Entry 12: Heralds of Impulse


Uzumi Nara Athha tapped away at the computer in front of him with a speed that would make anyone think he was a Coordinator in disguise.

That wasn't to say he was coding a hundred line a minute, though. Rather, he was instead doing Ctrl-P over and over again, as the computer spat out drive after drive at a rate one would think impossible for a computer.

The door to the room slid open. "Excuse me, mister Athha?" spoke Shinn Asuka. "You called for me?"

"Ah, Shinn. Please take a seat," Uzumi said, as he looked away from the computer (and the copious amount of data sticks that were beginning to pile up. "Tell me, how are those girls holding up?"

"Fine, I think," Shinn responded. "Mayu's constantly staying with them, so I don't think we have much to worry about. Sara and Miyu seem to..."

"Sara? Miyu?" Uzumi questioned.

"Ah. Right, I... didn't report it sooner, didn't I?" Shinn said sheepishly. "Mayu, Cagalli and I... we just couldn't stand the idea that they didn't have names, so we... gave them some. 17 is Sara, while 28 is Miyu. Should we... not have?"

Uzumi smiled. "I will no punish you for performing a kind gesture," he said. "To punish kindness would be a grave error. But, how do you plan to save the rest of them? From what Cagalli's told me, you had to really push yourself just to save two."

Shinn looked down, dejected. "I... I don't know," he admitted. "But, I'm going to try anyway."

Uzumi nodded, then took one of the drives from the accumulated pile. "In that case, take this," he said, passing the drive to Shinn. "Remember how I mentioned the Slave Collars were outlawed at the start of the Cosmic Era? Part of why that was so easy to enforce was because they made the overwrite key easy to access. This drive contains a program that overrides and disables every collar in a 1.5 kilometre radius. Something I'm sure you'll put to good use."

"You... prepared all that?" Shinn asked, taking the drive. "Thank you, sir."

"I still hold many conniptions about sending you, a child, out to fight these battles," Uzumi said. "But, I get the feeling I couldn't keep you off the field."

Shinn nodded, though before he spoke, a light flashed on the computer. Uzumi clicked a button and a member of the bridge crew appeared on screen. "Commander, sir. Sorry to interrupt, but we just got contacted by a vessel claiming to be an envoy for an ally."

"An envoy?" Uzumi asked. "From who?"


On board the small shuttle, the young man handling the piloting let out a small sigh. "Looks like we've managed to get clearance to board," he told his copilot.

Said copilot, a brown haired girl around his age (15), let out a similar sigh. "Thank god," she muttered. "I'm not sure I could handle much more of this. We've been on the run from those guys for what, two weeks?"

"According to Miss-L, this war's been going on for years," the boy responded.

"So you actually believe her, then? About this whole 'time-loop' business?" she asked. "I mean, I'm as eager to help her as you no doubt are, Kuzzey, but it still sounds a bit... weird."

Kuzzey Buskirk gave his ally a wayward glance. "I know what you mean, Meer, but this is Miss-L we're talking about. Even if she wants to be so secretive that we can only call her by name on the Eternal, she clearly knows things she couldn't possibly know otherwise." Then, he let out another sigh. "Doesn't change the fact that I left the Archangel on her advice."

Meer Campbell looked at him briefly. "Why did you do it, anyway? I mean, those were your friends, right?"

"I know. But, at the time, I was... feeling like I just couldn't keep up with them," Kuzzey said. "Then, I also remembered some of the things she said to me when the Archangel took her on after finding her among the wreckage of Junius Seven. Something about how I could save more lives if I followed her instructions and got off at Orb. After seeing just how... chaotic things actually are, and how it's not involved with either the Alliance or ZAFT, I guess I just wanted to believe in something."

"But what about your friends on the Archangel?" Meer asked. "Didn't that ship drop off the radar months ago? Aren't you worried about them?"

Kuzzey clenched his fist tightly around the controls of the shuttle. "Of course I am," he admitted. "Not a day goes by when I'm not worried that they're dead. But, even I'm aware that if I was there, I'd... just slow them down."

A solemn silence hung between them. Meer got out of her chair, and placed a hand on Kuzzey's shoulder. "Sorry," she said quietly. "I... know it's been hard for you."

Kuzzey placed his hand over Meer's. "Attention, shuttle pilot," spoke a voice over the comms. "The hanger is open. You are clear to dock with the Kusanagi."

Kuzzey reached out and pressed a button on the console. "Shuttle to Kusanagi, we read you," he responded. "Now commencing docking procedures." The comm switched off, and Kuzzey let out another sigh. "Moment of truth, then."

"Do you think we'll find them?" Meer asked. "The person we're suppose to deliver this thing to?"

"What else can we do but hope?" Kuzzey asked, as he looked at the screen that showed the 'package' they were carrying on the shuttle.

Said package was a strange combination of four different Mobile Armours, yet only two of them matched the general appearance of such. The other two, on the other hand, looked more like two halves of a Mobile Suit.


As the shuttle docked, and the hanger was fully pressurised again, the group comprised of Cagalli, Shinn, Mayu, and the two Lunar Rabbits watched as Uzumi, Kisaka, and a small group of security guards approached.

"Who do you suppose they're representing?" Mayu asked. "Do you think it's that other ship that woman mentioned?"

"I certainly hope so," Cagalli replied. "Hopefully, that ship's also the one with 'that' person on it."

"'That' person?" Shinn asked. "Come to think of it, when we first met, you were about to talk about someone you thought was going through something similar to me. Is that the same person?"

"The whole 'memories not your own' thing? Yeah," Cagalli answered. "Never met the person, though. They only ever communicated through email, and spoke with... a lot of knowledge about things that hadn't happened yet."

"Couldn't it just be someone with the gift of prophecy?" Sara, the Rabbit formerly known as 17, asked. "In Gensokyo, the closest Earthen land to the Lunar Capital, such things are common to come across, according to the scouts."

"Somehow, I don't think so," Cagalli responded. "I'm not sure how you girls did it, but on this side of the pond, we don't have the tech to just cross dimension."

Down below, they noticed two pilots exit the shuttle. "They're our age," Shinn muttered. "What a world we've come to, where we have to use kids as envoys for refugee ships."

"Life's a bitch, huh?" Cagalli commented, as she watched the two pilots remove their helmets. One of them was a woman largely unfamiliar to her, but the second... "You're kidding me, right?" she muttered. "Kuzzey? Kuzzey Buskirk?!"

Kuzzey looked up at the rafters, and noticed Cagalli launching herself towards them. "Cagalli!" he exclaimed, a look of relief washing over him. "You're alive!"

"Right back at ya, you bastard!" As she landed, Cagalli wrapped an arm around his shoulder and began knuckling his head. "Where the hell have you been?"

"Well, I got caught up in... things, let's say," Kuzzey responded. "It's kinda hard to talk about, and I doubt you'd believe me if I did."

The woman he was travelling with cleared her throat loudly. "Can we please get back on topic, Kuzzey?" she stated. "I get that you're happy to see your friend again, but we're all on a tight schedule. There's no telling when the enemy will show up again."

"Your friend is correct, Kuzzey," Uzumi said. "While I am glad to see one of Cagalli's friends well, we mustn't waste any time." He turned to face the woman. "Might I ask your name, miss?"

"Meer, sir. Meer Campbell," she responded.

"Meer Campbell... It's strange, but I could have sworn I'd heard your voice somewhere before."

"Believe me, I get that a lot," Meer sighed. "It was kind of nice the first hundred times, but it got old really quick." She cleared her throat again, and stood at attention. "Getting back on topic, we come on request of our commander, Miss-L, to seek an alliance with the crew of the Kusanagi."

"There's not much reason to refuse that request," Uzumi stated, "but... Miss-L? Your commander has a strange moniker."

"She's... insistent of secrecy when not on the ship," Meer admitted. "That's on top of the fact that she has a strange ability to foresee most things."

"Foresight?" Cagalli muttered. "It couldn't be the same person that's been messaging me for the past while, could it?"

"What sort of messages were they?" Uzumi asked, with a look of alarm on his face. One that was easily attributed to a parent worrying about their kid.

"Well, remember that drive I gave you with the Natural-use Mobile Suit OS?" Cagalli said. "Well... that came from this person, saying that we'll be needing it in the days to come."

Uzumi had a flat, unreadable look on his face. "I knew I should have been sceptical when you brought that to me," he muttered. "But, it did save us when this all started, so I won't deny the trustworthiness of this 'Miss-L'." He turned back to Meer. "Tell me, where are we to rendezvous with them?"

"The Mendel Colony," Meer responded. "According to Miss-L, this would be our best location to regroup and prepare our counterattack against the enemy, whoever they are."

"Lunarians," Shinn spoke up, joining the conversation alongside Sara. "The enemies are called Lunarians. The pilots are victims of this as well, just so you're aware."

Kuzzey and Meer both looked at Shinn in bewilderment. "I can attest to his claim," Uzumi stated. "Their pilots, like Sara here was, are all fixed with explosive Slave Collars."

"Slave Collars?" Kuzzey said in surprise. "They still make those? After they were made absolutely obsolete decades ago?"

"Doesn't stop them," Shinn stated. "We have a workaround, but what I want right now is your word; can we trust that you'll do your utmost to keep those pilots alive?"

Meer and Kuzzey gave each other a look. "We can't exactly make many promises about that," Meer said plainly. "Sorry, but who are you? I mean, you're more a kid than we are."

"More a ki... up yours, woman!" Shinn yelled. "I'm just trying to do the right thing, and you're here bringing that non-answer?!"

"Wha... what's your deal, kid?!" Meer asked, indignant. "I'm just saying it like it is!"

"My name's not 'Kid', it's Shinn!" he yelled. "Shinn Asuka! Don't forget it!"

"Well, Shinn Asuka, I..." Meer paused briefly, as if realising something. "Wait, did you just say... Shinn Asuka?"

"Yeah, I said that. What about it?"

Meer was at a loss of words briefly, before she let out an irritated sigh. "You have got to be freaking kidding me," she muttered. "This is who she wanted to have this damn thing?"

Kuzzey placed a hand of Meer's shoulder. "Why don't I take it from here?" he said. "It's... obvious that you two get along like oil and fire."

Both Shinn and Meer gave him unamused looks. "I do not want to know which one you're comparing me to in that scenario," Meer stated. "Fine, you take care of Grouch-pants over there. I've got to go take care of some 'lady business'."

As Meer floated away, Kuzzey made a rather disgruntled noise. "Yeah, too much information, there," he muttered, before turning back to Shinn. "Sorry about her. Every since everything went to hell, she's been a bit... touchy about being optimistic."

"I can see that," Shinn muttered. "So, what did she mean by 'this damn thing'?"

"It's... a bit of an odd story, really," Kuzzey admitted. "Miss-L told us to deliver a Mobile Suit to a 'Shinn Asuka', saying that it was his 'preferred sword'. But, looking at you now... How old are you?"

"14," he responded. "Too young, I know, but what can you do?"

"Well, I'd be pretty hypocritical to call you a kid when I'm barely a year older," Kuzzey admitted. "So, you want to see it? You're 'sword'?"

Shinn took a quick glance at Uzumi, as if seeking permission. He nodded in response. "Just so long as we don't keep calling it 'my sword'," Shinn said.

At the very least, that got a laugh out of everyone present.

Kuzzey guided them into the shuttle, while Uzumi and Kisaka broke off from the group to head up to the bridge and chart the course to Mendel. Instead, Mayu and Miyu had joined them inside the shuttle.

When they came upon the 'Mobile Suit', Shinn felt a pang of nostalgia was over him.

"It's... in parts?" Sara asked.

"Did they at least include the instruction manual?" Mayu said. "I mean, how is Shinn expected to put this thing together?"

"Apparently, it's a modular type of Mobile Suit," Kuzzey explained. "It's designed to be put together or spit apart in the heat of battle. It's called the..."

"Impulse," Shinn said instinctively. "It's... the Impulse."

"You're familiar with it?" Kuzzey asked, surprised.

Mayu, on the other hand, seemed to realise what Shinn was saying. "It's another memory, isn't it?" she asked. "You remember it without experiencing it personally, right?"

Shinn nodded hesitantly. "I think... I piloted this suit."

"You... remember a past life?" Kuzzey asked. "That's... Miss-L talks about that sort of thing a lot."

"Had a feeling that was the case," Cagalli muttered. "They mentioned something to that effect when they sent me the OS."

"A second person with memories of a past life, and moon people invading us from another dimension," Shinn muttered. "What the actual fuck is going on with our lives?"


The Skygrasper landed on the outskirts of the Garden of the Sun, and Mu La Flaga disembarked, taking a deep breath of fresh air.

There really was something to be said about the scent of a flower-field in full bloom nearing the end of spring. A full month had passed since the 'war' with Matara Okina, and the hatchet effectively buried with Hakurei Reimu.

Mu was certainly surprised when Reimu approached them that day in Suzunaan with red, puffy eyes, after talking with Athrun. He was doubly surprised when bowed deeply and apologised for what she'd done. If anything, it certainly caught Kosuzu and Marisa off guard.

For Mu, it just reminded him that Reimu was, at the end of the day, just another human. One who had been dealt a rather shitty hand by life. Hell, she'd fit in quite well with the Archangel crew.

But, over the last month, that wasn't the only major reveal to happen to them. Hence why Mu was here, at the Garden of the Sun.

At the peak of a small hill overlooking the sunflowers stood Kira Yamato, dressed in that white shirt and red pants from before he got back to the Archangel, though this time the look was complimented by a straw hat.

Mu had to keep himself from laughing at the fact that Kira was starting to look like a farmer. "Finally back on your feet?" he called out, approaching the youth.

Kira looked over his shoulder, hands in his pockets. "For about a week now," he replied. "Legs are still a bit stiff, but they're getting there."

"Glad to hear it," Mu said. "How about your mental legs? They holding up as well as your real ones?"

Kira hesitated noticeably. "It's... a bit harder on that end," he admitted. "Tenshi says I make a lot of... frightful sounds in my sleep."

"We talking the 'kill every last one of them' kind of sounds, or the 'no, stop killing' kind?"

"It's... a bit of a grab-bag, really," Kira said. "Sometimes one, sometimes the other."

Mu placed a hand on the boys shoulder. "I don't think I'm in any way qualified to say this," he spoke, "but I'm sure you'll pull through. After all, you've got quite a few friends in your corner."

Kira allowed himself a small smile, as he looked over the flower-field. In the sky, he watched the members of Team Nine dance and play without a care in the world. "Yeah. You're right," he said quietly.

There was a brief silence, before Mu cleared his throat hesitantly. "There is, however, one bit of information that Suwako told us earlier in the week that I think I should pass on to you."

Kira gave Mu a concerned look. "You're speaking in long sentences," he noted. "How worried should I be?"

"Depends on your view of reality, really," Mu muttered, as he took something out of the carry-bag he had on his person. At a glance, Kira could tell it was a DVD case of some sort. "It's... something from the Outside World. If you don't think you want to deal with this philosophical conundrum, just say so."

Kira looked down at the DVD case. Mu was holding it in such a way that, no matter what angle he tried, he wouldn't be able to see the front, back, or side. It was a simple act of respecting his right to both know the information and turn it down.

With a small smile, Kira grabbed the top of the case. "Thank you, Mu. But, I think I'd like to know."

Mu had a slightly sad look on his face, but released his grip on the case. "Alright. If you're sure about this."

Kira looked the DVD case over a bit, and really, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what made Mu so apprehensive. "Gundam... SEED," Kira read out. On the front was an image of the Strike, and on the back, the Aegis, alongside screenshots of scenes that were rather... familiar to him. "So, this is the truth of the Outside World," he muttered.

"Yeah. It's not 'our' world," Mu said. "To them, we're just... an anime. God, still can't get use to saying that."

"It really does sound absurd, doesn't it," Kira laughed drily. "But, somehow... it doesn't feel like that big a deal."

Mu let out a small sigh. "Glad you're having the same reaction to it as the rest of us," he said, relieved. "Athrun was the first to learn about this fact, and his reaction was simply 'why should I care'."

"A pretty good one, I have to say," Kira said. "I mean, Gensokyo is a world of gods and youkai. I'm one of four genetically altered kids, and we literally blew up Heaven and punched a god in the face. Somehow, us being fictional to the Outside World doesn't seem like that big a deal."

Mu barked out a hearty laugh. "Well put, kid. Guess I was a getting worried about nothing."

"I wouldn't say that," Kira said. "If I had learnt that when everything was going to hell, I... probably would have lost myself." He looked down at the DVD again. "Have you... watched any of it?"

"The captain and I have been running a bit of a marathon with those that were interested," Mu answered. "You want me to spoil anything?"

Kira pondered for a brief moment before answering. "What point did we break off into... all this?" he asked, handing the DVDs back to Mu. "What 'episode' took us from our old fate and brought us to Gensokyo?"

"Episode 30 of 50," Mu answered. "And in case you're wondering, you surviving that battle was meant to be."

"I see," Kira said with a small smile. "That's... a relief, I guess."

There was a brief silence between the two. Mu was unsure of how to tell him about the smaller changes there seemed to be between this anime version and their lives, such as Kuzzey jumping ship when they first arrived at Orb. But, in the end, he decided that the kid had enough on his plate as is. "So, you ever think about it?" Mu asked. "Trying to find a way back to the Cosmic Era?"

"Kind of," Kira said. "You?"

"We all have," he admitted. "At the end of the day, though, everyone on the Archangel's decided that, even if we did find a way back, we've been gone long enough that the war's probably over, and one way or another, if we go back, we'll be branded as outlaws and deserters. We've pretty much unanimously agreed that staying in Gensokyo and making it our new home is the best option."

"Sounds quite reasonable," Kira admitted. "If the Alliance won, Athrun, Yzak, Dearka and I would all be enemies of the state. If ZAFT won, then everyone associated with the Archangel, myself included, would be. In a way, I'm in the most obvious lose-lose situation." Kira looked off wistfully. "I... am still worried about the people back home, though. My parents, Kuzzey, Cagalli... I can't help but worry about them, even if I don't plan to stay there."

"I hear ya, Kira," Mu agreed. Then, he stretched his arms upwards. "Well, I should probably head on back to the ship. I'm sure Miri and the others are eager to know you're doing well."

"Yeah, I'm sure to have caused them a world of stress again," Kira laughed. "Don't let me keep you too long, okay?"

Mu gave a brisk, casual salute, and returned to the Skygrasper. As it took off, Kira couldn't help but notice that some of the white panels had recently been painted blue-green. He supposed the Kappa decided to add a personal touch to the repairs.

As the Skygrasper disappeared over the horizon, Tenshi approached from the opposite direction.

"Was that Mu just now?" she asked. "Here for another checkup?"

"Yeah," Kira replied. "And from the sounds of it, they're getting back on their feet themselves."

Tenshi gave him a sceptical look. "Did you tell him?" she asked. "That part of your problem was how Okina fried your ability to use magic?"

Kira shook his head. "Best to not worry them about something they can't control," he said. "Besides, I'm still getting better, aren't I?"

Tenshi looked at him like he'd just grown an extra arm, then sighed. "And they call me an idiot," she muttered. "Some of the things you say could give Cirno a run for her money, you know that?"

Kira gave a small laugh. "Yeah, I guess so, huh?" he said, smiling slightly.

Tenshi forced herself to look away, blushing slightly. "Wh... what have I told you about doing that?" she muttered.

Kira tilted his head inquiringly, not dropping his smile. "Hmm? Doing what?" he asked, using a tone that said he knew exactly what she was talking about.

"That... that smiling thing!" she shouted. "You know I hate it when you do it!"

"Do you? I never noticed."

Tenshi lightly punched Kira in the shoulder. "Jerk," she muttered.


High in the skies above Gensokyo, Mu enjoyed his leisurely flight in the summer sky.

"Well, at least Kira's still holding up alright," he said to himself. "Can't quite shake the feeling he's hiding something, though. Can't help but worry about..." Before he could finish his own thought, he broke out into laughter. "Nah. They're probably just doing things they'd rather not tell people about. They are at that age, after all." Then, a thought occurred to him. "Come to think of it, how old is Tenshi? She looks and act like a tsundere from a high-school anime, but aren't Celestials something akin to angels? Wait, wouldn't that mean she died at some point? Or are they different things?"

He shook his head, dismissing the tangent thought. "Bah. I'll check up with Akyuu when she has a moment. She probably knows the difference."

A rumbling sound echoed in the distance. Mu look out to the horizon, and saw ominous clouds rolling over Gensokyo from beyond Youkai Mountain. "A storm front?" he questioned. "Approaching rather fast, too. At that speed, it'll probably start raining in an hour." A worried look washed over his face. "But, where did this storm come from? You'd have thought we'd have noticed it hours ago when it looks that ominous. Something doesn't seem right, me thinks."

Pressing a few buttons, he opened a communication channel to the Archangel. "Mu to Archangel, do you read me?"

"Archangel reads you loud and clear, Flaga," came the response. "This is Himekaidou speak, what's up?"

"Hatate? Finally getting your turn on the CIC?" Mu joked.

"Miri's taking her break right now," the Tengu answered. "So, what are you calling for?"

"Well, since I'm speaking to someone native here, it'll certainly cut out the middle man," Mu said. "Are storms like the one approaching right now common around here?"

"Wondering if storms tend to come out of nowhere?" Hatate asked. "Well, sometimes, yeah. Gensokyo as a whole is a pretty mountainous region, so sometimes we don't notice a storm until it's already here."

"So it's kind of normal, then," Mu muttered. "What about this one? I've had my eyes in the sky basically all day, and this is the first I've noticed it."

"That so?" Hatate said. "Well, there are some beings out there that can manipulate weather like this. Maybe one of them's stirring up trouble?"

"Can't rule that out, can we?" Mu responded. "Let the others know I'm going to investigate, yeah? I just can't quite shake this ominous feeling I've got."

"Ten-four, Flaga."

The comm switched off, and Mu redirected his Skygrasper, just as rain began to fall.


To say it was raining heavily would be an understatement. To most, the phrase 'raining cats and dogs' would come to mind.

Outside the Hakurei Shrine, the wind howled fiercely, like a wolf in the night. Hakurei Reimu stood at the door to the housing area of the shrine, and watched the rain fall heavily outside.

At the Hakurei Shrine, one was seldom alone. While you could easily count the maximum amount of regular human visitors on both hands, the non-human residents made for some decent company, to say the least.

There was the petite Oni, Ibuki Suika, who was also known to history as the fabled Shuten-douji. There was Sukuna Shinmyoumaru the Inchling, whom stayed with Reimu as a permanent guest on account of Inchlings being among the smallest of smallfry in Gensokyo. Lastly for the usual residents, there was the Komainu known as Komano Aunn, who usually stood as the guardian for shrines and temples such as the Hakurei Shrine.

Of course, these four -Reimu included- were not the only people in the shrine this evening. They were joined by two others, who had arrived just as the weather turned sour.

Motoori Kosuzu sneezed. "Geez, this weather came out of nowhere," she muttered, running a towel over her head. "It's a good thing we were already so close to the shrine. Right, Athrun?"

Athrun patted down his arm with a towel of his own. "Definitely," he replied. "It's strange, though. The weather didn't look nearly this bad when we left the village."

"Yeah, leave it to Gensokyo to blindside you with its weather," Reimu sighed, closing the screen door. "Well, at least you made it here before it hit. I'd rather not have to search for Kosuzu-chan after a storm a second time."

"There was a first?" Athrun asked. "I feel like I should be asking about this."

"Oh, it wasn't that big a deal," Kosuzu said. "I tried to get here while it was raining one time, and..."

"That wasn't rain," Sukuna interjected. "That was basically a typhoon. Kosuzu-san, if it wasn't for Aya-san and the Tengu, you could have died."

Athrun's expression shifted to one of both exasperation and concern. "Why is it that everyone I know has done something insanely stupid that almost cost them their lives?"

Aunn gave the boy a funny look. "Um, Athrun-san? Are you saying you haven't done that yourself?"

"Oh, no. I'm just as guilty," he admitted. "I quite literally blew myself up in a fit of rage to try and kill my best friend. I'm easily as stupid as they come."

Suika barked out a drunken laugh. "Oh, I like this kid!" she said. "Reimu, you sure you're not gonna claim this one, too?"

Reimu shot Suika a rather hostile glare. "Careful with what you say, Suika, or I'll throw you out into the rain."

Suika, for her part, didn't seem all that fussed by the sudden hostilities, and simply went back to drinking from her gourd.

The roar of thunder echoed outside. "That sounded close," Aunn mentioned. "Auu... I hope it didn't hit my statue."

"I'm sure your statue will be fine, Aunn," Reimu said. "What do you think, Zala-san? Could that statue be hit by lightning?" When Athrun made no response, Reimu looked over to him. "Zala?"

"Huh?" Athrun stated. "Oh. Sorry, I... zoned out for a moment."

"Bit rude of you," Reimu commented. "What, afraid of thunder or something?"

"Not so mu..." another crack echoed, and Athrun tensed up noticeably. Taking a deep breath, he continued. "Not so much thunder itself, but... what it sounds like."

"What it sounds like?" Sukuna asked. "You mean like fireworks?"

"Not... quite," Athrun said. "It's more that it sounds like gunfire."

Kosuzu seemed to realise something. "This is that 'Post-Traumatic Stress' thing you mentioned a few days ago, right?" she asked.

Athrun nodded. "Just as people can associate things with pleasant memories, so to can they with negative ones. I've been fighting a war for the good part of a year, not counting the time I spent training for it; with as much downtime as we've had now, I guess I can't help but worry a sudden crash might send me into a violent frenzy."

"Are such things common for soldiers?" Reimu asked.

"Very," Athrun admitted, "and not easily treated, too. Trauma is a powerful thing, after all. So many veterans commit suicide long after wars are done because it becomes too much for them, or they think they've been taken by an enemy that's not really there. PTSD is... very dangerous, to say the least."

"Man, humans have it shit, huh?" Suika commented. "For an Oni, being able to relive a battle sounds like a blast!"

"Of course you'd say that," Reimu muttered. "So, it can get pretty bad, then?"

"I'd say my case is pretty weak at best," Athrun admitted. "But it can get horrendous, yes. After what he's been through, I can only imagine what this storm's doing to Kira."

Reimu gave a light chuckle. "I swear, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you had a thing for him."

Before Athrun could snark back, lightning struck the ground just outside the shrine.

"Jesus Christ!" Athrun shouted.

"Oh my!" Kosuzu cried.

"Holy crap!" both Reimu and Sukuna yelled.

"Auu!" Aunn yipped.

Suika sipped calmly at her sake. "I don't care what anyone says about any traumas," she said, "but that was shocking, to say the least."

Everyone gave Suika a cold look. "Did you really just make that pun?" Athrun asked.

"Damn straight I did."

There was a certain level of respect to be had for someone who openly intended their puns.

Before anybody could laugh or cringe, however, something went 'crash', and the whole shrine shook greatly.

Everyone (save for Suika) rose to their feet quickly. "That was not a lightning strike!" Athrun yelled, as he, Reimu, Kosuzu, and Aunn quickly ran outside.


There, just out front, smoking slightly, was a Skygrasper.

"Seriously? Again?" Athrun asked. "I swear, we spend more time crashing those damn things than actually flying them."

"Why the hell did it crash here?" Reimu asked. "We're nowhere near Youkai Mountain."

The cockpit opened sharply, and Mu La Flaga crawled out. "I swear, it's every time with this thing," the lieutenant muttered. "Where the hell did that tree even come from? It wasn't there before."

"Mu?" Athrun called out. "You alright?"

Mu look their way, registering where he was. "Athrun? You're here?" he asked. "And with you, I see... Kosuzu, Reimu, and a cute girl I've never met before in my life."

"I'm Aunn," Aunn stated.

"Pleasure to meet you, then," Mu responded. "So, I crashed at the Hakurei Shrine, then? What are the odds?"

"How about you tell us why you've crashed in the first place, yeah?" Athrun asked. "I mean, you're the Hawk of Endymion, for crying out loud! The only reason you should be crashing is if someone is shooting you down!"

"I know, right?!" Mu exclaimed. "I'm still too young to be thinking of retirement. But, what can I say? I'm pretty sure I just hit a tree at the wrong angle during my patrol."

"You were patrolling?" Kosuzu asked. "In this weather?"

"It was perfectly sunny two hours ago," Mu said. "When I got off the foghorn with Hatate, I just couldn't shake the feeling that something about this storm was wrong, so I went to take a look around. One thing led to another, and here I am."

"Can you not 'one thing led to another' your crash?" Athrun muttered. "I mean, how could a tree do this to..."

He paused once he looked at the Skygrasper. Something about it was off to him. There wasn't much in the way of damage, per-se, but what he could see distinctly didn't line up with 'crash into a tree'. In particular, the slight charring on the metal of the left most thruster stood out like a sore thumb.

Athrun ran his finger along the metal, and found it hot to the touch. Not in the same way that friction against the ground, or even heat from the engine, but this particular spot specifically had more heat in it than the surrounding metal. And, interestingly enough, a little bit of static.

"Mu? I don't think you hit a tree," Athrun said. "I think you were struck by lightning."

"Seriously?" Mu asked. "Man, what are the odds?"

"More than you think," Reimu muttered. "I can think of two people who can manipulate lightning, but I can't think of a reason for either of them to attack you."

"Two, huh?" Mu asked. "Who would those be, if you don't mind my asking?"

"First would be Soga no Tojiko of the Taoist sect," Reimu answered. "She's the wife of their leader, Toyosatomimi no Miko, and a Vengeful Spirit at that. She has a 'how' to it, but there's no motivation behind her being the culprit. The Taoists are more on humanities side when it comes to human-youkai relations."

"Okay," Mu nodded. "Then, who's the other one?"

"Nagae Iku," Reimu said. "Another one that would make no sense. She's the messenger of the Dragon Palace, after all. If there's anyone out there who would question why humans and youkai fight at all, it's her."

"Nagae... Nagae..." Mu muttered, rolling the name on his tongue. "Isn't that the author of Mazinger Z?"

"No, you're thinking of Nagai," Athrun interjected. "Also, focus on the topic at hand, please. I don't think this joke works unless it's written and spoken in English, anyway."

Kosuzu and Aunn gave the two odd looks. "I'm... kinda lost now," Kosuzu admitted.

"I mean, aren't we speaking Japanese right now?" Aunn asked. "Why make a joke in English?"

Mu and Athrun looked at the Komainu like she'd just sprouted an extra head. "You know, it's only just dawned on me," Mu said, "but... we're in Japan, right?"

"To my knowledge, yes," Athrun muttered. "Yet, we've never once spoken a word of Japanese since we got here... How have I not realised that until just now?"

"Because it's a moot point?" Reimu said. "Part of Gensokyo's barrier accounts for issues with language. Hell, we get more Outsiders from the rest of the world more than Japan itself."

"That so?" Mu asked, surprised. And judging by the looks on everyone else, they were impressed by this information too. "Well, lingua-franca aside, where is this 'Dragon Palace' you mentioned? Is it at all possible I trespassed doing my rounds?"

"I wouldn't think so," Reimu pondered. "No one really knows where the Dragon Palace is, but all we do know is that it's closely associated with Heaven. In fact, Nagae-san has close relations to the Hinanawi family."

As if to punctuate her statement, thunder roared across the sky, and lightning struck the land in the far distance. "That's... ominous," Mu muttered. "So, this Iku fellow knows Tenshi, then?"

At that point, they noticed something that only seemed to add fuel to their fire: The rain was lightening.

Feeling a pit forming in his stomach, Athrun shot up into the air, and scanned the horizon. In the distance, where the rain seemed heaviest, he saw a column of smoke.

"Mu!" he shouted. "What's located towards the north-east of here, past the village and around the mountain?!"

"That's..." Mu thought for a moment, before horror dawned on him. "That's the Garden of the Sun! Kira and Tenshi are there!"

Fire at the Garden of the Sun, where a Celestial is, and a possible culprit who might have some tie to said Celestial. A classic 'who-what-where' mystery, and it all played out in Athrun's mind.

"They're... they're in danger!" he shouted, rocketing off in a hurry.

"Hey! Zala!" Reimu shouted. "Damn. Kosuzu! You, blondie and the others mind the shrine!" Saying that, Reimu shot off into the sky, following after Athrun.


It didn't take long for Reimu to catch up to Athrun. After all, she had years of flying experience on him, and he wasn't as experienced at flying head-first through what was feeling like a typhoon.

"Zala, I get what you're thinking," Reimu called out, "but you need more of a plan right now! Rushing in like this is a recipe for disaster!"

"There's a difference between 'rushing in to fight' and 'rushing in to help'!" Athrun yelled back. "Besides, Sanae's already told me all about your usual methods of Incident solving, so I don't think you have much ground to stand on here!"

Reimu's expression shifted to one of introspection. "My god, this is what it's like to see it from the outside," she muttered. "Never thought I'd see the day."

The two landed on the outskirts of the Garden. The rain fell like lead ball-bearings from above. The sunflowers, with their petals closed for the day, were untouched by the chaos beyond.

In fact, the only real thing out of place here was the burning house at the top of the hill.

"Holy shit," Reimu muttered. "She's... burning down Yuuka's house?"

"That..." Athrun said in disbelief. "Isn't that, like, a really stupid thing to do?! I may not have seen Yuuka in action, but I've heard more than enough to know pissing her off is a bad idea, and this just screams 'bad idea'!"

"Don't ask me! I don't know what's going on!" Reimu yelled back.

The two ran forward towards the house, feeling the intensity of the flames ahead of them.

Passing the boundary that was the small fence, the duo noticed a figure emerging from the flames, carrying a body by the collar of their shirt. A tall, blue haired woman, dressed rather elegantly, with a hat similar to Tenshi, only with a lot more ribbons and lengths of cloth billowing in the wind.

"Nagae Iku," Reimu muttered. "This was your work?"

Athrun, for his part, was focused more on the person Nagae Iku was dragging along. "Kira..." he muttered in disbelief. "You... what the hell are you up to?!"

Iku fixed Athrun with a gaze that caused him to freeze up. Those eyes, something about them was... dispassionate. Cold.

"I have no business you either of you, child of the Outside and the Hakurei Maiden," Iku said calmly. "I merely came to pick up the Eldest Daughter. Seeing as though she's refusing to cooperate, however, I've elected to... take away her toy, so to speak."

Naturally, Athrun took exception to that statement. In the time it took for anyone to blink, Athrun had shot forward, hand drawn back into a fist. A magically charged punch, filled to bursting with a whole lot of anger.

All Iku did was raise a single finger, and the attack stopped dead in its tracks. Before Athrun had time to show his surprise, a strong current of electricity coursed through Iku and into Athrun, the shock of which threw him back past Reimu.

"Hey! Zala!" Reimu called out. Gritting her teeth, she turned back to face Iku, who had already taken to the air. "Nagae Iku! What the hell are you playing at?!"

Iku looked at the Shrine Maiden with a puzzled look. "What's this? And here I thought you, of all people, didn't care all that much about Outsiders," she mentioned. "You needn't worry; none of them are dead. As I said, this is a message to the Eldest Daughter, the last Celestial."

"Bit extreme for a 'message', wouldn't you say?" Reimu said.

Iku looked back at the burning building, then to Kira Yamato in her hand, with a scornful look. "Pass along this last message when you next see the Eldest Daughter," she said loudly. "Tell her that if she cares about getting her 'toy' back, she will meet me at the peak of Youkai Mountain, beyond the reach of Moriya Shrine."

A flash of lightning from behind, and just like that, Nagae Iku was gone.

Reimu let out an irritated sigh. "Why is it never easy?"

A/N:

You know, I was debating whether or not to dedicate the next few chapters entirely to the 'Destiny' Arc, but at the same time, that feels like it would be make it too... fast, I guess?

So, we'll just have to break it up between 'Continuation of Gensokyo' and 'Destiny', then. I mean, a Gundam episode doesn't focus exclusively on one side of the story most of the time; it gives perspectives from both sides of the story.

Also, I'm sure you can guess who 'Miss-L' is, but why say it now?

Well, tangent over. Let's press on, shall we?