Vandread Fanfic - Slayer of God Duology Part 2: Together Forever
Chapter 1 - Reunion
Rating - G / Romance / Sci-Fi
How many moons are there?
On a path leading back to a lonely room
It watched over every night
See Saw- Tsuki Hitotsu (transliterated)
Mejale...
Axel was playing the newly bought Vanguard X when he hears a ring at the door. His mother's voice echoed from her room.
"Axel, can you get the door? I'm busy here."
"Sure thing, mom."
Axel opened the door and two figures with contrasting height stood before him. He recognized them instantly.
"Aunt Ezra! Karu-chan!"
"Hello, Axel. Is your mother in?" The taller woman said as she pats his head.
"Yeah. Please come in. Mom, aunt Ezra and Karu-chan is here!"
"Ax-chan! I've been waiting for you to come over and play, but you didn't." The little girl complaint.
"Sorry..."
His mother came out from the room.
"Ezra! What a pleasant surprise! I was quite busy cleaning the room."
"Hello, Aunt Meia."
"Oh, hi Karu-chan. Come, let's sit at the living room."
The four of them sat at the living room.
"Meia, have you heard the news?"
Meia raised an eyebrow.
"News? Sorry, I never watch the news lately."
"Tarark military caught a winged white Vanguard entering their territory."
"Winged white Vanguard..? Could it be...?"
Axel chipped in.
"Vanguard X!! Is it? Is it?"
"Ax-chan! Don't interfere while the adults are talking."
Ezra smiled.
"Its okay, Karu-chan. You're right, Axel. It is the Vanguard X."
"But I thought that it never exists..."
Meia pulled her son closer.
"Axel, there is only one Vanguard X and only one man can pilot it. It's him, isn't it Ezra?"
Ezra nodded.
"Most likely. There are other two with him. A male and a female."
"Where are they now?"
"At one of Tarark's battleship, Muramasa."
"Muramasa? Hibiki was posted there isn't it?"
"Yes."
"Mom, who is this 'him'?"
The question struck her in the heart.
(Should I explain it to him? Will he understand?)
Rick was walking on a walkway that leads to...nowhere. He's been walking for hours and he didn't know how long it will take to reach the final destination.
(I'm...tired. Too tired to go on...)
He collapsed to the ground and stared into total darkness. Then, he heard a voice. A familiar voice. A voice that always calms his heart.
"Rick, wake up."
"Mom..?"
"Yes. It's me."
His mother kneeled beside him and looks at him in the eyes. Rick turned away from her.
"Rick?"
"Mom, I don't want to live any longer. I want to be with you. With dad, my sisters, my friends and...Sara..."
His mother smiled sweetly and said,
"Rick, I know you love her so much. But what about your daughter? Sara wouldn't want you to leave your daughter because of her."
"Mom, there's no reason for me live. The reason itself has gone..."
"Rick, the least you can do is live. Live for her. Live for Sara. She wants you to move on. If it isn't for her, then do it for your daughter."
"Mom..."
She smiled again and stands up. She then walked into the darkness, leaving him alone. He chased her.
"Mom!! Please don't go!!"
(Live, Rick. Live...)
Rick woke up from his sleep and gasps. Aya who is sitting beside him, held his shoulder.
"Dad, you're okay? You're just having a nightmare."
Rick looked at his daughter. Then, he looked the area around him. They are not in Vanguard X.
"I'm...okay. Where are we? And where's Raymond?"
"Dad, we're in Tarark now. This is the ship...what's the name again? Yeah, Muramasa. Uncle Ray is looking around the ship."
"What happened? I can't remember..."
"According to them, they found us unconscious due to lack of air. And you've been sleeping for the last three days."
"Three days..."
The door opened and Raymond enters the room. With him is a much shorter man in military uniform. Judging from his badges, he must be someone important. However, his feature looks familiar. Raymond approached him.
"Rick, you awake!"
"Yeah, just a few seconds ago. How about you?"
"I feel much alive. By the way, have you met this guy? He said he knows you."
The man smiled. Rick stood up and looked at him closely. He instantly recognized him.
"Hibiki! Hibiki Tokai isn't it? Am I right, kid?"
The man grinned.
"I see you still remember me, Xero. But it seems you never aged since the last time I saw you."
Raymond grinned at Rick.
"See? I told you that you looked younger than your age."
Rick smirked.
"Duh! Yeah, whatever old man."
"If you didn't send the SOS signal, I don't wanna think what will happen to the three of you."
"SOS? I don't remember doing that."
Hibiki raised an eyebrow.
"You didn't? Then who..?"
Rick smiled.
"Heh. It must be that guy."
"That guy? Oh, you mean your Vanguard sent the SOS signal?"
"Yeah. That must be it. By the way, where is it?"
"Engineers are attending to it. Fixing and fine tune it."
"Hey kid, I'm sure you already met my daughter."
"Yeah. She's the first one to regain consciousness."
"Say, how long has it been? More than ten years maybe?"
Hibiki gave a surprise look.
"Eh? It's been seven years actually. What makes you think that?"
"Is it? Guess Terra was on different time space then."
"Maybe that's the answer. Anyway, I have to take you to the commander of this ship."
"Huh? I thought YOU'RE the commander around here."
"Hey, I'm just a Vanguard instructor here. Nothing more."
"Okay, give me a few minutes."
Rick, Raymond and Aya followed Hibiki into the main deck of the ship. A relatively young man approached them. He has short, black hair with dark, blue eyes.
"Ah, instructor Hibiki, I see you brought your friends here."
"Sir, this is Maverick Xero, the Vanguard X pilot. This woman here is his daughter, Aya and his friend, Raymond."
"I see. Master Xero, Miss Aya and Master Raymond. I'm Anton Van der Wille, commander of Muramasa. I hope the three of you recovered from your ordeal."
"Yes. Thank you commander." Rick replied.
"Instructor Hibiki told me a lot about you."
"Oh, is it?"
"According from data log extracted from Vanguard X, you are from the planet of Terra."
"Yes. We're from Terra. But it was...destroyed..."
"Des...destroyed?" Hibiki stammered.
Anton bowed slightly.
"I'm sorry. But please tell me what happened."
Rick told Anton what happened. (Refer to prologue)
"I see. Did you know what their intention of destroying your home is?"
Rick shook his head. Then he retrieved a half burnt disc from the pocket of his coat.
"Don't have a clue. But I have this disc. I got it from one of the soldiers. I don't know if it still working though."
Anton looked at the disc closer.
"We'll try to get as much information as we can from it. While we're at it, why don't you go to Tarark and take a look around? Instructor Hibiki here will be your guide."
"Thank you. But before that, can I ask you something?"
Anton raised an eyebrow.
"What do you wish to ask?"
"This kinda personal but I feel compelled to ask. What's your age? You don't look like a commander."
Anton blinked a few times. Aya looked at him and then look at her father. Raymond and Hibiki scratched the back of their head.
"Dad! That's rude!"
Anton grinned.
"It's alright, Miss Aya. He's right. I don't look like a commander. I'm a bit older than instructor Hibiki. For some reason, I was chosen for this position. How about you? You don't look like Miss Aya's father either."
Rick paused for a while. Then, he laughed.
"Well, I even asked that question myself, commander. Why I'm look like a 25 year old man when my daughter is already 18? Can you tell me?"
"Ah...that's a tricky question, Master Xero."
"That's right. It IS a tricky question. Anyway, thank you again, commander. If you excuse us..."
"You'll be notified once we completed our investigation. Instructor Hibiki, please take care of them.
Hibiki nodded.
"Yes sir. Come, follow me. The ship is at the hangar."
Rick and Raymond followed Hibiki while Aya was still standing, facing Anton. His heart beats faster when their eyes met.
"Is...there something wrong, Miss Aya?"
Aya bowed slightly.
"I'm sorry about my father. He's usually not that rude. He's changed a bit since my mother past away."
"It's alright, Miss Aya. I understand. But your father is rather a straight forward person to me."
"Thank you. I'll be going now. See you later."
Aya turned and wave at him. Anton waved back reluctantly.
"Ah...see you..."
Mejale...
Axel blinked his eyes a few times after Meia told him everything. His origin and the fact that he is the first child born from the genes of man and woman. And who his father really is - the man in white that's been appearing in his dreams.
"Aunt Ezra, is this...the truth..?"
Ezra nodded. Meia started to cry.
"I'm sorry, Axel. I'm sorry for didn't tell you the truth..."
Axel hugged her tight.
"Mom, it's alright. I knew from the beginning that I'm different from my friends."
"Axel..."
Tarark...
Hibiki, Rick, Aya and Raymond got out of the shuttle in the center of the metropolis city. Hibiki sighed.
"This is Tarark. There's nothing special around here."
"You mean there's nothing interesting here..." Rick suggested.
Hibiki nodded.
"Right. If you want something interesting, go to Mejale then."
Rick gave a look of surprise.
"Oh? Tarark and Mejale no longer at war?"
Hibiki is stunned by the question.
"Well...ah...for some reason they have signed a truce."
Rick raised an eyebrow.
"You're hiding something from me, kid?"
"Err..."
Hibiki tried to find the answer when Aya asked her father.
"Dad..?"
"Huh? Yeah, what's the matter..?"
"Why's there are only men around here?"
Raymond looked around when he heard the question.
"Yeah. She's right. I don't see any females around here."
Rick smiled.
"Oh, I forgot tell you. THIS IS MEN'S PLANET."
Both Aya and Raymond's eyes widened.
"WHAT?"
"Am I right, kid?"
Hibiki nodded.
"Yeah. But since the truce was signed, men and women tried to co exist with each other. Some men make a living in Mejale and there are women living in Tarark. But not much."
"That reminds me, how's Dita? Don't tell me you abandoned her in Mejale."
Hibiki mumbled for an answer.
"Well...err...we've been living together for quite some time now..."
Rick smiled.
"That's good. She still calls you 'Uchuuji-san'?"
Hibiki sighed.
"Tch.Yeah..."
"Well, some things just never change..."
"Hey, you want to see Bart? His factory is just around here."
"Bart? Yeah. Sure. Lead the way."
A man in green suit entered his boss office and said,
"Sir, instructor Hibiki requested a meeting with you."
The other man, who is enjoying the view of the sun set turned and replied,
"Hibiki? That guy, after all these years. Let him in."
"As you wish, sir."
The man left and a while later, Hibiki, followed by Rick, Aya and Raymond entered the room.
"Hi Bart."
"Don't 'hi' me, Hibiki. You always not around whenever I and the others have a reunion. Dita had to make some stupid excuses for you. And...uh...Rick..?"
Rick grinned and extends his right hand.
"It's been a long time, Bart."
Bart shook his hand.
"You bet! Seven years is a long time."
"So, you run the show around here, huh?"
"Yup. It's a family business after all."
"I almost forgot. Bart, this is my daughter, Aya and my friend, Raymond."
"Well met. I'm Bart Garsus. The 'big boss' of Garsus Industries."
Hibiki sighed.
"I hate it whenever he says that."
"Still your usual 'self glorified' attitude, eh?"
"Oh, funny. Very funny, Rick. So, what brings you here?"
"It's a long story..."
Border between Tarark and Mejale, the spaceship Nirvana...
"Boss, it is confirmed that the white object which entered Tarark is the Vanguard X."
"Any identification of the pilot?"
"According to Commander Van der Wille, his name is Maverick Xero."
"BC, tell me, is this coincidence or fate?"
"I don't know, boss. Maybe it was fate..."
"Well said, BC. Wait until Meia hears this."
What are we going to set our eyes on?
The truth that you grabbed
By extending your hand
Let it go
Let us trust each other
Tokuyama Hidenori - For Real (transliterated) - Gensoumaden Saiyuki 1st Opening Theme
