4.

Rai-chan placed her chin upon her hands. The continuous sound of water dripping seemed to get louder over the last hour. The dank stench of mildew and sewage filled her senses.  To make matters worse, Heta-chan wept over her now gay Gadget Boy. It was a mixed blessing that they’d been all congregated into a single cell at the very deepest part of the dungeon. A low hum indicated the force field that contained them.
“I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE!!!!” Rai exploded. Sammy, who had been sitting next to her, had bolted to the other corner of the cell. Her eyes were wide and her hair frizzed I every direction.
“Gomen,” Rai said sheepishly as she sat back down n the cot. A warm tingly feeling elevated up her leg. Ryoga placed a reassuring hand on her leg. He was given back his dress, which the girls were glad for. Heart boxers weren’t a major turn on for them. Clothing was better then being naked.
“Oh Ryoga-sama, let me reassure your fears,” Gadget Boy intervened. He puckered up, making a kissy face. Startled, Ryoga jumped inot Rai’s lap. Heta brought up her mighty fist of justice straight into Gadget Boy’s chin. The mechanical android soared across the cell, smashing into the bars. Horizontal bruises marked his face and his eyes did the usual anime swirling effect.
“Ooooorrrooooo?” he mumbled before keeling over.
“If only these stupid walls were effected by our powers,” Caluna commented telepathically to Heta from Mini chi’s lap. It had been a valiant attempt  but not one of their attacks, including Heta’s teleportation, had been able to penetrate the force field. 
Being chained to a wall looks a lot brighter, Rai thought. A sharp sound of metal against metal stung her ears and invaded her thoughts. Rai placed her hands over her ears to muffle the screeching. Two clean diagonal cuts had opened an escape in the bars and the field. The broken pieces slid from their perch and onto the awakening Gadget Boy.
“What the...?”  Rai questioned as she ran her fingers against the smooth metal. She steadied herself for a plasma shock that indicated the force field but nothing happened. 
Suddenly, a large object swung down from the ceiling only inches from her face. Surprised, she let out a yelp and stepped back. It was a boy, blonde, sword in hand and was hanging upside down from the ceiling.
“Hi” he smiled, dropping into a crouch. Nonchalantly, he placed his sword in its sheath that was strapped to his back. Most of the rebels had filed out into the hallway, surrounding the strange boy. Heta had a unconscious Gadget boy by the foot, dragging him behind her. Mini chi held Sammy’s hand and nearly was choking Caluna in the other arm. Ryoga tried to be inconspicuous in the back. The boy stood up, coming to the same height as Ryoga. His bangs covered on of his eyes. He was clad in baggy black cloth pants, a matching tank top and decked off in a battered old jacket.
“Well are we going to sit around and stare or are we going to get the hell out of here?” he motioned to the exit at the end of the hall. As if on cue, the alarm began their dull whine. The odd group made there way down the hallway, past two downed guards that Rai suspected the boy had dealt with before.  The door lead to a wide-open room, that she was sure that was trapped.
Her presumptions were correct, the floor gave away from underneath them. Giving what little leverage they could, the troop made it across the gap successfully. Just as they scrambled to safety. The ceiling began to descend at a great rate.
Sammy wrapped her arms around her little self and the cabbit. She rolled under the crushing weight from above, with Heta and Gadget Boy close behind. 
“Whew, that was close,” Heta exhaled at the few inches she had to spare. It wasn’t helping that she had to lug around her hunk of junk android around. He was slowing her down considerable. “You o.k. Rai?” Heta turned to her blonde friend. Except their leader wasn’t there. “Oh my god,” Heta gasped. “Rai and Ryoga are still on the other side.”

Keichii found it a little awkward being confined. It wasn’t the fact that they were trapped but that the people he was with were younger versions of his parents.
“BREAKING POINT!!!” Ryoga yelled as his dress whipped around him. The attack had no effect on the concrete block. Keichii placed his head in his hand. He’d never know his father or his mother. His mother had died of a rare heart disease soon after his birth and his father was killed during a fierce battle with FNA. An older Heta-chan had raised him in a collapsing society. She believed that the reason why the future was so bleak and ruled by the evil forces of FNA was because Rai had died. Heta created a time machine for him to take heart medicine that she’d concocted to his mother. Keichii never thought that he’d ever see his father in a dress.
“Hey, you!” Rai hollered at him as she rushed to his side. “Why don’t you help us already!” Keichii took a deep breath. Heta-chan was right about his mother’s attitude. He drew his sword and gave it a couple good swings. It sent up a shower of concrete and spackle.
“Wow!” Ryoga and Rai exclaimed. A puzzled Heta, Sammy, Mini-chi, and Caluna stared at the spectacle. 
“Come on!” Keichii said, rolling his eyes. He grabbed Rai’s arm, dragging her along.

Thermo-kami stormed down the corridor. Subordinates ran around like hamster in a wheel, still not sure what was going on. He too didn’t know what was going on, but his gut told him that the rebels had escaped. The Kami threw open the massive doors to his inner chamber. A feminine laughter flooded the cavernous room. Luna-Megami lay across the throne, her legs rested over one of the arms.
“Well, well, I didn’t expect a weakling like you to be behind this operation,” she said entangling her fingers in her whip. The Kami positioned himself so that he could lunge at her. With a snap of her fingers, 5 men clad in dark blue body gloves, chest armor and white gloves and boots surrounded the Megami. The only one without black hair came to stand at her side.
“If you really are content on attacking me, you’ll have to go through my Saiyan Squad,” she giggled evilly. Thermo-kami stood up straight, trying not to show his nervousness.
“Ahhh, I’ve heard of you, the great Luna-Megami. It’s a pleasure to finally meet such a powerful follower of the magnificent FNA,” he sucked up. “May I ask why you have come to grace me with your presence.” A yellow blurb darted out of the corner of his eye. “What?” 
A yellow rodent was running around his thrown room with a torch in his mouth. The demonic creature chirped as it climbed up the tapestries and swung on the light fixtures with a smoldering torch between its jaws.
“Make him stop that!!!” The kami demanded. At the harsh tone, the pikachu cowered and ran to his master. Luna snatched Artemis up in her arms and gave him a quick hug. She brought the pikachu away from her. The rodent took the torch from his mouth with his nimble little paws, showing it to the Megami. Luna took it in one hand, and placed her pet on her shoulder.
“I know that your not the one FNA sent to replace my brother.” She smirked, waving the torch around like a wand. “You’re too weak to be a true Kami,” Thermos’s brows furrowed. “I want you to tell your boss that he needs to stay out of my business.”
“And what business would that be?” he questioned.
“Well the destruction of the Rebels of course,” She taunted. “Just tell him to keep away from the Rebels and me and he’ll be able to keep his life.” Menacingly, se grasped the torch, squeezing effortlessly into a smoldering lump in the palm of her hand. With another snap of her fingers, Luna-Megami and her Saiyan Squad materialized into thin air. 
The other Kami-kazis entered the chamber. They looked confused. 
“We felt a powerful ki coming from this room. Who were you talking to Thermo?” Aqua-kami asked. Terra and Ferno looked semi concerned.
“I want you to find Luna-Megami,” Thermo fumed. It was obvious that his pride had been wounded. He slammed his fist against the black marble wall, leaving a little crater. His battle aura rose so it overwhelmed the others.
“But…” Terra-kami was cut off.
“NO @#%&ing BUTS!!!! I can still feel that wench’s ki still in the facility. Find her and bring her to me so she can bow down to me. I’m going to teach her how to behave around her superiors.”

They were safe for the time being Rai thought. There was so much going through her mind. Who was this boy who had rescued them? He’d addressed himself as Keichii but that was about it. She wondered why he was so insisted on talking to her.
With so many of the Kami-kazis henchmen running around all trigger happy, they thought it would be good it they hid until things cooled down. They’d found a confined area behind some crates that would suffice as cover.
Keichii had pulled her from earshot of her friends, making her a little uneasy. There was something about this boy she found oddly familiar even though she’d never met him in her whole life. He looked a few years older then her and he was obviously very powerful.
In a awkward position, Keichii threw his arms around her, burrowing his face. A warm felling covered her body. He mumbled something into her shoulder.
Flustered, she pushed him away. “What did you call me?”
He fumbled over his own words. He thought that this would be a lot easier but the words wouldn’t come out. The back of his throat was unusually dry. “I called you ‘Mom’,” he splurted. 
The shock made her squeal loudly. She felt his hand covering her mouth in a silencing manner. When he was sure that she was silent he released her. “I know that this must be a shock, but I’ve come from the future to give you this,” he rustled through the pockets of his jacket. He pulled out a small childproof medicine bottle.
“What’s this for?” she asked curiously as she examined the bottle. It was filled with neon pink pills. Rai made jerky head motions, looking at Keichii and back at the bottle.
“Those are for your heart disease,” Keichii said with a hint of pain in his voice. “In my future, you and father are dead. I’ve come to try to change this future. Heta-chan made a time machine so that I could give your future another chance. One where I have a mother and a father.”
Rai held the pills close to her body, as if they would just slip through her fingers. It was a major shock, she didn’t even know how to respond. “I’m speechless. I mean… God I have a son from the future for Christ’s sake. Thank you,” she mustered. At that point a thought clicked in her head. “By the way who is your father, Keichii?”
He reached into his pants pocket, pulling out a snapshot and gave it to her. It was an old picture, with rugged corners and it’s color fading. The older version of her didn’t look much different, and the man who sat next to her was familiar. He had a head band, an umbrella and …
“OH MY GOD!!! IT CAN’T BE!!” she screamed. Rai-chan looked over at Ryoga still in his dress and back at the picture. “This can’t be happening, I’m going to marry pig boy,” she murmured.
Keichii placed a hand on her shoulder. “I know isn’t it embarrassing.” Rai’s head dropped so her chin rested on her chest. She let out a little whimper.
“Ohhh how cute. Mother and son reunited. I’m sorry I have to brake up your little reunion,” a recognizable voice came from behind a shadowed crate. It sent shivers up Rai’s spine.
“Luna-Megami, I’d know that voice of yours anywhere.”  Rai commented, dropping into a fighting stance. The Megami just giggled. She stepped into the center of the light, circling the two. 
“RAI!” Heta cried out when she saw her friend cornered. She rushed forward, nearly running into a tall, muscular man. Heta-chan stumbled, falling into the man. The man’s hair stuck straight up and it receded high on his forehead. A corrupt smile spread across his lips as he picked the girl up by her arm and tossed her into a pile of crates. The boxes fell on top of her, trapping her under them. Sammy and Gadget Boy ran to her aid.  
“VEGETA!!” Trunks yelled. The purple haired leader marched up to the man, glaring a deadly gaze. “Your orders are to make sure the other rebels don’t interfere.  No harm is supposed to come to them. Luna has plans for them you got that,” he pushed Vegeta in the chest. 
	Vegeta just snorted his dislike and turned away. Trunks rolled his eyes and turned his attention to the other members of his force. Goku and Gohan had the pig/girly boy and the midget under control while Vegeta watched the other two rebels and the robot. Goten sauntered up to Trunks, who watched contently as his Megami toyed with the leader and her companion. 
A glint in the shadows caught his attention. His saiyan ears heard the soft muffle of footsteps just outside the light. Trunks senses heightened, feeling a strong ki that wasn’t friendly. 
A blast of energy shot out from the darkness aimed at Luna-Megami. “LUNA!!” Trunks shouted as he teleported between his love and the burst of power. It hit him, square in the chest, penetrating the chest armor. He fell into a limp pile on the floor at the Megami’s feet. A trickle of blood escaped his mouth.
Luna stared down, stunned at her wounded lover. Her gaze remained emotionless as she dropped to her knees. Her other saiyans came to circle around her during her instability.
She remembered this scenario from somewhere in her past but when she couldn’t remember. It racked her mind sending her into a downward spiral. Even though her mind was in turmoil, her appearance remained stern. Gohan kneeled next to her, shoving a sensu bean down Trunks throat. 
The Megami rose to her feet, eerily quiet. The energy level in the room skyrocketed, making even the littlest pest tremble. The Saiyan Squad disbanded around her, stumbling back by the power boost.
Her hair fell out of her pigtails, turning to a blonde as they whipped around her face. A yellow light erupted around her, making it hard to see inside. But they could all see that in the center she did nothing. The light dimmed around her, leaving a more stalwart opponent in her place. 
In the blink of an eye, she took up her whip and snapped it into the darkness. A startled scream and the sound of struggling echoed among the crates. A sharp crack ended the struggling noise. Luna brought back her whip so it lay at her feet. 
A sickening thud came from the shadows and a round object rolled into the light. It was the head of Terra-kami. His eyes were bulging out of his head and his tongue rolled out of his mouth.
Still gazing ahead, Luna-Megami spoke. “I know there are more of you out there. Show yourself or you’ll taste the wraith of the Super Saiyan and end up like your friend.” The two other Kamis, Aqua and Ferno, stepped out into the edge of the faint glow. “You’ve been warned and still you try to interfere with my affairs. The next time you mess with me I’ll make sure your heads roll just like him.” She nodded to Goku, who came and picked up Trunks. The Megami and her Saiyan Squad disappeared into oblivion leaving two disturbed Kamis.

	As the two distraught kamis stared about themselves in shock, the rebels were trying to dig Heta-chan out from under the pile of heavy boxes.  In the gloomy light of the room, Sammy-chan was desperately tugging at the nearest box.
	“Even for my super special chi-enhanced strength, this may be too big of a job . . . . . what the Fna is in these boxes, anyway?”  Sweat poured down her face as she pulled to no avail.
	Gadget Boy gently pushed her aside.  “Let me handle it.”  He grabbed the nearest box and tugged with all his might.  It didn’t move an inch.
	Meanwhile, the two kamis were beginning to realize that there were a bunch of helpless rebels right there within their grasp.  Disregarding the lolling head of Terra-kami still sitting on the floor, they rubbed their hands together in Dr. Evil-like glee and advanced on the clueless party.
	While Gadge still struggled with the crates, Caluna seemed to be the only one who was paying any attention to what the kamis were doing.  She let out a warning yowl toward them, but that only stopped them for a second.
	Aqua-kami reached them first.  Rai-chan turned about quickly and let out a shock of electricity.  The rest of the party looked to see what was going on, but Rai just waved them back.  “Keep trying to free Heta, I’ll take out the trash.”
	She faced off with the two kamis, without any real hope of beating them.  Caluna rushed over to her side.  ‘Stay back or I’ll bite your ankles off,’ she transmitted.
	Ferno-kami stared Rai-chan down.  “If you think you can beat the two of us when you couldn’t even take on one, then you are sadly mistaken.”
	Over at the boxes, Gadget Boy stopped for a moment.  “Sammy . . . why don’t we both pull on the boxes?”
	She stood in thought for a moment.  “A novel idea,” she said finally.
	They went to work, the large crates moving inch by inch.
	Mini-chi, Keiichi, and Ryoga stepped up to join the other two.  “Now how are the odds,” Keiichi winked at his mother and brandished his gleaming sharp sword.
	Aqua and Ferno appeared to reconsider.  Then Ferno shrugged, “you are still no match for us.”
	Aqua, between maniacal laughs, stated, “pathetic . . . weaklings.  You . . .couldn’t . . . hurt a wounded . . . hummingbird.”
	“Wanna make a bet?”  Rai’s eyes flared with sparking electricity and she clenched her fists at her sides.  Keiichi and Ryoga stood on either side of her.
	“Heehee, take this!”  Shouted Mini-chi.  She picked up Caluna by the scruff of the neck and tossed her through the air . . . right onto Aqua-kami’s face.  During the confusion that followed, the air of the room became suddenly dry with static.
	Water flew, swords flashed, and bandannas snapped.  When all was said and done, the two kamis had taken a severe beating.
	“Why’d you have to go and do that?”  Whined Ferno-kami.  “Look what you did to my hair!”  Some water from Aqua-kami’s body had temporarily put out Ferno’s flaming head.
	At last, Aqua-kami was able to pull Caluna from his face.  She left little claw marks all over.  He held her tightly in one hand and lifted her up to eye-level while she hissed and spat.  “You’re gonna pay for that,” he threatened.  Turning to Ferno, he said as calmly as possible, “come on, let’s get out of here and make a plan.”
	Ferno floated over to Terra-kami’s body and picked up his decapitated head in one hand.  With the other, he grabbed the dead kami’s shirt and dragged him along.  “Fine.  Let’s go.  Bring the cabbit, maybe we can use her.”
	“Right.”  Before the rebels could stop them, they all disappeared.
	A sky blue glow began to surround one of the last boxes that Gadget Boy and and Sammy had not yet moved.  It floated into the air and landed gently on another pile, revealing a bruised but otherwise okay Heta.
	She rubbed her head.  “Owwwww, dammit . . . what happened?”
	Mini-chi hopped over with her face scrunched up in sorrow.  “They took Caluna . . . I’m sorry, I threw her at them so she could distract them!  It’s all my fault!!!”  Tears flowed in a steady stream from her eyes and she started bawling.
	Sammy comforted her.  “No, it’s not your fault, they got away too quickly . . .we’ll get her back, don’t worry.”
	Heta’s eyes grew wide.  “They took her?  For what?”
	“We don’t know,” put in Rai.  “But now we have yet another thing to worry about . . . . .” she slowly sat down on the floor.  The others joined her.
	“So . . .what are we going to do?”  Asked Ryoga.
	“That IS the question, isn’t it?”  Heta sighed and leaned over with her chin in her hand.  “What we have to do first is think about getting out of here . . . we can’t fight the kamis the way we are now.  We’ve gotta go somewhere and recuperate.”
	Keiichi thought for a moment.  “Well . . . when I got in here to rescue all of you, I did find a lot of interesting places in this candle factory where we wouldn’t be easily discovered.”
	“Like . . . ?”  Sammy offered.
	“Ummm . . . err . . .”  Keiichi looked extremely uncomfortable.  “I found this place . . . in the basement . . . it’s a . . . a . . .”
	“SPIT IT OUT, YOU!!!”  Shouted Ryoga.  “IT CAN’T BE THAT BAD!”
	“A MEN’S BATHROOM!!!”  Keiichi yelled finally.  “They’ll never find us in there.”
	“Ummm . . . but the kamis are men . . . I think . . .” countered Sammy-chan.
	“But it’s in the basement!!”  Keiichi gestured wildly as he illustrated his plans, “no one ever goes down there except for the stupid henchmen that run this place when they want some canned pears.”
	Heta smiled.  “Oh well, I guess it’s as good an idea as any we’ve had so far.  Let’s go.”  Keiichi led the way as they travelled through the winding passageways of the candle factory.
***

	“Put the body over there.  We’ll decide what to do with it later.”  Instructed Thermo-kami.  The three living kamis were in their secret laboratory.  Caluna was chained to the surface of a metal table.
	This was the main laboratory out of many in the building, seeing as how this was a very large candle factory.
	Thermo leaned against a wall.  “Now.  I apologize for taking so long to get down here.  You did a good job capturing the cabbit.  We can USE her . . .”
	“I had an idea for something . . . heehee,” Aqua-kami seemed to be deep in thought.
	Thermo looked mildly interested.  “If it has to do with getting back at that *&^%& Luna-megami, then I’m all for it, slave.”
	“It could . . . but first we could test it on the rebels.”
	Ferno-kami advanced on the trembling cabbit.  “Here kitty bunny bunny . . .” he grinned wickedly.
	‘Stay back,’ Caluna thought at him, ‘or I’ll . . . I’ll . . . I’ll kick your sorry arse!’
	Unfortunately, the kamies were not advanced enough forms of life to be able to use telepathic communication.
	Aqua-kami shoved Ferno roughly out of his way.  “It’s my idea,” he whined.  “Let me do it!”
	“Fine,” Ferno-kami grumbled, folding his arms and pouting.
	“Children, children,” taunted Thermo-kami sarcastically, “let me handle it.  Just tell me your plan and I shall put it into action.”  His grin was wider than the Pacific Ocean.
	“I know what I’m doing.”  Aqua monitored a glowing screen which lit up his watery face with an eerie light.  He motioned to Ferno.  “Bring me the cabbit.”
	After several screeches and bites, Caluna was in Aqua-kami’s evil clutches.  He opened the top of a large green tank and dumped her unceremoniously into it.  “Take that, bunny.  Soon you shall be cabbit no more.  WAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!!!”
***

	Our heroes were now in bathroom city.  “It stinks!!”  Sammy-chan’s nasal voice came from around her hand.
	“Of course it does.  It’s a bathroom.”  Keiichi seemed to think this was completely normal.
	They all sat down on the less-than sanitary floor, since the only ‘chairs’ were probably even dirtier.
	“Now that we’re safe, we need a plan,” said Rai-chan.
	Heta looked around at her friends.  “Well, the only reason we’re here right now is the fact that they have Caluna.  Otherwise we could make our way back to Sammy’s car and high-tail it outta here.”
	There were general nods all around.  Suddenly, Keiichi found himself staring into the depths of one of the grime-encrusted mirrors.
	The assembly fell silent as some glimmering blue ripples seemed to move across the mirror’s surface.  The room was filled with blinding light for a moment, and then a girl poked her head out of the mirror.
	“Hi,” she said.  “I am the goddess Belldandy.”
	A close-up of each character’s shocked faced ensued.  Then Keiichi screamed.
	“Shhh!  Shut up!!!!”  Sammy clamped a hand over Keiichi’s mouth.  He realized what he had done and snapped it shut.
	“Someone was bound to have heard that,” Rai whispered.
	Belldandy slithered out of the mirror.  “Oh my.”  She took a look around the room she was in.  “This place needs a woman’s touch.”
	“Who are you?”  Queried Gadget Boy.  “And do you have any sisters?”
	Heta growled in exasperation.  “Shut up.”  She turned to the new girl.  “Where did you come from?”
	She smiled.  “I was sent by the Lord to combat Fna.  The Lord don’t take no stock in Fna.”
	“Ummm . . . . . yesssss.”  Heta stared in confusion.  She shook herself from side to side.  “Anyway, you can help us if you want to.  Have a seat.  Now, Keiichi, where were we?”
	Belldandy’s head turned all the way around.  “Keiichi?  Where, where?”
	Heta pointed, confused again.
	“Oh,” the goddess said sadly, “you’re not my Keiichi.  I guess you couldn’t be, since he died when the Earth was eaten by the giant Bob Dole so many years ago.”
	Heta nodded.  “I know, my family died too.  That’s one of the reasons that we must get revenge on Fna . . .”
	“Oh no,” the goddess said emphatically, “revenge is never, never the answer.  In order to truly conquer evil, you must have a pure heart.  A heart as white as the purest snow . . .”
	“Okay, break up the philosophical cheese,” Rai-chan said.  “That’s very profound and all, but where does it leave us in this situation?”
	“With my power,” Belldandy smiled, “you should be able to defeat whatever opponents confront you.”
	“Then let’s go!  All right!”  Shouted Keiichi.  He jumped to his feet and swung the sword in an arc that barely missed Mini-chi’s head, but before he could get any farther he got a quizzical expression on his face.
	“What . . .” began Sammy.
	“Shhh!”  He cut her off sharply.  Just outside the door, they could hear a strange humming noise.
	“Hmmm hmhm, lala la!”  It got louder and the door began to creak open.  Panicked, the entire group all fled into one of the stalls and slammed the door.  It was rather cramped, but at least they were somewhat well hidden.
	The door opened and they barely dared to breathe as footsteps traced across the tiled bathroom floor.  The friends listened with grim fascination as their guest worshipped the porcelain goddesses, then went for the sink.
	Just as the last of the water was shut off, Murphy’s Law was set into devastating motion.  Gadget Boy’s more human functions chose a very inopportune moment in which to take action.  In other words, the android sneezed and fell out of the stall via making a hole in the door.
	All noise in the room abruptly ceased.  The footsteps reversed their direction and a face poked around the rows of stalls.  “Hullo there,” said a tall man in a purple hat.  “I just came down to this basement to get some canned pears, but I’ll be on my way now.  I say, are you all right old chap?”  He asked the dazed Gadget Boy.
	“Just . . . fine . . .” the android barely managed.
	“Aw, I see.  Well, ta-ta then.  Cheerio!”  With a tip of his hat, the man exited the room.
	Everyone slid out of the stall in a heap and let out a collective breath.  Sammy climbed over everyone else and stuck a finger in the air, shouting, “now, let’s go!  We’ll rescue Caluna and get the hell outta here!!!”
	“Yeah!”  Rai-chan agreed as she rushed from the room followed by Mini-chi, Sammy-chan, Ryoga, and Keiichi.  Belldandy, Heta, and Gadget Boy were left in the room, quite confused.
	“So . . . which minions of Fna are you fighting against right now?”  Asked Belldandy.
	“A few kamis.  We’re having a little bit of trouble handling them, though . . .”
	“So I gathered.  Well, shall we follow your friends?”
	“Yeah, let’s go!”  Shouted Gadget Boy, “we’ll find Thermo-kami’s throne room and be on our way to victory!!!!”  With that, they were off.
***

	As Aqua-kami put the finishing touches on his new invention, he laughed insanely.  “This should keep that Luna-megami in line.  Not to mention those filthy rebels . . . heeheehee.”
	Ferno stood over the operating table, a table on which was placed something that could almost be called human.  He stared at Aqua who stood opposite him.  “Are you going to put on the arm?”
	“Yesssss . . . yes, I believe I shall!”  Aqua-kami gazed wild-eyed at his partner in crime.  “Bring it to me.”
	“The attachment?”
	“Yes, yes, the attachment.”  The blue kami rubbed his hands together in evil jubilance.  “Now to finish the job with our little friend.”
	Ferno-kami soon brought a metal contraption back over to the table and handed it to Aqua.  “How are you going to do this?”
	“Watch and learn,” instructed Aqua-kami smugly as he cleaned his surgical instruments and prepared for the amputation.
***

	“Good, you’re just in time,” said Thermo-kami smoothly as the group of rebels came boldly into his throne room.
	“Told ya it would be a piece of cake to find,” grinned Keiichi.
	“Oh Keiichi, perhaps you are fit to have such a name!”  Exclaimed the lovely Belldandy.
	Heta-chan stood in front of the rest of her friends.  “Prepare to die, now we’ve got a goddess on our side!”
	Thermo-kami smirked slightly and laughed, mocking them.  “Oh?  And what can a goddess do against gods?  Why would her level of power be any greater?”  He gestured toward Belldandy dismissively, “she is of no consquence and can be defeated just as easily as the rest of you, if not easier.”
	The goddess stepped forward to defend her rights.  “I am far more powerful than you can even imagine.  I have seen nations fall and individuals rise out of the ashes.  I have seen lives lost and wisdom gained, forgiveness sought and stubbornly witheld.”  She floated effortlessly into the air and stared down Thermo-kami.  “I have understood when some felt they needed to be left alone, and comforted those who were lying about it.  When the rain falls, it is my tears, and when the sun comes out and creates rainbows in the sky, that is my happiness at seeing joy in others.  I’ve seen those who cause their own end and those who make life worth living.  But, I have never,” she looked directly into his eyes, “never, met anyone in my life as ridiculous and belligerent as the man I see before me at this moment.”
	There was not anything else she could have said that would have angered Thermo-kami more than that.  His face grew red until the group feared he would become a strawberry, but that wasn’t what happened.  Instead, he screamed, “AQUA-KAMI, FERNO-KAMI, GET THE &^%$ OUT HERE!!!!!!!!!!”
	They obeyed immediately, dragging something behind them.  They moved aside from the doorway, and in the dim light of Thermo-kami’s throne room a stooped figure was silhouetted in the brightness.
	As this new and strange arrival was viewed by everyone, none of them could quite tell what in the world it was supposed to be.  Then Aqua-kami rang a bell.
	The tall man with the purple top hat that Gadget Boy had seen in the basement came through yet another door.  When he spotted the android he said, “oh my!  You’re the old chap I saw in the john!  Well, I hope you feel better now!”
	Ferno-kami bent over and whispered to the man.
	“Oh dear,” said the man, “is he really?”  He turned to Gadget Boy and frowned as though he was in a minorly annoying situation.  “I’m afraid,” he explained with regret, “that you shall have to be terminated along with the others.”
	Gadget Boy’s eyes bugged out of his head and he began to sweat.
	“At any rate, I suppose I should introduce myself.”  He bowed to the rebels.  “I am Mr. Willy Wonka, and I work for Fna.  I am an expert chemist and enjoy the company of small children.”  He was staring suspiciously at Mini-chi.  “I would like to introduce our mysterious friend in the doorway here.  You may recognize her name as that of your former friend Caluna.”
	Wonka began to dance around and sing the stupidest song the rebels had ever heard.  He flipped his cane about and jigged around until it made them all dizzy watching him.
	As Gadge watched in complete horror, he commented, “I sure am glad that I love women right about now.”
	When Wonka was done, the figure in the doorway stepped forward and shut the door behind her.
	The rebels gasped.  It was Caluna . . . and yet it was not.  For one thing, this creature was definitely human.
	A very nicely shaped human, as a matter of fact.  Caluna was dressed in skin-tight dark gray leather with some kind of a pearlescent multi-colored shielding floating around her body.  Intense purple eyes gazed out from beneath short midnight-black hair.  Yes, she was no doubt human . . . and as her friends, everyone could tell that this was indeed Caluna.  However, there was something wrong . . . something a little bit off that no one could quite place . . . and then Heta-chan had it.  She screamed in abject terror.  “What have you done to her?!  Wonka, you sadistic son of a bitch, just what the *&^% did you do to my friend?!!!!!!!!”
	“I didn’t do it,” Wonka denied joyfully.
	Aqua-kami smiled proudly.  “I’m afraid . . . that was my work.”  His grin widened yet again, “and I’m not sure there’s really anything you can do about it.”
	For there, where a normal human would have a healthy right arm, was a hideous metal structure with a grasping claw on the end.  It was really less like a claw and more like a hand with fingers sharpened to deadly points.
	Mr. Wonka jigged around some more, singing about how the juice of canned pears had odd effects on genetic experiments.  He explained in his song about how they transformed Caluna into a human using green pear juice, and proceeded to cut off her right arm to re-attach the claw . . . but before he could finish his song, Caluna got a bit angry.
	“N-n-n-no more,” she got out raspingly, and lunged.  Willy Wonka struggled as Caluna grasped him by the throat with her normal hand.  As she lifted him into the air, she plunged her claw into his abdominal cavity.
	The rebels looked on in fright, yet found that they somehow couldn’t look away as Caluna pulled out yards upon yards of Wonka’s digestive organs.  When she finally got bored, and he finally stopped screaming, she removed her claws, digging them instead into his skull cap.
	Thrilling at this new game, she flung her metal arm back and threw Wonka’s corpse across the room.  His skull cap stayed on her claws while the contents of his head painted the walls with gore.  The cabbit-turned human smiled.
	Thermo turned toward the horror-stricken rebels and leered.  “Now that you’ve seen what she can do, who’s next?”  He folded his arms calmly while Aqua-kami and Ferno-kami watched, amused.
	Heta stared at Caluna with tears in her eyes.  What was she going to do?  For once, the wise part of Heta’s mind fell silent and she began to sob as Gadget Boy numbly held her and lent what comfort he was able to.  She turned her face away and held Gadge like she was a scared child.
	Caluna, with eyes like holy purple fire, raised one of her claws to her mouth and delicately licked the blood off of it.  Aside from Heta-chan’s desperate sobbing, only one sound could be heard in the chamber.  For a moment, it seemed to be something that came from a nightmare, but the kamis knew better.  Those eyes of Caluna’s were the work of many long hours of hypnotic conditioning, and the sound that was somehow able to carry above Heta’s hysterics was one low, soft, “meow.”

“We’ve got out own agenda to keep,” Thermo explained suddenly, breaking the horrified trance of the Rebels. “Lord Darth still wants you alive, and so…” The other two kamis powered up around him. “We can’t allow you to leave just yet.” His face twisted into an awful grin. “Since they are of no consequence to us, maybe we should kill your companions as well…”
“You bastards,” Gadget Boy stated, his voice and eyes as hard as the steel he was made of. “You…” Heta’s convulsions abated, and she clung to him limply.
Keiichi’s hands shook slightly as he readied his sword. “I…” Rai looked over at him quizzically. “I’ve… the last time I battled a kami, I barely lived… and, and…” He choked. Aqua-kami heard him, and began to chuckle. 
“They aren’t real kamis,” Sammy tried to explain softly, her eyes never leaving the villains. “They’re just minions…”
“Minions that have kicked your asses once already,” Ryoga mumbled under his breath. 
Rai straightened up. “I’ve had it up to here with your shit,” she shouted to the Kami-kazes. “We don’t give a %#@$ about your hidden agenda.” The leader glanced over at Heta. The girl was still holding her android in shock, her eyes wide and empty, her mouth moving noiselessly. Rai felt her soul burn inside her. Her glittering eyes fixed on the minions again. “I’m going to kill every one of you,” she said slowly. 
The kamis’ laugh was harsh in the empty throne room. Without warning, Thermo-kami fired a weak blast of yellow-green energy at Rai, which condensed around her, but dispersed quickly. Rai froze in shock, mortified that she hadn’t been able to react to the “attack”. 
Aqua’s faced gleamed coldly. “Like you did last time we fought?”
Rai rubbed her shoulder, her eyes narrowing. “This isn’t like last time. This time it’s personal.”
Belldandy stared at her new team in shock. There was so much hatred in them… They couldn’t possibly expect to win this way…
Minichi pulled at Rai’s leg. “Rai-chan,” she said, her small face veiled in worry. “He’s right, we won’t be able to take them this time. They’re too strong.. and we have to fight Caluna now too!”
The rebels looked up at the transformed cabbit. Her mouth cracked into a smile, and she blew them a kiss with her bloody claw.
“Please…” Heta whispered suddenly, her voice hoarse. She turned away from Gadge and faced her friends. “Please don’t kill her.” The blue one managed a diluted smile. “I know we can fix her, if we take her back alive…”
Rai frowned, kneading her shoulder, lost in thought. Caluna was a psychotic bloodthirsty minion now, but Heta thought they could change her back. Rai wasn’t too sure about that herself, but Heta was the science one, if anyone could do it, it’d be her.
“Well,” Belldandy spoke suddenly. “I suppose I’m the one to start things!” She smiled gently, much to everyone’s surprise, and began to levitate. “In the name of the Lord who art in heaven,” she chanted softly, “I call out for your power…”
Thermo-kami sputtered frantically. “Don’t let her finish!!” He screamed, pointing at the goddess. Ferno and Aqua rushed towards her.
“Oh boy,” Gadget Boy cracked his knuckles loudly. “Time to do that thing we do.” The rebels crowded in front of Belldandy, swords, fists, energy balls, and whatever other weapons they had at the ready. 
Rai stumbled, and suddenly doubled over. Minichi stopped next to her. “Rai-chan..?”
“Don’t worry,” she grinned and tried to straighten up again. “Protect the goddess, she seems to know what she’s doing.”
Minichi’s face scrunched up in confusion, but she raced over to help.
Rai could feel a foreign energy burning its way into her body, pushing down on her chest. She stopped briefly to recollect herself. *That damn Thermo-kami,* she thought. *That had been a real attack after all.. what did he do to me?* 
Thermo-kami seemed to teleport in front of her out of nowhere. “You gonna sit this one out, Rai-chan?” He asked haughtily.
“Heh,” Rai used all of her will to straighten her back. “You wish, airhead.”
“Oooh, that *hurt*,” he scoffed, and flashed towards her. He was too fast for her to react, and his fist caught her hard in the stomach. She flew across the throne room, and recovered into a crouch, her shoulder and arm throbbing. Thermo grinned sympathetically. “Embarrassing, isn’t it? You, the infamous leader of the Rebels of Fna, can’t handle one class F kami. What did you ever think you could do against Fna?”
Aqua-kami blasted Heta, Keiichi, and Minichi away from Belldandy with a waterspout. “You’re as weak as Ferno said you were!” He taunted the blue one. She didn’t bother to pick herself up from the ground. Aqua placed a foot down on Minichi, and mercilessly flung ice spikes at Keiichi. The boy recovered from his fall almost instantly, and rolled out of the line of fire. Aqua frowned. “Pesky little bastards…”
“There’s no way you’re getting past me,” Ryoga growled as Ferno approached them.
“Orders are orders,” the ugly kami announced, and launched himself over Ryoga’s head. He could only watch in shock. Sammy shot the kami out of the air with a ki bolt. He fell like a stone, but quickly stood again.
“You CAN’T fight fire with fire,” Ferno gasped, getting his wind back.
“But I sure as hell can try!” Sammy grinned, raising a hand glowing with flame.
Aqua’s gaze carried up to Belldandy again, who was starting to glow with an eerie light, holding a large ball of white energy in her hands. “Shit,” he muttered, and quickly shot an ice spear at her unprotected body.
“No!!” Minichi screamed, struggling underneath his foot. He brought it down on her harder, and she lay still. Gadge and Sammy both saw the icicle coming, and desperately tried to intercept it.
The ice spear flew straight through Belldandy’s shoulder. Her light disappeared almost instantly, and she fell to the ground with a choking sound. 
“Dammit!!” Keiichi cried. “No!” Aqua tossed more ice daggers at him, many of which couldn’t be avoided. Keiichi crouched in the corner of the throne room, covered in shadows and blood. “We can’t do this…” he gasped.
Thermo sauntered over to Rai’s shuddering figure, and forced her head up. “Your friends are losing as we speak,” he mumbled at her, his voice filled with a dreadful kind of glee. “It’s a wonder that you chose to fight with these losers instead of staying with the ultimate power of Fna!” He kicked her hard; she was thrown back against the wall. 
“Hira..” she stuttered, raising a shaking hand, trying desperately to attack. “Hirame..” The kami grabbed her wrist, and promptly broke it. She squeezed her eyes shut and bit her lip hard, drawing blood. 
Gadget Boy crouched by the broken body of Belldandy, trying to determine if the goddess was alive, or if she could even die at all. “Rai-chan,” Sammy called frantically, looking around for their absent leader.
“Rai!!” Ryoga shouted, alarmed at the sight Thermo was creating across the room. Rai opened her eyes and turned her head a fraction, staring at him emptily. The pain from her wrist her and her chest had almost consumed her, and Thermo was still demanding her attention. Sammy and the lost boy immediately raced to her.
Ferno planted himself in front of Ryoga and Sammy, stopping them in their tracks. “Nuh-uh,” he uttered, shaking his head and grinning. “Thermo’s power is gonna crush that weak heart of hers just like we want it to.” He raised a flaming hand at them. “Just stay right there.”
“What?!” Ryoga screamed, obviously intent on not staying where he was.
Keiichi stood shakily, trying to face the gloating Aqua-kami and keep his train of thought. *Thermo’s attack triggered Mom’s heart disease early.* He felt his heart sink into his boots. *She has to take that medicine, but airhead won’t leave her alone..*
“What happened to your orders to keep us alive??” Sammy demanded, panicked.
“Screw our orders! You guys are way too much trouble to be kept alive!” Ferno cried. He knocked her in the head with his fist, and she flew back into Gadget Boy. 
“You son of a bitch!!” Ryoga lunged at the kami. Ferno yelled, and engulfed the boy in flames.
Rai squeezed her eyes shut again. “You would have been the perfect megami,” Thermo’s voice cut through her mind. “Even watching your friends die, you show no emotion, no willingness to help them..” She opened her eyes and glared up at him. “But you still have the intense urge to fight and kill me,” he murmured. His eyes glinted, and he contorted his face into another awful smile. “I can see it inside you, the hate and anger.. you’d kill me if you could, you’d kill me in a horrible way.” 
Rai panted for air, narrowing her eyes. “Give me a reason not to.”
“That’s exactly the kind of attitude we love,” he smiled. “It’s the only one that’s going to save you.”
Gadget Boy stood up, racing towards Ferno-kami. Ferno calmly dodged around him, and kicked him the in the back. 
“What do you mean,” Rai panted. She was beginning to feel tired, the pain was draining the energy out of her. If she could sleep right now, everything would just go away..
“I can save you, Rai, if you give in to your purpose.” Thermo’s grin was wider than the sky. “You were meant to fight with us, it’s the only way you’ll be truly happy.”
Rai glared up at him, the sleepiness weighing down her eye-lids. “There’s no way I’ll do that.. you..” The hatred she felt for Fna burned inside her mind like the disease burned inside her heart. She knew she couldn’t hide it forever, but she would never work for Fna, ever again. “You’ll kill me before you’ll ever get me to join you.” She suddenly stared past her accoster, and fixed wide eyes on her son.
Keiichi stood alone in front of the two kamis. They approached him, looking like scavengers advancing on a sick animal. Keiichi braced the nervousness inside him, and remembered he had come to right the future, which was what he would die doing. “For Dad… and Mom…” He murmured, and raced towards the two kamis. They stood confidently, waiting for him to seal his doom. Keiichi leapt into the air, and, pushing all his ki into his weapon, drove his sword down. Aqua was sliced in two with a surprised slosh, but Ferno caught Keiichi in the back, and, as a horrified Rai watched helplessly, fired a ki blast straight through him.
“No…!” Rai tried to scream, but it came out like a hoarse whisper. Thermo stood back from her, and raised his hand.
“Then, you will die.” He clenched his hand into a fist, and Rai felt her chest grow even tighter. She hissed in pain, slumped against the wall, her eyes shut tight. With one final desperate attempt, she gave in to the darkness that pressed around her, and felt her mind go blank. *We.. never stood a chance..*
Her heart stopped, and she fell over on the ground.

	*Rai-chan.*
	What.. go away, let me sleep.
	*Rai-chan.*
	What?? Who are you? 
	*Rai-chan, you can’t die.*
	You’re that goddess chick we picked up in the bathroom.
	*^_^ Rai-chan.*
	Why do you keep saying my name? And didn’t you die?
	*I just need to rest.. and so do you.*
	So go away and let me sleep already.
	*Rai-chan, you’re so much stronger than you think. You can fight the darkness that is here. You can do anything.*
	What’re you talking about. There’s nothing here. And I can’t do anything, all I wanna do is sleep..
	*You need to find peace, Rai-chan. That is the only way you will be able to use your true talent. You won’t find peace in this darkness.*
	What.. why is it so dark in here..
	*That’s what I’ve been saying, Rai-chan. You can fight this darkness and see again when you find peace. Then you can do anything, and you will be strong. Stronger than anyone. Stronger than Fna.*
	Stronger than God?
	*Let’s not get into that.*
	Okay, you’re the goddess. How.. how do I find peace..?
	*That is for you to decide. You can only find peace within yourself.*
	That’s so deep.
	*Philosophy is a required course in becoming a goddess, ^_^*
	..I need to go back! I need to destroy the kami-kazes!!
	*Will you find peace that way?*
	..Of course not.. you just told me I could only find peace within myself..
	*Then why is the only thing you desire to end the lives of the kamis?*
	Because.. because it’s what I’m supposed to do.. I’m supposed to destroy Fna, and save everyone, and.. and.. they killed Keiichi..
	*..*
	..And they killed me..
	*Yours is a difficult path, Rai-chan.. But you have a good heart. And you have Our support.*
	Then.. I need help. I can’t do this on my own.
	*Will it make you happy to kill the kami-kazes?*
	It would certainly solve a lot of my problems.
	*Then I will help you as much as I can.*
	What.. what are you doing??!
	*I’m giving you my power, Rai-dono.*
	What??!!
	*You’re going to have the powers of a goddess, Rai-dono. ^_^*
	WHAT??!! But you..!!
	*I just need to rest, Rai-dono, and you need to fulfill what it is you desire.*
	I.. I..
	*Go back, Rai-dono. And kick their asses.*

	Ferno-kami dropped Keiichi. “What a little brat.” He gave the body a kick. 
	Aqua-kami reformed himself. “That smarts like hell!!”
	Satisfied, Thermo walked away from Rai’s body. “They almost gave us a run for our money,” he said to his comrades.
	“Almost!” Ferno expanded his ugly face into something that might resemble a smile.
	“I don’t understand why you had to take all the fun,” Caluna appeared from the doorway.
	“We promised you carcasses, cabbit,” Aqua snapped. “Be happy with what you have for now.”
	Caluna brandished her metal claw. “I can kill you with my thumb,” she threatened in her soft English accent.
	“I CREATED you with my thumb!!”
	Thermo stopped in his tracks. “Wait..” His eyes darted around the room suspiciously. “Do you guys feel something?”
	The kamis and the cabbitgirl stopped arguing. “What?”
	Thermo stood at the ready, his eyes narrowed. Without any warning, an amazingly large energy blast enveloped him from behind. His mouth opened wide in a scream, he vaporized into nothing.
	Aqua and Ferno jumped up, terrified. “Thermo??”
	Rai stepped forward, engulfed in a bright white light. Her hair floated around her in white- blond strands. “Hello boys,” she whispered.
	The two kamis stood in front of her, shock covering every inch of their faces. 
“Why don’t you people ever DIE?” Caluna asked quietly.
	With a furious yell, Ferno and Aqua charged Rai. She folded her arms around her, and closed her eyes. A shockwave of white energy expanded outward from her body. It ripped through the kami’s bodies, and devoured them.
	Caluna’s eyes widened appreciatively. “I see you’ve gotten a bit of an upgrade, Rai-chan.”
	Rai opened her eyes, and fixed them on the cabbitgirl. “I never liked you.”
	She smiled widely, and stood spread-eagle, inviting an attack. “I hated you.”
	Rai smiled back, and raised a hand..
	*”Please.. please don’t kill her.. I know we can fix her, if we take her back alive..”*
	The girl blinked. *Heta-chan..* She lowered her hand, shocked at what she had almost done. *I can’t kill Caluna, Heta-chan would be heartbroken..*
	Caluna smirked, her head tilted to one side. “You still care about those people, even after they left you to die..?” She closed her eyes and smiled happily. “You’re all much stupider than I thought.”
	“Come back with us, Caluna,” Rai offered, her light fading to a slight glow. “We can fix you..”
	“I don’t need fixing,” Caluna snapped suddenly, her purple eyes blazing. “I’m happy the way I am!”
	“But Heta-chan will..”
	“I *hate* Heta. I hate all of you!!” She screamed. “You always ignored me, and left me alone!! I don’t CARE if you all DIE!!” She calmed suddenly, and smiled again. “I’ll probably be the one to kill you anyways.” Without warning, she teleported away.
	Rai stared at where she used to be. Caluna was going to mean big trouble.
	Breaking out of her reverie, she rushed to where her friends had fallen. She knelt down next to Keiichi, and cradled him in her arms. “I’m sorry.. I’m sorry I didn’t..” Tears threatened to spill down her face, and she squeezed her eyes shut in a desperate attempt to hold them back. “I can’t do anything.” Her hands glowed gently, spreading light across his dead body..
	Someone placed a hand on her shoulder. Rai looked up in surprise. Ryoga stood over her, looking singed and much worse for the wear. “Ryoga??” She gasped. “Are you okay?”
	“I’ll be alright.” He managed a grin, but it quickly faded when he saw the tears in her eyes. “Are YOU okay??”
	 “He..” Rai looked back down at Keiichi, her eyes hidden in shadow. “Is anyone else..?”	“No, they’re just pretty beat up. If we get back to HQ, we can fix them all.”
	Rai managed a grin, her eyes still hidden. “You know.. he said.. he said he was my son.”
	Ryoga’s eyes bugged. “He said WHAT? How is that possible, you couldn’t have..”
	Her grin disappeared again. “Heta-chan built him a time machine.. he came back to save me from a heart condition..” She reached into a pocket, and brought out a small container of pills. She carefully opened it, and swallowed one.
	Ryoga hesitated, an obvious question pressing at his mind that was too frightening to ask. “Then.. who.. who was his..”
	Rai stood up, pocketing the container again. She glowed again, her hair shining white. “It’s all over here.. Keiichi did what he came to do.”
	“Why don’t you answer him?”
	Rai looked down in shock. Keiichi opened one eye, grinning weakly. She felt her skin jump. “You.. you..”
	The boy sat up with a groan. “I feel like someone drove a truck through my chest.”
	“Someone did!” She cried, and threw her arms around his neck. “How the hell you survived it is.. it went right through you..” She bit her lip to keep the tears from coming back again.
	“Mom.. c’mon..” He tried to wriggle out of her hug, but it proved futile. “I think you must have did something.. you’ve got Belldandy’s power signature all over you.”
	“I do?”
	“Yes.” Heta said, appearing behind her. She smiled. “Belldandy helped you out, didn’t she? You’ve got some kind of cosmic power inside you now.”
	“Well..” Rai looked at her hand. “Something feels different, that’s for sure.” She shook her head to clear it. “Gather everyone up, we’re teleporting out of here and going home.”

	There was a flash inside the empty throne room. Luna-Megami stepped out of the green light, and looked around her. There was blood painted on the walls, and not a trace of a power source could be felt anywhere.
	“They..” Her ice-blue eyes widened in rage. “They’re dead.”
	She felt as far as she could. Not a trace of the kami-kazes’ signature ki. There would be no vengeance. Someone had robbed her of her revenge.. someone..
	“Rai, you BITCH!!” She screamed. “*I* WAS GOING TO KILL THEM!!”