled the four of them to stand in front of him.
" You must understand that once you go, you might never come back. If you still want to back out, speak up now." Azuma said solemnly. Nobody said anything and Azuma was pleased.
' I have trained you well. I am going to assign you to the different Departments. Use whatever methods you have to get into the Department, but make sure that your alibi is valid. Remember the rules of the game whenever and wherever you go. Understand?"
" Yes sir!" The four of them saluted and went out of the room.
Zero smirked as he remembered Azuma words again.
He knew that he would never loose this game, no matter what it takes. He will obey the rules and play it well.
And now he will have to learn to never become a sore loser, as it will mean that he was terminated from the game.
That was the last rule:
NEVER BE A SORE LOSER.
How was it? Lame? -_-'' I kept on thinking to myself that it is a lame story...actually I wrote it for my sister...she is the person who dreamed the setting up...
Anyway, is it confusing? My sister said it is... Please review everyone...