My Angel Story
Disclaimer---Hello all! I'm here to give you an Angelic Layer fic that takes place 3 years
after the Anime series. Did you hear the news by the way? ANGELIC
LAYER IS COMING TO AMERICA ON DVD!!!!! I'm
so happy!!! I've got the manga series books 2-5; it's so awesome! I decided
to make my own fic about Angelic Layer, starring a 12- year old girl that's
supposed to be me (even though I'm not really 12). She enters the world of
Angelic Layer with her boy Angel, who's named after my favorite Anime
Character, Raishinshi (if you haven't seen Houshin Engi/Soul Hunter, then
you won't know who I'm talking about.). I hope you enjoy my story
I don't own any of the original Angelic Layer characters; but I do own
Kiyoko Yume, her (my!) Angel, Raishinshi, and a few other characters that
I'll throw in. Now, read on, and enjoy.
Battle 1: "Pleased to Meet You! My Own Angel at Last!"
The Yume Residence was a regular two-story house, painted gold with a brown roof. A silver mini-van was parked in the driveway and a couple of bikes were leaned against the side of the house. Inside, a girl was waiting impatiently at the bottom of the stairs, glancing down at her watch now and then.
"Mom! Hurry, I want to get to the store before anyone else does!" 12-year old Kiyoko Yume called up the stairs.
The brunette was waiting there, at the bottom of the staircase, checking her watch every five seconds. One could tell at first glance that she was excited about something. She was currently wearing a blue t-shirt with a gold star on each sleeve, and beige pants. She was waiting for her mother who was still getting ready upstairs. She looked once more at her watch.
It was now 10:30 AM.
"Mom, come on! You promised that we'd leave at 10:00, it's now 10:30!" she cried, impatiently.
"I'm sorry, I lost track of time!" her mother called back down, "I'll be down in a minute!"
"Okay!"
Kiyoko, still feeling impatient, walked into the foyer. Her white and gray sneakers made muffled bumps on the white tiled floor. She looked out the doors' window. The sun was shining out and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. That didn't really matter to Kiyoko at the moment, she was thinking about something else. She had been waiting for this day to come and, now that it was here, she could hardly contain her excitement.
(I'm finally going to have an Angel!) she thought, smiling to herself.
For a long time, she had never gotten one. It was mostly busy because of her homework and she never had enough money. But now, she had managed to save up enough money to finally get one. What motivated her the most, ever since she was little, was....
At the sound of footsteps, Kiyoko turned to see her mother come down the stairs, purse in hand. Mrs. Yume was of average height with curly light brown hair. She wore a casual white blouse, beige skirt, and brown loafers.
"Okay, are we all set?" she asked, checking the contents of her purse.
"Yep!" Kiyoko said, smiling.
"Alright then," Mrs. Yume said, pulling her car keys out of her purse, "let's roll."
With that, both mother and daughter left the house, and got into their van. Once out of the driveway, they were on their way to Piffle Princess.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"So," Mrs. Yume spoke up, as they drove down the street, "what kind of Angel are you planning to get?"
Kiyoko thought for a moment. Everyone she knew, except for a couple of people, played Angelic Layer. They all had female Angels, seeing as only a small number of boys played the game. She only knew of three male Deus' that owned Angels. And ever since she saw 'him' win the Zenkouku Tournament two years back, she'd always wanted...
"A boy Angel," Kiyoko replied, "I plan on getting a boy Angel."
Mrs. Yume smiled. She wasn't surprised like most people were at her daughters' decision. She knew the reason.
"Is it because your father was a Deus?" she asked, knowingly.
Kiyoko blinked, then nodded with a smile.
"Yeah," she admitted, "and I personally don't see anything wrong with having a boy Angel. Dad didn't think it was wrong and he's an adult. I want to have an amazing Angel, just like Dads'!"
Mrs. Yume smiled, sadly. Kiyoko's father, her husband, wasn't dead. He had left sometime last year. Not because of a divorce, because his work kept him away. He stopped by every now and then and phoned them every Sunday. He was a popular Deus and his Angel was well known up in northern Tokyo, where he was currently staying. Ever since Kiyoko's father had won against Hikaru, the Champion of Angelic Layer, in the final fight, Kiyoko had always wanted to play the game. She never before had the time or the money for it, until now. Kiyoko had saved up enough allowance to buy everything that one needed for Angelic Layer.
Pretty soon, the two girls pulled up to Piffle Princess. It was a large white building with the Angelic Layer logo, an egg with wings, in front of it. Mrs. Yume drove up to the front of the building and Kiyoko hopped out of the van.
"Do you want me to come in with you?" Mrs. Yume asked.
Kiyoko shook her head.
"No, I'll be okay," she assured, patting her pants' pocket, "I brought all my money today."
Mrs. Yume nodded and checked her watch.
"Okay, I'll be waiting for you out in the parking lot," she said, "just don't take to long."
"I won't," Kiyoko assured, and walked towards the entrance of Piffle Princess while her mother looked for a parking spot.
Once inside, Kiyoko looked around. The lobby was huge. Large plants were in every corner and posters of Angelic Layer Champions were plastered on some of the walls. There were small shops and vending machines in the back of the building. A staircase connected the downstairs to the upstairs. People were everywhere: upstairs, downstairs, and coming in and out of the café. By the stairs was a desk with a computer and the Angelic Layer logo on it. Kiyoko's friends had told her that it was where you signed up for mini- tournaments and where you went, also, to check into a Practice Layer.
(Once I have my own Angel-) she thought, (I can register too!)
Excited, Kiyoko made a beeline for the staircase and ran up to where all of the Angelic Layer merchandise was sold. Reaching the top of the stairs, Kiyoko stared in pure happiness at the sight before her. Aisles and aisles of Angel Egg displays filled the room. Angel Hair and Angel Cords hung in racks besides every aisle with material and accessories for Angel Armor also hung with them. Under the Angel Egg displays were the Angel Data computers.
(There's so much stuff!) Kiyoko thought in awe, (I hope I have enough money.)
She walked towards the Angel Eggs' aisle. She picked one up and looked into it. She stared at the turquoise-blue doll that sat in the middle of the egg, knees to its chest, arms around knees. From this, an Angel could be made. After looking at it for a while, though, she put it back on the shelf. She took the one next to it, looked it over, and then put it back. She did the same to the next one. And the next one. And the next, until she finally reached the end of the aisle.
She sighed, sadly.
(Where are all the BOY Angels?) she thought, feeling more than just a little down, (I know they sell them here too. But why can't I find them?)
"Looking for something?"
Startled, Kiyoko turned around to see a man standing behind her. He had dark hair and wore a long white lab coat. He had on a pair of long brown and black shoes. His dark, yet warm eyes looked down at her through a pair of gleaming glasses.
"Um...what?" Kiyoko asked, a little nervous about the tall man before her.
The man smiled down at her.
"Well, I've been watching you, and I couldn't help but notice how you were looking at those Angel Eggs," he stated, "checking for duds, or...." he leaned over to her so they were both at eye level, "...planning on shoplifting?"
Kiyoko gasped and shook her head wildly.
"Eep! No, no, no, you've got it all wrong!" she said, quickly, "I was just looking for something."
The man adjusted his glasses.
"Something, eh?" he repeated, "like..."
"An Angel," Kiyoko said.
The man straightened up and started looking around. He then pointed triumphantly at the aisle.
"Aha! Found'em!"
Kiyoko turned. He was pointing to the display that she had just looked through. She sweatdropped.
"Um...yes, those 'are' Angels, but..." Kiyoko hesitated, "I was looking for a 'boy' Angel."
The man turned and stared at her.
"A boy, huh?" he inquired, "that's odd; most girls I know buy GIRL Angels. Unless, of course, it's for a friend, or brother, or better yet..."
He smiled, slyly.
"...a boyfriend."
Kiyoko's face turned bright red.
"Er, no. I...uh...don't have a boyfriend," she stuttered.
The man scratched his head.
"Well, then, what's the reason?" he asked, curious.
"Because I want to have a boy Angel like my Dad," Kiyoko explained, "he plays Angelic Layer too."
Upon hearing this, for a brief moment, the man looked surprised. But a second later, he had his composure regained.
Your Dad, huh?" he asked, more curious now than ever, "what's his name? I'm into Angelic Layer too, maybe I've met him."
Kiyoko frowned and shook her head.
"I don't think so, he lives in northern Tokyo," she explained, "he's so busy. I haven't seen him for a year and a half. But he's a good father and just as great a Deus. He even beat the Champion of the Layer a couple years ago on his visit here. You know, Hikaru?"
The man raised an eyebrow and smiled, knowingly.
"Well now, that's quite a Dad," he commented, "has he kept in touch with you?"
Kiyoko nodded.
"Yes, he has," She replied, "every Sunday and Wednesday he calls us."
The man smiled, but said nothing. After a while, he took Kiyoko by the wrist, startling her.
"Then what you're looking for is over here!" he exclaimed, pulling her to the other side of the aisle, and stopping in front of its display.
"Behold!" the man said, gesturing to the shelves.
Kiyoko looked up at the aisle before her. She blinked.
"More Angel Eggs?" she asked, turning to the man.
The man nodded. He reached up and took one down from the shelf. He held it up to Kiyoko.
"Yes, but I think you'll like this one," he said, grinning.
Kiyoko looked into the egg. It was another Angel in its basic stage: a jointed, turquoise doll. But this one, however, didn't have any breasts like the others did. Kiyoko understood quickly.
"It's a boy!" she said, surprised.
"Yep, it's a boy," the man said, "you've just gotta know where to look."
Kiyoko stared at the Angel for a while.
(This is how Dads' Angel first looked,) she thought.
"You're the first girl I know who's wanted a Boy Angel," the man said, handing the Egg to Kiyoko, "but, then again, there's a first time for everything. And your father must be a pretty good Deus to inspire you."
Kiyoko took the Egg and hugged it tight.
"Yes, he was," she murmured, "ever since he won against Hikaru, I've always wanted to play Angelic Layer. I've always wanted to make an Angel just like Dads'."
On hearing this, the man smiled.
"That's a nice dream," he said, "now it can become reality."
Kiyoko looked up at him, smiled, and nodded.
"By the way," the man spoke up, adjusting his glasses, "what's your name?"
"Kiyoko," Kiyoko replied, "Yume Kiyoko. I'm twelve years old."
The man smiled widely upon hearing the name.
"And I'm..." he hesitated for a moment, "I'm Icchan."
Kiyoko bowed respectively and turned towards the stairs, caught up in her thoughts.
(My very own Angel,) she thought, dreamily, (I can't wait to tell Dad.)
"Don't forget this!"
Kiyoko turned around to see Icchan holding out a big red box with angel wings on the top. Kiyoko stared at it, confused.
"You can't make an Angel without an Angel Data Computer!" Icchan scolded, holding up the box.
Kiyoko gasped.
"Oh! Of course!" she cried, running over, and taking the package.
Icchan watched, amused, as Kiyoko looked at what she had already acquired. She looked up, suddenly, and ran past Icchan.
"Huh?" he said, confused, "what now?"
Kiyoko was heading for a rack filled with Angel accessories.
"I need to buy his hair and clothes!" she called.
"Yow! You're right!" Icchan exclaimed and scrambled after her.
When he did catch up to her, she was staring at the rack before her. It had Angel Hair of every color imaginable and Angel Cords with a similar variety. Material and accessories for Angel Armor were hanging besides them. Icchan stood next to the girl, waiting for her to pick out something. When she didn't, he turned to her, a little puzzled.
"Aren't ya gonna pick out anything?" he asked.
Kiyoko looked up at him, sheepishly.
"I, uh, don't know which ones to get," she admitted.
Icchan gawked at her.
"You don't know?!" he cried, "didn't you have it planned out before you came?!"
Embarrassed, Kiyoko shook her head.
Icchan calmed down and thought a moment. He then began yanking things down from the rack.
"I'll just have to choose for you then!" he exclaimed, "this, and this one, and these, and this here, and one of those...."
Kiyoko hardly had time to react as Icchan piled numerous Angel Hair, Angel Cords, and material for Angel Armor into her arms. After he was done, Kiyoko looked like she was holding a miniature mountain.
"As one of my favorite sayings goes," he declared, " 'if you can't choose one, then take one of everything'."
Kiyoko only blinked.
"Now!" Icchan said, pointing towards the cash register, "off to the cash register!"
"Oh!" Kiyoko cried, scrambling in the direction he was pointing, "right!"
As Icchan watched her run to the cashier, he smiled to himself.
(Icchan,) he thought to himself, )you may have stumbled upon the next Angelic Layer Champion.)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"So, did you get the Angel you wanted?" Mrs. Yume asked, as she drived down the busy road.
Kiyoko nodded, hugging the packages on her lap.
"Yep, I almost didn't though," she said, "but a guy helped me find the Boy Angels."
Her mother blinked and looked at her daughter in the rear view mirror.
"A man?" she inquired, "who was he? Did he leave a name?"
"He called himself 'Icchan'," Kiyoko replied.
Kiyoko was so busy looking over her Angelic Layer packages that she didn't notice her mothers' brief, knowing smile.
"Anyway," she continued, "are you going to make your Angel when we get home?"
Kiyoko beamed.
"Yes!" she responded, hugging her packages again, "I've been waiting a long time to make one, so nobody stop me!"
Mrs. Yume chuckled and the turned the street corner that led onto their street.
"Well, by all means, go ahead," she stated, coming up to their house.
As soon as the van pulled into the driveway and parked, Kiyoko burst from the car door, and made a beeline for the house. Mrs. Yume had given her the 'House Keys' and she watched her daughter fumble them around before finally unlocking the door. She ran in at full speed.
(I suppose,) Mrs. Yume thought, getting out of the van, (it's in her blood.)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Kiyoko flung the door to her room open. She was met by pink carpets and white walls. There was a fan on the ceiling and a desk covered with books and papers against the wall before her. Her bed was in the right hand corner. It had a purple comforter and pink sheets with roses on it. A nightstand stood next her bed, its contents including her lamp, alarm clock, and her favorite books that she liked to read. Across her bed was a wooden bureau and closet. It was a beautiful room, but Kiyoko was too preoccupied in thoughts to notice at the moment.
She ran to the middle of her room and deposited her packages gently on the floor. She took the big package and started pulling away the paper. When she was done, she opened the box, and happily took out her Angel Egg. Searching the box for an instruction manual, she pulled out the small booklet, and flipped to the first page.
" 'Your Angel Egg is filled with a shock absorbent liquid,' " Kiyoko read, aloud, " 'Open over sink or bathtub and drain the shock absorbent liquid out. Then rinse your Angel in lukewarm water. Warning: the shock absorbent liquid is not edible; please keep out of reach of small children. Adult supervision suggested.' "
Kiyoko thought for a moment.
(Well, I'm in middle school,) she reasoned, (that's sorta like being an adult, right? Besides, I should be allowed to make my Angel by myself.)
Without any further hesitation, Kiyoko took her egg, and left her room. She ran down the hall to the bathroom. Placing the Angel Egg in the middle of the sink, she opened it up, allowing the shock-absorbent liquid out. It looked like water only it had a dull tint to it. Carefully, Kiyoko lifted the little blue, jointed doll from his sitting position. Kiyoko looked him over. He was bright blue with visible joints. He had no eyes, mouth, nose, ears, or hair. To say the least, he looked a little scary. Kiyoko took a deep breath and turned the water on. After rinsing the liquid off her Angel, Kiyoko took him back to her room, and gently placed him on her bed. She made a trip back to the bathroom again and rinsed the empty Angel Egg out with water.
(Never know when I might need it,) she thought as she dried it out.
After that was done, she returned to her room and put the egg by her nightstand. She then picked up the instruction booklet again read what she had to do next.
" 'Next, please select your Angels' hair and style it any way you wish.' "
(His hair,) she thought, a little unsure, (I haven't figured out what color 'or' style he should have. Wait! I know!)
Kiyoko got up and ran to her desk. She pulled the middle drawer open and peered inside. It was filled with lots of assorted things: rulers, pencils, paper clips, erasers, ....and pictures. A bunch of pictures, obviously printed from the computer Kiyoko's mother had in her office, lay stacked in her desk drawer. Smiling, Kiyoko pulled them out. They were pictures from her favorite Anime: Senkaiden Houshin Engi. She loved the series, just as she loved 'Angelic Layer'. She even had the DVD's.
(Maybe I can get some ideas from these,) she thought, (since the guys have cool hair styles.)
Just before she could shut the drawer, something caught her eye. A pair of scissors. With only a moments' hesitation, she took them out.
(Might as well get ready,) she thought, heading back to her spot on the floor, (I want to give him a good hairstyle.)
Sitting back down, Kiyoko set her scissors aside, and began to lay out her pictures. Once she was done, she sat back to see her choices.
(Let's see,) she began, glancing at a picture of a guy with dark hair and emerald eyes, (should his hair be like Taikoubou's hair?)
After thinking about it, she shook her head.
(No, it's too plain,) she thought, looking at another picture of a red- haired boy with a long red scarf, (should it be pointed like Nataku's?)
Once again, she shook her head.
(No, it's too much work to get his hair like that,) she thought, then side- glanced at a blue-haired guy with waist-length hair, (hmm, Yousen's hair is okay. It's long, like my Dad's Angel. But I don't want it 'too' long. Maybe I could trim his hair a little bit shorter, so it stops in the middle of his back. Yeah, that'll work!)
Smiling, Kiyoko brought the guys' pictures before her so that she'd have a visual aid. She then turned to the package that held the hairpieces that Icchan gave her at the store.
(Now all I have to do is pick out the color,) she thought, dumping out the bags' contents.
But when she saw how many there were, she couldn't help but gawk. Mr. Icchan had picked out every color on the rack. There were red hairpieces, blue hairpieces, white ones, black ones, gold ones, and every imaginable color in the world seemed to be in the large stack. Kiyoko frowned.
(This could take a while,) she thought, picking up an orange hairpiece, and then a brown one.
Then, something underneath the other hairpieces caught her eye. Clearing away all the other hairpieces, Kiyoko picked up the one that was on the bottom, and examined it. It was a black hairpiece by the looks of it. Kiyoko was about to discard it when she noticed a part of it that was caught in the sunlight. There, its color looked different.
Curious, Kiyoko brought the whole hairpiece into the sunlight. In the light, the dark hairpiece gave off a noticeable navy blue sheen. Kiyoko turned it around in the light. It kept switching from black to navy blue. Kiyoko smiled.
(Wow! This one looks pretty,) Kiyoko thought, (I think I'll do this one.)
She took the Angel Hair out of its packet and placed it on her Angels' head.
"Now let's see," Kiyoko began, picking up her scissors, "his hair'll go to the middle of his back."
With that, she began to trim his hair. She did it slowly and carefully, so as not to make any mistakes. When she was done, her Angels' hair stopped at the middle of his back. Kiyoko smiled at him.
(Perfect!) she thought, and picked up the instruction booklet, (and next is...)
" 'Next, set up the Angel Data Computer and Layer Scanner. Consult the step by step instructions in the booklet to help set them up.' "
(Finally, the good stuff,) Kiyoko thought, going over to the package that held the computer and scanner.
After taking out the computer (which was really a light blue laptop), Kiyoko brought it over to her desk, cleared away the stray papers, put it down, and plugged it in. Next, she took out the Layer Scanner, and placed it next to the computer. It kinda looked like the bottom part of a kerosene lamp. She plugged the wire at the side of the Scanner into the computer outlet that was shown in the booklet and turned on the computer. Reaching into the box that held the Layer Scanner, Kiyoko took out two gold rings, and placed them, one on top of the other, onto the Scanner. She pressed 'Enter', like the booklet said, and watched in surprise as the top ring rose up, creating a gold cylinder under it.
(Wow,) Kiyoko thought, and read the next part in the booklet.
" 'Place your Angel inside the Scanner.' "
Kiyoko went over to the spot on the floor where she had left her Angel and picked him up. Going back over to the desk, she slid her Angel into the glowing gold cylinder.
"You're almost done," she told him, watching as he floated inside the cylinder.
Kiyoko turned and looked at the computer screen. It had a black background and featured a picture of a jointed Angel doll in the center screen. On the right side of the screen was a list of stats: height, weight, offensive power, defensive power, quickness, and physical strength. A little confused, Kiyoko read the next passage in the instruction booklet.
" 'It's time to choose what kind of Angel you want to make,' " she read, " 'Do you want an emphasis on Speed or Power? On Balance or Defense? Do you want a Lightweight or Heavyweight? Please select your Angels' parameters.' "
Kiyoko put the booklet down and turned to her Angel.
(Well, let me think,) she thought, (my Dad always said that size doesn't matter. And a small one can move around much better than a big one.)
With that, she set the 'height' parameter for a small Angel.
(And I don't think a heavy Angel will be able to move around good on the Layer,) she continued, (being light helps movement.)
Kiyoko then set the 'weight' parameter for a lightweight. She was curious about the emphasis' there were. She picked up the booklet and read what it had to say about 'emphasis'.
" 'Power: This emphasis will increase your Angels' physical strength and offensive power.' "
Kiyoko stopped and thought long and hard about what she read.
(Well, Power's good, but it's not the only thing that wins a fight,) she reasoned, (My Dad didn't have a Power type, and he's a Champion in Northern Tokyo.)
She then read the next 'emphasis'.
" 'Defense: This emphasis will increase your Angels' defensive power and endurance levels.' "
(Hmm, Defense sounds good, but wouldn't that mean his strength would be cut in half?) Kiyoko wondered, and moved on to the next one.
" 'Balance: This emphasis will allow your Angel to stand on any unbalanced surface and give them a 50/50 of always regaining his/her footing after a hit.' "
Kiyoko made a face.
(What kind of 'emphasis' is that?) she thought, (and besides, I don't understand it too well.)
She looked down to her last choice.
" 'Speed: This emphasis will increase your Angels' quickness and agility.' "
Kiyoko smiled.
(Speed,) she thought, setting the book down, (that was the emphasis my Dads' Angel had. It's Hikaru's too. And that other cool Angel, Athena's. And being fast 'does' help. Dad says that Speed types have a good advantage over most Angels. I'll do Speed.)
With that settled, Kiyoko set the parameters for 'Speed'. She noticed that by increasing her Angel's 'quickness', his 'physical strength' went down a bit. Her Dad had said that Speed types had to sacrifice 'Power' to achieve full 'Speed'. But he'd also said that emphasis didn't really matter. All that mattered was how much faith you put in your Angel. With this in mind, and with a smile on her face, Kiyoko hit the 'Enter' key.
The cylinder on the Layer Scanner began to glow and make a hissing sound. Kiyoko was a little worried; she couldn't see her Angel very well. After several seconds or so, the Scanner made a loud beeping noise, and the cylinder shrank back down into the two gold rings. And hovering above the Scanner, suspended in gold light, stood her Angel.
He was still the jointed doll that she bought, but there were some differences now. Instead of blue metallic plastic, his body was now covered in a gently tanned skin. He now had a mouth and a nose. He still lacked ears. He had eyes now too, but they were currently closed. His black-blue hair seemed to blow in an unseen wind. Kiyoko stared at him for the longest time, eyes wide in awe.
"He's finished," she finally murmured, her eyes not leaving her Angel.
Another loud beep filled the room. This time it was from the Angel Data Computer. Kiyoko, a little startled, swiveled her chair back to the computer. The screen was black once again, although this time, it had a cluster of letters and numbers in white on the lower half of the screen. Above them was a small, rectangular box. Above the box, also in white letters:
" 'Select a name for your Angel.' "
Kiyoko turned back to her Angel, puzzled.
"His name?" she said, aloud.
Kiyoko hadn't really thought of a name.
(A name? Uh...well,) she thought, (I'm not sure, there's so many out there to choose from. If I had to choose a name, it couldn't just be 'any' name. It has to be special. A name that stands for someone who's brave and strong. Who tries his hardest in battle. Someone with a kind heart; who never gives up.)
As Kiyoko was thinking this, she was turning the seat of her chair around in circles, looking at everything in her room. Her eyes landed on her Anime pictures from 'Houshin Engi'. A picture caught her eye and made he stop in mid-turn. It showed a person showed a person with tanned skin, wings, and hair the same color as her Angels'. He was her favorite character. He was the youngest member of the team, but he always tried to help when he could. He fought for justice, never giving up.
Suddenly, she had it! It was so clear to her at that moment. Smiling, Kiyoko typed in the she had chosen, and hit 'Enter'. The minute she did so, her Angel opened his eyes. They were colored bright brown. He looked up at her, as she looked down at him, and smiled.
Kiyoko smiled as well.
"Raishinshi!" she told him, her smile getting wider, "your name is Raishinshi!"
He continued to smile up at her, even as the golden glow around him faded. He instantly fell, no longer held in place by the gold light. Kiyoko quickly grabbed him before he could fall to the floor. She looked down at him. He wasn't smiling anymore, but his bright brown eyes were still locked with her dark brown ones. Slowly, Kiyoko began to smile, the biggest smile anyone could imagine. She instantly began laughing.
"Yes! I did it!" she cried, leaping out of her seat and began twirling around the room, "I did it! He's done! He's done!"
Once she had stopped dancing around her room, Kiyoko held up her Angel.
"Raishinshi!" she cried, happily, looking into his eyes, "my very own Angel is finished!"
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Mom!"
Mrs. Yume looked up from making lunch on the kitchen counter to see her daughter run into the kitchen, holding something in her hands.
"Yes, Kiyoko, what is it?" Mrs. Yume asked, curiously eyeing the object that her daughter was holding.
Hardly able to contain her excitement, Kiyoko held up her newly made Angel. His eyes were now closed, but his blackish-blue hair shined in the kitchen light.
"He's done Mom!" Kiyoko cheered, "I've finally made my Angel!"
Mrs. Yume looked him over with an interest. She even took him from her daughter for a moment for a better observation. When she was done, she handed him back to her daughter with a smile.
"He's wonderful, Kiyoko," she said, smiling "what's his name?"
"Raishinshi!" Kiyoko said, without hesitation.
Mrs. Yume nodded.
"I should have known," she said, knowingly, "he's your favorite character in the show you watch. What's it called again?"
Kiyoko rolled her eyes. Her mother always forgot the names of her shows.
"It's 'Senkaiden Houshin Engi'," she said, "and yes, I did get his name from there. I think it fits him. Besides, Tamiko has an Angel named after someone from that show, too."
Mrs. Yume smiled. Tamiko Kotoko was a good friend of Kiyoko since Kindergarten. She also loved Angelic Layer. Tamiko had a boy Angel as well, though he was a gift from her father. Mrs. Yume came out of thought as she saw he daughter grab the family phone and run back to her room.
"Now what're you doing?" she called.
"I'm calling Tamiko!" came the reply.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"No kidding? You made an Angel?"
"Yep, only a few minutes ago!"
Kiyoko was in her room, on her bed, lying on her stomach with the phone to her ear. She was speaking to Tamiko, who was surprised to hear that her friend had just made an Angel.
"Is it a boy, like you wanted?" Tamiko asked over the phone.
"Yeah," Kiyoko replied, looking at her Angel, who was sitting on the bed, in front of her, "his name is Raishinshi."
There was a giggle on the other end of the phone.
"That figures," Tamiko stated, "he's your favorite out of all the shows you watch."
Kiyoko laughed, embarrassed.
"Well, the name fits him," she commented, looking at her Angel, "he even looks like him, kinda."
"I'm sure he does." was the reply.
Kiyoko looked Raishinshi over. He was in a sitting position with his legs out in front of him and his arms at his sides, helping to keep him in a sitting position. His head was lowered and his eyes were closed. He almost looked like he was asleep.
"Hey Tamiko? I wanted to ask you something," she said, getting to the point, "how do you make it so that the joints aren't showing?"
There was a pause on the other end.
"What do you mean?" the other girl asked.
Kiyoko sat up, adjusting the phone.
"When he's not wearing anything, how do you hide the joints?" she repeated, "y'know, like what Junko did with her Angel?"
Another pause, then...
"Oh yeah, it's easy," Tamiko replied.
"Really?" Kiyoko beamed, "how do I do it?"
"First, you have to turn the Angel Data Computer and Layer Scanner back on," her friend instructed.
Kiyoko hopped off her bed and ran to her desk. She switched the computer on and, once it was operational, she turned on the Layer Scanner.
"Okay," she said into the phone, "now what?"
"Put your Angel into the Layer Scanner," Tamiko replied.
Going over to her bed, Kiyoko gently picked up Raishinshi, and went back to her desk. She slid him carefully into the Scanner, where he floated once again.
"He's in, now what?" Kiyoko asked, eagerly.
"You go to options and select 're-skin', that'll give him another skin layer," Tamiko explained, "I heard that's what pop-star Ringo Seto did with her Angel."
Kiyoko did what she was instructed, but hesitated before hitting 'Enter'.
"Uh, Raishinshi won't get hurt, will he?" she asked, timidly.
There was a groan on the other end of the phone.
"No, he won't," Tamiko answered.
Reassured, Kiyoko pressed 'Enter'. The cylinder glowed for a few seconds before lowering. Kiyoko looked Raishinshi over, head to toe. He was once again hovering in gold light. But his joints were gone, covered up by another layer of skin. Although, the waist joint was still there.
"Tamiko, his waist still has its joint," Kiyoko said, a little disappointed.
"Oh, don't worry about that," Tamiko reassured, "you can't hide that no matter how much you try. So, how does he look?"
Kiyoko gave her Angel another look. His skin was even more tan than before, taking on a soft brown coloring. Just like his Anime counterpart.
"He looks just like the Raishinshi from the 'Houshin Engi'," she breathed, fascinated by the resemblance.
"If that's the case," Tamiko said, sounding interested, "then you've gotta bring him to school tomorrow."
Kiyoko took Raishinshi from the Scanner and placed him on her desk.
"You bet I will," she said, excited to show her friends her Angel.
" 'Kay, I'll let everyone know," Tamiko said, "later."
With a click, she hung up. Kiyoko put the phone down and turned to Raishinshi.
"But before I can take you anywhere," she began, going over to another package on the floor, "you need clothes."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
It was 8:00 at night when a small, sleek red car pulled into the Yume Residents' driveway. After it parked, a teenage girl stepped out from the front seat, dressed in a blue uniform. She was somewhere around 19 or 20 and was a little tall. She had brown eyes and auburn hair. She lived here and had currently come home from work at a local Drug Store. Finding her house key, she walked up to the front door, and unlocked it.
"I'm home!" she called, opening the door.
"Hello Aya, how was work?" Mrs. Yume called from the kitchen.
Aya Yume tossed her jacket and keys onto the sofa and entered the kitchen where her mother was clearing away the remains of dinner.
"Like it always is, boring," Aya stated, flatly, "where's Kiyoko?"
Mrs. Yume looked up as she placed the dirty plates in the sink.
"Still in her room," she replied, turning the faucet on.
Aya walked over to her plate of fried rice and chicken that was left there for her, then looked up.
" 'Still'?" Aya asked, puzzled.
Mrs. Yume nodded.
"Yep, we went to Piffle Princess today," she explained, "she's working on her Angel."
Aya rolled her eyes.
(So, she finally got one,) she thought, (that's just great! She'll be ranting day and night about her becoming a Deus.)
"He's actually quite handsome," Mrs. Yume continued, squirting soap on the dirty dishes, "she did a good job on him."
Aya stared at her.
" 'Him'?" she asked.
"Yeah, she got a boy Angel."
Aya once again rolled her eyes. Even though her little sister Kiyoko liked Angelic Layer, 'she' didn't find it very cool. But, then again, that was mainly due to the fact that her Dad left because of it. Kiyoko loved it and said that, once she had enough money, she'd buy her own Angel. Now that she had one, that meant...
"Hey Mom! Come see, he's done!"
Both mother and daughter looked up at Kiyoko's call. Smiling, Mrs. Yume walked towards her daughters' room. She turned to Aya, who was preparing to sit down.
"Aren't you going to take a look at her Angel?" she asked.
Aya shook her head, grumpily, and prepared to eat her chicken when her mother stepped into her view.
"Aya, please, she's been working on him all day," Mrs. Yume stated, "the least you can do is look him over, right?"
Aya frowned and looked down at her dinner. Mrs. Yume tried another approach.
"She'll eventually find out you're home," she pointed out, "and if you don't come in on your own, she'll drag you in. What'll it be?"
Aya scrunched her nose and sighed. Without saying a word, she stood up, and followed her Mom to her sisters' room. Upon entering, they found that the floor was littered with packages and packets. A plate of half-eaten chicken and rice was on the floor besides a pair of scissors, thread, and a sewing needle. At the desk in the far corner, by the balcony/porch window, sat Kiyoko. She had her back to them and was looking at something.
"Kiyoko?" Mrs. Yume called, "did you call?"
A bit startled, Kiyoko turned, and smiled.
"Hiya sis!" she said, waving to her sister, who numbly waved back, "and yeah Mom, I called."
Mrs. Yume smiled.
"Well?" she asked, "is he done?"
Kiyoko giggled and pushed away from the desk.
"Sure is, take a look!" she said, gesturing to her desk.
Mrs. Yume and Aya walked over and stared at what was standing on the desk.
It was Raishinshi. Only now, he had clothes. He was wearing a skintight, purple, pleather shirt with very short sleeves that stopped above the elbow and a lavender collar that covered his neck. He had on white pants that seemed loose around the legs and stopped above his knees. Starting at his collar was a long, upside-down, black triangle that's tip went all the way down to the bottom of his shirt. He wore long, fingerless purple gloves that had a black line on each glove that started from the back of his hand to the where the gloves ended, right below his elbows. He wore bulky purple boots that reached his knees. On his back, unseen by Mrs. Yume and Aya were a couple of pod-shaped, black cloths that were sewn to the back of his shoulders. The one on the left said 'lightning' in white kanji and the right said 'wind'. And, to top off the outfit, in the middle of each upper arm was a thin purple armband. And attached to each armband was a long purple Angel Cord with a small gold, metal point on the tip of each.
Mrs. Yume smiled and bent over to look at him closely.
"'You' did this on your own, Kiyoko?" she asked, marveling at his outfit, "he looks fantastic!"
Kiyoko beamed.
"Thanks," she said.
Aya made a face and stared at the boy Angel.
"Big deal," she grumbled, "it's just a 'doll'."
Mrs. Yume gave her daughter a 'please don't start' look while Kiyoko turned to her sister, a little steamed at the retort.
"Raishinshi is 'not' any ordinary doll," she stated, firmly, "he's my very own Angel. And I'm his Deus."
Aya turned to her and gawked.
" 'Raishinshi'?" she asked, in a tone of disbelief.
Kiyoko nodded, smiling. Aya, on the other hand, rolled her eyes, and shook her head.
"I should've known that's what you'd call him," she sighed, "he's all you ever think about. You'd think he was your boyfriend, or something."
Kiyoko turned bright red upon hearing that.
"Anyways," Aya continued, giving Raishinshi a closer look, "if you 'did' base your 'Angel' off Raishinshi, then how come his hair isn't in the air?"
Kiyoko winced, sighed, and looked down.
"I tried to make it stay up, but it wouldn't," she grumbled, as if she was apologizing.
"Well, I personally like the way he looks," Mrs. Yume stated, "he looks like a prince."
Kiyoko went all out happy upon hearing that: smiling and giggling. Aya only shook her head and left the room. Kiyoko frowned when she saw that. Her mother saw her expression and smiled.
"Don't worry, honey," she said, heading out, "he looks wonderful. And I'm sure your father will like him too when he comes to visit."
Kiyoko smiled, nodding.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"So she bought her Angel today?"
"Yep, she seemed pretty excited about it."
"Do you think that she'll enter the Tournament?"
"Most likely. Why do you ask?"
"What if...what if she doesn't get through the Preliminaries? There ARE some tough Deus' entering this year after all."
"Oh, quit worrying. She'll be fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive. Besides, I've got her covered."
"Chief Mihara!"
Chief Icchan Mihara looked up from his cell phone.
"Huh? What?" he asked, a little upset that he was interrupted.
A man in a blue suit and a red tie came running up to him. They were both in the Angelic Layer Stadium, in the control room; where the creators and testers of Angelic Layer watched the battles between Angels on the Layer. Icchan was currently speaking with a close friend, until his interruption.
"Chief, the commissioner is on the phone," the man said, sternly, "he wants to talk to you about the 'special event' in this year's games."
Icchan sighed.
"Sheesh, he'll never stop ranting about it will he?" he mumbled, then turned to the man, "fine, Ogata. Tell him I'll be right there."
Sighing, Ogata nodded, and ran back to where he left the phone.
Icchan gave an exhausted sigh and raised his phone.
"Sorry 'bout that, but business calls," he said, apologetically, "I've gotta run, but I'll keep in touch. Bye."
"Bye..." came the reply as both hung up.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
*Uh...konya mo mata...*
Back at the Yume household, Kiyoko was still looking at Raishinshi, who was still standing atop her desk.
*....hakanai hoshi zora*
Kiyoko then picked him up and stood up herself.
*Uh...hikaru hoshi ni....*
"Welcome to the family, Raishinshi," she said, smiling down at her Angel.
*....negai o kakeru kara*
Raishinshi said nothing, but rested peacefully in her hands.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Well Layer fans, that's Battle 1!! So, what'd ya think?? Review and tell me your opinion. Can you also tell me what days the big, official Tournaments are held. I'll try and update soon!
Disclaimer---Hello all! I'm here to give you an Angelic Layer fic that takes place 3 years
after the Anime series. Did you hear the news by the way? ANGELIC
LAYER IS COMING TO AMERICA ON DVD!!!!! I'm
so happy!!! I've got the manga series books 2-5; it's so awesome! I decided
to make my own fic about Angelic Layer, starring a 12- year old girl that's
supposed to be me (even though I'm not really 12). She enters the world of
Angelic Layer with her boy Angel, who's named after my favorite Anime
Character, Raishinshi (if you haven't seen Houshin Engi/Soul Hunter, then
you won't know who I'm talking about.). I hope you enjoy my story
I don't own any of the original Angelic Layer characters; but I do own
Kiyoko Yume, her (my!) Angel, Raishinshi, and a few other characters that
I'll throw in. Now, read on, and enjoy.
Battle 1: "Pleased to Meet You! My Own Angel at Last!"
The Yume Residence was a regular two-story house, painted gold with a brown roof. A silver mini-van was parked in the driveway and a couple of bikes were leaned against the side of the house. Inside, a girl was waiting impatiently at the bottom of the stairs, glancing down at her watch now and then.
"Mom! Hurry, I want to get to the store before anyone else does!" 12-year old Kiyoko Yume called up the stairs.
The brunette was waiting there, at the bottom of the staircase, checking her watch every five seconds. One could tell at first glance that she was excited about something. She was currently wearing a blue t-shirt with a gold star on each sleeve, and beige pants. She was waiting for her mother who was still getting ready upstairs. She looked once more at her watch.
It was now 10:30 AM.
"Mom, come on! You promised that we'd leave at 10:00, it's now 10:30!" she cried, impatiently.
"I'm sorry, I lost track of time!" her mother called back down, "I'll be down in a minute!"
"Okay!"
Kiyoko, still feeling impatient, walked into the foyer. Her white and gray sneakers made muffled bumps on the white tiled floor. She looked out the doors' window. The sun was shining out and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. That didn't really matter to Kiyoko at the moment, she was thinking about something else. She had been waiting for this day to come and, now that it was here, she could hardly contain her excitement.
(I'm finally going to have an Angel!) she thought, smiling to herself.
For a long time, she had never gotten one. It was mostly busy because of her homework and she never had enough money. But now, she had managed to save up enough money to finally get one. What motivated her the most, ever since she was little, was....
At the sound of footsteps, Kiyoko turned to see her mother come down the stairs, purse in hand. Mrs. Yume was of average height with curly light brown hair. She wore a casual white blouse, beige skirt, and brown loafers.
"Okay, are we all set?" she asked, checking the contents of her purse.
"Yep!" Kiyoko said, smiling.
"Alright then," Mrs. Yume said, pulling her car keys out of her purse, "let's roll."
With that, both mother and daughter left the house, and got into their van. Once out of the driveway, they were on their way to Piffle Princess.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"So," Mrs. Yume spoke up, as they drove down the street, "what kind of Angel are you planning to get?"
Kiyoko thought for a moment. Everyone she knew, except for a couple of people, played Angelic Layer. They all had female Angels, seeing as only a small number of boys played the game. She only knew of three male Deus' that owned Angels. And ever since she saw 'him' win the Zenkouku Tournament two years back, she'd always wanted...
"A boy Angel," Kiyoko replied, "I plan on getting a boy Angel."
Mrs. Yume smiled. She wasn't surprised like most people were at her daughters' decision. She knew the reason.
"Is it because your father was a Deus?" she asked, knowingly.
Kiyoko blinked, then nodded with a smile.
"Yeah," she admitted, "and I personally don't see anything wrong with having a boy Angel. Dad didn't think it was wrong and he's an adult. I want to have an amazing Angel, just like Dads'!"
Mrs. Yume smiled, sadly. Kiyoko's father, her husband, wasn't dead. He had left sometime last year. Not because of a divorce, because his work kept him away. He stopped by every now and then and phoned them every Sunday. He was a popular Deus and his Angel was well known up in northern Tokyo, where he was currently staying. Ever since Kiyoko's father had won against Hikaru, the Champion of Angelic Layer, in the final fight, Kiyoko had always wanted to play the game. She never before had the time or the money for it, until now. Kiyoko had saved up enough allowance to buy everything that one needed for Angelic Layer.
Pretty soon, the two girls pulled up to Piffle Princess. It was a large white building with the Angelic Layer logo, an egg with wings, in front of it. Mrs. Yume drove up to the front of the building and Kiyoko hopped out of the van.
"Do you want me to come in with you?" Mrs. Yume asked.
Kiyoko shook her head.
"No, I'll be okay," she assured, patting her pants' pocket, "I brought all my money today."
Mrs. Yume nodded and checked her watch.
"Okay, I'll be waiting for you out in the parking lot," she said, "just don't take to long."
"I won't," Kiyoko assured, and walked towards the entrance of Piffle Princess while her mother looked for a parking spot.
Once inside, Kiyoko looked around. The lobby was huge. Large plants were in every corner and posters of Angelic Layer Champions were plastered on some of the walls. There were small shops and vending machines in the back of the building. A staircase connected the downstairs to the upstairs. People were everywhere: upstairs, downstairs, and coming in and out of the café. By the stairs was a desk with a computer and the Angelic Layer logo on it. Kiyoko's friends had told her that it was where you signed up for mini- tournaments and where you went, also, to check into a Practice Layer.
(Once I have my own Angel-) she thought, (I can register too!)
Excited, Kiyoko made a beeline for the staircase and ran up to where all of the Angelic Layer merchandise was sold. Reaching the top of the stairs, Kiyoko stared in pure happiness at the sight before her. Aisles and aisles of Angel Egg displays filled the room. Angel Hair and Angel Cords hung in racks besides every aisle with material and accessories for Angel Armor also hung with them. Under the Angel Egg displays were the Angel Data computers.
(There's so much stuff!) Kiyoko thought in awe, (I hope I have enough money.)
She walked towards the Angel Eggs' aisle. She picked one up and looked into it. She stared at the turquoise-blue doll that sat in the middle of the egg, knees to its chest, arms around knees. From this, an Angel could be made. After looking at it for a while, though, she put it back on the shelf. She took the one next to it, looked it over, and then put it back. She did the same to the next one. And the next one. And the next, until she finally reached the end of the aisle.
She sighed, sadly.
(Where are all the BOY Angels?) she thought, feeling more than just a little down, (I know they sell them here too. But why can't I find them?)
"Looking for something?"
Startled, Kiyoko turned around to see a man standing behind her. He had dark hair and wore a long white lab coat. He had on a pair of long brown and black shoes. His dark, yet warm eyes looked down at her through a pair of gleaming glasses.
"Um...what?" Kiyoko asked, a little nervous about the tall man before her.
The man smiled down at her.
"Well, I've been watching you, and I couldn't help but notice how you were looking at those Angel Eggs," he stated, "checking for duds, or...." he leaned over to her so they were both at eye level, "...planning on shoplifting?"
Kiyoko gasped and shook her head wildly.
"Eep! No, no, no, you've got it all wrong!" she said, quickly, "I was just looking for something."
The man adjusted his glasses.
"Something, eh?" he repeated, "like..."
"An Angel," Kiyoko said.
The man straightened up and started looking around. He then pointed triumphantly at the aisle.
"Aha! Found'em!"
Kiyoko turned. He was pointing to the display that she had just looked through. She sweatdropped.
"Um...yes, those 'are' Angels, but..." Kiyoko hesitated, "I was looking for a 'boy' Angel."
The man turned and stared at her.
"A boy, huh?" he inquired, "that's odd; most girls I know buy GIRL Angels. Unless, of course, it's for a friend, or brother, or better yet..."
He smiled, slyly.
"...a boyfriend."
Kiyoko's face turned bright red.
"Er, no. I...uh...don't have a boyfriend," she stuttered.
The man scratched his head.
"Well, then, what's the reason?" he asked, curious.
"Because I want to have a boy Angel like my Dad," Kiyoko explained, "he plays Angelic Layer too."
Upon hearing this, for a brief moment, the man looked surprised. But a second later, he had his composure regained.
Your Dad, huh?" he asked, more curious now than ever, "what's his name? I'm into Angelic Layer too, maybe I've met him."
Kiyoko frowned and shook her head.
"I don't think so, he lives in northern Tokyo," she explained, "he's so busy. I haven't seen him for a year and a half. But he's a good father and just as great a Deus. He even beat the Champion of the Layer a couple years ago on his visit here. You know, Hikaru?"
The man raised an eyebrow and smiled, knowingly.
"Well now, that's quite a Dad," he commented, "has he kept in touch with you?"
Kiyoko nodded.
"Yes, he has," She replied, "every Sunday and Wednesday he calls us."
The man smiled, but said nothing. After a while, he took Kiyoko by the wrist, startling her.
"Then what you're looking for is over here!" he exclaimed, pulling her to the other side of the aisle, and stopping in front of its display.
"Behold!" the man said, gesturing to the shelves.
Kiyoko looked up at the aisle before her. She blinked.
"More Angel Eggs?" she asked, turning to the man.
The man nodded. He reached up and took one down from the shelf. He held it up to Kiyoko.
"Yes, but I think you'll like this one," he said, grinning.
Kiyoko looked into the egg. It was another Angel in its basic stage: a jointed, turquoise doll. But this one, however, didn't have any breasts like the others did. Kiyoko understood quickly.
"It's a boy!" she said, surprised.
"Yep, it's a boy," the man said, "you've just gotta know where to look."
Kiyoko stared at the Angel for a while.
(This is how Dads' Angel first looked,) she thought.
"You're the first girl I know who's wanted a Boy Angel," the man said, handing the Egg to Kiyoko, "but, then again, there's a first time for everything. And your father must be a pretty good Deus to inspire you."
Kiyoko took the Egg and hugged it tight.
"Yes, he was," she murmured, "ever since he won against Hikaru, I've always wanted to play Angelic Layer. I've always wanted to make an Angel just like Dads'."
On hearing this, the man smiled.
"That's a nice dream," he said, "now it can become reality."
Kiyoko looked up at him, smiled, and nodded.
"By the way," the man spoke up, adjusting his glasses, "what's your name?"
"Kiyoko," Kiyoko replied, "Yume Kiyoko. I'm twelve years old."
The man smiled widely upon hearing the name.
"And I'm..." he hesitated for a moment, "I'm Icchan."
Kiyoko bowed respectively and turned towards the stairs, caught up in her thoughts.
(My very own Angel,) she thought, dreamily, (I can't wait to tell Dad.)
"Don't forget this!"
Kiyoko turned around to see Icchan holding out a big red box with angel wings on the top. Kiyoko stared at it, confused.
"You can't make an Angel without an Angel Data Computer!" Icchan scolded, holding up the box.
Kiyoko gasped.
"Oh! Of course!" she cried, running over, and taking the package.
Icchan watched, amused, as Kiyoko looked at what she had already acquired. She looked up, suddenly, and ran past Icchan.
"Huh?" he said, confused, "what now?"
Kiyoko was heading for a rack filled with Angel accessories.
"I need to buy his hair and clothes!" she called.
"Yow! You're right!" Icchan exclaimed and scrambled after her.
When he did catch up to her, she was staring at the rack before her. It had Angel Hair of every color imaginable and Angel Cords with a similar variety. Material and accessories for Angel Armor were hanging besides them. Icchan stood next to the girl, waiting for her to pick out something. When she didn't, he turned to her, a little puzzled.
"Aren't ya gonna pick out anything?" he asked.
Kiyoko looked up at him, sheepishly.
"I, uh, don't know which ones to get," she admitted.
Icchan gawked at her.
"You don't know?!" he cried, "didn't you have it planned out before you came?!"
Embarrassed, Kiyoko shook her head.
Icchan calmed down and thought a moment. He then began yanking things down from the rack.
"I'll just have to choose for you then!" he exclaimed, "this, and this one, and these, and this here, and one of those...."
Kiyoko hardly had time to react as Icchan piled numerous Angel Hair, Angel Cords, and material for Angel Armor into her arms. After he was done, Kiyoko looked like she was holding a miniature mountain.
"As one of my favorite sayings goes," he declared, " 'if you can't choose one, then take one of everything'."
Kiyoko only blinked.
"Now!" Icchan said, pointing towards the cash register, "off to the cash register!"
"Oh!" Kiyoko cried, scrambling in the direction he was pointing, "right!"
As Icchan watched her run to the cashier, he smiled to himself.
(Icchan,) he thought to himself, )you may have stumbled upon the next Angelic Layer Champion.)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"So, did you get the Angel you wanted?" Mrs. Yume asked, as she drived down the busy road.
Kiyoko nodded, hugging the packages on her lap.
"Yep, I almost didn't though," she said, "but a guy helped me find the Boy Angels."
Her mother blinked and looked at her daughter in the rear view mirror.
"A man?" she inquired, "who was he? Did he leave a name?"
"He called himself 'Icchan'," Kiyoko replied.
Kiyoko was so busy looking over her Angelic Layer packages that she didn't notice her mothers' brief, knowing smile.
"Anyway," she continued, "are you going to make your Angel when we get home?"
Kiyoko beamed.
"Yes!" she responded, hugging her packages again, "I've been waiting a long time to make one, so nobody stop me!"
Mrs. Yume chuckled and the turned the street corner that led onto their street.
"Well, by all means, go ahead," she stated, coming up to their house.
As soon as the van pulled into the driveway and parked, Kiyoko burst from the car door, and made a beeline for the house. Mrs. Yume had given her the 'House Keys' and she watched her daughter fumble them around before finally unlocking the door. She ran in at full speed.
(I suppose,) Mrs. Yume thought, getting out of the van, (it's in her blood.)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Kiyoko flung the door to her room open. She was met by pink carpets and white walls. There was a fan on the ceiling and a desk covered with books and papers against the wall before her. Her bed was in the right hand corner. It had a purple comforter and pink sheets with roses on it. A nightstand stood next her bed, its contents including her lamp, alarm clock, and her favorite books that she liked to read. Across her bed was a wooden bureau and closet. It was a beautiful room, but Kiyoko was too preoccupied in thoughts to notice at the moment.
She ran to the middle of her room and deposited her packages gently on the floor. She took the big package and started pulling away the paper. When she was done, she opened the box, and happily took out her Angel Egg. Searching the box for an instruction manual, she pulled out the small booklet, and flipped to the first page.
" 'Your Angel Egg is filled with a shock absorbent liquid,' " Kiyoko read, aloud, " 'Open over sink or bathtub and drain the shock absorbent liquid out. Then rinse your Angel in lukewarm water. Warning: the shock absorbent liquid is not edible; please keep out of reach of small children. Adult supervision suggested.' "
Kiyoko thought for a moment.
(Well, I'm in middle school,) she reasoned, (that's sorta like being an adult, right? Besides, I should be allowed to make my Angel by myself.)
Without any further hesitation, Kiyoko took her egg, and left her room. She ran down the hall to the bathroom. Placing the Angel Egg in the middle of the sink, she opened it up, allowing the shock-absorbent liquid out. It looked like water only it had a dull tint to it. Carefully, Kiyoko lifted the little blue, jointed doll from his sitting position. Kiyoko looked him over. He was bright blue with visible joints. He had no eyes, mouth, nose, ears, or hair. To say the least, he looked a little scary. Kiyoko took a deep breath and turned the water on. After rinsing the liquid off her Angel, Kiyoko took him back to her room, and gently placed him on her bed. She made a trip back to the bathroom again and rinsed the empty Angel Egg out with water.
(Never know when I might need it,) she thought as she dried it out.
After that was done, she returned to her room and put the egg by her nightstand. She then picked up the instruction booklet again read what she had to do next.
" 'Next, please select your Angels' hair and style it any way you wish.' "
(His hair,) she thought, a little unsure, (I haven't figured out what color 'or' style he should have. Wait! I know!)
Kiyoko got up and ran to her desk. She pulled the middle drawer open and peered inside. It was filled with lots of assorted things: rulers, pencils, paper clips, erasers, ....and pictures. A bunch of pictures, obviously printed from the computer Kiyoko's mother had in her office, lay stacked in her desk drawer. Smiling, Kiyoko pulled them out. They were pictures from her favorite Anime: Senkaiden Houshin Engi. She loved the series, just as she loved 'Angelic Layer'. She even had the DVD's.
(Maybe I can get some ideas from these,) she thought, (since the guys have cool hair styles.)
Just before she could shut the drawer, something caught her eye. A pair of scissors. With only a moments' hesitation, she took them out.
(Might as well get ready,) she thought, heading back to her spot on the floor, (I want to give him a good hairstyle.)
Sitting back down, Kiyoko set her scissors aside, and began to lay out her pictures. Once she was done, she sat back to see her choices.
(Let's see,) she began, glancing at a picture of a guy with dark hair and emerald eyes, (should his hair be like Taikoubou's hair?)
After thinking about it, she shook her head.
(No, it's too plain,) she thought, looking at another picture of a red- haired boy with a long red scarf, (should it be pointed like Nataku's?)
Once again, she shook her head.
(No, it's too much work to get his hair like that,) she thought, then side- glanced at a blue-haired guy with waist-length hair, (hmm, Yousen's hair is okay. It's long, like my Dad's Angel. But I don't want it 'too' long. Maybe I could trim his hair a little bit shorter, so it stops in the middle of his back. Yeah, that'll work!)
Smiling, Kiyoko brought the guys' pictures before her so that she'd have a visual aid. She then turned to the package that held the hairpieces that Icchan gave her at the store.
(Now all I have to do is pick out the color,) she thought, dumping out the bags' contents.
But when she saw how many there were, she couldn't help but gawk. Mr. Icchan had picked out every color on the rack. There were red hairpieces, blue hairpieces, white ones, black ones, gold ones, and every imaginable color in the world seemed to be in the large stack. Kiyoko frowned.
(This could take a while,) she thought, picking up an orange hairpiece, and then a brown one.
Then, something underneath the other hairpieces caught her eye. Clearing away all the other hairpieces, Kiyoko picked up the one that was on the bottom, and examined it. It was a black hairpiece by the looks of it. Kiyoko was about to discard it when she noticed a part of it that was caught in the sunlight. There, its color looked different.
Curious, Kiyoko brought the whole hairpiece into the sunlight. In the light, the dark hairpiece gave off a noticeable navy blue sheen. Kiyoko turned it around in the light. It kept switching from black to navy blue. Kiyoko smiled.
(Wow! This one looks pretty,) Kiyoko thought, (I think I'll do this one.)
She took the Angel Hair out of its packet and placed it on her Angels' head.
"Now let's see," Kiyoko began, picking up her scissors, "his hair'll go to the middle of his back."
With that, she began to trim his hair. She did it slowly and carefully, so as not to make any mistakes. When she was done, her Angels' hair stopped at the middle of his back. Kiyoko smiled at him.
(Perfect!) she thought, and picked up the instruction booklet, (and next is...)
" 'Next, set up the Angel Data Computer and Layer Scanner. Consult the step by step instructions in the booklet to help set them up.' "
(Finally, the good stuff,) Kiyoko thought, going over to the package that held the computer and scanner.
After taking out the computer (which was really a light blue laptop), Kiyoko brought it over to her desk, cleared away the stray papers, put it down, and plugged it in. Next, she took out the Layer Scanner, and placed it next to the computer. It kinda looked like the bottom part of a kerosene lamp. She plugged the wire at the side of the Scanner into the computer outlet that was shown in the booklet and turned on the computer. Reaching into the box that held the Layer Scanner, Kiyoko took out two gold rings, and placed them, one on top of the other, onto the Scanner. She pressed 'Enter', like the booklet said, and watched in surprise as the top ring rose up, creating a gold cylinder under it.
(Wow,) Kiyoko thought, and read the next part in the booklet.
" 'Place your Angel inside the Scanner.' "
Kiyoko went over to the spot on the floor where she had left her Angel and picked him up. Going back over to the desk, she slid her Angel into the glowing gold cylinder.
"You're almost done," she told him, watching as he floated inside the cylinder.
Kiyoko turned and looked at the computer screen. It had a black background and featured a picture of a jointed Angel doll in the center screen. On the right side of the screen was a list of stats: height, weight, offensive power, defensive power, quickness, and physical strength. A little confused, Kiyoko read the next passage in the instruction booklet.
" 'It's time to choose what kind of Angel you want to make,' " she read, " 'Do you want an emphasis on Speed or Power? On Balance or Defense? Do you want a Lightweight or Heavyweight? Please select your Angels' parameters.' "
Kiyoko put the booklet down and turned to her Angel.
(Well, let me think,) she thought, (my Dad always said that size doesn't matter. And a small one can move around much better than a big one.)
With that, she set the 'height' parameter for a small Angel.
(And I don't think a heavy Angel will be able to move around good on the Layer,) she continued, (being light helps movement.)
Kiyoko then set the 'weight' parameter for a lightweight. She was curious about the emphasis' there were. She picked up the booklet and read what it had to say about 'emphasis'.
" 'Power: This emphasis will increase your Angels' physical strength and offensive power.' "
Kiyoko stopped and thought long and hard about what she read.
(Well, Power's good, but it's not the only thing that wins a fight,) she reasoned, (My Dad didn't have a Power type, and he's a Champion in Northern Tokyo.)
She then read the next 'emphasis'.
" 'Defense: This emphasis will increase your Angels' defensive power and endurance levels.' "
(Hmm, Defense sounds good, but wouldn't that mean his strength would be cut in half?) Kiyoko wondered, and moved on to the next one.
" 'Balance: This emphasis will allow your Angel to stand on any unbalanced surface and give them a 50/50 of always regaining his/her footing after a hit.' "
Kiyoko made a face.
(What kind of 'emphasis' is that?) she thought, (and besides, I don't understand it too well.)
She looked down to her last choice.
" 'Speed: This emphasis will increase your Angels' quickness and agility.' "
Kiyoko smiled.
(Speed,) she thought, setting the book down, (that was the emphasis my Dads' Angel had. It's Hikaru's too. And that other cool Angel, Athena's. And being fast 'does' help. Dad says that Speed types have a good advantage over most Angels. I'll do Speed.)
With that settled, Kiyoko set the parameters for 'Speed'. She noticed that by increasing her Angel's 'quickness', his 'physical strength' went down a bit. Her Dad had said that Speed types had to sacrifice 'Power' to achieve full 'Speed'. But he'd also said that emphasis didn't really matter. All that mattered was how much faith you put in your Angel. With this in mind, and with a smile on her face, Kiyoko hit the 'Enter' key.
The cylinder on the Layer Scanner began to glow and make a hissing sound. Kiyoko was a little worried; she couldn't see her Angel very well. After several seconds or so, the Scanner made a loud beeping noise, and the cylinder shrank back down into the two gold rings. And hovering above the Scanner, suspended in gold light, stood her Angel.
He was still the jointed doll that she bought, but there were some differences now. Instead of blue metallic plastic, his body was now covered in a gently tanned skin. He now had a mouth and a nose. He still lacked ears. He had eyes now too, but they were currently closed. His black-blue hair seemed to blow in an unseen wind. Kiyoko stared at him for the longest time, eyes wide in awe.
"He's finished," she finally murmured, her eyes not leaving her Angel.
Another loud beep filled the room. This time it was from the Angel Data Computer. Kiyoko, a little startled, swiveled her chair back to the computer. The screen was black once again, although this time, it had a cluster of letters and numbers in white on the lower half of the screen. Above them was a small, rectangular box. Above the box, also in white letters:
" 'Select a name for your Angel.' "
Kiyoko turned back to her Angel, puzzled.
"His name?" she said, aloud.
Kiyoko hadn't really thought of a name.
(A name? Uh...well,) she thought, (I'm not sure, there's so many out there to choose from. If I had to choose a name, it couldn't just be 'any' name. It has to be special. A name that stands for someone who's brave and strong. Who tries his hardest in battle. Someone with a kind heart; who never gives up.)
As Kiyoko was thinking this, she was turning the seat of her chair around in circles, looking at everything in her room. Her eyes landed on her Anime pictures from 'Houshin Engi'. A picture caught her eye and made he stop in mid-turn. It showed a person showed a person with tanned skin, wings, and hair the same color as her Angels'. He was her favorite character. He was the youngest member of the team, but he always tried to help when he could. He fought for justice, never giving up.
Suddenly, she had it! It was so clear to her at that moment. Smiling, Kiyoko typed in the she had chosen, and hit 'Enter'. The minute she did so, her Angel opened his eyes. They were colored bright brown. He looked up at her, as she looked down at him, and smiled.
Kiyoko smiled as well.
"Raishinshi!" she told him, her smile getting wider, "your name is Raishinshi!"
He continued to smile up at her, even as the golden glow around him faded. He instantly fell, no longer held in place by the gold light. Kiyoko quickly grabbed him before he could fall to the floor. She looked down at him. He wasn't smiling anymore, but his bright brown eyes were still locked with her dark brown ones. Slowly, Kiyoko began to smile, the biggest smile anyone could imagine. She instantly began laughing.
"Yes! I did it!" she cried, leaping out of her seat and began twirling around the room, "I did it! He's done! He's done!"
Once she had stopped dancing around her room, Kiyoko held up her Angel.
"Raishinshi!" she cried, happily, looking into his eyes, "my very own Angel is finished!"
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Mom!"
Mrs. Yume looked up from making lunch on the kitchen counter to see her daughter run into the kitchen, holding something in her hands.
"Yes, Kiyoko, what is it?" Mrs. Yume asked, curiously eyeing the object that her daughter was holding.
Hardly able to contain her excitement, Kiyoko held up her newly made Angel. His eyes were now closed, but his blackish-blue hair shined in the kitchen light.
"He's done Mom!" Kiyoko cheered, "I've finally made my Angel!"
Mrs. Yume looked him over with an interest. She even took him from her daughter for a moment for a better observation. When she was done, she handed him back to her daughter with a smile.
"He's wonderful, Kiyoko," she said, smiling "what's his name?"
"Raishinshi!" Kiyoko said, without hesitation.
Mrs. Yume nodded.
"I should have known," she said, knowingly, "he's your favorite character in the show you watch. What's it called again?"
Kiyoko rolled her eyes. Her mother always forgot the names of her shows.
"It's 'Senkaiden Houshin Engi'," she said, "and yes, I did get his name from there. I think it fits him. Besides, Tamiko has an Angel named after someone from that show, too."
Mrs. Yume smiled. Tamiko Kotoko was a good friend of Kiyoko since Kindergarten. She also loved Angelic Layer. Tamiko had a boy Angel as well, though he was a gift from her father. Mrs. Yume came out of thought as she saw he daughter grab the family phone and run back to her room.
"Now what're you doing?" she called.
"I'm calling Tamiko!" came the reply.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"No kidding? You made an Angel?"
"Yep, only a few minutes ago!"
Kiyoko was in her room, on her bed, lying on her stomach with the phone to her ear. She was speaking to Tamiko, who was surprised to hear that her friend had just made an Angel.
"Is it a boy, like you wanted?" Tamiko asked over the phone.
"Yeah," Kiyoko replied, looking at her Angel, who was sitting on the bed, in front of her, "his name is Raishinshi."
There was a giggle on the other end of the phone.
"That figures," Tamiko stated, "he's your favorite out of all the shows you watch."
Kiyoko laughed, embarrassed.
"Well, the name fits him," she commented, looking at her Angel, "he even looks like him, kinda."
"I'm sure he does." was the reply.
Kiyoko looked Raishinshi over. He was in a sitting position with his legs out in front of him and his arms at his sides, helping to keep him in a sitting position. His head was lowered and his eyes were closed. He almost looked like he was asleep.
"Hey Tamiko? I wanted to ask you something," she said, getting to the point, "how do you make it so that the joints aren't showing?"
There was a pause on the other end.
"What do you mean?" the other girl asked.
Kiyoko sat up, adjusting the phone.
"When he's not wearing anything, how do you hide the joints?" she repeated, "y'know, like what Junko did with her Angel?"
Another pause, then...
"Oh yeah, it's easy," Tamiko replied.
"Really?" Kiyoko beamed, "how do I do it?"
"First, you have to turn the Angel Data Computer and Layer Scanner back on," her friend instructed.
Kiyoko hopped off her bed and ran to her desk. She switched the computer on and, once it was operational, she turned on the Layer Scanner.
"Okay," she said into the phone, "now what?"
"Put your Angel into the Layer Scanner," Tamiko replied.
Going over to her bed, Kiyoko gently picked up Raishinshi, and went back to her desk. She slid him carefully into the Scanner, where he floated once again.
"He's in, now what?" Kiyoko asked, eagerly.
"You go to options and select 're-skin', that'll give him another skin layer," Tamiko explained, "I heard that's what pop-star Ringo Seto did with her Angel."
Kiyoko did what she was instructed, but hesitated before hitting 'Enter'.
"Uh, Raishinshi won't get hurt, will he?" she asked, timidly.
There was a groan on the other end of the phone.
"No, he won't," Tamiko answered.
Reassured, Kiyoko pressed 'Enter'. The cylinder glowed for a few seconds before lowering. Kiyoko looked Raishinshi over, head to toe. He was once again hovering in gold light. But his joints were gone, covered up by another layer of skin. Although, the waist joint was still there.
"Tamiko, his waist still has its joint," Kiyoko said, a little disappointed.
"Oh, don't worry about that," Tamiko reassured, "you can't hide that no matter how much you try. So, how does he look?"
Kiyoko gave her Angel another look. His skin was even more tan than before, taking on a soft brown coloring. Just like his Anime counterpart.
"He looks just like the Raishinshi from the 'Houshin Engi'," she breathed, fascinated by the resemblance.
"If that's the case," Tamiko said, sounding interested, "then you've gotta bring him to school tomorrow."
Kiyoko took Raishinshi from the Scanner and placed him on her desk.
"You bet I will," she said, excited to show her friends her Angel.
" 'Kay, I'll let everyone know," Tamiko said, "later."
With a click, she hung up. Kiyoko put the phone down and turned to Raishinshi.
"But before I can take you anywhere," she began, going over to another package on the floor, "you need clothes."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
It was 8:00 at night when a small, sleek red car pulled into the Yume Residents' driveway. After it parked, a teenage girl stepped out from the front seat, dressed in a blue uniform. She was somewhere around 19 or 20 and was a little tall. She had brown eyes and auburn hair. She lived here and had currently come home from work at a local Drug Store. Finding her house key, she walked up to the front door, and unlocked it.
"I'm home!" she called, opening the door.
"Hello Aya, how was work?" Mrs. Yume called from the kitchen.
Aya Yume tossed her jacket and keys onto the sofa and entered the kitchen where her mother was clearing away the remains of dinner.
"Like it always is, boring," Aya stated, flatly, "where's Kiyoko?"
Mrs. Yume looked up as she placed the dirty plates in the sink.
"Still in her room," she replied, turning the faucet on.
Aya walked over to her plate of fried rice and chicken that was left there for her, then looked up.
" 'Still'?" Aya asked, puzzled.
Mrs. Yume nodded.
"Yep, we went to Piffle Princess today," she explained, "she's working on her Angel."
Aya rolled her eyes.
(So, she finally got one,) she thought, (that's just great! She'll be ranting day and night about her becoming a Deus.)
"He's actually quite handsome," Mrs. Yume continued, squirting soap on the dirty dishes, "she did a good job on him."
Aya stared at her.
" 'Him'?" she asked.
"Yeah, she got a boy Angel."
Aya once again rolled her eyes. Even though her little sister Kiyoko liked Angelic Layer, 'she' didn't find it very cool. But, then again, that was mainly due to the fact that her Dad left because of it. Kiyoko loved it and said that, once she had enough money, she'd buy her own Angel. Now that she had one, that meant...
"Hey Mom! Come see, he's done!"
Both mother and daughter looked up at Kiyoko's call. Smiling, Mrs. Yume walked towards her daughters' room. She turned to Aya, who was preparing to sit down.
"Aren't you going to take a look at her Angel?" she asked.
Aya shook her head, grumpily, and prepared to eat her chicken when her mother stepped into her view.
"Aya, please, she's been working on him all day," Mrs. Yume stated, "the least you can do is look him over, right?"
Aya frowned and looked down at her dinner. Mrs. Yume tried another approach.
"She'll eventually find out you're home," she pointed out, "and if you don't come in on your own, she'll drag you in. What'll it be?"
Aya scrunched her nose and sighed. Without saying a word, she stood up, and followed her Mom to her sisters' room. Upon entering, they found that the floor was littered with packages and packets. A plate of half-eaten chicken and rice was on the floor besides a pair of scissors, thread, and a sewing needle. At the desk in the far corner, by the balcony/porch window, sat Kiyoko. She had her back to them and was looking at something.
"Kiyoko?" Mrs. Yume called, "did you call?"
A bit startled, Kiyoko turned, and smiled.
"Hiya sis!" she said, waving to her sister, who numbly waved back, "and yeah Mom, I called."
Mrs. Yume smiled.
"Well?" she asked, "is he done?"
Kiyoko giggled and pushed away from the desk.
"Sure is, take a look!" she said, gesturing to her desk.
Mrs. Yume and Aya walked over and stared at what was standing on the desk.
It was Raishinshi. Only now, he had clothes. He was wearing a skintight, purple, pleather shirt with very short sleeves that stopped above the elbow and a lavender collar that covered his neck. He had on white pants that seemed loose around the legs and stopped above his knees. Starting at his collar was a long, upside-down, black triangle that's tip went all the way down to the bottom of his shirt. He wore long, fingerless purple gloves that had a black line on each glove that started from the back of his hand to the where the gloves ended, right below his elbows. He wore bulky purple boots that reached his knees. On his back, unseen by Mrs. Yume and Aya were a couple of pod-shaped, black cloths that were sewn to the back of his shoulders. The one on the left said 'lightning' in white kanji and the right said 'wind'. And, to top off the outfit, in the middle of each upper arm was a thin purple armband. And attached to each armband was a long purple Angel Cord with a small gold, metal point on the tip of each.
Mrs. Yume smiled and bent over to look at him closely.
"'You' did this on your own, Kiyoko?" she asked, marveling at his outfit, "he looks fantastic!"
Kiyoko beamed.
"Thanks," she said.
Aya made a face and stared at the boy Angel.
"Big deal," she grumbled, "it's just a 'doll'."
Mrs. Yume gave her daughter a 'please don't start' look while Kiyoko turned to her sister, a little steamed at the retort.
"Raishinshi is 'not' any ordinary doll," she stated, firmly, "he's my very own Angel. And I'm his Deus."
Aya turned to her and gawked.
" 'Raishinshi'?" she asked, in a tone of disbelief.
Kiyoko nodded, smiling. Aya, on the other hand, rolled her eyes, and shook her head.
"I should've known that's what you'd call him," she sighed, "he's all you ever think about. You'd think he was your boyfriend, or something."
Kiyoko turned bright red upon hearing that.
"Anyways," Aya continued, giving Raishinshi a closer look, "if you 'did' base your 'Angel' off Raishinshi, then how come his hair isn't in the air?"
Kiyoko winced, sighed, and looked down.
"I tried to make it stay up, but it wouldn't," she grumbled, as if she was apologizing.
"Well, I personally like the way he looks," Mrs. Yume stated, "he looks like a prince."
Kiyoko went all out happy upon hearing that: smiling and giggling. Aya only shook her head and left the room. Kiyoko frowned when she saw that. Her mother saw her expression and smiled.
"Don't worry, honey," she said, heading out, "he looks wonderful. And I'm sure your father will like him too when he comes to visit."
Kiyoko smiled, nodding.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"So she bought her Angel today?"
"Yep, she seemed pretty excited about it."
"Do you think that she'll enter the Tournament?"
"Most likely. Why do you ask?"
"What if...what if she doesn't get through the Preliminaries? There ARE some tough Deus' entering this year after all."
"Oh, quit worrying. She'll be fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive. Besides, I've got her covered."
"Chief Mihara!"
Chief Icchan Mihara looked up from his cell phone.
"Huh? What?" he asked, a little upset that he was interrupted.
A man in a blue suit and a red tie came running up to him. They were both in the Angelic Layer Stadium, in the control room; where the creators and testers of Angelic Layer watched the battles between Angels on the Layer. Icchan was currently speaking with a close friend, until his interruption.
"Chief, the commissioner is on the phone," the man said, sternly, "he wants to talk to you about the 'special event' in this year's games."
Icchan sighed.
"Sheesh, he'll never stop ranting about it will he?" he mumbled, then turned to the man, "fine, Ogata. Tell him I'll be right there."
Sighing, Ogata nodded, and ran back to where he left the phone.
Icchan gave an exhausted sigh and raised his phone.
"Sorry 'bout that, but business calls," he said, apologetically, "I've gotta run, but I'll keep in touch. Bye."
"Bye..." came the reply as both hung up.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
*Uh...konya mo mata...*
Back at the Yume household, Kiyoko was still looking at Raishinshi, who was still standing atop her desk.
*....hakanai hoshi zora*
Kiyoko then picked him up and stood up herself.
*Uh...hikaru hoshi ni....*
"Welcome to the family, Raishinshi," she said, smiling down at her Angel.
*....negai o kakeru kara*
Raishinshi said nothing, but rested peacefully in her hands.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Well Layer fans, that's Battle 1!! So, what'd ya think?? Review and tell me your opinion. Can you also tell me what days the big, official Tournaments are held. I'll try and update soon!