Chapter 1: "Mother and Child"
As Kagami walked through the once lively and heavily populated Tokyo, he could only shake his head at the site of the dead bodies that littered the ground, and the moans coming from the dying. Many children had been abandoned by their parents, who were scared that they might catch the Ceres Virus from them. Everyone was lonely and in misery. The Ceres Virus not only killed the body, but the soul as well. Victims were going insane.
And speaking of insane… Kagami went to the hospital for one last visit with his mother. In the hospital, he met a very devoted nurse, Moe. Kagami was surprised that Moe even bothered to stay in the hospital working, when it’s highly likely she could catch the Ceres Virus (it was determined the virus could be spread by human contact and through the air.) But Moe was very enthusiastic about caring for those who were still living, unlike most of the other nurses and doctors who had fled in terror, or who had died.
Kagami was taken to his mother and he found her in the same state that she was when he saw her 4 years ago. She babbled mindlessly to an old doll (which she seemed to think was Kagami). She continued to praise the doll about what a good student he was… As Kagami watched her, he remembered what it had been like before he was adopted into the Mikage family. His mother loved him very much and the two of them lived together. Though Kagami was fatherless and his mother was one paycheck away from starvation, he was happy. Then, his mother started to date a rich CEO with the name "Mikage". Kagami was against her marrying into the Mikage family, but his mother insisted it was for his own good.
It was when they became Mikage that his mother started to change. She demanded perfection from Kagami and beat him whenever he wasn’t perfect. Kagami had no direction in life and was very glum until one day, he stumbled on the picture of Ceres. It was then that he resolved that he would find Ceres and with her, he would create a perfect world. From then on, he strove to become perfect; not for his mother (who was insane by then) but for himself.
He then looked at his mother, dying from the Ceres Virus. She only had minutes left to live, so Moe instructed Kagami to say his final farewells to her.
"But my mother thinks I’m a stranger," Kagami argued. "No…she might not even realize I exist."
"But she’s calling out to you," Moe said.
Sure enough, Kagami’s mother, Mariko, was mumbling "Kagami…Kagami…"
"She’s just talking to her doll," Kagami insisted.
"No, she’s talking to you," Moe insisted back.
"…Kaga…mi…"
Kagami looked sharply at his mother and was shocked to see that she was looking directly into his eyes…
Chapter 2: "Promise"
After his mother died, Kagami got into a car driven by Wei, and informed him to drive to Tokyo Station. He then received a call from one of the remaining members of Ragnaleck. The man is very demanding that Kagami hurry and bring Miku to them right away because he has been infected with the virus and three other members have just died. Kagami responds blandly and the man accuses him of being ungrateful for having had his life rescued by Ragnaleck. Kagami assures him that he will remain loyal as thanks for granting him a second chance at life.
Kagami recalled all the events that had happened in the manga. His arrogant plan for creating the perfect human race, and how it backfired on him. How he had only repeated the same mistake the Tennyo had made years ago, how he had sincerely told Tooya that Aya would make a wonderful mother and that he should take good care of his child…
"I was too arrogant back then," Kagami told the Ragnaleck man on the phone. "I was foolish to try and create the perfect human race out of my hatred for mankind. I was also foolish to take advantage of Ragnaleck, my generous sponsor."
This speech seemed to satisfy the Ragnaleck man. "As long as you understand, Junior. Just hurry up!"
Kagami then informed the Ragnaleck man that Miku had flown into the sky a few hours ago, but assured him that he knew where she was headed. He then hung up the phone and informed Wei that Lulik had just died.
Kagami arrived at a coffee shop by Tokyo Station and met with his new employee. "I congratulate you on your efficiency. Never before have I worked with so punctual a person." Kagami reconsidered his statement. "Well… I suppose I should call you a ‘Tennyo’ instead… Shiori."
We then learn that when Miori and Shiori and Chidori had separated back in Tokyo, Shiori didn’t know where to turn. She stood still for a while, wondering how she would ever find her mother in the crowd, but then began to walk. Kagami found her and took her into a coffee shop (the very one they were in now). Since he had been spying on Alec the whole time, he knew Shiori’s story, and, as with Tooya, he offered her records of her past (her mother) if she would cooperate with him.
Shiori agreed and Kagami instructed her to infiltrate Tooya’s house, posing as someone with amnesia, become one of the family, then kidnap Miku and bring her to him. It was a simple enough plan, with some unforeseen events (like Miori almost killing Miku, and Shiori becoming a Tennyo…) but it was successfully executed in the end, and Shiori had a sleeping Miku by her side on the bench at the coffee shop that very minute.
Shiori then demanded that Kagami tell her who her mother was since she kept up her end of the bargain. Kagami asked casually that she please not stare at him too fiercely because he knows her power is to control the wind and people’s minds. He then chuckled and asked her if she really wants to know who her mother was. A furious Shiori then asked Kagami if he didn’t have a mother himself.
Kagami’s final conversation with his mother reentered his mind…
"Kagami… You came…to see me… My…you’re so…grown up now… I missed you…" Mariko struggled for words as tears seeped out of her eyes. "Mom treated you…so horribly all those years… I’m sorry… But… I’m relieved… You turned out…so perfect…"
"No… I… I’m not really as perfect as you think I am," Kagami had argued. "I’m just…"
"What nonsense… Kagami… No matter how you are… You’re still…my only son… So…I’m proud of you… You mean everything to me… You are the…only one…I love…"
"…Mom…"
"Mother…" Kagami repeated to Shiori. "Up until an hour ago, she didn’t even realize I existed." Shiori gave Kagami a questioning look, so he told her the blunt truth. "Your mother is dead."
He then went on to explain how all the Tennyo at the lab had committed a mass suicide and that Shiori’s mother’s name was not written on her capsule. He then tells her the worst: her name, "Shiori", did not come from her late-mother, but from an anime-geek’s favorite character in a video game, "Shiori".
An upset Shiori accused Kagami of tricking her into kidnapping Miku. Kagami seemed disinterested in her feelings and was about to take Miku away, until Shiori bound Kagami with her powers, screamed that he’s a liar, and fled out of the coffee shop with Miku.
Chapter 3: "Return"
A disheveled Tooya makes it home and tells Aya everything. Miku and Shiori had flown far away together and he had caught a glimpse of Wei watching everything. Tooya suspected Ragnaleck might be behind it and that Miku might be the only cure to the Ceres Virus.
Tooya told Aya not to worry and that he would rescue Miku, just like he promised her. Aya grabbed onto him and begged that he not go because she knows he’s infected with the virus, but Tooya told Aya she shouldn’t push herself either since she’s pregnant.
Then, a few eavesdroppers came into the room and assured Aya they had a pretty good idea of where Shiori might have taken Miku: the abandoned island where she was born. Chidori, Miori, and Yuuhi offered to go with Tooya to rescue Miku.
Meanwhile, at the clinic, the Shirahata’s were doing everything they can to care for those suffering with the virus. Tooya came into the room, hastily explained his plight (including the fact that he isn’t human and that his daughter is a Tennyo, etc.) and then Mr. Shirahata offered to lend him his boat to go to the island with.
Tooya got onto the old, rusty boat, and found Yuuhi there, who insisted that he help Tooya since it’s obvious Tooya was dying from the virus. Just when they were contemplating over how to work the old boat, Chidori and Miori stepped in and offered to drive (since they had learned how on Alec’s programs.) The rescue team set off…
Chapter 4: "The Past"
Alec had just finished another "mana" in a large capsule. He was very tired and was just about to relax, when an intruder interrupted him. He was almost happy to see Shiori again, but she wanted nothing to do with him. She only wanted the mana. She explained everything to Alec. That she had learned from Kagami of Miku’s origin and that since she had awakened as a Tennyo, she could not live without mana and that Miku might be able to give her the mana she needs. She also explained that Kagami’s goal was to use Miku to stop the Ceres Virus, but Shiori couldn’t care less for mankind.
"Nearly one million people have died already… and even I’m in danger… I’ve probably passed the virus onto you already, Alec. Everyone is going to die." She smiled painfully at Alec. "Why did you raise me? Why didn’t you throw me into the sea with all the other eggs? I know why you saved Chidori and Miori…but why me??"
"…Be…because… I felt you…wanted to live…" Alec mumbled nervously.
"Wanted…to live…?"
"That’s right… The three of you all sent me a message that you wanted to live… Shiori-chan…"
"Stop it!" Shiori paralyzed Alec with her vision. "I don’t ever want to hear that name again! I’m not your plaything… And I’m not too happy about being named after a video game character, either! I’m sure you were just using us for something deviant anyway… I heard you worked for Ragnaleck… And besides… I have no reason to live anymore… Kagami told me… My mother is dead, and no one knows who she was… But I guess that doesn’t matter anymore… Anyway, I won’t be used anymore. And I won’t let anyone else have Miku…"
Shiori then turned to the mana Alec had created. "That’s strange… It’s calling me…That’s right. If I put this on, then I will become a complete Tennyo, and I can return to the heavens…"
"Don’t do it!" Alec had broken free of Shiori’s binding and now stood between her and the mana. "It’s still incomplete! If you use it now, you might die!"
But his protests were in vain. "I don’t trust anyone now," Shiori declared as she stepped closer to the mana.
"Stop it!!" A voice sounded out from the other side of the room. "Even if you use that mana, you won’t be able to go back to Heaven!" Tooya slowly stepped closer to Shiori. "I believe…that a Tennyo is a beautiful creature filled with love and compassion. Hate and anger…don’t suit her… Will you return Miku to me?"
Shiori held Miku tight. "I’m taking this child to Heaven with me! …Why are you concerned? You and Aya are having another baby. And this time, your child will be a normal human, right? So just let Miku go."
"Don’t say that. Miku is our precious…"
"I know!" Shiori snapped back. "I’ve seen enough examples of that to make me sick! How nice it must be… marriage, children, family, friends… You people are just surrounded by love! You’re so powerful, you even dragged Miori into your circle!… But that won’t work on me. There’s no meaning to my life. Alec made a mockery of my name, and I don’t have any parents… And I’m not even human. I’m a Tennyo… I identify with Miku the most… So instead of rotting here on earth, I want to take Miku and go home!"
"…Are you sure that will satisfy you?" Tooya asked with a shiver in his voice. "Do you really think that’s what Miku would want? And do you really…consider yourself not human…? Are you saying that all the smiles and tears you shared with use these past days…were all an act? I admit Miku might be able to save the world, but what’s more important is that she’s my daughter. I understand a little how you feel… I once had no past myself…"
"But…Aya was there for you…and loved you…" Shiori argued slowly.
"Yes, she was…and so were many friends. Aya loved me and accepted me for who I was, even though I wasn’t human. I officially became human when I let go of my mana. I was so happy… And then Miku was born… I was so happy… I could feel my heart flutter… I felt the joy of living… "
"So…so you are…just like a Tennyo… with no mana…?"
Tooya smiled faintly. "All I am is no longer immortal. But all humans are mortal. It’s because we know we will eventually have to leave our loved ones that our time with them is even more precious. Simply your being here on earth gives your life meaning. You may not be immortal, but you are alive… And you know Aya cared for you and trusted you enough to tell you first about her new baby on the way…"
Shiori’s lips trembled slightly.
"He’s right, Shiori… There’s no one else like you," Chidori said.
"What’s important is not who gave you life, but what you chose to do with your life," Miori added.
"What’s wrong with being a super-mysterious beautiful woman?" Yuuhi offered.
Shiori stared at everyone blankly and then blurted out. "Stay away from me! I’m infected!"
It was then, that the structure began to shake violently. Ragnaleck was arriving…
Chapter 5: "Revolt"
After the dust had cleared, Chidori and Yuuhi found themselves separated from the rest of the group. Yuuhi commanded that Chidori cling to him and she (gladly) obeyed. The pair was then confronted by some soldiers sent by Ragnaleck to retrieve Miku.
"Transform!" Chidori screamed to herself from behind Yuuhi. "Aw, come on… I wish I could do something…" Chidori whined.
"Idiot! Stop thinking like that, and this time, don’t take a bullet for me." Yuuhi told her as he readied his iron chopsticks of doomTM. But the Ragnelck goons had them surrounded.
"Dammit…" Yuuhi cursed, preparing himself to be shot to death, when suddenly, a gust of wind sent the men flying. Shiori could be seen from far off, holding Miku.
"Chidori, let’s go!" Yuuhi commanded and ran away with Chidori.
"Shiori rescued us, huh," Chidori commented as the two ran.
"Yeah, and this did, too," Yuuhi said, pointing to his forehead. "Sis made me another Tennyo protection belt, and Chidori, your mother also protected us…"
Miori and Tooya were experiencing a similar struggle, running from the men and trying to keep from getting shot. Miori, too, was upset that she had no Tennyo powers, but both were relieved to see Shiori was protecting Miku.
But Shiori was having a difficult time keeping her powers going to hold back Ragnaleck’s men. She wondered what Alec could have possibly meant by her "desire to live" having rescued her in the beginning.
I want to live…? But I didn’t even know who my mother was; and it’s not like I had the power to move my capsule when I wasn’t even born yet…! Kagami told me my mother was one of the many Tennyo who committed a mass-suicide at the Mikage lab. He said my mother and the others didn’t want to live on Earth because humans were dirty and imperfect…
"Mother… did you really want to die…?"
Shiori shook her head fiercely. No. You didn’t…! Deep down, you wanted to live and to fight. You wanted to face all the danger coming towards you and fight it just like I’m doing now…
Shiori concentrated hard. The soldiers from Ragnaleck began to turn on each other and shoot each other…
Chidori, Miori, Tooya, and Yuuhi regrouped into a secret hiding place Alec had designed. After reevaluating the situation, Yuuhi, Chidori, Miori, and Tooya went back out. No sooner did they leave, than Ragnaleck’s men stormed into the room and tied up a frightened Alec.
As Alec grimly listened to the battle sounds from up above, he gradually heard footsteps make their way up to him.
"Oh, I see you’ve come very far. This looks exactly like the mana we made earlier…" Kagami commented as he looked at Alec’s work.
"You really have some nerve being calm at a time like this…" Alec said as he glared at Kagami. "How dare you treat Shiori that way…"
Kagami answered blandly. "You think I was wrong? She only wanted to know the truth, so I told her. I don’t blame her for feeling the way she does."
"How are things… going up there?" Alec asked nervously.
"They are all struggling… It’s only a matter of time."
"What are they going to do…with Miku?…"
"That’s a good question… Ideally, they probably want to draw her complete Tennyo powers to the surface and have her end the Ceres Virus… But if that doesn’t work, they’ll most likely steal her mana and her blood and try to give themselves immortality."
"And that’s why you told me to make the mana…?" Alec’s voice choked up. "Why? … Why are you doing this? … What happened…what happened to the Kagami I used to know and respect!"
Kagami chuckled slightly. "The ‘Kagami you used to know and respect’ once prophesied that mankind would come to destruction very soon. I realized that we were a greedy race and that our greed would become our weakness… I wanted to turn to the Tennyo for salvation, but they would not save us. And now, they attack us… Lulik died yesterday… He died at the hand of the virus he created…"
Alec was stiff with shock.
"He whispered his wife’s name over and over… and stared at his wedding ring… I hear he went peacefully…"
"Lu…lik…" Alec whispered.
"The Ceres Virus will bring about the destruction of mankind as we know it… Shall we liven things up a bit?" Kagami suggested as he pulled a lever, and screens appeared in the compound from all over.
"As long as this world is going to end, we might as well get a good view," Kagami reasoned as he settled back to watch Tooya and the others fight.
Yuuhi had just been shot lightly and Chidori, furious at his attacker, picked up a nearby AK-47 on the ground and blasted two Ragnaleck men.
"Yaaay!" Chidori cheered proudly. "Good thing Alec’s computer programs had battle training in them! Ah!" Chidori yelped as a bullet whizzed by and sliced through her hair ribbon.
An angry Chidori was prepared to fire back, but she had no bullets left. A hopeless Chidori and Yuuhi huddled together as the Ragnaleck men circled in on them.
"Chidori, you run away… I’ll draw their fire."
"No!" Chidori protested. "I’m not leaving you again. If I have to die, I’m going to die on your back again!"
"…Chidori"
"Because… Even I…Even I…" Unable to finish her sentence, Chidori squeezed her eyes shut and clung onto Yuuhi, prepared to die.
Gunshots rang out violently, but when they stopped, Chidori opened her eyes cautiously.
"…Yuuhi-kun…?" The pair’s eyes shot out when they saw the countless dead Ragnaleck men, and the Indonesian boy with an AK-47 in each hand standing before them…
"Hey! Come this way," Assamu instructed them. Chidori and Yuuhi dumbly followed him…
Meanwhile, Tooya and Miori were having similar troubles. The two braced themselves for death, but were rescued by a Chinese man with a long whip in one hand, and an AK-47 in the other.
"Wei…" Tooya said slowly.
"I’m not here to rescue you; I’m just obeying the Chief’s orders," Wei explained as he tossed a gun at Tooya and instructed them to follow…
Chapter 6: "Sacrifice"
Aya was uneasy the whole time the others were gone fighting. She wanted desperately to help, and was feeling awful about everything. Her mother, Sonoko, phoned her and told her to stop feeling sorry for herself and to concentrate on protecting her baby and trusting in Tooya instead. Sonoko then went on to tell Aya about how she wanted to come and visit her for Miku’s third birthday that day, but she couldn’t abandon all her patients that were suffering from the virus, and that all those people were depending on her.
Aya’s spirits were lifted, so she decided to take a bath. Just when Q went in to give Aya a towel, she stumbled upon Aya talking with none other than…Ceres.
"Why did you summon me?" Ceres asked Aya.
"…Please…rescue us…"
"Rescue?"
"Miku…and Tooya…and my friends…and…also…mankind…"
"Aya, I have long ago fallen asleep inside of you… With Mikagi…"
"I know…"
"In that case, don’t disturb my slumber ever again." Ceres’s reflection in the mirror disappeared.
"Don’t go!" Aya protested. "Doesn’t it make you angry?! You’ll go down in history as the Tennyo who destroyed mankind!"
"But if mankind is destroyed, then who will be alive to tell how?" Aya grimaced at the thought. "Ceres Virus…" Ceres said thoughtfully. "So mankind has tried to take advantage of us again… The one who named the virus was Mikage Kagami."
"But Kagami is dead…" Aya argued.
"I am a complete Tennyo asleep inside of you. I know everything about my children; what they are thinking, and what they try to do."
"Are you saying Kagami is behind all of this??" Aya asked in disbelief.
"Who knows… But I suppose it is too late anyway. This will be the final demise of the foolish humans…"
"No… Please! Ceres! You’re the only one who can help us! Don’t you care what happens to Miku?! She’s your daughter, too!"
"She and all mankind is destined to die anyway…" Ceres said as she disappeared.
Aya banged furiously on the mirror, but Ceres did not return.
Later that night, Aya left the house and walked along the beech, thinking about her loved ones and how everyone was dying. Just when she started to give up hope, she heard a familiar encouraging voice inside of her, telling her to stay strong and to go on.
"Aki…" Aya whispered as she placed a hand on her belly.
Chapter 7: "Relief"
As Chidori and Yuuhi followed Assamu through the wilderness, Yuuhi and Chidori wondered what was going on. Yuuhi was upset that he had no bullets left, otherwise, he’d be able to avenge Chidori’s death by killing Assamu. But Chidori begged Yuuhi not to kill Assamu (just like she did before).
Chidori reasoned that since Assamu worked for Kagami that maybe he was following Kagami’s orders when he rescued them. The two realized by then that Kagami must be alive.
"The wind’s getting weaker…" Chidori said sadly as she looked into the sky.
Meanwhile, Tooya and Wei were standing back to back, shooting all the Ragnaleck men. Once things cleared up a little, Wei commanded Tooya to go rescue his daughter.
Miori was the first to find Shiori, who was slowly losing power and was being surrounded by Ragnaleck’s men.
"Don’t do it…" Miori begged Shiori telepathically.
But Shiori didn’t listen. Her powers grew weaker and weaker until she ran dry.
"Hand over the girl," one of the Ragnaleck men commanded.
"Don’t come near me!" Shiori cried out. "If you take one step further, I’ll kill her!" She threatened as she clenched her hands around Miku’s neck.
"Noooo! Shioriiii!!!" Miori cried out. "Why can’t I become a Tennyo?!" Miori implored. "Why does Shiori have to be the one to suffer…" Miori could only stand and stare as Shiori strangled Miku.
"Do as we say…" The men insisted.
"No!" Shiori shook her head.
"Don’t you care if the world ends?!"
Shiori whispered. "Even if I hand over the girl, the world will not be saved… You took advantage of the Tennyo and now you think we will rescue you??" Shiori smiled slightly. "At this rate, everyone will die, except Miku…She’ll be lonely…I don’t want that… " Shiori tightened her grip on Miku’s neck. "But, if I kill her…she’ll be able to die along with the rest of us…"
"Mikuuuuuuuuuu!!" Tooya’s voice rang out from far away.
Miku’s eyes shot open and all of Ragnaleck’s men disappeared in a flash of light. The island was silent again.
"…Miku…-chan…" Shiori’s hands slipped off of Miku’s neck, and she fell to the ground.
Miku floated to the ground. "Shiori Onee-chan… Where are we?"
"….This is where….where I was born…"
"Oh…" Miku looked into Shiori’s eyes. "Are you okay?… Can you get up?"
"…Miku…-chan…" Shiori struggled. She was so weak, she could not even lift her head. "Miku-chan…I’m sorry…. I’m really…a bad person… I lied to your daddy and mommy…and tried to take you away from them…Since you’re such a powerful Tennyo, Miku-chan… I wanted to steal your powers…"
Miku cocked her head sideways and stared at Shiori.
"…I’m sorry… Miku…-chan…"
Miku spoke up. "If you want my power, I’ll give it to you."
Shiori slowly lifted her head.
"I want you to get better, Shiori Onee-chan."
"But, Miku-chan, I just tried to kill…"
"Here, Onee-chan!"
Miku held up a small pink shell and offered it to Shiori. "I don’t know how to give you my power…but I’ll give you this!"
"…Miku…-chan…"
Shiori felt a hot surge of energy inside of her, which flowed through her whole body into her cheeks. All the events of the past few days flashed before Shiori’s eyes. Desire to find her mother, the spreading of the virus, the world coming to an end, and Miku being its only salvation…
"No…I can’t take it… I’m a liar… I told you…such horrible things, Miku-chan… Your mommy and daddy don’t really love the new baby more than you… And this shell is your precious treasure, isn’t it?…When you grow up, you’re going to give it to the one you love most…aren’t you?…"
"That’s why I’m giving it to you!" Miku insisted. "I may not be a gwon-up, but I’m twee years old today! And I wove you, Shiori Onee-chan!"
"….Miku-chan…" As Shiori accepted the shell, she felt another surge of energy rush through her body; stronger this time.
"What’s going on…?"
"Onee-chan, you’re better now!" Miku cried as she hugged Shiori. "Will you pway with Miku again?"
All Shiori could say was "Thank…you… Miku-chan…"
A Tennyo’s power… It may come from the mind, but it mainly comes form the heart…
As Shiori stared at the shell, she knew deep down that Miku indeed had the power to save the world…
The others caught up with Shiori and Miku. They all celebrated happily, but their reunion was interrupted by a man of Ragnaleck who had survived. Neither Shiori nor Miku had enough Tennyo powers left to fight back. He snatched Miku away and threatened to shoot anyone who tried to take her back.
Tooya stepped forward and was promptly shot, but he didn’t step back. "Give me my daughter back," he commanded. The Ragnaleck man felt a sudden pain in his chest and dropped Miku. She tumbled down the hill towards the edge of a cliff. Tooya and the others ran after her; Tooya most fiercely of all.
Miku had rolled dangerously close to the edge of the cliff. To everyone’s horror, she fell off, and Tooya dived after her. Yuuhi was about to dive after both of them, but Chidori pulled him back.
Tooya fell with his daughter into the ocean…
Back at home walking along the beech, Aya sensed her husband and daughter were in danger. She could then see clearly, an image of Tooya swimming deep into the ocean to save Miku.
"Don’t worry… "Aya said softly, as she blindly stepped into the ocean. "I’m coming, too… I’m coming to help, too…"
With the last of his strength, Tooya lifted Miku up as far in the water as he could, and gave her a hard shove up towards the surface before he sank deep into the ocean…
Long after the bubbles cleared on the surface, Miori, Shiori, Chidori, and Yuuhi stared blankly at the ocean below. Ten seconds…thirty seconds… one minute… But even long after the two fell in, they did not surface again…
Chapter 8: "Hagoromo"
"Well, I guess that just about wraps everything up…" Kagami said as he switched the monitors off.
"But she was a complete Tennyo… "Alec argued.
"Even a complete Tennyo is mortal when she is out of strength."
Assamu and Wei reported back to Kagami and apologized for losing Miku, but Kagami didn’t seem to care. He still had another problem to take care of….
The three remaining members of Ragnaleck, each infected with the virus, demanded relief from Kagami. He instructed them to take the mana that Alec had created. Alec was about to protest that the mana was not safe to use, but Kagami silenced him and gave the mana to the men of Ragnaleck.
As the Ragnaleck men left the island in their cruiser, with the three mana that would destroy them, Assamu admonished Alec for not understanding that was Kagami’s plan all along.
"Alec, even you knew all along that mana was something humans could not create from scratch," Kagami told him. "You saw what Ceres looked like…when she put her hagoromo on, didn’t you?"
"Yes…I knew…" Alec admitted. "But I still wanted to try and make my own mana… I really was so stupid…"
"Those old farts from Ragnaleck will probably swallow the mana whole and die an agonizing death," Kagami said with a slight chuckle. "Well, who do you gentlemen want to spend your final moments with?"
"I have no place to go home to, so I’ll stay with you," Assamu answered.
"I would go home, but there’s no one there waiting for me," Wei continued.
"What about you, Alec?"
"This place… almost feels like my homeland since I raised those three girls here…" Suddenly, Alec’s face was filled with hope. "You don’t suppose the Ceres Virus hasn’t made it to this island, do you? Shiori was infected, but Miku healed her! I’m sure we’ll be able to survive here!" Alec stood up for joy, but promptly wobbled to the ground.
"That’s impossible. You’re obviously infected…" Kagami informed him as Assamu carried him to bed.
There was a huge explosion as the three Ragnaleck men were consumed by the faulty mana. Kagami closed his eyes quietly.
Chapter 9: "Miracle"
Q and the Shirahata’s called out to Aya as she lay in bed unconscious from having fallen into the ocean.
They’re calling me… But I don’t want to go back. I just want to sleep… in a world with no pain or sadness… Mom… Now I understand how you must have felt when you heard I killed Dad… Miori and Chidori must have felt this way, too, when they couldn’t be with those they loved… And Shiori, too… I know you must have felt exactly the same way Tooya did before he regained his memory… I can’t blame you for what you did… So many friends have supported me all these years, but…I can’t go on anymore.
This happened to me once before…when Tooya had left me, and I let Ceres take over my body… I felt so much at peace back then… There was nothing to feel sad or lonely about… But then Aki told me I couldn’t give up hope, and that I had to keep going to protect the ones I love… Aki… Were you reborn into this world to tell me that again? …Did you come…so that when Tooya died, I’d have you to comfort me?… I feel terrible… You were trying to encourage me to go on, but I plunged myself into the cold ocean with you inside of me… I’m sorry…
"Aya…"
Please, don’t call me anymore…
"Aya… Open your eyes."
No…I don’t want to…
"Aya! Open your eyes at once."
Who…are you?… Don’t tell me…Are you…
Much to the trio’s relief, Aya came to. She was told that both she and her baby were okay, but she was more concerned about Tooya and the others. Everything was explained to her. Tooya dove into the ocean to save Miku, but neither of them came up. Chidori and the others desperately combed the waters for them, but nothing was found.
Aya swallowed her tears and looked up at the sky. You were the one who called me, weren’t you…
Chidori and the others returned glumly to Aya’s house, wondering if the world really was going to come to an end…
Deep in the ocean, a man’s body was engulfed in light coming from three capsules. Then, the body of a small child was lifted up out of the waters…
Shiori decided that she would go out in a boat and search for Tooya and Miku again. The others argued it was hopeless, but Shiori insisted she could see them well by the light of the moon…but it wasn’t the moon that was making the sky so bright.
From up high in the sky, something was glittering and floating towards the ground. Shiori’s hair flew in the breeze and she too, was lifted up into the air.
"…Ce…res…?!" Yuuhi said in disbelief as he looked at all the Tennyo in the sky.
Back in Saitama, Suzumi was caring for a sick Tomonori, when she saw the scene in the sky. Tomonori was frightened, but Suzumi reassured him that it was Ceres summoning her sisters to lend her power. Suzumi closed her eyes and joined them…
Back in the compound, the monitors were switching themselves on. A confused Kagami looked at the screen.
"….It couldn’t be…!"
Alec wobbled to his feet. "A…perfect…Tennyo!!!"
Aya whispered to the sky. "So you were the one who called me, weren’t you."
"That’s right," Ceres answered from inside Aya.
"But what is…that up there…?"
"That is also Ceres," Ceres answered. "I exist inside of Miku, too, as the mother of the Mikage children…"
"….Miku?!" Aya’s gaze shot up into the sky and froze.
"But it is not only I who am up there, but every Tennyo in existence," Ceres said. "So, Aya, lend me your strength, too…"
"…Ceres…" Aya nodded slightly and looked up to the sky.
The Tennyo joined hands and the waters of the Earth rose up. Ten meters, twenty meters… then one hundred meters…and one thousand meters… The oceans surrounded the entire planet, just as they once did in the beginning. A voice rang out from the heavens:
Join hands.
Embrace everything.
What supports this Earth is the heart.
The heart filled with love.
The ‘Shifuku no Yorokobi" shall only be granted to those with hearts.
Come, join us…
The waters slowly parted. The people of the Earth were all holding hands. Flower petals fluttered from above. And something else also descended from the heavens.
A Tennyo slowly floated down to the Earth, holding something small gently in her arms.
"Welcome home," Ceres said.
The scene could only be seen by those on the island, but Aya saw everything clearly.
"Miku…" She called out to her daughter who was in the arms of the Tennyo…
Chapter 10: "Mankind"
Miori returned to Miho no Matsubara to pay her respects to Teru (the old lady) before she left for Tokyo to become a nurse where Sonoko worked. Teru was pleased at how happy Miori was looking and suggested that perhaps she had fallen in love. Miori blushed and denied it, but told her how Sonoko’s and Moe’s stories had inspired her to become a nurse to care for people.
Miori was at peace. She now had a place to call home, and a goal to accomplish. With a final look at Miho no Matsubara before she left, Miori told the Tennyo of the village, "I’ll come back again to visit once I’ve found the man of my dreams!"
Meanwhile, Chidori and Yuuhi were walking to Yuuhi’s mother’s restaurant for the mother-son reunion. Yuuhi was too chicken to go by himself, so Chidori had agreed to come with him.
"Well, I understand how you feel, though," Chidori told him as they walked. "You haven’t seen her in 11 years, after all. You must have mixed feeling about it."
"Sheesh, you sure sound mature for a kid…"
Chidori stuck her nose in the air. "And just WHO insisted that this KID come with him to see his mommy?" She reminded him.
"I wouldn’t be in this mess if Sis hadn’t butted into my business…" Yuuhi grumbled.
"But she did the right thing. All she did was call your mother and tell her you were coming. She didn’t want to see you chicken out. Hey, did you bring your chef’s license with you?"
"Yeah."
Chidori ran her eyes critically over Yuuhi’s body. "Maybe you should have worn traditional Japanese clothes after alll…hmmmm, no, that might have made you look too showy…. Yeah, it’s best that you dressed casually…"
"Hey, I’m not your doll or your husband, so stop playing dress-up…"
"Stop patronizing me! Sheeeesh. If only I were a Tennyo, then you’d never think of me as a child. I’d stay in my Tennyo form alllllllways!"
"Cut it out," Yuuhi whispered. "I don’t want you to turn into a Tennyo… I think you’re…plenty pretty…the way you are now…"
Their eyes met briefly until Chidori nervously looked down. "What will you tell your mother…?"
"I don’t know."
"Your mother owns a restaurant, right? What if she asks you to help out?"
"I don’t know."
"Well, if you don’t know, then why did you bother coming?"
"…I guess for closure… So I can move on…" Yuuhi turned on Chidori. "But what about you? Miori’s going to be a nurse with Aya’s mother, right? Are you gonna go to college or something?"
"Well…" After thinking a while, Chidori answered. "Until I think of something, I’ll be your assistant at the restaurant!"
"Huhhhh?’
"I may not look it, but I’m a great cook! I think I’d be a great assistant!"
Yuuhi was about to argue, when Chidori’s cell phone rang.
"Onee-chan?" Shouta said. "How did it go with Yuuhi’s mom?"
"Oh, well, you see, Yuuhi almost chickened out, so I had to drag him kicking and screaming out of his big sister’s house to come…"
Yuuhi yanked the phone away from her and shouted into it. "It’s all a lie! I’m gonna face her and I don’t need your sister with me!"
Shouta giggled from the other end of the line. "Yuuhi Nii-chan! Be sure you make it clear to your mother that Chidori is your girlfriend, okay!"
Yuuhi blushed slightly.
"Yuuhi-san, I hope it’s a boy."
"Q-san!!"
"Yuuhi? Hurry up and get your ass back here! We’re all going over to Aya’s tomorrow, you know. And Tomonori’s outstaying his welcome here. I need you to help me get rid of him!"
"…Sis…" Yuuhi hung up and scratched his head.
"Hey…Yuuhi-kun… What are you going to do…about Aya…?"
"What am I going to do about her…?"
"Aren’t you going…to take care of her…?"
"What a stupid suggestion… Aya doesn’t need me… She has Tooya with her…"
Chidori’s eyes filled with tears and she nodded. From behind her, Chidori’s spirit told Yuuhi to take good care of her daughter.
"Let’s go," Yuuhi said and lead Chidori up to the front door with the name plate that read "Sumika".
"Hey, Yuuhi-kun…"
"What…?"
"You see, I…You see…I…"
Yuuhi gave her a confused look.
"I love you, Yuuhi!"
Just then, Yuuhi’s mother emerged from the door. Her eyes seemed to light up when she saw her son.
"Go get ‘em!" Chidori whispered as she gave Yuuhi’s back an affectionate shove.
Alec wiped his forehead and sighed. "That’s the last one," he said as Shiori emerged from the capsule.
"But there’s so much more to learn," Shiori argued. "Can’t you make any more programs?"
"No… That was the highest program from Harvard University…"
Shiori sighed thoughtfully.
"You’re even more intelligent than I am, Shiori-chan… You should probably leave this island and study at some university…"
"No."
"Shiori-chan…"
"This is my homeland. I don’t want to leave… There’s still plenty of stuff I want you to teach me… And besides, if I leave, who will take care of you?"
"But I am capable of taking care of myself…What’s more important is…" Alec coughed nervously. "I’m very flattered that you chose to live here with me… I’m flattered, but the two of us living here alone together…is a little…"
Shiori giggled lightly. "What do you mean? You’re my FATHER, right? Didn’t you promise you’d be a good father to me?"
"Oh…yes, I did…" Alec stuttered as he looked at the ground. "I’m probably about ten years older than you… I’m not sure if this is proper…"
"Aw, cut it out! Who cares what ‘society’ thinks when there’s just the two of us on a deserted island!… Or do you want me to leave?"
Alec shook his head.
"Alec…? You’re not hiding something from me, are you?"
Alec tried to deny it, but Shiori bound him under her powers and forced the truth out of him. "You’re making more mana, aren’t you."
Alec nodded in embarrassment.
"But I thought that was something a human can’t make."
"That’s true… But unless I make it, you’ll…" Alec took a deep breath and continued. "I thought of something. All the mana I’ve tried to create in the past were to satisfy my own ego. But maybe… If I put my heart into it… and if I make the mana for someone I love, then maybe it will work out…"
Shiori smiled. "Thanks… But I’m fine. I won’t die any time soon… Just like Tooya, I’ll do my best to stay alive for my family’s sake."
"Shiori-chan…"
"Do you want me to put on my hagoromo and return to the heavens and leave you behind"
Alec shook his head shyly.
"Alec, you told me that I survived because I had such a strong will to live… I think that was my mother’s will… I think my mother didn’t want to die along with the other Tennyo in the lab. I think she wanted to stay behind in this world, no matter how imperfect it was, to care for her loved ones. My mother is alive in my heart, and she’s the one who give me the strength to go on. So I can survive on my own strength…!" Shiori smiled slyly at Alec. "And besides, we’ll need to be prepared just in case some more Tennyo come out of the ocean."
Shiori smiled up at Alec. "Alec… Thank you for raising me… And thanks for such a beautiful name…"
Alec’s eyes filled with tears. "Shiori-chan…You’re my most…most…"
"Most favorite video game character…?" Shiori suggested.
"My most…precious treasure…"
The beautiful smile of a Tennyo came onto Shiori’s face. "This time, when you have Tennyo-children to raise, I’ll be their mother and you can be their father."
Shiori giggled as she watched Alec’s blank expression. "So that’s why I’ve got to stay here on this island with you!" Shiori stretched. "Hey, take me on a field trip next! I’ll make some sandwiches."
Alec watched on happily as his companion worked in the kitchen…
As Kagami sat in the airplane headed from Germany to America, he thought of his team members. Assamu decided to go back to Indonesia, study hard, and work towards helping the less fortunate children of the world. Wei decided to go back to China and study to become a government official. When asked what he was going to do next, Kagami was vague…
But as he sat in the airplane now, he thought to himself. "Humans have hopes and dreams in their hearts… And if you were the one who set the light of hope free from inside of me, I feel no shame… I feel the need to live in order to repay you for what you did… I’m coming to tell you that now… Gladys Smithson…"
After Miku’s birthday party was over, Miku suggested they go for a walk. Aya and Miku arrive at the spot where Miku had spoken her first words and taken her first steps. Aya noticed Miku was holding something in her hand and asked her about it.
"Oh, Shiori Onee-chan gave my shell back to me for my birthday," Miku explained. "She said I could give it to the one I loved the most again."
Miku wandered over to the historical spot where Aya and Tooya had first met.
"When Miku fell into the water, she prayed…" Miku told Aya. "She prayed that Daddy wouldn’t die….that Daddy would come back…"
"Miku…"
"Mommy, you should give this to Daddy again," Miku said, handing the shell to Aya.
As Aya walked up to the edge of the sea, lit by the full moon, she caught a glimpse of someone. A silver, cross-shaped choker was shining on his neck.
"…Tooya…"
"…Daddy."
Aya and Miku ran into the arms of the man they loved most…
Epilogue
"And then, the Tennyo put on her hagoromo, and went back to Heaven…"
"..That’s not true."
"Yes, you’re right. There’s still more to the story… But then, the Tennyo came back to the Earth, put her hagoromo away, and lived with her beloved family forever and ever…"
"Ahhh, that was a good story. The Tennyo really did love her husband and children, didn’t she."
"…Yes, she did."
"When she came back to her family, did she become a human…? Did she ever fly in the sky or use her powers again…?"
"I’m not sure."
"Aw, you’re no fun."
"But you see, humans also have amazing powers just as powerful as the Tennyo do. They have the power to love… They also have the power to care for those they love…"
"Yup."
"Tennyos and Humans are the same. So we all have to get along."
"Yup."
"The Tennyo came down to Earth to teach us that."
"Yup…"
"Isn’t that wonderful?"
"Yup!"
"So we should always hold onto the ones we love. Even if the ones you love leave you someday, If you close your eyes, they’ll always be with you… So keep holding my hand, okay?"
"Okay!"
"Hey, Miku? Do you know about the ‘future’?"
"Fu…ture?"
"That’s right. That’s something that we create for ourselves with our loved ones."
"Ohhh… Is the future… beautiful…?"
"Yes, it is. It’s more beautiful than anywhere else in the world."
Aya softly stroked her five-year-old daughter’s silky hair as her son slept on her lap.
"Miku… Your name is the future…"
Tsukasa Shuro’s ballad echoed through the room. Aya looked out the window. Summer was coming. The ocean was sparkling in the sunlight. Aya glanced at her wedding ring. Then she smiled. Her smile shone beautifully, like a Tennyo’s…
After taking a long glance at his loved ones, Tooya closed his eyes and listened to the soothing sounds of the ocean…
Special thanks goes out to this cool person for sending me the book for free (well, in exchange that I summarize it ^_-). Tell her she’s cool.
