Chapter 3

"I can't believe I've fallen to this." muttered Yui.

"It's only been 4 days." replied Bloodberry, "And it's not that bad."

Yui stared at Bloodberry, "How can going from being a celestial being to a waitress be seen as not bad?"

"Your right." Bloodberry said with a wave of her hand, "I have no idea what you're going through, even though you've been telling us the last 4 days."

Yui cringed. "I've been complaining that much?"

Bloodberry nodded. "Cherry was getting ready to smack you with a frying pan."

"Oh." Yui looked back towards the kitchen, "Think she'd mind a little help in there?"

"Cherry typically likes being alone in her kitchen. But go on," Bloodberry waved her hand, "It's not like there are that many customers today."

Yui headed into the kitchen. Bloodberry returned to serving the other customers when the door opened, admitting a tired Lime and Keima.

"Hey you two!" shouted Bloodberry, "How was class?"

"It sucked." muttered Lime, "We have to do a report on pre-female Terra 2."

"That doesn't seem that bad." Bloodberry replied.

"It's a report on the economic impact of an all-male society."

"Ok…….that does sound bad."

Keima looked around.

"Where's Yui?"

"DON'T TOUCH THA….."

BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!! The entire building shuddered from the blast in the kitchen.

"What was that?!" asked Keima.

"Yui must have found the left over 'Spice' that one of the Saber Dolls left." Bloodberry said.

"Saber Dolls?" Keima looked confused, "Haven't heard of them. Who are they?"

"Marionettes that Dad and Mom know." answered Lime, "One of them used to baby-sit us when we were younger."

"Yeah." Bloodberry said, "Tiger. Wonder how she is?"

"Probably off with Uncle Faust." Lime replied.

"I see." Keima bent down and grabbed Lime's bag. "I'll take this upstairs."

"Thank you." Lime said as Keima moved upstairs. She then looked over at Bloodberry. "So how has Yui been doing?"

"She hates waitressing." Bloodberry said, "As to cooking…….."

There was a loud crash in the kitchen, followed by Cherry crying about her kitchen.

"………..maybe it's a god thing." Bloodberry said, "I mean, Keima can't cook either."

"Excuse me."

Bloodberry and Lime turned to see a cloaked figure standing in the doorway. The figures face was shrouded in darkness from the hood pulled over its head.

"Welcome to Otaru's." Bloodberry said, "Can I help you?"

The figure moved into the restaurant and pulled back the hood, revealing a woman who appeared to be in her twenties but she had gray hair.

"I am looking for Keima Morisato or Yui Ikari." The woman said.

"Who are you?" asked Lime.

"I'm….." began the woman, but she was interrupted by shouting from the kitchen.

"OUT OUT OUT!" shouted Cherry.

"Fine! I'm going!" replied Yui, "You don't need to……" Yui's voice trailed off as she saw the woman. "Arael? What are you doing here?"

Arael smiled, "Your mother and Lady Belldandy asked me to come here."

Yui's face fell. "You're here to keep an eye on me."

"Well……..yes."

Yui sighed, "Mom doesn't trust me does she?"

Arael shifted slightly.

"It's not that. I'm here to…."

"You're here because she doesn't trust me." Yui said. She then turned and went up the stairs, almost knocking Keima over.

"Geez Yui!" he shouted, "What's wrong with…….?" His voice trailed off as he spotted Arael. "Arael? What are you doing here?"

"Your mother and Guardian Asuka sent me to help Yui." Arael said, "Unfortunately, my presence seems to have hurt her further."

"Don't worry about it." Keima said, "She'll get over it. So what's new upstairs? Mom raking everyone over the coals yet?"

Arael frowned. "I don't see how raking anyone would accomplish anything."

Keima smiled. "Same old Arael."

Lime walked up to Keima. "Who are you?"

"I am Arael. The 15th Messenger."

"What?"

"She's an Angel." Keima said, "You remember in history class they talked about how Earth was attacked by enormous beings back in the early 2000s?"

"Those Angels!?" Lime looked at Arael. "But your supposed to be 400 feet tall and vicious killing…….."

Keima glanced at Lime. "She's not like that anymore. She's been forgiven for her past."

"I know what I am supposed to be." Arael said softly, "Rest assured that I am not like that anymore."

"Arael is the last of her kind." Keima said, "And she's a good friend to Yui and me."

"Well if she's a friend of yours then she's a friend of mine." Lime held out her hand. "Lime Maimya."

Arael glanced at Lime's hand.

* Your supposed to shake. * came Keima's voice.

* I knew that. * replied Arael as she took Lime's hand. "Arael."

"I suppose you'll be staying with us as well?" asked Cherry.

"Why not?" said Lime, "We have room for one more."

Cherry looked at Bloodberry who just shrugged.

"Fine." Cherry said, "She can stay. But she'd better help out." Cherry then turned on her heel and walked back into the kitchen. Bloodberry waited till Cherry was back in the kitchen before turning and looking at Arael.

"Welcome to the family."

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In the depths of space they had sat for millions of years, floating in an orbit that had been set long before many of the planets had completely formed around the far off sun.

Until they were hit by the blast wave from an explosion..

Now they had a new course. Only one thing lay in their path.

Terra 2

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That night.

Yui sat on the roof of the apartment looking up at the stars. She had been doing this the last several nights, looking up towards her home, wondering if her parents were looking down at her.

"Are you there Mom? Dad?" Yui said softly, "I wish I could speak to you."

"They have been watching you."

Yui turned to see Arael had appeared beside her.

"What do you want?" Yui asked.

"They are worried about you." Arael said softly, "Lady Belldandy, your parents. I was sent here for you, not to spy but to help."

Yui laughed, but without humor. "What do I need help with?"

"We know why you came." Arael said, "I know you can't talk to Keima about it, nor can you talk to the others. Please just talk to me."

"You wouldn't understand." muttered Yui.

"It's true, I do not yet understand your social interactions." Arael said, "But I would like to."

Yui glanced at Arael, and saw the concerned look on the Angel's face.

"Alright." Yui said, and she began to speak.

From the edge of the roof, Keima watched, and smiled. He then floated downward to the balcony where Lime waited.

"Well?" she asked.

"I think she's going make it." Keima said.

Lime wrapped her arms around Keima. "I'm glad. I know you were worried about her."

Keima wrapped his arms around Lime and both stared off into the sky. A small pinpoint of light flared briefly, leaving a trail through the night sky.

"Look a falling star." Lime said quietly, "Make a wish."

"Don't need to." Keima said, "I'm happy with things right now. You make a wish."

"Nope. Already made mine earlier." Lime said with a smile.

Keima returned the smile and started to lean towards Lime. Lime, realizing what Keima was about to do, closed her eyes and leaned forward to meet him. Just as their lips were about to touch, a loud boom echoed throughout Japoness. Both turned and looked back at the sky.

"What was……." Lime's eyes widened.

The sky above was filled shooting stars. Off in the distance, a faint glow on the edge of Japoness told her that one had hit the ground. With another blast, another ripped through a building in Japoness, shattering the upper stories of the building before slamming into a residential area.

Cherry and Bloodberry ran onto the balcony.

"What's going on out here?" shouted Cherry. Then she and Bloodberry saw them.

"Meteors."  Bloodberry whispered, "There must be dozens of them."

"YUI! ARAEL!" Keima shouted. Both peered over the edge of the roof down at Keima. "We have to try and stop the meteors. Arael try and deflect them with your AT Field. Yui and I will shoot down any that get through."

Arael nodded and vanished in a flash. Within seconds the sky seemed to take on an orange glow. Several times it flash as meteors impacted with the orange glow.

"Come on Yui." Keima floated off the balcony towards the sky.

"Keima!" shouted Lime. Keima looked back at her. "Be careful!"

Keima smiled at her before he and Yui vanished into the night. Within seconds, more flashes began to appear in the night sky.

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The next morning

Lime, Cherry, and Bloodberry sat around the TV watching the news.

"…..Officials still don't have any explanation why the meteor shower broke up." The TV said, "Scientists report that plasma in the atmosphere may have contributed to breaking up many of the larger meteors, but that a definitive reason cannot be found. As it stands, several areas of the six countries were flattened, the lose of life is not yet known, but could number in the tens of thousands."

"Ouch." Bloodberry muttered.

Lime glanced over to see Arael coming down the stairs.

"How are they?" asked Lime.

"Drained." The effort by Yui and Keima to blast the meteors had caused them to use up almost all of their powers. Both had collapsed upon return.

"It will take them awhile to recover." Arael said, "And Yui will be awake before Keima."

"Aww." muttered Lime.

"Shh!" everyone glanced at Cherry, "It's Faust."

On the TV, Faust, former leader of Gartlant, had appeared.

"Using telescopes and radar," Faust began, "We believe that this meteor storm was caused by the explosion of the Neomesopotamia twenty years ago. And it is not over."

"What?!?" shouted the 3 girls. Arael remained silent.

"These meteors that hit us were fairly close to Terra 2." continued Faust, "but there are asteroids that were further out in the system that are now on their way here. Over the next several days, we will be experiencing more meteor showers. The size of some of them may cause significant damage. It is recommended that all citizens of Terra 2 try to seek cover where ever possible."

Outside the apartment people began to shout and race about, trying to pack their belongings and seek safer ground.

Faust wasn't finished however.

"At this time, we are preparing a spacecraft which will go up, and attempt to destroy some of the larger asteroids with a plasma cannon and by any other means necessary. Until then we can only hope, and pray."

Lime looked at Arael. "Can't you do something?"

Arael shook her head. "I can only project my AT-Field so far. I cannot cover the earth completely."

"What about other gods?" asked Bloodberry, "Can't they help?"

Arael frowned slightly, then reached into her robes and pulled out a small object.

"Let's find out."

Arael set the device on a table and pressed several buttons. A small circle was projected on the floor in front of the device. Arael stood in it. The air over the device began to flicker before the full size image of a woman with purple hair appeared.

"What is it Arael?"

"Cayla." Arael nodded to the figure, "I need to speak with Lady Belldandy."

The hologram nodded. "I'll inform her." The image of Cayla then vanished.

"Who's Belldandy?" Cherry asked quietly.

"Keima's Mom." replied Lime. She was pretty eager to see what Keima's mom looked like.

The air over the device flickered again. Lime, Cherry, and Bloodberry gasped as a beautiful woman with long light brown hair appeared. Arael fell to one knee before the image.

"Milady."

Belldandy frowned. "I thought I told you not to kneel before me."

"Yes you have." Arael said, "When we are alone."

Belldandy's eyes widened slightly, then reached a hand towards something just out of view. She then turned and looked at Lime, Cherry, and Bloodberry.

"I see." Belldandy seemed to stare at Lime the longest, at least that's what it felt like to Lime. She then turned back to Arael. "What is it?"

"There has been a meteor strike on Terra 2." Arael said.

Belldandy nodded, "I know."

"Then you know that there are more on the way." Arael said, "I would request assistance in removing the threat."

A sad look appeared on Belldandy's face.

"Unfortunately, because the original situation was created by a mortal, we cannot interfere."

"WHAT!?!?" shouted Bloodberry, "You can't help us?!"

"People are going to die!" shouted Cherry.

"I know that." If possible, Belldandy looked even sadder as she addressed the mortals. "And I wish everyday that I could stop it. But we cannot interfere with events not caused by god or demon."

"So you're saying it's our problem." Bloodberry said.

"I am sorry." Lime could tell from the goddess' voice, she really was sorry.

Belldandy looked back at Arael.

"I know you, Yui, and Keima will do what think is necessary, but you will not receive any help from the heavens. I truly am sorry." With that, Belldandy's image vanished.

"So we're screwed." muttered Bloodberry.

"No." Arael said softly, "We will do what we can, and hope that the Saber Dolls can do the rest."

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Lord Faust looked out into the night sky. Flashes of light showed where small meteors burned up in the atmosphere. Occasionally, a large one streaked across the sky, impacting somewhere in the uninhabited regions. Behind him, Luchs and Panther worked to finish the last minute preparations to the spacecraft.

"Lord Faust."

Faust turned to see Tiger standing behind him.

"We are seeing strange reading over Japoness." Tiger reported.

"The strange orange tint that blocked the meteors before?" asked Faust.

"Yes sir." Tiger said.

"Let me see it."

Tiger led Faust to a terminal and typed in several commands. Faust frowned as the information scrolled past on the screen. Off in the corner of the screen, a camera view showed a section of sky over Japoness.

"Whatever is producing the shield has a lot of power." He said.

"Yes sir." Tiger replied.

Just then a meteor slammed into the shield where the camera was looking. The shield flared, in a hexagonal pattern. Faust's eyes widened.

"It's an AT-Field." He said.

"But an AT-Field can only be produced by an Angel or and Eva." Tiger said, "And they are all gone."

"All but two." Faust said, "Eva 04 is in the hands of heaven, as is the 15th."

"We would know if Eva 04 was here." Tiger said, "So it must be the 15th."

Faust nodded, "But why Japoness? What is there that is so important?"

Tiger frowned for a moment, then her face lit up.

"The girls are there." Tiger then smiled, "Lorelei did say Lime had a boyfriend. Maybe that god I told you about came back."

"Lord Faust!" shouted Luchs, "We're ready!"

Faust nodded to Luchs, then looked back at Tiger.

"Take the ship up. Destroy as many of the big asteroids as you can. Luchs should be able to identify those that will harm."

"Yes sir."

Faust then smiled. "Come back safely Tiger."

Tiger returned the smile. "I will sir."

Tiger turned and joined the others on the ship. As it took off, Faust typed a command into the terminal. On the screen Otaru and Lorelei appeared.

"They are on their way."

Lorelei nodded. "We're on our way down into the caves below the house. I think it will provide some protection from anything that hits near us."

"Alright. By the way, do you know anything about the AT-Field over Japoness?"

Both Otaru and Lorelei looked surprised.

"AT-Field?"

"Yes." said Faust, "Do you suppose the Gods are helping us?"

Lorelei looked at Otaru who nodded. Lorelei then looked at Faust.

"We know of only one god on the planet. Keima Morisato is apparently with Lime, Cherry, and Bloodberry in Japoness. Apparently he and Lime are…….dating." Lorelei then shrugged. "But we haven't heard much else from them. If we hear anything important, we'll let you know."

Faust nodded. "Good luck."

"Good luck to us all."