RahXephon Movement 7: The Day of Gathering/Phantom in the Cloud

Johji is amazed at how warm Nirai Kanai is in December, and Jin asks Shirow why he was the reporter chosen to go back with them. Shirow says they’ll have to work with the USDF and that their secret weapon won’t be a secret for much longer. Johji says he’s going to need a guide and Shirow says they’ll make sure he gets a young cute one. Ayato tests out an object in the TERRA command center that transports him directly into the RahXephon. Megumi wonders how it works and Kim says Itsuki should be able to explain. Ayato ends up in the RahXephon and Itsuki wonders how it works. Elvy talks with her team-mates Cathy MacMahon, Donny Wong and Jean-Patrick Shapplin about their transfer to TERRA and Jean says he’s happy Elvy invited them along. Makoto, Jin, Shirow and Johji arrive and are met by Elvy and her team. Elvy introduces herself and report their transfer and Makoto recognizes her as the only survivor from Operation Overlord. Johji says he’d like to get the scoop on Tokyo Jupiter from her but Jin tells her to check in at administration. Shirow gives Souichi a souvenir and asks him to be Johji’s guide. Shirow runs off to give more souvenirs and Souichi comments on how he hasn’t changed. Sayoko comments on how cooperative Ayato has become and Itsuki says how admirable it is. After the test, Ayato asks Sayoko if she knows Haruka well. She says they’re not close friends and Ayato asks what she likes other than drinking so he can get her a Christmas gift. Sayoko asks about Megumi, and he says she’s easily to figure out and that some things are the same everywhere. Sayoko asks if he’s missing his family and says she’ll be there if he needs a shoulder to cry on. Ayato says he’s fine and excuses himself. Jin asks Haruka how Ayato is doing, and she says he’s being a real trooper. Souichi comes in and wonders if Ayato’s found some one special. Jin asks him what he did with Johji and he answers that he went off on his own. Makoto and Itsuki ride on a boat and Makoto talks about being an observer for the Federation. He says it’s nostalgic and asks Itsuki if he remembers when they snuck out together. Makoto asks if he’s lonely and Itsuki says he’s always been alone. Itsuki asks if Makoto think’s he’s cold and he takes out an umbrella as they go under a waterfall. Makoto gets soaked and says he is. Johji buys a ramen soda and tries to drink it, but Ayato tells him how you need to hook the marble in the indents. Ayato asks if Johji’s on vacation but he says it’s business and how it sucks being a salaryman. Ayato says he understands because he also works. Johji asks what he does and Ayato says he drives a pizza truck. Ayato gets a message about a D1 and excuses himself, telling Johji he can return the bottle for some money. Johji comments on how he’s a nice kid.

Ayato launches along with Elvy and her team and head towards the Dolem Forzando, the legs of which are the only visible part. Johji goes to Ayato’s house and asks Shougo if he’d join him in a game of shogi. The RahXephon takes a rear position as Elvy’s team easily take out one of Forzando’s legs. They wonder why it didn’t fall and Haruka says it’s not standing. Forzando deploys it’s small Dotem units which engage the fighters. Johji asks Shougo if he lives alone and he replies that he lives with his nieces and one other. Ayato tries to fight off the Dotems, but they keep crashing into him. The RahXephon activates an energy shield and blocks the attacks, much to Ayato’s surprise. Elvy says she won’t let a kid do her job and flies through the clouds. Johji comments that in 2009 a fifth grader named Ayato Kamina entered a national art contest. He says that he would be 29 and Shougo’s Ayato is seventeen. Shougo says that means they’re different people. Elvy flies up to Forzando’s main body but its aria paralyzes her. Jin orders her to pull back, but there’s no response. Ayato flies up and the RahXephon’s aria counteracts Forzando’s. RahXephon is caught in a cloud and is electrocuted. Elvy fires, but Forzando is protected by a barrier. The RahXephon ceases functioning and Ayato’s life signs start to drop. He sees Tokyo Jupiter off in the distance and reaches out to it. The RahXephon extends its hand, which starts to glow. Ayato says it’s nothing and shoots energy blasts from his hands. He keeps shooting until it breaks through Forzando’s barrier. Forzando shoots out a spike which goes through RahXephon’s shoulder, but is destroyed by the energy blast. Quon watches on and says that Ayato is wrong. Shougo wins at shogi and Johji says he’ll visit again. Haruka criticizes Elvy for flying off on her own and Elvy says her life is her’s to loose. Jin asks Elvy her reasons, and she says she thought it was the right choice. Jin says not to make a habit of it and grounds her for two days. Later, Elvy tells Haruka it’s pitiful they have to force some one they kidnapped to fight for them. She says they have to do their share and Haruka thanks her for being there for Ayato since she can’t be out there fighting. Ayato sees Johji and asks if he’s been there all day and he says the breeze was very soothing and Ayato agrees. Johji asks why Ayato has to work and Ayato asks which way Tokyo is. He says it makes him connected somehow.