El Hazard: The Magnificent Sequel (Chapter 3) Palnus Relrye and Afura Mann walked along the mountain trail together. Palnus had completely wrapped himself around Afura's arm and was chattering away(as usual). Afura looked quite unhappy. Afura interrupted impatiently. "Why are you doing this to me? What every happened to Fatora-the apple of your eye, huh?" Afura groaned and smacked Palnus on the head to get him off her. Palnus quickly got back to his feet, apparently not even phased by the blow, and latched on to Afura's arm again. Afura decided that extreme measure were needed to get this bratty kid away from her. "Hey Palnus! Look! Some pretty girls!" Palnus quickly turned his head in the direction Afura was pointing to. "Really? Where?" Afura used this opportunity to quickly run in the other direction. "Hey, I don't see anyone....uh, Afura? Shoot! Where did you go? Don't leave me all by myself!" Palnus continued to cry out to her but didn't get an answer. In frustration, he angrily punched a nearby rock. Much to his surprise, the rock crumbled as soon as he hit it. "What the....how'd I do that?" That's never happened to me before..." Palnus picked up a fragment of the rock he broke, and grinded it in his hand, turning it to dust. he wasn't sure what this meant, but he decided that it might be a cool way to impress girls. Palnus caught sight of Afura a short distance away. "Hey, Afura, look at what I can do!" He decided to demonstrate on an even bigger rock close to him, and punched it as hard as he could. However, he didn't even make a dent on the rock and only managed to hurt his hand. Palnus started to jump up and down like a maniac, clutching his sprained hand. "Ow, ow, ow, ow! Damn it, that hurt!" Afura sighed and covered her face with her hand. ********************************** Standing outside of the abandoned mine, Jinnai looked out towards the city where he could somehow feel that Diva and Groucho were in that area somewhere. "Harpo, get your worthless hide over here immediately!" As quick as he could Harpo ran towards Jinnai and saluted. "Harpo, I have to go into the city to find Diva and Groucho. In the meantime, I am putting you in charge of the company here. All of you stay here and start building a shelter to hide yourselves below the city. It would be quite dangerous for all of you to be seen walking around the city. Do you understand what I am saying?" Harpo quickly nodded. "Well, I'm off then." Katsuhiko Jinnai had not wandered very far when he stopped after walking for five minutes. He thought,'Hey! My parents probably live a hundred miles from here. And even if I find them, how can explain my absence for so long? I have nothing, no money, so what can I do?' He stood, pondering in deep thought. "I got it! I know this district! Cousin Konoha Haida doesn't stay very far from here. Her parents are always out of the country on business. She practically worships me and her servants won't question me too much. Oh-ho Katsuhiko, you're a genius! That's where I will go!" (Author's notes: Konoha Haida is a character in 'Magical Project S', who is a rival of Sasami. In the series, it is revealed that her megalomaniacal cousin is none other than Katsuhiko Jinnai) ************************ Deep in his thought, Groucho wandered around the streets of Tokyo. On the horizon, the sun was setting. Rush hour caused the sidewalks to be flooded with people. People stared at Groucho wondering if he was as he appeared: a giant bug or a man in a cleverly designed suit. Either way, it seemed physically odd for Groucho to stand in this world. People gossiped endlessly and gave him strange looks. But Groucho paid no attention to the buzz surrounding him. He was still searching for his queen. He know that he couldn't have been the only one to be transported to this strange world. There HAD to be others. *It is starting to make sense now. Jinnai has described this strange land before. This must be his homeland.* So he set off again not noticing where he was going. He was surprised to suddenly hear the sound of someone crying. He looked back to see a young girl of around eight years old sitting on the pavement of the sidewalk crying. She seemed to be rubbing her knee. The girl stopped bawling but still had tears in her eyes. She then looked at Groucho. "It's okay. I'm only crying because I fell and hurt my knee. By the way, I've never seen anyone like you before. Where are you from? What's your name?" Groucho knew that he couldn't reveal where he was from as it would endanger his position. Remembering that his appearance did not match the local populace(or fauna), it probably didn't matter anyway. He took the girl's arm and said in a soft voice. "Me Groucho, Protector of the Bugrom hive. I am lost and I don't know where to stay and what to do." The girl nodded and said,"Okay, I'll bring you to my house. By the way my name is Kotomi. I'm delighted to meet you." On the way to her home, the perky little girl made several comments about Groucho's accent and looks but he didn't say anything. Kotomi was certainly having fun with her new playmate. *She must think that I will answer all her questions at home. Pretty wise for her age, I'd say. But so far, she seems harmless. I hope I know what I am doing.* Eventually, they arrived up to an apartment complex in a suburban neighbourhood. They walked up three floors and entered through door '305'. A yellow Labrador and a large man with dark glasses greeted them. "Hello Kotomi. Did you have a good day at school?" the man said. "Yes and I brought home a new friend, daddy. Is he okay? He's kinda shy but he's really nice." "Sure. My name is Henry Fitzgerald, who might you be?" Groucho felt awkward. "Me Groucho...You not look like people from these parts, are you Japanese?" The man chuckled and replied,"No, I'm American....I moved here 12 years ago and married a Japanese woman." "Really? Is she here?" "No, I'm afraid she died in an accident. I managed to save my daughter but not without losing my eyes." "Me ask stupid question, me sorry." "Don't be. I've already dealt with my loss. Your Japanese could use a little work, however. I'm a fully licensed Japanese teacher and I generally teach the gaijin(foreigners) here. How long are you staying here? Would you like a few lessons?" "Thanks for help. If me could stay here until me speak better, me appreciate." "Then it's settled. I am always please to help foreigners who are lost in Japan since I am a foreigner myself." They all gathered around the table where nice-smelling food was placed. Kotomi was giggling as Grouho struggled to structure sentences properly. But the middle-aged man noticed that Groucho caught on quickly even though he fumbled at times. The seeing-eye dog was resting peacefully at the man's feet. Inquisitive Kotomi still showered Groucho with questions. hence did Groucho's Japanese lessons start...... ****************************** Masamichi Fujisawa had gone into a bar and he was guzzling beer after beer. Miz was nagging him to no avail. It seemed like the words were entering his left ear and exiting through his right. Just then, she saw some people who seemed to be enjoying themselves. She tapped the shoulder of one of the customers and asked him what they were doing. "Why, they're singing Karaoke,"he replied. "Ka-ra-o-ke? Hmmmmmm...." Miz leaped over the stage and grabbed the microphone. The noise was horrible. Fujisawa's face turned deep red. He grabbed Miz's arm. "Okay, we're leaving now." "Not now Masamichi dear, let me continue."Miz replied. "Hey let the lady continue,"some of the drunk customers hollered. One drunk-looking man came over and put his arms around Miz. "Maybe this lady would rather spend some time with me?" His breathe reeked of alcohol. "That's it!" Fujisawa punched him only to howl with pain. "Darn. I forgot that alcohol decreases my strength." Punches. Kicks. Tables and chairs thrown everywhere. It was total confusion in the bar. Customers were fighting and furniture was thrown everywhere. Somehow, Miz and Fujisawa managed to sneak out in the confusion and were on the streets again. Miz's cheeks were red. "Oh Masamichi, you fougt for me. I...I" Fujisawa interrupted. "No time for romantic talk right now. Now that we are no longer in El Hazard, we need to figure out what to do next." "But don't you have any friends and relatives?"Miz earnestly asked. "No such luck. The only person I know really well is the Principal of Shinonome High and he's probably mad at me for not showing up for work for so long. I came from another part of Japan so no one here is really going to be missing me and I...Hey!" Fujisawa picked up a sheet of newspaper by the roadsida and looked at the date. "Looks like only a few months have passed on Earth in these nearly 4 years in El Hazard,"Fujisawa continued. "So all my friends and relatives back home will think that I have been spending these few months in Tokyo and won't even know that I am missing. I wonder about Nanami though. It is going to be apparent to everyone that she is 4 years older; more so than me." ************************************* Fujisawa had arrived at his old apartment and Miz was looking around. It was in a mess but everything was still intact. "Well, I'm glad that everyting's here. The neighbours probably thought that I had gone on a long vacation,"said Fujisawa. "I also checked my ATM bank account and I am glad that my savings account is still intact. "We will just have to put up here and get adjusted for now. I wonder how the others are doing? I hope we find them soon,"said Miz. "Oh Masamichi, I miss our child." "Don't worry, my dear. I am sure that we will soon find a way back,"answered Fujisawa as he tenderly put a comforting arm around his wife. *********************************** As Afura and Palnus descended the mountain, Palnus' mind began to drift. Afura seemed moody, and he wasn't sure that he wanted to press his luck(the last thing he wanted right now was an angry Wind Priestess attacking him). He tried to figure out how he was able to break that rock so easily, but he couldn't think of any explanation. Suddenly, he remembered something from the stories Alielle used to tell him over the summer. It was something about how Makoto and the other 3 Earthlings gained special abilities when they came to El Hazard. *Well, this area doesn't look anything like El Hazard. So, could that mean when I came to this place, I gained some sort of super-special ability as well?* Palnus paused on one of the footholds. *Hmmmm...nah!* The idea was so ridiculous that Palnus dropped the idea immediately. Instead, he began to think about Alielle again. Palnus had always been a little jealous of Alielle, since she was much closer to Fatora than he had ever been(even though he'd never admit it to anyone else). Still, that didn't mean that he wanted anything bad to happen to her and she was the only sister he had ever had. He looked off into the distance and what he saw broke his chain of thought. Beyond the mountain, he saw something that looked like a city. Afura didn't seem to notice until Palnus pointed it to her. "Afura, look over there, it's a building!" She immediately lifted her head and looked at the direction Palnus was pointing at. "Wow, I've never seen buildings like those before! Hey, let's go check it out!" Palnus began to run towards the city, leaving Afura behind. Afura watched Palnus fly past her and head straight towards the building. *This kid is going to be giving me migraines.* She shook her head and smiled but continued her slow walking speed. *I don't care if it's Rune Venus in that hut over there; I am not walking any faster than this.* By the time she reached the hut, Palnus had already entered inside. "Welcome. Do you have a Fuji stick? You can buy Fuji sticks for 1000 yen; they are indispensable walking sticks! As you make your way up the mountain, you earn the right to get a "chop," or seal burned into the stick to prove that you've made it at least that far. Is this your first time climbing the mountain?" Afura looked curiously at the earnest young man standing in front of her. "Ah..you are talking to ME,"Afura responded as the man smiled. "OH..you do speak Japanese. For a second, I thought you might not be understanding what I was saying." "I see." Now Afura was puzzled; she was speaking Japanese? *Hello, when Makoto came to El Hazard, he spoke the same language as we did.* Afura chided herself. "Is that other young lady a friend of yours?" "Young LADY?" Afura replied, puzzled. "Yes, the one with the dark, purplish hair." "Unfortunately, yes." Afura smiled at the thought of what Palnus would say if they accused him of being a girl. "Oh my, I haven't properly introduced myself, my name is Kawami Takuya, but please call me Takuya, it's not everyday I...hey where did you go?" Afura had already entered the building to see what Palnus was up to A young men with long hair and strange clothing wandered around the plaza, desperately looking for food to eat. Palnus clutched his stomach and groaned in agony. If he didn't get something to eat soon, he would surely die of starvation, he told himself. He looked around the plaza area to see if any of the restaurnts sounded good to him. He found one right in the middle of the plaza. It was much bigger than the other restaurants and the pleasant aroma of cooking food drifted out of it. Palnus sniffed the air. "Hmmmmm...hey, that smells like Nanami's cooking, back in El Hazard. I hope the people in this world can cook as well as she does..." He casually strolled over to one of the tables outside and stared down. He was greeted by an older woman with graying hair. "Hello there, young lady, is there anything I can get for you?" *Young lady?* Palnus looked around to see who she was talking to. *I guess she must be talking to someone else.....* Without thinking further, Palnus spoke,"I'll have, uh, whatever you serve here. Just make it quick, okay? I'm dying here!" Palnus clutched his stomach again to emphasize his point. "Okay, sure, a bowl of noodles coming right up." The old woman walkied away for a moment, and soon came back with a bowl of some of the things she called "noodles." Palnus ravenously grabbed a handful of noodles and shoved them into his wide-open mouth, completely ignoring the stick-like eating utensils the woman had brought him. "Wow...this stuff is really good! Hey granny, give me another bowl of this stuff, it tastes wonderful!" The old woman looked quite shocked to hear herself addressed in such a way. "Granny? Why, you horrible little girl, how dare y-uh, I mean, coming right up, dear(that rotten brat)." The old lady came up with another bowl, which Palnus immediately devoured. He ordered another bowl after that, and another bowl after that. This went for about an hour, and after about a dozen or so servings, Palnus finally decided that he was full. Palnus leaned back in his chair and burped contentedly. "Ahhh...thanks granny, that really hits the spot." He got out of his seat and prepared to walk away. "Well, thanks so much for the food. I really should be going now, though. Bye!" Before he could leave, though, the old lady grabbed him by the back of his shirt. "Not so fast, kid! You forgot to pay your bill!" *My bill? Uh oh, I don't have any MONEY!* Palnus thought frantically. *How the heck do i get out of this?* Suddenly, he had a brilliant idea to help himself get out of the situation. Palnus immediately threw himself on the ground, and clutched his throat while making gagging sounds. "Ack, help me. I'm dying! Call a doctor! No, better yet, call a priest!" The woman frantically rushed to Palnus' side to see if she could help him. "Oh, my god, little girl, are you okay?! What's wrong??" "The noodles..uh, it was the noodles!! I must be dying of food poisoning!! Yeah, that's it! Oh, it's getting dark! I don't have much time left! Please miss, tell my family that I love them....tell them I..I..(cough, cough)!" Somehow, Palnus was able to fool the woman, despite his horrible acting. "Hang on, young lady, stay right here!! I'll go call an ambulance!" She fled to get help. As soon as the old hag was out of sight, Palnus jumped to his feet and ran in the direction of the nearest exit. "Yesss!! I can't believe that I just got away with that! Now, I just need to find Afura, and then we can both get the hell out of here....oooof!" Palnus was tackled and pinned to the ground by a nearby gift store clerk. Palnus kicked and struggled underneath the weight of the older man. Several more men had arrived to help and were sitting on top of Palnus. "Help! Let go of me! I wasn't doing anything, honest! A dying person shouldn't be treated this way! Oh no, everything's getting dark agin....." "Insolent girl, your formidable acting skills will not save you this time! Were you foolish enough to think that you could fool us all!" The clerk tightened his grip on Palnus' arms. "Yeowch! I don't know what you're talking about! Who are you calling a girl anyway? Hey, stop twisting my arm! All I ever wanted was something to eat!" Just then, Afura walked in with an angry expression on her face. Palnus responded to her in his usual cheerful manner. "Oh, hi Afura. I completely forgot about you! Sorry I left you back there. Hey, would you mind talking some sense to these gentlemen on top of me?" Afura gave Palnus a scowl that would make most men cower in fear. *Why is this kid so much trouble? It would really serve him right if I left him there.*Afura sighed. She noticed that a small mob seemed to be forming around Palnus and the shop keeper. The old woman was yelling about how Palnus had eaten some ten odd bowls of the most expensive Japanese soba noodles around. "I worked so hard on those noodles!" Cries (blah blah blah) *Well, it's not hard to figure out what's going on here....* with a shake of the head. "Are you responsible for this young girl?"a burly man asked. He pushed Palnus at Afura. "Hey! I am not a gir..." Afura's hand coamped over Palnus' mouth. "Be a dear and do be quiet sister. You've caused enough trouble already." "Mmmph mmph MMMMMMWWAAAHHHHHH" "Hehe." Afura blinked her eyes and made a face that was the picture of innocence. "I'm so terrrriiiibbbbly sorry. Honestly I let her out of sight for a MINUTE and this is how she behaves! Sister you disgrace our family! Even though, we're lost in the middle of nowhere, we still have our honor! I cannot allow such misbehaviour! Afura indignantly sniffed. "mmmmph...mmmwwaaa" "Well, I guess it's okay. I guess she didn't mean any harm," the man said. The crowd began to disperse.... "But there's still the matter of my noodles! Who's going to pay for that! If it was just a matter of one or two bowls, I MIGHT be forgiving but it was TEN! TEN WHOLE BOWLS! and an entire day WASTED!" The old woman dramatically cried. *Drat* "Well I'm sure I can think of something to repay you with* Afura pulled the old woman aside and they talked for a few moments in hushed whispers leaving Palnus standing there..... ******************************** Many pairs of eyes stared at her. Shayla Shayla closed her mouth in embarassment. She had been in the garden of the Shinto temple where she was currently. She had been chopping wood and had let out a string of obscenity, as was her usual habit, when she had accidentally injured her thumb. All the Shinto priestesses were staring at her. The head Shinto Priestess came over to her. She was much older and wisdom and experience seemed to show all over her wrinkles. She looked at Shayla Shayla for a moment and then said,"Shayla, you know the rules. No profanity here...." "Yes ma'am but the work here is so hard and...." "You know the rules..." "Yes ma'am." Shayla gulped and went back to her work. Since she had landed on Earth, she had been staying in this old Shinto Temple. Sure, she had food and shelter but she was lonely. She had to do menial chores like cutting wood, washing dishes, fetching water from the old well, etc. *I wonder where everyone is? I bet this must be Makoto's world.* Makoto? A tear-drop rolled down her cheek. *He must be living happily with Ifurita now...* The elderly Shinto Priestess turned away. She did not have an unkind face. *This girl is special.* Even though she thought Shayla Shayla was probably one of the most obnoxious, rude, foul-mouthed and ill-tempered brat she had ever laid eyes on, she sensed that there was something really special about her..... ********************************** The tall man was wearing a hat as he walked along the streets of Tokyo. He had the appearance of an oily politician or a crooked businessman who knew how to hide his true personality under a fake facade. He was in deep thought. *I am sure the others are also in this strange world. In two days, I seem to have done well. I have succeeded in having my men infiltrate important organizations. Then also, there's the question of Kalia who could be very useful...* He smiled as he walked towards the door of the Mayor's office...... *************************************** The elections were just around the corner. The present Mayor of Tokyo was probably the most inefficient one in many years. His political opponents were investigating allegations that he had received kickbacks and was turning a blind eye to companies that were polluting the air of Tokyo's skies and the water in nearby Yokohama harbor. There were even more serious allegations that he was getting money from the Yakuza to ignore their illegal activities. He wiped the sweat from his balding forehead. He had enough problems for the time being. He was understandably worried that if these allegations were investigated further, he might lose his chance for re-election. There was a knock on his office door. *Probably the Yakuza again.* He opened the door to see a tall man wearing a cloak and a hat. With grace, that man removed his coat and said to him,"Mr. Mayor, I may be able to help you with your problems. My name by the way is Lagus......" ******************************** It had been a while since Kauru and Nanami had landed on Earth. Cold and hungry, Nanami had toyed with the idea of contacting her old friends until she realized that nobody would believe her crazy story of El Hazard. She then had thought about her family until she remembered that they lived a long distance from here. Besides, she had always thought that she was the only 'sane' one among all her relatives. What more with bitchy aunts and backstabbing parents. She thought of her megalomaniacal brother, Katushiko and her insane cousin, Konoha Haida. Nanami felt a shiver run through her spine..... Presently, Nanami and Kauru had found jobs in a small restaurant and the elderly couple there had been kind enough to let them both stay in the attic. They both wondered about the whereabouts of the others... ************************************* At the Tokyo Disneyland, Aliell's thoughts had been disrupted by a little girl's scream. Alielle had been working there, doing all kinds of menial chores for the two days she had been in Japan. She walked over to see a small girl clutching her knee. Apparently, she had slipped on a banana skin that one of the many visitors to Tokyo Disneyland had so carelessly thrown. Without further thought, Alielle bent down and placed her hands on the girl's leg; hoping to comfort her. "Eh?" Alielle felt a strange sensation rush through her fingertips and a strange glow was emanating from them. Alielle looked surprised and saw that the girl's knee had healed completely. The little girl seemed surprised too. She got up and smiled perkily at Alielle and hurriedly left the scene. *What was that? Did I acquire something when I crossed dimensions?* (Author's note: If it was possible for Makoto and co. to gain special powers when they crossed dimensions to El Hazard, then it would make sense for the same thing to happen to some of the El Hazardians when they come over to Earth.) ************************ Makoto was smiling. Ifurita had just called. She said that she was going to take Diva shopping. Diva still hadn't spoken much but she seemed friendlier today. Ifurita had asked Makoto to meet them at the Ichiban Tea House in three hours from now. Makoto looked at his watch. *********************************** Ginza's Daimaru Plaza had seen its share of glamour-but nothing like her. While Ifurita had been looking at household items in another store, Diva had wandered to the clothing section. Even with a baby in her arms, she carried herself like a movie star-or a queen. The staff had been paying meticulous attention to her for hours, trying desperately to find something to fit a woman of her unusual height and tastes. Now a clingy, silver dress glittered as Diva stood back, admiring her figure in the mirror. Behind her lurked a furtive audience of customers, whispering about the exotic beauty. The manager glided up, rubbing his hands in suppressed excitement at the thought of his commission. "Oh, that does look lovely on you, Madame,"he purred, praying that she spoke Japanese. Diva smiled down at Inari, who sat on the floor next to a pile of discarded dresses. "Inari, if I had worn this the night you were conceived, I would not have needed my guards!" The manager bowed low. "Madame's Japanese is superb! Does Madame like the Dior? Shall I fetch another color?" He was wondering about the two, long gauzy streamers that fell from the woman's shoulderblades. Christian Dior was designing some strange things nowadays. "No, no, this color is perfect! This is my choice! Come, Inari. We have more to see before we catch up with Ifurita again." With a graceful movement, she scooped up Inari from the floor and headed out of the store. A tall, handsome man in a tailored suit, who had entered the store a short time earlier, stood watching her. "Ah...Madame?" The nervous manager bowed so low that his tie nearly touched the floor. "Ah, how shall Madame be paying today?" "Paying?" Diva paused. The word had no Bugrom equivalent. No more than "money," the odd little metal discs and slips of paper Makoto had given her. "I do not understand." The manager faltered. Thinking that the foreign beauty's Japanese was not as good as he'd originally hoped, he brazened it out in English. "Traveller's Cheques? Credit Card? We accept all major-" Gibberish. Diva drew herself up to her full height, so that she looked down on the unfortunate man. "I have told you my choice. I want nothing more. I am going now." She turned once more and started away, but the manager quickly darted in front of her, blocking her path. "Please, Madame. The cash register is this way." He was still smiling, somewhat more nervously now, and gesturing towards the back of the store. Meanwhile, the man in the tailored suit watched them, fascinated. Diva could see nothing she wanted at the till. The man was annoying her, and she thought it best to remain calm. Casually she caught him by his shirt collar and hoisted him off his feet, as easily as a man might lift a kitten. She strode towards the exit, casually tossing him six feet into a rackful of evening gowns. She might as well have set off a bomb. Hangers clattered, shop girls shrieked, customers gasped and raced for the emergency exits, and two departmental store security guards suddenly materialized in front of her. Diva braced herself, snarling, one arm clutched 'round Inari. A calm, cultured voice made them all pause. It was the man in the tailored suit. "Gentlemen - manager -" He looked down at the manager, struggling on the floor amid a heap of multi-colored gauze and satin, "please don't distress the lady. She's a guest in our country, and simply misunderstood the good manager's intentions." From the folds of a bright, red scarf, the manager's face peered out. "Misunderstood? The woman's a menace! Did you see what she-"he stopped as he recognized who he was speaking to. With a gasp, he hurried to his feet, snatching off the scarf, and bowed low. "Mr. Igarashi, sir! I didn't realize it was you! My progound apologies!" He looked at the mang, and then at Diva, and his eyes widened. "I..uh..is she...one of yours, Mr. Igarashi?" Mr. Igarashi smiled. "She is a friend, sir. In any case, I'll be glad to pay for the dress. Simply put it on my bill, will you?" The manager gaped. Then, he remembered himself. "Ah..yes! Yes, of course, Mr. Igarashi, sir! My profound apologies, Madame! There was no excuse for my rudeness!" He gestured at the guards. "You, there, you're not needed here! These people are my honored customers!" The guards knew Mr. Igarashi as well. With raised eyebrows, they looked at Diva, then bowed to Igarashi and left. He in turn bowed to Diva. "My apologies, Madame. Sometimes our ways are difficult for foreigners to understand. But if I may say, you must be the loveliest foreigner ever to grace Japan." Diva understood this well enough. She permitted herself a slight smile. "Thank you for your help, sir. This is my first time in the country." The man drew a card from his breast pocket and presented it to her. "Koichi Igarashi, of the Dream House Club," he introduced himself. "I am pleased to be of service to you." Inari snatched the card from her mother's hand and had it in her mouth in an instant; Diva took it from her, scolding. Igarashi chuckled. "What a beautiful child." After a slight pause, he continued. "You must tell me more about yourself. Would you care to join me for a drink? There is a very cozy little izakaya just around the corner." (Where the proprietor asks no questions...) The Bugrom queen saw no problem. If he was powerful, it wouldn't hurt to have allies in this strange country. She followed him. Ifurita had been walking up and down looking for Diva. Finally, her eye caught sight of Diva in a corner having some drinks with a strange man. She was rambling to him about royalty and soldiers etc. He looked perlexed but continued listening patiently. Diva looked like she had been drinking quite a bit. "Ummm..." Ifurita nudged Diva's arm. After hurriedly introducing herself to Mr. Igarashi, she whispered to Diva that it was time to go and meet Makoto. Diva then reluctantly left with Ifurita but not before saying her goodbyes to Mr. Igarashi. They left the building and walked at the busy downtown section to their desination. On the way, Ifurita noticed the expensive-looking dress Diva was carrying and gasped. Diva then gave a detailed account of everything that had happened. Ifurita hurriedly explained about Earth customs of buying and selling. Realizing her error, Diva turned red slightly but quickly regained her composure and they continued to walk towards their destination.... ************************ Kalia was taking a bus in town. Tokyo had been a bewildering new experience to her and her mind had been busy processing new information. Tall and majestic skyscrapers were everywhere. The bus was moving slowly at a busy intersection as a crowd of people crossed the hectic roads. For a second. Just for a second. Kalia noticed a very familiar face in the crowd. It was a woman with long flowing fair hair and penetrating eyes that had a deep tinge of melancholy in them. They turned and just for a very split second, their eyes made contact. *********************** #Flashback# In the ancient El Hazardian Wars, much destruction and mayhem have occured but it never seemed like either side was ever going to win. The wise ones on one side decided to create their ultimate weapon: The Demon Goddess Ifurita. The opposing side retaliated by their agent of revenge: Demon Goddess Kalia. More fearsome battles had been fought between the two and cities had been sacrificed and yet, it looked like a stalemate was happening. Hence, another Ifurita and Kalia had been created. (Kalia had been informed that her other sister demon goddess, the original Kalia had been destroyed by Ifurita No. 2 who was still in El Hazard). #End of flashback# The bus moved out of sight. Kalia sat thinking and she knew what she had to do...... *********************** Diva was sipping her tea slowly and paused for a moment. They were at the Ichiban Tea House. Diva had been telling her story about everything that had happened in El Hazard; from the invading Doralye Army right up to the part at the Eye of God where a freak accident had occured. Makoto looked up with interest. Despite the unfortunate wars between Roshtaria and the Bugrom, he never really considered Diva as an enemy; merely someone who might have been misguided. "Dimensional travel is only possible through a concentration of excess energy and the perfect timing. That means it is possible the rest of them could also be here." Makoto looked excited. "There is something else; I could be wrong but I believe I saw Kalia on the Eye of God and some mysterious-looking people whom I think were from the Phantom Tribe,"Diva answered slowly. *Kalia? Huh...but I thought....* Makoto became more excited. Ifurita was looking down all this time. Her mind seemed to be stuck on something. She looked up at Makoto Mizuhara. ************************ Makoto had gone out to the counter to pay the bill. He felt a nudge on his shoulder. He turned to see Diva still sitting and sipping some tea. He turned to his other side to see Ifurita standing beside him. "Makoto, I saw Kalia in town." "Huh?" Ifurita placed her hand on Makoto's forehead and mind-linked with him: #Flashback# Death. Blood. Chaos. Cities were burning and people were crying in pain. There was anguish everywhere. Then, Makoto saw it. Kalia was standing on the motionless body of Ifurita and grinning. Ifurita looked defeated and unconscious. #End of flashback# Makoto recoiled. "Ifurita, This is exactly the same image Kalia showed me back in El Hazard. So that was really you?" Ifurita nodded. Makoto gently placed his hand on her forehead. Images and memories of his past encounter with the first Kalia flashed through her mind. She paused and spoke,"It was during the Second Great Holy War in El Hazard that I faced off with Kalia and was defeated. She drained my powers and I had to be kept by the Great Minds of El Hazard for maintenance. Luckily, the second Ifurita was around to continue fighting." She continued, "The second Kalia is probably as powerful as the first one. In fact the Kalia series of Demon Gods are probably more powerful than the Ifurita series because not only can they reproduce any attack, they can also drain one's energy and power and seal off one's mind. The Kalia series is built for revenge and destruction. During your encounter, you were only saved in time because you heard my voice warning you through the dimensions. The one thing I am not sure is why this model is with the Phantom Tribe. Someone there probably found a way to tamper with her obedience circuit...."