All has been quiet in the Otaru household. Neighbours walking past their houses all could not understand why.
Today, there is no familiar squeaking of the yellow shoes across the neighborhood. "That's strange, why isn't Lime around today?" The neighbours asked each other. Senmai deliberated if he should knock the door and see if Lime is all right, but he hesitated and walked away, shaking his head.
Indeed, something strange has happened.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Inside the house, Lime lay, cold, lifeless. Otaru, sitting by her side, was in a state of blankness. He did not know what else he could do but hold her hand. Cherry and Bloodberry sat by his side and watched him.
Finally, it was Bloodberry who first spoke up, "Hey, we can't sit like this forever, you know. I'll go and get Lorelei."
However, as she was opening the door, she was greeted with the face of Baikou. Shocked, she let out a cry, which immediately caused the heads of Otaru and Cherry to turn.
"B…Baikou…why are you here?" Otaru managed to stumble out.
"Something terrible has happened to Lorelei. Actually, I was hoping that you might be able to help us out…"
"What?! Te … terrible…?"
"Lorelei has been kidnapped. It was impossible. The kidnapper seems to know exactly where our traps were and managed to avoid all of them and he totally avoided our security systems. We could not figure why, but we thought we could come and get the Marionettes' aid… But what's happened to Lime?" Baikou asked, looking at the lifeless marionette shell of Lime.
"We have no idea who did this… who ever done this must know the marionettes very well. He did this while we were asleep. It was in the morning when we realised that Lime's otome kairo has been stolen…"
"I understand. Otaru, do you think the same person could have been behind the theft and the kidnap?"
If so, what is his motive? Otaru thought. Does it have something to do with the otome kairo? Will Cherry and Bloodberry be the next to suffer? No, I must find the culprit immediately. Lime, I must get you out soon!!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Where's this place? Lorelei woke to find herself enclosed in a dark room with nothing in sight. Suddenly, she hears a voice which made her startle in fear.
"Ohayo… I see you are awake, Lorelei…" says a voice, punctuating the line with a slight snigger, soft enough to be barely heard.
Oh! … That voice… I've heard it somewhere…why? Who is he?
"W…what do you want from me?"
"Hey relax… after all we're not strangers, you know…"
"Who are you? What do you want?"
"A genius who successfully invented the otome kairo 300 years ago, inserted feelings into Mesopotamia, subsequently encased herself within so that she becomes the only female survivor on Terra 2…
The otome kairo, a contraption able to show feelings similar to that of a girl's heart. Through it, non-living marionettes are able to experience human emotions and feelings. Modelled after you, they consist of 3 sections, each representing a quality of you. You have done well, Lorelei…"
How does he know so much about the otome kairo? Who is he? How did he manage to break into the heavily secured Japone castle, without even arousing the suspicion of Baikou and Tamasaburou? WHAT DOES HE WANT?
"…The present Marionettes blessed with the gift of otome kairo…
JSM-01R - Lime;
JSM-02C - Cherry;
JSM-03B - Bloodberry;
GSM-01T - Tiger;
GSM-02L - Luchs;
GSM-03P - Panther; and oh yes, not forgetting the odd one out, NSM-X1 - Marine!"
Silence.
"Questions, questions and more questions? Don't know who I am? Surprised that I know so much information because all this has never been revealed to public? Wondering how I managed to break through all the security systems set up in Japone city? Well, let me tell you something that even you do not know. I have here, the otome kairo of a certain Marionette you know - The model… JSM-01R!!"
"What do you want! Free Lime now! Who are you? Why are you doing this to us?"
"Ohisashiburi desu… … Lorelei…"
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"I'm so sorry, I'm not able to detect any signs left behind by the man who broke in last night despite the detailed analysis of my computer. Gomenasai, Otaru sama…" Even as she muttered the words out, she blamed herself for not being more efficient than she could. It was not only for Lime, it was also for Lorelei, for Otaru sama, for herself. As she started to blame herself and fought the urge to drop a tear, she felt a comforting hand on her shoulders.
"Daijoubu…you've exhausted yourself quite a bit. Why don't you take a rest now?" Otaru's voice sounded tired, upset, helpless, yet comforting. Cherry let the tear drop as she muttered softly, "Hai, Otaru sama …"
Bloodberry could not take any of this too. She was feeling helpless that she wasn't able to do anything at all. She vented her frustrations upon the nearest table, cursing, "Damn! If Lime were here, we would be able to join the emotions of our otome kairos and find where is Lorelei, but now even Lime…"
"You're not alone in this… This is a challenge set for all of us…."
Surprised by the new voice coming from the door, Otaru looked up and saw a familiar, no, 4 familiar outlines…
"Faust! What are you doing here?"
" I came here as soon as I knew there is someone attacking the otome kairos."
"What… you mean the otome kairos of the Saber dolls have also been…"
"No, they're fine for the time being. But I would not know for sure what might happen next."
"Mamiya Otaru, Ohisashiburi." Luchs from Faust's back stepped forward. "We narrowly escaped him from taking our otome kairos from us. If not for Faust sama's quick reaction, I would not be able to talk to you now."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"Find me familiar, don't you? I think you must have hidden my voice into the depths of your memory and never wanted to hear it again… …so it looks like I've disappointed you, isn't it?"
"Oh! You must be a survivor from the crash too!"
"Good, Good, you're catching, aren't you? But a little late. Come, I'll help you. Try to guess who I am, and I might consider removing this blindfold you have on now."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Oh! Where is this place? Otaru! Where are you! Cherry! Bloodberry!
Lime's otome kairo has awoken and she finds herself in black space. Not recognizing it for a moment, she walks around, trying to figure out where she is. Suddenly, an image flashed in front of her and she sees her marionette shell, lifeless on the floor with Otaru and Cherry and Bloodberry.
Huh? What's happened? Oh no… why am I out of my body? This has happened one time before… the time when Soemon tried to steal my otome kairo. He had wanted to put it into another marionette Koyuki, which he loved dearly. Could it be done by him again?
Baikou? Why is she here? What? Lorelei has been kidnapped as well? Oh dear, I don't think Soemon is the culprit this time, but who is it?
Faust?! Why? The Saber girls have been attacked too?
I can't stay here, Lime thought, Lorelei has been kidnapped too… … Could it be the same person that stole my otome kairo? I could very possibly be near to Lorelei now… … I must make my location be known so that they can plan on how to rescue me… I remember Cherry and Bloodberry telling me that they were able to sense me the other time when I was kidnapped too… … they were able to sense me when my heart released a feeling … … I must think… …Otaru! Cherry! Bloodberry! I'm here… …
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Suddenly, Cherry and Bloodberry stood up in unison, looking out in the direction of the door. Otaru and Faust looked up as well.
"Cherry, Bloodberry, what is the matter?"
"Otaru sama, We just felt the reaction of Lime's otome kairo. Its very faint, very far away, but we can sense it. Lime's otome kairo has awoken."
"That's great! Try to feel where she is now."
"Hai! Otaru sama!"
The rest, Otaru, Faust, Baikou, Tiger, Luchs, and Panther watched and waited in silence as Cherry and Bloodberry now join hands, trying to feel the location of Lime's otome kairo, who is at the present, sending signals in the form of emotions.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The survivors of Mesopotamia had all descended on Terra 2 and became the respective rulers of the 6 major countries today… unless there was somebody who remained in the depths of Universe and got saved somehow…
Even then, that was 300 years ago! Faust and Ieyasu were able to awaken me because they were clones of the original Faust and Ieyasu who knew and loved me and I was kept in the memories of their subconscious mind… but how did that man…
"Still deep in thought? Lorelei? Hmm, that's probably very appropriate for you to do now… …" the man, who hasn't spoken for sometime, suddenly spoke again.
"I refuse to let you harm any of my creations. Lime, Cherry, Bloodberry, Tiger, Luchs, Panther and Marine were all created using my technology and anybody is allowed to harm them or hurt them in any other way. Tell me what you want and I'll take full responsibility. Let go of Lime's otome kairo."
All she could hear was faint laughter from the background.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Everyone in the hut were watching Cherry and Bloodberry intently as they held their hands, deep in thought. This carried on for roughly half an hour.
It was during that time when there was a simultaneous reaction aroused from the 3 otome kairos. The lights of the 3 otome kairos have been lit up. The 2 marionettes opened their eyes.
"Lime… …" began Cherry, as she looked at Bloodberry for confirmation. She nodded.
"Over there!"
"Hayaku, we can't afford to waste anymore time! Let's go! Baikou, please look after Lime's marionette shell for us…" Otaru exclaimed as Cherry and Bloodberry too nodded their heads and headed for the door, not even waiting for Baikou's nod.
"Take care!" Faust muttered silently as the figures grew faint swiftly and seemed to blend into the horizon. Lorelei… …
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The trio reached the forest where Lime often went to visit her friends. Swiftly, Cherry managed to detect the metal buried under the ground and ran to the spot to dig the otome kairo up and before long, there was Lime's otome kairo in front of their eyes!
"Now for the second part of our mission…" Bloodberry said as she walked forward and clasped Cherry's hand holding the otome kairo with her own hands and said, "Lime, listen up! Lorelei has been kidnapped, probably by the same person who has done this to you. Let the feelings of our otome kairos unite and sense where Lorelei is!"
Lime, Cherry, Bloodberry, gambatte!! Otaru's eyes never left the two marionettes as they were deep in concentration. As he waited, he thought he almost saw a flash of blue light emitted from the centre of the marionettes' hands.
Great, they've begun to show response…
" Lorelei…" began Cherry.
"That hut!" the 2 marionettes said almost simultaneously, looking at the direction of a small hut some distance away from them.
As Otaru and gang began to run towards it, they were greeted by a release of laughter.
"Ha ha ha… … Great job, Marionettes. If it were an ordinary marionette I kidnapped, you would never have managed to find my location… … interesting, isn't it? The linked reactions of the otome kairos… … As for your reward, come in and get what you have been anxiously looking for. We will be seeing each other soon… Jaa…"
"DON'T EVEN THINK YOU'LL GET AWAY!" yelled Otaru as the voice faded. "Cherry, Bloodberry, you go in and get Lorelei, I'll chase him, that sneaky fellow…"
------------------------------------------------------------------"Lorelei?" Cherry looked at the surroundings of the hut cautiously. It was an old hut, and there were no lights on. Using the detector in her computer, she managed to find a lamp somewhere which she lit up and looked around the house. She had a shock.
"Bloodberry… …you better come and look at this…" Cherry stuttered. Bloodberry came forward and saw Cherry in front of a desk, looking at the contents intently.
"What's this?"
"These are the materials used to assemble an otome kairo…"
"M…materials? How could that be possible? I thought no one else knew how to make the otome kairo…"
"Is that Cherry? Bloodberry?" Cherry and Bloodberry are awoken from the thoughts by the voice and rushed over to see Lorelei blindfolded and tied to a chair. They went over to untie her. At this time, Otaru had also reached the but, breathless from chasing the kidnapper.
"Grrr… lost him, I didn't believe that he escaped so easily…Great… We've found you Lorelei… come on, lets head for home now, we still have to insert Lime's otome kairo back…"
As Otaru and gang got ready to leave, Lorelei's eyes rested on a particular object on the desk which made her feel uneasy. While the rest of the gang were not watching, she took a small chip from the desk and quietly slid it into her pocket.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"OTARU! CHERRY! BLOODBERRY! I MISSED YOU GUYS! Ne, Otaru, I was so shocked when I saw myself in darkness! I saw you guys holding onto my body and I saw…" Lime exclaimed as soon as her otome kairo was inserted back into the marionette shell.
"I was so worried for you…" Otaru smiled as he hugged Lime. Cherry and Bloodberry joined in too.
"Don't you dare scare us like this again or you'll get it from me…"reprimands Bloodberry in a half-hearted threat. But right now, everyone is bathed in happiness to realise the worried and uneasy and distracted look from Lorelei. Faust was the first one to notice it.
"Lorelei, daijoubu?"
Suddenly jolted from her thoughts, Lorelei managed a rather dazed smile, "Oh, I'm all right. Just thinking about the identity of the kidnapper."
"Yes, that's what I wanted to talk to you about too. I just have to many doubts about this kidnap and if we do not do something soon, …"Faust broke off, looking at Otaru and gang.
"Then we better do it back in Japone castle. I have no wish to ruin their moment of happiness now." Even as she spoke, she could not hide her emotions of worry and sadness from her face.
"Lime, Cherry, Bloodberry, thank you very much from saving me. I've got something very important to do now. See you guys around later."
"Lorelei, leaving already?" Lime looked up.
Lorelei bent forward and gave Lime a hug. "Great job, Lime, but you must now take care of yourself even more. Bye…"
As Lime watched the backs of Lorelei and Faust and the saber dolls fade, she turned to ask Otaru, "Ne, Otaru, what did Lorelei mean just now?"
"I have no idea. But I'm worried this might not be the end of the story…"
*E*N*D* *O*F* *P*A*R*T* *1*