"The enemy is moving."
The woman sat on her leather chair, making a small creak under her weight, closing her eyes as she placed the paperwork on the table, as though she had gone sick and tired of seeing it again. "They were always moving." She said sharply. But she really couldn't be annoyed at her subordinate officer like that. She haven't slept much for the past week, and she was dimly aware that her son was starting to think he was an orphan since she almost never went home just as long.
But there was a reason for these recent activities. The enemy was indeed moving, more than usual… and that she was aware that this was a crucial moment for everyone.
Is it time? The woman wondered, forgetting her fatigue for a moment to look outside her window, to finally break the borders?
"Well, this is where we're going to meet Lond Bell." Misato Katsuragi said as she parked her jeep in front of the tent that served as their temporary base. "Not much on comfort, but considering Commander Ikari, this is considered a blessing."
"Yeah. Thanks for the ride." Haruka Shitow said as she climbed out from the passenger's seat, Misato looked at her in concern. The two of them were friends since college, but this was the first time she saw her so excited. "I know there are some improvement in technology for the past decade, but please be careful. I promised Ritsuko to look after you."
"Since when?" Haruka asked her, in which Misato laughed ruefully. Though unfair, it seemed their resident scientist Doctor Akagi prefers to spend her time with a computer than with the two of them. But since the EVA project was now in motion, Ritsuko had to work closely with the NERV technicians and programmers by overseeing the process personally. Thus eating up the little spare time of them even having a lunch break together.
Still, Misato missed Ritsuko; although she was much a mystery to her as her superiors Fuyutsuki and Ikari. But having Haruka around wasn't so bad. At least she enjoyed Misato's favorite brand of beer, something Ritsuko never really did.
They'd met in the hospital, a few days after Misato's father was killed, both of them fourteen years of age that time. And although Misato suffered a trauma, and was unable to speak, it was Haruka who looked after her, and over the years, taught her how to pick up the remains of her old life. Their friendship was so strong that Misato even followed Haruka to a university, into which Ritsuko, who later came and finalizing the trio, dryly joked that she was obviously the bad influence.
The three of them talked about classes, teachers and their love lives. Misato met a man in which their relationship didn't end so smoothly. In a way, she supposed, she never got over it. Ritsuko was private regarding that conversation, but Haruka… who was quite popular those days, had promptly rejected suitors as soon as they came. From what Misato gathered, Haruka fell in love with a guy when she was younger, but then got separated, and ending up alone. She carried the torch for him ever since. Misato sympathized, their generation suffered the worst of the fighting, she wouldn't be surprised if he happened to be a victim of a battle gone awry between military forces, who were stupid enough to fight in defenseless civilian cities.
Eventually, all three of them entered NERV together, but ended up in different divisions. Misato was in charge of the tactical and offensive group. The First Child, Rei Ayanami and her EVA-00 prototype, which was now towering overhead them, was a charge of hers. She got word that both the Second and Third Child would also be under her jurisdiction, but for now she had to make do with the available pilot. Misato was already briefed regarding the certain operation, in which she was aware the timing would be crucial for their success.
Ritsuko was left behind in the NERV HQ in Tokyo 3, she was a scientist as talented as her mother was, and was in charge of the maintenance of the MAGI supercomputer. With Commander Ikari and Sub-commander Fuyutsuki overlooking the operation from Geofront. Misato knew that her performance this day will be severely observed, and any screw-ups would be taken against her.
Haruka was in charge of intelligence, a rather difficult and dangerous division, Misato admitted to herself. But for some reason, Haruka personally asked Ikari to give her this mission, despite the fact that her job description did not permit this sort of operation. Misato wondered why Haruka insisted to enter Tokyo Jupiter, and why Ikari allowed her in the first place.
Her cell phone was flashing angrily, banishing the remaining train of thought she was having. Misato gave a grim look of determination as she answered it, being informed that Lond Bell was coming in. Alright! Back to work…
Erin looked at the orange barrier surrounding Old Tokyo, she was struck how imposing the site was, and from the looks of everyone else, they were impressed by it too.
"That was branded as an evil place in the Neo-Tokyo colony." Rain said, "There were so many stories regarding it."
"I wouldn't enter it." Domon agreed, "Unless ordered to."
"That bad, huh?" Garrod asked. This was the first time he seen it, but just as everyone else, that Tokyo Jupiter was giving him the creeps.
"Anything unexplained or understood is usually feared." Tetsuya said, "It's called human nature."
"Oh, that's right, you've been in Tokyo before, haven't you?" Kouji asked him.
"Yes. I visited it once on a couple of occasions."
"It must be neat, what was it like?"
Tetsuya frowned. "I don't really remember much. It was so long ago… but ever since Old Tokyo disappeared, none of the following cities taking up its name ever rivaled the beauty of the original."
"That's true." Amuro agreed, "I've heard that same sentiment."
"It's a shame it's closed off then," Kouji said disappointedly, "I would have liked to visit it."
Erin shared the sentiment but not as a tourist type Kouji envisioned.
For some reason, she felt very certain about something. The answers, surely, are inside.
"NERV." Jamil said to Amuro and Sara, when the Gundam pilot asked him regarding that group. "I've heard a lot of controversies about that organization. But this is one of the few groups that are independent from the JSSDF and supported by the Nations. Oka specifically asked me to come here and oversee their operation."
"Do you think that it's possible?" Sara asked, she had read the report as well. It was sound, solid, even, but, "Entering Tokyo Jupiter…?"
"I don't know." Jamil said. "But we're here as backup anyway. We're not going to enter the sphere itself."
"That's good to know." Sara replied, looking relieved.
"I wonder what happened to everyone when that thing swallowed them." Amuro asked.
"They're more likely dead." Jamil answered matter-of-factly. "But we won't know for sure until someone has been there."
"…" Haruka crushed her paper cup and threw the rest of her coffee in the nearest trashcan. She was sitting in small sofa near the instant coffee machine when she couldn't help but overhear their conversation. Those words were echoing her own doubts. But she wanted to know something, more than anything else in her life. She can't afford to give in to fear now.
"Major Misato Katsuragi will be in charge of this operation." Jamil concluded to his pilots. Kouji looked around and saw that Ryouma wasn't around. He never saw him ever since he and that black Getta was transported to the ship.
In actuality, Jamil, ignoring instructions from Miwa, let Franzenberg oversee Ryouma's mental evaluation and even gave him a room of his own (though it was under surveillance), when he received orders to have the former Getta leader locked up if his services weren't needed in the battlefield. Ryouma, for his part, kept away from his former comrades, the years in solitary confinement in prison were obviously ingrained in him. As for the rest of the people who had never worked with him before, they gave him a wide berth, having heard his dark reputation. Musashi, who was also brought along (Benkei left behind in the JSSDF base to recover from his injuries), couldn't help but feel a bit guilty that he was glad Ryouma didn't cause any trouble.
But he admitted to himself more than once that he was curious, as to the reason why he did such a thing so long ago. A sentiment shared by both Tetsuya and Kouji, in which they still couldn't believe that Ryouma would do something like that, even though they saw him kill Saotome before their eyes. Despite the fact that the good professor was slowly losing his mind, surely there was a valid explanation? But Ryouma kept quiet regarding those reasons, and the rest could not find it in their hearts to ask him. Perhaps they were afraid to hear him admitting the crime.
They would not accept it.
"Infiltration within the boundaries of Tokyo Jupiter?" Tetsuya asked Misato, one eyebrow rising in bafflement with the tactics that she just revealed to them. "Is such a thing possible?" Kouji (and Musashi) forced himself to concentrate on the matter at hand.
"We have researched on this matter before the operation was even created." Misato explained, but was wondering about it as well. In theory one could enter the orange sphere, from Ritsuko's research team at least. But then the various successful experiments was made possible by inanimate objects, and that they haven't really determined if this method was even safe for humans. Still, that doesn't mean she had to disclose that for now. "I'm confident to say that we can count on this as a successful operation."
"…" Tifa kept quiet, despite that she already sensed some thoughts that said otherwise. In a way, she considered it a bad habit in her part, but the voices quickly come and go in her mind as reflexive as breathing. She had no control over it. The good part was that for once, she saw nothing beyond Tokyo Jupiter, and that her dreams were quiet as of late, an indication that for now, there was no immediate danger. So she said nothing when Garrod glanced at her worriedly, she didn't want to alarm him by voicing Misato's thoughts just now.
Misato, for her part, tried not to look at Tifa without bordering on rudeness. For some reason, the girl reminded her of Rei, and that's quite something for her.
And when Tifa looked at her, as if she just said those thoughts aloud. Misato quickly looked at Amuro Ray, whom she heard from but never got the chance to see him personally. Now that she did, though, it struck her that he was very good looking.
He probably has a girlfriend though, what a shame… Misato pouted to herself when she was about to conclude the meeting. She got a message from Maya Ibuki, Ritsuko's assistant and her representative in the operation. It took her a microsecond to take stock on what she just said. "What?!"
"Why isn't it moving?" Domon asked, the familiar looking alien before him from the giant screen in the makeshift base where Misato and her NERV teams set up computer stations to look into the new threat.
"It looked like it was guarding something." Rain replied. But what for?
"It's that Squid!" Kouji said, recognizing the image, when Misato shown them the picture, after telling them that there was a slight change of plans.
"Squid? Well, it does look one," Misato agreed. "But that thing is too dangerous to give such a title. We call it Shamshiel."
"After an angel?" She saw the Mazinger pilot raised an eyebrow, "That's stranger." he pointed out.
"Top's orders, I'm afraid." Misato said, grimly. She also wondered on those code names as well, and in her opinion the names were bordering on the silly. "For now, our priority is to destroy that thing."
"It's not even moving." Musashi told her.
"Don't let that fool you," Kouji warned him. "We fought that thing before. It's tougher than it looks."
"It's because of the AT Field," Misato said. "Bur don't worry, with the EVA, Rei can help you to cancel it out."
"We'll send our pilots in the field." Jamil nodded. "What about your fighters?"
"Unfortunately, we only have 00." Misato said. "But I think Rei can handle it."
"Major Katsuragi." A soft feminine voice cut in, and Misato looked at the screen where Rei was awaiting her orders. "I'm receiving a high energy frequency near the base. And it's…" her voice was cut off when the sirens began blazing overhead.
"What's wrong?"
"The Angel attacked!" Maya said, "We've lost contact with Rei!"
"Find out that energy signal she was talking about." Misato ordered. "It could be an attack."
"What about your pilot?" Jamil asked her.
"It's SOP for the pilot the engage the Angel, and any enemy force, even when cut off from HQ. She has to take the initiative. How long will your squad back her up?"
"A few more minutes." Sara said.
Misato bit her lip, she could only hope that Rei could hold her ground for a moment longer.
The disturbance that Rei Ayanami just detected shimmered briefly before forming into a solid mass. The silver Cybuster.
"Ooookaaaayy…" Masaki took a deep breath. "That went smoothly."
"Finally! This is the correct location!" Shiro said. "For a moment there I thought we're leaving the solar system at this rate."
"What are you talking about?" Masaki argued "We just landed on Venus the last time."
"That was Pluto, you nimrod!"
"Guys…" Kuro butt in, "We shouldn't be fighting."
"Why not?" Masaki and Shiro shouted at the same time, when they both noticed what Kuro just meant.
EVA-00's palette rifle was aimed directly at Cybuster.
"What is that?" Shiro asked in alarm, his anger at his master fading.
"I don't know…" But Masaki's words barely left his mouth when the orange mecha opened fire…
… At the energy tentacle that was a centimeter away from the Cybuster. Masaki, realizing it too late, barely managed to move away from having it connected. Shamshiel's limb retracted, and then attacked with both energy tentacles too quickly for both Rei and Masaki to see. Cybuster's pilot decided not to take chances from it and flew upwards, while Rei barely activated her AT Field to protect herself. But the force of the attack was so strong it knocked EVA-00 off its feet, landing uncomfortably on the ground. But Shamshiel ignored the EVA, and concentrated on the smaller mecha.
"Why's that thing attacking us?!" Kuro asked, even Mokona was silent, in which the black cat wasn't sure what she was feeling at the moment.
It's as if it doesn't want us near Tokyo Jupiter… Masaki thought, as the Angel renewed its attack, slicing at the abandoned building nearby as if it was nothing. Taking the hint, Cybuster drew out its sword, and swapped the tentacle away, aware that it didn't do much damage. But at least it didn't dent his sword…
"Rocket Punch!!!" The black arm shot out and landed painfully on the Angel's head, forcing the alien to back down. As the arm returned to the mecha, Masaki looked in shock at his unlikely allies. "You!"
"Hey," Kouji gasped, recognizing him. "It's you!"
"Who?" Erin asked, backing Mazinger Z up with her Hyukebein. They were the two mechas first deployed in the sortie.
"It's the guy who always gets lost!" Kouji explained, realizing he can't remember the young man's name.
"It's Masaki Andou!" Masaki shouted.
"Yeah! That too. We met him a way back." Kouji looked at Masaki. "We need to give the others some battle room. Little help?"
Masaki calmed down a bit, it's not really a time to argue anyway, "Alright."
EVA-00 was now also firing at the Angel with it's palette rifle for all its worth, as the four mechas advanced, pushing it back. But unknowing to them, Mokona felt something, she turned her head on the orange sphere. Wondering, as she felt that the Cybuster was also responding.
Erin noticed that her sensors were giving warning of an oncoming attack. She realized with shock that those limbs may not be the Angel's only weapons. Cursing her own foolishness, she managed to shout "Look out!" Even as Kouji looked at her in puzzlement.
Then Shamshiel's "eye" flashed. And immediately all four mechas are engulfed in an explosion.
"No! Kouji!" Tetsuya shouted as he saw Mazinger Z caught up in that unexpected attack. Kouji had not only managed to move the Angel away, but also saved them, the mother ship and the base from the range of the light.
"ERIN!" Amuro shouted, "Kouji! Respond!"
But they looked in horror when the light dissipated, and all traces of the four mechas were gone.
"It can't be…" Sayaka gasped, trying to fight back tears. Realizing what just happened.
"DAMN YOU!!!" Tetsuya screamed, charging at the Angel, bringing out its Mazinger blade, determined to destroy the abomination. Shining Gundam following behind closely, Domon sharing the same sentiment to avenge them.
There was a flash, and for a moment it felt like it could have burned his eyes out if Kouji didn't close his eyes. So he did, thinking that he was going to die.
But after a moment or two to realize that he didn't feel pain, see his life flash before his eyes, or a tunnel of light that was popular belief to those dying, he slowly opened his eyes, and saw a blue sky.
"Hey…" He heard Erin's voice, before he realized that Mazinger Z was lying on the ground, with the Hyukebein towering overhead. That voice alone calmed his own fears, as Erin helped him to climb out of the cockpit. "Where… where are we?"
"Inside Tokyo Jupiter." Erin said, "I couldn't believe it either… but here we are."
Kouji instantly regretted saying he wanted to see it. He should have knocked on wood first, "Is it… Masaki's doing?"
"Maybe. But he could've saved our lives just now." Kouji noticed that some of their mechas had been damaged. "If he was a little late, I'd hate to think what would happen to us." Then Kouji looked in horror at the severely damaged EVA-00. "What…?!"
"From what I gathered, the girl put on a shield for us. It's not much, but it gave Masaki the time to teleport us."
"Is she alright?" Kouji asked in concern.
"She's injured. But not life-threatening. She has a broken arm though." Erin said, "We did some first aid and it helped somewhat. But I'd rather have a doctor for her instead." She frowned at Kouji's face, which was now smeared by blood, and bleeding from the cuts. "And I think you should have first-aid too."
Kouji wiped his blood away with his gloved hand, "I've got injured a lot worse than this. Don't worry."
"You need to clean them at least." Erin said in a tone of authority. She gave him a clean cloth that was wet with alcohol, "We used up the painless kind when we cleaned Rei's wounds. Sorry about this."
Kouji hesitated, "It's alright. I'll make do. Hey! Stop it…owowowowow!" when Erin, exasperated, wiped his face with it not so roughly. "Sheesh. Stop being such a baby." She chided.
"You should see me when we moved the other girl." Kouji looked up and saw Masaki walking towards them. "That cockpit was filled up with a nasty looking liquid. It taste bad too." The Mazinger pilot noticed that Masaki was wet from head to foot with the stuff to prove it.
"So what's the plan?" Erin asked, ignoring Masaki's disgruntled look.
Masaki bowed in apology. "I'm sorry I brought you guys into it."
Kouji waved it away, "Don't worry about it. By the way, I kept hearing you wanted to go to this place. Can you tell us why?"
"I'm on a special mission. Actually, I never realized I reached it this far." Masaki admitted, "We had better get going and find them."
"Find? Find who?"
"The pilots."
Hikaru Shidou, Umi Ryuzaki and Fuu Haouji are enjoying the sights of Tokyo Tower. The rest of their classmates were also milling about the observation deck, sharing the space with students from other schools. Complaints regarding the choice of venue for the trip were rampant, but not very loud for their teachers who were accompanying them to hear.
"What are you doing?" Umi asked, when she saw Fuu were so concentrated with the book in her hands. "English?" she asked incredulously. "What are you doing with such a difficult subject like that?"
"Well." Fuu replied patiently, "I'm planning to take on linguistics after high school."
Umi scoffed, while Hikaru was busy with her binoculars at the observation deck, pretending not to hear the depressing topic of graduation. "I don't see why you should bother with a dead language anyway."
"That's harsh." Fuu chided, "A lot of beautiful stories and poems are written in English. And even if it's dead, that doesn't give us a reason to forget it." She looked at Umi, "I can't believe you couldn't appreciate the fact that Tokyo was so peaceful…"
Umi sobered at that. They were taught, of course, of the history of the unknown Invaders who came from nowhere and destroying 80% of the world's population, literally wiping out England and America in the process. And if that had not been bad enough, the Second Impact that followed shortly after also destroyed what little countries that remained. In light of this, they were truly the lucky ones, so Umi didn't retort, but instead nodded quietly to concede at Fuu's point as well as a decision to change the subject. "So what are you planning to do after…"
"Ah!" Hikaru shouted, and both Umi and Fuu looked at their friend in alarm as they almost ran to her side. "Are you alright?! What happened?!"
The petite redhead sheepishly looked at her friends as she pointed her binoculars, "My time limit's up. Do you guys have extra change?"
Umi rolled her eyes in comic exasperation as Fuu was began digging her pocket for the needed coins, "I think I have some…"
The sound of coins dropping in the slot brought their attention. "Here, you can use mine." A tall handsome young man a few years older than them said. His short gray hair framing his almost pale face.
Hikaru was taken aback by the stranger and equally impressed by his generosity. "Oh… thank you." She managed to say when she saw another boy and girl calling out their rescuer.
"Ayato! What are you doing? We'll leave you behind in this rate."
"Let him be, Hiroko. You're just jealous that he's flirting with three pretty women." The girl's companion replied.
Asahina gave him a playful slap on his head. "Shut up, Mamoru. Don't talk like a retard."
"Enjoy the view." The boy named Ayato said, smiling, as he quickly ran to his friends.
"He's cute." Umi replied. Hikaru only looked at her friend in surprise. "He is?"
Umi sighed, she just wished, for once, Hikaru gets to understand men who do favors for her.
"What have you been doing?" Asahina asked Ayato as the trio entered the elevator.
"I went to get my sketchbook." Ayato showed them the said article. To Mamoru that thing could stick in his arm if he keeps carrying it like that.
Asahina pouted prettily. "You never showed us what's you've been drawing lately."
Mamoru nodded, solemnly "That's true. Is it perverted?"
"No!" Ayato looked offended.
"Ah well, to someone like you, nudity's an art."
"Stop teasing Ayato like that, Mamoru." Asahina chided him. Switching back to the original topic, she added, "I don't mind really. But please promise us that you'd show it us once you're ready."
"Even if it's hentai material." Mamoru added mischievously.
"It's not!" but Ayato was grinning. He was glad he was with his friends. His mother was unusually busy in her already busy schedule. There were even nights when he had to spend alone house sitting. This day was no different, no doubt, and he was reluctant to return to that big, empty house.
Erin decided that having two intelligent cats in a conversation was definitely something she had to get used to. From what she gathered from them was that Masaki's mentor had given him directions to find pilots that were lost in Tokyo Jupiter, and that Mokona was there as a guide to find them. But Erin wondered if Masaki's teacher was in his right senses for this. For one thing, Masaki has no sense of direction, another thing was that his guide looked like a reject from Pokemon. It didn't help that Mokona wasn't friendly with her, and vice-versa.
Rei regained consciousness, but still had difficulty in walking around with her wounds. So Kuro and Shiro volunteered to stay behind her with the mechas. While Erin and Kouji was to accompany Mokona and Masaki. Their mechas were conveniently landed near a lone park, surrounded by trees. And luckily for them it seemed that there were very few people who even went to this place. (1)
Erin was shaking her head in disbelief when she saw Kouji gaping openly at the sight he just saw.
It was the Tokyo Tower. The important and legendary landmark of Old Tokyo.
"I can't believe it looks anything like that." Kouji breathed, getting excited. "Except in books, of course, but seeing it in person… it's amazing."
"Yeah…" Erin looked at Masaki, "So what do these people look like?"
"Mokona would know."
"…"
"Don't worry. She doesn't talk, but she's quite intelligent."
"For your sake, I'd hope so."
Masaki ignored the sarcastic remark as he continued. "Well, I haven't been in Tokyo either, so this would be the time to see what we'd missed! Let's go!" Pointing at Old Tokyo with barely restrained excitement.
Erin sweat dropped as Kouji said. "… I have a bad feeling…"
"Damn, where IS he?!" Erin shouted as she and Kouji ran into the busy streets of Old Tokyo three hours later. Public baths, open restaurants, with no bunkers or reinforced buildings in sight (though practical, it wasn't very impressive in the looks department from the outside world). With the constant battle where they were from, having seen these things was almost alien. They were receiving queer looks by the people they'd meet in the streets, in which she belatedly supposed that she and Kouji should have bothered to look for clothes. But the people chalked up this oddly dressed pair as huge otakus wearing costumes for cosplays. And that Mokona was a huge stuff toy. Girls were in fact admiring Kouji for his iron-plated bravery going in the public with a teddy bear stuck in his arms. (2)
"I thought you're keeping an eye on him?" Kouji told her as Erin gave a grunt of annoyance, getting angrier to herself than what he even suspected.
"How am I supposed to know he's incompetent in following people? I'm sure as hell we can't make him walk ahead for us."
"His cats told me he had the worst sense of direction," Kouji muttered under his breath, "But, really, I never realized they meant it literally." he stopped, though, and read in shock at the nearby newspaper stand.
"What are you doing? Watch it!" Erin told him when his abrupt stop almost made her crash into him.
"Look," Kouji told her, pointing, Erin gave him an annoyed look, but complied, and she was also stunned into silence.
" NSC 283…" she whispered. Then something clicked in her mind…
…She saw a woman extending her arm, the glare of the light behind her obscuring her features. Are you sure?, she was saying. Once this is done, then there is no going back…
… Don't worry about that. I have no intention to go back… ever…
"That year is way off our calendar. I'm not even walking that time…" Kouji was saying, as Erin shut away the image mentally. She didn't know why she was so shaken.
"Then you know what this mean?" she said, hoping her voice didn't sound forced.
Kouji nodded grimly, "Not only this place is removed from ours, but the sense of time as well."
"It's not outdated, they are outdated." She waved their environment, "Which explains this place."
"Did the people here know about this though…" Kouji stopped when he realized that Mokona was struggling earnestly against his hold on her, and managed to get away.
"HEY!" Erin shouted as Mokona disappeared towards a building in which they belatedly realized that it was a school.
"Where's that puffball going?" Kouji asked her.
"Dunno. Maybe it sensed its idiot caretaker." Erin said, "Let's go!"
Suddenly Kouji stopped, and Erin looked back to see him looking skywards. "What's wrong."
"I thought I saw something."
Erin squinted towards the calm blue sky. It looked normal to her. "You sure?"
Kouji shook his head, "Not really. I guess I imagined it."
"Then let's go."
Still Kouji gave the sky one last look before he followed Erin's lead. For some reason, he felt like they were being watched.
And it was inwardly freaking him out.
Rei looked up to the sky. She felt it somewhat, but felt compelled to do nothing about it. That was why when Kuro and Shiro suddenly looked up in alarm at the approaching figure, Rei didn't move, or attempted to fight back. Her aching body won't let her anyway.
A woman's voice broke the silence.
"You are…"
Actually, Masaki didn't mean to lose his two companions. He was just drawn into a familiar place in a different lifetime.
Way before the Old Tokyo disappeared and became known thereafter as Tokyo Jupiter, he once lived here a long time ago. And seeing his old place now, unchanged by time, was strange…
He wondered if his classmates were here. He doubt it though, from the newspapers that he saw, the time in the hemisphere were still years away from his own time. He was as outcast in the school, and never really mingled with them long enough to establish some friendships. Academic wise he was average, and never really stood out in general. For him, school was a boring life to grow up in, and living alone in his apartment was a lot worse.
In fact, when he was taken away and went to the other world, Masaki was not surprised to learn that he didn't mind when he was told that he couldn't return.
Until now.
He sat on the empty stall that used to be an ice cream store, and stared at the bleak empty apartment in front of him. Wondering at the life what could have been.
He was so distracted that he was unaware that someone was standing behind him, only when he barely heard an audible click of a pistol warned him of her intentions. "Come with me," she said quietly.
"Who are you?"
"I would like to ask the same question. You're the one that caused the disturbance in the base Outside, aren't you?"
Masaki looked up, seeing his reflection in Haruka Shitow's sunglasses. Another glance showed his familiars, both Kuro and Shiro showed a brief look of embarrassment, buried behind their look of concern, tailing behind.
"Where's everyone else?" Haruka asked. There was no time to lose, the Newtype girl privately warned her of a possible danger, and she'd be more assured if Masaki could back up Rei in case of emergencies. Though Lond Bell was grateful of the news that they weren't killed, they had already voiced their concern for their safe return. One that she knew will be her responsibility to make sure they all would.
"I lost them," Masaki said, not embarrassed by this remark. "They're in the city with Mokona, so they should be alright."
"Masaki…" Kuro whispered. She never saw her master looked so sad.
Haruka looked at the apartment where he was staring. Hiding away her gun as well, "It's nostalgic, isn't it? No matter how bad it was, or how you wished it ended differently, you can't forget it even if you tried." Masaki turned to her in surprise as she continued somewhat bitterly, "I know how it feels."
"…" But when Masaki followed the women and the cats into the street, he never looked back.
"We better hurry," Haruka was saying, pulling up a tracking device, "It's going to be chaotic…"
That got Masaki's attention, "What are you talking about?"
A young woman was drifting off in mental contemplation, the closest thing for sleeping in this world. But she wasn't here for the rest. She was here waiting for a confirmation. From what her superior had just said, it won't be long before Clef's familiar finds those knights. And that she shouldn't hesitate to strike them down, even if Tokyo Jupiter's defenses would attempt to stop them.
"Alcione…" Her familiar woke her up from her reverie, "The contact has been made."
The young woman gave a slow, predatory smile, reflecting her familiar's feline sentiments. "Time to kill…"
There was an old saying that Hikaru remembered as a child, that when one makes a promise to a cherry tree, the fairy that lived there would make it last forever. And that was why she invited Umi and Fuu to the park near Tokyo Tower, to find the nearest cherry tree that she saw along the way. But as she approached the young tree, with Umi and Fuu trailing behind discussing their pictures, she heard a loud "Pu!"
"Whoa!" Hikaru shouted as Mokona literally bounced in her arms, the strange pink creature making small sounds of happiness. The redhead felt her heart skip, this must be the fairy! She innocently thought in excitement. She was about to call out her friends to show the prize when something flashed in the corner of her eye.
Asahina and Mamoru already gave their goodbyes and headed out on their own, going to watch a movie that they wanted to see.
Ayato was left behind with the one thing he never wanted. Free time. With a sigh he made a short detour for the park, instead of heading to the train back home.
He sat down in the city park, wishing that his friends stayed a little while longer. Looking for inspiration for his next drawing, he tilted his head back and stared into the sky…
A sky that was shifting…
Ayato quickly rubbed his eyes, he must have imagined it.
But the sky continued to shift, and he looked on in surprise as a spear created out of ice appeared out of nowhere, and strikes the ground that was near a cherry tree…
"What the?!"
But he felt someone taking a firm grip in his arm, Ayato looked behind and saw an older woman looking at him in fierce concentration. "Run! Get out of here!" she hissed. And without another word, she pushed him away, Ayato barely had the time to regain his footing. He was staring at the woman, though. She was strangely familiar…
Ayato…
He looked behind him, but saw no one, but the voice seemed to stir old dormant feelings, he desperately looked around, until he finally saw her. He wondered why he didn't see her in the first glance, but then he never really cared…
A girl around his age, wearing a yellow dress, a white scarf tied neatly around her neck, and her long brown hair flying gently in the wind. If he wasn't so oblivious to what was happening right now, he would have been laughing in joy. For he knew her so long ago.
"Mishima…"
Mokona was gone from her line of sight when Erin saw the same spear of ice. "The hell did that thing come from?!" she shouted.
"An attack!" Kouji shouted, shielding his eyes from the strong light, "Damn in the open, and without our robots too!"
Another blast, and Erin saw Mokona huddling with three girls, who were screaming as the second one landed too near from where they were standing. A horrible thought occurred to her, Is the sky attacking them? It sounded stupid, in a way, but how can one explain this?
"Look out!" Kouji cried out too late when the third shot struck the tree where the schoolgirls were crouching. And suddenly flames appeared, swallowing and melting the ice in the process. The two pilots gave looked at the burning tree in shocked horror, knowing that all of them were killed. But the fire surrounding the three girls increased, grown larger, then finally dissipated. And Kouji was surprised to see them alive, untouched and unscorched.
"Hikaru…" Umi gasped, as Fuu pointed her friend's hand. "What is that?"
Hikaru looked down, and saw fire leaping from a jewel embedded in her right hand. "This is…"
"Hey!" Kouji shouted, finally running up to them. Mokona gave a squeal of recognition and jumped back to the Mazinger pilot's arms, "Are you alright?"
"Who are you?!" Umi asked angrily, this was getting too much for her. She couldn't understand what was going on, but one thing was certain that she wanted to blame someone for this.
Suddenly, there was another light, but this time, it was coming from their direction. Erin looked back and saw EVA-00 opening fire with its positron rifle on the sky where the energy blast originated. The shot reached its target and before their very eyes saw it reforming… into a strange forming mecha that looked like a bipedal cat.
"Where did that…?" Another loud sound, most likely from the Cybuster's engine as the small mecha was following up the attack, slashing the cat with the sword.
The mysterious mecha screamed, as though it was in pain. Kouji and Erin had the sense enough to pull the girls away when the tail thrashed violently, uprooting the tree in the process.
"We gotta get out of here!" Kouji shouted.
"For the first time, I agree!" Erin replied as they broke into a run. Hopefully Masaki and Rei could distract the thing a moment longer for them to be a safe distance away.
"Over here!" Haruka Shitow shouted, waving at them at a nearby coffee shop. She had the tables turn over to serve as a makeshift shield from the flying debris. Umi tried not to look at the dead people littering on the streets when minutes before they were alive and just walking leisurely in the wrong place and in the wrong time. Though Fuu's countenance was calm, fear and uncertainty touched her heart, she found herself worrying if everyone in her school was alright, her family… and what has the world come into that such a tragedy happening.
"Your machines are nearby." Haruka explained after telling Erin and Kouji that she was working for NERV, and that she was sent here in a modified operation to get them out of there. As proof, she showed them Boss' picture of himself in a provocative pose. Erin would have laughed in another time but Kouji looked at her incredulously.
"He gave it to me for good luck." Haruka explained, rolling her eyes in disbelief. The Mazinger pilot groaned in embarrassment for his friend, that was Boss alright…
"How is she?" Erin asked Fuu, as she bent over her friend.
"She lost consciousness…" Fuu said worriedly, true enough the redhead's eyes were closed. Either the shock of the attack, or her energies were used up when she used that magical fire to protect them, she wasn't really sure. "This thing in her hand… what?"
Erin looked at the girl, "I don't know," she said simply in a tone telling the other girl that she shouldn't ask anymore questions… because the Hyukebein pilot didn't know the answer herself.
"I'll handle these kids." Haruka explained, "But you two better back them up." Throwing a glance at the Cybuster that was now attacking with its missiles. The cat mecha backed away with amazing agility, allowing the missiles to destroy the streets instead.
They didn't need to be told twice, both Kouji and Erin made a run for it to the place where Haruka told them where the other mechas are. Haruka silently thanked that bizarre robot, it's attack helped her find them as well as a good excuse to have EVA-00 drag those other two mechas in the middle of Tokyo in the first place.
But the older woman was still looking around the remains of a once peaceful park worriedly. Although she had seen to it that he would run for cover, she never saw him again. "Ayato…" she whispered softly, as the Cat mecha unleashed an energy blast, in which the Cybuster simply evaded with ease, but the buildings behind it melted by its extreme heat. "Please be alright…"
Ayato blinked. One moment he was standing in the war zone, next he was in a huge room, above him was the ceiling with an illustration depicting the blue sky. While below the platform he was standing on was a floor filled with water. Broken pillars surrounding the area, and in the middle of this place was a giant egg, it was so huge it was almost touching the roof… and on top of the egg…
Mishima was singing, her voice echoing and filling the whole room. And for some reason, Ayato was compelled to get near it. To get near to her. Step by step. Slowly by slowly. Until he was an inch away from the egg.
"One day, you will open it when the time comes and the world is ready." Mishima said quietly and solemnly, "But for now, you must make the first step.
"Awaken… RahXephon, and hear your voice."
Without thought, Ayato lifted a hand and laid it gently on the white smooth shell.
And light surrounded him, he dimly recalled Mishima resuming her song. And a second voice accompanying hers.
Cybuster managed to deflect the extended claws of the cat mecha with his own sword, and from the corner of his eye, Masaki could see the EVA-00 was showing trouble with aiming it's bulky positron rifle. It can't be helped since the pilot was wounded, and Rei was obviously trying to make do by not firing in total abandon. At least not in Cybuster's direction. He was grateful for that, since his enemy was fast… almost as fast as his own machine, with no obvious advantage over the other… and he certainly didn't want to be put down by friendly fire.
That was why Masaki was greatly relieved when he heard Erin from his radio that she and Kouji were going to back them up. With four, the least they can now do was force the attacker to give up and leave.
Alcione snarled, her familiar giving her mental warnings of the silver mecha's allies. But she has no intention to leave, not without finishing her mission. So without warning, surprising Masaki since she never used that attack on him in their brief duel, the cat mecha's claws extended, then separated from the tips of its fingers. The impromptu missiles were heading at the spot where Haruka and the girls were hiding.
The Hyukebein mk. III opened fire with its photon rifle, in a desperate attempt to deflect them from the line of fire. But Erin couldn't destroy those missiles fast enough. Haruka closed her eyes, recognizing their danger, waiting to die… feeling sorry she couldn't do much for the three girls.
When an energy field deflected the missiles.
Haruka gasped as their unlikely savior rose from the granite street, reducing it to rubble, a tall blue-white robot, with angel-like wings attached on the side of its head, its golden eyes looked at the mechas in subtle malevolence. To Alcione, she could only look at it in shock. She recognized the thing. Had been informed by her master of its existence. Seeing it, though, was another matter…
"Xephon… but how?…"
"What is that?" Kouji tightly asked Erin through the screen. She was annoyed at the fact why everyone else was asking questions to her as if she was an answering machine, but a brief look at her companions diffused some of her anger. She could see Mazinger Z was clenching and unclenching it's powerful fists, mirroring the uncertainty of it's pilot's mind. Cybuster was flying overhead, holding its sword tightly, torn on whom to fight first. Rei was not unusually quiet, but Erin had a feeling that the younger pilot needed someone to order her to shoot. Actually she was also was itching to have her rifle point at the newcomer to feel a small comfort from it. But her gut was telling her not to make any sudden unnecessary moves.
All six mechas were still, not sure on whom would strike first. Haruka took advantage of the situation, and told Umi and Fuu to carry Hikaru and crawl to another table for safety. They hesitated, unwilling to leave her behind, but her grim expression silenced their protests as they silently moved away.
Apparently Alcione had the least patience, fearing correctly that her prey would get away from her grasp, ice formed around the fists of her mecha, and threw the solidified mass to the RahXephon in an attempt to crush it and the people it was defending behind.
But Alcione gasped in shock when RahXephon's right fist connected on her mecha's stomach, the force of the attack flung her onto the broken buildings, the Cat crouched on the base of those buildings, clutching it's gut.
Alcione… that is enough…a male voice whispered in her mind, breaking her furious line of thought.
"My lord!" Alcione shouted, "I almost had them! Just give me more time!"
The Dolems are here. Even I could not afford to do battle with them. Retreat now…there was a warning note in her master's voice. And Alcione could not afford to displease him by rebelling his orders. "I understand." She whispered, clenching her hands in frustration. Those pilots had made a fool out of her, she vowed that she will not forget this day.Kouji blinked as the cat mecha disappeared as fast as the speed of thought. Conveniently leaving them alone with this unknown winged mecha. The Mazinger pilot wouldn't allow himself to be intimidated, though, and willed his mecha a step forward, as a sort of challenge.
RahXephon didn't take it, but instead raised its head to the sky… and sang…
And to their surprise, all of them were rising in the air. Masaki looked at his instruments, but the spirit readings gave no indication where this force was coming from. Kouji instinctively looked down, and saw Haruka and the three girls somehow teleported in his hand. He looked around for Erin, but she could not be found.
The Hyukebein and the RahXephon remained on the ground, as Erin saw the rest disappearing in the horizon. She was wondering why she was left with him when she noticed another anomaly. A strangely shaped… ship? Mecha?… came into their view, the head of the thing resembling a woman's features, her blue lips open, but the body was round, and limbless, and was floating in the air. The oddly shaped mecha seemed to be surveying the damage of its surroundings before turning its attention on them.
"It's good to see you again." A woman was standing on top of the head of the robot. "I don't know how long it was since we parted company. It felt like yesterday…"
Erin gasped. She recognized that woman…
"Ishtari…" The woman said, Erin switched her gaze to the RahXephon to see whom the woman was referring to.
But she saw no one. Only the RahXephon's stoic features were all she could see in her perspective.
"We will see…" The woman said, as if she heard something that Erin couldn't understand. And that was it, to Erin's slight surprise, immediately everything seemed to fade away…
The woman watched them disappear. She deliberately stalled the RahXephon from leaving as she was curious on what happened to Erin. She doubts the younger girl could remember her, and the favors they'd done for the other. But it was good to see her again, when she was so certain that she will hide away for the rest of her life.
"Are you sure that's alright?" Her young subordinate asked. He was glad Ayato was out of the equation for now, of course, but he didn't expect them to leave so soon.
"Orin is not ready to accept Ishtari." The woman said. "We'll just have to wait. They'll be much safer Outside anyway." But she looked back at the sky where the RahXephon disappeared. "Ayato, my son…" Mrs. Kamina said, knowing she may never see him again, "Be well…" (3)
When Ayato woke up, he found himself lying on his back and staring at the mecha that was stooping over him. The mecha with wings attached to the side of its head. He tried to think of what just happened, but memories and events in the past hour seemed blurred. All he remembered was Mishima, and the egg that was starting to hatch…
He was aware there were voices a few meters away from him.
"I want answers NOW!" Umi snapped at Kouji, was unfortunately the one the blue-haired girl was yelling at, could only say "…uh…" when Fuu tried to put a restraining hand on her obviously upset friend. "Umi, we will get those answers later. But for now, we have to look after Hikaru."
Umi looked guilty, as she realized that there were other important things to worry about. Glaring at the Mazinger pilot, she accompanied Fuu to tend to Hikaru.
Kouji shook his head while staring at Haruka. "Shouldn't it be Masaki the girl get shouted at?"
Haruka gave a shrug of apology. She sent the green-haired boy and his cats with Rei (having privately ordered to keep a good eye on him as well) to scout for food. For the ruins in Old Tokyo did have some derelict supermarkets and food stalls left, if they were lucky they might find canned foods that were most likely unspoiled from the passage of time.
Kouji only shook his head in obvious annoyance as he walked over to Erin's place, crouching over the radio that she disassembled from her Hyukebein's cockpit.
"Its a good thing Rei's EVA brought some batteries." Erin was saying, "Even if it's low, it could be enough to send an SOS signal." But from Kouji's expression, it wasn't relief of that good news, nor annoyance of having his Mazinger Z trashed.
"I can't believe we've been gone for a week." Kouji sighed as he sat beside her. "Even with Miss Haruka's explanations backing it up, I still can't believe it."
"The fact that we were stuck there for the whole morning? I guess so. Actually, I wasn't surprised at all. Remember the newspaper?"
"Yeah… but it's a different thing experiencing it now 'outside'… it's so weird…"
"I wonder if the Freeden would be around to pick us up?" Erin asked aloud. "Our machines are badly damaged. At the worse, we'll have to walk to the nearest city."
"Don't worry. Your friends will be here." Haruka assured them. "The Freeden volunteered to clean up and collect samples from the Angel's remains for NERV to insure that they won't be going anywhere."
"So they defeated Shamshiel." Kouji said.
"It was tough, but they managed to do it." Haruka replied. "Your disappearance surprisingly increased their will to beat the crap out of it."
"With Tetsuya, Musashi and Domon?" he chuckled. "They'd better be."
"Excuse me…" Haruka looked up and saw Ayato approaching them, looking confused but not angry, and thankfully unhurt. "But where are we?"
Erin and Kouji made quick glances to each other and then to Haruka, who sighed quietly as she stood up, dusting dirt off her pants. "They have to know sooner and later." She explained to them as she called Fuu and Umi to come to her. The two girls and Ayato stared in surprise and in recognition, as Haruka re-organized their makeshift camp.
Erin volunteered to accompany Hikaru, who was suffering a slight fever from their exertions, while Kouji must keep vigilance with the radio. Haruka, Ayato, Umi and Fuu made a short trek from their camp past the old broken buildings that once long ago was a prosperous commercial center until they reached the end of the street, that was supposed to lead into a large avenue.
Ayato gasped, and even Umi was stunned into silence as they saw an orange wall in front of them. And as they looked up, they saw it towering in the heavens, and surrounding all that it enveloped in.
Haruka sighed again, how does one tell them that their quiet lives inside the sphere were nothing more than a lie? "That is Tokyo Jupiter," she said firmly and bluntly. "Where you came from. Here, the place you are now standing in…
"Is the real world that you are all blinded from."
Meanwhile, in the camp, Hikaru woke up, asking for water. As Erin filled her cup from the water bottles that Masaki and Rei carried, both had returned and were now sorting the edible foods from the rotten, she heard Kouji calling out.
The Freeden has found them.
Next Chapter… A Stratosphere Battle: Athrun Zala, now a hero recognized by the military council, was requested to join the ZAFT Earth offensive team with the other Gundam pilots as his squad, much to Diakka and Isaac's disapproval. At the same time, when Nadesico were intercepting her new fighter pilots, her first space battle was about to begin.
(1) Look at Bernie's Zaku in 0080. Remember kids, trees are your friends.
(2) If they both realized those sentiments, they might have died of embarrassment.
(3) OK, fixed it. Thanks, Adyen :p