El-Hazard is mine! I invented it! (Gets poked by lawyer) Oh, fine then. I didn't. El-Hazard is the property of Pioneer/AIC, apparently. EL-HAZARD: THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME The Shape of Things So Far- Amiri asks Makoto to analyse some of her husband's research notes. Jennown Doht has been made the senior consultant to the new Alpha Priestess. Alielle worries that Rune is putting herself under too much pressure. The Bugrom launch an attack on Dorusland, slowly advancing through the country. Afura has an unnerving encounter with Doht, who threatens to expose the fact that the priestesses withheld information from him if Afura does not give him the prophecy. On the advice of his generals, Fran refuses offers of outside help as the Bugrom continue through Dorusland. The prophecy is finally translated, and it appears to foretell Ifurita's death- but Ifurita does not believe it. Rune and Fatora decide to unseal the Eye of God to deter the Bugrom. As the priestesses perform the ceremony, the Stairway to the Sky begins to explode- it has been sabotaged by the Phantom Tribe. Qawoor is rescued by a second Ifurita- the one first encountered during the battle with Kalia. While she claims to have important information about Sakura, Diva has an announcement of her own- she is dying. THE SEVENTH MONTH: "GEMINI" Nanami sat down behind the counter, and surveyed her empty restaurant. Her only company was Parnasse, sitting nearby and clearly bored out of his mind. "I don't know why I bothered coming in today," she sighed. "People obviously don't want to eat out at the moment." "They're scared," Parnasse replied. "People in Roshtaria always felt protected before now. But now that they can't use the Eye of God..." Nanami nodded. "I just hope they get over their fear soon. Even Makoto and the priestesses haven't turned up today." "Well, they're in conference with the princesses at the moment," said Parnasse. "How come we never get invited to these conferences?" Nanami pondered. "I suppose," Parnasse reasoned, "we're just not important enough." "Oh well," Nanami said. "At least I have you here to keep me company." Mycea entered the restaurant. "Hi," she called. "I came for my shift... oh, Parny! You're here!" Parnasse and Mycea immediately sat down opposite each other, and got down to the important business of staring into each other's eyes. "I'll just be over here..." Nanami called, but neither of them seemed to hear. Ifurita Version Three, or 'Three' as she had been nicknamed, stood next to her predecessor in the conference hall. They really were extremely difficult to tell apart- the only way in which one differed from the other was their facial expressions. Three rarely smiled. Quiet and serious, she never seemed to speak unless it was necessary. "From what we've seen," Afura began, "Sakura has the ability to drain energy from others." "Apart from Qawoor and Ifurita," Shayla added. Three nodded. "Yes. It can be explained. Tell me, how much historical data do you have concerning the Holy Wars?" "Very little has survived from that period," Rune replied. "Much of it has passed into legend." "I see," Three said. "Are you aware of a man named Jahad Ito Arundel?" Doctor Schtalubaugh looked up. "Yes. His name is mentioned in several of the ancient texts, mostly in connection to the Eye of God." "Arundel was a weapons designer for the First Kingdom, a union of nations which had its seat in what is now Roshtaria," Three explained. "During the early stages of the Holy Wars, the First Kingdom was devastated by wave after wave of Demon Gods. In response, Arundel created a Demon God to eclipse all others. One that could mimic attacks used against it, and could only grow stronger with experience. Ifurita." Ifurita turned to Three. "Did he design both of us?" "We are based upon the same design, so yes. But to begin with there was just one Ifurita. You. Single-handedly you turned the tide of the war, laying waste to whole nations..." "Yes, yes..." Ifurita said uncomfortably. "I can remember that part." "The First Kingdom's enemies surrendered, on the condition that you were sealed away. By this time, Arundel was already overseeing the construction of a new weapon, the Eye of God." "But I thought you said there was peace," Makoto interjected. "Why were they building a weapon like the Eye of God in peacetime?" "The project had already been underway for some time. Also, the First Kingdom claimed it had a right to defend itself. Privately, the other nations were furious. One of them managed to steal the plans for Ifurita, and began to build copies, of which I was one. The renewed arms race resulted in another war. The First Kingdom used the Eye of God, but it proved difficult to control. Many of their own people were killed as a result." "What happened to Arundel?" Ifurita asked. "He was disgraced, but more determined than ever to prove himself. He began work on the Absolute Zero Class of Demon God. This type took advantage of a dangerous branch of science known as zero energy physics. It proved too dangerous even for him- when experimenting with dimensional vortices, Arundel was killed. His half- finished creation was sealed away. Somehow, the woman you call Sakura Tamaro was fused with the Demon God upon her arrival here." "Well, I know what I find weird," Fatora cut in. "That out of all the places she could have landed, this Tamaro materialised inside a Demon god. I mean, come on... what are the chances?" "What are the chances?" Sakura said chirpily. "It looks like this old castle is really the king's secret military base. What a stroke of luck!" "Mmph." Jinnai grunted a response, just barely acknowledging her existence. His thoughts seemed to be elsewhere as he followed his Demon Idol along the dark, stone-floored corridor, surrounded by a small legion of bugs. "Gee, I thought you'd be happy," Sakura snapped irritably. "I mean, here we are- we've got this country practically conquered... you could at least show some enthusiasm." Jinnai shot her an icy glare. "Will you lay off, just for a second?" "Something's bothering you, isn't it?" Sakura probed. "I can tell. I'm very perceptive like that, you know. People would always say to me- 'Oh, Sakura, you're so perceptive,' and then I'd say..." "Shut up!" Jinnai demanded. "See? You're all irritable. That's a bad sign. Come on, Katsuhiko. What's wrong?" Jinnai paused. The ramifications of what Diva had told him were playing on his mind constantly, and he desperately wanted to tell someone. Not that it would solve anything, but it would then become someone else's problem too, and he could at least extract some pleasure from knowing that they were as worried as he was. For a moment, he considered telling Sakura there and then. But then he remembered that he was surrounded by bugs. As far as he was aware, the bugs knew nothing of Diva's impending fate, and he wasn't sure what might happen if they found out. "I'll... um... tell you later," he mumbled. Fran paced. Right now it was the most constructive thing he could do. "It's not looking good, majesty," his lone servant observed. "Yes, thank you for that insight," Fran hissed. "God only knows where I'd be without your razor sharp analysis of the situation!" The servant looked a little hurt. "I'm sorry, majesty. I was only trying to..." "Don't! Whatever it is, don't!" Fran interrupted, his panic growing by the second. "The Bugrom are going to come bursting in here any minute... all of my generals have... just what the hell happened to them anyway? Do you have any idea where they went?" "No, majesty," the servant said. "They just... went." Fran let out a feeble little sigh. Somebody up there really had it in for him. He just couldn't believe it. One minute his generals were all there. The next, he returned from a visit to the toilet only to discover they were gone. "They must have scarpered," he surmised. "Bastards! They were useless anyway. 'We can win this war alone,' they told me. 'Things might look bad right now, but we're about to turn the tide.' And now look at us! Up to our necks in Bugrom!" "You... didn't HAVE to follow their advice," the servant offered nervously. "Oh, no. No you don't," Fran said defensively. "Don't you go blaming this on me. It was their fault!" Heavy footsteps could be heard. A few seconds later, the reinforced door flew from its hinges, aided on its unexpected journey by two large Bugrom. "Yes, well," the servant nodded. "It doesn't really matter now, does it?" Jinnai and Sakura stepped into the room. Jinnai was still feeling awful, but he decided he might as well do this properly. "I, Katsuhiko Jinnai, claim this nation on behalf of the Bugrom Empire!" He looked between the two men. "So... which one of you is King Fran?" "He is!" Fran said, pointing immediately to his servant. "What?" the servant responded, horror-struck. "Majesty, I..." "I think he's lying," Sakura advised. Jinnai nodded, moving closer to Fran. "Yes. This one definitely looks more king- like." "It's not me, really!" Fran protested. "He's the king! Him!" The servant, now close to tears, cut in. "Your majesty, I've been in your service for almost twenty five years! I'm sorry, but I really must object!" Sakura joined Jinnai in front of Fran. "You ARE the king, aren't you?" "No, no, I'm not!" "Yes you are, you naughty man," Sakura said with the tone of a nursery school teacher chastising a three year old for hogging the crayons. "Take him away," Jinnai said to the two largest bugs. Duly they obliged, dragging the king of Dorusland out of the room. "Three," Ifurita began, reflecting briefly upon what a strange nickname that was, "can you explain why I couldn't attack Sakura?" "Yes," she replied. She turned to the others. "As I explained, both Ifurita and the Absolute Zero prototype were designed and built by the same side. There was always the fear that something might go wrong, and two Demon Gods of the same allegiance could turn upon each other. Every First Kingdom Demon God was given a specific EM sensitivity which prevented it from harming one of its own kind." "I don't get it," Makoto said. "Your nation was opposed to the First Kingdom. If your design is the same as Ifurita's, surely you'd have been unable to fight their Demon Gods." Three nodded. "My manufacturers encountered precisely that difficulty when they created the second Ifurita. She could not engage the First Kingdom's Demon Gods in combat. When they built me, they had to scrap much of the original programming and start again. I was free of the directive... although my operational period was brief." "What about me?" Qawoor asked. "Sakura didn't seem able to attack me. And Ifurita... just seems to have an adverse reaction to me." "Hmm," Three pondered. "There is one remote possibility... I may be able to prove it. Ifurita. I want you to attack Qawoor." Ifurita gasped. "No!" Rune frowned. "Explain yourself." Three remained unfazed. "I don't want you to harm Qawoor, Ifurita. Just use a weak attack." "I don't think I have any." "Access your combative database. Call up attack file zero-zero-zero" Ifurita paused for a moment. "Oh. I see." "It is a weak light-based attack, installed to test your command protocols. It is quite harmless." Ifurita looked around nervously. "I don't know, I... it just doesn't seem right to attack one of my friends." The tiniest hint of frustration became evident in Three's voice. "If you don't, I will never be able to prove my theory." Qawoor spoke up. "Please, Miss Ifurita. Try it. I'm just as curious as you are about all of this." "Well..." Ifurita said reluctantly. "Very well, if you're sure." Qawoor nodded. Ifurita looked to Makoto. "Makoto?" "Hmm?" Makoto responded. "Oh... right." He handed her the Power Key Staff. Ifurita pointed the staff at Qawoor. "Here goes," she said, and fired. Or rather, didn't fire. Suddenly her head was filled with hundreds of error messages, all competing for dominance. Something unconscious was holding her back, something almost instinctive. Fighting it wasn't even an option. And then, for a split second, she saw the face. The next thing she knew, she was sitting on the floor of the conference hall, with Makoto, Three, Schtalubaugh, the princesses and the priestesses gathered around her. "I... couldn't do it," she said. "Some force within me prevented me from carrying out the attack." "As I suspected," Three said. "Would you care to explain?" Afura asked. Three nodded. "Arundel was a very cautious man, and with good reason. He was living in politically dangerous times. It's said that his greatest fear was to fall out of favour with his superiors, and end up dead at the hands of one of his own creations." "Like the guillotine," Makoto commented. "The what?" Fatora asked. "It was an old Earth method of execution. The guy who invented it was eventually killed by it." "Yes," Three said. "Arundel sought to avoid precisely that sort of ironic death. He discovered that he had a genetic marker unique to his family. So he secretly programmed every one of his Demon Gods to recognise that marker, and, if necessary, pass control of themselves over to him. Or, indeed, any of his direct descendants..." "Descendants?" Qawoor echoed. "But that must mean..." "Qawoor, I believe you to be a direct descendant of Jahad Ito Arundel. You possess his genetic marker, and as a result, none of his creations are able to harm you. If Ifurita's obedience protocols were still active, I believe you would also be able to control her- but since they are not, all that she experiences is a sense of internal conflict when she encounters you." Ifurita looked up at Three. "But this doesn't affect you?" "No. The urge to protect Arundel and his family was removed from my program." "And Sakura?" Three paused. "Good question. She was prevented from attacking Qawoor... but she is only half Demon God. I doubt that Qawoor could control her directly." "I have one more question," Ifurita said. "When I tried to attack Qawoor, I saw... a face. It was a man I didn't recognise. Can you explain that?" "Not conclusively," Three said. "But one possibility comes to mind. I believe it may have been the face of your creator- our original designer, Jahad Ito Arundel." So, Ifurita thought to herself. That is my creator. She shuddered. He looked so... unpleasant. Although, she reasoned, given his occupation, it was perhaps not too surprising. Jinnai and Sakura stood on the deck of the troop transport as it began the long journey back to the hive. "Wow," Sakura grinned. "I bet Diva's gonna be so pleased." Jinnai just shook his head. Sakura sighed. "Are you going to tell me what's up now?" Looking around to make sure there were no bugs in earshot, Jinnai then leaned in closer to Sakura. "It's Diva," he said quietly. "She's sort of... dying. She told me the other day." "Dying of what? Is she ill?" "No, I don't think so. I think it's just natural causes." "Oh," said Sakura. "Bummer." "Bummer? Is that all you have to say?" "What did you expect me to say?" Sakura replied. "I don't really know Diva. She doesn't seem to like me anyway. Besides, she doesn't ever do anything, does she?" Jinnai frowned. "That's not the point. The Bugrom need a queen in order to survive." "So what happens to them after she dies?" "I'm... uh... not sure," Jinnai said, ashamed. "And I can't really ask her, because... um..." Sakura smiled knowingly. "Because she thinks you're a messenger from God, who already knows everything about the Bugrom. Now I understand why you're so worried. Wow, this is a tough one..." "Yeah, yeah. Don't rub it in. I need to think of a way out of this..." "Ooh!" Sakura said. "I've thought of something!" "No, you haven't," Jinnai said dismissively. "You never think of anything." "Shows how much YOU know, Mr Messenger-From-God. I've come up with a very clever plan. I'm not as stupid as you think, Katsuhiko." For the record, Sakura actually was as stupid as Jinnai thought. On this occasion, she just got lucky. Jinnai sidled up to Diva, trying to disguise his fear. "Look, um, Diva. It's about what you told me the other day..." "Yes?" "Well, as you know, Sakura is a very important part of our operation, and I think it's only right that she should know. Diva paused, considering Jinnai's words carefully. "I agree," she said. "You may tell her." "Oh... well..." Jinnai bluffed. "The thing is... Sakura can be very emotional sometimes, and I'm not that good at breaking bad news. I think you should tell her yourself." Diva sighed. "If you insist, Mr Jinnai." "Excellent. Hey, Sakura. Come over here." Sakura approached the pair. Diva decided to get this all over with as quickly as possible. "Miss Tamaro, I will die soon." "I know." Jinnai gave Sakura a swift kick. "Wha... oh... I mean... you're gonna die? That's awful! NO!" Sakura grabbed onto Diva and began to wail uncontrollably. "Don't leave us, Diva! Why does the world have to be so cruel?" Jinnai didn't know where to look. She was overdoing it... Diva, meanwhile, was quite unaccustomed to this sort of behaviour, and could only look down at the apparently inconsolable Sakura with utter bemusement. "Miss Tamaro... I'm, well, touched... but I think... um..." "What did I tell you?" Jinnai said weakly. "She does get emotional." Sakura continued to cry. "Please, Miss Tamaro," Diva urged. "I think that is enough." "Sakura, KNOCK IT OFF!" Jinnai commanded. Sakura stopped abruptly. "Oh," she said. "Okay." "Now," Jinnai prompted. "I'm sure after hearing this news, there'll be a lot of questions you'll want to ask Diva." "Not really," she replied. Jinnai kicked her again. "Ooh! I thought of one!" she said. "How long do you have left?" "A few months," Diva replied. "Long enough for me to produce the new queen." "I bet you'd like to ask Diva more about this new queen, wouldn't you?" Jinnai said to Sakura with a murderous look in his eyes. "Um... yes? Yes, I think I would." "Well," Diva began, "it's quite simple. I will lay one more egg, containing the new queen. This will hatch, and I will be able to educate my successor in the ways of the Bugrom before I die." Jinnai heaved a sigh of relief. This was the information he had been after. "Oh well," he said to Sakura, "I think that's enough questions. Let's not bother Diva any longer, now." He towed her away, trying to contain his anger until they got to a safe distance. "I can't believe you almost messed that up!" he hissed. "Especially considering it was your plan in the first place!" "Well, it worked, didn't it?" Sakura said defiantly. "Sakura, not only can you not sing, you can't act either. It's a source of continual wonder to me that you ever got paid to do anything." It was late evening, and Princess Rune walked towards the war room feeling rested, but at the same time, frustrated. After her audience earlier in the day with the new Ifurita, Fatora and Alielle had practically ordered her to take some time off. Of course, she'd objected at first, but there was little point in arguing with Fatora. So in the end she'd accepted. And it wasn't that she didn't like having time to herself... it was just that she had no idea what to do with it. As she entered the war room, she noticed how unusually quiet it was. No wonder. There were few people present. Three generals stood despondently above the giant map, while Fatora and Alielle sat in the corner. Rune approached the pair. "What's happened?" Alielle, clearly distressed, looked up. "Dorusland has fallen." "Oh my goodness... Alielle, I'm very sorry. When did this happen?" "We got word about two hours ago," Fatora replied. "Right," Rune began, slipping back into ruler mode. "First we need a strong deployment of troops along our southern border. Considering the length of the border area, it will probably be necessary to..." "Sis, it's done," Fatora said. "The southern border is being guarded by nine of our own divisions, and four from Styrenia. We're also trying to contain the Bugrom inside Dorusland by dispatching troops from Stidiland and Perallia along their eastern border..." Rune noticed the error immediately. Obviously, Fatora's inexperience in international politics had caused her to falter. "You can't put Stidian and Perallian troops together," she said. "There's a long-running border dispute between those nations. They won't co-operate." "Border dispute?" Fatora pondered. "Oh, I remember now. Yeah, I sorted that out yesterday." "What?" "Well, I knew nothing about it until yesterday, when we had the king of Stidiland and the queen of Perallia here... they were angry when they bumped into each other! They started fighting, and Alielle told me it was because they couldn't agree on a border. I didn't have time for it, so I just... drew them a new border. Didn't I, Alielle?" Alielle nodded. "They both seemed quite pleased with it." Rune didn't know where to begin. "You solved a three hundred year old border dispute? How? Who did you give the Horikosh Lakes to?" Fatora looked puzzled. "Um... I don't know. I just drew a wiggly line between the two countries. They liked it. Don't ask me how it worked, but it did." "Oh..." Rune said, a hint of disappointment evident in her voice. "Well, is there anything else for me to do?" "Not really," Fatora replied. "We were just about to call it a night here. Alielle?" Alielle stood up with Fatora, who held onto her protectively. It had been a long and extremely stressful day for Alielle. "We'll see you tomorrow," Fatora nodded to Rune. The couple walked slowly to the exit. Rune sat herself down and looked at the near deserted war room. The room that had functioned perfectly well without her input. Suddenly, she felt thoroughly miserable. Day 194 Morning. Ugh. Makoto sat down at the table and tried to focus on the mass of diagrams before him. He had been given the job of reconstructing the damaged Stairway. Fortunately, he now had Three to help him. Whilst Ifurita remembered little of her past, Three seemed to have an exhaustive knowledge of the weaponry that had once surrounded her. "Was she up drawing these all night?" he asked drowsily. "Yes," Ifurita replied. "Demon Gods don't need to sleep." "But you sleep." She smiled. "Only because you do." "Where is Three, anyway?" "She left earlier," Ifurita said. "She doesn't seem to enjoy being around other people." Makoto sighed. "Well, I wish she was here now. I can't understand half of these diagrams." "You're too tired at the moment," Ifurita advised. "Leave them, and come back later." "Good idea," Makoto nodded. He noticed that Ifurita was reading something. "What's that?" "The research Doctor Amiri gave you last month. It's really very interesting." "I still haven't had a chance to look at it. What's it about?" "It proposes a model for using micro-energetic discharges to manipulate photons and create curvatures in space." "What?" The concept seemed to ring a bell with Makoto, but he couldn't quite figure out why. "Well, it doesn't give any specific details," Ifurita said, "but I think it might be an explanation of the Phantom Tribe people's powers." "So you're absolutely clear on what you have to do?" Miz asked. "Yes, of course." Afura nodded, then looked back out at her projected route. She stood on the deck of her small personal transport, about to embark on an impromptu pilgrimage. At least, that was the cover story. In reality, she was visiting the Holy City for a more subversive reason. Miz was deeply suspicious of the new Alpha Priestess, and wanted to find out more about her. But it was notoriously difficult for anybody other than a senior priestess to get an audience with the Alpha Priestess, so Afura had found herself volunteered. She didn't like this. Afura played by the rules. Now it felt as if she was plotting behind the Alpha Priestess' back. "Just remember, I want to know about anything you notice that seems unusual," Miz continued. "I know, I know," Afura sighed. "Miz, I really have to be going." "Well, good luck then," Miz called. Afura didn't look back. She just wanted to get on with this. She started the engine and began her flight out of the city. Miz walked back to her husband, who was staring idly into space. "Maybe now, we'll get some answers," she said. Fujisawa grunted. "Politics. I'm sick of it." "Meaning what?" "I'm sorry," Fujisawa sighed. "It's just... I've tried everything I can think of to tackle racism at that damn school. Nobody wants to know. I just... keep thinking about all the Opaques. They must think that nobody cares. But I care... only I can't do anything to help. I'm powerless." "There's no need to be so despondent," Miz said sympathetically. "You have to stop thinking like a teacher. There's more than one way to help people, and you're a respected figure in Roshtaria. People will listen to what you have to say." "Geynos are asking for assistance from our army," Fatora said, reading the latest of the messages passed on to her. "They're concerned about their border with Dorusland. I think we can spare some troops. Alielle, what would you say?" Alielle studied the huge array of military data before her. "I would suggest... two divisions?" "Sounds fine to me. Rune, what do you think?" Rune looked up from her book. She was sat in the corner, and largely oblivious to the events around her. "Fine. Whatever you think." "We'll need to figure out where we can spare troops from," Alielle commented. "The northern border?" "Yeah," Fatora nodded. "That's relatively low priority. Rune?" "Hmm? What?" "Rune?" Fatora frowned. "Are you paying attention?" Rune stood up and headed for the door. "I'm sure you're capable of doing this by yourself." "What? Hey, Rune, wait!" Fatora called, following her sister. "What's the matter? Aw... Alielle, you take over." Fatora quickly left the war room in pursuit of Rune. "Mr Jinnai..." "Shit!" Jinnai leapt back. Nahato had just appeared in front of him. "Will you please stop doing that?" "I'm very sorry to hear about Diva," Nahato said. "A tragic loss." "She's not dead yet. And just how did you find out anyway?" Nahato smiled. "Oh, keeping tabs on you is very difficult, Mr Jinnai. I mean, it's not as if we can just make ourselves invisible." "Very funny," Jinnai snorted. Even though he knew it was going on, he still didn't like the idea of the Phantom Tribe spying on him. "Congratulations on Dorusland, by the way," said Nahato. "Of course, to keep it under control, you'll need a sizeable occupation force. We can help with that." "How?" "You'll see. Where is the Dorusian king? Jinnai seemed surprised that Nahato would even care. "In a prison somewhere, I guess. I haven't got around to killing him yet." "You can't!" Nahato's tone was suddenly quite urgent. "Oh yeah?" Jinnai was mildly amused. "And since when did you become a humanitarian?" "Fran could be very useful if you wish to keep Dorusland under control." "But he won't help us," Jinnai replied. "We just took over his country, I think that might have soured relations a little." "Fran will help," Nahato said quietly. "Because he's a coward. And an idiot." Shayla glanced nervously at Mika, who sat happily next to her at the table. "She won't bite, you know," Nanami smiled. "I know, it's just... I'm not good with kids," Shayla said. "They always seem to start crying whenever I get near them." "Come on, Shayla. She seems perfectly content." "Oh yeah? The minute her parents walk through that door, I swear she'll start crying just to show me up." Three more people entered the restaurant. Nanami looked around for assistance, and could see very little of it. "More customers," she said. "Id better go and see to them." "Don't you have staff to do that kind of thing?" Shayla asked. Nanami sighed. "Well, technically, yeah. But... she gestured towards a table at the far end of the restaurant, where Parnasse and Mycea sat in blissful isolation from the rest of the world. "I'm really starting to miss Mari," Nanami said. "That freaky death girl? I thought you said she scared away half your customers." "Yeah, but at least she served the other half." "You could always ask her to come back," Shayla suggested. Nanami shook her head. "She didn't like it here. This place just made her uncomfortable... I don't know why. She's much happier with Fatora and Alielle." Mycea looked over at Shayla and Mika. "Look at that cute kid," she said. "I love kids, don't you?" "They're okay..." Parnasse replied, wondering if this was a trick question. "Parnasse, wouldn't you like to have kids someday?" Uh oh. He'd fallen into her trap. "Well... um... I hadn't really thought about it," he said nervously. "I suppose, in principle..." That was enough for Mycea. "Oh, Parny! That's wonderful!" Oh, God. What had he done? The Fujisawas walked into the restaurant. "Shayla," Miz called. "Thank you for looking after Mika." "Hey, she was no trouble," Shayla smiled. "Oh, Mika," Miz said to her daughter. "Did you enjoy being with Auntie Shayla?" "Mm-hmm!" Mika replied. "I wanna be a priestess!" Miz was suddenly delighted. "Really? Like I used to be?" "No. Like Auntie Shayla! I wanna be a fire priestess!" "F... fire priestess?" Miz echoed, horrified. "Shayla, what have you done to her?" Fatora hurried along the corridor, trying to put her many problems into order of priority. She was interrupted in her thoughts by a familiar face. "Oh, Mari, hi." "Hey, princess," Mari greeted. "Wow, you look stressed." "Ugh, don't even ask," Fatora moaned. "Stupid life." Mari smiled. "You need to unwind. Hey, I'm not busy tonight. Wanna... I don't know, do something?" "Can't," Fatora sighed. "Sorry. I'm too busy." "Well, what about tomorrow night?" Ftaora shook her head. "Things are awkward right now. We'll do something soon. Now, I really have to get back to Alielle." "Fine," Mari said bitterly. "Yeah, I'll be waiting." Fatora didn't have time for this. "Mari, what's up with you today?" "Nothing. Don't worry about me. Go on, go back to the people you care about." If Fatora hadn't been so tired, she would have lost it completely. Fortunately her lack of energy facilitated a more measured response. Relatively speaking. "Listen, Mari. I have got enough to deal with right now. My sister is acting weird, and I've got a pregnant wife whose family is missing. Oh, and I also have to prevent an army of giant insects from invading the country. So I'm afraid you'll just have to amuse yourself for a while, okay?" Mari turned away. "I don't mind. I'm used to it. Everyone always abandons me in the end." She walked away. Fatora didn't see any point in trying to stop her. Amiri pressed the button on her intercom. She was secretly rather proud of having introduced this innovation to Florestica. "Send in the next patient, please," she said. A few moments later, her door opened to reveal Makoto, with a bundle of notes under one arm. "Oh, Mr Mizuhara," she said, surprised. "Are you sick?" "No, no. I'm not. I'm sorry for barging in like this, but I need to talk to you about this research. You do know what it's about, don't you?" "That depends," Amiri said cautiously. "Do you?" "It's a model to explain Phantom Tribe abilities. I think." "Correct," Amiri said quietly. "This information is sensitive, that's why I couldn't tell you what it was directly." Makoto placed the papers on the table and sat down. "Did you write all of this?" "Goodness me, no," Amiri replied. "I'm not a physicist. My husband wrote it." "Husband? I had no idea you were married." Amiri sighed. "I was. Back when I was still with the Phantom Tribe. He was a genius, much the same as you, Makoto. For years, he conducted research into how the Phantom Tribe created illusions." "What happened to him?" "The Phantom Tribe leadership were nervous about the direction of his work. They didn't like the idea of an Opaque probing too deeply into their sacred powers. A short time later, he ended up dead." "I'm sorry," Makoto said. Amiri shrugged. "It was five years ago. I've had a long time to get over it. And at least I have something to remember him by." She tapped on the pile of notes. "The Phantom Tribe thought they'd destroyed all of his notes. Fortunately, he made copies of everything." "I don't understand," said Makoto. "What do you want me to do with this?" "I want you to use it to stop the Phantom Tribe. They've already tried to kill Princess Rune. In all likelihood they're responsible for sabotaging the Stairway to the Sky. They're a threat to Roshtaria. I do consider myself to be a Roshtarian now." "And that's why you're giving me this?" Amiri stood up and began to circle her chair. "It's not just that. You know how it is here, Makoto. For as long as the Phantom Tribe are perceived as a threat, I don't think people like me will ever be completely safe in this country." She sat back down. "So, do you think you can do something with it?" "I really wouldn't like to say," Makoto said. I'd need to do more experimentation. Ideally on a member of the Phantom Tribe, but I doubt that would be possible..." "There are already some people who can see through the illusions," Amiri pointed out. "Most Opaques, at least. Plus Nanami, and also Ifurita, I believe..." Makoto nodded. "Nanami got the power when she came here. Ifurita has so many sensors that it's difficult to fool her. No, the trouble is that I never imagined Phantom Tribe abilities would work like this. I always assumed that it was don to some sort of telepathy. But it's more complicated than that. They seem to bend space to distort the real image, then redistribute photons to create a false one. It's all done using micro-energetic charges that originate in the brain..." He trailed off as he realised something. "Hey... come to think of it, I know somebody who can produce micro-energetic charges..." Ifurita sat on the grass outside the house. Beside her was her twin, the quiet and solemn Three. "You know," Ifurita said, "considering you live with us, we don't get to see very much of you." "I prefer to spend my time alone," Three replied. "I do not mean to offend you. It is simply the way I am." "Well, you needn't be shy around us," Ifurita assured. "I know that sometimes Nanami feels as if she's intruding. I don't want you to feel like that." "I don't," Three replied. "Ifurita, this is... difficult for me." Ifurita moved closer. "What do you mean?" "Seeing what you and Makoto have now reminds me of what I no longer have. I loved Yuba... and now I face an infinity without him." "I'm sorry," Ifurita said. It was the only thing she could say. "I would like to be alone now." "Of course." Ifurita stood up. "I'll be inside if you need me." "Thank you, your holiness. You may proceed." Afura nodded to the border guard and restarted the engine. She had now left Roshtaria, and was entering the smallest independent state in El-Hazard. So small, in fact, that in reality it was nothing more than a medium-sized conurbation. But not just any conurbation. This was the Holy City. The most heavily fortified country in El-Hazard, with the lowest population- the Holy City was a curiosity in many regards. It was the only El-Hazard state not to be ruled over by a monarchy: the ultimate power here was wielded by the elected Alpha Priestess. Nearly every building was an architectural wonder of one kind or another. As Afura's transport glided amid the ancient spires, the priestess found it difficult not to be awe-struck by the sheer scale of it all. This, despite the facts that she had been here many times before, and really wasn't in the mood for sightseeing. The transport headed on towards the precise centre of it all- the huge, palatial building that was the epicentre of El-Hazard theology, and the permanent residence of the Alpha Priestess. Day 195 Fujisawa had never been in the offices of a newspaper before. Now that he was here, he found it to be everything he'd imagined... only much less interesting. So, this was the Roshtarian Observer. A smiling woman emerged from one of the separate offices to greet him. "Mr Fujisawa, hi. I'm Kagsi Vulpix, assistant editor. And royal correspondent. Do you know Princess Fatora? "We're... acquainted." "God, I love that woman. Practically writes the news for us. Now, have you been shown around?" "Um... no. But I was just looking. It's all very interesting," Fujisawa lied. Kagsi pointed to a small part of the vast main office. "That's the editorial section." She then pointed to an even smaller corner. "That's the reporting section." "What's the rest of it?" Fujisawa asked, gesturing to the main bulk of the office space. "Advertising." She began to embark on an irregular path across the office floor, checking on people's work as she went. Fujisawa followed. "Look, I wanted to ask about writing an article," he said. She nodded. "Oh, yes. I remember. About the Opaques. Very topical, very cutting edge." "I just felt that somebody ought to speak up in their favour," Fujisawa said. Kagsi nodded. "I agree. And a big name like you... it shouldn' be a problem. You should be aware, though... your viewpoint isn't a popular one. There'll be critics. And newspaper people can be bastards." Several reporters looked up from their work. "What?" she said defensively. "You ARE bastards." Turning back to Fujisawa, she continued. "I just want you to understand the risks. Some of our competitors might want to discredit you after this." "I understand," Fujisawa replied. "You don't have any embarrassing secrets that they could drag up? Addictions, that sort of thing?" He shook his head with certainty. "Oh, no. I'm a professional." Summer had given way to autumn, and the usually pleasant weather was now punctuated by the odd downpour. Parnasse and Mycea sat watching the rain through the restaurant window. Suddenly a figure streaked past, and moments later entered the restaurant. "Damn, damn, damn," the Opaque girl cursed quietly, completely soaked from the rain. She looked at Parnasse and Mycea. "I'm here for the job interview." "Through there." Parnasse pointed towards the back room. "She's not busy, you can go straight in." "Thanks," the girl smiled, and headed for the far side of the restaurant. Parnasse looked puzzled. "I'm sure I've seen her before..." "Really?" Mycea replied. "I didn't know you knew any blues." A tiny alarm bell went off in Parnasse's head. 'Blue' was a term commonly used to describe Opaques, but was generally considered to be derogatory. Having said that, a lot of people just used it out of ignorance rather than malice. He decided to let it pass, and continue with the conversation. "I don't really," he said. "I just think I recognise her from somewhere." "I hope she doesn't get the job," Mycea said. "How come?" She stared at Parnasse as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "She's a blue. They're creepy." "Creepy? How?" "Well, duh. They're Phantom Tribe. Five years ago they were trying to kill us. Then they give themselves another name and we invite them into the country. My dad says they're spies." Parnasse felt that he should, at least, try to object. "That's ridiculous." "No, it's not. He read it in the news." "Yeah..." Parnasse sighed. Another illusion shattered. The perfect Mycea was not so perfect after all. Nanami looked up at the applicant. "Hi. Please, sit down." "Thanks," she smiled. "Sorry, I'm dripping all over your floor. The rain is..." "It's okay," Nanami replied. "Now, you're here for the part-time position, right?" "That's right," she said. "I'm a student, so I could do with some more money." Nanami looked down at her list. "Right... what's your name again?" "Tenax," the girl replied. Jinnai walked down the corridor of the Dorusian prison. Sakura followed him, swinging her Power Key Unit around as she went. "Will you stop that? It keeps hitting me in the back." "Sorry." They reached the cell. Jinnai peered through the bars at the king of Dorusland. "Katsuhiko Jinnai," Fran said. "You don't scare me." "Don't I?" Jinnai sneered. "Oh well. Sakura, kill him." "Eek!" Fran leapt back. Sakura pointed her Power Key Unit towards him. "Go on," Jinnai prompted. "Wait, wait!" Fran stalled desperately. "Please, you... you don't have to kill me! I could be of use to you!" Jinnai frowned. "Oh? How, exactly?" "Well..." Fran hadn't thought this far ahead. "Um... just hold on a minute, I'll think of something..." "Of course," Jinnai began, "there is the problem of how to calm the Dorusian people..." "I could do that!" Fran cut in. "Yes! The people respect me! They'd listen to me!" "Really?" Jinnai said, feigning surprise. "Well, maybe I shouldn't kill you after all. Perhaps we could even restore you to your position as king..." Fran looked hopeful. "You'd do that?" "Maybe. You'd have to play by our rules, of course..." "Of course. I'd do that!" Fran replied. Jinnai smiled. "Well, it looks like we're all going to benefit from this idea of mine. I'm glad I thought of it." Sakura looked confused. "But you said it was Nahato who..." He elbowed Sakura in the ribs. "Shut up." Three had been watching the girl for a few minutes now. She was sitting outside on the grass, in the middle of a rainstorm. How strange. Mari was surprised to see somebody join her. "It is inadvisable for you to remain out here," the visitor said. "You are human. Your body is not designed to withstand such prolonged exposure to climatic extremes." Mari looked up. "Ifurita?" "No," she replied. "I am Three." "Oh." Three sat down next to Mari. "Something is troubling you." Mari sighed. "In this whole world, I only have two friends. And I think I've just lost them. I freaked at Fatora... she just doesn't seem to have time for me anymore. She spends all of her spare time with Alielle. So, I've come to the disturbing conclusion that I'm jealous of Alielle." "Why is that disturbing?" Three asked. "I'm jealous of her wife! The woman she loves most in the whole world. I suck!" Three considered this. "Do you love Fatora?" Mari seemed surprised by the question. "Love? No, no... I just like her." "Then is it possible that you are jealous not of Alielle, but of the closeness Alielle and Fatora share?" Three asked. "I find myself envious of the love between Ifurita and Makoto. Is that it? Do you simply wish to be loved?" Mari stayed silent for a long time. "Back on Earth... there was somebody that I loved. She didn't know. It was strange. Just being in the same room as her made me happy, but at the same time... it hurt me, because I knew she'd never feel for me what I felt for her. There wasn't any point in telling her. She'd only have rejected me. It would have just meant more misery." "The man I love is dead," Three replied. "It is extremely painful to live without somebody you have loved. But I do not regret loving him." She turned to Mari. "Do not give up, Mari Kurai. It seems to me that you possess many desirable qualities. I believe you will one day find someone willing to love you." Footsteps on the wet grass behind them signalled the end of the conversation. Mari looked over her shoulder. It was Ifurita. "Mari? What are you doing out here in the rain?" "Sitting. Talking." Ifurita frowned. "In this weather? You're not designed to withstand..." "I know," Mari interrupted. "Well..." Ifurita continued. "You'd better come in. Makoto wants to see you." Mari stood up, wondering why on Earth Makoto would want to see her of all people. "Three..." Ifurita began. There was no response. "Never mind," Ifurita sighed. She led Mari back to the house, leaving Three sitting in the rain. "I think I may have met her," Amiri said. "Mari Kurai... didn't she work in the Shinonome Diner for a while?" "That's her," Makoto replied. "I should warn you, though... she 's a little bit unusual. She can be tricky to work with." "In what way?" Makoto tried to think of a way of putting it politely. "Well, she doesn't really like... anybody." "So she's antisocial?" Amiri asked. "I wouldn't go as far as antisocial," Makoto said. "She's more... well, is there such a word as asocial?" Ifurita entered the room, followed by the thoroughly wet Mari. "Here she is," Ifurita said. "Hi, Mari," Makoto said, trying to appear friendly. Mari saw right through it. "What do you want?" "We were hoping you could help us with some research," Amiri replied. Mari frowned suspiciously. "How?" "Well," said Makoto, "we want to perform some experiments on you." There weren't many people Parnasse trusted in this sort of situation. Usually he would, albeit grudgingly, ask his sister for advice. But this was different. This was a relationship problem, and the last thing he wanted was to admit to Alielle that she knew more about this sort of thing than he did. "Lady Qawoor," I'd like to ask for your advice on something." Qawoor looked up. "Of course, Parnasse." "Well, it's my girlfriend. You see, I really like her, and she really likes me. But... the thing is... earlier today she made some comments about the Opaques. She doesn't like them... she keeps repeating this stuff her dad told her about how they're all spies. It's insane, but..." "You don't feel that you can confront her about it?" Qawoor guessed. Parnasse nodded. Ordinarily, I'd be furious at someone who said stuff like that. But Mycea's been so good to me, so supportive... it just seems ungrateful, that's all." Qawoor thought for a moment. "This isn't unusual, Parnasse. A lot of people have the same views, because that's the sort of society we live in right now. They're not necessarily bad people, but people who grow up in a racist environment often become racist themselves." "So you're saying it might not be her fault?" "Perhaps not. It sounds to me like she's just been misinformed. There's every possibility that she'll change her views if she realises they're flawed." "I see," Parnasse replied. He could do it, he thought to himself. He could change her. "I'm sorry, your holiness, but the Alpha Priestess is busy today." "Well? What about tomorrow?" Afura sighed impatienty. "She is also indisposed tomorrow," the aide replied. Afura kept going. "The day after, then?" "I'm afraid her eminence does not take appointments that far in advance." "No," Afura groaned. "Of course she doesn't." She walked away angrily. She was a chief priestess! Just what was the Alpha Priestess so engrossed in that it meant she couldn't talk to one of her most senior subordinates? "You won't get anywhere, you know. Not like that." Afura jumped at the familiar voice. Jennown Doht stood before her, smiling. "The Alpha Priestess is tied up with a massive theological conundrum. She'll only respond to the most urgent requests." "What theological conundrum?" Afura frowned. "I haven't heard anything about this." "No, well, it's highly classified. We can't tell just anybody." "By just anybody, I assume you mean me," Afura replied icily. "You, on the other hand, seem to have been let in on this secret. I've been away from the Holy City for a while, but I didn't realise that consultants now outrank chief priestesses." "Oh, I'd like to tell you about it, Priestess Mann," Doht said, with as much sincerity as he could manage. "But first, you'd have to prove that you were... trustworthy." "I don't know what you mean," Afura replied. Of course, she knew exactly what Doht meant, but she wasn't about to hand over the prophecy to him if there was another way around this. "I'll give you some time to think about it," Doht smiled. "in the meantime... good luck trying to get that appointment." Day 203 Alielle turned off the shower, and felt blindly for the towel. "Here you go." She grabbed the towel being held in her direction and quickly dried her face. She opened her eyes to see Fatora in front of her. "Thanks, Fatora," she said. "Are you feeling better now?" Fatora asked. "A little," Alielle said as she dried herself off. "I keep telling myself my family are probably fine... I just wish I knew for certain." "Don't worry, we'll find out..." Fatora said, suddenly distracted for some reason. She peered down at Alielle's stomach. Alielle couldn't help but smile. "What? What are you looking at?" "Stand sideways." Alielle did as she was asked. "Okay, now what is it?" "You have a bump." It took Alielle a few seconds to work out what Fatora was talking about. "Surely not... I'd have noticed." "You do! I can see it!" "Aw..." Alielle sighed. "Now I'll have to start wearing maternity clothes. They're so unflattering." "Hey," Fatora smiled. "I thought you'd be pleased." "Oh, I am," Alielle assured her. "This is wonderful." "I just makes it all seem more real somehow," Fatora mused. Alielle embraced Fatora. "Aw. That's so sweet." "So," Fatora said. "Have you thought of any names yet?" "I can't think of any I like. What about you?" Alielle prompted. "Well, apparently 'Fatora' is an increasingly popular name these days." "I should have seen this coming," Alielle smiled to herself. "What?" "Nothing, nothing..." "Such an eloquent and well written piece," Miz boasted. "Don't you agree, Shayla?" "Um, yeah," Shayla nodded, still only three lines into the article. The Roshtarian Observer was clearly in agreement with Miz, as they had dedicated a full page to Fujisawa's piece. "Come on, Miz," Fujisawa sighed. "You're embarrassing me." Miz continued. "But it's so compelling. You display such knowledge of cultural interactions." "Well, I just wrote about what I knew. Earth has a long history of people hating each other." Nanami walked past on her way to the kitchens. "I noticed a few grammatical errors." "That's impossible!" Miz insisted. "Oh yeah..." Shayla said. "Look, here's one." "Well, anyway," Miz replied, trying to change the subject, "it's not the grammar that's important. It's the content." "Yeah, I suppose so," Shayla agreed. Fujisawa didn't reply. God, he hoped none of his students picked up on his bad grammar. Mycea walked into the kitchens, and almost had a heart attack. "Hi, Mycea," Nanami said. "This is our new part-time waitress, Tenax. Tenax, this is my assistant, Mycea." Tenax grinned. "Hey. Nice to meet you, Mycea." Mycea shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot. "Um, yeah. Hi." Tenax took Mycea by the arm. "I just know we're going to be the best of friends!" God, the crowd looked ugly. Fran knew he had to play this very carefully. "You know," he said, "the Bugrom really aren't as bad as they look." Damn, Bad choice of words. The people didn't like that one bit. "Be assured that during this difficult time for our country, I will be here to lead you." Strange. That didn't seem to cheer them up. No matter, Fran thought. This next line should convince them. Whether it would have or not is really a matter for the academics, as the luckless king never delivered it. At that very moment, the stage collapsed underneath him. Jinnai, surrounded by a team of Bugrom, approached the scene quickly. "What the hell happened to the stage?" "What does it look like?" Fran answered angrily. Jinnai noticed a piece of paper lying next to the wrecked stage. He picked it p and studied it. "Hmm... looks like a note of some sort." "What does it say?" Fran asked. "I don't know. I can't read it. It's in stupid Dorusland writing." Fran took the note from Jinnai, and read its contents. Hello, King Fran. You are a collaborator. Lots of love, The Purple Lightning. Who the bloody hell was the Purple Lightning? "So, you came at last," Doht smiled. Afura sighed. For over a week, she had tried everything to get an audience with the Alpha Priestess. It hadn't worked, just as Doht had predicted. Now she stood in the Holy City's central library, having reluctantly accepted Doht's invitation. "I want to know what's really going on," she demanded. Doht shrugged. "Don't we all?" "Don't play games with me. What's this problem that you and the Alpha Priestess are investigating?" "Why do you want to know?" Afura felt that the answer to that question should have been perfectly obvious. However, there just might be a better way to go about this. "I want to help," she said. "And I can help. This is what I'm trained for." "Well..." Doht began, "you ARE one of the Holy Order's top theological minds. I suppose it's only right to let you in on our secret." As Doht led her to the restricted section of the library, Afura wondered why he hadn't demanded she hand over the prophecy first. Soon, she would have her answer. Doht unlocked one of the cabinets and took out a scroll. "Priestess Mann, when the seminary council approved your mission to uncover the Heretic Prophecy, the Holy Order released some previously banned documents concerning its true implications. Last month, I came across this." Afura looked at the ancient text. "I see..." "It's rather long winded. I'll give you the gist of it. Part of the text confirms the authenticity of the prophecy. The rest is more... interesting. Contained within the Heretic Prophecy is what's referred to as... the fundamental message." "The what?" "A message from God. Some sort of... statement about human life. The most important message in the universe!" Afura kept on reading. "That's... what it says." "Which is why we're so desperate to have the full text of the Heretic Prophecy. We need to find that message, priestess!" Afura paused. Things were suddenly different. Previously, she'd thought nothing could convince her to give Doht the Prophecy. The Alpha Priestess, yes; but not Doht. But now... this was the ultimate theological challenge. She had waited her whole life for something like this. "Very well. I'll give you the prophecy. On he condition that you don't release it to he public." Doht laughed. "Do you really think I'd release something of such a sensitive nature?" Afura raised an eyebrow. "I suppose not." "Come, Priestess Mann," he smiled. "God's message awaits us. And together, we will find it." TO BE CONTINUED "Gemini" featured- Makoto Mizuhara, Katsuhiko Jinnai, Ifurita, Ifurita Version Three, Princess Fatora, Sakura Tamaro, Afura Mann, King Fran, Nanami Jinnai, Parnasse Ralielle, Mari Kurai, Princess Alielle, Doctor Amiri, Jennown Doht, Miz Fujisawa, Princess Rune Venus, Masamichi Fujisawa, Mycea, Shayla-Shayla, Queen Diva, Nahato, Kagsi Vulpix, Qawoor Towles, Tenax, Mika Fujisawa and Doctor Schtalubaugh. dooky 27th October 2001 Proofreading courtesy of the magnificent Firebird... good work! Excellent work!
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