Kousuke leads Amarissa through the streets of the city until they come to the tree where he had been killed. It still stood in bloom even though it was the middle of winter and he had recently learned that this was the portal into what he had started calling The Earth King's Garden. Kousuke was noticably slower than usual since ever since Ama had known him he'd always had some degree of super speed or strength thanks to the Earth's Blessing. However, right now he was saving his powers. He hadn't even fully healed from the 50 mph collision with a bunch of deadwood. He'd been saving his energy for this.

"Listen Amarissa, you can't tell anyone about what I am going to show you, it is just between you and me." He tells her with a very steady stare. Then he extends his hand and touches the tree. Soon after a shimmering portal appears and the two of them are enveloped in golden light.

When the light dies away Amarissa will find herself in the Golden Kingdom, what is left of it anyways. A beautiful summer landscape stretching out a great distance. A tea table sits with 3 place settings and Kousuke glows slightly as he enters the heart of his power.

"Welcome to the Kings Garden." He says as he makes a sweeping gesture with his hands. However after the majesty dies away Kousuke begins to look for the other reason they were there. Amarissa's father.

On the ground, Amarissa would see a humanoid figure hunched in a corner. The man's body was covered in metal, and a constant hum of machinery was audible faintly. Amarissa would recognize him as one of the SPECTRE units that appeared at the harbor, but with some of the heavy armor removed indicating that this unit wasn't intended to enter combat when he was taken away.

The man would be missing an arm, capped off by a metal unit meant to be a temporary containment measure. The face of the man would look pained, but have a few facial similarities to Amarissa. The head is shaved, and several 'plugs' of cybernetic machinery could be seen on several spots. More tubes and machinery would be obvious as the body was examined, and the exact proportion to man vs machine would hover in the fifty percent range.

Eyes raise up to gaze at Amarissa, a faint smile across the face of the man, before a surge of pain spikes through his body.

"...Am...Amarissa...you have become...a beautiful woman...I'm sorry I...couldn't...be there..." he says, the voice having an electric undertone to it as he coughs violently, metal and machinery clanging and buzzing with the erratic movements. He was not doing well right now.

Amarissa allows Kousuke to escort her through the cold streets, surprised when their trek brought them to his tree. She remembered it well and smiled gently when she saw it was still in bloom. Her face falls to a more serious look, though, as he asks her for this promise and nods. "I promise I won't tell anyone," she says, allowing him to lead her into the sudden burst of light.

Blinded, it took a moment before she could see anything. Blinking slowly, she let her eyes adjust and as the world around her became clear, surprise and joy lit her face. "It's beautiful..." she whispered, looking around at the garden. She knelt to run her fingers in the grass, seemingly fascinated by the texture. "I've missed the smell," she added, a longing her voice.

Then, Amarissa looked up to smile at Kousuke and followed his gaze to a man in the corner. Half man, half machine and it was pain for her just to see him but then he tried to speak, to apologize and she couldn't help it. Slow tears fell as she made her way over to him. "what did they do to you, daddy?" she whispered, gingerly reaching to touch his face.

Kousuke nods as she tells him she won't tell anyone and he his glad that she was happy about the place, but then came the hard part. Kousuke had been foolishly hoping that the tree would do the same thing for Amarissa's dad as it had for him, but that wasn't how his powers worked. He was the one who had to protect, help and defend this world and it gave him the power to do it. The world was not going to be passing it around. Though as he thought about it another idea did come into his head.

"Sorry, I couldn't heal him." Kousuke apologizes, head bowed then while Ama has her reunion he decides to try his luck. He walks over to another area where there was a good deal of power. As he did his wounds seemed to fade away as the energy from being in this place went to work healing it's knight.

"Alright, lets toss some dice and see what happens." Kousuke closed his eyes and concentrated he used his power and the Earths combining then and mixing them to reach out to his counterpart senshi, maybe she could help.

Wherever Kaguya was at this point a small sappling would rise up behind her and she would hear a voice call. "Hey Kaguya, I need some help in the Golden Kingdom, a life's at stake, grab the root behind you and envision becoming one with the earth to get here"

Kaguya had been home for awhile and was about to get ready for bed. Although felt restless and wandered into the greenhouse where she had several plants growing. She then hears the telepathic message from Kousuke. It caused her to eye twich a few times and sighs "What kind of mess did you get into.....fine fine, I'm coming" she said sees the root that was coming out of the ground. While she was frustrated at whatever reckless action her male counterpart did. A human life was at stake and she could not leave a person like that in a bad situation. She grasps it and clears her mind and thinks of the growing plant life around her and the scent of the earth. Then she feels a pulling feeling and gets dragged to somewhere and was falling until she gracefully landed on to the ground.

Kaguya opens her eyes and looks around and was very much surprised at the Golden Kingdom. She felt brimming with energy as she was at home in a sense. In more ways then one as walked along her shorts and shirt shimmered and was in some kind of princess attire. It was of corse in the same color as her hair bit a bit darker she then walks over to Kousuke and Amarissa. If they look at Kaguya, there would be the symbol of earth on her forehead as she got closer though. She saw why, that Kousuke called her in "......I see why you called me in....You have some explaining to do. I don' know about what I am wearing....just poof and I am wearing it" she said and continues to walk over. Kaguya did feel bad for the man that was Amarissa's father. "Let me get at it....." she said. As was going to bend her rules on using the Earth's power.

As restoring a man that was forced to become a mechanical monster would be a exception to the rule.  Kaguya walks over and gently places her hand over Amarissa's father's chest. She then starts using the Earth's energy to heal him, she keeps a slow but steady stream of healing energy flowing. "Right now, I am going to ease your pain right now. But you will be restored soon" she said to the man. Since she did not want to overload with the healing power on this man.

He doesn't respond immediately to Amarissa's inquiry, as his head bobs faintly. The biological parts were faltering without the normal supplements and medications that SPECTRE units took on a regular basis. The skin Amarissa touched was colder than normal flesh but still had some degree of a warmth of life to it. Amarissa might for just a moment fear that he had passed.

But Kaguya arrives quite fashionably and calls forth the healing energy of the Earth. On contact, the golden power surges through the flesh, restoring it and mending it and at least for a time reviving any damage that was done from the extended lack of replenishment.

He coughs a little, his eyes opening once more. One eye was biological, the other an ocular implant. He focuses on Kaguya for a second, before looking at Amarissa with a weak, apologetic smile.

"Thank you for whatever it was you did," he says, looking at Kaguya, before turning back to Amarissa.

...Sorry...the drugs they give you the maintain the body wore off some time ago...hope I didn't scare you.." he says, sounding a little healthier but still electronic. As he thinks about how to answer Amarissa's question, he sighs for a moment.

"SPECTRE elective...it is a classified option that talented soldiers are allowed to opt into. Basically, if a soldier is wounded in combat with life-threatening injuries, they can opt for experimental procedures to improve their combat power. They have to break off contact with the family and friends they had, but they are able to fight the monsters of the Covenant at a much higher level and do more to keep them safe.

It was supposed to be...a sacrifice for the greater good." he says as he moves to stand once Kaguya had backed away. The mechanical whirring would be a little disorienting when you keep in mind it's grafted into a human body.

"I was deployed on the Northern coast of Japan when a Covenant attack occurred...long story short I got messed up and would have otherwise died, but I agreed to Dr. Rishijo Matou's proposal to enter the SPECTRE program as a means to protect my family...but..." he says, opening his metal hand and looking at it.

"But it didn't work out that way...Matou used control technology, and he has supernatural powers to brainwash people...instead of...fighting Covenant, we...worked on their behalf..." he says as he slams his fist into the rock.

"Matou is a Zodiac...a Class Five...he controlled us and took advantage of the leeway he had within the military to keep them from finding out any new technology and manipulating officers with psychic powers to keep them from figuring out his scam. It is...a shame to the highest caliber...this isn't how it was supposed to work, the sacrifice was supposed to mean something." Amarissa's father says, clearly disturbed. It is possible that this is the first time in years he's had a clean, unaltered state of mind.

Amarissa nodded as Kousuke explained he couldn't heal him, wiping some of her tears away now that she'd calmed down. "Thank you," she says simply, while still examining her dad. A sick look settled on her face, then fear as his head bobbed and she noticed his skin was cold. "We need to do something, quick," she said, distress in her tone. She turned for a moment to watch Kousuke as he seemed to have an idea and was surprised when Kaguya appeared, dressed as an Earth princess. "You look beautiful, though," she murmured in response to the earth senshi's half apology on her attire.

She watched quietly, focusing on her breathing to keep her calm, as Kaguya did her work. The energy transfer seemed to be working and soon her father was smiling back at her. Then, it was time for him to explain his story. The sick look came back to her, mixed with disgust, as she heard about this program and, worse, that the person in charge was a Zodiac misusing these poor people. "I'm really glad you're back, and safe, Daddy. This is wrong though!," she looked up at Kousuke, "We have to do something. These people are being misused against their will," she says, determination in her voice.

Amarissa looks again at her father, the machine parts not quite melding well with the human. "In the meantime, I'm going to do some research. There has to be a way to reverse this. I'm sorry that I couldn't help you before, but I'm here now," she says, reaching forward to hug him.

As Kaguya shows up Kou looks at her with an expression of genuine concern. There wasn't really much he could do so he was counting on Kaguya, and relying on someone else made him feel uncomfortable. "He's over here." he leads her over, not even seeming to notice that her wardrobe changed, and as she started healing him Kousuke hands her his shard of the golden crystal to help further the healing process.

As his complexion improves Kousuke lets out a sigh of relief. When the man explains what happened. Kousuke closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. "Well things make a bit more sense at least now." he admits. Then he turns to the other two. "Nazo, David and I hit a caravaan moving him to some kind or SPECTRE facility. I convinced Nazo and David to help me. We moved in took care of the guards, we didn't kill any of them, then I grabbed him and brought him here." Kousuke explains.

"I think the senshi group should probably publicly disassociate with me." He says as he looks at the man. This was horrible, and he was not going to stand by and let it continue. He was a hero, and he had a responsibility to stop it. He looks up at Kaguya. "Thanks for your help Kaguya, I appreciate it. Can I have the crystal fragment back now?"

Kaguya shook her head and did not used the crystal "I don't need to use the crystal for this. Plus I don't know if that energy would overload him, since I don't know if his cybernetic parts would react to the Earth energy. I wanted to be careful with this" she said and looked at Amarissa as she was freaked out and let her talk with her father a bit before doing anything. This was bad that the covenant were doing this to weakened soldiers. Her anger was there and agreed with Amarissa on that they had to do something about it. But was not sure as to what and then Kousuke dropping a massive bomb this got her attention as he, David, and Nazo had did a raid of a military convoy and he even had the gall to say that the team should distance themselves from him. This got her angry and walked over to him "I would half have a right mind and not give this back to you. Just for being that damn reckless you BAKA" she said to him as her eyes gave a glare to him.

"You assume way too damn much, that no one else would help you out! Stop trying to be one freaking man army. Your gona go down and there's not going to be a continue button or a extra life! Hell what about Amarissa, aren't you two a couple? Do you stop and think about how she would feel if you died again you moron. If you want to raise that SPECTOR lab to the ground, I am more then willing to come with you and break that Covenant's spine in half. I'm sure that the majority of the group would go for this. So stop being a selfish ass and think about the others. We are all in this, if you ever do something like this again. I will take that crystal shard by force so that you do not misuse your powers as the Earth Knight" she said and slapped the crystal the crystal into his hand really hard. To make sure that he got what she said to him as this royally pissed her off.

She looks at Amarissa and her father and gave a apologetic look as she gave Kousuke a rather big tounge lashing. As she was worried as he could end up worse then dead if they fell against the Covenant.

The cyborg shakes slightly when Amarissa moves to embrace her but cautiously returns the gesture with his intact arm, not squeezing for fear of his mechanized strength causing her harm. The notion of returning to normal was a kind thought but a cruel reality: his meaty bits were gone, unable to be reclaimed as far as he was concerned. When Amarissa mentioned trying to 'do something about it', he shook his head.

"Ama...you can't go after him. Even if you are one of those magically gifted kids, Matou is a sadist and represents the worst element of humanity given form. The things he would do to you lack comprehension or ways to express in the human language." he says. Afterward, he would remain quiet for a time.

As Kaguya finishes telling Kousuke off, a swirl of gold light appears nearby as the ghost of Endymion manifests before all present. The cyborg instinctively reaches for a weapon that is not there but then pauses.

"Ah...the Earth Senshi, your appearance and use of the healing power of the Earth awakened me to this location. I can sense your pure heart, acting in a way that an Earth Senshi should." he says calmly as he holds his hand up. A golden mass of energy manifests in front of Kaguya as a scepter-like object appears. The scepter is constructed of gold metal accented with earthen stone and gems in the pommel. It is hefty enough to function as a melee weapon but also holds a potent, latent energy.

"It is rude of me to assist the Earth Knight and not you, so I present to you the Touch of Elysion. It will magnify your channeled power to strike with the force of a mountain or to mend wounds with great potency...but you may only use this for one of those purposes at the time. It takes a brief time for the energy of the scepter to shift from attacking energies to mending energies." he says, as he turns to Kousuke before shifting to look at Kaguya once more.

"Don't be too harsh with him Earth Senshi, sometimes it takes an act of boldness to expose true treachery. I know of the one you speak. He has constructed a complex outside of Tokyo which permeated vast amounts of dark power. I have only once before sensed a soul so dark and malicious and I dread what he may be doing there. All I know is that the Earth wails every day that facility operates."

Amarissa frowns a bit as Kaguya yells at her knight, though she had to agree that Kousuke doing his own thing was a bad idea. They were supposed to be a team for a reason, after all. Her dad's words further upset her but she just nods. The group could handle it and he need not know or be concerned. For now, she would just wait until things settled down a bit.

The sudden swirl of golden light sets her on edge and she abruptly stands, in a somewhat defensive stance, placing herself in front of her father. A ghost manifests and though she doesn't recognize him, she relaxes as he speaks to the two Earth guardians. She watches quietly as he gives Kaguya a new scepter and explains it, listening with narrowed eyes as he speaks of the Zodiac and his corruption. She doesn't say anything though, feeling like it's not her place but makes a mental note of the useful information.

Kousuke lets out a sigh of relief as Kaguya finishes healing Amarissa's father. If he is stable now that means that he didn't do something to hasten the man's death. Though as he looks at him the truth that he also couldn't save him settles on Kousuke and for one of the first times Kousuke's negative emotion control lashed out. Even though the earth had chosen him to fight, to protect his powers could not help people. If he was supposed to be a guardian why couldn't he save this man? The ace had to carry the team, he could trust them to achieve the victory in the end, but the moment he relied on them to help him with his job he had failed.

Dispair begins to pulse from within the knight as he regains the crystal and the light in his eyes fades as he locks gazes with Kaguya. "Thank you for your help. I am sorry." He says and then almost subconsciously says "I'll trust you to gather the team for the attack on the SPECTRE fort," and as he turns away he repeats the mantra that Amarissa had heard during the attack on the art gallery, the mantra that supports the Earth Knight and everything he believes and is.

"I am the ace..." it begins and the despair emotion control fades away and hope begins to replace it. "...I do not lead the team..." power begins to gather around him "...instead it it my responsibility to be a beacon..." The golden crystal shard becomes a sword and he continues to walk towards the tree "...the ace must never fall..." The hope emotion control grows stronger "...because they must represent hope no matter how much or little there is..."

Then he turns back to the pair with a large stupid grin, a confident expression, and eyes that seemed empty and lightless. "...the ace stands alone." However despite all of this the emotion control of hope continues to build. Because no matter the pressure, no matter the stress, and Ace can never give up hope, and the existence called Kousuke Archer would never give up hope...no matter what...

Kaguya turns to the voice that spoke out and a overweilming feeling of nostalgia waved over her entire body and soul. It was something that she felt with her father much more stronger. She gazed at Endymion and let him speak and blushed slightly at the words he said about purity of heart, which was something that she did not have at all. A slight pang of guilt came to her on not being so rough on Kousuke and she greatly accepted the scepter. "I doubt, I can live up to that praise.....Endymion. And I greatly accept your gift and I will not squander it. I understand that bold action does need to be taken to find the rat. But if its a constant thing doesn't he need something to slap him in the face and get back into reality" she said and knew that she at times was bold but it was used at the right time. But with Kousuke though its a constant thing.

During this she did hear Amarissa's father speak up and was freaking out "We have to fight, who else can Hiroshi-san. And someone that vile must be taken down before he does more harm to others. We are made of sterner stuff then you would think and she is not alone in this" she said trying to calm him down with honest feelings. Although things did sour as she heard Kousuke speak up and it just infuriated her. As she had felt a up and down feeling of despair and hope but it was his mentality. She barely heard some of what Kousuke said muttering to himself. As she felt the emotion of hope being used on himself and took a moment to size Kousuke and she would have a serious look while gazing at Kousuke.

"Kousuke......cut the act, there is something bothering you. Its enough to use your own powers to give you a massive self confidence booster. Do you have to prove yourself with all of your solo actions? Or are you trying to make yourself the MVP all the time? I want answers now out with it. You may not understand us but we don't understand you. So don't give me a excuse that you have to be the shining star for everyone to put there hopes and dreams into. Because your sucking at it greatly" she said while coming off as harsh and blunt. But it was obvious she was worried though as a person and perhaps that they still had a slight bond as senshi and knight. She did care about others and that no one really saw it. Since most of the time that she came off as harsh and a uncaring person.

He snapped. For the first time since either of them had known him Kousuke's expression turned dark and something angry began to built behind his eyes. The empty dullness was filled with all of the anger and hate he had shoved aside and ignored until now. Where the hell did she get off judging him for doing his best? No matter what he did the others always found fault. Those who just sat back for the briefest of moments he wondered if Leo didn't have a point before he buried that thought away with so many others.

"You want to know why I don't work with the others?" He asks in a cold rage. "I don't ignore the others, they just don't act!" The dam was broken. "You wanna know what I found when I woke up after Scorpio killed me? I found the group hiding behind rubble trying to debate a way to deal with him while he stood in the open threatening innocent lives!" He shouts standing before Kaguya and towering over her. It wasn't always obvious but Kou was quite large.

"If Valdis and I hadn't done something stupid and gotten the group moving in the first place they'd probably have debated until half the city came down." He says his voice lowering. "I charge into these situations because at least then something happens, and if waiting and watching people suffer makes you a responsible or good knight then I'm happier being a shitty one."

"And tell me where do you get off?" He asks her. "If you want to attack the facility with me then it would not be difficult to come with me. I'm not stopping you, just because I don't ask you for your assistance it's suddenly my fault that this is all going to go to hell?" He asks then throws up his hands. "Fine then, you deal with the blasted thing."

He begins to walk off further into the Golden Kingdom, Kou didn't really mean several of the things he said, but he was mad and he was not about to apologize or regret it.

Amarissa just stood calmly to the side as the two Earth guardians argued. She wasn't quite sure what to do or say in the situation and it seemed to just be between them two anyway. She gave her dad an apologetic look and shrugged, saying that she was sorry and that they couldn't do anything. However, once Kousuke begins to walk off, she moves to follow him.

She walks up behind him, just close enough for him to feel her calming presence. Still, the moon senshi didn't say anything, just waiting and allowing her aura of purity to pulse outward.