Groove Adventure Rave Fan Fiction ❯ Groove Adventure Rave: The Tenshi Quest ❯ The Temple: Resha's Heartbreak ( Chapter 8 )

A Groove Adventure Rave: The Tenshi Quest

By Adam Carr

Groove Adventure Rave and all related names are copyright of Kodansha and Konami.

No infringement is intended

Good lord, I updated! Yes, after a long absence, I got a new chapter up. And this one was one of the most difficult to do.

At the time I conceived this story, I had only read a few chapters of the Rave manga, and decided to make up my own version of Elie's past. Of course, much later on I read volume 12, which explained about Resha Valentime and the birth of Rave. It threw my idea off for a while, but I was determined to get it down, and stay true to the manga storyline.

So a word of warning. If you are NOT an expert or devout fan of Groove Adventure Rave, then don't read this and think it happened in the manga or anime. Some stuff did, but not all, this is just my imagining. If you want the real story about Resha and the creation of Rave, go and read volume 12 of the manga. (Tokyopop are doing the English version at last! Hurrah!) Otherwise, just read and enjoy.

If you are a Rave fan, then you'll know this isn't true. I just hope you feel this is an acceptable alternative to Volume 12.

But anyhow, enjoy, and sent your reviews and comments. I really enjoyed reading what I got for the last chapter, and look forward for your support!"

Rave sites:

www.kodanclub.com

www.tbs.co.jp/rave2001

mariasart.cjb.net

www.tokyopop.com

About five miles away, Elie awoke from the nap she had taken. Having walked all through the morning, She now felt a bit more rested.

But she still felt like utter scum.

"You did this so he would be safe." She told herself. "You did this because he didn't have to get involved."

She picked up her bag and began walking.

"You did this… because you love him."

And yet, as she walked across the green plains, she ached for him to be next to her. He could always come up with some soft of joke to make her laugh, or show off with his sword, or just talk to keep her mind on something. Already, she missed him.

She smiled. Last night was the closest she'd ever got to a man… at least as far as she could remember. When she'd discovered what that whole `chan' thing meant… she felt honoured. He called her something special, a nickname just for her. And lying on top of him, she'd sensed that maybe; he'd mirrored her thoughts. Her devotion to him.

Then she had ruined it all by hurting him. She seemed to do that to a lot of people.

But she began to wonder… wouldn't this hurt him more than just touching a sore rib?

"Haru will understand why I did it. Besides, he'll probably forgive me."

Would he?

She still had no idea how he felt about her. Did he still see her as a friend? What would he think of her? Had she ruined their friendship?

She felt back a tear, and looked at her belt, the words LOVE BELIEVER in pink.

No. She had to believe she could make it work with Haru.

But first she had to find herself.

Looking around, she realised she had walked a considerable distance. She prayed she was on the right direction. Her mother's note had said just keep going north and you'll know when you get there.

She continued on for several yards, when suddenly, she walked down a hill, and was met with the sight of a large plateau, which stretched for miles across the horizon. She growled in annoyance.

"If Haru was here, he could have asked Plue to give us a lift." She shook her head. She had to focus.

She walked up to the rock face. As she got closer, she felt a strange sensation, like static electricity. She moved closer… and collided with something.

She fell backwards, and rubbed her nose. Getting up, she stared at the stone wall. How had she walked into it?

She stepped forward, her hands outstretched. The electric sensation was stronger now. Her hands touched something solid. And it wasn't the wall.

She gasped as she realised she was pressing against some kind of invisible, transparent wall. She glared closer…. Now she could see some kind of blue colouring around the plateau. A force field.

"But what the hell is it doing here?" She thought aloud. She pushed against this wall only she could see… and felt it yield under her hands.

Her hands pushed through the blue haze. Pulling them out in alarm, she realised that she had left a hole.

She grinned, grasped both sides, and pulled the hole further apart. She was stunned, despite all her travels, she'd seen nothing like this. Was it magic or technology?

She stepped through the hole, and studied her surroundings. She then saw what looked like a small passageway, carved in the rock.

You'll know when you get there.

"Bloody Hell."

This came from Kady, who was hidden behind a nearby bush as he watched Elie press against the invisible barrier, then step through it.

He had gone searching area on foot, hoping to get any leads. He could have taken the helicopter, but he felt walking along, getting a feel of the land, served him better. Plus, anything to get away from Helix for a while. The man's cold nature was really starting to worry him now.

He'd spotted the girl purely by accident, and had spent the last few hours following her, being careful not to be seen.

He'd wondered why she was walking alone. Had she had a bust up with Glory? All the better for him. He did not want to face that loon.

Now he watched the girl walk into a tunnel in the rock. He grabbed his radio.

"Helix. You there?"

"Report."

"I've been following the girl. She's gone into some kind of cavern… with a barrier around it."

"Barrier? Like what?"

"I don't know!" The hunter huffed. "It must be magic or something. You'd better see it yourself."

"We'll key in on your location. Good work Kady. I believe we've found what we're looking for."

The radio went silent. Kady walked up to the plateau, and pushed his hands against it. Sure enough, he was pressing against thin air. He grunted and pushed harder, but nothing. He scratched his head. How the hell had she gotten in?

Back at Ethan's camper van, Haru had related the entire story up to now, between mouthfuls of cereal and bouts of anguish. His friends listened intently, both impressed by what he had done in the past days, and feeling his sorrow about Elie's vanishing act.

He swallowed another mouthful. "Okay, can we go look for her now?"

"Sheesh, slow down man." Musica said.

"Slow down!!? Elie-chan could be hurt or something, and you're telling me to slow down!!?"

Musica sweated. It was true what they said. Love makes you crazy.

Angela placed a hand on his shoulder. "Look Haru, we're all worried for her. But getting into a panic won't help anyone. Now you say that diary Elie found says the temple is near here. It can't be too hard to find. We just need to keep our cool and look carefully."

Plue peered in from the door of the camper. "Plus, Elie is capable of looking after herself. I know she'll be safe and she'll come back to us. So don't worry Master."

Haru sighed. "You guys always were smarter than me." He said humorously. "You're right. Griff, get the maps out. Maybe we can figure out the location from there."

"Excuse me…" Barked Griff. "But how the hell do you expect me to find some hidden temple of doom or whatever with no landmarks, no clues, and no…"

Plue stared the blob in the eye. "Stop whining and just give it your best shot, Kato."

Griff quivered and grabbed his maps. "Yes sir!" He slouched off mumbling some kind of curse. Plue smiled. He could get used to this.

Haru leaned back in the seat, a frown on his face. "You know what really burns me about this? That guy who let us out of the prison, probably knows what's going on. And the cowardly shumuck won't tell us!" He thumped the table.

"He does seemed concerned with keeping Elie safe." Ethan rubbed his chin. "How exactly has he been talking to you? Did he go straight to you and talk to you?"

Haru reached over for his bag, and pulled out the radio the man had given them on their first day. "No. He used this." He handed it to the mage.

"Hmmm. This is a short-range radio. You'd need to be fairly close for these to work, about 40 feet."

"He must have been watching us." Haru concluded. "Creepy. But Rave should have sensed him. How could he block away my senses? Only a Dark Bring user could do that."

"Strange." Ethan smiled. "But I think I know how we can flush this fellow into the open."

He stood up, but before Haru could respond, Ethan pushed him into the seat. "You finish that, you hear?" Motioning toward the cereal. "I'm sure Elie won't be happy if we let you collapse of hunger."

Haru grinned. "Nope, I doubt she would." He tucked into the meal again. Ethan stepped out.

"Plue, could I speak to you for a minute…?"

Plue followed the tall man, and Musica also stepped out. "I'd better help Griff. Knowing him, he'll lead us all the way to Hanoi."

Angela stayed, watching the Rave Master as he stared into the bowl of milk, as if trying to find something.

"Thinking of her again?"

"It's the only thing stopping me from slitting my wrists." Haru sighed. "I still can't believe she'd do this. I know she was worried for me, but this…"

"She cares for you Haru. A lot more than you seem to think."

He grinned again. "I guess you win your bet with Ethan."

"You're not a couple yet." She smirked. "Not until you say those three magical words."

"I have chocolate?" He laughed. "That would make her come running."

The two sniggered. Then Haru asked. "What was it like for you and Ethan? How did you realise you loved him?"

She stared up at the roof of the camper, remembering. "I dunno. We'd been together a lot, defending our home from Demon Card. Being close friends and partners and all that. It was like one day I knew, I had to be with him forever. And thankfully, he felt the same."

"Would you believe I had a dream that convinced me?" Haru said wistfully.

"A dream?" Angela scoffed.

"Hey!" He retorted, already picturing a certain beautiful brunette. "It was a real eye opener."

"Well, here's what you wanted." Kady gestured toward the rocky wall.

Helix, Willis and Gala watched as the hunted pushed against the force field. "But I'm stumped as to how she got past this… whatever."

Helix stared closer. If he squinted just right, he could see the blue haze surrounding the area.

He could also see a large opening in the blue haze. No doubt left by the girl.

He smiled. He was closer now.

Elie stepped slowly through the dark passageway, using her hands on the sides to guide her.

She was shaking with excitement. Here, she knew, the answers she sought were here.

"I'll find my past.. and I can go back to Haru-maki!" She thought, the biggest grin ever on her face.

At last, she reached the outside. Blinking in the bright sun, she looked around her, and gasped.

She had emerged into a wide valley, a grassy land set between tow high outcrops. Rock surrounded her on all sides, with trees lining the stone at the bottom. A wide expanse of flat land floored the place…

And in the centre, was the strangest building Elie had ever seen. It was a large, oval shaped structure, coated in dark blue paint and with windows on the front end or it. In Elie's mind, it looked somewhat like a giant M+M.

"If this is full of chocolate, I shall die a very happy girl." She chuckled to herself.

Suddenly, she realised just how quiet it was. The wind had stopped blowing, and there was an eerie silence. She felt like she was the only person who had stood here in a long time. She felt terribly alone.

But at the same time, a new sensation filled her. It was like the one she felt whenever she had used the Etherion magic, but subtler. More like a warm caress than just a jolt of lighting. The more she concentrated, the stronger it felt.

"Is this place… linked with the Etherion?"

Only one way to find out. She walked toward the temple. As she got closer, she could see that the building was at an odd angle, that one side was buried deeper into the ground. It was like someone had just dropped the thing out of the sky.

She shook her head at the notion. She spotted a small path leading to a door on the side.

There appeared to be no handle or opening device, just a small dark square. On impulse, she touched the square with the palm of her hand. It creaked open.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside.

About ten minutes after Elie had walked inside, four figures emerged from the passageway. They looked around their new surroundings with surprise and satisfaction. Willis gave a low whistle, Gala gasped, Kady gave his usual "Bloody Hell!" and Helix just smiled, pleased that this would soon be over.

He eyed the structure known as the temple. He snickered, wondering if she knew what this really was. Then he saw the door was open.

So she was here. Good. It would be easy to take care of two tasks at once. But something was nagging him.

Glory. He had not been seen with the girl, but he knew he couldn't be far away. He would no just leave her to her own devices. No, he'd get here sooner or later.

And then Helix's grandest achievement would occur. The defeat of the man who destroyed Dark Bring.

Willis got straight into his face. "Well, I'm sorry I doubted you." He pointed toward the oval building. "This is fantastic. Imagine all the technology inside there!"

"Technology? I thought you said this was a temple." Kady asked. "Strangest damn temple I've ever seen."

"So, shall we get the girl and start unloading what we came for?" Willis said excitedly.

"Not yet."

"What do you mean, not yet?" The gangster raged.

"Glory is still out there, and I get the feeling that he'll be here soon. We'll wait for him, and once he's gone, there'll be nothing to get in our way now, or in the near future."

"You cannot be serious!" Willis started toward the temple, but Helix restrained him.

"We wait." He said icily.

Willis scowled and sat on a rock.

"Good plan boss." Kady said. "But maybe I should go in and get the girl. You know, use her as a hostage."

"Do that, and nothing else." The swordsman instructed.

Kady nodded, and ran toward the entrance of the temple. As soon as he got within a foot of it though, it slammed shut."

"The hell!" Kady thumped on the door. Helix sighed. He should have known the sensors would still be working…

"This is impossible!" Griff moaned. "I mean, there's absolutely nothing of interest for miles around."

"Don't worry Griff." Ethan assured. "If our friend is calling soon, it may make our job easier."

The group were waiting around the camper, looking as if they were wondering where to go, or helping Griff out with his maps. Haru knew better though. They were waiting for the mystery man to call.

He looked at the radio anxiously. Every minute they waited here, he knew Elie was getting further away. Fear locked his heart.

What if he never saw her again?

Suddenly, the radio crackled to life. Haru jumped, almost dropping it. Everyone crowded around him. He looked to Ethan, who mouthed, "Stall him."

Haru spoke into the device. "You there?"

"Yes indeed, Mr Glory." The deep voice responded.

Haru noticed that Ethan was now going into some kind of trance, breathing slowly. He had no idea what his plan was, but had to continue.

"Alright pal. Enough playing around." He barked as sternly as possible. "Where the hell is she?"

"How would I know?"

"You know where she's going. And you know how to get there. You've known all along!"

The voice remained cool. "It would have been too dangerous to tell you the location."

"For her, or for you?" Haru spat. "Why don't you tell me where this temple is?"

"It is of no concern to you."

"She is all my concern!"

"If you're not going to see this rationally, then good….."

Suddenly, there was an ear-splitting cry of pain over the radio. Haru dropped it, and realised that the scream was not just over the radio, but in the air as well.

He turned to Ethan, but the mage was holding his hands over his head, his face etched in fierce concentration. Angela was holding her lover.

"What's he doing?" Haru asked quickly.

"He's found the guy's mind and is attacking his mind psychically. Hurry up and find him, he can't hold this long!"

Angela eased Ethan down into a kneeling position. Now realising he had the mystery man stunned, He started running in the direction of the screaming voice, Musica close behind.

Following the sound of the cries, they approached a bush. Readying their weapons, the two looked behind the shrub. The man was there, dressed the same as Haru had seen him before, with the black cloak obscuring his face. He lay on the ground, writhing in pain for a bit before coming to a stop.

"Brutal." Musica breathed, glancing back at the camper. "Come on. Let's tie this joker up and….

Without warning, the man flipped his legs up and whacked Haru and Musica simultaneously. As they fell, he effortlessly jumped to his feet, and was about to run off…..

"BAAANNNNNNNZAAAAAAAIIII!!!!"

The war cry came from Griff, who jump out from nowhere and attached himself the man's face. He grabbed the blob and stumbled around, trying to pull him off. Griff hung on bravely, but was yanked off and thrown away with a wail. The man turned to see Haru and Musica back on their feet.

"Going so soon?" The dark haired man taunted.

The man in black didn't respond. Instead, he just closed his eyes, as if in concentration. Haru took a step closer.

Suddenly, the man was surrounded by a white haze, which flickered around him like fire. The two friends watched in amazement as a pair of feathered wings, coloured brown and white, materialised from out of nowhere on his back.

Haru's mouth dropped open. He'd seen magic in his time, but this…. Was like nothing he'd ever seen before.

The white light died away, and the man took off into the air. Still stunned by the sight, Haru and Musica stared. He reached ten feet up in the air…

Then Plue flew in, and slammed into him, driving him into the ground. He held the figure down with his paws.

Haru and Musica walked up. "Good work Plue." Haru praised his friend.

He narrowed his eyes on the cloaked man, who made no struggle to get away. Haru reached for his face, but was stopped when he saw the wings disappear. He then grabbed the cloak and pulled it off.

The man looked surprisingly normal. An aged face of about fifty, but still with strong, defined features. His eyes, below the shock of black hair, showed little emotion.

"Well Mr Glory, I must commend you. You and your friends are more cunning than I thought." He spoke calmly.

Haru glanced back over his back to see Griff shuffling over in a daze, and Angela supporting Ethan as he walked slowly, still reeling from his psychic attack.

"Where is she?" He growled at the man.

He snickered. "You could do with learning some manners."

"You son of a …."

Musica grasped his hand. "Take it easy! This isn't helping!" Haru stared in anger at his friend, but cooled down.

Griff moved forward. "Alright buddy. You'd better start talking, or my pals here may get a bit angry. Who are you, what do you want, where's Elie, and most of all…." He paused for dramatic effect. "How did you do that thing with the wings?"

"Griff!" Musica shouted.

"What? It's a valid question. Those wings were cool!"

"He's got a point." Angela spoke. "I've never seen any magic like that."

They all looked at the man, who gave a small smile.

"Well, you've got me where you want me, so I guess I've got no choice but to confide in you. If you'll tell your friend to get off Me.." He motioned his head at Plue.

"No way!" Haru said.

The man sighed. "I know this is difficult for you. I know how much you care for her. But you must trust me. I am on your side."

Haru thought for a few more seconds, before saying "Alright Plue. Get off him."

The beast stepped off, and the man got up and dusted himself off.

"Now then" His face turned serious "My name is Ricter Breeze. I'm the guardian of the Temple of the Tenshi… and as for the wings, well I'm not quite from around here…."

Elie walked slowly through the dark corridors, her feet tapping on the steel floor. If she was nervous before, she was utterly terrified now. Something was going to happen here. Whether it would be good or bad, she didn't know. But she could feel the anticipation all the way up her body. Something would happen.

A dim light filled the wide corridor was walking through now, casting the walls in a dark silver. The curved walls all had hidden doors on them, but whenever she had opened them and peered inside, she had found only rooms of a mundane nature. Small bedrooms with bunk beds, a few with pictures on the walls, magazines on the stands and clothes left in the closets. All made in some metal Others rooms such as a kitchen, a galley, a navigational room filled with a large computer, all with odd looking devices like nothing she'd seen before. It confused her. She'd seen arrangements like this before, but where?

She found a sign, written in the mystic language only she could read. In one direction, it read `OPS, MEDITATION, MEMORY STORE.', the other read `COMMUNICATION, BRIDGE.'

Bridge? Did this mean… She jogged in the direction and opened a door into a large room. Several computers and monitors were around the wall. A chair sat in the centre, behind two seats with what looked like futuristic steering wheels in front. She looked out of the massive window, the one she had seen outside, and understood.

This was no temple. It was an Airship, like the one Musica had.

But this was one weird looking airship. How the hell was it supposed to fly? And why would you call it a temple anyway? And why was it protected by a force field?

Elie rubbed her head. Trying to find the pieces of Rave had been sooooo much simpler.

She walked out and looked at the sign again. `MEMORY STORE' one direction pointed. That word spoke volumes to her. Memory was something precious to everyone. Even when things got bad, you could always look to the past to guide you, to remind you of what you had, what you could achieve, or what made you happy. It defined everything about you. It made you a person.

That's all she wanted. To be a proper person.

She walked down the corridor and reached the room. Opening the door, she peered in, and was surprised at what she saw.

On one wall of the circular room, was a large storage unit with hundreds of drawers. In the centre was a small round desk, black in colour, with four headsets, which looked like they belonged to a virtual reality game, and four CD disk drives built inside.

She reached down her top and extracted the small disk she had found in Lina's… her house.

Her hand was trembling. This was it.

She inserted the disk, watched it spin, and then placed on one the headsets over her eyes. It was black with them on, and as she heard the disk load, she expected a small movie to play before her eyes.

Instead, a brief flash blinded her for a second, then suddenly… she was on the bridge.

She looked around astonished. How had she gotten here? And… where had these people come from?

For there were now people stationed at the computers. They all wore similar, boiler suit like uniforms. Two were sat at the controls she had seen earlier, while one, wearing a peaked hat, sat in the large chair in the centre, with an intense look on his face.

Then she saw the window, and gasped. Instead of the meadow, there was a large black expanse, decorated with glittering stars, and the green orb that was Earth.

"WHAT'S GOING ON?!!!" She screamed.

No one looked at her. It seemed no one had heard her. She grabbed the nearest person, but saw her hands go straight through him, like mist. She jumped back in shock, clueless as to what was happening. But one thing was clear. This temple had been no airship.

It had been a spaceship.

Suddenly, the ship rocked, and Elie felt herself fall to the floor. She looked up, and saw a vicious looking, black spaceship floating in the window.

"This can't be real."

She watched, as two red streaks darted toward the black ship and struck it. A massive explosion rocked it, and it began to fall toward the planet. The people cheered in victory.

Then a missile shot out of the black ship as it fell, and hit the window. The force of the blast threw the girl against the wall.

Her eyes were closed for a while, as she fought back the pain, then she opened them. And wished she hadn't.

The window was filled with the sight of the Earth, its green lands and oceans. They were crashing!

As G-forces took hold of her and pushed her against a wall, she shut her eyes tight, wishing this nightmare was over. The pushing was getting stronger, and she felt it getting warmer…

Then like that, it all went quiet.

She opened her eyes. She was no longer in the bridge.

Standing up, she saw that she was in a large room with white walls, and mats on the floor. A few swords and other weapons were hung on the walls.

It was totally quiet, save for her breathing. She sensed someone nearby, and looked to the front of the room.

Four people, barely her age were kneeling on the mats, looking as if they were meditating. And in front of them, knelt also… was Resha.

"AN ALIEN?!!" Griff squawked.

"Yes." Ricter Breeze replied coolly.

"You're telling me that you're from another planet? And that Elie is also from there?" The blob laughed. "I haven't heard a pile of crap that big since he told me he's the Rave Master!"

Haru and Plue stared him down.

"Which I didn't believe at the time, but I do now. So maybe you are a real alien." He stammered.

"Are you serious?!" Musica accused. "You look nothing like an alien."

"Typical misconception." Ricter said. "Were you expecting a little green man?"

He then took off his cloak and scarf., showing a toned body in a black jumper. The group watched him warily.

"I know I look human, but trust me, I'm not. Look carefully." He slowly turned his body in a circle, arms outstretched. "Do you see or sense any magical items or tools, any Dark Brings or anything like that?"

"No." Ethan replied.

"Then how, am I able to do this?"

With a flash of light, the wings appeared on his back again. He jumped high in the air, did several back flips, and gently descended to the ground.

The group looked at him in confusion. He waited for their reaction.

"No way." Haru breathed. "When you did that… I felt the same energy Elie has." He looked up. "Etherion."

"Well, if that's what you want to call it."

Elie watched as Resha breathed in and out in a sort of pattern, the students in front of her copying her. All their eyes were shut in deep concentration.

The silence was soothing, after the panic on the bridge.. if she had been on it at all. It was occurring to Elie that this was some kind of virtual reality type machine. But it felt like she was really here. She had felt the ship move and fall. She could feel the cool in the room.

Suddenly, a familiar sensation tugged at her senses. She looked again at Resha, and gasped. A white glowing fire was surrounding her body, yet she remained still.

"Etherion!" So Resha had it too. Then she felt the force grow stronger. Looking around, she could now see the four kneeling people beginning to glow too.

How was this possible? A power as strong as Etherion, in all these people?

The glowing continued for several minutes, before the light died from Resha, the others following. She looked up at them, a slight sheen of sweat on her face.

"Well done everyone." She called out. "Same time tomorrow, we'll begin practicing how to use your charged up energy.

Elie stood dumbfounded as the four students got up and walked past her to the exit, not knowing her presence.

It was just her and Resha now, and the girl was picking herself up when a old man, looking frail with a skinny body, but with wizened eyes, walked in. His long robes shuffled on the floor. To her surprise, Elie thought he looked like Alpine, one of the four Azure Knights who had guarded the pieces of Rave so long ago. As soon as Resha spotted him, she bowed her head.

"Elder Alpine."

The old man chuckled. "Why do you do that every time I come in for a quick visit? You can save the formalities for when you need them."

"Sorry. Force of habit." Resha grinned.

"I just came over to see how your sessions were going."

"Oh fantastic. The students are really coming along."

Alpine frowned. "I sense you're not that all pleased."

She sighed. "It's just, I kinda feel I'm forcing them to embrace their Ki powers. Most of them are half the age when I learnt to control my aura. I worry they may not be able to cope."

"I know, dear. But we cannot stop them if they wish to fight."

"They shouldn't have to fight." She looked up tiredly. "This planet is so full of conflict. Even if the Diemen hadn't followed us, we would have to battle this Dark Bring."

Alpine held her shoulder. "But I'm still glad you decided to help out. I understand it couldn't have been easy these past few months. It's hard enough accepting you are the Hikari, never mind that we're cut off from our home world and stuck on this planet."

"Oh I don't mind this place." The girl replied gaily. "The good people here are really nice, and the country is gorgeous. Plus, they really like music here."

The old man chuckled. "Dancing again tonight? I swear, your feet act independently from your body."

And the two walked out of the room chuckling, leaving Elie bewildered.

Was it possible…. Resha was from outer space? It sounded just too stupid, and yet, the clues were there.

But there was no time to ponder more, as she was whisked away to another setting….

"So what planet ARE you from?" Angela directed to man now sitting in the back of the camper. Haru, Musica, Plue and Griff were seated around the small table, and Ethan was driving.

"A distant world, known as Tenshionna. In a distant galaxy about 30 million light years from here."

Everyone looked at him with slight scepticism, but now no one could deny he was telling the truth. Except maybe Griff.

"Riiiight." The blob drawled. "And on this wonderous planet, you all have wings and Etherion magic."

"Correct."

"WHA??!"

Ricter straightened up. "The wings are part of our biological makeup. They remain hidden until we activate our Ki, or Etherion as you call it. Then our bodies transform, much like what you did to Plue back in La Razza."

"So your… people all have this Ki?"

"Indeed. We draw it from the Earth."

Haru's eyebrows raised. "The Earth?"

Ricter gestured at the sky from the window. "Every planet has a life force, if you will. A force powered by all the life around it. In return, it channels its power back."

Everyone looked at him oddly. Griff sniggered.

"I realise it's hard to believe." The man replied. " On our world, we have yet to fully understand where it comes from, or how our bodies absorb it. It could be nature, it could be spiritual, it could be anything. But all of you have some form of magic. Don't you ever feel… connected to the Earth somehow?"

Haru thought hard on that one. He had a point. Ever since Rave had awakened in his palm that fateful day Shiba gave it to him, he had felt more alert to his surroundings. Whenever he powered the stone up, it seemed he could feel every small ripple of wind, hear every footstep. His very being felt on edge, and could move in a heartbeat. Yet it all felt natural. He wasn't sure if that was what Ricter meant, but it seemed a good answer.

He realised Ricter was staring at him.

"I imagine you feel it more than most. After all, Rave is powered by Etherion."

Haru nodded. Whoever this Ricter was, he knew a lot. "Yeah, Sieghart, the Time Master said something about that. That Resha was the one who created it. How did that happen?"

"I'll come to that in due time."

"What I want to know is…" Musica said. "What are you doing here?"

"You mean, why am I following Elie, or what am I doing on this planet?" Ricter smiled

"Well, both!" The silversmith snapped. "I'd appreciate it if you just came out with it instead of this mumbo jumbo."

Ricter frowned slightly. Haru got the impression he took this `Ki' thing very seriously, and wasn't pleased with Musica insulting it.

"As I said, our planet is far from here, but in recent years, we had begun exploring space. We had met with several other planets and made allegiances.

Then, about over 50 years ago, we had created a new type of warp-drive engine…."

"Oh this ought to be good." Griff quipped.

Ignoring him "… one that could jet us across light years in just a few months. So, after our first test run, we choose our first destination, and it happened to be Earth. About 40 people were on that ship, including me, at two years old, and my family"

"You were gonna land there?" Haru asked.

"Actually, we intended to just watch you for a while. We saw you had no means of space travel yet, and felt our presence would have brought some unforeseen consequences."

His face turned grave. "Unfortunately, we had not travelled alone. A ship had tagged us and followed along our vapor trail. And it was our greatest enemies."

Haru felt tense. "Who?"

"The Diemen. They engaged in a pitched battle with us, which resulted in both our ships crashing on Earth. Where they landed, we don't know, but after we had landed, with few casualties, we found our engines were damaged beyind repair."

"So… you were stuck here?" Haru's mind was racing now. He was thinking of the massive stones in the museum Elie was trying to translate when they first met. It felt like weeks ago, but the story written on the stones….

"It says that long ago, two meteorites struck the earth. One was light coloured, and contained people from the stars. The other released demons, which plagued the earth. The people from the stars helped the humans and drove the demons back, then they protected the earth ever since."

It was true.

"With no means to get back into space, and no way to repair the ship with the limited technology." He gave a sigh. "So we decided to make our home here."

"Wait!" Musica spoke. "You all lived in this spaceship?"

"No, we assimilated ourselves into the general population. We were on a new world for the rest of our lives, no point in just staying in one place." Ricter said jovialy. "Why, you may have passed on of our desendants in the street and not known it."

Musica just sat silent, stunned with this revelation. Angela, Ethan and Griff were dumbfounded as well.

Ricter noticed Haru still looked the same. "You seem to be taking this well."

Haru gave a half-hearted grin. "Well, when you've seen as much as I've seen, you learn how to handle this stuff. Besides, it sounds like a normal thing to do. Like this manga I read about this family who get stranded on a desert island. They can't get off, so they learn to live there." He shook his head. "Sure, the whole alien thing is weird, but hey, it's what anyone would do."

Ricter smiled. "You're wiser than I gave you credit for."

"But you kept coming back to your ship?" The Rave Master questioned.

"Yep. Obviously, a few of us remained to guard the ship from prying eyes, but after a while, it became our gathering place. A sort of anchor to our old way of life. We went there to train in combat, practice our Ki skills, and teach future generations about our heritage." He chuckled. "Some kids called it our temple, and the name just stuck….."

If she'd had heard it anywhere else, Elie would have dismissed it as a joke. But she was really here, in this virtual world, seeing with her own eyes what Resha's life was like. She still found it hard to grasp that she, and the others around this place, were from another planet.

But yet, she had been led by some invisible force around this crashed spaceship, seen the people go about different duties. Some were learning martial arts, others meditating, but generally, just communing in peace and harmony.

As she walked about this place, she was able to walk in on some sort of lesson, where the older Alpine was teaching several young children about their real planet, Tenshionna.

She thought it was an odd name, but sitting there and listening, she learnt that Resha's home seemed a nice place. Pictures showed that it was not too different from Earth in terms of things like terrain. Except for the crystals that grew from the ground, which collected solar energy that the Tenshi used to power their world.

Tenshionna was a peaceful world, only fighting when deemed necessary, It was certainly reflected in the way the locals would train vigorously on the grass outside the temple.

She now sat on this grass, which felt comfortable whether it was real or not, and looked around her. What a serene place this must have been.

Elie still had questions. How exactly did she fit into all this? Where were these people now?

But for now, she felt calmer and more at peace than she had felt for a long time.

"Haru would have loved this place." She thought, her feelings taking a small fall.

Then suddenly, the temple, and everyone around her disappeared, and were replaced with several small houses. She jumped up and looked around.

It was a small village, houses made almost entirely out of wood, and all in some sort of classical style, simpler but better to look at than the modern homes of the present. She was confused, what was this about?

She knew the Tenshi had come to live in normal houses. Was there one here?

She heard a door open behind her, and spun round to see a man exit a small house. A tall, good looking fellow, dressed in a light armoured vest and black slacks. He smoothed his slicked back hair, and looked around, as if expecting someone.

"Hey Tobias!" Another man ran up to join him. This on was skinnier, with a shock of brown hair.

"'Bout time you got here Shiba." The tall man said jovially.

Elie gasped. It was Shiba! The first Rave Master. And…. Tobias Landen. The man who had written the diary that had led her here.

She watched, totally in awe, as the two engaged in idle chat.

"So Shiba, ready to get your butt whipped again?" Tobias reached on his back and produced a small rapier sword. "You could do with some practice."

"All I need to practice is my witty put downs." Shiba laughed. "Tell me oh master swordsman, exactly how many woman has this extensive training wooed yet?"

"Oh shut up. Just cause you've got women lining up for you…"

Elie sniggered. It was funny to see this kind of behaviour from the lengendary hero. She saw it a lot in Haru and Musica.

Suddenly, there was a small explosion. Elie spun around to see a gang of armour clad men setting fire to several houses. People were running and screaming in panic.

Elie reached for her guns, then remembered that this wasn't real. She huffed, then watched as Tobias and Shiba leapt forward into attack.

The two struck and fended of their enemies with fantastic combat skills. They beat down the first few men easily, but one leapt at Tobias and floored him. The attacker moved closer, and Elie suddenly flinched in fear. This man, real or not, had some kind of evil aura around him. It felt cold, heartless.

It felt the same as Helix, when he had attacked Haru.

Then she heard a pounding of footsteps, and looked right to see a large tanchimo (rabbit shaped beast of burden) racing toward the two fighters.

The rider jumped off, and in a fluid moment, landed and unleashed a hard kick to the thug on top of Tobias.

Then she turned around and, with a small knife, cut the bodies of two more behind her. Elie was stunned when she saw who it was.

"Resha could fight too!??"

Shiba and Tobias watched as the rest of the gang ran away. They then turned their attention to the woma clad in a leather shirt and top who had just saved them. They looked in awe, either at her fighting prowess or her beauty.

"Are you okay?" She asked. "They seemed to be getting on top of you, so I stepped in."

The two stared at her for several minutes more, before she got annoyed.

"Are you going to speak or not?"

Tobias jolted out of his trance. "Wha.. sorry!" He rubbed the back of his head. "I was kinda dazed there.."

"He didn't hurt you, did he?" Resha stepped closer. Tobias struggled to maintain his composure.

Shiba smirked. "Yeah he's alright. A skull of iron, he's got." He positioned himself between the two. I'm Shiba, a pleasure to meet you…"

After than, Elie was whisked from one scenario to another, each one seeing Resha getting closer to Tobias and Shiba. She saw when Shiba followed them thinking they were on a date, only to inadvertently come to the temple. Fortunately, the Elders allowed him to hang around and join in their training, provided he kept silent.

After Shiba atarted training with Tobias, Elie could see a rivaly building between the two friends, as they both fought for Resha'a attention. It made Elie laugh, to see these two warriors try to one-up each other in giving gifts to her and trying to impress her.

But then it got nasty. The two were sent out to battle the minions of Dark Bring who were attacking the town of Symphonia. They barely survived, which led Resha to go into a deep funk.

The scene changed to Resha's house. The girl sat in her room, various books with strange text and diagrams spread out. Looking around the small room, Elie saw a small box with blankets within. Peeking into it, she was shocked to see…. Plue. Smaller and younger, but definitely the same Plue.

A noise was heard, and she and Resha looked up to see Shiba climb in through the window.

She smiled. "Don't you ever use the door?"

"Now where's the fun in that?" He laughed, settling onto the bed. He watched her, her face slightly anguished.

"You only snuck in because you thought Tobias was here." She said accusingly. "Honestly, I wish you too would stop fighting over me. It's ridiculous. I love you both."

She sighed. "I wish everyone would just stop fighting."

Shiba moved closer and held her shoulders. "I sorry if I've come on too strong." His voice then started stuttering. "I..It's just that I…I care for you a lot"

Resha smiled at him. To Elie it was the cutest thing she'd ever seen.

"I know you do. Believe me, I find all this worship you put on me rather flattering."

She sighed and leaned back on her chair. Shiba studied her face.

"You've been depressed for a few days now. What's up?"

"This stupid Dark Bring." She moaned. "It's getting more powerful everyday. Soon even we won't be able to stop it." She pointed to her notes. "I know our Ki energy could destroy it, but none of us is strong enough to do it. Plus, it takes too long to meditate and charge up our power anyway. Even I havn't got enough power."

"Don't get upset." Shiba said calmly. "Together, we're stronger than Dark Bring."

"But what if it's not enough?" Resha replied. "That's when I got thinking."

She grabbed one of her books. "I've been reading up on magic from this world. And I'm convince that if I could combine the magic of this land to my power…." She stopped. "Oh it sounds impossible…."

"The impossible may be what we need to stop Dark Bring." Shiba took her hand. Showing he was willing to listen.

"Well…" She said in a uneasy voice. "I thought… I could create an opposite of Dark Bring."

"An opposite?"

"Yeah… If Dark Bring is powered by the dark energies of the Earth, then maybe I could create something that could be powered by the light energies. Something that could draw Ki like we do, only amplify it." She shook her head. "But it sounds so impossible."

She bowed her head, but Shiba lifted her chin so she would look at him.

"If you know how to do it, then you have to try. You've little to lose… and a lot to gain."

She perked up slightly. "You're right. I'll ask Elder Alpine about it tomorrow." She shook slightly. "But I'm kinda scared. What if something goes wrong?"

Shiba laughed. "Please. You're the Hikari. With all that magic you've been studing, there's no way you can hurt yourself."

"I'm worried if I hurt you or Tobias. Or Plue."

"Plue?" Shiba had never heard this name before.

"Oh! You havn't met him yet." Smiling, she reached for the box where the creature was, and gently lifted it towards her friend. Shiba peered into it.

"The Hell!!?" He jumped backwards. "What is it!?"

"Calm down, it won't hurt you." She sighed. "This is a baby creature who was born from an animal we took with us from Tenshionna. He was only born two days ago."

Shiba looked closer at the odd creature. It looked like a sort of dog, but the head…

"Shouldn't it be with it's mother?" He asked.

"She died giving birth to him." Her eyes turned sad. "Poor little thing. The only one of its kind in this world. Could you imagine if that was you?"

"Scary." Shiba breathed. "Hey, he looks like a dog. Maybe I ca teach him some tricks."

"Wait till he's older. His eyes havn't opened yet…"

And the idle talk continued. In the corner of the room, Elie watched. This tale was getting truly amazing.

The next day, Resha would create Rave.

Haru touched the powerful stone which hung on his neck. "So Resha created Rave. But how exactly? Shiba never told me how she could control all that magic."

"I imagaine he never told you, as it is one of our most priceless secrets." Ricter replied. He watched the other move closer, all eager to hear the origin of Rave. Except Plue, who had his small head bowed in concentration. Ethan stopped the camper, and turned round in his seat to hear.

"You see, Resha was different from the rest of us." He clasped his hands. "You remember what I told you about our Ki. We draw in from the Earth and sources of magic such as water, fire and such, like you do."

Ethan and Angela nodded their assent.

"Resha was different. She could create her own magic, without drawing it from a source."

Everyone absorbed this information for a second, before Haru spoke. "You mean… she generated magic within her?"

"Exactly! It's a complete mystery how she did it, but she was the most powerful of all of us." The man stared out of the window. "In our culture, there is a legend, that in every generation, a person would be born with total unity to Ki energy, the Hikari. He or She would lead the fight against evil."

His head then lowered. "We believed Resha was the Hikari. "

"Wow…" Haru breathed, "The fate of the world on her shoulders. Sounds familiar."

"These Diemen…. They were your enemy right?" Musica asked.

"Yes. A race of despots hellbent on conquring anyone in their path. They had decimated several worlds, and back home, we were only just able to keep them from invading our galaxy. On this world of course, they tooka back seat to Dark Bring, as there was so few of them from their ship. But they made their presense very clear. They would attack small towns and try to take over any land Dark Bring hadn't already claimed. They were totally subversive though, staying in the shadows and gaining power secretly. They refused to ally themselves with Dark Bring, thank goodness. I imagine their pride wouldn't let them work with others."

Musica snorted. "Huh, sounds like a bunch of bullies, just like Demon Card. Can't imagine they were hard to beat."

" Don't underestimate them. They are the most ruthless creatures, beyond anything you've ever fought. They are still around today." Ricter said grimly. "Apart from a few isolated incidents, trying to take over countires and stuff like that, they disappeared soon after Dark Bring was defeated. "

Haru then decided to voice the question that was now bugging him… but it sounded so stupid. "Is… is Shiro Gear an alien?"

Ricter's brows furrowed. "That's the name of his host body now…?"

"Host what!!?"

"The Diemen are parasitic beings. Their bodies are fragile, and as such, they need a host body to inhabit."

The gang's eyes widened. "Are you telling us these things POSSESS other people!!?" Angela cried.

"Yes. They merge their bodies with whatever body is nearby, and take control of it. What's more, they instantly learn any skills or memories that host has. I imagine that's what happen to the pilot of the mech back in Platiax. After taking his memories, the Diemen would be able to operate the mech. And no doubt this Shiro Gear was taken as well."

"Th…. That's sick!" Angela blurted out. "How can they just make someone into a puppet?"

"Easily. They have hardly any morals." Ricter sighed. "And Helix is one of the worst. He was there from the start, and prides himself on obtaining the best and most powerful bodies. He took several of the best warriors from the towns and Dark Bring."

Haru stared at the man, his mind in total shock. He believed what he heard, but right now, even this sounded impossible to his brain. Body snatchers? Another being in Shiro Gear's body? This was no enemy he'd ever faced. And it scared him.

"Okay….. I still don't see how Elie comes into this."

"We'll get to that. I just want you to understand first…"

Elie looked around the clearing outside the temple, where she had now ended up. It was night time, the only light coming from large halogen lights which had been positioned in a circle formation, lighting the centre of the clearing. She could see several people just around the circle of light, watching in anticipation of something. Alpine was standing sedately, while the young man next to him whistled inanely. Elie noticed this man looked more like the Alpine she and Haru had met while looking for Rave. The elder jabbed him in the ribs.

"For heaven's sake son, this is important. Try to look interested!"

The man straightened his posture. Juat then, a small boy of about eight ran up the the older Alpine.

"Is Resha gonna do her magic?" He asked excitedly.

"I hope so Ricter."

Tobias and Shiba stood nearby, looking worried. Shiba held the small Plue in his arms.

Then all eyes turned on the slim woman who entered the circle, Resha, wearing a thin white dress. She walked up to Alpine. The crowd spoke in hushed tones.

"Are you sure you wish to do this child?" Alpine asked, concern in his voice.

"As sure as I've ever been."

Alpine reached into his robes, and produced a small cloth bag. He placed it in her hands.

"I cut them in the shape you asked…"

"Good…." She sighed. "Well, here goes."

She walked into the centre of the circle and knelt down. Elie held her breath. Whatever Resha was about to do to create Rave, it was sure to be something to watch.

She noticed that there was now total silence, the people around utterly silent.

Resha took out five small crystals from the bag, four circle shaped, and one in the shape of a sword. She placed them at her knees, and closed her eyes. Her breathing became deeper.

She waved her arms over the stones, and Elie could see a white-green glow surround her body. It looked like a gentle colour at first, merely surrounding her body.

Then she began to chant, her voice calling out loud in an odd language that sounded like nothing on Earth. The white light surrounding her grew in intensity, until it looked like she was on fire. Yet she didn't seem to be in pain. She continued on her task, and Elie could see the white fire flow from her fingers and into the stones, which glowed of their new power.

The light surrounding the girl was getting brighter, and many people started to shield their eyes. Tobias and Shiba strained their eyes to look at Resha. They could see that her body was now shaking, as if unable to take the forse of her magic any more.

"RESHA!" Tobias and Shiba cried out in unison. They ran toward her, Plue still in Shiba's arms. Alpine called for them to stop, but they didn't hear.

They reached her, and as they touched her, the white fire burst out and surrounded them, shining so brightly, even Elie had to shield her eyes. And she knew this wasn't real.

The light faded away quickly, revealing the three. Tobias and Shiba lay flat on their backs, Resha in between them. Shiba got up, and checked over his friends. As the others helped them up, Shiba noticed two things.

One, he held a sword shaped stone in his hand, which glowed with a strong power.

Two, Plue was standing on his lap, with his eyes wide opened. He walked up Shiba's chest, and gave a small yap. As if to say hello.

"What the hell…."

He looked at Resha. She looked tired, but managed to give a smile.

"It looks like Holy Bring has chosen you."

"Holy Bring?" Haru questioned.

"Yes, that was the proper name for Rave." Ricter explained. "But Shiba gave it that name from Resha's initials, to remember her."

Haru mulled on that. "ReshA ValentinE…. Ah!"

"She created Rave just like that?" Angela said. "Sounds impossible."

"Almost, but not impossible. Call it a fluke or fate, but Resha managed to get all that magic and her Ki energy to join together. And in the resulting fusion, it somehow bonded to Plue and Shiba.

Haru glanced at Plue. The small creature was looking out the window at the passing scenary, his eyes in a cast away look. As if he could now remember that day, the day he became the guardian of Rave.

"So, Shiba was the first Rave Master."

Ricter chuckled. "Yes, and not everyone was happy about it. We all thought one of our warriors would be the master, not an outsider. But Shiba proved to be excellent for the task." He sighed. "It was sad to see him go…."

Elie followed Tobias as he walked up to Shiba, who stood in the training room. The warrior was dressed in combat armour, a familiar looking sword on his back alongside his backpack.

"Nice blade." The taller man commented. Shiba grinned.

"Indeed. I got this guy called Musica to do it. I can channel Holy Bring's power though it."

He pulled it of his back and showed it to him. Tobias noted the name `Eisonmeteor'.

"Well, it looks like you're all set. You've got those pals of yours…" His brow furrowed in thought "Deerhound, Clea, whats his face… Alpine Junior and I are along for the ride… Dark Bring doesn't stand a chance!"

Shiba replaced his sword and stared his friend in the eye. "Correction. Alpine's coming. You're not."

"Wuh!!?"

"I want you to stay here for Resha."

Tobias was about to protest, but Shiba spoke first. "Look man, I don't know whats gonna happen out there. Maybe I'll stop Dark Bring, maybe I won't. But what ever happens, I want to make sure Resha isn't alone." His head bowed slightly. "I care for her… but I get the feeling she likes you more."

"Yeah right!" Tobias retorted. "She likes you better."

Shiba shook his head. "Doesn't matter. If things were different, I'd stay here. But I can't." He held his shoulders. "You're like a brother to me, and I trust no one else to make her happy. That's all I ask of you. To make her happy."

Tobias nodded soberly. Elie looked on, utterly touched.

Plue trotted up to his new master, and gave a small yap. Shiba nodded.

The two friends walked out in silence, Elie following behind. They exited out, into the cool air of the early morning. Resha, and the two Alpines were there.

"Ready to go?" Shiba called out.

Alpine Junior grinned. "I was born ready!"

"Sure you were." The Elder chuckled. He hugged his son, and did the same to Shiba. "Good luck to you. May your Ki shine and protect you."

Shiba gave his best reassuring grin. He then turned to Resha. Tears were in her eyes. Shiba walked up and gently held her.

"I knew this was going to happen. I knew you would leave. So why am I so upset…"

"That's just you." He smiled, then looked straight at her eyes. "I might never come back, but I don't want you to pine over me. Whatever happens, carry on with your life."

"But… how can I….?" She sobbed.

"You've still got Tobias. I know he can do what I can't." Tears were in his eyes now. "Just promise me you'll be happy."

She almost choked on her words, but silently said "I promise."

Shiba kissed her lightly on the lips. "Goodbye Resha."

He turned and began walking to the exit of the cavern. Alpine Junior and Plue walked alongside him, and Resha watched, crying now, as the two got further away. Tobias joined her, and held her close.

Elie sat down on the grass, crying a little now herself. Shiba letting Tobias look after Resha, as if he knew he'd never see her again. All just to make surr she was happy.

"Just like what I did to Haru." She thought sadly. "But did I have to? Could I have done differently?"

She watched as Tobias and Resha stared into the distance at their friend….. then the scene changed again.

Elie jumped to her feet. She was now outside a white door in a corridor of the temple, the sign reading MEDICAL CENTER.

She wondered the significance of this, when she heard running behind her. Tobias swept past her and rammed into the door, unable to stop his momentum.

He steadied himself, and the door opened. A man in white overalls peeked his head out.

"Some quiet please, I have a paitient…"

"Is Resha okay!!?" Tobias demanded.

The man smiled. "Ah, you're her husband. Come right in. She and the baby are doing fine."

Tobias walked in. Elie clasped her hands in glee.

"They got married!" Her expression temporarily turned to annoyance. "They could have at least let me see the wedding!"

Still, she smiled. "And they had a kid."

She walked in, and found Tobias and Resha holding a small form, wrapped in a blanket. Resha gave a small sigh. Elie felt warmed by the scene.

"Isn't she lovely?" Resha said softly. "My little Lina."

Elie went rigid at the name of `Lina', then collapsed.