The Complete Xenogears Script Part 1: First Disc Author: Sheamon bshea@worldnet.att.net Edition 2.0 Last Updated: 3/28/2001 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I. Script Info (In both parts) A. Things to Notice B. Disclaimer C. About the Author D. Versions E. FAQ F. Special Thanks G. Key II. Script Disc 1 (In Part 1) A. The Lahan Disaster B. Further Mysteries C. The Slayer of God D. The Sand Pirate's Plan E. The Bledavik Rescue F. Nisan G. Desert Despair H. Nortune I. The Battling Tournament J. Attack on Nortune! K. Escaping from Kislev L. The Thames M. Billy the Etone N. Burning Souls O. Shevat P. Rescue Nisan! Q. The Gates R. Solaris S. The Truth III. Script Disc 2 (In Part 2) A. Dreams... B. The Soylent System C. The Anima Dungeons D. Mahanon E. Merkava F. The Truth about Fei G. Attack on Merkava H. Sidequests I. The Final Battle ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I A. Things to Notice ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here is the Complete Script to the game Xenogears, Squaresoft's longest and most text- filled game. This script includes the script for every mandatory action in the game, plus the text from all sidequests. It is split up into 2 parts in order to avoid forcing you to download a 800K + file at once. (Yes, it's that big when in one file!) The first part includes the first disc, the second includes the second disc. Both parts include the script info, (parts IA-IF.) This script has actually been on the net in one version or another since I started putting it up in January 2000, but this is the first time I've put it in this kind of form and have allowed other sites to host it. If you would like to see the script split up into smaller files, check them out at my website, located at http://xenoquarters.xenogears.org . The page also includes a mass amount of story info, and special script segments, like a section dedicated to the Gazel conversations, the Cain-Hyuga conversations, etc... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I B. Disclaimer ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The copyright to the game Xenogears and all its characters and terms belong to Squaresoft. However, this written down version of the script belongs to me. It may not be copied in any way, whether on paper or electronically without my permission. If you want permission to put it on your site,, email me at cain@xenogears.org and give me a good reason why you want to use my work. In addition, you must give me the exact URL where it will be, and how you are giving me credit. The following sites have gained my permission: http://www.gamefaqs.com http://xenoquarters.xenogears.org http://xenogears.escaflowneonline.com The script may not be altered in any way. If it is, you will be forced to remove it from your site. If you see the script on a page not listed, please notify me. I would really appreciate it so I could catch those thieves. If you use this script for any purposes other than your entertainment, you must notify me and give credit. This includes using direct quotes for fanfics, and if used for radio plays. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I C. About the Author ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The author of this script, Sheamon, can be reached at bshea@worldnet.att.net . He is the webmaster of Xenogears HQ, and Visions of Escaflowne. He also staffs for Ground Zero Network. He is currently in the process of completing his Galaxy Express site and doing the Chrono Cross script. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I D. Versions ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.0 minor revision 3/28/2001 Updated email address. 2.0 12/15/2000 Wow, here we are 3 months later and I haven't gotten around to finishing this yet. Well, I've finally completed it and sent it to gamefaqs. 2.0 9/4/2000 After seriously thinking about it, I decided to prepare a script for submittion to sites like gamefaqs and rpgamer, and converted the script into a Text File. Unfortunately, the original text files had been converted to html, so it took a little longer to do then hoped. 1.3 3/18/2000 It was this date that the script was finally completely put on my site. It was split into 28 parts, and remains there today. 1.2 1/30/2000 Around this time, I decided to split the script into 3 seperate parts: Prologue to Attack on Nortune, Goliath Factory to Sargasso, and Solaris to Ending. 1.1 1/18/2000 I started transferring the script to html and putting it on my site at this time. Although most of the script had been typed on my computer, most of the disc 2 text still wasn't. It was updated frequently the first week or so, then I started to work on larger updates, putting up huge sections at a time. The script was originally going to be in one file. 1.0 1/8/2000 The first version of the script. This existed only in my home in roughly 300 or so sheets of paper where I had either written or typed all the text in the game. This was the result of 4 months of work, over a hundred hours since I started it in the second week of September. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I E. FAQ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I F. Special Thanks ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Special Thanks go out to: Bill, Josh, Chris, Jason and the others -For recommending I try out Xenogears back in May 1999 Dark Warlord -For being kind enough to host my site so I could get off that dump Angelfire and make it easier for others to find the script Amber Michelle -Her website Guardian Angels helped me learn a lot more about Xenogears than I already knew, and she was one of the people who recommended I put it in a form like this. The Nisan Sanctuary -Their messageboard allowed me to make contact with hundreds of other Xenogears fans, get assistance with story info, and receive comments & suggestions about the early versions of the script. Square Gamer -Same as TNS, but not to the same extent, I had a lot of Xenogears conversations there as well. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I G. Key ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [text] When something appears in brackets, it is a description of something occuring. This does not appear in the game as text. Name:text The person's name appears, then after a colon the text they say is provided. Easy to understand, huh? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II A. The Lahan Disaster ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Prologue I Am Alpha and Omega, The Beginning and the End, The First and the Last... [A giant spaceship travels through space at great speed. Suddenly, red lights start to flicker within the control center of the ship] Computer:This is a level 1 emergency Orange haired woman:Omega one restarted. Alpha One genome restructured. Confirming exon replacement... [On a monitor in front of her, an embryo forms into a small winged creature.] Green Haired Woman:Base code 85 million, 100 million! It's speed is overwhelming! Alpha One to Razeal Central, access confirmed. Initializing Feteck. Disconnected! [On the monitor, a white dot travels though a field of polygons.] Orange Haired Woman:Activating emergency shelter... Denied! Contamination is spreading widely. Captain! Captain:Cut off the cables manually. Orange Haired Woman:Roger. Activating self-destruct bolts. Confirming... [Somewhere else in the ship, a pipeworks part falls from the wall, something electrical passes through anyway.] Orange Haired Woman:No good. Nothing happened. Green Haired Woman:Omega One, they are attacking! We can't stop them! 98% of our weapons have been taken over. [A huge cavern with 2 yellow objects rotating in the center lights up.] Orange Haired Woman:Auto pilot system Deus has been accessed. And it's phased space logic is being rewritten. [On the monitor, a large portal appears underneath a sphere.] Orange Haired Woman:Ergo area is increasing. An internal plane is forming. Switch to space displacement mode. Alpha One, confirming transfer of coordinate codes. Cordinates input NX128EZ061, the main planet! [The captain stands.] Captain:Damn, so they're planning on attacking. [He picks up the phone.] Captain:Engine room, activate the emergency sealing system. Engine room? Eng- [The phone which dangles of the hook in the engine room is severed. The captain places the phone down. Suddenly, red text apears on the large monitor in front of them. It contains the statement "You shall be as gods", over and over.] Captain:See that all civilians and passengers are safely transported to the escape shuttles. I will send a dispatch after evacuation is complete. I am evacuating the ship. All of you , evacuate now. [People run in terror through the ship and jump into escape ships. Suddenly, weapons rise from the ship and quickly shoot down the escaping ships. The captain watches in horror. He sits in his chair and pulls out a locket with a picture of his wife and daughter. He sets it aside and pushes some buttons. A small panel rises. He pushes a few buttons and sits in his seat calmly. The ship blows to smithereens over a nearby planet.] [Later, at the wreckage of the ship, a young blue haired woman crawls out of the wreckage. She watches as a light falls from the sky and walks up to the nearby sea...] Story The continent of Ignas, in the northern hemisphere of our world. On this, the largest continent, a war has been raging between two countries for hundreds of years. In the north of the continent lies the Kislev Empire. In the south lies the desert kingdom of Aveh. The war has gone on for so long that the people have forgotten the cause, knowing only the pointless circle of hostility and tragedy. The chronic war obsession was soon to encounter a devastating change. This was due to the Ethos, an institution that preserves our world's culture, repairing tools and weapons excavated from the ruins of an ancient civilization. At once both countries excavated these ruins, and had the Ethos repair the discoveries, in order to increase their military power. The various weapons excavated from the ruins greatly changed the form of warfare. The outcome of the battles between two countries was no longer decided by man-to-man combat, but by Gears- giant humanoid fighting machines- that were obtained from deep within the ruins. Eventually, after continuous swings in the state of the war, Kislev gained the upper hand. The major factor behind this lay in the enormous difference in the amount of resources buried within their ruins. But suddenly, a mysterious military force appeared in the continent of Ignas. Called "Gebler", this force decided to make contact with Aveh. With the assistance of this Gebler militarty force, Aveh was able to recover from being hopelessly outnumbered to being back on an even standing with Kislev. Then, taking further advantage of it's newly gained momentum, Aveh started to capture one territory after another from Kislev, showing no sign of slowing down in their invasion campaign. The remote village of Lahan, in the outskirts of Aveh, near the border with Kislev. This is where it all begins. [The village of Lahan is on fire. Gears are destroying buildings, knocking down trees, and attacking people. People run as far away from the gears as they can, trying to escape from the village with their lives. A large blue gear stands before some of the gears, and the young man inside it calls out.] Fei: Huff, huff... Damn you! [A nearby gear points a gun at the blue gear, but the gear outmaneuvers it and knocks the enemy gear down.] Fei: Huff, huff... That's one down!? [Suddenly, the gear gets up as if it was never attacked.] Fei: What on earth are you? No matter how often I knock you down you still get up! [An older man in his late twenties runs near to the gears and calls to Fei.] Citan: Fei! Stop! You must not fight here! [The enemy gear shoots, striking Fei's gear.] Fei: Guh! Boy are you persistent! [Fei attacks the gear, punching and kicking it until it falls to the ground.] Fei: Huff, huff... Damn it! How come? Why did it have to come to this? [The flames around Fei grow, suddenly, the camera pans back to reveal Fei in his basement painting a picture. He steps back and looks at his latest painting.] Fei: Whew! That about does it! Alright... now for a short break. [Fei goes upstairs, where many men from the village have gathered to talk about the upcoming wedding between Fei's best friends, Timothy and Alice. Fei approaces Timothy.] Timothy:Yo! Hi there, Fei. Sorry for us all using your house like this. But, we have to talk about the big day tomorrow with the village chief. Fei:Yeah tomorrow, huh... Your wedding with Alice! Now that is a big day! Timothy:Yeah... right... But it still hasn't hit me as reality though. Fei:Hey, errh, Timothy, I just want to thank both you and Alice... 3 years ago, I woke up in this village without a trace of my memory... I didn't know who I was, where I had been or what I had been doing up until that day... I couldn't recall a single thing... Despite that, you and Alice sympathised with me and encouraged me to go on. If the two of you hadn't been there for me, I don't know what would have become of me... Timothy... From the bottom of my heart, I thank you! Now, you and Alice had better live happily ever after! Timothy:Hah! Quit it will ya! You don't have to go and get all mushy with me... Anyway, to me it feels like I've always been friends with you ever since we were kids. And we will go on being friends forever, right? Fei:Of course! Timothy:Oh yeah, Fei...Could you stop by and check on Alice? I still have some stuff to discuss with my old man and the village chief. But I'm sure she'll be glad to have some company. Fei:Yeah, sure! I'll do that... Anyway, I'll see you later. Oh and I am really looking foward to the ceremony tomorrow. [Fei goes to the door to exit the house. Suddenly the door bursts open and a 10 year old bursts in.] Dan:So there you are! Fei, I have to talk to you about something! Fei:Why hello there Dan! You're looking lively today... as you are everyday! Timothy:Dan! Don't be so rude. What's this barging in and all? Dan:Argh! Timothy's here too... Butt out, Timothy! Until you marry my sister, you have nothing to do with me at all! I just have some business here with my friend Fei! So anyway, Fei, I errh... I have something to talk to you about later... Fei:What is it Dan? It sounds serious! Dan:Yeah, that's why I can't talk about it here... There's a certain person listening who could cause us trouble...! It's really important! We gotta talk, seriously, one-onone, man-to-man! I'll be hanging around outside. So I'll see ya there later, ok!! Be seein' ya, Timothy! Take care of yourself until tomorrow... [Dan leaves. Fei turns to Timothy.] Fei:Huh? What's up with him? Timothy:As of tomorrow, I'm going to be that kid's brother in law... Hah! That part isn't going to be no honeymoon! [Fei leaves the building and steps outside. He walks over to Dan.] Dan:Oh good Fei! Ya ready to talk? As you know, tomorrow's finally the day of my sister's wedding... So what I want to talk to you about is exactly that... Alice's marriage. Fei, to be perfectly honest with you... I've always wished that you could have been my brother. It's still not too late. You could go steal Alice and run off with her! If you need me to help, I'll be glad to! It may sound odd for me to say this, but my sister's beautiful and a good cook... (And this is just between you and me, but she's well endowed too! Heh heh heh.) So come on! Go for it! Fei:Alright, Dan. You've got it... I guess I'll just go and sweep Alice away and make a run for it! Dan:Really!? I knew I liked you Fei! That's the spirit! ...But if only it was that easy... It's not like we can change their feelings... And you would need to have love for her too... But I'm not gonna forget this, Fei! You were really willing to go that far to help me... Fei, you're a good guy! [Fei walks over to Alice's house. A woman walks up to Fei and talks to him.] Woman:Hello, Fei! Are you here to see Alice? Actually, it's customary that we don't let any men in to see the bride today... But you can be an exception. [Fei walks into Alice's house and walks up a flight of stairs to Alice's room. She is working on her wedding dress.] Fei:Hello, Alice. Is that your wedding dress? Alice:Oh!? Fei, you starled me! Yes it is... I just finished it. It took more work than I expected. Fei:Hmm... You did a great job there! It'll look wonderful on you Alice... Congradulations! Alice:Thank you... [The two talk at the same time.] Alice:Oh, um Fei... Fei:Hey, uh Alice... Fei:What is it? Alice:Oh, nothing... Fei:I see... Alice:Oh yes that's right... Have you seen Dan? Fei:Yeah, he's outside... bragging as always! Alice:Ugh, that kid! I just told him that I had an errand for him to run! Fei:Oh yeah? What kind of an errand? Alice:It's for my wedding tomorrow... I was hoping he could go and borrow a camera and some lights from Doctor Uzuki, up on the mountain peak. Fei:If that's all it is, I'll be glad to do it for you! Alice:Could you? OH, but I couldn't possibly... Fei:Don't worry! Its no problem! Anyway, it doesn't exactly make me comfortable to have Dan handle such delicate instruments. What's more, I might have a chance to eat some of Yui's cooking if I go to the doc's place. Alice:Hee-hee... That's my Fei! Fei:Well, I'll go up there now and get them for you! Alice:Oh... Fei, wait! Fei:Huh? Is there something else you want me to get from Citan? Alice:No... It's not that... Fei:...? Alice:Fei... Have you ever thought about things this way? If... If you had only been born in this village... And we had only known each other earlier on... Fei:.... Alice:Oh, it's nothing. I'm sorry... Fei:Well, I think I had better get going now! Alice:Oh, ok... Be careful on the mountain path. And give my regards to Doctor Uzuki! [Fei walks down the stairs and leaves the house.] Alice:...Is this fate..? I feel so foolish...Who am I kidding? [Fei walks up the mountain path to Dr. Uzuki's house. In about a half an hour, he reaches it. He walks inside and says high to Citan's wife, a woman around 30 years old.] Yui:Hello, Fei. Fei:Hi, Yui, have you seen doc anywhere? Yui:I think he's tinkering with his junk in the backyard. Fei:Thanks, Yui. [Fei walks in the backyard and sees a shed with a giant crab like robot on it.] Fei:Where are you hiding, doc? [Suddenly, Fei hears noice from atop the crab] Fei:Wh, What's going on? Citan:Ohh, this is no good! Why do they use such inferior parts? This is why their intervention strat... [Fei looks up and sees Citan working on the machine.] Fei:Doc! So that's where you were! Citan:Oh, Fei! Good to see you. Fei:Are you alright, doc? What are you doing all the way up there? Citan:I thought I would try to restore this Land Crab. Oh, and that explosion was nothing to worry about! It happens all the time. Ha, ha, ha...! Could you wait a while? I'm just about ready to call it a day. Oh yes. There is something interesting in the storeroom. Why not check it out? Fei:Okay, doc, I will. But please hurry up. It will get dark before you know it. [Fei walks in to the storeroom. He looks at a large box in front of him.] Fei:So this is what doc was talking about. Let me see... what's so interesting about it... [Fei finds a lever next to the box. He pulls it and noises start emulating out of the box.] Fei:Wow!? [The sides of the box fall down and a beautiful angel statue is revealed. Music starts coming out of it.] Fei:Wh, What is this...? This music...? I've heard it before somewhere...? [Citan walks in.] Citan:What do you think? Not bad, huh? Fei:Doc... Citan:Hello again Fei. Sorry to have kept you waiting. Music is a mysterious thing... Sometimes, it makes people remember things that they do not expect. Many thoughts, feelings, memories... things almost forgotten... Regardless of whether the listener desires to remember them or not... Fei:Doc, what is this...? Citan:It was excavated from some old ruins, and is still under repair. Obviously it is an audio device of some type. Long ago people would listen to this melody, just as we are doing now... At times they would have been cheered up... while at times they would have been made to cry. Fei:... Citan:By the way, what brings you here today? Fei:Oh yeah, that's right! Alice asked me to borrow some camera equipment from you. Citan:Oh, yes. Her wedding is tomorrow, right...? Understood. Well, we had better get ready then. Oh, and dinner should be ready soon. Would you like to join us? Fei:Would I ever! I was hoping you would ask. Citan:I still have some cleaning up to do out here. Would you mind giving Midori some company in the house? Fei:Okay. Take your time, doc. I'll go ahead and eat when dinner is ready! Citan:Ha, ha, ha. Go right ahead. But I will not be responsible if you get a stomachache from my wife Yui's cooking. [Fei walks towards the door then stops.] Fei:Doc... I feel strange when I listen to this music... I feel something warm inside… Citan:That just may be because you have someone living inside you... And he too must haveliked this music a long time before he became a part of you... Fei:... [Fei leaves.] Citan:Is Timothy and Alice's wedding really tomorrow... It might actually be better to live an ordinary life, in this condition... As a son of man... Well, anyway, I suppose I had better adjust the gyro at least... Huh? [Suddenly the music stops and the music box shatters into a million pieces.] Citan:This cannot be... Is... is this... an omen...? Now what is going to happen...? [Later that night...] Fei: Mmm... That was good! Your cooking never fails to impress me, Yui! Thank you for such a delicious meal! [Fei and Citan walk to the door.] Yui:You're welcome. If you like my cooking that much, then I'd be happy to cook for you anytime, Fei! Citan:I will bring the equipment you need to the village tomorrow morning, myself... It does not exactly make me feel comfortable to have you handle such delicate instruments, I am afraid! Fei:...Where have I heard that line before!? That's alright by me... Well, see you tomorrow doc! Good night, Yui, Midori! Yui:Good night. We're looking forward to tomorrow's wedding. Midori:... [Fei and Citan walk outside.] Fei:Well, good night, doc. Citan:Yes, good night. [Fei turns.] Citan:Oh, Fei! Please be careful... Ah, I mean... the path is dangerous when it is so dark... Fei:What's wrong doc? There is nothing to worry about! Well, anyway, I'll see you tomorrow. [Fei slowly walks down the mountain path. Suddenly, a loud sound echos through the sky.] Fei:What's that? [Fei sees 4 gears head towards Lahan.] Fei:Giants? [Citan runs down the path and up to Fei.] Fei:Doc! Some flying objects just went toward Lahan!! Citan:So you saw them too! Judging by their shadows, they appear to be a group of Gears from our neighbor country, Kislev. Fei:Those were... Gears...? Citan:!! Oh no! They are headed directly for Lahan! Fei:The ones I just saw? Citan:Let us make haste! Fei:Right! [Fei and Citan run through the Mountain Path as fast as they can. They finally reach Lahan. They are horrified at what they see. They see trees falling down, buildings on fire, and horrified people running away trying to escape.] Fei:No! Lahan's...? [Citan sees Alice and Timothy.] Citan:Alice!? Timothy!! [Fei and Citan run up to Alice and Timothy.] Alice:Doctor Uzuki!? Fei!! Timothy:Doctor! They just came out of nowhere and landed right in our village...! Citan:I know. What on earth are they doing starting a battle here...!? Are you all okay? Alice:Yes! But it's Dan... We can't find him!! Timothy:I'll go look one more time! Alice, go ahead and get out of the village. Citan:No, Timothy, wait! You, Alice, and the villagers should evacuate to a safer location! Timothy:Doc, you know I can't just leave Dan behind! Alice:Timothy... Citan:I understand how you feel, but leave the rest up to Fei and I! The primary thing you should be concerned with is your own safety... Timothy, your responsibity is to protect Alice! Timothy:But... Fei:It's just as the Doc says. The two of you should get out of the village now! Don't worry about Dan. Knowing him, he has already evacuated and is waiting for you! Timothy:...I guess you're right... Okay! Alice, let's evacuate the village now! Alice:Yes, okay. Thank you, Doctor! But Fei... Please look out for Dan! Fei:Yeah, don't worry. If he still happens to be in the village, I'll be sure to save him! Citan:Now, both of you, hurry!! [Alice and Timothy run off to safety.] Citan:I will go check inside the houses to see if there is anyone left behind. Fei, please go around the village and guide the stragglers to a safe location! Fei:Alright! But Doc... You be careful, okay!!? Citan:You too, Fei! [Citan runs into a nearby house to look for Dan. Fei watches as the gears attack the city. Fei is nearly shot down by another gear. The bullets send Fei flying a few feet to the side.] Fei:Whoa!! [Fei sees a large blue gear in front of him.] Fei:...Ah!? [The blue gear kneels down in front of him. The cockpit opens. Inside is a young boy, around 8 years old with hair covering his face and a large smile on his face. Suddenly, Fei sees a cross on a necklace swinging back and forth. Suddenly, the boy is gone. Fei uses the oppurtunity to climb into the gear. Citan steps out of a nearby house and sees what Fei is doing.] Citan:Huh...? Fei!? Wait, Fei!! [Fei ignores Citan and runs off. Suddenly, two gears surround Fei. Even though Fei has no idea how to work a gear, he easily disposes of them. Suddenly, he is surrounded by four more gears.] Fei:On my right too! Damn it! How many of them are there...? [Suddenly, a new gear approaches. This gear is much different than the others. A tall black one with 4 wings coming out of its back, it seems to be in charge of the other gears. The other gears start shooting at Fei.] Fei:I guess...there's no choice... but to fight... [Fei starts battling the other gears. Citan screams out at Fei.] Citan:Fei...!! The way you are fighting... Oh no.. This is not good! If 'he' awakens here... [A voice calls to doc from nearby.] Dan:Doc!! Citan:Dan!? [Dan jumps out of his sister's room and approaches Citan.] Citan:Are you alright!? What on earth are you doing here!? Do you not know how worried Alice and Timothy are? Dan:I'm sorry Doctor Uzuki! I got out of the village earlier, but I came back... I just couldn't bear leaving my sister's wedding dress behind here... Citan:You returned to save your sister's wedding dress...!? Heh... You are such a sentimental boy...! Let us evacuate to a safer spot while Fei has their attention! It appears that they are after that gear Fei is in... Dan:...?!?... Fei's... inside that monster!? Citan:Fei is bound... by the dark, cruel destiny of God... Dan:..Fei...? Citan:Come on now, Dan! We had better get away from here. Timothy:Dan!! [Timothy sees Dan and shouts to the two. He runs over to Dan and Citan.] Timothy:I knew you were still in the village! Boy, I'm glad you're okay!... Huh? [One of the nearby gears notices Timothy.] Citan:Oh no...! Timothy!! Timothy:...Uh!... [Fei in the gear starts running over to protect Timothy.] Fei:Wait!! Don't shoot! Stop it!! These people have nothing to do with you! Timothy! [Two gears run in front of Fei, blocking him from protecting Timothy.] Fei:Out of the way, you bastards! Stop it! I said sto-p i---t! [The lead gear orders one of the gears to shoot. The gear fires multiple bullets that pierce Timothy through the chest. Timothy utters one final scream before his bloody carcas falls to the ground. Fei watches in horror and suddenly gets a terrible pain in his head. The cross necklace swings again in his head. He sees a flashback of a little boy with blood splattered all over his face. The cross swings again and the boy is replaced by the boy with the hair covering his face, blocking his eyes. The small boy starts laughing. The cross swings again and falls off the necklace. Fei regains consciousness, but now has hair covering his face like the boy in his vision. He starts laughing. Suddenly, beams start blasting out of the gear. They easily destroy the nearby gears blocking Fei's path. People nearby scream in horror as their bodies burn in seconds. Alice watches in horror and smiles before crumbling to dust. Dan watches in horror. He tries to get up to save his sister.] Dan:Alice! [Citan holds him back] Dan:No!!!!! [Another blast rocks the city reducing it to nothing. Fei wakes up around 8 hours later on the moutain path near the village.] Fei:Uh... Uhn...? Huh...! Where am I...!? [Fei sees the giant gear he used to destroy the village in front of him. He turns around and sees Citan and Dan along with 15 or so other people from the village.] Fei:Doc! Citan:Oh, you have finally gained consciousness, Fei... Fei:Doc... What happened...? Where's Chief Lee, Timothy, Alice...? What did I...? Citan:Yes... Well that is... [Dan interrupts Citan and screams at Fei] Dan:You murderer!! Citan:Dan! Fei:!? Dan, what do you mean? Dan:It… was because you had to get in that monster…Alice and Timothy… The people of the village are all…!! You killed everyone using that monster…!! Fei:…?!?… Dan:Why did you have to fight in the middle of the village…? How do you even know how to operate such a monster…? Girl:Mother...? Where mother...? Villager:See, I told you so... I said allowing someone we knew nothing about into our village would spell disaster... Child:Owww... Hurts... It hurts... [Fei turns and looks at the gear.] Fei:Dan! [The people of the village back away in terror as Fei approaches them.] Child:Yikes!... No! Keep away!... I'm scared... Dan:Murderer!! My sister... Give me back my sister!! Citan:Dan! There is nothing to be gained from putting the blame all on Fei alone. What is more, you know Fei had no control over the malfunction of that gear. Dan:I...I know that! But... But...!! [Turns to Fei.] Dan:I HATE YOU! [Dan runs off crying.] Citan:It might be better if we left him by himself for a little while... He does not know what to do with his grief, his anger... Fei:... Citan:And Fei… it may be a good idea for you to leave this place. There is no guarantee that reinforcements from yesterday's units are not going to come… They will probably want to know what happened to their comrades. Also, if you stay gere, I do not think the atmosphere is going to be very joyful… If you know what I mean. It is probably best for both you and all the other villagers here. Fei:I guess you're right… This disaster happened because I was here… But… what am I supposed to do now? Citan:Yes, well… Why not go through the Blackmoon Forest and head for Aveh? I am sure those soldiers from yesterday were not from Aveh. If you can manage to get to the Aveh side, they will not be able to track you down very easily. Fei:Okay… I understand, doc…Well, anyway… Please take care of the rest of things here, doc. Citan:Of course… Well, do take care now. [Fei starts leaving. He looks at the gear that destroyed the village. Thoughts of what Dan said go through his mind.] You killed everyone with that monster.... Murderer!! My sister... Give me back my sister!! Fei:...Gh!... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II B. Further Mysteries ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Fei leaves and goes to the Blackmoon Forest. He climbs up a ledge and walks on a log. Suddenly, he hears a noice and a voice behind him.] Woman:Ranahad! [Fei turns and sees a beautiful red haired woman, around his age. She is pointing a gun directed at Fei's head.] Woman:Katenayu tada bintudah akba! Dhan narata! Rana kotay! [She looks at Fei and confusion and switches her voice to the Aveh language.] Woman:Throw down your weapon! Make one wrong move and I'll shoot! Errh... Turn around! Fei:... Woman:I said...turn around! [Fei turns and she walks up to him.] Fei:...Are you shaking? Woman:Be quiet!... You don't seem to be one of the Kislev soldiers who are after me. [Fei turns and faces her.] Woman:Don't move! I have orders to kill all surface dwellers, -Lambs-, I come in contact with… It's part of my mission. It's nothing personal. I have a question for you… How do I get out of this forest? Fei:Are you… lost? Woman:Just answer my question! How do I get out of here? Fei:Sorry, but I'm looking for the way out of here too. Woman:Oh… [The woman lowers her gun.] Fei:How long are you just going to stand there like that? If you're going to shoot me, then hurry up and do it. Woman:What an odd thing to say! Don't you understand the situation you are in? [Fei looks down sadly.] Fei:I don't care about my situation... I'm just a guy whose life is worthless... There's no point in me living anyway! [He walks towards her.] Woman:Don't come any closer! [She fires at Fei but misses by a few feet.] Fei:What are you aiming at? Here! Shoot me here! C'mon... Woman:Are you mocking me? You're weird! Something's very wrong with you! You should at least resist a little bit! [Suddenly, a forest imp jumps behind the woman. She turns.] Woman:What's this? Who are you? [The forest imp punches her knocking her out.] Fei:Stop! Keep your hands off of Elly! [Fei runs up to the beast and finishes it off with a few deathblows.] Fei:Are you alright? Hang in there! [The woman wakes up hours later. It is now night. Fei has made a fire and sits near her.] Fei: Good, you finally woke up! You didn't move for so long that I started to worry… Woman:... Fei:How are you feeling? Woman:... Fei:Do you still intend to kill me? Then go right ahead and shoot me! But you'd better not do it while we're in this forest. Forest monsters hate loud noises, you know!? Woman:... Fei:Fine. Don't talk to me if you don't want to... But it wouldn't kill you to thank me for tending to your wounds. Woman:Th… Thanks… But you shouldn't have helped me. Don't think it will save your life, though. It really doesn't change a thing. Fei:What are you so afraid of? Woman:I'm not afraid, I'm just being cautious. It's natural for me to be this cautious considering I've met such a suspicious surface dwelling -Lamb-. Fei:Hm. Don't you worry. I'm not going to do anything. Besides, you're much more suspicious than I am. Woman:Huh? Fei:So, what's your name? Woman:I won't give my name to a surface dweller -Lamb-. Fei:What's with you and this 'Lamb' thing? We're both lost in this forest, surrounded by dangerous monsters… Shouldn't we at least be cooperating with each other until we get out of here? Woman: … Fei:Good. So what's your name? It's going to be hard for us to cooperate with one another without at least knowing each other's names. Anyway, my name is Fei Fong Wong. You can call me Fei. Woman:I'm… Elhaym. But my parents call me Elly. Fei:'Elly', huh? Somehow I already 'knew' that. Elly: ? Fei:Anyway, it's too dangerous to travel in these parts this late at night… Let's wait till daybreak before we continue looking for a way out of here… If that's okay with you? Elly:I guess we have no choice, do we? Fei:Okay then Elly… How about having something to eat. [The two soon go to sleep. Fei has a dream. He is a boy sitting in a desert all alone. Suddenly, a line of faceless men appear in front of him. walking away. Fei gets up and tries to catch up.] Fei:Wait! Don't leave me here...! [They soon dissappear into the horizen. Fei starts to cry. Suddenly, a young woman approaches him. Her face is covered in shadows.] Young Woman:You must be lonely here by yourself... [The cross necklace on her chest glitters. Fei reaches for her hand. Suddenly, he hears a voice.] Elly:...Fei...Fei...Fei...Fei? Fei? Are you awake? [Fei wakes up and the two head further into the forest. They eventually stop at a small clearing.] Elly:Fei… Yesterday you said that your life was worthless. What did you mean by that? Fei:Why are you asking? Elly:Why? Yesterday you looked like you had a death wish. You think it wouldn't make me wonder…? Say, how did you get stranded in this forest in the first place? Fei:I should ask you the same question. Elly:Huh? Well, I, errh… Fei:I… ran away… from my village… or what's left of it… Elly:Village…? You don't mean…!? Fei:…Lahan… It was a small village that existed between this forest and the mountain range. I ran away from there. Elly:That village…? Fei:It was a nice, peaceful village. Everyone there treated me like family. Then, last night, a group of Gears suddenly appeared and started fighting right in the middle of the place. The village was engulfed in flames… I couldn't just stand there and watch Lahan be destroyed… So to try and save the villagers, I got in an empty Gear… without even knowing how to operate it. I just thought that maybe I could do it… no… it was more like someone whispering to me… Telling me to do it… But it was a disaster! The village… Elly:Was it destroyed by the Kislev army? Fei…? Fei:No… the village was destroyed… by me… Elly:…? Fei:Yes. It was me. I destroyed Lahan. I'm sure of it… Elly:What do you mean you destroyed it? I thought you were trying to help save the villagers? Fei:I did try to help. I actually took out a few Gears. But then I came under heavy fire from a new group of Gears… And then my friend… Timothy... was hit by a hail of bullets… Then I lost it… Everything just went dark... Then I don't remember anything after that. The Gear I was in went out of control... Well, that's what doc said. When I came to... the village... and everyone in it... was... Alice... She was such a... Alice and Timothy... Oh God...! Everybody! All such good people... Elly:Went out of control…? The Gear..? What about the village? Fei? Fei:…Yes, the Gear! Elly:!… Fei:If only they hadn't come… [Elly thinks back to the a few hours before the Lahan disaster. She was leading 3 other gears, being chased by Kislev gears.] Elly:Damn them... They're still giving chase... We've entered Aveh territory... I'm not giving up now. This Gear's too important! [A gear next to Elly is blown up.] Elly:! Thats done it! I'm at a disadvantage now. Sh, Shrapnel... In my back. My thrusters' output is dropping. I can't maintain altitude. [Elly and her friends land in Lahan. She climbs out of the gear and runs off.] Fei:If they had never come to the village, never started fighting there… Then I wouldn't have tried to pilot that Gear. It's all their fault… Not mine! They're the ones to blame. If they'd never come… None of this would have… If not for them! Them! Them! Them!! Elly:Enough of that! Fei:!? Elly:You're a coward! Fei:A coward? ... Me? Elly:Yes, you're a coward. All you're saying is 'them, them, them'. Don't talk as if you had no part of the blame, as well! Fei:I'm to blame? Elly:Yes, that's right! Of course the direct cause of the battle was that a Gear made an emergency landing in your village. But all Kislev wanted was the Gear, right? They weren't invading or out to destroy Lahan. The real damage occurred because you climbed in a Gear and tried to fight back! Fei:... Elly:What ever made you get into that Gear? Not just anyone can pilot them! It takes training! There is no way a civilian could hope to pilot one! Besides... you should have been helping the villagers flee to safety instead! How can you blame the damage on a Gear when you made the decision to fight in it in the first place? Why don't you take some of the responsibility yourself? Why are you putting all of the blame on others? That's just running away! That's what makes you a coward! Fei:Well, if you put it that way... Yes... that's right, I am a coward! I didn't realize my own strength and have been blaming what happened as a result on others. I'm a pitiful excuse for a man. But... I just felt this rush of blood in me and I couldn't help myself! Couldn't help myself... or help others. [Fei sits down next to a nearby tree.] Elly:Fei, I, I'm... Fei: Shut up! What do you know!? When I came to I was surrounded by piles of rubble… I didn't remember what had happened or what I had done. I remembered absolutely nothing. All I knew was that my hands could still feel what they had done. The only thing that penetrated the Gears barrier were screams… Screams accompanied by the stench of blood, the sound of crushing bones, and my own curses. [Fei holds out his hands towards Elly.] Fei:Look! Look at my hands! Can you hear their voices? Can you understand this feeling? The feeling of having destroyed your village with your own hands…? Of not being able to do anything for the children left behind…? Now they have nothing… I have nothing… I have nowhere… no one… I didn't want to get in it… I had no choice… There was no other way… [Elly steps towards Fei to say something, but thinks against it and walks off to a large clearing nearby.] Elly:Why did I go and say that to him…? [Elly thinks back to a few years ago.] Female Voice:You talk as if it's not your responsibility. [Elly kneels on the floor. She is surrounded by multiple corpses. She holds her hands against her head.] Elly:No! I didn't do anything! Female Voice:They died because you had to pilot the gear and start fighting. Elly:It wasn't me, can't you understand? [Elly looks at her bloody hands.] Female Voice:Not just anyone can pilot those machines, you know! Elly:I didn't do it! Female Voice:Why won't you take responsibility? [Elly stands under a spotlight.] Elly:I'm not so strong. Female Voice:Why are you trying to put the blame on others? Elly:I'm not even all that talented. [Elly thinks back to her conversation with Fei.] Elly:You're a coward! Fei:That's right! I'm a coward! [The flashback ends.] Elly:Yes... that's right... I am a coward... [Suddenly, a Rankar, a giant Tyrannosaurus like creature steps into the clearing. It sees Elly and runs towards her. Meanwhile, in the other clearing, Fei hears Elly scream.] Fei:Oh no! [Fei runs as fast as he can to the clearing and sees the monster holding Elly. He runs up to it.] Fei:Elly! Elly! Are you alright?! Darn! She's unconscious! [Fei tries to attack the Rankar but with no avail. Suddenly, Fei hears a familiar voice.] Citan:Fei!! [Suddenly, Citan appear with the gear in his land crab.] Citan:Fei! I have been searching for you! Here, you can use this! [The gear is released and falls in front of Fei.] Fei:Hey! Hold on a second! To tell me I can use this is one thing... Elly... Damn it! Doc. I have a favor to ask! I will defet this monster! But if it looks like I'll go out of control like last time, then shoot me! Citan:Fei... Let us pray that that won't happen! [Fei easily defeats the Rankar in the gear. Citan walks up to it.] Citan:Fei! Are you alright? [Fei jumps out of the cockpit.] Fei:Yeah... I guess so... Citan:That fight with the Rankar was remarkable. An ordinary Gear could not defeat that monster. And you certainly keep yourself in good shape... Fei:Why did you bring this here, doc? Citan:This...? You mean Weltall? Fei:Weltall? This is the Gear that destroyed out village. Why did you bother bringing it here? I never want to see another Gear again. Citan:I understand how you must feel... But, in order to protect yourself you need a certain degree of strength. Even more since we are being pursued. Fei:I agree that a certain degree of strength is needed for self-defense. And if it weren't for this Gear here, Elly and I'd be in that Rankar's stomach right now... But it's power goes beyond what is necessary. Does one really need the power to destroy everything? Citan:... Fei:I don't need that kind of power... I just hate Gears. Citan:Fei, using power or being used by power... is that not a problem of the heart...? If humans do not use their power for wrong it can be a good thing... I believe such power can help us. In that respect, I know you will be fine. It sure helped you out this time. Am I right? Fei:I want to believe that. But something is holding me back. This Gear... Well, whatever... At least Elly is safe now. Citan:She seems to have come to. Elly:Huh...? Citan:I am Citan... a friend of Fei's. You almost did not make it. If Fei had not helped, I hate to think what may have happened. But I was not too pleased with his rashness in trying to take on that Rankar with just his bare fists. Elly:Bare fists? Citan:Well, I am glad that you were able to find a use for what I brought you. [Elly sees Weltall.] Elly:...!! Citan:Let us just say that we are borrowing what the Kislev army left behind... Elly:...Oh. Thank you, Fei. This makes twice. Fei:Don't mention it. I'll just put it on your tab. Citan:It is getting dark. Let us make camp now and start out early tomorrow. The both of you look tired and I need to make some repairs on our friend here... [Later that night... Citan repairs Weltall while Fei sleeps.] Citan:It is no use. The knee actuator and bypass circuti are both ruined. The actuator can be fixed, but the circuit needs to be replaced... [Citan climbs down and approaches Elly.] Citan: Oh, having trouble sleeping there? Elly:Yeah... Citan:I imagine you would. You have had quite a day. This is the machine Fei used when the village was attacked. There was another machine left sitting on the outskirts of the village... Nil bayer dars legus? (It was yours, right?) Elly:!! Citan:Just as I thought... The missing pilot from the Gear that made an emergency landing in Lahan... and the mysterious woman found wandering lost in the forest... are actually one and the same person. Judging from your uniform, I would also say you are with the military... Am I correct? Elly:How...? Who are you? Citan:I checked the ID tags of the soldiers who died in the attack on Lahan... The design on their tags and the design on your uniform there is the same. Elly:! Citan:Do not worry, they were given proper burials. But, they may not have been too pleased to die in a foreign land. Elly:...Maybe. Citan:Does Fei know about you? Elly:I don't think he has realized yet. Citan:Most likely... Fei knows nothing of the world outside of Lahan. Elly:I see... So how come... Citan:In any case, it is best if we do not pry into each other's pasts anymore. Elly:But... Citan:Let us just say that I know a little more about the world than most do. Anyway, Elly... I have a favor I must beg you to do… Elly:... What is it? Citan:Go straight ahead and you will come to a road. Then just keep going... Would you please leave while Fei is still asleep? Elly:!? Citan:Unfortunate things keep happening around Fei. I would like to protect him if possible... I do not want him caught up in any vain struggles. I am also saying this for your benefit. Elly, you do not belong here. Go back to your family. Elly:Um...I... Citan:Do not worry, I will not tell Fei what your true identity is. I will... just tell him you went to meet up with your family… Elly:No, it's not that! I did something terrible to him... So... I want to... apologize. Citan:Something terrible? Elly:Fei told me it was our fault the village was destroyed. Fei kept saying... If only 'they' hadn't come... Then, I called Fei a coward because he was trying to escape from the responsibility... But in fact it was me who was trying to escape from taking the blame... If I hadn't crash-landed there, they would all still be living peacefully now. All those people wouldn't have been caught up in that tragedy. But I accused Fei... Citan:You are a rarity. I did not expect your people would ever think like that. To your people, surface dwellers are nothing more than domesticated animals, are they not...? Elly:The Shepherds, -Abel-, took control over the surface dwelling -Lambs-... Possessing the right to give them life and death as they see fit... Citan:Exactly. Yet you seem to feel responsibility toward Fei and the villagers. Why is that? Elly:I don't know myself... At Jugend I was taught that surface dwellers were stupid and base... And that is why we have to control them... But... Citan:But upon meeting Fei, something about him made you feel differently? Elly:Yes. He's no different than we are... In fact he seemed more powerful. He possesses something... something we don't. He also risked his life to save me... twice. Citan:Most of your people would feel ashamed at receiving such an act. Yet, you are grateful to Fei…? Elly:It's probably because of my father. He had an open mind to surface dwellers. My nanny was... a surface dweller. No one knew about her though... Besides... I am the same as Fei... Citan:The same? Elly:No, nothing. Nevermind... Citan:Hmm. I think I understand. I am sorry. After just saying that we should not pry... It is my nature, you know? My wife says I am too persistent and that I talk too much. But, personally, I do not think I talk too much. It is probably best if you return home to your country. You really should not be here. Elly:I'll return to headquarters. But then what...? Citan:You are worried... Elly:Yes... Citan:Worrying is natural. Even I used to worry once too, you know!? Elly:Oh, Citan... Citan:Anyway, let me handle what to tell Fei... You had better go now. [Elly leaves. The next morning...] Fei:Has Elly gone yet? Citan:Oh, so you were awake? Fei:Yes, I woke up midway, so I only heard parts of what you two were discussing. Citan:... Fei:Elly... so that's what she is? Citan:Fei, she is... Fei:I know, it's not Elly's fault. What happened to the village is all my fault. I took out all my pent up feelings on Elly. I'm the one who should apologize. Citan:Fei, do not blame yourself. If was not your fault either. You were just trying to protect the village. Fei: Thanks, doc... By the way, how is everyone from the village going? Citan:Do not worry, Yui is taking care of them. I told her to leave soon and take them all to a certain place. They should be safe for a while. So you just worry about yourself for now. Fei:Okay, doc. Citan:Now to think what we should do next... Shall we leave this forest and head for the desert town of Dazil? We may learn what Aveh and Kislev are up to... not to mention getting some parts for Weltall. The leader of Aveh is not going to sit back and let the other night's fiasco go unpunished! [The two continue through the forest. Suddenly, they see a large airship.] Fei:What is that...? Citan:I would assume it is an aerial battleship from Aveh... Fei: An aerial battleship? I've never heard of Aveh having anything like that. Citan:Of course it does not come from Aveh originally... Most likely it belongs to the Gebler forces stationed in Aveh. Fei:Gebler? Citan:Special forces from the Sacred Empire of Solaris known as Gebler. I am sure you have heard something about them. They are an organization providing large-scale military aide to the kingdom of Aveh. They showed up in Ignas several months ago. Until then, Aveh was being routed by Kislev. But with the Gebler's help they have managed to regain half their losses. They are now expanding their territory and gathering resources buried in the ruins. Fei:I've heard the village elders talk about it... Is Elly a part of that? Citan:Quite possibly so. Their group has superior technology and power. It is rumored they are here solely to get the resources in the ruins. I am surprised they are using something as powerful as that ship... It must be to suppress the recent border skirmishes. Fei:So they are fighting the Kislev Empire? Citan:Yes. It seems they have found new ruins on the northern edge of Aveh. Those ruins are under a five-hundred-year-old temple. Three weeks ago Kislev took over those ruins. Most likely they are fighting over that. [They leave the forest and walk to the nearby desert town of Dazil.] Fei:This is... Dazil... Citan:Yes, that is right. The desert town of Dazil. Fei:This town's lively. Citan:This is the center for all excavations in Aveh. People come from all over Ignas to try and find the resources buried in the ruins around here. We should be able to find out what both Aveh and Kislev are up to, here. And we also have to gather the things we need to repair Weltall. Fei:Repair Weltall... Citan:Yes, we must exchange the broken parts to fix Weltall... Otherwise it will not be able to function at all! There is an 'Ethos' workshop in the Southern part of this town. Let us go there, Fei. Fei:Yeah, okay doc, let's check this place out then. [The two walk into the nearby Ethos Workshop.] Fei:Wow… So this is the 'Ethos' workshop, heh, doc? Citan:Yes. The 'Ethos' workshops are the only places that officially repair Gears. Let us see if we can get the parts we need to fix Weltall here. As they say, time is money! ...So we should do whatever we can as soon as we are able to. 'Ethos' Worker:Huh? How can we help you? Citan:Sorry to bother you. Our Gear has broken down, so I would like to buy some parts to fix it. 'Ethos' Worker:Tough luck, huh? Can you tell me what make of parts you are after? Citan:Yes, we are hoping to replace an X-29 model injection bypass circuit. 'Ethos' Worker:X-29 model injection circuit? That's only used on the latest military models. We don't keep those kinds of parts in stock here. You can only get such special parts by placing an order at the 'Ethos' headquarters. This workshop is only for the repair of civilian Gears… Citan:I see. Sorry to have bothered you. 'Ethos' worker: Sorry that we can't help you. [The two exit the workshop.] Fei:...Doc, do you have a moment? I need to talk to you. Citan:Yes, of course, Fei... [The two walk to a bridge over the center of Dazil.] Citan:So Fei, what did you want to talk to me about? Fei:Well doc, it's about Weltall... We can't find the parts we need, so is it alright if we just don't fix it? Citan:Do not repair it. What is the problem, Fei? Fei:Well, we've been able to come as far as Dazil on our own… So doesn't that show that we don't need Weltall as much as we thought? Actually, I've been thinking that after things cool down I want to go back to Lahan and help rebuild. That's all I feel I can do now… Citan:...I see. If that's what you want, Fei, then fine. But I think we should try and move Weltall as far away from there as possible. Fei:Move it away? But why do we need to do that, doc? Citan:It is only my speculation, but... I suspect that the incident that evening occurred because the Gebler Special Force stole a Kislev military Gear. Fei:Special Force... You mean Elly's group? Citan:Exactly. When I examined the broken Gear in the village, I realized that the Gebler pilot was riding a Kislev Gear. It must have had some new technology involved in it for the Kislev army to send pursuit forces after it. Fei:New technology? Citan:I suspect that the Gebler Force was out to steal a new experimental Gear. I am sure news of the Special Force's failure has reached the capital. They will be investigating the Lahan area to reclaim whatever parts of the new Gear they can find. Fei:Hold on, doc! Won't the Kislev army still be in Lahan too! Citan:Most probably. An in that case, there will be a conflict between Aveh's inspection team and Kislev's pursuit troops. If they find where we have hidden Weltall... Fei:The armies will fight over who gets Weltall... And right near Lahan too. Citan:So, to avoid any problems, we should move Weltall somewhere else right away! Fei:But, we can't fix it in order to move it… Citan:Right. But staying here will solve nothing. Fortunately, this is the center of all excavation work in this country. There is bound to be some information on where we can find parts... Anyway, the fear is often worse than the danger itself... We should not let such fears hold us back! [They start to exit town, but Citan notices a sand buggy near by.] Citan:This is a sand buggy... That is it, Fei! I have thought of a good way to get the parts we needed for Weltall. First, we have got to find out who will rent us this buggy. Fei:Sand Buggy? Citan:A sand buggy is a special car made for the desert. Its tires do not sink into the sand, so it is a must for long trips into the desert. Fei:So then doc, what do you plan on doing with this sand buggy? Citan:Well, leave it to me. Just you wait and see. [The two enter the rental building. Citan walks up to the owner.] Man:Hm? Never saw you before. You want to rent out a sand buggy too, heh? Citan:Yes, that is right. Do you have any we can rent right now? Man:Of course... The keys are in the ignition, you can take it now. Citan:Well then, if I may. Fei, I am going into the desert to search for parts for Weltall. Fei:Going to the desert? Doc, are you going to excavate some ruins or something? Citan:The Kislev and Aveh armies are confronting each other in the desert all the time. There is talk that their forces often break into battle over the ruins. Fei:What does that have to do with that Gear? Citan:If I search the battlefields for the wrecks of such army Gear... I should be able to find the parts we need. Besides, Weltall is a Kislev Gear, so we need parts from Kislev Gears. Fei:But... Citan:Fei, you are such a worrier. Things have a way of working out. You do not need to worry so much. Why not go kill some time at the bar until I get back. Fei:Doc... Citan:If I search the battlefields for the wrecks of such army Gear... I should be able to find the parts we need. Besides, Weltall is a Kislev Gear, so we need parts from Kislev Gears. Fei:But... Citan:Fei, you are such a worrier. Things have a way of working out. You do not need to worry so much. Why not go kill some time at the bar until I get back. Fei:Doc... Man:Hey, are you letting him go out there alone? Lots of fights break out in the desert... it's a real dangerous place. I've heard about a group of pirates riding around attacking people on a sand cruiser. You really shouldn't let him go out there by himself. [Citan gets in the buggy and leaves.] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II C. The Slayer of God ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Fei heads into the desert and sees some Gears jumping across the desert.] Fei:Gears?... I'm worried about doc... Guess I may as well follow those Gears. [Fei tries to follow them, but to no avail.] Fei:How far has doc gone? ... And now I've lost sight of those gears too. [Suddenly, there is a rumbling.] Fei:What's happening? [Fei sees a giant flying saucer like craft over head.] Fei:!! W, what the heck is that thing? [The craft flies off. Two more gears approach. Fei:A different unit? Are they going toward the direction the saucer went? I'd better follow them as not to lose sight of them. [Fei gets lost. The sun starts to set.] Fei:Does this desert ever end? It'll get dark soon, so I'd better hurry up and... [Fei notices some motorcycles driving by.] Fei:What's going on here? Gears, a flying saucer... and now these guys... I hope doc's alright! [Another bike almost hits Fei. It crashes into a nearby sand hill.] Fei:Errh, sorry about that! Just let me borrow this for a while! [Fei steals the bike and drives off.] Aveh Soldier:Hey Wa~it! [Fei drives for a while, but is suddenly knocked over by a gust of wind. Two gears surround him. Fei:What's with you guys? Aren't you overreacting a little for just stealing a motorcycle...? [Suddenly, bullets strike one of the gears, knocking it over. The other gear turns, but too late. The bullets strike him as well.] Fei:Ah...! [Weltall lands in front of Fei and Citan steps out of it.] Citan:Fei! I was looking everywhere for you. Fei:Doc! You're alright? Citan:Yes, of course...! Looks like we do not have time to chat. [The two gears get up.] Citan:Fei, hurry! Fei:Hurry and do what...? Citan:I cannot use Weltall very well! Only you can use its full potential... Hurry up and get on board! [Fei steps into the gear.] Fei: ...A, a, alright. [Fei beats them after a long fight.] Fei:I don't know how... but I beat them! Strange voice:HA, HA, HA, HA, HA! Fei:W, what the? [Fei looks at a nearby hill. On top of it stands the lead gear from the attack on Lahan. Next to it stands a man with a skull-like mask on his head, and wearing a long black cape.] Man in Black:Your hot blooded desire for battle has not been tamed, I see. Fei:Who are you? [Fei thinks to himself as he stares at the man. The cross swings in his mind.] Fei:Right, I know you... You killed her [Fei as a child kneels down on the ground.] Fei:No! It wasn't! Not me! I... [The boy with the hair in his face approaches.] Boy:Coward... It was you! [Fei thinks back to the present.] Fei:You're the one from... Lahan...!! Citan:Here we go again... Man in Black:My name is Grahf... The seeker of power. You certainly showed how much power you had back there in Lahan, didn't you, Fei!? Fei:How much power I had? What are you talking about! Grahf:A greater power... is what I need to fulfill my mission. I sent those Gears into that land as a catalyst to awaken the power in you... To make contact with you. Fei:As a catalyst!? You mean you caused that intentionally!? Grahf:That's right. The death of your loved ones... And you powerless against it happening... The grief, the screams from your heart born out of the tragedy… There! That was the catalyst for triggering your power. Fei:You mean you attacked my village just to get me into that Gear!? Why!? Why did the villagers have to die...? Grahf:Who cares why! It does not matter how many of them died… They were wretched vermin, only living from day to day without ever fulfilling their prescribed destinies! And have you forgotten? You were the one who destroyed the village. I did not lift a finger. Fei:No!! I was just trying to save the village and its people! I never intended to destroy it!! Grahf:Is that so? Surely you have heard it? It is the very essence of you... the voice of desire from within you that craves destruction. Fei:Shut up! Even if that were true, weren't you the one who caused it!? If you hadn't come, the village wouldn't have suffered the way it did! Grahf:Ah, so now you resort to blame? I see... That sounds like something 'you' would say. That's good. Your basic nature remains unchanged. Fei:Crap... You said you need my power? What were you intending to do with it!? Grahf:You know very well... it is to destroy... Mother God... Fei:D, destroy God? Grahf:Yes, we will destroy god. That is our purpose... That is our destiny! Fei:Don't be ridiculous! I won't get involved in such a thing! If you want to destroy God, or whatever it is you're on about… do it by yourself!! Grahf:Hah, hah, hah... You resemble your father. Fei:My father? You mean my dad? You know my father!? Grahf:That was... a most delightful scream. I was enthralled by it. Nothing is more beautiful than a scream of death. Fei: What did you do to my father!? What happened between you two!? Grahf:Hmph, do you really wish to know? There is no use in you knowing it now. Fei:What!? Grahf:Your power is still beneath that needed for my purposes. Anything unusable must be tried until it becomes suitable. [The ground shakes.] Fei:What? [Suddenly, a huge worm bursts out of the sand.] Fei:What in the hell is that!? Grahf:What will you do, Fei? If you die here, then so be it. You may indeed gain some happiness from not knowing. But surely, that is not what you truly want...? If you want to know the truth... and that is what you want, isn't it, Fei... then here is what to do... You must show me that you have attained the level of strength I require... To do that you must destroy others using your own strength! Then you will gain all that was lost in exchange for that scream of death! Ha, ha, ha, ha!! [Grahf and the gear fly away.] Fei:W, wait! We're not finished yet!! [The worm attacks Fei. Fei defeats it after a long fight.] Citan:Fei! Are you alright!? [Fei climbs out of the cockpit.] Citan:Fei! Fei:...I'm fine... The Gear seems to be broken, though... Citan:I am so glad that you are unharmed. The Gear had only temporary repairs made on it. They were not made to survive an outright battle like that. Fei:... Citan:Fei? [Suddenly, two gears arrive and surround the two.] Citan:Oh no! The Aveh military! Not now...! Fei, I think we should remain calm...? Fei:... Citan:Fei? [The two are captured and brought to a sand cruiser. Fei and Citan sit in a cell with two beds. Citan sits on his bed while Fei sleeps... Fei has a dream of himself in a field. Nearby are three figures. Two of them emit light while the other emits blue. Fei recognizes one person as Grahf and another, his father. Fei does not know the third figure.] Grahf:Let us join together... Khan:I never thought we'd meet again like this. It must be fate... How ironic. But, I'll never let you have him. [The third man, a tall man with long red hair covering his face smiles.] Khan:Even if it kills me! [Fei awakens. And walks up to Citan.] Citan:How are you, Fei? Did you sleep well? Fei:Huh? Ahh... well... sort of... Citan:Sorry I messed up… I was careless. That Gear is a top secret experimental model from Kislev… It was only natural that Aveh would also be madly searching for it. Fei? Are you hurt? You do not look so well. Fei:Well... I suppose you could say I was hurt... Citan:That man in black... spoke of your father's fate... Is that what is wrong? Fei:There is that too, but... It's the other stuff he said... What happened at Lahan was all planned to get me to ride in that Gear... or so he claimed. That's got me worried... Citan:To get you to ride in that Gear...? Fei:Doc, before the village was destroyed, I lived without doubting myself. But it's different now. I don't... know who I am. I've never felt like this before... Citan:Well we cannot do anything as long as we are prisoners... even if we wanted to. Let us rest a little. Maybe it will sort out your feelings a little. Fei:Let's talk more. Citan:Are you worried about what he said about your father? Fei:All I know is what the maids at my home in Lahan told me... One night a strange masked man carried me to Lahan. I was heavily wounded at the time... In my delirium I called out for my father... That's all they could tell me about my background. I don't remember anything of my father or my past... so I guess I'm not really all that lonely or sad... Citan:Let us rest a little. Fei:Good idea. [Fei goes into bed while Citan remains standing. He thinks to himself.] Citan:...(It was him! No mistake... That was no coincidence... Could it be that we are approaching.. the -Time- of the -Gospel-...?) [Citan thinks back to a moment from years before. He stands on a pedestal in front of a large throne. On the throne is a large man, at least 7 feet tall, with a large skull like mask on his face. The pedestal and throne levitate in the air surrounded by various mirrors and images.] Emperor:Yes, the -Gospel-. We are the people expelled from paradise and forced to live on the cruel surface of the earth. We who fill this land will once again return to the presence of God in paradice and live there eternally. That is the -Time- of the -Gospel-. That -Time- is at hand. We, the Gazel, must find God's resting place by then and resurrect him. That is our final prayer. Citan:Our final prayer? Emporer:Our final prayer to escape from the -Fate- that was determined at our genesis. [Citan thinks back to the present. He stares at Fei.] Citan:(Majesty... Is this the end...?) [Someone watches the ship from a telescope.] Voice:Bingo! Just as the report said - an Aveh transport. And look what we have on top...! No mistaking it! That's a new Kislev model! It has to be the stolen Gear everyone is after!! Whatever the case... There's no way we are going to let that Shakhan guy have it... [A young blond haired man, around 18 pushes the telescope back up. He is on the bridge of a large ship.] Pirate:Gunner! Gunner:Turret A 'Anton' and turret B 'Belta' can initiate their electropometers twenty seconds after opening their hatches. Pirate:Franz! Franz:I don't hear anything other than the flowing sound of the sand... No suspicious radar activity detected! Pirate:Marseilles! Marseilles:Maitreya's units are on standby at the catapults. They'll all be able to launch one minute after we resurace! Pirate:Good! Let's do it! Battcon level 1! [The bridge prepares to fire.] Crewmember 1:Engine room, ready! Crewmember 2:Torpedo room, ready! Crewmember 3:Anti-Gear guns, ready! Crewmember 4:Navigation and Engineering are also ready! [Two men walk onto the bridge. One is an old man, around 60 years old. The other is younger, around 30 with white hair and a patch over his eye.] Old Man:Y, young master! What is happening? What was the alarm all about...? White Haired Man:Not again...? Young master! Hold on a second! Pirate:Battle stations, everyone! Surface navigation, begin operating the sand pump! Prepare to fire starboard cannons upon surfacing! Old Man and White Haired Man:Young Master! Pirate:Trim to the right! The wind is strong up there and we may be blown off balance! Jerico! Hand the helm over to me! [Back on the sand cruiser...] Citan:A sand cruiser... It must be those desert pirates! [Back on the pirate's ship...] Crewmember:Alternate firing between A 'Anton' and B 'Belta'! Calculating adjustments! Pirate:Aww yeah! Switch mode over to salvos after the initial shots! Let's slow 'em down. Get ready to give them a spankin' they won't forget! Old Man:Young master, please wait! It may just be a requisitioned ship, not a warship... Pirate:Let me handle this! Whether it's a warship or not, it's carrying a new Gear! Gunner! Let 'em have it! [The pirate ship fires at the prison ship.] Citan:Oh, oh! [Another shot strikes the ship, causing it to slowly sink.] Citan:Judgeing by the angle... it seems as if a gun blast has made a hole in the hull... We will probably sink within minutes. Fei:A few minutes... Doc!! [Citan walks to the cell door.] Citan:It is locked... Somebody free us! Argghh!! [Citan pushes the door, and luckily it breaks. Sand starts filling the room.] Fei:Let's get out of here, doc! [The two escape the cell and slowly make it over to a ladder. By now, the sand has gone up past their waists and it is very difficult to move. After a few minutes, they are able to make their way up the ladder into the above floor just as sand fills the room.] Citan:Whew, that was close. [The two make their way through the ship and finally make it outside to a giant crane. Citan walks over to the controls.] Fei:Doc!? Where did you go, doc!? Citan:Fei! Can you hear me? I am moving the crane towards Weltall's cockpit. Hurry! Go up the crane to Weltall! We are going under fast! Fei:...I got you, doc! But when you're done you hurry up there too, okay!? [Fei climbs over the crane and makes it down into Weltall. He climbs into the cockpit.] Fei:Here we go again... You and I seems to have a fated relationship! [Fei goes over to get Citan.] Fei:C'mon doc! Over here! Hurry up! [Weltall grabs Citan and runs off. They just make getting off the ship.] Citan:Wooh... [Citan jumps down to the ground.] Citan:Whoops... Fei:Are you okay, doc? Citan:Ha ha ha... Well, Doctor Citan Uzuki! Feels like you have sacked your saccules, and tickled your utricles enough for one lifetime! Wow, dizzy! Fei:Sorry about that, doc! I didn't have time to open up the cockpit... Are you really okay doc? Citan:Fei, I was only joking. Riding in the hand was not so bad. I can see what is so good about this top-secret experimental Kislev machine. Fei:Yeah, when I started it up, it began doing all kinds of stuff by itself... The enviromental response system and weight-reduction hovering kicked in straight away... automatically! Citan:Really...? Amazing...! Pirate:Save yourselves but leave your friends to sink in a sea of sand... don't you believe in comradeship? [Fei and Citan turn to see 3 Gears. The Pirate is the middle one, a much more decorated gear than the other two.] Pirate:It's not very manly of you two to leave your platoon to die while you run away in a Gear, you know? Fei:Wait one moment! We're not Aveh soldiers! Pirate:Hm. Can't you make a better plea for your life? You come jumping out of an Aveh ship and claim that you are not Aveh soldiers! Stop trying to fool me! Fei:I tell you, it's true! Pirate:Tsk. How pathetic are you?! Even if you're the pettiest of soldiers, how's about showing a little spine... and put up a decent fight! Fei:Stop it! I'm telling you I'm no soldier! I don't want to fight! Pirate:How nauseating! Why don't you stop grumbling, and leave the Gear and run away? [The pirate attacks Weltall with a whip. Weltall defends it.] Pirate:For someone who doesn't want to fight, you're quite powerful... I see, an all-enviroment model... so that's it, huh? Now I want it even more! [Fei and the pirate fight. Suddenly, the ground beneath them shakes.] Fei:!? Pirate:Oh no! This is not good! In the heat of battle, I get caught in quicksand! Darn. Me, of all people! Damn! It's all your fault! Boy are you going to get it later. So be darn ready! Fei:Why? [The two gears sink into the sand down into an underground Stalactite Cave. The pirate exits his gear and walks up to Weltall.] Pirate:Hey, come down here now! I'm not gonna kill you. All I want is for you to leave this Gear... huh? [Fei exits Weltall.] Pirate:Hey!? You're not an Aveh soldier? Fei:I told you that in my intercom transmission earlier. You're the one who refused to listen to me, right? Pirate:Hah, ha, ha. Sorry, sorry. Yes, I remember you were saying something like that. I went off half-cocked and thought you were the enemy. Uhh, ahem... My name is Bart. I'm the pirate that works this territory. Fei:My name is Fei. I was arrested for no reason, shoved into that Aveh transport ship... And was nearly about to be sent to a concentration camp until you went and blew the thing to blazes. Anyway, I'm just glad to have been able to survive. Bart:I see... Well, I'm glad I at least helped you out a little. But I didn't expect a civilian like you would be riding in a military Gear. Besides, this Gear is a brand new model. I've never seen this type before. Fei:Let's just say that a lot of things have happened... It wasn't like I wanted to pilot it! Where are we anyway? Looks like we fell into one weird place. I've never heard of huge stalactite caves such as this existing under the desert before. Bart:What? You don't know anything, do you? Where are you from? The desert only covers around 1000 sharls of the outer layer of the earth. The stratum underneath that consists of igneous rock. Fei:From a sea of trees to a sea of sand... and now a stalactite cave... What's next...? Bart:What are you talking about? Fei:Oh, nothing... Never mind... Bart:We're in trouble... Look, the hole we fell through has disappeared. We'd better find another way out. So, you wanna call a truce for now...? At least until we find an exit and get out of here. Fei:Yes... agreed. First we gotta find the way out of here... So, let's get going... [Several people stand on the sand cruiser that destroyed the Aveh prison ship.] Aveh Soldier:Phew, thank God... I didn't want to dry up and die in the desert. Pirate:Hey, you! I know you're tired but don't go any further than there! Another Soldier:Shut up! You sunk our ship! Don't you forget that! Another Pirate:No, you shut up! Just be thankful that you were saved! Sand Cruiser Nurse:Excuse me... Is there anyone who is almost dead, with no arms and legs, or in need of an abdominal operation? No one...? Well, that's depressing. [Citan and the white haired man stand further up on the ship watching the feuding parties below. Citan:I see... So your 'young one' has not just been shooting at anything and everything then, Sigurd. Sigurd:Yes, he actually calculated this attack... or so he says! As you can see... no one has died this time, either. [A gear walks up to the cruiser.] Gear:Sigurd, sir! The collectionof the goods and soldiers from the Aveh transport is almost complete. We still can't locate the young master... General Maitreya's platoon will scout around again. Sigurd:Okay. I'm counting on you. Gear:Yes, sir! Since I'm part of the unit I'll also excuse myself. [The Gear leaves.] Citan:So, what happened to this 'young one' you call 'master'? Sigurd:He fell into an underground cave with that other guy in a Gear. It's near an old excavation site, and he is riding in a Gear, so he'll probably be able to come up somehow... We'll try to find him for a while, and if that doesn't work, then we'll wait for him at our meeting point. Citan:You seem to trust him a lot... Sigurd:Trust him... Yeah, I trust he'll get us into trouble. But I never thought I would meet you here, 'Hyu...' Citan:It is not coincidence. It is an inevitable consequence... I assume. Sigurd:...Hyuga... Are you saying something is about to happen? [Underground Fei and Bart come up to an archway blocked by a huge rock.] Bart:Hey, Fei! My sensors are responding to something. There appears to be quite a large cavern on the other side of here. If we can get rid of this rock... But I don't think it's possible. Hey, this is huge. What can we do with this? I doubt you can break it. Fei:I guess we could try pushing it... [Fei presses Weltall against the rock and tries pushing.] Bart:Wait, no matter how you look at it... Fei:What the heck are you doing? Hurry up and help!! [The two gears push the boulder until it falls into the cavern. The two Gears walk through the archway.] Fei:We can get by if we help each other. Let's keep it up so we can get out of here. Bart:The hydromechanic pipe for my knee is on the verge of breaking down. It's all because of that fall from the ceiling... followed by pushing this mega-colossal boulder. It won't be funny if my Gear malfunctions in a huge cavern like this. Fei:Your friends won't come and help us? Bart:It'd be a waste of time waiting. They probably won't come. Fei:But, aren't they your friends? Bart:We believe in a liberal upbringing. They'll think we can escape by ourselves. Fei:I wonder if doc is okay... Bart:Don't worry about the man you were with. I'm sure our guys saved him by now. Fei:... Bart:What is it? Fei:...We wouldn't have fallen in here if only you had listened to me. Bart:Don't blame it on me! You should've surrendered instead of challenging me. All I wanted was your Gear. Fei:Don't be ridiculous! You're the one who blindly attacked me. What else was I supposed to do? I thought I might die if I didn't fight you. Bart:I was taking it easy on you. Couldn't you tell? Then you're a bit dense. Fei:Don't lie to me. I know you were serious. Bart:What! You want some!? Let's have it out! Right here! Fei:... [Fei starts walking away. Bart yells out to him.] Bart:Wait! Settling it right here comes first. I won't be able to get anything done until we settle this once and for all! Fei:I thought you wanted a truce for now? Getting out of here should come first! Once we're out of here, I'll fight you all you want. Let's hurry up and move on out of here! Bart:I don't like you very much... Damn it! I'll get you when we get outta here. [The two gears head through out the cave until they reach a small cave in the cavern with light coming out of it.] Bart:Who'd have ever thought there would be someone living in a place like this!? Let's check it out! [The two get out of their Gears and walk inside. An old man in a colorful robe greets them.] Bart:Hey, Fei! This is a surprise! There's someone living in this place! Old man:Hmm, it's been a while, but I thought I heard the sound of Gears... I assume they are yours? Well anyway, come on back in here and make yourself at home. It's been a long time since my last visitor. What happened? Did you fall from the surface? Bart:I guess that's it. Old man: see...hat's too bad... can tell from the sound that you both ride good Gears...But the legs seem to be playing up a bit. Fei:You mean, you can tell what's wrong just by the sound of its footsteps? Old man:Ha ha ha. It's easy to know what's wrong with Gears by the sounds they make. My guess is that one of them needs a new hydromechanic pipe in its joints. It's making a nasty sound. It must be hard to walk with too. Oh, by the way, the name's Balthasar, but you can call me Ol' Man Bal. Bart:Oh yeah? So it looks like we've got a real fanatic here, huh! What's a old man like you doing in a place like this? Ol' Man Bal:I guess you can call me a 'fossicker' or a 'collector of things'. There is much to be found lying around in this here stalactite cavern. Bart:A collector, huh? Sounds interesting. The things on this shelf, are they some of the stuff you have found? Ol' Man Bal:You mean the fossils? They're one of the things I collect. Feel free to have a look at them. [Fei and Bart take a look at the fossils on the shelf.] Ol' Man Bal:Around here you can dig up ancient machines along with human and animal fossils. Notice anything particular on these shelves? They go from oldest on the left, to newest on the right. Bart:Are you an archaeologist or something, old man? I don't quite see what you are talking about. They just look like a bunch of old bones to me. Fei, what do you think? [Fei steps up to the fossils and takes a look.] Fei:...Let me see. First, there are no human bones up to here. Then, from here on over to the right, something is slightly different... I guess. Old Man Bal:Yes, from a certain point in time, human fossils suddenly no longer appear. That point is roughly 10,000 years ago. Bart:What does that mean? Ol Man Bal:Don't ask me. I don't know for sure... But my guess is, there were no humans on this earth before then. At least it appears so. Bart:How could that be? What about all that talk about evolution? Ol Man Bal:You mean the theory of evolution as taught by the 'Ethos', right? You can't trust that! Rather, I believe in the old legends and myths. Fei:Legends? Myths? Old Man Bal:Haven't you heard of this story...? They say that humans and God lived together in a paradise in the sky. With God's protection, there was no fear of death, and natural disasters were entirely unknown. Then one day, humans ate a forbidden fruit which gave them incredible wisdom. But God drove mankind from the paradise for their sin. Bitter at having been driven out of paradise, humans used the wisdom they had to make giants. With these giants, they plenned to challenge God himself. But God poured his wrath down on them. All who defied God were destroyed. But God himself did not escape unharmed. Taking paradise with him, the wounded God buried himself deep beneath the ocean to sleep for eons. Before going to sleep, God used his remaining power to create right-hearted humans to live on this planet. These people are said to be... our ancestors. Well, anyway, I'll stop my ranting now. Fei:By the way, does this cave have... Old Man Bal:An exit? There is an exit in the excavation site beyond the sand barrier. You can get outside through there. Bart:Sand barrier? You mean that huge wall you can see from your entrance? Old Man Bal:Yes, that's it. On the other side is an old Aveh excavation site. They built that while Aveh was excavating to keep the sand from falling in from above. But they've stopped working there now. Fei:So, how do we open a huge thing like that? Bart:If it's a wall, you can probably break it down. Old Man Bal:Hold your horses there young 'uns. No matter how good a Gear you have, you'll never break that wall down. It's much too strong. So... Let's make a deal. Bart:A deal? Old Man Bal:The wall was closed due to the reaction of the 'Sand Sensors' Thanks to that, now I can't get through to the other side either. Maybe it happened when you two fell in here. Were you boys fighting up there or something? Fei:You seem to be able to tell everything! Anyway, so what can we do about it? Old Man Bal:It is very simple. You just have to turn off the Sand Sensor switches. Doing that will keep the barrier from closing again. While you two are doing that, I'll open it up. Fei:Right, got it. Old Man Bal:The sensors are in two places. You should see their flashing red lights. Well, good luck then. Fei:Let's go Bart. Old Man Bal:Oh, before you go... I can share some parts and fuel with you. Just talk to me whenever you need something, right. Bart:Thanks, old man. Well, we'll go and finish our part of the deal then! [The two travel through the cave for a while, and eventually turn off both sensors. They return to Old Man Bal.] Old Man Bal:Oh, good timing. I was just about to open up the sand barrier now. [The barrier goes back into the ground.] Fei:Well done, old man! Old Man Bal:Our deal is done. Bart:Hey, old man. There's one thing I want to ask you. Old Man Bal:What is it? Bart:I've heard somewhere on this planet is a Gear far superior to all others. I've heard it was called 'the God Gear' and was made in ancient times but was hidden away somewhere. Do you know anything about it? Old Man Bal:A man-made God, created with the wisdom of God! Such a Gear would have the power of a thousand Gears. In a wave of its arm, it could destroy whole cities. Its battle cries would thunder in the heavens. You must be speaking of the 'Omnigear'. Bart:You know of it? Then perhaps it was what you were speaking about in that tale you told us of the battle with God... Old Man Bal:Goodness gracious, you too, boy? Those stories were made to inspire man's soul. But they're only legends. They don't really exist. Anyway, allow me to take a look at your Gears. It'll only take a little while, so wait here, please. [Old Man Bal leaves the cavern.] Bart:Hey, wait! Arhh, he's gone... Fei:Hey Bart. Do you think the Gear in that story's buried in the ground somewhere? Bart:I think that's what I've heard. Fei:Could one of the Gears we are using possibly be it? Bart:Yeah, right! What are the chances of that happening? Fei:? Bart:The Gears that are excavated lately... are usually only a few hundred years old. Nowhere nearly as old as the Gear in that legend. Fei:Then why were they in the ground...? Bart:I don't know. There are no records. Except... Fei:Except what? Bart:There must be some truth in the tales they were buried after a great war... The bullet wounds covering most of the Gears would appear to confirm that. Fei:You mean there are no records from the last several hundred years? How about before that? Bart:None from either period. The 'Ethos' controls all the records from that time period. maybe they had some very ancient records too... All we know about our history is from the little pieces that we find for ourselves. Anyway, Fei, what do you make of the old man? Fei:What do you mean...? Bart:Why would such an old man live all alone in this abandoned cave? Fei:I don't know. Probably digging for ancient Gears or something? Bart:Right! So you think so too? Fei:Hey! I just said that as a joke. Don't take all that stuff seriously. They're only legends, you know. Bart:No... that old man is up to something! [Suddenly, they hear Bal cry out.] Old Man Bal:This can't be... Fei:?? Bart:What's wrong, old man? Old Man Bal:Is this your Gear? [They look up at Weltall.] Fei:Well, sort of... Old Man Bal:Where did you get it? Fei:I'm just borrowing it. Old Man Bal:This is... the host for the spirit of the slayer of God... Fei:Wait a moment! What did you just say? Old Man Bal:Nothing. I didn't say anything! Fei:No! I heard you! You said, slayer of God... That's what you said, isn't it old man!! Old Man Bal:Your Gears are fixed. You have no more business here. This is a bad time for me. Be on your way! Fei:Be on our way...:? Listen here, old man...!! [Bart and Fei leave. They continue past the opened gate and eventually reach a tunnel that looks like it was made of concrete. Suddenly, a giant white Gear arrives and attacks the two. After a difficult battle, it is defeated.] Bart:Hah! What an idiot. Trying to scare us with all show and no power, eh, Fei! [Bart turns around] Fei:... ... ... ... Bart:Anyway... Looks like that's the exit. So, it'll soon be adios to this old cavern! [Suddenly, the Gear gets up and attacks Bart] Fei:!? Bart:What the...!? Fei:Get out of the way, Bart!! [Fei runs up to the Gear and strikes it with all his might. The Gear falls and burns into rubble.] Bart:Woooh! What the hell did you just do? Fei:... ... Bart:Hey!! Fei:... ...huh? Bart:What do you mean 'huh'!? What in blazes was that? ...Don't you know? Fei:... No, err, ... ...I don't know. Bart:That was incredible! You just blew that huge thing to pieces! Why didn't you use that technique a bit earlier? Fei:...I dont' know that technique... I have no idea how I even did it! Bart:Hmm. Oh well, I guess that doesn't matter. Anyway... Thanks for helping me out! Fei:... Bart:So, now that we've gotten rid of that nuisance, let's get out of here, eh, Fei! [They exit the Stalactite Cave and reach the desert. Two mountains are in the horizon.] Bart:Wow... I never thought we'd end up here... Fei:Where are we? Bart:You see the twin mountains over there? That's where Bledavik, the royal capital of Aveh and Fatima castle are located. Currently, there's no king livign there though. Anyway, that's my old hometown. Fei:Hometown... Bart:I'd like to go ahead and settle our dispute but... considering how close we are to the capital of Aveh, we'd probably get caught. Fei:... Bart:Hey, stop looking so glum, chum. I guess I'll have to get you back to your friend soon or you'll die from fretting or something. Anyway, the rendezvous point with the Yggdrasil is right over there. Don't worry, you'll be meeting your friend in no time at all. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II D. The Sand Pirate's Plan ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Later...] [Fei stands next to Weltall in a Gear dock.] Citan:Fei! I was worried about you! Fei:Doc... [An old man approaches.] Maison:Welcome to the sand cruiser 'Yggdrasil'. We apologize for that earlier incident. [Bart walks up to them.] Maison:I'm sure everyone has already had the courtesy to introduce themselves. But allow me to introduce the sand pirates' leader, Master Bartholomew. By the way, may I ask, young master, did you apologize to Master Fei? Bart:What? Uhh... Yeah... I told him I was 'wrong'... Right? Fei:... [A man with silver colored hair walks up to Bart.] Man:Just telling someone you were 'wrong' after the event isn't going to solve everything young master. I'm sorry I've delayed introducing myself... My name is 'Sigurd', the first mate of this sand cruiser.. Maison:Well then, please let me know if you need anything. Bart:...That's the situation... So now, forgive me, will ya!? Sigurd:Young master! Stay out of mischief. [Sigurd grabs Bart and pulls him off.] Bart:Ouch ouch ouch! Don't pull my ears! Citan:Let us go and wait in our cabin until we arrive... It is well made and comfortable. Fei:... Citan:What is wrong? You look down. Fei:No... well... Citan:Something happened? Fei:No, nothing. [They go to sleep in the cabin. They later go see Sigurd on the bridge.] Sigurd:We're almost at the hideout... We'll probably stop there for a while for supplies and repairs. [The ship travels through the sand until it arrives at a small hidout in the west. The ship lands in the hideout and they get out.] Kid:Bart, good to see you back! Kid:Welcome back Bart! Man:Welcome back! Kid:Bart! What did you bring us? Bart:Well... I've got a new model Gear and two people that we helped out. Child:Ehh! A Gear... how boring! Don't you have anything more interesting? Bart:I thought you'd say that.... Look! This is amber I found in a stalactite cavern under the desert. It's rare to find one with a bug in it! Boy:Wow! Thanks Bart! Kid:We got some amber! Child:What's that? Boy:Let's go! We gotta show it off to everyone! [The kids run off.] Bart:Well then... I'm gonna tune up my Gear a little... Why don't you two go have some tea with Old Maison? Thanks Old Maison. Maison:Please, walk this way. [They walk through a residental area.] Maison:This is the residental area. Walk this way. [They enter a large dining hall.] Maison:This is the dining hall. I'm sorry it's so gauche. Please take a seat. [They sit down. Maison gets some tea.] Maison:Perhaps you would like some of my famous tea? Master Fei? Good doctor? Young visitors are rare indeed, the young master must be very happy. If things were normal we wouldn't be living under the desert, but rather back in the royal palace... Citan:Royal palace...? You mean that young one is connected to the old Fatima dynasty? Maison:Pardon? N, no... I'm just a senile old fool who talks too much... Pay no attention to what I just said... Hahaha... Citan:But... that one-eyed youth does have a certain bearing. Maison:Oh...oh... oh...! Well spoken sir! Awfully good of you to notice! If I may, I would like to tell you. The young gent is the last forgotten reminder of the once proud Fatima dynasty. ...That is, before it was destroyed by Shakhan's minions... Prince Bartholomew Fatima. Citan:Bartholomew? Edbart IV's successor... I am sure they announced Bartholomew dies of an illness 12 years ago. Maison:Officially, yes. However, in reality, we rescued the young prince from Shakhan's evil grasp. Citan:Then why must the prince, the rightful heir, resort to piracy... Maison:...Since fleeing here, we have had only one wish... That the young master would grow up to be a great man... Citan:Not to... Reclaim the throne? Maison:That is correct. Of course, to say we have absolutely no desire to restore his rule... would be a lie. We have plans for that as well. Citan:And part of those plans woul involve piracy...? Maison:Well, yes... But there is a reason for that... Both Aveh and Kislev are devoted to excavating the ruins. Each country's strength is increasing daily. Even if we could get the help of all our comrades to start a revolution... the combined strength of all of us would still not be enough. We would certainly be suppressed by Shakhan's guards in to time at all. We needed power. We tried excavating the ruins using the Yggdrasil but it didn't work as well as we expected. Excavating requires large amounts of time, labor and capital. The best we could do with our sand cruiser is find small items in the sand. Citan:And the piracy... Maison:Regardless of who gains the ruins' technology, one thing is certain... Both Kislev and Aveh will simply use that power to oppress the other. I agreed with the young master's idea of creating a new power to balance things out a little. Citan:I see... It is far more effective to plunder from the shadows, than to excavate the technology oneself. Maison:Of course pillaging is an unpardonable act. However... For Aveh, for Ignas, to continue like this... I'm sorry if it sounds rather self-righteous. Citan:That is something which outsiders like ourselves cannot comment upon. From what you have told me, I feel that the result of what you are doing will be good. Seeing your children here tells me that. Maison:I am so much relieved by your words. Another cup of tea? Citan:Yes, please. Thank you. [Citan has some more tea.] Citan:You mentioned you had plans. Why have you not put them into action? Maison:With Miss Margie imprisoned, we dare not do anything. Citan:She would not happen to be Nisan's...? Maison:You are well informed, my dear doctor. She is the Great Mother Marguerite of Nisan... and the young master's cousin, as well. Citan:Why would Shakhan take her captive? Maison:For the 'Fatima Jasper'! Citan:The Fatima Jasper that is said to show where the great treasure is? Maison:My, good doctor! You do know an awful lot. I am most impressed. You do not like my tea, Master Fei? Fei:No.. I'm just not thirsty now! Maison:Well, we have no idea what the great treasure actually is... But it is said to be strong enough to save our kingdom even if it is ever in plight! Citan:And Marguerite has the Jasper that tells the location? Maison:Only half of it, to be precise. The young master and Miss Marguerite each have half. Only by combining the two halves will anyone know where the treasure is. Citan:What exactly is the Fatima Jasper? When you say a half of the Jasper, I imagine some kind of necklace... Maison:Only the heirs to Aveh and Nisan know what it really looks like. Citan:I see. So that is why they have her locked up. My guess is that when they do find out, her chances of living are not... [Maison turns.] Citan:Ah, I apologize. I simply, I mean... I was only supposing the worst case. So please do not take it to heart... Maison:No, that is a terribly realistic scenario. Citan:...Ahem. What exactly do you mean by great treasure...? Maison:Welll, I haven't the foggiest... Voice:The Gear...! He means the Gear! That has to be it! [Bart shows up.] Maison:Young master... are the Gears alright? Bart:Yeah... Even though they were sealed, sand's gotten into the joints. It's a pain in the neck to fix, so I'm having the crew take care of it now. My job is just to pilot them anyway. Besides, I'm bad with machines, so I'd just get in the way. Maison:Young master... Bart:Anyway, what were we talking about? Citan:Whether the great treasure could be a... Gear? Bart:Oh, yeah. You know, something like that is drawn in one of the Aveh picture scrolls. Citan:Picture scrolls? Bart:...Well, if you're interested then let's go to the planning room... I'll show you what I mean... Since you're my special guests. Citan:That sounds interesting. [The three walk to a room with a large amount of computers. A large screen is on the floor. Citan:This place is incredible! They probably do not even have equipment like this in the capital! Bart:Heh heh. Surprised? All this technology is thanks to Sig. [They walk on to the screen.] Bart:Hey, Fei! Don't stand on the screen. We won't be able to see! [Fei steps off the screen.] Bart:Alright men! Display my special file on the main screen. [A projector lowers and shows a scene of a red Gear like creature.] Citan:What is this...? Bart:A picture scroll, nearly 500 years old. This is King Fatima I... 'body cloaked in flames making a blood oath with giants'. They say he used the strength of the giants to foung Aveh. Citan:It is amazing that such an ancient scroll exists... and in such good condition too! I though the 'Ethos' controlled all things such as these... Bart:Normally, yes. But this was one of my father's prized possessions. Next! [A new picture shows up, that of the same being sitting down.] Bart:After founding the country, Fatima forced the giants into slumber... to protect his kingdom's people if needed in the future. But we don't know where they are hidden. In another record, one of these giants is called the 'Great Fatima Treasure'. Citan:What about the 'Jasper'? Bart:Hey... you sure know a lot. Perhaps you're one of Shakhan's spies? Citan:Of course not. It is only an intellectual interest... Bart:Just kidding. It appears the Jasper is the key to finding our treasure. Citan:A key... Could that be what Shakhan is looking for? Bart:Not just him. Gebler is also looking for it. Citan:Really? Then we must rescue Marguerite as soon as possible. Bart:You're telling me! Since we helped you... I was wondering if I could, in turn, ask you a favor? Citan:Would that be... for us to help you rescue her...? Bart:Bright boy! That's exactly it. I heard from Sigurd... it seems both Aveh and Kislev are after you! So we can help you and you can help us... How about it? It's not to much to ask. Citan:Well, if it pays for my room and board then I will help in any way I can... What do you think, Fei? You have not said anything for a while... Bart:Yeah. You were great back there in that Stalactite cavern. Your strength alone is greater than ten or twenty of Shakhan's guards. Fei:... Bart:I'd love to have your power on my side! Fei:Why does everyone want to make me fight? Bart:H, huh...? What's wrong with you all of a sudden? Citan:Fei? Fei:I just don't feel like it! 'Love to have my power'? I don't have any! What's wrong with doc, everyone... You're driving me to the brink. Then there's that Gear... Grahf and my father... I don't have the time to help you out with your problems when I've got enough of my own!! [Fei runs off.] Bart:What's with him? Is he always that short-tempered? Citan:No, that is not... I am sorry. Things have happened so fast that he has not had time to deal with it yet. Try to understand. Bart:... [Fei, outside the room, sees to children on the elevator in front of him.] Child:We're gonna help service Gears now! Kid:Yeah!!! Child:Let's go! [Fei walks into Bart's Room and looks around. When he leaves, he sees the doorknob turning. He quickly hides. Bart walks into the room.] Fei:!! Bart:Boy! What's up with this Fei guy? I try and become his friend and he suddenly explodes in anger... Well, looks like he's got a lot on his mind. I don't want to force him. But he would be fun to fight... Maybe I'll ask again. [He goes up to the door.] Bart:If I lie in wait under the elevator... [He leaves.] Fei:... [Fei leaves the room.] [Fei goes down the elevator and approaches the Yggdrasil. Bart comes out and talks to Fei.] Bart:Can I have a second? Fei:Sure. Bart:Citan told me all about your story. Do you want to talk about it? Why didn't you tell me? It sounds pretty rough. Listen... I'm sorry for being a jerk... just now... Forgive me, will ya? Fei:... Bart:Whoa! Anyway... Sorry to bring it up again, but... Fei:No! Bart:What? Fei:I don't like fighting like you do. I only got into that Gear because I had to. I'd rather not ride them. If you want that Gear so much then you can have it! I don't want it! Bart:You think I like fighting? ...Is that it? Fei:Don't you? Sure looks that way. It looks like the only thing you do enjoy is fighting. Bart:I can't let that slide. Who likes fighting? Take it back. Like it or not, I fight because I have to. I got my reasons, but you wouldn't understand. Fei:Well I don't have a reason to fight! I don't want to fight. But you people keep on houndeing me to get me to get into a Gear? WHy don't you just leave me alone!? Bart:It's because I see you skill and think... Fei:Well I hate it! Whenever I get in a Gear people get hurt. If I fight, people die. I don't want to hurt people! I don't want anyone to die! I hate it... can't you see that? Bart:Yeah, I know the feeling of just wanting to run away from reality. But do you think the kids left behind in your village would understand? Fei:... Bart:Citan told me what happened in Lahan. Would it have been better if you had done nothing? Sure, that happened because you were in that Gear. But even if you hadn't, people would have died... right? You weren't the reason. War... no, the people who started the war are the reason. And unless you get rid of the reason, nothing will change. I fight to get rid of the reason... Right now there is no other way so I have to fight... but that doesn't mean I enjoy it. I understand why you would feel guilt towards the kids in your village. And I know you don't want to harm others. But if you want to make it up to those children, don't you have to fight? You do have a reason to fight. A reason you must fight. But as long as you ignore it and continue to run away, those kids will never forgive you. Just remember that. And another thing, I'm not saying that helping me is running away. You don't have to help. This is my own problem. I don't wanna get you in this against your will. But, if I had your skill I could bring all of this to an end... And make it up to those kids. At least that's what I think... Anyway... sorry to hold you up. The mechanic wanted to talk to you about your Gear. You probably don't care now, but at least listen to what he has to say. Fei:... [Bart leaves. Fei goes down an elevator and walks up to Weltall.] Mechanic:Looks like someone really knew how to tune up your Gear... Attack, defense, Ether amplification... an exceptionally balanced machine. But we don't seem to be able to dismantle some parts to see what they do... I guess you could call them... black boxes. There are quite a number of them on this machine... Do you have any idea what they actually do? Fei:No... [The mechanic leaves. Fei stares at Weltall.] Fei:... Voice:Fei! [Fei sees Sigurd and Citan.] Fei:Sigurd, doc... What's up...? Sigurd:We would like to have a word with you... Fei:Oh, okay! [They go up the elevator.] Sigurd:Look over there... [They watch as Bart stands on the hull of the Yggdrasil and talks to himself.] Bart:Hey dad... can you hear me? Ever since I first looked into Fei's eyes I knew... He's the same as me. He'd understand me... Or so I thought... Did I just imagine it? I have no confidence. If I follow after you, dad... It'll just be like I'm some decoration. At the moment I can't carry out your will, let alone rescue Margie... I told him he was running away but I'm really the one who wants to run away... Sigurd:The young master asked me to apologize to you. Pretty strange, huh? He knows it's best to apologize in person... But the young master isn't that good at this sort of thing.... He may not look it, but he's really quite lonely... He's always searching for a friend. We, his minders can't become his friends. Even if we wanted to, he just wouldn't see us that way. He knows that. Why you ask? It's because of the burden that he bears. It must be difficult for one so young to carry so heavy a responsibility. but he does try to do his best, you know? That is why we stick by him... It has nothing to do with him being the prince. Fei, I sense you too are carrying a heavy burden. This might be a selfish request, but... would it be possible for you to help the young master? I'm not asking you to burden yourself with his problems or responsibilities. But could you two... with whatever it is only you two each know, help the other? Please... Fei:I'm sorry... I need time to think. Sigurd:Of course... take your time. It is completely up to you. Whatever you decide, we will be leaving early tomorrow morning. After you're finished preparing for tomorrow, you probably should get some rest. You can use the bedroom in the residential area above. Citan:I wish to speak to Sigurd some more... so you go ahead and get some rest. Fei:... [Fei goes to the residental areas.] Man:We'll leave first thing tomorrow. Are you ready? Fei:Alright. Man:Sleep well. Fei:I'm... so very... tired... [Fei goes to sleep. That night 5 humanoid Gears break into the Gear dock.] Broyer:Confirmed! It's their base, alright. Helmholz:That rock was easy to break through. I thought it would be a little harder... Stratski:These surface-dwelling -Lambs- sure live in a nice place... Renk:Look at that...! They built this place far better than the facilities at Bledavik. It's probably a hidden fort built when their old king was still around... Vance:Who cares...? Let's just get this over and done with! Stratski:So... Where are the Gears? [They head towards some nearby Gears.] Stratski:Over here? Helmholz:To the right! There's a hangar! [They approach some basic Gears.] Vance:Fond them!! Helmholz:These are 'Deurmods'. They're standard pirate Gears. Vance:Ha! Ignore those! We can take them out fast. Stratski:Why not take a few? Even if we only get those, it was worth sneaking in. Renk:Alright! Schpariel is now in place at the back! Get ready to take out anything that gets in our way! Helmholz:Prep complete!! Stratski:OK over here! Broyer:Anytime is fine! Renk:GO!! [In the bed area, Fei is waked by the large noises.] Fei:What was that crash? Intercom:Gears have entered the Yggdrasil's dock! 5 Gebler special force Gears, and one single unidentified large Gear. All pilots report to the Gear hangar! [Fei leaves the room and runs out to the elevator.] Intercom:All noncombatants go to the Yggdrasil!! Immediately! Children:Wahhh, I'm scared!! [Fei runs out to the Yggdrasil. Suddenly, Citan runs up to him and yells...] Citan:Fei! Fei!! Quick! Get to Weltall now!! [Fei ignores him and continues on his way.] Citan:Fei? Bart and the others are already fighting! Aren't you going to do anything? Do you still think it has nothing to do with you? Do you still think it has nothing to do with you? ... [Citan heads to the Gear Dock by himself.] Fei:I... I... What am I? That old man... he called me... the slayer of God... I don't want that kind of power... [Fei stares at his hands.] Fei:My strength... My... My... Home... [Elsewhere...] Bart:How many Gears are there!? I think I took out most of the small fry, but...! Pirate:There are at least four, maybe five of them left! Their performance and technique is far greater than any of the ones we faced before! Bart:Dammit! Pirate:Young master! They're approaching! [Bart and his pirates defeat Swordknight.] [Elsewhere, Maison and Citan approach a large blue Gear.] Citan:Maison, does this Gear work? Maison:Pardon? Yes, it works but... Citan:Alright! [Citan jumps into the Gear and turns it on.] Maison:Out of the question! It is still under maintenance. It is nowhere nearly operational. Sigurd:It's alright, Maison. [Sigurd approaches.] Maison:Master Sigurd! But, for a gent like the good doctor...? Sigurd:It's fine. He'll be okay. It may not even be enough for him. Maison:Master Sigurd...? [Citan leaves in the Gear, called Heimdal.] Citan:Well... it has been 5 years since I last fought... I hope I can still remember... Oh, a wild stallion, eh? Well then, it is high time someone broke you in... Broyer:Eeeaaarrrgh!! Citan:Reinforcements? [Heimdal attacks Aegisknight.] Broyer:H, hey, that hurts!! Citan:Compared to the pain my friends are going through, yours is nothing...!! I cannot allow people like you to persist in tormenting those who cannot fight back. I will take you on in their place. Come on! Broyer:?? What are you talking about!? [Heimdal defeats Aegisknight] Citan:That's it? I know I am a little rusty... There is a limit to what I can learn seeing as I started so late in life. Even so, I hit that guy hard and he did not go down. They must be using 'that stuff'. Young one! They are using -Drive-! They are battle enhancement drugs. Normal attacks will not hurt them! Bart: Are you serious? So, that's how they keep at it, huh? Crap... This'll never end! Citan:Fei!! Bart:It's okay! We'll get by without him! [Citan and Bart defeat 2 Wandknights.] [Nearby, Clawknight attacks two children.] Vance:Where do you think you're going? [Suddenly, Fei arrives.] Vance:Wha!? Fei: Why are you fighting? Vance:You! What are you doing? Fei:What does fighting get you? What if this was your home!? [Fei attacks Clawknight and defeats it.] Citan:Fei! Bart:I knew you'd come around! Fei:We'll talk later! We've got big trouble coming down on us now! [Suddenly, Schpariel, a giant Gear falls in front of them. They defeat it.] Bart:...Th, th, thank... Thanks... Fei. [Bart leaves.] Fei:Bart... Sigurd:Thank you, Fei. Don't know how we could've done it without you. Fei:I... still don't know what I should do. Sigurd:Fei... Fei:What Bart's doing isn't for his own gain. He walks the path he believes in, one step at a time... wishing only for the happiness of those around him. I, on the other hand... Sigurd:... Fei:I thought I didn't have a path that I could take laid out before me. But like he said, that's just running away. I must find my own path. Right, doc? [Citan nods.] Fei:If Bart wishes, I'll cooperate with you guys. That's all I can do now. But I think I'll find the path I should follow as I help others like you. Moreover, I can't turn my back and ignore what such a terrible group of people are doing to others. Sigurd:Thanks Fei. [Later...] Maison:We must infiltrate Aveh and rescue Margie now! Gebler has discovered this base. So we should leave a small garrison and evacuate while we still can. Fortunately, the Yggdrasil is undamaged, so we are able to embark immediately. The crew's preparations are complete. Whenever you are ready, Master Fei and good Doctor, please accompany the young master to the bridge. Doctor Uzuki, Master Fei, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I would truly appreciate it if you would be so kind as to stay with us and help us on our rescue mission! Bart:Hey, alright, alright. Let me say goodbye to the women before we go. [Fei, Citan and Bart go to the Bridge. They talk to Sigurd.] Sigurd:It's time to sneak into Aveh at last. First of all, our party should inspect the town and work out a plan of action. Currently anchored at our hideout... Fei:Let's leave the hideout! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II E. The Bledavik Rescue ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Sigurd pilots the Yggdrasil to Bledavik. Bart, Fei and Citan exit.] [As soon as Bart, Citan and Fei enter Bledavik, a giant aircraft, the one that Fei and Citan saw in the forest goes through a hatch into the grond. On board a man in his late twenties leads the crew. Next to him stands a beautiful woman with short, straight blue hair.] Crewman 1:Hull, all sections secure. Crewman 2:Gravity distribution normal. Shutting down propulsion system. Crewman 3:Begin docking procedure. Ramsus:Cancel the alert status. Begin repairs and resupply immediately. Miang:The Prime Minister and General Vanderkaum are here to see you, commander. Ramsus:Hmph, what a dismal welcome. Miang:What do you expect? We're on the 'surface'. Ramsus:Miang, let's disembark. Miang:Yes, sir. [The two walk off of the ship onto a long bridge which leads to the Bledavik dock. There stands the General and Shakhan, leader of Aveh, a man in his fifties with a mustache and bald head.] Shakhan:Well, well, Commander. You've only just taken command and already you are achieving splendid results. You dispatched those irksome Kislev units in a matter of days... I'm very impressed. [Ramsus ignores Shakhan and walks over to Vanderkaum, a large man with a beard and a purple cross tattoed to his face.] Ramsus:I can't believe you were beaten by such a small force... I have only just taken over my post and already you have embarrassed me! Vanderkaum:I am sorry Commander. They were more persistent than we anticipated. They had a new model Gear that was very mobile. I couldn't get a lock on it with the main gun... Otherwise there would have been no way we could have been beaten by such... Ramsus:Fool! Know when to use that big gun, and on whom! You failed because you try to solve everything with force. You have muscles instead of brains. Vanderkaum:Commander!! Ramsus:Dismissed. Go polish your 1200 sem cannon. [Ramsus walks with Shakhan and Miang to Fatima Castle.] Shakhan:Tomorrow is the 500th anniversary of this country. Please come to the dedication ceremony. There is a customary Tournament after the dedication ceremony... Ramsus:What about the incident in that report? Shakhan:What? Oh, you mean the 500 year old mobile weapon excavated from the ruins? Thanks to the help of the 'Ethos', the repairs are complete. I thought we could announce it on the day of the dedication ceremony... Ramsus:Toys like that should be given to Vanderkaum. I'm talking about the 'Fatima Jasper'. Shakhan:I already have acquired one half of the crest. But I haven't been able to get her to tell me where the other half is. She is a rather strong-willed girl... Ramsus:You're not being rough with her, are you? Shakhan:Of course not. I know you despise vulgar acts like that. Ramsus:You said the girl is the Holy Mother of Nisan... Is she upstairs? Shakhan:Yes, in the east tower. Ramsus:Miang, could it possibly be a 'Relic'? Miang:Yes. But there is still no response. There seems to be a barrier or something. However, we do know from the 500 year old records that one certainly exists in this vicinity. It's probably well preserved too. Ramsus:Let's meet her. I want to talk to her directly. Miang, you come with me. Miang:Yes sir. [They leave the elevator and walk up to a guarded door.] Shakhan:Open the door. Commander Ramsus is here to see her.] [The guard moves.] Shakhan:Commander, please. [Ramsus and Miang enter while Shakhan goes off to an other room. They walk up to Margie, a young girl around 16 with brown hair.] Margie:Who are you? Ramsus:I am Ramsus, she is Miang. We would like to ask you some questions. Margie:I'm Margie. Actually, it's Marguerite. What do you want to know? My favorite food? I like cake, Chiffon Nisan is my favorite. I haven't had it in so long... Ramsus:Marguerite, we want to ask you about the Fatima family treasure... I'm talking about the 'Fatima Jasper'. You see, I'm keeping the piece you had in a safe place. But I don't know where the other half is. Do you? Margie:Nope. The one I had you took from me. You didn't even give me anything for it. Hey, the next time you come could you bring me some Chiffon Nisan? I used to eat it every day in Nisan. I don't think they make it in Aveh. Aveh used to have such good bakers, but I guess they must have all died in the war. Ramsus:That is too bad. I don't know much about cake, but I'll see if I can find some for you next time. Margie:Thank you, Ramsus. I'll be waiting. Ramsus:Is there anything else you need? If there's something you want I'll bring it next time. Margie:No. I just want to go back to Nisan. They must be so worried about me. Ramsus:I'm sorry but please wait a little longer. We want you to stay here until we find the other half of the 'Fatima Jasper'. [Shakhan watches the scene through a camera he has attached to his mirror.] Shakhan:I'm amazed she talked that much. He can handle women as well as he says. Guard:Is it all right? Shakhan:I can't prevent them from meeting her. Not when it's him we are talking about. Besides, Marguerite isn't talking anyway. So there is no need to worry... But where did the leak about the Jasper come from? ...The 'Ethos'? Ridiculous...! Hmm, if this continues my plans will be... We had better find out who is leaking out our information immediately. In the meantime, we'll have to administer some truth serum to our guest, Miss Marguerite. We must find the other piece of the 'Fatima Jasper' as quickly as we can. Guard:But... Shakhan:However spineless the last commander, Vanderkaum was... this time Gebler has sent their highest commanding officer. His country is throwing all their weight into this. And there is nothing we can do about it! [Bart, Citan and Fei arrive in Bledavik. It is a lively town with many merchants lined up down the street selling various goods. A woman approaches the three.] Woman:Welcome to Bledavik! We're having a festival celebrating the founding of our country, Aveh. There's a martial arts tournament too. It's been a while since we had so many visitors. Do you already have a hotel? Fei:Not yet. Woman:You'd better get a room soon or they'll all be gone. I know a good hotel. The hotel I am talking about is... [She points to a nearby hotel.] Woman:That one. Tell them my name at the front desk and they'll give you a deal. [The three walk into the hotel. Citan stops the other two.] Citan:Let us borrow a room here for our planning session. [A woman an a blue and white robe walks down the stairs and approaches Bart.] Sister:Ah... Excuse me but... aren't you Prince Bartholomew? Bart:... And you are? Sister:I was sent here by the Nisan Sect. I'm here to check up on Mother Marguerite. Prince Bartholomew, I knew you would come sooner or later! Citan:Well, let us not just stand here chatting. Shall we use a room? Sister:You must be tired. I'll be in my room, please come by later. [She points to a room on the balcony.] Sister:That's my room there. [She goes upstairs. The three follow her inside.] Sister:Excuse me but who are they? Bart:Oh, this is Fei and Citan. They're going to help rescue Margie. Sister:Thank you for coming here in this desert heat. I am a servant of the Nisan Sect. Ever since Shakhan took Mother Marguerite I've been looking into ways to get her back. I've been trying to find out where she is being held. I've been busy listening to workers talk about the comings and goings from the castle... And giving food to the guards who are preparing for the Tournament to loosen their lips, too. Finally yesterday, I got some information... Margie's in the citadel. The problem is how to slip into the castle... I thought about it a lot, but it looks pretty bleak. I'm sorry. Bart:No big deal. At least we know where she is now. You just relax, we'll find a way to slip into the castle. Sister:My apologies. If there is anything else I can do to help just ask... Do you have any good leads? Bart:Not yet. We're gonna hit the streets for info. Now. Then we'll think about the rest later. Sister:I see. I'm very relieved that you are all here. Please come see me again if you hear anything new. [The three leave the hotel and approach the castle. Bart stays behind at the square while Citan and Fei continue further.] Gambler:Yo, dude! Try and pick the champion? Citan:The champion of what? Gambler:Huh? The champion of the 'Tournament'! Citan:Excuse us, we have only just arrived and know nothing of the Tournament. Gambler:Oh, tourists, huh? Well, let me tell you about the Tournament. Every year they hold a big martial arts Tournament here in Aveh. Fighters from all over the world gather to see who's the strongest. It's like a big brawl. Everyone goes wild over guessing who'll win. So, wanna give it a try? Citan:Betting on the Tournament... Is that allowed at such a grand event? Gambler:You bet. The soldiers are crazy about it. If Kislev attacked tomorrow Aveh would be dust. What are you gonna do? Registration's not over yet, but all the strong ones have signed up. The rest are only after the consolation prizes anyway... Citan:Let us wait and see. Some strong ones might still register. Gambler:Ha! What a buncha cowards. Citan:Fei, we can use this to our advantage! If you create a stir at the Tournament, the guards will be watching you rather than their posts. It will make it easy for us to sneak into the castle and rescue Margie. What do you think Fei? Will you enter the Tournament? Fei:Who...me? Citan:While you draw the guard's attention the young one can sneak into the castle. Surely, you see that is the only way we will get in? Right... Let us go sign you up. And Fei, do not use your real name, make another suitable one. [Fei walks over to the registration desk.] Soldier:This is the Tournament Registration Booth. Fei:I'd like to enter the Tournament. Soldier:Please sign in here. [Fei writes down the 'Ponytailed Slacker' as his name and gives it to the soldier.] Soldier:You're the Ponytailed Slacker, right? You are signed up. The Tournament begins tomorrow. Please make sure you are here. [Bart, Citan and Fei return to the main square. They find a water grate. They try to get in, but it's locked.] Woman Nearby:I've been here for 60 years. The water is the only thing that doesn't change. There's a spring flowing beneath the castle. I was worried that when the king died, the water would stop too, but it didn't. That old guy down there in charge of the water won't budge an inch even for Shakhan. Yeah! He's a great guy! My childhood friend. Man Nearby:No good, no good. You won't open it without the key! Many years ago a kid got lost down there. I think he was from the armor store. [The party returns to the hotel to discuss plans with the nun.] Sister:Any new information? Good ideas? Bart:I just remembered where Bledavik's water supply comes from... Spring water rises up from under the castle and flows to the town via a series of underground waterways. We can sneak into the castle by going through these underground waterways. We can get into them from the town's well. The waterways should lead right up to the castle's reservoir. If we are able to get that far, we should be able to sneak into other rooms of the castle from there. Citan:Tomorrow Fei will be in the Tournament at Fatima castle. We will put on a good show to distract the guards. Then Bart will infiltrate the castle through the underground waterways by way of the well. I will accompany Fei to the Tournament. I will also help to work the crowd and secure our escape. ...There is one problem. The well is locked. First we must find the key. Bart:Let's go find the key, and fast! [They return to the old man.] Man Near Water:The well key? I've got it. I'm in charge of the waterworks association. What are you gonna do with the key? Fei:Rescue Margie. Man:What!? You wanna clash with Shakhan? Hah! This is great! This is great! I like you guys. I'll lend you the key. You get that Shakhan for me! [They return to the nun.] Sister:Any luck finding the well key? Bart:Yeah, the old guy next to the well had it. Citan:Preparations for our plan are complete. Tonight we will stay in the hotel and start out tomorrow. We are free to do what we like for now. Let's have a look around the town. [Fei goes to sleep. The next day...] Citan:Good morning. Operation 'Rescue Margie' is now underway! First Fei and I will prepare for the Tournament at the arena. When the Tournament starts, Bart will enter the waterway through the well and head for the castle. If you swim against the current you should reach the castle. I am certain there will still be some guards there, so please dispose of them quietly. We will make a good show at the Tournament to draw the guards' attention as long as possible. During that time, you can rescue Margie. Any questions? Fei:Got it. Citan:Then let us go. Be careful, young one! [Fei and Citan go to the Town Square where the Tournament is being held.] Guard:Participant? Okay, go on through. [They walk up to another gate.] Guard:Only participants are allowed in here. Your friend will have to sit in the spectator's area. Citan:Well then, I will be over here cheering for you. Do not beat them too soon. The better you do, the easier it will be for Bart to sneak in. [Fei enters a nearby tent. Inside, he finds Dan in the corner.] Fei:!! Dan... Dan! What are you doing here? Dan:...It's your fault that Alice... I'll never forgive you. I'm gonna kill you! Fei:...Dan... Guard:Attention all participants. We will be starting soon. Please enter the area. Dan:You're the enemy of everyone in Lahan! I'm gonna kick your butt in front of everyone! And don't be runnin' away either!! Fei:Dan... [A nearby man in a blue cape wearing a fish mask speaks up.] Mystery Man:Hey, mister, are you from Lahan? Fei:?? Mystery Man:Seems like you and that boy have some kind of problem. Fei:Who do you think you are? Mind your own business! Mystery Man:Ha ha ha... Fei:What's so funny? Mystery Man:Nothing... Just wondering what kind of fight you will have with that boy... Well, I'm looking foward to it, 'Fei'. Fei:Huh? [The man leaves.] Fei:(How does that guy know my name...? I didn't enter my real name...) [Elsewhere...] Bart:It's about to start! I guess I better go get ready too. Sister:Is this plan really going to work? Bart:It's already started. If something's wrong now, that's tough! What're you worried about? Fei'll do okay. Besides, Citan's with him too. Now, all I gotta do is sneak into the castle through the well. No problem. Sister:I pray so. Bart:Well, I'm going. Margie's waiting in the citadel. Sister:Well then, do be careful. And thank you for helping Mother Marguerite. Bart:No sweat! You'd better get out of Aveh now too. Things are gonna get outta hand soon. Sister:Thank you. [Bart goes outside and uses the key to enter the sewers.] [The tournament begins. Shakhan walks out to his balcony and addresses to the crowd...] Shakhan:...Brave young men are spilling their blood on the front lines. Our army is the best, but the tides of war are uncertain. To protect the tradition of Aveh and preserve peace in this desert, we all must have unshaking resolve. The desert is a precious treasure passed down to us from our ancestors. Here we can forge our minds and bodies into one. Our teachers are the sun and wind. We are gathered here today, with our strong bodies forged by the desert. The sun above us is the same as that which burns over our fathers at the front. The wind blowing here is the same that which whisks our resolves and prayers to our sons at the front. This Tournament raises our spirits and renews our blessings from this desert we live in. Brave ones, warriors, fight well and do not shame our brothers at the front. Let the 338th Tournament begin! [A man rings a gong, signaling the start of the tournament.] Shakhan:Hmm... a moving speech if I do say so myself. [Ramsus and Miang walk onto the balcony.] Shakhan:Oh, commander Ramsus. Sorry to have kept you waiting. This way, please. Ramsus:I'm afraid I do not have time for such gay revelry. I just dropped by to bid you farewell. Shakhan:What a pity. You do not like our entertainment? Ramsus:I find it boring. Miang:Oh, let it be Commander. Shakhan is only trying to show hospitality... I personally find martial arts quite interesting. I look foward to seeing the Tournament. Shakhan:To say that this event is a tribute to you, Commander, is no understatement. Your gracious help in our time of need enabled us to celebrate the country's founding today. Ramsus:Founding, how impudent. It's not even your country. Hmph, do as you like. [Ramsus leaves.] Shakhan:Miang, how about the Tournament? Will you grace us with your company? Miang:Yes. It would be a pleasure. Shakhan:Oh, it's starting! Announcer:The first match... Gonzales vs. the Ponytailed Slacker! Miang:My... what a handsome boy! [Fei fights Gonzales and easily defeats him.] [Meanwhile in the sewers, Bart approaches a giant metal wall.] Bart:That's gotta be the floodgate. [Meanwhile, Fei fights Big Joe and defeats him.] [Bart waits and the Gate opens. Meanwhile at the Tournament, Fei defeats Scud.] [Bart swims out to a small residential area underneath the castle. An old man approaches him.] Old Man:What!? Playing in the reservoir again? Get up out of there now, boy! Kid, how many times must I tell you... hmm? How many years has it been? Well, haven't you grown up? Is this some sort of joke...? Answer me! Bart:What are you babblin' on about? Old man, even back when I was a child you used to ramble on. But I see it's gotten worse. Old man:What!? Ramble!? Did you say I rambled on? Why you little brat! The only people I allowed to call me a rambler were my late mother and the young prince. His highness... what was his name? Bart:You mean his highness 'Prince Bartholomew'? Old man:Yes, his highness, Prince Bartholomew. Boy, you certainly know a lot. If Bartholomew was still alive he'd be just about your age. Did you know that both he and his family were killed by that Shakhan? You won't beat me, Shakhan. I'll protect Aveh's water till I die! Bart:Really? Thanks old man. Father would be glad. Old man:? Whaddya mean, father? Are you the son of an acquaintance of mine? Wait, wait, I remember. ! No, no, that's not it. I don't recall the king having any secret sons. Bart:Sorry, but I don't have time to explain. You'll remember. See ya! [Meanwhile, Fei must face Dan in the semifinals...] Fei:What are you doing here, Dan!? Dan:Hmph! I escaped from Yui's place! I'm here to avenge my sisters death! Fei:...Please, Dan. Stop it! Dan:Shut your mouth! I'll never forgive you. ...You murderer!! Fei:Ergh... What do you want me to do...? Dan:I'm gonna take you down! This is for all of Lahan! [Dan attacks Fei.] Dan:This is for Timothy! This is for my sister! [Dan continues to attack Fei. Suddenly, Fei overpowers Dan and defeats him.] Fei:Dan... I... Dan:Shut up! I don't want to hear your stupid excuses! Fei, you're such a bastard!! [Dan leaves. The finals soon follow.] [Fei now faces a man in a dark blue cape. The man just stands there taking all of Fei's attacks. The man does not attack Fei at all.] Spectators:Boo! Boooooo! Boooring! C'mon, fight properly! Fei:(This is not good. At this rate...) Wiseman:Just as I thought. Fei:?? Wiseman:You, where did you learn that technique? Fei:Who cares where...? Come on, now... Put up a serious fight! Wiseman:Hmm. So then, why do you fight? ...For yourself? Or for the sake of others? Fei:What do you ask that for? Wiseman:Doesn't there have to be a reason or goal, for a person to fight? Fei:My reasons for fighting are none of your business! Wiseman:So, you are fighting for no reason or goal? Fei:Would you shut up! I'm in the middle of finding my purpose! Wiseman:Then forget it! For there's no way you could find such. Fei:What!? Wiseman:You appear to be looking foward.... But in reality, you are only looking downward! You are only looking at yourself. Like that, you will find nothing. Fei:How would you know...? Wiseman:I know... By exchanging blows with you, I can tell a great deal... Fei:Argh! Shut up! [Fei attacks Wiseman, but Wiseman dodges.] Wiseman:Weak, weak... You won't even graze me with those kind of attacks... But superficially, at least, it seems you've matured physically. Fei:?? Wiseman:You've done well in recovering from those wounds, Fei... Fei:!! How do you know my name!? I deliberately didn't use my real name when I entered the contest. And that thing about me recovering from my wounds...!? You aren't who I think you are!? [Wiseman looks up and says...] Wiseman:...Hm!? Fei:?? Wiseman:Oh my, is it already that time...? ...I guess it can't be helped... I've got to be on my way! [Wiseman runs off.] Fei:!! Wait! I want to ask you...! Spectators:...Grumble grumble... Announcer:...Uh, ahem. It appears that competitor Wiseman has forfeited... The remaining competitor will automatically be awarded victory! Spectators:What!? Are you serious? Booo! Booooo!! Yeah! I won the bet!! Fei:Wiseman... [Back in the castle, Bart breaks into the room that contains Margie.] Margie:Bart! Bart:Let's go home, Margie! Margie:I just knew you'd come for me! Bart:I'm getting you outta here! C'mon, follow me! Margie:Okay, Oh, wait a second. [Margie walks over to a small pink furry doll and picks it up.] Margie:I really like this. [The two leave the room and walk right into Ramsus and Miang.] Margie:Bart! Look! Bart:Crap! Gebler! Ramsus:Looks like we have rats. Where do you plan on taking that girl, boy? Bart:Boy? Ha, boy!?! Let's see you try and call me that again! Who the hell are you, anyway? Ramsus:You do have spunk. But I don't need to give my name to rats like you. Bart:What? Ramsus:Now hand over the girl. She is a very important guest. Until she tells us where a certain piece of the Fatima Jasper is, we can't allow her to be taken away. Bart:Gimme a break! You think I'm gonna hand her over just 'cause you say to? Pull your head out, you Gebler geek! Ramsus:Hmm. I assume you know where such abusive language will lead you. [Ramsus pulls out a sword.] Miang:If you truly want to protect that child, then surrender... Prince Bartholomew! Bart:Oh yeah? You know about me, huh? Heh! It's not such a bad feeling having your name known by someone as beautiful as you. Margie:Ba-arty! Miang:You may have had your problems with Shakhan, but we won't treat you badly.Concerning Shakhan, it really doesnt' matter 'either way' to us. Bart:That's nice to know. But I can't accept it. See, for me, 'either way' is bad. Ramsus:...Then it's decided. Bart:Tch... Margie! Hide back behind there! Margie:No! I'll fight too! [The four fight. It is a long fight, each time Bart is about to defeat Ramsus, Miang saves him. Margie is little help in the back. Suddenly, Fei shows up and attacks Ramsus.] Fei:Bart! You okay, Bart? Bart:Glad you're here, Fei! Ramsus:Fei? Fei:What's wrong, Bart? I thought this was just a simple rescue. Bart:Shut up! This jerk butted in and slowed me down! Ramsus:(The way he attacked... It reminds me of someone from my past...) [Ramsus flashes back to a powerful red haired man easily tearing Gears to shreds. ] Ramsus:Enough talk! Battling will reveal the truth about you. Bart:Careful Fei! This Gebler jerk's pretty strong. [They exchange blows. Ramsus is knocked to the ground.] Ramsus:(He looks... completely different... and there's no response. Is it just my imagination? But that technique was indeed his... What's more... the name Fei... Where have I...) [Ramsus thinks back to a phrase he heard long ago...] Fei... That is my child's name... Ramsus:Gah! Margie:Leave the rest to me! Bart:Margie? [Suddenly, a large pack of rats attack Ramsus. Bart, Margie and Fei rush towards the elevator, pushing a Gebler soldier over who is in the way.] Ramsus:Rats? (Is it 'him'? Or do I only want to think so...? If it is 'him'... I... I am...) [Ramsus once again hears a phrase from long ago...] ...Worthless... ...A reject... Ramsus:GUARD! Double the guards on both shifts. Don't let those rats in here again. [Meanwhile in the elevator...] Bart:Hey, Fei! Do you know where this elevator goes? Fei:I don't know. Where does it go? Bart:I'm asking you! This thing wasn't here before. Don't worry. We'll get you back home... somehow! Margie:I'm not worried. Bart:Hey Fei, how did the Tournament go? Fei:Uh, I won... I guess... Bart:That's what I thought. I knew you could do it. [They enter a large dock. There is a humungous Gebler ship.] Fei:That's... Gebler's aerial battleship! Margie:Yeah, but look what's coming out of it...! Bart:Are you guys in the mood for another battle? Margie:Bart, we'd better get out of here, and fast! Fei:Quick... run! [A large amount of soldiers start exiting the ship. They chase the three into a long hall. Meanwhile in one of the rooms, Elly listens to an intercom.] Intercom:There are intruders in the base! There are three intruders... presently heading for the dock area. The two men may be killed... but do not harm the girl. [Elly leaves the room. As soon as she does, Fei bumps into her.] Fei:! Elly:! Fei! Fei:You're... Elly? What are you doing here? Elly:I should be asking you! Don't tell me you're the intruders, Fei? Fei:Huh? Bart:If she's in our way, just... Fei:Wait a second, Bart! She... Elly is not an enemy! Bart:Not an enemy? Are you sane? Look at her uniform! She's a Gebler officer! Fei:... [Suddenly, soldiers enter the hallway.] Soldier:They ran in here! Elly:Hurry! This way! [She leads them into her room. The soldiers run by the room, unaware of those inside.] Elly:It sounds like they've gone... Bart:Fei, can you explain to me how you know a Gebler officer? Fei:Well... Bart:I don't know where you met her, but no matter how you look at it... she's a Gebler officer! Not an enemy? Where do you get off saying that? Elly:Yes. Special Forces of the Sacred Empire of Solaris. Also known as Gebler. I'm Lieutenant Elhaym Van Houten of the Ignas Army's Third Assault Division. And... while returning from a mission to capture the newest model Gear from a Kislev military factory... I was attacked by pursuing Kislev Gears and crash-landed in your village. Fei:... Elly:I wanted to tell you, but I just couldn't bring myself to... When I heard what my crash-landing in your village had caused... I couldn't tell you. Fei:...I knew. Elly:!? Fei... Fei:I overheard you talking with doc. Elly:Then why? Fei:It was... all my fault. But I lashed out at you with my own feelings... I'm sorry. Elly:No it wasn't... Fei:Just forget about it. You couldn't help it... You had your own problems. Elly:But, Fei... Why are you with them? Fei:I'm cooperating with Bart and his crew. We came to rescue Margie who was taken prisoner in the castle here. Elly:I see... [Elly walks over to the door and opens it.] Bart:Hey! Wait just a minute! Where do you think you're going? Elly:You want to get out of the castle, right? In this confusion you can escape through the launch door. Bart:Great idea! But... do we really buy that? I don't think so! She talks sweet, but she'a probably planning to turn us over to that old bald geezer. It's a trick, Fei! Fei:... Margie:Wait Bart! She's not a bad person. She said she'd help us, so let's go with her plan Bart:You're always like this! Can't you see... she's in Gebler!? Don't be so damn trusting! Margie:That's not true... Is it, Elly? Bart:Oh yeah? Look where your ability to judge character got you...! Fei, what about you? Do you believe her? Fei:I made up my mind long ago. Elly:Fei... Bart:Gah! First you, now her! The whole lot of you can go jump off a cliff for all I care! Elly:Wait here a second. ...The coast is clear! Quick, follow me! [They run through the halls to a Gear dock. Elly brings them up to a Gear.] Elly:This is the Gear's start up code. You can start any standard Gear with this code. Fei:Elly? Elly:This is all I can do for you. The rest is up to fate... Bart:Alright! Let's go, Fei! What are you doing? Hurry up! Fei:Elly! Come with us! Elly:!? Fei:You're not the type of person suited to a place like this! Elly:Fei... Bart:You're just wasting time talking! They're coming! We're gonna get caught! Fei:Elly... Elly:Thanks, but it's impossible. I'm... a Solaris soldier... This is where I belong. I can't go with you. Fei:Elly! Elly:Fei, the next time we meet... we'll be enemies. [Elly runs off. Fei goes into the Gear with Bart and Margie, and they take off outside the exit.] [A few minutes later, Ramsus stands in front of a large group of Solaris soldiers with Miang and Elly.] Miang:Commander! Ramsus:Miang, get my Wyvern powered up now! I must pursue them... [A soldier walks up to Ramsus and tells him something.] Soldier:(Commander... I've a message from Hyu...) Ramsus:What!? Stop the power up! Recall all men back to base and wait for further orders! ...That fool. What is he doing down here now? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II F. Nisan ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Sigurd, Margie, Fei,Bart and Maison stand on the deck of the Yggdrasil as it travels over the sand.] Sigurd:Well, Marguerite, now that we have saved you, may we ask you one thing...? Why did you go up against the enemy by yourself? Margie:Sorry... but... I heard a rumor in the town that day... It was said that the Sect's sisters who were captured by Aveh were still alive... Sigurd:Obviously a groundless rumor started by the enemy in order to lure you out. Maison:Please, don't be so hard on her... The Nisan Sect is Marguerite's home. It's perfectly understandable. Bart:Then... You thought you could save them alone!? That was stupid!! Margie:I believed it! So what!? I was wrong. But... but grandma and mom were already executed... Sigurd:Marguerite... Maison:At any rate, Marguerite is unhurt. That's the main thing! Before luck runs out, let's take Marguerite to Nisan. We can talk more there. Now, I'll go prepare Marguerite's room... Miss Marguerite, may I ask you to accompany me? Bart:Margie!! Next time let us know!! We'll go for you! Margie:Yeah... I'll do that. [Margie and Maison go through the shute into the Yggdrasil. Sigurd turns and faces Bart.] Sigurd:Marguerite is straining herself. Young Master, you should be kind to her. [Sigurd goes down the chute. Fei and Bart soon follow. They go up to go in the bridge, but a strange furry pink doll blocks the way.] Bart:That Margie...! Leaving a strange stuffed animal in a place like this! Because of this, we can't get into the bridge. Voice:I'm not stuffed! Bart:Hey, Fei!! Stop the funny voices, will ya!? Fei:Huh? I didn't say anything. Bart:...That's weird... Anyway, let's ask Margie to get rid of it. [They walk to Margie's room.] Bart:Hey, Margie! Get rid of that strange stuffed animal sitting in front of the bridge. It's in our way. Margie:It's not a 'strange stuffed animal'! It has a name. It's name is...Her name is Chu-Chu! But that's weird. It was just here, where I put it, a moment ago. [Suddenly, the doll walks in the room!] Chu-Chu:Nice chu meet chu! I'm Chu-Chu! I fell in love with you when I first saw you in Bledavik!! Wherever you go, I shall go chu! Oh my...I just declared my love... Bart:What we thought was just a stuffed toy is actually a living animal! Weird! Margie:No wonder it felt strangely lukewarm! Fei:Wha, what!? Bart:Looking good, Fei! Fei:Shut up!! Bart:It's all right. I, as the captain, give you my permission! Chu-Chu:Yeah, yeah! Fei:...Suit yourself! Bart:Ha, ha, ha! Well, I don't want to interrupt you two, so I'll wait outside! [Bart leaves.] Margie:...Thank you for your help at the castle. I heard you really riled it up at the Tournament. Bart was bragging how you're both buddies and all. Fei:...Re...really? Margie:I'm so ashamed...I wanted to be of help to Bart but I ended up owing him again. Fei, have you seen Bart's back? He's got scars all over his back and it looks so painful. Long ago, when the two of us got caught by Shakhan, Bart protected me from being beaten... At that time Idecided to be his follower...to serve and protect him! But, he is the one who's always protecting me... Fei:... Margie:Uh, oh, so sorry...Anyway, thanks a lot for saving me! [Fei leaves. Bart joins him outside and they head towards the bridge.] Sigurd:Young master, according to Margie, there's quite a troublemaker in Gebler. Bart:Yeah...So, who the heck is he? Sigurd:Kahran Ramsus of the Holy Solaris Empires' Special Foreign Affairs Agency...In otherwords, he's the commander in chief of Gebler. It seems that Gebler isn't just after the excavation sites around Aveh after all. Bart:You mean, they're not after the Jasper? Sigurd:If that's their goal they wouldn't need to send an important man like him! Young master, this could become unexpectedly complicated... Fei:Doc hasn't come back yet, has he? Sigurd:...Hyu...I mean, 'doc'... No need to worry about him. He'll join us soon. Sigurd:We shall have to enter Nisan through the secret road. Let's keep a lookout for a lone tree in the desert for a sign of where the road lies buried...! Shall we launch the Yggdrasil? Fei:Go ahead! [Citan and Sigurd sit in the gun room, beneath the stairs.] Sigurd:...Now I see why you came down to the surface... Alright, I understand you. But Kahran Ramsus... taking over the post of Aveh is pretty annoying. Citan:The home country might have had some reasons. Sigurd:Yeah... obviously. Citan:But perhaps there is still a chance of success... You and I, who used to be called 'Elements' at the commander's training school 'Jugend', are both here! Sigurd:I hope you are right... Citan:By the way, she is still...? Sigurd:According to Fei, there was a female aide on Kahr's side... And he said that she had Indigo blue eyes and hair... So it must be her... Citan:So all the old 'Elements' members are on the surface world now... Sigurd:I guess so... Hyuga... To be honest with you... she scares me. She supports Kahr and is kind to anyone, I know that very well. But sometimes I felt a strange fear in her. That bothers me more than Kahr being in this land. Citan:That cannot be true... Not in her... Sigurd:Yeah, I don't want to believe it, either... But don't you remember how I could always sense those things quite accurately? Citan:Right... By the way, have you told the young one yet? Sigurd:No, not yet. I don't want him to worry until we know exactly what Solaris' objectives really are. But I have to tell him eventually though... Anyway, Hyuga, have you gotten any information? Citan:Not really... I left there before going to the center section. [Fei listens from atop the stairs.] Bart:(Fei!!) [Bart approaches.] Fei:(Oh, it's you Bart!? Don't scare me...!) Bart:(Sorry-dorry. It sounds like Sig and your doctor friend know each other pretty darn well. Sig... Damn, I though I knew everything about that guy!) Fei:(When did doc get back...?) [The Yggdrasil docks at an area near Nisan. A few people wait at the deck.] Sigurd:I'll complete the remaining checks onboard. I'll leave the rest up to you, Maison. Maison:As you wish... I will have the honor of accompanying the others. [Bart walks on to the deck. A man approaches him.] Man:Bartholomew, healthy as ever, I hope? Bart:Yeah. How's the town? Man:Since we got the word several days ago that there might be an army advancing from the Royal Capital the Sect's representatives have been in discussion. Bart:What have they come up with? Man:For now, they just plan to improve the local defenses. Also, anti-Shakhan people have been gathering here... probably because they heard about what's going on. Bart:That's reassuring. Man:Yes. However, the residents are starting to feel uneasy. People are starting to take refuge up north in the mountains. Bart:Can't blame them. Man:By the way, how's Marguerite...? Bart:Better than we thought. But I know she was in a lot of grief. [Margie walks out onto the deck.] Man:Marguerite! I'm so glad you're safe. Margie:Thanks. Man:All the townspeople are overjoyed by the Great Mother's return. [Maison,Bart,Citan,Fei and Margie walk into Nisan. It is a small peaceful town, near a lake that has a large cathedral in the center. Margie:Wow! It's been such a long time since I left here. [Margie walks off towards the Cathedral. Citan:Well... First of all, we should accompany Marguerite up to meet the sisters! [Suddenly, Maison starts crying.] Bart:...Huh? What is it old Maison? Maison:Sniff... Goodness gracious me...! To think that little Miss Marguerite was finally able to return here... It is so awfully moving! Bart:H... hey! Pull yourself together, old man! Maison:F...forgive me. How terribly embarrassing! I couldn't help it... I... I shall go back and give some instructions to the man left on the ship. Please, young master, go ahead and escort Miss Marguerite up to see the sisters. ...Excuse me now. [Maison leaves.] [Citan, Bart and Fei walk up to Margie, who is standing next to a man.] Man:Oh, Bart! I'm glad you're well. The people at the hidden port contacted us just before you came into town. I've already contacted the monastery. Please take Margie up there as soon as possible. She'll be so happy... not to mention the sisters! Margie: I must hurry and see the sisters. [The four walk into the Cathedral just as a group of nuns finish singing. They notice Margie and walk up to her.] Sister:Margie! Margie:I'm back, everyone! Nun:Oh, Margie... We're so glad you're safe... Margie:Yes, it is all thanks to Bart and his men. Sister:We just received word... So we were singing a hymn of praise and joy. We're so happy... Oh, what a relief! [The eldest of the nuns approaches Margie.] Sister Agnes: Welcome back, Margie. We had faith that you and your cousin Bart would one day return safely... We and your other friends have been waiting for you. Margie:Sister Agnes! Sister Agnes:Unfortunately, your mother and the blessed Royal Mother... Margie: I know, Sister Agnes... I heard about it at the Royal Capital... But at least I have made it back... I'll never go anywhere, or leave you from now on! I won't make you all worry anymore... ever again! Sister Agnes:Bless you, my dear... Margie:Sister Agnes, this just isn't like you at all! Here I am back safe and sound. Can't you rebuke me just a little, for old time's sake? Sister Agnes:Ha... I'm sorry... But I am just so happy that I cannot help but... Sister:Sister... Sister Agnes:...There is no reason to be so solemnly quiet... Well, everyone! To celebrate the return of our dear sister Margie... and to express our joy to heaven, let us finish singing our hymn. Margie:Thank you, and bless you all! Oh, yes, sister... May I go upstairs? It's been oh so long, so I want to have a look around up there too. Sister Agnes:Oh, but of course, dear! Don't even think of holding back from anything... Except for one thing... Never stay away so long like that again. Margie:Ha, ha! I knew you'd say that. Now that's the Agnes I know! [All the nuns but one return to the alter.] Sister:Margie, I am so glad. [She returns to the alter.] Bart:It's been a while since the last time I was here. ...? Something wrong, Margie? Margie:...Nothing. It's just... I guess I got a little emotional... Heh, heh, heh... Bart:...Anyhow, take it easy for a while... You've put up with enough, okay? Margie:If you're trying to make me cry, you'll fail. Oh yes! I'll show Fei and Citan around our cathedral... Follow me! Citan:What a strong girl she is... It is obvious that she really wants to just break down and cry... Bart:Yeah, you're right... That's just the way she has always been. For all her talk, she understands her position well... Maybe there are a few things I could learn from her too. [They approach Margie, who is standing near a door.] Margie:We go up to the gallery on the second floor from here... [They walk up a long flight of stairs to the Cathedral balcony. It has a wonderful view of the church.] Citan:...How magnificent! Margie:If we ever got scolded for pranks as kids, Bart and I used to hide here. Bart:Hey, stop telling those old stories. It's embarrassing! Margie:But to me, Bart hasn't changed much since then. [Margie walks to another part of the alter.] Bart:What!? You mean you think I'm still a kid!? [Bart, Fei and Citan walk up to Margie and admire the view.] Margie:I like the view from here best. [Two angel statues hang from the ceiling. Each angel has only one wing. Light from the stain glass window shines on them, making a beautiful sight.] Citan:Yes, this is breathtaking! Light from outside shining through the stained glass of the cathedral's front... What a brilliant piece of artistry this is. Margie:Did you notice that the two great angels only have one wing each...? According to a legend handed down in Nisan… God could have created humans perfectly... But then, humans would not have helped each other... So that is what these great single-winged angels symbolizes... In order to fly, they are dependant on one another. Citan:Ah, so that is the reason for it. I see... On further inspection, the left angel looks somewhat masculine... while the right one looks somewhat feminine. Now that is an unusual feature, is it not? Usually these depictions are not gender-specific. But these angels are clearly distinguishable as having opposing genders. And the space between them is the path from where God advents... Or could it be the path leading to God? Well... I do not know, it could be either, or even both. ...Now I see! This all coincides with the teachings of Nisan. Margie:Ha, ha, ha! Why Doctor Citan Uzuki! You are an amusing fellow! Citan:Oh! Excuse me. It is a habit of mine... Fei:The doc knows a lot about a lot of things... Sometimes I can't even understand what he's talking about... Bart:...Hah! Forcing them to fly together...? It would be less bothersome if they could fly on their own, don't you think, Fei? Margie:Bart! You miss the deeper meaning and beauty of it. Someday I wish I could be of help to someone like that... Oh, we haven't visited the 'Room of Sophia' yet, have we? You're really supposed to go through some procedures before you can see it... But this time I think it will be alright if I make a special exception. Fei:Sophia? Margie: Yes, Sophia. She is revered as the founding mother of the Nisan nation... and the founder of the Nisan religion who set forth its teachings. There is a special room upstairs that has a portrait of Mother Sophia in it. Citan:I would definitely like to view that! Fei, let us go have a look at it! [They walk up another flight of stairs to another room. The room is very small, with a cross shaped window on the wall. Light from the cross shines on the rug. A giant portrait is hung on the wall.] Citan:Oh y... What an exquisite portrait! And the beautiful young lady portrayed is quite beyond comparison too... What is more... this looks rather familiar...! What do you think, Fei? Fei:Yes, I was just thinking the same thing. The hair is a different color, but the atmosphere or personality about her is exactly the same. Citan:What? Hair color? What do you mean? Fei:What do I mean? Look...! It's the girl I met in the forest... It's Elly! I mean, there's something about her that's just like Elly... You don't think so...? Citan:Yes, now that you mention it... She does resemble Elly. But that is not what I was talking about... I meant that the brush techniques and overall style used in this picture is similar to yours. Fei:...Really? [Fei walks up to the portrait. It is of a beautiful young woman who looks very similar to Elly, except for the darker hair and the ancient clothing.] Fei:Does it? First of all... I'm nowhere near as good an artist. Citan:No... it is very similar to your style. But somehow I can sense an atmosphere of sadness in this picture. She is smiling, but in a way, gives the impression that she is anxious. Perhaps the picture is reflecting her inner self? Or perhaps it is the inner feelings of the artist being conveyed. Ahh... If you look closely, you will notice that the painting is not completely finished. The artist put his brushes down when it was near completion. ...Why is that? Margie:I don't know... But my grandmother might have known about it... Oh! What if we ask Agnes? She may know something. Alright then, I'll be with Sister Agnes. Bart:Well... shall we head back to the town for now? Citan:Yes, alright... But this painting has caught my curiosity. Do you mind if I speak to Sister Agnes before we head back to town? Bart:Yeah, okay. We'll stop by her room on the way out. [Bart and Citan head for the door. Fei pauses and looks at the portrait. A vision enters his head of himself painting Elly, but in an ancient setting. A name is called out.] Lacan... [Fei focuses back on reality.] Citan:Is something wrong, Fei? You look like you are daydreaming... Fei:Huh? No... It's nothing... [Bart, Margie, Citan and Fei head to the library and talk to Sister Agnes.] Sister Agnes:I understand you were shown Sophia's portrait. The lady portrayed in that picture is Nisan's great founding Mother... Some say that it was painted at least 500 years ago. Citan:500 years ago... Now that is quite amazing. Personally, I find it intriguing. Do you have any historical material from that period? Sister Agnes:In our hands, there are no such records left intact. All records and materials concerning Sophia have been lost... The portrait is the only thing left. We too do not have much knowledge about her. Citan:That is too bad! So there really is nothing left at all? Sister Agnes:For someone who has helped Marguerite, I would have loved to share them... But unfortunately I am unable to help here... Citan:Oh well, none the matter. Please do not worry about it. I was just inquiring. But, it does seem somewhat strange... If such a majestic building as this survived history, then it is likely a scroll or two would remain too. Sister Agnes:According to tradition, Sophia was present about 500 years ago... She sacrificed herself for the people and has been summoned to be with God. That's all I can tell you. Citan:...I see. So everything was lost in the darkness of history. [They leave the Cathedral. Bart hears a familiar voice.] Bart:Ah! Maison:Yo-ung ma-ste-r! [Bart, Citan and Fei walk through Nisan when they see Maison standing in front of a building.] Maison:The people of Nisan were most generous to allow us to rent this house. So there will be no need to seek lodging at the inn for a while. Also, Master Sigurd wishes a word with you regarding your next move, if he may... Bart:Alright... So where is Sig? Maison:The good Master Sigurd is waiting for you inside. Bart:Okay, thanks Maison. [The four walk in the house.] Sigurd:Whenever I come here it always calms my heart. Anyway, young master... I want to work out what our plans from here on are. Bart:Alright. But before we do that... there is something I want to ask you. Sigurd:...Me? Bart:Yeah. [Sigurd steps into the bedroom with Bart. Citan follows.] Bart:Sig...What's up with you and that Gebler officer? What's the connection between you and him...? You know, you sure know a lot about Solaris for some reason! [Sigurd looks at Citan. Citan nods his head.] Sigurd:...Alright. I'll tell you. Me and... Citan, here... We used to live in Solaris. Bart:Solaris... You mean... where Gebler's from? Sigurd:That's right. Solaris... calls foreigners 'Lambs'... They are used as manual labor. Basically it's slavery. Bart:Slavery? Is that where you met him? Citan:Yes, it was there. Sigurd:We worked for the Solaris government for a short while... But we learned to dislike the methods and escaped the first chance we had. Bart:...You were friends with these people? I met you when I was a kid and we've been together ever since then... So this would have had to have happened before then. I probably wouldn't have understood if I had heard it earlier, but... Why didn't you think I could deal with it now? Surely you could have told me about this? Especially when you had something to do with the people who are backing that Shakhan idiot! I wish you'd told me sooner. Sigurd:...There's nothing I can do about that now. But, there's one thing I want you to believe. We left Solaris on our own will and for our own reasons. Now that they've appeared before us, we can't just sit back and do nothing. If need be, I will give my life to stop them. Bart:Alright, I understand. But can you elaborate a little more? What bugs me is the 'surface dweller' thing... It's as if Solaris is in another location. Like up in the clouds or something. Sigurd:Yes, well... Etrenank, the capital of the Solaris empire is located in the skies above. Solaris is sepereated from the land by dimensional distortion fields known as 'Gates'. Passing between the two requires special means of transportation... such as an airship. To get to Aveh we stowed away on a regular flight to the surface. Citan:I came much later than Sigurd did... But I also escaped in the same way. Bart:What are Lambs? Sigurd:That is the word Solarians use to indicate those who dwell on the earth. As I said before, such 'surface dwellers' or 'earth dwellers', are used for manual labor there. Manual labor could be anything from soldiers to administrative jobs. Solaris gathers its work force from the land dwellers. Jobs are divided up by who is most suitable. Sometimes people are brainwashed. Bart:Brainwashed!? Sigurd:I... when you, young master, were still an infant... I was used as a test subject. there was probably something they valued inside of me. Fei:You too, doc? Citan:No... I was born in the lower city levels. It is not a complete secret... But I guess I am a Solarian... You see, you still need people to run a country... No matter how scientifically advanced you are, you have no support without the people. Sigurd:Pure Solarians are rare. They woudl not even make up a quater of Aveh's population. So, they support their country by stealing surface dwellers. Bart:Who is that man:? Sigurd:His name is, Kahr... Kahran Ramsus. As you know, he's the Gebler Commander. Bart:Ramsus...? Sigurd:We call him Kahr. In Solaris there is an officer training school called 'Jugend'. He became the Commander after leaving there. Citan:He is a low level citizen, the same as me. However, with his amazing abilities... After graduation, he rose through the ranks with unparalleled speed. Sigurd:That man had one ideal. To achieve a consolidation of all his colleagues. Even land dwellers, if they had talent, were brought into the army. Bart:So you two were picked by Ramsus...? Citan:No, we were not picked by him... we aligned ourselves with him. Sigurd:At that time... we agreed with him. Citan:At that time, Ramsus was our hope. He had high ideals and wanted to change the system in Solaris. To use test subjects and lower level citizens, he was truly all we wished for. Bart:A benefactor? Sigurd:Yes... even I, a test subject, was changed by his ideals. Bart:So why was it that you wanted to flee from Solaris? Sigurd:We were placed in key military positions by Ramsus... And thanks to that, we came to know the relationship between Solaris and the surface dwellers. Bart:The 'Lambs'... right? Sigurd:They weren't just using us 'Lambs' for slave labor... They also selected some of us, like me, to be used as subjects in experiments to refine their drugs... Drugs that change people's personalities, to make them more aggressive and to draw out their latent abilities. They were using us human guinea pigs to test their psychological alteration drugs! Bart:Human guinea pigs...!? Experimenting on humans? Sigurd:Yes, for example... 'Drive' That drug, and all others like it that are used now, are by-products of human experimentation... Citan:However, the role of such experimental subjects was not limited to just that! Fei:This 'Drive' drug is something that anyone in the Solaris army can use? Citan:At least anyone in the Gebler forces who is sent to the surface. Bart:You're worried about her, huh? Fei:...! Bart:I saw some... in her room. Fei:No... Bart:...Anyway... using slaves as guinea pigs... How low are these guys...? Damn! Hmm... I think I get most of it. Old Maison! Go reserve the town hall for us. We'll finish talking there. I'm going outside to get some air. [Bart leaves.] Sigurd:I should have been honest with him sooner... Citan:It is best to not worry about it. You did all that you could at the time. The young one will understand. [Fei, Citan and Bart stand on the bridge overlooking Nisan.] Bart:I had no idea Sig had such a past... Citan:Are you still suspicious of Sigurd...? Bart: Well... I mean... it was just so sudden. I kind of expected to hear something different... Like they were childhood rivals or something... But that's nothing compared to the story he just told us, is it? Citan:Hmm. So hearing his story has confused you because it was not so simple... There was a time when we were cooperating with one of Gebler's generals... Furthermore, behind Gebler was a country that you had never even heard of... Bart:Hey, what are you picking on me for? Citan:No, I am not picking on you or blaming anything on you. What I am saying is this... If you think about how he feels, then you should see why he could not talk about this with you till now. Looking at the activities of Solaris toward other countries up until now... It has never gone beyond simply maintaining their own empire, or 'self-preservation'. And as you have seen, their military power is immense. So Sigurd was probably thinking ahead... First he was probably concentrating on taking care of the problems here on the continent of Ignas. Once things were settled here, it would give him a stronger foundation to deal with Solaris later. Which is a much better plan than rushing straight into a war he knew we could not win. Quite logical, really. Bart:Sounds like you understand one another pretty well. Citan:Well it is not like we are newly acquainted, is it? And we had talked about a lot of things up until we decided to escape from Solaris. Bart:Speaking of that... Why did you leave? That Ramsus guy was supposed to be a 'Star of Hope' or something, wasn't he? Citan:Yes, I certainly thought so at first. But then I realized his way of thinking was not that much of a change from the previous system. Basically, the only difference was whether they stressed people's rank and class, or their skill. The words had changed, but it was still no different from what Solaris itself had been doing until then. He had no intentions of bringing everyone a better way of life. Bart:In other words, he's an elitist. I don't think I like him much, either. So, Citan... Do you think I can beat Gebler? Citan:Why? Are you planning on fighting them? Bart:As long as they're working with Shakhan, there's no way around it. The way things are going, I'm sure we'll have to fight them sooner or later. Citan:Hmm... I suppose so, but... Even if we were able to defeat the Gebler forces here, there is still Solaris to deal with. If we are not careful, it is possible that we may get involved in a longer war with Shakhan. Do you not agree that continuing the way we have been going is rather hard on everyone? I think it is time we try to get help from a greater number of people. Bart:So defeating Shakhan's not going to get rid of the likes of Gebler... I know what you're trying to say... 'To vanquish Gebler, first gain thy throne!' ...Right? Citan:Hmm... You could put it that way. Bart:What do you mean... 'You could put it that way'? But then again, maybe it is time I did something about that. [The three walk into the town hall. Sigurd and Maison wait there.] Sigurd: I went to the tool shop to borrow a table. The owner said... 'If we need anything for the young master, just ask for it.' Bart:I'm grateful. When I was a kid, I borrowed stuff from there and got in big trouble. Fei:Borrowed... What did you take? Bart:A toy boat. ...I think that's what it was. I put fireworks in it and let it float on the cathedral's lake. I always used to play 'navy'. I'm not sure, but I think I pretended the lake was the open sea... and I was the fleet commander. Anyway... forget those old stories. We should get started. First... Gebler is the big problem. Citan:Yes, Ramsus is headed towards achieving his goals. That he is now the commander of Gebler is proof of that. A normal man could not progress so quickly through that country's organization. And now he is presently located here in Ignas. Frankly, the situation is not very favorable. We need to somehow find a weak spot and attack it with all our might. Bart:First, let's just concentrate on Shakhan. Once he's out of the way and Aveh is safe again, we can think about how to deal with the Gebler. With our present strength we should be able to hold off the Royal Guard forces. The problem is how to deal with Gebler in the mean time... They will most likely move at Shakhan's request. They're not just gonna sit by and watch quietly. Citan:...May I have a look there, please? In short, we want Gebler to leave for a while... At least until we are able to take back the Royal Capital, Bledavik. [Citan places 5 markers on the map that Sigurd has provided. Three yellow ones represent the Aveh and Gebler forces. One is near Bledavik, one is near Nisan, and one is near Kislev. Two more markers represent Aveh and Kislev.] Citan:These are the Gebler units currently in Aveh, correct? The western guards... the Royal Capital defense force... and, units along the front line at the border with Kislev. There are three main groups. Each is made up of a mix of Gebler and Aveh forces. Only two of these are very large. [The markers at Bledavik and near Kislev flash.] Citan:The Royal Capital's defense units and the Kislev border units. The western guard along Nisan's border are little more than a surveillance team. Sigurd:In order to recapture the Royal Capital... it will be necessary to draw these defense units away from Bledavik. Citan:We have some Kislev made Gears, correct? Bart:Yeah, we captured some earlier. Citan:What if we use those Gears to make a raid on the western guards... here at the border with Nisan? [A blue marker appears next to the western marker.] Bart:I see. We'll draw them out by making it look like Kislev is invading Aveh. Sigurd:But the problem is... will attacking the border guards be enough to set the center in motion? Citan:To be sure then, Nisan will just have to appear to align with Kislev. If they see it that way, they will certainly make a move. Bart:You're saying that you intend to use Nisan as bait? Fei:Doc!? Sigurd:Shakhan is very sensitive to Nisan and Kislev's actions. If Nisan starts moving he will probably leave it to Gebler, but... Citan:Of course I do not wish to do that from the beginning. But looking at the situation, we have to be willing to go that far. Sigurd:Hmm... Bart:Hmm... Bart:First, we infiltrate into the capital. To take out Shakhan, we'll have to meet with our agents already in the city. Citan:We are forgetting one thing... The front line units along Kislev's border. Bart:...! [A red marker is placed next to the Kislev border army.] Citan:The main strength of Aveh's fleet is the battleship Kefeinzel. It's been in service since the reign of the last king. Because of its firepower, the whole unit is nicknamed the 'invincible fleet'. I recall yesterday's intelligence report said the ship is near the border. Bart:Damn... That puts everything in jeopardy! Citan:Do not feel so down. I simply wanted you to see the current distribution of force in the area. Even in the worst case that they do come, it will not be such a great problem. Bart:What do you mean? Citan:I have some additional information about Aveh's border fleet. The former Aveh supreme commander was transferred there. Not really transferred., more like demoted... His name is Vanderkaum. Sigurd:Vanderkaum... You don't mean the Vanderkaum that was in Jugend? Citan:The very same. Young one, he has not been able to adapt to the change in tactics... particularly following the introduction of Gears… He is a man who will never stray from his dependence on large naval guns. Bart:You mean, he's stubborn. He is all size and no real military power. An excellent target for pirates. Maison:Young master! This is not going to be an act of piracy! Bart:Just kidding. Citan:Actually, the number of Gears assigned to the fleet seems to have been reduced. Even with that... how gallant of him to be so self-righteous. Bart:Is he that much of a muscle-head? It'll be fun taunting him. Maison:Young master! Bart:I know! I know! Anyway, Citan, do you think he can strike our Gear forces? Citan:It is not a problem. Even with Vanderkaum, we have enough forces to pull off the feint. However, it would not be wise to underestimate our opponents. Sigurd:Well, now that we know what we are up against, here's what we'll do... Apart from our main unit heading for Bledavik, we must keep the fleet at the Kislev border from returning to the capital. Bart:So you're suggesting that we have another unit? Citan:A few effective soldiers to hold the enemy at bay... A small force is best. Sigurd:A small force...? Citan:What if Fei leads a group of Gears there? Fei:Me...!? Sigurd:Hold on now! There's no reason to involve you all in this! Fei:...I'll do it. Yes, let me do it. When do we leave? Bart:...Are you sure? Fei:We've come this far... Hey, we're friends to the end, now! Citan:Speed is everything. We should do this as soon as possible. Bart:All right, tomorrow! Sigurd:I am truly grateful... Fei... Citan. Bart:Yeah! There's no way we can lose! No one will die in vain! Maison:Well put, young master! [The next day...] Margie:Good morning! What's with the long face? Not feeling well? Or are you feeling sad about saying goodbye? Or maybe you're just nervous? Bart:Shut up, stupid! Don't bug me! Margie:Hee hee. Well... It's almost time. Bart:Yeah, yeah... Is everyone ready to go? I'll be here, so let me know when you are through preparing. Citan:There is a new wind blowing today... [After getting prepared...] Bart:Are you ready? Fei:Alright! [Later near the dock with the Yggdrasil...] Sigurd:Our comrades in Nisan will hit the western guard in Kislev uniforms as planned. We'll wait for the right moment, then head for the palace in the Yggdrasil! Bart:Got it. But avoid any unnecessary deaths. This especially goes for Aveh troops and also the people from Gebler. Sigurd:Yes. We understand. Fei:I guess I'm going to raise some hell in my Weltall then. Sigurd:We're counting on you! Margie:Next time we meet I won't be able to call you 'Bart' or 'Young master'. Maybe, 'Your Majesty'...? Bart:Cut it out. Bart's fine... 'Great Mother of Nisan'! Margie:Hey...! You know I hate that title! Bart:Ha ha ha! Well, we're outta here! Margie:Okay. Good luck! [The Yggdrasil takes off from the dock. Sister Agnes and Margie stay on the dock.] Sister Agnes:Marguerite and Bartholomew... Seeing you two brings my hopes up. Long ago, before the Fatimas of Aveh were called Fatima... The royal brothers and their wives oversaw many prosperous reigns or eras. I'm looking forward to the day, when as the Great Mother of the Nisan Sect, you will take your place on the throne as Bartholomew's wife. Margie:What!? Hey, hold on! I hate talking about queens and romance...! Bart and I are best friends! Sister Agnes:Ha ha, marriage is the best friendship. Well at the rate that you are maturing into a beautiful woman... I don't think Bart will be able to ignore you much longer. Margie:Stop it, you're embarrassing me! [Later... In the Yggdrasil, Bart Fei and Citan stand in front of General Maitreya and four other troops.] Maitreya:Each squad of Gears take off, in order, from here to avoid being picked up. We'll meet at the Rockies by the border tomorrow at 1200. Got it? Men:OK! Bart:Though the warship is outdated, you're only going in as a small unit. It's going to be a tough fight, but you could change Aveh's future. I'm counting on you. Maitreya:Leave it up to us, young master! We'll drag Vanderkaum's tail around and around. Right, son!? Fei:Don't call me 'son'. Cuz you sure aint my pops. Maitreya:Huh? Ha, ha, ha, ha… Well, young master... We promise to make something out of this battle! [They all leave except for Bart Fei and Citan.] Bart:Fei, I know it's odd for me to say this since I'm the one who got you involved... but... Be careful, okay!? Fei:You too... Bart:If... anything happens to me... take care of Margie and them for me! Fei:...Don't jinx yourself! It's not like you... But... I'll take care of them. Don't worry. [A chute outside of the Gear Dock opens up. Weltall, all charged blasts off] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II G. Desert Despair ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Later that night, Citan looks out the window. He is in the Gun room. He walks up to Maison.] Maison:Oh, aren't you going to rest a little? At long last we are heading to Bledavik tomorrow... Though he is the prince, our young master doesn't know the Royal Capital very well... I'd always felt that was an awful pity. But despite that, I tried my best to raise him as Crown Prince. However, looking back, I might have put too much of the 'burdens of kingship' on him too early in life... And it might have been too much for a child with a future like his to handle... I must be the most terrible minder ever! Citan:My dear Lord Maison... I hardly think that is right! The young one would have taken the burden off of himself if he had not wanted it any longer! He is a fine man now... far capable of handling any burdens or pressures. And I believe you are the very ones to have given him the strength to do so. Maison:Oh my good Doctor Uzuki... I hopw you are not too taken back? Lately, there are far few too many barbaria... I mean... highly energetic lads, around the young master. So, yours truly, who is in charge of education, demanded to have this room created! (But, because of that, I ended up having to take a side job...) [Citan leaves the Gun Room and climbs up the ladder onto the deck. There Bart and Sigurd are talking. Citan hides nearby.] Sigurd:Why such a glum face? Tomorrow is our first return to your castle in 12 years. Bart:Returning to the castle... After we get the royal palace back, I guess I'm going to be the king... I'm not very suited for it, am I? Sigurd:You'll get used to it. Bart:Listen, Sig... Sigurd:Yes.? Bart:I guess it really... doesn't matter who the king is, does it? As long as it's a symbol of hope, right? It doesn't have to be me. Sigurd:I was captured by Solaris and brainwashed for use as a human guinea pig. But, even they couldn't erase my desire to return home. Then, I remembered you and Marguerite, not as the royalty of our country, but as just normal children. I don't care about rebuilding a dynasty. I want to regain this kingdom because it belongs to you... Because it's your home! Bart:Because it's my home? Sigurd:Yes. For that, we must take Shakhan down tomorrow. Am I correct? Bart:...Right. Then, let's do it! Sigurd:But first, I think you need to take a bath! Bart:A bath!? Sigurd:You don't look like a king at all! You are facing the enemies leader... so you must have a noble appearance! Bart:Hey, you just said it didn't matter whether I'm a king or not!! Sigurd:That is that, this is this! [Citan from nearby listens.] Citan:That someone was waiting for you... That one thought was all it took for you to regain yourself... You are a great man, Sigurd. [He looks to the red moon over the sky.] [The same moon is over Bledavik. It shines into Ramsus and Miang's room in Fatima Castle. Ramsus is dreaming. A man with red hair fight a group of Gears. He shoots fireballs at one, punches through another, and uses 'Raijin' on the last. All three Gears blow up. Two more Gears arrive with Ramsus and his troops. Grahf watches nearby. Suddenly, the man transports himself into a powerful looking red Gear. He easily smashes through the Gears.] Ramsus:He's out of control! Stop him! I don't care how, just stop him! [The Red Gear easily trashes Ramsus's troops.] Ramsus:This can't be... [More Gears attack the Red Gear, but it easily destroys them. It heads towards Ramsus.] Ramsus:Ugh! H, help... Uaaaaaaaahhhhhh! [Ramsus wakes up, sweat covering his body. Miang gets up as well.] Miang:What's wrong? You look like you have just had a nightmare... It wasn't that same dream again, was it? Ramsus:No... It was nothing. [Ramsus gets up and leaves.] Miang:Kahr... Peeping is not very becoming, you know...!? [Grahf appears.] Miang:Heh heh... I saw the boy that you are after fight in the tournament... I could tell right away. He resembles you greatly. Grahf:You used the influence of the Ministry to set you up with that man... I don't know what you are up to, but don't you dare think about plotting against me. You stay out of this! Miang:Oh, I see the new has already reached you... As usual, you're the first to hear about everything. But don't worry... I won't steal your 'prized possession'. I'll cooperate... Besides, you and I go back a long way... [On the Yggdrasil...] Franz:Oh...? Bart:What's up? Franz:No... for a moment, I thought I caught some unnatural sounds... Bart:We're near the capital. It's probably just some kind of ship from there. Franz:But it's not from the surface... It's from under the sand! Bart:Under the sand? This is the only sand cruiser in all of Aveh! Sigurd:We haven't heard anything about a new ship even from the spies at Aveh Naval HQ. Franz, can you try and confirm what it is? Franz:...I can't catch it again. It could have been a sand whale... Pirate:Young master! I'm detecting an increase in the use of F Band! That's the Royal Capital's defense force's frequency! Franz:There... On the surface layer! I'm detecting sounds of anchors being weighed in and engines being activated! The Royal Capital's defense fleet must be departing...! Pirate:We also intercepted a transmission from the patrol at the border with Kislev! They're requesting immediate backup from the Royal Capital! Looks like we've really raised som hell at the border! Bart:...Alright! We'll start! Ready the shuttle boats! When we land, hide the ship! Maison:Y, young master! I have an awfully bad feeling about this... Do be very careful! Bart:It's all right, Maison. [In Bledavik, Elly leads the 5 Gebler soldiers who attacked Bart's Lair to the Gear Hangar.] Renk:What? This little girl's our commanding officer? Broyer:She's said to be an elite out of Jugend. Stratski:She returned single-handedly from the Kislev infiltration operation. Helmholz:And 'empty-handedly' I hear! No souvenirs for the Commander, huh? Renk:Yep, what a pretty face. She's not the soldier type. Elly:You there! Is that how you address a superior officer? Remember your rank! Renk:Oh, scary! Vance:We don't care much for rank... and we don't care much for Renk either! But just because you're beautiful doesn't mean you have to by cocky. Broyer:Ha! This jerk's just jealous. Vance:What? I'm much prettier! How could I be jealous? Stratski:Hey, shut that perv up! He gives me the creeps. Renk:And that's how it is... So don't get in our way, 'Miss Lieutenant'. Elly:... [They approach Vierge, Elly's gear.] Renk:Anyway, let's just get this thing moving. Can't tell what it can do just by looking at it. Stratski:What kind of machine is this? I've never seen it before. Renk:It's a new model Gear, called Vierge, that's for officer's use only. It's said that people with normal mental power can't operate it. Statski:So, she's still a 'Jugend' regardless of having no ability? Vance:Hah, this looks like fun. Let's see what she can do! [On a Mountain Path near the Aveh border, Fei Maitreya and some troops climb up the cliffs to the nearby cave.] Maitreya:Head for the mountain peak. There's no time to waste. Deploy! [They go through the cave and arrive outside, Fei behind everyone else. Suddenly, 6 Gears appear in the horizon.] Maitreya:Fei! A Gebler Gear unit! Fei:What? [Gears land nearby.] Fei:Let me handle this! Maitreya:B, but... Fei:We dont' have time! While we're wasting time here, Bart's team is already on their way to the castle. Hurry! Maitreya:R, roger. [Meanwhile, Fei, Maitreya and 4 other pirates climb a stone cliff near the border with Kislev.] Maitreya:Head for the mountain peak. There's no time to waste. Deploy! [The Gears go through the nearby cave and continue upward. Eventually, they are out of the cave. Fei is a couple of hundred feet behind the others when Maitreya shouts out to him...] Maitreya:Fei! A Gebler Gear unit! Fei:What? [Suddenly, Gears start landing nearby.] Fei:Let me handle this! Maitreya:B, but... Fei:We don't have time! While we're wasting time here, Bart's team is already on their way to the castle. Hurry! Maitreya:R, roger. [The Red pirate Gears continue their ascend up the mountain. Elly looks at Fei while in Vierge. Two of the soldiers fly up to her.] Elly:That Gear!? Don't tell me its Fei? Broyer:Hey, is that him? The guy from before? Renk:Yep. That's him alright. Broyer:Good. It's time for a rematch. Don't fall behind, sister. Renk:You're in the way. Why don't you stay over there and just watch? [They fly off. Swordknight and Wandknight approach Vierge.] Stratski:Yeah, yeah. We can take care of these guys on our own. Helmholz:Sorry about this. Vance:Get outta the way. Elly:Y, all of you! Hold! I haven't given out any orders to attack yet! [Helmholz and Renk attack Fei, but fail. They are followed by Vance, Stratski and Broyer, but they fail as well. They fly back to Elly.] Helholz:Aaaaaahhhhh! Vance:Guaaaaaahhhh!! Renk:Vance! Helm! You two okay!? Vance:Why am I losing to a Lamb? Something's wrong... Way wrong!! Renk:Vance!! Get a hold of yourself! Vance:Oh yeah!? I just need more! I need more 'Drive'!! Elly:...I can't do it. I can't... fight Fei... but... [she thinks to herself] The only thing left... is to use the 'Drive'... But... [Elly flashes back to a scene about a year ago in Solaris. She runs through a hallway.] Elly:W, what are you doing? Voice:Don't worry. It's just the 'Drive'. The 'Drive' will just readjust your balance and make you feel good. Elly:I don't want it! I, I don't want to use it! Please! Go away! Voice:You think we're going to make an exception because of your father's top brass? [Elly is chased into a corner by men.] Voice:You have no recollection: There were no records on mental enhancement drug use up until now. Examiner:Then it was sudden. She's probably the type that can't handle the 'Drive'. Voice:That probably caused her to lapse into delirium. Examiner:And her loss of self-control? You mean an unconscious burst of pent-up antipathy? But everyone has that. Voice:Is that why the inate ability is so high? Examiner:Yes... What did the Commander call those girls again? It's probably higher than they are. Voice:Then it's an instantaneous jump in numerical value. But, we can't use her as a test subject in front of Erich. Examiner:It's a pity we can't manage it... since there's so much potential. We'll leave you to the bureau. Stay at your residence until further notice. Voice:Don't worry! You have power worthy of the chosen one's. It's those weak people's fault for not being able to withstand your powers. [Three men lunge at Elly] Elly:Please! Stop it! [Suddenly, a flash. The three men lay on the floor, dead. Blood is splattered all over the wall and is on Elly. She focuses back on the present.] Renk:Don't! Anymore 'Drive' and you'll waste your mind!! Vance:I don't care! I'm already messed up as it is!! Elly:Stop this now, Vance... I'll handle it. [Elly injects a syringe in her arm. Vierge goes down to Weltall.] Fei:...That voice!? ...Elly? Elly, is that you!? Elly:Fei... What're you doing? You shouldn't be here! [Elly attacks Fei.] Fei:Elly!? Your face...!? What's wrong? Don't tell me you're using that personality-changing drug that Bart told us about!? Elly:It has nothing to do with you. And would you quit being so friendly! [Suddenly, around a dozen small modules come out of Vierge's back. They aim at Weltall and blast it, sending ether bullets smashing into Weltall.] Broyer:Wow! Did you see that?! Renk:Those were Aerods! Vance:Aerods? Helmholz:Animum Ether Response Offensive Drones... Commonly known as Aerods... Within Gebler, there are only a handful of people capable of using them. From what I hear, it should only be people from the Element Class. Stratski:B, but isn't it like, a side effect of the 'Drive'? It's no big deal, right...? Renk:...No. The drive can only draw upon the potential that already exists in her. You're looking at... the real thing, boys! Fei:Elly, stop it! Why must we fight!? Elly:Why? It's obvious. It's divine providence! We are the chosen people, the Abel... Our purpose of existence is to subordinate the earth dwelling 'Lambs'. Those who stand in our way must be eliminated! [Vierge attacks Weltall. Weltall dodges.] Fei:Elly, snap out of it! Your emotions are being controlled by the drug! Elly:This is my true nature! There is no other! Fei:That's a lie! You once felt responsible, blaming yourself for causing the incident in Lahan for landing there. You were considerate of me when I was troubled... The real you would never say anything like that!! Elly:You talk as if you would know... Yet you know nothing! [Vierge attacks Weltall again.] Elly:Hahaha! Writhe! Dance!! Die and rot in obscurity here! Fei:...Argh! Elly... Must I fight you!? [Vierge continues to attack Weltall.] Elly:It looks like it's over for you. I'll put you out of your misery now! Fear not! In return for treating me so kindly, I will kill you painlessly. Farewell, Fei... [Suddenly, the 'drive' starts wearing off.] Elly:Uhh!... Aagh... Ah... M, my head... Fei:...What happened? There's something wrong with Elly. I can probably stop her now!! [Weltall attacks Vierge and knocks it to the ground.] Fei:Elly! Wake up and snap out of it! Elly:Ugh!... Silence! Impertinent fool! I will not listen to a Lamb...!! That's... not true... I... No... I don't want this... Guh! Fei:Are you okay!? Elly! What!? Are the effects of the drug wearing off? Elly:Uuahh! Fei:Is that it? Elly! Is that what's happening!? Elly:Sh, shut up! I've no need for outward appearances of compassion. ...I, I ...erh, F... Fei... H, help... Th, this... isn't... This isn't... me... Fei:Hang in there, Elly! Don't let go of your true self! Elly:No---! [Vierge pushes away from Weltall, and is suddenly struck by flashes of energy.] Elly:Noooooo!! [Vierge falls and slumps to the ground. Fei gets out of Weltall and runs up to it.] Fei:Elly!! [Elly gets out of Vierge.] Fei:Elly, why...? Elly:I warned you... I said the next time we met we'd be... enemies. Fei:But, there's no reason for you to do this to yourself just so you can fight. There's no reason for you and I to fight... None at all. Elly:There... was no other choice... I'm a Solaris officer... I can't turn my back on my unit, the mission... Fei:Why did you have to use the 'Drive'? Elly:I didn't want to... When I use it, I change. I feel like I'm dominated by some unknown power that I never wanted... There's a power in me I don't want to admit. But... I wanted to protect my allies... So, I had no choice but to use... the 'Drive'. Fei:...Elly, you're the same as me. Elly:The same? ...Probably. I felt I knew you ever since I first met you... Probably because our problems are so similar. Fei:I'm here for you. It may not be much, but at least I can relate to how you feel, Elly. Elly:What? Are you saying that we lick each other's wounds? Fei:No, that's not... Well, I guess I am... Sorry... Elly:...I'm sorry. I'm not being fair, am I...? Fei:No, I'm just pessimistic sometimes. But... even so, it's better than worrying about it by yourself. Elly:Fei... Fei:You won't change your mind...? Elly:Please, don't look so sad. I have no choice. It is my only home. Fei:I have to go. My 'friends' are waiting for me. If you can, get out of the army, Elly... That look doesn't suit you at all. [Fei turns and starts leaving.] Fei:I gotta hurry. The others are waiting for me. [Fei continues up the cliff until he reaches the others.] Fei:Looks like the mountain peak is right above here! [Meanwhile in the Gun Room, Maison accidently drops Bart's cup. It shatters on the ground.] Maison:The young master's cup...Is something bad going to happen to him...? [Meanwhile, under Fatima castle...] Bart:...Sig and I will take two men and head for the top floor. Citan, will you take the two remaining men and open the castle gate to let in our main force? If we can catch Shakhan we are sure to succeed. Citan:Right. When you capture Shakhan give the signal. It is probably best to open the gate at that time. Bart:Above us is the castle Bailey. The keep must fall quickly. Shakhan should be on the top floor. Sigurd:...In the room that used to be used by the young master'' father. Try not to damage the castle, avoid all needless combat, and above all, remember --speed! Bart:That's why there are so few of us. Our objective is Shakhan! So ignore the Gebler and Aveh soldiers. Alright, let's move on out! [They go up in to the court yard...] Bart:Let's go! ...! [Suddenly, the door swings open. Shakhan and Miang step out.] Bart:You've saved us the trouble of finding you, Shakhan! Now get ready! Shakhan:We've been expecting you! Bart:What!? [Suddenly, armed soldiers reveal themselves from multiple locations. They have Bart and his troops surrounded.] Sigurd:Crap! An ambush! Citan:Oh-oh...! Where is Kahr...? Miang:I see you are quick to catch on. Ramsus should be taking care of all your divided forces out by the Nisan border as we speak. Ramsus easily saw through your plan to use a feint attack by Kislev long ago. Don't underestimate us... Hyuga, have you lived down here so long that your mind has slipped? And Sigurd, who would have thought you would have joined the last survivors of the royal dynasty... Sigurd:Damn it... Why are you still backing Shakhan? What does it matter to you who the king is? Miang:Hah! You suggest the son of the murdered King Fatima? He refused to cooperate! You mean to say that now he wants to be our puppet all of a sudden? That I don't believe... even coming from the mouth of a traitor like you. Ha ha ha... Besides, stupidity in puppets has its advantages. Shakhan:Stu, stupidity!? Miang, what's that supposed to mean? Miang:Minister Shakhan, I'll let you handle this. You must protect your own position. We don't care who is sitting on the throne. Any obedient sheep will be fine. However, isn't there something that you still have to do? If you will only do that, then we'll help you as much as possible. Shakhan:Yes, you don't have to tell me. One must take care of one's own country's criminals personally. Miang:Then, with your permission I shall take my leave... Bart:Hey now! Wait a minute!! Miang:Goodbye... boys. [Miang leaves.] Shakhan:You pirate… no, you're just a sandworm. You have caused me enough shame. But this is the end. You didn't know your place and now all that awaits you is annihilation. Prepare to fire...! ...Wha? [Suddenly, Citan's land crab burst onto the scene, piloted by Maison!] Maison:You wretched rebel, Shakhan! Make one move and this Gatling gun shall be spitting fire! Bart:Old Maison! Maison:Reinforcements have arrived, young master. Please come aboard. [The Land Crab bends down. Citan, Bart, Sigurd, and the rest of the troops go on board.] Maison:Shall we depart? Bart:See you again, Shakhan. Till then... go get your head waxed! [Suddenly, smoke starts coming out of the propellors. They break and fall off.] Citan:This... is not good... Shakhan:Is this some kind of joke? Hmm, it seems sandworms can't fly after all. Just surrender. Thanks for the laughs... I almost hate to have to shoot you. Bart:Crap! I guess we're gonna get mauled... Maison:Everyone... Please get down. Bart:Do you have a plan, Maison? Maison:Leave it to me. [The Land Crab starts running around in circles around the courtyard.] Bart:Maison, you're just walking in circles. Maison:Just leave it to me. [The Land Crab bounces itself off the walls of the castle and escapes.] [Later, in the Yggdrasil...] Bart:Thanks for saving us, Old Maison! Maison:Please raise your head. My duty is to protect the young master. I'm sorry it took me so long to help you. Bart:I feel bad you had to get involved... I appreciate it. ...But I had no idea you could operate such a thing. Maison:It's a trick I picked up long ago... It's nothing special. I'm no expert on it. I'm actually a bit embarrassed about it. [Sigurd comes in.] Sigurd:Young master! The Royal Capital's armies are returning! We were the ones who took the bait. We must escape before we get caught! Head for the bridge as soon as you are through with your preparations! [Meanwhile, on the peak of the Mountain overlooking the border, Fei stands with his fellow troops. A large army is visible.] Fei: Is that… Vanderkaum's border fleet…? Maitreya:Our job is to slow them down. So how do you want to do it? Fei:... Simple. We do this. [Weltall starts jumping down the cliff.] Maitreya:...He might even be more gung-ho than the young master. Falkon! Follow the kid! The rest of you, stay with your unit but follow me! Don't fall behind the kid! We're going in! [Meanwhile on the Keifenzel...] Man:Bogeys incoming vector 3-3-6! 2 groups, about 7-8 machines, distance 2000! Aviations Officer:Relay to all ships! Fire at will, begin evasive action! But, don't let fire support positions collapse! Man:Roger. Torpedo room, you are free to fire at will. All Rapid fire Control Systems ... commmence operation! Lay aerial mines. Projection pattern, mark 3! Soldier:How many machines are on air patrol? Vanderkaum:Aviation Officer, wait! Comm officer! Change of orders. Contact Von Hipper... Have the second destroyer squadron approach the enemy flank. Open the fleet's side and bait them into entering the Kefeinzel's main guns' firing arch. Aviation Officer:Huh:? It's stupid! There's no way the flagship's gun can hit speeding Gears. Vanderkaum:Fire control! Gunnery chief! Ready the type 3 shells. Pull back the deck gunners and prepare to engage the Kefeinzel's main cannon... I'll annihilate them into pure energy... Aviation Officer:Admiral! What are you doing pulling the anti-Gear gunners back!? Vanderkaum:Quiet down, Aviation Officer! Thanks for your valuable opinion but I am in charge not you! What use are pea shooters and 40 sem guns? Discussion over. Captain! Not too fast! We don't want to leave the enemy behind. Aviation Officer:(Your plan will never work...!) [Meanwhile, Fei's troops storm the desert.] Falkon:Aim for the flagship heading west! Don't engage the destroyer! I'll back off and help out! [Fei nears the Kefeinzel.] Falkon:Get away from the destroyer! I am going to use reactive shots! [Inside the Kefeinzel, people are starting to fear...] Vanderkaum:That moron, Hipper! Pursue them, they're just playing with him. You're not good enough to be my dog! Man:Our mobility is too different... Vanderkaum:Fire control! Gunnery Chief! It hasn't fired a shot yet! Range for type 3 is 500. Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes. Man:Gears at battle speed can move at 2000 per hour. Vanderkaum:This whole ship! All of you are morons! Aviation Officer:(You're the biggest moron!) Man:Black enemy Gear, inside units, stick to your escort! [Weltall continues on...] Falkon:Just past this line of ships is the flagship Kefeinzel! All right! Dodge the escort! The ship in front of you is the Kefeinzel! [Inside...] Vanderkaum:Fire control! Gunnery Chief! What are you doing? You're not even close! Are you blind? Soldier:Destroyer Iltus's engine is down! Flash signal from Luveh! 'Luveh, rudder out, rudder out, end. Three remaining allies! Vanderkaum:Idiotic! Idiotic! What is this mess...? Soldier:Enemy Gear above! Enemy Gear diving from above! Vanderkaum:Go down, dammit! Or Ramsus will have my hide! [Fei destroys the main gun of the Kefeinzel.] [Inside...] Alarm:All personnel, evacuate the ship! Soldier:A, admiral... Other Soldier:Forget him! [They run off.] Vanderkaum:Right... I still have that... I still have that... Yes... I still have that... I still have that... [The wreckage of the Keifenzel burns while Fei and the others stand near by.] Maitreya:Yess! One for our side! Fei:Yeah... and it's all due to your support. Thanks. Maitreya:Stop the border guards? Hah... we destroyed them! Well, we've done our job! I hope the others do ok! Fei:Bart and his team... He's probably okay... Any words from them? Maitreya:Nothing. They say no news is good news I guess. My Gear doesn't have very good comm equipment. They probably did fine though. [Suddenly, a giant Gear in the wreckage starts moving.] Fei:... Maitreya:What's wrong? [Suddenly, a giant Gear burst out of the wreckage.] Vanderkaum;I... will... kill... you! [Fei, Maitreya and Falkon battle the Dora. After a while...] Vanderkaum:Um... I... [Suddenly, a voice rings out.] Voice:Do you want the power? Vanderkaum:Wh, who are you!? [Grahf soars through the air in his Gear and stops in front of the Dora.] Grahf:I am Grahf, the seeker of power. Doth thou desire the power? Vanderkaum:The power... Grahf:Yes, the power... Vanderkaum:P, power... the power... I want it... I want the POWER! Grahf:So be it! [Grahf brings out his arm.] Grahf:My fist is the divine breath! [He opens his hand and puts it out towards the Dora.] Grahf:Blossom, o fallen seed, and draw upon thy hidden powers!! [The hand lights up.] Grahf:Grant unto thee the power of the glorious 'Mother of Destruction'! [A beam of light hits the Dora. The entire area becomes very bright. Grahf flies away.] Vanderkaum:Uhhhhhhh... [Meanwhile on the Yggdrasil...] Bart:We'll go back to Nisan! [Sigurd walks up to him.] Sigurd:It's useless! Young master! [Maison approaches Bart.] Maison:Y, yes... young master... I hear when they attacked the fort at the border, the Gebler, led by Ramsus, routed them. We'd better withdraw for now, and reconsider... Bart:Margie and them are still there. We'll go back! We have to! That reminds me... What about Fei and his guys? If they're alright, we could... Franz:We've had no contact since we confirmed their order to charge... Bart:Dammit! This can't be happening! Maison:Young master... Bart:Behind...? Something's coming from behind! Jerico! Give me the helm... No, you keep it! Just hurry up and pull either way! [The Yggdrasil shakes.] Sigurd:Young master...? Franz:Aft of our stern! 300! I'm picking up the sound of torpedos being readied! A sand cruiser!? It's big! Speed 60! Relative route 0-0-0! They were hiding behind some baffles! Sigurd:Kahr! Franz:I'm picking up some high speed propulsion, breaking away from the enemy's ship! Torpedoes! ? Two of them! Speed 87! Torpedos confirmed with the sonar. They've shifted over to active homing! Bart:Battle stations! Deploy the maskers! Ready the noisemaker! Battle stations everyone! Man:Open jammer! Noisemaker, 2nd, 4th tube... standby! [An alarm goes off.] Bart:Emit noisemaker! Prepare to stop the engine! Helm... NOW! Steer to the opposite direction as far as you can! Stop the engine! Crash alarm! Man:Crash alarm!! [The ship is blasted by one of the torpedos.] Franz:Torpedo...1, still pursuing! Dammit! Impact in 3!! [Another one strikes the ship, causing the Yggdrasil to shake and tilt over.] [Meanwhile, on the Gebler ship behind them...] Crewman:Confirmed, vessel destruction noise. ...Followed by a rapid blowing noise. Enemy vessel is probably floating rapidly to the surface. Scanner:Fluid static around enemy vessel is decreasing. Sand maneuverability of enemy vessel down 60%. ...Looks like the main engine and effect-fins have been disabled. Ramsus:Once their effect-fins are destroyed they will remain buried and unable to move. Surfacing was a smart move. Sand-Torpedo Chief! Well done on lowering their fighting power. Brilliant! Sand Torpedo Chief:Sorry to trouble you. Ramsus:Well... what shall we do with them...? Miang:Oh? It's unusual for you to get lost. Ramsus:I promised an old friend... I must take it easy... An old... friend... [Ramsus flashes back to a scene in Solaris years before. Sigurd is walking out of Solaris. Ramsus runs up to him.] Ramsus:Sigurd! Why are you abandoning this country!? You were supposed to help us create an ideal nation! Sigurd:I'm not abandoning it. I've been here to steal this country's technology from the beginning. Besides, there's somone waiting for me. Don't be bitter. It wasn't too bad going after the same ideals with you, for that short time. [Sigurd walks away.] Ramsus:You traitor! [Ramsus goes back to the present.] Ramsus:Comm Officer! Use my name and urge them to surrender. Tell them to surrender if they desire the safety of Nisan. All divisions cease fire, but remain on alert! If any enemy vessel attempts to attack, shoot it individually! [Smoke starts coming from the Yggdrasil...] [Meanwhile, troops stand near the wrecked Dora.] Maitreya:...What was that? That guy just now? Fei:...It's them... Why them...? What did they do? Falkon:...Huh? Wha!? Oh no!! General! General Maitreya!! We have an R code message! I'm not sure, but it looks like the young master is in trouble!! We don't have time for this junker!! [Suddenly, a beam of light blasts Falkon and his Gear to smithereens. The Dora gets up, now glowing with more power than ever...] Vanderkaum:You there... What're you doing ignoring me and messing around...? I'll kill all of you! Maitreya:...Fei, gather the wounded up and return to the young master. Hurry! My unit will stay behind and try to buy some time. All operational Gears left will provide cover as per their commanders' orders, and retreat in set order. Fei:Don't be stupid! I'm staying too! Maitreya:Shut up and listen, boy! You're the young master's guest. I can't let you die here. Fei:But... Maitreya:...The young master... What he really needs is your strength. Please help him. I beg you. Farrant! Vind! Let's move out!! [The other Gears head towards the Dora. It easily tears them to pieces while Fei watches. His heart starts beating loudly as Fei watches his friends die...] Fei:...Uahh... St... stop it... St...op... Uahh... [In the cockpit, Fei clutches his head and moans.] Fei:Ah... [His heart beats louder and louder...] [Meanwhile, Gebler ships surround the Yggdrasil. Bart is outside in Brigandier, piloting it from outside.] Bart:Surrounded, huh? How are the repairs? Worker:The main engine and effect-fins' oscillators are mostly unharmed... but the electrical connections between are wasted. We are bypassing the main connection and trying to scrape together all the energy we can. But it will only give us 70% of our usual maximum at best. The propulsion drills are not damaged, but if the sand can't be granulated they might as well be. We'll make battle speed 3... only barely. Bart:Sig! What has Gebler's 'Mister Puniverse' got to say? Sigurd:He's been quiet since the first surrender demand. Bart:...All personnel to battle stations. Break through is planned after the connectors are up. Sigurd:Young master! Bart:Sig! Listen! Surrendering isn't going to change Nisan's fate. We'll lose the Yggdrasil, the core of our power in saving Aveh and Margie. I know it looks bad, but you can still count on us! Maison:Well said, young master! This old man will follow you to the pits of hell! Bart:Sorry, Old Maison. I'm not dying today! Besides, they don't look like they're gonna hit us. Sigurd:It sure looks that way... Perhaps they have political motives that involve Margie or the young master... Bart:That's probably it, Sig! But they're forgetting one thing... It's harder to bring in an animal alive than dead! Worker:Young master, emergency connections are complete. Use the engine as you wish. Bart:Thanks!! Alright, let's... Go get those fools!! [Meanwhile, on the main Gebler ship...] Crewman:Confirmed, one enemy Gear engaged. Direct course. Enemy vessel engine noise increasing... Speed increase, steering noise confirmed, course change... Taking evasive action. Miang:Commander? ...Ha, ha, ha. Ramsus:...Can't help it, eh? All divisions, holding pattern cancelled! ...Resume attack! Crewman:Bow torpedo tubes 1-3, Namthal missile. Set 1 and 2 for homing, 3 for anti-radar. Tubes 4-6, Makara Mk5 sand torpedoes. After acquiring target set all to passive homing. All units, begin defensive fire. Aim for the main ship. Crewman 2: W, wait!!! Explosions along the perimeter of the fleet confirmed. Multiple vessel destruction noises! High energy reactions... What kind of gain is this!? Commander!! I can't believe this! This... Gear...? It's like reactive rounds are flying around... Miang:Calm down. Put the analyzed picture on the monitor. Crewman:Y, yess'm... Ramsus:Ah... That is...!! [From outside, a giant red Gear blasts by the Gebler ships. As it does, beams of energy strike multiple Gebler ships, causing them to explode.] Bart:W, what happened? Is it heading... here? [Back in the Gebler ship...] Ramsus:Th, that Gear! No mistake! It's him! Demon of Elru...! Miang! Let's go! [Ramsus rushes from the bridge.] Miang:Commander! Please wait! Commander!! [Miang heads towards the door, but pauses first...] Miang:Ha, ha... [Meanwhile, the Red Gear hovers in front of Bart on the Yggdrasil.] ???:Are you strong? Bart:...What? Who are you...? ???:I asked, 'Are you strong'! [Suddenly, Bart and the mysterious Gear are brought far from the Yggdrasil.] Bart:(Behind me?) ...What are you suddenly attacking me for!? ???:Heh heh, fine. Then play dumb! You, strong... Huh? [Suddenly, two Gears appear, they are piloted by Ramsus and Miang.] Ramsus:You there... pirate boy! Do you know him!? That's right... weren't you with that punk, Fei? Bart:No, I don't know 'him'! ...But even if I did, I sure wouldn't tell you! Ramsus:Good! Then you won't mind if I take care of him. I owe 'him' greatly! [Ramsus approaches the Red Gear. Bart and Miang move out of the way.] Ramsus:I've finally found you! Now, I must challenge you!! [The Gear rushes Wyvern and punches it. Wyvern's arm is easily broken, and it flies feet away from the Gear. It next grabs Wyvern and slams it into the ground, snapping one of the legs off.] Ramsus:Guaaah! This can't be! You m, monster... ...Guha! D... damn you... If it weren't for you... [The Gear attacks Ramsus once more. Wyvern lies in a crumpled heap nearby. The Red Gear approaches Bart once more.] Bart:Tch! Keep back! [Miang in her Gear walks up to Wyvern.] Miang:Commander... let's pull out! [Miang picks up Wyvern.] Ramsus:Don't do anything unwarranted, Miang! I still have one arm!! Miang:We're pulling out! ...That mad dog seems to have a new toy to play with. [Miang and Wyvern fly away.] ???:Well, now that my motor coil's warmed up... let's start the main event!! Bart:Today's my unlucky day. Why does this have to happen now? Oh, well... Let's get it over with... [The Mysterious Gear attacks Brigandier. Brigandier falls damaged to the ground after only a single attack.] [Meanwhile on the bridge of the Yggdrasil...] Sigurd:Young master!!! Engine, ready for full power!! Jerico! Give me the helm over here! Jerico:But first mate! Now with the effect-fins out of order, if you run at full speed, the ship wouldn't be able to stand the friction! Sigurd:It can 'jump' due to the Bernoulli effect on the wings' surfaces instead!! Crewman:First mate!! Sigurd:Never mind that! The Yggdrasil is nothing without the young master! Full power!! Maximum speed!! [The engines power up and the ship starts going at full speed.] Sigurd:Eeeeeaaaaarrrrgghh!!!! Come on, GO!!! [The Yggdrasil goes at an amazing speed and manages to fly up in the air. It lands right on the mysterious Gear.] Sigurd:Young master! Are you okay!? Bart:Don't overdo it, Sig... Trying to make our ship 'fly'...!? When we get back it'll take a month to get this heap of junk working again. Sigurd:Ha... ha ha... You seem to be okay! Bart:...Shees!! What was that monster anyway? [Suddenly, the Yggdrasil cracks in the middle, and starts bending at the crack.] Bart:Sig! What's going on? Sigurd:What... the ship? The engine should have fallen out, but... [Suddenly, the Yggdrasil starts lifting from the ground.] Sigurd:What in the hell? [The ship floats up to nearly a hundred feet above ground. Underneath is the mysterious Red Gear. It holds the ship with a single hand. The ship continues to crack and bend where the Gear is holding it.] ???:That was pretty interesting. But dropping a warship on me is cheating... Take it back! [The Gear throws the ship towards Bart. The ship fastly approaches Brigandier....] Bart:Sig!! Maison!!... Uah... [In the Yggdrasil...] Crew:The sand pump, effect-fins and propulsion drills are all out of commission!! Main engine, support engine, engage the auto-scram. Switch power to batteries. Out put ratio 0.5, operating time... 500!! Franz:The 3rd bridge... it's ruined!! The hangar section, the armament section, and even the pressure shell have been destroyed!! We can't stops the sand from flowing in! Sigurd:Close each section down completely and commence independent operation!! Franz:Then, damage control wont' be able to move!! The whole won't be covered!! Sigurd:That's alright!! ...Either way, it's impossible to save the entire ship. Our priority is to secure the bridge!! Gather everyone into the bridge immediately! ...Hyuga... No... you're Citan now. You need to get out. I'll have Maison guide yo to an escape pod. Citan:I cannot leave you all like this...!? Sigurd:We have no right to keep you here and get you involved. ...If you see Kahf and Miang, make sure you pay 'em back for me. Maison... Please show him the way. Maison:This way, please. [The emergency pod blasts out of the Yggdrasil moments later.] Citan:Sigurd!!! [Much later in the desert Citan looks out of the pod in the desert near Kislev.] Citan:I am being carried by the wind to the vicinity of the border... ...What is that? [Citan gets out of the pod in Heimdal and walks over to the wreckage of the Dora. Around it he also sees the wrechage of various Pirate Gears. Citan:That... is... the... Dora. It was stationed here? That was careless of me... But its condition... ... ... ... It is just like the others that 'he' destroyed... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II H. Nortune ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [In Nortune, capital of Kislev. Kaiser Sigmund, ruler of Kislev, plays his organ. The door to his room opens and a Kislev Soldier walks in.] Soldier:Kaiser, we have some news. Sigmund:Yes. Soldier:We investigated the cause of the recent explosion at the southern Aveh border. Our data showed a large amount of radiation was released at the epicenter. It was probably caused by an overload of a battleship class slave generator. The cause of this is still unknown. The shockwaves from that explosion took out two thirds of the Aveh and Gebler forces combined. Now, Aveh is in the process of regrouping their reserve units, but that should take at least several days. Concerning your order, the scouts have arrived at the area you requested… Sigmund:Found it, eh…? Soldier:Yes, sir. Sigmund:I see. Soldier:We know the Gear found was stolen from the 11th base by the Gebler unit in Aveh. And in the investigation of the machine, we also caught the unconscious pilot. The seized Gear has been transported to the capital. From the circumstances, we believe information was leaked to Aveh. Sigmund:How can you say that? Soldier:All the Gears except this were destroyed at Lahan. Judging from the ID signal, this one wasn't with Aveh, but was part of a pirate group. Sigmund:Pirates? You mean the young prince? Soldier:Yes, sir. Sigmund:Uh huh... Soldier:We're now analyzing the combat data. However, we've discovered some black boxes, which are likely to delay the analysis. Sigmund:Black boxes? Soldier:That Gear wasn't made by us. The stock body was brought in by 'them'. Sigmund:So that's it... [The Kaiser pauses and remains silent.] Soldier:...Uh... Kaiser? Sigmund:What? Soldier:Shouldn't we begin an assault on Aveh? Sigmund:Are you trying to destroy Kislev? Soldier:Huh? Sigmund:Indeed it would be easy to take down Aveh. But it would exhaust our resources also. Soldier:But we can't afford to miss this chance... Sigmund:Even if we beat Shakhan, Solaris would only replace him with another puppet. What if we exhausted our resources and found ourselves under attack? Anyway, we must still be concerned with Nisan. There is nothing to gain by doing anything now. [The door opens and another man steps in the room.] Man:Excuse me! Sigmund:It seems 'they' have arrived… [The Kaiser leaves.] [A large fishbowl shaped black ship lands at the Kislev dock. Two gears come out of the ship, carrying a long crate. They bring it down to the ground and it is transported away. Four people walk out of the ship. Three of the people are in blue, and the leader in red. The leader stands before the Kaiser.] Kaiser:Is that it? Masked Woman:Yes. If you use that, you can pass through the barrier. You will be free to go where and when you please. Sigmund:That man... what was it? Grahf? Is he around? Masked Woman:He is rather busy now, I was assigned to be his representative. Sigmund:I will ask you this once. Why do you help us? Who are you people? Masked Woman:I've told you before. I simply wish to observe what is in store for the world. There are so many things you people must know. I am merely your guide. I cannot directly assist you. How you use it is entirely up to you. Sigmund:So you're telling me you do not require any recompense? Masked Woman:Let me see...Well then, how about this...? [She whispers something to the Kaiser and backs off.] Masked Woman:Well, I must go... [She and the other 3 people returns to the ship and it leaves.] Sigmund:...But what a strange thing to ask for. Soldier:What did she say? Sigmund:They want me to transfer that Gear we captured and its pilot to D Block... Soldier:D Block? I wonder why? Sigmund:I don't know either. ...But, still, we owe them a favor. We can't just deny them. So see to it! Soldier:Yes, sir… [Fei finds himself in walking in a dream like world with a giant swinging cross nearby. He comes to a young boy, around 10 watching a filmstrip of himself playing with his mother.] Fei:...Wher ...am...I...? [An other boy, mean looking with hair on his face appears behind Fei.] Boy:You shouldn't be here. [The lights go out. Fei wakes up in a small bed in a hospital ward.] Fei:Where...am I? Doctor:Good, you've finally woken up! ...You have been unconscious for four days, so I had begun to fear the worst. Fei:...Who are you? And where am I? How did I get here...? Ah,uuuugh...! Doctor:You've only just gained consciousness, so don't push yourself too much! I am a doctor. You are in Nortune, the Imperial capital of Kislev. This is the detention area for criminals... commonly known as 'D Block'. Fei:Detention area for... ...criminals? Doctor:You are in a living quarters for prisoners in D Block... Judgeing by the way you were brought in here under the heavy guard of the Kislev army, you are no ordinary criminal...! Huh? [Suddenly, 3 tough looking men and 1 tough looking woman enter the room. The woman says...] Suzarn:Oh, look, what good timing! Prince Charming has woke up! This may be sudden, but you have to come along with us! Doctor:Not the 'Baptismal Ceremony'!? This patient has only just awoke! It is unthinkable that you would try and suddenly carry out your 'Baptismal Ceremony' on him!!! Vargas:Come off it! Just a sec! That guy's been thrown in 'ere as a crim, ain't he? You should be thanking us for 'aving the kind and compassionate 'eart to let 'im rest up a few days! Heinrich:Yeah, that's right! As long as he's come here as a crim, he's gotta follow the rules! Leonardo:...That's the way it is! So without further ado, we'll borrow him for a little while. Don't worry, we will return him to you straight away! Once we're through with him, that is! Suzarn:You don't have a choice in this! If you oppose us, the fair doctor will cop it too! Fei:... ...Okay. I'll do what you want! Doctor:I am so sorry! I can't go against the battlers! Suzarn:Oh, what a sensible lad! That saves us a bit of trouble. Anyway, come along now, the 'Champ' is waiting! And don't worry! We'll let you return here soon. Hurry up then... Fo~ward march! [They bring Fei to a large room. A large demi-human, almost 7 feet tall sits on a large couch.] Suzarn:Champ, we've brought him to you. A man called 'Champ': Thanks Suzarn. Hmmm, so you're the new inmate... We don't know or care what you did to get put in here, but welcome to D Block... So what name do you go by? Fei:...I am Fei Fong Wong. And what's your name? I know it's not really 'Champ'? I atleast have the right to know that much... Suzarn:Why you...!? How insolent!! Champ:Calm down Suzarn. I don't mind... The name's Rico, kid... It's good to have guts... If it's the real thing... We know it's a bit sudden, but we need to see how strong you really are... Heinrich! Vargas! Leonardo! Suzarn! Let's begin his 'Baptism'! Take him outside! [outside...] Rico:Kid, you're up front. Now, I think you've got the idea, but I'll tell you anyway... All the criminals sent here are each given a rank. Deciding what rank you are is easy... You get your rank by fighting these four battlers. Relax, the fights are one on one. By now you should've realized... Results are everything! If you can defeat these four battlers, you'll be promised a certain amount of freedom... Then, let the fights begin... That's what I'd like to say... but even we have some compassion. We'll give you some time... Even though it's one on one, you still have to fight all four. You should get prepared for the battle. And one more thing... Don't even think about trying to get away from here... After all, that's an impossibility. Suzarn:Hey, are you ready? Fei:Lets rock. Suzarn:...Champ. He's ready ...for his 'Baptismal Ceremony'. Rico:Hmph, then let it begin... Your first opponent will be Leonardo. [Fei quickly beats Leonardo.] Leo:To have lost to someone who's just recovered... Sadness. Rico:Hmph. How's the next one? [Fei fights Heinrich and beats him.] Heinrich:Guh, uhhh... How could I have... Rico:Hmm, entertaining. How's the next one? [Fei beats Vargas.] Vargas:Hah! I'll get you for this someday. Rico:Not bad. No one's defeated Vargas since Suzarn... Now for the last one! Do you think you can win? [Fei fights Suzarn. It is a difficult battle, but Fei wins.] Suzarn:R...ridiculous... Even I lost to you... Rico:You've defeated all 4... Hah, this is an unexpected outcome. Let me give you the special treatment. I, myself will be your final opponent. Fei:Enough! There's no purpose in doing this! I have nothing to do with you! Rico:No need for a reason. This is the D Block tradition! We must determine the pecking order! Get ready! [They fight. Fei refuses to attack Rico.] Rico:Is that all you can do? What? Don't you want to fight!? Fei:Guh... gah... Rico:What's wrong? If you don't resist, I'll end up breakin' your neck! Fei:N..., no... Rico:What's that? Hm? I can't hear you! Fei:No... I... won't fight! Rico:Hmph, Well then, this is the end! [He goes to punch Fei.] Fei:Guh... uh, uh... ...Outta the way! [Suddenly Fei attacks Rico using a strange attack, knocking Rico over.] Rico:What!? Fei:... I... I... Rico:Hah hah hah. That's more like it... You're quite good. You're the first one to ever injure me. Now I don't have to hold back. I'm looking foward to this! [Rico beats the crap outta Fei.] Rico:... A bit tough. Well, a win is a win. Your rank is A. Fei:... Rico:...Didn't you hear? Take him back to his quaters. ...And don't forget that one thing... [Later Fei wakes up in the D Block medical ward.] Fei:Uuugh...? Where am I this time? Doctor:... You're in the same place. Just a different room! You've had a rough day, heh? Fei:Ah! ...Oh, it's you? It looks like I needed your assistance again, huh...? Doctor:Yes, but don't worry. I don't mind. - it's my job! Anyway, how do you feel? Fei:Hm? Aaah... I'm in a bit of pain, but nothing I can't cope with... Lately I've been getting used to this kind of thing. Aah...! The last thing I remember was those guys speaking of what 'rank' they think I am worthy of. Doctor:Oh, I think I better tell you about that... Fei:What? You know what rank I am? Doctor:You're quite strong, aren't you? To defeat four people in your condition... it's no wonder they gave you rank A! but to go up against the Champ...? It's amazing you came back alive at all! Fei:The fight was meaningless. I had no reason to... I didn't want to fight... Doctor:...What happened? You look a bit pale. Fei:It's nothing. Don't worry. [Notices collar around neck.] ...By the way, what's this thing around my neck? Doctor:Oh that? It's a bomb... The moment you leave the vicinity of the Imperial capital, that collar goes 'BOOM'! Too bad, but while you have that on, you will never be able to escape from Nortune. Apart from the civilians of D Block and a select few Battlers, everybody has to wear them... ...Here in D Block, that is the only chain that binds the prisoners. Fei:Huh, a bomb? So no matter how much I struggle, I'll never get outta here? Doctor:Anyway, you should try and get some rest today. You'll have to get used to life in this town soon too. [Fei goes to sleep. The next morning...] Doctor:How do you feel? If you need a rest, you can always lie down in the next room! Life here is tough, but first it might be better if you meet with Hammer! Hammer is a 'provider' of things and information. He might appear strange but he is good on the inside. He's probably hanging out at the bar, so it might be best to check there first. I'm sure he'll be of help! [Fei exits the house and explores the town. He climbs up to a tower overlooking a railroad.] Gramps:Who're you? Only the operations manager is allowed here! Fei:It's not written anywhere... Gramps:..Even so that's the way it is!! Fei:Jeez, you don't have to get so mad. I didn't know. So hey, tell me something, what is this? Gramps:...Might as well. It's the Observation Tower. Fei:Observation Tower? What are you watching? Gramps:Hmph. You'll see in just a minute............ ...It's coming! There! [A train passes by underneath them.] Fei:Wow, that's amazing. Gramps:...Well, I'm the operations manager. but there's no one to manage. It's perfectly automated. I'm only the operations manager on paper. Fei:Perfect? Is anything in this world perfect...? Gramps:...Hmph. The only weakness is the defection equipment... If it detects a heat source it'll shut the whole thing down to prevent any accidents... [Fei leaves and enters the bar nearby. When he enters, a ferret like demi human approaches Fei.] Beastoid Man:Ah!? Oh, allow me to introduce myself... They call me 'Hammer -the Supplier'. It's been a long time since such a powerful criminal has been sent to D Block! Heh-heh, so that makes you pretty famous in this town. In other words, you're the center of attention, bro! Fei:...Could you stop calling me 'bro'? My name is Fei! Hammer-the Supplier:What's wrong with it? It's not like I'm putting you down. What would you prefer me to call you 'sir' or something? Fei:...Oh, do whatever you wish. Hammer-the Supplier:Then it's decided. I'll continue to call you bro from now on! By the way, bro, I hear you're really strong, not many get rank A, you know! I'm pretty impressed! ...And what's more, bro, you seem different from the other prisoners. Fei:...Different, huh? Well you don't look so normal yourself! Hammer-the Supplier:It's not meant to be an insult... Just a feeling I have. No deep meaning! Oh, and if you have any problems, talk to me! Since I'm a supplier, I've got all the connections! [Fei heads back to the medical ward. On the way a guard stops him.] Guard:Hmm, so you're the new guy? The Imperial Committee is looking for you... They heard something about you and the Champ's men... They should still be somewhere in D Block. They decided to visit you... This is a good chance for a prisoner like yourself! [Fei goes into the bar. No one is there.] Fei:...Not here either... Must have left already? Huh? [Suddenly, a woman accompanied by 2 guards comes down the stairs. Mystery Woman:...I finally get to meet you. You're Fei, right? ...And, uh outta the way! Woman's Subordianates:!? Uh, forgive us, Ms. Cohen!! [They get out of the way so the woman can walk up to Fei.] Woman called Ms. Cohen:You men are hopeless! This is why I didn't want to come with you two. huhmm, allow me to introduce myself. I'm Rue Cohen from the 'Imperial Battling Committee' in B Block of this, the Imperial capital. Fei:...Imperial Battling Committee? What do you want with me? Committee Member Rue:...I'll cut to the point. We want you to participate in the Battling Tournament. Fei:... Battling? Committee Member Rue:It's a recreational sport where Gear fights against Gear, or even Gear fights against monster depending on the program. Currently, there are no regulations for eligibility. And we, the committee, rarely interact with the participants directly. You should be honored. You are in luck that your little incident with the 'Champ' caught our attention so soon. ...So how about it? Better a Battler than a prisoner... It's not a bad deal at all. Fei:...I'm sorry, but I don't like Gears. I have no interest in such recreational tournament. And above all, I don't even have a Gear, so even if I wanted to participate, I can't. You ask too much! Subordinates:Indeed we ask too much! Committee Member Rue:Oh you two keep your mouth shut! Subordinates:Oh, sorry, Ms. Cohen!! Committee Member Rue:Hmm, forgive me... But do not worry about the latter problem. The Gear you require for the Battling will be provided by the Committee. ...So, will you participate then? Fei:Don't make me repeat myself. I hate Gears and I'm not interested in that kind of stuff! Committee Member Rue:If you won't change your mind then you'll... Well, you're still new here. I'll give you more time. Perhaps we may have been too pushy... But please, think about this offer seriously. I'll be looking foward to a favorable reply. Well then, we'll meet again! [They leave.] Fei:...Gears, huh? [Suddenly, Hammer runs in.] Fei:Ha, Hammer!? Hammer:Why did you do that, bro? Fei:Wait, Hammer. What are you talking about? Hammer:I overheard it all with my own ears! Why did you reject their invitation? It's truly a rare occassion for the committee to personally make contact! It's still not too late! Do it, bro. We can still make it, right? You'll be a Battler... A Battler!! Fei:Oh, that... If you overheard, you should already know. I don't like fighting. And Gears, well...! Moreover, there is no reason for me to do it. Hammer:If you become a Battler, you can leave the prison and live in luxury! Power is everything here! The powerless... the weak are just oppressed! So c'mon, give it a try! Fei:... ...Is that all? Hammer:Huh? What do you mean? Fei:...Are you done? Hammer:...Done? Fei:You've said enough... Now could you move out of the way? Hammer, sorry, but I doubt my feelings will change... Fighting and Gears, I hate them both. So too bad! Hammer:Oh bro... [Fei leaves and heads to the hospital ward. He is shocked to see Hammer there.] Hammer:Bro, I have news! News! The new doctor who was appointed today has just arrived! Fei:Hammer, you were supposed to have been in the bar... Hammer:Oh, bro! You shouldn't worry about such little details! If you just rely on me, the forefront of information, then you will know it all! So about this doctor.. Fei:..About what doctor? Hammer:What? You didn't know bro? The previous lady doctor got transferred to look after the civilian sector of town! Makes you envious, huh! So we get a new doctor to look after D Block. They say he just got here! Fei:...The new doctor, eh? So, what on earth has this new doctor got to do with you, the great 'supplier'? Hammer:What are you talking about bro? Of course I have everything to do with him! If I become chums with him, I can expand my connections by establishing black market medical treatment routes! Fei:...So that's it, huh? Oh, Hammer, what will we ever do with you? Hammer:Whatever, bro, whatever. Anyway, let's go say hello to him, shall we? Fei:Well, yeah, I suppose we should atleast say hello. [They go downstairs but find no one there.] Fei:You say a new doctor has come, but... there's nobody here! Hammer:Huh? That's strange... According to my sources, he should be here...! Fei:Too bad he's not here, huh Hammer! Looks like you'll have to forget about those black market medical routes you were... [Suddenly, the new doctor enters... It is Citan!] Hammer:The sound of an opening door! That must be... Fei:D, d, doc? Citan? What are you doing here!? Citan:I monitored Kislev's radio communications... I heard them talking about a Gear they recovered in Kislev that fit the description of Weltall. They said they transported to their capital, so I came here on the off chance I might also find you here! Hammer:Huh? You wouldn't by any chance know this doctor, would you bro? Citan:So anyway, Fei. Have you taken any action yet? Fei:Taken any action? What do you mean by that, doc? Citan:You cannot stay in here forever, can you? Are you not going to escape? Fei:Escape? Citan:Fei! You are not intending to spend the rest of your life here are you? You do not mind breaking your promise, then? Fei:What promise...? Citan:Oh my! How could you forget such an important thing as that? You promised Bart that you would protect Margie and the people of Nisan if anything happened to him! Fei:Oh that? I did promise that, didn't I...!? but... has something happened to Bart? Citan:I am afraid to say so. He fought bravely against the enemy's new forces... But it was in vain! The Yggdrasil was badly damaged and sank to the bottom of the sea of sand. Just before the ship sank, I jumped in an escape-pod and jettisoned out of there so that I was not engulfed. Since then, I regret to say I could not find out nothing of the other's whereabouts of fates... Fei:Who would have thought... What was I doing...? Citan:What in heavens happened, Fei? Fei:Once again... I lost all memory ...And all sense of time... While I was fighting that Vanderkaum guy, he, Grahf appeared... Then I realized Bart and the crew's plight. The other guys with me were defeated by Vanderkaum and his giant sized Gear... After that... it was like Lahan village all over again! When I woke up, I was in Nortune's prison block... Doc, what heppened to the squadron at the borderlands? What is the meaning of my being here and Weltall having been recovered in Kislev...? Citan:...That squadron was annihilated! There was also wreckage of a giant sized Gear... the likes of which I have never seen before! Fei:... Citan:Come on now Fei! Nobody is pointing their finger at you! It might have been caused by something else! Fei:It's alright, doc. Little by little I've been coming to understand it. Just maybe... No... most surely... I've done it again... Citan:Oh, Fei... Fei:I'll keep my promise... Otherwise I'd never be able to look Bart in the face again... Cause Bart and them are alive somewhere... I just know that they are! Citan:So that means... Fei:I'm gonna do whatever it takes to get outta here! Will you help me out doc? Citan:Of course. It will be my pleasure. Hammer:No, bro. I doubt it! Any thoughts of leaving here is just a dream! Citan:Why do you say that? Hammer:Cause of these things! They're explosive collars! As long as we are wearing these, we'll never be able to set foot out of here! Citan:Explosive collars... That is dangerous of them, is it not!? Allow me to have a little look at it. Please... Let me see... Hmm... Well, well... Ah, ha... Ohh... Humph... We might just possibly be able to do something about these. Hammer:Re, really!? ...Even mechanical engineers gave up on these in despair! Fei:Doc was always good at tinkering with machines. So I guess there's hope! Hammer:I don't know, bro! Let's leave them alone! No matter how good he is... One tiny mistake and it's BOOM! BANG! Game Over, man! Get Hammer's drift, bro? Fei:...It's alright. I believe in doc! Citan:...Well then, shall we give it a try? Are you absolutely sure you want to go through with this, Fei? Do you not want to think it through first? Just to be sure, I mean! Though you can trust me... I hope! Fei:So, let's... Yeah. Ready when you are doc! Not turning back, now, huh! Citan:Well then... You are sure you want to go through with it so... Hammer:...Oooh, broooo! Citan:Well then... let us give it a go... RATTLE! RATTLE! Citan:Mmm... This is... harder than I thought! ...CLATTER! CLATTER! CLANG! CL...ANK Citan:Ah! Hammer:Th, th, that part it...! [Suddenly, the camera pans back and shows the whole town. It returns to the hospital.] WWAAAAAAAAARRRGGGHHH---!!! Citan:Fei! What is wrong!!? Fei:Errh, arrh... doc? Wh, wh, what just happened? Wh, what was that? Citan:You scared the heck out of me, suddenly shouting like that. Is everything O.K.? Anyway, are you absolutely sure now? I will start removing the explosive collar then.... Fei:Let's not do this! I've a bad feeling about it. Sorry, doc... Citan:...I can understand that. There is no reason to try something so dangerous yet! We have not explored all the other possibilities. There may be another way! Hammer:Oh, I forgot to tell you! There is a way of having these collars removed... It requires you winning a 'Special Pardon' in the Imperial Games, though... Citan:A 'Special Pardon'? Hammer:Yes. Every year they hold the Imperial Games of Battling. The Kaiser himself watches over the Battling matches and cancels any sentence the winner is serving. Also the winner is given a position as a military officer as an added bonus! Citan:Well then, all we have to do is win at the games then! Do we not, Fei? Hammer:I am telling you it is hopeless! To do that you will have to defeat the current champion, Master Rico! But our bro here was totally beaten by that very person just days ago! And this time we're talking about Battling! With Gears, bro, Gears! There's no assurance of your safety. He could very well kill you by pretending to cause an accident! Fei:... Citan:Really? Fei:Yeah... but last time I didn't have the desire to fight them... Yet if I were to come up against him seriously... I am not sure whether I could win or not... Citan:Is he really that much stronger than the other 4 Battlers, this Champ chap? Hammer:Put it this way... He's the undefeated king, reigning at the summit of the Imperial capital's Battling Tournament! With a history of 40 bouts ending in 40 K.O.s, most of which occured within 30 seconds from start time... If he wins this year's Imperial Games then he'll be the reigning champion for three years running! Citan:Just one second! Is this person a prisoner? Hammer:Yes he is. Citan:That is strange... The winner is supposed to recieve a pardon, right? Why is he still a prisoner now then? Hammer:That's the thing! Master Rico could have said goodby to prison life by now! But they said he turned down his pardon, I guess he must like fighting a great deal...! Fei:Well, we can't just stand round here talking about it. I don't care whether it is Battling or whatever! If there is a chance than I am going to try and take it! Hammer:Are you serious? Fei:Yes, I am. Hammer:Do you think you can win? Fei:No, I don't. But, for now, I can only give it a try! Hammer:Well... if that's how it is then I'll just go off and register you now! [Hammer leaves in a hurry.] Fei:That Hammer... He looked very pleased all of a sudden! Citan:...But are you alright about this? As we spoke before... Whether you are forced to or not... you did not want to do this, right? Fei, I do not want to push you into anything you do not want to do! Fei:I know, doc. I still don't like Gears. That much hasn't changed. When I pilot them, I become aware of how unstable my very 'being' is... even if I don't want to think about it! But at the same time, it is also a connection with some lost part of me. If that's the case then, recently, I decided I would stick with it to the end. Elly had also been troubled by the same thing. And if I just stay depressed about it, nothing will improve! Citan:Is that how you feel...? I think I understand you better, now, Fei. Anyway, let us go get some rest today. We are going to become busy! [Elsewhere, a giant computer shaped like a sphere turns on. Eight smaller spheres rotate around it. The computer contains many monitors and buttons on them. Suddenly, faces appear on the monitors.] Gazel Blue 1:Faster than we expected... Gazel Red 3:The awakening of the untouchable one... Gazel Blue 4:It has been 3 years since we heard any news. According to the memory cube, 'he' is currently in Nortune, the Imperial capital of Kislev. Gazel Blue 3:Detestable... Vexing... Cursed... Gazel Red 1:If only 'he' did not exist, the Lambs would not have been turned into the 'Animus'. It has been 500 years since our fall in the 'Days of Destruction' that 'he' caused... We would not have to do this in such a troublesome manner as we do now. Gazel Blue 2:the excavation of the 'Anima Relics' in each area is proceeding as planned. It's too late to change things now. But in the future, we'll shape what will be. Gazel Blue 3:Detestable... Vexing... Cursed... Gazel Red 2:Although we do not know which route it flowed from... we're fortunate the 'gate keeper' was activated. Gazel Red 3:From the 'Ethos'? Or... Gazel Blue 1:It doesn't matter. Although... Gazel Blue 2:So are you saying we mustn't break Ignas' equilibrium? Gazel Red 4:Well, it is the surface... and that land is unclean! Gazel Red 1:That is merely and excuse. Gazel Red 3:It's a justifiable reason. Even Cain would not object. Gazel Blue 4:But we can't use the 'Gaetia Key'. Not until the proper time comes. Gazel Red 4:There's a third fleet in Bledavik. Their reserve units will do. Gazel Red 2:Oh, his fleet. Your orders? Gazel Blue 1:To purge. Give no motives. If he knew our motives, it's obvious he'd do something unpredictable. Gazel Blue 4:But, wouldn't we need more men to raze the entire area of Nortune? Gazel Red 1:There is an ancient reactor in Nortune. We'll use that. The half-life fallout will be 1000 years. Nothing will be able to live within 300 kelts of the explosion. However, they've lived through that before. They won't persih that easily. Gazel Blue 2:But, we must atleast eliminate 'him'. Gazel Red 4:Yes. There's nothing we need from there. So be it, take care of it. Gazel Blue 4 :If it is a direct hit... Gazel Red 3:Well then... Gazel Blue 1:Your orders are given. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II I. The Battling Tournament ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [The next morning Fei wakes up and sees Hammer.] Hammer:Huff, huff, hufff... I just finished signing you up! Fei:Gee... that was quick! Is it really that easy? Hammer:Normally it isn't easy! But a woman called Rue from the Battling Committee seems to have done some pushing and pulling on your behalf! Fei:The Battling Committee...? Oh, you mean those three? Hammer:Well anyway, thanks to them, the enrolling process went like a breeze! Hey hey! This means you can start Battling whenever you want to, bro! Fei:But besides that, Hammer, since yesterday, you've seemed a little too happy! Is there something strange going on behind the scenes that I don't know about? Hammer:...Huh? N,n, no! N, nothing! N, n, nothing at all! The mechanic of champions, me, has had his sins wiped clean so there is nothing to be suspect of! Hahaha! Fei:Hmm, really? Hammer:What do you mean? I told you there is nothing at all! Oooh! I've got a lot to do, so I'll go on ahead of you! [Hammer runs away.] Fei:Oh...! Hey...! W,w,wait...! What are you up to? What are you saying? [Hammer comes back.] Hammer:Oh, I forgot to tell you! The Battling Arena is on the outskirts of D Block. Talk to the guard and he should let you pass. Bye! [Hammer leaves.] Fei:...The outskirst of D Block? Citan:Fei! Hold on a second! Fei:What is it doc? Last night you said we shoud act seperately... Citan:Yes I know I did. But there is something that I am curious about! I shall join you in going to the Battling Arena. Is it not too late to split up after that? Fei:...? Well... whatever! Anyway, let's get going! [As they try to leave D Block, the guard stops them.] Guard:Hey, you... huh? Oh it's you! I heard from the Imperial Battling Committee... I can let you thru, but as long as you have that bomb collar on it's no use trying to escape! If you don't wanna die, stay away from the off-limit areas, such as the civilian section, okay? [They go to the reception area for the Battling Tournament.] Fei:...So this is the Battling Arena. Citan:...Or the reception area to be exact. Fei:...Hmn!? [Rue and her 2 subordinates enter the room.] Rue:Welcome to the Battling Arena... Fei, Sir... Several days ago you were adamant about not piloting Gears... Has something happened in the last few days to make you change your mind in such a large way? Fei:Living the rest of my life with sewer monsters is not that bad... it's just, well, ...there are many factors. Then there's this collar! It gets in the way so much! Rue:Your collar...? Hahahmm... You're ammusing... Are you intending to aim for victory despite it being your first try at Battling? Fei:...Is that strange? Rue:No, now! Not the least... Please excuse me! You seem to have quite some confidence in fighting with Gears... I'm looking foward to...!? Oops... Excuse me! Well, I guess I'll show you the way to the paddocks. We don't have much time... Fei:The paddocks...? Rue:What, you're thinking that you're going to fight with flesh and blood? ...Hahahmm, not that I wouldn't mind seeing it, but... We told you before that the committee would prepare a machine for you... What did you forget? Fei:Oh, errr... The Gear I'm going to pilot will be, err... Rue:Well, come on now. Walk this way... Citan:Hold on! We are not ready yet... Can you spare us a little time? Rue:Understood. But we don't have much time to spare, so please hurry up now... [After getting ready...] Rue:Are you ready? Fei:You bet! Rue:Very well then... Over there please... Hammer:Bro~! You forgot your mechanic! Wait up a little! Rue:...It's that way! Beyond there is the Gear paddock... Not much time till the first bout. You had better hurry... [Fei, Citan and Hammer walk through the door on their way to the Gear dock.] Subordinates:Rue, ma'am, what shall we do? Rue:Report to the officials. Pilot confirmation complete. Suggest first bout opponent to be the black Gear... Subordinates:Yes, ma'am! [Fei, Citan and Hammer approach the Gear that Fei will pilot. It is Weltall!] Fei:Hey, is this...!? Hammer:This must be the Gear that was furnished by the committee! Citan:...My this IS a surprise. Fei:Doc!? Citan:...Hmmm. I do not think this is coincidental... ...I am simply assuming, but they probably intentionally furnished you with Weltall to collect some data. Fei:Intentionally? Citan:Battling itself serves as one of Kislevs's plans. From Battling, they can obtain the various combat data... ...and talented Battlers which can be used for the military. Fei:Exactly what kind of data could they get outta him and I...? Citan:I would not know. But I can assure you that this has something to do with that incident, with Aveh. Well, regardless of what the empire is up to, this is good for us. You are able to get the Gear you are most used to. If you think about it, this just enhanced our probability of escaping... Fei:... [Fei gets in Weltall and goes into the Battling Arena. His first opponent is Leonardo, one of the Battlers he fought many nights before.] [After a while...] Leonard:Hm! Not bad. Have it your way then... Playtime is now over! Let's get serious... Fei:??... What's going on? What the...!? My Gear's...!? [Suddenly, Weltall breaks down. Fei is knocked out in the accident. That night, Fei has a rough sleep...] Fei:Uuuh... Aaah... Gasp... Uuuugh... [That night in the sewers, Leonardo and Heinrich walk around.] Leonardo:Heh heh... Jerk... he's proably in bed somewhere now. Heinrich:Wasn't that a bit too much? If Champ finds out, we're done for! Leonardo;Hmph, I don't get it. Let's just get this over with. Tonight's creepy, the rats are restless. Heinrich:What, this isn't like you... ALright, then you take that one... Leonardo:Oh man, this is bad... The hairs on the back of my neck are all standin up. [Something watches him from the water.] Heinrich:Umph... ...Huh? Hmm... Must just be my imagination. [Suddenly, something burst out of the water and attacks him!] Heinrich:What! Leonardo:Tch! SO you came out!? [Leonardo starts running away, but the thing catches up to him.] Leonardo:What the!? Crap... This ... monster's... St... Stay away! Uaaahhhhh! [The next day in the hospital...] Fei:W... Where am I... Oh, the infirmary? Citan:Well hello Fei! Are you wide awake yet... Fei:Doc... What happened to me...? How did I get here...? Citan:During the Battling match ...there was a sudden explosion... remember? Fei:...That's right... In that explosion... I lost consciousness!? Citan:It was a large explosion, but you were fortunate the Gear was Weltall...! Any other Gear and I ould hate to think... Anyway, you are safe, that is what matters! Fei:Thanks to... Weltall, huh? ...Doc. how many days have passed since then? Citan:Only a day has elapsed since the accident. Your injuries were relatively minor, so... Fei:Only one day... ... Citan:What is the matter, Fei...? Fei:I had an awful dream... I can't remember it, but... I just know it was awful... Citan:A dream...? Fei:...It was nothing, I guess. Don't worry about it, doc. Citan:... Fei:Doc, I've got to get back to the Battling. I want to get this explosive collar off of me as soon as I can. Citan:Fei, how is your health holding up? I do not want you to push yourself... Fei:There's no use saying that. Time is not going to wait!! I can't just do nothing... Citan:...I suppose you are right. I understand what you mean, Fei. We have got to try and get outta here as soon as we possibly can. But that does not mean you have to over-exert yourself again, straight away! Take time to rest up a little more... Fei:You're the doc, ...doc! I'll get more rest... [Later, Fei heads back to the reception room.] Receptionist:Due to mechanical trouble, your competitor for yesterday, Leonardo Sniper, has had to drop out... Heinrich Clive has also had mechanical problems and has had pulled out. This means you, Fei, win by default and can compete in day 2's bouts! If you win two matches today, the second day of the games, you can progress on to the third set of bouts. Do you want to enter the bouts for day two? Fei:Let me enter! [Fei faces two easy opponents and beats them pretty quickly. He heads back to the dorm and goes to sleep. The next morning, he wakes up and hears someone walking down the stairs.] Fei:Huh? ...Someone's coming downstairs. ...I guess it'll be Hammer. [Rico steps out.] Rico:...Long time no see, huh, kid! Fei:Hey, you're... Rico!? What are you doing here? Rico:Calm down, kid! I didn't come here to fight with you... Fei:Then what purpose do you have here? What other reason could you have? Citan:What is going on out there? This is a place for rest! Can you be a bit quieter... [Citan steps out into the room.] Citan:Why, it is only you Fei! And... The Battling Champion? What would the likes of you have to do coming to a prison barracks? There must be some special reason for you to grace us with your presence? Rico:Yes there is. ...I came in regards to the incident of the explosion during the first rounds of the Battling contest. Fei:Explosion incident? ...Oh, you mean what happened the other day! Citan:The explosion accident that Fei was enveloped in during that bout? What has that got to do with you? Rico:...I'm sorry. That 'accident' was set up by my subordinates! After the results of your 'Baptismal Ceremony', it seems my men didn't come to like you very much... Citan:So they made it look like an accident, but it really was meant to kill Fei... But why tell us now? Did they come clean and confess the crimes they commited? Rico:...They're no longer with us! You're th doctor, don't you know what's been happening? What's going on here in the Imperial capital's D Block? Citan:You mean the series of mysterious murders that happened in the sewers!? Rico:...Yes. A line of skilled Battlers have been murdered one after the other! ALl of the victims that have been killed were my subordinates... Kid... I mean, Fei... They were the very people who had set the trap to kill you! Fei:So what are you trying to say? That their deaths are connected to me somehow!? Citan:Let us see... The murdered battlers had set a trap to try and kill Fei... When Fei comes to know of this he has good reasons to kill them... Out of hatred of his would-be killers, he plots revenge on the Battlers. And turns to murder! Fei:People think I am the killer? Rico:Exactly! This morning there was yet another victim... the fifth! It's not unusual for people to die in the sewers. If you become weak, you die. ...that's providence! But 5 Battlers were killed in a row! That this is unprecedented alone casts doubt on you. To say that I don't doubt you would be lying, but I don't think you're guilty either. The only thing that can prove your innocence is if there's any truth in that story going around... The story of a monster in the sewers that is strong enough to kill 5 Battlers! For the sake of my men too, I am about to check out the sewers. I've said what I wanted to say... Fei:Wait up! Let me... Let me go with you! I want to prove to you that I am innocent myself! Rico:You want to tag along, huh? I don't care. but you've got to look after your own neck! Citan:It is up to Fei himself to prove that he has been falsely suspected... ...There is no alternative then. Please allow me to accompany you in solving this sewer murder case! Rico:...The doctor too? I don't take any responsibility if anything happens to you...! [They head to the sewers. A man notices them entering.] Man:Hey, what... the? Y... You're the Ch, Champ!! Rico:Thanks for watching the sewers. I'm going down there now... Don't let anyone besides these guys in. Man:Yes sir Champ! [The three climb down the ladder into the sewers. Something watches them from the water.] Fei:Where is this place? Rico:Let's look for it. We'll talk more if we really find it. Fei:Do you really doubt me? Citan:Shh, quiet! Fei:? ... Rico:What's wrong...? [From far away, something watches the three men. It retreats and goes back further into the sewers.] Citan:...! Well, ... Let us look around. [They go exploring. Eventually, they find a large puddle of blood. Various body parts are laying on the ground. It appears to be what's left of a murdered battler.] Fei:Here...? Rico:Well, this is the murder spot. Fei:What's this slimy stuff? Rico:No way it's human... Citan:Look here! [They walk up to a nearby water pipe. Slime is all around it.] Rico:More of the same... Fei:Something the monster left? Citan:Still... we cannot be sure... but it is very likely... [They continue on. Eventually, they find another murder site.] Rico:Looks like he got it here. Fei:Here too...? Rico:Hey, this is the same stuff as that stuff over there... Citan:...Something is written on the wall... Re... Red... monster... This must be his dying message. Rico:Must've written it as he way dying. Citan:A red monster with a taste for blood... Very interesting. Fei:...!? Rico:Something's down here, that's for sure... [They eventually find a ladder and go down it. The creature watches them do this and retreats once more.] Citan:...!? Rico:What's wrong, Citan... Is there something here? Citan:A tinkle sound... I heard some kind of a tinkle sound! Fei:A bell...? Rico:A bell! A bell...? Fei:Do you know something? Rico:Now that you mention it... There is a rumor of a strange ringing down here... [They continue on. They soon find a strange broken device.] Fei:What's this? Rico:This is a rat-sweeper machine. We call them the 'Catless Rat Removers'! Fei:... Citan:What is this? Rico;No... It's not broken... Why isn't it moving? Let me see it. Fei:...!? Ha! There's something inside. !? What's this? [Fei finds a set of keys.] Rico:!! ...These were Vargas' pass keys to the sewers. They must've gotten caught up in this thing. That's why it wasn't moving. Fei:I wonder what these keys are for? Rico:These are the keys to the sewage treatment plant. Citan:Sewage treatment plant? Rico:That's where all the sewage ends up. Citan:That is strange... Where is it? Rico:From here it's northeast through the door and near the furthest waterfall. Fei:Let's go and see. [On the way, they find another murder site.] Fei:Here too... Rico:Ugh! ...There's that smell again. It's like something's burning... Citan:Burnt...? Hmm, I see... Rico:Hey, look at this. The slime is over by that drain too. Citan:It appears this slime was left behind by the monster. [They continue on. They eventually find a small, green, frog like mutant.] Gramps:Who're you? Rico:Hey gramps! What are you doing here? I thought the entrance was blocked off. Gramps:Hmph. I've lived here a long time. Rico:All by yourself? In a spooky place like this? Gramps:As you can see I'm a mutant, so the monster never bothers me. But lately, my new neighbor's been going around bustin' things up. Rico:What, really? We're looking for him. Gramps:Oh! Would you get rid of him for me? If you need to know anything ask me. I'll help you. [They eventually reach a locked door.] Fei:Hmm, this is... ...Damn! No... It must be this one... ...What? Rico:...hurry up... Fei:Why are there so many keys? [While Fei tries to open the door, the creature inside the room escapes through a pipe.] Rico:Maybe this one... Fei:Not that one... Umm, this one! ...! Whew. Open! Rico:Are you ready? Fei:Of course. Okay let's go. [When they go inside...] Fei:What! Rico:It's not here... Fei:Look up! Rico:It moved... Fei:It's not here... Citan:It appears it can move outside through these sewage drains. Rico:Damn! We should of found it here! Fei:!? ... What's this? [Fei picks up a bell on the ground.] Fei:Why would it have this? Rico:Wait! We can lure it with this thing! Citan:Hmm... it does not look like it will show up now. Rico:Where can we use it? Citan:Let us think about what we know so far. Fei:...?? Slime in the drain... There should be several places like this. Citan:Yes. This must be the one drain it comes and goes from. Fei:That's it! We'll use the bell to lure it out! [They go up to a pipe with no murder site nearby.] Fei:...! Here!! Citan:I am sure. This is the only drain with slime and no murder site nearby. Fei:Alright. Got it! [Fei rings the bell.] Fei:Umph! Citan:It is here! Rico:Outta my way! [The monster approaches...] Fei:...!? Rico:What!? [The creature bursts out of the sewer water. It is a bizarre eyeless thing, with red skin and huge jaws. It also has very large claws on it's hands. The three are able to defeat it after a long fight.] Rico:What the hell was that...? Fei:Why, did it... have a bell...? Citan:I ... It had normal, human-like intellect. No . It is better to say... 'had left remaining'. Rico:What!? Whaddya mean? No... Fei:!?... Citan:...It is really, rather sad... [They head out. Right before the ladder out, they stop. Rico clutches his arm.] Rico:I'll see you later... I'll wait at your dorm. Ugh... Fei:Hey... your left arm! In that fight, you got... Rico:It's nothing... [Rico climbs the ladder and leaves.] Citan:I wonder if he will forfeit the Battling because of that inujury? Fei:?... [Fei leaves.] [Citan once again talks to the Emperor...] Emperor:Has he awoken...? Citan:Yes. Twice... no... three times to be exact. May I ask you this...? Why would he be moved to a place like this...? Was it the elders? Emperor:Nay. They're hoping for a more immediate disposal. I don't blame them. They have a deeply etched fear of him. Citan:Then... Emperor:Yes. Probably... Citan:It would be hastly to dispose of him now. I do not think it is too late to wait until we find out his purpose... Emperor:If that is your judgement, then, so be it. Citan:Your will is my will, your Majesty. Well then, allow me to... Emperor:Wait a moment... ...I see... Citan:Yes...? Emperor:Their judgement... has been handed down... Citan:What is it, then...? [The lights go out.] Emperor:...A purge! [Meanwhile, in Bledavik, a officer preps Elly and her soldiers for an upcoming mission.] Commander:...The number one gate generator is 200 kelt southwest of Nortune and 4000 sharl underground. Its interface waves make guided weapon use impossible in this area. So up to the last minute the Hecht must be piloted manually. After cancelling stealth mode, you will provide direct escort for the Hecht inside the enemy defense zone. Any questions? Elly:Well... Commander:Yes Lieutenant? Elly:I understand our escort orders but what is our main objective? Commander:That is classified. Elly:But without knowing our objective, our response to any orders will be slow. Even if we're just ordered to provide cover. We need to at least know the attack objective... Commander:The objective will be issued during the mission. It will be relayed directly to the Hecht's pilots. Elly:But... Commander:Your only concern is to protect the Hecht from the enemy's anti-aircraft weapons. Any problems with that? Elly:...No. I guess not. Commander:Anything else? Then this ends the main briefing. Confirm terrain, weather and enemy defense details with the information at hadn. The mission starts at 1700. Until then wait in your assigned units. I shouldn't have to remind you that this mission is a purge. Remember, we have complete authority over the Lambs. Dismissed. [He leaves. Elly and the others start standing and leaving.] Stratski:This sucks Lieutenant. How can we go along with this? What's he mean the objective has nothing to do with us? Elly:Be quiet! I'm thinking! Stratski:Don't snap at me. Vance:I hate hysterical women. Elly:Are you ready to take the consequences for that remark? Vance:Uh... [They walk out in the hallway and sit down at a table.] Elly:Whew... Renk:What's wrong? Something bugging you? Elly:Sorry I'm so edgy. Those self-detonating bombs are just air units with Kief class bombs on board. I don't see why they need to use them all of a sudden... there are just too many. One of those alone would have enough firepower, but 8 of them is overkill. They haven't told us our target yet, and we're not just going to drop them for fun. You bet I'm worried. Helmholz:Maybe to purge the Lambs? Elly:They're human... the same as us, right? They have to give us a reason. I can't go along with this just because it's an order. Renk:Hmm... Elly:What? Renk:Nothing... Even though we are called Solarians, we are 3rd Class Citizens or 'Worker Bees'. Us 3rd Class Citizens have our origins in the 'Lambs'. I can understand us having doubts in such orders... But you, you're different. You're a pure 1rst Class Citizen and come from a good family. I've heard your father has a lot of pull in the military... Elly:My family and father have nothing to do with it. Renk:Well, if you ask me, a 1rst Class citizen thinking like this is... a little unusual. Elly:Not really... It's quite natural. Helmholz:...So, how about it? Are you gonna do it? Stratski:The army will demote us all back to being 3rd Class citizens! Elly:Don't worry. I'll just do my duty. But I'm only escorting the Hecht. I won't help with anything else. Helmholz:...But, what if something happens? You're just backing yourself into a corner. Elly:...Can't be helped, I guess... Renk:Well, either is fine for us. Just do what you're told. Nothing else matters. [Back in Nortune, Fei walks into the Dorm and finds Rico.] Rico:You're late! You made me wait for ages! Fei:Oh, errh, sorry! Later, the doc said he wanted to pay the couresy of burying the monster... So I waited outside. Rico:...Is that so? Oh well, at least the murders have been brought to an end! Citan:Yes, that is right. And Fei has been proven innocent as well! Rico:...And I guess the out of bounds order on the seweres was lifted straight after that too... Anyway, my allying with you ends here... The next time we meet, Fei, we will be opponents! C'mon, try and beat me! I'd enjoy seeing you try and settle your scores with me! [Rico starts heading out.] Fei:Hey, what about that wound to your arm? You can't try to battle in that state! Rico:...Can you really afford to worry about your opponent? Fei:...But, Rico? Rico:Worry about yourself before others! Don't hold back now! Give me your best fight! If you don't do your best, you could be the one who dies... Fei:...Understood... Rico:Right. That's good. [Rico leaves.] Citan:Right, now that that matter is resolved, I have done all I can do to help... What is left is up to you, Fei. You must settle these other problems with your own hands. Fei:...I guess so. Citan:Does his arm wound bother you that much? Fei, you realize we don't have... Fei:I know doc... we don't have much time to spare! What's more, what he says is right -you shouldn't hold back in a battle. Etiquette dictates a true fight! Citan:It seems I was overly concerned. Anyway, let us rest up now. Remember, you must win up to the Finals League first. And the Champ is not the only one you have to beat! [Fei continues fighting in the Tournament until he reaches the final round. After his final semi-final match, Hammer runs up to him.] Hammer:Bro, you did it! You won! You're the Battling Champ! ...or, close enough anyway! Victory is in reach! If you just win tomorrow's Finals League we'll have our names cleared and be released! Fei:But Hammer, you know my opponent is no pushover! His power is incredible... He's been Battling Champion for three years straight! Baeating him's going to be no easy task... Up till today I've managed to win somehow, but tomorrow is another matter! I doubt that I will win. Hammer:...If that's your attitude you'll lose even if you could've won! Come on brok, show some fighting spirit! Fei:...Hahaha, I didn't think you'd be the type to say something like that! You're right! I'll never win with these pre-battle blues. Thanks Hammer! Well then, let's head back to our lodging now. Hammer:I'd like to be able to say 'no problem', but tomorrow's Finals League is important! Don't you think you should take care in serviceing and customizing your Gear? Our fates might depend on it! Fei:...Gear serviceing, heh? Leaving it just to one mechanic worries me a bit. I'll ask the doc to give us a hand also! Hammer:A bit of a worry!? That's not so Bro! This here mechanic is doing the best he can y'know! Fei:I didn't mean it that way, so don't get all upset now, Hammer! Anyway, let's go back to our barracks and call the doc, shall we!? Hammer:Wait! Don't you think you should save your Battling record in the 'Memory Cube'! Fei:I suppose I should... [Fei does so and the two leave.] [That night, Fei, Citan and Hammer work on Weltall.] Fei:...Is that all? Hammer:Yep. This is the best that can be obtained 'round here. Fei:You think I can win with these crude parts? Citan:You have a point. Compared to the Champ's Gear, the quality just does not match up. Hammer:There's nothing we can do. Master Rico's Gear is a special make of Gear provided by the Committee. From maintenance to parts, it receives the best of everything! As long as money is involved, teh Champ will go all out. That's one of the reasons he's so powerful... [Fei jumps down of of Weltall.] Fei:Can't we get better parts? This... Voice:Hah hah haha ha! Mysterious Voice:As usual, you haven't learned anything, have you? Fei:Who's there!? [The mysterious voice is revealed to be Wiseman!] Wiseman:Long time... Fei. Fei:You're the one... from the Aveh Tournament... What do you want? I'm busy right now! Wiseman:Hmph. No matter how high quality your Gear may be, you won't be able to defeat him. Fei:Wh, what're you talking about!? [Wiseman dissappears.] Fei:!? [Wiseman reappears nearby.] Hammer:Yikes!? Wiseman:You still do not understand do you? then let me show you. Fei:Why do you suddenly want to fight for? Are you crazy or something? Wiseman:Enough talk! Take this...! [Wiseman attacks Fei with a fireball.] Fei:Whoa! Y, you're serious? Wiseman:Of course! So put up a good fight! Cause if you don't your life is mine! [Wiseman defeats Fei.] Fei:Ugh uhh... That's the same technique as me...! How come...? Wiseman:Fighting brute strength with brute strength is a sign of a great fool. It's obvious that a lighter body such as yours will alwasy be at a disadvantage in a head-on attack. I just gave you a good example. That minor difference between you and I had this outcome. Now, someone else with a mass several times you, like Rico, the outcome becomes highly apparent. This applies to Gears as well... Even if you were to get parts comparable to Rico's, there is still the difference in mass. To make up for this, one must commit to a single final strike that thrusts at the opponent's fissure. Fei:...? Wiseman:I have given you the hint. It's up to you to figure it out through experience. [Wiseman turns to leave, but Fei calls out to him.] Fei:Wait! Why is it that you have the same fighting style as I!? And, how do you know my name! Tell me! Wiseman:Hmph... fine. It was 3 years ago... The one who took you, in your mutilated state, to that mountain village was none other than myself. Fei:You're the one who brought me to Lahan? Wiseman:...Yes. At your father's request. Fei:My father's...!? What's you relation to my father!? Wiseman:Khan and I were fellow students. Fei:...Khan? Is that my father's name? Wiseman:Why do you ask for your father's name? You haven't lost your...? Fei:Yeah... So tell me anything you can. Will you? Wiseman:I see... In your injured state... I wouldn't have been surprised. Fei:Wiseman. Wiseman:...Khan Wong. That is your father's name. Since our youth, Khan and I studied the martial arts together... Fei:Father and you...? Wiseman:Yes. Eventually your father became an officer of a certain country. There he met a young woman. She was about 20 years old. Her name was Karen. She was like a flower in full bloom. Fei:Flower...? Citan:He means that she had extraordinary beauty. Fei:I, see. Then she's...? Wiseman:Yes, your mother. Khan married your mother, and I left on a journey to strengthen myself. Fei:Then my mother? Where is my mother now? Wiseman:You do not remember that either? ...I see. ...According to Khan, when you were but a child, she passed away. Fei:Oh...... Wiseman:Time passed. During my journey, I received a letter from Khan. The letter said that, his son... was taken away by a man. Khan once said you had special powers. The man who wanted that power took you. That man was Grahf. Fei:Grahf! He took me away!? Wiseman:You've met him? Fei:Yeah... Three times. Wiseman:It's amazing you are still in one piece. Fei:It seemed to Grahf, that I still was not powerful enough to achieve his ultimate goal... Anyway, let me hear more about this story. Wiseman:Khan wished to go find his son, and if possible, he wanted my help... I agreed to Khan's request and began searching for you... ...and that man. Then came that one fateful night 3 years ago. There was a violent storm. The storm felt as if it was thrown at us through sheer rage. That night, Khan notified me that he had located his son. So I headed for that location, as if I was drawn to it. You and Khan were wounded badly. I have no idea what happened between you two and Grahf. By then, Grahf had already gone. I don't know why, but probably he was driven away by Khan. Khan decided to pursue Grahf and left me to care for his son. I provided you with the necessary first aid and left you in the custody of those village people. Then I followed after Khan. You probably lost your memory when you were injured then. Fei:Why did my father pursue Grahf? Wiseman:I do not even know. Just that he said it was not only for the sake of his son, but also for the sake of the world, that that man had to be disposed of. He... He added that if something were to happen to him, I would have to take care fo the rest... I havent' seen or heard from him since. Fei:Grahf said that my father was dead... Wiseman:Hmm... If Grahf has been appearing in your presence... then that is a possibility... That is truly unfortunate... Do you remember anything about your fighting techniques? Fei:Huh? No... nothing. Wiseman:Hmm, your fighting skills were probably taught to you by Khan. Khan and I both studied under the same master. That is why my techniques are similar to yours. Well then, I must be off. Fei:To where? Wiseman:I will go find him. I need to pinpoint what his intentions are. ...And also, for Khan's sake. Fei:Just tell me one thing. What country was my father an officer for? Wiseman:Are you going there? Fei:I don't know. There are other things I have to take care of... Wiseman:yes. The floating land which tries to hide behind a wall, protected, as if to conceal their failure. That is Shevat. That is your father's country. Fei:Shevat...? The ...Floating land? Wiseman:Farewell. [Wiseman dissappears.] Fei:Hey! Citan:What a mysterious person. Is this the second time you have met him? Fei:Huh? ...Yeah. Since that tournament in Aveh. He sure is a mysterious person. I probably won't understand straight away what he meant today... But I think I get the general idea. I might be able to do something in tomorrow's final round... Hammer:What was that all about? He dissappeared like the w, w, wind! I've only known you since you arrived here! What is this Aveh tournement? What is going on? Fei:The difference in the performance of the Gear parts are not going to influence the outcome... ...Well, not as much as I though before. Citan:Never underestimate the situation. You might lose pretty badly if you think you can just win by getting a grasp of the concept. Fei:I know, doc. Citan:Well, let us return to our quaters and rest, Fei... Your fate lies in the outcome of tomorrow's competion. You need to preserve your strength. [The next day Fei fights Rico and defeats him in 5 rounds.] Rico's Henchman:Hey, your machine has been rigged! I'm gonna tell the committee on you! Rico's Henchman:Yeah, he's definately had his Gear equiped with parts that are in violation of the rules, or somethin'! Rico:Shut up!! ...Don't embaress me any further... How could such special parts exist in the Imperial capital anyway!? Especially since you can't leave the Imperial Capital with the Imperial Capital collars on! Rico's Henchman:B, b, but Rico... then...!? Rico:I thought I told you to stop! ...Keep quiet! Hammer:That's right! It's impossible! Bro won on his own strength! Stop trying to trump up on false accusations! Rico's Henchmen:Uh...bro... Fei:Enough already, Hammer! I won because of luck... and because I had a good teacher! ...Also the wound to your arm hasn't completely healed yet, has it? If it wasnt' for that wound I am sure you would have won instead... Rico:Defeat is defeat... My wound is no excuse. The Battling Champion is... you! Fei:......... Rico:...Well, I have something I must see to. I'll be off now. [Rico starts leaving.] Rico's Henchmen:Champ! Wait up! Let us go with you... Rico:I am no longer the CHamp! You guys will just get in my way! Don't follow me! OK!? Rico's Henchmen:In your way...? But Champ! Rico's Henchman:...Ri-co--! [Rico leaves.] Hammer:This means I am acquited! I am cleared! [Rico heads to Stier in the Gear dock.] Rico:...Stier. This is the last... Hang in there with me! ...Get him, myself... [Rico takes off.] [Meanwhile in Bledavik, Elly and her troops walk out on the Gear dock, near 8 large ships.] Renk:Hey look, check this out... Stratski:There's only one control ship... The other 7 are all Ether guided. Just who the hell is controlling all them? Voice:I never thought you'd be escort commander. [A white haired woman enters and approaches Elly.] Elly:Dominia!? Helmholz:...Dominia, who's that? Hey, not the one from the Elements...? Dominia:It's been a long time Elhaym. The last time was Jugend, wasn't it? Elly:What are you doing here? Dominia:This is a vital mission, ordered from central. I already have Ramsus' orders. The Hecht is not to be piloted by a common soldier. I will take the Hecht. I didn't even need an escort, but this was also part of the plan. This will be a good fight. Elly:Wait! Tell me what our target is! You should know. Dominia:That's restricted... But I guess I can tell. The electric generator in the eastern sector of Kislev's Imperial capital. The target is a reactor left there by an ancient civilization. Elly:The reactor!? If you attack that then Kislev will... Dominia:Probably most of it will be destroyed. The rest will be uninhabitable for hundreds of years. Elly:Why are you doing this? Dominia:To purge, why else? You may know this already, Kislev has the gatekeeper. The original gate is controlled by those vulgar Lambs. This land barrier was made by our predecessors. The Lambs are trying to destroy the gate. Are you going to allow that? Elly:That may be so... but do we have the right to get involved? Dominia:Does that bother you? SInce when did you have a conscience? War, strife, betrayal, deceit are all that are on the Lamb's minds. Surely you should know that by looking at the fools in this country. Just let them loose and see what they'd do. They would pillage and loots our world acting as if they owned it. Advanced knowledge or tools aren't necessary for common house pets. We must lead them where they belong. Elly:You were originally a land dweller. So why...? Dominia:I was chosen by the Commander! Don't look at me the same as those stupid Lambs! Yes, well... You'ver shirked the duty that was instilled in you since your Jugend days. Arguing with you is a waste of time. I was a surface dweller myself, but I'm going to purge the -Lambs-. I want you, the Shepards, -Abel-, to see with your own eyes what I can do. [The Hecht takes off from Bledavik. Many ships follow it.] [Fei is brought to Rico's room in Nortune.] Fei:...This room!? This is the Champ's...? Rue:Yes, the room given to the Champion... Is it not to your satisfaction? Fei:No, it's not that. What about Rico...? Rue:...Rico? He's the 'ex-Champion'... Now you are 'The Champion'! Fei:But, what happened to him...? Rue:After the Finals League, during the group league bouts, his Gear went out of control. The out of control Gear crashed into the Kaiser's box seat, and was damaged. Nothing has been heard from the former Champion, Ricardo, and no one has seen him since the incident... Fei:...... Rue:There are no Battling competitions for a while so you can rest up a bit. The explosive collar has been removed. How about taking a walk around 'A Block'- the civilian area of Nortune? Fei:...'A block' ... civilian area? Rue:The southeast part of the Imperial capital... It is called A Block or the ordinary civilian area... Well then, we shall take our leave... Anyway... This room is yours to use. Next door is the bedroom. Oh... and, Fei. Now you will be given the title of Champion as well as special S Rank priviledges. Well congradulations on winning the Battling Championship... We were able to take some very good data... Ha ha hm. One more thing, good news. Kaiser Sigmund would like to meet you, Champion Fei. Please stop by the Central Administrative District. Well... good bye. [She leaves.] Citan:So, you are now free in both name and... reality, right? Hammer:So, what are you gonna do now, bro? Leave Nortune? Citan:We are not yet finished. There is one thing left to do here. Fei:I ... I know. It's Weltall, right? We can't just leave it here. We have to get it back somehow... Citan:It is best if we assume Weltall has been moved to a different dock... So, I guess that is where you come in, ...Hammer! Hammer:Got it, doctor! I'll find out where your Gear is... I'll bet my name as the 'Imperial Capitals' No.1 Supplier on it! Fei:Okay then, let's work seperately. I'll work by myself, while you, hammer and doc, work together... Hammer:Bro, don't you trust me or something? I work better alone! Nothing against Citan, but he'll just get in the way, bro. So then... just leave it to me, okay? [Hammer leaves.] Fei:That Hammer... Citan:......We should make a move too. [They walk down stairs and try to exit the bar. Latina stops them.] Latina:Oh, Fei, wait a sec. Hammer just went but he left a message for you. He want you to meet him at the 'Wildcat' bar, in the civilian part of the city, once you've taken care of everything. You got that!? [Fei and Citan enter the central district.] Guard:This is the Central District. Only authorized perso... Huh? Well, if it isn't the Battling Champ, Fei. The Kaiser's waiting. Please come this way. [They go through the door. Suddenly, Rico burst in!] Rico:No one's around. I thought so. Security's been lightened to lure Fei. [Rico notices that the door is locked.] Rico:Hmm... I suppose knocking on the front door's out? [He looks up and sees an air duct.] Rico:Guess I'll get in through that air duct up there. [Meanwhile, back to Fei and Citan...] Guard:This is the Central District. The Kaiser's room is up this elevator and up the west wing stairs. [They go up the elevator and walk up the stairs to the Kaiser's room. Inside, the Kaiser plays his organ. He stops when Fei and Citan enter.] Sigmund:Who are you? !! I see... So your are Fei... Welcome. Fei:You...? How do you know me? Sigmund:Ha ha hah. Excuse me. I am the Kaiser of Kislev, Sigmund. This may sound sudden but would you like to join forces? I need your assistance. [Suddenly, Rico falls from the ceiling and crashes onto the rug.] Rico:Ah! Sigmund:!? Huh...? It's YOU! Rico! Rico:Not good! Come again! Laaaater! [Rico runs away.] Sigmund:...Mutant! Security!! Arrest this intruder! He wasn't with you, was he? Fei:Uh, no... We weren't... [Rico runs down the hall and goes up to the elevator.] Rico:No. Down's not good... [He runs to Kaiser Sigmund's room. It is guarded by two soldiers.] Rico:I'll hide over there for now. Hey! The Kaiser's calling you. Man:What! Is that true? Guard:Hey! is it okay? Man:Yeah. This door won't open for anyone except the Kaiser and his wife. [They leave. Rico is scanned by a machine and enters the room.] Rico:Hey, it does open. Huh? What's this room? [He looks at the mirror in front of him.] Rico:!? ... This smell... ...I've seen this... ...When was... it... [Rico flashes back to his childhood. Rico walks up to his mother.] Rico:...other. Mother, why does Jenny have a father, but I don't? Mother:Well that is, your father is... So... That's why... Rico:...ther. ...other. ...You have to rest. Mother:Now listen to me! Your father is a great man... Someday, you'll follow in his footsteps... ...cough... cough... Rico:!!Mother, mother... ...ther. ...other. Mother... ...I'm different from the other kids. ...Even my nails are long and look at my ears... Mother:...!! ...No no... It's not like that... Rico:...Miyo from across the road keeps saying I'm not human and that when I get older I'll become a demi-human. I'm ... not human? ...Then you're not my mother?... No, I don't want that... Mother:Oh god... please... have mercy on this child... [Rico looks out the window.] Voices:G... Gete out!! Go away you mutant child! Mother:Uuuuhhh... Cough cough...cough Rico:!! Waaaaahh! mother, mother is... [Later, she lies in bed with Rico there.] Mother:Now... listen carefully... From now on... you're going to be... by yourself. Rico:...Mother... I'm... I'm? I am...? [The boy transforms into the adult Rico.] Rico:Is...that kid me? My childhood memories... I've forgotten... ...Why, am I remembering this now... This room...? That faint smell... [Fei knocks on the door.] Fei:Hey! You in there? Open it up... [Rico opens the door. Fei walks in.] Fei:What're you thinking, breaking into the Central District? This isn't good......!? What? Rico:Forget about it.... Forget about it.... [They leave the room. Sigmund approaches them.] Sigmund:You... How did you get in here? Rico:Nothing... I just came in through the entrance. Guard:It shouldn't open unless it scans the right DNA. It couldnt' open that easily! Sigmund:...It was probably a malfunction. It doesn't matter...Arrest the intruder. The Battling Committee is after him for breaking his contract. let them deal with him. Men:Yes sir! [They take Rico away.] Rico:Well... I'll be seein' ya around sometime. Sigmund:...No...can't possibly be... That man was suspected for trying to assassinate me. The police are looking into the matter now. Well, I have some sudden matters to attend to, so if you'll excuse me. Please tour the district at your leisure. Oh, and about my proposition... I'll be waiting a positive response. Good day. [He leaves.] [Fei and Citan leave the Administrative District.] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II J. Attack on Nortune! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Citan:Hammer should have been able to get that information by now. Let us go check out the Wildcat. [Citan and Fei walk out on the streets of A Block.] Citan:The meeting place was the 'Wildcat', a bar in the civilian area was it not? Well then, let us go! [Suddenly, Hammer runs up.] Hammer:Bro---! With these ears, I've picked up the latest information on your Gear! Hee-hee, I've pinpointed where your Gear is bro! Fei:...Hold on a second. (Don't you think it's dangerous to talk about that stuff around here!) Hammer:Huh? What's with you, bro? I have info on your Gea... [Fei puts out his fast at Hammer.] Hammer:Eek! Wha, wha, what the!? Citan:I will explain later! Just move it, O.K.! [They walk off.] Hammer:Wai, bro~! Do, Doc, Cita~n! Where are you going? Hey, are you listening? Waaaaaaiiii--t! [They go up onto a roof where no one can hear them...] Fei:It should be safe here. Now Hammer, tell me where my Gear is. Hammer:As the doc predicted, bro, your Gear has been moved to another dispatchment dock. Citan:So, where on earth is Weltall? Hammer:Not 'on earth', but under the earth! It's in an underground dock in D Block! I've checked into it and found out that there are two routes we can use to sneak inside. The first one requires us to enter via the Battling Arena grounds. Fei:Well there's no way we can sneak in via the Battling Arena! What's the second? Hammer:The second way is a little dangerous as it involves the supply train tunnel. you have to get into the tunnels' ducts and follow them right through till they lead to the docks. But I couldn't find out the ducts's layout... Sorry, bro. Fei:...Oh that tunnel, huh? Well, now that we have the bombs problem off of our hands, we might be able to make a go of it! Citan:Yes, but we are still left with not knowing the times the trains pass by on. Will a supply train pass at a time that is of any use to us? Fei:Not all of this has to be decided now. Let's take our time and plan it carefully! Firstly Hammer, I'm sorry to put you out, but... Could you find out the days and times the supply trains operate on for us please? Hammer:I'll get right on it, bro. Well then, I'll be off! [Hammer leaves.] Citan:Shall we also return to D Block for the time being? [When Citan and Fei arrive at D Block, they see 3 Battlers leaving the bar.] Fei:Who are you? Battler:Don't be so cruel. We've been waiting for you. Citan:Waiting? For... us? Battler:Please, come with us... Fei:...This isn't going to be another stupid 'Baptism Ceremony' is it? Amazoness:Hey, hey, wait a minute! We're not trying to pick a fight. Keep talking like that and there's bound to be a misunderstanding. Leave this to me... Battler:Right, sorry. Citan:...Well, I assume you are not hostile... Fei:... Amazoness:Not here. Let's go somewhere else. Come, follow me. Citan:It seems we have no choice. Shall we go Fei? [They go into Fei's room.] Fei:So... what do you want with us? Amazonesss;The Champ... no I mean... Rico needs your help. Citan:Help the Champion...? Fei:Hang on, what do you mean? Battler:Y'know what just happened... The special broadcast on the dorm's vid by the Committee! Battler:Yeah, y'know, the broadcast said something like this... This evening, the former Champion was found guilty of attempting to assassinate the Kaiser, as well as breaking Imperial Code section B... Thus, a public execution will be held at the arena... Fei:Yes. I know he got caught, and was arrested... But, what's this about an attempted assasination of the Kaiser!? Battler:Those committee members... The Champ probably got in their way somehow... Citan:...The Battling Committee? Amazoness:The Battling Committee is made up mostly of people from the 'Ethos'. They used to have a lot of pull in the government... But the current Kaiser, Sigmund, ousted almost all of the 'Ethos' influence from the government. Battler:On top of that, these past few years... In order to strengthen the military or stomething, the Kaiser has started to interfere with the Battlign operated by the 'Ethos'. The Kaiser probably got in the way of them operating the Battling smoothly. So, they used the Champ... Fei:Why Rico...? Amazoness:Rico was originally born in this town... But because Sigmund whipped up anti-demihuman sentiment, Rico was chased out of this town when he was young. So Rico hated the Kaiser, the capital Nortune, and the whole Kislev empire. Fei:And that's why they went after Rico... Battler:In the past, the Champ has had many chances to kill the Kaiser. That the earlier crash into the box seat was disquised as an accident... Amazoness:But that failed too. The committee, fearing being exposed, used Rico... Battler:The Champ is being manipulated by the committee. Please, Fei! Help the Champ. Battler:Now Fei, I know you have a lot to do but... Hammer:B,b,bro-!! Are you he~re? [Hammer runs upstairs.] Hammer:The supply train times, dates and destinations! I got them all... no prob! ...Wha? Hey bro, what are you doing talking with them? Fei:Hold on a minute. Hammer, tell me about those supply trains. Hammer:Huh? Is it... alright? With these outsiders...? Citan:It is alright, they are our friends. Hammer:Oh, really? Well, okay... The next supply train's operating date is... tonight! But... if that's too soon, then the next one is... Fei:Hammer, did you say that a supply train will pass through here tonight? Hammer:What? Tonight? Well there are trains passing through... Um, but bro... we need a thorough plan. Tonight is impossible! Fei:The situation has changed, and so have our plans. We move tonight! Hammer:We move tonight...? What the...? Are you serious? Citan:...Did you hear any interesting tidbits of information outside? Hammer:Well... the dorms are in an uproar over that Master Rico thing... Citan:Do you know any details? Rico is to be executed at the arena, tonight, right? Hammer:Master Rico is to be executed... Is this true? Fei:Didn't you say there was one more route? Hammer:Huh? Oh yeah, you mean via the arena, right... Bro! You're not thinking... Fei:Yes I am thinking exactly that! You said it may be possible to get out through the Battling Arena, right? Citan:I see! Then we probably can help the Champion... Fei:Doc. Citan:Hmm... It might just work! Hammer:Wait a minute! Might just work...? You don't intend to go bursting into the arena, do you? Fei:Either way, we were going to escape via the arena, so it's on our way... Amazoness:Then that means...? Fei:No problem. It's just one more thing to do on the way to getting my Gear back. Citan:Leave the rest to us. And I would like you all to go to the arena tonight. We will leave Nortune, but if they think you were all involved with us, I do not know what they might do... Battler:We're counting on you! Amazoness:Sorry, we had to ask you to do this... Battler:We really appreciate what you're doing... Here... Please take this. [He gives Fei 2000G.] Fei:Hammer, you hide yourself somewhere. When we get out into the arena, I'm just going to go wild in my Gear... We'll play it by ear fromt here to escape from the Imperial capital... You got it, Hammer? Hammer:I got you, bro! Show them your stuff for me too, bro! [Hammer leaves.] Fei:There is still some time until the train passes by... Citan:Well, if everything is ready then, why not take a light nap? Citan:Hold on, Fei. Are you fully prepared? You know there is no turning back now. Fei:Huh? Yeah, you're right. I'm ready. Citan:There is still some time before the train arrives... Let us rest here for a while! [Fei goes to sleep. He wakes up that evening.] [They go outside. Citan points to the observation tower.] Citan:The tower we want is over there. Hurry, Fei! Amazoness:S... sorry. I ...can't go in the arena. No matter what you say, I can't. Well it's time... Tonight's train will be coming through here... I wish you success. Maybe ...we can meet again. [The train passes by. Citan and Fei jump on to it. It goes through the nearby tunnel and shakes.] Fei:Whoa!! What the? Citan:Whew, that was a close one! We almost got thrown off. Fei:It's all because of those mischievous punks! When the old man's gone they always do this. Oh well. Citan:Kind of odd hearing that from a mischievous 'you know who'. Fei:Huh? You say something? Citan:Well, anyway we should be alright if we take this all the way. As for the mission, so far so good. [Suddenly, they hear a weird sound.] Fei:What's that sound? Citan:The connector...! Fei, hurry up and jump off! [They run to the next car. The end of the train falls off.] Citan:This train is almost falling apart. That was another close one. Fei:What if it derails before we get to the Gear dock... [They hear another noise.] Fei:!! Citan:This car is unstable too. Let us get to the front!! [The cart falls off. They run to the front.] Citan:One disaster after another... Fei:Pretty unreliable train. Citan:The entrance to the ventilation shaft that leads to the Gear dock should be coming up soon. Here we go! [They jump off the train. They fall through a shaft to a room with two doors and some crates.] Citan:Someone is approaching. We should hide. [They hide behind a crate. Two soldiers walk in.] Man:Everyday work, work, work. Doesn't anything fun ever happen around here? Soldier:No doubt... That last champion looks like he's been matched with the beast. Man:Now that's something. Let's get this work done and go check it out. Soldier:Yeah. We need to do that, we've been working too much lately. [They unlock one of the doors and go through it. They lock it behind them.] [Fei and Citan climb through the shafts until they reach another room.] Fei:! Guard:Hey, make sure you return the Master Key back to the shelf. Man:Yes sir. This should do it... [He puts the key on the shelf and leaves.] Man:Heeey, did you hear? The battle between the ex-champ and the beast is about to begin. Guard:Oh, it's already starting. There's no way we can miss this. [They leave. Citan and Fei take the key.] Citan:Hey... Fei, wait a minute. Fei:What's wrong, doc? Citan:This is a part that allows a Gear to recover 30% of its HP. If you have this equiped, you can activate this during battle. It is a highly useful item but the drawback is that you will use fuel, so you must use it with caution. Fei:That doesn't really matter unless we get back to the Gear, doc. There's no one heree so let's hurry up and get out of here. Citan:Uh, oh yes. My usual habit... Well, we should take it anyway since we have the chance. [They continue on to the Gear dock. They take Weltall and take the elevator up to the arena.] [Meanwhile, in the arena, Rico walks across the landscape.] Rico:Who woulda thought I'd be Battling using only my body... ... [Suddenly, there is a rumbling.] Rico:...? Must be my imagination. [There is more noise.] Rico:That's not my imagination... What's this... vibration? [The shaking continues.] Rico:A Gear doesn't vibrate like this... it can't be. [Suddenly, a gigantic Rankar dragon comes out of the darkness and lunges at Rico.] Rico:That's a... Rankar!? Crap! You gotta be kiddin me! I've got to fight that thing without a Gear!? Huh? ...That sound... a Gear in flight? A black Gear? Him... [Fei arrives in Weltall.] Fei:Yaaaaahhhrrr!! [Fei defeats the Rankar.] Rico:...Why? Why are you here? Fei:To get this back. It's not that I came here to save you... The elevator I happened to use to escape put me in the arena. I saw you were getting attacked. That's why I saved you... nothing more than that. Rico:For a coincidence, that's a convenient story... Fei:It's up to you what you think of it... So, what're you gonna do now? Rico:...Do what? Fei:I barged into the arena. We're also fugitives... that's why we must escape. If you stay, they'll probably make you fight that monster again. This time you're gonna die... Is that what you want? Rico:... Fei:Even you must have things left to do here! But in your state of mind... Rico:Silence! Shut up! Twice. That's twice you've... ...If you want to escape from the Empire, do it now. I have no intentions of leaving. Even if this is going to be the end for me!! [Suddenly, there is a rumbling.] Fei:...Hmm? What's that? A rumbling? What's this vibration? Rico:This vibration... That's... no? It's not coming from the ground. Is it the ... vibration in the atmosphere? Fei:[looks up] ...Whoa. That doesn't sound good. [Gebler ships enter Nortune, led by the Hecht. Cannons from the ground fire at them. One of them connects, causing the ship to crash into D Block, turning off power everywhere.] Fei:What is that? Citan:Fei, it is an aerial attack by Aveh, or should I say, Gebler! They really are intent on attacking the Imperial capital... Fei:What!? What about the civilians? Citan:They plan on directly attacking the Imperial Capital, Nortune... oh my god! [They look up at the Hecht.] Citan:That is a nucleaur reactor! Most likely that ship is their main line of attack! If they drop something on the reactor... the whole Imperial capital will...! Fei:...Be blown away! If we can change their course, will that help? Citan:Yes, however... Fei:Doc, I'm gonna try. We can't just... turn and run away. Citan:...Alright. Be careful now. [Fei gets in Weltall and blasts off.] Citan:If those civilians do not hurry and get out... [He runs off.] Rico:... [Up above, Elly waits in Vierge.] Broyer:Who's that? Aren't those the Aveh pirates? Elly:!? That's......... Fei! What the...!? Stratski:Hey, this is Kislev! What's he doing here? Helmholz:He seems to follow us everywhere! Vance:What's with this guy? A little too persistent, perhaps? Elly:... Broyer:Third time's a charm! Let's go get 'em! [They leave.] Elly:Ah! Wait! [Renk stops in front of her.] Elly:Renk!? Renk:From our last incident, I can tell your friend's with that Gear's pilot. But, there's no way we can stop. It doesn't matter that we're escorting the Hecht. I wanna fight him, not as enemy soldiers, but as rival competitors... We're the Gebler special forces and we won't be beaten! Elly:... Renk:Sorry, I'm gonna have to kick his butt. Any objections? [He leaves.] Elly:I... [Weltall approaches the Hecht.] Fei:You're in the way! MOVE!! We must change the rear ship's course or... ...!! ...What, you again!? [As he approaches the ship, Aegisknight attacks. Fei defeats him.] Fei:This is... meaningless! [He fights Swordknight and defeats him.] [Meanwhile in town, Citan and Hammer help people evacuate.] Citan:Everyone, over here! Hurry! Hammer:Master, there're people over there that can't get out! We're doomed! Citan:Don't give up, Hammer! Fei is fighting too! Fei... no longer wants to watch innocent people lose their homes, their town, those that are important to them... [Rico watches from nearby.] Rico:My... ...town? Hmph, don't make me laugh. Who gives a damn about this crap town... [He hears something Fei said in his head.] Even you must have things left to do here! Rico:......I'm crap too. [He runs to Stier.] [Meanwhile, above...] Fei:Arrgh... I've had it! [Fei fights Clawknight and defeats him. He continues on and confronts the two Wandknights.] Fei:Only two... enemies, huh? [Suddenly, Rico arrives in Stier!] Rico:Hmph, what a joke... Wasting time on a couple of guys like these. Fei:Rico? Rico:I don't need a reason to beat the crap out of anyone who pi**es me off. And of course that means you too. Fei:That's also, one reason. Rico:Shut up, let's go [They defeat the two Gears.] Fei:OK, now to change the last ship's course... [Suddenly, Elly shows up in Vierge!] Fei:Elly! ... ... Rico, sorry, but you go on ahead. Rico:What!? You've come this far and now you're scared? Fei:I'll catch up, I promise... please. Rico:...Well, even without you, I can make do by myself. Then... I guess I'll go on ahead. Fei:... [Rico leaves. Fei stands alone with Elly in the air over Nortune...] Fei:You're kidding? What are you doing here, Elly? I thought you agreed to get out of the military! Elly:That's asking for too much! I'm an officer of the Gebler forces! Fei:Then, you're saying this is also one of your duties!? Elly:Yes! My duty is to escort the Hecht. And to eliminte all enemies that get in its way... So you better get out of the way... Cause if you don't move then I'll have no choice but to eliminate you! [Elly attacks Fei.] Fei:Are you serious? You do know what you're doing, don't you? How can you say that knowing where that ship is headed and what the outcome may be...? Elly:... Fei:C'mon, Elly! Say something! Elly:I know! I do understand what I'm doing! Fei:Then... Elly:Change. How I wanted to change... I've thought of changing, but I couldn't... I don't have the freedom like you do! Fei:Freedom? Me? Elly:Yes! Am I wrong? To be able to choose where you belong... To be able to fight alongside those who believe in their own cause... Even if you have much more anguish to deal with... At least you have the freedom to choose your own path! Unlike me...! Fei:Then why don't you do that too, Elly? Elly:If I could, I would already be doing it! But I can't... This is my place. And that's how it is here! ...So ... please, understand... Fei:Elly... I don't have a place to belong to either... Elly:Huh? Fei:...Bart and his crew, even their whole ship are all missing... They disappeared after the battle with Gebler. So, I don't have a place to belong to anymore... Elly:Really... Then, why are you fighting now? Who are you fighting for? Fei:Do you enjoy this? Elly:? Fei:Barging into someone else's country, and destroying the place... Dragging innocent people into becoming victims... Do you enjoy fighting that much!? Is it that much fun for you to watch people die!? Elly:Don't be ridiculous! I would never find pleasure with that! Fei:If that's the case... then come with me! Let's go! Elly:Ouch! What? Just come! [Fei brings Elly to the roof of a building which overlooks D Block.] Fei:Look at this town! Take a good look. This is what you've done! Does the word, 'duty' justify all of this? Does it!? Elly! Elly:But thats all that was left! Fei:You're still saying that? ......It's just not like you. If you don't want to then don't do it. You shouldn't have to force it just to have a place to belong to. Elly:... Fei:What was I fighting you for just now? ...... You wanted to know? I don't really know. I know I was helping Bart and the others. But I still don't know what I should do. Maybe I'm just looking for a place to fit in. But I thnk it' better to fight then do nothing. If fighting help you or your friends even a little bit, then it's worthwhile. That's... not nothing. ......It's something. [Fei starts walking off.] Elly:Fei! Fei:I'm going. Elly:No! You can't! Dominia is not like the other soldiers! She is an elite within the Gebler elite. She's one of Ramsus's personnal guard! You won't stand a chance! Fei:Still, I have to stop this. Elly:Fei... Fei:Citan and Hammer have nothing to do with Kislev... but they're trying desperately to get the civilians to safety. Even Rico, who must hate this town still stays with me. That's why I have to go. [Fei leaves.] Elly:Fei... [Fei heads back to the Hecht. It is quickly heading towards the nucleaur reactor. Fei catches up to Rico, who has reached the main gun of the ship, and Dominia.] Rico:What the heck were you doing, Fei!? Were you expectin' me to do all the dirty work of clearing away these punks for you, alone? Fei:Sorry about that... Oh, but I see you've made a girlfriend... If we can defeat her, we should be able to change the course of this ship. Let's go! Dominia:Hmph. Justs one more extra runt isn't going to allow you to down the 'Ship-Bomb Hecht'! Fei:Of course not! We're not gonna take this ship down, we're gonna take 'you' down! Dominia:Hah! What insolence! But what do you expect coming from Lambs...! [They fight Dominia and defeat her.] Dominia:Eeeaaaahh! ...Guh... Why you... Remember this... One day I'll pay you back for this... I promise!! Fei:There's no time! Rico, hurry and change the course. Rico:NOOOOOO!! Fei:Whooooaaaaaa! [Elly watches the destruction that Gebler has caused in Nortune. She runs to Vierge and blasts off.] [Meanwhile, back to Fei and Rico...] Fei:Damn!! There's too much mass! [Elly arrives.] Fei:Elly!? You... Elly:Hold on! We can avoid a direct hit on the reactor with three Gears. Fei:Ah, ahhh. [The three Gears push the ship as hard as they can. It goes slightly off course.] Rico:OK, we've steered it away from the power station. Let's bail out! Fei! Fei:But, now it's heading right for the residental district! Elly:He's right! We need to bring it down somewhere it won't cause so much damage. Rico:Impossible! We can't change its course anymore than we have! Fei:No! We've got to hold it up as long as we can! Rico:What are you, Deaf? Huh!? We're overheating! Fei:Damn! Not now! Rico:There's nothin' more we can do! Hanging on anymore will be suicide! Fei:But... Rico:That's it, I'm bailin out! C'mon! [Fei and Rico turn to leave. Elly remains pushing the ship.] Fei:Elly! Stop! What're you doing? If you do that... Elly:Don't worry. My Gear is from Solaris. It's still... all right. Fei:Elly! What are you doing? If you keep going you'll... Elly:But......what else can we do? At least it will reduce the damage. ......Sorry. It's better than doing nothing. Fei:Elllllllllllly!! [Fei and Rico leave. Elly continues to try and push the ship.] Elly:...Just hold on a bit more! Please! [Suddenly, Vierge ceases it's moving. It starts falling out of the sky.] Elly:...! Is this... it...!? [Fei and Rico watch in terror as Vierge falls out of the sky. The Hecht continues to fly right towards the residental area. Suddenly, a blinding light appears in the sky. It blasts at great speed toward the Hecht. It is a gigantic winged Gear. The Gear lands in front of Elly and shields Vierge from the blast as the Hecht crashes into the earth, causing a massive explosion. Elly awakens and looks at the winged Gear, which is now holding her.] Elly:I'm ...alive? W, who... are you? Why, me? [The winged Gear puts Vierge down and flies off.] Elly:Wait... Voice:...Elly, Elly... Elly:Who...? [Weltall lands in front of Vierge and picks it up.] Fei:...Elly! Elly:You're... Fei? Fei? Fei:Stupid... foolish... Elly:...Are you ... crying? ...sorry. Fei:...It's okay. Elly:Can you... ...forgive me? Fei:...It's not your fault, Elly. It's not your fault... Elly:Fei... Fei:Elly, let's go back. Elly:...'That person' where... [Weltall blasts off.] [The next day...] Elly:... There's no one here. Fei:Where did the owner of the house go without locking up the place? Citan:The furnishings are untouched. They probably left when Aveh attacked. Elly:... [Someone knocks on the door.] Fei:Looks like Hammer's here. [Hammer comes in.] Hammer:Bro, Citan! I got the key info that should help us get outta the capital! Fei:So what's the info? Hammer:The empire's new super airship, ...'Goliath'. This is it, bro. Citan:The empire's new creation... the super airship 'Goliath'? Elly:...Super airhip. Is it that big? Hammer:Tsk, tsk, it's beyond big! !?... Elly:...It's Elly. Hammer:!? ...As I said, it's beyond big, Elly! The 'Goliath' is of extraordinary magnitude. It's said that the Goliath can even make a Gear look like a pea. It's rumored that it can even decimate the Aveh capital, Bledavik, all by itself. Fei:By itself, annihilate Aveh!? It must be an monstrous battleship. Hammer:According to my reliable sources, it's located north of Kislev in an underground dock at some military facility... Elly:!? ...The military facility... north of the capital... Fei:Elly? What's wrong? Elly:I know that facility. I've talked to you about it before. The Imperial facility... I infiltrated... I never knew that something like that was in the basement. Citan:...Elly, do you think you still remember... how you infiltrated the base? Elly:Yes, Citan. Way north, beyond the Kislev Imperial capital... beyond the 'carved out portion of the mountain peak' lies the Imperial city's military facility. Fei:Good, let's take that... ...before the empire decides to launch a counter-attack against Aveh. Hammer:Oh, yes! I forgot to tell you about Master Rico, bro. Fei:You've seen him? Hammer:Yeah, and I brought up your plan to escape the capital...Says he can't help us though. Fei:...I see. Citan:Fei, he has his own path he must take. Now... let us go. Elly:...Fei, we must hurry to Aveh... Fei:Huh? Uh, yeah... I know, Elly. We have to hurry... If we go through the front gate we might have to fight the guards... Hammer, once we break through, fall in behind us. Hammer:That's my specialty. Leave it to me, bro. And put up a good fight! Fei:Doc, Elly. Let's go. Our destination is the Imperial military facility up north. Hammer:Ju, just a minute! There's something I have to tell Elly. Elly:Tell ... me? Hammer:Yes'm! It'll be real quick. [They go into the other room for a few minutes. They come back out.] Hammer:All right! Citan:...All right? Hammer:Uh, nothing!! Good luck in breaking through the front gate, bro, and you Citan! [They go outside and try to leave the city.] Imperial City Guard 1:Due to the attack on our Imperial capital, by our enemy, the Kingdom of Aveh... Non-army personnel are not allowed to pass into the Central District where the Kaiser Government operates! Please keep back! ...Oh, and by the way, you look awfully familiar...? Fei:Huh-ha!? ...Oops, sorry my mistake! Imperial City Guard 2:...Hey! Isn't he the guy in the 'wanted' poster... perhaps? Imperial City Guard 1:...Yeah, they say that everyone has two or three people that look exactly like them in this world... Besides, even if he was that 'wanted' guy, what chance would mere guards like us have against him? He's the ex-Battling Champ! Let sleeping dogs lie, huh? Imperial City Guard 2:Exactly! So even if we were to se him here, then we'd just pretend that we haven't seen him, OK! Imperial City Guard 3:Hey, that Guy! He's the ex-champ who broke out of the arena with his Gear and is now wanted! Imperial City Guards 1 and 2:Are you stupid!? Fei:Damn! We're done for! We've got to give it a try! Doc! Elly! Let's try and force our way through here! Citan:...So it is the only thing we can do, right? Elly:Wait a second! Do you really intend to do this? Imperial City Guard 1:They're serious!? Imperial City Guard 2:There's no wasy we can beat the Champion! Hahha! You'll be our greatest achievement! [Suddenly, Rico arrives and kills the guards.] Imperial City Guards 3:Egads...! Imperial City Guard 2:Didn't I tell you that... Oh, our reputation... Fei:Hey, you're Rico! What are you doing here? Rico:I changed my mind. I'll leave Nortune for a while until things calm down. You plan on seizing the new mega-battleship 'Goliath'? Well, I'll give you a hand ...up to the city limits. Fei:... You don't want to fight together with us? Rico:...Make no mistakes here! I don't intend to become friends with you guys! I have something I have to do and I have to do it on my own...! When we leave the capital's precincts, you can let me out anywhere that is convenient, O.K.! Fei:......... Citan:Well, at least until we escaper from the city area we have got a secure ally. That is good enough for us, is it not? Don't you think? Elly:Well... yes... I suppose so... Rico:We have not time to dawdle here! We better get outta here! before other guards who heard this scuffle come causing us trouble! So our destination is the 'north lands' of the outer Imperial city area. right! Then the Kislev Imperial Capital's military facilities await us! We had better make haste! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II K. Escaping from Kislev ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [The five head up north to a small military facility in the northern mountains. They enter the facility and Hammer splits up from the party, going a different way. After exploring for a while, they enter a long hallway. There they find Hammer in an ordinary grey Gear.] Hammer:Muahahah! Hey bro, I went ahead and opened up the locks for you. What? The Gear? Nah, don't worry about the details. I'm the information man! There's nothing outta my reach. But hey, there aren't any enemies though. Somethings suspicous. Oh yeah, you can change your party and even shop. Need anything? [They continue onward and after many fights and long hours of exploration, they find the Goliath in a large shaft.] Rico:Get a load of this! I can't believe they'd make such a thing... Citan:... Shall we see if it works? Fei:Doc, do you know how to operate it? Citan:Not really... But, Fei... you were not thinking of stealing this big thing without knowing how to operate it, were you? Fei:Err... Citan:Well, anyway... Rico:... Citan:I think we can do this. Well then,shall we go? Fei:Yeah, let's go. Citan:Well everyone, this could be dangerous, so please be seated. Is everyone ready? [He starts up the ship.] Citan:It will... shake a little. Rico:Couldn't you just tell us... Hammer:... a bit sooner... [The Goliath takes off from the northern mountains and flies up over the ocean waters.] Citan:The shaking has subsided. We should be in good shape for now. [Hammer approaches Fei.] Hammer:Bro, what're you gonna do now? Go to Aveh as planned? Fei:Yeah... Citan:!! Fei!! Fei:What happened, doc... ...!! [Suddenly, Grahf appears in his Gear!] Elly:Th, that's... Fei:...It's him. Elly:Fei, where are you going!? Fei:I'm going out with the Gear... [Fei leaves.] Elly:Fei! Hammer:M, Master!? [Elly and Rico run to get their Gears as well.] Hammer:Even Elly... Fei:Grahf!? Grahf:The Goliath wasn't built for you to use. You must remain on this land a little longer. I can't allow you to leave... [There is a fight. Grahf is subdued.] Grahf:So, you can now draw upon more of your power... If that's the case then... Citan:Fei! Hold on tightly now!! Grahf:Huh!? [Citan swings the ship so Grahf falls off.] Hammer:Aaaaah! Looook ooouut! ! Master Citan!! It's alright to throw the black creep, but bro and Master Rico as well...? Citan:If it is them, they are okay. Nevermind that. Hammer, go to that trigger! Hammer:Trigger...? You mean this? What do I do with this... [Hammer goes up to the trigger for the ship's gun.] Citan:You must fire. Look, it is coming. Hammer:? [Suddenly, Grahf starts flying toward the Goliath.] Hammer:The~y're he~re!! Citan:Hammer! Calm down and concentrate. It is heading straight at us. All you have to do is aim well, pull the trigger and fire. Hammer:Aiming... [A red dot appears on the screen in front of Hammer. He points it at Grahf. Hammer:Li, like this? Citan:Good, keep it there and do not move your aim. Get ready to fire in. 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... Fire!! [Hammer shoots down Grahf.] Hammer:Y, ye, ye aaaaaawwww yeeeaaahhh!!! Master, sir, did you jest see my MAD SKILLZ? I just might be a genius! ... What? By the way, what's up with bro and the gang? You don't think they fell off? Well, atleast you still got me. [Rico approaches Hammer from behind.] Hammer:It should be a piece of cake with me around. Right, Master, sir? SMACK!! [Later...] Fei:...Doc. I don't know how to say this but... I've got a bad feeling. Citan:Are you thinking of that man in black? Thinking of him will not get you anywhere. First of all, it is not like you... Fei:It's not that. It's not like... It's like this feeling of uneasiness that I've had before... Citan:You too!? Well, to tell the truth, I am getting a terrible feeling of deja vu... Fei:And I feel like we're being watched... [They're right! At that moment, someone watches the Goliath from a periscope.] Voice:Bingo! Our information was correct. It's Kislev's... It's huge... It appears to be a... That's it! The Goliath! The one from the underground factory we've heard so much about!! Crap... they're taking revenge! Bet they're going to bomb Bledavik! [The camera pans back revealing the man to be... Bart!] Bart:Either way, no need to let him go so fast... fight...? Gunner! Gunner:Gungany... No, Bart Missile, fueling! It'll take 15 seconds from opening the hatch to engage the illuminator! Bart:Franz! Franz:I don't hear anything other than the surface wind waves and our engine. Threat is minimum from looking at the radar and sonar. Bart:Here we go! Battcom 1! [The bridge glows red. Maison and Sigurd enter the room.] Maison:Y, young master! What is happening? What was the alarm all about...? Sigurd:Young master! Again!? Bart:Battle stations, everyone! Surface navigation! Close the vents! Blow the main tank! Prepare for anti-aircraft battle upon surfacing! Sigurd:Just doesn't know when to give up... Maison:Y, young master! The Gungany Missiles... You need permission of more than half the crew to... Bart:Surface-combat! Stand by with the anti-aircraft guns. Gunner! Give me the trigger for the Bart Missiles! [The Yggdrasil shoots missiles at the Goliath.] [Meanwhile, on the Goliath...] Elly:What's wrong? Fei:Oh, it's nothing. Elly:Okay... I'm glad... Anyway, Citan is it okay? We're flying in such a large ship. What if Kislev or Aveh finds us... Citan:We are fine. I thought ahead and picked up a course over the sea. There are not any military units stationed out here. Even then, this thing is not something that will go down so easily... [Suddenly, the missiles strike the ship!] Citan:This cannot be right!? Are we being attacked!? Fei:Enemies!? Citan:I do not know. But I did not think they woul dbe submerged here... Elly:Are we okay!? Citan:...Unfortunately, there is no way we can avoid descending. Fei, Elly, get out first. I will follow later. Fei:But... Citan:We have no time for a debate now, Fei!! Do you think you have the skills needed to keep the Goliath in the air as long as possible!? Fei:... Citan:Then hurry up and get out. [Fei and Elly leave.] Citan:Now then... ...And you too, Hammer! You are going too! Hammer:Y, yy, yessir! Rico:Argh! Quit dawdling. We're going. Hammer:Yessir!! [Hammer and Rico leave.] Citan:Now... where did they... !! That ship... Sigurd... I think you need to rethink your methods of discipling... [The Goliath, now on fire is on a crash course with the Yggdrasil.] Bart:Rah hah hah!! That's the power of the Bart Missiles!! Even Kislev's prototype can't stand up to it!! ...Uh, hey... S-stay back... Keep away! [The Goliath crashes into the Yggdrasil. The shockwave sends waves going for miles.] [Meanwhile, on a Gebler ship...] Man:We have the coordinates of those recent dimensional vibrations. N24, E92, Ignas, In the Lahan region, the northeast ocean. From the wave pattern, it's definately a Gate Keeper. Crewman:There are no regular mainland flights. Ramsus:Could it be Shevat's Aphel Aura? Man:No. The mass is different. It's a much smaller pattern. Crewman:I can't believe that the Lambs have a ship equiped with a Gate Keeper. Ramsus:It probably is Kislev's. The last purge was not complete. [Grahf appears behind Ramsus.] Ramsus:Damn you... Grahf:Shouldn't you pursue? Ramsus:What? Grahf:The one who caused you so much pain and grief is on that ship. And it's headed for Aquvy. [Grahf dissappears.] Ramsus:Put all the crew members on emergency alert. We're attacking the Kislev ship. Miang:We can't, Commander! We don't have orders from the capital yet. If we move from here... Ramsus:I don't care! I won't allow them to escape! [Miang leaves the bridge and walks out to the hall, where Grahf waits.] Grahf:I believe I already said your tricks will do you no good. Miang:I'm just trying to help. Didn't I help get those 'shackles' off? They don't know this, but... he's necessary for Kahr. He's the very meaning of Kahr's existence. Yes, I must thank you. After all, you did help me, didn't you? Grahf:... Miang:Was it for me? Or for him? ...Or... for yourself? [The Gebler ship leaves Bledavik.] Man:We will take the boundary between gates 1 and 2, it's the shortest way to Aquvy. Ramsus:Fine. Crewman:Message from Kelvena. Dominia is withdrawing in Haishao. She will pursue the aerial battleship. [Elsewhere...] Gazel Red 3:Disobedience... Ramsus' orders are to excavate the 'Anima Relics' in Ignas... and to watch over the Lambs. What is he... Gazel Blue 1:We can recover the 'Anima Relics' anytime. Moreover, we learned that 'he' was on the transfered ship. Ramsus was probably after 'him'. Gazel Blue 3:...So it was the trauma. Gazel Red 4:Nay. In this case, Knigret... It was the severe external wounds. Gazel Red 1:According to the memory cube... we've found multiple subjects around him that possess the 'Animus' factor. Gazel Blue 4:Is it -Sufradi-, the subject of the M Project? Gazel Red 1:Yes. Gazel Blue 2:Coincidence? Gazel Blue 3:Nay, it is beyond that. They were either attracted to 'him' or... Gazel Red 2:Unexpectedly, it's developing into the same condition as 500 years ago. Gazel Red 3:That does not rule out the possibility he planned it this way intentionally. Gazel Blue 2:The transfer point is Aquvy... It's near the Thames. Gazel Blue 1:If it is Aquvy, Krelian's headed that way. Gazel Blue 4:Krelian? Himself? What for? Gazel Blue 1:It seems they've found it. For over 4000 years he searched for Zeboim's legacy. Gazel Red 3:Legacy... Is that the technology he was talking about? [The Emperor appears on the monitor in front of them.] Emperor:Yes. Molecular engineering... ...nanotechnology. The land of all creations, the capital of Zeboim culture... resting beneath the ocean of Aquvy. For 19 years, the 'Ethos' kept it secret. Gazel Red 2:Is this acceptable, Cain? Emperor Cain:Yes, it will do for now. Gazel Red 1:19 years... That coincidence with the time when the earth shifted... Gazel Blue 3:Indeed. Gazel Red 4:But, I don't understand. That technology doesn't seem that crucial to us... Gazel Blue 2:He is still a Lamb. Giving him the ability to do as he wishes is questionable. Gazel Red 1:There are times when even we do not know what he is thinking. Emperor Cain:Let it be. I will take the responsibility for that. On another matter... Weren't you all going to... 'eliminate' it? Gazel Blue 4:It's just be chance. Gazel Red 3:It is probably the location is Ignas. Gazel Red 1:Anyway, I never believed it woud be eliminated so easily. Gazel Red 2:The purge was a failure. This shall never happen again. Gazel Red 4:If the 'Animus' are together, it is all the more reason. Gazel Blue 2:Yes. Gazel Blue 1:Cain, why are YOU so concerned about it? To us, 'he' is insignificant... Gazel Red 1:It could only be a poison to us. It could never be a remedy. Gazel Red 3:'Anonelbe'... you don't still believe that, do you? Gazel Blue 4:That is merely an illusion. Not even an ideal. Gazel Blue 3:The result... is it the 'emotion' you have long forgotten? Emperor Cain:... Gazel Blue 1:Cain, we are 'gods'. [Elly wakes up on a piece of wreckage.] Elly:Ah, oooooh... Where am I...? I was with Fei, heading for the rear block... Fei...! Where are you, Fei? Rumble, rumble [Fei jumps up from a hatch on the wreckage.] Fei:Elly, you are awake. Elly:Am I awake...? What were you doing!? Fei:I was looking around inside here. There's less than 2 days worth... Elly:Of what? Fei:Food. We're lucky we even found any. Elly:But, where is everyone!? Are we the only survivors? Fei:We gotta do something. Guess I'll go catch some fish. Elly:Fei! Fei:... They're okay. Elly:What? Fei:They're okay ...doc, Rico, Hammer, everyone... They're all going to be okay. [On the Yggdrasil...] Citan:Hammer, Rico... Wake up! Hammer:Where are we? Rico:What is this place? Something smells. Citan:We are inside the ship of Bart and his crew. They rescued us after we were shot down in the Goliath. Rico:Who the heck are 'Bart and his crew'? Citan:Let us say... they are bandits... robbing Aveh. Bart is their leader, although he is still a young man. Rico:A robber in this day and age? A man with an attitude. I like it!! Citan:...Do you want to start off by going to meet Bart? Rico:Hmm... You read my mind! Hammer:I'm staying here! [They go up to the bridge.] Bart:Well if it isn't Doctor Citan Uzuki and ...errh, his very big friend! I see you've woken up. I am terribly sorry about what happened... Please forgive me. Rico:I have a name, you know... It's Ricardo Banderas... But everyone calls me Rico! So, what are you apologizing to us for? Bart:...I suppose I had better stop beating around the bush... I'm not usually this frank but, well... Citan:What he is trying to say is this... The people who shot us down, and the people who saved us are one in the same... this ship's crew! Rico:...? You don't mean... That Goliath which we were riding in was shot down by...? Bart:Yes, you're a bit slow there... errh, big friend! Actually our Yggdrasil did a good job in shooting down that monster of an airplane!! It was great! You should've seen it! Wow! My 'Bart Missiles' sure were awesome...!! [Rico attacks Bart...] Rico:AAAARRRGGHHH! I won't forgive you so easily!! [Meanwhile, back to Fei and Elly...] Elly:I knew it... I thought this thing was floating around unusually... [Fei chases after a fish] Fei:C'mon you little... Elly:But even knowing that, there's no way we can get them out... right? They're right under us, but covered by water and a thick wall. It's probably Weltall and Vierge. For better or worse, they have stuck by us this far. ...But, they are useless now at this point though. [Fei climbs back on top.] Elly:It appears our Gears are underneath here, Fei. But, we can't reach them... ...What're you doing, Fei? Fei:What am I doing? Can't you tell...? I'm trying to catch a fish! This one's been jumping up and down, right in front of me, trying to make me look like a fool... You little punk! I see you! Elly:Uh, umm, you're not going to catch it and eat it are you? Fei:If we don't eat, we're gonna die... ...Alright!! I gotcha!! [Fei catches the fish.] Elly:You're joking. You'll get sick. Fei:You're not gonna eat? Let me see. We need something to cook it with. Elly:... Hey, come on, stop it. I'm not to blame if you get sick and die. Fei:Don't worry. Once it's in your stomach it's all the same. Elly:I'm not going to... Fei! Look, there... Fei:What!? Did the fish get away? What're you talking about? It's still there... what the...!? ...That's...! [A giant saucer shaped thing passes over them. It is the thing that Fei saw while he was in the desert.] Fei:That's... that thing I saw in the desert. It's flying a lot higher this time. Elly:It's Shevat... That's its usual altitude. Fei:Shevat... Where have I heard... Yeah, that's right... That weird masked man! He said my father was in its military.. So that saucer is what doc and that masked man said was the country my father and mother lived in? Elly:Really? I wouldn't know... It's a country outside the reach of Solaris. Shevat uses the same kind of barrier that Solaris does, so you can't reach it by conventional means. Fei:How can something that flies that high in the sky be a 'country'? Elly:Yes. I don't blame you for being surprised. It usually hovers over the region known as the Aquvy islands area. You probably saw it on some sort of specail mission. That's why it was flying so low... Fei:Shevat... [Bart also watches Shevat from miles away...] Bart:... Ouch... I guess the Bart Missiles weren't such a good idea, huh...? We were able to save you and your friends, Citan... but I wonder what happened to Fei and Elly... I'm sure... they're alive somewhere... And, once again... Man! The sea breeze stings my eye... So this is what they call the sea... First of all, I have to apologize to those two. [Bart goes inside and talks to Citan.] Citan:Oh, young one. Did you want to talk to me? Bart:Um... About my shooting down the Goliath... I'm, errh, really, errh... Citan:Oh, is that it? I guess it could not be helped... But, jumping the gun is your bad habit. A king should always keep calm and judge carefully. Bart:(Maison says the same thing). Yeah, I know, I know! By the way, I have something to ask you... Citan:Oh? That is unusual. Bart:Well, it's about the warship we're on... ...which is the same type as the Yggdrasil. Years ago, my old man told me it was scrapped because the peace talks with Kislev made progress. So I knew it existed... Citan:Hmm. Then what is bothering you? Bart:The symbol on the ship... It's not our Royal Crest! Look at this. [Bart shows Citan something.] Citan:This is... Bart:I thought you knew it. Whose crest is it? Citan:I am not positive, but it looks like Shevat's. Bart:Shevat? What do you mean? Citan:The Yggdrasil may not have been made by your father. At that time, much of the potential technology was not understood and hence, was hidden. Maybe your father might have been scared of its power and so sealed it away. Bart:Hmm, I see. So this may not have been ours from the start. If so, I wanna meet the guys who made this amazing baby. Citan:Actually, they may be closer to you than you suspect... Bart:Huh? What did you say? Citan:Anyway, enough worrying... But I do think you should apologize to Rico. You may get more than a bruise this time though. Bart:Yeah. [Bart approaches Rico in the Gear dock.] Bart:Y, you know... Hey? Rico:... Bart:Quit the silent treatment! I came here to apologize! Rico:... What's your problem!? I thought I dealt with you a while ago. I'm not the type to dwell on the past. Bart:... Rico:I'm amazed you tune them to run so well! I thought Fei and I were the only ones who could work Gears that well... Bart:Wow you really are the Battling Champ... Oops, I mean ex-Champ. I'm amazed how you can tell how good a Gear is just by looking at it. Rico:I guess you can't learn all about the world inside a dark prison. Really interesting. I was gonna move on but now I've changed my mind... Let me join you, boss. Bart:I guess it's alright... [That night, on the wreckage...] Fei:It... seems like we've drifted further off. ...Constantly drifting... Sounds like me right now. Elly:What do you mean? Fei:I've just been drifting around... being led by circumstances. Elly:No... that's not right... In Aveh, you helped Bart when he needed it. And in Kislev, you gtave your all to defend, to save everyone. You've even shown concern for me many times. Fei:No... I'm just no good. Elly:Why? Fei:Probably deep inside, I'm not really trying to help. Somehow, I get the feeling that all I've done I did because I wanted to be needed. That if I did something for them... then maybe, I'd have a place to belong... There's a side of me that comforts itself like that. That doesn't mean I don't want to help. But, that doesn't mean I really want to help either. It might not be 'nothing', but it sure isn't the 'whole' either. I'd been drifting, led around until I met you, Elly. Now, wer're staranded out in the ocean. I'm sorry... I got you involved... Elly:It's okay. Don't worry about me. I've been thinking about why I'm here. I could've just gone back. But for some reason I didn't... Probably because you said it's better to do something thatn nothing. I think that's why I felt I had to do something. It's OK not to feel 'whole'. Even if you only feel partly complete, if you repeat that enough, eventually it'll be 'whole'. A part... is better than zero. You're right... I'm sorry... Fei:If we're saved... will you go back? Elly:I probably won't go back to my squad. Right now, I really don't want to be there... Besides, I could probably do something else... I don't have to be in the army. So, I'm thinking of going back to my country. Fei:Is that possible? But what about the army? Elly:It's not like anyone knows what I did. They've probably already classified me as MIA. Fei:Hmm. I hope atleast you'll survive. I'm sure you'll find what you want to do in your life. Elly:You said... something about...being comforted. Fei:Yes. Elly:Don't be so hard on yourself. Everyone wants to be needed at times. All of us want to give something inside ourselves to others to be accepted. ...Even me. Remember how you forced yourself to eat those emergency rations? [Earlier that day...] Fei:UUUURRGHH!! Elly:Hey... are you okay? I told you not to eat such a gross looking animal. Fei:It tastes horrible. The last time I had food this bad was doc's cooking. Elly:? Fei:But unless we do something, we're going to die. Elly:I guess there's no other way. I was hoping to save this a little longer... This should hold us for another day... But it's only for emergency calories so I can't promise how good it'll taste. Fei:Huh!? What? It's dry and crumbly? Elly:I thought so.. You don't like it, do you? Fei:Wha? N, no... It's good. Yeah, ah, it's great. Whatever you'd share with me couldn't be that bad, could it? [Back to the present...] Elly:You forced yourself to eat those rations earlier, didn't you? For me to survive, it would have been better not to share it. But, watching you... It made me feel a little better. Fei:For your own sake? Elly:Yes, for my own sake. Selfish, I admit. But, I think it's okay to be that way at first. But little by little you learn about your own happiness... and someday you are able to share that important part of you with somone else. Some... day. Ah... Fei:? What's up? Elly:...Nothing. It just felt as though I've told you the same thing long ago... It must be my imagination. I couldn't have said it to you before, because we've only just met, haven't we? Yes, it's probably just my imagination... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II L. The Thames ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [The next day...] Elly:Good morning Fei. You're up early. Fei:No time for formalities. Look at that! Elly:Huh? [A giant ship, kind of like a floating city, picks up wreckage from the sea using giant cranes. It picks up the wreckage that Fei and Elly are on. They are brought to the deck by a penguin like man.] First Mate:I was so surprised there are people living afloat on the vast sea. On top of that, you were with two Gears. That's unheard of. Elly:Thanks. You helped us out... First Mate:You'd better thank the Captain. The one who gave the order for us to pull you two floaters out was the Captain o' the Thames. Fei:Thames? Captain...? First Mate:The Thames, the city at sea. That is where you are now. The captain here is a bit of a strange old chap. You'll see when you meet him. That's not to say he's a bad old blighter. Elly:Um... what about our Gears? First Mate:Don't worry about it. We put them inside the Thames through the supplydock. Sea water got inside so it'll take some time to fix. Fei:You're repairing them for us? First Mate:Pretty strange for us to be so nice. I bet that's what you're thinking. But really, we had no choice because it's the Captain's orders. Well, I have to go now. I'm a busy guy, y'know! Come to the bridge after you've looked around the ship a while. I'm sure the Captain would want to meet you. [He leaves.] Elly:Fei, what's wrong? Fei:I feel like I've seen that guy somewhere before... Nevermind. [They go up to the bridge and meet the captain, a walrus like man.] Captain:You're the two winos who floated in with the Gears. Fei:I don't really like wandering around... Captain:Gahahahaha. Well, don't take it badly. For us, anything we pull out of the sea is treasure. And you're a really big important treasure. We are really careful. Elly:Um... Thanks for helping. Captain:What a pretty lady. Oh, don't make that face. I won't bite. I'll return your Gears to you squeky clean. Elly:Why are you being so kind? Captain:That's because... I am! a man! of the sea! Fei:... Elly:... Captain:Gahahaha... You're probably starved. I'll get you some food. Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaans! I'll welcome the guests! You take care of the rest. Hans:Yes sir. Just don't overdo it. Captain:Of course I know that. How can you be so calm? Hans:The captain and everyone are so irresponsible. Captain:Hmph, yeah yeah. Lemme go and get things ready. [The Captain exits through the door to the beer hall.] Fei:What? Who's that? Elly:They don't look like... such bad people. [They go into the beer hall and approach the captain.] Captain:Took you a while, but things aren't ready yet. Hey, hurry it up! Don't make our guests wait. Sorry, there's no place to sit around here. But isn't the view just splendid from here? This beer hall is Thames' pride. You probably think it's a wee bit peculiar having a beer hall right next to the bridge, but tis fine by me. If you don't take time in life to enjoy a drink, you will be swallowed by the waves of anxiety... ...But we don't have that problem. Thanks to this beer hall, everyone here is too sloshed to worry! Fei:Are you always wandering the sea like this? Captain:Well, normally. There is that crane that fished you out. We use that or the Gears to pull up treasure from the sea. We're salvagers. Recently, however, there has been almost no treasure... just little things. SInce we started the big job, well, that's all we've had. Elly:Big job? Captain:Oh, that's a job for the 'Ethos'. The 'Ethos' is planning a really big salvage next. I don't know the details but, looks like we'll be searching for some buried treasure. Fei:Why is the 'Ethos' involved...? Captain:Who knows... But, we're dependant on the 'Ethos' to buy our stuff. So, it won't look good if we turn the job down. Well, dinner's finally ready. Let's eat. [Meanwhile, underwater in a giant pink Gear...] Blue Haired Woman:We've got sonar. ...... That's not it. This type... It matches with the Aveh pirate ship, Yggdrasil. Dominia:Yggdrasil? Wasn't she sunk in another battle? Blue Haired Woman:There's no record of its sinking. We were too busy fighting that Red Gear to try and confirm it. Dominia:Then, there is a chance that it did not sink... I believe teh data shows the Yggdrasil was the carrier for that Gear. Blue Haired Woman:One moment... ...Yes, that is correct. Dominia:Excellent. Give me the controls. Blue Haired Woman:Excellent? What are you planning on doing? Dominia:Sink it of course. She will never trouble the Commander again. Blue Haired Woman:Wait. The Commander's orders were to investigate the disappearance of that flying battleship. We can't deviate from our mission. Besides, we are low on fuel and need to refuel. Dominia:We have enough. I'll take her down. Blue Haired Woman:...Groan... Once you start, there is no stopping you is there? I hope you know that fighting in the water is totally different than fighting on land. Dominia:Of course. Sorry, Kelvena. [The Gear blast off towards the Yggdrasil.] [Meanwhile, on the Thames...] Elly:I know you haven't eaten for a while, but how can you eat so much? Captain:Gah ha ha ha ha... This is great, this is great. I like how you eat. You weren't drifting around for nuthin... Men have! Courage! And have Appetites! Fei:... Elly:... Captain:Gah ha hah... [Suddenly, the room shakes.] Elly:? Did we just shake? Fei:You're just imagining it. Elly:I don't think so! Man:Captain, your first mate is calling you. Captain:Got it. I'm on the way. Looks like something's up. Sorry, but I have to return to the bridge. But please, enjoy yourselves. [He leaves.] Fei:Elly, is that a water spout? Elly:It's too far. I can't see very well. But it looks like... a battle! Fei:Let's go to the bridge too. Elly:Okay. [They go to the bridge.] Captain:They've got guts starting a fight next to the Thames! It gets my blood boiling! Hey Hans, I haven't fired the big gun in a long time. How about we take a shot or two? Hans:Are you kidding? Why get the Thames involved in a fight between sides who are neither enemies nor allies? And that big gun is nothing but a useless piece of junk you tacked onto the Thames in a drunken stupor! Captain:You just don't understand the code of the men of the sea... Fei:What are you doing? Captain:It seems like a submarine is under attack. Fei:Submarine? [He looks through the periscope and sees the Yggdrasil!] Fei:Hey, that's...! That ship! Elly:What? What's wrong? Fei:That's the Yggdrasil! Elly:Isn't that Bart's ship? Fei:Yeah. He's still alive. Alright! We can't just sit here! Let's go! Elly:Go where? Fei:To help, what else. Elly:Without a Gear? Fei:Hmm... Captain:Hold yer horses. [He speaks into the intercom.] Captain:Dock, this is the bridge! How are our guests' Gears? Man:The repairs will be done shortly. Captain:Two minutes. Man:Huh? Captain:Finish in two minutes! Then take them out through the supply entrance to the dock! Man:Y, yessir! Captain:Your Gears are being moved to the dock. Go get' em. If you need to you can buy equipment at the supply entrance shop. Hans:What are you saying Captain? What if we get bombed while we're caught up in the middle of a fight? Captain:Be quiet!! Our guests are trying to save their friends. Don't get in the way! If we don't help, it'll tarnish the men of the sea's good name!! Hans:......Yessir. But the Thames itself will not join in any fights., Fei:Thanks. That's more that enough. [The two Gears are brought to the supply entrance. Fei and Elly get into their Gears.] Fei:Okay... Let's go. [He jumps off the deck.] Elly:W-wait... [She jumps off.] [On the Yggdrasil...] Rico:Oh come on, Citan. Just when I thought we were saved, now we're gonna be turned into swiss cheese. Citan:We are not particulary helping much are we? ! [Weltall and Vierge arrive.] Citan:Fei! Elly! You are alright. Elly:Somehow. Rico:This is no time for tearful reunions. Fei:Yeah... where's Bart? Citan:He is fighting down below. He said he was going to hold them back until the depth charges were ready. But he left without the proper hydropreps... We are busy trying to ready the depth charges. Your Gears should be able to handle underwater to some extent. Go help him out. Fei:Got it. Elly, let's go. [They jump in. Underwater...] Bart:Dammit! I can barely manuever and you're movin' all over the place... [Weltall and Vierge arrive.] Fei:Looks like you're having a tough fight, Bart. Bart:Fei!? You're alive!? Fei:Hey, that's my line. Elly:What about that Gear? Dominia:Elhaym! What are you doing here? Elly:Dominia? Why are you here? Dominia:Why? We Gebler need no special reasons to sink an enemy ship! It is our divine duty to rule those crass land dwelling Lambs. Elly:But why? How are they different from us Shepherds, the -Abel-? Dominia:To me -Lambs- and -Abel- are the same. The only definite difference is personal ability. The ignorant must be led by the wise. That is our job. Look what you've gained as an Element, Elly. Why do you even question? Your superiority is obvious! Elly:... So the wise harming the weak is a sign of ability? I didn't want that... That's all! Fei:Elly, are you alright? Dominia:That Gear, you're the one? Hah! So that's how it is. How amusing. Elhaym. All this for a man? I guess that story was true after all. You were born of those lowly Lambs. Elly:Stop! Don't say another word! Dominia:Hmph, what are you going to do about it, mongrel!? Are you going to use the power you used in that incident on me now? Go ahead. Show me. Show me your true power! Elly:...I will. If you Gebler are wise... Then I'd rather be a fool! Dominia:Then so be it. Then you shall be dealt with as the traitor you are. Come on Elhaym! Show me your true self!! [After fighting for a while...] Sigurd:Young master! Depth charges will be droppedd! Please stand back! [The depth charges are fired and hit Haishao.] Dominia:Hyah! That was nothing! Come on, come on! Kelvena:Enough already! Dominia! Retreat! Dominia:Tch! I was so close. But... don't think I'll be leaving empty-handed, now! [Haishao relentlessly attacks Vierge until it topples over. Elly:Wh, what!? AAAAAAAAAAAHHH! [The Haishao grabs Vierge and retreats.] Fei:Elly!? [The Gears go back up to the surface.] Citan:Fei, where is Elly? Fei:The enemy... took her. Bart:Heh, I doubt that... Fei:Bart, what do you mean? Citan:Stop it! Fei! This is no time for bickering. For now, we must find a place to finish repairing the Yggdrasil. Fei:.....Don't worry. The ship that saved us is nearby. They call it the Thames, and it's about the size of a small city. Their captain can help us. Rico:That's... The Thames? [The Yggdrasil lands in the Thames' dock.] [Citan, Bart and Fei head to the bridge in the screw elevator.] Bart:Sorry about what I said earlier... Fei:It's alright. I was at fault too. I haven't seen you in such a long time. We shouldn't be fighting. Bart:Sigh... The Yggdrasil II was constructed so quickly we had no time to ready its depth charges. Also it was my fault we didn't have depth charges because I prioritized the Bart Missiles over... ...everything else. Fei:Bart Missiles? Fei:? Anyway, I'm glad you're okay. I always knew that you'd be alive. Bart:Of course. I'm Bart the Immortal. Whaddya trying to say...? But this time I got rammed by a red Gear monster. Fei:A red Gear... Bart:Yeah. He beat me and then left us to sink into the sand. But this next part sounds wild. We sank into this huge cave under the sand! And then a sand cruiser just like the Yggdrasil was there! We replaced the parts and the bridge and remodeled it. Citan:Frankly, I do not believe it myself. It looks the same but it can float. Most likely the Yggdrasil's prototype. Bart:People lived there long ago and they had many weapons. That's how we got them. Citan:Bart already showed me. Those weapons are most likely... from Shevat. Fei:Shevat......You mean the aerial... Bart:More importantly, we should go say 'ahoy' to the Captain. Fei:...Yeah. Bart:I...didn't want to get her involved. Fei:You mean Margie... Sorry, I know I promised... that if anything happened, I would protect Margie and the people of Nisan. Bart:You're worried about that? It's okay. You've had it tough too. I made it okay. That's my job. When the Yggdrasil's fixed, I'm going to stare right ahead... Of course I know Nisan's in danger. But since everything's messed up there, I thought now would be a good time to sneak in there. I didn't plan on taking her along. As long as I knew she was safe there. Citan:But I certainly doubt Shakhan will just stand by and do nothing... Bart:That's what the people at her Sect said too. But it's still risky, so they say they want me to stay close to her and protect her. Fei:Really... And you're okay with that? Bart:Yeah. [They walk into the bridge.] Captain:I see you've brought another strapping young lad. Bart:I'm Bart. Thanks for letting my ship dock here. Captain:Gahahahaha. That's great. You come to ask about the ship? Bart:My submarine, Yggdrasil, was damaged by an enemy attack... It'll be out of operation for a little while... [Margie comes in.] Margie:Bart! You're terrible. You went on without me! Bart:Aw, Margie? Just when I'm starting to sound like a captain. Margie:I get away from Nisan but then I'm stuck on the Yggdrasil. I'm sick of it. Captain? Hi, I'm Marguerite. Bart:Aww, amn! Look, we're having a man to man talk here. So Margie, why don't you go back to the Yggdrasil. Margie:You're terrible! You're starting to sound like Sig. Bart:What! Me, like Sig? Margie:You're always so thoughless, Bart. Fei and the others were floating around because you fired on that craft impulsively. Fei:No... you didn't... Citan:It is true, Fei. Bart:Couldn't be helped. How could I have known you were... Fei:I'm so disgusted, I don't have anything to say... Bart:Don't get so mad. Tch. I shouldn't have brought you out of Nisan. Margie:I heard that, you big jerk! Captain:Gahahahahaha. Great, great. It's great to be young. Hey, kiddo. You supposed to be some kinda pirate? Bart:Oh yeah. A man of the sea. I was a man of the desert but... Captain:Alright!! Even better. Yes, men of the sea! Bart, right? I'll show you to our famous beer hall. My lady, may I borrow this fellow? [Bart and the Captain leave.] Margie:What a weird guy. Fei, are you mad about Bart? Fei:No, that's not it... Margie:......About Elly then? Fei:.....Yeah. Margie:It'll all be okay. If you're so worried, why don't you rescue her? Just like... Bart helped me out Fei:...... [Meanwhile, in the head Gebler ship, Domina slaps Elly in the hallway. Elly falls to the ground.] Domina:Cease your naive utterances! Elly:I've said nothing wrong! [Dominia pulls out her sword.] Domina:I have no intentions of discussing this matter further with you! Your traitorous actions are already apparent! I will beat you down right here!! Voice:Stop at once. [Miang walks up to Elly.] Miang:Are you okay? Dominia:Miang! What are you doing? She is a traitor! Miang:Such acts will not be allowed on a ship under Ramsus' command... No matter the reason! I have examined the records of the battle between the Haishao and Vierge... From what I can tell, it was you who attacked first, wasn't it? She had no choice but to defend herself after you took it upon yourself to attack without permission. Above all, you were meant to be under Kelvena's command. Were you obeying Kelvena's orders? Dominia:... Miang:You are not to prosecute any soldier for treason without proper authority. Even if you are both Elements. Further... Isn't your attitude toward the Lieutenant, nothing more than your own personal prejudice? Or am I mistaken? Dominia:What!? I would never... Miang:Thus far, we still cannot determine whether or not she is guilty of treason. To investigate the truth of this matter further, I am placing the lieutenant under my supervision. Is that clear? Dominia:How dare you! By what authority!? [Suddenly, Miang's eyes starts glowing. Dominia calms down.] Dominia:What!? Miang:Let's go. [Miang and Elly leave.] Dominia:...Wha...what was that? Those eyes... [In a nearby room, Elly sits on a table.] Miang:...I see... So that's what was going on. Elly:... Miang:SInce I have other matters to attend to, would you mind staying here for a while? Elly:Not at all. Miang:You do not have to worry about a thing. Leave the rest to me. What you need is to recover from your fatigue. [Miang's eyes glow again.] Miang:Crystalline, blue... like the surface of a lake... Elly:Uh...excuse me? Miang:Your eyes... They're beautiful. Elly:What? [Miang leaves and heads to the bridge.] Miang:Here is the engangement report between Haishao and the enemy Gear. Ramsus:!! This is the ... Miang:I'm sure of it. It's currently at the Thames. If not, somewhere in the ocean nearby. Ramsus:Change course! Head for Thames... Miang:Wait. Their mother ship Yggdrasil seems to be able to submerge. If they submerge, they'll have the upper hand on Haishao. Any attack we might make would be wasted since they could simply dive. But if we eliminate that function first, It's still not too late. I've already made the proper 'arrangements'. Ramsus:Arrangements? Miang:Yes, sir. Ramsus:All right. We'll try it your way. Miang:Thank you, Commander. Ramsus:By the way... What happened between you and Dominia? She was livid. Miang:I'm sorry. It had to do with that Yggdrasil incident earlier. Those girls work hard. Especially for you... It's my job to be hated. [Vierge leaves the dock of the ship and heads towards the Thames.] [Meanwhile, on the Yggdrasil...] Sigurd:Fei, the young master hasn't come back yet. What's he up to? Would it be too much to ask you to go and call him for me? Fei:No problem! He's probably wining and dining with the Captain of the Thames. [Fei goes up to the bridge.] Bart:They came out... one after another... slam, bam, crash... That's how it happened... Fei:Hey, Bart, Sigurd was asking about you... Captain:Gahahahah. Bart:Wah ha ha ha. Man:Captain, your first mate is calling you. Captain:Oi, he's interrupting our men of the sea story. That Hans, he's such an unrefined chap. What does he want now? Man:Our lady seems to have returned... Fei:Our lady... Oh, you mean Elly! Captain:Fool! Why didn't you tell me earlier. Man:Well... Fei:Well, let's go. [They go to the bridge. Elly's not there.] Fei:Where's Elly? Hans:She's seeing to the Gear. She will be along any time now. Bart:You mean... she was able to escape? Captain:Well it's good for you. Right, Fei? Fei:Ah, yeah. [Elly walks in.] Fei:Elly, are you okay? Elly:...Yeah. Bart:... Elly:What's that submarine? Fei:Oh, you mean the Yggdrasil? It took a bad bashing, so now it's here, at Thames for repairs. Elly:I see... Can I rest a while? ...I'm exhausted. Fei:That's a good idea. Bart:Fei, it's my ship.. Captain:Oi, oi, she said she's tired. Let her rest. Elly:Well, I'm going. [She leaves.] Bart:... I don't like this. Fei:Bart, you're still... Bart:It's not like that. She won't backstab us. I was raised around thugs and charlatans. I can tell by looking in heer eyes. Fei:Then you accept Elly... Bart:That's why I can't. She may be okay with it, but what about her family back home? Do you think she can live with that? Can she do that? Just get rid of her family? She has to decide. She... Elly is probably worrying about that. We can't involve people who have attachments. Fei:Bart... Bart:Hmph, well do whatever you want. [Later... Elly walks into the engine room of the Yggdrasil. A dog barks at her.] Man:Whaaat's up? Martle? Eh? Huh? Hey, Miss. I heard you got caught. Are you okay? Easy, Martle! It's just the Solarian girl. You don't need to bark! Elly:It's an animal, so it can't help it. By the way, the first mate wants to see you. Man:...Oh? Oh, I see. Sorry. [He leaves.] [Elly walks up to the computer for the engine. She pushes a few buttons. The generator cylinders rise and start steaming and electrocuting. they glow red. Fei and Bart walk in.] Fei:Elly! Elly:... Fei:...? [Elly faints.] Fei:Elly! Bart:I knew it all along... This moll's a mole! [Bart goes up to the computer and tries to fix the problem] Bart:Damn it! What the hell did she do!? What am I gonna do!! Fei:Doc! What is this... Citan:Wait! Do not worry about her. Stopping this is our priority. [Citan fixes the problem. The engine returns to normal.] Citan:There... How is this... ...She was given some strong hypnotism that makes a person behave in a pre-programmed way. A special condition serves as a switch to act... but until then no strange behavior can be detected. She looked strange when coming out of the medical room, so I followed her. Bart:... Citan, if you thought it was suspicious, you shoulda stopped her. Citan:Well, if you forcibly stop the behavior while imprinting, occasionally it destroys the mind... But it is true that I reacted a little late... [The man comes back.] Man:Wha, what's going on? Young master, have you done it again? Citan:It may take a while to fix it... Anyhow, we will take her to the medical room first. Fei, go to the room when you are done here. No need to worry. The hypnotist must have been a good one. There are no mental scars. [Elly awakens.] Elly:I, I... How in the world did I get here? Fei:Elly... [Sigurd rushes in.] Sigurd:Young master, the radar has picked up a huge Gear! It's headed right for us! Bart:What!? Them again!? Sigurd:That shape looks like...! Bart:Alright! I owe so much to the Thames. I can't let it turn into a battlefield. Launch the Yggdrasil immediately! We'll go out in our Gears! Sigurd:Yes, sir! Bart:Fei, Citan, I'm counting on you! Elly:Wait! Citan:Elly should rest here. We will... Elly:Wait!! Because I came here this all happened... This is my responsibility! So... So let me go too! Fei:Elly...? Bart:What the hell are you talking about? Don't you remember what you just did...!? Citan:Young one! Elly, our trust in you depends on this battle. For your honor, you should fight! Bart:But Citan! I...! Citan:Young one, please trust Elly this time. Elly, if you try anything suspicious, I will be the one to shoot you. Is that clear? Elly:Yes. Citan:Is that okay with you, young one? Bart:...Alright. Fei, Elly, let's go! Elly:Yes! Fei:Yeah! [Dominia fastly approaches the Yggdrasil in her Gear.] Dominia:If you hadn't... ...been around... I'll never forgive you... You... TRAITOR!! [Bart, Elly and Fei step out on the top of the Yggdrasil in their Gears.] Bart:Here they come! Elly:Hey, that's... [Dominia arrives in her Gear. It is a large humanoid Gear with a sword.] [They defeat her.] Bart:...Whew. She doesn't know when to quit. [Suddenly, a shot narrowly misses the Yggdrasil. Elly:Wh-what? Fei:Below! [Weltall jumps in the water.] Bart:Is it what I ghink it is? [He jumps in.] Elly:... [She jumps in.] [Underwater, Ramsus pilots the large Gear, Haishao, while Miang is in her Gear.] Ramsus:Miang, is that him? Miang:Yes, he's in the black Gear in the center over there. Ramsus:Right. I've got him! I have been looking for you! My arch rival! Fei:Uh! You again!? Ramsus:... I see you have a different machine... So, what happened to your 'other Gear'!? Fei:What are you talking about? Ramsus:Not to matter... At any rate, until I eliminate you, there will never be any 'light' forme!!! [They fight for a long time.] Ramsus:Tch! Is that all you have to give!! Well too bad! No matter what... I can't let you live! [Haishao relentlessly attacks Weltall causing it to topple over.] Fei:Uuaaaaaaah Armor breach Water flooding cockpit! Pilot's vital signs are declining... Ramsus:An now for the 'coup de grace'!! Elly:Fei!! [Elly attacks Ramsus with Aerods.] Ramsus:Wh, what!? Aerods!? Who the...!? !! Uuuooohhhhh! Tch! My main tank... I amost had him! Dammit! ...We have to retreat, Miang! Elly:Fei!! [Ramsus and Miang leave. Brigandier and Vierge are able to bring Weltall back to the surface, but Fei is seriously injured and unconscious. They bring Fei to the Thames' doctor.] Doctor:...I don't know. but for now he's on life support...... Citan:... You mean... He will be alright...? Doctor:...I guarantee nothing. I don't know why he's like this in the first place. Bart:... Elly:... My fault? ...I... Doctor:...Then there is hope ... at the infirmary in the 'Ethos' headquaters. Elly:! Fei... Can you save Fei? Doctor:I cannot guarantee it. But if we were to take him to the 'Ethos' headquaters hospital... Elly:Then we could save him? Doctor:I think then that he would most probably pull through alright... But unfortunately ordinary citizens are only allowed into the main hall at the 'Ethos' headquaters... You would have to become a monk, or be introduced by someone in the 'Ethos'... Elly:... Doctor:Ah, I just remembered. I heard that the Etone, 'atoners of sin'- are coming to Thames from the 'Ethos' H.Q... Citan:What purpose do such Etone from the 'Ethos' have here? Doctor:They're coming here to do some type of investigation. Bart:Etone... What are they? Doctor:They are religous people for the 'Ethos' who cleanse away the 'Reapers' or -Wels- that appear here in Aquvy. Elly:So why don't we ask them? Doctor:I'll ask them if they can help us, but I don't know if they will... I guess there is no harm in asking though... Elly:Alright. Let's go look for them. Citan:I will go with Fei and the life support machines to the Yggdrasil. Bart and Elly, you two go look for the Etone. Bart:...Right. [They go to the deck. A man is talking to Margie.] Man:Etone? I saw him earlier but he left. Margie:Really? Where'd they go? Man:I don't know... Bart:What're you doing Margie? Margie:Hi, Bart. I just heard from Citan. I also was looking for that Etone. This person's seen that Etone before. Bart:Really? Voice:Hey, quit resisting! Elly:Bart!! Look!! [Two men are hastling a small white haired girl.] Punk:If you wouldn't resist I could sell you for more. Elly:What are you doing? Punk:What the? Who are you? Ruffian:Instead of the brat why don't I sell you off? Bart:What! You want some!? Come get some ya losers! Ruffian:You think you're really all that!? [Suddenly, shots ring out...] Punk:Wha! Ruffian:What the? [The little girl takes the oppurtunity to run from the men. A man with white hair in a brown trenchcoat walks up. He holds a shotgun in his hand.] Ruffian:You! What're you doing? Punk:Wait, this guys... Ruffian:Oh no... Jesiah!! Damn, I'll remember this. [They run away. Jesiah point his gun at Elly's head.] Bart:What do you think you're doing? Jesiah:Don't move. Margie:Wa, wait. Jesiah:Shut up, you dog of Solaris. Elly:... Citan:Wait! A carbine rifle, that gun technique, you must be Jesiah. No Jesiah, you are misunderstood. You always rush into things. She was only helping the girl. Jesiah:What? Butt kissin taker, is that you Hyuga... Girl:... Jesiah:Yeh yeah, I know Primera. My misunderstanding. Sorry, young lady. Please, stand up. Looks like you were just trying to help. That's what she says. Sorry about the misunderstanding. This is Primera, my daughter. I am... Call me Jessie. It's enough that the little brats call me Jesiah. Primera:... Elly:? Jessie:She says thank you. Something happened to her and she hasn't spoken since then. Citan:...Is this the girl that brought about your shotgun wedding? Jessie:That's a damn rude thing to ask! Look at how old she is. Prim is my second child. That other kid is already 16. Citan:Please excuse me. How is your wife? Jessie:...She's dead. I wasn't even there for her when she died. Citan:I see... What ar you doing here? Jessie:I have to go shopping sometime. Besides my son has some unsavory business in this area... Man:Ah... That Etone you were searching for has just arrived. Bart:What!? Where!? [The Doctor and the Etone arrive.] Doctor:...... is the reason why, so somehow, we need your help. Etone:I see...... Jessie:Quit beating 'round the bush and just help. Etone:Fa, father? And Prim too? Jessie:This is my son Billy. Billy:Where have you been until now? Things are pretty serious at the headquaters. Jessie:What do you mean serious? What's wrong with going shopping with my daughter? Billy:I don't know the details but you have been labeled as an undesirable element. What did you do this time? Fight? Gamble? Go after someone's wife again? Jessie:Hmph, that's just a rumor about me. A rumor. Don't you believe that. Ever since you went into the 'Ethos' you've become such a stiff. Billy:... Jessie:This lady prevented Primera from getting kidnapped. Why don't you just help out? Elly:Well...can we get an introduction to the 'Ethos' then? Billy:Oh yes, please excuse my rudeness. I didnt' know you saved my sister. Let me contact the medical department at my headquaters. I have other matters I must attend to, considering I am not only a priest but also an Etone... So I cannot make any promises. Elly:Then you'll introduce us? Billy:Yes. Let's stop by the 'Ethos' headquaters after this. Margie:Hmm. A priest and an Etone at the same time... Isn't that unusual? The 'Ethos' is obviously very different from my Nisan Sect. Billy:Your Nisan Sect? Are you from Nisan? Margie:Yep, I'm Marguerite. Nice to meet you Father. Billy:The pleasure is mine. I've never had a proper chance to speak with to others about their religons. Can we talk later? Margie:Sure, that's fine. But I can't take that much time. I'm a little busy now. Billy:Thank you. Hmm. Margie? Where have I heard that name before? Bart:Forget about it, relax... I came here to talk to the 'Ethos'. Let's get moving. Billy:What an impolite fellow. You should learn how to speak a little more politely. Bart:Why you! Billy:Well everyone, I'll go tell the 'Ethos' that you're coming. When you've taken care of business here, please come by the 'Ethos'. Bart:I know, I know. Let's go. Jessie:Hey Billy, I have some business to take care of. If you're going back to the headquaters, can you take Prim back to the Brat house for me? Billy:......Alright. Let's go Prim. [Billy and Primera leave.] Jessie:Alright, well I've got to get going. Later Hyuga. I know I'll be seein ya around. Citan:Uh, who knows. Jessie:Well, what ever. See you ladies after. [Jessie leaves.] Citan:He never changes... Sigurd said he would be done with the Yggdrasil soon. Bart:What,really? Alright, this time we can really leave port. Elly:Are we returning... to Aveh? Bart:Are you kidding? We gotta take care of Fei first. That smart aleck kid said he'd introduce us to the 'Ethos'. So I gues I'll just have to go to the 'Ethos' headquaters then... Elly:...Thank you. Bart:Why do I have to get thanked by you? Margie:Heh, that's right, Elly. Elly:...Yes, you're right. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II M. Billy, The Etone ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Elly, Citan and Bart go into the 'Ethos' Headquaters. Billy waits for them in a small chapel.] Billy:We have been waiting for you. I received permission to treat Fei so long as it is in the practice hall's infirmary. Let us 'Ethos' staff take care of the rest. Elly:Please, take care of Fei for me. [Later...] Billy:The brothers from the 'Ethos' are looking after Fei in the infimary. Let me take you there. Please follow me. This way. [A young man around Billy's age interupts Billy on the way to the infirmary.] Verlaine:Billy, I hear your father has been rather active again. Billy:... Verlaine:It is said that there was an attack on an excavation site which injured many of my 'brothers' and workers. Well, you're such a fine Etone - destroying Reapers and proving the justice of the 'Ethos' to the world. But your father is... Billy:We are father and son in blood only! I have nothing to do with that man... Verlaine:Don't get me wrong. I don't suspect you, our good brother. I just wanted to inform you about your father. [Verlaine leaves] Billy:...That father of mine... I wish he'd think about my position before acting. [They go downstairs and enter the infirmary.] Billy:How is he? 'Ethos' Doctor:The patient hasn't regained consciousness yet, but we see no abnormality with his brain. The low water temperature lowered his metabolism and saved him. One false step and he could've suffered from brain death. Bart:That means... 'Ethos' Doctor:Yes, don't worry. However, we need to conduct more tests for a while. After that, he can be treated at your medical facilities. Elly:...Will Fei ever regain consciousness? 'Ethos' Doctor:The reason why he hasn't regained consciousness is physical exhaustion. He overworked himself. It'll probably take him a few more days, but don't worry, he'll wake up. Elly:...I'm sorry, Fei. I caused the engine room to lose control... Citan:Elly, that is not true. You cannot resist being hypnotized. More importantly, you saved Fei. Fei could not have been protected from Kahr without you. Is that not correct? Elly:Thank you... Bart:Hey, we don't want to disturb his recovery. Let's take a little walk. It may take a little while longer to finish treating Fei. Elly:I... would like to stay a little while. Is it okay? Citan:I agree. Fei will feel at ease that way. Please let us know when you finish treating Fei. We will leave the rest up to you. [Later...] Citan:Elly, how is Fei doing? Elly:Yes... It looks like he is going to be alright. Bart:Come on. Let's go to the infirmary. [They go to the infirmary.] 'Ethos' Doctor:Hello, everyone. His treatment is finished. Citan:Did Fei regain consciousness? 'Ethos' Doctor:Unfortunately, the patient hasn't regained consciousness yet. But there's no need to worry. When he recovers physically, he'll also regain consciousness. You can take him to your ship now. Bart:Thanks a lot! 'Ethos' Doctor:Please don't worry. I did my job as a clergyman. Elly:Um... Where is Billy? I'd like to thank him... 'Ethos' Doctor:Oh yes, brother Billy... He went back to the Orphanage. He was worried about the children left behind. Citan:We are in Billy's debt. We should go thank him. Bart:First, let's take Fei to the Yggdrasil. We can go thank him afterwards. [Later, in the Yggdrasil medical ward...] Elly:... Fei, I'm sorry... [Elly goes to the bridge and talks to Sigurd.] Sigurd:I see. So, Fei'll recover if he continues to rest. I'm relieved to hear that. It seems the Orphanage is located to the southeast of the 'Ethos' headquaters. Shall we launch the Yggdrasil? Elly:Go ahead! [They go to the Orphanage and meet Billy inside.] Billy:Oh, how are you? How is Fei doing? Elly:Very well. He hasn't regained consciousness yet, but he should come around soon. Billy:Really? That's good to hear. Elly:Um, Billy. I don't know quite how to thank you for helping Fei. Billy:Don't mention it. We may believe in different gods, but none of us can leave people in need. Elly:Thank you very much. By the way, is this your orphanage...? Billy:Surprised tehre are only children? My sister and I haven't had parents since we were infants... So, I opened an orphanage so kids without anyone wouldn't have to go through what we did. They're all healthy and obedient to the teachings of the 'Ethos'. They're all good kids who even help me with work. [Sigurd enters.] Sigurd:Bart!! Yggdrasil's radar picked up an image of a huge ship!! Bart:What? Gebler again? Sigurd:I don't know but it's moving at 10 repsol/hr. to the south. Let's head back to the bridge. Bart:Got it! Be right there. [Jessie walks in.] Jessie:Hey you, in the black and white. Are you Sigurd? Sigurd:Is that any way to speak to someone? Who do you think you are? Citan:Ah... He may not look it but he is our senior. Sigurd:Senior? Jessie? Billy:Siggy? Bart:He said Siggy? Jessie:A silver haired man with amber skin. I'd say that's rare. What are you all doing here? Citan:It just sort of happened. Sigurd:A lot's happened... Jessie:Well, let's talk about things over some drinks. So... Why are you all here? Billy:Siggy, it's been a long time... What's with the eye patch? Sig:Billy... you've grown up. With that smile you look just like Racquel. Bart:Hey! Hey hey hey! Who are you? Get all cozy with my officers huh? And what's all this with this 'Siggy' stuff? Don't get cute, kid! Billy:What's with you? Why are you so arrogant to Siggy? Who do you think you are? Jessie:Billy. Don't yell at Sigurd's people. It's bad form, boy. Sigurd:Bart, this was my senior when I was a candidate for Elements in Jugend. I rented a room in his house. Jessie:Back then he was still in diapers... And he's still a whiny brat now. Billy:You're probably still in diapers, aren't you? Bart:You punk! What's your problem? Jessie:Well... then, shall we go straight off and drink ourselves under? Sigurd:Where do you plan on going? Jessie:What do you mean? There has to be a bar or two on board your ship! Sigurd:I still have a slight headache... Jessie:What? That's O.K. We'll get rid of that headache with a good drink. [He leaves.] Citan:What are you going to do? Sigurd:I can't just say no to him... Jessie:What are you doin'? Let's go! Sigurd:Hey now... [Citan and Sigurd leave.] Billy:I'm not going... Go ahead and have a good time. [He leaves.] Bart:What's this huge ship Sig was talking about? Citan:I am sorry, everyone, if I may be excused... Rico:Oh well, I guess I'll go. I've got time to kill. [Elly, Bart and Rico go back into the Yggdrasil.] Elly:They can't launch the Yggdrasil cause Sigurd isn't there... He must be in the gun room or somewhere... [They head to the gun room.] Jessie:I see. This is the place you begged to return to, eh? Sigurd:Well, yes... Jessie:After you left, Billy cried a lot. Sigurd:...I'm sorry. Citan:When you left Solaris, the same thing happened. Kahr was quite upset then. Sigurd:I didn't mean to betray him... Citan:His misanthropy has gotten even worse because of that. Now, enough about old times, old friend. I did not expect to find you loitering in this land... Jessie:Ha ha ha! I haven't hit the booze for a long while! It's all cause my son doesn't let me drink! This is a great bar you've got here... old codger! Maison:Why... errh, thank you, my good man. Jessie:This old codger, has good character... like his booze! I like him!! Ha, ha, ha! Sigurd:... [They return to the Orphanage and talk to Billy.] Billy:What do you need? Excuse me, I must go and greet some people. Please don't go searching through other's rooms. [Outside a man around 40 years old approaches the house. He wears decorated robes.] Kid:!! Wow!! Uncle Stone!! [All the kids run up to the man.] Uncle Stone:Hello, are you all happy? Kids:Yay! Yes! Of course! Yes! Billy:Bishop Stone!! Bishop Stone:Oh, Billy my son! Sorry to bother you when you're so busy. Primera:... [Primera goes back inside.] Bishop Stone:And who are these people? Billy:They are travelers from another country. Bishop Stone:Oh... By the way, about your earlier message... Billy:Yes, about work... Bishop Stone:Yes. The 'Ethos' transport ship that went missing finally turned up. But, there's no reply... Billy:What does it mean? Bishop Stone:Hmmm, perhaps Reapers again. Billy can you do the usual? Billy:Right, no problem. Leave it to me, Bishop. Bishop Stone:Thanks. It's to the northeast from here. Please be careful. It's a dangerous area. There are some pretty fast currents and it's best to stay away from the salvagers. You'd better go in a big ship... Bart:Hey, is that the massive ship Sig was talking about earlier? Billy:I don't know if that was it or not. Bart:From what I hear, it's a place where the currents are really fast. It's supposedly very dangerous for small ships. But the Yggdrasil will be safe there. No matter how big the wave or well, it's no problem. Besides, we have help from Fei. Let's get aboard. I'll see you off to there. What, we could even help you finish your job! Elly:I agree. You saved Fei. It's the least we can do. Billy:Thanks but this doesn't involve you. Just me is enough. Elly:But isn't that place dangerous? If there is anything we can do to help... Billy:I don't want to get you involved... Bishop Stone:Billy, my son, don't waste their good intentions. That sub is theirs, no? Why don't you cooperate with them... Billy:... But, Bishop! Bart:Yeah, it's no fun to travel alone. Let's help. Elly:Billy, it's best to go with friends! Billy:... Well if you insist, thank you. I appreciate it. Bishop Stone:I thank you deeply. Billy, take care of these people. Report back to headquaters after you get back. Billy:Yes, Bishop. [Bishop Stone leaves.] Billy:Thank you. Let's see what tomorrow brings. I'll come as soon as I'm finished preparing for tomorrow. Go on ahead. I'll tell you more on the way there... [They go to the gun room to get Sigurd.] Sigurd:... Oh, yes... It's time for you to depart, right. I'm sorry, old friend, but I have a job I must do... Jessie:Oh god, is it that time already? Well then, before we go let's do the usual... You know... the 'paint the face on your stomach and dance around trick'...? The three of us together! Citan:!! Well, actually, we are in a hurry so, errh... We will talk about that some other time... Jessie:Oh? Is that right? Well then, I oughta get outta here to... huh? Citan:There is something I want to ask you too... So let us get together when we have more time...! Jessie:Yeah. I hope to live to have the oppurtunity... Citan... CRASH EAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!! Sigurd is...! Citan:Again!? Sigurd gets drunk so easily...! Well that blows it! We cannot leave today, perhaps tomorrow... [That night in the Orphanage, Jessie walks in drunk.] Jessie:...HIC...!!! I'm back. Where's Billy? [Billy walks in the room angry.] Billy:Keep it down! What time do you think it is? Be quiet when you come back, or you will wake the children. Jessie:If you'd come you'd have heard a ton of good stories. Sigurd's stories where hilarious. Billy:You know Siggy doesn't drink and you made him? Even though you're a holy man's father... Jessie:Hey hey, why don't you open up your eyes. You need to quit bein' a priest. Billy:I don't want to hear that from someone without a shred of faith. Stay out of my life. Jessie:Stay out? Do you have any idea how much trouble your little butt is in? Billy:What? How would you know? Jessie:!? You...!! Billy:I still don't believe you're even my father. You're not the person mother loved. Jessie:Whaddya mean... You think I'm a fake? Billy:Ask yourself. Jessie:... You're right. I guess there's no way to prove it... Fine, you still don't understand the truth. What those guys really are, where you are going... Billy:Father, what are you saying... Jessie:I'm saying Racquel died in vain. Billy:!! You have no right to say mother's name! Jessie:... I see. That's the way it is. Fine. Anyhow, quit your job. Consider it a piece of advice from a man who is but a stanger to you. Later!! [Jessie leaves.] Billy:... [The next day in the gun room of the Yggdrasil...] Billy:Good morning. They said you were still sleeping, so I went ahead and came in. Bart:You're dressed lightly. Is that enough? Billy:We Etones have some rather unique equipment. Let me explain about the equipment since we're going to be working together. First of all, my main equipment are guns. There're three kinds... 'Handgun', 'Ether-gun', and 'Big-gun'. The handgun is the only ones that can be replaced with other versions of the same kind. I made the other two kinds of guns myself, so there are no others to replace them with. You can power up a gun's attack force by changing its 'ammo' or 'bullets' with more powerful ones! To load ammo, press Right or Left on the directional button at the Equip menu screen. This will display a sub-window in place of the main Equip window, where you can select your ammo. One thing you have to be careful of is that the number of bullets for each gun is limited. To successfully manage your ammo, you must keep an ample supply and reload frequently! but now that I have said this, not that Ether-guns do not have such a limit. Well that's about it... Did you understand? Elly:Yes. Bart:I understood it roughly but it's a bit complicated, isn't it? [Billy stares at a gun on the wall.] Billy:...This is a fine gun indeed. I'm sure it has a significant history. Bart:Of course! It's the famous rifle 'Machiganator', handed down in the Fatima family. Billy:What a waste... It's too good for you who just brandishes a whip... Bart:Hey! Why are you getting sharp with me!? Billy:Oh, sorry... It's just... I didn't think you would have an interest in guns. Elly:Well anyway... Billy... I'd like to know why you became an Etone... Bart:(I'm not interested...) Billy:... Hmm, I see.... Etones help out strangers, so I suppose that would make you curious... Elly:No, I don't mean that. I'm curious about your own intentions personally. I don't know... I just didn't expect you to be an Etone at all... Billy:... I see... Well, since our job is rather unusual, I'll tell you about that too as I explain... [The screen shows Billy and his sister when they were very young children in the Orphage with their mother.] Billy:How old was I...? I don't remember. Maybe 8 or 9. About then, dad taught me how to use a gun. [Jessie leaves.] Billy:One day day dissappeared. [Billy and Primera wander aimlessly.] Billy:He just ran out on us. He never came back. Even so, I stayed in his room alone often. Dad's gun, Dad's smell. Those things were all I had left to remind me of him. But that happiness didn't last long... [Racquel, alone in the room is surrounded by Wels.] Billy:When I was 12, my house was attacked by Reapers and mom was killed. They were looking for dad but mom wouldn't talk. I can still hear it... The sound of the bullets slowly firing three times... I even remember the sound of the empty shells striking the floor. After that, the Reapers screamed and I heard someone fall. [Racquel falls to the ground, dead. A man in robes enters the room and shoots the Reapers execution style, bloodying the already bloody floor.] Billy:Bishop Stone was the one who helped us then. Meeting him changed my life from then on. Bart:Hey, hey, wait a sec. Do Reapers talk? Billy:Yes. They're not just monsters. Some of them are more intelligent than humans. [Billy and Primera hide in the corner.] Billy:Primera and I hid in the shadows escaping death, but she hasn't spoken a word since. [Bishop Stone enters the room. Billy is excited.] Billy:Like a godsend, kind, stong Bishop Stone gave me an example to follow. I wanted to help save someone in need like he saved us. I didn't ant there to be any more children like Primera... So I began training at the 'Ethos' to become just like Bishop Stone. [Billy and Stone leave the room.] Billy:I left Prim in the care of the 'Ethos' and entered the monastery. Many years passed... I finished training at the monastery and became an Etone. I returned home to open the Orphanage... [Jessie walks in.] Billy:And he... had unexpectedly come back. But he was different. Some terrible accident changed him. Not only his looks, but his character and manner had completely chaged too. I remember him as a quiet man... But... more than that, I thought maybe I didn't really remember him... That's why... I can never think of him as a father... But Prim needed a father, and she's become attached to him. Deep in my heart, I too thought I wanted a father. But... even now I just can't believe he is my real father. [The setting returns to the gunroom.] Billy:Hah! This is going to sound pathetic, but... I almost went so far as to sell my body to support Prim, since we only had each other for so long... Despite that, Prim prefers the father she never knew... The one who suddenly appeared out of nowhere... Bart:'Almost sold your body'!? Don't you know, kid...!? There's some things you can get back once sold, and there's things you just can't! Couldn't you see that? Billy:Of course I refrained. But they said they'd give me 3000G for one night... Bart:You fool! Listen... Next time you and your sister need help, come to my ship. We're self-sufficient, so atleast you don't need to worry about food and a place to sleep! Now, don't you ever say 'sell your body' in front of me ever again...! You understand!? Billy:Could this be...? Maybe you are a 'nice guy' after all...? Bart:Why don't you just come out and say 'thank you'? Geez! Billy:Uh...errh...well... you haven't taken care of us yet, so I won't say it! Bart:Cute, kid, REAL cute! [The Yggdrasil goes near the strange ship and stays underneath it.] Bart:...Looks like we've made it already... Billy:Can it be...? The transport ship's being attacked by Reapers... Bart:... Billy:Can anyone help us? [They climb up onto the deck of the Yggdrasil and then climb up to the abandoned 'Ethos' ship. They walk inside into a darkened room.] Elly:It's dark... Citan:What is that odor? Billy:This unusual smell is that of the Wels. It sure looks like they attacked... One more thing. On the room's middle wall is a red switch. Pull the switch to turn on the light. Elly:Scared? Billy:... No... Just a little... [They continue on. They find an empty shower. A familiar red fluid starts pouring out.] Billy:Looks like blood... What happened on this transport... No wait, this is... water with rust in it. Let's hurry on ahead. [They continue on and climb on top of the switch. They climb down a hatch, and as soon as they reach the floor, a gigantic Reaper attacks them. They defeat it.] Bloody:Um... I'm counting on you. Billy:(It's my buddy!! I'll call him over here.) [At the Orphanage, a boy on the roof sees a signal in the sky.] Boy on roof:!! Billy's signal...! [He rings the giant bell on the top of the Orphanage.] Boy on roof:Hey everyone!! It's shift G!! Boy on windmill:Wind direction, OK!! Target coordinates - X1020, Z303! Boy on roof:Roger!! Engage auto pilot! Catapult, ready! Boy on ground:Look out! Kids on swingsaws:Push, pull! Yeah, great! [Suddenly, the metal grate on the ground pulls back. A blue Gear with a cape raises out of the ground.] Boy on roof:Standby OK! Ready? [The Gear blasts off.] Kid 1:GO!! Kid 2:Go get 'em! Kid 3:Today's launch was so-so [Billy, Citan and Elly step out onto a bridge on the ship. From there they see a gigantic Wels.] Billy:Just as I thought. This transports' infested. I must go to the 'Ethos' and tell Bishop Stone... Elly:What? There's something... Citan:There is nothing around. Just fish jumping around. Ahh... the sea. The cool breeze... so different from the desert!! Elly:Billy, who's 'buddy'? Billy:...Hmm, it's probably its brethren. A giant Wels. An entity we wouldn't stand much of a chance against ourselves. But don't worry, they're pretty slow. Even if that Wels called it, it probably won't reach us in time. But I called for my Gear just anyway to be safe. It comes! Billy:......Faster than I expected. Well, here it comes. Citan:!! You did say that we would not stand much of a chance against it by ourselves? Billy:It should be any time now. [Billy's Gear, Renmazou and the Yggdrasil show up.] Billy:Great timing on the part of the kids. I owe them one. Well, get ready cause here it comes! [They defeat the Giant Wels and return to the Yggdrasil.] Billy:Thank you for helping me, everyone. To be honest, that was too dangerous for me on my own. I couldn't have done it without you... Bart:Is your job always this dangerous? Hah, I never thought you would call a Gear!? But what in hell is the 'Ethos' thinking anyway? Billy:!! ...We Etones are merely fulfilling our divine mission! Bart:Sorry... It was wrong of me to say that. Don't take it so seriously! So, you're going to report back to the 'Ethos' about your job's results, right? Well, if you like we shall give you a ride to the 'Ethos' H.Q.... It's on our way. Billy:That would be great, so long as it doesn't put you out... I have something to give you as a sign of my gratitude. So please accompany me into the 'Ethos' headquaters. Let's go... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II N. Burning Souls ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [The party enters the Ethos Headquaters and find the bodies of three Etones on the ground. Each one of them has multiple bullet wounds in the chest.] Billy:T, this is...! What, what happened here? [Suddenly a person a few feet away from Billy starts groaning.] Etone:Billy... [Billy walks over to the wounded Etone.] Billy:Are you alright? What happened? Etone:I don't know... Suddenly, I heard a gunshot... Billy:Hey hang in there! Hey! [The Etone passes away. Rico shakes his head.] Rico:I guess its too late. Billy:Why... Why did this happen?........This is....? This is father's shell casing... Damn it... Don't tell me he stormed into the 'Ethos' headquaters in desperation? Citan:It is possible with him. [The party walks further through the Ethos HQ to a hallway. A stange clawed creature is attacking another Etone.] Etone:Wagggh! [The Etone falls over and dies.] Billy:Don't move! Who are you? [The creature turns around and faces the party.] Creature:There are still survivors? [The party kills the strange creature.] Billy:Who... are these guys? Why're they attacking the 'Ethos'? Citan:Are the people from the 'Ethos' alright? They mentioned survivors but... Billy:What! Then everyone... Rico:Come on. We've gotta go save the survivors. [They go through the hallway and enter an open door. They go downstairs to find the Pontiff, leader of the 'Ethos' surrounded by three of the weird creatures.] Pontiff:What is all this about!? Who are you all!? Creature 1:You're still pretending you don't know anything? Creature 2:You may be the leader of the 'Ethos', but you don't know when you're beaten. Pontiff:It's been exposed? Creature 3:Rebelling against us will cost you your life. [The 3 creatures kill the Pontiff.] Pontiff:Ghaaa! Billy:The Pontiff!! [The assassins turn around.] Billy:Damn you...!! [The party defeats them. They continue through the hallway and walk into a small room where they find a survivor.] Survivor:..... Billy:Are you alright? Please answer me! Survivor:I...don't...know...anything...I...can't...talk...anymore...than...this... Rico:Hey you! Keep with us, here! We're on your side! Survivor:......?.....! She...vat....Got....to....contact...She...vat... Citan:'Shevat'!? You are from 'Shevat'!? Survivor:.... Rico:This's a real bad wound. Citan:Let us contact the Yggdrasil to come and help us. [After escorting the survivor to the Yggdrasil and return to the Ethos HQ. They go down an elevator and enter a nearby room that appears to be a giant computer complex.] Billy:Judging from our position, this room is right under the cathedral...Which could mean that this is the 'Ethos' data bank. Rico:Regardless, we can't do this by ourselves. Lets go get the rest of the gang. [They get Bart and Elly and return to the computer complex.] Elly:I am sure of it! This has to be the 'Ethos' data bank! [Billy turns around and faces Elly.] Billy:This data bank contains all the info concerning the 'Ethos'. From the past to the present... Everything! This facility is strictly off limits to us. Only the Bishop class can ever enter this area. Bart:Yeah, but even then...this place is damn well equiped. Look at it? Citan:I say... a facility of this magnitude would be even hard to find in Solaris. Why would the 'Ethos' have such a set up? Elly:...Wait a minute!...This is Solaris' equipment! Bart:So, Solaris!? Elly:Don't act so surprised! No matter how vast this world is, such advanced equipment can only come from Solaris. Rico:The 'Ethos' has been assaulted by someone...And in the basement we find a Solarian facility... Citan:Hmm...The plot thickens... Bart:What's going on here? What is this place? Hey Billy! You know anything about this? [Billy shakes his head.] Billy:Don't ask me... How would I know...This is my first time in here... Rico:Then lets investigate...!? [The party investigates the computers. Much later...] Bart:Citan, what is that being displayed there? Citan:It looks like some transmission record from somewhere... We might be able to find some clues here. Wait one moment... Alright... Now I am able to transmit it to the main displays. [Three displays come up on the computer screen.] Screen 1:IGNAS CONFLICT STATUS: 37th arms supplement-upgrading Aveh's Gears from level D2 to D3 maintain Kislev Gears at level D2. Current balance=4:6... REPORT BY BISHOP SHAKHAN OF THE IGNAS DIOCESE: Due to the intervention of an uncertain factory, correction is needed. Progress needed. Screen 2:Report No.50224 from Nortune's D Block Screen 3:transferring all Battler data. Also transferring to Solaris all data concerning the A Class Battler's health conditions and estimated adaption rates for Type Y demi human deployment... Bart:What the heck is this!? Why's the 'Ethos' looking into this kinda stuff? On top of that, that Shakhan's a bishop!? Wasn't he excommunicated from the 'Ethos' 17 years ago!? Rico:That can't be the case if he's been sending in regular reports. Elly:Look, here! The destinations of all resources collected by the 'Ethos' through trade with each area...All the resources are being sent to the Solaris homeland. [Billy shakes his head.] Billy:B,but why would the 'Ethos' be sending supplies to Solaris!? Elly:I don't know... [Bart steps foward and looks carefully at the computer screen.] Bart:There's a terminal switch over here too... Huh? What's with these letters? I can't read this. [Elly looks at it carefully.] Elly:This is in the Solarian language, but it's been encoded. Hold on....Umm.....What is this.... Bart:C'mon, hurry up! Elly:Hold on! It's hard to translate this stuff! Umm... Lambs...great war...collapse... re-education...post war rehab plan...based on... schedule for building 'Gate' foundations... 'Lambs' ... 02-04 to Ignas... 05-08 to Aquvy...11-16 uniformly distributed...Put into practice...'Ethos' established as an organization...Supervision by elders...conference... supervision by the Gazel? The 'Ethos' is...!? Bart:Huh? Rico:It's all a front! The 'Ethos' is really a subsidiary organization of Solaris. Bart:So...what does this all mean? Elly:In short, it's like this...500 years ago, there was a great war that occured between Solaris and the land dwellers. It's not clear what the outcome was, but after the war, Solaris feared another land dweller revolt. So Solaris built a 'Gate' or barrier, that seperates Solaris' land from the rest of the world's land. The land dwellers who lived within this gate were made to dwell as seperate races and were thus supervised to carry out the actual supervision, Solaris established the 'Ethos'. So the 'Ethos' is actually controlled by the 'Gazel Ministry' or Solaris' highest governmental body. So yes, the 'Ethos' is really a front or a subsidiary organization working for Solaris! Excavation findings, goods and natural resources from the surface are transported to Solaris by the 'Ethos'. This also includes 'human resources', or people used for manual labor and so on. Basically, this here is the window between the planet's surface and Solaris up there in the skies above. According to these records, there's been an enormous amount of goods and people transferred to Solaris! Rico:So the 'Ethos' has been manipulating us, heh. Anything else? Elly:The rest is mainly about population distribution and excavation records. The amount of detailed info about races and their biological data kind of concerns me though... Citan:Here is a relatively recent record... It also indicates that there has been a large amount of people sent to Solaris... The majority of them were people who had come to the 'Ethos' seeking help or spiritual salvation. Billy:This can't be! Rico:So what happened to all those people you've seen coming here for help? Billy:They became Etones...like me... Bart:Surely not all of them? What happened to the ones that didn't become Etones? Billy:Well...arrh...? Bart:It's all becoming clear then, eh... How about it, Elly? Elly:There are facilities in Solaris for accomadating surface dwellers...I know! The 3rd Class citizen level, earth dwellers of various races are regularly sent there as manual labor. Rico:So this is the source of their labor supply. Billy:But thats impossible...! How could that be... Even if that was the case, who would kill all those 'Ethos' people, and why? Citan:This could be your answer... Billy:What? Citan:The 44th Salvage Plan. Bart:The 44th Salvage Plan? Isn't that what the Captain of the Thames was talking about? Citan:This is the only plan that is not linked to Solaris... It must have been iniated by the 'Ethos' itself, as a completely independent project. It was commenced about 16 years ago. Allow me to display the data... Screen:completed investigation of the Zeboim city which sank to the bottom of the sea approximately 4000 years ago... After over 100 test digs, the city center has been ascertained... Excavation planned to begin... Citan:So from this, it appears that under Aquvy lies an ultra-ancient civilization. They have been doing a huge number of tests and obtained a vast quantity of resources from the ruins. Biological weapons...reactive weapons...Hmm. I see, so this must be their intention... My assessment of the circumstances is that the 'Ethos' is attempting to break away from Solaris. And once freed from its master, it is likely to attempt world domination on its own. Rico:Attempt a breakaway... And attempt world domination...That's a rather ambitious! Citan:Yes, but the real intentions of the 'Ethos' are quite obvious... The fact that they are not reporting the results, let alone the site's very existence gives it away... The 'Ethos' is planning to revolt by monopolizing this ultra-advanced civilization's resources! Actually, such rebellions have become quite common. Elly:So, do you think Solaris is responsible for this attack on the 'Ethos'? Citan:Yes, that is probably it. Shall we move along? There could be more to find yet! Billy:The 'Ethos'... My 'Ethos'...My faith... Bart:Hey Billy! How long you plannin on being like that? Get a hold of yourself! Citan:This is all just speculation based on circumastantial evidence. It would be best for you to confirm what is the truth with your own eyes. Elly:You go on ahead. Bart and I will take the 'Shevite' back to the Yggdrasil. [Elly and Bart head back to the Yggdrasil while the rest of the party ventures further down the hall.] Billy:....I....still can't believe it. The 'Ethos' was that dubious and organization. What was it that I believed in... all this time? [The party suddenly hears a familiar voice from down the hall.] Voice:Isn't that the very reason why I told you back then... that you belong with us? [Verlaine and another Etone step out into the light.] Billy:Verlaine? Verlaine:You're defiled, Billy. You left the 'Ethos' and kept company with dregs who have no faith at all. And you lost sight of what it means to be defiled. I didn't expect it out of you... You who used to live only for your faith. You should have remained like us. But fear not, Billy. I shall cleanse you. You'll live within me. You will become one with me in death... [Suddenly, two shots ring out and strike Verlaine's companion in the chest. He slumps to the floor.] Verlaine:What!? [Jessie steps out with a smoking gun in his hand.] Billy:Father! How could you do that!? Jessie:What are you getting flustered about boy? It was a stun bullet. He's just taking a nap. You should've been able to tell by the sound it made! Besides, these murderers are not from the 'Ethos'. [Walks towards the knocked out man and points to his robe.] Jessie:Look! Billy:That symbol... Jessie:Yes, that's right. They're agents of Solaris. Probably an assassination unit under Stone's command! I got word that they were exterminating all 'Ethos' members, and hurried here. But I was too late. All 'Ethos' affiliates have already been killed, except for those on some sort of salvage mission. Billy:You claim Verlaine and his men are an assassination unit for the Bishop!? How could you even say such blasphemy!? Verlaine:That's right... We are servents of the Bishop. Our mission is to hand out judgement on fallen priests and sinners in order to make them repent. Billy:Is that true Verlaine? But why people from the 'Ethos'? Verlaine:The Pontiff and his brethen deserve to die! They allowed greed to tempt them into abandoning their duties as the 'Ethos' to pursue world domination. They passed their own death sentences when they allowed such desires to overtake them. And that's not all. Saving orphans and refugees... that may seem like the works of mercy. But the little boys and girls kept here were actually used as a means to satisfy the desires of the Pontiff and Bishops. Indulging in selfish desires... This is not conduct befitting priests! Such defiled leaven have no right to speak for god. That is why we set out on this purification work. They must atone for their sins. These are the Bishop's orders! Billy:Even if that were true, we have no right to punish others! Judgement belongs to god. That is what we were taught, wasn't it!? Verlaine:God? Where does such a being exist? You should know by now how the 'Ethos' came about... It was an organization created by Solaris aeons ago solely for the purpose of managing ignorant humans. Its doctrines are just deceptions to control the masses. The 'Ethos' used the 2 sweet fruits of 'faith' and 'technology' well to skill fully manipulate global affairs and people's zeal. Thus, they manipulated the ignorant masses to repeatedly continue their pointless wars. Eventually battle data on 'man' and 'weapons' gleaned from these wars were sent to Solaris itself... And analyzed to aid in ruling the entire earth. These intentionally perpetuated wars caused so much phychological discord. But faith in 'god' ....salvation... was used as a cushion to soften the blow. It was a well thought out system. But the choice of managers was extremely poor. Or did you think that acting out the part of a faithful servent of god would someday yield an answer from a great god somewhere? Can't you see that such a divine being just never existed from the beginning? And you don't seem to realize this, but you yourself were passing judgement on sinners as much as we were! Billy:I... I have been passing judgement? Verlaine:That's right. Daily you have been dirtying your hands as an acomplice... [Suddenly the men hear another familiar voice from down the hall.] Voice:Are you trying to take away my ultimate pleasure, Verlaine? [Suddenly, a shot rings out and strikes Verlaine in the chest. He falls to the ground, bleeding heavily. The three men step out into view. They are Stone and two robed men. One of the men holds a gun pointed at Verlaine. Billy kneels down towards the fallen Verlaine.] Verlaine:Gha-ha! Billy:Verlaine! Hang in there! Verlaine:Bi...lly.... [The man pulls the trigger again. A bullet goes through Verlaine's head, killing him.] Billy:Verlaine! Verlaine! Stone:A good-for-nothing chatterbox such as you has no right to live. Billy:Bishop! Why Verlaine!? What in heavens are you trying to accomplish!? Stone:I am the inquisitor sent to earth from Solaris. Citan:Inquisitor? Stone:The status of Bishop is merely a convenience for my activities on earth. The 'Ethos' was created as a Solaris sub-organization and given the task of managing earth dwellers. But over the years the 'Ethos' started to set up convenient doctrines for itself... It then went on to gather the ignorant masses, and created a god for them to believe in. Then, the 'Ethos' even went so far as to plot a seperation from its creator, Solaris. Solaris had no choice but to eliminate all those who defy our rule and raise the flag of rebellion. The ones prepared as 'eliminators' were... the Etones. Etones, 'the Atoners', the organization I established within the 'Ethos' had 2 purposes... On the surface their aim was to eliminate the 'Reapers' or -Wels- that run rampant on the earth. But thats not their only purpose. Behind the scenes, we also had selected men like Verlaine... They were responsible for observing and eliminating any corrupt people who appeared in the 'Ethos'. You didn't have the chance to learn of this, since you left the 'Ethos' so early... Or actually, I just never told you. There was 'another' role I wanted you to perform. Billy:Another...rule? Stone:Billy, there are certain things in this world that you're happier not knowing. Even lies and deceptions can become the truth for some people of the earth... Particularly those not knowing the true nature of things, or how these systems of things works. In fact, the -god- and -faith- systems set up by the 'Ethos' were the truth in itself, were they not? Billy:Tell me! What other 'role' were you talking about? What did Verlaine mean when he said judgement!? Stone:So you want to know? But can you bear the full weight of the truth? Billy, if you can bear that weight, then I'm willing to tell you. Billy:... Stone:You believed that you were saving wandering souls weren't you? Thats why you carried out your cleansing of the 'Reapers', -Wels- from the earth, right? In fact it was all just another control system put in place by Solaris. But what's more, your 'saving' work... that very activity you believed in so much, was in reality... [Jessie steps towards Stone] Jessie:You're talking to much nonsense! Billy:Father! Jessie:You haven't changed at all since then... have you, Stein? Billy:Stein? Stone:That's a name I haven't been called for a long time... Hearing that name vividly brings back a pleasent twinge of pain to the 'scars on this body'. You know what I mean, Jessiah? Jessie:Heh, your brain still isn't working right. Answer me! Stone:Thats not worth wasting my breath answering. Just consider it 'my reward in life'... Of course that includes watching your agonizing death. I could succumb to the desire to slice up your body here and now, and drag out your innards... But I can't do that now. I have a matter to attend to elsewhere. That 'duty' comes before any pleasure I could have with you here. I haven't the time to waste anymore. [Stone turns and starts to leave. Jessie points his gun at him.] Jessie:I won't let you go that easily Stein! [Stone turns and faces Jessie.] Stone:I can't be bothered by insignificant wretches like you. [Stone's henchmen approach the party.] Stone:Until next time! And, as a parting gift, I'll have these men entertain you! Billy:Bishop Stone! Stone:Well then, excuse me... Oh and Billy! If you something you wish to discuss, come see me later. I'll be waiting for you. [Stone leaves. The party defeat his two henchmen.] Jessie:Stein, you aren't goin anywhere!! [He runs down the hall north to another room. The party enters the room. Jessie is staring through a window over a large vertical tunnel.] Jessie:Just missed him. Looks like Stein's...There. [Jessie points to a gigantic white gear rising up through the tunnel. It quickly exits the facility.] Rico:I've never seen a gear this huge. Jessie:The mobile gear of Solaris was... Alkanshel, wasn't it Hyuga? Citan:What? Yes, something like that. Jessie:It may be big but its slow to maneuver, so we'll be alright in our gears. But its firepower is phenomenenal. Against a bigger target like a ship, BLAM! It'd all be over. Ain't that right Hyuga? Citan:Yes...Probably... Jessie:See what I mean? Rico:Wait, that means... Citan:The Thames fleet is in danger! They are unaware of this! Billy:I think they can catch up with the gear. Lets hurry and go help the Thames's fleet. [The party and Jessie goes to the Yggdrasil. On the bridge...] Crewmember:I've picked up the 'Ethos' fleet and the Thames on the radar, sir. They're on the sea south of here. If we travel at full spped we can reach them in an hour. Sigurd:Alright! Set sail for Thames! Crewmember:Aye, aye, sir! Radar man:First mate! The radar sir...! Sigurd:What is it!? Radar man:The radar just detected an enormous object! It appeared staight over the fleet! Bart:Don't tell me Stone's there already! Radar man:No, it is much bigger than that. I estimate it's atleast 2000 sharls! Billy:That's gigantic... What in the heaven is happening? [The Thames and its fleet sit calmly on the restful waters. Suddenly, beams fromt the sky come down and strike the surrounding ships except for the main ship. A giant, black fishbowl like ship levitates over the wreckage.] [The Gazel Ministry watches the scene from a computer screen inside the ship.] Gazel Blue 1:All that was needed was to fulfill the duty. Now, I sense a thought of greed. Gazel Blue 3:A selfish creed... I question his... faith. Gazel Red 2:We have no need for an organization of fanatics. Gazel Blue 2:We will seek what they will... it's their nature. Gazel Red 3:But, too much is undue, something must be done. A reprimand is necessary. Gazel Red 1:They are an expendable group. There is nothing we can do at this point. Gazel Blue 4:Yes, there is nothing more to gain from their continued existence. Gazel Blue 1:They've already done what we've required. Currently, we're in the process of 'dealing' with each area responsible. Gazel Blue 3:Stein is in charge of dealing with Aquty. Gazel Red 2:Bear in mind the need for a 'fitting solution'. Gazel Red 1:Moreover, Krelian is... rather exhorbitant. It's only a molecular machine. Why is he placing such importance on it? Gazel Blue 2:'Humans' and 'machines', it's all the same to us. Gazel Blue 1:Yes, they are all the same... [On the fishbowl shaped ship, named the Ezekiel, many Solarisian people work...] Crewmember 1:Main gun, 20 until the energy is recharged. Engineering, ready for a full demonstration. Main ship, military units are at stand by. Clean up is at 80%. Currently, our heading is clear. Crewmember 2:Krelian, there are several ships that have not been vaporized. What should we do? [Krelian, leader of the ship, a man with long white hair replies...] Krelian:Lamb, 03, 05 and 11 are damaged, just retrieve the non-damaged ones. Eliminate the rest of the trash. Use the test subjects, Wels, for retrieval and elimination. Crewmember 2:We've confirmed the marker location of Stein. Of the 130 research and excavation sites, it's in the southernmost peak. Crewmember 3:Shocktroops are entering Zeboim right now. [Krelian laughs.] Krelian:I see... The thing they've searched for for over 500 years... This should be interesting. Crewmember 1:Releasing the Wels. [On the Thames the captain and Hans stare out the window at the giant ship.] Captain:What's that!? Did you see that huge fishbowl thing? Hans:What are you asking me for? Captain:Weren't the other Salvager fleets almost blown away by one shot? Is this the way the 'Ethos' greets us? Hans:I seriously doubt that! Why do they have to attack us? We only came to help with the excavations. Crewmember:C, Captain! Wels Reapers! Reapers are dcoming out of that fishbowl thing by the dozens! Captain:What!? Hans:Why...? This cannot be happening... Captain:...Launch the Gears! Load the big gun! Hans:Captain!? Captain:Alright, y'all! We're going to assist and rescue survivors from the other ships... if at all possible while trying to retreat! And shoot down those Wels with our 2 guns! Don't let those filthy Wels get near our Thames! [turns and faces Hans] Captain:Hans! Look alive! Take the helm! We'll show that fishbowl thing how real men of the sea retreat! Hans:Y, yes sir! [Wels start coming out of the giant ship by the dozens and land on the Thames. The guns shoot some, but many get on deck. The gears try as best as they can to stop the Wels, but seriously need help. On the Yggdrasil...] Radar Man:I've detected a rescue signal! It seems the Thames is being attacked by a pack of Reapers! Bart:So this is purging by Solaris that Stone was talking about!? Citan:Let us make haste! Otherwise the Thames will be destroyed by Reapers! [Sigurd pilots the Yggdrasil to the Thames. Citan, Billy and Rico go to talk to the Captain.] Captain:Oh, Citan. You came because you were worried? Citan:Yes, you could say that. But you seem to be better off than I expected. Captain:Of course We are Men! of the Sea!! ...Is what I'd like to say... but the truth is the situation's been pretty bad. We've got some that are injured badly and some that are fatal. But considering what happened to the other ships, we're in no position to complain. And by the way, Citan, What the hell is up with that fishbowl thing? It came out of nowhere and kicked our butts and left behind Wels. And then, it headed for some obscure excavation site where there's supposed to be nothing. Odd, since we were sent to go to a more deeper and bigger excavation site. Citan:Just as I thought... Captain:Some say they saw a huge Gear-like monster. It seemed like it was guiding that fishbowl thing to the excavation site. Or so I'm told. Citan:Stone, it appears there is something there for sure. Captain:Call it salvager's intuition, but I don't wanna get any closer. And Citan, is that fishbowl thing an enemy of yours? Citan:You...could say that. Captain:Well, I won't ask for revenge. But I can't just sit back and do nothing. If you're against it, we'll help any way we can. You can ask Hans anything about the site. Hans:Fishbowl was headed due north. The north edge of that island...But why? There's nothing there but a small mine. [The three return to the Yggdrasil. Sigurd pilots it to the mine, an obscure building on one of the Aquvy islands. Citan, Billy and Rico go inside. ] Billy:Citan, what is Solaris trying to do? Citan:The main Solaris army...why...all this... Well let us get down. [The party takes the elevator down. When they get out, they see a Solaris soldier. The fight is short and the soldier is defeated. Hundreds of miles away underwater... Grahf's gear sits on the floor of the ocean. In the cockpit, he pushes a button and a hologram of Miang shows up.] Miang:...Did you notice? His Gear is reawakening. Soon, he himself will awaken also. His friends are headed for Zeboim. It's been sealed up for 4000 years. You know what's there better than I do. He probably won't give anyone anything. But it's something we both need. You know what I mean? ...so, please. [Grahf turns the hologram off. He flies off. Back in the mine, the party continues on. Eventually, they reach a bridge over a huge city.] Rico:!!!? What the hell! We're supposed to be underground, how'd we end up in the air? [The party continues. They soon reach a room with red lights and lots of machinery.] Rico:Some of it looks kinda like the crappy Central District in Nortune but ... Looks like a bunch of clean freaks live here. Citan:Rather strict airlock and scanning equipment... It does not look operational though... The inside is preserved so well, the outside probably to... [They continue further through the mine. After a few more halls, Rico stops.] Rico:...Full of stairs and walls, what a waste. Looks like it'll keep us out. Citan:Labyrinths are not usually built to protect against enemies... They are usually made to seal up something inside of them. Rico:Sealed...If you live in prison for a long time it'll bother you at first but you get used to it and ultimately come to depend on it. Whaterver is shut up in here, it's gonna be our enemy. The same as anyone from Solaris. [The party continues until they reach a computer terminal. Citan pushes a few buttons and the screen turns on.] Citan:...It is well hidden... In the data gaps... No... 'flee'?... ...'with my own will'... What is this?... Is this a wild computer? No, a structural record of life... No, not that... An organism... [Citan pushes a few more buttons. In a nearby room, a cylinder rises revealing a water filled glass tube with an unconscious green haired girl in it. The party walks into that room.] Citan:What the... Rico:What' with this thing? Us demi-humans can't even heal at that speed. Citan:This girl appears to be an artificial lifeform created inside the reactor. She was probably assembled in the reactor by using that series in the database in the control room... Her body is most likely... Stone:...Constructed from autonomic machines on a molecular scale... In other words, a colony of nanomachines. [Bishop Stone enters the room with 4 robed men.] Stone:I'll be taking that nanomachine colony with me, thank you... That is the existence, or key -factor-, which god will guide us by to free humanity from its yoke. So, if you don't mind... [2 of the men walk to computer terminals nearby and push some buttons. The water drains out and the glass tube rises. The girl stands there silent.] Billy:Bishop... Stone:Ah, Brother Billy. You're here too. This makes matters simple. I know you'll understand... This nanomachine colony needs to be in the hands of an honorable person. It's destined to be the 'salvation of humanity'. Billy:An honorable person? I certainly do not think you are honorable anymore. Eliminating the 'Ethos' and any surface-dwelling humans who don't agree with your own will... Stone:What is wrong with eliminating those not fit for salvation? Why, isn't our own very faith based on the precept that 'only the chosen will be saved'? Billy:...There is something very wrong with that. Salvation by faith is something that everyone should have an equal oppurtunity at attaining. Stone:Are you saying that you can save all of humankind? If Krelian uses the nanomachine colony, at least we can save some chosen people. But you don't understand how to utilize this. You can't save anyone. Are you willin to take the responsibility for the loss you will cause humankind? Billy:... Stone:My job now is to bring this nanomachine colony back to Krelian. You see, unlike the 'Ethos', our aim is not the ancient weapons that lay in the city ruins. I don't think we conflict with your interests. Billy:Salvation or not... What are you planning on doing with this girl? I just know your deeds are not honorable. Bishop... I am sorry to say this but... I cannot be a part of what you are intent on doing. Stone:I see that I couldn't make you understand... Then it couldn't be helped... I don't have the time to convince you further. Please excuse me, as I must hurry on ahead. [The 4 robed men leave. Stone follows.] Citan:Wait right there! [Stone walks out into the hall past 2 young woman. They wear similar uniforms, but one has ong white hair while the other has large pink hair.] Stone:Sorry to have kept you two ladies waiting... It's time for you to do your job, Elements. Hmph! [Stone leaves. Tolone and Seraphita enter the room.] Stone:Tolone! Seraphita! Buy me as much time as possible! Tolone:We know, we know! Stop ordering us around, already! Seraphita:Hey, Tolone. Let's hurry up and get this over with so we can get outta here! I don't like dark places! Tolone:Yeah, right. It's only because it is on Ramsus orders. Jeez...! Now he's got us protecting this garbage. Well, that's how it is folks... It'll help us if you'd hurry up and lose. Billy:Who in heavens are you!? We don't have time to waste talking to you! Tolone:Well, exc~use us! But we can't let you go just yet... We don't care much for Krelian, but if we do a crappy job it'll make Ramsus look bad. But, thanks to you fools reviving her, we can get this mission over with sooner than we thought. Seraphita:Yeah, we didn't know how to operate that machinery, so we were so confused! Thank you very much for your kind help! Tolone:Oh Sera... Don't tell them that! Just a I was building things up to make us sound psychologically supereior to them! Damn... Seraphita:What!...But... When people do you a kindness you should always say thank you. That's what grandma always said... But, I'm impressed Tolone! 'Psychologically superior'? Your 'Gin n'tonic Futon Brain' cyborg implants sure make you smart! Tolone:That's 'Positronic Photon Brain' you idiot! 'Gin n'tonic Futon'...? You make me sound like I'm a sleepy drunk! (It's already bad enough as it is... 'Positronic-photon Brain Cyborg'... That's bound to get us into trouble with the makers of 'Star Trech'!) Billy:...Do you guys just have too much free time on your hands? Tolone:Uh oh!!! Sorry. Seraphita:Sorry!! Citan:Be careful! The elements may look harmless! But underestimate them and it will cost you dearly! Tolone:That's it! Seraphita:...Tolone, do we want to be called 'harmless'? [They fight. After a long fight, Tolone stops and says...] Tolone:Seraphita! Enough already! We've done the job that was required of us. Let's pull out!! [Tolone leaves.] Seraphita:A~hh! Tolone! Wait for me! [Seraphita leaves.] [Back on the Yggdrasil, Fei sleeps in the hospital ward. He dreams and hears voices in his head.] Our cursed existence bounds us to this earth.... Oh vessel for a new soul... ... Created to remove that 'yoke'... [Fei sees a vision of a man who looks very similar to himself, but wearing a doctor's suit. He stands in the room with the green haired girl. Outside of the room a woman looking strikingly similar to Elly is on the ground surrounded by soldiers.] Woman:I... I just can't.. hand our child... ...over to you.. Man:...! ...! ...! No! Stop it! [The man stands in a dark landscape with the cross necklace swinging behind him. Behind him stands the evil boy.] Boy:Hee hee hee... Hee hee hee... See ya... [A nurse walks into the hospital ward. Fei is missing.] Nurse:Huh? Where did Fei go...? [Back in Zeboim, the party rushes to catch up with Stone. They reach the bridge from before. Stone is there with his men and the green haired girl.] Citan:Bishop Stone!! Wait!! Stone:Hah. Elements, you're not even as good as they say... Can't even buy me some time. [Suddenly out of nowhere a voice rings out.] Voice:Give it back. Stone:? Voice:Give it back... Give it back... [Suddenly, the red gear that attacked the Yggdrasil near Kislev appears next to the bridge. A light surrounds it and a man comes out of the gear. He is tall, with long red hair, red eyes, and pale skin.] Rico:Him....? Red Haired Man:Ha hah... Hyah ha ha... Har hahahahahaha!! Ha ha... That is mine. Give it back!! Stone:W, what do you want? Wh, who're you? Red Haired Man:To you, it is just a used up toy. So give it back It belongs to me... Rico:Who d'ya think you are? What's your name? Red Haired Man:Names do not matter... However, if you insist... ...Id... [They fight. After a while...] Rico:You're strong... Huh? [Suddenly, a large grey Gear appears out of nowhere. It grabs Id.] Id:!! ...You...?... Stone:Now is our chance!! Get back to Krelian... [Stone and the others run off.] Wiseman:I got him! Hurry, go after them!! Citan:That voice... Wiseman!......Go!! Everyone, hurry! [They start running. Billy turns.] Billy:What the... Id:Hmph, a little early isn't it? ...I see, it was that woman... Fine. You will do fine, as my toy... for today. [He easily breaks free of Wiseman's grip. Red light surrounds Id.] Id:Hah ha Hyah ha ha ha... [Wiseman backs off horrified Id turns and faces him.] Id:Hmph... [In the hallway with Billy, Citan and Rico, the building starts shaking.] Rico:Damn... just in time. That red guy and Wiseman are really going at it. The Ether Power's blowing all the way up here... [The party exits the mine just in time to see the Ezekiel blast off. They return to the Yggdrasil.] Citan:So we are too late... Rico:Citan, someone named Krelian took the kid, so what? What is a nanomachine, anyway? Citan:Nanomachines are robots that are smaller than human cells. They are used to cure wounds in Solaris. ...She may be a colony of nanomachines made by an ancient, but advanced technology. Rico:...Then, what's the prob? It's good for people, right? But it irritates me that all of them are for Solaris. Citan:I am worried about what Bishop Stone mentioned. He said he needed her 'to free humanity from its yoke'. Perhaps some ancient information on human reconstruction is hidden inside of her body... Demi humans, such as Rico and Hammer were born from the results of the messing around with DNA... That was done by ancient Solaris' in the hopes that it would bring about the restoration of mankind. If Krelian is thinking about trying the same thing with improved nanotechnology...that would be frightening. [They go to the bridge and speak to Sigurd.] Sigurd:It seems Fei isn't in the infirmary... But he must be onboard somewhere... [The party heads to the gear dock. They see Fei staring at Weltall.] Citan:Fei!? [Fei turns and faces Citan.] Fei:Uh, doc... Citan:Fei, feeling better already? Fei:Yeah... Probably... Billy:Why are you up and about? I thought you were only recovering? You shouldn't be doing that! Fei:I don't know what I'm doing here myself... I don't have a clear head yet. Citan:... Fei:Uh... Citan:Fei!! You should not be moving around yet! [Suddenly an alarm sounds and a voice comes over the loudspeaker.] Loudspeaker:Alkanshel located straight ahead!! Prepare Gears for launch!! [On the bridge Sigurd looks at Alkanshel throught the overhead windows.] Sigurd:Seems like they're watching us. [Back at the gear dock...] Fei:I... must go...! Citan:You are in no condition to participate... Let us take care of this! Billy:Looks like it's time to settle the score... But, Fei should be resting. Citan:Yes. I shall take Fei to the infirmary. Billy, please take care of the rest of things. [Stone, in Alkanshel watches over the Yggdrasil. All the skin has been removed from his face.] Stone:Observing... What a roundabout way... Just take care of it and it'll be over... Those who become enemies of the sacred Gazel, I will eliminate them all. Repent now. [Suddenly a light flashes. A familiar voice rings out.] Voice:Do you... want the power? Stone:Who are you? [Suddenly, Grahf appears in his Gear.] Grahf:I am Grahf, the seeker of power. Doth thou desire the power? Stone:Power? Hmph, there's power, in here! I received this body from Krelian! Grahf:All this power is fake. Do you think you can win with it? Stone:What do you mean fake power? Grahf:A fake body. A fake awakening. It is all useless! I will give you the power! [Grahf holds out his arm. A red light surrounds it.] Grahf:My fist is the divine breath! [He opens his hand.] Grahf:Blossom, o fallen seed, and draw upon thy hidden powers!! [He points his arm at Alkanshel.] Grahf:Grant unto thee the power of the glorious 'Mother of Destruction'! [Red light from Grahf goes at Alkanshel surrounding it.] Stone:Aughhh, urgh, huhhhh.... [Bart, Billy and Rico leave the Yggdrasil in their Gears. They approach Alkanshel and try to damage it, but can't because some invisible barrier blocks the way.] Bart:No good! Didn't get through!! Citan:There is some kind of barrier. Some kind of negative feeling... hatred, somehow changed into an Ether, forming a barrier... If we can somehow change our strong force of will into Ether and throw that back at it... Stone:Ha...son of Jesiah, are you suffering? When I took you in 4 years ago, that was proof of my old friendship with your father... In that hate stained friendship with Jesiah, we competed for command of Gebler! Jesiah, like a beast, you stole the Racquel I loved, and threw away the command of Gebler that I wanted so much, then disappeared from Solaris! [A scene of Racquel in her home. Reapers burst in the door and kill her. Stone appears.] Stone:4 years ago... After searching to the ends of the earth, no trace of him could be found. Racquel, dirtied by him... and the remainder of that taint... you and your sister... Through Krelian's wisdom, using the Wels, I saved Racquel from misery... Billy:You son of a... You used the Wels... against my mother....! Stone:Yes, Billy, let me tell you something good... Those Reapers that you have been purging are really all people... They were chosen by the 'Ethos' and converted by Krelian! You've been slaughtering people! Ha ha ha... A wretched son for a wretched father! Ha ha ha ha ha ha! Ha, confess to me! Pay for your sins! Jessie:No, there's nothing there for you to regret, Billy! Billy:...! Jessie:You say you and Racquel were in love? You always were a narcissistic self-preserving fool!! Stone:!!! ...This voice...!! [Jessie approaches in his gear.] Jessie:I'll take this one!! Use this, Billy!! If you use this you can rip off the barrier!! Citan:Th, That is a Buntline... It is an Ether gun Gear where the pilot rides directly in the bullet. If we use that we can break Stone's negative hate barrier! H, however... Jessie:Billy, if we merge our Gears together......then we can break through that barrier with our combined attack. I'm gonna borrow your shoulder for a moment, so start aiming now. Let's wrap this up once and for all, eh Stein? But I want you to know that you aren't gonna see Racquel when you die...! That's because your destination is going to be hell! Citan:I knew it! Jesiah is planning on using it! He must be stopped! Billy, can you hear me!? Billy!?... No good... There is no response! Jessie:Billy, you know now, don't you? Stein's teachings were all a deception. That fabricated faith was just a worldly system for compensating those people with fragile souls. But, faith and god aren't things which are given to you from others, right? They are things you have to discover within yourself, and by yourself. Things that cannot be put into words, things that cannot be expressed... Isn't that what god is all about? 'Question not thy god, for thy god doth not respond.' The reason I taught you how to use a gun as a child was to save people. You say that guns are just tools for killing people. But you are wrong. 'Guns' don't kill people. 'People' kill people. Have you ever looked at the expressions on the faces of those reapers you have destroyed? It is an excruciating process to be turned into a reaper. To ease their torturous pain, they seek human blood and attack people in order to get it. But that does not vanguish the true pain within their hearts. There is only one way to be saved from the pain. That is by termination. Didn't all those reapers put out of their misery by you have peaceful looks on their faces? Your gun saved those people who were turned into reapers. It's not something anyone can do. The faith that enabled you to accomplish that was no deception... God exists within you! Billy:Father... Jessie:Alright, now! Let's go, Billy go! [Jessie's gear transforms into a giant gun. Billy shoots it at Alkanshel, destroying the barrier.] Citan:Too late...! Billy! That is a weapon that uses its pilot as the warhead! Billy:What!? Th, then, father is... ...Oh my god!! [The three fight Alkanshel. Billy fires the final shot, blowing Alkanshel to smithereens and killing Stone.] [Billy,Rico,Bart,Citan and Primera stand out on top of the Yggdrasil.] Billy:Dad... Citan:Billy... I should not have made such a thing... Billy:No, it's not your fault... [Billy shoots a couple of bullets into the ocean.] Billy:This's the best way to see father off. [Jessie walks up to the five.] Jessie:You're right... Thanks, son. Billy:D, dad! Citan:Old friend! Are you alright? Jessie:You'd better believe it! I ain't gonna leave that stupid junk alone! I improved it! Ouchy-wow-wow!! But I never wanna do that again though... Citan:But still... Talking about hell... I am surprised to know an irreligious person like you would believe in life after death... Jessie:Oh? So you were listening? That was a curse. Isn't that a fitting end for him? Citan:It definately is your style. Primera:Pa...pa... Billy:P, Prim!? Prim, what did you just say? Huh, Prim? Primera:Pa...pa... Jessie:Ha, ha, did you hear that? Primera's problem seems to have been solved! Billy:Hah...! Prim talked! Hey, Prim... Now say my name. Say 'Billy'! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II O. Shevat ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Later on the bridge of the Yggdrasil...] Jessie:What about the 'Ethos'? They've completely devastated themselves! That mob just goes from bad to worse! Citan:Do you not think it is about time you told your son the truth, old friend? You wer not just wandering around drinking and picking fights, were you? I am sure he wants to know what you have been up to... Is that right, Billy? Billy:Yes, it would certainly make me feel a lot better. I now know my dad was worried about me the whole time, but I haven't worked out the feelings yet... Jessie:What do you mean? Billy:Well, I'm glad Prim can speak now, but she only calls out for her father... But I am the one who has been taking care of her all this time... What's wrong with her? Citan:Calm down, Billy... I am sure she is just being shy. She will start calling for you soon. Why, my own daughter does not even call out her father's name. So, old friend... Why were you working alone all that time? Jessie:It couldn't be helped... Anyway, I'll probably need your help from here on... Okay, I'll tell you more. Let's go to the gun room.. to get something to drink. [They go to the gunroom...] Jessie:When I was in Solaris, I found out about the secret plan. That was the 'Malahk' (M) Plan. And it was done under the command of Krelian... In order to proceed with the plan, many Lambs were gathered by the 'Ethos' to become guinea pigs. Or should I say, to become Reapers or -Wels-. Since I was disgusted with Solaris' methods, I decided to investigate it further. I found out that the scientist central to the M Plan moved the true facts about it into a test-Gear. Then he let that test-Gear escape with his daugher, so that the truth would not be discovered... And that, I'm afraid, was the last information that I was able to obtain... Because of what I found out, I came down to the surface world... And this is where I hid, along with my wife, Racquel, and son Billy. I've been looking for that Gear and the girl ever since. Finally, I found out that the scientists's daughter and Gear may be in Shevat. All very well, except now I don't know how in blazes to get there, or even how to contact the place. Well, Shevat is protected by a strong barrier that even Solaris can't do anything about... So I guess you can say it can't be helped. Voice:That Girl's name wouldn't happne to be Maria...? [The Shevat woman rescued from the Ethos HQ and Fei walk into the room.] Billy:Oh, are you two alright? Shouldn't you two get some more rest...? Shevat Agent:Yes, I can stand and even walk now... Thank you. Fei:I'm alright too. Jessie:Maria, eh...? Hmm... If I remember right, her father's name was Nikolai? Shevat Agent:I don't know that much... But I have heard rumors about a girl and a Gear. Jessie:Hmm, it's got to be them. So that huge Gear is in Shevat then! So, the... how can we get to this Shevat? Is there a way to contact the place? Shevat Agent:Unfortunately since I was taken captive I have no way of contacting them either. Jessie:I see... Shevat Agent:There just may be a way...! Originally, Shevat was situated on top of Babel Tower. They say there is a communication facility to contact Shevat's native country on top of the tower. If only it still exists... Citan:Hmm... There is a good possiblity the facility may have been destroyed. Especially when you consider the fact that the tower was sealed by the 'Ethos'. Jessie:You're being pessimistic again... Citan:I am just being realistic. Jessie:... Bart:I guess we have no choice but to try and go there. As long as the gate exists, we can't escape from Solaris' influence anyway. In other words, even if we recover Aveh from Shakhan, it wouldn't immediately be a happy ending. Citan:Their secret plan bothers me too... The real secret is that they are using humans gathered from earth... Fei:But I don't quite get this secret plan and the 'Ethos' involvement and so on... What in hell does Solaris think us surface dwelling humans are! We've got nothing to lose, so lets' try to go there. We need to find the truth about those documents found in the 'Ethos' H.Q. and what Billy's father said. And I must go to Shevat too for my own personal reasons anyway. No time like the present, huh!? Let's go to Babel Tower right away!a [Elsewhere, Krelian talks to the Gazel Ministry.] Gazel Blue 1:You're back...? Well, find anything? Krelian:Yes. I have obtained a colony of nanomachines. Gazel Blue 2:How unsound. Gazel Blue 4:In any case, is the M Project proceeding as planned? We need superior bodies and servants. Gazel Red 3:We've spent far too much time here. We can't afford to mistake the ultimate destination of this new civilization. Gazel Red 2:They exist because of their 'mother'... Krelian:Hmm. You've betrayed your 'mother', your 'creator', just to sustain your own egos. You have no right to speak so... Gazel Red 4:That was... foolish, that was the past. When we were trapped in that cursed flesh... But now, it is different. Krelian:I'll take no orders from you. You have lost that flesh long ago, and now reside in the SOL-9000 as data. Did you forget who revived you in there? What may be an eternity to man is but a moment to a god. I have no need for hesitation. [A party of Fei, Citan and Elly head to Babel Tower. After hours of climbing they reach a small relay station attached to the wall.] Fei:That's... It appears to be some kind of relay station. [They push a lever and the Relay Station starts heading up the tower.] Fei:Hey! It's started! Alright. Let's go! [The station continues to climb.] Fei:Where are we going to climb to? [The station goes through a hole in the wall to the outer wall of the tower. ] Fei:Hey! We're going out on the outer wall. [Suddenly, multiple shots blast at the tower. One strikes the relay station, slowing it down to a stop near a balcony.] Fei:A shot? Crap! The track's gone. We're goin' outside! What's that? [They see Ramsus's ship approaching.] Fei:A Gebler ship? [Ramsus and Miang exit the ship in their Gears and go to the balcony.] Fei:What is that Gear? Ramsus:I've been waiting, Fei. Last time at sea, I was rendered unconscious by a surprise traitor, but that won't happen this time. I won't let you go up. Fei:How did they know we were here? Elly:But I removed the recognition code and tracking. Fei:Our back's to the wall, we can't run. I guess we have to fight... Here we go! [They fight. Ramsus and Miang are eventually defeated.] Ramsus:It's not over! Not yet! Miang:No Commander! Pull out! Ramsus:Let go Maing! I, I can't retreat now... Augh... guh...! Miang:It's impossible with your wounds. Bridge! Secure the retreat! Main gun, elevation 0.8. Dupport fire 30! Fire! [The Gears head back to the ship. Suddenly, a blast from above strikes the ship, delaying the attack.] Miang:From above!? No... it couldn't be!? Bridge! Crew:A huge formation is coming this way! Miang:... Just as I feared... Shevat! Change heading, 180 degrees. Now! All ships full speed! Retreat from this position! [The Gears quickly head to the ship and it leaves.] Fei:Huh, what was that? Elly:Looked like an air attack. Lets go see. [They continue up the tower and eventually reach a control room. They push a button and a mirror outside moves.] Fei:What the!? [He pushes another button.] Fei:Communications are up, at the top. [They continue upwards until they reach the top of the tower. Shevat is nearby.] Fei:What...no ceiling? Elly:It seems that it's true. Shevat was here before. Look around. There are marks from some huge thing... Fei:Oh yeah! Is there any comm equipment nearby? Elly:I don't see anything else but... [Suddenly they here a large noise. A giant blue Gear, resembling Calamity approaches.] Fei:Look up! Something is closing in! ...It's a Gear! Gebler? Mystery Girl:From here is Shevat's territory. Many people try to get in, but Seibzehn and I remove them. Fei:Wait a minute. We just want to... Mystery Girl:Get ready! [They fight. After a while, Shevat approaches and a voice emenates out.] Voice:That's enough Maria, let them in. Mystery Girl:Yes, Queen Zephyr. Sorry. Just wanted to test your stength. The queen is waiting for your arrival above. [In Solaris...] Gazel Blue 1:...Useless. They allowed contact with Shevat... Gazel Red 2:There is an 'Anima Relic' in Shevat... ...We can't afford to have them align before the preperations are complete. Gazel Blue 2:It's meaningless if it is not compatible with our type. Gazel Blue 4:You want to bury all of Shevat? Gazel Red 4:What of the 'Animus'? Gazel Red 2:There are others. We must respond severely so this doesn't happen again. Gazel Blue 2:What about the Shevat gate? As long as it is there, we can't get in. Gazel Blue 4:Easy. We just use Achtzehn's gravity cannon to compensate for the time-space warp. Gazel Red 1:Achtzehn? Is it operational? Gazel Blue 4:Re-education is complete. It is ready. The airborn squad is already assembled. Gazel Red 4:Any side effects? Gazel Red 3:The regulated 71st Airborne should have no problems. Gazel Red 2:Well then, I look foward to this. [In Shevat, the girl meets up with Fei, Elly and Citan at the Gear dock and brings them near the palace.] Girl:This is the dock floor located at the lowest layer of Shevat. I met you a little while ago. My name is Maria Balthasar. Fei:Balthasar...? I've heard that name before. That's right! Ol' Man Bal, the hermit. That reminds me, the Gear I saw resembles Bal's Gear, Calamity. Maria:Calamity!? That's the prototype Gear my grandfather made. Do you know my Grandpa? Where is he now? Fei:I just happened to come across him in the cavern underneath Aveh's desert. I didn't know him that well... So you're Ol' man Bal's grandchild. Maria:Yes... but I haven't seen him for the past few years... He said he was looking for something very important. And he left by himself... My father was captured by Solaris and his whereabouts are not known either... I'm glad Grandpa Bal's doing fine. Please go ahead and take the elevator to go upstairs. I still have to finish inspecting Seibzehn. I'll show you the way to the palace when the time comes. Till then, please take a look around town. I'll see you later. Fei:Alright. Let's go up there. Shevat... the only organization that stands against Solaris... Citan:You are right... We came this far, we cannot turn back now, Fei. [They explore Shevat and come across a little girl's room. The wall has been destroyed and the place is a mess.] Fei:This is...! They were killed by Solaris... Citan:I guess... it was a child's room... Elly:... Citan:What kind of dreams did the children in this room have for the future...? Elly:We're fighting over lives aren't we... And at times involving those that have nothing to do with this struggle... Fei:... [Maria enters] Maria:There are a lot of people who don't care if they hurt others... So, this is where you all where. The Queen said this house was destroyed in the great war 500 years ago. This house has been kept like this on purpose as a reminder of the war. Thank you for waiting. Please come to the palace with me. Fei:H...hey, wait! Citan:That girl... That is alright. Shall we go to the palace now? [They arrive at the palace. They encounter Yui and Midori in the dining hall] Yui:Oh, welcome. You look good, Fei. The meal will be ready soon. Please join us and eat to your heart's content. Fei:...!? Yui!? W...why, are you here...!? Yui:Oh? Didn't I tell you before? I was born here. After you left the village, I decided to return to Shevat along with the survivors of the village. Because the soldiers from Aveh and Kislev were showing up around there... Fei:I see... Yui:Welcome back. Citan:Oh, it is nice to be back. Thanks for your trouble. Fei:I'm sorry for putting so much trouble on you. Yui:What are you saying? It's not your fault. There's nothing to worry about. The people from the village understood after they came here and heard the story. They couldn't blame only you for that incident because Solaris was behind it. Fei:Yes... But... Elly:... Yui:Have you met the Queen? If you haven't go say hello to her as soon as possible. Fei:Okay! Then I'll see you later. [They go and meet Maria.] Maria:This way please. [They go up an elevator and walk down a long hall. At the end of the hall is 3 doors. Wiseman stands next to one of them.] Wiseman:You're finally here... Where have you been? Fei:Why... are you here? Wiseman:I've told you before. I learned martial arts with your father in Shevat. The Queen is waiting. Maria:Please come in. [They enter the room. On the throne sits a woman in a brown cloak. She appears to be in her early twenties.] Zephyr:Thank you for coming such a long way. I am the Queen of Shevat, Zephyr. Elly:Your Majesty... Y, you...? You're the...? Zephyr:I may appear to be like this, but I am actually 522 years old. Fei:522...!? Is that really possible...? Zephyr:Yes... I and a select few of the vassals have undergone some special life-extending treatments. We were required to continue living... Until that final day approaches. Because of one man... To continue living... This is our atonement... for that tragedy 500 years ago... Let us discontinue this discussion of the past. I've heard many things about you all from Wiseman. Wiseman has been conducting his operations on the surface under my orders... to keep an eye on that man's activities. Also, he was ordered to bring anyone from the surface who would be of help to use in Shevat... 500 years ago we fought against Solaris for the freedom of the land dwellers. Even after that, we continue to resist Solaris even though we are short of any real power. Land dwellers, can you find it in your heart to help us? We must free manking from the grasps of Solaris... We must gain true freedom and build a peaceful world to live in. Fei:I see... You're quite right. But, there's no guarantee that you aren't the same as Solaris, right? Even if Solaris were to be defeated, the people of the surface may just as well encounter a new dominator. Zephyr:However, I tell no lie... ...when I say we are doing this purely for the future of the land dwellers. if you still cannot believe us, then defeat Solaris, gain back the independance of the land dwellers... and see if we still embrace the heavens together. Fei:... Zephyr:It should do you some good if you rest in the palace and think about it. You must think about what you ought to do. But remember, Solaris has been quite active lately. So we don't have much time for leisure. As for you, Elly... Your family and friends... You must understand that they will all have to be your enemies. Without this clear understanding... ...You may be placing your companions in a situation where it may cost them their lives... Elly:... Yes... I understand... Zephyr:Very well then. Now go and get some rest. [The next day...] Zephyr:Have you decided? Fei:My heart is set! [Suddenly, Shevat shakes.] Zephyr:... Fei:Huh? What was all that shaking about? [Maria and a man burst in.] Maria:Queen Zephyr! Was that enemy...!? Man:Your majesty, Something dreadful has...!! Zephyr:What's the meaning of this? Man:Yes! That is... We have an intruder in the dock area! The Gate generator has been destroyed...! Fei:What!? Zephyr:What's the damage report? Man:Yes! Sub-systems are destroyed... Gate generation has dropped 70% from normal! We're devoting everything to fire fighting and repairs... It will still take some time! Zephyr:What of the intruder? Man:Yes, we believe it's just a lone Gebler soldier. It seems the individual has escaped to the number 17 hangar! Maria:Number 17 hangar bay! Seibzehn...!! Zephyr:Maria, wait! It is too dangerous to go by yourself. Maria:But... We can't just let the spy be...! Man:Your majesty, we have our hands full just trying to fight the fire on the shield generator. If someone doesn't do something, it's possible we'll have more losses...! Maria:I'll be fine. I can do it alone. Zephyr:Maria, what can you do now when you don't even have Seibzehn? Maria:...! But... Fei:Then should we go down with Maria? It's the Gebler, right? I'm still ticked off at them. I'll take them on. Zephyr:Is it fine with you, Fei? Please take care of Maria. And be careful out there. Fei:Then, let's get going, Maria. Maria:Then, let's all go together. Man:Umm, this may be asking for too much, but would it be possible for one of you to stay behind with the Queen? We do not have the combat experience and if something ever happened to the Queen... Fei:Alright, I got it. Then one of us should stay behind. Who will you leave here? Elly. Maria has joined the party!! [They go down the elevator to the Gear Dock. Suddenly, it hits a wall that came up in the path.] Maria:It's no use! The defensive shutter is closed... Fei:Isn't there another way to go down to the hangar? Maria:We may be able go down if we use the emergency shaft. But it's not normally used. Fei:I don't care. We can't waste time here anyway. Citan:You are right. It is not like the enemy is going to wait for us. Maria:I see. The entrance to the shaft is just above here. [They go up to a door on the shaft wall.] Maria:This is it. We can go down by entering the shaft from here. Fei:Fine! Then, let's go! [They go through the shafts and eventually reach a manhole.] Maria:Once we get through that manhole, we'll be able to enter the hangar. [They go through it and finally reach the hangar.] Maria:Where is the intruder...!? Voice:Hmph, it's you again... You pests aren't making my job any easier. Fei:Dominia! Dominia:Never thought I'd come across Seibzehn in my place of escape. I'll take Seibzehn. Originally, this belonged to us, Solaris. Fei:I can't let you have the Gear! Dominia:Heh, then try and stop me! Huh...? That child... Hey, you... Are you the daughter of Nikolai...? Maria:Undoubtedly, I am the daughter of Nikolai, Maria! What about it...? Dominia:I see... So you're his beloved daughter to whom he offered to undertake that difficult task... Hey, young girl. Want to hear an interesting story? Let's see... How about the cursed secret of Seibzehn? Maria:...!? What do you mean? Dominia:What do I mean? You'll understand it when you hear the story. For the past several decades, our scientists have put so much effort into the research to create evolved Gears. Regardless of how great a pilot is, as long as it is human, there will always exist a time lag and human error when interfacing with a machine. That's when your father, Nikolai was targetted. He was a genius in the field of cranial nerve mechanisms. They made Nikolai search for a way for humans to go beyond humans... By merging humans and machines. In other words, they were trying to create a new life, an ultimate living weapon, by connecting a living human brain to a Gear directly. It would've stayed a mere fantasy without Nikolai. But that genius made the fantasy come true... Maria:That's a lie!! My father wouldn't do such a horrible thing!! Dominia:I don't lie, Maria. This is the truth. Your splendid father succeeded in fusing man and machine. And he opened the gates to hell for the lambs. Maria:...!! Dominia:As a matter of fact, various data and components obtained from the war in Ignas, and the Battling in Kislev, were used as experimental materials. This is how the special mutants, Wels were born. Wels created in Solaris were tested on the surface. Only the Wels that passed the tests were dismantled, restructured and reborn. They became the Gear's central control circuit... and became part of the machine... It's all the results of your father's great research. Seibzehn, is the prototype of a man-machine fusion Gear. In other words... Seibzehn was completed at the cost of innumerable land dweller's lives. And in the nerve circuit of Seibzehn is... Familiar Voice:Don't you think you've said enough, Dominia? Dominia:Who is it? [Jessie walks out.] Jessie:Why are women so gossipy? They jabber about things they shouldn't be talking about. Hopeless... Dominia:Jesiah!? You...!? What're you doing in Shevat!? At one point, weren't you considered to be the next Gebler commander-in-chief!? Jessie:Don't get so excited. I think you've played enough fire for today. Just go home. Maria is the only one who can operate Seibzehn. You should be well aware of that. Dominia:Hmph, fools! Don't get so cocky. The party's just begun... But, I guess it's alright. My mission is complete. All that's left is... Maria, I'm afraid I must go now. Enjoy your party. Hah hah hah...! [She leaves.] Fei:Wait! Dominia! Maria:...Father... Fei:Hey Maria. Don't mind what she told you... Maria:... [Suddenly, an alarm rings.] Fei:...!? This... is...? Jessie:It looks like our guests have arrived. Let's go upstairs. The Yggdrasil is also accomodated in the dock. I'm sure the other guys are making a fuss over it. I have an omnious premonition... I doubt it but... they could've... Maria:Seibzehn... [In the throne room...] Citan:The Solaris Gear units are on a high speed... ...intercepting course with Shevat. It would be reasonable to believe that their main targets are going to be the 4 Gate generators. They are probably planning on finishing us off since Dominia's demolition has weakened the Gate output. We have scrambled our interceptor units, but I do not know how they will fare... The people of Shevat are not accustomed to Gear tactics. I want to avoid unneccessary sacrifices if at all possible. Fei:Yeah... I know, doc. We'll go! We're already involved. And, we can't just stand by and watch these people die. Zephyr:Fei... Bart:I don't like the idea of working for free... ...but I don't like the idea of turning tail and running away from them even more! Let's do it! It doesn't matter who they are. I'll take them all down in my Brigandier! Elly:Yes...! We'll do what we can do to protect the people here! Rico:Tch. Since the day I met you all, there's been nothing but trouble... But, I''ve come this far with you all. I guess there's no point in bitching about it. I'll show them what happens when they tick the great Rico off. Billy:I will go too! The enemy was able to get in because they let the Yggdrasil in. We can't allow the people of this country to be in danger because of us... Jessie:Yeah, right on! Go for it young 'uns! We're depending on you. Especially since my life also depends on it. I have no intentions of kickin' the bucket here. Billy:Shut up! Dad, could you not say anything!? Jessie:Alright, alright, I know. Why can't you be more nicer? Chu-Chu:Alright! Chu-Chu's going chu help too! Fei:...? Going chu help...? Chu-Chu, what're you doing here? Elly:Well... In all the bustle, she somehow tagged along. Fei:What am I gonna do... This isn't a game. It's dangerous, so go back to the Yggdrasil. Okay, Chu-Chu? Be a good girl. Chu-Chu:Uh hmmm... Chu-Chu's not a good girl. I'm in that dangerous age right now. And Chu-Chu can help chu! I'm going with all of you. Yeah? Yeah? Fei;Tch, alright... Don't come crying to me when things get outta hand. Maria:Heh, so they call you Chu-Chu also. Many of your friends live in this city. You want to go meet them later? Chu-Chu:R, really? They're all here? Yaaay! I finally found them!!! Chu-Chu's friends. They're here!! Now, let's put everything into it. Everyone, we have chu give it our best shot! Citan:Here is the breakdown of the enemy units... As I have explained before, 4 seperate units are each headed for their respective generators. From the information collected in Shevat... ...we have a good idea of the capabilities and composition of the Gear units... However, there is one giant Gear that they are holding back that we have no info about. Jessie:An unidentified Gear...? It can't be... Zephyr:Allow me to put it on screen. [It is a giant red Gear that resembles Seibzehn. It holds a large gun.] Maria:Th, this is... Achtzehn...!? Bart:What's with that creeepy Gear...!? Do you know anything Maria? Maria:Achtzehn... is the 2nd Gear my father designed... Seibzehn's sister Gear. But Achtzehn wasn't completed...! Other than Seibzehn father didn't make any more, he was supposed to have burned the plans...! So... Why...!? Nikolai:People of Shevat! Hear me! Maria:that voice... No... Father!? Nikolai:I'd heard some interesting rats had run in there... Just in time to test out Achtzehn. I can take you and Shevat all at once! Hello, little rats, come on out. Come on my cute little guinea pigs. Maria:Why that...!! Why is father...!? Zephyr:Calm down, Maria!! It doesn't mean that Dr. Nikolai is inside! Maria:But...!! But... Father's voice...!? Zephyr:Maria!! Get a hold of yourself! You intend to lose even before you fight...? Against the very people who made you suffer? Maria:...!! But... Citan:Well that is fine. Let us consider our next move! We must repulse the Gear forces and protect the generator. To do that let us split into four teams, and intercept the enemy. The four of us will attack independantly and defend each generator to the death. The other two, wait here. It is dangerous... but we cannot turn back now. If even one generator falls it is a defeat for us. Zephyr:Maria... You wait here. Citan:...Please Maria. Maria:... Okay... I understand. Citan:Next, the formation of the enemy Gear forces. At Generator 1, there are two small Gears and a complament of Solaris troops... If you do not hit them fast and hard you will get bogged down in a fire fight. At Generator 2, there are 3 White Knights. They are very fast and maneuverable. At Generator 3, there is a large Gear and a White Knight. Becareful, the large Gear has some kind of special attack. At Generator 4, there is a large Gear and a White Knight. The large Gear seems to be a power Gear. So, who will go to Generator 1? Fei:Elly. Citan:Who will go to Generator 2? Fei:Bart. Citan:Who will go to Generator 3? Fei:Citan. Citan:Who will go to Generator 4? Fei:Fei. Citan:Understood. The target assignments are... Generator 1:Elly Generator 2:Bart Generator 3:Citan Generator 4:Fei Are these assignments OK? Fei:Yes, let's go! Citan:Please hurry and get the preperations for the battle in order. Now, is this alright? Fei:I'm ready, let's go! Citan:Well alright then... Those defending the generators, should depart now in their Gears! Zephyr:Everyone, please, be careful. [They go to their respective generators.] Elly:I don't have anything against you, but I can't turn back now! [She defeats the Solaris forces.] Bart:Come on! Who's gonna be first? There's no way a pathetic unit like yours could ever beat the likes of me!! [He defeats the Solaris forces.] Citan:I will be your opponent. Come on! [He defeats the Solaris forces.] Fei:Alright, I can do it! I'm ready anytime! [He defeats the Solaris forces.] Fei:We did it! All four generators are safee! Jessie:Okay, it's ready. So, the last one is... this. What's Achtzehn gonna do next? [The Shevat Gear forces approach it.] Jessie:Shevat's Gear forces...!! Beat it! This isn't an opponent for you!! Maria:Stop it...!! [Achtzehn easily destroys all of the Shevat Gears.] Jessie:Damn it...! I'm gonna mess you up! Maria:Why...? Why this...? Nikolai:So you can be test subjects for this guy. [Achtzehn pulls out a weapon and fires it. All the Gears stop working.] Maria:Waugh!! Jessie:Umph...!! This is not good... Nikolai:Achtzehn's new weapon... the anti-Gear Psycho Jammer! Fei:...! Weltall wont' move!? Elly:Vierge isn't responding either! Bart:Damn! What's going on? Brigandier isn't working at all! Citan:Then, could this be...? Jessie:The Gear's circuits are acting strange because of a strong shock. Don't worry, it's only momentarily. Nikolai:That much time is enough to erase you from the face of the earth. Humans are imperfect, foolish life form... I will show the greatness of a perfect life form! Achtzehn, the combination of human wisdom and the strength of steel. Fei:At this rate, I can't do anything! Are you saying we have to sit here and take it? Citan:That is not what I mean. Maybe... Maria could... Maria:...!! Jessie:Achtzehn and its sister Gear Seibzehn... So, it's normal there is an anti-jamming shield... Zephyr:...Listen, Maria... If the other Gears are become mobile, you and Seibzehn are the only hope. You're full of spirit... You can decide what to do yourself. Jessie:More than that... I don't wanna say it but... Your father is no longer in there... Maria:Stop it!! You wouldn't know!! Even though, it may be, I... to me... Jessie:I see... oh well... Might as well expect the worst then. Maria:... I'm sorry... Chu-Chu:I'm going. Maria:...! What are you saying Chu-Chu? Chu-Chu:So...please let me go along. No problem. The gods will look after us. Let's go. [Chu-Chu runs off. Maria follows.] Maria:No Chu-Chu! Don't! Chu-Chu:Leave it up chu me, Maria. No sweat. [Chu-Chu runs to Aphel Aura and climbs up to the top of the tower where Achtzehn floats nearby...] Nikolai:What's with this astronomically unintelectual... looking low level animal...? Chu-Chu:Don't chu be rude to me. I'm not a low level animal. I'm Chu-Chu. Well, let's get ready chu rumble you bad boy! Get your butt ready chu be kicked across the other end of the horizon! [Suddenly, Chu-Chu grows to hundreds of times her original size. She is nearly as large as Achtzehn.] Chu-Chu:Kyow! I did it! I did the big big churansformation! Nikolai:For a low-class, low level life form, you're pretty good. Chu-Chu:I'm not a low level life-form. I'm Chu-Chu. Don't be a bad loser! If you wanchu apologize, you had better do it while you still can. Nikolai:Die, you pathetic animal! Die! [Achtzehn blasts Chu-Chu. She falls to the ground seriously injured.] Chu-Chu:Ouchu! That hurt... [Maria watches from afar...] Maria:Chu-Chu! Nikolai:I see... You're a giant native lifeform of this planet... You're not... a young Rankar. Species name, dotesque Chu-Chupolin (intellect, astronomically low)! They still haven't gone extinct yet? But through genetic engineering, they're supposed to have been minimal in size... Probably one of the survivors that had their Limiters removed by the wisemen from Shevat. Intriguing... You'd make an excellent guinea pig. I'll use you for many experiments! Voice:Big sister Maria... Maria:Midori!? No, you shouldn't be here! It's dangerous here so stay in... Midori:Calling... Your father... Maria:What? ... Midori:Uh uh... No... It's not... that scary thing over there. Maria:...!! Seibzehn! [Maria runs through Shevat to the Gear dock as fast as she can. She arrives their rather quickly...] Maria:Seibzehn!! I'm sorry, I'm late... Let's go! Solaris'... Solaris' enemy is awaiting!! [She blasts off.] Maria:Seibzehn!! Sally forth! [She goes up to Achtzehn.] Nikolai:Seibzehn!! Is that Maria? Maria:... It's true that I'm Maria Balthasar. But, you... Who are you...? Nikolai;Of course it's me, Nikolai!! Look at this, Maria. The result of my research! This huge, powerful, forever shining body! There's no aging and death. I was reborn as a new breed. Maria:... I loved my father in those days when he was human... His warm smile... I wanted him to be by my side forever!! Nikolai:Maria, you're my daughter. You know how stupid humans can be. You don't need to perish along with these feeble humans. Now, come, Maria. Start a new life with me. We shall begin a new chapter in life. Let's build a bright future together. I'll be by your side and protect you this time for sure. I promise you. Maria:... Father... ...!! Seibzehn...!? [Seibzehn goes out of control.] Nikolai:Seibzehn... What? You dare stand against me, your creator? Maria:T... this is...!! Seibzehn!? Nikolai:Interesting... I'll take you on. I'll show you how great Nikolai is, and the power of the Achtzehn. Come on, Seibzehn!! Maria:...Achtzehn! I will defeat you!! Seibzehn, let's go!! [After a long fight...] Nikolai:Maria... can you hear me? I'm going to release your Graviton Cannon from it's seal by remote control! Use that to defeat me. Maria:!! Father! Have you come to your senses!? No! I can't do it! The Gravition Cannon... you yourself had it sealed up because of its destructive power. Father, if I use that on you... Nikolai:Fire!! It doesn't matter... I, Nikolai, no longer exist... Before I was brainwashed by Solaris, I implanted a conscious circuit in Achtzehn. This would respond in the presence of Seibzehn. My message is coming from there. And, during the battle I transferred all my data from there to Seibzehn. I may have lost my body, but my spirit is within Seibzehn, no with you, Maria. Now and forever! Maria:...I can't. I can't bring myself to do it! Huh? Seibzehn! don't... I can't control you! Father, are you doing this!? Please, don't make me shoot!! [Seibzehn grabs the Graviton cannon and uses it to vaporize the Achtzehn.] Maria:...Faaaaaatheeerrr!! Nikolai:Maria... I will always be with you. Now and forever. Maria:...Father... [Later, in the throne room...] Zephyr:Thank you, everyone. The generator is repaired and the gate is developing as usual. And Maria, you did very well. It is very regretful about Dr. Nikolai... Solaris put the good doctor through all of that. We must defeat them as soon as possible and restore freedom! Maria:...Yes. Fei:Queen Zephyr, we will also fight to bring down Solaris. To begin with, where is Solaris? How do you get there? Zephyr:Solaris is hidden from human eyes by three gates. One of the gates is under the 'Ethos' H.Q., but... It is unreachable, even with Gears. I don't know where the other two are yet. Until we destroy the 3 Gates, the path to Solaris will not open. In addition, we've received some disturbing news. Aveh has invaded Nisan. Bart:What the...? Shakhan? Zephyr:Their target is probably somewhere in the earth. The secret royal treasure of Aveh. An Omnigear, sealed up by Roni Fatima! Bart:Damn! This is no place to hesitate! I'm going to Nisan! We can't allow Shakhan to have his way! Fei:I see. I can't leave Nisan to its fate. Okay, first let's head back to Nisan. Zephyr:Your ship has been equiped with an aerial module. Originally, it was the ship used by Bart's ancestor, Roni. Make free use of it. Maria:Umm... can you take me along with you? Zephyr:I have one request. Fei, take Maria along with you. This child, since her youth has been destined with no choice but to fight. Until she solves her own fights, she will not be able to move on with her life. Go Maria, and find your purpose in life... on your own. Fei:I got it. Let's go together, Maria. We're friends from now on, you and... you and Seibzehn too. Maria:Yes. Became friends with Maria! Zephyr:One of the sages, Gaspar, has returned. Gaspar is the one who taught martial arts to Kahn and Wiseman. I'm sure he will be able to teach you new techniques that will be of help to you on your journey. I've already told Gaspar. Before you leave, you should learn from him. Fei:I got it. Okay, let's go everyone! [Later in the throne room...] Zephyr:Welcome back, Gaspar. What about Balthasar, or Melchoir...? Gaspar:No, I haven't seen them since... Besides, your Majesty... I came here to watch over them so that they do not make the same foolish mistake again. [A man comes in.] Man:Your Majesty, the Omnigear underground is moving!! The girl named Elly was nearby and it reacted to her!! Zephyr:Just as I thought... Wiseman:It's a matter of course. But the girl doesn't intend to ride it... Just like 'her'. She knows it unconsciously. The existence within her... Zephyr:She... was the same as Sophia? Wiseman:... Zephyr:...Sorry. Wiseman:No, I don't mind. I'm not 'him'. Gaspar:Well then, I'll go take a look at their Limiters. Fei and the guys had Gaspar remove a part of the Limiter inserted in their genes. Yes yes, and then... Chu-Chu and her friends got together and rejoiced over their safety... It was natural for them to have a party, and their sweet, dangerous night went on and on... just like a never-ending dream... No, let's not... It's a whole other story... Chu-Chu:Fei, where are chu going without me? Chu-Chu will go anywhere, even chu the end of the world with you! Chu-Chu's maidenly pure heart is only for you! Uh humm! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II P. Rescue Nisan! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [The next day, Fei heads to the Yggdrasil and talks to Bart on the bridge.] Bart:Our Yggdrasil was reborn with Shevat technology. This vessel will be named 'The Third'! Sigurd:The operations are a bit different from the previous Yggdrasil. So you'll have to learn the workings all over again! Jerico:Yes! I'll do my best! [The Yggdrasil is piloted to Nisan. Fei, Citan and Maria sneak behind one of the houses. The town is empty except for a number of soldiers.] Fei:(The city's awfully quiet for some reason...) Maria:(And I don't see any civilians.) Citan:(It was said that there is a hidden shelter facility in the town... But whether it was safe in there or not is another problem...!) Fei:(Yeah, I heard Bart say something about that. So you think the townsfolk went there?) [Sigurd walks up to them.] Fei:(How was it on your side?) Sigurd:(The side roads are also similarly quiet.) Fei:(I see. So, what now...) Sigurd:(Hmm, just from what little I've seen I can't tell what their next move might be. But, we can't just leave... considering the residents were placed in danger because of our treasure.) Fei:(Okay, agreed. but by the way, is Margie doing all right?) Sigurd:(Well about that... The young master is quite concerned that Marguerite has tagged along.) Maria:(How can you blame her? I kind of know what Margie may be going through. She probably can't stand to just sit around.) Sigurd:(Yes, but you know him... Well, I should get going. We'll coordinate our moves according to yours and try to break through the rear path.) [Sigurd leaves.] Citan:(Let us pray for success.) Fei:(Yeah.) Citan:(But now that we have heard and seen so many things up until now... We should realize that Shakhan's existence is no longer just the young one's problem. If we do not stop Shakhan and his men here, the next time it may be us who fare such a misfortune. Let us brace ourselves and help these people out!) Fei:(Okay then, let's go!) [They jump down from their hiding spot and defeat all the Aveh soldiers in the town.] Fei:Good! Looks like we cleaned up all the soldiers who were in the town. With the help of Fei and his colleagues, Nisan was freed from Shakhan's army. However, the Fatima Jasper and the legendary treasure, of the Aveh royal family were still in danger. And now, he's going to play his last card and Shakhan's true intentions will be brought to light. [Sigurd walks into the town hall. The town is empty.] Sigurd:There are no signs of residents... yet. Margie:You okay? Sister, are you wounded? Sister Agnes:I'm fine. Marguerite and Bartholomew, I'm sorry... Sigurd:I took some troops and searched the area, but I couldn't find any one. Bart:Really? Sister Agnes:Earlier, after everyone came out... Over half of the residents have fled from Nisan. After that, Shakhan's position in the country was compromised so... he didn't care about reputations anymore and attacked this land. Citan:I see. A last desperate plan to reverse the situation... Bart:Sister, I assume the people remaining in the town are...? Sister Agnes:Yes. Hiding in the Mausoleum. Fei:Mausoleum...? Hiding in a grave? Margie:The Great Mothers and Kings of Aveh of old are revered there. Bart:It's not just some regular grave or anything. Sister Agnes:Bartholomew, about that... Shakhan and the Fatima Jasper... He's after the Fatima Treasure. Citan:Treasure...? If he is after the treasure, what is he doing attacking here? Bart:Huh? Ahh... Actually, the Fatima Treasure is in the Mausoleum. There was even father's will there, but I didn't tell anyone... Fei:Treasure... You mean that thing in the pic scrolls you showed me earlier in your base? Bart:Yeah. If you follow that legend, you're supposed to get your hands on some great power. Sigurd:We must stop them somehow. Bart:There's no problem. The Jasper is... Sister Agnes:They plan to use the former Mother's retina... Bart:Wha... what!! Sister Agnes:Remove the deceased Mother's retina, and break the seal! Bart:Use the body of Margie's mother? Margie:Mom's...!! Sister Agnes:I'm sorry. They used innocent citizens and sect followers as a shield. There was no other way... The truth we heard previously from Margie about the Jasper's true form and how it's used. They know now... I am truly sorry. Bart:Well... I don't blame you. They had hostages! Citan:Wait a moment. Retinas... What are you speaking of? Bart:The Fatima Jasper is the topaz blue pupils of the Fatima dynasty... In other words... our retinal pattern. The doors to the treasure are opened by that... Or so it is said. However no one has ever used it. It's not to be used for minor conflicts. The doors are to be opened only when the kingdom is truly in danger. So neither I, nor my father, nor my grandfather, nor my great grandfather have ever used it. Citan:So, that is the true form of the Jasper... Bart:Damn! That old coot, he wants to profane a holy person's corpse? That's unthinkable! Citan:It is a closely guarded secret but the 'Ethos' people are not holy men. They simply supervise. Fei:Yes, of course they wouldn't feel anything! Let's go Bart! Before the mausoleum is trashed. Bart:Alright! Sigurd:Young master! I have a proposal! Bart:What is it Sig? Sigurd:Currently, Aveh is in conflict with Shakhan running amok. It should be very easy to bring down the center with no Gebler units around. It'll be the best time to make our return to the capital. Citan:That is a good idea. Shakhan is most likely thinking of the Fatima Jasper as his last card. While we prevent the young one from handing over the treasure to Shakhan... a seperate force will take back the capital. Then he will have no where else to go! Bart:I got it... Sounds good. We can pay everything back in one shot! Let's split up! I'll go to them. I'll take Fei and... Billy:I'll go. Bart:Alright! That decides it! Everyone else cooperate with Sig! Margie:Hold on. I'm going to. Bart:Huh? You don't have to... Oh, yeah. Sorry Margie. Come along with us. Alright I'm counting on all of you! He's a dead man the next time I see him! [They go outside.] Fei:Well, let's get going. Where's this Mausoleum? Bart:There's an entrance at the rear of the Cathedral. So first of all, we have to get on the road that runs around this town and go in through the back way. Billy;About how far is it? Bart:The distance to the Mausoleum isn't that much... But, I don't know how much more is to go from there. Fei:You haven't been inside yourself Bart? Bart:Yeah... This is my first time to go beyond the Mausoleum too. Margie:Well, the place is all sealed up. Even I haven't been far inside of it. Bart:So neither Margie nor I know much about it. Sig and them have already taken off, so we won't be able to return to the ship for a while. For now, we're just gonna have to work this out on our own. Margie:Alright then, I'm going to go on ahead and wait for you at the entrance. Bart:We'll come once we finish our preperations. So could you wait for us at the entrance until then? Margie:Okay! [She leaves.] Bart:Alright... Let's go get prepped! Fei:But by the looks of it, I don't think we'll be able to find the tool lady. Bart:Hmm... Why don't we just leave the necesary money behind then? Sure it might not be good manners, but I'm sure they will forgive me... [They go to the Mausoleum entrance.] Bart:Thanks for waiting! Margie:Alright, let's go in! [They enter and are at the top of a huge staircase down.] Fei:I didn't realize there was a hidden path behind the cathedral. Bart:Yeah. It's usually closed off. Fei:So the Mausoleum's in there? Bart:Oh yeah. If the city's ever in danger, the people are supposed to take refuge in here. [They go down part of the way. Fei stops.] Fei:Hold on. How ...far does this go?!? Bart:Hang in there. It's just a bit more. [They eventually reach a dark room with a large metal door.] Bart:We're here. Fei:... So, what's gonna happen? Bart:Hey now, don't rush me. Fei:...You haven't... Billy:You haven't forgotten what we need to do...? Bart:Hey, lay off and shut up! ...It's been a while, so don't blame me. ...Crap, I really forgot. Margie:Ya want me to open it? Bart:...Please... [Margie goes to a terminal and pushes a few buttons. The metal door slides down, revealing the path inside.] Bart:Oh yeah!! Hah! That's it, that's what I thought it was! [Fei and Billy shake their heads behind Bart.] Fei:(Is everything gonna be okay...? I'm beginning to have my doubts...) [They enter. The place is swarmed with Soldiers.] Bart:They've gotten this far! [They kill all of the soldiers.] Man:Laddie!? Tool Guy:It's Bartholomew! Marguerite is with him too! Hey, everyone! It's OK! [People come out into the open.] Bart:The casket!? Is Margie's mother safe!? [Margie checks the casket.] Margie:It's fine! She hasn't been touched! Bart:Whew... OK. What a relief. Is everyone...OK? Tool Guy:Yes, somehow... Bart:Shakhan... Where did he go!? Tool Guy:Oh yes, Shakhan? No, I havent' seen him... The only people that came here were those soldiers that threatened me to stay quiet... I'm sorry laddie. If only I'd been braver. Bart:He isn't here yet. ...That's odd. Man:The ground... What's happening to the town now? Bart:I took care of upstairs. It's OK to go back! Man:Is that true? Bartholomew, I've seen you come and go from time to time and I didn't think much of it. Exactly who are you? Tool Guy:...! Bart:Everyone, I need your attention. My... ...My friends are currently headed for Bledavik. They're on a mission to take down Shakhan from his seat of power. There is a need to rebuild this country from scratch again. I've, I've inherited that task from our late king. If all goes well, we'll soon be able to make it a reality. Please, believe me, and wait for me. Man:You're going to defeat Shakhan!? The... late king...? Then you're... Bart:... Tool Guy:The town's OK now. Let's go back up! Collect all your belongings! [They people leave.] Tool Guy:Laddie, be careful out there! I know you'll make it OK. And when you do... you have to promise that you'll come out and announce who you are. I want to see you stand on the terrace of Castle Fatima, proudly! [Bart nods his head.] Tool Guy:You gotta win lad. You got my support! [He leaves.] Bart:I don't know what happened or what made me say the things I did. That wasn't like me to say that stuff... Margie:You could have just told them that you were the prince. Bart:No, I can't do that yet. I need to fulfill my father's last request. [They enter the elevator and go up into a large dark hallway.] Fei:...It's awful dark in here. Bart:Oh, they probably have the power shutdown because no one's here. Margie:We use this lower area as a Mausoleum... So it always has minimal power available for use. But, not even the sisters are allowed in there. Billy:... That's why it smells like mold... Bart:That's obvious. Practically no one's been in there. Let's give it! We gotta get to the treasure before Shakhan gets here. [They continue on to a room with 2 angel statues, like the ones in the cathedral, blocking the door.] Fei:This is... the same angel statue at the Cathedral. Bart:So this is the door that connects to the great royal treasure. [A machine comes up from the floor.] Bart:It's time for the Fatima Jasper... to do its thing... Oh yeah, one of mine's closed. Margie:I'm here. [The machine scans their eyes and opens the door.] Fei:The... Fatima Jasper. Bart:Yeah. That punk, Shakhan mistook that for the royal pendant. But that made it easier for us, so I kept my mouth shut. Fei:What's up ahead...? Margie:Up ahead will be the central core of the fortress. It's been said that if we shine that mysterious light across our eyes, the fortress will rise to the surface. They said this was built before the country of Aveh was founded. So, you ready to go? [They continue travelling until they reach a control room.] Bart:There sure are a lot of gauges and meters in here. Margie:I wonder which is more impressive? The pilot room on your ship or the one in here? Bart:My ship of course... Uhh, well... since they are our ancestors, I guess this one's better. And you, quit asking mean questions like that. Anyway, it's not called a pilot room. It's the bridge, got it? Margie:Does it really matter? Bart:... Not moving. Billy:Is it locked? Bart:Hmm... Margie:Want to go check the great treasure first? Bart:Hmm... From the looks of it, Shakhan hasn't found the great treasure either. Fei:Yeah... When we were leaving Nisan, Bart and them said they've never been here. Well, first of all let's go locate the great treasure. Bart:Yeah... I know for sure that the great treasure is somewhere inside the Great Mausoluem. I can't pinpoint the location though. So, let's go find it then we can decide what to do next. [They continue on until they reach another locked door.] Bart:There's another Jasper lock... Margie:Let's try it out. [Bart nods. The machine once again rises and scans their eyes. The door unlocks. They continue onward through a huge room with a closed skylight and enter a room where a gigantic red Gear sits.] Billy:...This! Fei:... It kinda looks a lot like Bart's Gear. Bart:Huh? Oh yeah... Now that you mention it... Well, if you trace my Brigandier's histroy, it was a Gear originally made in Aveh, that I customized. It wouldn't surprise me if there was some kind of connection. Yeah well... Looks like there's no power down here except for the emergency lights. Fei:This Gear too... No power in the lights... The drive unit's been sealed... Bart:Hmm. The control panels down there didn't do much... Meaning there's probably something around here. [They see an inscription in the wall underneath the Gear's legs.] Bart:...? Something's written here. Does anyone have a light? [He turns on a flashlight.] Bart:This... There's an inscription. It's in old Fatima. ......It's my ancestors. Margie:What does it say? Bart:Peace to all those who come here. Fearing the great calamity, we sealed this legacy entrusting its fate to you. [The lights turn on. They climb up on the balcony going up to the Gear cockpit.] Bart:All right, this should work. Margie:Now, how am I going to get this out? Bart:Yeah. Fei:You said it would appear above if it read the eyes. You think you can move this building? Bart:Okay, let's go back downstairs and try it. Father, looks like we're gonna have to move this. Sorry, but I'll have to borrow it. [They go up to the control room and find a man there.] Tool Guy:Bartholomew! Fei:Hey aren't you... the tool guy!? Bart:You're OK. Tool Guy:Yes, my wife and I escaped together. Bart:So, what're you doimng here!? Tool Guy:Yeah well, when I returned to town, I heard you were deep in the mausoleum... I thought to myself... 'Something's going on!' I couldn't just stand there... so I came here. Bart:It's dangerous, you better go back. Tool Guy:Oh no, I've come this far, I'm not going back! I'm gonna stay and help you. [They go up to the computer.] Bart:Well then... Let's do it! [The bottom of the mausoleum starts spinning. It rises out of the ground, revealing a spherical shaped fortress!] Bart:All right, I know I can do it! We'ver surfaced! Next open the sky dome. ...Huh? What? [There is a mysterious noise.] Fei:What's up? Bart:Huh? It's already moving. Billy:Probably because of your skillful piloting. Bart:No. That's not why. [Suddenly, the fortress shoots a giant laser beam!] Bart:No doubt... It's something I accidently pushed... ......... Yesss! This is the way!! Oh REALLY!? What? What're you talking about? Fei:Quit foolin!! What the heck did you just press!? Bart:... Ohh... Well, I wouldn't say it was a complete success... But it'll never do for now. Billy:That was from a beam cannon... Bart:Don't worry! I've never fouled things up yet, have I? Well have I!? How 'bout... Ladies and gentlemen, behold! Tis that not Babel Tower ...over yonder? Well? Isn't it way coooool!? It floats from the Fatima Jasper... I call it Ft. Jasper, and you'll be able to see it from far off. I'me sure that last beam cannon could reach it! Well, I guess I wanted to show you all its greatness. Have you ever seen such a cannon? And don't mix it up with Vanderkaum's pea shooter. This is many times more powerful and many times more refined. After all, that's why my ancestors used it for generations to guard the treasure. Yeah, this is the real thing. And don't forget it. Now as I was saying, I haven't fouled up yet. So, let's go get this treasure and go home! But first, we have to open that door in the dome! I don't think the switch on this control panel will do it though. Over there! [He walks over to another console and pushes a button.] Billy:... Fei:(Didn't you say you hit the wrong button earlier?) Bart:Hey, they all look alike. Ah well, let's start hitting some buttons. Fei:Whoa whoa! Is that safe!? [The dome opens.] Bart:Alright, let's hurry up and get the treasure outside. Voice:Well done, Prince Bartholomew. Thank you for unlocking the seal. Bart:That voice, Shakhan! [A large amount of Gears enter the Fort, led by Shakhan.] Bart:Damn you! This was all a setup!? Shakhan:Of course. You don't really believe that the door would open up for just anyone? I simply leaked the information and awaited your arrival. Bart:Crap, so that's why I haven't noticed your stench for a while! Shakhan:Knowing your impulsive nature, I knew you would come... But I never thought you'd go so far as breaking the seal for me. Bart:Son of a... Makin' a fool outta me! Shakhan:My soldiers have already secured the area. If you don't like it, come here and get some! Hah hah hah! [Bart, Billy, Fei and Margie run to the room. On the way, they are trapped by some soldiers.] Bart:One after the other... Don't these guys ever give up? Shakhan:Most impressive, Prince Bartholomew. But you'll go no further. Bart:The central area's gone. What can you do now? How about killing yourself honorably? What a fitting death for a clergyman. Shakhan:There's much more to the 'Ethos' then you would know. We're not a single unit. We each have an agenda. We have no need to admit defeat just because the central area's gone. I have my own motives. And it is for them, that I used Aveh and Gebler. Now, the treasure's mine. I suggest you retreat now. Bart:...Crap! Margie! [Margie runs right past the guards into the next room.] Shahkhan:After her! [He sends a few soldiers after her.] Shakhan:Hmph... You're actually trying to protect the Omnigear? What do you think one little girl can do? As they say, out of the frying pan and into the fire... idiot! I'm going to take care of this once and for all! That detestable girl has made a fool of me for the last time. I'll send her and everything with her to the depths of hell. Bart:Dammit... get the hell outta the way! Voice:You've gone far enough. Soldier:! [Sigurd and Citan show up!] Bart:Sig! What are you doin' here!? Billy:Citan! Sigurd:I left Maison in charge of the capital. I was worried about you so I returned here. Shakhan, it's only a matter of time until Bledavik returns to us. At this point, you have nowhere to go. Shakhan:Errgh... It's not over yet! I've still got Margie. For now, she'll once again be my hostage until I get that Omnigear. [He runs through the door and shuts it.] Bart:Wait! Damn, it won't open! It's locked from the inside. [He enters the room with the scanning machine.] Bart:Argh! I only have one Fatima Jasper! Sigurd:Relax, young master! Bart:Sig... what should I do? Sigurd:Pass the light through your good eye! I'll do the other half! Bart:...What're you? Sigurd:Just do it! [The machine scans their eyes and unlocks the door.] Bart:Yes! It's unlocked...? Sig...! How did YOUR eye work!? Sigurd:We're running out of time! We must return to Marguerite at once! Bart:...? [They go inside and see some destroyed Gears.] Bart:Margie! Where are you? Shakhan:Argh! What's taking so long? Soldier:But... It's still an Omnigear... Shakhan:Imbeciles! She's just a child! What can she do!? Hurry and get her! [The Gears enter the room with the Omnigear. They are destroyed.] Bart:Margie... In there...! Fei:Anyway, let's go! [They go inside and see the Omnigear.] Bart:Margie!? Is that you... moving it? [Bullets are fired at them. They run up to the Omnigear.] Bart:...Crap! [Bart enters the cockpit. Margie lays there wounded.] Bart:You okay? Margie:My leg... got shot. Heh... looks like I'm causing you trouble again. Bart:Stupid! Why'd you put yourself in danger like that!? Margie:I... it wasn't much. I just thought this is the least I could do for you. Bart:...Dumb... Stupid! You're the biggest fool! Margie:...heh heh. Bart:Can you move? Margie:Uh huh... I guess. [Two Neo Etone enter the room.] Shakhan:Minor damage can be repaired. Aim for the cockpit! Bart:Dammit! It's to dangerous to go outside now. Can you hold on? Margie:Don't worry about me. Bart:...Damn! What the !? There's no control stick! How am I gonna move this? Sigurd:Are you okay, young master!? Bart:...Sig!? Ya know how I'm gonna operate this thing? Sigurd:...What do you mean? Bart:There are no controls? What am I gonna do? [A Neo Etone shoots at it. The omnigear rises it's hands to block the shot.] Bart:Uuuuuuaaah! Shakhan;Impudent little... Bart:H, how!? How'd it move!? Citan:I got it! Young one, you must think! Bart:That voice... Citan!? Citan:Apparently, the Omnigear does not function by mechanical controls, but mental ones. Remember how Elly and the Omnigear in Shevat responded? Bart:...But... Citan:Margie probably moved it through the same means. Young one, try and envision the Gear moving. Then the Gear should react to the image in your head. Bart:Now that I know... ...here goes! [They destroy the two Neo Etones.] Shakhan:Damn you, boy! [He runs away.] Fei:Let's go! Billy:Yeah! Shakhan:I almost had it! Bart:Hey! You're not gettin' away! [Shakhan leaves with the other troops.] Bart:That punk's not goin' anywhere! Citan:Young one, please wait! Is Margie gonna be alright? Bart:... oh yeah! Hey, Margie... you OK? [Margie is passed out in the cockpit.] Bart:Margie! Margie! Wake up!! Margie!! [Later...] Citan:Fortunately, the bullet passed through. I will apply some first aid. Later, when we return to the city, we should have it looked over throughly. Bart:Good... I'm glad. When she passed out I thought the worst. Margie:...Bart. Bart:...How ya feelin? Margie:...Okay. You know, when I passed out, I still heard your voice. For some strange reason... your cries reached me. That's why I thought I had to help you... Bart:...Oh. We were fighting toghether, weren't we? You protected me. But, is this really the legendary Gear in the scroll of our founding nation? The way it handles it feels just like my Brigandier... ...Except maybe it's a little more powerful. Citan:Perhaps... The controls, outputs and weapons are similar and adjust to the strength of the pilot's mental waves. If so, the pilot must be skilled at mentally merging with the Gear to gain its true power. Marguerite was able to move the Gear through her strong desire to help you. It was her strength that moved it. Bart:Meaning, I'd have to get used to it? Citan:That would be the case. Bart:Argh. I already went through a lot of trouble getting it... Citan:Do not be discouraged... We now know that these Omnigears were used in the battle between the land and Solaris. Even now, the 'Ethos' and Solaris are seeking the Omnigears. At least, this one will not fall into their hands. Eventually, you will be able to unleash it's power. Let's hope you use it for the right reasons. [Later that day, in Nisan...] Bart:No activities for you. You'll have to settle down for a while. Margie:What do you mean once in a while? Bart:Don't get so excited. Ha ha ha ha! Margie:Meanie! Man:Sigurd! Sigurd:...Alright. Please tell Maison we'll be here a while longer. Man:Got it! Sigurd:We've heard from our units in Bledavik. Things are unfolding smoothly. They have entered the castle. They are investigating Shakhan's private room on the top floor of the castle. One more thing, Yggdrasil is on station near by and has picked up several Gears on radar. Bart:Shakhan! Sigurd:Most certainly. But those Gears went to the capital and then turned back toward us. Fei:He saw things weren't looking too good and ran away. Bart:Yeah. but it sounds like he's coming back here. Fei:What's here...? Sigurd:About that, the info from the capital ... Isn't there a -Gate- in the area? Fei:A -Gate-? Citan:Where? Sigurd:Directly west of Nisan. Young master, do you know the big cave over there? Bart:Cave... on the western continent? It's near the ocean. If I remember it's big enough for a Gear to walk into. Sigurd:Yes, there. They found evidence that there is some large building inside that cave. Fei:Shakhan is heading for there... What's he doing? Bart:I guess we'll have to go and see! Fei:Okay! Sigurd:I'll wait here for info from the capital. Citan:A gate! Of course I would like to actually see it... but this time I will pass. There are two more left... And besides... Just in case things do not go well, it might be better if we stay here and protect Marguerite. Bart:Got it. I leave the rest to you! [Bart, Maria and Fei enter the cave near Nisan.] Bart:What the!? That hole wasn't there last time. [Two Neo Etones come out.] Fei:They're survivors from the last battle! [They defeat the 2 Gears.] Fei:Those guys, it seeed like they were waiting for us. Maria:Could it be a trap? Bart:Regardless, we gotta go on! It's going to be an eternal embarrasment if we let'em get away! [They go through a large stone door into a gigantic room. Three metal bridges converge at a single point where a large gate lies. The Gate is held up above an enormous chasm which seems to have no bottom.] Fei:This is... the gate generator! Bart:Punk... Not only was he sitting on the Aveh throne, he also controlled this. [Shakhan arrrives in his Gear.] Shakhan:Exactly. To think you knew about the existence of the gate... very interesting. The gate which divided Solaris from the earth was under the supervision of... the 'Ethos'. In the beginning, it was supervised without any true knowledge of what it did. However, over the years, the 'Ethos' did their own experiments to reveal its true nature. They learned how to use it. For the sake of freeing ourselves from Solaris, we discovered a new way of using it! [He connects his Gear to the gate.] Bart:You! This was your original intention. Fei:He probably entered through this cavern. He just wanted the energy from the Gate generator! [Suddenly, energy stops going to Shakhan's Gear.] Maria:?? Shakhan:This can't be!? This is ridiculous!? This thing should be able to pull an adequate amount of energy from the gate! There shouldn't have been any problems in the design! Why? Why doesn't it move? Bart:What, did you mess up? If my father knew I was set up by a jerk like this, he'd turn in his grave. Shakhan:I didn't need this anyway! I'll take you out myself!! [Suddenly, there is a flash of light, and once more, the familiar voice calls out.] Grahf:Do you not desire the powrer? Shakhan:Wha, who! Bart:Him again!? Fei:How'd he get in here!? Grahf:I am Grahf, the seeker of power. Doth thou desire the power? Shakhan:Power? What kind of power!? I have the power of the gate! As long as I get this machine to move!! Grahf:Your powers are merely superficial. The tools in which you produced with your immature intellect... Now, do you think you can win? Shakhan:What are you saying? Superficial power? Grahf:The meager efforts of you land dwellers are insignificant to the true and only power. I shall endow you with my true powers!! [He puts his arm out.] Grahf:My fist is the divine breath! [He reaches towards Shakhan.] Grahf:Blossom, of fallen seed, and draw upon thy hidden powers!! [His hand glows.] Grahf:Grant unto thee the power of the glorious 'Mother of Destruction'! Shakhan:Ghunnnuuuaaaaahhhh... [After a long fight, Shakhan's Gear starts malfunctioning.] Shakhan:How... This can't be! Bart:Shakhan!! 12 years ago, if you weren't so hungry for power, Margie would still have her family... ....and wouldn't have to live out in the desert! Shakhan:What do you know, you throne born brat!? Bart:Throne? You can have it! A king's gotta carry the heaviest responsibilities of all! It's a tough racket! Something you'd never understand, punk!! Shakhan:Uwwaaaaahhh!! Fei:The Gate's on fire...! [They leave, the Gate blows up.] [The group stands at Fatima Castle on the balcony. Hundreds of people are cheering from below.] Bart:Fei, if anything, I'm your friend, right? Sig... You won't change no matter what I do, will you? Maison:What is the matter, young master...? Bart:Nah... I guess I have to do what was asked. My good people of Aveh... This is Bartholomew Fatima, the 19th king of Aveh, son of Edbart Fatima IV, the 18th king of Aveh. First, one must apologize for the trouble caused by one's unavoidable lengthy absence from the palace. One especially want s to give one's condolonces to those who lost family in the war with Kislev. One will immediately call a truce with Kislev and begin repramations to victims of both countries. All citizens drafted as soldiers will also be allowed to return home. Let us work together towards the rebuilding of Aveh! ...One also has another final but important message... A declaration from the will of Edbart IV who wished only peace for his kingdom, Aveh. I Bartholomew Fatima, the 19th king of Aveh do hearby declare... from this day foward I shall abandon the monarcy and creat the Republic of Aveh! Sigurd:! Maison:! Sigurd:Young master... Maison:What in Aveh are you doing...? Bart:This is my father's wish. I am sorry. You both have worked so hard for many long years to restore me to thee throne. Now I'm no longer in line to be king, nor anything else for that matter, the two of you are free to go. Maison:What are you saying...? Sigurd:Unbelievable. Maison:Master Sigurd? Sigurd:Can't you hear the crowd outside? They have chosen you as their king. You're going to be very busy. Bart:Sig... Sigurd:Won't you need some capable assistance? Bart:Well... here goes nothing. [That night, Bart gets up and walks into Maison's room.] Maison:Oh, young master! You still haven't rested yet? Bart:Old Maison, there is one thing I want to ask you. Maison:What is it? Bart:Where was Sigurd born? Maison:Young master, that... Bart:He has blue eyes... it's the Fatima Jasper. Maison:...Well... It was long ago. When his Majesty was in love with a certain girl from a small religous sect east of Aveh. This sect was quite different from Nisan and the 'Ethos' but she was very beautiful. Then... she just dissappeared. Later there were rumors of her having a child. Bart:She dissappeared? Did father abandon her? Maison:As far as I know, it was the opposite. His Majesty was abandoned. Bart:Sig is from Aveh's eastern desert... Maison:Indeed. When he was 10, he was assigned to his Majesty King Edbart, as a squire. [Bart leaves the room and goes out to the balcony, where Sigurd stands.] Sigurd:Young master...? Bart:Yeah, I can't sleep. Sigurd:Yes, so much has happened at once. Bart:Hey Sig... what was your mother like? Sigurd:...She died when I was but a child, why? Bart:Do you have any memories of her? What kind of person was she? Sigurd:Hmm, well... she was very kind... but when I was born it seems the doctor told her she didn't have long to live. She lived in constant fear of that. As a result, even if she met someone she like, her fear of death was her drawback. She worried that she could not be with me to the very end... Bart:What about your father? Sigurd:He isn't supposed to know that I was born. However, even for not knowing he still treated me like a son. Bart:Why didn't you tell him you were his son? Sigurd:If my mother hid that fact, there had to be a reason. Bart:There is more to my father's will than what I declared today. I must share my inheritance with my brother. He also said... 'You must split you and your brother's share with the people.' Sigurd:! Bart:That had always bugged me up until now. I didn't know what he meant. That's all I wanted to say... Good night! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II Q. The Gates ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [The next day, the group has a big meeting in Fatima Castle on how to destroy the next gate.] Bart:Thanks to you, Aveh has been taken back from Shakhan and Gebler. Thank you. Now, in order to free other lands from Gebler and Solaris... ...we must destroy the other two gates and bring down Solaris. We've learned from Shakhan's notes that the gates form the points of a triangle. One point was the Great Mausoluem. Two others remain, but we only know where one is. Citan:Yes, under the 'Ethos' headquaters. However... Billy:It wasn't there when we followed Stone under the 'Ethos' headquaters. If it is really there... It must be buried deep beneath the earth... Rico:How are we gonna destroy it then? Chu-Chu:By combining everyone's Gear power. Rico:What are we gonna do with everyone's Gear, dig a giant hole in the ground? Chu-Chu:What's wrong with that? Sigurd:It would take years. Fei:What if we used Shevat's cannon... Maria:If that worked, we would have tried it already. Fei:...Oh... Citan:So it must be something more powerful that Shevat's cannon. Elly:And we don't have a Gebler battleship. Fei:Is there any weapon that powerful on earth? Citan:Gebler battleships and Shevat's cannon are the most powerful weapons ever produced by man... Bart:... but... I seem to remember something... Sigurd:What? Bart:A weapon with firepower like those two... Yeah! I got it! Ft. Jasper! Her gun can take out a mountain! What about it? [Citan shakes his head.] Bart:Citan, what? Citan:However powerful that Jasper may be, how are we going to aim it at the 'Ethos' H.Q.? To damage something that deep underground we would have to attack it from directly above. But the Jasper gun is... Sigurd:Yes, of course... Rico:Are you sayin' we should just move Ft. Jasper on top of Babel? Billy:Now that you mention it, Babel does overlook their headquaters. If we shoot it from there it might just possible be able to reach that far underground. Sigurd:But how could we move Ft. Jasper? Elly:It's impossible. Something that heavy. Fei:Didn't the control room in Babel control a cannon or something? I think it moved that giant mirror outside. Bart:Maria, do you know anything like that? Maria:I've never heard anything about it but... Fei:But it might be there. Let's go check it out. Bart:Alright... Citan:! Wait a moment... A giant mirror and a giant cannon both from the same ruins? Ther might be something in this... Bart:Like what? Citan:Ah... I have solved the puzzle. Sigurd:Puzzle, what puzzle? Citan:The Babel and Jasper ruins are from the same civilization. One far more advanced than our own... Do not these two structures seem similar to you? I believe they were built with Gears and a powerful force in mind. Fei:Yeah, I noticed that. But what's it all mean? Citan:It means, the people who built the giant mirror and Babel Tower... ...know about the giant gun at Jasper! Bart:And...? What are you getting at? Citan:We can probably assume the mirror was built to reflect something... That something being a beam. A beam shot from the Jasper gun! Fei:Reflect, you mean that mirror can reflect a beam attack? Citan:Yes. Rico:Long ago Babel and Jasper must have been at war. Citan:Not exactly. The Babel mirror and Jasper gun were combined to make one weapon. Rico:Whaddya mean? Elly:But those things are so far apart, how could they be one weapon? Citan:Well the gates may be far apart, but aren't they still one device? Elly:Yes, I see what you mean but... Billy:What did they use that weapon for? Citan:That, I do not know. Bart:Whatever, the point is how do we use the two weapons as one? Citan:Aim the Jasper gun at the mirror and fire. The mirror will reflect the beam on the gate. Maria:! Do you think it will work? Citan:Theoretically. It will require a few minor adjustments... Sigurd:Adjusting the mirror is going to be rather difficult and tedious. Citan:If the two weapons are one, then it should not be too difficult I hope... Rico:It sounds dangerous. I think it was meant to reflect shots back at the enemy. If you're wrong it'll come back and hit you. Citan:Yes. That is why it is most difficult for the gun crew. The mirror must hit precisely. We will need to divide into two teams. One will fire thee gun... While the other will adjust the angle of the mirror to ensure the beam hits the 'Ethos' Headquaters. Since this was my idea, I will take the dangerous part of adjusting the mirror. Sigurd:Alright Hyuga, we'll let you take care of that... ...It seems like your type of job. Fei:I'll go too. Doc might need help. Elly:It might be lonely with just Citan and Fei. So I had better go too. Sigurd:Alright, you three take Babel. Now what about the gun? Billy:I'll do it. Looks like my kind of job. Don't worry. I won't mess. I haven't been using a gun for nothing. Bart:Well, I probably better go to the Jasper. Chu-Chu:Me chu! Chu-Chu want to go chu! Bart:Then it's settled. You go with Citan to aim the mirror at the 'Ethos' headquaters. We'll aim the Jasper gun at the mirror. Let's head back to the Yggdrasil and get going! [Meanwhile, the Gazel Ministry repremands Ramsus on the Ezekiel...] Gazel Blue 1:Allowing the contact with Shevat... Gazel Blue 4:Not only Shevat. The Ignas defeat. The Thames retreat. And yes, even Elru... you...... Gazel Red 4:Useless... as always... Gazel Blue 2:A failure to begin with... Gazel Red 1:'Trash'... Ramsus:W-what did you just say? Gazel Red 3:Hmph... It's the truth. Gazel Red 2:And just what is that attitude? ...You should show some loyalty. Ramsus:H, how dare you ridicule me by calling me 'trash'! Damn you! Guh... guhaah. Miang:Calm down, Commander! It's not good for you. You still haven't recovered from the last battle! Gazel Blue 1:It does not matter. Gazel Blue 4:The lambs are probably on their way to destroying the gate. But, not this time... Gazel Blue 1:I'd like to see your 'intrinsic' powers... Gazel Blue 3:If you aren't the 'trash' we think you are...... [The SOL-9000 shuts off.] Ramsus:Miang... ... Launch the ship...... Get to him...... This time... I'll go myself... and I'll bring him down... Miang:Commander, you can't go out there like that! Kelvena:Commander, request permission to handle the situation? Miang:You all? Dominia:We'll do our best to meet your expectations. Kelvena:Commander please, you must get medical attention... ... Dominia:To make our ideals a reality. Kelvena:Well then, we are off. [The Yggdrasil lands at Babel Tower. Citan, Elly and Fei get out in their Gears.] Fei:Doc, what should we do? Citan:Look up. [They look at the gigantic mirror.] Citan:That is a reflecting mirror. The Ft. Jasper beam will be reflected off that and destroy the gate. Let us hurry to the control room while our pursuers are still gone. [The Yggdrasil takes off.] [In the Yggdrasil...] Billy:Well then... shall we go, too? [In Babel Tower, Citan Fei and Elly head to the control room.] Citan:I will control the mirror, you hold off the enemy. Fei:Is it going to be okay, doc...? Citan:We must do it. I am counting on you. Fei:Alright! Let's do our part. [They leave. Citan goes up to the computer and starts inputting the buttons to move the mirror.] Citan:Billy... Billy... do you read? We are ready here. Commence firing. [Fei and Elly go in the hall. They find a blue Gear and a pink Gear.] Fei:You are... Dominia!? Wait, do you suppose they figured out our plan? Dominia:Of course. The ancient mobile gun platform floating above Ignas... And this reflector, here, at Babel Tower... I know of your plan to use them together to destroy the Gate generator below the 'Ethos' headquaters. But, of course, I won't let you do it. Kelvena:For the Commander's honor and the pride of the Elements, you need to be more flexible. Dominia:Here I come! [They fight. Meanwhile at Ft. Jasper...] Billy:Let us begin our preparations. [They sit at the computers in the control room.] Bart:There's some time until the launch... I wonder if Citan's OK? Maria:Radar response! From the size they're... probably Gears. [Tolone and Seraphita approach Fort Jasper in their Gears.] Seraphita:Tolone, Tolone!! Oh, oh, there you are!! Tolone:Alright already. So you were serious!? You're really gonna reflect a big laser off a mirror... Pretty stupid. Seraphita:Inverted pull-ups are really tough!! But, I can do 300 pull ups you know. Tolone:Angling it...? ...for the drop ratio? Drop ratio in the atmosphere will be huge. [Meanwhile, inside...] Bart:Here they come. Billy:Argh! We're so close to launching! Bart:I'm goin' out to return fire! Billy, you gonna be OK? Billy:I have to do it! Tolone:Hmph, I can't believe you'd even think of such a stupid plan. Seraphita:Who'd have thought! Bart:Hey! Never know until ya try. Tolone:Keep talking while you can. Dominia and Kelvena should have taken over Babel Tower by now. You get outta here now! Seraphita:...Good!! [They fight.] Bart:Now, Billy, shoot! Billy:Fire! [He fires the shot. It narrowly misses Babel Tower.] Citan:Whew... That was close. We did not get a direct hit. Billy, we cannot hold out much longer. If you miss this one, it is over. Aim well. [In the hall...] Dominia:I'll let you off easy this time. Next time is for real! Fei:Damn, we blew it. Kelvena:How long will it hold...? I'm going! [Fei and Elly fight the two elements. In the Ft.Jasper control room...] Billy:Missed! Voice:Don't worry about it. Billy:Bart! Bart:Calm down and aim! Maria:Those two are back. [They fight again.] Billy:GO! [He fires] Tolone;Ha! Lambs' taste... Seraphita:...Taste...!! [They leave.] Tolone:I thought I told you to shut up! [The shot strikes the Babel Mirror, and hits the 'Ethos' gate, destroying it.] Citan:Billy, you did it... The plan succeeded! Fei:Great! Somehow it worked. Dominia:Damn... Too late... Kelvena:What should we do Dominia? Dominia:We'll continue this later! Let's go Kelvena! Kelvena:Elly, I didn't want to be your enemy... But since our motives are different, I guess there was no choice. We'll meet again and settle this another time. [In Fatima Castle...] Citan:So... There is only one gate left on the surface... Bart:The problem is its location. Fei:But Queen Zephyr said there are three on earth, and one in Solaris... Sigurd:According to Shakhan's report, each gate is placed in a triangle around Solaris... Citan:Let us look at the map given by the Queen, which describes the area before the gates were placed. [The map looks similar to that of the present day.] Citan:This is how the land actually looks like on the other side of the invisible barrier. The Gates should be set up somewhere on this map. First, the Ignas' Gate is... here. [A spot shows up there.] Citan:The 'Ethos' H.Q. in Aquvy is here, so... [A spot shows up there as well.] Fei:Well, logically thinking the next place could be here, or... [Red dots appear in the ocean near Ignas, and in the northern wastelands.] Fei:One of the two. Elly:North or south, huh...? Well, at least we have even chances of guessing which. Bart:What if we try both ways? Isn't that all it takes? Sigurd:That would be difficult. I doubt they expected the 2nd Gate to be destroyed. So I'm sure they'll be serious next time. We'd better plan it carefully, but quickly. Citan:In any case, we will not be able to avoid Gebler's interference, will we? Fei:Doc, Elly, where exactly is Solaris located? Elly:There is only a map of Solaris in Solaris. I didn't even know the area of this land until I arrived here. Fei:Even in Gebler? Elly:The relations with the earth are only revealed to commanders. Bart:If that's the case, even Billy's father may not know it. Sigurd:Jessiah left there in the middle of it. Citan:Sigurd and I were smugglers, and did not have the time to look out the window. On top of that, when going through the gate from Solaris, we transferred to other places by using enviromental place using the enviromental place between each gate. Remember when we made contact with the Kislev gate in the Goliath? The same thing happens and we lose all sense of where we were before. Fei:Even if the gate divides the other space, can't you recognize it's topography? Like mountains, jungles, and so on? Elly:...I don't think there were mountains. More like we were surrounded by the ocean. Bart:Ocean... Then it can't be the north! This is the pole. It's all covered with snow. Fei:Then it's settled. The location of the gate is south of here. The center of the triangle is over the ocean. If the gates are placed in the highest point in the north, the center will be the continent. Hence, it consides with Elly's story. Citan:You may be right. Sigurd:Wait a minute. There shouldn't be any facility over the ocean. Elly:Then, underwater? Sigurd:Hmm... But the whole area around here is deep. If it exists, it must be deep down. Fei:The Yggdrasil is a submarine, right? Then, what's the problem? Bart:You're crazy! It is a submarine but not a bathyscaphe. It isn't made for deep sea exploration. The water pressure would crush us instantaneously. Fei:We have a problem... Citan:We may be able to use the bathyschapes or Gears used by the Salvagers... Bart:'Salvager'? Right! That's it! Fei:?? Bart:The captain of the Thames must have tons of them. He owes us from last time. Let's go back to the Thames. Citan:It may be our best choice for now. Shall we go to the Thames? [In the Ezekiel...] Gazel Red 3:So, there's one surface gate left. Gazel Blue 4:Ramsus, he couldn't defend it... Gazel Blue 3:What is the purpose of his existence...? Gazel Red 4:Once 'trash' always 'trash'. How much more can one really expect? Gazel Blue 1:However, it must not be aligned before the 'Animus' data is retrieved. Gazel Red 2:You are right. There is a higher probability of not getting the proper type. Gazel Blue 2:As it was in the past... Gazel Red 1:We can't allow the lambs to go free yet. Krelian:Who cares about the gate anyways. Gazel Blue 3:Krelian... Gazel Blue 1:This can't be. The panic has spread to Etrenank. Krelian:Those fools we call citizens are easily manipulated by the Emperor's word alone. Gazel Blue 4:You think Cain will be receptive? Gazel Red 3:His body's already at the limit, he can't hold out much more... Krelian:As usual, a clone may be used. Those fools won't know the difference. And even if the barrier fails, it will not be like the disaster before. Anyhow... if I recall, there's some very intriguing data on that memory cube. Gazel Blue 2:And what is that? Krelian:The 'mother'. Gazel Red 1:The 'mother'? Krelian:Indeed. It is probably that the 'mother' exists among the Lambs. Gazel Blue 4:Are you telling us our 'mother' is somewhere else? Why didn't we notice that sooner... Krelian:The sign of the 'mother'... Her persona, only appears when she reaches a certain age... There is also a high probability that she transmigrated into the 'Antitype'. Gazel Blue 3:The 'Antitype'... That woman from Nisan...? Krelian:Here... I would like to use that nanotechnology product, 'Emeralda'. Gazel Red 4:What you retrieved from the Thames? Why? Krelian:To be sure. As 'mother' says, that nanomachine colony... that artificial organism, was a creation between the 'Contact' and the 'Antitype' 4000 years ago. Gazel Blue 1:The 'mother's' memory... Krelian:Yes, that is it. We can probably attain some kind of reaction. but even if we obtain no reaction, and if 'Emeralda' is destroyed... I've already gathered all the data I need. Any loss of it will have no consequence to the plan. [On the Thames...] Captain:What's wrong? What do you need? Point x1507, z1235? Hans, does that sound familiar? Hans:It's Sargasso point. Captain:What? The Sargasso? Fei:Sargasso, what's that? Captain:It's a cave formed from microbes over many years. It's supposed to have hidden treasure but no one's ever returned from there. The story is that the cave itself is alive. Are you going to the Sargasso? Fei:It looks like it. Captain:Your Gears can't dive that deep. If they did, you would not be able to move. Equip your underwater Gear here. Then take your ship as far as you can and dive in with your Gear. I'll wake those winos up, right now. Fei:Really? It's okay with you? Thanks for always helping out, Captain. Captain:Don't mention it. [Later...] Captain:It looks like they're done. Fei:That was fast. Captain:Of course. We're... Fei:Men of the sea, right? Captain:Blimey. I think he's got it. Take care then. Fei:Yeah. Captain:Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you how to operate them underwater. It's easy. You can jump in water without your feet touching the ground. Keep jumping to build up speed. You can swim pretty well in a Gear, but there may be a place you can't get past if you don't do well. Fei:Got it. Thanks. Captain:No need to thank us. Maybe you can buy something from our Gear shop. Looks like there may be some new boody to sell. [The Yggdrasil goes out far, and dives underwater. The Gears exit the ship and enter the cave. They continue on until they reach a large steel door Fei, Citan and Bart go through the door. Inside, they find a gate. Standing in front of it is a slender green Gear. It has it's arms crossed and has two large wings coming out of it's head.] Fei:Is this, the 3rd Gate............? Who are you? Green Haired Girl:I will... kill you. [Suddenly, another Gear falls down and lands near the slender Gear. It is a huge brown Gear with a fearsome looking face.] Mysterious Gear:How do you do? I am a Rattan, one of the followers of Krelian. Please excuse me, I'd like to show you my face but as a result of the human-machine fusion... Citan:You are the ones who left Kahr for the surface... You must have a good reason. Rattan:Our current task is totally about inspection of the evidence. It'll ruin everything if someone as dead to the world as he appeared here. A person who's calm and cool like myself would be perfect for the job. Oh, but don't worry. I'll just be inspecting here. Emeralda here, will take care of you. Green Haired Girl:......Kill ...you. [They fight and defeat the mysterious Gear.] [Suddenly, the Gate starts to shake and crack.] Green Haired Girl:Ki......m...? Ah, ah-a-a, I... Rattan:...I see... Reckless... now that... You should visit as a release of ...memory, or maybe a recording. It turned out just as Krelian said... It is a manifestation of the imprinting. At any rate, it is proven. With that, excuse me. I must report the results. Oh yes, go ahead and take the girl. Use her anyway you like. After all, she is your 'daughter'... [He leaves.] Green Haired Girl:Ah, a aha-a-a-a-a!! [The gate explodes. The Yggdrasil flies by and picks up the 4 Gears.] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II R. Solaris ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [In the gun room of the Yggdrasil...] Emeralda:Kim! Kim! Kim! Kim! Kim! Kim! Kim! Kim! Kim! Fei:... ...Let's ...see... What the hell is it saying? Elly:... Fei...? You mean he resembles someone you know? Emeralda:What do you mean by 'resemble'? Kim is Kim? Elly:Kim? The person resembling Fei, right? Who is he? Is he the one who created you? Emeralda:What do you mean by 'creating me'? Kim is Kim! Don't you see? Kim! Kim! Kim! Kim! Kim! Kim! You're really here! I thought I was dreaming! A long dream. Elly:Sounds like you resemble him. Someone important to her... probably the one who created her... Fei:Huh...? H, hey you. My name is Fei. Not Kim. Emeralda:Now I know, Fei's Kim! Listen, listen, I was dreaming! A long long dream! Fei:...Kim is fine... Citan:For her, 'Kim' means more than just a name. More like... 'father'. Fei:...Father?... Citan:No, no, I mean it has general meaning. Emeralda:Listen, listen, Kim! I was dreaming about really old times. Kim was much older, and I was in a clear tube... Kim was... putting many candles on a white soft confection... I didnt' know why he was doing that... But I sensed he was looking foward to me coming out of the tube... ...But ...soon everyone... was gone... My body dissappeared... Then I was in somewhere dark for a long... long time... Please! Promise me you'll stay, Fei's Kim!? Fei:Huh? ...Uh yeah. Emeralda:Really? Really truly? Elly:Really. Emeralda:Don't bother me! Who is this old lady! I'm talking to Kim! Elly:Old lady...! Maybe I should bury her back at the ocean floor... Fei:Hey... Elly:Why don't you be her Kim? The Fei... Kim! Fei:Umm... Oh... ...By the way, do you have a name? Emeralda:Oh no! You're cruel, Fei's Kim! It's me, Emeralda, Emeralda! Kim named me because I have emerald hair! Don't you remember...? Fei:Okay, okay. Emeralda, right? Alright, Emeralda. I'll stay with you this time. I promise. Emeralda:Really? Really truly? Yeah! Citan:I doubt Krelian acted on his own to use her as a disposable soldier. Some information existed in her which passed over to Krelian. Who knows what he will do next. We must find Solaris before that happens... Man:Received a telegram from Shevat! Due to a weakening gate, a city that may be Solaris has just been discovered! Citan:Perfect!! Let us go back to Shevat for now! [Over the ocean floor, a large area, dozens of miles in circumfrance starts glowing. Slowly, a city, hundreds of miles high, and dozens of miles long appears over the ocean. It resembles a gigantic silver tower. Suddenly, parts from the side start rising upward. The stop when they reach the top, forming a T shaped city. It is Solaris.] [In Shevat...] Zephyr:We are finally able to locate and see Solaris after destroying the 3 Gates on the surface. However, unless we destroy the final main generator on the Solaris homeland... ...We cannot completely wipeout their gate. Citan:Maria, this is where you and Seibzehn come in. Now that the Gate is weakened, we can use Seibzehn's heavy particle cannon... ...to distort space and neutralize the Gate for a brief moment! Upon penetrating into Solaris, it would be best to move about... ...in small groups so that we do not attract attention. Well, if possible I would like to... Elly:Yes... I can guide you... through Solaris... Fei:I'll go too. I'm a little concerned if it's Elly. Elly:What are you...? Wait, I didn't mean it like... Citan:Understood! Then Elly, Fei and I will move about together. The rest will form a seperate group to sneak in. Maria, it looks like you and Seibzehn will wait outside on standby. Maria:Fine... I understand... Citan:Well, let us break up for now. Once you are all ready, we should all meet here, before we take off... [Citan and Yui talk in Aphel Aura...] Yui:You're going aren't you... To Solaris... Citan:Yes... I have chosen my own path. There is no turning back... Yui:You will be hurt... They will also be hurt... Citan:Indeed... But I could not find any other path to choose... If I happened to be overcome by the darkside... At that point, I have already... Yui:Don't say anything more. I already know... Now, here. This is your sword... Please... Please come back alive! Citan:Then you too... Please take care of Midori. [Later...] Jessie:Listen, Hyuga. I'm going to Solaris too. Don't misunderstand me. It doesn't mean I'll help you. I don't know what you're thinking or trying to do... But, if you take their side, I'll kill you without a doubt, even from the back... Citan:Yes... I will be counting on that... Jessie:Heh... so discouraging... [Fei heads to the throne room and talks to Citan.] Citan:Are you prepped and ready to go? Fei:Let's go! Citan:Good. Then we are off. We are depending on you, Maria. Please transport us to Solaris on the Seibzehn. Maria:Yes! Seibzehn is ready to go any time! [In the gear dock, Elly, Fei, Citan, Bart, Billy, Rico,Chu-Chu, Emeralda, Hammer, Jessie and Maria get on board the Seibzehn. It leaves the dock and blasts off towards Solaris.] Maria:I'm coming, Solaris! Seibzehn and I shall be the dark wings which carry you all to your deaths!! [Suddenly, Seibzehn hits an invisible barrier around a mile from Solaris. It keeps pressing against it but to no avail.] Maria:This is the... barrier!! Please, Seibzehn!! A grav field is opening! The space distortion correction is starting! [Suddenly, the giant Gear breaks through the barrier. It approaches Solaris upside down. Fei, Citan and Elly jump off, clinging upside down to the surface of Solaris.] Bart:It's dangerous to move in a big group. We'll take separate routes. Citan:Right. Hammer:Don't worry, I'm good at gathering info! Rico:You just like to watch other's misery!! You'll just get in the way. Hammer:Forgive me...!! Sorry!! Citan:Maria... Maria:Yes, what is it? Citan:The disorder Seibzehn caused whn breaking the gate has almost cleared up. You and everyone else must leave before the enemy detection system activates again. We will take care of the rest. Maria:Okay. Be careful! [Seibzehn flies off. Fei turns to Elly, puzzled.] Fei:Seems like the world's upside down, it's creepy. Elly:Solaris' gravity is the opposite that of the land. We don't have time to explain, you'll get used to it. It's uncomfortable for us on the urface at first. [Fei walks up to a nearby cylinder.] Fei:Hey, what's this? Elly:It looks like some kind of storage or distribution center. I'm not sure but... ...It's probably used to ship off extra supplies, materials and fuel gathered from the surface. These are the technology and products you land dwellers receive from the 'Ethos'... Citan:For now, shall we gather some information... [They approach an open cylinder on some sort of track.] Fei:Is this a container from the transport system Elly was talking about? Elly:Well... I'm not sure. But I think I've seen this before... Fei:Shall we... ...take a look? Elly:What are you saying? We don't have time for that. We have to get out of here quickly. Fei:Didn't you say we had to gather information? We could probably sneak in using this thing. Wha? [The transport closes on Fei and blasts off.] Elly:...!! [The transport Fei is in drops him off in a small cylinder shaped home with a bed and memory cube.] Fei:Where am I now? [Fei steps out and finds himself in a giant room, atleast a half a mile big. Surrounding a giant pit is many large, cylinder shaped structures with smaller cylinders like the one Fei was in on them. The place looks like a giant beehive. Fei sees a man up on top of one of them screaming...] Maniac:N, noooo!! Can't handle it any more!! [A security cube approaches the man.] Maniac:Something's wrong with all of you! Working like machines day after day... You have no will!! This isn't living!! This... is... [A security cube grabs him and lifts him over the giant pit.] Maniac:Stop it! Let go! Uahhhhhh!!! [Fei walks on a small transport and is brought to another cylinder like the one he entered from. Inside he finds a man that looks strikingly similiar to Timothy.] Man:Unfortunately, I'm not Timothy. The name's Samson. But hey, I know you! Fei:H, how do you know me? Who are you...? Samson:From the tournament... Unfortunately, I lost in the first round. I passed out on the way home... Fei:And...? Samson:When I came to, I found myself here. Everyone else got what they call 'rearranged'. It's a cross between brainwashing and amnesia. But they messsed up on me and I can still remember. Fei:Then what about that last person...? Samson: Yep, him too. Died in vain...... One of my few friends, too. I'm not goin' out like that. Ya know that guard tower near us? I'm gonna go through it past the 2nd Class block, sneak into the naval port and kiss Solaris goodbye. Fei:Can you do that? Samson:Yeah, cause I got a pass. They got me working at the naval port. I'm only supposed to leave when it's my shift, but I 'solved' that little snag. Hey, why don't you come along? With your power, we'd be set! Fei:Yeah, sure. Samson:Right, that's the spirit! But, be careful! A female gebler just came by for some reason... Fei:!? Did she, have auburn hair? Samson:Yeeaah, that's her!! What, you're friends? Come to think of it, she was looking for someone... Whe still oughta be around here somewhere. You oughta look for her. [Fei exits the cylinder and goes into anther one where he finds Elly.] Elly:Fei!? Fei:Elly!! Fei:Fei, you're so careless. If you're trying to infiltrate the base, you have to be subtle. Fei:Sorry... Well, where are we? Elly:We're in the 'Solaris 3rd Class F Block.' There's around 20 blocks each with land dwellers in them. We Solarians are privy to all personal info... Everyone's DNA structure is inscibed on a molecular level. And even their class... You know what these citizens are called? Fei:No... Elly:'Worker Bees.' It came from the shape of their housing blocks. These people provide the manual labor vital to the support of Solaris' core. I took a field trip here long ago. I remember thinking that their lives had nothing to do with me. I never thought I would end up here like this... Fei:Which means, you should know your way around here, Elly. Elly:Vaguely, We need to escape first... Fei:Oh yeah, where's doc? Elly:He took a different pod looking for you... He may have ended up in a different block. Fei:Damn... We're all spread out. Elly:I wouldn't worry about Citan. He knows this city better than I do. Fei:I wonder if Bart and them made it OK? Elly:Jessie's with them, so they should be fine. Fei:I hope so... Elly:Anyway, let's move on. [They return to the cylinder with Samson in it.] Samson:So, she was on our side after all. Here, take this. [He gives Fei a small card.] Fei:...What is it? Samson:A 2nd Class citizen work permit, just like mine. With that, you can move about more freely without arousing suspicion. Well, if she's with you, there shouldn' be any problems. Well, I'll be at the tower entrance. [Samson leaves. Elly and Fei go to the tower.] Guard(...hey... It's me...me. Ready to go? [They go through the door. Samson takes off his costume.] Samson:From here on, it'll be better if we split up. It's a maze so be careful. Fei:Yeah, you too... Elly:Are we really going to be okay? [They head upstairs until they find Samson at a security check point.] Samson:Not bad. I think I'll let myself go on ahead! [He starts walking through the checkpoint. Elly screams out...] Elly:Wait! You're not a Gazel! What're you going to do? Samson:Not a problem. I used underground tech to re-write my ID. [He steps through. The computer starts beeping and says...] Computer:ID Error Eliminate [The area beneath Samson's feet light up. Suddenly, a blinding heat equal to 2000 degrees envelops him, crumbling him to dust.] Fei:Samson! Elly:!! Fei:... [Fei walks up to it.] Fei:Damn you!! I'm gonna destroy it!! Elly:No! It's useless to do that. You won't be able to get through without either a 1st Class citizen ID or a military ID... Fei:Then what're we going to do...? Elly:Well we can't just stand here... I guess it's going to have to be all or nothing. Fei:If it doesn't work out, we'll worry about it later... is what you're saying? Isn't that kinda sounding like Bart? Elly:How rude. It's not like I alwasy go in without a plan. [Elly steps on to the checkpoint.] Computer:1st Class citizen. Gazel, confirmed. Please pass through in an orderly fashion. Fei:We can get through! Elly:... Fei:What's wrong? Elly:Huh? Uh wel... I've done so much, I'm surprised they have not labeled me as a traitor yet... Fei:You think it's because they haven't reported it? TO the Gebler, it would be like admiting failure and all. Elly:I hope so... Fei:Anyway, let's go! Elly:Okay. Oh, stay very close to me. That way, it shouldn't pick up on your presence. [They go through the checkpoint and eventually reach the 2nd Class citizen area. They head to Arbot Plaza, where they attend a dedication ceremony. Fei and Elly stand near the back of the crowd. As the ceremony starts, ships in the sky form a formation and Emperor Cain rises on his throne.] Cain:My beloved children, you can be at ease. The Gazel Ministry and I planned the destruction of the gate long ago. The people chosen by god... we, the Gazel, will return to god's paradise. To the sleeping mother god... The time for our immortality has come. We have opened the door to 'Mahanon'... the place where god rests, the source of wisdom and power. The surface dwellers will no doubt use this opportunity to seize its power. However, there is no need to be concerned... As long as Solaris has this power... Let's show stupid beasts, the Lambs our real power. [Fireworks start in the sky as the crowd cheers.] Fei:Elly...? Hey, Elly! Elly:Sorry... Did you say something? Fei:'Did I say something?' Are you okay? You're zoning. Your mind's not here. Elly:S, sorry. I was just thinking. And this crowd's noisy. Fei:?? [A small levitation device with Krelian on it rises to the left of the Emporer.] Krelian:Children of the Emporer, please open your hearts. Elly:Krelian! Fei:Huh? Elly:That's Krelian. He's the real leader of Solaris. He doesn't appear in public very often. That's all I know. Fei:He's... the leader of Solaris? What... Why do I feel... Something seems familiar. [Suddenly, Fei blacks out. In his mind he sees the Nisan church. A man who looks very similar to Fei but in more ancient clothing walks down the alter. A much younger Krelian walks up to him.] Krelian:It's been a long time Lacan. Lacan:Krelian. You're back? Krelian:I just got back last night. You came back home to get paints, right? Sophia told me. Allow me to accompany you. Lacan:Is that okay? Krelian:Yeah. I'll leave someone else in command of my unit. Because of Solaris, thingss are a lot more dangerous these days. Anywasy, wouldn't you feel more secure if you were with me? Lacan:...Thanks. [They leave the church and walk through Nisan.] Lacan:..What did you say? What's the name of the teacher you're studying undder? Krelian:Melchior. Lacan:But still, why are you studying? Krelian:Sophia told me the best way to calm the heart is to read a book. It's a good opportunity. And it has sparked my interest in studying. ...Now, I'm reading 3 books a day. Lacan:If it can change, it will. ...The art of war, that's all you think about...... Krelian:Hey, that's mean. You know, I'm the best of all his students. Lacan:I see...... That's great, its sounds like you found something to put your heart into...... Krelian:What do you mean? You have something. Your pictures are so splendid. You should be thankful...... [The two are now in a lab with a third man, a heavy set man with a white robe on.] Krelian:Lacan, look at this. I finally completed it. This will save people's lives. Isn't that right, Melchoir? With this even Sophia will... [The vision fades.] Elly:..Fei, Fei? What's wrong with you? Fei:Uh, it's...nothing... But that guy, Krelian... I feel like... I've met him before. Elly:Do you understand? Shall I translate? Fei:Yeah, please. Krelian:...The gate we control was removed by will of the Emperor. However, there are foolish beasts here defiling our holy land with their feet. These beasts destroyed the gate and want to remove the Emperor from the throne in the confusion. This is a grave matter, the Emperor's throne has been polluted. We cannot rest yet. Those imbeciles have been caught and shackled like the dogs they are! [5 holograms appear in front of Krelian. They are of Bart, Billy, Rico, Chu-Chu and Emeralda.] Fei:!! Bart! Elly:(Don't yell! What if they find out you're a land dweller?) Fei:(Sorry, couldn't help it. They've been caught! Damn... Let's go! We gotta help them......) Elly:(Wait! He's still talking...) ('To revive our progenitors, the Gazel of old... The day after tomorrow, these land dweller will be disposed of in the Soylent System'.) Fei:(Revive Gazel? Soylent System? What's that?) Elly:('Gazel' are purebred Solaris people... the word means 1st Class citizens... But in this case, it probably means 'The Gazel Ministry'. Long ago the members of the Gazel Ministry lost their fleshly bodies in order to protect the Solaris people. I've heard the Soylent System is an important support system for Solaris, but I don't know much else. Anyway, it's probably a cover for some kind of experiment...) Fei::Don't tell me what to do! I'm going! Those guys won't stop me. Elly:That's why I said wait! We don't know what's going on over there. If we just run out brazenly, we might just fall into the same trap! The palace is on alert so we need to investigate... We don't know where they were taken prisoners. We still have 2 days. I'm sure there's a way to help them. We must find it. Fei:How do you know we have two whole days? What if they change their minds and then tomorrow... I mean, it is possible, isn't it? Elly:Maybe... But there's nothing we can do, right? Citan wasn't there which means he's probably watching the broadcast right now. First we must find him. He knows the layout of the central core of the city better than I do. So lets not do anything careless, okay? Fei:Where is he? We need him! Elly:How should I know? Fei:Don't be a snot. You haven't thought anything out at all! Elly:I'm just saying, we have to be careful! Fei:But! Man:Hey, what's going on? Fei:Look! We've been discovered! Elly:It's because you keep raising your voice! This way! Security Cube:...suspects, escaped!! ...emergency response! [They hide in a sewer.] Elly:Fei, Are you alright? Fei:Yeah. It was just so sudden. We gotta get moving! Those weird robots are coming after us! ...? What's wrong, Elly? Elly:So this is the place... I might be able to do something. Anyway, let's try to run through here! Fei:Yeah!! [Fei and Elly climb out of the sewer grate and find themselves in front of a large house with a steel fence around it.] Fei:Where are we? Elly:The 1st Class citizen level. This is where the Solaris people called Gazel live. Follow me. [Elly starts pushing buttons to open the gate.] Fei:W...wait. The guard robot may get you again if you go in there... Elly:Don't worry. This is my house. Fei:Y...your house? This big house is yours? Elly:Yep. Come on in. [Elly and Fei walk into the house. They stand in a large hall with 3 doors and a staircase. Near the staircase stands a beautiful blond woman, around 40 years old.] Woman:Elly!? Elly, is that you? Elly:Mother! Elly's Mother Medena:You... I'm glad... you're okay... The military told me you were missing in action... Elly:No, mother, that's not true. See, I'm alive! Mother, where is father? Medena:He's still at the palace. I think he'll be back soon. Elly:I see... Medena:Elly, who's this? Elly:What? Ah... Um, he's from the Special Forces, the same as me. He was only recently promoted from 3rd Class citizen. It's because of him I was able to return. Right, Fei? Fei:What? Um... no... I mean... Medena:I see. That must be why he's dressed like a land dweller. But, why isn't he wearing a Special Forces uniform like you, Elly? Elly:S, sorry mother. There's a report I must turn in right away, so... Fei, come with me. [They go upstairs and enter Elly's room.] Elly:This is my room... Ahh, I can finally relax. Fei:This place is huge! It must be bigger than the village chief's! Elly:Heh. I'm sweaty after running so I'm taking a shower. [Elly gets in the shower and takes off her clothes.] Fei:You have a bathroom in your room? Elly:It's pretty normal. Fei:(It's not normal...) Elly:When are you going to stop staring? [Fei turns around. Elly turns the shower on. Fei:Hey, Elly, was that your mother? Elly:Yes. Fei:Oh. She sure is a pretty lady. Elly:... Yes, she is. Fei:But you don't look much like her. Do you resemble your father? [Elly turns the shower off.] Elly:Haven't you noticed yet? Fei:What do you mean? Elly:The color of my skin, hair and eyes are... different from normal Solarians... Fei:I've never paid attention to it so... Really? Elly:A long time ago, when I was small, I had a nanny. She was so nice to me. But she was a land dweller. And First Class citizens rarely associate with them. But the nanny lived in our house and took care of me. She lost her child when she was in the 3rd Class area... My dad felt sorry for her and kept her under his protection. But he never told anyone about her... Fei:Why? Elly:My father was worried about my appearance... he had a reason for it... She was probably my real... Fei:Elly... Elly:I'd better not... I'm sure you don't want to hear about it. Sorry. Fei:That's alright... [Later...] Elly:Now it's your turn! Fei::No thanks. I don't have time for that. Elly:You need to relax. You don't get a chance like this very often. Please? Fei:Alright, if you insist! [Fei gets in the shower.] Elly:You should've listened to me in the first place. Fei:...! Wa-a-a! Elly:You're fine. Just relax. Fei:Wow... Feels good. There's a world of difference between this and doc's old bath tub! [Elly approaches the shower and pushes a button.] Fei:!! Stop it! Stop staring at me! Elly:Don't worry, I'm not looking. I'm just adjusting it. How's the temperature? Fei:Hey, I'm fine. Go away, NOW!! Elly:Aha, ha... Fei's got a cute side to him. Fei:...?? [Later...] Fei:I feel refreshed... Now what am i gonna do... There's no time to relax. Elly:Yes, I really don't want to... but there's no other choice... Fei:You have any good ideas? Elly:The network terminal in my father's room. He got angry with me for touching it once. There is numerous information only a handful of people have access to. Fei:So we can find out where Bart and the others are located from that? Elly:I... hope so. [They head to Elly's father's room. Medena stops them.] Medena:Oh, Elly... What are you doing in your father's room? Don't you remember how mad he got last time? What am I going to do with you... [She leaves. Fei and Elly enter her father's room and walk up to a large computer at a desk.] Elly:This is it. If we can break through the palace network security by accessing this... ID... The password would probably be something related to me. ELHAYM... Computer:Access Denied. Enter the correct password. Elly:That's no good. Let's try it backwards. MYAHLE. Computer:Welcome to Solaris Net... You have 19 unread mails. Elly:Yes! Got it! Let's see, we were here before so... Wow, it connects to here! Fei, we should be able to get to where everyone is, from a trash suite in the 3rd Class citizen level! Fei:That means, we're heading back to that first location. Elly:Now we know where we are! Let's hurry! Voice:Elly, where are you going? [Elly turns and sees her father at the door with Medena.] Elly:Father! Elly's Father Erich:What're you doing Elly...? I told you before not to come in here and touch that machine. Elly:... [Erich goes to an intercom on the wall and talks into it.] Erich:Is this the guard? It's me, Erich. A burglar broke in here, yeah, come quickly. [Elly runs up to her father.] Elly:Father...!! Fei is not a burglar!! Erich:Then what is he? A strange man in my room... Isn't he a burglar? Elly:There's a reason...!! Please! Don't shoot him! Fei just wants to save his captured friends! They're my friends too! Erich:No! Even if he is your friend, I can't overlook a land dweller who tries to sneak into the palace! Elly:Fine. Then I'm also a traitor. Go ahead and shoot me! Erich:No! You're staying here! Now move out of the way Elly! Elly:No! Erich:... You know how traitors're punished even if they're 1st Class citizens! You'll be safe if we kill the intruders who know about us. I'm worried about your safety... Elly:You're lying! You just hate being in a position that endangers you. Isn't that why you didn't want me to join Jugend? You just didn't want everyone to see your own daughter! Because I'm half a land dweller..>! Medena:!! [Medena runs out of the room. Erich slaps Elly in the face.] Erich:I can't believe you still...? How dare you say that in front of your mother...! Elly:Because...! Fei:Stop it! I don't want to see a father and a daughter fight because of me. I won't cause you anymore trouble. I came of my own will. I'm an intrueder. If I just get out of here it'll be fine. Elly:Fei!? Fei:Elly, you shouldn't say that in front of your mother. I don't know the truth, but she is your mother, not a stranger. Isn't that right? Elly:... Fei:[to Erich]Now, get out of the way. I hafta hurry to save my friends. But if you intend to shoot me, I'll put up a big fight. [Erich breaks a window.] Elly:? Father...? Erich:The intruder has escaped. Now get outta here. It'll be a while until the guards get here. Fei:... Erich:You may be an intruder, but the fact is, you protected my daughter. If I shoot you, I'll lose her. Elly:Father... Let me go with Fei...! Erich:No, I can't let you go. Elly:But...! Fei:That's alright. This is a land dweller problem now. We won't trouble you any further. I'll go by myself. Elly:Fei! Fei:Elly, this time leave the military. Thanks for everything. Elly:Fei... [Fei runs out to the 2nd Class citizen area. On the way out, a guard catches him.] Guard:Hey you!! Aren't you the one from the dedication...? Fei:... Guard:You're under arrest! Get in that door!! [They enter the room with the electronic checkpoint.] Guard:As I suspected, you know nothing...! [The guard takes off his uniform. It is Citan!] Fei:Doc! What are you doing here?! Citan:I saw Bart's image on the birdvision in the dedication. Fei:You saw that too, doc? Citan:Yes, but I did not see either of you. Soon after, I heard there was an intruder at the 2nd floor of the Arebato Grounds. I suspected it was probably you so I waited here. After that, I did not hear anything about the capture of any intruders. Fei:How did you know I was going to be here? Citan:The best possible way to sneak into the Palace is through the dust chute. And to get back to the 3rd floor, one must pass through this observation tower. I have always been thinking... Do you think you could be a little more subtle? When infiltrating enemy grounds, the most basic thing to do is to be stealthy. With the amount of activity you have stirred up, you could even wake up the dead. Fei:Well, I was actually trying to be more subtle... Citan:By the way, what happened to Elly? Was she not with you? Fei:Elly... She went back home. She really shouldn't have any relation with us land dwellers. She already has such wonderful parents... Citan:I see... Yes it may have been better for her that way. Let us head for the dust chute then. Fei:Yeah! Citan:Now Fei, stay very close to me. That way it does not pick up your presence. [They go through the checkpoint.] Fei:Doc, hold on. How can you get past here? According to Elly, only 1st Class citizens and military personel can pass through...? Citan:Uh!? Well... that is... P, probably they have not deleted my ID from the days I was in the military and it is still stored in the data bank. My, how the Solaris monitors are sloppy... Hahaha... Fei:...?? [They go to the dust chute entrence in the 3rd Class area. They go up to a computer next to it.] Citan:We can probably get in with this switch... [Citan tries pressing some buttons.] Computer:Card needed to activate the Vac-Sys... Please insert card.] Citan:......No go. What shall we do...? Fei:What shall we do?? Didn't you have a plan? Citan:No, I am afraid not... I assumed we would just figure something out. Fei:... Elly:Wait! [Elly comes out of nowhere and runs up to Fei and Citan.] Citan:Why Elly, it is you! Fei:Elly!? What're you doing here? Elly:Well, after that, when I was crying, my mother came to me and said... 'go with them'... [Elly flashes back to her house.] Medena:Elly... Elly:... Medena:Elly, I think you should live your life the way you wish. If your loved ones are in a crisis, you can't desert them... Elly:Mother... I'm sorry about what I said earlier... Medena:...I know. But there's no doubt that you're my child... No matter what happens you're my sweetheart... Elly:Mom... Medena:Now... You'd better hurry... Elly:Yes... Take care mom... [Elly leaves her room. Her father stands at the top of the stairs.] Erich:Elly...Take this... [He gives Elly a keycard.] Elly:...Father? Erich:To be human is to be able to pick your own path in life... Elly:...Father. Erich:It looks like the military police are here... [They walk up to the door. The imperial guard walks in.] Erich:The Imperial Guard? Why are you here instead of the military police...? [The commander walks up to Elly.] Erich:What? What are you doing? The intruder fled. My daughter has nothing to do with this! Commander:I can't Lord Erich. Turn your daughter over to us. Lord Krelian's orders. Erich:Lord Krelian? What does he want with my daugher... What? You mean... Gazel's...! Commander:You do not need to know. Take her! Erich:Leave my daughter alone! Or else! Elly:Father!? Commander:W, what!? Lord Erich! Have you lost your mind? Erich:I'm perfectly fine! Leave her alone! Commander:Lord Krelian's orders are the Emperor's orders. You realize what'll happen to your rank if you disobey this order? You'll be demoted to 3rd Class citizen! Erich:I know. But even if it's Lord Krelian's order I will not allow my daughter to be Gazel's test subject. Elly, go! I'll take care of this! Elly:But... Erich:Don't worry about me. Go help Fei. Elly:Father... [Elly rushes past the soldiers through the front door and runs away as fast as she can.] Elly:Father, mother... Fei:Elly... Citan:...The 'Ministry'... ... Elly:'Ministry'!? Father said that too! What is the 'Ministry'? Citan:... You will find out. Fei:Let's go back! We gotta save him! Elly:We can't! If you go now, they'll catch you too. My parents will be fine. Their military record should protect them. ...If necessary I'll turn myself in after everyone is rescued and that will settle it. Fei:But... Elly:Let's go. Something might happen to them while we're just talking here. Citan:I am worried for Elly's family, but... Her father risked his life to get us this card. We must go on! Elly:Yeah! Fei:Yeah! Citan:But in this filthy place? Spare me. What I would not give for my old bath-tub now! Do you not agree, Fei? [Fei and Elly laugh. Citan is puzzled.] Fei:OK, let's go! [They use the card and are sucked up by the vacuum into the trash area. They land in a hall with garbage on the floor and a large grinder.] Fei:It hurts, dammit. [They continue through the trash area and enter a warehouse with boxes of food stacked to the ceiling.] Fei:That reminds me... I'm hungry... [On the way out, they find a few cans of food.] Fei:Wow, there's some food here. Let's have a bite here. Elly:You're right... We don't know what'll happen, so we shouldn't ask to much. Fei:What about you, doc? Citan:No, I am fine thank you. Fei:Are you sure? Then, excuse us... Fei and Elly:Let's eat... [They eat. A few minutes later...] Fei:Whew, I'm full. Well then, let's go! [They walk through the door and enter a large factory with a bridge going across lines of conveyor belts. On the conveyor belts are dozens of cans traveling through the factory. They come out of a scanner near the end of the room.] Fei:Is this what we ate earlier...? Elly:I see... The medicine we normally use is made here... [They continue on into a room and turn off the foreign object scanner. They walk through the scanner and reach a balcony on the other side of the factory. They see bloody meat enter the scanners and be placed into cans.] Elly:I woner... what kind of meat this is...? Fei:Yak... I don't want to see where they make it. [They head towards a door. Citan stops them.] Citan:Wait, Fei. You ate that food. Consider that fact when you open that door. Elly:What about that canned food? Fei:What is it...? What's supposed to be there, exactly? Citan:See for yourselves. [They step through the door and are shocked at what they see. From a chute at the front of the conveyor belts, dead human carcases fall out and land on the belt. Large hooks and wires slice the bodies into the meat seen in the factory.] Elly:This can't be... Uh... [Elly grabs her stomach and falls to the floor.] Fei:What... is this... What... the hell is this...!! Wo-o-o-o-o-o-! [Fei passes out and sees multiple visions of a young boy on an operating table while a lady in a blue and black robe watches from behind a glass screen. He regains consciousness.] Citan:Soylent System. The organism experiment lab and its disposal facility in Solaris. And the production facility for food and medicine to maintain the Limiter seal. Aquvy's Wels Reapers were also made here. Elly, do you remember Dominia's words during our infiltration of Shevat? Here is the answer. People of her native country served as one of the origins for Wels...the M plan. They were used that way because of their peculiar abilities. She is the last survivor. Elly, your father, Erich used to be the superintendent of this facility. He was involved in the research with Maria's father. Elly:Don't be ridiculous! My father'd never take part in such a thing! Citan:Naturally, Erich always had pangs of guilt. So he kept as many land dwellers as possible under his protection as 3rd Class citizens. Then he resigned. That's why he is on the administrative staff of the Special Forces now. Elly:My father... did that... No, it can't be true... Citan:Now, get up, Fei. Get up and look it over... [Fei stares at the factory.] Fei:Could... this be true...? Doc... Citan:This is reality. Let's go. [Fei and Elly exit. Citan pauses.] Citan:To end a person's life, and then consume their flesh. Is that, permissible...? [He exits.] [They head up an elevator and go through a laboratory. They come across a room with replicas of the memory cubes.] Elly:What's this!? Memory Cube data!? Fei:Is it the thing we usually use to save? Citan:The information of all the people who have accessed the memory cube from all over the world is being sent here now. Elly:This facility is the Integration Control Center? Fei:What's it for...? [They leave. They continue on to a room that is shrouded in darkness. They walk over a bridge and reach a light switch. Elly turns it on and reveals a giant gear, atleast 300 feet tall submerged in water below them. It looks humanoid, but with a tail and wings.] Elly:What... is this thing...? Fei:A...Gear!? Elly:No..Look! The surface of the armor isn't segmented... It's the same as Bart's Gear Andvari and the Gear we saw in Shevat... It's an omnigear! Fei:But, this thing is huge! Elly:Yes. It's got to be around 3 times as powerful as our Gears. Citan:So... This is Solaris' Omnigear. [The three leave. Eventually, they reach a room with a circular table in it. On the table are holograms of all their friends.] Fei:What is this place? Elly:H, holograms of us...!? Fei:Why are there holograms of us in a Solaris place? [They continue until they reach a door that cannot be opened.] Fei:Huh? This one won't open either. [Citan walks to a nearby terminal and opens the door.] Citan:This way. Elly:(Why... is the deactivation code for the door lock known?) Fei:Doc, wait... What's this facility for? Citan:This place was not meant to be seen since the origin of time. This facility centers around the Emperor and the Ministry's longevity experiments. Fei:The origin of time? Citan:Yes... 10,000 years ago. Beings called humans were born here. The first were the Emperor and the Ministry's elders. Elly:How could a human... Live 10,000 years...? Citan:Now only the Emeror is left. His destiny is to never die. However, the Ministry is different. Once, during the Diabolos invasion, the Ministry elders died losing their bodies. Now, the Solaris governing Ministry exists as data in memory banks. Each of their personalities are bits of data. Fei:It's the data on the memory bank? Citan:Having neither flesh nor souls they are just binary numbers. They both exist and do not exist at the same time... After the Fall, wanting to resurrect their bodies, and create a worthy vessel, they transferred a research facility that was once the Soylent System on the land to Etrenank. Eventually, the facility was no longer only for the Emperor's life and the Ministry's Resurrection, but it began producing food and drugs with additives that controlled the public. The memory cube Fei and them were using was meant for obtaining living data. Of course, the 'Ethos' also sent various data to help. Fei:That means we were living for those elderly people of Gazel? Citan:Yes. Elly:They're transferring and taking living data via memory cubes to the Ministry so they can use them to resurrect their bodies!? Citan:Yes. Fei:You mean those mutants getting disassembled at that factory were too? Citan:Basically, they wish to reuse the useless dregs. Fei:That's horrid... How could they... [Elly, interrupting, pushes Fei over and walks up to Citan.] Elly:Hold on, Fei! Something's not right! Citan, how would you know that? Not even the government or the army know such things! Fei:What? Elly:Come to think of it, it seems like we took the long way here on purpose. There must've been as faster way to Bart and them. Also, the route to get to this block can't even be downloaded on the map. So how did we know what streets we were on? Fei:Doc, didn't you also find out... Elly:That's impossible. First of all, that partition we took to get into this block. That panel was displayed to be a P4 facility. Even a high ranking officer of Solaris can't get in here. You think they'd leave a facility like that unlocked and open? And you could open it? Who exactly are you? Fei:Hey wait a minute. It could've been luck. Elly:Something's wrong! You were able to get into Solaris under martial law, sneak into the palace, get through a P4 level door, and even learn the purpose of the P4 facility... How is that possible? Even father, I'm sure it was possible you were in Solaris then. Even Jessie, who was also in Solaris then, didn't know the motive behind the M Project. So, Citan, why do you know? You know even more details than Maria... something's not right... I know it. Fei:Elly, uh, uhmm... Elly:I'm not done! I should've noticed sooner. Citan... Who are you? [Suddenly, the lights go out.] Fei:Wh, what...! Hey you okay Elly, Doc? Elly! Doc... Citan! Damn! Got us! Elly! Citan! Where are you? [Fei stumbles into a room and the lights turn on. The door behind Fei locks. The room is covered by hundreds of screens.] Fei:Elly... Doc... You there? Ughh, what? Th, this... Uhhaaaaaahhh [Suddenly, a device comes out of the wall and clamps on to Fei. He is risen about 20 feet above the floor suspended by a machine.] Fei:Uhnn... Huh? This is... Grr... Can't get it... [Suddenly, 4 screens show up surrounding Fei. One in front, one in back ,one on the left and one on the right. The images on the screens cycle through pictures of Weltall and Id.] Fei:Uh... This is... What is this!? Why are you showing me this!? Who!? WHo did this!? Elly! Doc! Where are you!? Where... Gazel Minister:You brought about this spectacle. That voice is the one that haunts you... Cursed, untouchable one... Oh god's beloved child, those who prevent our prayers... Get... Destroy... Burn with god's fire... [Suddenly a screen appears with Citan next to the SOL-9000.] Fei:Wha...? Doc!? Th, these guys? What is this!? Bart? [A picture of Billy passed out on an operation table appears.] Fei:Billy? Doc? What's going on!? What are you all...? Doc! Answer me! Elder:One of the Solaris Guardian Angels is here, Hyuga Ricdeau. Elder:This man is Cain... Receiving the orders from the one known as Emperor. You've entered his realm, and have been under his continued supervision... Fei:Solaris Guardian Angel? Monitoring me? Elder:Oh yes. We've guided Solaris and even selected the 'Animus' which have been drawn to you. And guided you here to Solaris. Elder:The 'Animus' is needed for our resurrection... These are our bodies... This is what we possess. Elder:Yes, this is the only reason we exist... Fei:The bodies of Bart and the others belong to you? Is that true!? Doc! What are they saying? Elder:Why so apprehensive? Is it that you were sold out by the one you trusted? Fei:I'm not talking to you guys! Doc, answer me! Citan:3 years... Fei:? Citan:For three years I have been by your side. I had to determine whether you were going to be our enemy or not... Fei:...Revenge? Elder:Yes, the enemy. Your existence is a threat to us... Elder:It was necessary to keep an eye on you. Elder:The one who ordered you to be watched was Cain... Elder:We were planning on the maturation of the 'Animus', and your termination. We also sent Hyuga to you. Elder:However, every attempt to terminate you has failed... Because of that good for nothing trash... Elder:Even so, we now possess 'Animus'. Hyuga has fulfilled his duties well. Fei:Is... that it...? You were in with these guys... That's why you, everyone... Why! You've had your way all this time with us land dwellers! You already own the world! What more do you want? Elder:You must know by now that we plan to resurrect god. Elder:God will awaken from his long slumber after man has populated the land... Then, Mahanon too will awaken... Fei:Aerial Paradise Mahanon? The place fell to earth... Elder:Paradise... Hah hah hah. That may be a proper description... Our ark... In the center block lord 'Mahanon' is sealed in. That is the source of god's wisdom... A paradise of knowledge... Elder:Using that knowledge, we will resurrect the awakened god and build our 'ark' to take us both into the great universe. Elder:The construction of our ark... To reign over god's forces in this great universe... The creation of the angel 'Malahk'. The M Project was for that very purpose... Fei:What do you mean? Elder:We are orphans in this universe. We were thrown away onto this planet in solitude along with god. Elder:We humans were not born on this planet. Long ago, we came here from another heavenly body. We are beings from an alien planet. Fei:That's ridiculous!? Elder:This is true. You have seen the various regions of this world. WHy do you think there are no records of humans before 10,000 years ago... Fei:...!? Elder:This is the will of god. The god's revival has been fated since before genesis. Elder:We will be one with god. Attaining a new 'Animus'... We will once again return to the starry skies... Elder:That is the meaning of our existence. Elder:That is our supreme objective. Fei:...So you're not planning on using Solaris' power to dominate the world? Elder:Of course. What meaning is there in having control of a planet as insignificant as this? God has given us the right to rule over the universe. Elder:Yes. Only, we who do not carry impure blood, have the right to a pardon... Elder:So, we will resurrect god. Elder:It's been an eternity since our exile from paradise. If the time of god's revival does not come, we will have to follow the path to destruction, but... Elder:Having obtainded 'Animus', our resurrection is near... Next is god's resurrection. [A new screen with Krelian on it appears.] Fei:Krelian!? Krelian:This one only waits for the awakening... [A screen with Elly on it appears. She is passed out on an operating table, much like Billy.] Fei:Elly!!? [The lights go out.] [In Krelian's laboratory, Elly is stapped to a table underneath a machine similar to a X-Ray. Krelian walks over to a nearby computer...] Elly:Where am I...? Krelian:I've overlooked your records. Elly:K, Krelian...Commander? Krelian:Elhaym Van Houten. That incident at the Jugend one year ago... Case 102. The release of you latent powers from that systematic... ...administration of mental enhancement drugs. In that incident, your Ether value had increased beyond 400. And in that moment, 2 were critically wounded and 3 required recycling. Am I right? Elly:Please, stop! Krelian:But, this record is wrong. This wasn't the usual uncontrollable mental side effects. Elly:...? Krelian:This was caused by the 'awakening of your other inner self'. Elly:My other self...? Where's Fei? Where is everyone...? Krelian:They will be used as an offering for the... Resurrection of the Gazel Ministry. The same fate awaits that girl, the artificial organism. I've already taken enough samples from her. I'm already well into the fourth stage of my plan. All I need now is the final factor. Hence, your friends are no longer of any use to me. They're worthless. But, you are different. Elly:You're planning on sending them to the same fate as... ...those people in that research facility! Doing all this for your own selfish ambitions... Do you know what you're doing!? People playing with other people's lives. That's deplorable! Krelian:I see... So you've seen the research facility. Presently, the Solaris researchers are working on genetic engineering down there. It's just a nest for fools who've learned the despicable pleasure of... ...playing with their own organic creations. They seek only serendipity and inhumanity. That is not my place. I specialize in molecular engineering... Nanotechnology. [He pushes a few buttons. A screen with a molecular substance appears.] Krelian:Do you know what this is? A nanomachine... a molecular machine... This is the assembler, which is one of those nanomachines. It can break down molecules and atoms and reconstruct it into anything. Each of these spheress are equivalent to an atom. Until recently, we were only able to produce... materials which were several times the time of this. Thanks to that girl, the one we obtained from the ruins of the Zeboim civilization, we are now able to make it this compact and elaborate. To think that such a mechanism was created 4000 years ago. It's quite astonishing. Up until we discovered this, the work was rather crude. The best we could possibly do until now was to apply amino acid solutions to wounded areas for... ...amelioration or to seal up any peculiar abilities. I'm sure you've had some exposure to genetics when you were in the Jugend. Each type of those enzymes inside the DNA ...are also molecular machines that were created by nature. That is, if we are indeed the progeny of the very first organism. Elly:What do you think of accomplishing by using that molecular machine? What connection do I have with it? Krelian:Although the nanomachines up until now could recombine DNA... ...they couldn't uncover any information in the introns which are located in the replacements... ...of the double helix. However, the newer nanomachines easily discovered this data. Data that originally 'should not have existed'. And we are about to see the results of that. [He pushes a few buttons. A new screen show up.] Krelian:Hmm, according to the transferred record, it depicts... ...a similar wave frequency as expected. And... yes, the Urobolus Ring...! That is it, isn't it...? Miang and Lacan's actions... this explains everything. Elhaym... You were the 'mother'... Elly:Mother...? Krelian:Yes. This is what your genetic exon looked like before replacement... This is the conceptualized form of the intron which carries information that isn't supposed to exist. Observe, This is the Urubolus Ring which contains 'intron information' which only... ...exists in 'certain people'. Urobolus... if we were to anatomize such a thing... Wouldn't you be interested in what type of information it would have to offer us? Elly:... Krelian:Elhaym, you are beautiful. When I look at you, I appreciate the artistic aspect of the human form, its eleborateness... I can't help but feel the importance of that. As if my molecular machine is unworthy of you. You haven't changed 'since then'. Just like the 'other one', Lacan... [Krelian leaves.] [In the room with Fei, Citan enters.] Fei:Ugh... Citan:Are you conscious? Fei:Doc... Citan:It is impossible to move. This machine has physically cut your nerve signals. You will not be able to lift a finger regardless of what your mind says. Fei:What're you gonna do to me? To Bart and them? Where is Elly? Citan:Do not worry... They have their roles... you have yours. I simply investigate. Fei:Damnit... This... What was I... Citan:So the battle has been fought... you say? That was discussed earlier by the Ministry... Fei:Godammit! We weren't born to be used by them! We didn't come all the way to Solaris for that! I, we, everyone... we just want to make a place where we can belong... That's what we were fighting for... But now... Citan:It is much easier to be given a place to belong to than to make one yourself. You do not even understand a simple concept like that? Fei:Only the true...! Citan:Childish ideals pale when placed before reality. But actually many are satisfied with that. Being given one's place, frees one from any risks. Misfortunes maybe blamed on others. Do you know why people can not exist alone but under some bigger concept such as a group or a country? People need a place to go to be themselves... The more stable it is the more effective it is. The Ministry gives them such a place. Under total surveilance, there is no need to bear the delusion of being an 'individual'. What could be easier? Facts are facts so let's just accept them. It will be easier for all of us. Resistance is futile. It only makes things painful. Fei:I...I... Citan:Do you still intend to do something about it? Look at yourself... What do you think you could possibly do at this stage? You cannot move. You could not even protect your friends who fought with you, when they needed you. You could not even protect the most important person in your life, Elly. Fei:Stop! Please! Citan:You can do nothing. Fei:Quit...it... [The lights go out.] Citan:Now, we may take our time and talk...Id... [In Krelian's lab, Krelian turns off his computer and leaves. Ramsus enters and walks up to Elly.] Elly:Commander!? What're you!? Ramsus:Wh...re...? Elly:What? Ramsus:Where...? I'm asking you where!! Elly:Th, that hurts! P, please! Please stop! Ramsus:Where is he? Where!? I know you know! Take me to him! Elly:Who're you referring to when you say that man... Are you talking about Fei? Ramsus:Fei, Fei, Fei... Fei this... Fei that... Fei...! In what way is he more superior than I!? I will not accept it. I will not!! Errrrg... [Ramsus takes something out of his pocket and swallows it.] Elly:R, Ramsus... that drug... A mental stabilizer...? Why are you so shook up like that? What's forcing you to go through all this? What happened between you and Fei... Ramsus:Dammit Fei... I'll show you... I... [Ramsus leaves.] Elly:Ramsus... [In the room with Fei, Fei suddenly wakes up in the dark and hears a voice.] Voice:Fei hang in there! [Fei wakes up on the floor to find Bart, Billy and Citan in front of him.] Bart:Fei, you're conscious? Now! Let's go! Fei:....... [Fei jumps up and runs up to Citan.] Fei:Y...you traitor!! Bart:S, stop! Fei! Fei:Don't stop, Bart!! He betrayed us! He betrayed us and Elly! Bart:Stop Fei! It's your mistake! Fei:Let go! Lemme go! Billy:Calm down, Fei! Bart isn't lying, Citan is the one who helped us! Fei:Billy!?... Bart:Hmph... If Billy says it you listen... Listen very carefully! That Limiter is implanted in our bodies. Right now, this research facility is the only place where we can get them removed! Citan misled Krelian and the other guys and brought us in here to remove the Limiter! Fei:What... But doc was just... Is that true? Bart:Yeah! Fei:Doc? Citan:That is not the only reason why I brought you here. Those who want to become independant from Solaris must know the actual situation and its true form. Who is doing what and why. Ostensibly, I received a covert order from the Emperor to contact the body wanted by the Ministry and send the data... and if possible bring the body back. That was my duty. As a result, I had no choice but to decieve you. Please forgive me. Fei:I see how it is... Citan:Besides, I myself had a matter that had to be verified in this facility... Fei:For sure? Citan:I'll tell you that after we escape from here. It is something you must know. Fei:...? Bart:By the way, Citan. You did remove Fei's Limiter, didn't you? Citan:...What? Y...yes, of course... That is... Bart:Alright then. Let's get outta here! Fei:Wait! What happened to Elly? Weren't you with her? Citan:Elly was taken to Krelian's research lab. It could not be stopped. I am sorry. Fei:Why only Elly...? Citan:I do not know... But one thing bothers me... When Krelian took Elly, I had a chance to acquire Elly's cellular information. I analyzed it and found something very interesting... Excuse me, I mean... unusual. There is no Limiter implanted in her. Billy:There's no Limiter? Isn't that because Elly is from Solaris? Citan:Even Solaris citizens have a Limiter implanted when they are born. There are exceptions for certain people like myself and Ramsus, whose Limiters can be removed later on through the treatment such as the one I did for Bart. But you must have permission from the Ministry to do so. Fei:Is that why...Elly...? Citan:There must be more to it than that. I don't know the reason, but Krelian is so absorbed by her data. Bart:I don't care what the reason is! For now, let's help Elly and get it out of here fast! Billy:You're right. If we mess up here, I put those guys who went to help Elly's parents in danger. Citan, We're going to Krelian's private research lab as planned. We'll meet up at the rendezvous point. Fei:What about doc...? Citan:There is something still left to be done. I will go destroy the last gate. [Citan pulls out a large sword.] Fei:Doc! A sword...? Citan:...Yes. Yui gave it to me as I was leaving. I used to use it before I met her. For a long time I vowed not to use it for killing though. But now is not the time to contemplate morals. It is not fair for me to be the only innocent one. Fei:... I see... ...But... Citan:Yes? Fei:You're always so micheivous doc... Citan:It is in my nature. I am sorry, forgive me. [Citan starts to leave.] Bart:You! Citan! Let me handle Fei and Elly's situation! Now that the Limiter is removed, Solaris doesn't stand a chance! Citan:Oh, yes! By the way, young one, about the effects of removing the Limiter... The results will not show up that quickly. Already your physical Limiters have been removed naturally. The part I have removed is the psychological section. That is... the subconscious fear and veneration for the Ministry and the Emporer have been removed. Basically, you will be able to battle against them without any fears or hesitations. It is not that you have suddenly become more powerful. Bart:...Are you serious...? [Citan leaves. Bart, Billy and Fei sneak into an air shaft and continue on to the one above Krelian's laboratory.] Billy:According to Citan, Krelian's private laboratory should be below us. [They go down to the lab and release Elly.] Fei:Elly! ...You okay? Elly:Fei... ...Yes ...yes I'm fine. Bart:Sorry to interrupt you two, but this is not the time for a heartfelt reunion. Billy:Quickly, this way. [He opens up a secret passage way under one of Krelian's computers. They leave.] [At the final gate, Jessie shoots at the gate while Citan reflects shots with his sword.] Jessie:What took you so long? I've only got so many bullets! Hurry up and blow them away! Citan:I am sorry. I have other matters to attend to. Jessie:..What the hell are you doing? Citan:To his Majesty's... Jessie:You mean the Emperor...? Are you sure, Hyuga...? Citan:Yes. His Majesty understands the situation. ...He says to leave it up to 'them'. There! It is done!! Sir!! Jessie:...Yeessss! We're outta here!! ...Huh!? [Ramsus enters the room from another door.] Ramsus:Where is he...? Hyuga... Citan:...Kahr...? Ramsus:So... you to... you are also betraying me. Citan:Kahr, we are just in different situations. I did not mean to betray you. I decided to stick with Fei's group. Ramsus:Did you say 'Fei'!? You too... are on his side... I'll never forgive you! NEVER! Jessie:Kahr, you're an enemy but why are you so attached to one kid!? You weren't like that before! Ramsus:Shut up! I've got to get him with my own hands... And all of you working with him are my enemies! Enemies stealing 'my things.'! Enemies! Enemies, Enemies!! Citan:K, Kahr... Jessie:Hey, we're going! I don't know what went on, but I don't have time to deal with him now! Citan:But... Jessie:Hyuga!! Citan:...I see... [Citan and Jessie run away. The gate blows up as Ramsus screams...] Ramsus:You, traitors!! [Fei, Elly, Bart and Billy reach a small room with Rico, Emeralda, Chu-Chu, Hammer, Jessie, Citan, Erich and Medena.] Emeralda:Oh, that's Fei!! Fei's Kim is here!! Elly:Father! Mother! Medena:Elly!! Rico:You should thank Hammer! Hammer got your parents at the right time. Right, Hammer!? Hammer:Y, yes... Yes... exactly... Elly:T, thank you, Hammer. Erich:We'd like to thank you too. I never thought I'd see my daugher again... Thank you, Hammer. Citan:Listen everyone, we have no time to waste. So that we do not stand out, we should split up into two seperate groups. Fei, you have done a lot, but I would like to have you move on ahead and take two more members with you. Move along southwest of here and cross two mobile contact bridges. There you will find a hangar that will lead you outside. We will meet at the foot bridge near there. If you talk to the blue Memory Cube you will be able to make contact with the other party members. You can thus change which members you wish to have in your current party. Jessie:I shut down alarms here and there when I was breaking gates. but it's dangerous. Be careful! Erich:I'll go to the hangar beforehand, and arrange a ride for us. Solaris is in confusion now, so if I go alone I can pull some strings. Citan:...Okay. Please do not overdo it. Erich:Yeah, I know. Elly, Medena... See you again. Medena:Dear... Please be careful... Elly:Father... [Erich leaves. The others soon go.] [The party steps out on to the final bridge before the way out of Solaris. Suddenly, Hammer pulls out a gun and points it at Elly.] Hammer:st...stop!!! I'm asking Miss Elly to return with me! Elly:w...what are you doing? Hammer? Hammer:Don't Move! I'm serious! [Fei steps towards Hammer.] Fei:Don't be silly! What happened? Hammer!? Hammer:I promised to a man named K...Krelian. He won't "change it" if Miss Elly is returned. [Rico steps towards Hammer] Rico:Hammer!! Damn you! [Hammer backs up] Hammer:I really don't want to do this to Miss Elly either. Really, I like her very much. But, but I... I... have no other choice! Because I'm no good... I don't have the strength like bro, or the smarts like the doc! I, I know everyone thinks of me as some annoying handyman who talks too much... I know that... [Rico shakes his head] Rico:Hammer... Hammer:I'm different from you all! I'm not special like you! A "normal" guy like me has no choice but to do this! [Medena steps towards Hammer. Hammer panics and points the gun at her.] Hammer:D...don't move!! Stop! Stop! Medena:I won't stop. Ever....My child is in danger... and I'm her mother! Hammer:Hya... Medena:I was born and raised in a normal family. I'm not a soldier like my husband and daughter. I never touched a gun before, much less have one pointed at me... Thats why I'm shaking... But I can't stop it. I'm a "normal" mother. So there are things I must protect... Elly, slowly come here. Don't worry, I'll protect you no matter what. Elly:M...mother... Medena:Elly, come here. It's alright. [Elly walks towards Medena.] Hammer:No! Don't move! No! No! Medena:Its alright Elly. [Elly walks towards Fei.] Elly:Fei! [Hammer moves to point the gun at Elly, but Medena blocks him. Hammer:No!! Don't go! No... no... Don't. Don't go. Don't... [Hammer pulls the trigger. A single bullet goes through Medena's head, killing her instantely. Her corpse falls and hits the ground.] Elly:Mother!? Hammer:Hya...hya...Hya-a-a-a-a-a...a...a... Wa-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a... [Hammer drops the gun and runs back into Solaris.] Elly:Mother?...Mother...mo...th...er... M...mother... [Suddenly, on the bridge, the masked woman who gave Sigmund the gatekeeper and Grahf appear.] Grahf:Leave the girl here! Fei:Grahf! Damn! At a time like this!...Everybody, get ready! [After a long fight, Grahf and the Executioner are defeated.] Grahf:You've gotten better,...However!! [Suddenly a large black gear appears from behind Grahf. It flies between the party and the two enemies. It points its gun directly at Grahf's head.] Executioner:Oh...? Erich:I'll take care of this... Everyone, escape now! Elly:Father! Executioner:Hahaha...You both dote on your child... [Suddenly, light starts eminating from the Executioner. Bolts of energy start striking Erich's gear and a fire starts forming on the gear.] Erich:G,gha! E...Elly...go...now... Elly, no matter what happens, believe in yourself and go on. We'll be happy to help anyway we can. Thats the least I can do to make up to you...Elly... you're Medena's daughter, my daughter, no matter what... so... [Erich's gear plummets off the bridge and explodes into a million pieces.] Executioner:Oh, have I over done it? You had no time to say goodbye. But, don't worry. I'll let you meet again on the other side... Elly:.....How could you do that...to my father! [Blue light starts eminating from Elly.] Executioner:To have that much ether power in a non-awakened state. Impressive. However... [Blinding light flashes from the Executioner] Elly:aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bart:aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Chu-Chu:ouchuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11 Billy:aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Emeralda:aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rico:aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fei:Ggh...Elly...everyone [In Fei's mind he sees the child form of Id.] Id:Hee hee heee just keep waiting. Fei:Wa-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a! [On the Yggdrasil.] Crew:Sir! the gear's moving by itself in the hangar! Sigurd:What? More details! [Weltall walks out and suddenly turns red and morphs into Id's gear. It blasts off through the hangar ceiling. The gear flies to Solaris. Ramsus waits there blocking its path in his gear, Wyvern.] Ramsus:Come on, come on, come on! You devil...I'll be sure to kill you this time!! Thats it, thats it, heh heh... he came all this way just to be killed...ugha-a-a-a-a-a! [The gear blasts right by him] [Back on the bridge, Krelian and the Executioner stare at the destroyed bridge in front of them were just seconds before stood Fei.] Krelian:There he was... Executioner:Yes, it's clear. It's nothing like the half-assed stuff we've dealt with before. [A flash of light glows around the Executioner, and suddenly her costume vanishes. She is in actuality, Miang.] Miang:I don't think he'll get off the stage easily this time. Fei's mental energy seems to have been awakened and... it's similar to 'the old days' now... Ha, ha... Krelian:What's so amusing? Miang:His feelings haven't changed over the years. Maybe you have mixed feelings? Krelian:Hmph, don't be stupid. By the way... What about Ramsus? Miang:You want him to bring her back? Too late. Kahr has left already. Krelian:I really want to say it's a waste of time... but, I guess it's alright. He probably made it easier to control it... Nevertheless... Miang:What? Krelian:How can you continue to fight without a chance of winning...? Miang:Isn't that what you want? Though I induced you to feel that way... But, we're almost there. Our only actual example of success. Let's take good care of him. Krelian:What her true intentions are... I don't even know. We're going. This place will soon be gone. [Krelian walks off.] Miang:I agree. We should do Kahr a favor and save him... shouldn't we? [Miang runs off to catch up with Krelian. [On Seibzehn...] Citan:Elly! are you OK? Elly? [Elly wakes up and finds herself in Seibzhen's hand with Bart and Citan. There seems to be some sort of fight at Solaris.] Citan:Elly! have you come to your senses yet? Elly:...Citan...Maria... Bart:Yeah we were saved when we were thrown out into the sky. The rest of my crew were already picked up and they're in the Yggdrasil right now. Elly:Oh... Fei...? What about Fei? Is he on the Yggdrasil too? Solaris!! That red gear? What is going on, Citan, Whats happening to Fei? Citan:Calm down Elly. Fei is alright. Elly:So hes already in the Yggdrasil right?...Maria? Citan:Calm down Elly. Listen! Fei is riding in that gear. That gear is actually Weltall in its true form after transformation. Elly:What!! Citan:Another Fei within him has awakened. Fei and Id are the same person. Ellly:!? You're kidding!? I don't believe that! Bart:I'm not lying... We saw it with our own eyes. The very sight of him turning into Id. [From a flashback, Fei watches as his friends are paralyzed by the Executioner.] Fei:Stop! Stop! Wa-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a! [He grabs his head and pain and suddenly transforms into Id. The Red gear blasts through the bridge blowing pieces of it everywhere.] Elly:Fei...is...Id...Don't be ridiculous [Id's gear blasts through a large window in Solaris. Flames blow out of the window. Beams from Solaris miss Id and fly through the air. As Id escapes, pieces of Solaris start blowing to smithereens. Flames blow out of doors and windows. Windows shatter. Towers and bridges blow to pieces.] [On the Yggdrasil] Citan:Quick! Take cover! The solarian based energy descending from the upper atmosphere is equal to a reactive weapon! [Parts of Solaris start descending down to earth. The central part of Etranenk cracks and blows into multiple pieces and falls to earth.] Bart:We're gonna get caught up in it!? Yggdrasil!! Get moving!! [Whats left of Solaris strikes a small island in Aquaty and blows up.] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- II S. The Truth ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [The Yggdrasil shakes from the shock waves for a few minutes. Finally, it stops.] Bart:....................Phew...! We made it... ...somehow!? [The Yggdrasil starts shaking again.] Bart:Wha, what the? Franz:It's that red Gear...! It's coming this way!!!! Bart:Damn! We're spotted!! [Elly starts walking away from the bridge.] Citan:...Elly?...! Bart:Citan! What now? What should we do? Citan:Huh? What... You are asking me what to do? Franz:There's someone on the deck... It's Elly!? Bart:What!? [Elly stands on the top of the Yggdrasil. Citan speaks to her through an intercom.] Citan:No, Elly! Returns immediately!! Elly:I'm going to do this... SO please, allow me to do it! Citan:It is too dangerous! Elly:I know... But, it's just like when Fei put his life on the line to save me... It's my turn to save Fei... As long as it helps him, I don't care what happens to me! Citan:Elly... [Id lands on the Yggdrasil.] Elly:...Fei. Id:Heh... You. You've come to die, eh? Elly:...Yes. If that is what will satisfy you, then kill me. Now... Id:Hmph... Good girl... Now, die! [Id attacks Vierge, but Elly grabs him.] Id:!? Let go... Elly:Guh... Fei... I won't ever let go! Fei... Please, return to the real Fei!! [Vierge punches Id.] Id:Errgaah!! W, what!? [Bolts of ether start coming out of Vierge.] Elly:Uhaaahhh... Fei! Please!! [More bolts of ether come out of her. Vierge topples over.] Id:Tch... ...This woman... I knew it... Fei:... Uuuhhh... El...ly... Id:...Damn... it... He's ... awake...ning... [Id topples over as well.] [A few days later in the throne room of Shevat...] Citan:I am sorry. I did not want to say anything until I was sure. I was on a secret mission by orders of Emperor Cain to monitor Fei. He ordered me to determine whether Fei would be a threat to the world or not. 'The Contact'... That is what the Emperor calls Fei... [Citan flashes back to a conversation with Cain while he was in Solaris just days before.] Emperor:This is your conclusion...? Citan:Yes, your Majesty. This is the answer that I chose myself. Emperor:Anonelbe... You think you can do it? Citan:Yes. Humans have the potential. Managers are no longer needed. Emperor:The contact is not our enemy? Citan:Yes, as you say your Majesty, if Fei is... Emperor:Then I leave it up to you... I atone for my crime by doing so... [Citan also thinks back to a conversation with Jessie and Sigurd on the Yggdrasil.] Citan:Anonelbe... The long awaited man of god, who will take the people born in this world with him to a new horizon. Such is the destiny of the 'Contact'. That is what the emperor called Fei... He did not tell me why he called Fei that though... Sigurd:Who the heck is he? Citan:He is Fei. But he is also the one who... destroyed Elru, caused Kahr serious injury, sank the Yggdrasil, killed Rico's subordinate's in Kislev... ...Need I continue further? He is... ...Id. Sigurd:What did you say!? Id!? Jessie:What do you mean? Citan:He... Fei that is, has Disassociative Identity Disorder... Also known more commonly as multiple personalities. Jessie:D...disas...? Citan:Disassociative Identity Disorder... or multiple personalities. It is a mental disorder where a person has multiple personalities. Sigurd:That can't be real... Citan:Oh, but it is very real! Fei is living proof of it. I have been watching over Fei, who has a destroyer personality within him named 'Id'. In the beginning he was stable... His disassociation did not occur at all while he lived in Lahan for those three years. But then, after Lahan was attacked, things changed. Little by little, the number of incidents of his disassociation and their length began to increase. And then at Solaris, a complete manifestation of Id occured. Sigurd:What brought it about? He was fine when he was in Lahan, right? Citan:My guess is that... the appearance of Grahf affected Fei somehow. You probably know that Fei worked with Grahf as the assasin 'Id' before he was brought to Lahan. It was then that Elru, the homeland of Dominia, was utterly obliterated. Grahf was intentionally provoking the manifestation of Id 'within'... for want of a better word... Fei. Jessie:For what purpose? Citan:To destroy God... That is what Grahf was saying... That is all I know... Although there might be more to it... But one thing is certain... Grahf was encouraging the manifestation of Id, but did not hav adequate control over him. Sigurd:In other words, it was too much for him to handle? Citan:Yes. Jessie:You said, 'That's all you know, although there might be more to it. What did you mean by that? Citan:I shall go on to explain that now. Actually, that is the most important point. [Citan flashes back to the day before when he was in the darkly lit room with Id trapped.] Citan:...There is nothing you can do. Id:You understand well. Just as I expected, Citan, ... or was it 'doc'? Citan:I have been wanting to meet you, Id. I wanted to talk to you. I guess it is all due to this machine which cuts the nerve connections. Anyway, what is Fei doing as of now? Id:Fei? Which Fei do you mean? Citan:There is more than one? Id:... Citan:Id? Id:The one you call Fei is asleep. Citan:Sleeping? Id:When I awake, he sleeps. That is why he has no memory of what I do. Citan:Why does he not know? Id:It's obvious. He is my subordinate. He cannot peer into my memories. He should not, in actuality, even exist. That man forcibly created his personality. Fei is a tenant in the room of cowardice... Citan:That man? Id:Our father, Khan. He sealed up my personality in the deepest recesses of my consciousness. Through some inexplicable reason, that was when the present Fei was born. Citan:When you said cowardice, what did you mean? Id:...Why ask about him? You think you can do something? Citan:It is rare to be able to talk to a real schizophrenic. As a scholar, I am extremely intrigued. Id:With friends like you... eh, doctor? I like you, Citan. But, he is insignificant. After all, he is just a failure. A coward like him does not deserve to be 'Fei's existence'. A pathetic one who has always fled from reality. He never did one thing against me when I control him. A coward who refuses to live. He should've been erased. But he continues to exist! Why won't he disappear? Dammit... it makes my skin crawl just being in the same body as him. Citan:Let us change the subject. I would like to know how and why your personalities were split. Since you are the one in control, I would assume you would know the story. Normally, personalities do not split as they did with you. Unless there was some sort of past trauma. Id:You want to talk about my memories? Don't misunderstand. I haven't given you the right to question me. Just because I'm held down by theis machine, don't push your luck. If I really wanted to, I could break the restraints and crush you. Don't you forget it. Citan:Then why not do it? Id:... Citan:Shall I tell you why? You do not have complete control over Fei do you? Your control of him is incomplete. To break those bonds would require a tremendous amount of mental energy. Having used up your energy, Fei would return again. Basically, you would have to leave the stage. Obviously, the day you would be able to return is indeterminate. Hence, you will not do it. Am I mistaken? Id:So you know me too well. I don't have complete... Citan:What is wrong Id? Id :You forced me on stage. He's waking. Under normal circumstances, I would've been able to hold on. But I can't. This is all that woman's fault. her existence makes Fei resistant. Citan:You mean Elly? Id:That woman... the same. Everyone. Must... eliminate... Citan:I do not understand. I do not understand, Id. Id:You do not need to understand. But when the time comes, juist take it as it comes. Reality and death... I'll eventually get to you... Be seein' ya. [Citan continues his conversation in Shevat.] Citan:The emotional portion of Fei's present personality was sealed up by... ...his father through some method... And now with the cleared foundation of Id's personality... In computer terms... ...it is like constructing a mock personality on top of the compatible portion of the Operating System. That is the reason Fei has no memory of his past. Those 10 or so year of memories are under the supervision of Id. As long as Id does not willingly hand over the memories... There is no way for Fei to know he did not even exist before the time Id was sealed up. The present Fei's personality is an underdeveloped one which was built upon within... ...the 3 years of living in Lahan, studying and acquiring other people's reactions. Hence, he does not know how to fully cope with sudden or emotional situations. Elly, you are the one who has spent the most time with Fei so I would assume you would understand this. Were there not times when he would be psychologically unstable? For example, he would be manically depressive and then have sudden fits of rage... Elly:... Yes... Jessie:Then his present personality is but only a temporary one? Citan:That is not what I am saying. The present Fei is one single personality of Id's... ...hence placing Fei at a lower heirarchy. That is why when Id is active, Fei has no recollection of it. Jessie:Then that means he might eventually be overtaken by Id? Citan:Yes, if it were only Id and Fei. But that does not seem to be the case. Id only manifests when Fei's mental energy is in a weakened state. It is a mystery in itself that the lower level personality of Fei... ...has any control over the upper level personality of Id it is obvious that there exists a third personality. Id calls this existence the coward In my observation, this coward may be the fundamental personality of Fei. In other words, Id's manifestation is not controlled by Fei... ...but is controlled by the personality known as the coward. Jessie:...Then that means, what? Citan:At the same time Id resents this coward, he also obviously fears it. From a certain point of view, this coward is the one assisting in keeping the present Fei in control. I do not know the reason why this third personality, excuse me... ...Fei's fundamental personality does not come out... If this one awakens, it will become one with Id. ...In other words, there is a possibility that the complete original personality... ...may be restored. Jessie:Is that for sure? Citan:Probably. But I do not know how to awaken it. Before I had the oppurtunity, Id disappeared and he has been like that ever since. Basically, as long as nothing happens to Fei that would challenge his existence, Fei can be himself. But his surroundings do not allow him that oppurtunity. It would be best for him to live in a peace that is peaceful... [In a Shevat lab, there is a large discussion...] Official:That is Lacan... No, the dark one. Grahf's second advent! We must restrain and seal him up otherwise we don't know what may occur! Zephyr:Cease this at once! May we at least wait for Wiseman to return before we make any resolutions? Official:Although a tactician, why do you place so much importance on him? I have been silent all this time since Khan's death, since he was directly recruited by the Queen. However, I question why you would use such a person whose principles lack any understanding of sacrifice. Zephyr:Well, that is... Official:You must look at reality! The existence of that power! Bart:Hold on, hold on. What's this Grahf's second advent? Official:The day of the Collapse was brought upon by Grahf. Grahf manipulated Diabolos into destroying this world. And that power within Id is far too similar to Grahf's. We cannot allow such a hazard to be set free. We ought to immediately freeze him in carbonite. Otherwise, expect the worse at any moment... Elly:No...! But isn't the present Fei the real Fei? If that's the case then why... Official:But he is still to dangerous! Think about it. He singlehandedly annihilated the Solaris capital! We can't set him free! Jessie:Not only that. In the past, there were countless other cities that were destroyed by Id. I don't know their intentions, but Grahf and Krelian were always involved somehow. And one of those incidents was Elru. It was Dominia's homeland. Solaris' purging of the rebelling city of Elru was done through the use of Id. To test his capabilities. As a result, not only was Elru taken down, all the Solaris units present were wiped out... Bart:He's responsible for the Yggdrasil's and our... Rico:So he was the one who killed my subordinates in the sewers... Elly:What's wrong with you all? Aren't we supposed to be his friends!? Citan:It appears everyone else is in agreement... the risks are just too great. Elly:Citan!? No... That is terrible! Zephyr:.. Official:It's decided then. He will be scheduled for carbon freezing tomorrow. [That night, Elly visits Fei in his cell.] Fei:I heard about it from doc. Id... ...who would've thought within me, lies another me... Elly:But you're the same Fei I've always known. You returned to your old self. Please don't be obsessed with it. Fei:They say I'm the second advent of Grahf. The one who destroyed all of this world... It seems Grahf used to be a land dweller named Lacan... Elly:They're not thinking about what they're saying! They're just confused by your powers! Fei:Grahf called me the one who would destroy god. In a way, I can understand what he means now. Though my Id power isn't good enough, if it has the same quality as Grahf's... I... Elly:Let's escape. If Grahf, or the war brings out Id, let's go to a place where no wars exist. Fei:If you did that you'd be... Elly:That's alright... I don't have a place to go back, either... Fei:Thanks Elly, but no. Even if I left the battlefield, there's no guarantee that Id'll never appear again. Besides... I tried to kill you... You're still okay with that? Elly:Then you could've killed me if you really wanted to, right? The other you, Id's power is nothing like that. But you still didn't go through with it. You know when it was enough. Isn't that because your will was in effect? If you're controlled by Id and all those around you become your enemies.... I'd still be by your side. ...Because... Because... I know it's lonely to be by yourself. [Fei thinks back to the woman in the dream he had while he was in the forest.] Elly:I'll open it now. Let's go Fei. Fei:Elly... [In the Gear dock...] Citan:I thought it was about time for you to come... Elly:It's no use trying to stop me. Even if it is you, if you get in my way, I have no choice but to...!! Citan:That is no way for a lady to speak. I just came to see you off. Elly:? Citan:I refueled Weltall. We are ready to go anytime. Elly:...Citan. Citan:...But, Elly, you cannot use your Gear while it is under repairs. Elly:What? Then what am I...? Citan:You know that Omnigear... What if you borrow it... Elly:No way. I can't take Shevat's property without permission... Citan:Elly is the only appropriate person for the Gear. Nobody else can operate it. ELly:No... Never!! I won't ride it, ever!! Fei:Elly...? What's wrong? Elly:I'm so scared... that's why I'll never want to do it!! Citan:This is a problem. Voice:How about I ride with you? [Bart, Billy and Margie show up.] Fei:Everyone...? Bart:Sorry... Fei. Billy:I'm sorry... Margie:Sorry... Fei:No... Thanks, everyone. Citan:Now, I know you hate to leave, but we should get going before dawn. I did some work on the radar, so it should work fine! [They leave.] Citan:...They have left... Emeralda:Fei...where... Citan:They went far away. Emeralda:I... go... [On the Ezekiel...] Gazel Blue 2:Cain... Making a ridiculous setup with Hyuga... Gazel Red 2:He certainly has his deficienceies compared to our digital existence, which permits us to use a higher level of logical thinking... Gazel Red 1:He is restricted by his human form. Gazel Blue 4:Regardless... with just one machine, he annihilated Etrenank... His powers must not be underestimated... Gazel Red 3:We're already short of time. The key, use the key... Krelian:Even you are beginning to feel the pressure? Gazel Blue 1:Krelian... What is Cain's situation? Krelian:The usual life extension treatment. He'll hold out for... a little longer... Gazel Blue 2:Does that mean we may not make it in time...? Krelian:I wouldn't know... You spoke of using the key. Can you be sure he can be eliminated? Gazel Red 3:That we do not know. You know who he is... Gazel Red 2:If he is the 'contact', there is a possibility he may not transmigrate. Gazel Red 4:It's an organism composed of multiple generations. It's a matter of probability. Gazel Blue 1:That does not mean we can just remain idle. Gazel Red 4:Yes. At this rate we are bound to make the same mistake. But we can't fail a second time. Krelian:Well, don't worry. I've sent Ramsus to deal with him. Gazel Red 4:What can a failure like him do? Gazel Red 1:He couldn't even defend Etrenank. What can you expect from 'trash' like him. Krelian:Even if he has the 'Anima Relic'? Gazel Blue 2:The Relic...? Krelian:The relic we recovered has been aligned with his gear. There shouldn't be any problems now. He should be able to use his full power. Gazel Blue 4:You're going to take the task yourself? Although he transmigrated, wasn't he once one of you? Krelian:I've thrown away all feelins of human emotion. All I need is her. Gazel Blue 2:But isn't that also an emotion? Krelian:...Of course. Gazel Blue 3:Is that a blunder? Krelian:You are irritating... Do you wish to cease your existence? Gazel Blue 1:Fine. We shall leave it at that. [Ramsus is in his Gear when Krelian contacts him.] Ramsus:Elhaym...? Krelian:Yes. This is the place. I want you to bring her here. She is an important woman to me. Ramsus:Don't be ridiculous. Why do I have to listen to you? If you need her, go get her yourself! Krelian:You're quite right. But, can you say the same thing after looking at this? Ramsus:Th, this is... Krelian:Your Gear and the Anima Relic have been aligned... This is the Omnigear. Now, she is with Fei now. Ramsus:What!? Krelian::Losing those battles with Fei again and again... I believe it's because of the difference in the performance of the Gears. I think you'll be able to use 100% of it's abilities. So how about it? However, if you still fail with this, you are truly 'trash'. Ramsus:... Krelian:Ramsus, will you go? Miang:Kahr, are you going? Ramsus:Yes. I must get rid of him with my own hands. Miang:Be careful. I believe in you no matter what others say. Ramsus:'Fei'! What a loathsome name. I worked my way up on my own. But he ruined it again... [Fei and Elly are in Weltall when a Gear approaches from the distance.] Ramsus:!? That signal...! It's him! I'm not trash! I'm not worthless!! [In Weltall...] Fei:What kinda... Gear is that...? Elly:!! Omnigear!! And according to the readings... It's clearly different than the one Bart's using or the one in Shevat... You think it's the... Perfect Gear!? Fei:Perfect Gear...? Elly:Remember what Citan said? He said that the Omnigears are controlled by mental waves. The power... The potential varies on the rate of synchronism. The numbers indicate complete synchronism. Ramsus:Slow! Too slow! Elly:They're catching up with us! Ramsus:Your performance is sad! Hmph... I knew you'd be there. Fei:Ramsus!? Ramsus:Turn Lt. Elhaym over to me, Fei! Fei:What!? Why do we have to turn Elly over to you...! Oh, I get it, it's Krelian's idea, isn't it? I don't think so! You can't expect me to comply! Ramsus:I can take her by force, if you wish. But then, don't ever expect to be able to hold her in your arms again! Elly:Fei!! Fei:Don't worry. I'll protect you. Ramsus:Impressive words. Fei, I intend to take everything away from you!! This is your final warning. Hand over Lt. Elhaym, now! Fei:I refuse to! Ramsus:Are you sure you want to refuse me? It'll be too late for you to change your mind later! Fei:Stop your stupid boasting! Ramsus:Humm... Well, then, I'll have to show you if I'm boasting or not! So be it. No holding back! And no holds barred! [Ramsus attacks Weltall.] Ramsus:Come on, come on! What poor form! What's wrong, Fei!? In the presence of my 'Vendetta', your Weltall is but only an infant! Incredible! This undeniable difference in power! Miang! Are you watching this? At this rate... And with this power, I can defeat him! Hm HM Hm Hm Hmm...Wah hah hah hah hah! Elly:...Ramsus, listen! I surrender!! So please stop attacking us this instant! Fei:What are you saying!? If you do that... Elly:It is me he wants! I can't drag you into danger just over me! [Vendetta attacks.] Elly:Eeeeyaah! Stop attacking! Ramsus! If I'm what you want, then just take me! Ramsus:Hyah hah hah hah hah! Win! I can win! I am not the worthless one!! Fei:Ramsus...! Can't you hear us...? Elly:He's lost himself in the overwhelming power of that Gear of his... Fei, we had better run! Ramsus:It's over for you! Fei Fong Wong! [Vendetta attacks again.] Fei:Uuaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh! Elly:Uuaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh! [The Gear falls down into the woods below.] Ramsus:Nuah hah hah hah! I am not the worthless one! Hah! Uha, haaah... haah... Huh? !! I've even taken out the lieutenant too... Damn, I forgot my orders... Hmph... Oh well...To hell with Krelian's orders... [He flies off. In the woods, Weltall slowly burns while Fei tries to save Elly.] Fei:Damn... The bleeding... The bleeding won't stop... If things don't change... At this rate Elly's not gonna make it...! Elly:...Uh... Fei:Elly! Hang in there! Elly! I'll save you, I promise! [Grahf watches the two from behind a tree.] [End of disc 1] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- End of Part 1