After a few minutes had passed, Ayu returned to her room. Her hair was now neatly brushed, and she was dressed in a pair of blue jeans with a black and colored t-shirt.
“Sorry to keep you waiting” She said, looking down to Arnval, who was currently standing on the desk next to Ayu's computer.
“There's no need to apologize at all. You look wonderful this morning” Arnval said, smiling and looking at Ayu's outfit from top to bottom.
“Thanks” Ayu said, smiling back before lowering her hand onto the desk for Arnval.

Before stepping into Ayu's hand, Arnval pointed at a framed photo on a shelf about the computer. It showed a Hope holding a little girl who appeared about four or five in her arms. Next to them was a tall man with short cut brown hair and glasses, who had his arm around Hope. The three all were happy and smiling.
“Ayu? Who is that man?” Arnval asked curiously.
“Hm? Oh, that's my dad. We had that picture taken at the park near here when I was little. I didn't need glasses back then though, so that's why I'm not wearing any in the picture” Ayu said, smiling and using her free hand to pick up the framed picture and hold it closer for Arnval to see.
“Will I get to meet him today?” Arnval asked.
Ayu simply smiled and let out a sigh.
“Probably not today, no. His job requires him to be away from home a lot. Either at the lab or on business trips overseas. He comes home to see us whenever he can, but that isn't as often as we'd all like” Ayu said.

Taking in Ayu's reaction to the question, Arnval proceeded to ask another question.
“Have you tried going to where he works to visit him?” she asked.
Ayu nodded.
“Of course. Most of the time I see him is at the lab he works at. Sometimes he'll be in the middle of a meeting or project, so things will be too busy for them to let me in to visit him, but that's not his fault” she said.
“He must have a really hard job” Arnval said.
“Yeah. He's one of the leading Shinki researchers in the country, and he's played a big hand in the development of a lot of advances in Shinki technology like the portable light gear and auto armor function you Shinkis have that lets you materialize your armor and weapons out of thin air” Ayu said.
“Wow. I can see why your father would need to be at work so often being such an important man” Arnval said.
Ayu nodded.
“Yeah. He's taught me everything I know about Shinkis, and is the reason I discovered my love of Shinkis” she said.
“How did he do that?” Arnval asked, smiling.

Setting the photo back on it's shelf, Ayu pulled out her computer chair and sat down.
“Well, I was a pretty lonely kid when I was little. I got bullied a lot, and as a result, it made me too shy and afraid of people to make any friends. I was always happy and cheerful with my mom and dad, but I pretty much closed myself off to everyone else” she began.
Sitting in Ayu's hand Indian style, Arnval nodded for her to continue.
“Then one day, my dad got an idea. He brought me to the lab he worked at one day and introduced me to the different Shinkis in the lab. I got to talk and even play with them. Things went so well that my dad let me come with him to work each weekend to visit the Shinkis. All the time I spent talking to and interacting with them really helped me come out of my shell, and it was thanks to that that I was able to work up the courage to talk with other kids and actually makes friends. Shinkis saved me from the sad and lonely bubble I had put myself in for so long as a kid. If it hadn't been for them and my dad's idea of bringing me to his workplace that day, I think it's safe to say that I wouldn't be who I am today” Ayu said, smiling at Arnval.
“That's so wonderful” Arnval said, smiling and putting her hands together.
Ayu nodded.
“Yeah. That's when I decided to actually immerse myself into the world of Shinkis, learning everything there was to know about and care for them. That's when my dad started teaching me. He taught me just about everything there was to know about you guys, and he even specially trained me to handle the types of tools that research labs and manufacturers use in order to build and maintain Shinkis. He taught me all the basics on how to take care of Shinkis as well. That's how I was able to do all the necessary repairs you needed without having to leave you at some shop or send you into a manufacturing company repairs. Not that I mean to brag or anything” she said, rubbing the back of her head.


Hearing a knock on the door, both girls looked to the doorway to see Hope standing there.
“Oh good, you're up” she said, smiling.
Ayu nodded.
“Yeah. Who was it who reset my alarm I wonder?” she said, raising an eyebrow at her mother.
Hope simply shrugged.
“I dunno. Maybe it got bored last night and reset itself to an earlier time” she said, causing Arnval to giggle a bit.
Ayu sighed and massaged her temple.
“Well, I'm up and all dressed now, so I guess it doesn't matter. But don't think I'm buying that the clock got bored and reset itself” she said, standing up and lifting her hand Arnval was sitting on up to her shoulder. Arnval then hopped out of Ayu's hand and onto her shoulder.
“You all set?” Ayu asked as Arnval sat down on her shoulder.
“All set” Arnval said, smiling up at Ayu.
Ayu smiled back at her and nodded before looking to Hope.
“Need any help with breakfast?” she asked.
Hope shook her head.
“No, I've got everything all cooked up already. Just waiting for you girls to wake up” she said.
Ayu nodded and followed her mother out of the room and downstairs.

Breakfast that morning went about the same as usual in the Kisari household, with the exception to now having three at the the table rather than two. The girls ate, talked about any plans they had for the day, as well as simply chatted. Arnval happily joined in and even did a trick or two using some items on the table. It went fine until she tried to pour some cream into Hope's coffee and ended up slipping and spilling cream all over herself. She now sat in the small puddle of cream, blushing profusely. She was surprised when she felt herself get picked up by Ayu, who began to clean her off with a napkin.
“I'm sorry Ayu, And I'm sorry to you too hope” Arnval said as Ayu cleaned her off.
“It's okay Arnval. It was just a small cup of cream. Are you okay?” Hope asked.
Arnval nodded.
“Yes, just a little embarrassed” she said.
“If it makes you feel any better, I had something like that happen to me when I was six” Ayu said.
“What happened?” Arnval asked curiously.
“My dad was painting part of the roof by my window one day, and he accidentally knocked over the bucket of paint with his foot. And since I was unfortunate enough to be below there at the time, all the paint came spilling down on me” Ayu said as she dabbed her handkerchief in a bit of water and continued to clean Arnval off.

Hope nodded.
“I remember that. It's a miracle I was able to get the paint out of your hair without having to cut it all off” she said.
“But it was an accident, right?” Arnval asked.
“Of course. I was understandably upset at the time, but he gave me some ice cream and we called it even” Ayu said, chuckling a bit before drying Arnval off with a napkin.
“There we go. All clean now” she said, smiling.
“Thank you Ayu” Arnval said, smiling back.
Ayu nodded and was about to collect her dishes when Hope stopped her.
“I'll take care of clearing the table. You girls should get going to see Alice” she said.
“You sure you don't want us to help?” Ayu asked.
Hope smiled and nodded.
“It's fine, don't worry. I am going to ask you to help me clear the table after dinner though, okay?” she said.
Ayu nodded.
“Okay. Thank you again for breakfast mom” she said.
Hope nodded.
“You're welcome. Remember to drive safe and wear your helmet” she said.
“Always” Ayu said, smiling and collecting Arnval.

Outside the house, Arnval's eyes lit up as she gazed at a deep pink colored motor scooter parked next to the family car.
“Ayu, is that scooter yours?” she asked.
Ayu smiled and nodded.
“Yup. We'll be taking my scooter over to Alice's shop and anywhere else I take you today” she said, securing the straps on her helmet.
“Wow. It's a very nice looking scooter” Arnval said.
“Heh. Thanks. I like it a lot too” Ayu said, mounting her scooter. She then blushed and looked down at her chest as soon as she felt Arnval slip into her her bra again.
“I don't have anywhere else to secure myself for the ride” Arnval explained, looking up at Ayu.
Ayu sighed and nodded in understanding.
“Okay, but I'm going to order a harness for you at the shop, okay?” she said.
Arnval nodded.
Nodding back and smiling, Ayu thumbed the starter button near the handlebar. The small engine only cranked twice before starting right up. Ayu then proceeded to put a pair of goggles on over her glasses and looked down at the dash panel.
“Okay. Got plenty of gas. Hold on, okay?” She said, looking to Arnval.
Arnval smiled and nodded before Ayu twisted the throttle and pulled the scooter off the driveway and onto the road.

Arnval smiled as she watched the scenery pass by as they drove.
“Having fun?” Ayu asked.
Arnval smiled up at Ayu and nodded.
“Yes. It's fun, and the wind in my hair feels really nice too” she said.
Ayu smiled and nodded, slowing to a stop at a red light.
“Isn't it? I love the feeling. It's kind of like you're flying almost. The way the wind blows in your face and through your hair as the world flies by. At least that's what I imagine flying would feel like” she said.
Arnval quietly looked on at the streetlight for a moment before speaking.
“I wonder if I've ever flown before?” she finally said.
“I'm sure you have. You had a wing pack and boosters when I found you in my window” Ayu said, accelerating once the light changed.
“Do you think I crashed or something?” Arnval asked.
Ayu shrugged.
“I'm not sure. You were on your back when I found you, so it's possible you may have fallen out of the sky. It would make sense taking how badly damaged you were” she said.
“I just can't remember. When those things flashed through my head, one of them was scenery like houses and streetlamps flying by me, so maybe I was flying and something happened to me” Arnval said.
Ayu sighed.
“To be honest, I think you might have been shot out of the sky. You remember the hole in your old breast panel you saw last night?” she asked.
“Yeah. All of those things that flashed through my head began while I was holding it” Arnval said.
Ayu nodded.
“Right. Alice brought up a good point about the way the panel was broken” she said.
“What's that?” Arnval asked.
“Well, the point of the break was directly in the spot where your CSC is located. Like whatever broke it was aiming for it. The way the break was aligned with your CSC just seems too precise to have been a coincidence. That's why Alice and I think that something was specifically targeting your CSC” Ayu said, pulling up to an empty space outside a small shop and shutting off her scooter's engine.
“So you think that something shot at me with the intent of killing me?” Arnval asked.
“There's no way for us to be absolutely positive, but yes, that's what I think. Not only that, but I've been thinking that it was a Shinki weapon that was used to fire the shot. Based on the size, and again, the precision of the break” Ayu answered, unstrapping and removing her helmet and goggles.
"I see..." Arnval said, hanging her head.

Seeing her concern, Ayu helped Arnval out from between her breasts and held her up in the hair with both hands.
"But hey. Everything is going to be okay. It's gonna take time, but we'll figure this out together, you'll see" she said, smiling.
After looking into Ayu's eyes for a moment, Arnval smiled back and nodded.
"Okay. Thank you Ayu" she said.
"Of course. Now what say we go inside and pick up that gear of yours" Ayu said, smiling and helping Arnval onto her shoulder.
Arnval nodded.
"Okay. Lets go inside" she said, smiling.

The small bell on the shop door rang as Ayu opened it and entered the shop. Like yesterday, a Shinki with blonde braided hair was there to greet them.
"Welcome to the Kourogane shop. Hm? Oh, hello Ayu" she said, smiling.
"Hey Yukari. Is Alice around? I've got someone I think you guys are going to want to meet" Ayu said, smiling and looking at Arnval on her shoulder.
"Oh! You were able to fix her" Yukari said cheerfully.
Ayu nodded.
"That's right. Arnval, this is Yukari. She's the shop owner Alice's Shinki. And Yukari, this is my Shinki Arnval" Ayu said, introducing them.
"It's very nice to meet you Arnval. I'm so glad that you're in working order again" Yukari said, bowing.
"It's very nice to meet you as well..." Arnval replied shyly while blushing.
"Is Alice in the back right now?" Ayu asked.
Yukari shook her head.
"No, she's at the counter with Maki" she said, pointing in the direction of the counter.

Seeing Ayu, a girl wearing a white t-shirt with a cat paw printed on the chest area, blue jeans, and brown hair done into a ponytail waved at her.
"Ayu! Over here!" she called out.
Nodding her head, Ayu held her hand out for Yukari.
"Need a lift?" she asked.
Nodding her head, Yukari stepped into Ayu's hand. Ayu then lifted her up to her free shoulder. She then waited for Yukari to transfer onto her unoccupied shoulder before heading over toward the register.

Once she got to the register, Ayu helped Yukari off of her shoulder and onto the counter before turning to the girl who had called her over.
"Hey Maki" she said.
"Hey Ayu. How're you doing?" Maki asked.
"Pretty good actually. I've got a friend I'd like you and Alice to meet" Ayu said, smiling.
Before Maki had a chance to respond, a Shinki with a light tanned body, green eyes, matching short length green hair, and cat ears, hopped from the counter up onto Maki's shoulder.
"A new friend? Mao wants to meet Ayu's friend too" she said cheerfully.
"Heh. Hey Mao. How're you doin'?" Ayu asked, smiling at her.
"Great! Mao's been extra good lately, so Maki's getting me a new set of armor and equippment as a present" she said.
"That's great Mao. Good job for being extra good for Maki" Ayu said, using one finger to scratch behind Mao's cat ears.

"So who is it you wanted us to meet?" Maki asked.
"Well..." Ayu said, smiling and looking to Arnval on her shoulder, who nodded at her before looking to Maki and Alice.
"Hello. My name is Arnval. It's very nice to meet you both" Arnval said politely.
"Hey, you finally got your own Shinki" Maki said, moving in to take a closer look at Arnval.
Ayu nodded.
"Yup. I found her in my window yesterday. She was pretty badly damaged, so I took her and restored her back to working order again" she said.
"Wow, you just found her?" Maki asked.
"Yeah. We're not completely sure how she ended up there or exactly what happened to her, but I'm convinced that she was attacked by another Shinki" Ayu said.
"Huh. That makes sense" Mao said, putting her finger to her chin.
"Why do you say that?" Ayu asked.
"Mao heard that there's been a rogue Shinki going around attacking Angel-type Shinkis at night" Mao answered.
"I haven't heard anything about that. Isn't that something that'd be in the news or something?" Ayu asked.
"It is. Looki" Mao said, bringing up a small holo display and flipping it to face Ayu. She then spread her arms out, causing the display to enlarge.

Taking a look at the display, Ayu saw it was an online news article talking about a number of attacks of Angel-type Shinkis over the course of several past weeks. With it, a blurred picture of the shadow of some kind of mechanical figure. A picture that made Arnval shiver.
"Why haven't we heard about this until now?" Alice asked.
"I dunno. Us Shinkis use the net as much as humans do, so maybe one of us only recently posted it. Mao's been hearing about it from some of the other Shinkis in the neighborhood. Mao hears the latest attack was just a couple of nights ago. Mao sure is glad she was asleep in her craddle" Mao said.
"Alice?" Ayu said, looking to her.
Alice then took a minute to examine the picture.
"Well, it's too blurred to make a positive ID on what type of Shink it is, but based on the shape, I'd say it's a Demon-type. Demon-type Shinkis armor mainly consists of a large pair of mechanical arms and legs. You'd think it'd slow them down, but it doesn't hinder their movement in the slightest. The legs are strong and sturdy for bracing and jumping, and the arms pack a powerful punch and are able to wield much larger weapons. Hard to tell if that armor if Mk1 or Mk2 type though. Speaking of..." Alice said, pulling out a small metal box from underneath the counter.

"Ohhh, what's that?" Mao asked, looking at the small box curiously.
"Well, when Ayu brought Arnval in to show me, I sold Ayu the parts she needed to fix Arnval while I kept the broken armor here so I could fix it overnight. With that being said, I discovered that the armor she had been wearing was only Mk1 armor. And this Shinki is a Mk2 model" Alice began before opening the small box. Inside was a set of parts, including both weapons and armor.
"Because Arnval's a Mk2 model, she'll only be half as strong or fast using Mk1 armor than she would be Mk2. That's where these come in. Mk2 Angel-type armor and weapons. Mk2 Shinkis are pretty rare, and only two known types of models are actually built in this stage. So Weapons and armor for them can be both difficult and expensive to find. The Shinki center out in the city has them, but I just had these ones laying around in the back" Alice continued.
"They were just laying around back there?" Maki asked.
Alice nodded.
"Yes. They were sent by mistake to us in a shipment of Mk1 weapons and armor. So they've simply remained in the store room all this time up until now" Yukari said.

Carefully climbing down from the top of Maki's head, Mao hopped down onto the counter to examine the parts.
"So these are Mk2 parts huh? Wow. Mao's never seen them up close before. They're all new and shiny" Mao said, looking at the parts in question.
"They're definitely a big improvement from the Mk1 parts I found Arnval wearing" Ayu said.
Alice nodded.
"Exactly. The boosters are built into the wingpack, which reduces the Shinki's weight and allows her to fly with more speed and agility. They're also equipped with two blade bits, which can be detached on command and used as additional weapons. They're range is limited, and they can only fly in the basic forward, backward, left, and right directions, but if you use them just right, they can really come in handy. The armor worn on her arms and legs is much stronger and lightweight them her previous armor. The guns have a stronger output and farther range, and an additional light sword was been added to her new range of weapons as well" She said.
"Wow... how much is all this going to run Ayu?" Maki asked.
Alice simply smiled.
"Nothing" she simply said.

"Whoa. I know we're friends Alice, but this is too much. I can't just accept a brand new set of weapons and armor without paying anything for it" Ayu said.
"Well, technically it's compensation since the armor you brought in for repair wasn't fully repair and was never returned to you" Alice said, winking.
"Well... I guess when you put it that way... but are you really sure?" Ayu asked.
Alice nodded.
"Yup. Store policy. If I can't repair any parts you leave in my care, then I'll replace them with the most most recent versions of those parts. I never fixed Arnval's armor, so by my own policy, I replaced it with the upgraded Mk2 parts" Alice said, smiling.
"Wow. Thank you so much Alice" Ayu said.
Alice smiled and nodded.
"You're welcome. Go ahead and let Arnval register the parts to her memory so she use the quick equip system" Alice said.
Ayu nodded and helped Arnval onto the counter.
"Okay Arnval. Go ahead register your new weapons and armor" she said.
Arnval nodded her head and walked over to the box. She then touched each individual part one at a time. After scanning each piece, all of the armor and weapons in the box began to glow for a few seconds before all of the disappeared. After, Arnval turned to face Ayu.
"I'm all finished Ayu. Registration complete" she said, cheerfully.
"Great. Wanna try it on?" Ayu asked.
Arnval nodded.

Arnval was about to raise her arms before Alice stopped her.
"Wait. I don't mind you testing your new armor, but please don't fire the guns inside the store, okay?" Alice said.
Arnval smiled and nodded.
"Okay" she said.
Alice smiled and nodded back at her before motioning for Arnval to continue.
Closing her eyes, Arnval raised her arms in the air. She then moved the down so she had both of her arms lifted at a horizontal angle before opening her eyes. Her body glowed for a single second before her armor materialized out of thin air. Her lower legs had changed to mechanical ones, each having a small wing sticking out from the front pointing forward rather than on the sides. her lower arms were now outfitted in white armor, and a sleek wingpack appeared on her back. A helmet piece with a short point on the forehead materialized onto her forehead, and her breasts were covered with protective plating at the front.

"Whoa! You look awesome Arnval" Maki said.
"Mao wishes she could have cool Mk2 armor like that" Mao added in.
"Th-thank you very much" Arnval said shyly while blushing. She then turned and looked up at Ayu, waiting for her take on it.
"Oh yeah. That new armor definitely suits you Arnval" Ayu said, smiling and giving her a thumbs up.
Arnval smiled and nodded. She then kicked up into the air, and now floated a little over an inch over the countertop.
"Okay. You ready?" Ayu asked.
Arnval smiled and nodded her head.
"Alright then. There's not enough room in here for you to fly too fast in here, so for now, try to take it easy and get a feel for your new armor" Ayu said.
"Okay. I'll be careful. Here I go" Arnval said, now flying up higher toward the ceiling. She then flew forward and began to fly around the room, making sure to keep her speed to a minimum. Ayu and the others all watched as she descended a bit and weaved through the few isles of the store, doing a spin or flip every so often. After practicing a few more maneuvers, Arnval flew back over to the counter, making a perfect landing.
Ayu, Alice, Maki, and Mao all clapped as Arnval smiled and took a bow.

"That was awesome Arnval! How do you feel?" Ayu asked.
"I feel great! I'll admit, I was a bit nervous at first, but after a few seconds, it all felt so natural and fun" Arnval said cheerfully.
"That's good. It means you've finished adjusting to the upgraded parts. From here on, you should have no problem flying or maneuvering at higher speeds" Alice said.
"That's great. Now if that rogue Shinki attacks you, they aren't gonna know what him 'em" Maki said.
Alice nodded.
"Perhaps. She'd stand a greater chance than before, but that doesn't mean you two should go out trying to find this Shinki. Do you understand Ayu?" Alice said, looking Ayu dead in the eyes.
Ayu nodded.
"Yes. I understand. I'm not going to deliberately put Arnval in danger, but if this Shinki comes after her, I'm not going to just sit by and let her hurt Arnval" Ayu said.
"I know. So just in case that should happen, I want you to take this" Alice said, holding out a long wristband with a silver panel on top.
"This is..." Ayu began.
"It's the newest in portable battlefield technology. With this, you'll be able to generate a battle containment field no matter where you are. It doesn't have any special environments programmed into it yet, so it will only generate a simply containment field. You can program some fields and environments into it later on though. It can also be used to communicate with Arnval. This will come in handy both in and outside of battle. And before you think about turning down the offer, keep in mind that you'll need this to keep Arnval from being destroyed should this rogue Shinki come after her" Alice said.
Ayu nodded her head.
"Okay. I'll take it. Thank you for all your help Alice" Ayu said, accepting the device and slipping it onto her wrist.
"You're welcome. I really don't want to see anything bad happen to you or Arnval, so promise me you two will be careful, okay?" Alice said.
Ayu nodded.
"We will, I promise" she said.

Closing her eyes, Arnval relaxed herself for a moment before her armor and equipment all disappeared with a brief flash.
"Looks like you've got it down" Maki said.
Arnval smiled and nodded.
"Once we try on our gear for the first time, it's easy for use to make use of the quick equip system" Mao said, smiling.
Mao's cat ears both suddenly stood up as she quickly turned to face the direction of the store entrance.
"Mao? Are you okay?" Ayu asked.
Mao looked up at Ayu and slowly nodded her head.
"Yeah... Mao just got this weird feeling like someone was watching her is all" she said.
"I don't see anyone over there" Arnval said, looking over to the door.
Mao simply nodded her head again.
"Yeah. It was probably just Mao's imagination" she said, sounding somewhat unsure.
Ayu looked over in the direction of the door for several seconds before turning her attention back to her friends.
"Oh, I almost forgot. Do you still have any of those Shinki bike seats, Alice? The ones for the basket?" Ayu asked.
Alice nodded.
"Sure. Do you want to get one for Arnval?" she asked.
"Yeah. Could you see if you have anything that will work with my scooter?" Ayu asked.
Alice nodded.
"Sure. Those are pretty popular right now, but I've got plenty of them in stock. Any specific color you want?" Alice asked.
"Arnval?" Ayu asked, looking down to Arnval.
Arnval put her finger to her chin and thought for a moment before answering.
"Well, Ayu's scooter is deep pink, so how about pink?" she asked.
"Let me go what I've got for you. Be back in a sec" Alice said, smiling and going into a back room.

"So Arnval didn't have anything to secure her on the drive over?" Maki asked, crossing her arms and looking at Ayu.
"No, she had a safe place to ride..." Ayu said, blushing a bit.
"Well if not some kind of seat or holster, then what did she use?" Maki asked.
"Well, funny story about that..." Ayu answered, still blushing.


To be continued...


Chapter 5 of my story, Rise of an Angel:). A pretty long chapter too XD. Some of Ayu's past is brought up as she talks about how she was as a little girl and just how she came to love Shinkis as much as she does. We also get to meet one of her best friends, Maki, and her Shinki, Mao:). And thanks to Mao, we get a little info that could help us figure out just what happened to Arnval before Ayu found her. Look forward to chapter 6 folks, because you're finally going to see some action

Next Chapter coming soon
Previous Chapter http://www.furaffinity.net/view/10941893/

Busou Shinki and the names and likeness of it's characters are property of Konami Entertainment.