War is Over...Now?
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Chapter 3
The mission Seeking paradise in a dream. His keyword. Haru thought of it now as they sat around a long shiny wooden conference table. Jinpachi spun around in his wheeled chair, oblivious to Issei's attempt at conversation. Alice looked pensive, and Sakura whispered privately to Daisuke. Neither Ling-san nor her Espers were here yet. And Haru thought of Shion, demon child who had tortured him with the past. How had he gotten the other keywords? Surely this was important somehow. But he couldn't ask the others. Not after losing their respect when they discovered his true identity, and what he had in fact done to Shion. Haru knew he was responsible for the Earth being in danger now. Mokuran was even more lost to him now that ever before. If he had not given Shion the vaccine, had not allowed the man to live for nine years alone with the corpse of his lover, perhaps Rin could have been happy. Goddess, when could he ever atone for the crimes of another life? Ling entered the room, followed by the three ESPers. "Ok, let's begin." And they told their tale. * As they finished, Ling looked long and thoughtfully into her coffee cup, then swallowed its contents in one gulp. "I have one question. Something that's been bothering me since this Shion first appeared and made his demands." "Yes?" "Why, of all the things he could have asked for, has he asked for `war to stop'?" The six glanced at each other, puzzled. Shion's specific demands had not been announced on public television, although his threat had. Alice tried very hard to keep staring at her hands. There was a plant, hanging near the door to the conference room, and in sympathy, grew towards her, putting its life giving vines about her in comfort. And, of course, drawing everyone's attention to Alice. "Alice?" Ling asked softly. "It's because when he was a child, the first time I mean, his entire family was killed in a war. A terrible war." She whispered at the last, keeping to herself what the boy Shion had done to his would be murderers. Ling put down her cup. "And even though he has the memories of a man, he thinks like a child. This makes perfect sense." "I'm glad it does to you," Sakura sighed. "There is only one possible solution." Ling grinned, standing at the head of the table. "We must go to the moon." * Haru vaguely remembered the plot of an anime he had seen as a child, about 5 girls who traveled to the moon. Of course, how they managed to do such a thing was never explained, they just seemed to be caught in some shimmering light, then disappeared, only to witness events that transpired a thousand years ago. What would happen to them, if they traveled to the moon? Would his past come rushing forth to consume him, as it had Shion? How could he stand to look at the place where he betrayed Shion, and in truth Mokulan? He could not sleep, these thoughts repeatedly running through his mind. He pushed his head back farther into the pillow, hoping to physically drive them from his consciousness. "The moon?" Alice had whispered in shock at Ling's announcement. "Just HOW are we going to get to the moon!" Sakura declared. "You forget too easily. This is the US government. We have many avenues open to us." Ling had smiled enigmatically. But her words only led to the deeper questions. How had Shion/Rin gotten to the Moon in the first place? After all, Haru thought, the "redesigned" Tokyo Tower was only to be used as a communications device, not a transporter. And Rin couldn't have teleported all that way, could he? Even as his thoughts turned to teleportation, Haru realized he wasn't alone in his room. Startled, he jolted upright, exclaiming in joy as he saw his dear friends Mr. Tamura and Mikuro, the Esper. "Haru, I'm so glad you are safe." Tamura said, relieved. "I'm so glad you're here!" Haru sighed, trying to hold back the tears threatening to fill his eyes. "Where is here?" Tamura looked around suspiciously at the spacious, if bare room. "I'd guess someplace secret," Mikuru intoned in his odd voice, as he moved to take a glance out the window. "It's such a long story. It's some US military base, and they want to take us to the moon to stop Rin and..." "What? The moon?" Tamura interrupted. "Haru, we're taking you home, right now!" Haru gasped, before this moment, he didn't realize how much he desperately wanted, no, needed to go back to the Moonbase, almost as if retracing his steps would somehow absolve him of his crimes. "Haru isn't going to the moon," a raspy, yet familiar voice intoned from the shadows. Haru, Tamura and Mikuro tensed, turning to greet the speaker, who turned out to be Ling, flanked by two soldiers with more weaponry. "Did you really think you could teleport into an ESPer base and NOT be detected?" she said coldly, crossing her arms. "What do you mean, I'm not going to the moon? This afternoon you said..." "Haru," she said gently, "You know your heart can't take the G forces necessary for lift off. I just didn't want to tell you in front of your friends. But, now would you kindly explain who these gentlemen are?" "I don't think so," Mikuro stated, closing his eyes in concentration, as he reached forward to grasp Tamura and Haru's hands in each of his own. For a brief moment, the three seemed to fade away, but came startling into focus a second later. Mikuro fell to his knees breathing hard. "What ARE you?" Haru gazed at Ling in shock, "You're an Esper too!" "Of course, how do you think I got this job?" she shrugged placidly. "A human ESPer like your friend here is relatively easy to halt." "But Shion won't be." Tamura stated. "That's why we need these kids. You must understand," Ling stepped closer, "The ESPer Corp is not in the habit of kidnapping untrained children and sending them into battle. But this is no ordinary situation. Are you this boy's father?" Tamura smiled sadly, "No, no I'm not." "Well, then you can't sign his permission slip." Ling attempted to joke, although her smile never reached her eyes. "Haru will stay behind, you have nothing to worry about." "We would like to `not worry about him' while he's safely at home," Tamura said through gritted teeth. "Impossible. Of all things we don't need right now, a leak is high on our list." She sighed. "Is that all he is to you? Don't you care that these are children you are dealing with!" Tamura accused. Ling lashed out with her arm, invisible forces sending Tamura reeling and hitting the back wall of the bedroom. "I care, stranger. I care about the children on this planet who might never grow up, thanks to that child on the moon. This is the only way, and I don't think you truly understand what's at stake here." "On the contrary, I don't think you do," Tamura sighed, struggling to stand. Why did it seem he was always the punching bag for some angry ESPer? "Haru," Ling pointedly ignored Tamura, "Your friends may stay here with you until we return from the moon. Of course, my escort will gladly stay around to ensure you don't get lost in the complex." She turned and walked toward the door, the guard following her, "And it would really be a very bad idea to try to teleport again, my friend. Trust me." She added, running her hand down the doorframe before stalking out the door. * This was a bad idea. A terrible, horrible, wrong idea, Alice thought, staring at the tall rocket ship secreted under the earth. She, along with the others, had been given the same bluish gray jumpsuits the other members of the ESPer Corps wore. Any moment now they'd be fitted with their spacesuits and launched into the dark void of space. And Alice couldn't shake the feeling that something was dreadfully wrong. "This is the plan," Ling told them earlier in the tiny briefing room, although Haru had been conspicuous by his absence. "We don't want a fight, not unless we necessarily have to. I want you to try to talk him out of this. After all, you are his friends." She continued outlining different aspects of the plan, "Any questions?" Sakura raised her hand, as if in school, "Where's Haru?" Ling pursed her lips tightly, "He decided that he would rather not come. If any of you feel the same, I urge you to speak now." Not go? To the moon? Impossible! This was the only opportunity they had to connect with something they had only dreamed of before. No one dissented.
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