FLCL Fan Fiction ❯ Noata (Moon-Walker Through Space and Time) ❯ The Trash Can ( Chapter 4 )

“Hurry up, idiot!”

 

I can see my breath rolling out before me in the air. My legs ache, and I'm covered in icy sweat. Tripping over my pants, I struggle to keep up with Ninomori's brisk walk, finding breathing somehow difficult to accomplish. “Where—are—we—GOING?” I gasp, attempting to force the words out of pained lungs. A cough forms in my chest, as two metal hands push me from behind as the sensation of my right hand burning tears through my brain in an attempt to awaken me.

 

I remember the guitar.

 

“Where are we going?” I ask again, surveying the awesome instrument in my grasp as I come to a stop. Canti shoves me forward again.

 

“Don't know.” For some reason this answer is acceptable and I can't think of anything to say to it.

 

“Canti!” I scream hoarsely, my back aching in protest as Canti's limbs crash into it once more. Why are we in so much of a hurry? What's going on? Of course I don't say any of this, and now I realize why I don't. The idea of Ninomori saying, “don't know” again irritates the hell out of me.

 

“We're close!” she breathes excitedly, her hair pooling into seemingly neat spaces in the sky as she walks. Even the moon makes lavender pieces of light hit my face. It's the quiet reminder that: Ninomori is here. Just in case I forget. With Haruko you don't NEED annoying reminders, she's just one big fat reminder in herself of what it's like to keep eating MSG even though it gives you cancer, because it tastes good.

 

Not that Haruko tastes good. I don't even remember what it was like kissing her. Really, I try not to. Who wants to remember how their first kiss was wasted? Ow, what was that? My eyes travel upward and I see an angry Ninomori glaring down at me, her hand posed as a threat. She smacked me! You know, Haruko might be the winning choice when it comes to choosing travel companions (at least in comparison to Ninomori). “Wake up stupid, can't you tell that we're here?”

 

Alright, first of all, that really hurt when she smacked me (I mean I've been smacked around enough) and second of all, what the heck does she mean by here? If she's looking for a place that can appropriately be labeled as “the middle of nowhere” she's found it. I'd assume that if she uses her “play voice” that would mean are destination is a little more interesting than a back alley. Her play voice, by the way, is the one she used when she got all jittery over that crappy school play we did last year. It's sort of Ninomori's way of compensating for her dull lack of emotion.

 

“You're cuter with cat ears.”

 

She's obviously insane.

 

Oh great, why is this stupid guitar beeping at me…hers is blinking. What are they, bombs or something? Great, suddenly I'm alarmed. If things are getting weird again who KNOWS what might happen. Bombs exploding sounds totally in sync with everything getting all bizarre again. “It's right…” Ninomori begins after giving up at what looks like an attempt to break the world record for how long you can scowl at someone, “here!” She points with her purple guitar at a trashcan. Which begins shaking.

 

A trash can.

 

For some reason this doesn't surprise me. In fact, if this whole thing was arranged by Haruko, she'd be sure to make a trash can the portal with a little post-it pasted one saying: “The portal, hope you like. With luv, Haruko.” “Luv” would be how she'd spell it, too. “Luv” doesn't mean anything. Of course, it's not like I'd want her to say “love” instead. The meaningless “luv” is really just fine. It suits her better. It's so sarcastic.

 

“Don't tell me, THIS is how we'll get to where we're going,” I suggest, trying to make my voice even more deadpan than it sounded in my head. Ninomori glares at me again. With less emotion.

 

“'right, Noata, and I'm an alien,” she returns. Great. And that's all I need. Another alien. Somehow, I really forgot he was there maybe it's habit, Canti pulls out a set of machine guns and basically makes that trash can look like a heap of gray Swiss cheese. It quivers a bit longer, when out of anything I could ever imagine popping out, the one I'd least expect does. My cat. Miyu-Miyu.

 

Right when I see his pudgy little face reveal itself, flinging the metal top of the trash away, I jump and observe Canti with much hatred. HE FIRED AT MY CAT! Course, he is a fat, good for nothing, butterball, but he doesn't deserve one hundred bullets to his blubber.

 

But he seems just fine when he leaps down from the top of the trashcan and looks up at all of us with his big eyes. How did he get outside anyway? Those eyes fall directly on to me. “I'm a she.” Ok, my cat just spoke. Weird. Not that, with regard to the current circumstance, this isn't perfectly normal—but…yeah. My cat still talked. And my cat's a girl. When did that happen?

 

“You didn't know she was a girl?” Ninomori asks, as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. Maybe I know the least about my cat than anyone. That thought is somewhat pathetic.

 

“Alright, who's bright idea was it to get Naota into this?” Miyu-Miyu asks, which is really the weirdest thing to write on paper. I look from Canti to Ninomori, it was one of them, I know. But both are silent—well Canti never talks—but he doesn't make any motion to acknowledge that it was his doing. Are we all totally unknowing in all of this? But then how did Ninomori know where to go? I cast a glance at her blinking guitar…maybe that's it. My cat sighs. “Whatever. Naota, I'm Commander Hisa. I was with the Interstellar Immigration Bureau, serving as a mole for them. I gave Haruko or Raharu the false impression that I worked under her…that is until my information changed. Currently, I am no longer affiliated with the IIB, and I am still connected to Miss. Haruha—that is until recently…”

 

“W-w-what do you mean?” I ask excitedly, despite myself. “What—what happened to her?” Her eyes study me intently, she seems far more solemn now, but I still can't get over how she's just a big mass of fat and fur…

 

“…I don't know. It's been a month since I heard from her.” A dense silence fills the air and I can feel my hands forming into tight, sweaty fists. And my nails digging into my flesh. But hadn't I refused to go with Haruko? Didn't she come into my life, intervene, and that was it? Wasn't I done with it yet? Wasn't I done with all the bizarreness, being a tool, being mislead—wasn't I done with the adventures yet? Up until recently I had been unsure if all that had happened was even real to begin with. But Ninomori remembers, and even my cat remembers—so does dad. So, I can't pretend it was a dream anymore. Everyone moved on except Ninomori and me. Everyone that really had anything to do with it all anyway. Haruko, Mamimi, that weird guy with the big eye brows—but Ninomori and me were left behind. I decided to stay behind by choice… I decided to kind of resent Haruko…but I still…I still…

 

“So, is this all about looking for this—Haruko person?” Ninomori says without much enthusiasm, polishing her guitar with her saliva. “Isn't that the crazed girl with pink hair?”

 

“She's not a girl!” I shout defensively, “she's—“ But I stop. What was I going to say? What is Haruko? A woman? An alien? Both? Something else entirely? Is she even named Haruko at all? And do I really care enough…

 

“This isn't about her,” Hisa cuts into the soundlessness, “it's much bigger than that.”

 

Bigger?

 

Wait, it's not like I think Haruko's a big deal, right?

 

She's just a person who came into my life…

 

…and changed it…

 

But that's over. Really, it is. I was supposed to return to my normal life afterward. I'm not sure if her purpose was to inadvertently teach me something important—or break my heart—or both. But either way, it's done with. She's gone. Right? So why am I here?

 

She took the guitar that was a bi-product of guitars formed from Canti and me…so what's the instrument I'm holding now? What could Haruko possible have to do with me now? And what exactly is Atomsk?

 

“What are we doing, then, Hisa?” Ninomori asks in a business-like manner. Canti nods enthusiastically, signaling that the very question also renders him confused. Did Hisa summon us or something? But then—my cat also doesn't know why I'm involved—what the hell is going on here?

 

“The problem really just began between us…um…Traders…if you will.” Something about how Hisa said that makes me thing that “Traders” isn't the quite the correct term. “We made a deal with the Zepitans, I warned Gentin that it wouldn't end well getting involved with those people. Inhabitants of Jupiter are known for their treachery…” she recounted the fact very bitterly, baring her sharp, white teeth, “anyway, somehow the IIB got involved. I'm not really sure why. Squabbles amongst space pir—I mean space traders really have nothing to do with them. Those Interstellar Investigative Bureau people…I can't believe I used to be one of them… It really had nothing to do with them…they took our booty.”

 

Though I know it was thoroughly stupid of me given the circumstances, I really can't help sniggering at that last line.

 

With a glare, Hisa opens her mother and continues, “…it's been in our line for centuries, they really had no business taking it. The deal was they'd find a safe place to stash the stuff for a percentage of the loo—the gross product yet, they wound up taking it for themselves.”

 

“You mean loot right?” Ninomori asked, looking highly deadpan, “you're not space traders—try space pirates.” It's totally beyond me why Hisa didn't just say that to begin with. It's not like I'd judge her. She's a cat after all. After a very long frown Ninomori's way, which is so venomous that it makes her flinch, she looks to me again.

 

“We need our loot back. They know they must relinquish it, that they've broken the rules.”

 

“But, you guys are pirates, since when is it out of line for a pirate to steal? I can't believe you'd hand over your booty to some other ones, I mean, what did you expect?” Ninomori says conversationally, as if this all the most normal thing in the world. A long, weary sigh escaped my cat, and I begin to get the feeling we're all a little annoying to her.

 

“It's the code of the pirates. If a bargain is made between them; and the promise is signed by each captain of both of the crews, then both must uphold their end of the deal. The most valuable thing to a space pirate is his booty, and a bargain is the most sacred thing between two crews. Nothing else really matters to a pirate.”

 

“…but…what does this have to do with us?” Ninomori inquires, shaking with jubilation. I'm wondering the same thing…but then a louder question keeps repeating in my head. It's trying to force its way through my lips, though I try to keep it back…

 

“And I thought you pirates didn't care about anything but your loot—so why are you trying to find Haruko?” I blurt. I know what you're thinking `he so cares about Haruko', but that's not true, it couldn't be FURTHER from the truth. In fact, I just don't want to have more to do with her—not really anyway—I mean I guess I'm slightly curious. If she came back—it might make things even weirder than they're getting… The problem is I just can't figure out if that's what I want. When I realized something extraordinary was going to happen again, I felt an exhilaration I hadn't experienced for the longest time… I'm pretty sure I liked it—but seeing Haruko again… And I thought I didn't care? I know I don't… I just—can't exactly see if I don't care in a good way or bad way—like if I saw her again if I'd be indifferent in a positive indifference or a negative…

 

“Like I mentioned earlier, the IIB has stuck their big, fat noses into this,” Hisa retorts, snapping into my muddled thoughts, “the only person who had successfully put up a fight against them is Haruko. That's why I've been in contact with her. I know she's trying to track down Atomsk still. And I also know that at one time you had Atomsk's power, Naota, and so did you, Canti. Though it's been a while, you both are connected to Atomsk. If we find Atomsk, we'll find Haruko.” At this, I can feel my heart thumping in my ears. Something about seeing her again…makes my body want to crumble.

 

My brain so doesn't care though.

 

“But what about me?” Ninomori sings tragically, as if the greatest disappointment has been thrown upon her. I look at her, trying to forget my weird reaction to the thought of seeing Haruko again. Her hair still sprits my face with pale fragments of purple light. I still can't decide if this is more annoying or comforting.

 

“There is something else curious about you, Naota,” Hisa continues, as if she had gone deaf for the instant Ninomori had spoken, “Canti could form a guitar from you, though you no longer contain any fragment of Atomsk's power. I don't know what this means…and Ninomori also has a guitar fabricated from her…”

 

“Hair,” I finish dully. This seems to get Ninomori on edge.

 

“So what! I still have a guitar!”

 

“Not only that, but your guitar fused with Haruko's—and not in the same manner as the guitar Haruko now posses formed. I believe that the instrument Haruko now has is Atomsk's, as his power was split between both you and Canti and it was formed from the both of you. The guitar you now hold in your hands, Naota, is a mystery to me, but I think as long as you have it, you and Haruko are bound in some way.”

 

For some reason, after the last thing is said, when I look at the guitar in my hand I feel as if it has some sort of new purpose. It summons forth new emotions inside me: fear, anxiety, a rush of energy, familiarity, mystery, and awe.

 

“Together, I'd like to think we can succeed in pin-pointing Haruko's location.” Somehow I feel like I might just see my dinner on the ground in a minute. Something pokes the small in my back. That something is always lingering. Like stale perfume.

 

“Don't worry, we'll find her.” The words are tart syrup. Buttered old bread. They're meant to be comforting. A halo of whitish amethyst blurs my vision, and Ninomori's hair hugs my shoulder slightly. I think that's what she is. A half embrace. Enough maybe to realize she's always around, but maybe it's only a ghost of herself that remains. Those words are meant to comfort me.

 

But they're terrifying.