Urusei Yatsura Fan Fiction ❯ The Senior Year ❯ The Return of Koosei Ryooki ( Chapter 9 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Urusei Yatsura - The Senior Year: "The Return of Koosei Ryooki"
by Fred Herriot
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edited by E.B. Kushnir
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Ninth in a series of fan-fiction stories based on "Urusei Yatsura," created by
Rumiko Takahashi
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WRITER'S NOTES:

1) We're in the final stages...but the worst is yet to come! You have been
warned...heh-heh-heh!

2) "Nicha" is the ritual which Vosians perform to expunge the grief of a
spouse who died tragically. This will be explained further in future stories.

3) This story offers a brief look at the Yehisrites, first mentioned in
"Enter Space Hybrid Hazel." Below are a listing of some more Yehisrite words:

zirtizg'l - Thank you.
hisri'hilm - Standard greeting/farewell. Literally "die with
honour."
Three-Faced One - The god of death, overlord of the panthenon of dieties
worshipped on Yehisril. So called because he has
three forms. The first form ("face") is for the
honoured dead, the second form for the ordinary dead
and the third form for the dishonoured dead.
yizpiz - Idiot.
laqu'r - Crown prince.
ilfim'rim - Masterless warrior.
Pizalna-sama - The goddess of family.

4) For those of you who do not know about the local history of the Niagara
frontier, Blondin (his real name was Jean Francois Gravelet) was the first man
to walk across the Niagara River gorge via a tightrope in 1859. He repeated
the stunt on several occasions, employing a considerable number of gimmicks to
make his crossings more spectacular, including a wheelbarrow, a stove (where
he cooked breakfast on the rope), and even carried his manager on one
crossing!

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A beautiful morning on the planet Tofunokoibito.

The capital city hums with the hustle and bustle of a large
intergalactic trade centre. Overlooking the sprawling metropolis is the
castle of the planet's ruling family. At one window sits a lovely teenage
woman, her chestnut eyes watching everything happening below her with detached
interest. *There are days I would gladly trade this position to live like
those people down there*, Lupica sighs. *Rio understands what working for a
living entails, but I never will. Should our baby learn it before she
inherits my crown?*

The door to her room opens. One of her servants enter. "Your
Highness," he bows, "Ryooki-sama is here."

"Eh?!" Lupica nods. "He's here already?! Send him in!"

"Yes, ma'am," the servant bows, then leaves.

The door then opens. Lupica smiles. "Hello, Koosei."

The man stepping in is very handsome by any humanoid race's standard.
Japanese by descent, he absently pats his black hair into place. Once in
Lupica's presence, he bows. "Your Highness."

The crown princess giggles. "You know you never need to do that with
me, Koosei. Relax."

He straightens himself, wryly smiling. "Your message said it was
urgent, Lupy."

Lupica flushes. "Stop that!! You know how much I hate it when you call
me 'Lupy!'"

Both laugh. "So, what's the problem?" Koosei asks. "Your message
sounded very urgent."

"Have you kept in touch with what's happening on Earth?" she sits.

"Somewhat," he nods. "Invader's kid got her butt creamed in a tag race
which was meant to determine if aliens would be allowed to remain there.
However, the U.N. let it pass by because of what happened at Shingetsu."

Both look sad upon the mentioning of the name of the destroyed Urusian
colony. "I heard the casualty figures," Lupica shudders. "Eight-point-five
million dead out of ten million inhabitants."

"Will there be an investigation?" Koosei hums.

"The *Dowe'on* Tribunal gave us the information when Schwartz wasn't so
forthcoming with it," Lupica sighs. "An expedition found the thing drifting
near Barsoom. No one knew how it got there. When they began to explore it,
the Ipraedies accidentally stumbled on a Lannarkite hive. By the time anyone
knew what was happening, it was too late."

"So...what now?" Koosei hums.

"I want you to go back to Earth."

Koosei look shocked. "Earth?! What for?!!"

Lupica looks sympathetic. "Koosei, look...I know you feel you have
nothing on Earth to return to." Determination appears on her face. "However,
the Urusian Tribal Council probably feels they've got away with another chance
to claim Earth. I know Earth's status with the Federation is still under
dispute, but right now, I want to make sure that Lum and anyone else living on
Earth is staying within the bounds of the Non-Interference Treaty."

"And you want me to explore and see that is the case," Koosei concludes,
then nods. "Okay. I'm your man."

"Good!" Lupica stands. "I'll arrange for your transport. Fortunately,
it turns out that everyone lives in your old hometown, Tomobiki. You'll have
full marque documentation stating that you're a special observer of the
Federation. When she sees that, Lum won't be able to spit the wrong way
without you stomping all over her. Not even Nassur or Dakejinzou Shogai can
cross you."

Koosei rubs his eyes, then replaces his round-frame glasses. "According
to what I heard, Ataru Moroboshi's grandmother hired Dake-chan to ensure that
Lum behaves herself."

The crown princess looks surprised, then nods. "So, Lum's caught in a
noose. Okay...don't be afraid to tighten it if necessary, Koosei."

"No, problem," he bows to her, then turns to leave.

"Oh, Koosei!"

"What is it, Lupy?"

She smiles, winking. "I hope one day that you and Oyuki will be able to
marry."

Hearing her name, Koosei's face pales, his glasses fog over, sweat pours
down his forehead and his body trembles, akin to fear. "O-o-oyuki-chan!" he
stammers...then faints!

Lupica looks shocked. "Oh, no! I'm sorry! I forgot!!"

* * *

Several sectors away, the capital city of the Kingdom of Elle, Baran,
awakens for another busy day. Inside the great palace of the Rose Queen, a
woman hurries to the queen's chambers. Her skin is a tanned pink-brown with a
shocking mane of platinum blonde hair cut ulitarian short. Dressed in a
midnight-black combat uniform, she bears a curious twin-blade pitchfork-like
weapon strapped to her back. Arriving at the double doors leading to Elle's
chambers, the woman knocks once, then waits. The doors part, revealing
Babara. "Ah, there you are, Anna!" the aged Ellsian matriarch smiles. "Come
in, come in."

"*Zirtizg'l*," Anna nods, speaking the harsh gutteral tones of her
native language, then alters to Ellsian. "Have you appraised Her Majesty of
our problem?"

"I have. She's already conceived a possible solution."

"Good," Anna nods.

The two enter the large reception room. Elle herself relaxes on her
rose-shaped throne. Walking up to the Rose Queen, Anna curtly bows.
"*Hisri'hilm,* Your Majesty."

"Good morning, Anna," Elle smiles. "So, how did the Mikado enjoy the
present I asked Dureko to send him?"

"He did not, I must confess," Anna straightens herself. "Nor, I think,
did the several hunters we dispatched to the Three-Faced One's table have a
chance to enjoy our hospitality. But what does one expect from that
*yizpiz?!* He considers himself having the sole right to slay Nassur. Anyone
else who tries to do so, in the Mikado's eyes, is trespassing on priviledged
ground."

Elle snorts. Normally, despite the Mikado's continuously shrinking
power base, very few of the Galactic Federation leaders dared attack the
Vosian dictator head on. Elle could dare for two reasons. First, the Ellsian
Kingdom was technologically on par with Vos itself. Nassur's people did not
intimidate Elle's. Second, as witnessed by the presence of Anna and hundreds
of other Yehisrite expatriates, Elle had the means to punish even the Mikado
should he dare overstep his bounds. The reason was simple: all Yehisrites
presently living on Elle were Freemasons.

Unlike their Terran namesakes, the Freemasons of Yehisril were a guild
of citizen-soldiers whose prowess in combat could match the ninjas under the
employ of Nagaiwakai Moroboshi. However, it is because of that prowess that
the Freemasons soon found themselves expelled from their homeworld.
Yehisril's *laqu'rs*, the crown princes who are the centres of political power
in the Royal Kingdoms, could not abide the presence of the Freemasons simply
because the legendary warriors were *ilfim'rim* in the eyes of local lords,
warriors who did not owe allegience to any *laqu'r*. However, when forced to
flee Yehisril, the Freemasons found sanctuary on planet Elle. The Rose Queen
had no cause for complaint. Elle herself found Vosians in general to be an
arrogant breed. It was always pleasant to deliver them a reminder every once
in a while that they were not the galaxy's superiors.

"I've considered the problem you brought to my attention sometime ago,
Anna," Elle sighs. "I agree wholeheartedly to the idea of seeking further
genetic contributors for the Project. The Cute Boys, for their own diversity,
are just not enough."

"We have need for two more Black Roses, Your Majesty," Anna reports.
"Have you a place in mind where we may pursue volunteers to become their
fathers?"

"Yes," Elle smiles. "Earth. Specifically the district of Tokyo known
as Tomobiki."

"Why Earth?!" Anna looks surprised.

"The two I wish targetted would have also become Cute Boys had the
Devil's Daughter not interfered," Elle explains. "The first fellow is Shutaro
Mendou. A decent sort, quite wealthy by Terran standards, descent of a
warrior's clan. He would've been my hundred thousanth Cute Boy. The other,
of course, is my own Honey, Ataru Moroboshi."

Anna looks very surprised. "You desire the Slayer of the Master of
Noukiios to be a contributor to the Project?!" she blinks. "M'lady, as our
investigations have revealed he is not one to be crossed these days!"

"Yes, I understand that quite well," the Rose Queen nods. "But with the
recent events which have rocked Terran-Urusian relations, I believe that the
time is fast approaching that Honey and Lum will have a parting of the
ways...a PERMANENT parting of the ways. Honey's grandmother detests Lum,
would gladly have her slain at a moment's notice. Perhaps the chance has come
to...add fuel to the fire."

"I advise caution, Your Majesty," Babara breaks in. "Mr. Groom's
grandmother is a Protestant Reformist Righteous Gentile. Even with our
Freemasons, we shall be quite hard-pressed to face the hounds of the
Inquisition should Nagaiwakai-sama choose to unleash them. Only when the
Black Roses are mature enough could we consider challenging the Zephyrites on
equal footing."

"True," Elle nods. "But consider this: Honey, as we are now well
aware, has adopted a child of his own: a Noukiite girl, one of the so-called
Lost Stars. Given his actions on Noukiios, it is obvious he would do anything
to protect one of his kin. And with a child being one of the Black Roses, I
think I would be in a far more...advantageous position to win Honey's hand in
marriage, not to mention his grandmother's approval."

"Perhaps," Babara sighs. "But be careful. Nagaiwakai-sama is not one
to be crossed. She proved too much for the Urusian Tribal Council to deal
with. We may run into the same problems if she perceives any slight against
her grandson. And she has Dakejinzou Shogai's help now."

"You are right, Babara, but in the end, I will prevail," Elle smiles.
"My decision is made. Prepare Annabelle for the trip to Earth. I wish this
matter concluded in a week's time."

Both her servants bow. "Yes, Your Majesty."

* * *

"He's leaving. He's really leaving."

The whispered words pass from student to student as people walk past the
lockers of class 3-4. Tearing through his locker for the final time is Ataru,
who busies himself with sorting out the junk of two-and-a-half years of being
a student at Tomobiki High School. Beside him is a garbage bag half-full of
unwanted momentoes from his life here. Also sitting beside him is Reiko, who
casually stares at some of the pictures and other items Ataru is disposing.
"You must be happy to be out of this place finally, eh, Daddy," she muses.

"You can say that again," Ataru hums. After everyone's return from
Sakusei Station in the wake of the Lannarkite attack on Shingetsu, Nagaiwakai
Moroboshi had practically ORDERED Ataru's immediate removal from the school.
Thus, the day after their return to Earth, found Ataru coming to school for
the first time in civilians, a bag ready to symbolically dispose of his bad
memories.

What surprised the departing student was everyone's reaction to the
news. He expected that everyone would be celebrating his departure, wishing
him well, relieved that the "cancer of the class" was forever out of their
hair. However, such had not happened. Everyone confusedly stared at him,
whispering "he's leaving" to those who had not yet tapped into the student
grapevine. Ataru could probably guess the reason why; if they celebrated his
departure, that would show Lum how much people did not care for him, thus goad
her into leaving with him. Ataru could only smile. The idiots in this place
could get away with so much before finally demonstrating to Lum what idiots
they really were. Ataru just had to be patient. Time was on his side.

"What are you going to do with these?" Reiko pulls up one of his
yearbooks.

"Burn the whole lot," Ataru sighs as he finally picks through the mess
at the bottom of the locker. "I've no cause to hang onto those things
anymore. The less I look at the faces, the better."

Reiko shrugs, tossing the yearbook into the garbage bag. Not having
attended school herself, she could not understand the yearbook's purpose. If
it just served to hurt her father more, the Lost Star could agree to the idea.
"Less scrap to worry about, I guess. How long do we have to wait in this dump
before we move to our house?"

"A week," Ataru smiles. "Then the house should be ready."

He smiles as he glances out the corner of his eye to the door leading to
room 337. He did not need the Cyborg's senses or Reiko's psionic senses to
tell that someone was eavesdropping on him. Hence the reason he and Reiko
were staying silent on their destination. Ataru knew that Mendou was pulling
every string in the book to learn where his hated rival was moving. Ataru had
quickly countered that with a nice fat bribe of nine figures to Ryooko Mendou
to interfere in her brother's investigations. While never having considered
playing those sorts of games before Icarus, Ataru had proven to be a quick
adept. According to Reigi Yumoa, Mendou had not investigated a location
anywhere within three hundred kimometres of the secret home. That was okay.
Now if only Ataru could persuade Lum to keep silent about Oshika. Ataru had
little hope. Lum would, despite his insistence that this was the best
solution for both of them, have preferred if Ataru had just moved back into
his own house. Also, there was the good chance that Lum would tell Ten-chan
even if Ataru asked her not to tell anyone...and once the little motor-mouth
got that news, everyone would learn.

Finally, the last item is removed from the locker. "Well, that's it,"
Ataru sighs, standing. Staring at the empty space, he feels a touch of
regret. Despite the hell he had experienced here, Tomobiki High School had
been the place he had spent day after day for over two years. He would miss
the rustic old place. If he could change the people here, then maybe he might
have considered staying. But that was impossible. These jerks stuck to each
other like glue, so what was the use of trying? He had other things to do; a
bigger, better life lay before him. Sighing, he ties the garbage bag up, then
slinging it over his shoulder, heads to the stairs, Reiko carrying his duffle
bag beside him.

Ataru ignores the stares aimed at him from the classroom windows as he
heads to the front gate. Reiko notices, but does not look back. "Don't you
think they've got better things to do than stare at us?"

"They can't help it," Ataru muses. "That how empty they really are."

"Why don't you use your musket on them?"

"Waste of good ammunition," he smiles at her, then looks up to see
Ten-chan drive by on his scooter. "Hey, Ten!!"

"Huh?!" the young Oni stops, then floats off. "Oh, hi, Ataru,
Reiko-chan! What's that you got?"

"Ah, just getting rid of some stuff I don't need anymore," Ataru drops
the bag, then smiles. "Want some target practice?!"

He sweetens the request (liertally!) with several lollipops. "Sure!!"
Ten-chan beams.

Ataru grabs the garbage bag, then tosses it into the air. A blast of
flame later, everything from his locker is reduced to ashes! "Thanks, Ten,"
he sighs, handing Ten-chan the lollipops. "Good to keep the environment
clean."

"What was that you wanted burned?" the young Oni hums.

"Oh, just stuff I don't need anymore," Ataru snorts. "Yearbooks,
notebooks, pictures...nothing worth much. C'mon, Reiko-chan. Let's get back
to the apartment."

"Okay, Daddy!" Reiko beams.

The two head home. Ten-chan shrugs, then guides his hoverscooter
towards room 337, where everyone, save Mie Seikou, is gathered by the windows.
"Hi, everyone!" Ten-chan calls out as he lands his scooter on the teacher's
desk. He is then quick to notice that everyone had not responded. "Hey!
What's with you guys?!"

"Don't mind them, Ten-chan," Mie picks her way through a magazine. "The
idiots don't have anything better to do than to mope over the fact that they
can't pick on Ataru-chan anymore."

"Oh, is that all," Ten-chan shrugs.

The other students jolt. Mie's barbs at them were becoming more nasty
by the day, having turned especially vile in the wake of the Third Tag Race,
when it looked as if Lum would never be allowed to live on Earth again.
"Ten-chan, what did Darling want burned?" Lum inquires.

"Ah, just his yearbooks, notebooks and pictures," the young Oni shrugs.
"He said it wasn't anything much."

Everyone looks surprised. "He even burned his yearbooks?!" Shinobu
exclaims. "I don't believe that!!"

"He'd probably burn all of us if he had the chance," Ryuunosuke
shudders. "He almost pulled it off on Shingetsu."

"Don't remind us of that!" Megane snarls, then turns to Lum. "Lum-san,
don't you have any idea where he's moving to?!"

"He hasn't told me a thing," Lum shakes her head. "I tried to ask
Reiko-chan, but you know how much she hates me!"

"We know, we know," Mendou sighs. "What is worse, Moroboshi has somehow
obtained my sister's help in interfering in all my attempts to ascertain where
the swine is heading to!!"

Incensed, Mie bolts up to grab the scion of Japan's richest family by
the neck and viciously chokes him. "Maybe it's time that you stopped being
such a pain in Ataru-chan's ass...TERMINALLY!!!!" the Kyushu native snarls.

"Seikou-san, no!!!" a dozen girls shriek. "Don't kill Mendou-san!!!"

Everyone else sighs as Mie continues to thrash Mendou. "This is getting
us nowhere!" Shinobu shakes her head. "If we don't get a handle on this soon,
everything we've accepted as normal is going to be destroyed!!"

"I think that's Darling's general intention," Lum meekly muses.

A second later, a badly bruised Mendou smashes into Shinobu, causing
both to fly out a window to crash-land on the ground! "Who gives a shit what
YOU think, Miyaki?!!" Mie growls as she storms back to her seat. The other
students get out of the Kyushu native's way, not wanting to face such fury.

The recent occurences in class 3-4 is also the subject of discussion in
the office of the school's senior administrator. "Such a pity," the Principal
muses as he watches Mendou and Shinobu being towed into the nurse's station
from his office window, a cup of tea in hand. "A pity that Ataru's departure
had to come in such a manner."

Standing beside him, Mark Onsen shrugs. "Well, with him gone, a lot of
the troubles which have plagued us go with him," the vice-principal sits by
the kotatsu to drink his tea. "I won't miss him one bit."

"Perhaps," the Principal sits beside Onsen and Kotatsuneko. "Then
again, maybe we've made a gross mistake all along when it comes to Ataru's
class."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I would dearly wish for someone to come along who is
willing to discipline the entire class, not just one person," the Principal
sighs, allowing the silent cat-ghost to refill his cup. "We tried
Kuribayashi-kun, but he just went after Ataru all the time. Hanawa-kun has
been no help either. But where could we find a person who could help us with
class Three-Four?!"

"Doubt there'll be anyone in the district," Onsen shakes his head.
"Everyone's either too infatuated with Lum or too intimidated by Mendou to
make a stand against either of them, much less those who support them."

"Unfortunately true," the Principal sadly nods, then blinks as a distant
explosion is heard. "Now, whatever is going on?"

Both head to the window to see a gathering cloud of smoke and dust
moving in the general direction of the school. From room 337, some of the
students are quick to deduce what might be happening. "Looks like Rei ran
afoul of Ataru again," Momoe sighs.

"What?!!" Lan leaps to the window. "How dare he try to hurt my
Rei-sama...!!!"

The Seishin teen is silenced by Mie smashing a desk on her head!
"Quiet, dork!! People're trying to study here!!!"

Just as Lan slides to the floor, a section of the school wall explodes
as a battered Rei flies through to collapse a cherry tree on impact! Everyone
looks at the smoke by the wall as the Cyborg emerges, as usual not the worse
for wear after fighting the transformed Oni pilot. "**The next time you try
to steal Reiko-chan's breakfast will be your LAST, you oversized slab of
beef!!!**" the machine-man points at the target of his anger. "**I won't warn
you again!!!**"

Lum sighs. "Won't Rei ever learn to stop pestering Darling?!"

"Not until he gets turned into roast beef, it seems!" Ten-chan shrugs.

"It might have to go that far," Mie muses.

Rising, Rei lets out a bellow as he charges the Cyborg. The results are
predictable: he is power-slammed into the front walkway!! "I sometimes
wonder if the big jerk actually has ANY brains in his head!" Megane sighs.

"With the way Ataru's bashing him around these days, what brains he
might have going to get bashed *out* of him!!" Kakugari snickers.

Suddenly, the door slams shut. Lum and Mie quickly notice someone
missing. "Darling, watch your back!!" Lum calls outside. "Lan's coming out!"

Ataru looks up, then cants his head for the front door. "**Too
slow!!**" he sneers as his eye-laser lashes out!

Lan is literally burned on the spot by the blast of energy long before
she could bring her bazooka to bear on the machine-man. "Here we go again,"
Sakura shakes her head, watching this from the nurse's station.

After noting that nothing is coming at him from Lan's direction, Ataru
turns to leave, transforming back to normal. "That should take care of you
idiots for today!" he sighs as he turns his back on Rei.

However, if there is one thing the Oni metamorph has never learned, is
when to back off when it comes to Ataru. Yanking himself out of the ground,
he lets out another bellow as he moves to stampede at his former rival.
"Darling, look out!!!" Lum screams as Rei charges...

...only to run head-first into an unmoving wall of ironwood!!!!

Everyone blinks as Rei falls unconscious to the ground. The wall he
just struck is in fact the largest hyperspace hammer ever seen in anime or
fanfiction, a monster emblazoned with the notation SATURN FIVE on its side.
The welder of the monster idiot basher is none other than Koosei Ryooki. "My,
my, my!" the observer adjusts his glasses on seeing Rei. "What hole did you
crawl out from, Rei?! Trying to steal people's breakfast again?!"

Seeing him, Lum and Ten-chan blink with understandable surprise.
"What's HE doing here?!!" the former exclaims. "He said he'd never come back
to Earth again!!"

The latter beams with delight. "Rei's in for it now!!!" he laughs.

Koosei walks around the insensate Rei, then twirls the Saturn Five as if
it was a number seven driver and he was about to make a hole-in-one. Seeing
that Ataru is just standing in his line of fire, gaping disbelievingly at him,
the observer notions the former student away. "Mind getting out of the way
here, son! I'll show you how to deal with this idiot!!"

"Ah...er...right!" Ataru leaps out of the way.

Just in time. With a cry of "Fore!!" Koosei sends Rei rocketing off
Earth at many times the speed of sound!!!! Watching this from the class, jaws
drop to the floor in total disbelief. "Did you see that?!!" Megane points.

"Who is that guy?!!" Paama exclaims. "Kaori Makimura's cousin?!!"

"Oh, no!" Lum smiles. "He's Koosei Ryooki! Ten-chan's old
babysitter!!"

"Ain't Koosei-onii-chan neat?!" Ten-chan beams.

"Koosei Ryooki?!" Mie looks up with surprise.

"You know him, Mie-onee-chan?!" Ten-chan floats to her side.

"I've heard of him!" Mie nods. "I think he used to be Sakura's old
boyfriend."

"He used to be Sakura-onee-chan's old boyfriend?!" Ten-chan looks
surprised by that revelation. "Oyuki-chan better not hear that!!"

"Wait a minute!!!" Megane exclaims with frustration. "If this guy used
to be Sakura-sensei's boyfriend, then he became Jariten's babysitter, then he
became Oyuki-sama's boyfriend...?!!" he points in one direction, then the
other, "...THEN HOW THE HELL DID HE GET INTO SPACE IN THE FIRST PLACE?!?!?!"
he throws up his hands in obvious frustration.

"Boy, are you dumb!" Ten-chan sighs. "Don't you know that
Koosei-onii-chan was kidnapped by the Ipraedies a decade ago?! He's been in
space ever since!"

"Ten-chan, don't you know by now that half this class doesn't have the
iota of brains necessary to figure out a VCR?!" Mie stares at the young Oni.

"Right," Ten-chan nods.

Meanwhile, Lan is slowly shaking off the murderous assault Ataru just
unleashed on her. Looking up, her eyes widen in shock on seeing Koosei. Then
noticing that Rei is nowhere in sight, she bolts to her feet, bazooka in hand
and aiming on target. "So, you decided to come down here, huh?!! I'll make
this place your graveyard, Ryooki!!!"

Before she could fire, Lan is run over by a very ecstatic Sakura, now
dressed to everyone's total shock in black lace lingerie, an impish grin on
her face! "KOOSEI-KUN!!!!" she screams with delight as she leaps into the
air, knocking the very surprised Koosei down, her crotch in his face!
"THUNDERTHIGHS FLYING TAKEDOWN!!!!!!"

Koosei winds up flat on his back, Sakura now sitting on his face.
Naturally, he does not mind this sort of greeting. "My, Sakura-chan...you're
as warm as ever..." he deliriously gags.

"Sakura-sensei!!!" a shocked Lum flies up to her. "How could you?!!
Don't you know that Koosei has a girlfriend?!!"

Hearing that, a volcano erupts behind Sakura. "WHAT?!?!" she screams,
grabbing Koosei by the collar of his shirt. "You two-timer!!! You mean to
say that you have a girlfriend AND IT'S NOT ME?!?!?!"

"S-s-sakura-chan, I c-c-can explain...!" Koosei stammers.

"Interesting to hear that consider you're supposed to be ENGAGED,
Sakura!" Ataru cuts in, then turns away. "Sheesh!! And to believe I actually
used to be that way!"

On hearing that, Koosei freezes Sakura with an icy stare. "Oh, so you
call ME a two-timer, eh?!!" he crosses his arms.

Both glare at each other, then their faces soften as laughter quickly
melts away the hurt feelings. In a moment, both are happily embracing each
other. "Well, isn't that nice!" Lum beams.

From his office, the Principal lets out a hum, staring knowingly at
Onsen, who smiles back...

* * *

In minutes, room 337 is quickly cleaned up and cleared of desks so that
an impromptu party can be held in celebration of Koosei's return to Earth for
the first time in a decade. On seeing the handsome space vagabond, all the
girls, even Mie, are awestruck. The boys have nothing to complain about after
seeing Koosei so easily handle Rei. The Principal, Kotatsuneko and Onsen have
come up to join the party. "My, you must have had an interesting adventure
after you were abducted from Earth," the elderly school administrator muses.

"Well, it wasn't a treat for the first six years," Koosei sighs, having
his tea cup refilled by Momoe. "A prisoner of the Ipraedies for three years,
then a prisoner of the Mikado. Sometimes I wonder how I ever survived."

"Well, survive you did and now you're back where you belong," Shinobu
beams.

"I actually would have not come back here to Earth," the observer
shrugs. "I really have nothing. I assumed Sakura-chan got on with her life
after I was taken off Earth and with all my other friends dead, there was
really no reason for me to come back."

"And there's Oyuki-chan, too," Ten-chan smiles.

Hearing her name, Koosei stammers as his glasses fog over, sweat pouring
down his face. "O-o-oyuki-ch-ch-chan!"

"Now *that's* lovestruck!!" Megane whistles. "He's even worse than
Shinobu whenever Nassur-san comes around."

"Nassur-kun...!" a dreamy sigh escapes Shinobu's lips.

"See what I mean," Megane shrugs.

The other boys chuckle. "She's interested in Nassur?!" Koosei's eyebrow
rises, then shakes his head. "I don't give her much of a chance in landing
him, especially since he hasn't undergone the *nicha* yet."

Hearing that, Shinobu gags. "How much of a chance do you give her after
this *nicha* thing?" Ataru glances at Koosei.

"One in three-thousand," Koosei muses.

Shinobu faints! "One...in three-thousand...!" she gags disbelievingly,
a heart dropping out of nowhere to break on her head.

"What are the odds for whoever has the best chances of landing him?!"
Ataru hums.

"Well, the point's rather mute until the *nicha,*" Koosei shrugs. "But
after that...let's see. I give Benten a one-in-seven chance. Dake-chan gets
a one-in-twenty. It's really hard to predict since recognition's so
unpredictable."

"Is that a fact," Ataru hums, turning back to his tea. "I guess we'll
just have to improve Benten's odds then," he whispers to Lum.

"How?!" the Oni stares quizzically at him.

"That's for me to know and you to find out...on their wedding day,"
Ataru winks at her.

"So, what does bring you here, Koosei-kun?!" Sakura stares at him. "If
you had no real desire to return and by the looks of it, might wind up living
on Triton if you marry Oyuki, what are you doing here?!"

"Easily explained," Koosei shrugs. "I was asked to come here by
Princess Lupica. The Galactic Federation feels that the time has come that a
control be put on all the aliens now resident on Earth. I'm the control."

Hearing that, Lan almost has a case of apoplexy. "You're an observer
for Lupica?!" Lum gasps disbelievingly. "Does my father know about this!"

"He not only knows, neither he nor the Tribal Council have the power to
challenge my decisions concerning your stay on Earth," Koosei glances at her.

Hearing this, all the boys freak. "Sir!!!" Mendou appears in front of
Koosei. "You cannot punish Lum-san!!! I can attest to her exemplary
behaviour since the day I first met her!!!"

"As can we!!!" the bodyguards chime in.

"Oh, aren't they sweet?!" Lum giggles.

Ataru looks ready to vomit. "I question the impartiality of the
witnesses!"

Lum stares confusedly at her boyfriend. "I **seriously** question it!!"
Mie emphasizes.

"As do I," Koosei icily glares at Mendou and the guards. "Your reaction
to Lum would make me believe that she might be coercing you into supporting
her and her people. That's a DEFINITE violation of the Non-Interference
Treaty!"

The five boys let out fearful gulps. "Rest assured, I cannot be bribed,
bought or coerced into forming any opinion contrary to my wishes," Koosei
leans over to them, the Saturn Five magically appearing behind him, his voice
dropping to an icy dirge sending shivers down everyone's spine. "Got me?!"

"Y-y-yessir!" the five boys fearfully stammer.

The Principal and Onsen stare at each other. "Then perhaps we can be of
some assistance to you," the former then turns to Koosei.

"How?!" Koosei blinks confusedly.

"We are looking for a new homeroom teacher for this class," the elderly
school administrator adjusts his glasses. "Your duties would be minimal, just
supervise students during homeroom periods, not to mention assist with
discipline problems. At the same time, it would aid you tremendously in your
task for Princess Lupica. Save for young Ten, all the aliens who are resident
here on Earth are in this classroom."

"Is that a fact?" Koosei hums.

Lan gulps fearfully, shaking her head. Lum nods readily to the idea.
"Well, since I'll be moving into my parents' old house here in town, I suppose
I'll need something to pass the time," Koosei muses to himself.

"Your parents' old home?!" Sakura blinks. "Why, that's right behind the
Moroboshi house! Lum and Ten-chan live there!"

Both Onis look surprised. "He's going to be our backdoor neighbour?!"
Lum claps her hands with delight. "Oh, that's just wonderful!! What do you
think, Ten-chan?!"

"I like it, I like it!!" Ten-chan readily nods.

"I DON'T!!!!" Lan snaps.

She gets clobbered by a desk thanks to Ataru! "No one asked your
opinion, airhead!!" the former student growls.

Seeing that, Koosei then looks to the Principal. "Sir, you have your
man!" he bows.

"Excellent!" the Principal smiles. "Welcome aboard, Koosei-kun! We'll
let you start in a couple of days so that you can devote your time to settling
down!"

Onsen and Sakura beam. The girls look pleased. The guys look unsure.
Lan steams with rage while Lum and Ten-chan giggle with obvious delight.
Ataru lets out a sigh, then placing his teacup down, walks out of the room.
"Darling, where are you going?!" Lum moves to stop him.

"I'm going back to my apartment," he looks back at her. "I've got a
daughter to worry about, remember?! I'll see you later."

"But..." Lum calls out, then finds herself talking to no one.

Seeing this, Mendou and the guards boil with rage. "He DARES ignore
Lum-san?!!" Megane growls. "He must be punished!!!"

The five leap to their feet...and wind up crushed by the Saturn Five!!!!
"Since when do people in this town make it their business to butt into other
people's relationships?!!" Koosei growls, adjusting his glasses.

The five boys moan, wondering what asteroid just hit them. "I dare say
we may have found out man," the Principal muses.

"Indeed we have," Onsen chuckles...

* * *

"A galactic observer?!" Ashin Budou stares confusedly at Ataru.

"Yeah," Ataru stares out the cafeteria window to gaze upon Tomobiki.
"Turns out to be Sakura's old boyfriend Koosei Ryooki. He spent the last
decade in space. Crazy, huh?!"

"Is that a fact?" Ashin muses. "That may explain my sensing someone
coming to forge a wall between yourself and those who would dominate you. He
just might be the man you need to have around to keep everyone off your back."

"He probably is, given the way he cleaned Rei's and Lan's clocks this
morning," Ataru smirks.

"Young Master," a secretary comes up, bowing to Ataru.

"What is it?"

"There is a young lady who has come seeking employment with you, sir,"
the secretary waves to the door. "She states she just heard that you had
adopted a child. She's a nanny from the planet Elle and has considerable
experience dealing with alien children."

Ataru blinks. "From planet Elle?! Where is she?!"

The secretary gestures. Ataru and Ashin watch as a lovely woman
approaches. In her early twenties, she has wavy brown hair and blue eyes.
She is dressed in a fetching rose-pattern skirt. On seeing Ataru, she bows.
"Good morning, sir," she speaks, a beautiful lilt in her voice. "I'm pleased
to make your acquaintance."

Ataru quickly confirms her planet of origin thanks to the rose-embossed
bandanna wrapped around her head. "You're from Elle?! How did people there
find out I adopted Reiko-chan?!"

"Well, sir, your slaying of the Masters of Noukiios is known throughout
the Galactic Federation," she smiles. "My name is Annabelle de Osterloch. My
card," she hands him a business card.

Ataru looks at the card, then smiles. "Well, I have been looking for
someone to help me with Reiko-chan. Reiko-chan hasn't taken well to my
girlfriend and refuses to play with Lum's cousin Ten. What say we do the
introductions?"

"Oh, please," Annabelle smiles.

As they move to head to his apartment, Ataru takes Ashin aside. "From
planet Elle she says," the former chuckles, keeping his voice down. "Does
Elle think I'm that much of an idiot? I can tell she's here to do something
to me."

"Whatever you do, hire her," the latter emphasizes.

Ataru looks surprised. "Why?"

"Because this woman may be the key to your future happiness, not with
Elle but with Lum," the Shinto priest intones. "Further, I sense that she is
suffering from a grave problem in her own right, one that only *you* can help
her out of. And if you do that, you'll be making Reiko-chan a very happy
young girl."

"Really?" Ataru blinks, slowly nodding. Knowing well how accurate
Ashin's predictions are, the former student is quick to accept his advice...

* * *

"You hired a nanny?!" Lum blinks in disbelief.

Ataru stares quizzically at her. "Is there some reason that I
shouldn't've hired a nanny for Reiko-chan?!" Both are now in the cafeteria at
the Toranoseishin Finances building after school. Lum had been taken by
surprise when she saw Annabelle playing with Reiko in the apartment.
"Besides, Reiko-chan took to Annabelle quite well. I've no complaints."

"I do!" Lum snaps. "An alien nanny...from Elle of all planets?!
Darling, if that doesn't hint that Elle's planning something, I don't know
what will!!"

"My point exactly," Ataru lightly smiles. "If Elle's up to something,
what better way to learn what it is then to play along and feign ignorance.
We'll be in a better position to discover what's going on if Annabelle remains
within range. Besides, Ashin-kun stated that it would be to both our benefit
if Annabelle came to work for us."

Lum sighs. "Darling, I'd feel a lot safer if we brought Nassur into
this."

She jerks on seeing an icy glare emit from his eyes. "Are you saying
that Ashin's not trustworthy?" he coldly intones.

"N-no..." she stammers.

"Then we'll go with his advice," Ataru sips his tea. "Besides, I'm sure
Nassur's got some cases on the go. I don't want to fall in the habit of
calling him or Dake-chan every time we get into a spot. That's not to mention
keeping Nassur away from Miyaki. The less he comes by, the better chances
Benten has to land him."

Lum blinks. "Well, that's true." Personally, she would not mind it if
Benten and Nassur did marry. It had been her best friend's greatest ambition
since childhood. That Ataru wanted it to happen delighted Lum to no end. But
it also was a reflection of the recent break between Ataru and Shinobu. The
Oni wondered if she should not try to coax Ataru into trying to be more
concilliatory toward his ex-classmates. However, given his current mood, she
doubted that any efforts on her part would do any good.

Standing, she heads up to the lounge. Reiko now reads from a primary
school text, Annabelle sitting beside her. Seeing this, Lum felt a twinge of
jealousy fire up her spine. Should that not be her with Reiko? Entering the
lounge, she smiles. "Hi, Reiko-chan!"

"Oh, hi, Lum," the Noukiite looks up, then returns to the book.

Annabelle slides herself away from Reiko, then walks over to Lum.
"She's such a nice girl," the Ellsian comments. "Reiko-chan's lucky to have
such a wonderful father as Ataru. She needs it after all the troubles the
Masters forced on her."

"True," Lum sighs. "I just wish Reiko-chan would trust me more."

"That'll take a lot of time, Lum," Annabelle looks sympathetic.
"There's the automatic distrust Noukiites have for Urusians, not to mention
the recent problems you've had because of her. You just can't keep forcing
yourself on Reiko-chan. She'll just perceive it as you trying to take control
of Ataru through his daughter. Since your approach to Ataru for the last two
years can be easily perceived as domination, Reiko-chan has no other examples
by which to judge you."

Lum looks depressed. "I hope it isn't always like this," she sighs.

"Well, there is one possible solution," Annabelle hums. "Leave Tomobiki
when Ataru and Reiko-chan leave."

"But I don't want to move out of Tomobiki," the Oni sighs, floating to
the window to stare at the cityscape beyond. "I like it here. I have friends
here. These people were Darling's friends too until he turned his back on
them."

"If Ataru was so willing to turn his back on them, then maybe they
weren't his friends after all," Annabelle notes. "Perhaps you've been
deceiving yourself all this time. There's no shame in admitting an error,
Lum. Ataru's told me of how everyone fawns all over you like you were a god
and they your worshippers. Don't you get enough of that already from the
Niphentaxians?"

Lum jerks, her face blanching on being forced to remember something she
would rather forget. "I haven't had to think of those idiots in a long time,"
she embarrassingly giggles.

"Well, maybe it's time you started thinking about Tomobiki in the same
light as you do Phentax Two."

Reiko looks up. "Belle, can you come here for a moment?"

"Sure, Reiko-chan," Annabelle smiles as she returns to the Noukiite's
side.

Lum stares at them, then returns to gaze at Tomobiki. Was Annabelle
right? Were the people here just as bad as Oogi and the Niphentaxians? She
never thought of them exactly in that light. When people bothered her, she
made them leave her alone...and usually, they did. That obviously made a
difference. Besides, the Niphentaxians despised Ataru to no end, calling him
the "Great Evil," wishing he was dead so that they could claim her as their
own. The people of Tomobiki were not that way. If they were, Lum would have
made their lives so miserable, they would have wished they had never heard of
her or Ataru!

WHY...?

Lum winces as a bolt of psychic fire rips into her mind. "*Tcha*...!"

WHY DO YOU DENY HIM HIS DESTINY?!

The Oni gasps as she finds herself surrounded by psychic flame! "Where
am I?!!" she screams as the flames leap at her.

Suddenly, an image appears...an image of a woman robed in a flowing
black robe trimmed with crinole, a golden phoenix insignia on her chest.
Staring at the face, the green hair barely covering two horn-buds at her
temples, Lum takes an involuntary step back. "*Tcha*...y-you...y-you're
m-me...!!"

WHY?! the woman speaks, her voice echoing in Lum's mind. WHY DO YOU
DENY YOUR OTHER'S ROLE IN LIFE?!

"Role in life...?" Lum blinks. "What do you mean?!"

AS MY CHILD-MATE CAME TO ME IN A TOMOBIKI NOW DEAD AND DUST TO REMOVE ME
FROM THE GRIPS OF ENTROPY, SO MUST THE ONE YOU DESIRE AS YOUR CHILD-MATE
REMOVE YOU FROM THE TOMOBIKI OF PRESENT, SO YOU CAN NO LONGER BE INFLUENCED BY
THE AGENTS OF ENTROPY AROUND YOU, Lum's doppelganger points at her, her eyes
glowing. HOW CAN YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE THAT WHICH YOU DREAM UNLESS YOU PERMIT
YOUR CHILD-MATE TO FULFILL HIS DESTINY, HIS ROLE IN LIFE?!

"Then what is Darling's role?!!" Lum demands.

THAT WHICH HE IS DOING FOR YOU NOW, the doppelganger melts into a shower
of flames which malevolently leap at Lum.

"*Tcha!!* Get away from me!!!" the Oni tries to duck the blast of
energy, "Darling, help me!!!"

The flames tear into her skin, causing Lum no end of pain...

...as she finds herself once more in the lounge, now on the floor,
shivering from the hideous psychic assault. Annabelle and Reiko are at her
sides, calling out her name...but to Lum, the voices come from very far away.
Staring into the growing darkness, Lum allows tears to flow down her cheeks.
*Noa-chan...you said you would explain all this to me...!* she mentally cries
to the mysterious Seishin woman who had intermittently haunted her dreams
since events on Icarus turned everyone's lives upside down. *Why won't you
help me now?*

But there is no answer...

* * *

"So what attacked her?!" Ataru sighs.

Lum is now asleep in his bed, sweat pouring down her face as she tries
to fight off the burning flames which attacked her earlier. Ataru, Annabelle
and Reiko sit beside the perspiring Oni as Ashin completes his examination
with his spirit-sensor. "A psychic force of unparallelled strength," Ashin
sighs, slipping his sensor into his robes. "Virtually the same force that
attacked you in Takenotsuka sometime ago."

Ataru gulps, remembering that bizzare night when he had found Yuukiki
Seishin's grave, the place where he first transformed into the Cyborg. "So
this force was trying to do to Lum what it did to me, right?"

"Exactly," Ashin nods. "However, while you embraced its power, Lum
rejected it."

"Why?!" Ataru looks surprised. "That power means no harm to me or her
for that matter! Why didn't she realize it?!"

"Perhaps because she is not ready to fully understand what is happening
to her," Ashin shrugs. "I cannot say. None the less, I think a good night's
sleep should give her the strength necessary to get over this."

"Okay," Ataru nods as Ashin stands to leave, then reaches over to gently
grasp Lum's hand.

"Ataru, if you want, I'll put Reiko-chan to bed, then turn in myself,"
Annabelle stands, her hand reaching out for Reiko's.

"Huh?!" Ataru blinks in surprise, then nods. "Oh, sure, Belle.
G'night."

"Good night."

As Annabelle and Reiko leave the room, Ataru stares once more at his
girlfriend's tortured face. "Bad dreams, Lum?!" he quietly intones. "I don't
blame you for being scared. I was scared before I walked through that gate.
There's nothing I can do which will show you how harmless that gate is. I
wish I could ease your journey. Oh, my love, I wish I could...but in the end
run, only you can make that crossing..."

He leans up to gently kiss her. That elicits a dreamy sigh from Lum...

* * *

Midnight falls on Tomobiki. In the Mendou mansion, the lights of
Shutaro Mendou's room burn brightly, for the scion of Japan's richest family
is busy trying to trace down the future residence of his hated rival.
However, luck is not with him this night for all reports turn up negative.
"Where?!!" he scowls at a map of Japan. "Where could he be contemplating as
the most likely spot for his future home?!!"

The map is littered with red thumbtacks, most of them in regions south
and west of Tokyo. None are anywhere close to the northern prefectures of
Honshu. None are within range of a small peninsula forming the northeast
border of Sendai-wan. Throwing up his hands in frustration, Mendou turns
away. "He's beaten me!!" he snarls to himself. "Never in all my years have I
confronted someone who has confounded me more than Moroboshi! How could he
deceive me so thoroughly?!! I have the best intelligence forces, the best
spies in the business!! Surely they could have learned by now where that
swine is contemplating moving!! For Lum-san's sake, I must learn that
secret!! I must!!!"

Suddenly, the picture windows at one side of the room fly open with a
gust of wind. "Eh?!" he blinks, staring confusedly at the open space. "I
thought I lashed that shut!" A frustrated sigh escaping his lips, he walks
over to close them. "I better get a maintenance man to look at that..." he
mutters as he turns to face the direction of his bed, then stops. "Who are
you?!!"

Annabelle sits on his bed, now dressed in a black form-fitting jumpsuit,
a red rose emblazoned on her breast. "Hello, Shutaro," she seductively rises.
"I trust I am not intruding."

Backing fearfully away at the woman's sudden appearance, Mendou can do
nothing save stare at her. "Wh-who are y-you...?" he stammers, unsure whether
to try his usual approach to such a beautiful woman or run away.

"My name is Annabelle," she draws herself up to him. "I'm an agent of
Queen Elle."

Mendou immediately has a nightmarish vision of Elle trying to entomb him
in cryostasis as the one hundred thousandth Cute Boy. However, Annabelle's
touch on his cheek is soft, caring. "Wh-why are y-you h-here?" he stammers.

"I've come on the queen's behalf to ask a favour of you."

"Th-that is?"

Annabelle slowly draws her arms around him. "You are needed, Shutaro
Mendou," she coos into his ear. "You are needed to perform a great service
for both Her Majesty and the galaxy as a whole."

"H-how...?" he stammers.

Annabelle's response is to swamp him with a overwhelming kiss. Mendou
lets out a stunned gag, then slumps unconscious in the woman's arms. Gently,
she picks him up and carries him to the bed, acting as if he weighed no more
than a sheet a paper. She then begins to disrobe him...

* * *

Several hours later, Mendou bolts up. "Where am I?!!" he exclaims.

Blinking, he looks at his surroundings. He is now in his bed, dressed
in his pyjamas. Shaking his head, he looks up to the ceiling. "Did I dream
about that beautiful woman?" he wonders alound...then jolts as a sticky
feeling shoots up from his groin. Blushing, he looks down at himself. "I
guess I must have."

* * *

Unseen by him, Annabelle has emerged from a quiet part of the estate's
boundaries. Slipping into the privacy of a bush, she pulls down her pants,
then presses a point in her lower abdomen. A small hatch opens, allowing her
to reach inside to draw out a small vial filled with a milky-white substance.
Staring at it, a sense of revulsion crosses her face. "I hate doing this!"
she exclaims, her voice tinged with the indignation of a girl not past her
tenth birthday.

Letting out a depressed sigh, as if wishing she was anywhere but here,
Annabelle closes herself up, dresses, then heads off in the direction of
Toranoseishin Finances...

* * *

The next morning, Lum stifles a yawn as she heads toward school. There
is a touch of sadness in the Oni's eyes as she looks at the space beside
her...the place where Ataru would normally be. Never again, thanks both to
him and his grandmother. "It's not even going to be fun going to school these
days," she moans, feeling the energy in her system drain out.

"'Morning, Lum-chan!" a cheery voice calls out from behind her.

Lum blinks, then turns to see Mie run up. "Oh, hi, Mie," the Oni
hesitantly waves at the Kyushu native.

Quickly noting the depressed look on Lum's face, Mie is also quick to
deduce what could be the problem. "Ah. First day without Ataru-chan at your
side, right?"

"Yeah," Lum nods. "It's not going to be much fun going to school
anymore."

"Ah, there you're wrong!" Mie slips a friendly arm around Lum's
shoulder. "You see, Ataru-chan called me up this morning and told me straight
out, 'Mie-chan, I want you to stay by Lum-chan's side while she's still in
high school!' And you want to know what I said?!"

"What?!"

"I said, 'Sure, no problem!'" Mie smiles. "So here I am! You need a
friend, you just got one!"

The Oni blinks, feeling her cheeks redden. Even if he himself no longer
desired to go to Tomobiki High School...for what real reason, she still did
not understand...Ataru had not forgotten Lum. It was the sweetest gesture he
had ever given her. To ask Mie, someone she had once thought of as a
potentially dangerous rival for her Darling's affections, to be her friend
said much more about Ataru than anyone would ever consider granting him.
"Well, I suppose Darling must be worried about me," she giggles.

"Great," Mie leans over to gently kiss Lum on the cheek.

The Oni jolts in surprise. "Um...I'm not that type of girl..."

"I know," the Kyushu native smiles, giving her a knowing wink. "But
believe me, if you weren't already taken, I'd be thinking of all sorts of
carnal delights to unleash on you."

Lum jolts in shock, then finds herself giggling. In a minute, both are
laughing. The surprise is all too apparent for the Oni. Until now, she had
never met someone so carefree, so delightful to be with. Mie was the best
attributes of Benten, Oyuki and Lan wrapped into one person. Had Ataru sensed
that about the Kyushu native? Smiling, she leans up to return Mie's
gesture...when she finds two fingers placed on her lips. "Hey," Mie projects
a celestial smile. "Don't tempt me more than I already am, okay? I'm sure
you'll find yours one of these days."

The Oni blinks as Mie turns to stroll to school. Find hers? Find
what?! Another bizzare question to ask about Mie. Perhaps the Kyushu native
had done that to her to entice Lum into digging deeper about her classmate.
*Or maybe I'm reading too much into this!* Lum chides herself, realizing that
Mie had simply given her a token gesture of friendship. She quickly flies up
to head to school alongside her friend.

After a minute, they turn down the street bordering the front of the
school grounds. Mie hums as she slows down, then turns to Lum. "Hey, want to
play a game?"

"Sure!" Lum beams. "What game?!"

"Let's see if we can sneak into the class without Supersnob, the Four
Tweedledees, Miyaki or Lan spotting us."

The mischevous glimmer in Mie's eyes sparks something quite similar in
Lum's. "Oh, this sounds good! Okay!!" she readily nods.

Mie looks down the street to the front gate. The guards were already
gathering to present their usual greeting to their favourite classmate, a
tradition which had been ongoing since Lum started attending classes.
Smiling, Mie leaps onto the guardrail, then performing a balancing act Blondin
would admire, runs down the fence to the corner of the school property,
leaping into a cherry tree with a ninja's stealth. Lum flies in right after
her. "What now?" the Oni whispers.

"Well, the four nerds are at the front gate," Mie points in the guards'
direction, then scouts around. "Ah! There's old Supersnob by the fifth
cherry tree up the path. We'll have to keep to the trees for a bit. C'mon!"

"Okay!" Lum giggles.

Mie leaps to ground level, then darts from treetrunk to treetrunk as she
sticks to the area by the school boundaries. As soon as the Kyushu native has
cleared out from behind a tree, the Oni takes her place. Within two minutes,
both are by the southwest arm of the main school building. "What now?" Lum
whispers.

Mie glances around the corner. "Hmm. By the looks of it, the four
nerds and Supersnob are busy trying to track you down. Let's head upstairs."

Lum then watches in disbelief as Mie shimmies her way up the corner of
the building, moving with a spider's ease up the side of the building.
"Wouldn't it be easier if I flew you up?" the Oni floats up behind her
classmate.

Mie flips herself on the roof. "Ah, made it!" she lets out a sigh of
relief, then smiles. "Yeah, it'll be easier, but the trick of this game is to
remain invisible. C'mon," she motions Lum over the roof.

Reaching the other side, Mie and Lum do a very good imitation of
crouching cats, keeping themselves down to present as low a profile as
possible. The Kyushu native glances at the front gate, where Mendou, the
guards, Lan and Shinobu are glancing about. "Okay, here's where the speed
comes in," Mie whispers to Lum. "We're right over the class. The windows are
open. When you move, don't stop for nothing, got it?!"

"Got it!" Lum nods.

Mie takes a final glance at the front gate, then flips herself off the
roof, backflipping her way into room 337 to land on an empty desk. She jumps
out of the way as Lum flips in after her. "Made it!" the Oni smiles.

"Interesting way to step into class, I must admit," a voice calls out
from behind them.

"Oh, Koosei...ah!" Lum catches herself, blushing. "Sorry,
Ryooki-sensei."

"That's alright," Koosei chuckles, adjusting his glasses. "What was
with the stealth approach?"

"It's to avoid those goofs out yonder," Mie nods towards the front gate.

Koosei stares outside. "What is their problem, anyway?!"

"Simple," Mie snorts. "Mendou and Megane's nerd squad fawn all over Lum
like she was some idol singer and they her most devout fans."

"Sounds like the Niphentaxians," Koosei muses.

"They're not that bad," Lum looks embarrassed.

Mie continues. "And Lan...well, you know what type of idiot she is."

"Unfortunately," Koosei's eyes roll. "What about Shinobu?"

"Simple. She's using Lum and Ataru to try to get a crack at Nassur."

"Ah, I understand now," Koosei nods, turning to walk out of the room.
"Wait right there."

He steps outside. "I wonder what's that all about," Lum muses.

Suddenly, the whole school building shudders with the force of a titanic
yell from outside, the screamer being none other thank Koosei himself!
"***WHAT ARE YOU IDIOTS DOING OUTSIDE OF CLASS?!?!?! HOMEROOM PERIOD'S ABOUT
TO BEGIN!!!!!! GET YOUR BUTTS INTO THE CLASSROOM THIS INSTANT OR ELSE IT'S A
WEEK'S DETENTION FOR THE LOT OF YOU!!!!!! MOVE IT!!!!!!***"

Lum and Mie are blasted down by the wall of noise. "I thought Koosei
*hated* loud noises!!" the Oni winces.

A minute later, Mendou, the guards, Lan and Shinobu scramble into class,
mortal dread on their faces. Koosei storms in a second later, his glasses
glowing with maniacal fury. "Now, will you idiots care to explain to me why
you were standing outside school grounds when homeroom class was about to
begin?!!" he projects an accusing finger in Mendou's direction.

"S-sir, w-we were just c-concerned th-that Lum-s-san would be l-late
f-for class...!" the scion of Japan's richest family stammers, obviously
unnerved at confronting a teacher who seems not to understand the students'
many rituals concerning Lum.

A hundred tonne sledgehammer smacks into his head! "That does not give
you the excuse to stand outside when you should be in here preparing for
classes!!!" Koosei snarls. "That's a week's detention for you!!!"

Everyone gasps at the sudden punishment. Koosei turns on Megane. "Care
to explain the reason you were lollygagging out there or need I guess?!!"

"B-b-but, s-sir...!" the guards' leader stammers.

Another hundred tonne hammer smacks into him! "That's a week for you
and your little squad!!!" Koosei snaps, then turns to Lan. "Okay, Lan, what's
your problem?!!"

"I don't have a problem...!!" she shakes her head...

...and gets yet another hammer! "A likely story!!! You can join those
five delinquents in detention!!!" Koosei spins on Shinobu. "And what were you
doing out there, Miyaki-san?!!"

Shinobu trembles, then looks down ashamedly. "I've no excuse, sir."

"Ah, an honest person," Koosei nods. "You'll just have a day!"

"Yes, sir," Shinobu nods.

Koosei heads to the door. "I'll be right back!"

The door opens, then slams shut. Fearful looks are now on everyone's
faces. "Holy shit, what did we get for a homeroom teacher?!" Ryuunosuke
stammers. "Emperor Kaneda or Godzilla?!!"

"Both in one package!!" Momoe gulps. "He even makes Kuribayashi-sensei
look tame!!!"

"I'd actually wish for the old gunslinger back after seeing what
Ryooki-sensei can do!" Kumiko adds.

The door opens and Koosei steps back inside, a folder in his hand.
Taking chalk in hand, he begins to write. Soon enough, everyone's names are
on the blackboard. Beside each of the names is a number. Save for Mie's
name, no number is higher than sixty (Mie gets a eighty-one). The students
blink confusedly. "Um, sir, what is that?" Shinobu hesitantly inquires.

Koosei faces the class. "Take a good look at these, people! These are
your discipline marks as they currently stand!!"

Jaws hit the floor at that revelation. No boy has a passing grade, with
Mendou and the guards at the very low end of the scale. Shinobu, Lan and
Ryuunosuke are not much better, with Lum barely slipping past fifty. "I spent
last night taking a look at all your records," Koosei waves the file in his
hand. "I'm surprised no other teacher has cracked down on you lot because of
this...but then, so I understand, no other teacher has had the guts to knock
some sense into you idiots!! That changes as of today! And just to give you
an idea of what you've been docked on," he flips through his file. "Mendou!"

"Sir," Mendou snaps to attention.

"In addition to you carrying a lethal weapon with you at all times, you
also have this annoying habit of calling in your family's personal armed
forces on the least provocation! That's not to mention your continued
assaults on a former student of this class in an obvious attempt at breaking
him away from the one who desires to marry him!!" He glares at Mendou. "If I
see you draw that stupid thing out once again, I'm going to ram it down your
throat sideways!! Megane!!!"

"Sir," Megane lets out a fearful gulp.

"Oh, you and your three little buddies have been really busy here,"
Koosei flips through the file. "In addition to fawning over a female student
who shall not be mentioned, you have also spied upon a former student of this
class, conspired to torture and commit other assaults on said student and
continously given everyone first-class earaches which simply serve to prove
that you've got NO life to speak of!!!" He leans right into Megane's face.
"By the end of this term, there will be NO such thing as 'Lum's bodyguards'
anymore!!! You got me?!!"

"Y-y-yessir!!" Megane stammers.

"Miyaki!!!"

"Yes, sir!!" Shinobu jolts.

"Believe it or not, you're one of the better ones in this lot...but
that's not saying much!" Koosei flips through her records. "But for the past
month and a half, you've imposed yourself without reason upon a former
classmate of this school, not to mention a current female classmate, all for
the reason of pursuing a romanic liaison with an alien bounty hunter!" He
stares at her. "That's not what I'd call a very safe advocation to pursue,
Shinobu. Nassur could be dead just like that!!" he snaps his fingers. "And
if it was believed that you were his friend, you'd become an automatic target!
Believe me, I've seen it happen!!"

Shinobu just stares disbelievingly at him. Koosei walks over toward
Lan's chair. "And my favourite airhead!!" he cackles. "Not only do you also
bring a leathal weapon to school, you also have this habit of trying to take
vengeance on several of your so-called friends for reasons which at this time
escape me!!! And that does not mention the times your idiot boyfriend shows
up here, WHEN HE DOES NOT HAVE ANY BUSINESS IN THIS SCHOOL!!!!" he screams
right into her ears. "If he ever shows up here again without call, I'll have
him send back to Uru as **roast beef!!!** Got me?!!"

"G-g-gotcha!" Lan fearfully shudders.

Koosei then turns to the class' most popular student. "And Lum," he
sighs, staring at her. "You, I'm very disappointed in! You're supposed to be
an unofficial representative of the Galactic Federation while you're living
here!!"

"Yes, sir," Lum looks down.

"Not only have you blatently assaulted your boyfriend during times he
has not recognized you as his girlfriend, you have also got this habit of
making use of devices which have no business being on this planet...namely,
your spacializer," he glares at her. "And that doesn't mention that you have
not once kept any sort of control over your cousin! Lum, he's a seven year
old boy acting like a bull in a china shop!! You either get him into a school
here in Tomobiki or else he gets sent back home to Uru!! Understood?!"

"Yes, sir," Lum nods.

Koosei closes up the file. "And that is the worst of you lot, but ALL
of you have got something to think about!!" he declares. "You are all three
months away from graduating high school! As far as I'M concerned, only ONE of
you has the right to graduate given these shoddy records!!" he waves the file
in his hand. "For the next three months, you are either going to shape up or
else repeat this year...which, I will warn you, will not do you well for those
of you contemplating entering university!! You are no longer a bunch of
unruly pre-teens! You are young men and women about to enter the big world
out there...and the big world out there, ladies and gentlemen, is not a place
for garbage like this!!!" he waves the file again.

The bell mercifully rings at this time. "That is all," Koosei rises to
leave the class. "Remember what I said!!"

Disbelieving stares follow the homeroom teacher as he leaves...

* * *

"I don't believe that guy!!!" Megane screams at lunchtime. "Who the
hell gave him the right to run ripshod over all of us?!!"

"He's the new homeroom teacher," Mie sighs. "That gives him all the
right in the world!"

"Well, at least you don't have too much to worry about!!" Megane sneers.
"You're off the damn hook! What about the rest of us?!"

"It means, jerk, that it's time you got something called A LIFE!!!!" Mie
barks at him. "It's something where you don't have to devote an iota of your
time and energy to Lum!!! Get the idea?!!"

"Never!!!" Megane bellows, then sets his jaw. "So!! He wants to be a
hardcase, huh?! We can break him!!"

"Don't bet on it," Lum sighs. "Ryooki-sensei will break you, and he'll
do it with ease, too. You're all a bunch of wet-behind-the-ears ameteurs
compared to the garbage he's faced out there."

The whole class stares at the Oni. "By the sounds of it, you speak from
experience," Shinobu notes.

"I do," Lum nods. "I may not have seen what happened to him when he was
tortured by the Ipraedies or used as a genetic guinea pig by the Vosians, but
I can imagine what he's been through. If you think he's going to be nice when
he has to be nasty, think again. There are times that even Nassur-chan's
scared of him."

The class trembles with shock at that revelation. At that moment,
Koosei walks into the cafeteria. "Lum, I want to see you."

"Yes, sir," she gets up to follow him out of the room.

Mendou and the guards instantly rise to follow her. Seeing this, Koosei
nails them with a ten thousand tonne hammer!!! "***DID I SAY THAT I WANTED TO
SEE ANY OF YOU?!?!?!***" he bellows at the top of his lungs. "***THAT'S
ANOTHER WEEK FOR YOU IDIOTS!!!!!!***"

The five boys moan as Koosei and Lum depart the cafeteria. The other
students stare disbelievingly at what they just witnessed. "Oh, shit, maybe
Ataru was smart in getting out of this place when he did!" Ryuunosuke
shudders.

A moment later, Lum and Koosei step into the latter's office, located
beside the nurse's station. "Why is it you want to see me?" the Oni gently
inquires.

Koosei sits down. "I've decided that you'll be the class president for
the remainder of the term," he sighs.

Lum blinks. "But that's Darling's job!"

"Ataru is no longer a full-time student at this school," Koosei corrects
her. "When he finally settles down, he will be privately tutored at his
grandmother's expense. He will graduate with the remainder of the class from
Tomobiki High, but that is the only business we have with him." He then
stares at her. "And what's this I hear about you trying to stall his moving
out of Tomobiki?!"

"I haven't tried to stop him!" Lum blinks with surprise.

"Not according to Sakura," Koosei counters. "As a matter of fact, you
have been vehemently against the idea of his moving out of this town since the
day he first raised the subject! Care to explain that?!"

The Oni shakes his head. "I don't want him to go! I want him to stay
here! He's practically throwing away every friend he has...he disowned his
parents...and now he wants to forget everything he's ever done here! Koosei,
what did you expect me to do?!"

"I would expect you to respect his decision," Koosei stares at her. "If
he's leaving Tomobiki and putting everything here behind him, then that means
he no longer has a desire to live here, much less go to school here. After
looking at everyone's records, I can see why! He has been beaten up, tortured
and gods knows what else he's endured...and a lot of it, I hear, was
personally condoned by you!!"

Lum blinks disbelievingly. Koosei was accusing her of allowing her
classmates to abuse and hurt the man she loved. "And as for his disowning his
parents, then that obviously tells me that they no longer love him, that he
does not feel safe and secure under their care!" Koosei continues. "In fact,
if he has left them, then if I were you, I'd seriously start questioning my
living with them, much less allowing Ten to live with them!"

"I find no problem with them," Lum shakes her head.

"Then you obviously aren't looking deeply enough, Lum," Koosei sighs.
"There is a reason I'm making you class president. It is time you started
showing some responsibility in your life, responsibility that by the looks of
it, you've skirted for a long time. If you want to marry Ataru, then that's
fine. I wish you the best. But there's a lot more to marriage than saying
the 'I dos,' especially if it's an inter-species marriage! You better start
shaping up, young lady, or else you're not going to have Ataru and you're
going to be back on Uru where you started from. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, sir," she looks down.

Koosei sighs. "I expect a lot more from you than I would the rest of
this crowd, Lum, for a lot of reasons. And the first thing you can do is
start looking at everyone with a much more critical eye than you obviously
have beforehand. Lum, these people are not just LIKE the Niphentaxians,
they're WORSE than the Niphentaxians! And the sooner you come to understand
that, the sooner a lot of things will go much more smoothly for you, both here
and in your personal life. Can you understand that?"

"I can," she nods.

"Good," he lets out a long sigh. "I've known you and your parents for
quite some time. It's hard for me to dress you down like that, but right now,
you're in a lot of people's doghouses, especially Lupica's...and don't expect
Nassur, your father or the Tribal Council to come bail you out this time. You
want to live here, you better start learning that you need to make a lot of
compromises. If you don't want to make any sort of compromises, then I'll
have no choice but to send you home. Understand?"

"Yes."

"Good. Go to class."

Lum bows, then heads out. Koosei watches her go, a touch of sadness in
his eyes. *I'm sorry I had to be that rough with you, Lum, but with what's
about to blast through Ataru's front door, the sooner you're emotionally
prepared to face that, the better...!*

* * *

"So what did Ryooki-sensei say to you at lunchtime?" Mie gently inquires
as she and Lum depart the school after classes.

"He's making me the new class president," the Oni sighs. "He also gave
me a pep talk about living here on Earth. Believe me, it was rough hearing it
from him."

"I take it he's a close friend of yours, right."

"Right," Lum nods. "But you wouldn't believe it the way he came after
me in class today."

"Well, he's answering to a different boss, remember?"

"True," the Oni sighs, then looks at her classmate. "Mie, tell me the
truth. Am I...too forgiving when it comes to Shutaro and the others?"

"Truthfully?"

Lum nods. "Yes, you're way too forgiving," the Kyushu native lets out a
long sigh. "And it's no wonder that Ataru-chan's peeved at you. You asked
him for a long time to totally give himself over to you, to be loyal to you
and only to you. But at the same time, you haven't given all of yourself
totally to him. You give yourself over to Mendou, the guards and the other
people in the class. And THEN you turn around and abuse Ataru-chan when he
tries to go off to share some of his time with someone else. Why do you think
he chased girls for so long, Lum-chan? He did it because you in effect were
demanding that he be totally loyal to you and yet you were not totally loyal
to him."

"It's not the same thing...!" Lum protests.

"Yes, it is the same thing!" Mie counters. "Lum-chan, Ataru-chan and I
went on a date. You notice that nothing really happened between us. He went
on a date with Yuukiki Seishin, too. Nothing happened there, either. He
cares a hell of a lot for you, Lum, but he's sick and tired of constantly
being forced to be your love-slave when you don't make yourself his love-slave
in return. And there's no reason for either of you to slave yourselves to the
other. That's great for romance novels, but it doesn't work in real
life...and it sure as hell won't work in a relationship with two such
culturally diverse people as you and he!"

Lum stops as she considers that point. "Lum-chan, that's what I've been
trying to tell you for the last couple months. Hell, I think that's what
Ataru-chan's been trying to tell you for over two years. If you and he want
to get married, that's fine...but there's got to be a lot of give and take
from both of you. He's tired of being the one who's always had to give when
you haven't given much in return. And the fact that, thanks to you, everyone
in this town's totally against him hasn't done much to endear you to him
either! Why do you think he wants to leave, Lum-chan?! He wants to feel safe
again...and he doesn't feel safe anymore here," Mie points down.

Silence falls over the scene as Lum takes in that information. "I think
the real reason that you're upset is that someone whom you place a lot of
trust in just gave you the tenth degree over something you haven't concerned
yourself much with," Mie sighs. "I know I might not be the right person to
say this to you. I've only known you for a couple of months. And I believe
deep down you're a good person, Lum...but you've got a lot of decisions to
make over the next while, and none of them are going to be nice ones. I don't
envy what you're about to go through, Lum-chan...but I want you to know if you
feel in any way in need of someone to talk to or cry with, come see me. I'll
give it to you straight and fair, which is much more than what these people
could ever give."

"Wh-what do I do?" Lum sniffs back tears.

"I think the first thing you have to do is to stop bending for these
idiots," Mie nods back at the school. "Look at what's happened, Lum. You're
willing to give a lot of your time to these people when there's a little girl
now living with your boyfriend who has no real reason to consider you worth
anything since you don't give her any of your time. And if you marry
Ataru-chan, Reiko-chan's going to be YOUR daughter, too. Instead of spending
time with these idiots, spend time with her. It might finally get you the
love you want her to give you and it certainly as hell will make you a more
respectable person in Ataru-chan's eyes."

"I hope so," Lum sighs.

"And another thing," Mie places her hands on Lum's shoulders. "It's
time you started chasing after those idiots in class for the shit they pull
around Ataru-chan. You might not have to do it much anymore, but if you'd
learn to get angry at those dorks every once in a while...and I mean REALLY
mad...they'll get the message very quick that Ataru-chan is not their pet
whipping boy anymore. Now, c'mon," she notions towards the front gate. "Your
time with the dorks here is done for the day. It's time for you to go back to
your real life."

"Th-thanks, Mie," the Oni smiles as she follows her classmate off school
grounds...

* * *

Annabelle strolls down a remote street toward a secluded alley.
Scanning left and right, the Ellsian detects no possible pursuers. However,
she is being trailed...by none other than Reiko, whom she left at the
Toranoseishin Finances building earlier. "Where's Belle going?" the Noukiite
wonders to herself as she discreetly trails her friend.

Entering the alley, Annabelle proceeds to what looks like a typical
garbage dumpster. Opening one of the bin doors, she leaps into the
dumpster...which is in truth a small command module detached from a Royal
Ellsian Defence Force scoutcraft now in cloaked orbit over Earth. Relaxing in
the control chair, Annabelle keys in several controls. In a second, the
screen in front of her activates, revealing the image of Babara. "Agent
Annabelle reporting, Lady Babara," the nanny states, all emotion suddenly
draining from her voice.

"Good morning, Annabelle," Babara nods. "What is your report?"

"The first part of the mission has been successful," Annabelle reports.
"The genetic samples from Shutaro Mendou have been obtained."

"Excellent," Babara nods. "He comes highly recommended for the Project.
The detailed analysis of his DNA done by the Project scouts the second time we
had him in our custody revealed that he would be a perfect candidate to father
a Black Rose. What about your attempts at obtaining Mr. Groom's samples?"

"I am now under Ataru Moroboshi's employ as a nanny for his daughter,"
Annabelle reports. "I believe the chance will come that I will be able to
obtain the necessary genetic samples from him. However, I must note that he
and Lum have become quite intimate as of late, contrary to all prior
observations about their relationship."

"I see," Babara muses. "None the less, Her Majesty is adamant. She
wants Mr. Groom's samples. If necessary, use force to subdue the Devil's
Daughter and then obtain Mr. Groom's samples."

"Yes, Lady Babara."

"Now, have Mendou's samples beamed to the scout."

"Yes, ma'am." With that, Annabelle opens her skirt, accessing the hatch
in her groin. Extracting the genetic sample vial, she places it on a
mini-teleport pad. It then disappears in a flash of light. Annabelle closes
herself up, then faces the screen. "The samples are now aboard the scout,
ma'am."

"Excellent," Babara nods. "Now, to ensure that no one becomes the wiser
of what we are doing, erase all information about your actions with Mendou
from your memory core."

"Yes, ma'am." And with that, Annabelle's eyes gloss over for several
seconds. Once that period passes, she relaxes. "Information erased."

"Good. That is all."

The screen goes dark. Annabelle's features then soften as emotion comes
back to her...heart-wrenching anguish. "I hate this!!" she gasps, covering
her face with her hands as her voice lightens to a child's high-pitched cry.
"Why are they doing this to me?!"

"Belle!" a voice calls out.

Annabelle gasps, spinning around to see Reiko peeking into the dumpster,
a mixture of concern and shocked disbelief on her face. "R-reiko-chan,
wh-what are y-you d-doing h-here?!" she stammers.

Reiko crawls into the dumpster, then sits in her nanny's lap. "I
figured you were some sort of android," the Noukiite announces, projecting a
peaceful smile, "...but I've got to admit that I've never heard of programming
quite like yours before."

Annabelle blinks, then reaches up to her head. Touching a place under
her hairline causes a circuit hatch to open in her scalp. Leaning down, she
sniffs. "Look for yourself."

Reiko looks. Unlike any android the Lost Star knows about, Annabelle's
brain is in fact an organic brain encased in life-preserving fluid, hundreds
of computer leads and still-intact nerves leading from it. "Fates!!" she
gasps. "You're no android! You're a cyborg!!"

Annabelle looks up, closing her circuit hatch. Tears now freely flow
down her cheek. "Actually, they think of me a cyberdroid."

"Ugh!" Reiko blanches, with good reason. The difference between a
cyborg and a cyberdroid is a fine one. Cyberdroids were recognized as
part-organic, part-mechanical beings which had no sense of self-cognisance, no
ability to think on their own. However, what defined "self-cognisance" varied
from race to race. She then smiles. "You're a cyborg, alright. We just got
to yank out some unwanted stuff from your mind."

Annabelle smiles. "Thanks, Reiko-chan."

"How did it happen?"

The cyberdroid leans back, looking to the heavens as she tries to
remember. "They...they told me that I was in a hovercar accident near Baran
one day. Most of my body was destroyed on the spot, but since my brain was
still intact, they salvaged it...and put it in this body."

"Ouch," the Lost Star winces. "How old were you?"

"Seven. Same age as you."

Reiko shudders. Several of the older Lost Stars, when they were still
under the Masters' control, were slated for genetic age enhancement, literally
turning young children into fully-grown women in the blink of an eye. Ataru's
raid on the Masters' base ended that. "So why are you here?"

"I...I..." Annabelle jerks for a second, then shakes her head. "I can't
tell you. I'm programmed not to casually reveal my mission."

"Uh-huh," Reiko muses, then smiles. "Where's your main CPU hatch?"

"Right here," Annabelle pulls up her shirt, then presses a point under
her left breast. A small circuit hatch opens, revealing a row of computer
diskettes each about the size of a five hundren yen coin. "But you can't tell
which one controls my program blocks..."

Reiko's eyes glow for a second. Suddenly, one of the disks leaps out of
its drive slot, landing in the Lost Star's hand. Annabelle lets out a
startled gasp as her internal systems automatically reboot themselves,
adopting quickly to the absence of several key control programs. "There,"
Reiko relaxes.

"How'd you know it was that one?!" Annabelle blinks, awed by Reiko's
guess.

"Easy," Reiko waves the disk in her hand. "You'd think that android
builders would know better. They always put the information block diskettes
fourth from the direction of the person's breastbone. Don't ask me why."

Both girls giggle at the security blunder. "So, you want to know why
I'm here," Annabelle sighs.

"Why?"

"I'm an agent of Project: Black Rose."

Reiko blinks as the name tugs at a memory. "Black Rose?! Oh, I've
heard of that! That's Elle's idiot attempt at creating a whole bunch of her
own children from the Cute Boys so they could become her special missions
force."

"How'd you know that?!" Annabelle blinks.

"Being a Lost Star of Noukiios does give me certain advantages," Reiko
smiles. "So how do you play in all this?"

Annabelle winces. "I am sent out to get genetic samples from potential
fathers."

"You mean...?!!" Reiko pales. "You're a *sperm collector?!!*"

"Gross, huh?!" Annabelle nods.

"Sick!!" the Noukiite gags. "If anyone ever stuck their thing into me,
I'd kill them, not to mention what Daddy'd do to them!"

"Yeah," the Ellsian sadly nods. "But, so I hear, the samples I'm now
supposed to get are the last ones. Then...it's off to the recycle pile for
me."

Tears appear in Reiko's eyes on hearing that. In the short while they
had been together, the Noukiite had taken a liking to the Ellsian cyberdroid,
probably sensing that Annabelle was emotionally the same age as she. When
Annabelle went back to Elle, she would be deactivated and dismantled, her
parts sent to hundreds, maybe thousands of locations to be fitted into other
systems. Annabelle de Osterloch would literally cease to exist, her home
society not caring for her fate. "No, you're not going back to Elle!!" she
shakes her head.

"Reiko-chan, I have to get the last sample!" Annabelle pleads. "And if
I'm stopped, Queen Elle will just send someone else to get it!! Your dad
would never know a moment's peace until he fathers a Black Rose!"

Reiko reluctantly nods at that, happy that Annabelle was willing to
answer the question about who was the last projected sample donor. And the
Ellsian was right about her queen's determination. When it came to anything
concerning Reiko's father, the Rose Queen was capable of a lot of things, even
all-out war. Much that Reiko would wish Elle would get a life, the fates of
countless hundreds now hung on what could happen to Ataru Moroboshi over the
next while. "We better go home," she sighs. "Daddy has to know this."

* * *

"Elle wants ME to father a child?!" Ataru blinks surprisedly after Reiko
and Annabelle explain the story to him and Lum later that evening. "I'm quite
flattered she would consider me worthy to be the father of her baby," he lets
out an exaggerated sigh. "And I thought I had enough problems with that
crow-bitch Kurama!"

"I'm NOT flattered!!" Lum snarls. "How dare that witch think of
violating you in this manner?!! This is cause for intergalactic war!"

"One Uru would lose if Her Majesty unleashes the Freemasons," Annabelle
warns.

"Freemasons?!" Ataru blinks confusedly. "What are they?! Some sort of
builder's trade union?!"

"There a cadre of warriors from Yehisril, Darling," Lum shudders.
"They're just as bad as Grandma's ninja's, maybe worse. Not even Nassur-chan
or Shogai-san would be crazy enough to take on a platoon of Freemasons."

"Well, if that's so, we've got a problem," Ataru sighs. "Belle here has
a mission to complete."

"And if she completes the mission," Reiko sniffs back tears, "...they'll
scrap her and throw her into the junk pile!"

Wailing, the Noukiite leans into Annabelle's side. The Ellsian gently
embraces her. Ataru and Lum stare at them, then at each other. "Well, we
can't let Belle get turned into spare parts," the former muses. "So, I guess
we'll have to let her complete her mission."

Lum faints! "***WHAT?!?!?!***" she screams. "Darling, are you crazy?!!
Why are you going along with this?!!"

"Why not?!" Ataru wryly smiles. "Don't you know I live now to screw up
everyone's idiot plots around me?!"

"But, Darling...!" the Oni pleads. "Darling, **I** want to be the one
who mothers your first natural child!! I don't want Elle to do that!!!"

"What makes you think Elle's going to carry the kid?!" Ataru smiles.
"Do you think a vain twit like that would actually stoop to getting herself
pregnant?!"

Lum stops, blinking. "Um...well, no, I wouldn't think so..."

"You don't have to worry about that, Lum," Annabelle cuts in. "All the
Black Roses are going to be laboratory children."

"Laboratory children?!" Lum looks at the Ellsian, then considers the
point. "Then...Elle couldn't legally claim any of them as her children,
right?!"

"Right," Annabelle nods.

"So when the baby's born, Daddy can just sneak in and grab her and
there's nothing Elle could do to claim that she was hers!" Reiko beams.

"I guess so," Lum still looks sad. "But I still don't like this!
Darling, it's practically tantamount to you making love to another woman so
you can have a baby! It's not fair!!"

"Lum, since when has this crazy galaxy of ours ever been fair?!" Ataru
sighs. "Besides, what do you want?! A war Uru'd loose or another child to
adopt?!"

"I'd rather have Elle finally get it into her head to leave you alone!"
Lum growls.

"We aren't that lucky this time," Ataru looks sympathetic. "And killing
her would just start a war anyway, so this time, we'd just have to play
along."

"True," Lum nods, then stares at Annabelle. "Thanks for telling us
this, Belle. I really appreciate it."

"Thank Reiko-chan for yanking out my information control disk,"
Annabelle smiles. "I didn't realize the Masters of Noukiios trained her so
good."

"Nor did I," Lum beams. "And just for that, Reiko-chan deserves a
special reward! How'd you like to go to Tomobiki Marchenland tomorrow?! Just
you and me!"

"What?!" Reiko blanches, then shakes her head. "Me alone with you?! No
way!!"

"Oh, go on, Reiko-chan," Ataru chuckles. "Lum may be a big, mean Oni,
but she doesn't bite...unless she's sick!"

Lum flushes, glaring angrily at her boyfriend. "I ought to zap you for
that crack, Darling!!" she threateningly growls.

Everyone else laughs...

* * *

"'Morning, guys," Megane sighs as he meets the guards by the front gate
the next morning.

"'Morning, Aisuru-kun," the guards chorus.

"Anyone seen Lum-chan today?" Chibi looks around.

"No," Megane moans. "I'd like to know how she got past us yesterday! I
can't believe it!!" a fanatic sneer suddenly crosses his face. "We got a
week's detention just because we wanted to meet Lum-san before homeroom
class?!! Who died and made that bastard God?!!"

"He's the new homeroom teacher," Paama sighs. "That gives him the
right."

Kakugari stretches himself, then stops, blinking. "Guys, look!!"

The guards spin around to see two dark blue blurs whip through the
cherry trees bordering the school property line. The blurs make their way to
the side of the school building, then to the roof, then flip into room 337.
One of them is very obvious because of the streak of luminescent green hair.
"Lum-chan!!!" Chibi gapes. "Why is she going into class that way?!!"

"And who's that with her?!!" Kakugari demands.

"I sense a conspiracy!!!" Megane growls, glasses glowing. "Someone is
trying to keep Lum-san away from us!!!"

Suddenly, a giant shadow falls on the guards as a dirge-like voice
washes over them. "If you don't stop acting like lovesick morons and get to
homeroom class this instant..." Koosei snarls, then screams, "...***I'LL GIVE
YOU DETENTION FOR LIFE!!!!!!***"

The guards break all speed records in getting to class! Once in class,
they notice Lum and Mie fixing their hair after their sneak-approach to
school. "This is the best game anyone's ever thought up!" the Oni smiles at
her friend.

"Sure beats seeing a bunch of lovesick morons drool at you every
morning," the Kyushu native quips.

Hearing that, the guards stare at each other. A sinister smile crosses
Megane's face as he gives his companions a conspiratorial nod...

* * *

The windows of the clock tower machinery room open, revealing a
semi-conscious Suzume Seikou. As he lets out a confused moan, a snarling
voice barks, "COMMENCE THE TORTURE!!!!!!"

A peal of giggles burst from Suzume's lips as Sedoyama assaults him with
his Number One torture. Behind him, the guards icily glare at the hapless
freshman. "Wh-what d-do y-you g-guys w-want...ha-ha-ha-ha-ha...w-with m-me
n-now...he-he-he-he-he?!" Suzume stammers as he convulses with laughter.

In response, Megane stops Sedoyama with a hand gesture. "Please try to
understand us, Suzume-kun," he kneels beside the freshman. "Much that I would
be tempted to see that infernal sister of yours die a thousand deaths, I am
somewhat squeamish in personally unleashing tortures on such a beautiful
woman. None the less, you can help us."

"H-how's th-that?!" Suzume stammers.

"You can tell us why Mie-san is deliberately keeping Lum-san away from
us!!!" Megane growls. "Who gave that country tramp the right to deny us from
being in Lum-san's divine presence?!!"

"Oh, that's easy!" Suzume sighs. "Ataru-sempai asked her to do it."

The guards faint! "***WHAT?!?!?!***"

Suzume lets out a deep breath of air...then in the blink of an eye, he
is across the room! "Of course. What better way to keep Lum-sempai away from
you dorks. Lum-sempai's as safe as a nun in a convent with Mie-chan
protecting her."

The guards back away involuntarily as they shudder in fearful surprise
at Suzume's actions. "A-a-aisuru-kun, h-h-how d-did h-he g-get o-over
th-there?!" Chibi stammers.

"Oh, you don't know?!" Suzume blinks. "I'm an esper."

"Esper?!!" the guards exclaim as one.

"Sure," Suzume gestures, causing the clock tower bell to slip off its
hinges. "My whole family are espers, including Mie-chan. Our powers differ
from person to person. For example, Ican easily do...THIS!!!!"

The bell slams down on the guards and Sedoyama, then with a telekinetic
shove, the five hapless students are sent tumbling down the tower well to
smash into the floor in the main foyer!! Instantly, Onsen appears, quite
incensed. "WHAT'S GOING ON HERE NOW?!?!?!" he demands at the top of his
lungs. "WHO GIVES YOU IDIOTS THE RIGHT TO DESTROY SCHOOL PROPERTY?!?!?!"

Koosei calmly walks up, then shakes his head on recognizing who is
inside the bell. "Alright, who caused this?!"

Suzume steps down from the clock tower. "It's me, sir. I did it," he
bows repentently.

The homeroom teacher blinks. "You're Mie's kid brother, aren't you?" he
hums.

"Yes, sir."

"Okay, then. Why did you make these idiots do an imitation of a barrel
trip over Niagara Falls?!"

"They were trying to torture me into finding out why my sister is
sneaking Lum-sempai into school every morning."

Hearing that, Koosei trembles, his eyes suddenly glowing. The Saturn
Five magically appears as he winds up, causing everyone to run for their
lives. "If I told you idiots one, I've told you a hundred times..." he growls
as the hammer flies...

...then all of Tomobiki High School is nearly rocked to its foundations
when the hammer hits its target!!!! "...***STOP TORTURING INNOCENT
STUDENTS!!!!!!***" Koosei screams at the top of his lungs. "***THAT'S ANOTHER
WEEK'S DETENTION FOR YOU INSENSITIVE CLODS!!!!!! AND THE TORTURE-STUDIES
GROUP IS DISBANDED AS OF TODAY!!!!!!***"

Inside his office, the Principal and Kotatsuneko are protectively hiding
*under* the kotatsu, still calmly sipping tea. "Koosei-kun is most diligent
in his duties, isn't he, Kota-chan?" the former hums.

The cat-ghost silently nods, munching on fish cakes...

* * *

After school, students stream out of the building for home. Lum and Mie
head out together. "Boy, those four dorks must have a death-wish if they keep
bucking up against Ryooki-sensei like that," the Kyushu native muses.
"They're lucky Suzume-chan decided to hold back. If he really wanted to cut
loose, he could've caused the whole clock tower to implode on them while he
teleported to safety."

"They really are foolish, aren't they?" the Oni hums. "I never realized
how careless those four could get."

"Ah, the lady is learning!" Mie smiles.

"And I find it even more crazy that your whole family are espers," Lum
stares at her classmate. "How is that possible?! I never thought Terrans
could develop that sort of power."

"Don't ask me," Mie shrugs.

"Are you an esper?"

"Well, not like Tamiko-chan or Suzume-chan," Mie shakes her head. "I'm
more touch-telepathic and touch-empathic."

"Touch-telepathic? Touch-empathic?" Lum blinks, then harrumphs. "I
don't believe you!"

"Oh, you doubt my word, eh?!" a mischevous smile crosses her classmate's
face as she raises a finger. "Very well, then! When I touch you, you're
going to have an instant orgasm!"

"I doubt it!" Lum snorts disbelievingly.

"You won't doubt for long," Mie leans up, touching Lum's horn.

Suddenly, every nerve in the Oni's body, especially around her groin,
goes haywire as the most erotic feelings shoot down from her horn bud.
Letting out a shrill cry of sheer delight, Lum falls on her backside, her face
flushed with a very familiar after-glow. "Well?" Mie hums.

Lum lets out several deep breaths as her body slows down from its
release, then she peeks down her skirt, embarrassment reddening her cheek.
"I...just had...an orgasm..." she stammers disbelievingly.

"Bingo!" Mie giggles.

Suddenly, Mendou and the guards appear around her. "Lum-san, are you
alright?!!" the scion of Japan's richest family kneels beside her, concernedly
taking her by the hand. "We heard you let out such a frightful scream!! What
happened?!"

Just as suddenly, Koosei appears behind them, Saturn Five in hand and a
most displeased look on his face. "***WHAT ARE YOU IDIOTS DOING OUT OF
DETENTION HALL?!?!?!***" he demands at the top of his lungs. "***GET BACK IN
THERE THIS INSTANT OR IT'S A MONTH'S DETENTION FOR THE LOT OF YOU!!!!!!***"

The five boys scramble back into the school. Watching this from her
office, Sakura and Onsen fall over laughing. "I've never seen anyone go after
those idiots like that!!" the vice-principal grips his stomach. "They're
totally helpless!!"

"Suddenly, teaching's fun again!" the nurse howls with delight.

As Koosei marches back to the school, Mie and Lum stare at each other.
"So, what's the plan for tonight?" the former inquires.

Shinobu steps out of school at that time. She blinks on seeing Lum.
"Oh, Lum, there you are!" she waves, running over to join the Oni.

At the same time, Reiko walks up from the front gate, now dressed in a
jumper and frilly blouse. "I'm here, Lum!" the Noukiite announces herself.
"Ready to go!"

"Oh, wonderful!!" Lum leans down to pick Reiko up. "Let's go!"

"Go?! Where are you going?!" Shinobu suddenly appears behind Lum.
"Want some company?"

"Sorry," Lum waves, flying into the air with Reiko in one arm. "Darling
insists this is private! See you tomorrow, Mie-chan!"

"'Night, Lum-chan!" Mie waves as the Oni fades into the evening sky.

Shinobu watches them go, then looks down. The Kyushu native stares at
her. "Geez, what's your problem, Miyaki?!" she sneers, then walks off.

Ataru's ex-girlfriend is on the verge of tears. *But...how can I get
close to Nassur-kun if I can't get close to Lum?!*

* * *

Over the next several hours, Lum and Reiko have a grand time at the
Marchenland. The two go on every ride, eat mountains of cotton candy, watch
the magic show, visit the arcade and even wind up doing an impromptu
demonstration of their powers for a group of young boys and girls from a
nearby orphanage. Simply put, both utterly enjoy themselves and each other.
Lum finds for the first time that she can go out on the town without Ataru and
be happy. She also discovers that she can better enjoy a day at the
Marchenland without her classmates hanging around her, something she never
took the time to notice before. As for Reiko, she discovers that Lum is not
the repressive monster she always viewed the Oni as. She discovers much to
her surprise that while Lum is still queasy on the idea of their leaving
Tomobiki, she is truly willing to be friends with the Noukiite...willing to
try to be Reiko's mother.

After they have grown tired of the Marchenland's many delights, the two
slowly proceed towards the Toranoseishin Finances tower, both holding the
other's hand. Along the way, Reiko notices a new ice cream parlour shop near
the entrance to the Tomobiki Ginza. "Hey, let's check that place out!" she
points. "You ever had ice cream before?"

"Well, I've had Oyuki-chan's sherberts," Lum muses, then smiles. "Sure!
Let's go!"

Both proceed to the shop. The marquee atop the door declares SHAPIRO'S
ICE CREAM PARLOUR in Roman and Japanese script. Stepping inside the shop,
they are greeted by the owner, a tall fellow in his mid-forties who speaks
Japanese with a mix of several accents. "Good evening, ladies. Come in, come
in. Make yourself at home."

Lum and Reiko blink disbelievingly on seeing the man. While he appears
to be a simple enough fellow, his skin tanned by years of Mediterranean sun,
his tapered ears hint at something else. "Y-you...y-you're Vosian!!" the
former stammers, pointing at him.

"Ah!" the gentleman smiles, nodding. "I suppose I couldn't keep myself
secret from anyone who was trained by the legendary Nassur. And this, I
assume, must be that delightful Lost Star Ataru Moroboshi adopted recently,
correct."

"Ah...hi!" Reiko hesitantly waves.

The ice cream shop owner ushers them to a booth. "But...since when do
Vosians live on Earth full-time?!" Lum looks confusedly at him. "I thought
your Prime Directive forbade that!"

"Normally it would, but given that Earth is sitting right on the
galactic crossroads between the Federation, the Ipraedies, the Seifukusu and
the Zephyrites, it didn't take long for the Confederation to decide to bend
the rules, so to speak." he then realizes something. "Ah, my manners! Please
forgive me. My name is Abraham Shapiro. I'm the owner of this
establishment."

"Abraham...Shapiro?" Lum blinks. "That's not a Vosian name."

"No, it isn't," Shapiro chuckles. "Actually, I've been on this world
for so long, I sometimes forget my Vosian roots. And just in case you were
wondering, I not on anyone's side when it comes to the Civil War."

"You're one of those taking a wait-and-see posture," Lum nods
understandingly. "I would think that after Colony Seventy-one was destroyed,
everyone would be up in arms about the Mikado."

"Well, there are two sides to every argument...and all the facts about
the Mikado's reign, I should remind you, may never be known. But enough of
that. What would you ladies want?"

Taking a menu, Lum quickly orders a banana split for herself and a
triple-scoop cone for Reiko. "I know just the flavours which would entice you
ladies," Shapiro chuckles, heading to the counter. "Wait right there."

Lum and Reiko watch him go to work. "A Vosian ice cream vendor with an
Israeli name," the latter hums. "Now I know this town's weird!"

"It is odd," the former muses. "I better tell Koosei about this. He'll
want to know right away."

Sure enough, Shapiro delivers the requisite items. Reiko immediately
takes well to the mixture of peppermint, neopolitan and spumoni ice cream in
her cone. Trying her banana split, Lum is surprised to taste a very familiar
spice. "You put puru in this!" she gasps. "I haven't had that since I moved
here full-time!"

"I though you'd like it," Shapiro pulls up a chair to sit with them. "I
get it shipped in by the Intergalactic Space Taxi Company every once in a
while. Considering that most of the people who do come through Tomobiki are
Urusians, it would do good for business."

"You'll definately have Ten-chan visiting here when he finds out," Lum
giggles.

"When did you move here?" Reiko inquires.

"About a few weeks ago," Shapiro sighs. "Tel Aviv was getting a little
stale and since a lot of aliens were coming through here, I decided to give
Tomobiki a try."

"I think you'd be better off in Tel Aviv," Reiko comments.

A whistful sigh crosses Shapiro's lips. "Ah, Israel. Lovely little
country. Finest warriors Earth's ever produced."

"They sure got the practice," Lum comments.

"I actually found myself standing in awe of them," Shapiro hums. "They
even converted me to Judaism. Well, I suppose that proved Lecasur's old
addage that no race can be superior to another. Everyone's got their good and
bad qualities, regardless of how technologically advanced they are."

"That's true," Lum smiles. "My people learned that two centuries ago
when Reiko-chan's people tossed us off Noukiios."

"You actually admit that?" Reiko looks surprised.

"No use denying it in my eyes," Lum shrugs. "What we did to your people
was inexcuseable. I just wish a lot more Urusians would come to admit their
errors. The way things are in Onishuto these days, you'd think we actually
did your people a favour."

"The old Imperialists rearing their ugly heads, I take it," Shapiro
muses.

"They're still there, even two centuries after the Union Revolution,"
Lum nods.

"Well, I'm sure that you two should get along much more once you get the
chance to really know each other, especially since you're both bonded well to
Ataru," Shapiro comments. "And speaking of which, how is your boyfriend?
From what I've seen, he's certainly evolved out of the usual mold people would
cast him in."

"How do you know that?" Lum looks surprised.

"My dear, after seeing a very well armoured cyborg tear apart your
former boyfriend Rei, then transform back to a simple sort of fellow, that
would catch anyone's attention," the ice cream vendor chuckles. "How exactly
did he acquire that sort of ability? Did the Ipraedies do that to him when
you were on Icarus sometime back?"

Lum blinks surprisedly. For someone who just arrived in Tomobiki
recently, Shapiro was insanely well-informed...or else a remarkably astute
observer of human affairs. "Well, I don't exactly know how Darling is able to
transform into the Cyborg...but all I do know is that all of this started when
Darling was put in the Box when we were there."

"The Box," Shapiro winces. "Ouch. No wonder he's ablaze these days.
It must be quite interesting for you."

"It's been rough, I'll admit," the Oni sighs. "Now Darling wants to
just pack up and leave this place. This is his home! How could he suddenly
hate everything and everyone like that?!"

"That is what the Box can do to people, I'm afraid," the Vosian looks
sympathetic. "Then again, whenever I've seen him, I sense that
there's...something else involved."

"Something else?" Reiko blinks.

"Yes," Shapiro nods. "It's not alive...at least not to the point where
a Vosian's tracking skills can pick it up..."

"Unless it can mask itself like a Yehisrite can," Lum interrupts.

"That's possible. But it sometimes seems to me like Ataru has become a
puppet to this thing. The best example is the recent tag race between you
two. Has the Cyborg ever demonstrated some of the things Ataru did to you
then?"

Lum blinks. "No," she gasps, sudden realization dawning on her. An
image flashes in her mind of a dream she once had...of a tiger-striped monster
stating to her that if she destroyed it, she would kill Ataru...and the Cyborg
confessing to her that with that creature out of the way, he would be free to
learn how to love Lum.

Reiko and Shapiro stare at her. "Ah!" the latter hums. "You do realize
something, don't you."

"I know...a premonition, I think," Lum shakes her head. "Maybe it was a
warning, too. But I've been getting such conflicting signals from so many
people, I don't know who to trust or which way to turn."

"What sort of signals?" the ice cream vendor urges her.

"Well...Cherry says that if Darling embraces the phoenix, Doom comes to
Tomobiki," Lum begins. "But when Darling becomes the Cyborg, he wears a
phoenix insignia on his chest. And Noa-chan and the others wear it, too..."

"Who's Noa?!" Reiko blinks confusedly.

Lum balks. She had not told anyone yet about the dream she had while a
guest at the Abbey of the Maidens of Aruka on Shingetsu. "Darling's harem...I
think," she finally sighs.

Shapiro looks very surprised. "A harem?! You mean a group of women who
actually wish to prostrate themselves in front of Ataru?! I've heard that's
what he's dreamt of for quite the long time, but I always understood that you
were against even the suggestion of such an idea. Yet here you are quietly
acknowledging it. Now, *that* I find unbelievable."

"I don't think so," Lum shakes her head. "At least, when they visited
me in my dreams, they indicate that while they do love Darling, they want to
emotionally separate themselves from him. And on top of that, they respect
that I want to love and marry Darling. They even call me 'the Other,' which
means I'm supposed to be with Darling, I guess."

The others take a moment to digest that information. "Whoa!" Reiko
whistles. "That's too heavy for me! And I thought Belle has problems!"

"I must confess this is quite a lot for even me to grasp all at once,"
Shapiro confesses. "And by all indications, this isn't all, is there?"

"You know, you're even more nosy than Nassur-chan!" Lum mock growls.

The three burst out laughing. "But, you're right," the Oni sighs,
nodding. "Just recently, I was literally assaulted by some sort of psychic
fire and some creature which made itself in my image saying that I was
blocking Darling from doing what he has to do for me."

"And that is?" Shapiro hums.

"Darling has to take me out of Tomobiki."

Silence falls over the scene for a moment. "I dare say this is quite a
mystery," Shapiro confesses. "One that may not have presented all its clues
just yet. My advice to you is to wait as the clues come down, then draw some
conclusions. In fact, it may be to your best interest to allow Ataru to move
to wherever he wants to move. At least let him feel he's safe. That
certainly couldn't do your relationship with him any harm."

"But...I'd rather he stay here," Lum protests.

"With the trench-waves that live in this place?" the ice cream vendor
blinks, then shrugs. "Maybe sometime in the near future, he could be more
amicable to return, but if you keep trying to cage him, you're just doing
yourself and your relationship considerable damage. Let the phoenix fly out
of the nest, let him explore. Don't worry. I seriously doubt that he'll ever
truly want to be with anyone else than you. I'd think if he was Vosian
himself, he certainly would have recognized you. And if this harem of his
does exist, and if they acknowledge your wishes as valid, then don't be afraid
of them. Think of them as your allies."

"They insisted on that, too," Lum nods.

Suddenly, the door opens. "Hello?!" Koosei calls out. "Anyone home?!"

Shapiro jerks suddenly in shock on seeing the homeroom teacher there.
"How'd you sneak in here like that?!!" he demands.

Koosei blinks on seeing the ice cream vendor's true ancestry. "Since
when does a Vosian consider living on Earth?!" he icily demands. "Who's side
are you on?!!"

"Wait, wait!!" Lum leaps up between them. "Shapiro-san, Koosei, it's
okay! Don't fight!!"

"Koosei?!" Shapiro looks surprised. "As in Koosei Ryooki?!"

"That's me," Koosei nods. "Now answer my question."

The ice cream vendor sighs. "You might say I'm neutral. I've been here
for quite a number of decades if you want to know the truth. Actually, I've
heard of you. You're the one the Mikado tried to turn into a hunter's hunter,
right? That explains why you were able to slip in without my sensing you."

Koosei relaxes just a bit. "Yes, that's me. Well, if you're neutral, I
can respect that, especially if you've been here a while. But if you try to
cause trouble, I'll make life very miserable for you. You know what I mean?!"

"I understand," Shapiro nods.

"Oh, will you two stop!!" Lum snaps. "You're acting like a pair of
idiot school boys! The Civil War's almost over with anyway!!"

Both men smile. "Well, I suppose we can take the lady's advice," Koosei
chuckles.

"Indeed," Shapiro nods. "Care for something while you're here?"

"Actually, I came to look for Lum," Koosei turns to the Oni. "Benten's
birthday is coming up. Nassur called me up to ask if he can hold the party
here. Want to help arrange it?"

"Sure!!" Lum beams. "I better get started then! C'mon, Reiko-chan!"

"Okay," the Noukiite follows the Oni out of the parlour.

"Oh, by the way!" Koosei calls out after them. "Don't force Ataru to
come if he doesn't want to come! Understand?!"

"I do!" Lum waves as she flies off with Reiko.

The two men watch them go. "Well, I suppose they've got a chance,"
Shapiro muses. "She seems a nice girl despite being known as 'Lum the
Notorious.'"

"Yeah, I hope they do make it," Koosei sighs. "Actually, they better,
given what's about to blast into Ataru's front door very soon."

"Oh? What's that about?"

"That's a secret," Koosei smiles. "Sorry."

"No problem," Shapiro chuckles. "We've all got them. Well, good night,
Koosei."

"Good night...oh!" Koosei muses. "By the way. Why 'Shapiro?!'"

The ice cream vendor laughs...

* * *

"Benten's birthday party?" Ataru looks over the morning paper at Lum.
"Oh, that's nice. When are you going to have it?"

"Tomorrow after school," the Oni muses as she runs through her list of
necessary tasks to get the party running. It is early the next morning, with
Lum now dressed for school. "Where do you think we should have it?"

"Anywhere but Tomobiki," Ataru looks at his paper. "Preferably
Fukunokami."

"Why?!" Lum looks surprised. "Darling, Benten wants to celebrate her
birthday here!"

Ataru shakes his head. "I've no problem with that but if Benten doesn't
want to lose Nassur to Miyaki, she'll be smart to keep the party as far away
from this place as possible."

"Well, I don't think you'll have much to worry about there," Lum muses.
"Since Benten lives full-time on Home Base now, Nassur-chan sees her every
day. It's moot now before the *nicha,* but come after that..."

"I can hear the wedding bells ringing," Ataru chuckles.

The Oni blinks, staring at her boyfriend. This had to be the best
development of Ataru's maturing personality: his willingness to see other
people fulfil their own dreams. Floating over to him, she leans into his
side. "Why can't we have our wedding bells, Darling?"

He cups her chin in his hand. "Wait until we're safely clear of this
place, *koishii,*" he uses the Japanese term for "darling." "Then we can go
to town with our wedding."

Lum giggles. "I can't wait." She then pulls up her list. "So, who
should we invite?"

"Don't invite Miyaki," Ataru warns.

"Alright," Lum scratches a name off the list. "No Shinobu."

"Better not allow Lan and Rei to show up, either."

"Okay! No Lan and Rei."

"Remember to invite Dake-chan. Mie-chan, too."

Lum writes the names down. "Mie and Shogai-san are in."

"Oh, is Jariten invited?"

"He wants to go."

"Then it better be a dry party," he warns. "And I'll bring Reiko-chan.
We'll bring Annabelle, too. She can watch over Reiko and Ten."

"No alcohol, Reiko-chan and Belle are coming," Lum writes down, then
thinks for a moment. "Wait. Benten does like her super-vodka, Darling."

"With kids around?"

"Good point," Lum nods. "Now, where should we have it?"

"Nowhere on Mendou's estate," Ataru wryly sighs. "How about the
gymnasium at the school? It's big enough."

"We'll have to ask Koosei, then," Lum makes the notes. "Are you going
to give her a present, Darling?"

"I might as well," Ataru puts the paper down. "After all, unlike half
the morons in this loony bin, she really is your friend. As a matter of fact,
I better go make some calls. See you later," he kisses her cheek, then heads
off to his room.

Lum beams. "Oh, it's so nice that Darling's feeling better these days!"

* * *

"The gymnasium here?" Koosei blinks as he hears Lum's request later in
class, then shrugs. "Well, I'm sure the Principal'll okay it."

"Great," Lum checks off the item in question. "Oh, I've sent an
invitation to Oyuki-chan. Chara-chan, Prim and the Prince couldn't make it.
Do you want to come?"

"Sure, I'll be there," Koosei smiles, then jerks. "Did you say you're
inviting Oyuki-chan?!" he gasps, a giddy look crossing his face.

"Yes. Just called her this morning. She's coming."

Koosei nearly melts into a mushy puddle in his chair. "Oyuki-chan," he
sighs, hearts popping around him.

"Benten-san's birthday party?!" Mendou appears behind Lum. "And you
wish to hold it here?! Why not hold it at the Tarouzakura?! It's much better
for parties."

"Well, Darling suggested the school and Ryooki-sensei did say he could
persuade the Principal to agree to the idea," Lum shrugs.

Mendou suddenly shudders with rage. "Moroboshi suggested that?!! Who
gave that bastard the right to propose anything?!!"

"I asked Darling for his suggestions," Lum snaps. "He gave them to me.
What's the big problem?"

Mie walks up, slapping Mendou on the shoulder, nearly driving the scion
of Japan's richest family to his knees in pain. "The big problem with this
zero is that he always wants to show off what a total snob he is!!" she
sneers, glaring at Mendou. "Thank Buddha that Benten doesn't buy into that
sort of crap!"

"True," Lum sighs. "Okay. Well, here's the invitation list: Darling,
myself, Mie-chan, Ryooki-sensei, Oyuki, Benten's parents, Nassur-chan,
Shogai-san, the hybrids, Ten-chan, Reiko-chan and Annabelle."

The whole class looks surprised. "What?!!" Lan bolts to her feet. "Why
am I not invited?!! I'm Benten's friend!!"

"And I've got a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you," Koosei shakes his head
disgustingly. "I assume Ataru suggested that Lan and Rei NOT be invited."

"*Datcha!*" Lum nods.

Lan suddenly boils over with rage. "WHAT?!?! Who gave Darling the
right to dictate who comes to this party?!! I'll suck his youth dry for
this...!!"

"And Shogai-san will kill you," Mie suddenly appears beside the Seishin
teen.

"...and Shogai-san will kill me," Lan adds automatically, then blinks.
"Shogai-san WILL kill me!!!" she exclaims, mortal fear in her eyes.

"So why am *I* not invited?!" Shinobu demands, glaring at Lum. "In
fact, why isn't anyone from the class outside of Mie and you invited?!"

"Because Darling suggested that you don't come either," Lum shrugs
innocently. "And as for the others, well, Benten doesn't like any of them, so
why invite them?!"

Shinobu recoils as if Lum had slapped her. "Since when do you ever
consider anything Ataru-kun says?!!" she demands.

"Open mouth, insert foot time," Mie sighs. "For both of them."

The Oni looks incensed. "What are you trying to say to me, Shinobu?!"
lightning dances all over her. "That I don't listen to a thing Darling
says?!"

"You never have before!!" Shinobu snaps.

Lum suddenly looks stricken, but quickly recovers. "Well, if that's the
way you want to be, fine!!!" she snorts, looking away. "If you want to know
the truth, Darling stated you shouldn't come to ensure that **Benten** is the
one who marries Nassur-chan, not you!!"

Stunned by the Oni's revelation, Shinobu storms away. "We'll see about
that!!"

Lum lets out a humph as she returns to her seat. Koosei sighs. "Well,
regardless of which, if there ARE any gatecrashers, then...!"

The class jolts back in fright as the Saturn Five suddenly appears
behind the homeroom teacher! "Get the picture?!" Koosei icily snarls, his
glasses glowing.

Everyone fearfully nods...

* * *

"I can't believe this is happening!!" Shinobu snarls, slamming her hands
on the table. "Who gave Ataru-kun the right to try to direct my love-life?!!"

Most of the class is in the cafeteria for lunchtime. "You know how much
he hates you now," Ryuunosuke sighs sympathetically. "It'd be perfect
vengeance for whatever he thinks you did to him!"

"Oh?!" Shinobu thunders. "Since when does he have the right to rule our
lives like that?!!"

"Since he probably believes we've ran roughshod his life for the last
two years," Natsuko muses from nearby.

Everyone quizzically stares at the volleyball team captain. "What does
that mean, Natsuko?" Momoe inquires.

"Think about it," Natsuko shrugs. "The guys in this class want to kill
Ataru so they can get a chance at Lum, but when they don't, they ride Ataru's
case all the time in support of Lum. Megane and his braindead squad are just
the worst of it. And c'mon, girls, we haven't been pretty fair with him, too.
To ensure that we all can have a chance at Mendou-san, we ride Ataru's case so
he can stay with Lum!"

Silence spreads like a shroud as everyone takes in what has just been
said. "You guys wanna know something," Ryuunosuke sighs. "She's right.
That's what you have been doing to the guy, at least as long as I've been
here."

"Oh, boy," Kumiko lets out a whistle. "And Icarus had to come along to
let all that out of the bag."

"Yep," Ryuunosuke nods. "He's got two years to dish back on everyone.
If you're smart, you'll stay out of his way from now on. If you're dumb, like
five certain morons I know," she glares at Mendou and the guards, "...I'd
write your will."

"So what?!" Shinobu snarls. "We've done that to him for two years!
He's never cared about that before!!"

"He sure as hell cares about it *now,* Shinobu!" the tomboy emphasizes.
"And if he wanted to, he could've taken that howitzer he likes to use on you
or else turn into the Cyborg and rip you apart with his bare hands...and I
don't think you'd be in the position to stop him!"

"You guys are digging your own graves," Natsuko warns. "Ataru may be
rough now, but I think he's holding a lot in reserve. If you keep bothering
him, the kid gloves are going to come off."

"And **then** you're in for it," Momoe concludes.

Mendou, the guards and Shinobu let out snorts. "Well, I don't think
we'll be excluded for long from this party," the scion of Japan's richest
family muses. "With it being held here, we can just stay after school and
drop in anyway."

"True," Shinobu nods.

Suddenly, a black blur whips over their heads, leaving a chilling
feeling in her wake. Everyone shivers. "I-is it m-me all of a s-sudden or
did th-the temperature j-just drop?" Kakugari stammers.

* * *

The blur whips her way to Toranoseishin Finances, melting into the form
of a black-clad shinobi who kneels beside Ataru. "Young Master, your former
classmates are currently conspiring to intrude upon Benten-san's party," she
reports.

"Is that a fact?" Ataru nonchalantly hums, reading his newspaper. "I
guess we'll just have to do something about it."

Putting the paper down, he reaches for his phone...

* * *

The next day after school, Mie meets Lum and Ten-chan by the front door
to the gymnasium. "I'm here!" the Kyushu native announces. "Where's the
party?!"

"I don't know," the older Oni hums. "Darling said he'd bring all the
decorations for the party, but he hasn't shown up yet."

Suddenly, several black blurs appear, departing Tomobiki High School
with Lum, Mie and Ten-chan in tow. "Hey!!!" Mie exclaims. "Who are you
guys?!!"

"We're the Kuromoroboshi ninjas!" a voice declares from one of the
blurs. "The Young Master ordered us to transport you to the site of
Benten-san's party."

"What?!!" Lum blinks. "You mean it's not going to be at the
gymnasium?!"

"No," the voice responds. "This is to ensure that gatecrashers do not
intrude."

In a minute, the three startled people find themselves in a helicopter
atop the Toranoseishin Finance building. It lifts off, soaring east over
Tokyo, Tokyo Bay, Chiba prefecture and over the Pacific. An hour later, it
lands on the flight deck of a very large passenger ship. As Lum looks
outside, she is stunned to see a Fukunokami cruiser, the "Renegade" and the
"Goddess of Luck" slowly drifting behind the ship. "Where are we?!!" the
three exclaim.

The helicopter's door opens, revealing Ataru in a beautiful black kimono
with a tiger-and-chysanthemum insignia on it. "Hey, there you are!" he
smiles. "You're just in time! We're getting started!!"

The three step off the helicopter, looking forward to see that the ship
they are on is a four-funnelled passenger liner with stately Edwardian lines,
resembling the most famous and tragic North Atlantic liner in history. "I
take it your clan salvaged the 'Titanic,'" Mie hums, staring quizzically at
Ataru.

"Oh, no," Ataru waves them forward. "This was built about the same time
by the same people...but the 'Robert Bruce' is a private yacht owned by my
grandmother's friend Dame Victoria McTavish. She's visiting Grandma right
now, so we've got the run of the boat, so to speak."

Lum looks around as they walk up to B Deck, heading along the starboard
side. Awed at the sheer opulence around her, she then stares at Ataru.
"Darling, um...how rich is this friend of Grandma's, anyway?"

Ataru hums. "Well, Dame Victoria by herself is as wealthy as Grandma
is...here on Earth, I mean. She doesn't have intergalatic connections, by the
way. But the whole of the McTavish Clan would outweigh the Mendous and the
Mizunokoji combined."

"Wow!!" Ten-chan whistles. "For this planet, that's a lot!"

They soon arrive at a beautiful sidewalk cafe...the Cafe Parisien on the
"Titanic"...where the other guests for Benten's part are now seated. "Hey,
there you guys are!!" the Fukunokami waves as she walks over to embrace Lum.
"Ritzy ship, huh?!"

"It is, isn't it?!" Lum giggles as she moves to sit down in one of the
lawn chairs spread out on the deck. "But how did you all know to come here?
I said that the party was going to be at the school gymnasium."

Benten's mother Miroku Shigaten smiles. A stately woman, looking
somewhat like a Fukunokami version of Lum's own mother, she is dressed like
her daughter in battle bikini and grey chains. "Well, blame Ataru and his
grandmother," she chuckles. "He had it relayed to us that there could be some
noisy gatecrashers at the party..."

"Lan, for example," Ataru cuts in.

"...so when his grandmother's friend offered her ship for the party,
Ataru told us and we came straight here," Miroku concludes.

"How nice," Oyuki sighs. "At least this party should be more enjoyable
than the last time we tried to celebrate Benten's birthday."

"Oh, jeez, don't remind me of that!" Benten groans.

"It was bad, I take it," Nassur muses to Ataru.

"That's an understatement," the former student nods, wincing in mock
pain.

"Well, at least I'm glad that we've got the chance to finally get to
know you, Nassur!!" Benten's father slaps the Vosian in the back, nearly
causing him to double over. While he is no taller than Ataru's waist,
Commander Hotei Shigaten looks almost as massive as Captain Invader...and is
just as strong. "You know my daughter's been a big fan of yours for a long
time! Becoming your partner's a dream come true for her!!"

"I-I'm glad to be there f-for her, Commander," Nassur chuckles, trying
to discreetly work the kink out of his back.

"Now, now, dear," Benten's mother giggles. "You're making it as if
Benten's already married to the poor fellow."

"Give her time, Miroku, give her time," Dakejinzou smiles from nearby.

"Dake-chan!!" Nassur defensively cries. "Now you're trying to send me
off to the marriage mart!! Lecasur's Soul, stop trying to marry me off!!"

Benten turns a very nice shade of cherry while everyone else laughs.
"At least Dake-chan will look out for your better interests, Nassur," Ataru
notes. "What better could you ask for in a friend?!"

"True," Lum nods.

At that moment, the birthday cake rolls out. Everyone sings "Happy
Birthday" to Benten, then urge her to make a wish. Benten prays for a second,
then blows out the candles. Everyone cheers as she makes the first cut.
"What did you wish for?" Lum whispers.

"What do you think?" Benten sighs as an image appears of her and Nassur
marrying.

At that time, two of the ship's boatswains come up, a soaked Koosei
supported between them. "Excuse me, ma'am, but could you go a little easier
with this poor guy?" one of them turns to Oyuki. "That's the third time we
had to pull him out of the drink."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," the Tritonian looks contrite. "I'll try to hang on
to him."

"Thank you, ma'am," the bos'ns nods appreciatively.

Oyuki turns to Koosei, a coy stare on her face. "Now, now, Koosei-kun.
You're putting these poor fellows through too much work for one day. Can't
you try to behave yourself?"

The poor homeroom teacher shudders, then stares confusedly at Oyuki. "I
put people through much work?" he then babbles a mile a minute, backing
respectfully away from his girlfriend...and right for the guardrail. "What
people, Oyuki-chan? Are you sure I put people through too much work?! What
work, Oyuki-chan?! I put people through too much work?! I didn't know I was
worth all that work...!"

"Koosei, look out!!" Lum cries.

Before anyone can do anything, Koosei flips over the side! "There he
goes again!!" one of the bos'ns sighs, then yells, "Man Overboard!!!"

The crew leap into action as Benten stares at Oyuki. "Geez, Oyuki,
aren't you going a little too overboard with him?!"

"Isn't he sweet?" the princess giggles.

Everyone else sighs. "And I thought Lum was naive with me!" Ataru's
eyes roll.

Suddenly, another starship appears behind the "Robert Bruce"...the
"Kashin." "Hey, Lum-chan, isn't that your dad's ship?!" Mie points aft.

Lum looks. "That is Daddy's ship!" she blinks surprisedly. "What's he
doing here?!"

The Invaders appear a second later via teleporter. "Invader-kun!!!"
Benten's father laughs as he stands, walking over to knock the giant captain
in the knee. "What the hell brings a conniving creep like you here?!"

"Hiya, shrimp!!" Invader slaps Shigaten in the back. "You think we'd
miss your daughter's birthday party?! Be serious!!"

Mrs. Invader and Miroku Shigaten embrace each other, then Lum's parents
greet Benten. Once that's done, Invader turns to face Mie. "I take it you're
Mie Seikou, correct."

"That's right," the Kyushu native nods. "How'd you know that, sir?"

"Lum-chan told us about you," Invader smiles. "But there's something
else. It's come to my understanding from survivors on Shingetsu that it was
you who piloted the fighter which drove off the Lannarkite ship."

"Well, all I did was pilot myself, Ataru-chan and Lum-chan aboard so we
could get rid of those bugs..." Mie blinks confusedly. "Hey, wait a minute!
How'd you learn that we were aboard that ship?! Lum-chan was passed out and
Ataru-chan hasn't told anyone about that!"

"Oh, Koruneko-san told us," Mrs. Invader cuts in.

"And with that, on behalf of the Tribal Council, it's my pleasure to
give you this," Invader pulls out a small case, opening it to reveal a
beautiful medallion depicting two Seishin women jointly holding the wreath of
victory over their heads.

"That's the Star of Aruka!!" Benten exclaims disbelievingly.

Invader affixes the medal on Mie's jersey. "There you go.
Congratulations," the captain smiles.

"Um...th-thanks!" Mie stammers, flushing in embarrassment.

Everyone claps their hands. "The question I have is how did she know
how to pilot starfighters?" Nassur whispers to Dakejinzou.

"I guess they aren't so different from normal Earth aircraft," the
latter shrugs.

"I wonder," the former muses.

"Hey, this is supposed to be Benten's party!!" Ataru cuts in. "Can we
get to the presents or are we going to stay here and gab all day?!"

"Presents!!!" Benten screams. "I want presents!!"

Everyone laughs as the presents are passed to the Fukunokami. Ataru
heads inside the Cafe to retrieve his presents. For Benten, they are the
usual type of gifts: Fukunokami super-vodka from her father, a new battle
bikini from her mother, an airbike repair kit from Dakejinzou, a thermal suit
from Oyuki, a biwa from Lum and her parents, a picture book of Kyushu from
Mie, a new set of chains from Koosei. At that time, Ataru walks out with
three very large boxes. <<Now, remember, Benten,>> Nassur psi-links to his
partner, <<...even if it's underwear, accept it gracefully. You don't want a
taste of what Shinobu got a couple of weeks ago.>>

<<I know, I know!>> Benten moans, then smiles. "Ah, thanks, Moroboshi!"

"Here's my first one," Ataru hands her the smallest of the boxes.

Benten listens to the box, then opens it. "I wonder what it...is!" her
voice turns to a disbelieving squeak as she stares inside the box. "Oh, man!"

She pulls out a very large revolver with a sleeved barrel. "Holy shit!"
she exclaims. "This is a Vosian Correg Z-44!!" she runs her hand along the
barrel. "I didn't know there were some still around! This thing's over three
centuries ago! Where the hell did you get it, Moroboshi?!"

"An Inquisitor lifted it off a black-market antiques dealer on Yoinsu,"
Ataru explains. "Supposedly, it was used by the first Vosian team to contact
the Republic. It's been languishing in an evidence room for a while, so I got
Brother Sunfire to lift it out of there. Dake-chan tells me the armoury on
Home Base can make the ammo for it, so you won't have to worry about doing
special orders for the shells."

Grateful tears flow down Benten's face. "Ah, this is so nice!" she
sniffs.

Ataru gives her the largest box. Benten rips into it, gleeful as a
young girl in a sea of Barbie dolls on seeing what else he got her. "A
Kamahanite Range Hunter automatic ion-particle rifle!!!" she yelps on
extracting a very intimidating assault weapon similar to a German Heckler &
Koch HK92. "Oh, man, I always wanted one of these!!!" she rubs her cheek on
the barrel casing.

"Darling, are you sure you want to give her that?!" Lum looks alarmed.
"One shot could take down a skyscraper!"

"Well, with Benten's bad aim, she'll need something that'll still kill
with a near-miss!" Ataru winks. "Especially when she engages in her favourite
sport: beating up on that airhead Lan!!"

"What about my bad aim?!!" Benten defensively snaps.

Everyone laughs. Ataru then hands her the last box. "Here. Try it
on."

"Ah, I knew it!!" Benten gives him a wry grin. "You got me lingerie!"

"Benten!" Nassur hisses.

"Now, why would I get you lingerie when everyone knows that Vosians
sleep in the nude?!" Ataru gives her a wry stare. "How do you expect to marry
Nassur if you keep covering your sexy body up?!"

"Now, HE'S doing it!!!" the Vosian in question wails.

Everyone laughs. Benten turns a very deep cherry as she takes the box
and heads off to change. A minute later, she emerges. "Well, how do I look?"

Awed whistles respond. Benten now sports a metallic grey sleeved
bodysuit with padding on the knees and elbows. Her bikini top and loinshields
now form part of the suit to add extra protection. Her sash chain remains in
its customary place, hanging from her right shoulder. "Benten, it looks
great!" Lum gasps.

"I agree," Nassur blinks. "I've always been worried about you parading
yourself just in your bikini. I know it's what Fukunokami women traditionally
wear, but in battle, it'll make you especially vulnerable."

"Well, let me demonstrate how this'll clear that up," Ataru reaches into
his kimono to extract a very intimidating looking pistol. "Everyone recognize
this?"

"That's an Inquisitor's Lawgiver!!" Koosei exclaims.

"Right," Ataru holds the pistol up. "Ballistic!"

"*Ballistic*," the pistol's on-board computer replies.

Ataru takes aim at Benten's abdomen and fires. The round impacts her
stomach, then disintegrates. Benten jolts slightly, then looks down at
herself. "Holy shit, that didn't hurt!!" she exclaims.

Ataru puts the pistol away. "If I used an armour-piercing round, you'd
be sporting a hell of a bruise right now," he walks up to her. "I don't think
you've got much to worry about when people try to pull cheap shots on you from
now on."

"Damn right I won't!" she beams, then embraces him. "Ah, thanks,
Moroboshi! I really appreciate this!"

She kisses him on the cheek. Everyone lets out a cheer...which is then
punctuated by Reiko's surprised scream. "Belle!!! What's wrong?!!"

Everyone spins around to see Annabelle on her knees, gripping her
forehead. "Annabelle!!" Ataru leaps to her side. "What is it?!"

"It...it's a recall message!" the cyberdroid gasps. "B-babara's trying
to override my neural net! Make it stop! Make it stop!!"

"Daddy, help her!!" Reiko cries.

"All right," Ataru stands as psychic fire begins to consume him. "**I
will.**"

Everyone who has not seen the Cyborg before shrieks in disbelief as the
machine-man emerges from Ataru. "How's he able to do that?!!" Koosei
exclaims.

"That's what we'd like to know!!" Benten stammers.

A large, phoenix-embossed staff emerges from Ataru's left arm shield.
Drawing it out, the machine-man lifts it to the sky, then begins a waving
motion with it. Energy spills out of the staff as it flows towards the
prostrate Annabelle. Ataru then aims the staff at her. A blast of energy
lashes at the cyberdroid, the flash of light temporarily blinding everyone
witnessing this. "Shit, who does he think he is?!!" Benten screams. "Sailor
Moon?!!"

In a minute, the glow fades, revealing Ataru restored to normal, a
deactivated Annabelle laid out on the deck...and a beautiful seven-year old
Ellsian girl with brown hair now asleep in Ataru's arms. "There," he looks
relaxed. "That should solve this problem."

Everyone is understandably surprised. "How'd he do that?!!" Benten
exclaims. "What's going on here?!!"

"It's a long story," Lum sighs. "I'll tell you about it later."

A teleport beam then takes the cyberdroid Annabelle away. Ataru
projects a disinterested look. "Well, now that she's out of our hair, we
won't have to worry about Elle for the next nine months or so," he muses.

"Nine months?!" Lum looks confused.

"Well, I did make sure that Annabelle did fulfil her mission," Ataru
muses.

"What mission was that?!" Benten looks confused. "Will someone tell us
what's going on here?!"

"Guess we'll find out in nine months," Nassur sighs.

Ataru then touches the sleeping girl on the nose. "Hey, wake up, Belle.
Someone wants to play with you."

"Uh..." the girl's brown eyes flutter open, then she rubs them. "What
happened to me?"

"Belle!!" Reiko runs up. "Are you okay?!"

Belle looks down, then smiles on seeing the Noukiite. "Reiko-chan," she
sighs, then leaps out of Ataru's arms. "C'mon!" she gently takes Reiko's hand
in hers. "Let's play!!"

"Okay!!" Reiko beams as the two run aft.

"Hey, wait for me!!" Ten-chan flies after them.

Suddenly, a garbage can slams on the young Oni's head! "Forget it!!"
Reiko sticks out her tongue. "I don't play with Onis!! Period!!!"

"Hey!!" Ten-chan cries. "Who turned out the lights?!!"

* * *

Sometime later, a McTavish Clan Osprey lands on the front lawn of
Tomobiki High School. The hatch opens to allow Ataru, Lum, Reiko, Belle,
Ten-chan, Mie, Koosei and Oyuki out. "Oh, that was such a wonderful party!"
the Oni stretches herself, then embraces her Darling. "It was wonderful that
you decided to hold it there, Darling. Benten utterly enjoyed herself."

"Ah, thanks, Lum-chan," Ataru cups her chin as he kisses her. "Anything
for one of your *real* friends."

Suddenly, everyone feels volumes of intense heat wash over them from
behind. "***THERE YOU ARE!!!!!!***"

Everyone turns to see Mendou, the guards, Lan and Shinobu glaring at
them, the air around them ablaze with their fury. Behind them are Ryuunosuke
and Sakura, who, while not as incensed as the others, do not look pleased.
"What's with you morons?!" Ataru appears undisturbed by his former classmates'
anger.

"Mo-...ro-...bo-...shi!!" Mendou snarls as he draws his katana, moving
to attack his hated rival. "You DARE deceive us as to where Benten-san's
birthday party was?!!"

Before he could get close to making Ataru a head shorter, the scion of
Japan's richest family is stopped by Koosei's five-hundred tonne hammer!!
"So, you were planning on crashing the party anyway, eh?!" the homeroom
teacher does not look impressed. "That's *another* week for you, Mendou!!"

Lan levels a bazooka at Koosei. "Stay out of this, you bastard!!!
We're arguing with Darling, not you!!!"

Oyuki's eyes narrow as her voice and the temperature around her drops to
sub-freezing. "You dare threaten my Koosei-kun, Lan?"

Everyone backs off as the hapless Seishin teen is soon entombed in a
giant block of metre-thick ice! "What...a cold...stare..." Lan's voice barely
escapes from the ice.

"Do not do it again," Oyuki icily intones, then stares at Lum's other
classmates. "Are you going to threaten Koosei-kun?"

Mendou, the guards and Shinobu shudder in mortal terror under that gaze.
"I did not think so," the Tritonian princess turns away. "I trust you shall
not forget this."

"W-w-we w-w-won't!!" Megane stammers.

"Now, we are dead!!" Ryuunosuke shudders. "It's bad enough we got the
Homeroom Teacher from Hell, but to have Oyuki come after us, too?!"

"I can see why Koosei-kun took such interest in her," Sakura muses.

Mendou and the guards turn on Ataru. "Moroboshi, stay right where you
are!!!" the scion of Japan's richest family whips out his katana. "You shall
be *two* for your crimes against Lum-san and us!!!"

Letting out a banzai charge, Mendou slashes a downstroke at Ataru's
head...and his katana shatters on the Cyborg's! "**You were saying
something?!**" the machine-man cackles as he cracks his neutronium-hard
knuckles, unadulterated mayhem in his good eye.

The five boys suddenly realize that they are in more trouble than they
know what to deal with. "Lum-san, help us!!" Megane wails fearfully.

The Oni turns her back on her classmates. "You attacked Darling. Now
you pay for it," she snorts, then looks at Mie. "Mie-chan, you want to go get
some ice cream?!"

"Sure!" the Kyushu native beams. "Let's go!!"

"Lum-chan!!!" the guards wail.

Ten seconds later, all five boys are twisted into the shape of
pretzels!! "**There!**" the machine-man relaxes as he returns to normal.
"That should keep you morons in line for the next while!!"

"Wow!!" Koosei whistles. "He's really good! Pity he didn't decide to
stay in town. I could've used him to discipline the rest of that mob!!"

Shinobu then appears in front of Ataru. "Ataru-kun!!!" she snarls,
grabbing him by the front of his kimono. "How dare you think of trying to
keep me away from Nassur-kun?!! If you don't back off this instant,
I'll...!!!"

The *crack!* of Ataru's hand slamming into Shinobu's cheek echoes
through Tomobiki. Everyone gasps as the latter drops to the ground, a nice
bruise now swelling under her eye. "I said we were strangers, Miyaki," his
voice turns to brittle ice as he spits at her, then turns away. "And besides,
Benten is TEN times the woman you are!!"

"He...hit me...!" Shinobu disbelievingly stammers.

"Hey, hold on a moment!!" Ryuunosuke leaps in front of Ataru. "Who the
hell gives you the right to rip Shinobu apart like that?!!"

The tomboy shudders as Ataru angrily glares at her. "Look, you sexless
boy, if you don't mind, that's none of your business!!"

Stunned silence drops like a guillotine blade as Ryuunosuke blinks
disbelievingly. "Wh-what...did...you...say...?"

Ataru's hand arcs around to bash Ryuunosuke in the cheek, sending her
sprawling. "You heard me, *boy!!!* Get out of my face or you'll be ashes in
your family grave!!"

With that, Ataru heads back to Toranoseishin Finances, Reiko and Belle
right behind him. Everyone else is aghast at what he just did. "I don't
believe that," Oyuki shakes her head. "He's never said an unkind word to
Ryuunosuke as long as I've known him!"

People stare at Ryuunosuke. Feeling her reddened cheek, the tomboy lets
out a pained wail as she runs to the school. "Poor Ryuunosuke," Lum looks
sympathetic.

"Um, excuse me here!" Koosei cuts in. "Before I let Ataru beat the snot
out of these morons, I just have one question: since when did he start to act
like this?! From all I've ever heard of him, he's always been a peaceful man
a heart."

"That was before he was tortured in the Box on Icarus," Lum looks
depressed.

Hearing the word "box," Koosei jolts. "***WHAT?!?!?!***" he bellows,
then leans right into Lum's face. "Ataru was tortured in the Box?!! Why
didn't you tell me this had happened?!!"

"But...I didn't think it was that important...!" the Oni defensively
cries.

"You idiot!!!" Koosei bops her with a hundred tonne hammer, then turns
to Sakura. "Sakura-chan, you said you were trained by the chief priest of
Ataru's family, right?!! Get him over here!!!"

"Did someone call for me?" a dirge-like voice suddenly echoes from
behind Koosei.

The homeroom teacher yelps in shock, then nails Chiezou Budou with a
thousand tonne hammer!! "Don't sneak up on me like that!!!"

"S-sorry," Chie looks apologetic as he rubs his forehead. "I've seemed
to have picked up a lot of Cherry's annoying habits! What's the matter?"

Koosei points in the direction Ataru had departed. "I want Ataru out of
this district as soon as possible!!!" he grabs Chie by the latter's robes,
drawing him face-to-face. "Preferrably tomorrow!!! If his being tortured in
the Box can make him do things like turn into a cyborg, not to mention
motivate him to rip apart everyone around him, it's best if he's isolated!!!
The sooner, the better!!!"

"Well, he is getting his house built," Chie shudders fearfully at the
teacher's fanatic sneer. "But...I suppose we can have him out of Tomobiki
tomorrow morning, if you feel the matter is of that much importance!"

"If you don't want a whole bunch of innocent people dead or permanently
maimed on your conscience, you do as I say!" Koosei warns.

"Fine, then," Chie nods. "Consider it done."

The Shinto high priest disappears. Koosei looks quite intimidated by
Chie's actions. "Boy, what a scary guy!"

Everyone stares disbelievingly at the teacher. "Koosei-kun, are you
sure that's the best solution for Ataru?" Sakura inquires.

"You never were in the Box, Sakura-chan," the teacher sighs. "You've no
concept of what that thing can do to people. The worst thing it does is that
it makes people very self-conscious of their personal space, which none of you
have ever respected when it comes to Ataru."

"How would you know that, Koosei-onii-chan?!" Ten-chan blinks.

"Dake-chan told me," Koosei looks at the young Oni. "She heard it from
Ataru's gramdother. Believe me, isolation from what he despises and hates is
the best way to help his self-confidence. Trying to keep him here against his
will is just going to make matters worse...and with that thing he can turn
into, you're all asking for early graves."

"Well, if you think so," Lum looks depressed.

"I know, Lum," Koosei smiles sympathetically. "But, believe me, this
could actually do your relationship with him a big favour."

Hearing that, the Oni noticeably brightens. "Oh, Koosei-kun, it's so
wonderful that you think of all your friends," Oyuki leans up to rub her cheek
against his.

Sputtering, Koosei literally melts in the princess' arms.
"O-o-oyuki-ch-chan..." escapes from his lips before he succumbs to
unconsciousness.

Oyuki does not look bothered by Koosei's reaction to her. "Isn't he
sweet?"

Everyone else sighs...

* * *

"Don't they look so sweet?" Ataru muses.

He and Lum stare at the sleeping Reiko and Belle, now sharing a bed
together in the apartment at Toranoseishin Finances. The young girls hold
hands, projecting an angelic scene to their guardians. "They are," Lum sighs,
then looks serious. "Darling, are you sure you did the right thing?"

"What do you mean?" he inquires as they walk to his sleeping area.

"About sending that 'droid back to Elle with your genetic samples for
Elle's project?" the Oni stares at him. "I know you were trying to prevent a
war, but still..."

"You don't like the idea of my having a baby with another woman," he
concludes.

Lum nods. The two sit on the bed. "Well, if there was any other way to
solve this problem and get Elle off our backs, do you think I would've tried
to use it?" he stares at her.

"Well..." Lum looks down.

Silence falls over them for a moment as a chasm of mistrust and
misunderstanding begins to make itself apparent. "I didn't send Annabelle
back to Elle without taking some precautions, Lum," Ataru explains.

"What precautions?" she quizzically stares at him.

"I put an energy field around my genetic samples," Ataru makes an
encompassing manoeuvre with his hands. "Don't ask me how I did it, by the
way. Sometimes, I've no idea what exactly I *am* doing. But what I did was
that when other people come into contact with this field, they'll be mentally
inclined to take the child away from the Project...and bring her to me."

Lum blinks. "You did THAT?!?!" she gasps, staring disbelievingly at
him.

"Sure," Ataru projects a mirthless smile. "So while Elle's thinking
that she's got me around the neck with a noose, the child'll be delivered
right to our doorstep. And Elle can't claim the child is hers since she'll be
a laboratory child. You said it yourself when Belle told us about this crazy
scheme; they're not accepted on Elle. And when the child is in our hands,
we'll just adopt her. What's the deal?"

"Well..." Lum looks hesitant, then sighs. "I suppose it's the best
solution in a situation like this."

"That's better," Ataru kisses her cheek. "Now, will you tell me what's
really bothering you."

"It's Koosei," the Oni frowns. "He found out that you were tortured in
the Box. He found Budou-san and told him to get you out of Tomobiki by
tomorrow morning at the latest."

"Oh?!" Ataru looks surprised, then shrugs. "Well, I was planning to go
in a few days anyway. I suppose I could leave now. There'd be no harm to
it."

"Darling, I don't want you to go!!" Lum cries.

They stare at each other. "But I don't want to stay," Ataru calmly
intones.

Both then look away from the other, as if they had just betrayed the
other's trust in them. "I wish you would stay," Lum sighs.

"I wish you would come with me," Ataru shakes his head.

Lum suddenly smiles. "We're disagreeing again."

She is then swept into his arms. "Good!" he rolls her atop him, guiding
her hand to his obi. "At least we're trying to understand each other."

"I'm sad...but at the same time, I'm glad," Lum unties the obi, drawing
his hand to her bikini top. "So...care to give me a little going away
present?"

"Your wish is my command," he gently pulls her toward him.

As they kiss, neither notice Koosei and Oyuki watching them from an
airbike the princess brought with her from Triton, now floating some distance
away. As matters between the Oni and her Darling get more intimiate, Oyuki
guides the machine back to the Ryooki home. "Strange, isn't it?" she muses.
"Ataru and Lum-chan are such opposites, but they really do care for each
other."

"Yeah, they do," Koosei gently wraps an arm around her, rubbing his nose
into her cheek. "They show it in different ways. Lum vocalizes her feelings,
Ataru lets his actions do the talking. The morons in this place don't stand a
chance of trying to pry them apart."

The airbike lands on the front lawn. The couple disembark, then enter
the home. "I do hope that whatever is bothering Ataru is just a temporary
problem," Oyuki comments. "It would hurt Lum-chan so much if they broke up."

"Well, I suppose I'll just have to ensure that no one from this morons'
paradise doesn't get too involved with them...in other than a friendly way of
course," he chuckles as they walk into his bedroom on the second floor.

Both proceed to separate enclosed changing areas to undress. "Do you
think Lum-chan'll agree to the idea of moving to wherever Ataru is going?"
Oyuki inquires as she slips on a nightgown.

"Eventually," Koosei puts on a pair of pyjamas. "Besides, until someone
cracks down on the morons in this place to get them to give up worshipping Lum
like they do, Ataru's smart in staying away. I wouldn't want to raise a child
in this place."

"True," Oyuki walks over to slip herself into the double-sized bed,
pulling the covers back for Koosei to slide in beside her.

As soon as both are under the covers, Koosei takes off his glasses, then
allows Oyuki to slip into his arms. "Well, sir," she coyly muses. "When
shall we have our 'happily ever after?'"

"Whenever your parents agree to the idea, I guess," Koosei shrugs.
Since Oyuki was high royalty and he a commoner, the teacher always knew that
their relationship would probably remain platonic for some years to come.
Fortunately they could wait.

Oyuki slides up until all he can see is her face. "I can't wait," she
purrs as they kiss.

Suddenly, the sounds of someone mooing echo through the upper floor
padio doors. Instinctively, Koosei grips his ears. "I hate cows...!" he
moans, wincing with visible pain.

Annoyed, Oyuki gets out of bed, locates the Saturn Five, walks to the
padio doors, opens them, then flings the hammer at the back porch of the
Moroboshi home!!!! "Cease mooing, Mrs. Moroboshi!!" the Tritonian snaps,
considerable fierceness in her voice. "Koosei-kun does not like that!!"

The patio doors close. Ataru's mother is now buried under the giant
hammer, the whole back porch caved in around her. "I...hate that...cow...!"
escapes from somewhere under the giant block of ironwood.

Sighing, Oyuki returns to bed. "Maybe it would be better for Koosei-kun
to live with me on Triton," she muses as she slips in beside her boyfriend.
Noting that he is still gripping his ears, she taps him on the shoulder.
"Koosei-kun? I made the noise go away."

"You did?!" Koosei blinks, staring quizzically at her.

She wraps her arms around him. "I did," a playful growl enters her
voice. "Pucker up!"

Oyuki swamps the helpless (?) teacher with a kiss. Naturally, he passes
out. "Oyuki-chan...!"

* * *

Baran. A day later.

Inside the secret laboratory for Project: Black Rose, Anna and Babara
work away on loading the new genetic samples obtained by Annabelle. As the
deactivated android is wheeled out by several skunk-like beings acting as lab
assistants, the Yehisrite warrior finishes programming the machine. "There,"
she sighs, leaning back to wipe her brow. "Shutaro Mendou's samples are now
being mated to one of the Queen's eggs. Another Black Rose is conceived."

"Good," the aged Ellsian matriarch makes note of the conception on her
computer. By an icon marked NAME flashing on the computer screen in front of
her, she types AMANDA. "So recorded. What about Mr. Groom's samples?!"

"What in Pizalna-sama's name...?!!" Anna suddenly exclaims.

"What is it?!" Babara walks over to stare over the Yehisrite's shoulder.

"I just did an analysis of Ataru Moroboshi's samples," Anna points at
the screen. "Sensors indicate an unusual radiation source contaminating the
samples."

"Is it dangerous?! Can it be removed?!"

"No, it's just simple tachytron radiation," Anna sighs. "Further, it
can't be removed from the samples...not without destroying them, of course."

"Tachytron radiation?" Babara muses. "That is curious. Intelligence
reports did not indicate whether the Terrans could manipulate such forces.
Will it affect the child's growth?"

"Not according to the computer," Anna shakes her head. "Radiation decay
is already happening. By the time this one emerges from the gestation
chamber, it will be totally eliminated."

"I see," Babara shrugs. "Ah, well. We shall just have to be cautious
with this one. Hopefully, she will not cause us half the trouble Mr. Groom
himself has caused."

"Commencing conception proceedure," Anna reports.

Babara walks back to her computer, then opens a new file. Under the
name icon, she types AMORA. Watching this from a discreet distance away, two
of the skunk-like beings stare at each other. "Gahan, we cannot permit Ataru
Moroboshi's child to grow up here," the female whispers. "We should try to
take her to Earth when the time comes."

"You're right, Senya," the male nods, keeping his voice down. "We'll
just have to wait until the time is right. Then, we'll see to it that she'll
get a real home..."

*** To Be Continued...At A Later Date ***