There's so much life
I've left to live
And this fire's burning still
When I watch you look at me
I think I could find a way
To stand for every dream
And forsake this solid ground
And give up this fear within
Of what would happen if they end, you
I'm in love with you
'Cause I'd surrender everything
To feel the chance, to live again
I reach to you
I know you can feel it too
We'd make it through
A thousand dreams I still believe
I'd make you give them all to me
I'd hold you in my arms and never let go
I surrender
I know
I can't survive another night away from you
You're the reason I go on
And now I need to live the truth
Right now, there's no better time
From this fear, I will break free
And I'll live again with love
And know they can't take that away from me
And they will see... yeah
(I'd surrender everything)
To feel the chance, to live again
I reach to you
I know you can feel it too
We'd make it through
A thousand dreams I still believe
I'll make you give them all to me
I'll hold you in my arms and never let go
I surrender
Every night gets longer
And this voice's getting stronger baby
I'll swallow my pride
And I'll be alive
Can't you hear my call?
I surrender all...
(I'll surrender everything)
(To feel the chance, to live again)
I reach to you
I know you can feel it too
We'll make it through
A thousand dreams I still believe
I'll make you give them all to me
I'll hold you in my arms and never let go
I surrender
Right here, right now
I'd give my life to live again
I'll break free
Take me, my everything
I surrender all to you
(Right now)
Right now
(I'd give my life to live again)
I'd give my life
(I'll break free, Take me)
Take me, take me
(my everything)
My everything
(I surrender all to you, right now)
Right now
(I'd give my life to live again)
I'd give my life to you baby
I'll break free, yeah free
I Surrender – Celine Dion
Chapter 8
Sayoko blinked. She looked at her mother and Asuka, then back at Arael.
"Are you….."
"I speak the truth." Arael said softly.
"Who is Director Aida?" asked Lorelei.
"Name sounds familiar." muttered Yui.
Sayoko looked at her mother.
"I'll go." She said.
"But………." Began her mother before she was cut off.
"I look exactly like you." Sayoko said, "I sound like you. If it isn't him…….."
"You'd be placing yourself in danger." Asuka said, "I'm coming with."
"Who is Aida?!" asked Lorelei again.
Sayoko glanced at Lorelei before looking at her brother.
"We'll be down in a bit."
Belldandy turned towards her daughter. "Now wait just a sec……." Then the transmission ended.
"Who is Aida?"
"I don't know." Keima turned and looked at Lorelei. "I've never heard of him."
"I think I have." Yui appeared deep in thought. "I think Mom and Dad knew him. But they told me to never speak about him around Sayoko."
"Why didn't they ever….." began Keima. He suddenly looked around, then pushed Lorelei and Otaru back several steps.
"What…." began Otaru when a flash and loud bang interrupted him. Now standing in the room was Sayoko and Asuka, both in the hooded cloaks.
"Nice entrance." muttered Tiger.
Sayoko ignored the comment and looked right at Keima.
"Where is it?"
Keima pointed. "The castle is that way."
Sayoko immediately turned and walked out.
"Who is Aida?" asked Lorelei.
Asuka looked at Lorelei and noticed that Yui, Keima, and everyone else had the same question.
"He's an old friend." Asuka said, "And a very personal friend of Sayoko."
"How come she's never talked about him?" asked Keima.
"They were close." Asuka said, "Very close. Closer then what you and Lime currently are."
"How much closer could they………" began Keima, before Lime (the mortal) whispered something in his ear. Keima's eyes widened slightly. "Oh!"
"Exactly." Asuka replied, "Now I have to catch up to her."
Asuka turned and left.
"Hey wait up!"
Yui, Arael and Keima quickly followed. Lime looked at her parents a second, then followed.
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"You shouldn't be coming with." Keima said softly, "It may not be safe."
Lime shook her head. "You're not leaving me behind. Besides, if I'm not safe with you, I'm not safe anywhere."
Keima knew he would lose regardless what he said.
"Just stay near me." He said, "If anything happens I'll teleport us out."
"If it really is him, we won't have to worry." Asuka said softly.
Sayoko was still quite a bit ahead of them. Arael quickened her pace until she was right next to the goddess.
"Are you alright?"
"I don't know." Sayoko replied, "Ask me again later."
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"They're coming back. And there's two more Jedi Knights and a dark blue haired girl with them."
The Director and the Squad leader held their heads.
"That girl has got to lay off the classics." muttered the Squad Leader.
"Indeed." replied the Director. He then clicked his headset. "Mitchell. Move back here and assemble the others on the foyer balcony like last time."
"Yes sir."
"Oh and Mitchell."
"Sir?"
"'May the Force be with you.'"
The squad leader stared at the Director with a shocked look.
"What?" asked the Director.
"You scare me sometimes sir."
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Several minutes later, the Director was sitting on the stairs in the foyer. Above him, the Squad Leader was readying the powerful halogen spotlight. The main doors to the foyer opened, allowing light to stream in. The commandos lifted their weapons and took aim as dark figures moved in, six in total. Two of the four in the hooded cloaks removed the hoods to reveal the red head and gray hair woman who had been here before. The God was back as well, along with a dark blue haired girl he did not recognize. He spotted the two new ones, they still wore their hoods. As soon as they had moved far enough in, the director signaled. Two commandos slammed the doors shut, plunging the room into darkness. The squad leader flipped on the halogen light, temporarily blinding their 'guests'.
"Welcome back." The Director said, "I trust you had a pleasant trip?"
"Oh yeah sure." mumbled one of the hooded figures, "Walking in the dusty desert is always fun."
The Director frowned. That voice sounded very familiar. Worry about that later.
"Which of you is Belldandy?"
One of the hooded figures stepped forward.
"I'm sorry to have to bring you here Mrs. Morisato." The Director said, "But I……"
"Kensuke?"
The Director froze. 'That voice……….'
The figure removed her hood. The Director's heart almost stopped.
'It can't be…….'
"Kensuke is that you?"
Director Kensuke Aida moved closer to the woman.
"It can't be you." He said softly, "You………you had no memory."
"I got it back." She replied, stepping closer. "The………the day you disappeared."
"It can't be…….." repeated Kensuke. "It…….."
"It is me." She whispered, placing her hands gently on either side of Kensuke's face. He reached up and touched her face, afraid if he did she would vanish.
"Sayoko?" he asked.
She nodded with a small smile.
"Sayoko!" he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tightly to him. Sayoko's arms went around Kensuke, tears falling from her eyes. Her knees went weak as she cried. Kensuke slowly fell to his knees with her. Behind them the other cloaked figure began to gag.
"Please. If you two get anymore sweeter, a diabetic is going to go into sugar shock. Get a room!"
Now Kensuke could place the voice. "If you don't like it demon you can wait outside."
Asuka just smiled, "Like I'd leave you alone with her. You might do hentai things to her in her fragile state."
"Mom??" asked Yui, "Who is he?"
"The last of the three stooges." Asuka replied, "A friend of your father's and your Uncle Touji." Asuka glanced over at Keima. "He's also someone that her brother should keep an eye on."
Keima frowned slightly, but didn't comment. He continued to watch as his sister cried and held on tightly to Kensuke.
Asuka sighed then looked around at the other commandos who were now making their way down from the balcony.
"Looks like we have to have a talk with Lorelei, Faust, and Belldandy about what to do with you all."
Asuka herded everyone out of the building. Another glance over her shoulder showed the two lovers still on their knees and in each others arms.
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I was forgotten
Until you called my name
Lost in the shadows
Until you shined your light my way
Now I believe again
In all my dreams again
I'm wide eyed and innocent
Those doubting days
Are so far away and oh
I will fall
And you will catch me always
Time has taught me this
I will fly
And you'll be there to guide me
Straight up to my heart's highest wish
I feel you close to me
And I know what love is
Now there's no mountain
Too high for me to climb
No ocean so wide
That I could not reach the other side
Now I believe in me
Cause you live and breather in me
And nothing can come between
We are one star
No nigh can darken, Oh
I will fall
And you will catch me always
Time has taught me this
I will fly
And you'll be there to guide me
Straight up to my heart's highest wish
I feel you close to me
And I know what love is
It's an unspoken thing
A quiet opening
There are no words that can go that deep
But I know
I know
I will fall
And you will catch me always
Time has taught me this
I will fly
And you'll be there to guide me
Straight up to my heart's highest wish
I feel you close to me
And I know what love is
Celine Dion – I know what love is
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Two days later
Keima, Lime, Cherry, Bloodberry, Yui, and Arael were all sitting in the restaurant. It had closed several hours before in order to celebrate the return of Lime and Keima. They had then spent the evening talking about what had happened.
"So what's going to happen to those people?" asked Cherry.
"Well," Keima began, "Initially, they are going back to Earth. Then they can either decide to remain there, or they'll be brought here."
"What about your sister's boyfriend," asked Bloodberry, "Kensake?"
"Kensuke. He and Sayoko are going to spend time together on Earth. Afterwards……." Keima tossed his hands up in the air. "I don't know."
"I do." Arael said, "Sayoko wants to live in a nice house near the lake on the far side of Japoness."
"That's near Mom and Dad." Lime said.
Keima nodded. "She likes being near the forest. She'd find it more peaceful then the cities that dominate Earth now."
Bloodberry smiled, "Ever wonder if she's there because she wants to keep an eye on you?"
"More likely she'll be too busy riding Kensuke to pay attention to what he does." Yui said with a smirk.
Cherry eyes went wide. "They'll be living together?! That's indecent!"
"Indecent can be fun though." Bloodberry said with a smile.
"Bloodberry!"
"Oh come on Cherry," Bloodberry said with a smile, "Let's say you had someone like……..Keima for example."
Keima frowned slightly while Lime had her attention locked onto Bloodberry.
"…….Would you want to spend every night, alone…….when you could be sharing warmth together."
Cherry turned bright red. "I….no….see….."
"But wait, there's more."
Cherry gulped. "More?"
"More?" Keima and Lime said together.
Bloodberry leaned closer to Cherry. "He'll hold you in his strong arms and……." She whispered something into Cherry's ear. Cherry's face turned redder and redder. Lime and Keima leaned over and tried to listen to what Bloodberry was saying. Yui smirked at Cherry.
"Look out she's gonna blow!"
Arael frowned. "I was not aware extreme embarrassment caused mortals to explode."
"It doesn't."
"Oh……my….." Cherry finally muttered. She then stood up. "I'm……..going to bed."
"Right. You're going to stay up late thinking about being with a guy like Keima." Bloodberry smirked. "Got enough batteries?"
"Why would she need…?" Yui covered up Arael's mouth with her hand.
"I'll tell you later."
Keima watched Cherry disappear upstairs, then looked at Lime.
"We are making breakfast tomorrow." He said in no uncertain terms.
"Agreed." replied Lime.
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One hour later
Everyone had turned in for the night. Lime was just going to sleep when she heard a noise, a strange buzzing sound. Her eyes widened slightly before she pulled the pillow over her head.
"I'm not hearing that." She muttered.
In another room, Arael was looking at Yui curiously.
"What is….."
"Just go to sleep!" Yui replied, "I'll tell you tomorrow!"
In yet another room, Keima had pulled out earmuffs from somewhere and was sleeping peacefully.
In Cherry's room, Cherry was laying on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Her eyes got wider as the buzzing continued.
In the next and final room, Bloodberry turned off her leg shaver and waited several moments.
"God I love messing with their minds." She said. She waited for five minutes, then turned the shaver back on."