Several months later
"Isn't she beautiful?"
"She's a Angel. They're always beautiful."
"Mines the best though."
"I'm sure there's a Goddess somewhere that would argue that."
"Oh whatever."
"So what did you name her? Tinker Bell?"
"SENTARO! THAT IS JUST MEAN!"
"What? Mom and Grandma's angels have Bell in them. Are you saying yours is too good to do the same?"
"Well no..."
"So what's it's name?"
"Trinity."
"WHAT!" Sentaro stared at his sister, "Have you been watching those old movies of Dad's again?"
"No." Kristine said in a huff, stroking her angel's wings "She told me what she'd be called."
"I still think it's a wacky name Onee-chan."
Kristine and Trinity both glared at Sentaro. "Oh stuff it brat."
"You can't call me that! You're a first class!"
Kristine clenched her hands into fists while she closed her eyes and growled. Trinity mimicked her goddess' actions. Sentaro crossed his arms and smirked.
"I want you to apologize."
Kristine's eyes snapped open as she glared at Sentaro.
"I'm waiting."
"I'm...sorry." Kristine said finally, her angel vanishing inside of her.
"Good." Sentaro turned and skipped out of the room.
"Brat." Kristine muttered as she moved into the kitchen. She pulled a plate out of the cupboard and set it on the counter, intending to make herself lunch. As she reached into the fridge, she heard a strange hissing noise behind her.
"Eh?" Kristine turned around.
"Stupid Onee-chan." Sentaro muttered as he walked into his room. "Just because she's a goddess she gets all the cool stuff."
He climbed onto his bed and stared up at the ceiling.
"Why couldn't I be a god great-grandfather?" he said towards the ceiling, "Why do I have to be a mortal?"
The ceiling did not reply. Instead, Sentaro heard a loud crash from the kitchen.
"Don't break things!" Sentaro called out, "Dad and Mom will be pissed!"
Unlike other times, he failed to get a response.
"Onee-chan?"
Still no replied.
Starting to worry, Sentaro climbed out of his bed and went down the stairs.
"Onee-chan if you're playing I'm going to..." His voice trailed off as he entered the kitchen.
Kristine lay facedown on the floor, a plate shattered beside her. Sentaro raced to her side.
"Onee-chan!" he cried as he rolled her onto her back. Her eyes were partially open, but there was no life in them. Sentaro placed his ear against her chest and listened carefully. He could still hear her heart beating. Wasting no time, Sentaro ran to the phone and dialed a number.
"MOM!" Sentaro hollered into the phone, "Kris is hurt! She's on the floor and isn't waking up! Mom?"
"WHERE IS SHE!" came a call from the living room.
Sentaro hung up the phone and called out.
"In here Mom!"
Sayoko raced into the kitchen and fell to her knees at her daughters side.
"Kris!" Sayoko called out, "Kris wake up!"
The young goddess remained still.
"What happened?" Sayoko asked her son.
"I don't know." Sentaro replied, "I was upstairs and heard the plate crash. I came down and found her like this."
Sayoko closed her eyes and moved her hand over Kristine's body. After a few moments, her eyes opened.
"Her Angel is gone." She said quietly.
"Gone?" Sentaro repeated, "How can it be gone? She just got it!" He then looked around. "Is it lying around somewhere or..."
"Not like that." Sayoko said, "She can't lose it like that." She looked back down at her daughter. "It's like it's been removed somehow." Sayoko then looked at her son. "Help me move her to her room."
"Yes Mom."
The two each took an arm and gently carried the limp goddess to her room. There, they laid her down on her bed.
"Stay here and keep an eye on her." Sayoko said, "I need to make a call."
Sentaro nodded and Sayoko left the room. She quickly moved downstairs and went to the phone. She dialed a number that was well known to her.
"Mom? It's Yoko. Something's happened to Kris." Sayoko winced at her mother's reply. "No I don't know what happened! Sentaro says he found her collapsed and..."
Sayoko's voice trailed off as she heard a hissing noise behind her. Sayoko turned and her eyes widened.
"...my goddess."
Sentaro stared at his sister.
"Come on Onee-chan." He said, "Wake up. I'm sorry I made fun of your angel."
Kristine remained still.
"Wake up Kris!" Sentaro shouted.
The only reply he got was a loud thump from downstairs.
"Mom!" Sentaro called out.
He received no reply.
"Oh no." Sentaro quickly ran down the stairs. Laying beside the phone was his mother. Like Kristine, her eyes were blank.
"Mom!" Sentaro shook Sayoko, but got know response.
"HELLO! HELLO!"
Sentaro looked over at the phone receiver in his mother's hands. He tugged it loose and lifted it to his ear.
"Hello?"
"Sentaro!" he heard his Grandmother's voice, "Where is your mother!"
"She's laying here unconscious Grandma." Sentaro said, his voice shaking, "She's like Kris. I'm scared Grandma."
"Everything will be alright." Belldandy said softly to her grandson. "Did your mother say anything to you when she saw Kris?"
"She said her Angel was gone." Sentaro replied, "How could it be gone?"
"Alright." Belldandy said, "Everything will be alright. I'll be there shortly, ok?"
"Ok Grandma."
Belldandy hung up the phone, then rose from her desk. She immediately headed out of her office and past her assistant's desk. Cayla quickly rose and raced to keep up with the elder goddess.
"Milady?"
"Cancel everything I have for the rest of the day." Belldandy said, "Call my sisters and have them meet me at the house. Then call my son and have him get himself, Lime, and Otaru Jr to the house as well."
"Yes Milady." Cayla replied, "Anything else?"
"Contact Hild." Belldandy said, "Ask her for the current status of the Tenshikui."
Cayla looked at Belldandy curiously, but went off to comply with her orders.
Belldandy exited the Main Control building and headed towards the training grounds. There, Valkyries in various stages of training went through their daily exercises. Belldandy walked up to one of the instructors.
"I'm looking for Lind." Belldandy said.
"She's over there with her trainee." the instructor replied, pointing towards a small hill with a tree on it's top.
Belldandy thanked the trainer then walked towards the hill. As she got closer, she could see three figures sitting beneath the tree. One was the auburn haired Demoness Mana. Beside her, in a Valkyrie uniform, sat Mana's adoptive daughter Dawn. They sat before a blue haired Goddess that was the subject of Belldandy's travel here: Lind, the fighting Goddess.
The three were sitting cross-legged, eyes (or eye in Mana's case) closed. All three seemed to be in deep meditation.
"Lind." Belldandy said softly.
The blue haired goddess opened her eyes and looked up at Belldandy.
"Tenshikui might be loose on Terra 2." Belldandy stated.
Lind's eyes widened, while Mana's snapped open.
"Tenshikui?" Mana repeated, "But that's been locked away in Hell for the past..."
"I know the last time it was out." Belldandy said, "Hild and Mara released it."
"Has it...?" Mana started to ask. Her question died off at the look on Belldandy's face.
"Sayoko and Kristine have fallen to it." Belldandy said softly, "Keima, Lime, and Otaru should be at my house by now." Belldandy looked back at Lind. "You know what I'm going to ask of you."
Lind nodded and rose to her feet.
"I will go." Lind stated.
"Wait a second." Mana said, leaping to her feet. "You can't defeat it! It'll take your Angels as well."
"I have fought and defeated it before," Lind said, "I will do so again."
"Well I'm coming too." Mana said, crossing her arms. "I should be unaffected by Tenshikui and it should obey my commands. Besides, I can open a gate to Hell for it."
Lind nodded, then looked at Belldandy.
"Will the Guardians be going with us?"
Belldandy shook her head.
"A situation has developed on one of the other colony worlds. It's possible it's a demonic problem."
Mana frowned. She hadn't heard of Hild planning anything big that would get the attention of the Heavens. Of course, it could be some Demon trying to make a name for himself. Earth and the other Colony worlds were not under the no 'demon interference' rule as Terra 2 was.
"We'll leave for Terra 2 immediately." Belldandy said.
"We?" Lind echoed.
"I intend to join you."
"But Belldandy! You can't! You're a council member! Without any Guardian's present..."
"I'll have you and a Valkyrie to protect me, as well as Mana." Belldandy said.
Mana and Lind looked at each other.
"What Valkyrie?" Mana asked.
Belldandy pointed. The two turned and followed Belldandy's finger to Dawn, who still sat with her eyes closed.
"Dawnie?" Mana asked.
Dawn's only response was to let out a small snore. Mana placed her head in her hands while Lind scowled. Belldandy let out a chuckle.
"It appears your meditations have put her to sleep."
Mana reached out and gave Dawn a shove.
"WAHHHH!" Dawn cried out as she landed flat on her back. Just as quickly she sat back up. "WHAT WAS THAT FOR!" she shouted. She then noticed Lind scowling, as well as Belldandy's presence.
"Lady Belldandy!" Dawn said, eyes wide. She then looked at Mana. "When did she get here?"
"Probably while you were asleep." Mana replied.
"I wasn't asleep!"
"Then why were you snoring?"
"I..." Dawn's face turned red, she then looked down. "I'm sorry."
"Don't worry about it." Mana said, "Lind will make you work that much harder now."
Dawn let out a groan. Belldandy chuckled again.
"Come on." She said, "We should go."
Lind stood up and started to follow Belldandy back down the hill. Dawn stood up, then helped Mana to her feet.
"Where are we going?" Dawn asked.
"Terra 2." Mana replied, "And your first mission as a Valkyrie."
Terra 2
Sentaro let out a sigh as he sat down on the floor in his sister's room. He'd carried/dragged his mother's body up the stairs and laid her down beside his sister on the bed.
"Mom," Sentaro said, "I love you, but you're heavy."
"That's not a nice thing to say about your mother."
Sentaro turned around to see his Grandmother staring at him through the mirror on the wall.
"Grandma!"
Belldandy floated through the mirror, followed closely behind by Lind, whom Sentaro had only seen once or twice, and a Valkyrie. A second later, a loud boom echoed from outside. This was followed by footsteps coming into the house, then up the stairs. Through the doorway stepped Mana, one of his favorite Aunties.
Belldandy moved beside the two comatose goddesses and looked them over. She then glanced at Sentaro.
"Have they moved at all?"
Sentaro shook his head.
Belldandy glanced back at Lind and the Valkyrie.
"We'll begin the search." Lind said.
"Be careful." Belldandy said, "You will be targeted by Tenshikui."
Sentaro looked at his Grandmother curiously, then back at Lind. Lind barely reacted.
"I am well aware." Lind said. She then turned and walked out of the room.
"Go with her Dawn." Belldandy said.
"But..." Dawn began, not wanting to leave the Elder Goddess undefended, something that as a Valkyrie, she had been told many times was undesirable.
"I'm here Dawn." Mana said, "She'll be fine."
Dawn gave Belldandy one more worried glance, then bowed slightly and followed after Lind.
"She'll be fine." Belldandy said, "She doesn't have an Angel."
"I know." Mana replied, "Shouldn't we have at least gotten more Valkyries? Or at least gotten Arael here?"
"Arael is with the Guardians." Belldandy replied, "and they are unable to assist us. For now, we are on our own."
"What about Keima and your Sisters?"
Belldandy's eyes narrowed slightly. She then looked away from Mana and down at her daughter and grandchild.
"I will lose no more family members to Tenshikui."
For one of the few times in his life, Sentaro was truly afraid of his Grandmother. Not from what she had said, but how her voice sounded with anger when she said it.
"So where can we find the tenshe...uhh...?" Dawn stumbled over the name as she and Lind stepped out of the house.
"Tenshikui." Lind said, "Angel-Eater if you prefer."
"Right. Where do we look for it?"
Lind paused, then turned and looked back at the house.
"It never left." Lind said, "It's still here."
Dawn looked at Lind, then back at the house.
"Where?" she asked.
"That is the problem." Lind replied, "We need to look at everything here. It could hide in anything, and anyone."
Dawn turned and looked back at Lind.
"Anyone?"
"Yes."
"What about Sentaro?"
Lind's eyes widened.
"Will they be alright?" Sentaro asked.
"Once their Angels are returned, they'll be fine." Belldandy replied.
Mana stared at the comatose goddesses.
"I still don't get how Tenshikui got out."
Belldandy looked over at the Demoness.
"I had Cayla contact Hild. Maybe you should call her."
"Maybe I..." Mana's voice trailed off. A strange hissing noise could be heard from the hallway. Belldandy's eyes widened as the noise reached her ears.
"What's that?" Sentaro asked.
"Trouble." Mana said, running to the doorway. Coming towards her up the hallway was the Tenshikui. It moved forward carried by it's spider like legs. It's body curved back over itself. In it's pincer's it carried an Angel that Mana recognized as Morning Bell.
"Release the Angel." Mana ordered. "I command you!"
The Tenshikui hissed at Mana.
"I told you to release the Angel." Mana repeated, "That is an Order!"
The Tenshikui hissed and formed a ball of energy before it. Mana's eyes widened.
"Oh shit."
With roar, Tenshikui sent forth an energy blast that engulfed Mana and continued right through the rest of the house. Belldandy covered Sentaro with her body as the beam ripped past the bedroom door. Belldandy lifted her head and looked towards the now scorched doorway. The hissing noise could be heard again. Soon, the creature came into view. It immediately spotted Belldandy. It immediately emitted the Angel call of help. In reply, Belldandy's angel, Blessed Bell, burst forth from her and started towards the Tenshikui.
"BLESSED BELL!" Belldandy shouted out. "NOOOO!"
The Tenshikui reached out to grab the incoming Angel, only to be denied when a blur zipped past and took the Angel with it. The Tenshikui roared in rage at being denied it's prize. It glared at Belldandy and began to form another ball of energy. Before it could let it fly, Dawn blew through the bedroom wall, grabbed Belldandy and Sentaro, then pulled them through the window with a crash shattered glass. Right behind her was Lind, pulling the comatose Goddesses.
They had just hit the ground when the energy blast ripped through the side of the house, and off into the distance.
"That thing is pissed." Dawn said, releasing her grip on Belldandy and Sentaro.
"Indeed." Lind replied, setting her burdens on the ground.
Belldandy looked back at Lind.
"Blessed Bell?"
Lind pointed. Belldandy spotted her angel, as well as one of Lind's floating just off in the distance. They seemed to be hovering over a specific spot.
"I believe they have found Mana." Lind said.
"Good." Belldandy bent over and pulled her daughter onto her back. "Dawn, you and Sentaro take Kristine. We're going to the Angels."
Dawn looked at Belldandy curiously.
"What about...? Dawn pointed her thumb back at the house. From inside another roar could be heard from the Tenshikui, followed by another energy blast.
"It will be fine for now." Belldandy said, "We need to regroup."
Kensuke sat in the fully reclined passenger seat of the car, watching the clouds move by through the sunroof. Celes kept her red eyes on the road, watching out for oncoming traffic as well as anything out of the ordinary.
Kensuke sighed.
"This Shogun seems to want to make my life difficult." He remarked.
Celes took a moment to glance over at him.
"So he wants to build a ship to try and make contact with Earth?" she said, "I don't see what's wrong with that."
"That's were we get the problem. There are all these fundamentalist groups out there in every damn city-state that have something to say about it. One group says we need to develop here, forget about other planets.. Another thinks we should go back and conquer Earth. One group thinks that Gartlant should lead the charge to reestablish contact. Another one basically summed up it's position by saying fuck Earth, lets colonize another planet." Kensuke ran his hand through his hair. "Lots of people are unhappy that the Shogun has even suggested this."
"So we protect him as always." Celes replied. They drove in silence for a bit, then Celes spoke again. "What do you think?"
"I actually kind of agree with the Shogun." Kensuke said, "Reestablishing contact with Earth would help improve things here, as Earth is a bit more advanced in some areas, were as Terra 2 is advanced in others."
"And how do you know that?"
"I do know a Goddess who can travel back and forth." Kensuke replied, "And you were on Earth not to long ago."
"True."
Kensuke sighed as he gazed back outside the car.
"It would be nice to get a few things." He said, "Sayoko can only bring so much here before people start to wonder. Then I have to adjust what I say regarding movies and music because most of the people here have never heard of it."
"I know the feeling." Celes replied wistfully. Suddenly something darted out into the road. Celes slammed on the brakes and turned the wheel hard to the side. The car's tires squealed as they slid in a direction they had not been designed to go. The car slid across the road and off into the grass, bouncing as it went over ruts and rocks. Finally, the car came to a stop.
"Shit." Celes muttered.
"What the hell did you do that for?" Kensuke asked, "I about had a heart attack!"
"Benefit of being a vampire is I don't have to worry about that." Celes said as she climbed out of the car.
"You're all heart Celes."
Celes walked back to the road and looked back. The thing that had caused her to go off road still stood their, looking rather sheepish.
"I'm sorry." Dawn said with a squeak.
Celes sighed and ran her hand through her hair. Kensuke had walked up to her by this point. He looked down at Dawn, then looked back at Celes.
"Why is there a Valkyrie standing in the middle of the road?"
Celes looked back at Kensuke.
"She was trying to get to the other side?"
"Funny." Kensuke turned back to address the Valkyrie, when he noticed she had been joined by a goddess whom he knew well. Very well considering she was his mother-in-law.
"Belldandy?" he asked.
"Hello Kensuke." Belldandy replied.
"What's going on?" he asked, "Why are you here? Sayoko's at the house and..."
"Actually," Belldandy said, raising a hand, "She's not."
"What?"
Belldandy let out a soft sigh.
"Celes, go get the car and follow. We have a very lengthy explanation and you should be there to hear it all."
Kensuke and Celes stared wide eyed at Belldandy as she finished her story. Off to the side, Dawn helped Mana bandage the burns on her arms, caused by the attack from the Tenshikui. Lind sat beside the two comatose goddesses, now laying on the grass.
"So this Angel Eater is now loose on Terra 2?" Celes asked, "What about Keima and Otaru Jr? Won't they be..."
"I had Keima, Lime, and my grandson go up to heaven." Belldandy said, "They are in no danger. Also..." Belldandy continued, cutting off another Celes question. "..the people of this world are in no danger. The Tenshikui only goes after those with Angels. Only myself and Lind are threatened."
"So why are you still here?" Kensuke asked, "Shouldn't you be up in Heaven?"
"Because I've faced this creature before." Belldandy replied, "as has Lind. We both intend to see this creature sent back to Hell where it belongs."
"That's where I come in." Mana called out.
"But just you three versus that creature?" Kensuke asked.
Lind shrugged. "Last time we faced it, there was just me, a mortal, and a teenaged goddess to fight it. That was with the Queen of Hell herself there to control the Tenshikui."
"So how are we going to stop the Angel Eater?" Celes asked.
"Yeah." Kensuke added, "And get my girls' angels back?"
"The Tenshikui will be lured to us," Belldandy said, "Then Karen will pull out the Angel's and..."
"Karen?" Kensuke interrupted.
Mana's devil rose from out of her back and waved.
"Oh..."
"...then," Belldandy continued, "once the Angels have been freed, Mana will open a portal to send it back to Hell."
"But how are you going to get the thing to come near you?" Celes asked.
"We'll use bait of course." Lind said.
"Bait?"
Belldandy and Lind clasped their hands together. Out of Belldandy's back came Blessed Bell. From Lind's came Spear Mint and Cool Mint.
"Bait." Lind said.