The Rebellion

The mission to free Fukamachi Sho was such a focal point that it deserves more than just a passing mention. That day... So many things happened on X-day and so many things happened on the day of God's Ascension but the day Sho was awakened put them both to shame. People said that the world was overturned on the days that it was conquered but on this day it wasn't overturned, it was picked up and shaken.

The day that Alkanphel had planned for, the day that he would have faced his ultimate battle dawned nine years after his death on the day that Sho was resurrected but to understand everything about that day, it's necessary to go back to the beginning of the mission, to the day when Agito was informed that Rebel Leader Segawa Mizuki wished to see him, to the day when we began to test Agito's desire for control

===

"Your Majesty!"

Agito turned to face his servant through narrowed eyes. He'd been in power for five years and he thought he had them all trained now. If not trained, he had hoped that they would at least address him in a normal volume.

He didn't say a thing but the man drew back. Agito smiled, gesturing vaguely with his free hand as he sipped his wine. The man had burst into the room practically screaming for him so he obviously wanted something.

"Your Majesty, you requested to be notified about any definite leads regarding the rebels."

"And..?" Makishima drawled.

The man gulped but continued. Hopefully he wouldn't be around when the Emperor met with the person who was waiting for him. "The Rebel Leader Segawa Mizuki wishes to see you."

"Hmm?" Agito restrained the urge to strangle the man, settling for a rather ominous growl. "Intelligence is already attending to that rumour," he snapped.

"No, your Majesty," the man said after a moments silence. Like most people chosen to work in the palace he was servile but he was also loyal and he would see the tasks he was given through until the end, no matter how difficult and in this case he had been told to tell the Emperor that Segawa Mizuki wished to see him and that's what he was going to do no matter what mood the Emperor was in. "This is not a rumour. Segawa Mizuki is here now. Your troops have her contained within the Palace and she has requested to see you now." He added the second now to impress upon the Emperor that this was happening and it wasn't a rumour being chased by Intelligence.

Agito shifted in his seat. It might seem odd that he, the Emperor was seemingly at the beck and call of the Rebels but he had left standing orders that should any of the Rebel Leaders be captured then they were to be brought before him without fail, especially if it was either of the Segawa's. "She is here..?" There was a rare note of disbelief in his voice. There had been no mission and unless some of his troops had had extreme luck there was nothing in the works designed to capture any of the rebel leaders.

"She is here, your Majesty. We have confirmed her identity as much as possible and we do believe that this is the genuine being. She is unarmed and she appeared at the Palace gates earlier today, requesting to see you."

Agito raised one eye brow. "The Palace Gates..?" He repeated. It no longer really bothered him but it was always interesting to see the places that were thought to be secure infiltrated and placing Segawa at the Palace Gates was a pretty piece of work. "Humph! The rebels can always get into places when they want." He waved his hand. "Bring her in. Mizuki and I do have a lot to discuss."

The servant withdrew as Agito sipped again at his wine settling himself more comfortably. Mizuki was here to see him..? That could only mean the Rebels were on the move again and were going to attempt that mission once again. Fifty more years... That was his reckoning. There would be fifty more years before the Rebels forgot about Fukamachi. They wouldn't have completely forgotten, he still didn't know how to kill Aptom but those who had seen Fukamachi, who knew he existed would by then either be captured or they would be old and hopefully their words, their memories be taken as nothing more than wishful thinking.

Fifty years... He still thought it was a long time, he was immortal but adjusting to that knowledge was something he figured he needed a few more centuries for. Some of the Zoalords had explained it to him. You were born human, knowing you were going to die but then you became immortal. It took quite a bit of getting used to. The loneliness didn't bother him. He had always been alone. But measuring the passage of time in years, decades rather than hours and days was a deep adjustment.

"Comfortable, Agito?"

Mizuki's question brought him out of his reverie. "Actually, yes I am," he responded turning his head slightly to take his first look at her for four years. He had seen her in some of their propaganda reels but they had not released new ones for a while probably because he had gotten very efficient at destroying them and whoever dared traffic them.

She had changed. He saw that immediately. It wasn't that her hair was longer, or that she had matured into a woman, it was other things. The set of her features - the Mizuki of old would never have had such a set and determined look, one that measured her every action and calculating eyes that sought to see everything. The way she stood - she had never been a warrior, nor was she one now, but there was about her now, in the way she held herself, a sense of readiness, of the ability to move instantly should the situation demand it. And most tellingly, it was in her voice. The Mizuki he had known was not capable of putting such cold scorn, sarcasm even, in her words.

She looked around the room, eyes measuring the furnishings and general state of the room. "So deceit pays well."

He decided to humour her. Indulgence was not in his usual nature but he had time and it had been four years. If he couldn't humour his old friends then who could he humour? Besides at the moment she was being surprisingly civil. He had expected a far louder outburst from her, even though she wasn't known for them. This was a rather refreshing surprise. "I get by," he paused but when she did not respond he looked significantly at her guards. They took the hint, bowing to him before withdrawing. He pulled himself upright in his throne. "You didn't come for this," Agito snapped, becoming serious as the doors thudded closed.

Mizuki had come to see him for a reason. He guessed it was because the Rebels were about to attempt to free Fukamachi again but he couldn't be completely sure. They had defied logic before but even though he could see no other reason for Segawa to come to him, that didn't mean that they didn't think that something was worth sacrificing her. For in coming here, that's what had happened. One way or another, he would never let her fight him again.

"I didn't," Mizuki said quietly but no less serious.

"I did what I had to."

"Not what you had to," Mizuki objected. "Rather what you wanted."

"Do you hate me?" He wasn't sure why he asked the question. She fought him but he knew you didn't have to hate to fight. He had hated Makishima Genzo but that hate was cold and lifeless, it had been since the day he knew he was going to win that battle but he hadn't hated Chronos. He had respected them, learnt from them but what had driven him to fight was not hatred, was not the desire for revenge but rather the knowledge that they would stand in his path. Chronos, for him, had always been a stepping stone to his current position.

"I can't answer that," she sighed, closing aged but still luminous eyes. "You ask the most trivial things, Agito." Mizuki took a deep breath. "I do not think my opinion would matter to you.."

"It doesn't and your opinion will not change anything but I am curious. When we fought Chronos we had not the time to be curious but it is different now and I can ponder on events."

"True." Mizuki opened her eyes, turning to stare directly at Agito. "I do not hate you." The statement should have been an admission of weakness but Mizuki spoke with such serene dignity that it was merely a statement of fact. She sighed again before continuing, ignoring Agito's surprise. "I thought I could hate you Agito and from now," she nodded, indicating that she had seen his well suppressed response, "I gather that you thought I would hate you. I thought I could but then I saw you with Shizu." Mizuki's voice had a note of wistfulness through it, of sympathy for a pain he had had to endure.

"Shizu..?" Agito questioned. He was seen with his wife on occasion and he especially liked walking in the gardens with her and while Mizuki would have seen those propaganda pictures, he knew she wasn't stupid enough to believe that was the truth of their relationship. So why was she wistful?

"I'm not talking about any public picture," Mizuki explained. "It was a picture one of our spy's took, last year."

"Last year..?"

"Yes... It was after that. Shizu was in the garden and you came to her. It was on your face Agito in your eyes. You can't hide something like that. You shared her pain, Agito. You wanted that child as much as she did, I could see it. And from then I knew I couldn't hate you."

Agito closed his eyes. That had been a particularly bad time. Shizu... Shizu had been so happy when she had told him she was pregnant. And if the truth was known, he had never admitted it but he had been happy as well. A child, even a mortal child was not something he had actively sought but when she had told him he would be a father it was something that had felt right. He was immortal but it seemed he hadn't lost the will to reproduce. The thought of a child, resting in her arms had made him happy. It had brought them together. But then everything had gone wrong.

Her pregnancy had been monitored but that still hadn't prevented tragedy. Something had gone wrong. He still didn't know what, Shizu didn't know what because throughout his Empire not a single doctor could give a reasonable answer as to why the pregnancy had terminated itself. Shizu was fit, young and healthy. There was nothing physically wrong with her. There had been no toxins, or poisons and her diet had been good and the atmosphere was clean. His seed had tested clean. The Guyver unit did not interfere with his body in that manner. And the two of them were compatible. There was no reason they could not have children and no reason why the child had died before it was even born. It was a bad time for them and he had tried to comfort her as best he could but time was the only thing that would give any release from that pain, and even then it would only be slight.

"I see."

"You begin to see. I thought I could hate you but when I saw you with Shizu, I saw that you are still human Agito and because you are still human I cannot hate you the way I still hate Chronos."

"Human? An interesting use of the word."

"Aa. It is when you lose that humanity, you will become Chronos, and even if I don't live to see it, that's when the battle against you will change."

"Change..?" There was something in her voice that said the battle then would become more serious but he wasn't sure how that could be.

"Agito..." Mizuki seemed surprised at his lack of vision. "Our troops retreat when outnumbered, they do not engage in battles they cannot win, and they do not sacrifice themselves unnecessarily. But if you are inhuman, the modus-operandi of battle will change and it will truly be a fight to the death. You will capture no one because they will die before that happens. There would be suicide troops, people willing and ready to die so long as they know they struck a blow against you. Your Empire is strong Agito, we admit that, and you have survived so well because you are still human and the people can see that. Lose your humanity, Agito, lose the ability for compassion and you will find out the meaning of the word sacrifice, because the Earth will be stained red before anyone bows to you."

"I see," Makishima said dryly without sarcasm in his tone. He did understand her point but he did not consider it to pose a large problem, even in her worst case scenario. He expected for the next several hundred years that there would be opposition to him but he was patient and even now he was slowly implementing the program that would re-educate humans over generations.And after their complete education he was confident that any problems could be dealt with swiftly and with the minimum of fuss. Mizuki, while her argument had logic, was failing to see the long term, failing to see the centuries and was dealing only with decades. Mortal... She had gone beyond the realm of most in that she could see the decades that were to come but her own mortality was holding her back from seeing the centuries.

Makishima shook his head, dismissing his thoughts on the matter. "Interesting though this is, Mizuki, I know you did not come to talk to me. What do you want?"

The wistful look that had graced her features returned as she lowered her eyes, drawing a deep breath before looking up at him again. Her hands were clasped before her and her right thumb stroked the knuckles of her left hand and the ring that was there. "I want Sho

He stared at her for an instant, understanding the wistful note in her voice that was there now and that had been there when she had spoke of Shizu. But understanding was not acceptance and in no way translated into compassion. On the future of Fukamachi he was firm. "I can't give you Sho." Cold, blunt and brief.

A half smile flicked across Mizuki's face. "I know that Makishima," she said, seemingly unsurprised at the sudden absence of cordiality from Agito. "However," her own voice became strictly business-like, betraying none of the emotion that was raging inside, although some of that struggle reflected in her eyes. "I am not stupid. I know where you have him and you know I've been with the Rebels..." Something mocking lit her eyes. "Rebel Leader Segawa Mizuki was how I was introduced, was I not? We know where he is andwhat you have done with him."

Agito nodded to himself. So they were going to try again. His eyes narrowed slightly. Could they be trying even now, while Mizuki distracted him, or was she a part of a greater plan? The contemptuous side of him argued that they wouldn't have the subtly for something more complex but his more reasonable mind remembered that Tetsuro was still there and that before him was his sister. The boy was a brilliant scientist but his talents had been turned toward tactics of late. He would be more than capable of planning something greater and if he had, and was using his sister as the bait then perhaps Tetsuro had grown in the world of politics. Or perhaps they just wanted him to think it was something greater while they attempted to grab Fukamachi? Too many possibilities. There were always too many around the accursed Guyver I.

Mizuki hadn't stopped for his mental tirade and almost belatedly he remembered to listen to her. What she told him now, would give away their plans. And even if they were making the assault now, the automatic defenses at the place would slow them down enough that he could interfere if required, and besides none of his guards had yet to interrupt their talk with news of an attack.

"I want Sho," she repeated. "But the past few years have taught me that reality is not that easy."

Agito perked up at her words. They were not something he expected from her but the sad cast to her voice told him she was speaking in what she reluctantly believed was the truth.

"I will make a deal with you Agito. I want Sho but I know you are not going to give him to me. There are too many forces at play for that to be possible. However, I am prepared to withdraw from the world if you let me go to him." The last was not said as a plea to his still existent humanity but as a simple statement of fact. Mizuki knew what she wanted and she knew the price that might buy her that desire.

Agito remained silent. He could see their plan now and was mildly surprised at both its audacity and its openness. Cunning... It seemed Tetsuro had developed this and developed it well because the whole plan stunk of that Segawa's thoughts. He nodded to himself. It was a very good plan, one he would have been proud of to claim as his own.

He couldn't just dismiss her offer out of hand. It was tempting but he couldn't do that. That would make her a martyr and even more people would join the battle against him but he didn't care about that. No matter how many people fought against him, he would win. The problem was that course of action, while ultimately being safe for now, would leave him open in the future to a possibility he didn't consider likely but as Chronos had discovered, even slim chances could come to pass. He could use her, he could use what she had offered him... And damn it, the Rebels knew that... He could use what she was offering but then... A frown appeared on his features. He could use what she was offering but one question remained. "Why?" He looked directly at Mizuki when he spoke, ensuring she knew he was serious about this and that he knew what they were planning and despite that knowledge he was considering her request.

Mizuki half closed her eyes, suppressing shiver. He was tempted. She could see that, he was so tempted and now it all rested on her answer here. But what to tell him? Tell him the truth... He can see the advantages of having you so tell him the truth of why you will do this, even if the Rebel plans fail. It is the only thing he will accept. She looked back at him, looking up at him through eyes bearing a soft sadness. "I love him, Agito," she began, quietly serious. "I thought I loved you, and do not lie to me, you did encourage that belief but I love Sho. I don't know that I always did but I do now and I always will and for that..." She sighed. "I am only mortal, Agito. In fifty to sixty years, longer maybe I will die but I know some day he is going to be free. You are strong but I don't think you will be able to stop it forever. One day he is going to awaken but I don't want to be an old woman when that happens. I want to be there, I want to live what life I have with him. It is that simple, Agito."

He closed his eyes, taking several deep breaths. Everything she said rang true, at least about her motives although he truly doubted if Fukamachi would ever awaken. But if... If... If it did happen then it would come down to a battle between the two of them, Guyver versus Guyver. That wasn't quite right, it would come down to a battle of wills, with the strongest one calling the Gigantic unit and claiming the victory. Ten years ago, he wouldn't have thought twice about it. Fukamachi would have fallen to him but he could still remember the power that had felled Alkanphel. He had taken the Gigantic unit from Fukamachi once but the boy had matured and taken it back. It was not a battle he wanted to contemplate. Mizuki though... Fukamachi couldn't attack through her and that would be all the chance he would need.

But... There in lay the problem. For Mizuki to be useful he would have to place her near Fukamachi and that would require taking her into the heart of those facilities. It wasn't that they couldn't handle having two people in cold storage. It was an absurd waste really, to invest so much in keeping one man but it couldn't be done any other way. But rather opening the way... Out right attack had got the Rebels no where with that facility, stealth had gotten them slightly further but in the end had been unsuccessful. But if he were to open the way by taking Mizuki in, even if they didn't attack then but rather used the information her passage would give them, it would still be dangerous.

"You give me much to consider Mizuki."

She smiled thinly. "I do not expect you to answer immediately, Agito. That would be precipitatious and after all, it is I who am asking you for the deal."

It was Agito's turn to smile as he mentally summoned a zoanoid servant. "Celbane will see that you are taken care of while I deliberate on your proposal, Mizuki." He said the words both for her and to give instruction. "As long as you do not try to escape Mizuki, there will be no reason for me to use force."

"I came to you, Agito," Mizuki murmured, seemingly amused at his words but understanding the deeper meanings. "I will not try to leave."

"I will tell Shizu you are here. She will be happy for the company, I think," Agito said finally as Mizuki was lead out.

===

Mizuki... Mizuki... Mizuki... To do it, or not to do it..? Agito wasn't really paying attention as several members of his science division droned on. Mizuki had opened the debate in him again, the one he hadn't come to decision about because at the time it had been purely academic and he hadn't seriously considered it possible that he would capture either Segawa for many years yet.

Her reasons rang true to him. She was five years older that Fukamachi now. In the great scheme of things that wasn't too much but if she waited much longer then she would be old. She did want to spend her life with him but unspoken in her words was that that life would be now.

They will make an assault if I open the way for her. The conclusion was blindingly obvious. And it had to be him who opened the way. Several of the security devices in the place were genetically coded to him and him alone and a couple of the locks required him in his Guyver form and the final lock... Even if someone had his DNA and had fooled the Guyver locks they would not get passed the last lock. That one was much more than a simple lock keyed to him. Now and in the future it should be impossible to break in but he knew that the impossible was possible which made Mizuki's offer so tempting.

Several of the biologist's grinned as the Emperor waved his hand, certifying their budget for the coming year with a modest increase. They were used to this and operating with the Emperor ignoring them was better than his attention. Unless they had made startling progress and as long as they were progressing he was happy to let them be. For those who had worked under Chronos the difference was as startling as it was refreshing. In fact, he only came down hard on his scientists when he wanted something special but while he came down hard, he brought the funding and resources to ensure that they could discover or develop what he wanted.

They will make an assault. I know that, and I can plan for that and respond with overwhelming force... But what will they consider overwhelming force in this occasion and how do I spot the interlopers..? Ah... Makishima looked down at his Science Corps. He wasn't paying as little attention to them as they thought and he had just approved one part of their budget but that would need to be allocated to one of their side projects which was nearly complete but kept being put aside. It had just moved up in importance.

"Your budget is approved," he announced. "But the Identification Project has be dragging on long enough. I expect it finished within a week and want 100 combat zoanoids processed using that technology within the week following."

A couple of the scientists blanched but those who had actually spent time on the Identification Project nodded. It was pushing it but the only reason that project was not declared a finished success was that it would bring down the ire of the Rebels upon those responsible. This way, when it was finished they could blame the Emperor. After all, he had said he wanted it finished, so the Rebels couldn't blame the scientists who worked on it for obeying their Emperor's orders.

The Head of the Biology Department, a human who had worked under Chronos, nodded his understanding and acceptance of the Emperor's orders before bowing and withdrawing allowing the Physicist's to come forward to present their reports. They would need a little bit of assistance from Dr Valkus but the project could be finished on time. He smiled grimly, Valkus wasn't going to like being called away from his own projects but the Emperor let him be only so long as he assisted the official researchers upon their request. When he had worked under Chronos, he never, not even in his most private and wistful dreams imagine that he would ever have a Zoalord at his beck and call but that was what had happened.

The Head Physicist stepped forward, bowing towards the Emperor before he began his report. With some of his information he knew his report was not going to go nearly as smoothly as his counterparts and he was already sweating that fact. Why did his branch always have to bring up things the Emperor wouldn't like? Although this time, it was coming from the Astronomers, not directly from his Department but he still had to report it since they were a sub section of his domain and the blame would fall upon him.

He reported the general statistics of each Department in a bored voice but really, everybody was on track and there was nothing interesting in the numbers. The Emperor merely requested them as a summary to ensure that everything was still running smoothly. Even he wasn't that interested in them. Then, after a small pause, punctuated with a heavy sigh, he continued. The effect was to bring the Emperor's attention fully upon him, one eyebrow raised in inquiry.

"The Astronomy Department," he began again into the now charged silence, "are reporting that they are seeing 'something' in the furthermost reaches of their telescopes." He pulled out a small sheet of paper, which the report was noted on. This was not a time to make mistakes. "They report that it is moving and is either bigger than the Ark or is a cluster of many smaller objects. At this distance they can't discriminate." He gulped. This next bit was the real killer. "They only thing they can be certain of is that it is getting closer. They don't know if it is headed towards Earth, or if it will merely pass by but it is coming in this direction."

At his Physicists words, Agito sat up, looking down at the gathered scientists with burning eyes. "Getting closer?" He repeated. The report had sent a shiver down his spine and driven all thoughts of Mizuki away. Something bigger than the Ark and coming closer..? He wasn't sure what it was that gave him pause with the thought but there was something. They'd seen small moving objects before. They'd even identified one or two of them as alien ships moving around the universe but none of them had ever been coming towards Earth. But it wasn't that fact. It was something else that was worrying him, something he couldn't see. "Pictures?"

"There are but at the moment it is still too far away to make out any detail. Even the space bases don't have anything although they have confirmed the objects existence."

"Vector?" Agito snapped. He only rarely let this be known but his guyver space vision was even better than their telescopes and if need be he could always make a quick interstellar jaunt to see what was happening. The Guyvers were good in atmosphere but they were made for space. He couldn't help but draw that conclusion the first time he had taken his suit into space. It had handled perfectly and it had brought back the thrill of the unit. He didn't let his scientific department know all the specifics, he knew what scientists were like. If they knew he'd be planet hoping and star gazing for his scientific branches. Agito suppressed a smile. In many ways dedicated scientists were just like small children endlessly fascinated by the world they saw around them and endlessly seeking answers for their questions.

An astronomer stepped forward and rattled off a number. Makishima nodded, repeating it softly under his breath. "Continue monitoring it. If it deviates from it's course notify me, if any new information comes to light, tell me and monitor for any signals it might be emitting."

There were several raised eyebrows at the Emperor's orders. He had practically made what ever it was their prime project with his words and while it had warranted telling the Emperor, it wasn't like this was the first time something like this had happened. Makishima's lips twitched. He knew what they were thinking but this was the first time that a space report had sent a quiver through him. It was almost like he could sense something about this with his guyver unit. Something was sending warning tingles through his body and he would find out what it was.

Or perhaps...

If I leave now, no matter how short the time... Mizuki... Fukamachi... Irritably Agito shook his head. It was something else, although the chance that the Rebels would attempt to free Fukamachi while he was away couldn't be overlooked, it was something else about this situation that had alerted his senses.

Looks like I'll have to chance it. The thing that had set him on edge was also screaming that he had to know now what was wrong. This was something that couldn't wait. With barely hidden impatience he turned his attention back to the reports. On the whole, being the Emperor was good but there were duties he could have lived without.

===

"Mizuki..." Shizu said the name with more than a little trepidation, as the other woman was lead into the garden.

Mizuki narrowed her eyes at the tone but after a second understood. "We have never blamed you," she said softly and was pleased to see the slight anxiety that was haunting Shizu's eyes disappear.

The Empress gestured and the two burly guards withdrew out of earshot but still in a position to see everything that transpired. "It's touching, isn't it?" Shizu began again with a mocking undertone that indicated her scorn of the guards but still couldn't hide an underlying affection for Agito. "He still doesn't believe I can take care of myself."

Mizuki didn't answer as she settled herself on a marble chair, trailing her fingertips lightly down the stem of a flower.

Shizu looked down before reaching up and brushing a single tear from her eyes. "For what it's worth, Mizuki. I am sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Shizu. It's not your fault. It was never your fault."

"Perhaps but I cannot help but be sorry."

"For what. Tell me for what you are sorry for and then maybe I will accept it."

"Mizuki..." Shizu almost choked wondering when their situations had been reversed. She had always been the strong one and now it was Mizuki who was displaying strength beyond that she should ever have. "Please..."

"It's alright, Shizu," Mizuki said, taking a deep breath. "It is not you, it is not me. It is just that we have become too much the puppets we are pretending to be. The Shizu I remember would never have done this and I am sure the Mizuki you remember would have bowed down long ago. You are the Empress and I am the Rebel Leader. They are the puppet roles we are playing."

"No..." Shizu whispered. "I... I love him, Mizuki. It hurts so much seeing him like this but I cannot walk away. If it was Sho, could you?"

Mizuki paused. "I do not know," she shallowed hard against a knot in her throat. "But I do not believe Sho would have done this." She smiled, but it was a half smile, turning mockingly inwards. "I am here for Sho though, so I guess I cannot walk away."

"I see," Shizu let the matter drop delicately. There was much more going on with Mizuki's presence, she knew but at the same time it was not something that would be revealed easily and it was not something that should be discussed lightly. "Can you tell me how everyone is?"

"Aa..." Mizuki nodded, looking up at Shizu. "Tetsuro is fine. I don't like to say that conflict suits him but it does bring out his best."

"I see," Shizu smiled. "Does he still sprout those crazy ideas?"

Mizuki rolled her eyes playfully. "Every opportunity he gets," she said, flicking her hair back over her shoulder. "Natsuki... Did you ever meet Natsuki?"

"Aa... Briefly," Shizu answered. She'd been with the Thunderbolt's while the Segawa's were trying to live a normal life with Chronos looking for them but she had heard the name and even met the vivacious young woman on occasion. Another one of Agito's school contemporaries she did not know well but another one who had joined the fight against him.

"Natsuki is doing well. I think she likes the challenge."

Shizu smoothed a fold in her gown. Her hair was immaculately coiffured and her dress was of heavy velvet, grey shot through with silver thread. She never felt entirely comfortable in the clothes but she had become accustomed to them over the past years and from the few times she had tried to go without the fine clothing she had learned that it was not suitable for the Empress to dress in jeans in public. Even Agito always wore a uniform in public and only relaxed his dress code in their private chambers. "From what little I know of Natsuki, she would enjoy the challenge of organising so many people."

"She does. Aptom is still alive. Unless Agito has gotten further in his research than we think, no body knows how to kill him although..."

"Although..?"

"Although he still wants to kill Sho."

"Hah! I've seen even more than you have of Valkus' experiments. I don't think it's even possible."

They spoke with some of the friendship that was still between them although they were both measuring their words, careful not to reveal secrets to the other. Mizuki might be the captured woman but Shizu wasn't going to force her for answers and she wasn't about to tell Mizuki her husband's secrets. Only those things she could guess or that were trivial in the over all scheme of things would be discussed. Their conversation continued in hushed tones.

===

Agito paused, just passed the threshold, listening.

Nothing... That's all he could hear. He was hovering just outside of the earth's atmosphere and the absolute silence of space was a blessing. Every time he came up here he always took a few moments to appreciate it and to gaze at the stars, admiring their brilliance. They shone so much brighter away from the lights and distortion of the atmosphere. These were the times he wished he could move his court into space but while he could do it, there would be too many problems to be sorted out with such a move. And the biggest inhibiter would be that he would no longer be in touch with the planet, and he couldn't allow that to be the perceived situation.

He turned back, looking at the planet and as always had to fight back a tear. The pure blue and white from space of Earth was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. This was his home and while he was floating above it, it would always be his home. "Mine..." he whispered but the words carried to no one but himself. He would protect this world. He would always protect this world because it would always be his. Always.

Agito shook himself slightly and after taking his bearings gathered himself before with a soft hiss from his unit he took off, speeding away from the earth towards the target his astronomers had seen. Even at this distance he could see it vaguely. His unit's sensors were so much more accurate and could see so far when there was no atmosphere to interfere with its functioning.

It's not a single ship... He concluded as he passed Jupiter. In terms of space, the distance between Earth and Jupiter was nothing but it was enough for him to determine that what was approaching was several medium sized ships. They were bigger than the Advent relics but still much smaller than the Ark. The guyver unit was made for space, it's sensors were so much more accurate and it's speed.

Agito pulled himself to a stop at the ord cloud, squinting into the darkness of space as he took a deep breath. The contraction of his facial muscles caused his unit to focus. The ships came into sudden clarity. Agito shook his head, hissing. He forced himself to look again, refusing to release his breath. He wasn't short on oxygen, the guyver unit was more than capable of being self-sufficient but what he was seeing wasn't possible.

The ships were sickeningly familiar. "It's not possible..." They had rounded noses, an egg shaped hull that curved back into several thick spikes that were gathered around one central thicker spine. He had seen them before. Chronos believed them to be the ships of God - Advents.

"...it's not possible..."

He couldn't be sure, of course. The ships were slightly larger than the ones he had seen on earth but their design had hardly changed throughout the millennia. He didn't see how they could be anything but Advent ships. And if they were, that meant nothing but trouble for him but he had to be sure.

He paused for a moment more, focusing on and mapping the asteroid belt before him before zipping forward, darting as a dark blur through space, heading towards them. ...I have to see... Once he got a bit closer he could be sure.

:...come...:

Agito stopped.

:...come to us...:

He shook his head savagely.

:...come to us... ...come back to us...:

He focused back on the ships, ignoring the asteroids around him. They were... They were calling him. No... They were not calling him but they were calling towards earth. With a strangled cry he spun and sped back towards earth, a distant blue light almost swallowed by the light of the sun.

Come to us. Come back to us.

It could mean only one thing. They were back. They were really back and they wanted their soldiers. The vague words, the half voiced worries of the Zoalords became clear and there was only one course of action left to him.

===

"So do you think you will try again?"

Shizu looked down. Would she try to have another child..? "I'm the Empress, Mizuki. In some states that simply means I exist to produce the Emperor's children but you know as well as I do, Agito is immortal, he doesn't need a child. But... I... I'm..."

"MIZUKI!" The far doors to the garden burst open and Agito strode in Imakarum at his side. He turned and half bowed to Shizu, his eyes softening slightly. "I am sorry about this intrusion."

"Agito..." Shizu stood and moved towards him, her own eyes shadowed with worry. "What is it?"

"Something unexpected has come up," he said, spitting the words. He turned slightly towards Imakarum. "Can you hear them?"

"Vaguely. It's still indistinct."

"Do you have to obey them?"

"Not yet, but then if I did that would kill most of us."

Agito nodded. "You know what to do and," he blinked considering as he cast one eye around the grounds. "Start calling up the reserve troops. It will be better to have them on hand now."

Mirabilis bowed slightly and withdrew to the perimeter of the garden, watching Shizu.

Makishima placed a hand on Shizu's shoulder, and leant over to kiss her gently, murmuring a few words in her ear. Her black eyes opened wide for an instant but she nodded, stepping back. Mizuki merely sat on the garden seat, watching the proceedings with a faint look of boredom that covered her extreme interest. Something had upset Agito, she could see that and whatever had upset the Emperor would either be good or bad for the Rebels. Her eyes narrowed and a sudden premonition struck her, a chill running down her spine. Bad... It was going to be bad... The set of Agito's eyes, the tense gestures he was making. Something big was happening, something no one had planned for.

"Bio-boost!" With a blinding flash and burst of noise, Agito's dark guyver armor appeared behind him, before it opened and encased him in it's protective shell. With a hiss of expelled air, he turned to face Mizuki. "Are you ready?"

"Ready?" The inquiry was mild.

"You are getting your wish, Segawa."

"Huh..?" Agito's response had caught her completely by surprise.

Beneath his mask Agito smiled grimly, and his voice was tinged with a stark note of superiority. "I no longer care about your attack, Mizuki. The zoanoids are already in place but they are not important." Despite the superior tone, Mizuki could tell he was serious. "Your attack to get Fukamachi is no longer important because we will release him now." Makishima walked towards her, and took one of her wrists. "This is the time to be honest with me, Segawa. Can you contact your people?"

Mizuki looked at him, the surprise turning into a stunned disbelief. She believed him, that was the problem. They had never planned for Agito to be so quick. The troops would be in place but only just and their preparation would be paper thin. If Agito's forces were in place then it would be ridiculously easy... She shook her head. "No... I was to come to you. I was not to contact them and they were not to contact me. Once I left, no communication. I would do my task and they would do theirs. If things went wrong, then things went wrong."

"Pity... As I said, I no longer care about your attack and in a few days time, your Rebellion will no longer care about me. But you will find that out in time." Agito drew Mizuki close to him, never relinquishing her wrist and wrapping his other arm around her waist.

"So why do you need me?"

Even with the armor Makishima managed to look amused. "I need you for the reason I was going to accept your offer, and you might be useful in controlling those who get captured."

Without another word Makishima leapt into the air, rising straight up before streaking away. His only concession towards Mizuki's comfort was to produce a gravity globe around them. She had to be conscious when he arrived for her to be useful to him.

===

Tetsuro was drumming his fingers on the desk as he read the report. It was strange and it was one of many. Zoanoids both old and new were reporting the same thing. A whisper... a whisper in their minds, calling to them. Usually the report would have been dismissed but it had come from more than one source and all the reports said that the whisper had started at the same time. That was what was worrying. It made no sense and it was an additional worry that they did not need at this stage.

"Segawa?"

"Hmm, Samual?" Tetsuro looked up.

"We've got a problem."

"Problem?"

"Agito."

Tetsuro forgot the reports immediately. "What is it?"

Samual gulped. Tetsuro was usually so calm or so wrapped up in at least three things that it was rare that anyone managed to claim his whole attention, but when they did... It was amazing how intense he could be. It was understandable though, his sister had surrendered to Makishima and he was like this about any information regarding the Emperor. "He's moving."

"Moving..?" Tetsuro frowned. Agito had moved before and that had proved to be nothing more than a pleasure jaunt. In fact, he'd just got back from that, hadn't he? Was this the continuation of that move or was it something else? "Are we sure?"

"Tetsuro," Samual began seriously. "He went back to the palace, grabbed your sister and then left."

"No..."

"Yes." Samual was relentless but there was no point in trying to hide the truth. "He's gone to where Fukamachi is."

"That's way too fast."

"I know. We've told Rodriguez but they only just got in place. It's going to be close. They'll do their best but..."

"Mizuki..." Tetsuro whispered the name as he rose. "What have we done?"

Samual watched him a sympathetic expression on his face. This mission was always going to be close. It was a risk, one they had been prepared to take but Agito... He'd taken the one path they were unprepared for. They had been sure he would take the offer Mizuki had presented him with but he was moving far too fast. Something had happened. His trip into space, clandestine though it had been had shown him something. That was the only explanation for his speed. "We did the only thing we could. You know that."

"That's not the point. We were meant to have everything covered. I was meant to have thought of everything!" Tetsuro half shouted the words, spinning to face Samual in a corridor of their base. "It's my sister. You're not meant to take such risks when it's family!"

"Tetsuro," Samual placed his hands on Segawa's shoulders, forcing him to meet his eyes squarely. "We have done everything we could. All we can do now is wait. Rodriguez has pulled off the impossible before. That's why he was chosen, because he can handle changes in plans and really, that's all that's happened here. It's not to our advantage but we don't have any other choice but to accept it."

"I know that. I know that. It's just that..." Tetsuro paused, closing his eyes. "This was meant to be perfect. I know there are risks in every mission but... Agito... He had to do the one thing that would poke a hole in the plan."

"He has a gift for that sometimes," Samual admitted. "But at the same time there has to be a reason he is moving this suddenly. There's one other thing too. Before he left, he gave the order to call up the reserve troops. Our spy heard the order himself. It's weird but it does indicate that there is some reason we don't know for his speed."

Tetsuro took a deep breath as a chill ran down his spine. "A reason... I guess we will find out soon enough."

===

"Send the fifth troop to the front and hold them there until I arrive. ETA - ninety seconds," Agito gave the order in an off handed manner before he turned his attention to his passenger. "Prepare yourself, Mizuki, we will be there soon."

Mizuki nodded. Already she could see the facility in the distance and despite listening to Agito's almost continual conversation with the base commander, the Zoalord Jearvill Bun Hiyern, she still didn't know the reason for his sudden haste.

"Your troops have been captured," Makishima continued. "It would be best if you calm them when we get there. I will not hurt them but I do not want them to hurt themselves. It is good that your brother choose an experienced commander but still... Some of them are still too young." He snorted. "You can even tell them their mission is going to succeed," he added as they began descending.

Mizuki narrowed her eyes. That was being too generous, even for a gloating Makishima. "I will calm them, if their leader accompanies me."

"We will see."

The facility in which Fukamachi was kept was situated deep in a jungle. A green painted doom was the only thing protruding from the ground and in the years that it had been there dense vegetation had grown over it. There was a small clearing before it which at the moment was filled almost to capacity with troops, some transformed, some not. But most of the soldiers were sitting, hands secured behind their backs. Their guards, while seemingly outnumbered were on alert, watching their prisoners attentively.

Mizuki looked over the captured rebel soldiers carefully. There was some surprise at her presence given that they had already been captured and the mission could be reasonably called a bust but they remained silent watching their guards, herself and Agito with equal attention. She sighed slightly what she was about to do could almost be called betrayal but there was no point in their mission continuing. Agito would release Sho, she knew that and she knew his words weren't a bluff. The soft undertone of worry in his words had ensured that. 'I no longer care about your attack and in a few days time, your Rebellion will no longer care about me.'

...In a few days time... What was going to happen in a few days time? It was going to be something of huge import. It had to be if Agito was moving this fast. Mizuki shook her head. Now was not the time to be thinking about this. Agito had told her to talk to the Rebellions troops so that they didn't hurt themselves and that's what she was going to do. There was no point in them dying needlessly but to ensure they stayed put she would have to talk to Rodriguez and he was not there. She cast her eyes around the clearing. He wasn't anywhere which meant he was still free and probably planning something. He wasn't above acting alone if he had to and given how important he had been told this mission was he would have to make at least some attempt, even if it was doomed to failure.

Mizuki closed her eyes. So this is what he'd meant. 'It's good that your brother choose an experienced commander...' A commander who hadn't been captured and a commander who in the past had caused Agito plenty of problems. This was not going to look good. "Rodriguez," she shouted to the forest, ignoring the startled looks she was getting from all involved. "I know you can hear me. There is no need to hide any longer." She sighed. "Despite appearances the mission has not been for nought. Something has happened, which is why I am here now, ahead of schedule. Agito is going to release Sho." She paused, casting a glance towards the Emperor. He wasn't going to like what she said next but that was too bad. She had cooperated, now he could do the same for her. "We can go in together."

She heard a rustle of movement behind her but paid it no heed. No doubt Agito was less that impressed with her at the moment.

"Heh!" The voice came from one of the guards but was it one that was familiar. "At least you'll be in a position to stab the Emperor in the back if he betrays you."

"You!" Jearvill Bun Hiyern's human form wavered, almost as if he was standing in intense heat.

"Me." There was a sneer in the voice. "I said I would be back. I'll escort Segawa if Rodriguez does not wish to."

"Change the guards," Agito interrupted the conversation coldly. "Change them all."

Mizuki looked back and forth between Makishima and the prisoners, acutely aware of the mounting tension in the air and the fact that if it came to violence she was in the middle of it and she was the one least equipped to fight. At least if anything happened being caught between the Emperor and his prey would insure that it would be brutally quick.

"You're getting better at this, Makishima," Aptom said as he stauntered forward hands held away from his body, smirk firmly entrenched on his features. Fresh guards emerged from the undergrowth and those who had been guarding the prisoners moved placidly to take their places with the incarcerated several of them becoming Aptom as they moved. "Just a bit of insurance, though as always there are more of me in other places."

"Humph." Agito looked unimpressed as the Aptom who had spoken moved to Mizuki's side. "Just don't try to kill Fukamachi. I still need him."

"Obviously," Rodriguez spoke, finally emerging from the greenery.

"Captain!" His men objected.

"It's alright," he said quietly. "The plan has just changed."

"Shall we go?" Agito invited, turning towards the entrance.

===

Inside was a maze, dark, narrow corridors that curved and twisted on each other, intersecting many times in confusing patterns. And it seemed that every couple of metres there was a new security device to be disarmed. There were complex electronics interspersed with crude booby traps. It was all designed, with the corridors to be confusing so that if anyone could find their way in, they would certainly be lost trying to find their way out. And there was also plenty of opportunities for troops to ambush any intruders. But as they moved though the passageways they were slowly moving deeper into the earth.

It was impressive the amount of effort that had been put into the building. And the effort was a direct translation of the threat Agito perceived from Sho. Rodriguez studied the Emperor with a growing curiosity. It was a truism with the Emperor that he invested according to the threat he perceived and Rodriguez hadn't quite believed that the Emperor saw Fukamachi as that dangerous. I really want to see Mizuki's fiance now... The thought floated through his mind as he continued to note the way out. While it was unlikely he would have to fight his way out, a good commander was ready for anything and this opportunity to examine the inside of the base was too good an opportunity to pass up.

"We're here," Agito said, coming to a halt in front of a small door that really didn't look very important. Bun Hiyern nodded to him, before disappearing down a side corridor. "If you want this door open, you will not attack me in this last part." He didn't bother to face them as he dismissed his armor, taking another step to the door and placing his palm in the centre. A thin tendril of light traced it's way towards his hand from the side. It traced the outline and gave the entire scene an eerie glow.

Finally the light seemed to seep its way through Agito's pores, faint lines traced their way up his arm and snaked their way over the entire door. There was no single line upon which the door opened. Rather it was as if the sections defined by the lines of light vanished, some sliding back, others falling away but all of them removed themselves. Agito stepped forward resummoning his armor as he stepped into the pitch-black room.

"Impressive..."Aptom murmured as he examined the doorway. "More than a simple DNA lock."

"Much more." He turned slightly as several lights came on and the far wall revealed itself to be glass. It was back lit so that the scientists scurrying behind it under the supervision of Bun Hiyern were clearly seen . "Mizuki, if you could..?" He held out his hand.

She nodded as stepped forward, ignoring the musty smell the hung in the air. It was obvious from the dust that was giving everything in the room a grimy blanket and from the heavy dust motes in the air that were even now dropping back add to the blanket that this was the first time Agito had opened this room since he had sealed it years ago.

It was a plain room really. Emerging from the walls, ceiling and floor, pipes and wires went everywhere, but they all lead to the same place - a large steel grey container. It completely dominated the centre of the room and was fronted not with glass but with more cold steel. The whole thing shimmered as the ice encrusting it caught and threw out the light.

"Infared beams are off, pressure sensors are off, laser guns are off and all the physical traps have been disarmed. We can proceed at any time, your Majesty," Bun Hiyern's voice came over the room's internal speakers.

"So you did have provision to defrost him," Aptom smirked.

Makishima said nothing as several lights in the canister began blinking. The frost melted and tendrils of steam rose into the air but room remained cold. "If you could please remove the outer casing, your Majesty, we can continue."

"Aa," Agito stepped forward and lifted the inch thick shell away from the central coffin like chamber. He let the steel fall to the ground as Mizuki looked upon Sho for the first time in five years.

Brown eyes snapped wide open and Mizuki felt herself tremble. "My god..." She barely breathed the words. "What did you do to him?"

Even through the blue tint of the glass brown stains could be seen covering Sho's body and the clothes he was wearing were tattered. Mizuki coughed, trying not to wretch. She had seen bodies before, many mutilated bearing wounds far worse that Sho's body but this was somehow different. Perhaps it was because he was laid out as if asleep, as if death had come peacefully or perhaps it was because it was Sho she felt this way but there was something fundamentally wrong with this.

Rodriguez shared a similar shocked expression with Aptom but it was the shape shifter who recovered his voice first. "You killed him?" It was almost as if his world was crumbling around him. If Fukamachi was dead then who could he kill for Dyme and Solome and if Fukamachi was dead then who could fight the Emperor for the Rebellion?

Agito remained silent for a few moments more. "Unfortunately no, I have not killed him. These wounds, although great and inflicted upon his human body are not enough to kill him. You've inflicted similar to him, Aptom and it didn't kill him."

"Yes, but he summoned his Guyver, that healed him," Aptom objected. It was true, he had once run Fukamachi through, poisoning the wound with enzymic fluid but even with that, running him through was a cleaner wound than the slashes that now criss crossed his abdomen.

Makishima sighed holding up his armor encrusted hand, a hand that was still devoid of claws. "I suppose it makes no difference to you that I am incapable of making those wounds."

Mizuki shook her head, still transfixed by the sight of Sho.

"He is not dead," Agito said dryly. "I wouldn't have bothered bringing you here if he was. Rather, he was confined in this manner before his unit could respond."

Aptom grinned suddenly. "Which is why he will be pissed when he wakes up." The zoanoid had recovered almost instantly with the news that Fukamachi was alive.

Agito turned back to the canister in time to see the glass open. "Starting final procedures now, your Majesty," one of the scientists reported.

He nodded slightly but there was an undertone of sadness in his movements. He looked to the ceiling, as if he could see through it to the skies above. "I said to Segawa, before I brought her here that I no longer care about your Rebellion. No matter what happens now, that is still true. I no longer care about your Rebellion and in a few days time, you will no longer care about me. Aptom may not be able to hear it but I know you can Rodriguez. That whisper... Now it's below your consciousness, you have to strain to hear it but you can if you try. It's getting louder though, isn't it? Even over the past few hours, it's gotten louder." Somehow, even under the armor he suddenly seemed to be grinning and an almost insane happiness seemed to radiate from him. Releasing Sho was in some ways an admission of defeat but they would understand soon that defeating him meant nothing. "You will see, you will know." The almost maniacal pleasure seemed to drain out of himas quickly as it had appeared. "I didn't plan this. I didn't want this," he said softly. "But it is what is, and that cannot be changed." Agito again fell silent, looking back towards Sho. It would be over soon. The other Guyver would be awakened and while it may mean nothing in the long run perhaps the two of them could do what one alone could not. He had no illusions about the power of what was approaching. But... I will not give in without a fight... This is my world. It will be mine forever. I'm not giving it up, not even to the Gods...

"Process complete, your Majesty."

The seconds dragged on but nothing moved and the only sound came from the control room were several scientists still worked monitoring the situation. No one hardly dared to breath.

"Majesty..?" The query came after an intense minute of silence.

Agito moved slightly in response.

"Majesty... we can't... that is... we're not getting any life signs." The last was said in a rush.

Aptom stiffened before he stepped forward, melting into his zoanoid form, claws flashing menacingly. "You... You really did kill him!" He jumped but hit nothing more than the expanding force of a guyver summons.

"What..." In the silence the sudden crack of pressure was nearly deafening and the power stirred up the dust, concealing the centre of the room in a thick fog. The fog was short lived, burnt away by the protective sphere that remained around Fukamachi. His armor was in place but he neither moved or spoke and from the way his body was hanging in the air, he was still unconscious.

Rodriguez gulped looking and truly seeing for the first time the man the Rebellion had pinned their hopes on. Lying frozen there had been nothing about him to suggest that he was strong but even unconscious, now that he was surrounded by the Guyver Armor there was something about him. Power. It was the same power he sensed in the Emperor but with this man, while it was present, it wasn't overt. It was there, deep beneath the surface. He can fight Makishima as an equal... maybe more but... Rodriguez looked back towards the Emperor, who now that Mizuki was safe was just watching, although he did release Segawa's arm. I think... I think the Emperor has grown... They feel... equal.

"Ssss... Argh!" The hiss came from the Guyver armor but the cry from the man beneath it as consciousness returned and the fuzzy blackness resolved itself into the dark form of Guyver III.

'...my people have found Murakami... ...Imakarum Mirabilis... ...not the Murakami Masaki you knew...' Pain... burning it's way through him then nothing but a desire that couldn't be named. "Mizuki..." The word was a whisper, reverentially spoken as Sho seemed to stumble in the air but it was less that an instant before he recovered vibroblade flashing as it extended and the whole atmosphere changing as the two Guyver unit's closed on each other. The air itself split, the Gigantic Unit emerged through the tear but hovered steady, moving towards neither combatant.

"SHO!"

Reality turned on that word, spiralling around a single frozen point, dark and light Guyvers extended against each other - Guyver I's vibroblade a hairsbreadth from contact with Guyver III's control medallion but the dark Guyver was not defenceless, his own vibroblade was crossing Guyver I's neck.

"Mizuki." Her name was spoken again as both Guyvers stepped back with deliberate slowness.

While the movement couldn't be seen it was easy to determine that Sho's eyes were flicking between Mizuki and Makishima. The silence, if anything was heavier than the silence that had reigned when they were waiting. The air wavered around the Gigantic Unit and it vanished again, sensing it was not needed now.

Sho shook his head. He couldn't be seeing this, he couldn't. Confusion spread it's way through him. Mizuki and Agito were standing together. There was a distance between them but that was only of necessity since his unit was active. She was standing there, older, neatly dressed but completely at ease with Makishima's presence. He could hear it in beat of her heart and the timing of her breath. Mi... zu... ki... The single ring was still on her finger but her eyes were sad. "No... Please... Mizuki..." The pearl like plates that made the Guyver's eyes seemed to glow and an invisible wave rippled out, passing through those assembled, leaving a cold chill before speeding out around the world. Unseen and barely felt in the greater wave, resonate waves emerged from other points around the globe as Sho turned towards his fiance, raising one hand towards her in longing.

"Sho," Mizuki stepped forward looking at him almost in askance barely daring to believe it was so. It's not a dream... The thought was simultaneous with action as she threw herself towards Sho. "Sho!" There was no hiding the pleasure in her tone. A pleasure and happiness that had been absent in her for five years resurfaced.

"Mi... Mizuki!" Sho carefully wrapped his arms around her, looking down at her with relief but even though he was happy to have her in his arms there were still things which had to be resolved. She knew that as well so it was only after a few moments that they both pulled back turning towards the Emperor.

"Well, do you want to explain it now?" Mizuki asked, tilting her head to the side. She stood beside Sho not blocking his line of attack.

"I don't think I need to. He knows."

Sho did know. Once he had turned his focus towards Agito he had heard it. The call, whispering below his consciousness and somehow he knew what it was.

"How long?"

"A few days at the most. The Ark... They are not as big as The Ark but they are larger than you remember."

Sho nodded before he fixed a particularly intense stare on Agito. "What of the Ark?"

Agito sighed. "It is not the only ship now but..."

Fukamachi nodded. "I will help you," he paused, ignoring the looks of surprise he was getting. "There is no real choice, which is why you have come today, Emperor." The last word was spoken forcefully.

Agito threw his head back, laughing. "So you knew."

Sho said nothing as he stepped away from Mizuki to dismiss his armor. Once it was gone he walked up to Agito, extending his hand. "I never said I forgive you, I only said I would help."

"Fukamachi, what are you talking about?" Aptom almost shouted.

Sho pointed towards the ceiling. "They're coming," he said. "What Alkanphel feared but what Alkanphel worshipped will be here soon."

"No..." Bun Hiyern broke in from the door.

"If I can hear them, then you most certainly can," Sho said.

"Sho," Mizuki finally demanded. "What is happening?"

"The Advents are coming. You can hear them even now."

"The Advents?"

"Your brother is probably aware of my jaunt into space," Agito began, turning towards the Rebels. "I went to check that what was approaching was Advents. I don't know why they have come but it is most unfortunate."

"You can't know that they are hostile."

"I can't know that they are friends either and after so much time, that's not an assumption I am prepared to make."

"Mizuki," Sho began. "He released me without even waiting for them to arrive and I agree with that assessment. I have a feeling they are going to make Chronos look easy." He turned back to Agito, once again holding out his hand. "I will help you but after that..."

"After that..." Makishima echoed, dismissing his armor. "After that, we will see," he added, taking Sho's hand.

===

Four days before the Advents arrived, the Rebellion ended with that handshake, with surrender coming from neither side. Of course it wasn't that simple. One does not got from war to friendship overnight but it was a beginning and looking back, if Agito had not acted the way he did, freeing Sho as soon as he found out about the Advents, it would have been much worse.

Sho accompanied me back to Head Quarters but Rodriguez agreed to stay behind as the Emperor's 'hostage.' To say Tetsuro was pleased to see Sho was an understatement although the news of the Advents did dampen his joy somewhat. In the four days before they arrived the lines of communication were opened. That's not to say we began trusting Agito but Samual, Natsuki, Tetsuro and myself met with him several times at neutral locations to discuss what could be done. Guyver transportation industries worked overtime to insure that everything went smoothly. I think Sho saw more of the world in those four days than he ever had before.

We didn't get much done in those days. There wasn't much we could do until we knew what the Advents true objective was, returning to the Earth after so long. The meetings were mostly to show troops on both sides and the remnants of the Nations Governments that something big was happening because Rebellion and Emperor had buried their differences and were for the moment working together. It wasn't unity, that wouldn't happen for a while but it was something that had to be done.

Sho and I spent some time together while we were waiting for the Advents and while the love was still there, five years had passed and we both had to adjust. I did not remove the ring from my finger, neither of us wanted that but we weren't about to rush into anything.

The world is not supposed to change so quickly but I guess someone suspended the rules. X-day, God's Ascension, the Awakening and the Arrival - days on which everything changed. It's melodramatic but it's true. For four day's we marked time, waiting for the Advents to arrive and for what revelations they would bring.