Interludes
Interlude 1 – Neon Genesis: Mortal
2970
A red head moved quietly around a living room. As she moved, she picked up small things that had been tossed aside by a child, books, toys. It was a teddy bear that caught her eye.
It was old, almost one thousand years. Yet in all that time, it had but three owners.
The red head smiled at the memory of the first owner of the bear. She could still see the smiling face of that owner vividly in her mind, as if she had but seen the owner yesterday, instead of 400 years before.
"Yui?"
Yui Ikari, Guardian of Heaven turned around to see her father, Shinji Ikari, also a Guardian of Heaven, standing at the entrance of hall.
"Father." Yui said with a nod.
"Why are you awake?" Shinji asked.
Yui shrugged. "I just couldn't sleep."
"Your Mother would be worried if she saw you like this." Shinji said softly.
"Which one?" Yui replied, a hint of sadness in her voice.
"Both." Shinji replied, "Besides, your sister looks up to you. What kind of an example are you setting for her?"
Yui sighed. He was right of course. Though, the thought of her younger sister didn't drive the thoughts of earlier from her head. Shinji seemed to sense this. He walked beside her and placed his hands on the teddy bear.
"I miss her too." He said softly, "Both of them." He then moved his hands to her shoulders. "Tomorrow is a big day. You'll need plenty of rest for it."
Yui nodded. "Yes Father."
Shinji watched as his daughter moved down the hall and into her room. Just as her door closed, another silently opened. A blue haired woman limped into the hall.
"Is everyone having problems sleeping tonight?" Shinji asked.
"Perhaps." Rei Ikari, Shinji's sister and also a Guardian of Heaven, replied, "Everyone has problems sleeping this time of year. The Norns most of all."
"I suppose they would." Shinji agreed. With a sigh he glanced at the clock on a shelf. His eyes wondered slightly to the pictures beside it.
"What do you think she'd say?" Shinji asked, his voice barely a whisper.
"Every year you ask the same question." Rei said, her eyes following Shinji's towards the shelf. "Every year I reply the same. She told you to be happy. She told you to find someone. She didn't want you to spend the rest of eternity alone." Rei then smiled slightly. "Sometimes I wonder, if she knew what was going to happen to her, and made sure you did have someone."
Shinji scowled. "Somehow I doubt that. She knew I hated to be manipulated."
"And yet look who you ended up with." Rei replied, "I suppose though if you asked, she'd deny it."
Shinji didn't reply. Rei turned and headed towards her room.
"Good night Shinji." She said, "Tomorrow is going to be long and hard for everyone."
Shinji said nothing and soon was alone in the living room. He stood for a moment, staring at pictures from many years before. Then he turned and headed back towards the bedroom. He entered the room quietly, trying not to awaken the individual he shared the room with. A quick glance showed that the individual was female, her hair, it's color unknown due to the darkness, flowed over the sheets. He moved to his side of the bed and had just started to pull back the covers when a female voice broke the silence.
"Is Yui alright?"
Shinji sat down on the bed. The woman immediately wrapped her arms around him.
"She misses her mother." Shinji said.
"I miss her too." The woman replied, "I wish she was still with us."
Shinji gave her a slight smirk.
"Both of you at the same time? Are you trying to kill me?"
The woman scowled and punched his shoulder.
"That's not what I meant Hentai."
"Well," Shinji replied, "At least I would've died happy."
"No more talk of dying."
"Yes my Queen." Shinji replied.
The woman let out a sigh.
"And you can knock that off too." She said, "I get called that every single damn day." She rolled back and rested her head on the pillow. "I never wanted to be Queen." She then glanced at Shinji. "Just as I never wanted to be your wife." Seeing the look on his face, she quickly added. "At least not in the way it happened."
Shinji patted her hand.
"I know what you meant." He said as he laid down beside her. He reached over and pulled her beside him. She rolled over and rested her head on his chest. She closed her eye, and listened to Shinji's heartbeat. She found it soothing.
"What do you think she'd say about this?" Shinji asked.
"I don't know."
"Are you lying?"
"Do you really want to know?"
"No." Shinji replied.
The woman snuggled in next to Shinji even more.
"Good night Shinji." She said softly.
Shinji smiled as he glanced down at the auburn haired woman.
"Good night Mana."
Interlude 2 – Neon Genesis: Demon
2970
Yui Ikari, Guardian of Heaven, watched from the second floor balcony of the auditorium. The room was far from full. At one time, Gods and Goddesses filled the auditorium to near bursting.
Now the first floor itself was more then enough to hold the few Gods and Goddesses that could attend the ceremony. The rest remained on the front lines.
Yui watched as her father and step-mother entered with her four year old half-sister. Though her father had wanted her to be with the rest of the family, Yui had declined, stating she wished to be there for the Goddess Kristine. Surprisingly, Mana had supported her.
If only she knew the real reason for Yui's absence.
Yui turned her attention back to the door of the auditorium. Now entering was Urd and Skuld, supporting a very frail looking Belldandy. Yui sighed at the sight of the Council Member's current state. It had begun nearly two hundred years before when the Rogue Demons had attacked the Earth. Valkyries and the Guardians had been dispatched, but during the battle, all mortals everywhere, on Earth, Terra 2, Heaven, Hell, they all vanished. Keima, still living on Terra 2, vanished as well. Belldandy was frantic. She had her sisters scouring Yggdrasil for any sign of the mortals, most especially her missing family.
Then just when they thought it couldn't get any worse, it did.
Yui could still remember the night. She had just arrived back in Heaven with Arael when she found out that her mother was in the infirmary. Arriving at the infirmary, she was met by Mana, Sayoko, Skuld, and Peorth. That was when she was told.
Touji Suzuhara, also a Guardian of Heaven, was dead. Rei Ikari, Yui's aunt, was severely injured, as was her mother, Asuka. Her father, Shinji, had somehow brought them both back to the Heaven before collapsing from exhaustion.
Rei survived the night.
Asuka did not.
Before she died, Asuka had spoken with Mana alone. Only after speaking with Mana had Asuka called in her husband and daughter.
An hour later she was gone.
Yui was pulled out of her memories by the sound of footsteps behind her. She glanced to the side to see Dawn, Valkyrie and half sister to her, as well as Kristine.
"I'd ask how things were going," Dawn said, "but I already know things suck."
"You don't know the half of it." Yui replied. She turned to Kristine, "How's Belldandy?"
Kristine sighed. "Grandma doesn't talk much anymore. When she does, she's calling out for Grandpa, or Mom, or Uncle Keima."
Yui turned and looked down at the Goddess in question.
"Deep down she knows they are gone." Kristine continued, "but a part of her refuses to give up hope."
"Better then Mana I suppose." Yui said softly.
"What's wrong with Mana?" Dawn asked.
"As crazy as it sounds……" Yui said, slowly turning to face Kristine, "….she's been talking to your mother."
"Whaa?" Kristine asked confused.
"But Sayoko's been dead almost five years now." Dawn said.
"I know that." Yui replied, "I was there when we found her."
"So how can Mana be talking to my mother?" Kristine asked.
"I don't know. But she's been doing it awhile now, usually when she thinks no one else is around or within earshot." Yui waved her hand, "But that's not the reason we're meeting."
"What is it then?" Dawn asked.
Yui turned and looked down from the balcony at the gathered deities.
"We're losing." She finally said.
"What do you mean…..!" Dawn stated before Kristine gently grabbed her arm.
"Continue." Kristine said.
"We are losing more and more Gods, Goddesses, Valkyries, even Demons everyday." Yui said, "Mana and what's left of her loyal Demons were ejected from Hell. We haven't been able to fight back to the mortal realm." Yui looked back at Kristine and Dawn. "Everyday we become weaker and weaker. We can't replace our losses. Those Rogue Demons have an unlimited supply of reinforcements, at least they act like it."
Kristine and Dawn were silent. That silence dragged out several minutes.
"What do we do?" Dawn finally asked.
Yui looked back down at those gathered below.
"I intend to fight it out to the very end." She said, "If the Rogues are going to win, I want to make it as costly as I can for them." Yui then looked back at Kristine and Dawn. "But Yoko deserves better."
"What can we do though?" Dawn asked, "She's as much my sister as yours, but if what you say is true…….we won't be able to protect her."
"I know." Yui turned and looked back downward, this time singling out her sister. "That is why we must send her away."
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Mana knew Yui was up to something. She also knew that Kristine and Dawn were in on it.
Those three had been at the center of something for almost five hundred years now. Mana had tried to discover what they were up to. Even Sayoko, when she was alive, tried to figure it out. Neither could find out anything.
Not that Sayoko wasn't still trying.
Mana knew she wasn't crazy. She still had her full mental capacity as far as she was concerned. She also knew full well that Sayoko was in fact dead. Sayoko herself knew she was dead.
But that didn't stop Mana from talking to Sayoko, nor did it stop the Goddess from talking to the Demoness.
Yes, Mana could see Sayoko Aida, formerly Goddess Class Zero, Unlimited, now deceased. Mana was also sure her daughter, also named Sayoko though shortened to Yoko, could see the deceased Goddess. Yoko would always tell Mana about her 'special friend' that sang songs to her at night when she was scared.
It bothered her at first. Anyone would be bothered if they constantly saw someone they knew was dead walking around…… Celes Victoria was about the only exception. But Mana got used to it.
She and Sayoko had spent many nights trying to figure out why Mana and Yoko were the only ones that could see and talk to Sayoko, as well as trying to figure out why Sayoko was still here. They both finally agreed that it had to do with the events around Sayoko's death.
Mana blinked.
A softly glowing figure was moving past the front of the auditorium. She could just make out the features of the wall through the ghostly figure. Mana already knew who it was. She watched as the ghost form of Sayoko moved in front of her mother and knelt. She then rested her head on her mother's hands.
Mana let out a small sigh. She then felt a warm touch. A quick glance to the side revealed Shinji looking at her with a slightly worried expression. She gave a smile and squeezed his hand before returning her attention to the ghost of Sayoko. The ghost was staring at her. Mana stared back, then Sayoko nodded her head before vanishing.
She'd be back, Mana knew. There would be no sleep for Mana that night. She'd be busy talking to her friend.
It was the least she could do for her.
Interlude 3 – Neon Genesis – Vampire
2970
Mist, Commander of the Valkyries, sat in Yggdrasil control. Where once the massive screen had shown information on the universe the computer controlled, now it showed tactical displays.
Currently, the screen showed a map of the heavens, including the wall that surrounded it. Much of the wall was green, a few showed yellow. But several section were flashing red.
"Reinforcements to sectors 34, 35, 47, and 60." Mist called out.
"Yes ma'am." Chronos replied.
Mist smiled. Chronos was one of the few remaining Admins who knew what she was doing. Within minutes, those sections of the wall that had been flashing red, turned to yellow, then went to green.
Once again the heavens were safe, for now.
Mist glanced up at the current SysOp, Urd. The Goddess had a very troubled look on her face. She was troubled a lot these days, and Mist knew why in one word.
Belldandy.
Belldandy was becoming more and more distant since the loss of her husband. She was also becoming weaker and more frail by the day. Everyone watched what they said when she was near, and they made damn sure not to say the names 'Keiichi', 'Keima', or 'Sayoko'. The Goddess had also stopped talking to everyone.
Well, not everyone.
Belldandy would still talk to Kristine, which many thought was because the elder Goddess thought it was her daughter, instead of her granddaughter. Belldandy would also speak to Mana, the Queen of Hell, and Mana's daughter Sayoko.
Thinking about Mana brought something else to Mist's mind. Mana's 'other' daughters, Dawn and Yui. Technically, one was adopted and the other was a stepchild, but both women considered Mana a second mother. Either way, those two had been acting strange lately. Dawn, who had somehow been assigned to Mana's guard, was meeting secretly with Yui and Kristine. Mist only knew about it because she happened upon one of their clandestine meetings. She didn't hear quite what was said, but she saw enough to pay more attention to the three. She had a special program running in Yggdrasil that sent updates to her communicator, telling her exactly where all three were at anytime. Right now she knew exactly where one was. Kristine was working a terminal on one of the upper levels of Yggdrasil. What it was, Mist did not know. She had tried to find out, but was blocked out by a security clearance. In order to pass, one had to be a Norn, or a descendant of one. And at this time, there were only five, Belldandy, Urd, Skuld, Kristine, and Keima.
The screen was flashing red again. Mist directed her attention to it.
"Reinforcements to sectors 48, 49, 50, and 51."
"Yes Ma'am."
Mist watched the screen, waiting for the red to go yellow. Instead, the area of heaven right behind the flashing red went yellow. Mist sat up a bit straighter.
"Reinforcement status?" Mist called out.
"Enroute." Was Chronos' reply.
Now the yellow area was flashing red.
"Dammit!" Mist shouted, "Where are those reinforcements!"
Chronos typed away at her terminal frantically. She then looked up, her eyes wide.
"They're being overwhelmed." The Admin said.
"Full Alert!" Mist shouted, "Heavens have been breached! All Units to full active status."
As Mist watched, several more sections of wall began to flash red. Several more had areas behind the walls turn red with them. Mist pounded her terminal in frustration. Things were becoming very bad.
"All forces," she said, her voice breaking slightly, "Fall back to second defense line."
"Yes ma'am."
Mist stared at the screen as a new line appeared just outside the main city. These initially were yellow, but became green as units moved into position. Now the map was green again, only it was much smaller then before.
"Good job." Urd said.
"No." Mist said, "It isn't."
Urd pointed. "The boards green. They aren't getting in."
Mist sighed. "The only reason they aren't getting in is because we have a lot less territory to defend. As well as the fact the force we did have are now compacted closer together." She turned and looked up at the SysOp. "I've only delayed them. We have maybe another week or so before they weaken our forces enough to try that again." Mist looked at the map. "Our third and final defense line is this building." She looked back at Urd. "I don't expect to be alive when it reaches that point."
Urd stared stunned at Mist. "What!"
"If it looks like the second line is faltering." Mist explained, "I intend to personally lead the defense in the field."
"That's suicidal." Urd said.
"Not if it works." Mist said.
"We'll need you if the second line fails." Urd said, "We'll need you to lead the defense of this building."
"Urd," Mist said, "When it comes down to the third line, we won't have enough of anyone to hold out against the Demons for long. All they'll have to do is pound this building into rubble." Mist stood up. "I need to take a walk and clear my mind."
Mist walked away before Urd could reply. She moved silently to a back stair and headed to the upper levels. She then approached the terminal Kristine was working at.
"I don't know what your up to." Mist said, causing Kristine to jump in surprise. "I don't know what you, Yui, and Dawn have been discussing. I don't know if it will save us, or finish us off quicker. I just don't want to know. But I have one request."
"What's that?" Kristine asked.
"Hurry up." Mist replied, "I can only delay the Demons for so long. Whatever you're doing, you have at most a week, week and a half. Once they reach the third defense line, you will only have hours. After that……" Mist's voice trailed off.
"I understand." Kristine said softly.
Mist nodded and walked away.
For some reason, she felt like she'd just improved their chances of surviving.
Interlude 4 – Neon Genesis: Valkyrie
2970
The entire building rumbled as alarms screamed all over. Gods and Goddesses flew frantically about, trying to keep Yggdrasil in operation.
But they were losing that battle too.
Kristine typed frantically at an upper level terminal. Every now and then she stole a glance at the main screen. What she saw only made her type faster.
Gone was the map display of heaven. Now all that remained was a diagram of the main building. Several areas were already red, but not because Demons controlled them.
It was because they no longer existed.
Kristine gritted her teeth and continued to work at the terminal. She'd lost track of how long she'd been here, but she knew she had very little time left.
The terminal let off a chime and flashed something across the screen. Kristine read the screen, then smiled for the first time in months. She grabbed her communicator and flipped it to a special frequency.
"I've got it." She said, "What's a good place?"
"Is there such a place anymore?" a voice responded.
"Council chambers." Came a third voice.
"On my way." Kristine replied. She shut down her communicator and did one final looked around the control room. Everyone was still running about frantically. Peorth was at the SysOp chair now, shouting out commands. Kristine's eyes slowly moved over to the chair nearby. The chair had been occupied by Mist until a day ago.
Now it would probably never be sat in again.
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Kristine walked out to the main entrance hall. From the control room level, she could see all the way down to the main floor. There, several Valkyries were still fighting to keep the Demonic armies out. The building then shuddered and several pieces of debris from higher up fell past Kristine. She quickly floated up and out over the main space, heading towards the level the council room resided on. There she hurried through the halls till she reached the huge council doors.
"Uhhh Kris?" came a voice over her communicator.
"I'm just outside the Council room." Kristine replied as she pushed the doors open.
"Yeah…..about that."
The doors opened wide and Kristine started forward, only instead of the council room, there was nothing.
"GAH!" Kristine stopped walking and pin wheeled her arms to keep from falling. Once she had her balance back, she looked around. The Council room seemed to have taken a hit at some point. Several stories above and below her position had collapsed.
"…the Council Chamber isn't there anymore." Came the voice over her communicator.
Kristine let out a few choice swear words in Norse she'd learn from her mother, then picked up her communicator.
"Where?" she asked.
"Terra 2 Office."
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Kristine walked down the hallway towards the Terra 2 office as she had so many times in the past 400 years or so. The Demon attacks outside had not affected this area yet, so the paintings of her family still remained. Kristine paused only briefly to look up at the paintings of her Uncle and Mother that lined the hall.
She reached the outer office and found Cayla's desk empty. She continued on to the door of her Grandmother's office and started to raise her hand to knock. She paused and mentally scanned the room. All she could detect was one Goddess, Cayla from the feel of it, and a Valkyrie, most likely Dawn.
Kristine entered the office and was able to confirm that Cayla and Dawn were present. Also there was Yui, whom as a Guardian she was unable to sense.
"Glad you could make it." Yui said.
"Considering I almost fell in the Council Room." Kristine replied.
"Yeah, That was my bad." Dawn said, "I forgot it wasn't there. Cayla had to remind me."
Kristine glanced over at her Grandmother's assistant.
"What is she doing here?"
"She's here because she can help us with things that would require a Council Member's access." Yui replied.
Kristine stared wide eyed at Cayla.
"I know all your Grandmother's codes and passwords." Cayla said softly, "I can help with what you are planning."
"What exactly are we planning?" Dawn asked, "Other then something to save Yoko."
Yui glanced at Kristine. "Could you explain?"
Kristine nodded.
"Using Yggdrasil," she began, "I've worked out a spell. I have the exact specifications of the Mandela we will have to make, including markings figures, power, and such." Kristine glanced up at Yui. "We will need Arael for this."
"Arael's not in the best shape right now." Yui said, "She's barely alive as it is."
"We'll need her," Kristine repeated, "As well as you, me, Dawn," She looked over at Cayla. "If you're in, we could use you too."
"I'm in." Cayla replied, "Anything to help Sayoko."
Everyone present winced at Cayla's use of the young goddesses given name.
"Cayla," Yui said, "for now, call her Yoko."
"Alright." Cayla replied, "But my I ask, what is the spell for?"
"We are going to send Yoko away." Yui replied, "To a place where she'll be safe."
Cayla blinked, "If it's so safe, why can't the rest of us go?"
"Because I've been working for the past week or more on making sure Yoko WILL survive there." Kristine said, "For the rest of us, it will be almost impossible."
Cayla blinked in confusion.
"And where is this place?"
Interlude 5 – Neon Genesis: Angel
Interlude 5
Mana sat silently on the couch in the living quarters assigned to Shinji, herself, and Yoko. Before her, Yui was explaining what she, Dawn, Kristine, and Cayla were planning to do. When Yui reached a point she was unsure of, one of the other three, usually Dawn, would explain further. Mana listened to everything they said, as well as their reasons. Once they had finished, Mana told then what she thought.
"I think you're crazy."
"Mana!" Yui said, "We've worked very hard on this. Hell, we've been planning for this possibility for years!"
"It's the only way we can be sure that Yoko will have a long and fulfilling life." Dawn added.
"You," Mana said, pointing at her 'daughters', "want me to send away 'your' sister. Send her away from everyone she knows, from everything she knows." Mana rose from the couch, her pose was very menacing, as was the fact her eye had begun to glow red. "Send her away from everyone that LOVES HER!"
Cayla and Kristine backed away from Mana, but Yui and Dawn stared down their 'mother'.
"If she stays here," Yui said, very slowly, "She will die. But she will also see everyone she knows and loves, die, as well as everything be destroyed. Do you really want to her to see that."
Mana's eye returned to it's normal green.
"She won't see it because it's not going to happen." Mana stated.
Yui's eyes went wide.
"What do you mean?"
"Heaven won't fall." Mana replied.
"Won't fall?" Yui stared at Mana incredulously, "Look around you Mana! All we have left is this building! The only reason we aren't dead yet is because Mist trained her Valkyries damn well!"
Mana's eye began to glare again.
"Heaven will not fall." Mana repeated. She then turned and left the room for her bedroom.
"Heaven fell once before to the demons!" Yui shouted, "There isn't an army of Demons to save us this time!"
Mana gave one final glare at Yui before slamming the bedroom door.
"I don't believe this!" Yui shouted, kicking the couch. "We're doing this in Yoko's best interest and she……."
"…….is also doing what she thinks is in Yoko's best interests." Dawn interrupted, "Remember, she raised me back when I was mortal. She was very protective of me."
"This is going to far though." Yui replied, "Her over-protectiveness so going to get Yoko killed."
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Mana was on the floor, her back against her door, her head resting on her knees. She could still hear Yui and Dawn as they argued, occasionally interrupted by either Kristine or Cayla.
"You know……." A voice said, "they could be right."
Mana slowly lifted her head. There sitting in front of her was the ghostly figure of Sayoko. The ghost stared at her with her ghostly blue eyes.
"She's my daughter." Mana said softly, "I don't want to lose her."
"If she stays here," the ghost said softly, "you'll lose her."
"MANA!" came a scream from outside her door.
Mana was on her feet in a second and hurried through the door.
"What?" Mana shouted, "What is……." Her voice trailed off.
Standing in the doorway to her quarters was Rei Ikari. The guardian had a look on her face, a look Mana had seen few times.
Usually only after someone they knew closely had died.
Mana felt a tingling sensation start in her stomach.
"Rei," she said, "what's going on?"
Rei continued to stare at Mana. Then Mana saw it. A tear formed at the corner of Rei's eye, then traveled down her cheek. More followed.
"Mana," Rei whispered, her voice choking up, "I tried……."
The tingling sensation grew.
"Rei," Mana said slowly, "Where is Shinji?"
"I'm so sorry………"
"Rei…." Mana repeated, her body was going numb, "Where is Shinji."
"He was beside me." Rei said, "Then the Demons attacked, and he wasn't beside me anymore. Valkyries came and drove them off. I looked around for Shinji." Tears now flowed from her eyes. "I….I….I…found…….he……he…was……."
Mana couldn't take it anymore.
The world spun and then went black.
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When Mana awoke, she discovered she'd been moved to her bedroom and laid on her bed at some point. She started to glance at the alarm clock, but then cursed silently when she realized that the alarm clock she was going to look at was laying in the remains of her destroyed house.
"You're awake." Came the voice again.
Mana turned her head. Sayoko's ghost was sitting in a chair beside the bed.
"Please tell me you didn't move that." Mana whispered.
"Yui left it." Sayoko replied. Her voice had a slight echo to it.
"Oh." Mana turned her head and looked at the ceiling. Not even a second past before Mana's head snapped back to the ghost. "Shinji! Is he……"
The ghost closed her eyes and nodded. Mana grabbed her pillow and put it over her face, smoothing a cry of pain and rage. The ghost sat beside Mana and waited. She could do nothing else. She couldn't even comfort her friend by offering a shoulder to cry on, which irritated her.
Finally Mana pulled the now thoroughly soaked pillow away from her face. Her uninjured eye still had tears flowing from it, while blood dripped from under her eye patch.
"Mana." The ghost said, "You know what has to be done."
"She's all I have left of him." Mana whispered, "We made her together."
"If they are right, she'll live." The ghost replied, "Then her life will be the proof that your love existed."
Mana could only nod. She sat up and started towards her door. Before she opened it, she paused.
"Sayoko," she whispered, "You think you'll go with her?"
"I don't know." The ghost replied, "It's possible though, considering the connection we have."
Mana nodded. "Then I want you to be there for her. Tell her about me and her father."
The ghost smiled. "I'll tell her everything."
"Thank-you." Mana opened the door and stepped out of the bedroom.
Cayla and Kristine were leaning against each other, asleep. Dawn seemed to be struggling to stay awake. Yui was near the main door, talking quietly to Rei. Both turned and went silent when Mana exited the bedroom.
"Alright." Mana said softly to Yui, "We'll do it your way."