I'm so sorry for not updating sooner than this, but hey…at least I'm updating. Thank you to those who reviewed. I love reading what people thing, and I like all the positive feedback I get. It really makes my day, ya know, since there aren't a lot of people out there who tell me stuff about my writing. (some of my friends said they wanted to read one of my original stories, and even though I gave them copies, they have yet to start…it's been a month…sigh) Well enough about that. Happy Thanksgiving to those of you who celebrate it. Maybe your turkey taste good. Now onward!

Disclaimer: I do not own zoids, but I do own my agents. I love them.

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Risai backed away from her doorway, moving rather unsteadily and a bit slowly. Her eyes were unable to leave the face of the boy who stood in her doorway…the face of Rainer. Was he really there, or was this some kind of figment of her imagination? How could he be there? It wasn't possible…was it?

"Hey Risai," he greeted, stepping into the base, a smile on his face. She just backed up a bit further, unsure of just how to react. Rainer was dead. He wasn't supposed to be here. There was just no logical way for him to be standing there. This had to be a dream or something. She probably fell asleep and was dreaming this up. She had to be. This was just too illogical to be happening to her.

"Y-you're…not really here…are you?" she asked him, backing up every time he took a step towards her.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, sounding just a bit confused.

"Rainer…it's you, right?" He just smiled warmly, advancing a few more steps.

"Of course it's me." He stopped right in front of her, looking down into her cerulean eyes. "It's been a long time, Risai." The way he spoke her name was so familiar. His voice was something she had longed to hear, something she had only been able to dream about. She loved hearing him speak her name like that, in his warm, entrancing voice…however…that was in the past. Things had changed now.

"But how…?" she began to ask, but before she could finish, he embraced her, pulling her scared, trembling body against his. He just sighed deeply as he held her, resting his head against hers. It really had been too long. He had forgotten what this felt like. Just how long had he been asleep again? The men at that lab had said that it had nearly been a hundred years, or something like that. Anyway, it had been a really long time. However, now that he was back, he was hoping to pick up where he had left off. However, things were different nowadays. Everything had changed.

"I'm glad you're still alive," he told her honestly. "It really has been too long." Risai suddenly felt a little guilty. She really didn't want to burst his bubble, but things were different now. Sooner or later, she would have to let him down…but still, was this really Rainer?

"I think…I need to sit down for a second," she said, pulling out of his embrace. She took a seat on the couch, taking a moment to catch her breath. She still couldn't calm her scared, frantic pulse. It wasn't everyday a ghost from your past showed up at your doorstep.

"How?" she finally asked him, once again meeting his piercing blue eyes. "How can you…still be alive? I watched you die…I was there."

"I didn't die, per say," he began. "I collapsed, yes, but I wasn't dead."

"But when I went back…there was a grave site." Rainer just scowled a bit at that. He ran a shaky hand through his messy sapphire hair.

"Yeah, well, I'm not exactly sure what that's about. The next thing I remember is waking up in some kind of tube in a laboratory. I wasn't sure how long I'd been there, but I managed to get away. If you have the time…can you tell me what happened?" Risai just nodded, still feeling a little nervous about this.

"Okay, let's see…" She began telling him about the war, about what had happened after he died. She mentioned some of their battles, some of their missions, and she mentioned how Toran and Rose had disappeared. She also mentioned what had happened to her, but she kept out the parts about Rose and Toran becoming leaders for the Backdraft. After all, the agent project had always been a touchy subject for Rainer, especially since nearly fifty people had died because of it. The last thing he needed to know was that that project had nearly gotten even more people killed. She told him how the Gordon family had become the leaders of the ZBC after his death. Rainer had once been the proud, dedicated owner of the newly formed Zoid Battle Commission. His father had been the initial creator, but after his sad death, everything had gone downhill. Rainer had become its leader at the young age of nineteen, and up until his supposed death, he had done a great job.

She began telling him about some of the other things that had happened. She explained how she had been registered under the Backdraft, how she had been brainwashed, and how she owed her life to a rather small ground of people. She had so much to tell him. They had about a hundred years to catch up on, and Rainer seemed to want every detail. She'd give him everything, and then she'd do her best to explain what her life was like now. It would be hard on him, she knew it. After all…he and Toran were the only agents left.

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"Any luck?" asked Taban over his cell phone, hoping for a positive report.

"Nothing," responded Miharu. "No one seems to know anything. It's like he just disappeared."

"What about the ZBC?"

"They have absolutely no clue. Charles is looking into it, but so far, he's found nothing." Taban just sighed a bit, realizing that they were getting nowhere fast. They had to find at least some information on Toran. Even though they weren't agents anymore, they had an obligation to finish what they started. The world would be better off without agents, and he was the last one alive. They needed to get rid of him somehow, but that seemed impossible. If he managed to get his zoid back, they'd have a serious problem on their hands. They weren't any match for an agent piloting an ultimate X. They'd have to think of something and soon.

"I can try some more places if you want," she said.

"No, that's alright," he said. "Let's just meet back up at the city square, and we'll figure out what to do from there, alright?"

"Yeah, okay," she agreed. "Later."

"Bye." Taban ended his phone call and heaved a deep sigh, shoving his hands into his pockets and continuing on his merry way. He had a lot of ground to cover still. Toran couldn't have just disappeared. There were tons of people out looking for him. He probably had to stay hidden, which meant it'd only be harder to find him. After all, he could no longer roam around in public. He had to be careful where he went and what he did.

"Hey Taban," called a very familiar voice. Taban stopped and turned towards the voice, his eyes finding two very familiar people approaching him.

"Hello Bit, Leena," he greeted. "Out running errands?"

"Not really," answered Leena. "We're just out. The base was getting dull. Jamie was working on his Raynos and dad was playing with his models. They're both so boring sometimes." Taban just laughed a bit at that. Maybe this was what he needed. He'd been so stressed today, what with Toran's escape and all.

"What are you doing out here?" asked Bit. "Shouldn't you guys be preparing for your battle tomorrow?"

"We'll be fine," he answered confidently. "We have more important matters to attend to."

"Like Toran?" asked Leena softly, as if the man's name alone could summon a thunderstorm. Toran had caused her and Bit a lot of grief in the past. It was no wonder she feared him so.

"Yeah," Taban answered just as softly. "We can't seem to find anything out. It's like he just disappeared."

"Relax," said Bit. "You'll find something out, I'm sure of it.

"Wish I had that kind of confidence." Taban just sighed again. "Anyway, I'm gonna meet up with Miharu, and we'll probably head out for an early dinner. Wanna come with?"

"Sure, why not," said Leena cheerfully. Taban just smiled and began heading down the street with Bit and Leena in tow. They needed to just relax for a bit. This whole incident really had him strung up. It was time to take a breather. When they got home again, then they could discuss their plan of action. Right now, however, he just needed a break from all of this. Even though he wasn't an agent anymore, things hadn't gotten any easier. It seemed like they were still needed. Something told him that things were only about to get more complicated.

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After about a half an hour, Risai had filled Rainer in on everything he had missed. She had explained the ending of the war, the beginning of zoid battles, and how everything had started changing for the better. However, she hadn't yet mentioned her new life. She just didn't want to let him down yet. She had to find the right time to do that.

"So…" he began, looking around a bit. "This is your team's base?"

"Yeah," she responded softly. Rainer stood up and began looking around. Sitting on a nearby mantle were some picture frames, so he walked over and started looking at them.

"Could you tell me who these people are?" Risai got up and went over to him, taking a good look at the pictures nearby.

"These people here," she pointed out, "belong to the Blitz team. That's Bit, Leena, Jamie, and Doctor Toros. Brad used to be on their team, but he joined ours about six months ago. That's Naomi Fluegel, the person who originally started this team. We all just kind of joined her. The people next to her are Rick, Meiyuu, and Mattei. They're members of the Fire Star team. And there, standing next to me, Taban, and Miharu, is Leon Toros. He's Leena's brother."

"Okay," said Rainer, doing his best to take this all in. He still felt that there was something she wasn't telling him. She seemed a little nervous, much different from the confident, cocky Risai he had known from the war. Maybe his death had changed her. Maybe the war had changed her. "When was this picture taken?"

"Six months ago…at the end of the war between the ZBC and the Backdraft."

"Well, I suppose I should try to remember them, huh?" He turned to her and smiled. His eyes and that smile could easily melt any girl's insides, and Risai had once been very susceptible to his charms, but that was all in the past. She had moved on. "You know, I never gave up. I kept going…because I wanted to see you again." He moved a bit closer to her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "You're still just how I remember. You look exactly the same. Nothing's changed." He bent down a bit, attempting to kiss her, but she turned her head away, causing him to stop. "Is something wrong?"

"Rainer…" she began sadly. "You…you died." She turned back to him, her eyes seeming rather sad, as if she pitied him. "I spent a hundred years by myself, afraid and alone. I missed you so much, and I never thought things would ever get better, but…" A small smile crossed her face. "They did. Thanks to those people, thanks to my new family…I was able to get on with my life. I stopped living in the past. I'm sorry Rainer, but things have changed. We can't just pick up where we left off." She suddenly felt incredibly guilty when she saw how disappointed and hurt he looked.

"But how?" he began, confused. "You're an agent, and we made rules, remember? An agent can't be with anyone but another agent."

"Things have changed," she echoed. "Rainer…I'm not an agent anymore."

"Of course you are," he said, releasing her shoulders. "Your eyes are still the same. You're still an agent. You have to be."

"Rainer…take a good look at that picture." Rainer turned towards the mantle again, seeing the pictures there. He saw one that was just of Miharu, Taban, and Risai. He moved closer and took a good long look at it. His eyes suddenly widened. Miharu and Taban no longer had blue eyes.

"But that's…" he began, his voice trembling.

"Six months ago…after the war," she began, "we were given permission to end our term as agents. Rose had built a machine that could change us back, and we all used it."

"H-how could you do this?" he asked, sounding ashamed of her. "I waited for you. Why couldn't you do the same for me?"

"I'm sorry," she said, "but we all thought…we were sure you had died." She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, but he didn't say anything more. He just stood there, his head down, his cerulean eyes focused solely on the floor. He felt like a complete idiot right now. Why had he even assumed that she'd still be interested in him? It had been over a hundred years. It was only natural that she had moved on. Why had he expected anything different?

"I'm sorry," he began. "I didn't mean to startle you by coming here." He turned around to face her, his eyes still seeming rather sad. "I'm just glad you're doing alright. I'm glad you've managed to make a life for yourself as a zoid warrior. That's what you always wanted, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," she said, a smile gracing her face. "Thanks for understanding."

"Just…tell me something, and be honest, okay?" Risai just nodded and waited patiently for him to continue. He took in a deep breath and looked her straight in the eyes. "Is there someone else?" Risai just blushed a bit and avoided his eyes, feeling nervous. This wasn't something you normally discussed with the guy you used to like. However, Rainer wasn't exactly an ex-boyfriend. They had never actually broken up. He had been her deceased boyfriend, but now just what was he? They probably didn't have a word for this kind of thing. After all, it wasn't everyday that a dead person came back to life.

"I'll take that as a yes," he stated as he turned and began heading for the door. "And don't worry, I won't go into a jealous rage or anything." He turned and gave her a sad smile. "You know I'm not like that. Just be happy, okay?"

"Okay," she said, watching as he opened the door.

"I guess I'll see you around sometime. Goodbye, Risai."

"Bye…" And with that, he left her base, closing the door behind him. Risai instantly slumped down into a nearby chair, her eyes a bit wide still from this whole encounter. What was she supposed to do now? This would definitely complicate things. She couldn't keep this a secret, after all. Taban and Miharu had a right to know, but she already decided that if she did tell anyone, it'd be only them. She didn't need to complicate anyone else's life, and she didn't exactly want to tell Leon. They were still both new to this whole relationship, and they didn't need Rainer complicating that. It's not like she was going to cheat on him or anything, but she knew the situation would make him uncomfortable. She needed to figure this out on her own first and then she'd perhaps tell him. She just had to make sure she told him before he encountered Rainer himself. A relationship was based off of trust, after all, and she didn't need Leon thinking that she didn't trust him enough to tell him things like this. God, this is so confusing! Now not only do I have Toran to worry about, but now my romantic life could be in trouble. Why do these things keep happening? I have to think of something…but at least I know one thing for sure. I love Leon…and that's not going to change, not now…not ever.

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Okay, there ya go. Happy. I hope you are. That was pretty fun to write, actually. I'll try to stop neglecting my fanfiction, okay?

Don't forget to review!

Until the next time, bye!