Chapter 3
"Really Mana, thanks." Lorelei said.
The hologram of Mana smiled. Beside her were the holograms of Belldandy and Sayoko.
"I'm sorry I couldn't send them sooner." Mana said, "They said you already had the situation handled when they arrived."
"Yeah," Keima replied, "about that………"
"What?" Belldandy asked.
"Celes and I didn't handle it." Keima said, "it was the girl."
"The girl?" Sayoko asked.
"Well, she's awake. She said her name was Yoko."
Sayoko frowned, "As in Sayoko? My name?"
"Don't know." Keima replied, "All she said was her name was Yoko. She said her mother wanted her to be safe and sent her here."
"Safe? Safe from what?"
"I don't know. All she said was bad demons."
"The Rogues?" Belldandy asked.
Keima shrugged.
"You said Yoko handled the Demon." Belldandy said, "How?"
"She has an angel."
"WHAT!" Belldandy and Sayoko shouted together.
"That is not possible." Belldandy stated, "You of all people should know that a goddess of that age cannot support an Angel!"
"I know I know." Keima said, "But she has one. It kinda reminded me of Morning Bell, only a bit……well……creepier."
"Creepy?" Sayoko said.
"The Angel took out the demon." Keima said.
"But……..that couldn't….."
"I know." Keima repeated, "This girl, she doesn't feel like a Goddess. I couldn't even sense her when she powered up and sent out her Angel."
Belldandy remained silent. Sayoko did not.
"But that's crazy!" she shouted, "Even I can be detected when I use my powers!"
"So can I." Mana added.
"Could she be a Guardian?" Belldandy asked softly.
Keima shrugged. "Who knows. She won't talk about her family. All she says is her 'special friend' told her not to."
"'Special friend'?" Sayoko asked.
"Your guess is as good as mine onee-sama." Keima sighed. "I don't suppose you've figured out how to get down here yet?"
"I wish." Sayoko replied, "We think the Guardians could make it, maybe Arael, but Saturn….."
"Is what?" came a new male voice.
Keima frowned as a new hologram joined the other three. This one was of a God. Specifically a Roman one.
Saturn himself.
"Saturn." Belldandy said, glaring slightly at the God. "This was a private conversation between me and my family."
"Since when are demon considered family to a Goddess such as yourself?" Saturn asked.
Mana, Sayoko, and Keima all frowned.
"What do you want Saturn?" Keima asked, not trusting his sister or Mana to be civil.
Saturn turned towards Mana. "By order of the Heavenly Council, all Demons are to leave the mortal realm and remain in Hell for the duration of the crisis."
"What?" Sayoko shouted.
"And how will the mortals be protected against the Rogues?" Belldandy asked, "Not even your legions can get to earth."
"It does not matter." Saturn replied, "The Council has spoken."
"Doesn't matter!" Mana shouted, "What about the mortals? Doesn't your council worry about them!"
Saturn glared at Mana. "Such things are no longer your concern Queen."
"But they are mine." Belldandy said, "I represent Terra 2 and I see no reason not to allow the Demons to assist."
Saturn smirked. "To bad you were not at the council meeting then."
Belldandy frowned. "What council meeting?"
"The one that involved Demonic activity on Terra 2." Saturn replied, "Sadly it seems others were also unable to attend. But the quorum was met, thus the Council's ruling." Saturn turned back to Mana. "Remove your Demons. That is the Council's demand." His image then vanished.
Sayoko's hologram bent slightly as she leaned over a computer terminal out of view.
"He's gone." She said.
Mana looked at Belldandy.
"What would you like me to do?"
Belldandy rubbed the bridge of her nose.
"Even if it was unfairly called," she said, "The council should be obeyed."
Mana sighed. "I was afraid you'd say that." She then straightened up. "I'll keep my people ready if you need them."
"Thank you."
"You know." Sayoko said softly, "The order was only for Demons to leave."
"Yeah." Mana said, "So?"
Sayoko smiled, "They didn't say anything about anyone else………."
Mana, Belldandy, Lorelei, and Keima frowned.
"We can't get to the surface." Belldandy said.
"We can't." Sayoko said, "but someone else could."
"Who?"
"Morgan."
"Morgan?" Belldandy repeated, confused. Then recognition appeared on her face. "Morgan Le Fay, the Fairy."
"Yep."
Mana then spoke up. "I think I know someone who could help too. I'll give them a call."
"Who?" Sayoko asked.
"Not gonna tell you."
"Why not?"
Mana smirked. "It's a secret. Besides…..I don't know if they'll be able to get here."
Sayoko frowned, wondering what Mana was talking about.
"We'll keep working on opening a gate." Belldandy said, "I'll also talk to the Guardians about trying to get down there."
"What about Arael?" Keima asked.
Belldandy worried her lip. "She's still banned from leaving Heaven. I suppose in an emergency, she could be released."
Keima nodded, "I'll feel a lot better with more help down here. Lime's been trying to keep herself distracted by planning for worse case scenarios……."
"What about Sentaro?" Sayoko asked, "How's he doing?"
Keima frowned. "I don't know. I haven't heard from him."
"WHAT?"
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Sentaro opened his eyes and looked around.
He was laying on a park bench. It was still dark, but he didn't know what time it was, or even how he ended up here. A weight on his chest caused him to look down. There, curled up tightly in a ball, was a kitten.
"Megami?" Sentaro whispered.
The kitten immediately raised her head and looked Sentaro right in the eye.
"Meow." The kitten replied.
"How did we get here?" Sentaro wondered out loud, looking around.
"Meow?"
"Never mind." Sentaro sat up, holding Megami against him. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He then concentrated. Kristine had taught him how he could review his memories. He'd been able to do it, but only in her presence.
"Come on." He muttered softly. He then felt Megami rubbing against him, purring.
"Glad to see someone is enjoying themselves." Sentaro muttered. He continued to concentrate. Finally an image began to form.
He watched again as Draco and Loki sent their force bolts towards him and Megami. He watched as he grabbed Megami and held her tightly in his arms as the force bolts grew closer.
Then he saw her.
A woman with long brown hair stood on the roof of a building, her eyes glowing red as she raised her hands. Then the world around him vanished and all went black. But he saw enough. He knew what had happened.
The Soultaker had saved him and Megami.
Sentaro looked down at Megami.
"Lets go see if Uncle Keima can return you to normal."
"Meow."
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Mana let out a sigh. Ever since the first signs of trouble, Mana had been present in the Hell control room. For over thirty hours, she had remained there, overseeing the effort to find out who had hacked them, as well as how to reestablish a gate with Heaven. Then came the rogue demon attack. Now she was watching the displays as the demons returned back to hell.
"Mana." Mana looked up to see Mara standing beside her.
"What?"
"We have trouble brewing." Mara muttered.
"What is it?"
"Reports are beginning to come in from the security forces." Mara handed Mana a clipboard. "There's been some grumbling in the masses."
Mana frowned as she looked over the report. "There is actually still a Soultaker following?"
Mara nodded, "They are calling for your overthrow and the 'restoration' of the Soultaker as Queen of Hell. Then there are those who are siding with the Rogue Demons. They haven't actually done anything yet, but its only a matter of time."
Mana rubbed her forehead. "Put the security forces on alert and double the guard here."
"Right."
"Get Welsper. Have her sniff around and see what she can dig up."
Mara smirked. "You really want me to tell her to sniff around?"
"If you want to." Mana replied.
Mara frowned and leaned closer to Mana.
"How long have you been awake now?"
"Dunno."
"I think you should get some sleep." Mara said, "You can't stay awake indefinitely."
Mana raised an eyebrow towards Mara.
"Are you giving an order to your Queen?"
Mara smirked, "I seem to remember someone telling me not to think of her as her Queen."
"If I could remember who that was," Mana said dryly, "I'd toss her from the castle." She stood up. "I'm going to take a nap. Wake me if anything happens." She turned and started to walk out.
"Of course my queen." Mara replied. Mana stumbled, then turned and glared at Mara.
"Don't do that." Mana grumbled. She then left the control room.
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Mana entered her bedroom and wake towards the bed. This was the same room that had been assigned to her so long ago when she first arrived in Hell. Even though the Queen's Chamber was larger, Mana just couldn't bring herself to have Hild's belongings removed.
Mana didn't even bother to change out of her clothes, nor did she turn down the bed. She simply leaped on to the bed and closed her eyes with a sigh.
"My my," came a female voice, "you certainly have a lot of energy for one who is tired."
Mana sat up and looked around her room. She saw no one present in her room. Reaching out with her powers, she could only sense the Demon guards outside her door, male guards at that.
"Must have been the wind." Mana muttered.
"I am not the wind dammit."
Mana looked around again. The voice seemed to come from somewhere in her room, and had a slight echo to it. It also sounded very familiar.
"Who's there!" Mana called out, "I demand you show yourself!"
"Oooo you demand?" the voice replied, "I didn't think there was a Queen in you."
"Listen here you!" Mana shouted, "Show yourself!"
"I'm right next to you." The voice whispered in her ear.
Mana whipped her head around and came face to face with Sayoko.
Actually, a see through glowing Sayoko.
"Boo." The ghostly Sayoko said.
"What the hell!" Mana said, "How'd you get down here? I thought the gates were still closed?"
"I didn't come by Heaven." Sayoko replied, "Not that Heaven anyway."
"Whatever." Mana muttered. She then frowned. "What happened to you? I see right through you?"
The ghost Sayoko put her hands on her hips.
"I'm not the Sayoko you know."
"Are you drunk again?" Mana asked, "You know Kensuke should stop letting you have soda."
The ghost Sayoko glared at Mana.
"Dammit Mana I'm not the Sayoko you know! She's in Heaven! I'm here! You don't believe me? CALL HER!"
Mana frowned and pulled the communicator Skuld had given her out. She flipped it open and hit a button. An image of a purple haired goddess appeared.
"Yes Queen Mana?"
Mana flinched.
"Cayla, I told you, you can call me Mana."
"It wouldn't be proper." Cayla replied, "Lady Belldandy said……."
"I don't care what Belldandy said Cayla." Mana replied, "If it's just you and me, call me Mana."
"Alright Qu…..Mana."
Mana sighed. "Is Sayoko there?"
"Hold on." Cayla's face vanished and a pause symbol appeared. Mana looked over to see the ghost Sayoko sitting patiently in a chair.
"What is it?" came the communicator.
Mana whipped her head back to see Sayoko's face on her communicator. She looked back at the ghostly figure in her room. That Sayoko mouthed the words 'I told you so'. The demoness looked back at the communicator.
"I just wanted to check if you'd heard from Sentaro yet." She said.
Sayoko's face fell. "No. Keima hasn't seen him. Celes has Baiko and Tamasaburo out looking for him as part of their regular patrol."
"Let me know if I can do anything." Mana said.
"I'll remember that." Sayoko replied before she vanished.
Mana closed her communicator, then turned towards the ghost.
"We seem to have a lot to talk about." Mana said.
"Indeed we do." The ghost replied.
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Sentaro continued to head towards the 'family' restaurant. His path was a bit more winding then usual, mostly because of damaged buildings from the rogue demon attack. It seemed that there had been other places targeted, besides the castle and himself.
It was while walking down one of these detours that he felt someone watching him. At first he didn't pay much attention to it. He was used to be watched by either Baiko or Tamasaburo, part of Auntie Celes' plan to keep an eye on him. This time he knew it wasn't either of them.
He could sense a dark presence.
Megami shivered in his arms.
"I take it you sense her too." He asked softly.
"Meow." Was the reply.
Sentaro sighed, then slowly lowered Megami to the ground. As he stood back up, he held a rock tightly in his palm. He then quickly whipped around and hurtled the rock towards a nearby roof top.
A red shield flared into existence, sending the rock hurtling off in a new direction. A cloaked figure appeared from the darkness of the rooftop. The figure removed the hood of the cloak, allowing long brown hair to drop down her back.
"I though it was you." Sentaro said.
"Hello Sentaro." The demoness known as Soultaker replied.