Chapter Two: " HINDSIGHT "
Ayane
They had walked for an hour or so quietly enjoying the late summer breeze and the woodland all around them. Ruriko had a wistful smile on her face as she pointed out different animals and plants to a confused Ayane. To her credit, Ayane merely nodded her head every time the older girl explained a new specimen of flora or fauna. Both girls reached a private grove that bordered a lake. Ruriko guided Ayane to a table where a simple lunch awaited them. On the black lacquer table were bowls of Semba-style mackerel soup, an entrée of teriyaki hamo, a platter of Dondon-yaki, and pressed sea bream sushi. Ayane's mouth started to water at the sight of so much food. Especially the Dodon-yaki, with its kelp flakes and tasty scallions. If this was heaven, then I don't want to go back to Tokyo. Ruriko served Ayane hefty portions of all the dishes and made small talk as they ate. When a sparrow flew by them, Ayane stopped munching on a piece of teriyaki hamo to watch it soar into the clouds. She stared at the sparrow until it disappeared. " I wish I could be free, " Ayane sadly commented, " free like the birds that fly. "
" Why do you feel that way Ayane? ", asked Ruriko.
" All my life has been heartache and pain. I live in a society that doesn't respect creativity. It continually lies and wallows in deceit. It makes laws to be broken. Those that meekly follow the laws are oppressed. Those that break those laws are given leave to do so. I have no love in my heart for the world. It has taken everyone I have ever loved away from me. " Ayane put down her chopsticks and looked at Ruriko eye to eye.
Ruriko Ikusawa reached out and gently caressed Ayane's face. She wiped away a tear that started to stream down the younger girl's face. So beautiful, thought Ruriko, so young and full of hate. " My heart goes out to you Ayane-chan. I wouldn't want to live in a world without love. You must be so lonely. "
Ayane Izuzu stared at the older girl as if she were trying to come to a decision. She needed some questions to be answered. Questions that had been placed aside for too long. Questions that even her mentor Reiji Kageyama had avoided. She was entitled to the answers denied her for so many years.
" Ikusawa-san. Did you love my father? ", asked Ayane.
" Yes, Ayane-chan, I loved your father with all my heart. You could say we were childhood sweethearts. " Ruriko smiled wistfully thinking back to the day Shun gave her his most prized possession- a Godzilla doll that he made himself.
In her memory, Ruriko relieved that moment when she first confessed her feelings for Shun Ukyia. A headstrong boy who loved sports of all types and wanted to be just like his heroes in the sports manga. Yes, he became a hero but not the kind he planned on.
Ayane brought her back to the here and now by tugging on her kimono. It was amusing to see the four-year old girl with bright, inquisitive eyes struggling to catch her undivided attention. Ruriko stifled a giggle with the back of her left hand.
" I'm sorry. It was an interesting relationship your father and I shared. I didn't see him again until Commander Shirei recruited him into AEGIS. I was shocked to find out that not only was this boy a gatekeeper, he was the one responsible for my nickname ' Rurippe ". Needless to say, I was pretty pissed off in the beginning about being called by that name. Later, I didn't mind so much. Love is pretty blind, neh? "
Ayane slowly digested the statement Ruriko made. It just added to her confusion. I am sitting here talking to a woman who has been dead for eighteen years but looks like she just stepped out of her photo file from 1969 or 1970. Here I am a seventeen-year old but I look like I did when I was four-years old. I must be dreaming.
Ruriko took both of Ayane's hands into hers. " But that's not the most important question you wanted to ask me is it, Ayane-chan? " They were face-to-face now. All around them the forest became still, even the lake's waters had stopped rippling. Now even the breeze died down. There was nothing but silence.
" Are you my, uh, that is. ", Ayane stammered, " my - "
Before Ruriko could answer that question, a rustling of leaves signaled the approach of yet another person. Since she had awakened here in this world, Ayane had not seen another human being. She wasn't sure what to expect but this wasn't it. Across from where they sat was yet another girl dressed in a jet-black kimono. Unlike the cranes on Ruriko's or the hollyhock crests on Ayane's, hers had the insignia of an all-seeing eye with a lightning bolt and pyramid in the background. The Invaders. Ayane instinctively reached for her cell phone but realized she had none. Besides, she was a pint-sized four-year old. It would have taken both of her tiny hands to even activate an imitation gate. What happened next surprised her even more.
" Konnichiwa, Ikusawa-san. I apologize for being late. I hope the food was to your liking. "
" Domo Arigato, Kurogane-san. I loved it very much. Our daughter Ayane has enjoyed the Dondon-yaki very much. Make yourself comfortable. There are some matters Ayane-chan needs enlightenment on. "
Our daughter? , thought Ayane to herself, what in the seven hells is she babbling about?
Megumi Kurogane sat down in front of Ayane Izuzu and helped herself to the remains of the teriyaki hamo. Ayane remembered that Megumi was the only AEGIS gatekeeper to side with the enemy. All of a sudden, I feel like throwing up. Ayane kept an eye on Megumi as she reached for a paring knife that lay on the table. If this is some kind of trap. Ayane didn't know if it was an illusion or not but somehow Megumi Kurogane morphed herself into a person she was very familiar with. Ayane Izuzu, age four, passed out again but was caught before she could fall to the ground.
Reiji
" Come. Come to our world. "
They were dressed in black leather dusters and wore blocky, black sunglasses. On top of their misshapen heads was the trademark black fedora. They marched as if they shared a single consciousness, each step in synch with all the others. A great tsunami of unbridled aggression and hate swept forward to meet the sharp-dressed cripple.
" GATE OPEN! "
Reiji Kageyama felt the power building up inside him. Twin concentric circles of jet-black light formed in front of his prosthetic hand. He gave a cruel smile to the Invaders in front of him before he unleashed his attack.
" Shadow Edge. "
A thousand razor-sharp ebony shards shot forth from the gate, ripping through the Invader ranks like an out-of-control chainsaw. As the shards tore into the bodies of these once human wretches, a flash of light caught Reiji's eye. Across the street, he saw more Invaders phasing in. They were coming from buildings, from the subway, even from the nearby theatre. He had been fighting this particular group for at least an hour. Now, it looked like the second group was making ready to attack him too. This is not good, he thought to himself. They're getting reinforcements faster than I can kill them. Reiji limped along on his crutch trying to move quickly. It was difficult because he felt very weak. He remembered that Dr. Ochiai reminding him not to over do it. The drawback to releasing such powerful energies was the actual loss of strength the gatekeeper felt after opening a gate. It left the keeper vulnerable. That's why the imitation gates were so important to the current Invader Hunters. The imitation gates allowed a gatekeeper to conserve his or her own power until it was really needed. He used the remote to unlock his midnight blue Aston-Martin V12 Vanquish and got in the driver's seat. He took the AEGIS remote terminal and entered a few keystrokes. The Invaders continued to make their way towards him. " C'mon you maggots. I'm right here. " As soon as they came to a pre-determined spot on his monitor, Reiji tapped the " enter " key on his terminal. One of the major companies that the Kageyama Investment Group assisted in finding capital was Kanetake Industries, now Kanetake International. Meguro Kanetake, CEO and Chief Engineer, wasn't just another shrewd businessman. He was the former chief engineer for AEGIS-Far East. He was also responsible for the modifications to Reiji's car. When Reiji hit the " enter " key on the remote terminal, he activated six mini-gate amplifiers disguised as cell towers in his immediate area. When the imitation gate of explosion was set off, the leader of the AEGIS Network breathed a sigh of relief. Now that the immediate threat was over, he put the car in drive and roared off back to Nakitomi Tower. It was now a fortnight since Ayane was shot and she still had not awakened from her coma. I need to talk to Miu and Satoka right away. I might have to accept the fact that Ayane Izuzu is out of this fight. Maybe out of it forever.
Ayane
When Ayane came to, it was already night. She was lying on the mat covered with blankets and pillows. There was a fresh pot of tea with new cups. Rubbing her eyes and stifling a yawn, she sat up. Across the room Ruriko Ikusawa and Megumi Kurogane were quietly talking amongst themselves. According to the after-action reports filed by all members of the 1970 Gatekeepers team, Megumi Kurogane had disappeared after the final battle at the Diet. She also knew from those same accounts that she not only assisted a younger Reiji Kageyama in overthrowing the Japanese government, she kidnapped and tortured the young girl she was talking to now. Ayane was getting a migraine just trying to keep all these facts straight. The other girls stopped talking once they saw that Ayane had recovered from her blackout. She threw off the covers and padded over to where the other gatekeepers were sitting. Ayane took a few moments to compose her thoughts before she spoke.
" Ok. I want to know something. Is this one of Count Akuma's tricks or is it something far more sinister. I know my name is Ayane Izuzu. I'm seventeen years old, not four. Officially, I'm a student at Tategami High School. I'm also an Invader Hunter for the AEGIS Network. I'm a gatekeeper just like you two. Unlike the both of you, I'm alive. So either I'm hallucinating this whole episode or this is some sick Invader scheme. Start talking the both of you! ", Ayane shouted.
Both Ruriko and Megumi looked at one another. Then they looked at Ayane. They said in unison, " Young lady, is that any way to talk to your mother? " Both girls started wagging their fingers at her. Then Megumi spoke.
" Ayane, this must be really difficult for you but we are speaking the truth. Both Ruriko and I am your mother. if you look at it from certain point of view. "
Ayane stared as Megumi waved a hand in her face and changed into Misato Izuzu, one time reporter of NHK and the mother she remembered growing up with. Tears streamed down Misato/Megumi's face as she scooped up Ayane and hugged her fiercely. Shock, anger, joy and various other feelings flooded through the small girl as she coked back her own tears.
" It's true Ayane. ", said Ruriko. " Misato-chan is not lying. While Megumi Kurogane and I were not close, Misato Izuzu and I were. I'm your biological mother. Your father and I married a year before you were born. There's more that we want to tell you but there's one more person you need to talk to. "
At that moment, the door slid open and an officer of the Japanese Self- Defense Forces (Army) stepped through. On his lapels denoted his rank as major. Ayane recognized the AEGIS insignia on his uniform. The soldier took off his cap and a mane of black hair spilled out. A black name tag with " Ukiya " was worn above the left breast pocket. With a smile, Shun Ukiya greeted his only daughter. He opened his arms towards her. Ayane slowly disengaged herself from Misato, tears misting her eyes once again. Then she ran to her father and pounded his chest with her tiny fists shouting, " Baka. Baka. Baka. Why did you leave us? Why did you leave me alone? I hate you. I HATE YOU FATHER!!! ",screamed a grieving Ayane. She kept pounding on her father's chest until she collapsed into his arms, still sobbing. Shun gripped his daughter all the while whispering into her ear saying how sorry he was. His own tears streamed down his face. Major Shun Ukiya hugged his daughter and showered her with kisses until she fell asleep. He continued to cry as both Ruriko and Misato/Megumi looked on as their daughter slept.
END CHAPTER TWO
Ayane
They had walked for an hour or so quietly enjoying the late summer breeze and the woodland all around them. Ruriko had a wistful smile on her face as she pointed out different animals and plants to a confused Ayane. To her credit, Ayane merely nodded her head every time the older girl explained a new specimen of flora or fauna. Both girls reached a private grove that bordered a lake. Ruriko guided Ayane to a table where a simple lunch awaited them. On the black lacquer table were bowls of Semba-style mackerel soup, an entrée of teriyaki hamo, a platter of Dondon-yaki, and pressed sea bream sushi. Ayane's mouth started to water at the sight of so much food. Especially the Dodon-yaki, with its kelp flakes and tasty scallions. If this was heaven, then I don't want to go back to Tokyo. Ruriko served Ayane hefty portions of all the dishes and made small talk as they ate. When a sparrow flew by them, Ayane stopped munching on a piece of teriyaki hamo to watch it soar into the clouds. She stared at the sparrow until it disappeared. " I wish I could be free, " Ayane sadly commented, " free like the birds that fly. "
" Why do you feel that way Ayane? ", asked Ruriko.
" All my life has been heartache and pain. I live in a society that doesn't respect creativity. It continually lies and wallows in deceit. It makes laws to be broken. Those that meekly follow the laws are oppressed. Those that break those laws are given leave to do so. I have no love in my heart for the world. It has taken everyone I have ever loved away from me. " Ayane put down her chopsticks and looked at Ruriko eye to eye.
Ruriko Ikusawa reached out and gently caressed Ayane's face. She wiped away a tear that started to stream down the younger girl's face. So beautiful, thought Ruriko, so young and full of hate. " My heart goes out to you Ayane-chan. I wouldn't want to live in a world without love. You must be so lonely. "
Ayane Izuzu stared at the older girl as if she were trying to come to a decision. She needed some questions to be answered. Questions that had been placed aside for too long. Questions that even her mentor Reiji Kageyama had avoided. She was entitled to the answers denied her for so many years.
" Ikusawa-san. Did you love my father? ", asked Ayane.
" Yes, Ayane-chan, I loved your father with all my heart. You could say we were childhood sweethearts. " Ruriko smiled wistfully thinking back to the day Shun gave her his most prized possession- a Godzilla doll that he made himself.
In her memory, Ruriko relieved that moment when she first confessed her feelings for Shun Ukyia. A headstrong boy who loved sports of all types and wanted to be just like his heroes in the sports manga. Yes, he became a hero but not the kind he planned on.
Ayane brought her back to the here and now by tugging on her kimono. It was amusing to see the four-year old girl with bright, inquisitive eyes struggling to catch her undivided attention. Ruriko stifled a giggle with the back of her left hand.
" I'm sorry. It was an interesting relationship your father and I shared. I didn't see him again until Commander Shirei recruited him into AEGIS. I was shocked to find out that not only was this boy a gatekeeper, he was the one responsible for my nickname ' Rurippe ". Needless to say, I was pretty pissed off in the beginning about being called by that name. Later, I didn't mind so much. Love is pretty blind, neh? "
Ayane slowly digested the statement Ruriko made. It just added to her confusion. I am sitting here talking to a woman who has been dead for eighteen years but looks like she just stepped out of her photo file from 1969 or 1970. Here I am a seventeen-year old but I look like I did when I was four-years old. I must be dreaming.
Ruriko took both of Ayane's hands into hers. " But that's not the most important question you wanted to ask me is it, Ayane-chan? " They were face-to-face now. All around them the forest became still, even the lake's waters had stopped rippling. Now even the breeze died down. There was nothing but silence.
" Are you my, uh, that is. ", Ayane stammered, " my - "
Before Ruriko could answer that question, a rustling of leaves signaled the approach of yet another person. Since she had awakened here in this world, Ayane had not seen another human being. She wasn't sure what to expect but this wasn't it. Across from where they sat was yet another girl dressed in a jet-black kimono. Unlike the cranes on Ruriko's or the hollyhock crests on Ayane's, hers had the insignia of an all-seeing eye with a lightning bolt and pyramid in the background. The Invaders. Ayane instinctively reached for her cell phone but realized she had none. Besides, she was a pint-sized four-year old. It would have taken both of her tiny hands to even activate an imitation gate. What happened next surprised her even more.
" Konnichiwa, Ikusawa-san. I apologize for being late. I hope the food was to your liking. "
" Domo Arigato, Kurogane-san. I loved it very much. Our daughter Ayane has enjoyed the Dondon-yaki very much. Make yourself comfortable. There are some matters Ayane-chan needs enlightenment on. "
Our daughter? , thought Ayane to herself, what in the seven hells is she babbling about?
Megumi Kurogane sat down in front of Ayane Izuzu and helped herself to the remains of the teriyaki hamo. Ayane remembered that Megumi was the only AEGIS gatekeeper to side with the enemy. All of a sudden, I feel like throwing up. Ayane kept an eye on Megumi as she reached for a paring knife that lay on the table. If this is some kind of trap. Ayane didn't know if it was an illusion or not but somehow Megumi Kurogane morphed herself into a person she was very familiar with. Ayane Izuzu, age four, passed out again but was caught before she could fall to the ground.
Reiji
" Come. Come to our world. "
They were dressed in black leather dusters and wore blocky, black sunglasses. On top of their misshapen heads was the trademark black fedora. They marched as if they shared a single consciousness, each step in synch with all the others. A great tsunami of unbridled aggression and hate swept forward to meet the sharp-dressed cripple.
" GATE OPEN! "
Reiji Kageyama felt the power building up inside him. Twin concentric circles of jet-black light formed in front of his prosthetic hand. He gave a cruel smile to the Invaders in front of him before he unleashed his attack.
" Shadow Edge. "
A thousand razor-sharp ebony shards shot forth from the gate, ripping through the Invader ranks like an out-of-control chainsaw. As the shards tore into the bodies of these once human wretches, a flash of light caught Reiji's eye. Across the street, he saw more Invaders phasing in. They were coming from buildings, from the subway, even from the nearby theatre. He had been fighting this particular group for at least an hour. Now, it looked like the second group was making ready to attack him too. This is not good, he thought to himself. They're getting reinforcements faster than I can kill them. Reiji limped along on his crutch trying to move quickly. It was difficult because he felt very weak. He remembered that Dr. Ochiai reminding him not to over do it. The drawback to releasing such powerful energies was the actual loss of strength the gatekeeper felt after opening a gate. It left the keeper vulnerable. That's why the imitation gates were so important to the current Invader Hunters. The imitation gates allowed a gatekeeper to conserve his or her own power until it was really needed. He used the remote to unlock his midnight blue Aston-Martin V12 Vanquish and got in the driver's seat. He took the AEGIS remote terminal and entered a few keystrokes. The Invaders continued to make their way towards him. " C'mon you maggots. I'm right here. " As soon as they came to a pre-determined spot on his monitor, Reiji tapped the " enter " key on his terminal. One of the major companies that the Kageyama Investment Group assisted in finding capital was Kanetake Industries, now Kanetake International. Meguro Kanetake, CEO and Chief Engineer, wasn't just another shrewd businessman. He was the former chief engineer for AEGIS-Far East. He was also responsible for the modifications to Reiji's car. When Reiji hit the " enter " key on the remote terminal, he activated six mini-gate amplifiers disguised as cell towers in his immediate area. When the imitation gate of explosion was set off, the leader of the AEGIS Network breathed a sigh of relief. Now that the immediate threat was over, he put the car in drive and roared off back to Nakitomi Tower. It was now a fortnight since Ayane was shot and she still had not awakened from her coma. I need to talk to Miu and Satoka right away. I might have to accept the fact that Ayane Izuzu is out of this fight. Maybe out of it forever.
Ayane
When Ayane came to, it was already night. She was lying on the mat covered with blankets and pillows. There was a fresh pot of tea with new cups. Rubbing her eyes and stifling a yawn, she sat up. Across the room Ruriko Ikusawa and Megumi Kurogane were quietly talking amongst themselves. According to the after-action reports filed by all members of the 1970 Gatekeepers team, Megumi Kurogane had disappeared after the final battle at the Diet. She also knew from those same accounts that she not only assisted a younger Reiji Kageyama in overthrowing the Japanese government, she kidnapped and tortured the young girl she was talking to now. Ayane was getting a migraine just trying to keep all these facts straight. The other girls stopped talking once they saw that Ayane had recovered from her blackout. She threw off the covers and padded over to where the other gatekeepers were sitting. Ayane took a few moments to compose her thoughts before she spoke.
" Ok. I want to know something. Is this one of Count Akuma's tricks or is it something far more sinister. I know my name is Ayane Izuzu. I'm seventeen years old, not four. Officially, I'm a student at Tategami High School. I'm also an Invader Hunter for the AEGIS Network. I'm a gatekeeper just like you two. Unlike the both of you, I'm alive. So either I'm hallucinating this whole episode or this is some sick Invader scheme. Start talking the both of you! ", Ayane shouted.
Both Ruriko and Megumi looked at one another. Then they looked at Ayane. They said in unison, " Young lady, is that any way to talk to your mother? " Both girls started wagging their fingers at her. Then Megumi spoke.
" Ayane, this must be really difficult for you but we are speaking the truth. Both Ruriko and I am your mother. if you look at it from certain point of view. "
Ayane stared as Megumi waved a hand in her face and changed into Misato Izuzu, one time reporter of NHK and the mother she remembered growing up with. Tears streamed down Misato/Megumi's face as she scooped up Ayane and hugged her fiercely. Shock, anger, joy and various other feelings flooded through the small girl as she coked back her own tears.
" It's true Ayane. ", said Ruriko. " Misato-chan is not lying. While Megumi Kurogane and I were not close, Misato Izuzu and I were. I'm your biological mother. Your father and I married a year before you were born. There's more that we want to tell you but there's one more person you need to talk to. "
At that moment, the door slid open and an officer of the Japanese Self- Defense Forces (Army) stepped through. On his lapels denoted his rank as major. Ayane recognized the AEGIS insignia on his uniform. The soldier took off his cap and a mane of black hair spilled out. A black name tag with " Ukiya " was worn above the left breast pocket. With a smile, Shun Ukiya greeted his only daughter. He opened his arms towards her. Ayane slowly disengaged herself from Misato, tears misting her eyes once again. Then she ran to her father and pounded his chest with her tiny fists shouting, " Baka. Baka. Baka. Why did you leave us? Why did you leave me alone? I hate you. I HATE YOU FATHER!!! ",screamed a grieving Ayane. She kept pounding on her father's chest until she collapsed into his arms, still sobbing. Shun gripped his daughter all the while whispering into her ear saying how sorry he was. His own tears streamed down his face. Major Shun Ukiya hugged his daughter and showered her with kisses until she fell asleep. He continued to cry as both Ruriko and Misato/Megumi looked on as their daughter slept.
END CHAPTER TWO