Chapter 5 - Separation Location: Washington, America. Time: AD: 2030 23 February 09:56 Yuki hummed happily to herself, as she moved around the hospital room packing the last of Alex's items into the small suitcase. After four days of observation, the doctors had finally decided that Alex was fit enough to resume duty. Whatever the cause of the attack had been, all the tests that they could run showed absolutely nothing wrong with the girl. So, finally, Yuki's fiance was coming home. Yuki pushed, and a big smile erupted on her face. Her fianc‚e... She still did not believe it - Alex had agreed! Now, what was upper most in Yuki's mind was getting the ceremony performed as soon as possible. Then, and only then, would Alex really be hers... Alex stood at the door, and watched as Yuki moved around the room humming some nameless little tune to herself as she did. The girl seemed so happy. Alex had never imaged that she would ever have that effect on anyone, and it made her feel... complete, in an odd sort of way. She was glad she had not told Yuki of her encounter with Ganossa, or what he had said. Alex was unsure how Yuki would take it. Alex knew what had happened to Robert DeVice, when Ganossa had seduced Katsumi to the darkness... Somehow she did not doubt that Ganossa would regard Yuki in the same light. She knew that Yuki would probably play a major part in any plan with he had force her down the same road as Katsumi. Yuki was Alex's main weakness, she loved her too much. If Ganossa hurt Yuki... Alex did not know what she would do... "Alex..." Yuki's bright voice broke through her dark thoughts. "You startled me, how long have you been standing there?" "Just got here," Alex said as she walked into the room. "You did not need to do that, I would..." "No trouble," Yuki smiled and waggled her finger. "You had better to use to me do this from now on, you know." Alex laughed. "As you command, Master..." Yuki turned back and picked up the small bag. "There," she declared brightly. "All done." "I hear from Koji, that the president has demanded that we meet with her and a small executive group later today, "Alex commented. "They were not exactly impressed by my sudden... nerves..." "Nerves?" Yuki's face dropped. "Alex, you stopped breathing, for Christ's sake! How can you call that nerves!" "Hey..." Alex held up her hands. "Not my words. The doctors could find absolutely nothing wrong with me. In fact they said I was in absolutely perfect shape. The words I used belonged to a comment Koji told me that someone made." "Humph," Yuki pulled a face. "Politicians, hope they rot!" Alex did not comment but walked past Yuki to look out of the window into the artificial park below. She looked back at Yuki. "Would you like to go for a walk Yuki? It might be our last chance... today." Yuki rushed forward and grabbed Alex's arm. "Come on!" She pulled Alex out of the room. Outside the day was warm and bright, and the two-walked arm in arm down one of the many routes that spilled out from the hospital into the surrounding gardens. Neither of spoke much, but simply enjoyed the presence of each other's company. The path they chose was totally empty, and it was not long before they were in a completely used part of the park. Yuki spotted a shady little alcove and dragged Alex over to it. The two of them sat down, and Alex looked over at Yuki expectantly. "Stop that!" Yuki said with smile. "You make me feel as if I am some sort of bitch in heat." "I assume that's why you wanted to stop here." "Well..." Yuki commented with a furtive glance around. "Since we are alone... NO!" Yuki suddenly sat bolt upright as her senses suddenly warned her of extreme danger. "Alex! Something is coming!" she managed to blurt out before the two of them were thrown into the air by a powerful explosion. "Yuki!" Alex screamed out as she threw up a shield and teleported the two of them directly back to the hospital room. She ran over to where Yuki was laying. She opened her eyes and looked up. "I'm okay..." Yuki grasped out. "What the hell was that?" "Entities?" Alex stood up. "Yuki, stay..." Alex suddenly wondered, was this a diversion? Was this Ganossa's way of getting Yuki? She could not just leave Yuki here, defenceless? "Alex?" Yuki looked at her. "What's wrong?" "Nothing... I'm just worried about you..." Yuki smiled, "go love - I will be fine. Hey, I can look after myself you know." Alex still hesitated, Yuki would have no chance against Ganossa. She remembered what Ganossa had said about human love and compassion making you weak... No! She would be whole, no matter the cost. "Yuki," Alex said. "Come on, we are BOTH going to sort this bastard out!" Yuki nodded and got slowly to her feet to ensure that everything worked. "Ok," she said. "Let's do it!" Alex raised an eyebrow, enthusiasm or what? She erected the strongest portable shield she could around them and sent out her mind to the source of the explosion. Nothing... She could find absolutely no trace of whatever had attacked them. She increased the range of her scan, 1 mile, 2 miles, 5 miles... Nothing, no trace emanations whatsoever. "Alex?" Yuki looked at her companion. "What's wrong?" "I can't find anything," Alex said. "If there was an entity, it's gone now. What about you, can you sense anything?" Yuki went silent for a moment as her own mind went hunting. She reached the maximum range that she could and then shock her head. "What ever it was, it's gone." Alex was silent, she was sure that there was more to this. Nothing attacked you and then suddenly disappeared, unless there had been a reason. "I think we had better tell Koji what just happened and then have a look at the site of the explosion." "Let's check the explosion site first and then tell Koji," Yuki corrected Alex. "What?" Alex asked surprised. "Why?" Yuki frowned, "I don't know... its just a feeling..." Alex shrugged and teleported the two of them to the location of the explosion. She erected the heaviest shields she could, just before she phased them back into reality. If anything was still there, then at least they would have some protection. The grassy knoll was completely unharmed. The sun shone down on grass that was still covered with a fine spray of morning dew. Not even a trace of the explosion or the destruction that it had caused could be seen. "Am I going mad?" Alex asked as she looked around. "Or just feeling paranoid?" "You and me both..." Yuki replied. "Either we just imagined the whole thing, or something extremely weird is going on." "May be they're trying to confuse us to death," Alex said looking at the ground with both her eyes and power. She could detect nothing. Nothing had ever happened here. She could detect the emanations from the two of them, sitting down, the two of them reacting to nothing, and finally the two of them teleporting away. It was exactly like nothing had ever happened. "This is nuts," Alex said as she finally gave up in disgust. "I can sense absolutely nothing, except us coming here, panicking and me teleporting us away. There is nothing else, nothing else at all." "What do we do now then?" Yuki asked. "To be honest Yuki, I don't really know. I'm not even sure what we could tell Koji..." "Then we won't," Yuki said firmly. "Someone wants to play games with us. I think we should wait until we see why." "Are you sure Yuki?" Alex said. "If you ask me that sounds dangerous." "You suggest we make fools of ourselves again..." "No, I just think that it would be better to tell at least someone." "Tell them what, nothing happened here. Only you and I ever experienced it. We know that we are under threat from Nemesis, so its nothing new." "Ok Yuki, but I am going to tell Mana. She might be able to suggest something, at and the very least she should know." "Alright," Yuki held up her hands. "That I can't dispute that but we have to watch ourselves very carefully from now on." The two girls followed their escort as they were led through the outer halls of the White House and into its inner sanctums. Finally, their escort stopped outside a set of large wooden panelled doors. From the other side, Alex could hear the muted sounds of many voices been raised in heated debate. Alex could feel the sweat begin to dampen her brow as the doors opened and the girls were ushered inside. Alex took a deep breath as 15 pairs of eyes swivelled around to hard very hard at both her and Yuki. She fought to keep her face devoid of expression as she returned the glances. She felt Yuki beside her rasp slightly as the powerful emotions in the room impacted into her mind. Alex knew what her fianc‚e must be going through. She too could feel something of the fears, hate, uncertainty that was radiating from the minds of those in this room. These people were used to being in control, used to dealing with crisis, but know they were helpless. For the first time, they were absolutely useless. No decision, no choice that they made would help them, and they were truly afraid. For the first time, they were truly afraid. The room went silent, as the three of them walked towards the head of conference room. Choices... Alex suddenly thought. We all have choices... Now what the hell did that mean? "Madam President," Koji said breaking her chain of thoughts. "Allow me to present Lt. Yuki Saiko, and Lt. Alexandra Shadow, of the Japanese Special Forces." "...about time..." "...girls..." "...teenagers..." "...good looking..." "...nervous attack, I heard..." Yuki could hear bits of the bubble of conversations that broke out when Koji had finished speaking. The problem was that she could not understand any of it. The tones however, she could. Derision, disbelief, and uncertainty. It was one thing to demand help, it was quite another to finally receive it in the flesh. Yuki shut out everything, she concentrated simply on Alex. She would deal with this... Alex could hear the muttered conversations around her, she could feel the hostile glances of those watching them, and finally she felt Yuki move closer to her. Something was going on here. Her eyes narrowed and she looked at the woman at the head of the table, the president of United States of America. The woman was about Mana's age, and as well as that Alex could see lots of other similarities. Her hair was short and dark, and her eyes... Alex knew from that cold, commanding expression that this woman was used to being in command. She had not stopped the dim of conversation because it did not suit her to do so. She was simply watching, evaluating how the two in front of her reacted. Alex knew that this woman did nothing without a purpose. Every expression, movement, statement, was controlled and used like a tool. Already the woman was evaluating these girls, seeing how they could be used, and Alex did not like to used. She had a choice to make. Did she play the woman's game, present herself as a tool, or... something else... She carefully raised her eyes to the woman, and a cold smile lit her face as her eyes began to glittered dangerously. She stared at the woman and let that stare become her challenge. The woman's eyes great hard as she recognised the expression for what it was. Alex let her power fill her, and suddenly the room was unnaturally darkened. The shadows on the walls began to move as their master called to them. The room went totally silent as... things... began to move and gibber in the sudden darkness. Alex's eyes glittered with an unholy faint light, as the most basic of human fear began to express itself. Alex raised a hand and her body was radiated by a black aura that plunged the temperature of the room. Yuki whimpered with fear at the change in her beloved. "COME..." Alex's whispered hiss filled the room, and the shadows swirled around her. She stood at the centre of a dark vortex, as the whispering darkness flew around her. A woman screamed as her terror overcame her. The pitiful wail caused a chain reaction, as suddenly these people had to face the most ancient of human fears. Instinctive terror overcame them and they wailed in horror, as the shadows whispered insanely around them. Alex stood at the centre of the maelstrom, the feeling of human terror and horror, filled her with a dark pleasure. She WAS power. She reached further, and the shadows began to become more real. Creatures, born out of the darkest nightmare began to form, red eyes glowing, as they awaited the command of their Master. Only SHE was real, everything else was simply... "ALEX!" Yuki screamed as she flung herself at the unholy figure her beloved had become. The crying form of Yuki suddenly bought Alex back to herself. She realised what the hell she had done. She listened to the screams and wails around her, and felt sick. She lowered her hand and suddenly everything vanished. The room was exactly as it had been, and the nightmare had past. Alex bought the crying form of Yuki up to her and gently stroked her hair. "It's all right Yuki..." she whispered. "I love you, I promise... whatever happens, I will never hurt you..." Yuki raised those glorious deep brown eyes to stare at her, and Alex felt herself lost in the love she saw in them. The sudden scent of faeces reached Alex's nose and she suddenly remembered what she had just done. Her head spot up and she looked around her. The men and women grovelling, or cowering on the floor. Some had expressions of unbelieving horror on their faces, while others were simply whimpering, or crying. Alex inwardly shuddered as she witnessed the results of her little demonstration. Her eyes flickered to the shaking form of the president at the head of the table. Alex was impressed, the woman was almost in control of herself. "I am Lt. Alexandra Shadow," she announced in a cold voice to the woman. "I am here to help you understand, help you to comprehend what it is that you are fighting. If you want to survive then you will listen to me, but I do not have the time to play games. This demonstration was merely a glimpse of what Nemesis is capable of. Understand this - we are here to fight, and we will. You can either live by this, or watch your country be destroyed - the choice is yours." Anna Michaels, flinched at the tone of the now unassuming girl's voice. The panic and horror at what the girl had shown her, lessened as she asserted her will to control it. She stood up and trying to ignore the whimpering forms of her generals, and her cabinet her walked towards the two girls. Finally, she stopped 3 metres or so away and looked at the two more closely. The smaller, intense red head still held the brown haired girl in what seemed to be a protective gesture. As experienced as she was in reading people, Anna knew that these two were strongly attached to each other. Somehow, that notion, that this girl who had could inflict so much fear was also capable of other feelings, helped to assure her. "I am Anna Michaels," she spoke in perfect Japanese, surprised at the calmness in her voice. "Tell us what we must do." Alex let her face soften, and she smiled. Anna almost smiled in turn, as the girl's smile lit up her whole face and drew out a green sparkle, from those eyes. Attractive girl, Anna suddenly thought. She will be a real beauty in a few years when that slim build filled out... Suddenly, that smile she had been suppressing flared to life and she held out her hand in greeting. Yuki had almost recovered herself by now. This was the first time she had seen lover's darker side. At first, it had frighten her, but now... Now it seemed to add more depth to the girl, to complement... She did not know, but somehow, that darkness seemed to be right... She stood as Alex gently released her and raised a hand to return the woman's greeting. Yuki stood back and froze as her eyes met those of the woman. She almost sputtered at what her powers read there. The woman's surge of attraction flowed over her. Impossible! Yuki said to herself, but her eyes caught the look in the woman's gaze, the slight sway... Yuki suddenly felt angry. How dare she! She is MINE! "Whoa..." Alex was suddenly pulled off balance as Yuki pulled her back and stood infront of her. The older girl stared hard at the other woman. "Yuki?" Alex said confused, as the other girl suddenly stood between the two of them. Anna met the other girl's furious expression calmly, as the brown head staked her territory. Well, well, she thought to herself, I was right. Shame... "Yuki Saiko, is it?" She continued as if nothing had happened. "Yes, it is," Yuki spoke, still watching the other woman closely with a black expression. "Ah," Anna said. "That's who you are." "Yes," Yuki said her hand still holding Alex's arm. "_Thats_ who I am." "I see," Anna said. Best to know where the territory lay. "We shall see..." Alex was not exactly sure what was going on here, but Yuki sure was angry about something. The hand clutching her arm was almost painful. "Yuki..." she tried. "You're hurting my arm." The two opponents continued to stare at each other for a moment and then Yuki turned. With a snort she let her grip loosen, and flashed Alex a predatory glance. Alex knew something was going... "Well, Lt. Shadow, Lt. Saiko. What do we do to save ourselves?" Alex looked at Anna, the woman had gone back to business. Whatever she and Yuki had been crossing daggers over was past, and they had things to discuss. "No! Absolutely not!" Yuki exploded at Alex. "You are not wearing that!" Alex backed off a bit, surprised at the venom in Yuki's voice. "Hey..." she held up her hands. "What's the matter? I thought it looked kind of nice..." Yuki looked at the close cut white attire that Alex was modelling. "No!" she almost stepped forward. "Your are not wearing that tonight! Its... its... indecent!" "Indecent?" Alex looked down at herself. The dress hugged her form true, but it was not like she had a lot to display. She looked at the cut, it was the same as others she had seen. She did not understand what Yuki was talking about. "Yuki, there is nothing wrong with it..." she began. "No!" Yuki said adamantly. The assistant looked at the Japanese girl, and back at the military officer for a translation. She did not understand what was being said, but the tone was obvious enough. "They are thinking about it..." Koji said to her, and ignored the assistants raised eyebrows. "Yuki," Alex said patiently. "We have a formal state dinner at the Japanese ambassador's house tonight. A dinner which, if I must remind you, is in our honour. I can't go in my uniform - I have to wear something." "Not that..." Yuki repeated firmly. Alex sighed and bowed her head. "Ok," she said. "May we see something else, please." Alex flashed a sorry grin at the assistant. "My friend does not agree with this one either." The assistant almost winced. Bloody hell, she thought to herself. This Japanese girl is the pickiest I've ever seen. That was the sixth dress that had been rejected. She smiled and said, "perhaps, you friend would like to select something more to her taste." Alex looked at a shapeless, dark tent of a dress which Yuki had already tried to push on her. "No, I don't think my friend should. Her... tastes are rather too... conservative for me." "Yes..." the assistant said. That was one way of putting it... "Do you have the same sort of style, but may be one size bigger?" The assistant frowned. "That might be possible, but it really would not suit you as well as this one. If I may say, your build is not right for that kind." "What would you suggest?" "Perhaps, I could look for a... fuller... version of this type." Alex almost pulled a face. This was pretty "full" as it was, but she nodded and the assistant walked off. Alex was slightly surprised by what a prude Yuki appeared to be, especially after that lingerie she had bought. Alex would have to change that. Yuki had a figure that Alex would more than happily traded her for. It was a figure which Alex would have to get the girl to exploit, not hide. Alex knew the assistant would be at least 5 minutes or so. Now was as good a time as any to see if she could find something she could tempt Yuki into buying. Alex knew from personal experience that when Yuki let go... she really let go. Yuki watched with hawk like eyes as Alex started to browse through some far more risky selections. Really! The girl had absolutely no modesty whatsoever! It was not that she minded Alex getting such things, but wearing them in highly formal and public occasions... No, even the thought made her shudder. Once they returned to Japan and they were formally granted a marriage licence, then Yuki would help her to understand. What she did not want was to be married to a clone of Kiddy, that was for certain. "Yuki," Alex called. "Come here will you." Yuki walked over and eyed the black one piece. She mouth began to open to speak when Alex held it up to Yuki and said. "If you wore this, I bet eyes would be popping..." "Me?" Yuki squeaked out. Alex looked at the dress critically as she held it up to Yuki. "Yip. I'm getting it for you." "Alex..." Yuki begun. "You can wear it just for me," Alex said with a conspiratory wink. "Just like that lingerie." "..." "Excuse me, Miss?" The assistant had returned. She held in her hand a white dress that was slightly longer and had more than the one Alex currently was trying on. "What about this one? Alex went over and looked at it. It was certain more than she was used to but if it made Yuki happy then she could live with it. "Yuki? What do you think?" Alex held it up to her front and looked at her with a pleading expression. Yuki looked at it for a moment. It was still slightly to "expressive" for her tastes, but the expression in Alex's eyes... "That will do fine," she said. "Why don't you try it on, I'll like to see it." Alex smiled her thanks and held up the black number and wiggled it. "No," said Yuki firmly. "That can wait for tonight." Alex pulled a slight face and then disappeared with the assistant, gives what Yuki was sure was a deliberate sway to her walk. Yuki's eyes flickered over to the lacies that were on display just a short distance away. She began to wonder what Alex might be like in one of the little red numbers... She began to move off in that direction to have a browse. Koji was left standing by himself. Did these two ever get enough, he asked himself. He smiled to himself, they were young. He had been much the same when he was, so he could not blame them. He sat down, trying to ignore the stares that a man in military uniform, in a woman's clothing section bought, and thought back over the past few days. He found it almost impossible to believe that the girl who had summoned those... creatures... less than 2 days before, was the same as the girl today. He could still remember the horror that those gibbering shades of darkness had made him feel. He was not a pencil pusher, he had seen battle, and the effects that it had. He had seen men killed by terrorists, the results of fragment bombs, but nothing had ever reduced him to the quivering shell that he had been that day. He could not even face the memory of it and had suppressed it as far down as he could. Others, he had heard ,had not been so lucky. They were... "Koji!" Yuki called over. "What?" Yuki came up to his and looked down at the ground with a red face. "Could... could you buy these for me. I don't speak English and I want to get them before Alex comes back." Yuki rushed it all out in one breath, shoved the "things" at Koji, and then rushed off. "Eh?" Koji asked himself, and then looked down at what he held in his hands. They were... red... and one was... black... Koji looked up abruptly. He did not want to know anymore. He looked at the Japanese girl, nervously sorting through blouses. He had thought her repressed?? He turned and headed for the sales counter. With luck he would be able to think of a good excuse by the time he got there. Alex returned in her new dress and looked around for Yuki. Where had the girl gone off to now? She walked over to where Yuki had been standing and tried to spy out where the girl had got to. She could not find her in the... "Shopping Alex-chan? How droll." A female voice said behind her. "I'm sorry what..." Alex froze as she turned and saw who it was speaking "So you are the one Rally has chosen to replace me, eh?" "Katsumi..." Alex hissed and her hands shot up defensively "Oh," Katsumi said with a bright smile. "I don't think that would be a good idea here do you? I don't mind, but all these _innocent_ people..." She tilted her head on one side and her smile grew larger. "It would be a same to have to kill them, wouldn't it?" Alex slowly lowered her hands. "What do you want, bitch?" "Now, now," Katsumi reached out and patted Alex's face. "A pretty young thing like you, should not be using such language like that." Alex flinched at the other woman's caress and stepped back. "Save it, what do you want?" "Ganossa was very put off with what you did to him you know, Alex-chan." Katsumi said with a sigh. "He has become quite fixated on you almost, one might say. Quite the little prize for his collection..." "Then I'll be more than happy to accommodate him," Alex said as she stared coldly at Katsumi. "If he wants to try, I will ensure he..." "Don't dismiss him so easily Alex-chan," Katsumi suddenly said seriously. "He is far more dangerous than you can imagine. He has given himself completely over to the evil within Nemesis, and that power feeds him. If you really want to kill him, then you have to break that link. Once you have done that, then your natural power should be more than enough to destroy him." "What?" Alex said startled at Katsumi's words. "His fixation of you is one weakness you could exploit," Katsumi continued. "Or you could use his desire for the Gia data. Offer his a path to either, and he would probably dive head on into whatever trap you might care to lay. He can be most... careless when he really wants something. Exploit that weakness, and you could indeed kill him." "What do you mean? Why are you telling me this?" Alex asked with a shocked expression. "Because I like you Alex-chan," Katsumi said with a little glitter in her eye. She stepped forward and her hand gently brushed Alex's face. "I like you a lot, and I don't want to see you hurt." Alex shuddered and hit the hand away. "Stop lying to me. You happily tried to kill your best friend. Joined up with the man who killed your lover, and suddenly expect me to believe that you like me... That you are helping me because you want to protect me..." "But I do, Alex-chan," Katsumi said in a hurt voice. "In time you will come to see that, I promise. I am even willing to tell you that Ganossa intends to use Yuki as the way of... converting you to his particular truth. If you want to protect her, then I would suggest that you leave her..." "No!" Alex exclaimed. "I' can't do..." "Then he will kill her, Alex-chan. Just like he killed Roy." Katsumi's eyes grew distant. "If you want to save her Alex-chan, then you must leave her. In addition, you must leave her in a way that convinces Ganossa that she means nothing to you." "No..." Alex siad as she realised what Katsumi was telling her. Katsumi's hand touched her face again and she looked into Alex's eyes. "I will try to protect you, Alex-chan. If I learn when Ganossa intends to move then I will warn you if I can." She let go of Alex's face and then kissed her full on the lips. Alex was too shocked to move. She could only stand as Katsumi pulled back and then with a final smile, turned and walked off into the crowd. "Alex? Where are you?" Yuki's voice sounded nearby and Alex breathing deeply to calm herself forced a smile onto her face as she turned to wave at Yuki. Akiro Kyomoto, the current Japanese ambassador to America, bowed slightly was he introduced his formal guests to the Chinese and German Ambassadors. The two girls dutifully paid deference to them and made some mindless comments before they moved on to the next set. If it had been any other time, Alex would have been bored out of her skull, but the meeting with Katsumi and her word of warning had hooked their poison into her mind. Was Katsumi right? Was the only way to protect Yuki from Ganossa, to leave her? Alex fell with a cold fear that the woman right very well be right. Alex could not live with the thought that something might have to Yuki if she could prevent it, not matter how she did. Even if it meant leaving her... **If you deny one child, then you deny all. Wholeness** **You are loved child, embrace it. No matter what, embrace it** "Pleased to meet you..." What would happen if she did abandon Yuki? What would happen to her? **Wholeness** "Let me introduce..." Without Yuki she would be incomplete. She would be denying what she was. That would not make her stronger, it would not make her life worth living. Even if Alex denied Yuki, that would not guarantee her safety. Ganossa might still go after her. **Truth. Illusion.** "...General Kormac, head attach..." Katsumi may have been speaking the truth about Yuki, but why? Illusion masked by Truth. What did Katsumi gain? Alex wondered for a moment, if she left Yuki then did Katsumi serious think Alex would turn to _her_?!? If she left Yuki, Alex would be lost, she would be weak, and until she had recovered, Katsumi would have her at a disadvantage. Even if Alex rejected Katsumi and went out on her own, what would she become? Would she focus her hatred on Ganossa? Would she _become_ like Katsumi, a lost being, driven only be hatred? "Ambassador Lelia de Vanglis..." **Truth. Illusion. Pain. Love.** In the truth of Katsumi's words, was masked an illusion. What she said was true, Alex bought Yuki into great danger, but that was the nature of their job. From their love could come pain, that was true of any relationship. But that pain made the love all the more real, it made it far more than it would be without it. The pain made them live for today, because they both understood that tomorrow might not come. Alex knew that even though they denied it, they were both aware that they were living on borrow time. **You are loved child, embrace it. No matter what, embrace it** "Screw Ganossa, and screw Katsumi!" Alex suddenly announced. "Pardon?" said a very surprised elderly woman. Alex blushed as she realised what she had just said. "Sorry, what was that?" she said with her most winning smile. She loved Yuki, and God help anyone who got in her way! "Are you feeling alright child?" the old woman asked. "You seem to be mumbling alot." "No," Alex put a hand to her head. "I think I need to get some air. Please excuse me." "Of course." The old woman watched the young girl walk off. She shook her head, that child had problems. Alex was walking towards Yuki when a sudden glad cry erupted just behind she, and a very warm and soft body threw itself around her. "Wha..." Alex just started when the momentum of the impact threw her to the floor. The soft, and very developed form, pushed itself harder against her. Through the soft material of her dress Alex could feel the others, ahh, well developed attributes push against hers. Alex struggled and tried to push the other female off her. What the fuck was going on here? Was this country full of mad women? The other woman nuzzled against her, and Alex involuntarily began to respond. "Get... ahh... Get off..." Alex tried to say. The other woman was suddenly yelping in pain as Yuki yelling most unlady like curses bodily pulled the older woman off her. Alex took a deep breath and then sat up. Yuki was laying into the other woman, with a viciousness that stunned her for a moment. She had to do something... "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?" A voice suddenly erupted as a large man grabbed Yuki and pushed her physically away from the other woman. Alex blinked, she wanted to know what the hell was going on as well. "Father!" The woman said rushing over to the man. "That's the one! That's the one who saved me!" Me? Saved you? Alex thought. The man glanced down at Alex and then at the figure of his daughter. "Are you sure?" he said. The woman nodded and pointed excitedly at Alex. "Yes," she gushed out. "She was the one who save me. She stopped that... thing..." She shot Alex a look of worshipful adoration that... "Alex! Your dress!" Yuki called out as she rushed kneel beside her. Dress? Alex looked down and cried out when she saw what Yuki was talking about. The material had not been made for made for such abuse as being thrown about, and a large tear stretched from the neckline down to the waist. "Shit!" Alex flung her arms around the flapping material and tried to recover something of her modesty. Yuki shot poisonous glances around, while Alex recovered herself. The dress shimmered, and warp and weft reached for each other repairing the tear under her powers influence. Alex scrabbled to her feet and blushing furiously, tried to ignore all the stares that the gathered crowd were throwing at her. "Thanks Yuki," she managed to get out, and she suddenly had the desire to be elsewhere. "Alex... Is that your name?" the young woman came towards her again. Yuki growled. "Back off bitch!" The young woman stopped, and frowned. She did not understand what the Japanese girl had said, but the intention had been rather clear. "Senator Daniels," Akiro Kyomoto came rushing over. "Senator Daniels, are you alright? What is going on?" "No, ambassador. Everything is not alright," the man stated in an annoyed tone. "And I having been trying to find out what IS going on. Now," he turned to the young woman still staring at Alex. "Kate, will you please tell me what is going on here?" "Wha... oh," the woman's turned her attention back to man at the sound of her name. "This is one, Father! This is the one who saved me in Tokyo! She risked to life to protect me!" The head swung back, "Alex..." "Ambassador," Senator Daniels turned to face Akiro. "Do you know this girl?" "Yes Senator," Akiro said. "This is one of my guests, Lt. Alexandra Shadow. The reason..." "Oh, that one!" Senator Daniels cut him off as he recognised the name. "Yes, Senator." "Well then, why don't you introduce us?" Akiro coloured at the abrasive tone but he turned and said, "Senator Daniels, let me introduce to you Lt. Alexandra Shadow and Lt. Yuki Saiko of the JSF. Ladies, it gives me great pleasure to introduce..." "Yes, don't worry about all that," Senator Daniels cut Akiro off again. He held out his hand to Alex. "Lt. Shadow, I am Senator Mathew Daniels, head of Daniels Corps, and this..." He turned to his daughter. "This is my daughter, Katherine Daniels. I am very pleased to meet you." Daniels Corps. Alex suddenly looked at the held out hand in shock. The single largest company in the world. She realised why Akiro was being so deferential to the man. Mathew Daniels, undisputedly the single most richest man currently in the world. His personal wealth was estimated to run into billions... Alex dumbly took the offered hand and shook it. "It appears lieutenant, that you risked life and limb to save my daughter. I am forever in your debt. Kate is my only child, if she died..." "Oh, Father," Kate pushed passed her father and looked at Alex. Yuki saw the expression adoration on her face and if not for the constraining hand of Akiro would have rushed forward. "Alex..." the voice carried undertones which raised the hairs on Alex's neck. "You saved me... Thank you..." "Ah..." Alex swallowed. "No problem... Just doing my job." "No..." Kate moved forward and grabbed Alex's hand. She looked with adoring eyes, "you saved me..." "Thats fine, really..." Alex tried to pull her hand back. "Really..." "Grrr..." Alex did not like the sound of that... "Senator Daniels!" A voice suddenly announced behind them. All the heads turned to the sound of that voice, and Alex used the distraction to rip her hand free and retreat out of range. "Madam president," Senator Daniels said. "A pleasure to see you, as always. I hope you are keeping well?" "Tolerably, Senator, tolerably," Anna commented. "Ah, Lt. Saiko, still here I see, and Lt. Shadow... A pleasure to see you again." She held out her hand to Alex. Alex reached for it, but Yuki got there first. "_Madam_ President," she said with a cold smile. "I am so honoured that you were _able_ to come here." "Thank you, my _child_" Anna replied. "Madam president," Akiro bowed. "You honour us." "No, ambassador," Anna smiled. "It is your country who honours us by the assistance of such officers as Lt. Shadow here." She smiled at Alex. "With her able assistance I am sure our country will be able to meet any threat that the Lucifer Hawks pose." "Thank you Madam," Alex preened at the praise. "I will do my best to help." "Madam president," Senator Daniels said. "I must add my own thanks to Lt. Shadow as well. It appears that it was she who was responsible for saving my daughters life, little more than 2 weeks ago. A single act of bravery which I insist must be rewarded." "Is that so?" Anna moved forward and put her hands on Alex's shoulders. "First you save the life of one of our citizens, and then you come to help save our country. My dear girl, we must find some way to officially thank you, but for now..." She lowered her face to blush her lips against Alex's cheek. "*^ś"^&"ś**&&^ś!!!" A Japanese expression, Alex had never heard before exploded from Yuki and Alex was buffeted by a rush a power which struck the other woman full on, throwing her to the floor. Alex did not know what happened next, but Yuki was grabbed and thrust to the floor by plain-clothes security men. "Madam President!" Senator Daniels rushed over the prone form of Anna. "Madam President!" She groggily opened her eyes open, winced. "Get that woman out of here!" Daniels yelled and... **Now, Alex-chan** Katsumi's voice whispered through Alex's mind. **The President...** Her soft voice faded. The president? Alex looked at Anna, still groggy after Yuki's reaction. The men were beginning to cuff Yuki and pull her up. The president... Alex looked hard, and opened herself... Her head jolted up, and she gasped in shock. "Lucifer Hawk..." she whispered in disbelief. Anna's head suddenly shot up and her eyes glared at Alex. "Lucifer Hawk!" Alex screamed out as Anna's body suddenly twisted and rippled. "What the..." Senator Daniels began, but yelled and leapt backwards as he suddenly saw what was next to him. The hall was suddenly filled with screaming panicking people as, the body of Anna Micheals suddenly erupted into a form that was very, very different. "ALEXANDRA SHADOW!" it bellowed. "YOU BELONG WITH USSS!!" "YYYAAAA!!!" Another scream erupted as the form of a man suddenly fell to the ground, and _changed_. "COME WITH USSS!!" the entity step forward offering a massive hand, almost as a peace gesture. "YOU ARE ONE OF USS!!" the second entity hissed. Alex back peddled, raising her hands... "WE DO NOT WANT TO FIGHT YOU!" a voice hissed from behind Alex and she spun around to find a third entity standing there. "WE DO NOT FIGHT OUR OWN." "COME WITH US! COME HOME!" Alex was surrounded. Five of the largest entities she had ever seen stood around her. They did not attack for back any gesture, they just stood there watching. "WE WILL NOT HARM YOU, SHADOW! WE DO NOT FIGHT OUR OWN" "WE HAVE COME TO TAKE YOU HOME, RETURN WITH USSSS" "COME HOME..." "Alex!" Alex's head twisted to see Yuki running towards her. "Yuki! No!" Alex screamed back as Yuki raised her hand and blasted the entity nearest her. "HAAARRRAAA!" the entity hissed as it easily deflected the energy blot. It's eyes blazed red and Alex felt a surge of power rise in the entity that shook her like a leaf in the wind. Yuki screamed as darkness engulfed her. "NO!! YUKI!!!" She screamed. "PLEASE!! STOP!!" The darkness vanished, leaving a dazed Yuki cowering on the floor. "THIS ONE IS YOURS, SHAODW?" the creature questioned. "Yes..." Alex pleaded, her eyes brimming with tears. "Please, don't hurt her..." "THEN COME WITH USSS. RETURN HOME" Alex shot a desperate glance at Yuki. Her power could not fight all five entities at once. She could feel their strength, and it terrified her. These creatures were not just entities... They were... something else. She tried to teleport. Nothing. Her power was there, she could reach it, but the combined power of these entities had blocked her. They would not allow her to leave, they wanted her here. "COME" the first entity extended its hand. "Yuki..." Alex whispered, and she felt the hot tracks her tears made as they rolled down her face. She did not resist as the entity gently caught hold of her and pulled her of her feet. "Alex!!" Yuki screamed in desolate tone. "For God's sake! Fight!" The entities began to fade. "Alex! Fight!! For Christ's sake!" "Yuki!" Alex cried out. "I love you! Remember me! Yuki! Reme..." Her voice vanished as the entities disappeared from mortal sight. "Alex!! ALEX!! No... NOOO!!! NOOOO!!!!" A mindless scream of loss and grief erupted from Yuki, as her beloved was torn from her. The hall began to shake as Yuki, insane with grief, lose control of her power. Those people who were still inside tried desperately to run for cover as Yuki's insanity destroyed anything that it could. "YYYAAAAAHHHAAAA!!!!" The roof of the Embassy collapsed as the maelstrom of forces unleashed within blasted everything. People still trying to flee were crushed by the falling masonry as Yuki's scream continued unabated. Those people who had managed to safely get out could only watch in horror, as the Embassy exploded into flames, and slowly collapsed in on itself. * * * * Interlude - Rebirth Location: No where, every where Time: AD: The first ending, the first beginning She could feel it coming, the ending, and the beginning. She could feel the energies begin to surge, begin to lap around the shields she had constructed with the very last of her power. "Are we going to die?" The dark eyed girl looked up at her. "I'd don't know," she red head's green eyes looked down at her lover. "I truly don't know." They both looked out of the green crystal construct that they both preyed would protect them from the energies that would be released when IT happened. The greyness of the Void swirled around the green jewel, as they watched the last dying flickers of the dark mass that had once been their home. They both knew that it would not be long now, before they discovered in their insane gamble would work. The others had not listened when the red head had told them of what she feared was coming, even her beloved had not believed her. They could not conceive that their power would meet a foe even greater than them. They had conquered, and enslaved all the races they had ever encountered. Gods, Demons, all had fallen beneath them. They were the Masters of all they surveyed, and they would not accept that it would ever end. So, she had left them. She, whom they had once revered as one of the eldest and strongest of their kind ever to survive had left them. Together with her lover, they had fled to the safety of the Void and waited. Age upon age had passed, and they waited for the day which she knew would come. Her lover too had remained. She did not believe, but she knew the shadowed heart of her lover. She remained because she had to. She had remained, quietly in the background while the red head had studied and prepared. Long after the memory of her race had passed. Long after the lesser races that supplanted them had passed, the red heads worst fears came to fruition. It began deep in the ancient centre, and like a dark cancer it spread out Realm upon realm fell to the darkness, the red head called the Devourer. A mindless, hungry, creeping darkness. A Void. Nothingness. None who stand against it. Even those few, of her race that had survived long after their time, were powerless against it. Whatever the darkness touch, it absorbed. Nothing remained. The red head had hoped that the true Void would give some protection, some defence against it, but the darkness moved on. So, she had gathered together all the power, all the knowledge that she had gathered, throughout her long life, and she had worked one last spell. She had reached into the heart of the darkness, the heart of nothing, and she had taken the core of that emptiness into herself. She knew that the process would destroy her, but she hoped that it would give her the one thing she needed the one vital element to escape the final trap. It had worked. Torn and dying she had taken she lover and they had cast themselves a drift. Now they waited. The red head could fell the shard of the darkness boring at the core of her being. It gave her access to the power that would be needed to survive what was coming. It would give her the power to do what she had to do. The only thing that she could do to escape the final death. As the looked out at the dying blackness that engulfed the last of the flickering realms, the red head knew that it was time. She touched that black core of cancerous entropy and reached out, to touch the whole of the Devourer. With infinite skill and patience she inverted the forces of entropy and the flickering remains of creation, and set into motion the events that would cause IT to occur. The energies clashed and collided, the inversion caused a cascade effect that shot through the entirety of EVERYTHING that remained. At the last extremity of all that dying energy, IT happened. The two of them screamed in unimaginable agony as the event of IT washed over the small, insignificant green jewel. The red head knew dead, she knew life, she could feel it all as it flowed through her. Desperately, the red head had tried to hold it together. The life energies woven into the green haven, frayed and buckled under the strain of the energies released by IT. The girl opened herself up to the fullness of the corruption within her. It felt its infection spreading throughout her, changing her, as she felt the green jewel tore from all the realities. She felt almost serene, as she felt all the dying energies flood into the void of darkness that she had become. The energies of IT fused within her, trapping her forever as she had know become. Her insane eyes opened and she watched calmly as all the realities that had ever been formed and changed under the last of the energies released by IT. She shielded the jewel easily against the little energy that remained. She looked out onto the glory of the new Multiverse that was forming from the shares of the very first. "Look," she said quickly to the form of her lover. "Oh, Kay look." Kay lifted her face from the lap of the red head and looked out onto the glory of the newly born firmament. "Oh," she sighed in wonder as she breathed in the glory of it all. Somehow she felt different, she felt more alive than she ever had. She felt the power of this new creation filled her. Somehow, she was part of it, and yet... her also was apart. Untouchable. "We survived didn't we," Kay asked her lover. "Yes, we did," the red head replied. "And the price?" the dark eyed girl asked. "Power, life, continuity. What do you feel Kay?" "I don't know... separated, untouchable, alive..." "Our place is gone, Kay. We do not belong here. We are alien to this creation, to this reality. Can't you feel it..." "Yes..." the girl whispered. "Immortal, unchanging, forever. I will love you forever. Do you hear me?" Her dark eyes flashed with the light of insanity. "Hahaha! I will love you forever!" "Yes Kay," the red head pulled the girl to her. She smiled, and her eyes went utterly black. "Forever..."