A/N: Chapter 4 of Resonance Drive. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my OCs. Valkyrie Drive belongs to the rightful owner.

Special thanks to the reviewers and to the readers who Fav/Alert this story, I really appreciate it!

Chapter 4

Some mysterious place...

"Sun...please hurry." A female's voice whispered urgently and borderline frantic. Slowly the cloud veil that acted as a barrier cleared up and I could envision a womanly figure cradling a small child in her arms. She had long flowing golden brown hair and she had monkey hands and feet...as well as a tail sticking out underneath her long robes. "Those foreign diplomats are almost here. We can't have them take away our baby for some scientific experiment."

"I understand that Mei-Lien..." Another figure, a male this time, replied as he knelt beside a small hole. He had light brown hair that was slick back and also sported monkey hands, feet and tail. "May I?" He held the child in his arms and gazed at her with warmth in his eyes. "They will never get to you...you'll be safe."

"You're going to transfer your power to her...right?" The one known as Mei-Lien asked.

"I don't have a choice, it was bound to happen sooner or later as predicted by my ancestors." Sun replied, opening his mouth to reveal bright white canines and he sank his fangs into the baby's right arm. When he withdrew after about five minutes, there were two puncture marks in the skin but it was really hard to spot with the naked eye. "It is done..." Waving his hand over the child, he sealed her inside a luminous green crystal and placed her in the hole. "I can only hope that she doesn't fall into the wrong hands..."

"We will never know in this lifetime..." His partner replied as she watched the hole fill back up with soil, wiping a tear from her eyes. "This might be my only regret...not watching my baby grow up."

"Well well well..." The two of them turned to see a mysterious person approach them from the woods. The lighting was quite poor but I could vaguely tell that it was definitely a female by the tone of voice. Flanking her on both sides were what looked like artificial beings; based on the glowing, sinister eyes and other luminous patterns running along the bodies I knew for a fact they weren't human. "It seems I've missed a few."

"Watch out!" Mei-Lien shouted, throwing her body in front of her husband to take the bullets that were being fired. "Ahhhh!"

"Mei-Lien!" Sun yelled as he watched his partner's bloodied body collapsed to the ground, staining the soil bright red. "Oh my beloved!"

"Sun Wukong, or would you like me to address you by your preferred title...'Monkey King'?" The mysterious female asked as she ordered her soldiers to cease fire. "It's a shame it had to end this way but...it's for the greater good of humanity."

"You invaded my homeland, you captured my brothers and sisters for your devious experiments and you even slaughtered my wife in cold blood!" Sun replied as he grieved for his dead partner. "But I know what you're actually here for..."

"Then...will you give it to us willingly? Or will we have to resort to using force?"

"You know very well what my answer is." Summoning his trusted staff, Sun slammed it into the ground and his eyes flashed angrily at his enemies. "Bring it on!"

"If that is what you wish, don't say I didn't warn you." She agreed and snapped her fingers. "Kill him and when you're done...find that child."

There was a strong flash of light and when it died down, the land was ravaged beyond recognition, signifying a great battle that took place. Pieces of metal and scrap littered everywhere but there was no sign of Sun or his body.

"Master...we did not accomplish our task of finding that child." One of the beings spoke, kneeling before the mystery woman. "Perhaps it perished during the fight..."

"Not possible...I know for a fact that I didn't waste my time destroying this place just to have the perfect specimen slip through my fingers..." The woman growled as she gathered her team together. "Perhaps not this time...but in time..." Leaving it like that, she turned on her heels and walked off as the image shimmered and faded into nothingness.

Inside the palace...

I opened my eyes, blinking a few times before looking around in grogginess. Consistent images of the battle as well as the gleaming eyes of the non-human beings continued to burn through my mind...it was bugging me and I had no idea why. Sitting up, I felt light-headed and a wave of nausea hit me like a ton of bricks to the point where I felt I was gonna black out again.

"Wh-Where am I?" I asked to no one in particular and looked down before emitting a squeak. "And where are my clothes?!"

"Good, you're awake." I turned to see a girl with red-rimmed glasses standing by the foot of the bed. "Don't worry, you were just unconscious."

"...hmmm..." I narrowed my eyes a bit, gripping the blanket a bit tight in apprehension.

"Relax. I have no intention of doing you harm. I promise."

"Well at least you seem more reliable than that other girl..." I stated, looking off to the side and noticed my clothes laying on a chair. "The pink-haired girl from earlier..."

"You mean Charlotte? Gonna have to agree with you there, I swear sometimes the power rushes straight to her brain." The girl nodded her head with a small laugh. "Anyways my name is Kasumi Shigure, Commander of Welter. What is your name?"

"My name...it's Akane. Akane Sarutobi." I answered her since it was appropriate to introduce myself and she already told me her name as well.

"Miss Sarutobi, do you know why you have been brought to this island?" Kasumi asked.

"I'm not sure...so that would be a no."

"Okay, I'll give you a brief explanation." With a swipe of a hand, she brought up a hologram version of a land mass residing in the middle of what seemed to be an ocean. "This is an artificial island called Mermaid. We were brought here because we are all infected with the Armed Virus."

"Armed...Virus...?" I questioned.

"It is a disease with no known cure that grants a special power." Kasumi explained.

"A special power?" I pushed myself out of bed and began to dress with my back facing the Commander. "I believe you must be mistaken. There's no way I possess a...what did you call it? Armed Virus?"

"If you didn't possess the Virus then you wouldn't be here on the island now would you?" Kasumi said as I finished dressing. Then she proceeded to tell me about what it means to be an Exter and a Liberator as well as showed me a video from the fight against Saejima while pointing out the important parts.

"So all of the people on this island are either an Exter or a Liberator?" I asked once the video was finished.

"Exactly and you are no different." She replied, looking at me straight in the eyes out of curiosity. "I believe your power is currently lying dormant within your body. I sense so much potential coming from you."

In another room...

"Miss Charlotte, the new Liberator transfer and the other transfer have been placed in the underground disciplinary room." Ange reported to her partner.

"Thank you." Charlotte replied, glaring at her chipped nails with mild anger. "Good work." Then she lowered her hand and looked off to the side in thought. "That girl—She knew her powers and how to wield them. Could she be the rumored 'Soldier'?"

"That is merely a rumor." said Ange.

"At any rate, she needs to learn." Standing up, she brushed herself off and left her room in quick strides. "She might have been special in normal society, but on this island, she is just one of many. How about the other one?"

"Well our nurses patched her up the best they could. Once they were done, I had some of the lower ranking members transfer her to the room with the utmost care." Ange said as she walked behind Charlotte. "If you asked me, I think you went a bit...overboard. Even though I believe she received most of her wounds from the previous fight."

"Hmph, it's not like she died. She should be grateful." Charlotte replied as she made her way to my room and entered without knocking. "Hey Kasumi, are you done explaining?"

"Charlotte..." Kasumi said as the two new comers walked in.

"Look what the cat dragged in..." I muttered to myself before addressing my guest. "Where's the other three girls who were with me? How are they doing? You better not have done anything bad or else!"

"How dare a munchkin like you threaten someone like me." Charlotte spat. "The Liberator and the red-head chick are currently in the disciplinary room since they were so disobedient. The other puny one is currently on her way to find a suitable mate."

"Oh so now you're playing match maker. Finally something worthy of a 'high-ranking' officer. I assumed you just sit on your ass and look at your nails all day long! Some superior you are." I snickered, earning myself a perfect glare from the pink-haired girl. "Who the hell elected your butt into office? Your loyal subjects?"

"Can it! You tiny, insufferable munchkin!" Charlotte snarled before releasing a huff. "I won't waste my breath bantering with you because you're next on my list. Now stay here and wait your turn."

"Hey! Are you running away?" I yelled at her.

"Well...since I'm here..." In a flash, she ripped my clothing to shreds. I blinked once before letting out a yelp, covering myself the best I could since I was left in my underwear. "I'll be taking your measurements...for your wedding."

"W-W-Wedding...!" Steam was coming out of my ears and my face turned red at the thought. "I'm not old enough!"

"It's not like a real marriage matchmaking like in the outside world." Ange explained. "It's a ceremony for choosing the right Liberator for maximizing the abilities of the Exter."

"But...you don't know if I'm a Liberator or an Exter." I told them stiffly, sticking out my tongue out too to show how displeased I was. "So...there!"

"She has a point." Ange agreed with what I said, looking at Charlotte for guidence. "We can't tell for sure yet."

"Fine, that's not too big a deal." Charlotte turned on her heels and walked out. "Then she'll remain here in Welter until her powers awaken and then we'll proceed with her wedding. For now...let's see how the other one is doing."

Disciplinary Room...

When the blonde came to, she found her wrists chained together and her back pressed against the wall. Testing out the shackles for a bit she looked around and noticed that Yeoul was chained up next to her, her sleeping-mask over her eyes and the slight rise and fall of her chest indicated that she was sleeping. At least she wasn't worried about her predicament.

"Remember us from this afternoon kiddies?" Their jailers, Kouzuki and Miyasato, asked as they entered the room. Wrapped in bandages they seemed to be quite lively and eager to carry out their duties punishing those who were disobedient. Kouzuki wanted to start the lesson in pain first, eyeing the blonde with glee.

"You're not putting your full strength into your hits." Miyasato corrected her partner after watching the show for a little bit before taking over. All the while the blonde didn't utter a single cry of pain but continued to glare angrily at the jailers as they continued to torture her with the wooden bat. To her, getting hit with such a weak weapon felt like receiving a small pinch.

"I'm...feeling tired..." Kouzuki exclaimed after what felt like hours as her arms trembled by her side.

"Hmm...me too." Miyasato agreed, wiping off a bit of sweat from her brow. "Let's take a rest before moving on to Sleeping Beauty over there." Leaning the bat against the wall, the two of them sat down together and fell asleep within minutes.

If only I can get out of these shackles...the blonde growled as she started pulling, hearing the metal rattle against the stone. God damn it...

"Pssst!" She looked up as a small stature of a girl approaching from the shadows. Making sure that the jailers were indeed in deep sleep, she turned her attention to the newcomer. She had chestnut-colored hair that was tied into two separate ponytails and playful emerald orbs. With a pink cowboy hat settling comforting on her head, a tied-off halter top covered by a brown leather sleeveless jacket and a green skirt that was held up by a white belt, she looked like a young cowgirl. For shoes, she had on brown leather boots. "Howdy!"

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" The blonde asked, eyes narrowing with weariness. Sensing a change in the air, Yeoul snapped out of her sleep and listened carefully to the conversation with trained ears.

"Hey now, don't be scary. I'm here to help you two." The cowgirl replied as she pulled out what looked like a mini flamethrower gun combination. She made her way to the blonde first and started working on the metal. "Reason is simple. I was running bets on your fight yesterday. Besides I am currently just following orders. Boy, did I make a killing! I owe you two this much."

KWOONK! Klink~ Klink~ Klink~

"H-Hey now!" The girl whimpered as Yeoul suddenly grabbed her by the front of her shirt, pinning her against the wall as her lips pulled back angrily. "D-Don't be mad, we're all friends here!"

When did she...? The blonde looked bewildered at how easily the shackles broke for the red-head just by brute force. Noticing that the equipment fell not too far away from her, she reached out with a foot to draw it in close and broke one of her arms free thanks to the cracks made by the tool. Picking the instrument up with her free hand, she used it to break the other half of the shackle into pieces.

"I had to skate on some real thin ice to get here you know. Be thankful!" The cowgirl winced as Yeoul tightened her grip. "I-It's not like I took any!" She looked off to the side. "Fine, fine, my bad. Here, I'll tell you where the other girls are, and we're even. Cool?"

"...speak..." Yeoul ordered as she lowered the girl down. After getting as much information out of their tiny savior, the two girls rushed out of their underground dungeon at breakneck speed.

"Oh man, those two are sure hasty aren't they?" The cowgirl commented as she left the room with her arms crossed behind her head. Then she smiled towards the darker part of the room, as if knowing that someone was there. "I did as you asked."

"Would the payout from my bet from yesterday suffice as payment?" Came a sultry voice from the shadows.

"Oh, more than enough! Thanks for your business!" The girl said quickly before running off to conduct another mischievous act.

Still a long way to go...The blonde thought as she looked up at the tallest building in town. Please, let me make it in time...

"Give Yeoul your hand." Yeoul said, getting her attention. Even as she was at her highest speed, the red-head managed to match her step by step. Once they had connected hands the red-head skidded to a halt and, turning on the balls of her feet a full 360, she threw the blonde towards the tower with all her strength.

She's strong...! The blonde thought as she flew through the air like a rocket. When she got closer to the building, she swore she heard Mamori's scream which was a mixture of fear and pain. Crossing her arms in front of her face, the blonde crashed through one of the glass-stained windows and interrupted the ceremony.

"You!" The potential Liberator snarled as the wedding crasher landed on the ground in a crouch. However the blonde had her eyes fixated on Mamori who was in a white wedding dress and had tears in her eyes. Kicking the Liberator away, she quickly walked up to Mamori and picked her up bridal-style.

"Let's go. Okay?" She looked at Mamori to make sure the girl was okay with the plan.

"Yes!" Mamori responded confidently, feeling remarkably comfortable in the blonde's arms.

"Where do you think you're going?" Charlotte asked, getting their attention as she and Ange walked into the chapel. "You cunning little girl. How did you and that other rat escape from the disciplinary room?"

"Um...Please, no violence..." Mamori said, knowing full well that the blonde wouldn't hesitate to attack but this time she just nodded her head in understanding.

"To do that..." The blonde trailed off, unsure with how the girl would react.

"To do that...?" At first Mamori didn't understand but then she did and realized that she had to kiss the blonde and her eyes wandered to the girl's lips. She hesitated a bit before making a final decision, voluntarily puckering up her lips for a kiss. The blonde's eyes widened in surprise and she was visibly touched by the gesture. Wasting no time, she pulled her close and sealed their lips into a passionate kiss.

Oh, a prince comes to rescue me. Mamori thought. A dream come true...but why, oh why, is my prince a girl?

From my room...

"That light...! I know that light!" I gasped as I noticed the shining turquoise beacon outside my window, shielding my eyes from the offending glare that was reflecting off the glass. "It's probably from the other two from earlier! I wonder what's happening right now?"

"Ack! What are you doing?!"

"Stop right there!"

"I-Intruder! Intruder!"

There's shouting outside my room...sounds like a fight...I turned my head as screams of pain reached my ears. Then I noticed the rumbling sounds of footsteps approaching and quickly ducked behind the bed. The door suddenly flew off its hinges, and Yeoul stormed in, glancing around feverishly.

"Y...Yeoul?" I popped up from my hiding place and she rushed to my side, her eyes scanning my body for any sign of wounds. Seeing none, she released a sigh of relief and pulled me into a hug. "Umm Yeoul...we have company..."

"Ahh! Someone please inform Miss Charlotte! The other transfers are planning on escaping!" Reinforcement arrived and all the girls pointed their weapons at us.

"We need to go.." I whispered as Yeoul and I backed up slowly. And I'm still naked...

"Get on." Yeoul said as she destroyed the window with a strong kick.

"Can you make it at this height?" I asked, wrapping my arms around her neck and pressing my legs against her side. Hooking her arms underneath my legs, she simply jumped out without a second thought. We fell fast and the winds whisked shrilly past our ears...or in my case, nipped at my exposed skin. A huge cloud of dust flew up the moment Yeoul's feet made contact with the ground and she took off running as if it was no big deal, bursting through the smoke like a red streak. Another explosive sound reached my ear and I looked up to see a small ball of light shooting across the sky.

Charlotte ran out to the balcony with Ange right on her heels, witnessing the shining light disappeared over the mountains towards the sea like a shooting star. Biting her lips in rage, she managed to witness Yeoul and I disappear beyond the town walls and out into the wild.

"Looks like their partners have been decided." Kasumi commented as she stood beside Charlotte.

"Hmph. Well in that case, those girls...They are now enemies of us Welter." The pink-haired girl replied with a small glint in her eyes.

On the beach...

The sun was finally setting tainting the sea with its fiery hue and the waves crashed lazily against the white sand. Mamori currently sat elegantly on a rock while the blonde stood right beside her. The two of them haven't spoke a word since they left the building but just gazed at the spectacular view in peaceful silence, letting the sea breeze blow playfully through their hair.

"Um...thank you for saving me." Mamori broke the silence first as she looked at the blonde. "Did it hurt?" The blonde turned to look at her and shook her head no. "I'm sorry, I never introduced myself." Mamori stood up and smiled. "My name is Mamori Tokonome. I'm a second year student at Tokyo Sakuragaoka High school. I'm sixteen years old."

This girl...The blonde turned so that she stood face-to-face with Mamori with a stoic expression.

"Um...is something wrong?" Again the question was answered with a head shake. "What's your name?"

"Mirei Shikishima...I'm fifteen years old." The blonde responded.

"Oh, your name is Mirei." There was a slight pause before Mamori freaked out, finally letting the words settle into her brain. "Wait...F-Fifteen?!" Her eyes glossed over Mirei's clearly matured body, her voice stuttering. "You're...You're...You're...! You're younger than me?!"

Trump~ Trump~ Trump~ Trump~

"HEYYYYYY!" The two looked to see a giant cloud approaching them. "So this was where you two landed." Coming to a stop, Yeoul stood before them and knelt on one knee so that I could climb down safely. "Umm...actually I'll stay here, I'm not wearing anything except...my underwear." I whispered that last part, my face flushed a scarlet color. Indicating that she understood my predicament with a single nod of her head, she stood back up.

"I...I still can't believe...Mirei is only fifteen!" Mamori said almost to herself rather than to us, stealing glances at the blonde with a blush on her face. "She's actually...younger than me...younger!"

"So you're Mirei?" I turned to the blonde who nodded her head. "Nice to meet you! I'm Akane Sarutobi, sixteen years old."

"And what about you?" Mamori asked Yeoul. "What's your name?"

"Yeoul Rangetsu." Yeoul replied before releasing a huge yawn. "Fifteen years old as well."

"WHAT?!" I looked at her startled, careful not to fall off her back. "You're younger than me?!"