Chapter 5
Rei Strikes
Thump.
"Bio-contamination has increased!"
"REI! What the hell are you doing?"
"I will not.....let Sayoko............. be harmed."
'What is this? A memory?'
Thump.
"Rei eject! Get out of there!!"
"If I abandon............... the Eva, the AT-Field will collapse."
"NO REI DON'T!!!!!!"
Rei sat back in the pilot's seat. As Eva's core began to emit a high pitch whine, Rei felt something travel down her cheek. A tear dropped into her hands.
"Is this a tear? Am I crying?" Rei looked up at the monitor. A figure appeared in it. Rei's eyes widened as she realized who it was. The figure smiled at Rei then extended a hand towards her. Rei grabbed the hand and was pulled through the screen. Seconds later, she lay on the grass of a hillside. She looked up to see 2 people standing over her. She was about to speak when the sound of a massive explosion ripped across the sky. A enormous plume of smoke and flame could be seen coming over the hilltops.
'But this happened 500 years ago.'
"Well Rei," said Skuld. "It looks like Urd got to you in time."
Rei stared at the two goddesses. "Why would you do this?"
"For Sayoko." replied Urd, "She considers you a friend. It would hurt her if you were to die."
"But....I can be replaced.."
"No," replied Skuld, "I have read about you. Yes, another Rei would be...awakened. But your current memories, your thoughts, everything that you have become now, that what makes you you...will be lost forever."
Rei thought about that. "I....I am not...." Rei took a deep breath. "...I do not want to be replaced."
'Why am I seeing this again?'
"Very well. Now I have to take you back." Skuld turned and placed her hand in a nearby puddle. "Your entry plug seems to have survived, somewhat. I'll return you there, otherwise, they will activate a new 'Rei'."
Thump
Thump.
Consciousness returned slowly to Rei. 'I hate being unconscious.....memories always come back to me while I'm knocked out.'
Thump.
'Sounds like my old apartment.' Rei slowly opened her eyes. Taking in the rafters above her head, a thought ran through her mind, one that was usually uttered by her brother. 'An unfamiliar ceiling...' Rei then frowned, '..great...now he has me saying it.'
Thump.
'What is that?' Rei slowly stood up. While she was not fully healed or recharged, she was determined to get to the bottom of the noise. She opened a door and step onto the balcony. Below her, marionettes were engaged in a fight. One of the Marionettes tossed a sparking Saber against a wall.
Thump.
Rei watched another Saber get destroyed before she heard a new voice.
"All of you, line up over there."
She turned to see a man in uniform with a couple of Sabers holding weapons on...... Rei gripped the railing tightly. Lorelei and Otaru!!
'Dammit!' thought Rei. She began to concentrate, building up her energy. She watched as the Sabers targeted the other Marionettes. Rei reached out and formed a force field just as the Sabers opened fire. The Marionettes disappeared from view as the smoke from the gunfire and the bullets hitting the field and disintegrating obscured them. She listened as Otaru shouted something, but she didn't catch what as she was concentrating on keeping the shield up. Finally, the Sabers ceased fire. She saw the uniformed man say something to Otaru who responded to quietly for her to hear. Then one of the Sabers spoke. The man turned back to the other Marionettes who were coming back into view.
"WHAT!?! "How!?!"
Rei decided to give him an answer.
"You just made a mistake." she said. She watched as everyone present turned and stared at her before she continued. "A very serious mistake." Her eyes began to glow as she summoned more power to her. "And you will be punished severely."
She raised her hands above her head, lightning crackled between them. The man took a step back. Rei lowered both her hands. Lightning thundered downward from the heavens, slamming into the 2 Sabers that held their weapons on Otaru and Lorelei. The Sabers jerked under the onslaught of energy before collapsing to the ground. The man stared in shock at Rei, as did Otaru, Lorelei, that weird guy that was next to them, and the marionettes. Rei leaped over the railing and hovered a foot off the ground. A force bolt formed in her hand, which she then tossed at the 2 remaining Sabers. The force bolt ripped through the first Saber and continued onward. The second ducked, barely avoiding the bolt. It then stood up and started to lock onto Rei, when Rei waved her hand. The bolt reversed its course, crashing into the last Saber from behind. The man finally snapped out of shock and grabbed Lorelei. He pulled a gun out from his robes and held it to Lorelei's head.
"Alright, stop right there or Lorelei dies."
Rei floated down to the ground and crossed her arms. "You won't get away, so you should give up."
The man smiled, "Oh I'll get away. And you...whatever you are.....will be dead." He pointed the gun at Rei and began to fire.
Rei let out a sigh as her shield blocked the shots. 'They always do that. If the first doesn't get through, what makes them think the rest will?'
After the 5th shot, the man finally seemed to get the idea and pointed the gun back at Lorelei. "You are going to let me leave now or she will die!"
Rei glared at the man, "I will not. And no harm will come to her."
"What makes you think I won't?"
He watched as Rei's eyes glowed brightly for several seconds, then return to normal. She then smiled at him, "You need a weapon that can hurt someone first."
The man turned and looked in shock at his weapon. The barrel of the gun was now a lump of melted metal. He tossed Lorelei and the now useless weapon away and began to run.
"I will have revenge!! I'll return."
Rei let out another sigh, "I hear that way to much. Go to hell." She waved her hand and the man vanished in a ball of flame.
Otaru, who was kneeling next to Lorelei, stared at the spot the man had once stood. He then turned and looked at Rei. "What happened to him? Where is he?"
"I sent him to hell." Rei then walked over and knelt down by Lorelei. "Hello Lorelei, How are you doing?"
Lorelei stared at Rei for several seconds before she finally spoke. "Rei? Rei Ikari."
"That is the name I go by." Rei said with a smile. "It's been a while hasn't it?" Lorelei sat up and embraced her old friend.
"Otaru," said Hanagata, "What is going on? Who is this Marionette?"
"I suggest we go to the castle." said Tiger, "Lord Faust will want to know about this."
Lorelei let out a sigh, "Yes, your right." She then looked at Rei. "You can explain there."
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"You want to WHAT!?!?"
Belldandy sat behind her desk staring at her older sister. "I believe that you heard what I said."
Urd shook her head, "I did, but I can't believe it. The council ordered the search to stop and that no one was to be allowed to go to Terra 2 until further notice."
"No, The council ordered the Valkyries to stop the search and forbid Gods, Goddesses and the Guardians from going down. They didn't say anything about..."
"THAT IS NOT THE POINT!!" shouted Urd, "You're bending the rules Bell! You're going to get into trouble!"
Belldandy leaned back in her chair, "I am not bending the rules. I just found a nice loophole in the current ruling."
Urd sat down in a chair across from Belldandy and stared at her sister. "I think you've been hanging around Misato too much. This sounds like something that she would think of. I suppose there is no way I can talk you out of this?"
Belldandy just smiled and shook her head.
"Can you give me a reason why not?"
"Shinji, Asuka, Rei, and Touji have done a lot for the world and the heavens." Belldandy stood up and walked around her desk, and stood in front of Urd. "They have also done a lot for our family and have become a part of it. They mean so much to Sayoko I feel I owe them this."
Urd let out a sigh, "Your right. I still think we could get in trouble but, your right." Urd stood up. "I'll go make the call then."
Belldandy wrapped Urd up in a hug. "Thank you Urd."
Urd headed towards the door. As she was about to leave, she glanced back at Belldandy. "They're doing another healing spell on Skuld and will be done in about 40 minutes. They seem to think she might wake up afterwards."
Belldandy's smile got a bit bigger. "I'll meet you there."
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Once again they met in the council room. This time there were 4 mortals, 6 marionettes, and one immortal. Baiko and Tamasaburo were out patrolling the castle grounds, watching for any sign of trouble. Rei sat at the end of the table, all eyes directed at her.
"So," began Rei, "What do you want to know?"
"First," said Lorelei, "Why don't you tell us who and what you are?"
"I am Rei Ikari, but you already know that."
"How can you be Rei though?" asked Faust, "She existed 300 years ago, and you don't look much older then 20."
Rei smiled, "Thanks for the compliment, but you're a bit off. I'm 524."
"524?!?" everyone was in shock.
"Yes." replied Rei with a smile, "And just to clarify, Asuka and Sayoko are the same age as well."
Lorelei stared at Rei stunned, "Asuka and Sayoko?! You really have to explain."
"This goes back 500 years ago to earth." began Rei, "I met Asuka and later Sayoko while I was a pilot with NERV."
"Pilot of what?" asked Tiger.
"An Eva pilot."
"You piloted those giant robots!!" exclaimed Luchs, stunned.
"Yes, I did. Shortly after meeting Sayoko, the other pilots and I found out that Sayoko had a...hidden identity, that she was a Goddess."
"A Goddess?" asked Otaru.
Rei nodded, "In Sayoko's case she is the goddess of the present...." Rei then went on to explain the events that took place in Tokyo-3 and 2, including how the pilots achieved their new status of Guardians of Heaven. As she spoke, she answered questions posed to her. Finally, she was asked about the Mesopotamia.
"Sayoko, Asuka, and myself were assigned to the Mesopotamia to observe and report to heaven and to keep an eye out for Demons. There were other gods and goddesses placed on the other ships." Rei got up and began to pace. "Everything was going fine until we started getting close to Terra 2." She stopped and looked at Faust and Lorelei. "We detected a demon on board. We searched for him, but the demon got to the computer and reprogrammed it before we could find him." Rei turned and faced the wall. "We failed in our mission." She turned back to face everyone. "For the next 300 years, we watched and waited, unable to directly interfere with the development of Terra 2. All we could do was observe and protect against Demon intervention. When Lorelei was rescued, our task was changed to include making sure that Lorelei and the clones survived. Which brings us up to today." Rei sat back down. "The Demons have targeted you Lorelei, and your clones."
"Why?" asked Lorelei.
"Why would anyone want to hurt Lorelei?" asked Lime.
"The Demons want to cause suffering and pain. They also want to prevent Terra 2 from becoming a normal world, which would allow heaven to take a larger role in the course of events here. Without Lorelei and the clones...the planet remains as it has for the last 300 years, and any chance to change it will be lost."
"So what do we do?" asked Otaru.
"First, I need to contact heaven and let them know what has happened. But I...seem to have misplaced my communicator."
"Round object?" asked Luchs. She held up her hands. "About this big?"
Rei nodded, "Yes that's it. Where is it?"
"Well....." Luchs turned and looked over at Cherry.
"We found it in your pocket after we got you back to our apartment." said Cherry, "But it was broken by the same rock that broke your leg."
Rei's eyes widened a bit. "It's broken?"
Luchs nodded, "We have it downstairs, along with the helmet and the staff you left."
"Downstairs?"
"You remember that room you where in when you fought that demon?" asked Lorelei. Rei nodded. "They're in there, along with the weapons we've been designing to break through the AT-Fields of the S2 powered Sabers."
Rei stared at Lorelei, "I have to see this."
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Rei walked silently through the lab. She reached over and picked up her helmet. Her fingers traced the shattered visor. Her hand then moved over her eye. Shaking her head, she waved her hand over the helmet. The visor flashed bright white. When the light faded, the visor was completely repaired. Another pass of her hand and the helmet vanished completely. She then grabbed her staff, still in its lance formation. She twirled the staff about her before causing it to also vanish. Lorelei stared in surprise.
"Where did they go?"
Rei turned, "Little trick I learned from a Goddess named Skuld." she then smiled, "She always seemed to have an endless supply of bombs." Rei looked over the rest of the table, taking notice a knife whose blade seemed to shimmer. Rei picked it up, staring at the blade. "A progressive knife?" asked Rei quietly.
"Yes." replied Lorelei, "Faust and I were able to build that from plans we found. It is exactly like those the Evas carried, only human sized. We have constructed several more."
Rei nodded before placing the knife back on the table. "What about my communicator?"
Lorelei led Rei towards the back of the chamber. On a table next to a computer lay the communicator. Rei let out a sigh as she took in the smashed device.
"Great....Just great."
"Can you repair it?" asked Lorelei.
"Given time, yes" said Rei, "But I need micro tools and..."
"I can supply all the tools you'll need." replied Lorelei, "And I believe Luchs can assist you."
Rei nodded. "Thank you." She then turned back to look at the communicator. "Lorelei, about what happened on the Mesopotamia......."
Lorelei slowly turned to face Rei. "What about it?" she said slowly.
"About what happened to you."
Lorelei stared at Rei, "You knew I was held by the computer?"
Rei sat down in a nearby chair and closed her eyes. "We knew. But even though a demon was the cause of it all, we were ordered not to interfere by Kami-sama."
"But....why?"
Rei shrugged. "It is not our place to question Kami-sama. Some of the things he does which seem strange at the time are later proven to be the right decision." Rei then looked Lorelei in the face. "But if it had been up to Asuka, Sayoko, or myself, you would have been freed a long time ago. You were our friend, and it pained us to leave you." Rei looked down at the floor. "I hope someday that you can forgive us for leaving you behind.
Lorelei smiled, "I believe you Rei. And there is nothing to be forgiven. Everything did work out for the best. Now let's get that communicator working."
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"I really hate you!....I mean it!"
"Onee-sama!"
"Grrrr Skuld-bomb away!"
"Is there no hope left?"
"Don't Auntie me!"
"SKULD!"
Skuld practically leaped as she sat up.
"Easy Skuld." came a voice, "You're alright now."
Skuld turned her head to see a healer standing next to her. She lay on a bed in a bright white room, definitely heaven.
"What happened?" she croaked.
"Apparently you had a run in with a powerful explosive. You've been unconscious for 3 days now. Considering the extent of your injuries, you are lucky you're even awake." The healer turned and headed towards the door. As he opened the door, he spoke to someone on the other side. "She is awake." No sooner had he spoken then 2 people raced into the room. Skuld found herself being smothered in a hug by both Urd and Belldandy. Finally, Belldandy pulled away and looked at Skuld.
"I'm glad your alive." Her face then turned vary serious, sending a chill down Skuld's and Urd's spine. "But I told you to be careful."
"We were." replied Skuld. "At least I thought we were."
"Apparently not enough." said Urd quietly.
"What do you mean?"
Belldandy glanced Urd before speaking. "Sayoko's leg was broken in several different spots. Her arm was also broken. Asuka had several broken ribs and both legs broken, but her Guardian powers kicked in and they have since healed. She also lost her voice, something about the air pressure change when the N2 mine went off, at least, that's the current theory."
"What about Rei?"
Belldandy's voice became very quiet. "We don't know. The Valkyries couldn't find any sign of her in the crater."
"Then she's still on Terra 2?" Skuld started to get up. "Well let's go find her."
Belldandy placed her hands on Skuld's shoulders and pushed her back down to the bed. "You are not going anywhere. You are to remain in bed and resting for several more days. As to Terra 2, we've been forbidden to send anyone else there from here."
"Just like that...We're giving up on Rei?" Skuld frowned, "That sucks."
"Actually," said Urd with a smile, "Bell here had me call in a favor. We haven't given up on Rei yet."
Skuld looked at Belldandy, "Who did you send?"
"I didn't send anyone." replied Belldandy, "I just...asked. Don't worry, if Rei is alive she will be found."
"I hope so." Skuld settled back down onto the bed. "That N2 mine was pretty bad. What ever the Demons are planning, I hope Rei won't have to face it alone."
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Japoness, Terra 2
An Alley.
A cat quietly picked through a trash can carelessly left open. Finding a mostly intact fish, the cat pulled it out and onto the ground. As the cat began to eat, a gust of wind swept through the alley. The cat turned and looked around. Seeing a circle of light appearing on the ground, the cat moved towards it. It was about 3 feet away when flames burst forth from the circle. The cat turned and fled. When the flames vanished, a figure in black stood silently within the still glowing circle, red markings upon its face. The figure rose off the ground and landed on a rooftop. Taking in the view of the city, the figure smiled.
"Time to get to work." The Demon said quietly.
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Rei Strikes
Thump.
"Bio-contamination has increased!"
"REI! What the hell are you doing?"
"I will not.....let Sayoko............. be harmed."
'What is this? A memory?'
Thump.
"Rei eject! Get out of there!!"
"If I abandon............... the Eva, the AT-Field will collapse."
"NO REI DON'T!!!!!!"
Rei sat back in the pilot's seat. As Eva's core began to emit a high pitch whine, Rei felt something travel down her cheek. A tear dropped into her hands.
"Is this a tear? Am I crying?" Rei looked up at the monitor. A figure appeared in it. Rei's eyes widened as she realized who it was. The figure smiled at Rei then extended a hand towards her. Rei grabbed the hand and was pulled through the screen. Seconds later, she lay on the grass of a hillside. She looked up to see 2 people standing over her. She was about to speak when the sound of a massive explosion ripped across the sky. A enormous plume of smoke and flame could be seen coming over the hilltops.
'But this happened 500 years ago.'
"Well Rei," said Skuld. "It looks like Urd got to you in time."
Rei stared at the two goddesses. "Why would you do this?"
"For Sayoko." replied Urd, "She considers you a friend. It would hurt her if you were to die."
"But....I can be replaced.."
"No," replied Skuld, "I have read about you. Yes, another Rei would be...awakened. But your current memories, your thoughts, everything that you have become now, that what makes you you...will be lost forever."
Rei thought about that. "I....I am not...." Rei took a deep breath. "...I do not want to be replaced."
'Why am I seeing this again?'
"Very well. Now I have to take you back." Skuld turned and placed her hand in a nearby puddle. "Your entry plug seems to have survived, somewhat. I'll return you there, otherwise, they will activate a new 'Rei'."
Thump
Thump.
Consciousness returned slowly to Rei. 'I hate being unconscious.....memories always come back to me while I'm knocked out.'
Thump.
'Sounds like my old apartment.' Rei slowly opened her eyes. Taking in the rafters above her head, a thought ran through her mind, one that was usually uttered by her brother. 'An unfamiliar ceiling...' Rei then frowned, '..great...now he has me saying it.'
Thump.
'What is that?' Rei slowly stood up. While she was not fully healed or recharged, she was determined to get to the bottom of the noise. She opened a door and step onto the balcony. Below her, marionettes were engaged in a fight. One of the Marionettes tossed a sparking Saber against a wall.
Thump.
Rei watched another Saber get destroyed before she heard a new voice.
"All of you, line up over there."
She turned to see a man in uniform with a couple of Sabers holding weapons on...... Rei gripped the railing tightly. Lorelei and Otaru!!
'Dammit!' thought Rei. She began to concentrate, building up her energy. She watched as the Sabers targeted the other Marionettes. Rei reached out and formed a force field just as the Sabers opened fire. The Marionettes disappeared from view as the smoke from the gunfire and the bullets hitting the field and disintegrating obscured them. She listened as Otaru shouted something, but she didn't catch what as she was concentrating on keeping the shield up. Finally, the Sabers ceased fire. She saw the uniformed man say something to Otaru who responded to quietly for her to hear. Then one of the Sabers spoke. The man turned back to the other Marionettes who were coming back into view.
"WHAT!?! "How!?!"
Rei decided to give him an answer.
"You just made a mistake." she said. She watched as everyone present turned and stared at her before she continued. "A very serious mistake." Her eyes began to glow as she summoned more power to her. "And you will be punished severely."
She raised her hands above her head, lightning crackled between them. The man took a step back. Rei lowered both her hands. Lightning thundered downward from the heavens, slamming into the 2 Sabers that held their weapons on Otaru and Lorelei. The Sabers jerked under the onslaught of energy before collapsing to the ground. The man stared in shock at Rei, as did Otaru, Lorelei, that weird guy that was next to them, and the marionettes. Rei leaped over the railing and hovered a foot off the ground. A force bolt formed in her hand, which she then tossed at the 2 remaining Sabers. The force bolt ripped through the first Saber and continued onward. The second ducked, barely avoiding the bolt. It then stood up and started to lock onto Rei, when Rei waved her hand. The bolt reversed its course, crashing into the last Saber from behind. The man finally snapped out of shock and grabbed Lorelei. He pulled a gun out from his robes and held it to Lorelei's head.
"Alright, stop right there or Lorelei dies."
Rei floated down to the ground and crossed her arms. "You won't get away, so you should give up."
The man smiled, "Oh I'll get away. And you...whatever you are.....will be dead." He pointed the gun at Rei and began to fire.
Rei let out a sigh as her shield blocked the shots. 'They always do that. If the first doesn't get through, what makes them think the rest will?'
After the 5th shot, the man finally seemed to get the idea and pointed the gun back at Lorelei. "You are going to let me leave now or she will die!"
Rei glared at the man, "I will not. And no harm will come to her."
"What makes you think I won't?"
He watched as Rei's eyes glowed brightly for several seconds, then return to normal. She then smiled at him, "You need a weapon that can hurt someone first."
The man turned and looked in shock at his weapon. The barrel of the gun was now a lump of melted metal. He tossed Lorelei and the now useless weapon away and began to run.
"I will have revenge!! I'll return."
Rei let out another sigh, "I hear that way to much. Go to hell." She waved her hand and the man vanished in a ball of flame.
Otaru, who was kneeling next to Lorelei, stared at the spot the man had once stood. He then turned and looked at Rei. "What happened to him? Where is he?"
"I sent him to hell." Rei then walked over and knelt down by Lorelei. "Hello Lorelei, How are you doing?"
Lorelei stared at Rei for several seconds before she finally spoke. "Rei? Rei Ikari."
"That is the name I go by." Rei said with a smile. "It's been a while hasn't it?" Lorelei sat up and embraced her old friend.
"Otaru," said Hanagata, "What is going on? Who is this Marionette?"
"I suggest we go to the castle." said Tiger, "Lord Faust will want to know about this."
Lorelei let out a sigh, "Yes, your right." She then looked at Rei. "You can explain there."
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"You want to WHAT!?!?"
Belldandy sat behind her desk staring at her older sister. "I believe that you heard what I said."
Urd shook her head, "I did, but I can't believe it. The council ordered the search to stop and that no one was to be allowed to go to Terra 2 until further notice."
"No, The council ordered the Valkyries to stop the search and forbid Gods, Goddesses and the Guardians from going down. They didn't say anything about..."
"THAT IS NOT THE POINT!!" shouted Urd, "You're bending the rules Bell! You're going to get into trouble!"
Belldandy leaned back in her chair, "I am not bending the rules. I just found a nice loophole in the current ruling."
Urd sat down in a chair across from Belldandy and stared at her sister. "I think you've been hanging around Misato too much. This sounds like something that she would think of. I suppose there is no way I can talk you out of this?"
Belldandy just smiled and shook her head.
"Can you give me a reason why not?"
"Shinji, Asuka, Rei, and Touji have done a lot for the world and the heavens." Belldandy stood up and walked around her desk, and stood in front of Urd. "They have also done a lot for our family and have become a part of it. They mean so much to Sayoko I feel I owe them this."
Urd let out a sigh, "Your right. I still think we could get in trouble but, your right." Urd stood up. "I'll go make the call then."
Belldandy wrapped Urd up in a hug. "Thank you Urd."
Urd headed towards the door. As she was about to leave, she glanced back at Belldandy. "They're doing another healing spell on Skuld and will be done in about 40 minutes. They seem to think she might wake up afterwards."
Belldandy's smile got a bit bigger. "I'll meet you there."
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Once again they met in the council room. This time there were 4 mortals, 6 marionettes, and one immortal. Baiko and Tamasaburo were out patrolling the castle grounds, watching for any sign of trouble. Rei sat at the end of the table, all eyes directed at her.
"So," began Rei, "What do you want to know?"
"First," said Lorelei, "Why don't you tell us who and what you are?"
"I am Rei Ikari, but you already know that."
"How can you be Rei though?" asked Faust, "She existed 300 years ago, and you don't look much older then 20."
Rei smiled, "Thanks for the compliment, but you're a bit off. I'm 524."
"524?!?" everyone was in shock.
"Yes." replied Rei with a smile, "And just to clarify, Asuka and Sayoko are the same age as well."
Lorelei stared at Rei stunned, "Asuka and Sayoko?! You really have to explain."
"This goes back 500 years ago to earth." began Rei, "I met Asuka and later Sayoko while I was a pilot with NERV."
"Pilot of what?" asked Tiger.
"An Eva pilot."
"You piloted those giant robots!!" exclaimed Luchs, stunned.
"Yes, I did. Shortly after meeting Sayoko, the other pilots and I found out that Sayoko had a...hidden identity, that she was a Goddess."
"A Goddess?" asked Otaru.
Rei nodded, "In Sayoko's case she is the goddess of the present...." Rei then went on to explain the events that took place in Tokyo-3 and 2, including how the pilots achieved their new status of Guardians of Heaven. As she spoke, she answered questions posed to her. Finally, she was asked about the Mesopotamia.
"Sayoko, Asuka, and myself were assigned to the Mesopotamia to observe and report to heaven and to keep an eye out for Demons. There were other gods and goddesses placed on the other ships." Rei got up and began to pace. "Everything was going fine until we started getting close to Terra 2." She stopped and looked at Faust and Lorelei. "We detected a demon on board. We searched for him, but the demon got to the computer and reprogrammed it before we could find him." Rei turned and faced the wall. "We failed in our mission." She turned back to face everyone. "For the next 300 years, we watched and waited, unable to directly interfere with the development of Terra 2. All we could do was observe and protect against Demon intervention. When Lorelei was rescued, our task was changed to include making sure that Lorelei and the clones survived. Which brings us up to today." Rei sat back down. "The Demons have targeted you Lorelei, and your clones."
"Why?" asked Lorelei.
"Why would anyone want to hurt Lorelei?" asked Lime.
"The Demons want to cause suffering and pain. They also want to prevent Terra 2 from becoming a normal world, which would allow heaven to take a larger role in the course of events here. Without Lorelei and the clones...the planet remains as it has for the last 300 years, and any chance to change it will be lost."
"So what do we do?" asked Otaru.
"First, I need to contact heaven and let them know what has happened. But I...seem to have misplaced my communicator."
"Round object?" asked Luchs. She held up her hands. "About this big?"
Rei nodded, "Yes that's it. Where is it?"
"Well....." Luchs turned and looked over at Cherry.
"We found it in your pocket after we got you back to our apartment." said Cherry, "But it was broken by the same rock that broke your leg."
Rei's eyes widened a bit. "It's broken?"
Luchs nodded, "We have it downstairs, along with the helmet and the staff you left."
"Downstairs?"
"You remember that room you where in when you fought that demon?" asked Lorelei. Rei nodded. "They're in there, along with the weapons we've been designing to break through the AT-Fields of the S2 powered Sabers."
Rei stared at Lorelei, "I have to see this."
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Rei walked silently through the lab. She reached over and picked up her helmet. Her fingers traced the shattered visor. Her hand then moved over her eye. Shaking her head, she waved her hand over the helmet. The visor flashed bright white. When the light faded, the visor was completely repaired. Another pass of her hand and the helmet vanished completely. She then grabbed her staff, still in its lance formation. She twirled the staff about her before causing it to also vanish. Lorelei stared in surprise.
"Where did they go?"
Rei turned, "Little trick I learned from a Goddess named Skuld." she then smiled, "She always seemed to have an endless supply of bombs." Rei looked over the rest of the table, taking notice a knife whose blade seemed to shimmer. Rei picked it up, staring at the blade. "A progressive knife?" asked Rei quietly.
"Yes." replied Lorelei, "Faust and I were able to build that from plans we found. It is exactly like those the Evas carried, only human sized. We have constructed several more."
Rei nodded before placing the knife back on the table. "What about my communicator?"
Lorelei led Rei towards the back of the chamber. On a table next to a computer lay the communicator. Rei let out a sigh as she took in the smashed device.
"Great....Just great."
"Can you repair it?" asked Lorelei.
"Given time, yes" said Rei, "But I need micro tools and..."
"I can supply all the tools you'll need." replied Lorelei, "And I believe Luchs can assist you."
Rei nodded. "Thank you." She then turned back to look at the communicator. "Lorelei, about what happened on the Mesopotamia......."
Lorelei slowly turned to face Rei. "What about it?" she said slowly.
"About what happened to you."
Lorelei stared at Rei, "You knew I was held by the computer?"
Rei sat down in a nearby chair and closed her eyes. "We knew. But even though a demon was the cause of it all, we were ordered not to interfere by Kami-sama."
"But....why?"
Rei shrugged. "It is not our place to question Kami-sama. Some of the things he does which seem strange at the time are later proven to be the right decision." Rei then looked Lorelei in the face. "But if it had been up to Asuka, Sayoko, or myself, you would have been freed a long time ago. You were our friend, and it pained us to leave you." Rei looked down at the floor. "I hope someday that you can forgive us for leaving you behind.
Lorelei smiled, "I believe you Rei. And there is nothing to be forgiven. Everything did work out for the best. Now let's get that communicator working."
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"I really hate you!....I mean it!"
"Onee-sama!"
"Grrrr Skuld-bomb away!"
"Is there no hope left?"
"Don't Auntie me!"
"SKULD!"
Skuld practically leaped as she sat up.
"Easy Skuld." came a voice, "You're alright now."
Skuld turned her head to see a healer standing next to her. She lay on a bed in a bright white room, definitely heaven.
"What happened?" she croaked.
"Apparently you had a run in with a powerful explosive. You've been unconscious for 3 days now. Considering the extent of your injuries, you are lucky you're even awake." The healer turned and headed towards the door. As he opened the door, he spoke to someone on the other side. "She is awake." No sooner had he spoken then 2 people raced into the room. Skuld found herself being smothered in a hug by both Urd and Belldandy. Finally, Belldandy pulled away and looked at Skuld.
"I'm glad your alive." Her face then turned vary serious, sending a chill down Skuld's and Urd's spine. "But I told you to be careful."
"We were." replied Skuld. "At least I thought we were."
"Apparently not enough." said Urd quietly.
"What do you mean?"
Belldandy glanced Urd before speaking. "Sayoko's leg was broken in several different spots. Her arm was also broken. Asuka had several broken ribs and both legs broken, but her Guardian powers kicked in and they have since healed. She also lost her voice, something about the air pressure change when the N2 mine went off, at least, that's the current theory."
"What about Rei?"
Belldandy's voice became very quiet. "We don't know. The Valkyries couldn't find any sign of her in the crater."
"Then she's still on Terra 2?" Skuld started to get up. "Well let's go find her."
Belldandy placed her hands on Skuld's shoulders and pushed her back down to the bed. "You are not going anywhere. You are to remain in bed and resting for several more days. As to Terra 2, we've been forbidden to send anyone else there from here."
"Just like that...We're giving up on Rei?" Skuld frowned, "That sucks."
"Actually," said Urd with a smile, "Bell here had me call in a favor. We haven't given up on Rei yet."
Skuld looked at Belldandy, "Who did you send?"
"I didn't send anyone." replied Belldandy, "I just...asked. Don't worry, if Rei is alive she will be found."
"I hope so." Skuld settled back down onto the bed. "That N2 mine was pretty bad. What ever the Demons are planning, I hope Rei won't have to face it alone."
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Japoness, Terra 2
An Alley.
A cat quietly picked through a trash can carelessly left open. Finding a mostly intact fish, the cat pulled it out and onto the ground. As the cat began to eat, a gust of wind swept through the alley. The cat turned and looked around. Seeing a circle of light appearing on the ground, the cat moved towards it. It was about 3 feet away when flames burst forth from the circle. The cat turned and fled. When the flames vanished, a figure in black stood silently within the still glowing circle, red markings upon its face. The figure rose off the ground and landed on a rooftop. Taking in the view of the city, the figure smiled.
"Time to get to work." The Demon said quietly.
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