Urusei Yatsura Fan Fiction ❯ The Senior Year ❯ Towards the Unstoppable Future ( Chapter 77 )

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

Towards the unstoppable future.

With only a dream...

In the emptiness of space, a bottle of plum wine floats freely. Its
target is the hull of a newly-commissioned starship of the Urusian Defense
Force. Silently and with no friction to stop it, it smashes against the hull,
its reddish contents uncontrollably spreading over the freshly-painted hull
like water before flowing off into space, never to touch human lips...

* * *

Urusei Yatsura - The Senior Year: "Towards the Unstoppable Future"
by Mike Smith
**** **** ****
Edited by Fred Herriot and E.B. Kushnir
**** **** ****
A story based on the series in turn based on "Urusei Yatsura," created by
Rumiko Takahashi
**** **** ****

WRITER'S NOTES:

1) This is the "bridge" story between UY-TSY and UY-TIY and UY20YL. It
is set three months prior to the UY-TIY story "School's On."

2) Negau Renning was first created for Fred's lemon fanfic "A Remarkable
Destiny." Irunmei/Numon Kuk appeared in the Tales of the Daishi'cha story
"Furinkan Spring II."

3) DD - Deputy Director. The parts of the Sagussan Intelligence
Ministry are Operations (field agents), Plans (overall intelligence
evaluation) and Support (training, liaison with other departments).

**** **** ****

In the reception area of the spacedock orbiting Toshitto, a large
crowd made up of political leaders, military personnel and their families and
friends applaud what has happened. Many of them have good reason to, for the
name of this Kashin-class battlewagon, last of her class, is the "Koishii
Moroboshi."

It was difficult for the Urusian Defense Force to use that name.
Nagaiwakai took immediate objection to it when she first heard it proposed.
According to Moroboshi Clan tradition, no member of the clan is allowed the
privilege of having ships or other physical constructs like buildings named
after her...even if the person was no longer among the living. However,
strangely both Lum and Ataru overruled their grandmother. Koishii was their
first child and her loss continued to hurt although ten years had passed
since the Battle of Uru. Nagaiwakai, not wishing to upset her grandson and
his wife, relented for the first time in her life.

Still, the ceremony of the ship's christening struck a sad chord in
Lum's heart. She had attended the ceremony, although her parents said she
could have stayed at home with Amora, now eleven years old. Ataru had other
important things to do. Both he and Lum had graduated from teacher's college
and he was busy looking for a job. They had worked for a time at the
Ishinomaki Womens' Schools, but with the emphasis of female teachers serving
the students of the four units there, Ataru was given a subtle hint that he
may no longer be wanted. Both were bent on quitting, determined to have
something permanent that would keep them together.

Ataru wanted to attend the ceremony...a first for a man who had vowed
after the Battle of Uru never to leave Earth again...but he got called in for
an interview at a place he thought'd never even THINK of being interested in
him: Tomobiki High School! Ataru, who also had been interviewed for a job in
Hokkaido, had to back out at the last minute.

*There she goes,* Lum thinks to herself wishfully watching the ship
leave the spacedock. *The U.D.F.S. "Koishii Moroboshi," named after our
greatest loss.* Lum looks as the ship, with a skeleton crew, moves out of
spacedock under control of her thrusters. Lum wonders to herself what would
have happened if Koishii hadn't been lost with Henry so soon after she was
born. She would have been the same age as Amora is now and wonders what type
of girl she would have been. Would she have been as flirty and flighty as
her half-sister? Or would have been a more independent person like her
step-sister Reiko? Or maybe she would have been like Junba Miyaki,
aggressive yet good- natured? Lum computes the possibilities in her mind...

...only to have her concentration broken by her old friend Lan. "Lum-
chan?!"

"Oh, Lan-chan. What is it?"

Since she married Rei, had three children and lost her youth-sucking
powers, Lan has calmed considerably from her days of trying to get revenge on
her "best" friend. Being a few pounds heavier and older, Lan looks at peace
with herself for the first time in her life. Even Ataru has been on friendly
terms with her since he helped free Lan of her powers upon learning they were
killing her. "You looked lost in thought," the Seishin looks concerned. "I
hope this ceremony didn't bring up any bad memories."

"No, it hasn't," Lum tries to hide it.

"Lum-chan," another woman's voice calls.

It is Oyuki. Oyuki looks the same as she always does. The only
change is her crown and kimono pattern. Now Queen of Triton, she now sat on
the throne for which she had a claim since she was born. Still, Oyuki's
crimson eyes look at Lum with concern equal to Lan's. "Are you okay?" she
asks softly.

"I'm fine," Lum looks grumpy. "I'm just disappointed Darling
couldn't come. Noa-chan's too busy on Sagussa to come."

"Well, we all have our lives to continue," Oyuki smiles meekly, then
changes the subject. "How is your family doing?"

"Fine. Reiko's planning to enter the Young Woman's Academy. Nokoko
and her brood are busy raising their families. Amora's doing well in
school...except physical education."

Oyuki covers her mouth to chuckle. "I see," her eyes sparkle
brightly before turning to Lan. "And your children, Lan-chan?"

"Growing like weeds," Lan groans. "Lin and Len have appetites like
their father and they're developing powers just like him. Lon seems to be
taking after me..."

"Now that's scary!" Lum jokes.

Lan looks insulted. "And WHAT is so scary about that?!" she asks.
"She's very feminine and delicate, like I am!"

Lum and Oyuki refuse to comment. They know Lan may have calmed down
since becoming a wife and mother, but none of that calmed her chaotic
personality. Lan shoots an angry glance at Oyuki. "How come a woman who has
YET to get married and have children is so concerned about OTHER people's
children?!"

A little snow forms around Oyuki. "You know we Tritonians have LONG
courting periods as we move past the transformation time," she skilfully
evades the question.

"Sure," Lan calms down. Oyuki never did give straight answers when
it came to relationships. "Next, you'll want me to buy candy so I can hear
the rest of the story."

Before Lum can comment, another face from the past appears. Shutaro
Mendou walks up, wearing the dress uniform of a Japanese Maritime
Self-Defense Force officer, commander's rank on his arms. Physically, he
looks much the same as before, save for a moustache and shorter hair. Mendou
has had a bittersweet time since leaving high school. He did finally marry
Asuka but the marriage didn't last five years before a formal divorce
occurred, but the marriage did produce an heir for Shutaro in his son,
Tetsubou. After entering the Urusian Defence Force Academy after his time at
Eta Jima, Shutaro has risen through the ranks quickly, becoming first officer
of the "Koishii Moroboshi" faster than any officer, Oni or otherwise, in the
history of the U.D.F. Still, the loss of Sil Dedron is a heartbreak which
continues to hurt the young senior officer. "How are you, Lum-san?"

"Darling and I are fine, Shutaro," Lum replies politely. "Darling
couldn't come today because he has a job interview."

"I see," Mendou gets a sly smile on his face that Lum catches
immediately. The commander puts his arm around her slim waist gently. "Then,
we're alone..."

Lum zaps him. Not enough to harm him, but enough to tell him he had
gone far enough with his womanizing ways. "I see you haven't changed much
since Darling and I got married."

Mendou takes the hint. "I see you still love Moroboshi," he
snickers. "You know I'd never make a married woman cheat on her husband.
Besides, I still miss Sil-chan."

Lum suddenly feels sorry for the scion of the Mendou Clan. Sil had
been gone since before Nassur and Benten had gone missing and still he pines
for her, even after the short time they had together. According to rumours,
that pining had been one of the factors which helped end his marriage with
Asuka. "How's being a first officer in the U.D.F. treating you?" she changes
the subject.

"Oh, fine," Mendou replies politely. "I was surprised they assigned
me to the 'Koishii Moroboshi' when her shakedown ends. With all that's
happened between our two clans, it's rather ironic that a Mendou is serving on
a ship named after a Moroboshi."

"As someone we both once knew would say," Lum holds her hands in a
prayer mode, "...it's fate!" Everyone chuckles. "Still, you'll be coming
back to Earth to visit your family?"

"Yes," Mendou courtly kisses her hand. "Perhaps I'll come to visit
you. Or better yet, you and Ataru could drop around at the mansion sometime
to celebrate my promotion?"

"Perhaps," Lum sighs. "As long as you really mean that Darling is
invited as well!"

They both laugh together then Mendou leaves to mingle with some
senior officers. Lan and Oyuki also move on to talk with other guests. Lum
returns to looking out of a nearby porthole at the endless black sea of space.
Her thoughts return to happier days when she had just immigrated to Earth and
all she had to worry about was keeping Ataru away from other girls. Despite
the coming of the *saikoo jinseijitsu* and the problems between her and
Nagaiwakai, those were happy days...when she was young and innocent.

Then she remembers two people who she never got to say good-bye to.
Nassur and Benten were among Lum's closest and dearest friends. No matter
what happened between Lum and her Darling, they were always there to help
her. She would help them when she was needed in turn. Over ten years had
passed and all that is left of both of them are the Vosian-Ipraedies hybrids
they adopted and their daughter, in turn adopted by Shinobu Miyaki. Deep
down, their losses hurt Lum as much as the loss of Koishii. "I never got to
say goodbye," Lum says quietly to herself.

"Say goodbye to whom?"

Lum turns and sees a thirtyish Oni woman wearing a tiger-striped one-
piece bathing suit and knee-high boots. Her long, hip-length hair hangs
loose, making her look more like a teenager than an adult. Looking at her,
Lum immediately feels as if she should be on her guard. "Who are you?" Lum
asks immediately.

The girl blushes. "Oh, I'm sorry, Lum-sama," she giggles. "We've
never met. My name is Lara Skelad...I'm the new Urusian ambassador to Earth."

"Lara...Skelad?" Lum picks through her memory to find out where she
has heard it before. "Weren't you also working on the Alliance Negotiation
Committee?"

"I was a minor official for that," Lara smiles, outwardly flattered
Lum had remembered her name. "My father was very important in making sure the
Treaty was signed."

The treaty Lara speaks of is the Earth-Uru Alliance Treaty which
formally formed an economic, social and military alliance between the two
worlds. While the treaty allows both planets to develop their own
governmental systems and make their own relationships with other worlds, it
encourages economic and military aid as well as cultural exchanges and open
immigration between them. The treaty was signed shortly after the Battle of
Uru and was ratified by both the United Nations of Earth and the United
Tribes of Uru...with the blessings of Sagussa.

"I see. How is your father?"

Lara looks sad. "He died years ago, I'm afraid," she sighs. "A
stroke killed him."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Lum frowns. "You have my sympathy."

"Thanks."

Amora appears beside her adoptive mother. Looking like a miniature
Elle with dark brown hair instead of strawberry blonde, Amora wears a cute
Earth dress of frilly pinks and whites which flatters her skinny form. She
also wears a white headband to keep her hair out of her eyes. "Hey, Mom,"
Amora looks excited for some reason. "I just saw the cutest boy..."

Amora looks at Lara and stops talking as if she had been just scolded
to stop. "Oh, you must be Reiko," Lara tugs on both of Amora's cheeks.
"You're a real cutie!"

"I'm not Reiko-onee-chan," Amora groans, disliking having her cheeks
pulled in such a fashion. "She's my sister. I'm Amora!"

"Oh, sorry," Lara blushes. "I should have known better. You don't
have any bumps on your forehead like Noukiites do."

"How could you make such a mistake?" Amora asks wondering what could
have possessed Lara to mistake her for a Noukiite.

"I'm Lara Skelad, the Urusian ambassador to Earth," Lara smiles at
Amora. "Pleased to meet you, Amora Moroboshi."

"Likewise, I'm sure," Amora replies.

Lum watches Lara and Amora shaking hands, suddenly suspicious. It
was as if Nassur was still looking over Lara as if she was a member of the
Mikado Marines instead of an Urusian ambassador through her eyes.

"I'll be staying at the new embassy in Tokyo," Lara turns back to
Lum. "Maybe someday, I'll come visit your house and meet the rest of your
family."

"Perhaps," Lum shrugs. "But, I have to take a 'rain-check' on that
because Darling and I are looking for steady work. In fact, he's being
interviewed for a job at our old high school, Tomobiki High School, as we talk
to each other."

"That's nice!" Lara says vaguely. Then she brightened with, "Should
he get the job, we'll be practically neighbours then! I cook great
traditional Oni meals, I'm told. Well, I've gotta mingle! See you!"

Lara then rushes off. Amora looks at her strangely. "That's weird."

"I was thinking the same," Lum sighs.

"Don't be surprised," a voice muses.

Lum and Amora turn to see a red-haired, green-eyed Oni walk up,
dressed in a beautiful gown. "Numon-chan!" the former embraces her. "How are
you?! Where's Negau-onee-chan?"

"Busy at the Agency," Numon Kuk sighs, sharing a knowing looking with
her fellow Oni. "She apologizes for not being able to get out here to see
you. It has been a while..."

"Since I played matchmaker for you two."

"Aye," Numon sips her tea. "Watch your step around that one, Lum,"
she nods at Lara.

She heads off. Lum returns to gaze on the ambassador. *Why do I
feel so suspicious of Lara? I don't even KNOW her. What did Numon-chan
mean; damn, I wish I could get the chance to talk to her more. No! Carmen
and Eluza wouldn't forgive me if something happened...not to mention what
Ranma and Akane would do. Oh, Lyna, I hope things are going better with
Darling on Earth...*

* * *

Ataru Moroboshi walks to Tomobiki High School. It is late afternoon
and the streets of Tomobiki are busy with shift changes and students going
home from school. Ataru, dressed in a dark blue suit with a white shirt and
black tie with a small gold phoenix printed on it, had changed little since
he first left this town. His beard is gone, but the moustache still remains
in place, making him more mature. His hair, once in a ponytail, is short and
off the collar. Now that he is a teacher, he had to look the part.

As he walks down the streets, Ataru's mind returns to his days
growing up in Tomobiki. He remembers being tagged the "Snapping Turtle Third
Grader" by the local high school girls because he always held onto their
skirts when they came home from school. He later became "Ataru the Hugger,"
a sex- crazed moron who would do anything, no matter how weird or dangerous,
to date a cute girl. Such actions, though influenced by the *saikoo
jinseijitsu,* brought a lot of shame to both him and his family.

But, Ataru remembers the good things about living in this town. He
had found love here. First Shinobu, whom he met in school shortly after his
parents moved here. Then Windy, before meeting his wife Lum. Ah, what
bittersweet memories they were!

Still, Ataru harboured doubts about getting a job at Tomobiki High
School and moving back here. The last year he lived in Tomobiki was FAR from
happy. He was tormented viciously by his classmates, his mother and just
about everyone in the town. Even Lum was getting to be a problem with the
appearance of Nassur, then his adopted daughter Hazel coming to visit. Then,
the *saikoo jinseijitsu* broke loose and more or less, that ended it.

Even after he and Lum graduated from Tomobiki High School, there were
further bad feelings. Jariten, Lum's cousin, became a student of the school
and though he never burnt the place down with his flame breath, he did lose
someone very close to him. Ataru remembers Minami Michini as she grew up
when she and Jariten would visit Oshika regularly. She seemed to tame the
Oni boy down a lot more than any other girl. To top that, she grew into a
beautiful young woman with a passion for motorbikes and racing.
Unfortunately, that was to be an unlucky combination for her. Ataru
remembers the shock on Jariten's face when news of Minami's death was
released. At the funeral, Jariten had the same look on his face he noticed
Nassur had at Cinba's funeral years before. Her casket was closed for obvious
reasons, but Ataru had always felt she did not deserve to die before her
time.

Then the sound of a group of motorcycles' brakes bring him out of his
self-imposed remembrance. He sees three young men, all dressed in black
leather jackets with the characters for NERIMA TORANOTENSHI BOUSOUZOKU on the
back and faded blue jeans, surround a cute, well-endowed Japanese girl
dressed in a tight mini-skirt and a sleeveless top, with their motorcycles.
Ataru also notices the street immediately clearing of people as the three men
dismount and walk up to the girl.

The girl, now noticeably afraid, holds her school books up close to
her chest. Her long black hair has a slight curl to it, making her look more
mature. Ataru feels upset when one of them, a heavyset one with sunglasses
and a crew cut, grabs the girl from behind and holds her arms so she can't
escape. Another, a tall, thin one with pencil-thin mustache and curly hair,
rips the girl's books out of her hands and drops them to the pavement. "This
ain't classtime, chickie!" he yells at her.

The remaining one, the leader, is seven feet tall with the
musculature of an Arnold Schwartznegger. His hair is in a dovetail and his
face is scarred from numerous knife fights and acne. "You're a cutie," the
leader looks the girl over and admires her assets. "Let's see what you look
like without the top!"

The tall goon immediately unbuttons the girl's top. The girl offers
no resistance despite the noticeable fear in her eyes. Finally, she stands
there with her top open and showing her bra to all three of them. They look
impressed. "Wow!" says the tall one. "You're stacked! How old are you?"

"T-twelve," the girl stutters nervously.

"You look like you're sixteen!" the leader humphs. "You're perfect
for a photo spread on our kiddie-porn website!"

The girl then begins to struggle when she hears the words "kiddie-
porn." "Let me go!" she demands to the amusement of the goons, sadistically
delighted at her useless struggles for freedom. "I don't wanna have nude
pictures of myself on the 'Net!"

Ataru could take no more. Noticing no policemen around, he decides
to stop them himself. "Hey!" he yells at them, causing them to momentarily
stop their sick teasing. "The girl said to leave her alone!"

The leader turns towards Ataru and doesn't look impressed by the
sight of him. "Fuck off, salaryman!" he humphs. "This is Toranotenshi
territory!"

"THIS IS TORANOTENSHI TERRITORY!!!!" the other two chant
automatically. "YEAH!!!! THIS IS TORANOTENSHI TERRITORY!!!! YEAH!!!! YA
WANNA MAKE SOMETHING OF IT?!?! YEAH!!!!"

Ataru is not impressed. He had heard of the Nerima Toranotenshi
Bousouzoku. They were an up-and-coming gang who were recently broken up by
the police weeks ago after holding the town in terror for a few months
shaking down shopkeepers and selling porn and drugs according to the
newspapers. Most of their members are now serving long jail terms or had
gone into hiding. "I thought the cops broke you guys up," Ataru replies.

"They didn't get all of us!"

"THEY DIDN'T GET ALL OF US!!!!" the other two yell. "YEAH!!!!
DIDN'T GET ALL OF US!!!! YEAH!!!! WE'LL RISE AGAIN!!!! YEAH!!!!"

The girl eludes her captors and runs up to Ataru. "Onii-chan," she
sobs. "They wanna use me for their kiddie-porn! And after, they're gonna
kill me!!"

Ataru looks at the girl sympathetically. Barely into puberty, no
matter how developed she already is, and has her whole life ahead of her. She
shouldn't have to worry about having her body abused and her dignity destroyed
by some paedophile and his slimy friends. "Oh, they are, are they?" Ataru
hums. "I never liked kiddie-pornographers!"

"Wanna make something?!" the leader pulls out a switch blade. "Let's
give him a taste of what happens to anyone who bothers us!!"

"YEAH!!!!" the other two pull out their switch blades. "LET'S GIVE
HIM A FIGHT!!!! GIVE HIM A FIGHT!!!! YEAH!!!! YEAH!!!!"

Ataru shoves the girl behind him. "You really DON'T know who I am,
do you?" he neutrally gazes at the three bikers.

"It's a little late for introductions!" the leader makes a stab at
Ataru...

...and six seconds later, all three goons lay broken and bloodied on
the pavement thanks to Ataru and the abilities he inherited from his Avalonian
sister Negako. "They wouldn't even give Amora trouble," he dusts himself off.

The girl is awestruck at the man who had beaten up three members of
the Toranotenshi and not even mussed up his hair. "Y-you saved me!" she hugs
him. "Oh, thank you!!!"

Ataru looks taken aback by the girl's hug. "It was nothing. I'll
call the cops and they'll take care of them for you." He looks into the
girl's eyes. *Her face is pretty, a young Sakura Ozuno...* he thought. Her
eyes are filled with open adoration for him. "We should call your parents,
too."

"I was going to meet my mom at her workplace," the girl gets a hold
of herself. "She works at Tomobiki High School."

Ataru is surprised. "Tomobiki High School?!" he smiles. "I'm going
there for an interview. How about I escort you there, in case these goons
have friends?"

The girl nods. "Then, let's go!" Ataru leads the girl away. *Now,
if only the girl didn't look so familiar...*

* * *

After giving their statements to the police and watching the
paramedics take the motorcycle goons away, Ataru and the girl continue on the
way to the high school. While they walk together, Ataru notices the girl
holds his arm as if he is her boyfriend. *She doesn't know I'm married.* He
looks at his wedding ring. *Lum would go crazy if she saw me with this
jailbait!* Yet, Ataru couldn't get the thought out of his head over how this
girl looks so familiar to him.

Finally, they both enter the front gate of Tomobiki High School.
Ataru notices the school has changed little since he was a student. It's
almost empty as the last of the staff and students return home for the day.
"So," Ataru turns to the girl. "Your mom's a teacher here?"

"Sort of," the girl giggles childishly.

"I take it the principal's office is still in the same place."

"Yup."

As they enter the school, in the principal's office, Sakura Ozuno
sits behind her desk impatiently watching the clock. "He's late," she snorts.
"NOT a good sign!"

Sakura had cut her hair shorter and it's peppered with grey. Her
dress is more modest, as reaching her mid-thirties and a few extra pounds on
her hips began to take their toll on her beauty and her position at the school
demanding a certain level of decorum. While still a Shinto priestess, Sakura
seems equally as comfortable as a school principal as she was as school nurse.

Ataru enters her office. Sakura stands and smiles. "Oh, you're here
finally," she nods. "Both of you! I see you didn't waste time picking up
someone again, Seiteki."

Ataru is surprised that Sakura knows the name of the girl on his
arm. "Seiteki? You know her name?" he asks Sakura.

"She should," Seiteki smiles coyly. "She's my mom!"

Ataru falls over in surprise. "I knew she looked familiar!"

With a snort, Sakura sits down to looks at Ataru's resume. "Trying
to pick up my daughter won't guarantee I'll hire you, Moroboshi!" she sternly
announces.

Ataru immediately takes a seat in front of Sakura's desk. Even
though he knows Sakura, she STILL outranks him and the economic future of his
own family depends on him getting a job here. "I wasn't trying to pick up
your daughter," Ataru retorts. "We met over some goons called the
Toranotenshi."

"I see," Sakura turns towards her daughter. "Is that true?"

"Yeah," Seiteki smiles. "You should've seen him, Mom! He beat up
those goons like he was making okonomiyaki!"

"I understand. But, since Moroboshi-san is to be interviewed by me,
why don't you go wait somewhere else until we're done."

"But, I wanna stay with Onii-chan!!!"

"You'll be a bad influence..."

"I WANNA STAY WITH ONII-CHAN!!!!"

"Er...I don't mind," Ataru looks meek.

Seiteki sits on Ataru's lap and begins to hug him lovingly. "It's
settled," she coos as she kisses him. "I stay with Onii-chan!"

Sakura stares coldly at Ataru. Soon, he is covered with snow. Even
frost comes out of Sakura's mouth. "Okay, you can stay! But, please calm
yourself, Seiteki!"

"Y-you m-mean s-she a-always l-like t-this?" Ataru shivers.

"She's rather tame now," Sakura replies, not impressed by how her
daughter is acting around a person she once thought was the most annoying and
troublesome idiot she ever met.

Finally, despite Seiteki's behaviour, the interview begins. "I see
you graduated first in your class," Sakura looks over Ataru's resume. "Both
Shinobu Miyaki and Koosei Ryooki have put in good words for you."

"My speciality is teaching geography," Ataru speaks up.

"How ironic," Sakura replies. "We have an opening in the geography
department with the retirement of Takeda-san."

"Takeda-san?" Ataru remembers the teacher's name from his days at
Tomobiki High School as a student. "Wasn't she Jariten's and Minami's
homeroom teacher?"

"Yes, she was," Sakura sighs. "They were members of her final
class. A pity about what happened to Minami. Ten loved her dearly."

"He still misses her," he muses.

"I noticed you and Lum spent time at the Ishinomaki Womens' Schools,"
Sakura continues.

"I worked at the Junior High School and Lum was at the Girls' Primary
Academy."

"We can offer Lum a job helping with the exchanges between Earth and
elsewhere," Sakura nods. "Next year, we're having an increase in the number
of alien students."

"She'll be pleased to hear about that," Ataru smiles. "Up in
Ishinomaki, we didn't get many foreign students, let alone aliens. That's
changing in the Girls' High School and the Young Womens' Academy; Reiko-chan
has an Oni and a Tritonian classmate now."

"You'll also need to relocate."

"No problem," Ataru smiles. "My parents want to move into an
apartment. The house is too big for them to live on their own and Dad wants
to retire from his company."

"Oh, he's still working in the same company?" Sakura asks.

"Yes, he is," Ataru muses. "Everyone is starting to say 'Is he STILL
here?'"

Ataru chuckles at his joke but Sakura joins in with cold silence
which quickly ends his laughter. It's obvious that Sakura is going to be hard
to please like always...and Seiteki wasn't helping.

Ataru remembers his visits back to his former home over the years.
*Funny how Fate can change things.* Shortly after he married Lum and before
the loss of Henry and Koishii, Ataru never thought about visiting his parents
unless it was to kill them. But after Koishii and Henry were lost, Ataru
began to feel life, despite possessing a 800-year lifespan, was too short to
spend hating the very people who brought you into it. At first, the visits
were tense and short, but soon, they became longer and more relaxed. Even
Nokoko and Mal had come down on occasion with their daughter Katsura.
Biggest surprise of all was Reiko, who once vowed she'd never acknowledge
Muchi and Kinshou as her adopted grandparents. Today, most relations between
the Moroboshi Clan have been repaired...although his mother still on occasion
moos toward Rishiri-tou.

"As you know, being a part-time teacher is different than full-time,"
Sakura breaks Ataru's train of thought. "Do you think you can handle a class
full of teenagers, some of whom are not from this planet?"

Before he can answer, Seiteki kisses him again. "I don't know about
that," she coos. "But can he handle a little girl like me?"

*THIS is Sakura's daughter?!* he mentally compares the two. Sakura
is as straight as they come and as long as he has known her, has always been
that way...even with the stories Koosei had told him when she was at North
Tokyo High. Seiteki, despite being only twelve and built like a
fourteen-year- old, is so bold, he begins to feel emotions he long thought
dormant since he contributed to the Grand Design returning.

"Please excuse my daughter," Sakura groans. "She usually doesn't act
his way with any boy older than her!"

"Let's play 'jarou-ya,'" Seiteki demands.

"What's jarou-ya?" Ataru asks.

"You really DON'T want to know, Ataru," Sakura groans. "Seiteki,
DOWN, girl!"

Reluctantly, Seiteki breaks off her seduction of Ataru and sits on
another chair in the office. "Sorry, Mom," she sighs dreamily as she phantom-
kisses Ataru.

"W-well," Ataru tries to get his mind back on the interview. "As
long as they can behave, I'll do my best!"

"I see," Sakura nods. "Well, I don't think there's anything left to
ask." Sakura stands and offers her hand to shake. "We'll be in touch in a
week if you get the job."

"Thanks," Ataru stands, bows, then shakes her hand. "I hope next
time I see you, you'll be my boss!"

"I do, too," Sakura bows. "I think."

"Someday, I'll be your student!" Seiteki coos. "Care to teach me
some lessons now?"

Ataru blushes before rushing out of the office. *Is that daughter of
hers for real?! Maybe I'll be lucky and she'll calm down before she gets to
high school!*

Lost in thought, he misses a step and falls down the stairs!

* * *

Lum pilots her ship back to Earth. Amora sleeps in the back of the
ship; the excitement of the day with all the boys finally getting the best of
her. As she sits behind the helm, Lum barely sees the stars slip by as she is
lost in thought. The biggest thought which fills her head is Lara Skelad.

Lum had rarely heard of the Skelads. The family's chief focus was on
economic matters. As one might expect, they were probably rich but, in the
days of the Union government, they would've had little in the way of direct
political or military influence. Their power would be indirect because
someone had to pay the bills the Defense Force ran up and all the other
things the Imperial Round did when in charge. Still, something within Lara
seems to put her on edge...like her mentor Nassur would be...when she met
her. *Nassur- chan...I wish he and Benten-chan were around to find out why I
feel this way.* Even though becoming a Sagussan dimmed most of the *pe'cha*
bond between her and her mentor, there are still times she feels...something.
She couldn't explain it because the feelings changed from situation to
situation. Sometimes, it was like a little voice telling her to be wary.
Other times, it was stronger, as if someone was trying to take over her body
for Lyna knew what purposes when something bad happened. Catty, when Lum
visited Sagussa last time, stated to her there was nothing physically wrong
with her, just that she was getting used to the final stages of her evolution
to becoming a Sagussan.

That was years ago. The feelings haven't disappeared and since she
met Lara, they appeared stronger than ever. It almost seems like two people
are trying to contact her.

Why?

* * *

The next day was Sunday. Reiko has gone out on the town with her
friends while Nokoko and the other Nendo-kata are busy. The only ones in the
house are Lum, Ataru and Amora, who spends the day as usual: eating chocolate
and watching television.

Lum always wonders about Amora. Sure, she is bright and intelligent,
but she is discovering boys (not like Seiteki has). Dressed in loud-patterned
stretch pants and a white, baggy T-shirt, she looks like millions of other
Japanese children her age...except for one thing: she eats tons of chocolate
and never exercises! She should be as wide as she is tall for the amount of
chocolate she eats and how little she moves (her physical education marks put
her physical abilities very low in her age bracket). But, Amora is as thin as
a rail; even her stretch pants are loose on her skinny legs. But there is one
side-effect from Amora's chocolate mania: she has the worse teeth in all of
Japan!

Ataru is on the phone talking to Sakura. "Okay, I'll consider
it...'bye," he says before hanging up and turning to his wife. "Sakura. The
job is mine if I want it."

"That's nice," Lum smiles. "When will you have to make a commitment?"

"Well," Ataru sits down. "We still haven't heard from that job up in
Hokkaido."

"You mean the one near Grandma?"

"That's right. It has better benefits and more pay...but, they
aren't offering you a job like Tomobiki High School is."

"So, you want to live up near Grandma..."

"I want us to be together!" Ataru interrupts. "Shit, Lum, I don't
want to have us only seeing ourselves on weekends and holidays." He takes Lum
by the hand and they look lovingly into each other's eyes. "If we move, it
will be together not apart!"

"I understand, Darling," Lum sighs.

The doorbell rings. "Who can that be?!" Ataru tenses as a familiar
rush races through his system, then heads to the foyer.

At the door is Shinobu Miyaki and her daughter Junba. "Hello there,
Ataru-kun," Shinobu gives Ataru a kiss on the cheek.

"Hello, Uncle Ataru," Junba bows reverently to him.

Ataru notices except for the ears, which are tapered, and the dark
brown hair in a pony-tail, Junba looks like a young Benten. She is dressed in
a baseball undershirt with PROPERTY OF THE YOMIURI GIANTS printed on it, gym
shorts, and a Nihon Ham Fighters' baseball cap on her head. She looks very
cute to Ataru; a rival to his own pair of daughters. "How's little Aiotoga?!"
Ataru pats her on the head. "Have you been a good child?"

"Yeah," Junba removes her baseball cap.

Shinobu and Junba enter and remove their shoes. Now dressed in a
cute white dress, Shinobu looks at peace with herself for the first time in a
while. She had a hard time since her involvement in the Grand Design ended.
Being both a single mother AND Kyotos' princess was taxing on anyone's
nerves...not to mention an Ebola outbreak in the Congo three years before.
These days, she leaves her responsibilities in Kyotos to her grand duchess
royal, Carona, thus permitting her to concentrate on raising Junba and become
a school nurse and health teacher. Still unmarried, Shinobu seems to be
comfortable being a single mother of an adopted child. "Oh, sure you have!"
Shinobu kids her daughter. "She and Dansei Fujinami have been tearing up
Onigakkou Public School together!"

Junba blushes. "We've only been beating up bullies, Mom!"

"Just like her mother!" Ataru hides a laugh. "Lum and Amora are in
the living room." He leads them into the living room. "Lum-chan. Shinobu
and Junba are here!"

A broad smile comes to Lum's face as she greets her former classmate
and the daughter of her missing best friend and mentor. "How nice!" the Oni
woman smiles, then she notices Junba and sadness overcomes her. "B-Benten?"

Junba looks at Lum strangely. "Who's Benten, Aunt Lum?"

Lum tenses. *This couldn't be Benten!* she scolds herself.
*Benten's been missing for years...but, she looks so much like her!* "Sorry,
Junba," Lum blushes. "You just look like your mother when she was your age."

"Really?" Junba asks. "Everyone says I don't look at all like my
mother!"

"Maybe you do," Ataru saves them, "...in some way."

Shinobu turns towards Junba. "Aiotoga, why don't you and Amora-chan
go out and play while I visit Ataru-kun and Lum?"

"Sure," Junba nods.

Amora nearly falls through the floor in shock. "Do I hafta play with
Junba? She always wants to play rough games!"

"You need the exercise, Amora-chan," Ataru taps his younger daughter.
"All you do is sit around, watch TV and eat chocolate! Girls who do that
get fat and bad teeth!"

"But..."

Before Amora can say any more, she is dragged away by Junba to the
back door. "C'mon, Amora," she smiles slyly. "Lemme show you what 'Gojira'
Matsui taught me about swinging a bat!"

"Sports are so ungirly!" Amora yells in protest. "You are a girl,
ain'tcha?!"

Her protests fall on deaf ears as Junba drags Amora out the door by
her T-shirt. Ataru and Shinobu then turn to Lum. "Lum, are you all right?"
he asks. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"You nearly told Aiotoga that she was adopted," Shinobu looks at both
of them. "Let ME tell her that someday!"

"Sorry," Lum replies. "But, I've been getting those strange feelings
ever since I went to the christening."

"What sort of feelings?" Ataru asks.

"I don't know. They began when I met the Urusian ambassador to
Earth, Lara Skelad."

"Lara Skelad?" Shinobu blinks confusedly. "I'm not familiar with
that House. But, I heard somewhere that she's the new Urusian Ambassador to
Earth."

"I'm not familiar with them either," Lum replies. "But, the word
back home is the family's very rich. They ship all over the place. Anyway, I
started feeling as if I were in contact with Nassur and Benten."

"But that's impossible," Shinobu blinks. "Both Nassur-kun and Benten
have been missing for years. All the searches conducted by the hybrids,
Dakejinzou and Varanko, have been in vain. There's been no evidence over what
happened to them. Only rumours."

"I know," Lum sits. "But, it's like I know they're alive, like the
same way I felt after Koishii-chan was lost. Like we're able to contact each
other at some level."

Ataru looks at Shinobu. "Shinobu, you were *pe'cha* with Nassur," he
asks. "Do you feel anything like Lum is feeling?"

"Nope," Shinobu replies immediately. "But, I was human when we
became *pe'cha.* That could make a difference."

"I see," Ataru sighs. "But, if it gets worse, Lum, we'll go see Chie
or go to Sagussa and get to the bottom of it!"

"*Tcha!*" Lum nods.

Ataru turns back to Shinobu. "Now, Shinobu," he asks slyly. "How's
Junba doing in her job as a batgirl at Tokyo Dome?"

Hours pass and everyone puts aside Lum's feelings in favour of a
quiet visit. Lum and Ataru are informed of the latest goings-on in Shinobu's
life...a life getting back together since the loss of so many people she
loved. Junba soon returns with a semi-conscious Amora, who collapsed after
fielding only five ground balls a little leaguer could handle without any
problem. Reiko returned home and the two families then had dinner together
before Shinobu took Junba o visit her Nendo-kata sister Nintaiko and her
family.

* * *

Hours later, Lum and Ataru go to bed. Amora, barely able to finish
her dinner before conking out, snores inside the mess she calls her room.
Reiko goes to bed after finishing her homework. But, sleep does not come to
Lum easily this night. Sure, her Darling snores without any concern for
anything...like he normally does. But Lum's mind is too full of questions to
permit sleep to take her. *Why do I feel so suspicious of Lara Skelad? Why
did I react in such a way to Junba? Why was I always thinking about Nassur
and Benten so much today? Why am I always starting questions with the word
'why?'*

The questions are endless and the answers evasive as time slipped by.
It is two o'clock and Lum decides to enter the Dreamscape to take her mind
off things. Lum hadn't been a regular user of the Dreamscape since the
Battle of Uru, but she dabbled with it once in a while. Usually, it was
empty of the other *daishi'cha* owing to the fact they had other important
things, like building a society.

Entering the Dreamscape, Lum feels different. Unlike her previous
encounters with this psychic Internet, this time she enters a realm of total
darkness. There are no signs of anyone nor are there any structures...only
an endless sea of black...with two large, glowing stars coming towards her at
warp speed.

Lum looks at the stars and they are as beautiful as anything she
could imagine. They stop before her and hover like hummingbirds in front of a
flower. "What...who are they?" she asked herself. All the times she has
accessed the Dreamscape, she has never come across anything like this before.

"We finally got a hold of you, Lum-chan," one of the stars announces
in a man's voice which sounds very familiar. "This must mean you have come in
contact with Lara Skelad."

"N-Nassur...?" Lum gulps upon recognizing the voice. "Is that really
you? What's going on? How can you access the Dreamscape?!"

"We can't answer that," the other star answers in a very familiar
female voice. "Because we can't explain it ourselves."

"B-Benten?" she gulps upon recognizing that voice. "But that's
impossible! You've both been missing for years! I must have stepped into
Hunba's dream site by mistake."

"You haven't!" Nassur's star announces. "We've always been with you
and will always be with you...until your dying day."

"We've waited all this time," Benten's star adds, "...to carry out
our last mission. You have made contact with Lara Skelad. We must stop her
or else all of what you and Ataru have done will be destroyed!"

"What do you mean?" Lum asks.

"We can't explain," Nassur replies. "In the cold, dark place we are,
we need a body to carry out our mission. It will be hard on you and it could
cause problems with you and Ataru and your other friends, but we will try to
be understanding. Will you be that body?"

Lum thinks. Nassur and Benten are in a cold, dark place? But where?
There are thousands of places like that in the known Galaxy, if not on Earth
itself...if Nassur and Benten are both still alive, that is. And why are
they after Lara Skelad for?

"Your mind is filled with questions. We will explain," Benten
replies. "Look into our light!"

Lum looks into the two stars' light...

...and all hell breaks loose in her mind!

* * *

Meanwhile in our reality, Ataru continues to sleep unaware of what
has just happened to Lum in the Dreamscape. He doesn't notice a woman's
shadow appearing over him which has been formed by a body standing in front
of the light of the moon coming through the window. The voice of Benten
tries to stir him from his slumber. "Ataru!" Benten says. "Wake up!"

A pillow hits Ataru in the face and he wakes up immediately. Dumbly,
he looks around for the person who hit him. "Whozzat?" he groggily tries to
wake up.

"Have we been gone so long that you've forgotten the sounds of our
voices?"

Ataru's eyes grow big as he realizes who is talking to him. "B-
Benten?" he gasps. "Is that really you?"

"You remember!" Benten says in her characteristic cynicism. "You
should, since you tried to kiss me the first time we met!"

Ataru notices the woman-shaped body in the darkness. In what little
light there is, Ataru can make out few details. The woman has her hair up,
like Benten normally did. He also could see the glint of something metallic
across her chest. A chain maybe? But, Ataru could not be sure. He wasn't
used to being caught off-guard this way since he became a Sagussan and he
feels both terrified and in awe of what has happened. "I was a different man
then," he replies. "Where have you been?"

"We don't know," Benten replies. "But we seem to be both still be
there."

"'We?'" he asks before he feels the barrel of a gun pointed at the
back of his head. "I-is this some sort of joke?" he gulps, knowing no matter
what he can do, he cannot dodge a laser beam at this close range. "T-there's
no need for violence, please."

"Forgive us taking liberties with you, Ataru," Nassur says. "We only
wanted to test you to make sure you're up to fight what's coming. We thought
living a life of a Terran had made you soft!"

"Nassur, is that you?" Ataru recognizes the voice of the long-lost
Vosian. "What are you talking about? What test? What in Lyna's name is
going on here?"

"Lum has already agreed to help us carry out our final mission,"
Nassur replies. "Will you do it as well?"

"What final mission?!" Ataru tenses for a counter-attack.

"You must stop Lara Skelad," Nassur says.

"Lara Skelad?" he mumbles. "Who is she?"

"She is someone who will destroy all you have worked to avoid,"
Nassur replies.

"I see," Ataru nods...

...then attacks. With a back kick, his foot connects with a body. He
feels the gun moving away. He hears a thump of the body hitting the bed and
the clunk of the gun landing beside him. Ataru grabs the gun, turns and
points it at the body laying on the bed. "Living on Earth hasn't made me
soft, Nassur...or whoever you are!"

"Darling," Lum gasps. "What are you doing? Why are your pointing
that gun at me?"

Ataru looks surprised to hear Lum's voice. "L-lum?" he turns on the
nearby light.

When his eyes adjust to the brightness, he sees Lum on the bed and he
is holding a *qu'f-piaqu'r* in his hand. "W-what is going on?" he gasps. "I
could've killed you?"

"That's my line!" Lum looks rightly upset. "I couldn't sleep, so I
accessed the Dreamscape and met Nassur and Benten!"

Ataru relaxes and lowers the musket. "Nassur and Benten never could
access the Dreamscape!" he replies. "Even if they were still around here!"

"They wanted my help to stop Lara Skelad from doing something bad!"
Lum frets as what happened to her finally registers in her mind. "But, I
can't remember what it is!"

"Funny," Ataru sits beside his wife as he scratches the back of his
head. "Nassur and Benten appeared wanting me to do the same!"

Lum hugs her husband tightly. Ataru can feel her shivers of fear.
Right, like he was not afraid as well! "What is going on?"

"I don't know," he shrugs. "But, we're going to Chie first thing in
the morning!"

"Dad? Mom?"

They notice Reiko standing at the door. The Noukiite looks as if
something had just awakened her and she went to see what it was. "What's
going on?" she then notices the gun. "Why are you pointing the
*qu'f-piaqu'r* at Mom for?"

"It's nothing, Reiko," Ataru stows the musket. "Just a bad dream."

"Funny," Reiko continues. "I thought I sensed four people in this
room but now I only sense and see two!"

Ataru and Lum look concerned. Reiko is both telekinetic and
telepathic; if anyone was here, she would know. What she claims to have
sensed only further complicates things. "Do you know where those other two
people are and who they were?" he asks.

Reiko thinks a moment before giving her answers. "It's real
strange! It seemed to be Mom's friends Nassur and Benten. They were here one
moment...then they were gone the next like they were never here!" Reiko
shrugs. "But that's not right!"

"What do you mean?" Lum wonders.

"If they were dead as some people think, they would be facing King
Muchach, then reborn," Reiko muses. "I guess they must be still alive
somewhere."

Ataru and Lum look confusedly at each other.

* * *

The next morning after Amora and Reiko go to school, Lum and Ataru
arrive at Chie's shrine in Tsuchiura. The old Shinto priest's shrine still
looks as intimidating as ever as the couple enter the grounds. Once inside,
they notice the shrine is as empty as an open field. "Where is Chie?" Ataru
asks himself. "He said he was going to be here today!"

"I don't know," Lum shrugs. "Maybe he had to be called away for
something."

Then suddenly, the lights go out and everything goes dark as
pitch...except for a little light in front of them mirroring a
horrible-looking face. "You've arrived finally," a voice so gothic, it could
scare Leonard Cohen, asks. "It's about time!"

"What the...?!!" they scream in horror.

Ataru and Lum hammer the face with a pair of sledgehammers. When the
lights come back on, they notice the face belongs to none other than Chie
Budou who was holding a lit flashlight to his face. "I was looking for a
blown fuse when you arrived," he groans.

"Why can't you look for stuff like that like NORMAL people?!" Ataru
yells. "You nearly scared us to death...and we're both got 800-year
lifespans!"

"Sorry," he sighs. "What's the problem?"

Lum explains the situation. After Chie muses about Nassur's and
Benten's previous inability to access the Dreamscape, Ataru then explains his
encounter with the missing hunters. After confirming that this is the first
time this has happened, Chie then inquires about Lara Skelad. "Well," Lum
tries to remember meeting the ambassador. "She was very youthful-looking and
flighty...like I was when I first came to Earth. She seemed to be very
cheerful and happy. Yet, I feel like I should be beating her up."

"I see. You have a 'Lolita Complex!'"

Lum and Ataru fall over!! "That's NOT it!" Lum yells at the old
Shinto priest. "I'm not attracted to her at all! Do you think I'd want
anyone outside Darling and Noa-chan?!"

"Thank the gods," Chie sighs with relief. "I thought you were
getting into something sado-masochistic there!"

"Are you REALLY a priest or do you just act like one?!" Ataru snarls
back.

"I have to look at ALL the options," Chie replies. "It seems Lum has
a fixation on her missing friends and this Lara person. Lum, when you last
met Nassur and Benten, did they mention anything about this Lara."

"The last time we met," Lum tries to remember back to that time long
ago. "They visited us shortly after the Tag Race to see how Darling and I
were doing!"

"I remember!" Ataru adds. "Nassur offered to train Koishii-chan in
kari-fugh. I said she'd be better off training on Sagussa because their
martial forms more advanced than anywhere else."

"And was he upset about that?"

"Disappointed," Ataru scratches his head. "But, he seemed to accept
my decision."

"Did they mention anything about their last mission?" Chie asks Lum
again.

"If I remember correctly," Lum tries to remember. "Benten mentioned
they were helping the new Urusian government to look for Imperial supporters
hidden as moles. It seems the Sagussans got the open supporters and didn't
think to look for the ones who would be hiding behind the scenes."

"I heard about that," Chie nods in remembrance. "The court cases
made the Recruit Scandal look tame! Something like fifty people were
convicted of supporting the Imperials either through secret loans or being
planted as spies inside the Democratic Alliance to report on their
activities."

"I see," Lum nods. "All of that happened when Darling and I were on
Sagussa. We were too busy to notice it."

"It's obvious," Chie announces suddenly.

"What is?" Ataru asks.

"We don't know what is going on!"

A cannon goes off and Lum and Ataru faint! "Sometimes I wonder who
is MORE incompetent, you or Sakura!" Ataru snarls.

"What I can tell you is that the spirits of Nassur and Benten have
somehow managed to possess Lum's body!" Chie replies.

"Possess?!" Ataru gulps.

Chie pulls out his spirit sensor and points it at Lum. The veins
flutter freely. "Look. Such a strong powerful aura!"

"Can you do something about it?"

"I'll try!" Chie says before standing up to swing his spirit sensor
and chant. "Exorcise! Purify! Exorcise! Purify!"

The spirit sensor snaps. "Gods! Their spirits are stronger than I
thought!"

They notice the light around Lum growing darker and her demeanour
changes into some sort of mixture of Benten's and Nassur's body gestures.
"Why are you trying to harm us?" Lum says in a voice that is the mixture of
all three. "We mean Lum no harm! We only need a vessel to finish our
mission!"

"What is going on?" Chie asks Lum. "If you are dead, why are you
trying to finish this mission you talk about?"

"We are NOT dead!" the voices reply. "But, we are unable to come to
Earth for reasons we don't know or understand! As for our mission, if we
don't finish this, then millions on Earth, Uru and Sagussa may die!"

"Such high stakes," Ataru gulps. "What must we do?"

"You must stop Lara Skelad," the voices continue. "She is..."

Lum sags. "Her body weakens. We must stop! We'll tell you later!"

"Wait!" Ataru yells to grab his wife before she falls. "Don't go
yet!"

Lum looks exhausted. "Darling, what happened?" she blinks. "I feel
like I ran a marathon, then banged my head against a brick wall for the rest
of the day after!"

"You mean you don't remember what just happened?" Ataru asks.

"Nope."

"I see," Chie nods before turning towards Ataru. "May I talk with
you somewhere in private, Ataru?" he asks cryptically. "Lum can rest here for
now!"

In the bathroom, Chie faces Ataru. "This is serious!" the old priest
doesn't mince words. "Lum is possessed by two spirits so powerful that I
can't even save her!"

"That's impossible!" Ataru gulps. "Lum has been genetically enhanced
to be a Sagussan as has I. We can't be possessed!"

"How do you know Sagussans can't?" he asks calmly. "After
interacting with Sagussans from time to time, I have found them to be a little
on the arrogant side."

"Arrogant?!" Ataru looks defensive. "What do you mean?"

"They try to use their technology to find answers when they should
use something else."

"Which is?"

"Faith," Chie smiles. "Oh, there is a kind of spirituality on
Sagussa, but when it comes down to the ultimate in faith, they're as
emotionless about it as they were before they first met you."

"What are you saying?"

"There are things above technology. The Sagussans have yet to learn
that there are some things even stronger than them."

"So, what does this have to do with Lum?"

"I'll have to see if I can get some alien friends of mine to see if
they can help Lum," Chie hums. "But for that, I must be able to supervise her
here as much as possible."

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Ataru gulps.

"Yes," Chie nods. "Sakura says she offered you and Lum jobs at
Tomobiki High School but you haven't yet decided on whether or not to accept
them."

"Well, I want to see what that job in Hokkaido is offering..."

Chie looks Ataru in the eye sternly. "You have seen what happens
when Nassur's and Benten's spirits take over Lum," he says. "It is easier for
me to help her here than it is in Oshika or Hokkaido! Understand?!"

"I see your point!" Ataru shivers. "Lyna, you look really scary up
close! But, I want some other opinions before I make up my mind!"

Chie relaxes. "Understandable!" he nods. "But, don't wait too
long! Until then," a sly smile appears on his face when there is a small peep
coming from his pocket. "...I've got to look after my tamagotchi!" He pulls
out a computer game from his pocket.

* * *

On the train ride back to Oshika, Ataru and Lum sit quietly. They
are almost halfway home before either of them says anything. "What did Chie
say?" Lum finally asks him.

"Well," Ataru looks nervous. "He says he'll try to help you. But,
it won't be easy. So I'm looking for other opinions."

"Why won't you help us, Ataru?" Nassur's voice says coming from Lum.
"We only want to save lives. Don't you?"

Ataru looks a little rattled by what has just happened. "I do want
to save lives. It's just that you haven't given us a reason not to think
you're hurting Lum."

"I see," Benten replies. "There are other people to talk to besides
that crazy old dork. There's a whole base of them in space."

Lum then returns to normal. "What just happened, Darling?"

"Oh, they possessed you again, Lum!"

Lum looks upset. "Again! *Tcha!* I'd like to know what I did to
deserve this?!"

"So would I!" Ataru sighs. "Do you still have the number to Home
Base?!"

"Yes, I think I do!"

"Good," Ataru stands in the aisle. "Now, we can get into the bottom
of this...!"

Before Ataru can get to the bottom of anything, he is run over from
behind by a group of passengers led by a young salaryman carrying a bottle of
an energy drink. "Get a little 'Genki' and do your best!" he sings to the
tune of a popular commercial jingle.

*What a time for the writers to stick in an obscure pun!* Ataru
muses...

* * *

Hours later, after Ataru and Lum return home, he uses the videophone
to call Home Base. It has been a long time since Ataru or Lum has dealt with
Nassur's hybrids...almost since the loss of Henry and Koishii. He had heard
through the Intergalactic News Network about some of their adventures. For
the most part, the fifty young Vosian-Ipraedies hybrids are doing well enough
to bring honour to the two people who risked their lives to librate them from
Project: Superwarrior. The last of them, Yukio, had earned a name for
herself as an Executioner in Kyotos, even going as far as becoming an
earl-countessa in a district close to the principality's capital city.

After going through the e-mail section of Home Base's computer (we
won't tell you what she programmed as a web page but remember the Emergency
Medical Hologram?...M.S.), Ataru finally gets hold of Hazel at the office her
adoptive parents used. She had changed a lot in looks since he had last seen
her at the Battle of Uru. Now physically sixteen, she has shed most of her
childish cuteness for the ravishing beauty of an adult. She is also a lot
heavier than the last time he saw the former feral child, at least by fifty
kilos. But the excess weight makes her even more attractive than a thin girl
the same age. Because of this, her green and gold sleeveless uniform is
stretched to its limit and her kill-belt is tied around one of her thighs
instead of her ample waist. With the amount of cleavage showing, Ataru could
agree with Nassur's concerns over her lack of protective clothing on missions
before he went missing.

"Sempai!" a wide smiles comes to Hazel's face when she looks into the
videoscreen, then she apologizes for her obesity.

Ataru smiles back. "There's no doubt you're part-Ipraedies! This
isn't a social call, unfortunately. Do you know anything about Nassur's and
Benten's last mission?"

"Sensei's and Benten's last mission?!" she hums. "It was for the
Urusian government. They were trying to find hidden Imperials with influence
on government policies."

"I know that. Were they looking after someone in particular...like
the Skelads?"

"Skelads? That name sounds familiar. Let me look it up." Hazel
turns to a nearby computer terminal and her fingers tap out the request.
Seconds later, there is a response. "I was right. Sensei and Benten were
investigating the Skelads who may have been secretly bankrolling some of the
Imperial Round. According to the last transmission, Sensei and Benten were
going to Uru with proof of their links when they disappeared."

Ataru feels a chill slip down his spine. Once he knew that, even he
could figure out that Nassur's and Benten's disappearances weren't accidents.
They had been set up by someone in the Skelad family. But, why? What did
they find out that would be so dangerous? "Did you find out what information
they had?"

"I haven't a clue," Hazel replies with a shrug. "But without the
proof they had, the case against the Skelads fell apart and they were let free
after the hearings ended."

"I see," Ataru nods in understanding.

"How's Lum-sensei?" Hazel asks. "Is she all right since Koishii-
chan...?"

"We still grieve for Koishii-chan," Ataru interrupts. "But, she's
got another problem right now! It seems somehow, some way, both Nassur's and
Benten's spirits are possessing Lum and they want to finish their mission."

"Weird! I didn't know Sagussans could get possessed!"

"I didn't know myself! Maybe it's something to do with their
*pe'cha* bonds."

"I can't recall *pe'cha* bonds doing something like that," Hazel
thinks. "Usually when the bonded person dies, the link ends right there! A
non-Vosian would feel nothing, while a Vosian would feel like a piece of their
brain has been carved out."

"I see," Ataru mentally considers the possibilities, but winds up
with a headache. "If I need some help, I'll call you!"

"You've got it!" Hazel nods. "But, don't have any chocolate around
should I come," she pats her stomach. "I can barely get my kill-belt around
my thigh now!"

"Don't worry," Ataru smiles. "Amora can get rid of chocolate faster
than a vacuum cleaner around our house!"

After a laugh, Ataru cuts off contact. *If it's not pe'cha, then
WHAT is it?*

* * *

"You understand now?" Nassur wonders.

Ataru turns. Lum is standing at the doorway. "I'm beginning to,
Nassur," Ataru nods. "So what's the story?"

Lum sits down, then begins...

Nassur and Benten had found evidence the Skelads were secretly
financing the Imperials until the Sagussans destroyed the Round. But, what
they didn't know at the time was the Skelads had been using their wealth from
the business world to buy influence in the new government. Lara's father,
Slan, began such influence himself by first having his daughter appointed to
a key post in the Alliance Treaty Negotiation Committee, formed shortly after
the last Tag Race. He, then bought off a few "soft" democrats to slowly
undermine the treaties Earth has with Sagussa.

The reason was simple: have Earth break up with Sagussa, then
NOTHING could stop the Urusian Empire's return. Even Nagaiwakai and Zephyrus
are technically helpless against what the United Nations would decree.

With Sagussa isolated, the Skelads would use secretly developed
weaponry on the planet should they try to protest any break with Earth. The
weaponry itself is photon-based and designed to transport itself through a
series of wormholes, rendering the Galactic Barrier useless. Being photon-
based, the radiation would kill most of the Sagussans immediately upon impact
in a high densely populated area. The rest would die slowly and horribly from
incurable radiation sickness. It would also serve notice to the Zephyrites
that the Urusians meant business.

The logic of this, outside revenge, is unknown. The Skelads are
among the largest and richest business corporation on Uru with offices
everywhere in their space and in other parts of the known Galaxy. Their
corporation is so diverse, there's no way of telling where their weapons
plants are located or if they had succeeded in perfecting the weapons yet.

When Ataru hears what Nassur's and Benten's tale, an icy shiver of
cold snakes through him. He had naively thought once the political and
military arms of the Imperial Round were gone, their threat would be gone.
All the Sagussans succeeded did was drove the Imperials underground where
they could plot their revenge upon his adopted planet. "But, what's Lara
Skelad's role in all of this?"

"The last we heard," Benten's voice says through Lum, "...is that
Slan Skelad was seriously ill. When he dies, Lara will take over. According
to our intelligence, she would carry on his work."

"She's on Uru! Out of our reach!"

"Oh?" Lum holds up a newspaper with the headline AMBASSADOR LARA WOWS
THEM AT URUSIAN EMBASSY IN TOKYO.

Ataru's jaw nearly hits the floor. "S-she's here?" he gasps. "But,
why?"

"She is the new Urusian Ambassador."

Ataru scans the article. It details a party thrown in honour of her
appointment, but little else about her. Does she still harbour the resentment
of Sagussa her father had? He had to know.

"Darling," Lum interrupts. "Take that job at Tomobiki High School,
please."

Ataru looks surprised then realizes it isn't Benten or Nassur talking
to him. "Lum, do you know what you're saying?"

"*Tcha,*" tears form in her eyes. "I know you don't consider Nassur
and Benten your friends, but they've always had our best interests at heart.
When they sensed danger to us, they tried to warn us about it. They may be
dead now, but it's up to us to carry out their last wish. We owe them that
much."

Ataru takes Lum by the hands and gazes lovingly into her eyes. The
soft sounds of violins flow in the background. "Lum," he sniffs. "It might
mean a return to the hell we worked to stay away from. We've no proof of what
they're saying is true!"

"Perhaps. But what if Nassur and Benten are telling the truth?
Darling, I was just as sceptical as you are. But my interaction with them
erased my doubts!"

"But, how? For all you know, this could be a trick."

"I understand how you feel, Darling," Lum nods. "But, I've always
had faith in them. They have never proven me wrong!"

Ataru is silent for a moment. He has never been much of a spiritual
person, even after interacting with the *te'a* and Lyna. But listening to
Lum and seeing how she has been acting since this began, he knew what Chie
had said to him has been true. He had to have FAITH. "Okay, Lum," he
smiles. "We take the jobs. But at the first sense of betrayal, we're outta
that slime pit! Got that?!"

"*Tcha!*" Lum nods and they hug each other tightly...

* * *

Late that afternoon at a huge, tiger-striped building in downtown
Tokyo housing the Urusian Embassy, Lara Skelad is busy working in her office.
The building was once a factory which had gone belly up after a lean period in
Japan's economic history in the early 1990s. Unoccupied, except by the
occasional street person, the Urusian government bought the building and the
land shortly after the Alliance Treaty. Rebuilding it took months and it took
more months to decide who would be the first ambassador. Lara Skelad had more
experienced and willing candidates to top. It is amazing what money to the
right people can do for a career.

Lara's office is a huge room about the size of an average house in
Japan with the walls, ceiling, and floors painted in tiger designs and lots
of paintings and flags from her home planet in full view. The room is also
highly computerized with Lara working at her personal terminal to finish the
paperwork from the past day. The work she had to do is routine: signing
visas for visitors of Uru from Earth, preparing schedules for her workers,
and the regular authorizations for the next day.

A door opens to reveal a cute Kurokaminoke-seishin man in his late
twenties. "Lara-sama," he bows to her.

"You must be Popok Aruka!" Lara beams, rising to greet him. "Welcome
to Tokyo. How are you?"

"Very fine and ready to serve, Lara-sama," he nods, sitting at the
chair across from the ambassador. "When your agents contacted me and asked
for my assistance, I was surprised. I can't believe you're willing to go
this far to restore the Empire."

Lara sighs. "I know. But the animals who destroyed all we've
supported and indirectly killed our fathers won't like it when we bring Earth
under our fold. They're too arrogant and idealistic for my taste. They need
to be eliminated. Don't forget, it was they who built the creature that
killed your father."

"True," Popok's eyes flash as he remembers the dark day his mother
told him, then a boy of fifteen, about his father's death at the hands of
Ataru Moroboshi's Cyborg persona prior to the Colony Four Massacre. "But if
you desire my opinion on the matter, Lara-sama, our eyes should be turned
toward Noukiios, not Sagussa."

"Noukiios?!" Lara snaps. "Those ingrates?! Be serious!"

"I am," Popok warns. "You haven't been keeping in touch with what's
going on there, Lara-sama. Do you know that there's now a drive to emancipate
the remaining slaves still active in the Dominion and eradicate the Naihu from
the Ten Orders?"

Lara stops, staring at him. "No, I didn't know that. But I fail to
see the problem..."

"The problem is our lack of understanding towards Noukiios and their
culture, just like our ancestors failed to understand when we conquered
Noukiios," he sighs. "Five thousand years ago, their founding king, Muchach
Euket', decreed there would be TEN Orders, super-castes if you will, dividing
Noukiite society. With the Naihu gone, there'll only be nine."

"So promote one up," she proposes.

"They will," Popok nods. "The Ip'ihu."

Lara stops, her blood chilling. If there was one group even she
never wanted to tackle, it was the Wolf People, as the Ip'ihu were commonly
known on Uru. Since well before Noukiios' liberation in the Union Revolution,
these two-legged predators had, with near-total immunity, ravaged Urusians at
will. First the colonial administration during the Occupation, then Urusians
in general in the years after, seizing Noukiios' colony planets Okusei,
Kurrusei and Tunchusei (once earmarked for Urusian colonization in the peace
treaty signed between Uru and Noukiios after the Revolution) along the way.
Try as they might, Noukiios couldn't control the Ip'ihu. But if they opened
the doors and accepted the Wolf People back...?

"Gods!" Lara shakes her head. "It's monstrous!"

"Indeed," Popok nods. "Further, the Ip'ihu's return would force all
Noukiites to remember that Muchach once decreed that the Ten Orders were NOT
meant to be a pyramid-type social structure. Their own version of democracy
would be unleashed right away. And we both know how democracies can succeed
when they're properly organized and running smoothly. The Noukiites've always
possessed a potential to make a democratic society; it's spelt out in their
holy texts. And if they do succeed, they'll be a power we'll have to reckon
with sooner or later. I rather not see that happen."

Lara nods understandingly. "How will it happen?"

"It's happening as we speak," Popok sighs as the ambassador sits
down. "Noukiite clerics are now going out to locate all Naihu and have them
re- baptised into other sects. The most well-know group are the Ip'achk'yep'
Noukihek...the Lost Stars of Noukiios."

"The group of esper warriors Lum-sama's husband saved some years
back," Lara nods. "He adopted one."

"That's right," he nods. "Despite her living here on Earth, despite
her not having gone home in the years since the Masters were killed, Reiko
Moroboshi is very famous. A priestess right now has been sent to Earth to
obtain her support. When that happens, all the Lost Stars would then be re-
baptized. And as a group, they would then become emissaries to the Ip'ihu to
bring them home."

"So what do you want to do about it?"

"Kill Reiko Moroboshi."

"No!" Lara snaps. "I will NOT condone that."

"Do you want us to fight a war with a Dominion charged with the
fervour the Ip'ihu have always expressed?!" Popok wonders.

"Why fight a war when we can coerce them?" Lara smiles. "Think.
Reiko is adopted, but she is still the elder daughter of our future Empress!
If we are seen to be willing to accept her, then the Noukiites'll believe
that we'll accept them. Coercion, Popok-san, not war. If the other castes
could be persuaded to be more friendly with us, the Ip'ihu would be
marginalized all the more. Without any support, they'll dry up like old
leaves. It'll take time, but it'll work and we wouldn't've had to do a
thing."

Popok considers the point, then nods. "I could accept that. I still
think there's a danger, but I could accept it."

"Good!" Lara rises, hand out. "Then, I welcome you as my chief of
staff, Popok-san. Let's make history."

Popok shakes her hand as the office door opens. "Forgive me, Madame
Ambassador, but I need your signature," a clerk walks in, a datapadd in hand.

"What is it?" Lara nods.

"A high school student wanting her visa extended so she could study
at a local college," the clerk hands her the padd. "This has already been
approved by the SCAA and the Japanese government."

Lara looks at the name. "Aya K'ech'chut'a?! Who's she?!"

"She's from Toshitto, a farmer's daughter," he supplies. "The school
she'll attend is the Ishinomaki Young Woman's Academy."

"I've heard of that place," Lara hums. "Has a bit of a sordid
reputation. Let me meet her."

The ambassador walks out into the visa/passport application centre.
Waiting by a counter is a single-horned Midorinokaminoke-oni dressed in a
tiger- striped button shirt and skirt. "Hi!" Lara holds out her hand. "I'm
Lara Skelad, the ambassador!"

"Aya K'ech'chut'a; my friends call me Willow," the younger woman
shakes her hand. "Congratulations on your appointment, Lara-san. I hope you
like it here."

"Well, you seem to like it here; you've been here for three years, I
see," Lara looks at the padd. "I've heard of the Young Woman's Academy; what
do you intend to study there?"

"Languages and music," Willow supplies. "They have one of the best
foreign languages departments I've ever seen, certainly one of the better
music schools. I want to go there for a year, then head to university."

"Where to?"

"Muchach Euket' Ch'uosungye..." Willow then flusters. "I'm sorry!
King Muchach University."

Lara blinks. "That's one of the most prestigious universities on
Noukiios...and one of the most exclusive! Your family has to have several
relatives who've attended there just to get in."

"Everyone in my family's gone either there or to Noukiios Dominion
University since after the Revolution," Willow shrugs.

Lara stares at the young woman, then scrolls the datapadd to learn
where Willow had been before. "You spent your junior high years on private
exchange on Noukiios."

"Yes," Willow nods. "My family's always done that."

By then, Popok has come up. "I noticed your family name, Aya-san.
It's a Noukiite name, isn't it?"

"Hai," Willow smiles.

"That would mean you're one of the 'Freedom 500' families, right?"
the chief-of-staff crosses his arms.

"That's us!" Willow beams.

Lara and Popok stare at the young woman, remembering tales of their
ancestors and how they were nearly ruined when all their businesses on
Noukiios were lost after the Liberation...and how five hundred Urusian
farming families like Willow's aided the Noukiites in throwing off their
oppressors. The ambassador then sighs, stabbing controls to mark her
approval. "There you go. Have a good time," she hands the padd back to the
surprised Willow before she and Popok walk away.

The younger Oni blinks. "Was it something you said?" the clerk
stares at her.

"Imperial wanna-bes," Willow snorts, winking assuredly at him before
turning to leave. "Gyaa, who needs them?!"

* * *

Around midnight, the hard hours of Lara's day began to catch up to
her. The videophone rings. Answering it immediately, the young Oni sees an
older Oni man dressed in a white lab coat on the screen. His hair, what
there is of it, is almost totally grey. He looked to be in his late fifties.
"Skelad-sama," the man nods. "We have the latest results in the testing of
the wormhole technology your father authorized before his untimely death."

A sparkle appears in the ambassador's eye when the news comes to her.
"Yes," she grins evilly. The light from the vidphone casts a more wicked
look when contrasted with the low lighting of her office. "It has been
almost three years since his project started. How did it do this time?"

"The prototype survived with minor damage from the stresses of the
wormhole," he smiles. "Our lab on Spotak reported the prototype went through
the Barrier with no problem."

"Excellent. And of the warhead tests?"

"The warhead was tested in our lab in the asteroid belts outside
Oyatsui this morning," the scientist reports. "It has proven strong enough
to destroy a city the size of Tokyo, leaving an estimated casualty rate of 99
percent from the initial blast. The photon radiation will leave the blast
site uninhabitable for the next two hundred years."

"Perfect!" her face stretches into a grin. "That should be
sufficient to wipe out any large settlement of Sagussa and finish off any
survivors! Operation: Breakapart will be a success once I begin pulling a
few strings with the UN over the next few years!"

"Skelad-sama," the scientist warns. "Do you think the Sagussans will
find out what we're doing and stop us?!"

An irritated look flashes across Lara's face. "Don't be silly!" she
snorts. "Those bimbos there don't even SUSPECT what we're planning to do!
The only ones who know the truth about me are now lab animals for Queen Elle
and her attempts to stay young forever! Once they find out what is going on,
it will be too late! Sagussa will be a radioactive wasteland and the
Imperials will be back in power as Father wanted them to be!"

Lara then cuts the contact with the scientist and fills the empty
building with maniacal laughter...

* * *

...but had she a camera located in a simple home located in a
beautiful grove near Onishuto, her confidence would be shattered because
someone who had secretly hounded her for the past decade was on to her.
"That's what you think, Lara," Numon chuckles as she relaxes in her chair,
turning to gaze outside at the flower garden she had meticulously planted over
the years she had lived here. "They're not all as naive as you want to
believe."

The grove had once been the site of the Renning mansion, once home to
Numon's "husband," General Uday Renning. An ambitious Imperial who had
secretly broken away from the Round to pursue his own goals, Uday and his
entourage was cut down one gory night after a failed assassination attempt
against Sugoi Seq, then under the protection of one of Sagussa's greatest
warriors, Master Chief Petty Officer Priss of Pathfinder Troop Six.

Numon herself had been a victim of Uday's arrogance; after the birth
of her daughter Shunran, she had been infected with the virus that provoked
Hifuto Syndrome, perhaps the deadliest disease in the known galaxy. Driven
mad by the Ebola-like filovirus, Numon deluded herself into believing Uday
loved her, that she needed to assert her proper place in the Renning family.
With that, she went to Earth during the Planet of Shadows mission to retrieve
her beloved Shunran and present her as a "proper" Imperial to her
brother-in-law and Uday's successor, Admiral Sayan Renning.

What happened next took most Urusians by surprise when the story came
out. The Sagussans, then protecting Earth from the Mikado and the
Niphentaxians, took pity on the dying woman, and used their medicine and the
regeneration matrix...plus DNA spliced from a *daishi'cha* named Irunmei,
herself dying of a mutation of Hifuto...cured Numon of a virus whose gross
mortality rate is a brutal 98 percent. Free of her insanity, Numon realized
what Uday did to her, then rejecting all ties to the Imperial Round, threw
her support behind the Democratic Alliance. It paid off; during the Imperial
Round trials, the Rennings were stripped of all their accumulated wealth,
everything handed to Numon, turning her overnight into one of Uru's richest
people.

She wasted no time putting that wealth to use. Numon spear-headed
advanced medical research, the financing of hospitals, walk-in clinics and
training centres, sponsoring exchange courses for doctors on Sagussa and other
worlds and advocating traditional medicines thought lost during the Seifukusu
occupation. She also focused on education, building schools and universities
that could teach the new generation of Urusians the meaning of participatory
democracy, to stand in the shoes of Syl Aruka and Yedris Seq and fight for the
rights of ALL Urusians.

But only a very select few knew the REALITY behind Numon Kuk...one of
which was now coming into her office. "What is it, Nokosu-kun?" she looks
over her shoulder.

The secretary bows respectfully. "Forgive me, Numon-sama, but
Captain Negau called. She wishes to know if she could see you later this
evening," he gazes at her.

Numon sighs, trying not to weep at his red-shot eyes. Hifuto
Syndrome, third stage near-terminal. Too late for regeneration, but not too
late to have a duplicate bioroid body constructed on New Avalon. She had
already made the arrangements; thanks to the recent influx of Tokkaebi
refugees, the Avalonians could now build both male and female bioroids. "Take
the day off, Nokosu-kun," she rises. "You're in no shape anymore to do any
meaningful work. I'll contact Otako and have your new body shipped in right
away."

"Thank you," he nods, then stares at her. "Something wrong?"

"A lot wrong," she bites her lips. "Lara Skelad is moving a lot
faster than I anticipated. They've already done tests on both their weapons
and the wormhole projectors. Both very successful."

"Then now is the time to strike."

"Perhaps," Numon sighs. "But I won't act without Negau-chan's
blessings. The one thing my people have never really learned is to inform
others of our actions before acting. It's been a minor sore point between us
and Earth for some time. I'll not make that mistake here. Negau-chan's been
after Lara for some time, ever since those hunters disappeared. Apart, we
can't do much...but together, we can save millions of lives."

"I hope so, ma'am," Nokosu nods.

"Go home," Numon smiles. "I'll be over tonight to help you."

"Yes, ma'am," he nods, then leaves.

Numon returns to gazing at her flowers...

* * *

Three weeks pass and the Moroboshi household becomes the scene of a
change of ownership. Lum and Ataru move into the old house to replace his
parents who moved into a apartment in nearby Hachiouji. The move was carried
out by Komeru's ninja corps who moved Ataru's parents things out and Ataru's
family things in so fast, one thought they were using a transporter. Within
an hour, Ataru's parents were happily on their way to their new home and
Ataru and Lum were nicely settled in.

"There we go," Lum looks at how everything looks so nice in their
'new' digs. "It looks almost like back in Oshika!"

"It does," Ataru nods. "Uncle Komeru's ninjas make the best movers
I've ever seen."

"*Tcha!*" Lum then frowns. "It's too bad that Reiko didn't want to
come with us!"

"Well, all of Reiko's friends are in Oshika and Ishinomaki, Lum,"
Ataru puts his hand on her shoulder. "She's old enough to look after herself.
If not, Nokoko and the Nendo-kata can help."

Amora then comes in the house eating some chocolate. "We already
moved in?"

"That's right," Ataru says. "Your room is on the top floor. It used
to be my room until I moved to Sendai and Jariten stayed there when he went to
Tomobiki High School!"

Amora smiles before going to climb the stairs. "This I gotta see!"

Lum turns to Ataru. "Maybe we should get a picture of her room while
it's still clean, Darling," she reminds her husband what a slob their youngest
daughter can be. "In a few hours, it'll look like a typhoon has hit it!"

"You may be right!" Ataru looks around.

* * *

Meanwhile on the street, Seiteki is walking up the street eating an
ice cream cone. "That Mr. Shapiro makes the greatest ice cream cones in all
of Tomobiki," she hums to herself before noticing the remaining members of
Komeru's ninja corps leaving in a moving van. "Movers? Could it be that
weird newspaper-reading man and his mooing wife are finally moving out of
this town? Good, I hope the family moving in has a cute son!"

Shinobu and Junba walk up, noticing Seiteki standing there looking at
the Moroboshi house. Shinobu carries a large gift in her hand. "Oh,
Seiteki," Shinobu asks. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, Miyaki-sensei, Junba," Seiteki notices them, before pointing at
the house. "What's going on at that house over there?"

"Oh, there's a new family moving in there, Seiteki," Shinobu answers.
"They're Ataru and Lum Moroboshi...the son and daughter-in-law of the people
who lived there before. Junba and I're taking a little housewarming gift for
them."

Seiteki nearly has a heart attack. "Onii-chan is gonna live there?!!"

"Who's 'Onii-chan?!'" Junba asks. "The Moroboshis don't have any
boys in their family. Only girls! So forget going there!"

Seiteki grabs Junba by the T-shirt. "You KNOW that vision of
manliness?!" she asks her.

"Yeah," Junba looks annoyed and wonders who she is talking about,
"...but ain't you listening? They got no sons!"

Seiteki grabs the gift out of Shinobu's hands and makes a run for the
Moroboshi house. "This is a housewarming gift, ain't it?!" she announces.
"Lemme give it to him!"

Shinobu and Junba look at each other dumbly. "Since when is Seiteki
hot for old men?" Junba asks her mother.

"There's more to this than meets the eye!" Shinobu sighs before they
pursue.

* * *

Ataru and Lum come downstairs, both dumbfounded at what they
witnessed. "Boy, that girl is sloppy," Ataru groans. "She just got into that
room and it looks like Sagussa just after the Clone Rights War!"

"That's putting it mildly!" Lum adds. "We didn't even have time to
get a picture."

A knock. "Now who is it?" Lum asks.

"Probably the welcome wagon," Ataru opens the door...

...then gets knocked into next year by a charging Seiteki! "FORWARD
THRUST!!!!!!"

Before Lum or Ataru can do anything, he is flat on his back with
Seiteki right on top of him kissing him. Somehow in the confusion, Lum was
handed the house-warming gift. "Oh, Onii-chan, you've come back to stay!!!"
she yells. "AIYA!!!!"

Lum begins to crackle. "Darling!!" she bares her fangs. "WHO is
this girl?!!"

Shinobu and Junba then enters. "Oops, sorry!!" Shinobu gulps. "I
didn't know Seiteki was so strong!"

"You should see her with the guys at school!" Junba sighs.

"Oh," Lum looks to them. "You KNOW this...this..."

"Meet Seiteki," Shinobu hums. "Sakura's daughter! The world's
biggest boy-chaser!"

"Oh, then THIS is the slut that tried to seduce Darling during his
interview!" Lum snarls at Seiteki.

"Who's a slut?!" Seiteki barks. "I love men who're in bloom!"

"Get her off me!" Ataru groans. "Off!! Off!!! OFF!!!!"

Lum zaps lightning at the girl to make her back off. All it does is
make Seiteki move around to the back of Ataru and not lose her stranglehold
around him. "Ow!! Who is this...this OLD Oni?!"

Lum looks insulted. She knew she looked physically like someone in
her late teens, but even though she is chronologically 30, she is NOT old.
"I AM Darling's wife!" Lum points to herself. "Get away from Darling before
I get really mad!!"

"Wife?!" Seiteki looks surprised then to Ataru. "Onii-chan, YOU
married an Oni?"

"Yeah, I did!" Ataru groans.

"Eyew! How gross!" Seiteki blanches and lets go of Ataru so
suddenly, he hits his head on the floor. "I nearly disgraced myself!"

"Trying to make out with a married man?" Lum asks, crossing her arms.

"No," she pulls out a make-up kit, then proceeds to "prepare"
herself. "I forgot to put on lipstick!"

Everyone faints! "Is she always like this?" Lum asks Junba.

"You should see her when she REALLY likes a boy!" Junba sighs.

Amora comes down. "What's going on?"

Seiteki notices Amora. With her hair short and wearing a baggy track
suit, she looks like a boy. With speed that defies explanation, Seiteki is
standing in front of Amora and taking her by the hand. "Oh, what a cute son
you have, Onii-chan," Seiteki coos. "Maybe when you're older, I'll date you,
too!"

Amora faints! "S-son?!! I'm a girl!!"

Seiteki falls over. "G-girl?!" she gasps, then looks down Amora's
track suit pants. "Oh, sorry, you looked like a boy!"

"I told you, Seiteki," Junba sighs. "The Moroboshi family doesn't
have any boys."

Shinobu takes a hold of Amora. "You have to forgive Seiteki,"
Ataru's ex-girlfriend states. "She's mindlessly boy-crazy!"

"Tell me about it!" Ataru groans as Lum puts a bandage on the lump on
his head. "She doesn't care if they're married or not!"

"Boy-crazy?!" Amora hums. "I like boys!"

An evil grin appears on Seiteki's face. "Really?" Seiteki puts her
arm around Amora. "I've lived here my whole life, so I know where to find
where the best boys are! Wanna find out the best places around here?!"

"Sure!" Amora turns to her adoptive mother. "Mom! I wanna go boy-
watching with Seiteki! Can I...huh...can I?!"

"If it means that Seiteki will leave your father alone, of course!"
Lum replies.

"I'll pillow him later!" Seiteki smiles. "But, first we'll have to
dress you up a bit."

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" Amora points to her track suit.

"On a boy-hunt, you want to attract attention to yourself. Not make
them guess what sex you are! Leave the track suit in case you get fat! Boys
LOVE a girl in something tight and revealing!"

As Seiteki leads Amora up the stairs, Shinobu looks concerned. Amora
is a nice girl and Seiteki is...well, let us not go into that. "Are you sure
it's all right to allow Amora to hang around Seiteki? Seiteki isn't above
anything when it comes to boys."

"Amora's different," Lum shrugs. "Maybe she'll stop that harlot from
being a slut!"

"You call that a pun?" Ataru groans.

Then Koosei Ryooki comes in carrying a large vase of flowers. A few
years older, but still looking much the same, the vice-principal of Tomobiki
High looks surprised to see Ataru getting medical attention. "Welcome
back...what happened to you?"

"A little typhoon named Seiteki," Shinobu sighs. "It seems she's got
a crush on Ataru."

"I feel sorry for Ataru," Koosei hands the vase of flowers to Lum.
"Here, Lum, a housewarming gift from Tomobiki High. Thank Buddha Seiteki's
not a student there yet."

"Maybe Amora'll calm her down some before then," Ataru groans.

"You don't know how wild her mother was at that age, Ataru," Koosei
chuckles. "Old Thunderthighs was even WORSE in her prime!"

"Don't say such things!" Lum chuckles.

While Koosei and the others continue the discussion, they do not know
they are being watched by someone in a black limo with diplomatic plates.
Inside the car are a pair of Onis, both male and a bit harsh. One looks at
the house with a pair of scanning binoculars. "<<Our intelligence is
correct,>>" he whispers. "<<Lum and Ataru Moroboshi have moved back to
Tomobiki!>>"

"<<Lara-sama will be pleased,>>" the other replies. "<<With them
here, we can begin to work on moving them to her Clan's viewpoint. Lum-sama
still has a lot of clout with the people of Uru even though the monarchy has
been abolished.>>"

"<<And Ataru Moroboshi still holds some sway with the Terrans,>>" the
other replies. "<<Once they are ours, the movement to break Earth from
Sagussa shall begin! But first, Lara-sama wants the first doubts of the
Sagussans' intentions to be placed in the Terrans' minds first.>>"

* * *

The next morning is Ataru's first day as a teacher of Tomobiki High.
Expectantly, Ataru is anxious. A billion possible things that could happen
run through his head. This is normal for Ataru, he was always a little
nervous before the first teaching day. He remembers the first time he ever
taught a junior high school class in Sendai for his university field
practice. He forgot to wear pants...and did not notice until he arrived at
school. Luckily, Lum managed to personally fly a pair to him before school
started.

Lum, on the other hand, was unbelievably calm. She managed to get
Ataru properly dressed, cleaned up, and out the door with his briefcase and
lunch like she always did. *She is lucky!* Ataru mused. Lum's job did not
start for another week, so she had time to get used to living in Tomobiki
again.

Amora was even easier. She had got herself ready and looked anxious
to go to Onigakkou Public School with Junba Miyaki. Not needing a uniform
(not until high school), Amora dressed in some clothes Seiteki lent her.
They were tight and revealing even on Amora. Lum barely managed to stop her
adopted daughter before she left and made her put on something a little more
modest.

Ataru entered school early to familiarize himself with the new
layout. Much had not changed over the years, but the number of students are
lower, something which has been happening to Japan for years, and some of the
classrooms in use when he was a student are now store rooms or have been
converted into new uses, such as a first-rate computer centre. He notes the
ratio of aliens to Terrans, realizing that without the former, Tomobiki High
might have been closed down years ago due to Japan's aging population.

After collecting his supplies he needed from the office and after
being introduced to the staff, he proceeds to his homeroom class...ironically
HIS old homeroom when he was a part of the Class of 1984...Room 337. The
class was a group of second year students, normal in terms of scores and
attitude.

But in Tomobiki, normal is abnormal.

As soon as Ataru enters the classroom, he unknowingly presses a
hidden button on the floor. He immediately feels a Buddhist bell-knocker
slam him from behind, the force of the blow knocking him on a skateboard
which moves him uncontrollably towards an open window. The skateboard hits
the window and sends the hapless Ataru out through it like an torpedo.

Screaming through the air, Ataru lands on a trampoline, which then
sends him into the air back towards the school. Flying with the grace of an
elephant, he comes crashing through the window of another classroom in the
opposite wing and lands hard on the teacher's desk to the shock of all the
students and the teacher in that classroom.

The force of Ataru's body hitting the desk, sends him and the desk
crashing through the floor. From there, he lands on the teacher's desk in
the classroom directly below it. The excess weight of Ataru and the desk
also crashes through the floor and lands on the teacher's desk of a classroom
on the ground floor...where they stopped!

Ataru wonders how his homeroom managed to think up such an elaborate
series of initiation traps. As he loses consciousness, he wonders if he
should laugh with his class or expel them for a thousand years.

Yamada was there to count him out.

* * *

While Ataru regains consciousness in the nurse's station, Lum has
gone out on the town to do some errands. *Tomobiki hasn't changed that much
since I was a student,* Lum muses. *They're still much the same.*

Many of the buildings are more or less the same, although some of the
stores have changed owners or function. Some landmarks still remain. Mr.
Shapiro's Ice Cream Shop is still in business with the Vosian-born adopted Jew
running it but with some local teens helping out. Esmeralda's Boutique is
still going, although her store has grown to fill two of the neighbouring
shops. The ramen shop which doubles as a Mendou Clan emergency post is still
there but under new ownership.

Lum reaches the park in the middle of Tomobiki. While it looks the
same, it now had a name. It is now called Heroes' Park and in the middle,
near a man-made lake, are statues of Nassur and Benten. Lum had never seen
the statues of her friends before...and really didn't care to. That would
have admitted to herself that they are both dead...but after all that has
been happening lately, she still couldn't bring herself to believe it. Their
spirits always say they aren't dead, only in some place they can't locate.

It was Nagaiwakai's idea in naming the park and commissioning the
statues. Lum and Ataru both disagreed, but her grandmother-in- law was firm
in making sure her wishes were met. Nagaiwakai loved and respected Nassur
more than she would admit to and it was rumoured she took his disappearance
as hard as Lum or Dakejinzou. Without her husband Nyassur around, the
youthful clan matriarch would have gone mad with grief. Still, Lum did not
attend the dedication ceremony and even when a statue went up in honour of
Ataru's near- sacrifice to save Earth from invasion by Sheko, she did not go
to see the statues.

The statues are beautiful, Lum thought as she looks at them. Cast
from a bronze alloy from Vos and carved by a Fukunokami artist, both statues
look so life-like they look as if they could just walk off their pedestals and
tromp away. *They must have cost Grandma a fortune!* Lum gasps to herself.

Then she feels sad...or rather, Nassur's and Benten's spirits feel
sad. Lum feels like a jerk because she keeps them bottled inside of her when
they really want to be free. Whenever Junba appears, Lum has to mentally
chain Benten down. Lum wants to let Benten and Nassur meet their child, but
her respect for Shinobu and her wishes to keep Junba's origins a secret until
she is old enough to deal with them holds her back. Lum thinks about
Koishii, how she would have been the same age as Junba and wonders how she
is...wherever she is.

Lum looks at the pedestals of the statues. Both of them have the
name of each hunter in the six official languages of the United Nations and
Japanese with the caption WHEREVER YOU GO, YOU ARE THERE...the saying on the
"Renegade's" dedication plaque.

Finally, the emotions of seeing the statues and reading the plaques
are too much for Lum and those whom reside within her. Her eyes begin to fill
with tears as she tries to leave. "Aunt Lum," a girl's voice interrupts.
"What are you doing here?"

Lum sees Junba standing there. It is noon and Junba had left
Onigakkou Public School to have lunch in the park. "Junba..." Lum looks at
the adopted daughter of Shinobu and could feel Benten rising within her
again. "I...was only visiting a couple of people I haven't seen in a long
while."

"I see," Junba replies after a few seconds of confused silence. "I
was just going to have lunch here."

Lum falls over in surprise. "Here?! Near these statues?!"

"Sure," Junba sits at the foot of Benten's statue. "I always sit at
this statue to eat my lunch when it's a nice day!"

"I see," Lum looks nervous.

"I don't know what it is," Junba takes a bite. "But, I feel kinship
with this Benten statue. I feel as if she's hovering over me like my mother.
I don't even know her."

"I once knew both these people," Lum kneels beside Junba. "They were
good friends of mine who never let me down."

"I see," Junba nods.

Lum sees Benten's spirit hovering over Junba's body in her mind's
eye. If only Benten could be here to touch her, to hold her, to talk to her,
Junba then could know her better than any story Lum could tell about her
biological mother. "They trained me in how to use my powers effectively," Lum
sighs. "Maybe I could some day train you the same way?"

A slight smile appears on Junba's face. "Maybe. I'm always having
trouble with guys who are bigger and heavier than Dansei-chan and me. Plus, I
keep developing these weird mental powers that Momma keeps saying are from
her. Maybe you could help me?"

"I'm not sure I can," Lum smiles. "But, I'll try. What are you
doing after school?"

"Homework," Junba replies.

"Why not come visit me tonight and I'll give you some pointers on how
to fight well?"

"Sure," Junba nods. "Right after I finish my homework."

"I wouldn't have wanted it any other way," Lum stands. "I've got to
go now because I've still have errands to do. See you!"

Lum moves away from Junba and waves goodbye. "Bye!"

"Bye." *I'll train your child for you, Nassur-chan, Benten-chan. So
she'll be ready to take your place if she wants to...*

* * *

Minutes later, Lum walks towards her home. The streets of Tomobiki
are now a lot more busier than before as the lunchtime crowds begin their
breaks. Lum comes across Lan, heavily loaded with groceries to the point that
she can barely move without dropping anything. "Oh, Lan-chan," Lum smiles to
her old friend. "Out shopping I see!"

"Oh, Lum-chan," Lan smiles. "I had to do a little grocery shopping
because Rei-chan is coming home on leave this week."

"I see," Lum groans. "That stuff should keep him full for about an
hour."

"What he won't eat, Lin and Len will," Lan smiles. "Could you give
me a hand here?"

"Sure," Lum takes a couple of packages.

They walk a few feet then notice a group of people rushing to a
nearby electronics shop where several televisions are showing a news program.
"Looks serious," Lan points to the group. "I hope it's not another gas
attack!"

Lan and Lum make their way towards the televisions. Their combined
sound and combined pictures of devastation fill the screens. "As you can
see," an unseen reporter announces. "This facility has been almost totally
destroyed by a bomb planted by someone unknown. Preliminary tests show the
bomb may have been composed of materials exclusive to Sagussa! This lab was
sponsored by both the Urusian government and the United Nations to work on
cures for diseases which inflict both races and set up shortly after the
Alliance Treaty. Luckily, no one was working in the lab at the time and all
biological safety procedures have been followed..."

Lum feels a shiver. "It's started."

Lan blinks. "What's started?"

Lum sets down the packages she took from Lan and walks away sadly
without another word to the surprised Lan. "What is she on about?"

"That's how they're going to start the breakup between Earth and
Sagussa," Lum whispers to herself while she trudges off for home. "Lara's
making it look like the Sagussans are doing it. Oh, Nassur-chan, Benten-chan,
how could I have doubted you...?"

* * *

The news of the bombing fills the airwaves for the next few days. The
tension turns ugly when it is confirmed that Sagussan technology was indeed
involved in the explosion. The lab was used for peaceful purposes only, Lum
knew as she watched each and every report in horror.

The seeds of doubt are sown. Although the Sagussan Embassy denied
it, rumours of a coverup persisted in the newspapers for days. There were
rumours of a break-in at the Embassy, materials used in security weapons there
stolen. But no proof of such a break-in materialized to appease public
outrage. Of course, Lara Skelad milked the anger for all it was worth and
watered the sowed seeds of discontent which began to sprout.

Trash television shows from all around the planet and in neighbouring
states around the Federation began criticizing the Sagussans for bungling the
affair. Public opinion, once pro-Sagussan, turned slowly pro-Urusian.

Then it happened. A security videotape from the lab found by a
journalist connected the Sagussan Defense Force, in full combat uniforms, to
the bombing. Although no faces could be visibly seen on the tape, the
uniforms were definitely Sagussan.

When that occurred, public opinion went openly against them. There
were serious talks over breaking of diplomatic relations, but Nagaiwakai
managed to stop the U.N. from jumping to conclusions. The Sagussans, visibly
harmed, could do nothing but take the scorn heaped upon them. Their
technology could do a lot of things, but not change public opinion
immediately in their favour.

Soon, Ataru's phone was ringing off the hook as call after call came
from Sagussa asking what they could do to fix things. They could destroy any
fleet in the known galaxy, but public opinion was unbeatable. Ataru, an
expert on losing and regaining popularity, was for the first time, unable to
help.

But soon the anger and scorn calmed down and a threatened break
between Earth and Sagussa never happened. Though relations between the two
planets were strained for a while, things quietened down enough for life to
return to some sense of normal...

* * *

"Negau Renning here."

"It's me."

"What is it?"

"We're needed. Carmen wants to see us."

"I understand."

* * *

At the Moroboshi household, everyone settled on their normal
routines...no matter how abnormal some of the routines were.

Amora and Seiteki would go out together to boy-hunt. Despite
Seiteki's flirtatiousness, she was turning Amora away from endless hours of
TV watching and chocolate eating. Amora's teeth had improved to the point
where she had no cavities from her last visit to the dentist, something
unheard of by the Moroboshi's youngest.

Junba became a nightly visitor to the house, as Lum would give her a
workout to train her. Lum couldn't train Junba in her mental powers or get
Amora to join them in their workouts. Some things can't be changed.

Lum began her job and after a short adjustment period, had no trouble
fitting in her new surroundings. Ataru though, had to wait a while before he
taught again due to the injuries from his initiation. But once he came back,
he never had any problems with any students...although Seiteki still managed
to appear in front of him at the most inopportune times trying to turn him
on.

Chie Budou visited regularly with some new way of exorcising Nassur's
and Benten's spirits from Lum's body. All were doomed to either failure,
making the old Shinto priest look silly, or nearly killing everyone in the
house...or all three.

All the while, Lara Skelad had her henchmen watch over Lum and Ataru
on a regular basis. The stakeout was so effectively hidden, no one suspected
a thing.

Over time, friends and family came to visit the Moroboshi family. Lan
visited constantly and even got to kiss Ataru once in a while. Mendou
wandered by to visit when he was not on duty for the Defense Force. Nokoko
and some of the Nendo-kata came to visit. Even Komeru once in a while
dropped in just to see how everyone is doing.

Then came Megane.

Now a wandering Buddhist monk like Cherry was when he was alive,
Megane wasted no time in targeting the Moroboshi house for his next meal.
Many times Ataru kicked him out, sometimes before he said anything, but the
former Lum otaku always managed to get something to eat...no matter how small
it was.

Then Jariten came to visit.

Lum was busy training Junba in some gymnastic moves when Jariten came
knocking at the door. "Hey, Ataru," Jariten enters the house smiling and
carrying his sack of clothes and wearing his cadet duty uniform.

Ataru eagerly greeted his cousin-in-law. Since the Grand Design,
they have long since put aside their differences and became friends...more so
since Minami died. "How's the Academy doing for you, Ten-chan?" Ataru teases.
"Ready to quit yet?"

"Please, it's Jariten. I've only just begun," Jariten teases, "...or
do you want to see how strong my flame breath has become?"

"Do you want to spend the rest of your life dead?" Ataru doesn't look
scared.

Both of them laugh while they remember the early years of their
relationship when Jariten would spit flame into Ataru's face at a moment's
notice. Ataru would then get upset and try to brain Jariten with the nearest
blunt object. Nowadays, such taunting was merely for show with no malice.
"Lum's outside training Junba like a monkey!" Ataru motions Jariten to the
back door.

"Lum told me she was training her now," Jariten follows Ataru to the
backyard. "I haven't seen her since I graduated from Tomobiki High School."

Lum has Junba doing a routine on the even parallel bars. As usual,
both are dressed in leotards; Lum's tiger-stripped, Junba's blue and red.
Junba tries to hold the rest of her body in the air using only her arms and
shoulders. "My arms are getting tired," Junba complains. "Can I stop soon,
Aunt Lum?"

"You'll stop when I tell you to, Aiotoga," Lum replies. "Not a
second sooner!"

She then spots Jariten coming in the backyard with Ataru. "Yo! Lum-
chan!" he calls to his cousin.

Lum flies over to greet her cousin. "Oh, Ten-chan, you're here!" she
hugs him.

"A-Aunt Lum..." Junba groans as the strain of holding her body in the
air begins to show on her face even more.

Lum cuts short the greeting to turn to her student. "You can relax
now, Aiotoga!"

Junba collapses to the ground and flexes her tired shoulders in an
attempt to return proper feeling to them. "Hello, Jariten," Junba smiles
nervously. "Long time, no see."

"Likewise, I'm sure," Jariten nods.

Junba has always been friendly towards Jariten...almost to the point
of being a crush. Of course, Jariten has always stated he actually talked and
played with Junba while she was still in Benten's womb, but no one really
believes him and Junba can't remember. When Minami was alive, Jariten rarely
spoke to Junba but to the young girl, what few times he did do so was enough
for her.

Jariten looks at Junba. She was only nine years old when he last saw
her shortly after graduation. She looked like a child then but now she was
beginning to blossom into a beautiful young woman. Somewhere inside of him,
Jariten felt something for the adopted child but couldn't say what it was.

Junba could feel something about Jariten within her. It felt like a
longing as if she desired him desperately, similar to Seiteki's perverted
crush on Ataru. But unlike her shameless schoolmate, Junba could keep those
urges under control...though she wonders why she never feels the same way
towards any of the other boys she knows at school.

"I was teaching Junba endurance," Lum smiles. "You never know when
you need them."

"I told you she was training Junba like a monkey," Ataru pats her on
the head.

"I should have the best endurance of my class," Junba sighs,
"...except for Seiteki."

"Don't remind me," Ataru groans. "Let's take a break and have some
tea."

Minutes later in the living room, Ataru, Lum, Jariten and Junba are
joined by Amora. Amora has changed a lot since settling in Tomobiki and
meeting Seiteki. She is now much more outgoing and less a coach potato. Her
clothes, though, still make her parents nervous. "I put in a request to be
assigned here to crew the 'Lum-san,'" Jariten reports. "The commandant says
I've got a chance in getting an assignment with them since I've lived on Earth
for so long that I'm familiar with Earth's cultural norms."

"If not," Ataru kids Jariten, "...I can always help you!"

"Yeah, right," Jariten remembers the times Ataru told him the 'truth'
about Earth culture and how he looked foolish each time.

"That means we'll be seeing you more then," Lum smiles.

"I guess so," Jariten nods.

Amora notices Junba has been blushing every time she looks at
Jariten. "Why are you blushing? You've met Jariten before!"

"I know," Junba shrugs. "But, I don't understand. I feel strange
seeing him now. I can't describe it. Maybe I'm developing another of those
weird mental powers again!"

"Maybe you're finally acting like a girl!" Amora snorts.

Junba gives Amora a cold glance. "I've got plenty of boys who hang
around me at school. Only Jariten makes me feel this way."

"Hello?" Shinobu yells from the front door. "Anybody home?" she
hails as she walks in, noticing Jariten. "Oh, Jariten," she smiles. "Welcome
back."

"Thanks, Shinobu-san," Jariten nods. "How's things going being
school nurse?"

"Oh fine," Shinobu sits beside Lum. "It's been a lot easier now I
don't have to treat burn victims at school."

"Yeah," Jariten giggles. "Well, I had to do something to keep the
bullies away."

"Good thing Koosei-kun could sympathize," Shinobu adds, "...or else
he would've suspended you from school!"

"Don't remind me," Jariten sighs. "It was bad enough keeping Mako
and Minami-chan from killing each other over me, let alone having some punk
trying to hurt me as well."

What Jariten meant is when he went to high school, he not only had
Minami to deal with but also his "wife" Mako Reshidou. While Mako was always
violently jealous of Minami, Minami could retaliate with equal ferocity.
Unfortunately, Jariten was often caught between them and suffered for it.
Luckily, Koosei managed to step in and set up Mako with another boy, whom she
later married legitimately, and left Minami to Jariten. But, alas, Koosei
couldn't have foreseen what horrible fate Minami would have which would leave
Jariten alone since then. "I'm surprised I didn't burn down the school when I
was a student," he sadly muses.

"There were times I would have wanted you to," Ataru snorts.

Everyone laughs together. The doorbell rings. "I'll get it!" Lum
flies to the door, then opens it. "Reiko-chan!"

"Hi, Mom!" Reiko embraces her.

Everyone watches as Reiko walks in, followed by two of her best
friends. Along with Willow is Yuri, a demure blue-haired Tritonian girl
distantly resembling Catty save for her eyes, which were pure azure in both
pupil and iris, now wearing a red halter top, jeans and high-heeled mary
janes. Introductions are made, then everyone relaxes. "Hey, stranger,
where've you been for the last while?" Reiko kisses Jariten. "Slumming?"

"No, getting my body dragged through the mud," Jariten sighs.
"Recruit Week at the Defence Force Academy is murder!"

"Too bad," Reiko sighs. "I never figured you to be the type to go to
a military school. I missed you," she slips her arm around his. "Very much."

Seeing the closeness between them, Junba feels a hot flash
of...jealousy?...race up her spine. "So have I," Jariten sighs, then looks
around. "Where's Belle-chan? Isn't she here?"

"No," Reiko looks away. "She moved out, left for San Francisco
sometime ago."

Jariten sighs. "Sorry to hear that."

"We thought she'd come to the Young Woman's Academy with us," Willow
muses. "I mean, a whole pack of people'll be there. Emiri Yayoi, Hitomi
Koomei, Chiaki Takeshi..."

"And Hiromi-chan," Yuri smiles knowingly at her friend.

Willow flushes. "You mean you've found a girlfriend?" Lum blinks
surprisedly. "Congratulations, Willow-chan!"

"We haven't done much!" Willow shudders...

...as the door flies open. "Onii-chan!!!"

Reiko's eyes glow, her hand reaching out as she forges a telekinetic
wall in the foyer! A *crash!* later sees Seiteki flat on her back, her eyes
spiralling. Everyone looks into the foyer. "Aw, Onee-chan, did you HAVE to
do that?!" Amora pouts.

"So this is the little *uo* who thinks she can seduce Dad away from
Mom, eh?!" Reiko walks over to pick Seiteki up by the scruff of her shirt.
"Wait outside!!"

Another telekinetic shove sends Seiteki into the telephone pole
across the street! "Onee-chan!!!" Amora screams.

"Did someone...get the number...of that truck...?" Seiteki shudders,
sliding to the ground.

Inside, everyone laughs. "Thanks, Reiko-chan!" Ataru sighs. "Now,
if you could do the same thing to Megane, it'll be perfect!!"

"I really wish you would've stayed in Oshika, Dad!" Reiko sighs.
"You don't have to put up to dorks like this up there!!"

Ataru sighs. Reiko had been hurt when her parents elected to move
back to Tomobiki. That, tacked onto Annabelle's departure for America, had
practically stripped the Noukiite of her parents, sister and best friend in
under three weeks! "It's okay, Reiko-chan," he whispers into her ear. "Until
we figure out what's going on with your mother, we have to remain here."

"Well, if you want to believe Budou-san, I won't stop you," Reiko's
eyes roll.

By then, Seiteki is storming up to the door. "Hey, lump-head!!
What's the idea of throwing me out of Onii-chan's house?!" she points
accusingly at the older woman.

"Why, it's my house too!" Reiko shrugs as Ataru returns to join the
others. "I may not live here now, but this is my family."

Amora sighs. "This is my big sister, Reiko. Sorry about that, Sei-
chan."

"'Sister?!'" Seiteki blinks. "You never told me she was as OLD as
your father, Amora-chan!"

"This idiot really doesn't have a clue, eh?" Reiko stares at her kid
sister.

"She's harmless," Amora smiles.

"In a pig's eye," Reiko turns to rejoin her parents. "Take this as a
warning, Kozue. Keep harassing my father and your mother won't HAVE a
daughter when I get finished with you! And you better know, your mother
doesn't scare me one bit!!"

She heads into the living room. Seiteki feels a tremor run down her
spine. *How did she know my real name...?!*

* * *

"<<Did you see that?>>" one of the observers wonders.

"<<Yeah!>>" another nods. "<<Damn, that girl's scary!>>"

"<<Who are the others who came with her?>>"

"<<One is the farmer's girl from Toshitto, Aya K'ech'chut'a. The
Tritonian is Yuri; her parents are environmentalists working on cleaning
Neptune up. We're having the names of the others Reiko-san knows at her
school researched now.>>"

"<<Good. Inform Popok-san.>>"

* * *

Cold golden eyes stare at the image of the hidden embassy car
sequestered near the Moroboshi home in the sacred fire. "Well, well, well,"
lips curl in an icy smile. "So the little flies are trying to learn more
about P'yeknu, eh?"

Rising, the missionary turns from the sacred fire and enters the main
part of the Heaven's Gate Temple, just recently completed on the outskirts of
Ishinomaki. Turning to the icon of Muchach sitting at the Pool of
Reincarnation judging those worthy to enter Heaven, the woman clasps her
hands. "Blessed Lord, aid me in my sacred task to reunite our divided tribe
scattered across the darkness of space. Aid me to smite those who would seek
to conquer us and show my fellow Lost Star the way to Your Peace...amen."

Her eyes then flash as her telepathic powers sense someone approach.
"Is that you, Hanak'at'?"

"It's me," a crimson-haired woman steps into the temple, bowing to
the icons before her, then walks up to join her fellow former Lost Star.
"K'yech just confirmed that P'ye's parents are being spied upon. What do you
want to do, Nia?"

"Have an accident occur to the little puppies," the silver-haired
priestess gazes at her friend and fellow Lost Star. "Make sure there are no
witnesses. Tell K'yech to be...creative."

"Now?"

"Yes. Go now; a visitor is coming."

The crimson-haired woman nods, then vanishes in a flash of energy.
With that, the priestess turns, her powers opening the door. "Enter, Budou-
san. Heaven's blessings on you."

Chie gasps, surprised that someone was able to sense him before he
could surprise her. "I forgot that you were once like Reiko," he breathes
out, removing his shoes as he walks in.

"I apologize," the woman smiles. "I am K'e-Nuk Yeho-Niap'yeng, the
priestess of Heaven's Gate Temple. Please, feel comfortable here. We may be
of different faiths, but we should always welcome each other in peace."

"A pleasure. So, why did you ask for me to come here?"

"It has come to my attention that you are seeking to exorcise the
'ghosts' of Lum Moroboshi's former teacher and his wife from her. I would ask
you to stop at once."

Chie blinks, unused to having any priest make such a demand of him.
"Why? Do you have any idea what they're doing to Lum...?"

"I am fully aware of the problems Nassur and Benten may force on
their friend," Niap'yeng sighs. "If they were 'ghosts,' then I would not
interfere in your desire to rescue Lum from them. But I believe as does Lum
that they're alive and well, contacting her by means neither of us can
understand. However, what now goes on within Lum's soul is part of a more
vast problem, with implications that could affect billions of lives, not only
here on Earth, but Uru, Sagussa AND Noukiios. That is why I ask you to
stop."

The Shinto high priest blinks. He had not sensed anything like this
when dealing with Lum's problem. Obviously, Niap'yeng's precognitive powers
were even stronger than his son's. "If that is so, how will this affect your
people?" he wonders.

"I have been sent here on a task that will, if it works, bring all of
Noukiios' lost children back to our tribe...not just those like Reiko
Moroboshi, but the Ip'ihu as well," Niap'yeng sighs. "If I succeed, Noukiios
would become strong, living in the light of freedom King Muchach has desired
of us. And the little flies who desire to slay the Maidens of the World of
Holy Reincarnation, were they to succeed, could easily come to inflict their
poison on my people again. That will be stopped."

"You seem very sure," Chie hums.

"I am," Niap'yeng smiles knowingly. "And it will be one of Lara
Skelad's own people that will finally render her dreams dust and see her
slain. I have already foreseen it..."

* * *

"Man, your sister's mean!" Seiteki shudders as she and Amora leave
the Moroboshi home to watch boys. "Is she ALWAYS like that?"

"Yeah, pretty protective of Dad..."

Both then jolt as an explosion rips through a nearby alley!! "Hey,
what was that?!!" Seiteki gasps.

The two race down to look around a corner as other people race out of
their homes to investigate, finding the blazing skeleton of a car surrendering
to the flames. "Whoa!!" Amora whistles, feeling a touch of nausea as the
stench of burning flesh begins to assault her senses. "What happened?! Was
someone in there?!"

Seiteki blinks, then looks up, before turning away as sirens are
heard. She could have sworn that she had seen a woman with bat-like wings
flying into the night...!

* * *

*What am I doing here?!* Negau sighs as her private sloop slices
through the void towards the rendezvous point near Yiziba.

Technically, if she was caught, the director of the Defence
Intelligence Agency (DIA) could be charged with state treason, a capital
offense on Uru. However, only one other in the government knew of this
mission and he was behind her one hundred percent. Like it or not, there
came times when measures had to be taken to protect Urusian interests that
skirted the thin line of justice, even now when Uru was supposed to be
developing into a more advanced, just society.

Negau wryly grins. Were this back in Des Azu's day, Lara Skelad
would've suffered a creative "accident" at the hands of a special action team
and, with the planting of choice scuttlebutt in the local media, her whole
family would be brought to shame and disgrace. However, Des Azu and Lara
Skelad were cut of the same stained Imperial cloth, so were this a decade ago,
the latter would have been given all the support possible.

If she had Des' level of power, Negau would be able to stop Lara in
her tracks, the captain bitterly muses as the sloop comes to a halt in the
shadow of a large asteroid. But that was no longer possible. The Defence
Intelligence Directorate, the DIA's fearsome predecessor, had been stripped of
one powerful arm in the years after the Round had been effectively eliminated
on Toshitto: internal surveillance and security. Negau was constitutionally
bound to never meddle in the affairs of Urusian citizens, even if they posed a
future threat to the Union's survival. That was now the responsibility of the
DIA's counterpart, the Internal Security and Investigations Service (ISIS).

"We're here," the woman at the helm sighs. "Regrets?"

"Too many," Negau rubs her nose. "I knew, Father knew, it was too
soon to rip up the DID, not with the possibility of Imperial hangers-on like
Skelad running around loose. I just wish it didn't happen this way."

"It did," Numon shrugs. "There's no need to lament on the past.
We've too much work to do to get cold feet now."

The captain nods. A pretty yet slender woman, Negau Renning (her
proper Imperial name was Negau Renning-Redet), is a single-horned green haired
and eyed woman that, were it not for race, could be mistaken for the great
Formula One legend Haruka Ten'ou. Despite that she was born a Renning, Negau,
a lover of history, rejected any idea of following the Imperial Round into
recreating the Empire. With that, her father Sayan disowned her...and Negau
was adopted by Lum's parents. In her early twenties by the time Lum went to
Earth to pursue Ataru, Negau had joined the U.D.F. as Invader's aide-de-camp.
After the Round was destroyed, Negau was handed the renamed DID by President
Lana and, after ISIS was formed, ordered to clean it up. She did.

"Agreed," Negau kisses Numon, then tenses. "You ready?"

A gregarious raven-haired Seishin man walks onto the bridge, dressed
in his usual rumpled shirt, overcoat and trousers. Despite his frumpish
demeanour, one look into his dark black eyes belied a frightening
intelligence that had once served Des Azu well before he threw his lot with
the Alliance and exposed the late Imperial's dirty laundry after Des and his
successor Ando Pochik had died. "All set. Where are your bosses,
Numon-chan?"

Numon smiles. "They're here."

Space near the sloop morphs into the tan bulk of the Sagussan navy
flagship, the cruiser R.S.S. "Ossa'cha." With that, Numon takes the helm,
then guides the sloop into the giant's main hangar bay. Once there, the
three proceed to the hatch as a ramp is raised to welcome them aboard. A
boatswain mate pipes the side as the computer announces them. "*Captain
Negau Renning- Redet, Urusian Defence Intelligence Agency. Chief
Administrator Hokuro Funsai, Urusian Internal Security and Investigations
Service. Watchmistress Irunmei, Sagussan Intelligence Ministry.*"

Negau and Hokuro turn to see the woman behind them emerge. Whenever
Irunmei assumed her real form...her polymorphic abilities were a byproduct of
the splicing together her DNA with the real Numon's twelve years ago...she
always seemed to be in shadow, Oni features vanishing as her Cha'than ears and
cat-slitted eyes appear. It was a very noticeable difference, one that could
make any casual observer believe that Irunmei and Numon Kuk were two different
people. More fool them.

Saluting the Sagussan and Urusian flags, they allow the boatswain
mate to escort them to the cruiser's aft lounge. Once past the door, Irunmei
gasps as a red-haired spitfire flies into her arms. "Hi, honey!! Miss me?!"

Negau blinks as Irunmei and Ranma share a kiss. "Not as much as I
should," the watchmistress-intelligence officer gazes fondly at her bond-mate,
then salutes the five others in the room. "Observer Irunmei reporting as
ordered, Director."

"Sit down, Irunmei," the minister of intelligence nods, then rises to
greet the two Urusians. "Captain Negau, Administrator Hokuro, welcome aboard.
I'm Carmen."

Both shake the woman's hand. Carmen was Fukunokami by birth, a tall
woman with flowing dark auburn hair and sharp blue eyes. She normally
dressed herself in a trenchcoat and fedora hat in imitation of her video game
namesake. In fact, in her first life, Carmen was a master thief and pirate,
killed in battle with a rival gang near Tengu. The talents she learned in
that life served her well as Sagussa's "Spymistress-Prime."

Sitting down, Carmen introduces her chief subordinates as Ranma
becomes a waitress, serving out tea and snacks. "Have you located the weapons
facility Skelad's using to test her materials?" Tamanegi, Deputy Director of
Operations, gazes at Irunmei.

"Yes, ma'am," Irunmei nods. "They're located in an asteroid belt
near Oyatsui; it's an F.D.F. testing range that's also used at times by our
counterparts in Bensaikyou.

"Are these weapons as dangerous as first postulated?" Asagao,
Irunmei's immediate superior and bureau chief for Uru, wonders.

"We've already run the simulations," Satoodaiko, DD Support, sighs.
"It appears that if they're lucky, the weapons will do as Skelad's scientists
speculated."

"Wonderful!" Kyuuri, DD Plans, snarls. "What about the wormhole
testing facility?"

"I called in a favour with friends on Spotak," Negau sighs. "It
seems Lara was able to get hold of their boom-tube technology, mate it with
what the Tritonians use, then tried it out. They sent small probes through
the Barrier and back with no problem. Since they're not building anything to
carry people, the shielding requirements aren't stringent."

"More power to the weapon," Satoodaiko nods. "We always knew your
insiders..." that was the Sagussan moniker for those who lived inside the
Barrier, "...would find some way to breech the Barrier but we suspected you
wouldn't try it for another hundred, two hundred years. More fool us, I
guess."

"What do we do?" Negau sighs. "Legally, I can't convey this to my
government. Lara's got spies and informants all over the place and if the
Senate Intelligence Committee finds out I've been dealing with an alien spy,
my ass'll be in jail."

"I detest the word 'spy,' Captain," Carmen smiles as she sips her
tea. "For one who loves Irunmei, one who, like Hokuro-kun, had to become an
Avalonian to spare you an early death thanks to an Hifuto-based bio-weapon,
you still really don't understand us."

"Could you clarify that, Director?" Hokuro muses. "I am more than
grateful to Numon-chan for saving my life, especially since she produced the
intelligence necessary to prove Lara was the one trying to undermine ISIS and
the DIA before we could regain the evidence lost when Nassur and Benten
vanished but she's still one of yours operating under your control. That's
'spy' to me."

"Not really," Carmen chuckles. "The idea came originally from Fleet
Shipmistress Eluza, then commander of the 'Hasei'cha' when Irunmei and Numon
Kuk fell into our laps. Because we had already been snipped by your
ex-friends in the Imperial Round on a couple of occasions, we decided we
needed to build a HUMINT source on the ground in case they decided to loudly
protest our desire to protect Earth. Irunmei, after absorbing Numon's
memories prior to the poor woman's unfortunate passing, was altered
genetically so she could pass as Numon Kuk when she returned to Onishuto."

"My orders are simple," Irunmei adds. "I am not to, without proper
authorization of the Prime Councillor, engage in overt intelligence
operations. I don't do assassinations, nor build networks to perform
anything that could be a detriment to your people. In that regard, the
Non-Interference Directive is firm. What I do is passively observe. Act
like one of you, help you constructively without letting it be known that I
am Sagussan...and if something comes that I feel may hurt your people, I
'seed' information to the relevant organizations...DIA and ISIS in this
case...and allow you to decide what to do."

Negau and Hokuro exchange looks. "Well, we're glad that you have
done that," the latter muses. "Director, Negau-chan has no power in this case
and I'm hamstrung because Skelad's got such a control over the media and in
elements of ISIS that anything I do to present this to the Senate'll be shot
down and I'll be out of a job. I swear, the woman must've taken lessons in
public deception from Des Azu before your friend Lufy atomized him!"

Carmen sighs. "Captain Negau, in your opinion, does Skelad present a
threat to Uru?"

"She does," Negau nods. "After psi-scanning her on the few times
we've met after I became an Avalonian, I can conclude that she is power
hungry. She wants Sagussa out of the way so she could prove the Democratic
Alliance wrong and help the Imperials come back. And she's willing to do
whatever it takes to see to it that's done. This is a long-range plan she's
made. We've already seen her take the first steps. We have to act now before
it's too late to stop her...for all our sakes."

"Administrator Hokuro, do you agree?"

"I have no choice but to agree," Hokuro sighs. "Skelad has proven
against myself, Negau-chan and dozens of others Numon-chan had to save later
her willingness to do anything to see her plans come to life. We know how
vicious the Imperials were willing to be on Toshitto and elsewhere. But it's
not enough for me to present a case before the courts."

Silence falls as Carmen gazes at the mural of Lyna's Ascension
overhead. All the *daishi'cha* had done for the last decade and more, the
ten millennia of preparation work before that, could be all lost in an
instant if this arrogant little slug now living in Tokyo was allowed to
succeed. If Lara Skelad did, billions on both Uru and Earth were in danger
even if Sagussa survived; as soon as Irunmei stumbled onto the wormhole
project, a joint action team from Intelligence, Defence, Transwarp Physics
and Weapons Engineering began working on countermeasures.

Probably as they spoke, other would-be manipulators were, inspired by
Lara's success, preparing their own plans, using hidden troves of money to
work their own influence in Uru's government to twist the nascent democracy
in directions which would only serve their own self-interests. The Urusian
people had come far in the last two centuries to allow all that work to go to
waste, all the sacrifices to be in vain. No. That couldn't be allowed.

"Time for a little object lesson."

"Director?" Irunmei blinks.

"Negau, does your father support Skelad's removal?" Carmen stares at
the DIA chief.

"He does...privately," Negau nods.

"Tamanegi?"

"Yes, Director?" the operations chief stares at her boss.

"Prepare an SIOO for Sakura's approval."

"Yes, Director."

"Irunmei?"

"Ma'am?" Irunmei sits at attention.

"You'll have a ten-day to execute the SIOO," Carmen's eyes narrow.
"Ranma will contact you through the Dreamscape when it is approved. How you
carry it out is up to you. Also, eliminate the facilities on Spotak and
Oyatsui; see to it all information about this is wiped out. I'll contact Nene
in Pathfinder Troop Six and the Mobius Five to help you in that regard.
Understood?"

"Understood, ma'am," Irunmei salutes.

As she turns to head back to the sloop, Hokuro takes Negau aside.
"What's an 'SIOO?'" he whispers.

"'Special Intelligence Operations Order,'" she looks grim. "A
license to kill."

* * *

After another visit, dinner, and a few hours of relaxation, Lum and
Ataru go to bed again. Like always, Ataru sleeps on without any worry in his
mind. Lum on the other hand tosses and turns in her sleep. Soon, she
accesses the Dreamscape again...

...and finds Benten waiting there. Not a star...Benten, as young and
beautiful as she was when she disappeared, waiting there looking unhappy.
"It's about time you came," she says so coldly, Lum could feel ice forming
around her. "I've been waiting."

"Oh, Benten," Lum gulps nervously. She could tell this was her old
friend, not her Sagussan spirit-sister. "H-how nice to see you. W-what can I
do for you?"

"I want to see her!"

"S-see who?"

"You KNOW who! My child! The one I had to abandon. The one I gave
birth to!"

"I see," Lum gulps. "But I can't!"

Benten stares Lum in the eye. "What do you mean you can't?!" she
snarls. "Aiotoga is MY daughter. I have a right to see her."

*That temper!* Lum thought. If she had any doubts this was Benten,
they were laid to rest. Benten has always liked children, even if she tried
to hide the fact from everyone else. Aiotoga was born of her, so her love as
a mother is...well, Lum understood. "Junba doesn't live at my house," Lum
meekly replies. "She lives with Shinobu Miyaki."

"Where does she live?" Benten grabs Lum by her blouse.

"I-In Koosei Ryooki's old house!"

"Take me there!" Benten demands.

"Okay," Lum relents, knowing that to press the point would be
dangerous for her.

Putting on a leotard, Lum sneaks out of the house and rushes towards
Shinobu's house. Koosei's former home looks much the same when the vice-
principal lived there, but with all the lights out, the house looks devoid of
any life. Lum walks up to the front door and turns the knob. "It's locked,"
Lum tells Benten immediately. "Shinobu and Junba must've gone to bed."

<<Is there some way we can look into Aiotoga's bedroom?>>

"You mean break in?" Lum whispers.

<<Let me figure it out. Nassur taught me a few things about locks.
>From the look of this, this one won't be any trouble for me!>>

Suddenly, the front light turns on. Lum freezes like some poor
animal in the range of a speeding car's headlights. The door opens and
Shinobu appears carrying a flashlight, dressed in her pyjamas and looking
like she had just woken up. She carries a large couch over her shoulder
ready to use at a moment's notice. "Oh, it's you, Lum," Shinobu yawns. "It
IS you, Lum, isn't it?"

"For the time being," Lum sighs. "Sorry. Benten's...anxious about
her daughter."

"I understand," Shinobu nods. "She has a right to know her
daughter. Let her, Lum."

"But...what about your secret?" Lum asks.

"Aiotoga's asleep. If you don't wake her, I won't mind. Besides,
you might get arrested if you tried to break in."

Lum then listens to the voice in her mind. "She understands," Lum
nods, then her body language changes to Benten's. "Thanks, Shinobu. Let's
see her."

Shinobu immediately takes the possessed Oni to Junba's room. Once at
the door of Junba's room, Lum quietly opens the door and sneaks in. Junba
sleeps soundly in her bed. The only light in her room is moonlight pouring
in from the window on her. The light gives her a romantic hue. Lum/Benten
stands beside her bedside and looks at her. "My Aiotoga," she whispers
quietly to herself.

Tears well up in both Lum's and Shinobu's eyes. Benten makes Lum's
hand touch her cheek in a caress only a mother could make. Junba continues to
sleep without any acknowledgement of what is going on. "My child," Lum/Benten
whispers to herself, then bends over and kisses Junba on the cheek. "Maybe
someday, we'll meet for real," she sighs.

Both leave. Once outside, Lum/Benten turns to Shinobu sternly. "You
take good care of my daughter, Shinobu. If you EVER try to harm her, Sagussan
or not, I'll make you pay!"

Shinobu seems insecure; hearing Benten's annotations with Lum's voice
is most disturbing. But once she gets over the surprise, she relaxes. "I
could never hurt anything of Nassur-kun's, Benten. Never. You should know
that by now."

Lum then regains control. "Is it over?"

"For now," Shinobu sighs. "For now."

"I'm sorry for this disruption," Lum consoles Shinobu. "But, Benten
was very insistent over coming here."

Shinobu moves away from her. "I said it was all right, Lum. You
know the way out." she coldly intones.

Lum got the message. Should Benten ever come back, what happens to
Shinobu?

* * *

Later, Lum notices Megane having a late supper at his campground at
an open fire. He is alone as he prepares his food; unlike Cherry, he prefers
it this way...unless he's bothering the Moroboshi family. "Aisuru?" Lum
sighs. "Can I join you?"

Shock followed by a lecherous smile appears on Megane's face and
nervous thoughts appear in his brain. *Lum-san ASKING to sit with me?
Lum-san SITTING with me?!* This is his dream come true. Since Tanoshii
died, Megane had always dreamed Lum would fill the gaping hole in his heart
instead of leaving gaping holes in his body. "S-sure, Lum-san," Megane
quickly clears a spot beside him of food wrappers. "You can NEVER disturb
me!"

"*Tcha!*" Lum groans as she sits beside Megane, making sure she is
far enough away as to be able to protect herself from any prying hands. A
serious look appears on her face. "Aisuru," she starts slowly. "I'm so
lost! Ever since Benten's and Nassur's spirits came into my body, I haven't
been the same person. I know what they want to do, but I don't know what to
do. I want their spirits to rest in peace but I don't know how to go about
it! I'm not the warrior either of them were!"

"I see," Megane nods. "You were good friends with Nassur and Benten,
weren't you? Then you must find a way to do what they want or else their
spirits will NEVER rest."

"But, how?" Lum's eyes fill with tears.

"This dork doesn't know a thing about how to help you!" a woman's
voice echoes. "He only wants to help himself to you!"

"Who?!!" Lum spins around.

A woman steps out of the darkness and into the light. "Don't tell me
you've forgotten me. What would Natsu-chan say?"

The light reveals Dakejinzou Shogai. The Umanoshippo-born synthezoid
hunter had changed little since Lum last seen her. Considering she has a
lifespan potentially LONGER than even a Sagussan, that is not saying much.
"Oh, Dake-chan!" Lum looks surprised to see her. "What brings you here?"

"I came at the request of Ataru-kun and Koosei-kun," the alien hunter
smiles. "I know something about what's going on with you."

Lum smiles as Dakejinzou sits beside her. "Y-you do? What is it?
Please tell me!"

"Well," Dakejinzou hums. "It's a little thing I taught Natsu-chan
when I was his partner. It's something in case either of us got captured and
wanted a rescue. He could call to someone he trusts psychically." She
places her hand on Lum's forehead. "There's no name I've given it, but it
seems to be from the people who created me. It's a variation on *pe'cha,*
except it's more intimate and harder to break. But unlike *pe'cha,* it's
teachable to other races. Natsu-chan must've also taught it to Benten."

"I see," Lum does not know whether to feel honoured or to punch
Dakejinzou for contributing to her misery. "But why am I the target and not
you? I'm not a hunter!"

"I know, but you are their friend," Dakejinzou counters as she probes
deeper into Lum's mind. "Ah, yes, I'm picking up something from both of
them. Wherever they are, it's cold and their bodies are in some sort of
status. That explains how powerful this is, the more the sender is
unconscious, the stronger it is."

"They're in suspended animation?" Megane asks. "Boy, how trekkie can
you get?!"

"Megane's right," Dakejinzou nods, "for once! What's more, the more
psychically stronger the receiver is, the stronger each interaction with the
senders are. There are two of them to one of you...and the one is definitely
outnumbered this time!"

"Well, if they want to be rescued, can you trace where they are?" Lum
asks.

"Let's see," Dakejinzou probes even deeper. "I should be able
to...ah!"

Suddenly, Dakejinzou is nearly thrown for a loop. Lum immediately
catches the synthezoid before she falls to the ground. "Bensaiten's Grave,
that's one powerful link!" she rubs her forehead. "I've never seen one like
this before! Even the ones Natsu-chan and I had together!"

"You've found out where they are?!"

"Nope, not a clue!" Dakejinzou shrugs as she ends the contact.

Lum and Megane faint! "I thought you could find out where they
are!!" Lum snarls.

"It seems Natsu-chan and Benten don't know where they are,"
Dakejinzou replies. "They were attacked, taken prisoner and put into status
so quickly, they didn't get to find out who did it or where they are. All I
know is they're not on Earth or Home Base."

"That narrows the possible places to infinity!" Lum groans. "Thanks
for your help. What do you know about Lara Skelad?"

"Not much," Dakejinzou sighs. "The Skelads control almost everything
that gets printed about them. Almost to the point of paranoia. Natsu-chan
and Benten were investigating them about hidden ties to the Imperials before
they disappeared."

"I know that," Lum nods. "But, do you know anything else?"

"The Skelads are powerful economically. Quite recently, they've
become politically active also," Dakejinzou continues. "There's rumours one
of the Skelads' subsidiaries are developing some sort of wormhole technology
for starships and some secret weapons technologies...but no one's been able
to get any concrete information on that."

"I see," Lum stands. "Thanks for your help. I'll tell Darling
you're around."

"Sure," Dakejinzou smiles. "I'll be in Rishiri-tou visiting
Nagaiwakai and Nyassur. Hopefully, I can help you cope with this. When a
link is this strong, it's better off to let it run its' course."

"Bye," Lum waves before flying away, her mind still filled with
questions. Dakejinzou had answered some, but she needed more...much
more...and the only way to get them was at the source of the trouble. But
first, she needed to talk to someone she could trust who has first hand
knowledge about learning things.

Once Lum is far enough away, Dakejinzou turns to Megane. "I feel
afraid for Lum," she confides.

"What do you mean?" Megane asks.

"Because that link she has with Natsu-chan and Benten is so strong,
anything can happen. Koosei-kun and Ataru-chan were right to call me in. One
wrong move and Lum's brains could be fried."

"Aiya!" Megane gasps...

* * *

Lum calls Lan the next morning. Lan was very happy to talk to Lum
and it took a yell from Nassur's spirit to get her from her usual gossiping
to tell her something important. Lum wanted Lan to use her computer skills
to hack into Lara Skelad's computer files and anything else she could
secretly break into without the ambassador's knowledge. After Lan does her
usual tirade against doing something illegal, Benten's spirit let her have it
with some reminders about what Lan did to get revenge on everyone while
growing up. Only then did Lan agree to do what Lum asks.

The next call Lum made was to the Urusian embassy. She invited
herself, Ataru, and Shinobu to dinner with Lara that night. Lara accepted the
invitation without hesitation.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Lum?" Ataru wonders after Lum
hangs up. "If Nassur and Benten are right, why the heck do you want to have
dinner with this woman?"

"How else can I study my opponent?" Lum muses. "Besides, Lan-chan
can only get so much from hacking. Someone needs to scout around the embassy
to know the area."

"For what? You seem to be acting like Nassur TOO well," Ataru
groans. "Why do you want Shinobu to go, too?"

"She's a head of state, too, remember?" Lum reminds Ataru. "Even
though she's deferred a lot of her power to Carona, she is still a *laqu'r.*
She'll keep Lara honest."

"I don't know what's worse," Ataru sighs aloud. "Doing this or
allowing Amora to stay the night at Seiteki's place?"

"They'll be fine," Lum assures him. "Anyhow, we better go to work.
Much that I'd like to concentrate on this, we still have our jobs to worry
about."

"Yeah, that's true," Ataru nods...

* * *

The wanderer sighs as she places one foot after the next, ignoring
all around her as she continues on her lonely trek. On her back hangs a
large backpack full of camping gear and some of her most prized possessions,
including a small personal safe containing what money she could sneak away
from her parents before running away from home. It had been rough the last
couple of weeks since she fled from Osaka right after graduation, but not
totally barbaric. Keeping to back roads and staying away from known routes
of travel on her journey to Oshika had saved her from the vicious hounds sent
by Tatsuo Fujisawa and Hiroko Teizou out to haul her back to a hell she had
endured for six years.

Stopping at a corner, she looks around, then blinks as her ears
detect the sound of an Oni flying. Turning, she sees two familiar faces
heading down the street. Gaping in shock, she then looks around. "I'm in
Tomobiki!" she gasps, then turns to the oncoming couple. "Mr. Moroboshi!!
Mrs. Moroboshi!! Hi!!!"

Ataru and Lum stop, turning to stare at the brown-haired woman with
glasses run up to them. "Who the...Lyna!!" he gapes. "Minako-chan?!! Is
that you?!"

"Hi!!!" the woman laughs as she nearly crushes them with a fierce
embrace. "Oh, what are you doing here?!"

"What are YOU doing here?!!" Lum wonders. "Oh, Minako-chan, it's
been so long!! How are you?!!"

The younger woman pulls away. "Well, I prefer to be called 'Mina'
now," she smiles. "I'm alright! What are you doing living in Tomobiki?! I
thought you'd never come back to this place!"

"We work at Tomobiki High School," Ataru supplies.

A hand falls on his forehead. "Are you sick?" Mina asks
concernedly. "You swore you'd never to go back to that place!"

"I'm alright," Ataru chuckles. "Hey, if you aren't busy, why don't
you come with us to school? Reiko-chan's in Oshika now getting ready to go to
the Young Woman's Academy, so she isn't here right now, but she'd love to see
you again."

"As would I," Mina smiles as the three head off, then clutches her
hand to her heart. *I know it! It's a sign! Now, we'll be together at last,
Reiko-chan...just as it was meant to be...*

* * *

"You ran away from home?!" Shinobu gasps.

At morning study hall, Ataru and Lum gathered Shinobu, Sakura, Koosei
and Ryuunosuke around to meet Reiko's other best friend from primary school.
"Hai, I did," Mina sighs. "After sixteen custody battles and dancing from
one end of Japan to the other, I became so tired of being yanked around by
Mom and Dad. I've tried to run away before, but they always caught up to me
somehow, then a new court battle happened and I switched parents. I was with
Mom last in Osaka, so after I did my college entrance exams and graduated, I
decided the time had come to leave."

"Sixteen custody fights in six years?!" Koosei shakes his head. "I
don't believe any of that!"

"Believe it," Lum sighs. "I remember when I had to tell Reiko-chan
the news about Mina-chan's parents breaking up and her leaving Ishinomaki.
She was devastated!"

"I can see that," Sakura sighs, then stares at their visitor. "So
what are your plans now, Mina-san?"

"Well, first, I need to get fully away from my parents," Mina sighs.
"I've asked my grandparents to keep Mom and Dad busy enough so I can get my
name legally changed from Minako Fujisawa to Mina Fujisawa. Then...I need
some help for the second part."

"That being?" Ataru wonders.

"I need to get into the Young Woman's Academy."

"To be with Reiko-chan," Lum concludes.

"Hai," Mina nods. "Mrs. Moroboshi, I've missed Reiko-chan dearly
over the last six years. The one thing I wanted more than anything else was
to be with her again. Call it love, call it a mad dream, but thinking of
reuniting with your daughter has been one of the few things that's kept me
sane over the last six years. I can guess that with you living here and
Belle-chan having gone off to America, Reiko-chan must feel very lonely right
now. Please, I offer myself to help ease Reiko-chan's pain."

Lum blinks, then sighs. "How much do you love Reiko-chan? Do
you...desire a relationship with her?"

"Hai...with your blessings, of course."

"You have it," Lum nods. "I'll call Grandma and get help from her;
I'm sure she'll approve. In the meantime, why don't you come stay with us
until we get things arranged for you?"

"Thank you," Mina nods, feeling tears in her eyes, then with a
muffled wail, she embraces her future mother-in-law. "Oh, thank you! Thank
you, thank you...!"

* * *

"I'm staying here?!" Amora whines.

"That's right," Lum smiles as she puts on lipstick. "While we're
gone, Mina-chan'll stay with you."

"But I wanted to go stay with Sei-chan!!" Amora pouts.

"You can visit Seiteki another time, Amora-chan," Ataru comes out,
adjusting his tie. "We're very lucky to have Mina-chan come stay with us for
a while before she can get into the Young Woman's Academy. She's an old
friend of your sister's, so treat her nice."

"What's so great about this girl?!" Amora humphs.

Mina walks up. "I'm set up in the living room now, Dad, Mom," she
smiles. "Are you sure you don't mind me staying there?"

Ataru and Lum blush on hearing Mina addressing them as her parents.
"We were thinking of putting in an extra bedroom one of these days and
allowing it to be a guest room for an exchange student," the Oni smooths her
dress. "With you staying here until the next class starts at the Academy, we
can get it done now."

"Besides, we might be tempted to add another to the family, ne, Lum-
chan?" Ataru meows, breathing on his wife's horn.

"Darling! Not in front of Mina-chan and Amora-chan!!"

The younger girls exchange looks. "That's one thing I missed so much
about your parents," Mina smiles. "Unlike mine, they never stopped loving
each other."

Amora smirks. "Yeah, aren't they great?!"

With that, Ataru and Lum head off to meet Shinobu. Mina and Amora
head to the living room, the latter turning on the television as the former
reaches into her backpack and draws a small book. Amora notices the title.
"'Personal Relations With a Noukiite?!' What's that for?!"

"Something I think you're still too young for," Mina hums.

The younger girl rolls her eyes. "Dad once make out with a hundred
thousand girls, Mom had a whole race worshipping her as a god and she says I'M
too young to know about things...?"

* * *

An hour later, the Moroboshis and their best friend appear at the
front gate of the Urusian embassy. Shinobu is dressed in a black dress with
a magenta sash bearing Kyotos' sigil. Lum wears a tiger-stripped formal
dress and has her hair tied to the back of her head. Ataru wore the medals
from the problems he underwent during the Grand Design and after: Zeiwan's
Commander of the Most Honourable Order of Heira, Vos' Commander of the Order
of Lecasur and Uru's Star of Aruka, presented to him after the Battle of Uru.

Entrance into the embassy was not a problem. After a routine retina
and voice check, the doors swung open to allow them inside. Once inside the
embassy lobby, they find Lara, dressed in more formal attire, waiting for
them. "Oh, Lum-sama," Lara smiles. "Welcome to the embassy!"

"Hello, Lara," Lum stiffly replies. "I'm glad you could find time
for us."

Lara ignores Lum's stiffness and giggles girlishly. "Oh, the
pleasure is mine!" She turns to Ataru. "And this must be your husband, Ataru
Moroboshi."

"That's right," Ataru bows. *THIS is the person Nassur and Benten
are worried about?* he asks himself looking at Lara and how youthful she acts.
*She acts so young and carefree, I can't believe she's so evil.*

"Even though your first name is a swear word to my people," Lara
offers her hand. "I welcome you to the Urusian Embassy."

"Thanks," Ataru offers a kiss.

"My!" she stares at his medals. "When I heard how other races have
honoured you, I thought it was a joke. The Order of Lecasur comes from your
killing the Mikado, right?"

"Yes...even though some still think he's alive," Ataru hums.

"And the Order of Heira?"

"That's from when the Sagussans cured the Lost Ones of Zeiwan and
repatriated them."

"A very noble thing you did. And the Star of Aruka, too?" Lara
notices the tiger-stripped ribbon with the image of Noa and Honii holding the
wreath of victory. "From the Battle of Uru?"

"Yes," Ataru sighs.

"My condolences," Lara looks sympathetic. "You've sacrificed much on
people's behalf."

"You're courteous."

Lum gives him a cold look. <<Darling!>> she psi-links to him from
one side. <<Don't be put off by her manner. She can be as wild as Lan when
she wants to be.>>

<<Sorry,>> Ataru shrugs.

Not hearing Lum's words, Lara turns to Shinobu. "Princess Shinobu,"
she smiles sweetly. "How nice to meet you. I've met a few *laqu'rs*
before...but never one who has practically abdicated all her power and is
still alive to talk about it."

"Well, I couldn't live on Yehisril forever, you know," Shinobu
smiles. "Besides, I'm a mother. Kyotos City is, in my opinion, unsafe to
raise a child."

"So I have heard," Lara nods. "Well, since dinner will be in a few
minutes, how would you like a tour of the embassy?"

"I'd LOVE to have a tour," Lum smiles warmly. "I thought you'd never
ask."

Shinobu blinks. <<Is that Lum or Nassur-kun in control?>>

<<I'm not sure,>> Ataru shrugs.

The tour goes quickly and is routine. The three are shown everything
the embassy has to offer. The offices, now largely unoccupied, the computer
rooms, the security arrangements, are all shown quickly to Lara's guests.
Lum, with Nassur's and Benten's psychic prodding, asks all sorts of questions
about the embassy and its security to the unsuspecting ambassador...so many
in fact, Lara become a little suspicious herself. But, any suspicions are
put to rest immediately when a servant announces dinner is ready.

In a room roughly the size of a small gym, Lara and her guests sit at
a huge table of solid wood. The room itself is decorated with fine art. On
one of the large walls is a huge Urusian flag while on the opposite wall is a
huge painting of an overweight Oni couple both holding huge clubs pointing
towards the star-filled sky. "What is this painting?" Shinobu asks as she
sits down.

"'Manifest Destiny,'" Lara smiles as she sits down. "It's a
reproduction of a famous painting in the Union Art Gallery."

"I see," Lum humphs. "A quaint choice of art for someone who's clan
was investigated for having secret ties to the Imperials."

Lara turns serious and it seems the light around makes her look
evil. "If I'm not mistaken," she bites, "...my clan was cleared of the
allegations while my father was alive."

"Of course," Lum humphs.

"L-let's eat," Ataru gulps nervously.

Dinner begins happily but the silence is deafening. No one says much
to each other except the servants who quickly serve each course promptly.
Lara and Lum watch each other closely, waiting for the other to make a move,
trying to psyche out the other. Shinobu and Ataru wonder what Lum is
doing...or more accurately, what Nassur and Benten is making her do. Or,
could Lum be doing this on her own? It is so very confusing to them both.

Lara had her own concerns. Lum asked embarrassing questions almost
like her tutor Nassur had grilled her father years before she had him and
Benten eliminated. Her father never recovered from the allegations their
disappearance helped clear and he died shortly after, but not without leaving
her a secret mission...to get revenge on Sagussa, restore the old government
with Lum on the throne, and turn Earth into a protectorate of Uru.

Lara's father was a conservative old man, set in his ways. Like most
businessmen, he was afraid of drastic change which could occur when
governments changed. And change things did. The Skelads had more rules to
govern their businesses than before. They could no longer pay CEOs money
under the table to avoid taxes on their profits. They could no longer hire
replacement workers during strikes. They could not pay off environmental
investigators so they could continue to discharge toxic substances into
fragile eco-systems on Uru or other planets. Then a crackdown on tax
loopholes was exercised. Finally, the Clan's council had enough. They
wanted the old rules and the old government back or else their companies
would be doomed to lower profits and standard of influence. But with Sagussa
in the way and the people of Uru still in a honeymoon with the Union
Congress, something had to be done and be done quickly or before economic
ruin destroyed everything.

First, Sagussa had be isolated from Earth. Then it had to be
destroyed. It would take time, but Lara is young and willing. Her father
will be avenged as will all of the Imperialists he once supported in secret.
But, Lum is getting suspicious. Why? Of all the people in this room, Lum
herself will have the most to gain if the Imperialists come back to power.
She would be queen!

Lum keeps track of her surroundings. True, she has a hard time from
keeping either Nassur or Benten from taking control to cause a major
dislocation of Lara's body parts, but she manages to look calm and collected
while she dines with the enemy.

Finally after seven courses and dessert, dinner ends. "Ugh," Shinobu
burps. "Do you have THAT much for dinner EVERY night?"

"Only on important occasions, fortunately," Lara allows herself to
smile, "...or else I'd be too heavy to fly."

"At least the food was good," Ataru picks his teeth with a
toothpick. "Not like Lum-chan's early attempts at trying to cook."

"Don't remind me," Lum gives Ataru a cold glance. "We don't need you
turning into a werewolf or twins or something!"

"I see," Lara nods. "Lum was considered the worse cook in all of
Uru. Of course being in the ruling family, NO one was allowed to say that
about their future queen in public."

"I've improved thanks in much to my bond-mate Noa," Lum nods with a
slight smile. "If you've seen my other adopted daughter Reiko when she was
growing up."

"Right," Lara tenses on hearing Noa's name, then turns to Ataru.
"So, you're the head of Sagussa, Ataru-san."

"Well, it's a ceremonial position," Ataru nods. "Ever since the
Battle of Uru, Sagussa has been developing on its own."

"Of course," Lara nods. "The Battle of Uru was distressing. It
strained relations between Sagussa and the Galactic Federation for years and
remains a sticky point today."

Lum gives Ataru a sad glance and takes his hand under the table. "It
was more than distressing for us, too," he sighs.

"What are your thoughts on the Earth-Uru Alliance Treaty?"

Ataru looks a little taken aback by the sudden question. "W-well,"
he searches for an answer, then shrugs, "...I like it. For the first time,
both sides are equals."

"Of course," Lara nods. "But Uru has given more to Earth and Earth
to Uru than the Sagussans have given either Earth or Uru."

"But Earth or Uru can't understand the level of technology that
Sagussa has," Ataru counters. "Even I don't understand it from time to time.
I'm glad the Non-Interference Directive exists. It allows trade in areas
where cultural damage wouldn't occur."

"Terrans understand Urusian technology and its people, don't they?"
Lara presses.

"Well, the Urusians are only about 100 years ahead of Earth," Ataru
looks on the defensive. "The Sagussans are a thousand years ahead of Earth,
if not much more."

"Then, what would Sagussa do if Earth broke away from Sagussa
someday?" Lara asks, then adds, "I mean...should it ever occur?"

Ataru looks nervous. He isn't used to being asked such loaded
questions. He knew Lara is baiting him, but he could do nothing about it.
Debating was never his strong suit. "A lot of former Terrans are Sagussans.
They would be disappointed, for sure."

"Would these ex-Terrans want Earth to be back under their control?"
Lara asks, sensing weakness. "By any means necessary?"

Ataru sweats noticeably. Lara's verbal sparing had him by the
balls. "I can't say. I can't speak for them."

"Neither can I," Lum cuts in. "But should such a break occur, I'm
sure the Sagussans would use logic over emotion to ensure the break was under
good terms."

Lara gives Lum a cold glance. "For once I'm glad the new rules are
in place...for under the old rules, I would've been put to death for what I'm
about to say. Never in history have allies broken agreements without going to
war with each other. Should a war come, what side would you be on, Lum-sama?"

"The side of justice and truth," Lum replies without hesitant.

<<Was that Lum talking or Nassur-kun?>> Shinobu hums.

<<I don't know,>> Ataru shrugs. <<It sounds like Nassur.>>

Lara looks blunted. "It seems that co-habiting with the enemy...I
mean...the Sagussans has made you forget that you are an Oni!" she gazes at
Lum.

"I am STILL an Oni!" Lum growls. "And I'll always think myself an
Oni! But I know that being an Oni doesn't give me the right to make myself a
despot. I've learned from friends the value of respecting people for who they
are, not WHAT they are."

"Nassur has been gone for ten years and you still parrot his lines,"
Lara sighs, unimpressed by Lum's speech.

"Maybe he's not gone like you want him to be. Maybe he's closer than
you think, watching you, waiting for the right time to expose you for the two-
faced fraud you are!"

"I find that hard to believe," Lara snorts. "Unless Nassur and his
wife could somehow talk to you from the Other World."

"We'll see about that," Lum humphs then turns to Ataru and Shinobu.
"Darling, Shinobu, let's go home," She gives Lara a cold glance. "The air is
too cold for me."

"Er...of course, Lum," Ataru nods and follows her out.

"Despite all that went on," Shinobu bows, "...I enjoyed the dinner.
Thanks."

"Of course," Lara nods as the trio leaves. Lara takes a glass of
pickled plum wine and takes a sip. An angry look appears on her beautiful
face as she throws it at the wall. The glass shatters into uncountable
pieces and the wine stains the wall. "Bitch!" she bellows to herself.
"Nassur and Benten are the only people who know what I'm doing and they're
taken care of! She may be the next in line, but, I'll make sure you bow
before me when the Imperials return to power and every Sagussan is dead at my
feet, Lum!!"

Demented laughter echoes through the halls. It drives a cold chill
through everyone on duty inside. Luckily, Lum, Ataru, and Shinobu have left
the building. A moment later, a side door opens to reveal Popok Aruka. "What
happened?"

"Lum's starting to get some suspicious about us!" Lara snarls,
drowning the rest of her wine. "Did anyone find out what happened to those
observers killed last night?"

"Nothing," the younger man shook his head. "Local police attribute
it to xenophobes; people who are splitting off from the Earth Defence Army, a
local racial environmentalist movement against the Babylon Project. The
primary group calls itself Earth Alone, but according to some intelligence
sources, they're being backed up by other powerful factions whose
identities've yet to be clarified. Earth Alone believes aliens are spoiling
Earth's culture and want us all gone. Strange as it sounds, they like the
Sagussans because of their Non-Interference Directive; when that attack you
arranged some days ago happened, they came out and stated that it was morally
impossible for the Sagussans to do such a thing."

"Bah!!" Lara snarls, then notices the twinkle in her chief-of-staff's
eye. "You don't believe that."

"No," Popok shakes his head. "The weapon used was Noukiite."

Lara pales. "Noukiite?!"

"Exactly," he nods. "I've just confirmed that there is now a
Noukiite temple...in Ishinomaki. The priestess there is a former Lost Star,
K'e-Nuk Yeho-Niap'yeng. Guess why she's here?"

Lara blinks, then sighs. "What do you want to do?"

Popok smiles...

* * *

"You said THAT to Lara?" Koosei gulps in surprise during a break at
school next day.

"She's hiding something alright," Lum snorts as she reads a
newspaper. "I can feel it! I have to stop her!"

"Is that Nassur or Benten talking to us?"

"I'm not sure," Ataru sighs as he takes a break from marking papers.
"But, it seems their personalities have been mixing together ever since she
went to visit Junba."

"It's so scary," Shinobu shivers.

Then Lan wanders in carrying a basket of food in her arms. "Lum-
chan," the Seishin mother announces cutely, "...I'm here!"

Lum whacks Lan over the head with a huge paper fan angrily. "Never
mind the cute announcements!" Lum snarls. "You're late!!!"

"Sorry!" Lan rubs the bump on her head.

"That was Nassur!" Koosei sighs.

Lan pulls out some computer disks from her basket. "It took me a
while, but I got some of what you might have been looking for," Lan nervously
hands the disks over to Lum, who barely gives her enough time to let go before
she snatches them. "The protocols in her system're as tough as the ones on
Sagussa!"

"I hope they're helpful!" Lum snorts, setting them into a nearby
computer terminal.

Everyone watches the computer screen. They see several columns of
data marked "Japanese Baseball League Rosters 1971" with all twelve teams and
several players listed. "What the hell's this?!!" Lum turns to Lan.

"Oops!" Lan blushes. "I must've accidently got some of the writer's
sports card checklists by mistake!"

[So that's where that list went to!]

"Seems he's got nearly a quarter of the players who played in that
year!" Ataru hums.

"He needs a lot of Japanese players," Koosei adds. "Those are mostly
the gaijins!"

[I'm trying! I take donations...M.S.]

"Enough of the advertisement!" Lum snaps. "Let's see what you REALLY
got!"

A few minutes and Lum goes through reams and reams of data faster
than a normal person could. Soon, even Koosei is bleary-eyed just by watching
it. "Gods," Koosei groans, "...having three people in your head makes it hard
to read over their shoulder!"

Sakura appears behind the group. "What's this?" the principal asks.
"Video Pachinko?"

"I-it's nothing!" Ataru gasps, knowing they are doing something VERY
frowned upon by their boss.

"Your break ended five minutes ago," Sakura points to her watch.
"Don't you think you should get to work?! You do work for me to help educate
the nation's youth, remember?"

"We're just finishing up!" Shinobu makes her way back to the nurse's
station.

Sakura then turns to Lan. "Lan, what are you doing here?" she asks
the Seishin coldly. "Wasn't homecoming last week?"

"I was just leaving," Lan slips away. "Haven't you ever heard of
impromptu visits?"

"Considering you don't even have kids here yet, Lan," Sakura huffs,
"...I don't even WANT TO see you or any from your graduating year until the
next yearly reunion!"

"I've got it!" Lum announces happily.

"Got what?" Ataru asks.

"Some proof about what Lara Skelad is doing, Darling!" she points to
the screen. "She's ordered some rare elements from various parts of Urusian
space. Lan couldn't find where they were going but some of these elements
could be used for some very nasty bombs which would be devastating on
Sagussa!"

"But they would have to go through the Barrier first," Ataru corrects
Lum.

"There's also a report on how to open a wormhole through the Barrier
straight to Sagussa!" Lum corrects Ataru.

"That could do it!" Ataru gulps.

"***HEY!!! IS THIS 'GOLGO 13' OR 'URUSEI YATSURA?!?!?!'***" Sakura
has a cow. "***GET BACK TO WORK!!!!***"

"But this is important," Lum protests...

* * *

When they regain consciousness, Lum and Ataru find themselves outside
of the main office. "Do that stuff AFTER school at home," the principal
snorts before slamming the door shut, "...not during the day!"

"It's a good thing I can't do the Cyborg or the *saikoo jinseijitsu*
any more," Ataru groans. "Sakura's definitely has got more forceful since we
were students!"

"*Tcha!*" Lum groans in agreement...

* * *

Almost 300 kilometres north of Tomobiki, outside the sleepy hamlet of
Oshika, Reiko Moroboshi walks down the beach some distance from her home,
gazing at the rolling waves of the Pacific as the water laps over her bare
feet. Belle gone, her parents gone, her sister gone...it was so unfair!
Twelve years of a happy home and a happy life were over. What could she do
now?

Reaching into her pocket, she draws out a folded sheet of paper,
gazing at it. "'You are hereby informed that the Ishinomaki Young Woman's
Academy has accepted your application for general studies admission into Class
218, May-September 1996,'" she reads, then sighs. "Damn, I hate this..."

"Reiko-chan!!" a voice calls out.

Reiko turns to see Willow and Yuri jog up. "Hi, guys!" she sighs,
stowing the paper. "What's up?"

"Well, we were thinking of getting everyone together at the Chow
Hound to celebrate our acceptance into the Academy," Willow proposes.
"Everyone's gonna be there. Wanna come?"

"Sure, why not," Reiko sighs as they head toward the house. "I
suppose I could try to relax..."

* * *

"There she is," Popok hums, watching from the tinted windows of his
car as Reiko, Willow and Yuri head out of the property. "Is everything
ready?"

"Yes, sir," the woman sitting with him nods. "We even brought the
uniforms we stole from the Sagussan Embassy."

"Very well, then," Popok sighs. "We'll take those three and anyone
else who comes along, then find a place to hide them."

"What about the priestess at that temple?" another woman in the front
seat wonders.

Popok snorts. Personally, he knew attacking Sagussa was bound to
arouse Noukiios into action sooner or later. The widespread cult that
revolved over the centuries around the Gatherer as it carried out its mission
had extra meaning among Reiko's people. For a race that believed fervently
in reincarnation, believing that those taken by the Gatherer would live again
was natural. It proved beneficial for the Dominion later; Noukiios was the
second world Sagussa established formal diplomatic relations with, the two
worlds engaging in a lively trade that aided the former in ending its
population and agricultural problems. Popok could guess that when news of
this got out, the Noukiites would be very angry. That could easily
accelerate plans to reintegrate the Ip'ihu into the Ten Orders...and spell
trouble for Uru.

"Don't worry about her," he sighs. "Once we have her precious fellow
Lost Star in hand, I'm sure Sister Niap'yeng could be made to see some
reason...or rather, she WILL be made to see reason."

The others grimly nod...

* * *

...not realizing that Niap'yeng had been observing them via her
sacred flame. "I see this little fly needs a lesson taught to him," the
priestess sighs, nodding to Hanak'at' and K'yechsungi...

* * *

As Reiko, Willow and Yuri later get off the bus beside the Chow
Hound, they do not notice a car idling nearby, nor a cargo van parked across
the street. Popok had gathered a force of a half-dozen to take the Noukiite,
all armed with long-range stun rifles to overcome Reiko's telekinetic powers.
Unseen by them, two lithe women stand atop a water tower overlooking the
expanse of parkland holding the four units of the Ishinomaki Women's Schools.
"Well, well," Hanak'at' smiles. "Spitting on the honour of the Hechye
Hisehek," she muses, referring to the Sagussans by their Noukiite title
"Maidens of the World of Holy Reincarnation." "Punish them, K'yech. The
woman are yours to play with. Kill the little boy."

The woman beside her growls as she transforms, leaping into the air
to soar towards Popok's car...

* * *

"Did anyone hear a scream?" Yuri blinks.

Her other future dormmates blink. "Must be some show on the TV in
the game room," Reiko shrugs as the conversation picks up...

* * *

In the Urusian embassy, Lara is working in her office when an
assistant rushes in. "Lara-sama," the harried underling gasps, "...someone
has been hacking in your files!"

Lara looks surprised by the news. She had made sure no one could
break into her files without proper access codes. With triple redundancies,
it's a system based on Sagussan designs stolen from the Avalonians. "Who
would do such a thing?" Lara growls.

"We're not sure," he reports immediately. "They couldn't dig too far
inside owing to the lockouts you had set up."

"What did they get?" Lara asks.

"Not much," he reads the report. "It seems they got hold of some old
resource movement reports...some of which are deal directly with our secret
projects."

"I see. Did you manage to get a trace on their signal?"

"Partly. It came from Earth...Tomobiki."

The light around Lara seems to glow eerily. "Tomobiki?" she gasps,
then she pauses to think. "There are only THREE people here who have the
ability to hack into our computer system. One is that Vosian ice cream
seller...the two others are Urusians. Considering that those two are
friends..." Lara remembers that Abraham Shapiro has no real reason to hack
into her files, but the other two...were obvious suspects. "So, Lum's dinner
date was just a little ruse to get information on us. How like Nassur she
has become! I never had thought she had it in her to be that way."

Lara pauses again. Then, a sly grin appears on her beautiful face.
"So, the first battle of the war begins, eh, Lum? You maybe my queen someday,
but I will be your master...!"

The ambassador cries out as a flash of light appears before her, then
Lara has a body pitched onto her! The light fades, revealing a woman dressed
in a gold Noukiite dress, her name in the Noukiite alphabet stitched into her
jersey. Lara recovers, then notices that the body is that of Popok Aruka.

"Take this as a warning, Hu-Skelad Yesu-Lara," Niap'yeng icily
smiles, delivering a brutal insult by designating Lara's family as Huhat'hu, a
caste fourth from the bottom in Noukiite terms. "Never touch Reiko Moroboshi
again!"

Lara stares at Popok's lifeless eyes, not seeing any marks that could
indicate how he died, then she glares at the Noukiite priestess. "You
bitch!!!" she rises. "What did you do...?!"

"I punished this one for his plan to stop Noukiios from reclaiming
her lost children and becoming too strong for you Uo-t'ich to handle in the
usual way you've viewed us," Niap'yeng grins, calling Lara's race by the usual
term for Urusians, "dog people." "As for you, you are no concern of
mine...since it will be one of your own kind that will destroy you. Farewell,
Lara; you'll not live to see the next dawn on this world...or any other."

She vanishes. Lara shudders, then turns to her assistant. "Lum has
a daughter, doesn't she?"

"Y-yes, Lara-sama," he replies nervously. "Two daughters in fact.
One lives in Oshika..."

"I KNOW about her!!! The other!!"

"The other still lives with Lum-sama and her husband. She goes to
Onigakkou Public School according to our records."

"I see," Lara turns away from the underling to think a moment, then
turns back. "Send the squad to do a little kidnapping. Bring me the younger
daughter. I want her alive and whole! And do it in such a way that the
Sagussans will get blamed! But I don't want a bloodbath! This is our future
queen's child, remember! Even if she's adopted, she is to be treated well!
Just do a little something to add a little friction between Earth and
Sagussa."

"Like the destruction before?"

"Like the destruction before."

"I'll send the squad immediately," he bows.

"And dispose of him," Lara points to Popok.

"Yes, ma'am."

As workers come in to remove the body, Lara look at the Urusian flag.
"You want war, Lum?" she says quietly. "You'll get war! I'll make sure
YOU'LL sit on your throne even if I have to make you do so! And then,
Niap'yeng, it's YOUR turn!!"

Lara laughs maniacally again. Everyone working at the embassy look
nervous...

* * *

<<Irunvayae?>>

<<What is it, Ranvayae?>>

Ranma takes a deep breath as the two face each other in the
shipmistress' dream site. <<By order of the Prime Councillor under the
Special Intelligence Operations Edict, Order 12-200, Lara Skelad of Uru is to
be terminated with extreme prejudice within one ten-day of this announcement.
You are also ordered to destroy the Skelad research facilities in the
asteroid belt in the Oyatsui system and on Spotak. Flightmistress Mie Seikou
and Shipmistress Makoto Seikou are seconded to support you at their request.
The Tere'na City Compudata Centre is now moving to feed viruses into all
Skelad systems to eliminate all copies of this data. You are given full
freedom of action to carry out your mission without compromising your current
cover identity or your contacts in the Urusian government. Is this
understood?>>

<<It is. Inform the Prime Councillor that the operation will be done
immediately.>>

<<Immediately? Can you do it?>>

<<I can,>> Irunmei salutes her. <<My orders are received and
understood, Shipmistress. If you'll excuse me.>>

<<Be careful,>> Ranma hums...

...then Numon finds herself back in her office. Taking a deep
breath, she looks to the door. "Nokosu-kun!!"

"Yes, Numon-san?" he walks in.

"Prepare my ship. Destination: Earth."

"Yes, Numon-san."

"Are the two prepared?"

"They are. Should I call Captain Negau?"

"I'll call her," Numon walks into the main room where two young boys
stand, both showing the telltale signs of third stage terminal Hifuto
Syndrome. "How are you?"

"Scared," one admits.

"I know," Numon smiles, kneeling before them. "But you'll live on in
the bioroids created of you by the Avalonians. Do you understand what I want
you to do?"

"Yeah," the other nods. "But we don't understand why."

Numon sighs. "The place that made the Avalonians...and by extension
us...reality is a place that is still recovering from a horrible war beyond
your wildest imagination. The places I want you to destroy are building
weapons that will completely destroy what the *daishi'cha* have tried to
rebuild. Both of you have friends on Sagussa, remember?"

"Yeah," one nods, then shrugs. "Heck, if it's between dying from
Hifuto and getting atomized by a bauximite flash-bomb, I'll take the flash-
bomb. It happens quicker."

"I know," she kisses them. "Good luck."

Both nod as Nokosu escorts them away. Taking a deep breath, Numon
heads back into her office to prepare...

* * *

The day ends at Onigakkou Public School and the students rush out to
go home. Among the rapid throng of youth, Junba and Dansei Fujinami walk
together to the main street. Like all of the women in the Fujinami family,
Dansei is dressed in boys' clothes and her hair is cut short. "Another day
ends," Junba sighs. "Wanna go for a sundae at Shapiro's?"

"I wish," Dansei groans. "But I'm broke as usual and I've gotta go
home to help my folks with the clean up, then I gotta go to the Canadian
Embassy for my French lessons."

Junba stares confusedly at her best friend. "Why do you learn French
at the Canadian Embassy? Why not a private institute?"

"It's cheaper and the teachers are nicer; besides, they're all native
speakers, so I can learn much more than a local teacher who was taught
French," Dansei shrugs. "Besides, I learn a lot about Canada at the
embassy."

"Why Canada?" Junba wonders.

"Dunno," Dansei shrugs. "Mom and Dad say it's a better place to go
to than the States. Weird if you ask me. I've been going there ever since
second grade, learning English, Canadian history, geography, social
sciences..."

"Makes me think that you've got a future husband in Canada."

Dansei blinks, then blushes at the thought of marrying a very rich
Canadian. "Gee, that'd be nice!" She then grins. "Then I'd be finally away
from that dork grandfather of mine!!"

"That's be reason enough to get away," Junba laughs, then reaches
into her pocket to pull out some change. "Hey, I've got enough. Let's go to
Shapiro's anyway!"

"Oh, okay!" Dansei nods. "The garbage can wait!"

Suddenly, two identical red-haired boys who look like a pair of
miniature Reis appear around them. "Hey, Junba," one of them asks, wearing a
red scarf. "Wanna go to Shapiro's with me?"

The other pushes the one with the red scarf away. "Forget it!" the
other has a blue scarf. "She wants to go with me!"

"Me!!!"

"ME!!!!"

They transform into large, red-haired beasts and begin to fight.
Junba and Dansei sigh. "It seems Lin and Len are at it again," Junba shrugs.
"Mr. Shapiro doesn't let them in together because of their transformation
powers cause too much trouble!"

"And the fact they hate each other!" Dansei adds.

Then four more appear around Junba. They look like miniature
versions of Lum's bodyguards. "Hey, Junba!" the bespectacled one says.
"Let's go to Shapiro's together!"

"Let's go! Let's go!" the others chant together as they grab Junba
and start to drag her in the direction of the ice cream shop.

Junba groans. These are her own bodyguards (not that she actually
NEEDS them). Lead by Shinpai Megane, Aisuru's nephew, they are as moronic as
their predecessors. "Why should she go to Shapiro's with the likes of you?" a
strong voice of a young man states.

"That voice?" Shinpai gasps. "He had to pick now to appear!"

Some wind whips through the trees as a kimono-clad boy with slicked
back black hair and carrying a wooden sword appears with his back towards
them. In the background, there is the sound of music common in old samurai
movies when the hero shows up to confront a group of thugs who are pestering
some innocent maiden. "Idiots never seem to stop popping up to confront
perfection," the boy turns to reveal a very handsome, Mendou-like face.

The four boys look in awe. "It IS him!" Megane gasps. "Only one
such as he would use such a cliche for an entrance!"

"I wish he'd get away from this samurai fetish!" Junba groans.

The boy slowly walks up to Junba and takes her hand. He smiles and
his teeth gleam. "Junba-san," he says gruffly...before a childish grin
appears and his voice goes higher. "Willya go to Shapiro's with me?!"

Everyone faints except for Junba. "Why do you have to go through
this late-night movie send-up to ask permission to go for ice cream, Tetsubou
Mendou?!" she blanches. "Is saying 'Can I go, too,' too hard for you?!"

Like his father, Tetsubou is the most sex-crazed moron in the school.
But, being very handsome and from a rich family, no one minds too much.
Among the last ones out are Amora and Seiteki. Both dressed to thrill, they
notice Junba and look with disgust over the fact she has tons of boys hanging
around her, while they have NONE. "Look at that!" Seiteki groans. "Junba's
about as tomboyish as Dansei is, yet all the boys hang around her like wishes
on a Tanabana tree!"

"What's she got that we haven't got?!" Amora groans. "We try to look
like girls, not boy-wannabes, and they don't even give us the time of day!
Junba fights with the boys, plays boys' sports, and they're all over her!"

"Wanna go to Shapiro's?" Seiteki asks.

"Might as well," Amora nods.

Unbeknownst to them, a large black car is parked nearby. Inside,
there are a group of Oni women who wear long black overcoats and sunglasses to
hide their identities. One of them watches the children leaving the school
with binoculars. "The target is coming out of the school," the woman
announces. "But, she is with a large group of friends."

"This is the time," another replies. "Plus take a few of her friends
to make sure we get the message out." She tugs her overcoat. "Make sure they
see your uniforms."

The woman removes her overcoat to reveal a black and gold duty
uniform of government services. "That should cause a lot of embarrassment for
them."

The other three remove their overcoats as well to reveal themselves
dressed in Sagussan uniforms. The others wears defense colours, the driver
wears the colours of a Warsuit pilot. "They didn't suspect that we could
break into their embassy and steal what we could," the leader snorts to the
others. "The Sagussans may have high technology, but they are really naive
when it comes to protecting themselves from street crime."

While the bogus Sagussans set themselves up, Seiteki and Amora join
Junba and Dansei to their trek to Shapiro's. Unfortunately, Tetsubou, Junba's
bodyguards, Lin, and Len follow them like lovesick puppies. "Don't they EVER
give up?!" Junba sighs.

"I wish you could tell us why you're so damned attractive to all the
guys in our class, Junba!" Amora snorts.

"We could use some attention ourselves!" Seiteki groans, then flaunts
herself. "An early developer like me needs all the attention she can get!"

Then, the black limo appears in front of them and the three bogus
Sagussans leap out to the full view of at least a half-dozen bystanders. "S-
sagussans?" Amora gasps in surprise. "What are they doing here?!"

Before anyone can answer, the one wearing the government uniform
pulls out a spray can and sprays a large cloud of white mist into the group.
In moments, Amora and the others begin to pass out. The shocked on-lookers
do not know what to do when the three fakes drag the whole group of pre-teens
into their car with the ease of moving a small bit of furniture. "These
children will make good GUINEA PIGS for our experiments on Sagussa!" one acts
before she joins the others.

The limo immediately speeds away. The on-lookers then realize what
is going on. But it is too late, the limo is already out of range and
heading to its base. Only a few get their wits about them to call the
police. By that time, the limo is long gone...

* * *

The news of the kidnapping travelled fast. By the time after school,
Lum, Ataru and Mina find the news blasted on almost every television station.
"According to witnesses," a harried reporter on NHK announces helped by
photographs taken by someone lucky enough to be standing there with a camera,
"...the Sagussans were heard to say they were going to use the children in
some experiment. No one is sure what kind of experiment it is or where they
maybe held. The Sagussan Ambassador has refused comment pending their own
investigation. The children are the following: Amora Moroboshi, Seiteki
Ozuno, Junba Miyaki, Tetsubou Mendou, Dansei Fujinami, Lin and Len, Shinpai
Megane..."

Lum looks at Ataru. "Darling, those are the names of children from
our graduating high school class as well as our Amora."

"Oh, shit!" Ataru gulps. "Because everyone thinks Sagussa is
involved, all hell is gonna break lose! And I'M gonna be blamed for it!!!
I'M ALWAYS BLAMED FOR IT!!!!"

"It's not Sagussa," Nassur takes over.

Ataru relaxes. "What do you mean?"

"Didn't you see those pictures?" Lum/Nassur replies. "They were
wearing the mini-jumpsuits with no leggings like Kei and Yuri like to
wear...AND they didn't have any numbers on their thighs."

The three think back to the photos shown. In none of the shots, none
of the girls had the customary identification tattoos all of the *daishi'cha*
have worn on their thighs since they were taken by Henry. It is something
most people would miss, but to experienced hunters like Nassur or Benten, it
stuck out. "So they did," Ataru remembers. "But, who would be responsible
for this?"

"Who else?" Benten replies. "Lara."

"So what do we do about it?" Ataru asks.

"We take the charge and save our children," Lum/Benten says.

"But, how?" Ataru replies. "We don't know where they are!"

Then, Lum's eyes seem to glow a bright green like Nassur's would when
he had located someone with his tracking powers. A brick smashes through the
front door and like a bazooka shell, flies into the living room, bashing Ataru
in the face! "There's your answer," Lum takes over her body.

"Who threw that?" Mina demands. "Hideo Nomo?"

Lum notices a note attached to the brick. She removes it. "To read
note inside, please break brick," she reads. "In need something hard to break
this on," she turns.

Aisuru Megane appears. The wandering monk looks angry enough to
explode. "MOROBOSHI!!!! HOW DARE YOU...?!?!"

Megane never finishes his statement. Lum belts him over the head
with the brick! The brick splits open into two equal pieces. Megane is
floored by the impact while a huge lump forms on the top of his head. "That
did it!" Lum smiles. "I knew Megane would come in handy for something
someday!"

"I-it's f-fate...!!" Megane groans.

"What does it say?" Mina asks.

"'I have your children, if you want to see them alive again then come
to the old harbour where the reclaimed lands begin. I'll be waiting for you,
my future Queen...Lara Skelad,'" Lum reads.

"It's a challenge," Ataru sighs...

...then Megane grabs Ataru by the shirt and starts shaking him. "How
dare you hit a monk over the head with a brick?!!"

Ataru and Mina clobber him with sledgehammers. "Since when are you a
monk?!" the former demands.

"Mom, this could be a set-up," the latter turns to Lum. "You're not
serious about going..."

"I must," Lum stands. "But, not alone."

"What do you mean?" Ataru and Mina wonder.

"There are others who will want to help us," Lum warns.

"There are?" Ataru gulps. "You don't mean...?!"

"They're their children, too," Lum replies. "And they also deserve a
right to help free them. Let's call them up!"

* * *

"Ohmigosh!!!" Reiko cries out, having seen the news in the living
room in Oshika. "What the heck's going on?!"

"Since when do the Sagussans kidnap little kids?!" Willow demands,
exchanging looks with Yuri.

"They never struck me as the type," the Tritonian hums.

"Hold on a sec' here!!" Willow's girlfriend Hiromi Fujino cuts in.
"Did you see those uniforms, the back of their legs?! All adult Sagussans
have those strange tattoos on the back of their thighs! You remember when
Mr. Moroboshi's friend Mie came by to visit that one time, don't you,
Willow-chan?!"

"That's right!" the Oni slams her fist into the palm of her hand.
"Someone's trying to set the Sagussans up!!"

"What do we do?!" Hitomi Koomei wonders.

"We go help, what do you think?!" Reiko snarls, then looks at
Willow. "Where's your ship?!"

"Here, Saucer!" Willow calls out.

A flash later sees Willow's scout land on the beach...

* * *

In an hour, the Moroboshi house filled with familiar faces. Among
the first to arrive were Shinobu, dressed in the armour she wore in Kyotos,
and Koosei. Then came Lan with her husband Rei, noticeably upset that their
twins are among those taken, wearing battle armour of their own designs.
Sakura and Tsubame arrived. She dressed in her Shinto priestess robes and he
in his usual dark business suit and cape. Then the rest of Lum's Bodyguards
and their wives all dressed to fight. Ryuunosuke and Nagisa came surfing on
the tsunami created by Fujimi Fujinami's tears. Then finally, Shutaro Mendou
arrived in full battle gear. With the exception of Mie Seikou, Ataru's and
Lum's graduating high school homeroom class had dropped what they were doing
and rushed en masse to the Moroboshi home. This time, it is not to attack
Ataru for some real or imagined slight, but to assist in rescuing their
kidnapped children. Even Ataru, dressed in his Sagussan duty uniform, was
impressed by the response.

"You all came?" Ataru gapes in surprise.

"There was no way you could've stopped us, Ataru," Shinobu says. "I
would've come to help even if you didn't ask me!"

"Ataru," Koosei smiles. "Even though I don't have any children with
Oyuki-chan yet, I'd feel honoured if you let me help in this
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

"'Once-in-a-lifetime...?'" Ataru asks. "What do you mean?"

"You and your former classmates fighting beside each other," Koosei
smiles devilishly as he pulls out a camera. "I just have to get it on film!
No one'll believe it!"

Everyone faints. "Some people have screwed-up priorities!" Ataru
mumbles. "But, I'm not leading this group. Lum is!"

"Lum-san's leading us?" Kakugari gulps in awe. "Wonderful!"

Kenmei pulls him by the ear. "I hope that's MORAL support, Daremo-
kun!" she snarls. "We don't need a return of Lum-itis!"

"I'm not a Ferengi, Kenmei-chan!!"

"The entire resources of the Mendou-Mizunokoji Clans, the Kuromegane
and the Kurotenshi are at your disposal!" Mendou adds.

"Thanks, Shutaro," Ataru smiles. "Grandma's already lent the
Moroboshi Clan's forces as well. All we need is Lum's say-so and our kids are
as good as saved."

"Where is Lum-san anyway?" Mendou asks.

"She said she was getting dressed."

A patient look appears on the scion of the Mendou family's face.
"Oh, I see. It's a woman's right to dress properly."

"I see some things have never changed with you, Shutaro," Lum says as
she steps out...to the surprise of all, dressed in her old tiger-stripped
bikini and knee-high boots.

"L-Lum, why are you dressed in that?!" Ataru gulps in awe. "Did
Nassur or Benten make you wear that?"

"Of course not, Darling," Lum models herself in front of everyone.
"If anything, Nassur would want me to wear my Sagussan duty uniform. I chose
this outfit. It just seemed right to wear this, this time."

"Er...right," Ataru sighs.

"At least she still has the figure to wear that," Kenmei sighs aloud,
comparing herself to Lum and finds herself wanting.

"Don't worry, Kenmei-chan," Kakugari gives her a peck on the cheek.
"You'll always be attractive to me!"

"So we're all here," Sakura smiles at everyone as Ataru, Lum and
Shinobu tense.

"Not everyone!"

"Mie!! Makoto!!!" Megane gasps.

Standing at the door are Mie and Makoto Seikou, both in the proper
duty uniforms of the Sagussan Navy. "I trust we're not late!" the former
smiles as she marches in.

"What are you doing here?!!" Lum flies over to embrace them. "It
would have taken you two about a day to get here from Sagussa."

"We were in the neighbourhood," Mie replies, "...so we dropped in."

"Why were you in the neighbourhood?" Ataru asks.

"What do you think?!" Makoto snarls. "Some asshole's making us look
like shit!! Time they got taught a lesson!"

"Besides, your children are involved, including my godchild," Mie
pecks Lum's cheek. "So, where to, Lum-chan?!"

Ataru looks at Lum and in his mind he remembers when he first set
eyes on Lum in this very house all those years ago. She was a naive girl then
and he was a sex-crazed moron. Yet, even seeing her seemed to change all of
that. Deep down, Ataru secretly wished for a brief return to those days,
before Sagussa, before the arrival of Reiko and Amora, before the horrors of
the Box, the Mikado and the other troubles that would come later. Ataru
remembers the feelings of love at first sight... something no one could take
away from him. Mere words could not describe what he felt that day fifteen
years ago...

Only if he could experience it again.

"I'm glad you all could come," Lum says as she addresses the group
and taking a more Nassur-like tone to her voice. "Despite what you think,
and as Mie-chan and Makoto-chan can confirm, the Sagussans did NOT kidnap our
children for some sort of insane experiment. A woman named Lara Skelad took
them and is holding them in the old harbour near the reclaimed lands outside
of Tokyo. Why she is doing this, I haven't found out about yet. But,
remember this...if we fail tonight, then not only will our children be put
into danger, but all people of Earth, Uru and Sagussa will also be in danger.
This could be dangerous. Some of us may not make it back alive." She
pauses and waits. No one says a word. She continues, "But this is the only
way to make us go towards the unstoppable future!!! ARE YOU WITH ME?!?!?!"

Everyone roars in approval. "Then let's go!" Lum shouts. "Get to
the grass roots... BUT DON'T CUT THE GRASS!!!!"

In minutes, cars, trucks, a few tanks and personnel carriers roar
into action. Lum flies ahead to lead them into battle. "Good luck,
everyone!!" Mina waves from the front door, then sighs. "Wish I could've come
along..."

But during the organized confusion that armies go through while they
move into the battlefield, Mendou turns to Ataru with a puzzled look. "Say,
Ataru, where's Dakejinzou? A fight like this would be right up her alley."

Ataru looks around, not seeing her. "I don't know," he scratches his
head. "I know that Lum contacted her to help...and it's not like her to
refuse to do so."

* * *

In orbit, Dakejinzou is working on her computer aboard her own
starship. She then sneezes. "I hope that's not Lum thinking of me. I'm
working as fast as I can!"

* * *

The old harbour is quiet this night. All the warehouses and dry
docks were closed and abandoned since the Babylon Project began. As little as
five years ago, this area was once one of the busiest sea ports in Japan. Now
it is a silent mockery. It is now empty and forgotten, waiting for someone
with money, a plan and time to do something with it.

The new coastline is a couple of kilometres further out and most of
the land has been already expropriated for building. First is a new police
labor headquarters to replace the one in downtown Tokyo, now too small for
its crews. Then a starship construction yard, the first in the world until
plans are finalized for the San Francisco and Halifax yards. But, despite
all of the future works in this area, the old harbour still has its uses.

Hidden inside one, Lara Skelad meets with her cronies laying plans
for the battle. The children she kidnapped are safe and well-cared for
despite what anyone would think. Lara had made sure of that by decreeing
that if any physical harm coming to the children it would bring a sudden,
painful death to the unlucky soul causing the harm. "...I make no bones
about it," Lara informs her cronies, mostly made up of security men from the
embassy loyal to Lara and the women who carried out the kidnapping in the
first place, "...there is going to be war. When it comes, I don't want the
children harmed if we can help that. Especially the one known as Amora.
Despite her lineage, she is in line to the new throne when the day the
Imperials return to power."

"What about the parents and any others who come to fight with them?"
one of the security squad asks.

"Do as you will," Lara gives the guard a cruel look. "This will be a
hard battle, but I know right..." she looks up in the air. "...and my father
would be on our side."

Lara remembers her father, Slan Skelad. Slan was the most successful
businessman to ever have lived on Uru in centuries. After starting out in
terraforming, Slan made his first trillion in starship warp engine technology
and weapon research. When the defense department began using his designs,
Slan's personal wealth grew faster than even Bill Gates on Earth. By time he
married and Lara was born, Slan had plants all over Urusian space and branch
plants in almost every major power's space except the Dominion and Sagussa,
and was growing every year.

But when the Imperial Round fell and with the resulting witch-hunts,
the inevitable stress took its toll. Always nervous about speaking in public,
Slan was mercilessly roasted by each and every accusation Nassur and Benten
unearthed for the committee to view. Such stress was also felt by Lara. Lara
was the next in line to her father's financial juggernaut. In fact, Slan was
transferring the reigns of running the company before the Imperials were
killed. She knew that whatever Nassur and Benten would bring out would be the
end of the Skelads. She wouldn't let it happen.

Using a go-between, she set Nassur and Benten up to "disappear" and
the evidence they had collected destroyed. It was easy getting Elle to agree
to the plan. The Rose Queen, already unstable over the deaths of her nanny
and her parents, was showing signs of a paranoia of growing old and frantic
to stop the old age we all must face. A few key "rumours" about the Vosians
finding a cure for old age was enough to set everything up. The set up went
off without a hitch...and her father and her family were safe. But the
damage was already done. One day shortly after he was acquitted, Slan
suffered a massive heart attack and died in Lara's arms.

"He should be here to watch the first triumph of the new Imperials,"
she says aloud. "Let's continue our plan."

* * *

Inside another of the warehouses, Amora, Junba and their classmates
sit around waiting. Most of the boys sit close to Junba and Dansei while
Amora and Seiteki sit alone together, but close enough to hear everything
someone said. "I'm so scared," shivers Shinpai Megane aloud. "I wanna go
home!"

"We all do," Junba groans. "But how? They've got the guns."

"It's me they want," Amora sighs. "They said they were Sagussans,
but they're not."

Everyone agreed. The Sagussans would never kidnap someone so
brazenly in public only to herd them into some warehouse somewhere in Tokyo
and hold them for no reason. The Sagussans to a person were at times too
naive to think of such a thing. Still, the people that did kidnap them were
a threat...but for what? None had tried to harm them. Just the opposite,
they were being taken care of better than their own parents.

"Why would they want you, Amora?" Tetsubou asks.

"My parents are the heads of Sagussa. These people don't like
Sagussa at all."

Junba looks at Amora. Their captors had never mentioned anything
about their intentions or anything else for that matter. "How do you know
that?" she asks.

"I dunno. Lately, I've been getting these feelings from everyone
including my parents. It's weird. It's not like I can read minds, but I can
sense how they feel."

"And I thought I was the only one who was developing weird mind
powers!" Junba sighs. "You'd think this was an episode of 'Kimagure Orange
Road' instead of 'Urusei Yatsura.'"

"Do you sense any feelings about us?" Dansei asks politely.

Junba punches Tetsubou! "I don't know about Amora, but someone
better stop thinking what he's thinking!" she snorts as she removes Tetsubou's
hand from her own backside.

"Now that's an OLD joke!" Amora groans.

* * *

Lum and Ataru's little army arrives at the front gate of the harbour.
Locked shut by a lock and chain and surrounded with a wire fence, the
warehouse looks deserted. "Are you sure this is the place?" Mendou asks Lum.

Lum concentrates a moment, then her eyes glow eerily. "This is the
place," Lum says in Nassur's tone of voice. "I sense Amora and the other kids
in there. They're safe and sound. Plus I see several dozen armed Oni
soldiers...with Lara Skelad."

"How do we get in?" Megane asks.

Lum blasts open the lock with her lightning. Megane has the "boy, am
I dumb" look on his face. "Ask a silly question..."

"And they say I'M an idiot?!" Ataru sighs as they go in...

* * *

The entry hasn't gone unnoticed. A soldier using a scanner has
immediately picked up them...not that the sound of the explosion itself did
not warn them. "Someone has blasted through the main gate and is heading
this way!" a technician announces.

"So, they're here," Lara growls happily. "Bring me Amora and let's
do battle!"

The soldiers roar in agreement...

* * *

To Lum's group, the silence is deafening. They were several metres
into the compound and yet there is no sign of the enemy or anything else.
"So, where is everyone?" Mendou asks.

"This is so scary," Shinobu gulps.

"They're here," Lum says in Benten's voice. "I can sense it."

"I'd feel better if Nassur had said that," Ataru groans.

But Lum's boast was soon proven true. Out of a dozen or so hiding
places, shots are fired. "Snipers!" Lan yells.

"Disperse!" Lum orders.

Like experienced soldiers, Lum's group follow orders. Some make it
to some cover and begin to fire back while others move towards the warehouses
hoping to find the right one that held their children or Lara Skelad.

Makoto makes the first capture. She sneaks up and catches a sniper
unawares. With a quick flip, she sends the hapless shooter flying down to
ground level. Mendou eliminates one with a slash of his katana, destroying
the shooter's weapon. Backed up by Kakugari with a rocket launcher, they
proceed to liberate the next gun nest in seconds. Shinobu broke up another
sniper hideout by literally heaving an abandoned yacht at them. Lan and Rei
stomped out two more. Chibi and Paama belted another from behind with
baseball bats. Ataru was pinned down for two minutes until Lum and Mie
finished the last couple with lightning and pistol shots.

Lara's fighters are soon gathered together. "Where are our
children?!!" Lum's group growl menacingly.

"We don't know!" the prisoners exclaims.

"You don't know?!" Megane snaps his fingers. "Too bad."

Out of the shadows comes Keizoo Sedoyama, the former head of the
Tomobiki High Torture Research Club, dressed in his red leather outfit and
cape. Still bald, ugly and very intimidating, the torturer manages to keep up
his hobby in his job working in the tax office. "This ain't no Taxing Woman's
job!" he grins evilly as he drops his bag filled with torture instruments.
"And I don't have to go easy on you either!" The torturer then pulls out a CD
player and some CDs.

After torturing the prisoners with several bad versions of "The
Sukiyaki Song," they desperately tell Lum and the others everything. Their
children are holed up in a warehouse about a block away from their present
position, Lara is hidden a block further than that. "We'll have to split up,"
Lum declares in her own tone of voice.

"Do you think that's wise?" Ataru asks. "This is dangerous."

"If what our prisoners say is true," Lum continues. "Our children
haven't been harmed and they won't harm them. Mendou, can you lead a force to
free our children?"

"Sure, Lum-san," Mendou nods.

"Good," Lum turns to Ataru. "Darling, we'll lead the group to
capture Lara Skelad. AND I WANT HER FOR MYSELF!!!!" she finishes in Nassur's
voice.

Everyone looks surprised hearing the Vosian's voice from Lum's lips.
"Gotcha," Ataru humours the spirits inhabiting his wife.

"That might be a problem, Nassur," Makoto cuts in.

"What do you mean?" Lum/Nassur turns to the *pirpirsiw'r.*

"There's a third one of us here," Makoto smiles. "Irunmei. She's
Intelligence with orders to kill Lara; she's been after the bitch as long as
you've been missing."

Lum then smiles. "They understand now, Makoto-chan. Too bad Eluza's
not here to watch this. Nassur-chan thinks she's a genius for pulling this
out of her hat."

"Hey, we're not ALL naive bimbos!"

"What's that all about?" Megane wonders.

"We'll explain later!" Lum's voice then switches to Benten's tone.
"Let's go!!"

Shinobu turns to Ataru. "This is really scary," the school nurse
whispers. "It's like Nassur and Benten ARE really here!"

"I know," Ataru muses. "Even I'M not sure how this'll end!"

Ataru, Shinobu, Lan, Rei, Mie, Makoto and a couple Kuromegane and
Kurotenshi follow Lum towards Lara's hideout. Mendou and the rest of the
group go to liberate their children...

* * *

Meanwhile in Lara's hideout, Amora has been delivered to her
kidnapper and unceremoniously dropped at Lara's feet. "Ow!" Amora rubs her
swore bottom. "That hurt!"

"Sorry for the rough treatment," Lara smiles sweetly as she looks
Amora over approvingly. "You're a cutie, aren't you?"

Amora looks at her captor, eyes blazing with hate. She could feel
the resentment, loathing, and madness within the ambassador and it scared her
a lot. Lara did not need developing empathic powers to sense what Amora was
feeling about her. "I can tell by the way you look at me, you don't like me.
You'll learn to like me someday, I'm sure," Lara strokes her hand on Amora's
face. "I think someday we'll be very good friends."

An injured soldier staggers in. "Lara-sama!" he groans in pain.
"Lum's rescue team has split up. One group is going to free the children and
the others are coming this way."

"It begins," Lara humphs. "Let them take their children back, but
when Lum comes I will make her agree to what I want her to do! If she wishes
to see Amora alive again!"

Lara then laughs maniacally...

* * *

Liberating their children was easy for Mendou's team. The guards
only gave enough resistance so they could withdraw. When Mendou burst into
the warehouse, their children were the only ones there. "The rescue team's
here!" Megane announces.

Junba clobbers Megane with a paper fan. "It's about time!" she
snarls. "It didn't take you guys long to save us, Megane. What did you do,
show them your face?"

Megane looks suitably insulted, while everyone else tries not to
laugh. "What's the matter with my face?!!"

Mendou rams Megane's face to the floor with his boot. "Where is
Amora Moroboshi?"

"Some of those goons took her to that creepy Lara Skelad," Seiteki
replies then looks upset. "Is Moroboshi-sensei here?"

"Er...yes," Mendou replies.

"Good," she rearranges her clothes. "I wanna thank him personally
for saving me!"

Mendou turns to his son. "I take it SHE'S Seiteki?!"

"Yes, Father, she is," Tetsubou replies.

"Let's start moving them out of here!" Kakugari suggests.

Everyone leaves, but Seiteki begins to move towards the other
battle. "I've gotta find Sensei and thank him!" she says.

Sakura grabs Seiteki by her belt and drags her away. "Oh, no, you
don't!" she groans while she drags her wanton daughter away. "You've bought
enough candy to see how this story will turn out!"

"But, lovers must stick together!"

"Too much superficial love'll cause a backlash!" Sakura warns...

* * *

Lum's group is having a harder time against Lara's forces, who are
putting up stern resistance. Even with Lan's bazookas, Rei's tiger-bull
body, Shinobu's strength, Mie's and Makoto's pistols and Lum's lightning,
movement is difficult. "This is like a war!" Ataru gasps. "This Lara isn't
giving up without a fight!"

Then they see Mr. Fujinami selling ice cream. "Ice cream! Get yer
ice cream!"

Lum growls. "Hey! You're not invited!"

"But, I'm the only one except for Cherry of the original regular cast
who hasn't had a cameo yet!" Mr. Fujinami retorts.

"Did you have to pick now to do it?!" Lum flies off.

"This is getting weirder and weirder!" Ataru sighs.

Before Mr. Fujinami can say anything, an exploding shell sends him
into the sky. Ryuunosuke and Nagisa both sigh. "Shit, we didn't get to punch
him into orbit!" she mutters.

Ataru notices the main entrance is blocked off by a squad of Lara's
troops. Luckily, Mendou and a few members of his group have come to reinforce
Lum's group. "We've saved all the kids except Amora," Mendou reports to Ataru
as they hide beside a nearby warehouse. "It seems she's in there with Lara."

"Why am I not surprised?" Ataru sighs. "We have to break through
that blockade at the door. Do you got any ideas on how?"

"Megane said he was going to take care of that," Mendou reports.

"He is?" Ataru groans as he wonders how the monk would do such a
thing. "How?"

Everyone notices a small monk's straw hat appear from out of the sky
and land in front of the blockade. The soldiers stop fighting as a small body
lowers itself from the hat and carries two pails in his hands. The body looks
at the soldiers. His old and ugly face studies them. "Oh, I get it!!
Setsubun!"

Cherry literally explodes!! When the smoke clears the blockade, the
warehouse and about three blocks are totally destroyed with everyone there
either unconscious or semi-conscious. "So that's how the writers got Cherry
in this one!" Ataru groans. "I forgot about Megane's holy telephone...!"

Ataru collapses in the rubble. Lum, who was hovering nearby trying
to take out a group of Lara's soldiers stationed on the roof of the
warehouse, flies down to land where the explosion occurred. A little stunned
by the shock wave from the blast itself, she looks horrified by the carnage.
"Oh, Lyna!!" she gasps before running to his side. "Darling!"

She checks out Ataru but finds that except for some bruising and a
large bump on the back of his head, he is only unconscious. Lum looks around
for Lara and Amora but only sees rubble and strewn bodies of Lara's soldiers
and her friends laying around. Where is she? Where is Amora? She tries to
access Nassur's tracking powers and finds she can't. What happened? Lum
races through her mind. She could access them before and she really needs
them. Then she notices something else. Nassur and Benten were gone from her
mind. For a month and more, they were inside her mind giving her advice and
shielding her. Now, nothing. Lum felt alone.

Someone taps her. "Looking from us?"

Lum turns and sees...Nassur and Benten standing there as if they are
really in her presence. Lum is speechless. All the time they were
interacting psychically, she would have never expected that they were now in
the real world. "N-nassur-chan? Benten-chan?" she spits out. "You're here?
Am I dead?"

Benten pats her on the shoulder. "A tough Oni girl like you, dead?"
Benten smiles as if Lum had just told her some really dumb joke. "Nah, not in
a million years!"

"Besides, we're not dead ourselves," Nassur adds. "At least, this
doesn't seem like Heaven or Purgatory to us." The hunter's face grows
serious. "We know why we're here. You want Lara and your daughter Amora. We
can help you...since it looks like no one else is in any shape to at the
moment."

"Except me, of course," a voice hails.

They turn to see Numon Kuk, now dressed in her uniform as a Sagussan
intelligence officer though she is still Oni in looks. "I take it you're here
to end this," Nassur hums.

"A pity I didn't interfere before you two vanished," Numon smiles,
then draws her gun and a portable videophone. "Well, Lum-chan, shall we go
have some fun?"

"Let's!!" Lum turns to Nassur. "Do you know where they are?"

Nassur concentrates for a moment, then his eyes glow once more.
"They're over there," he points towards the remains of the warehouse.
"They're both still alive and reasonably uninjured," he continues. "If you
hurry, you can end this now."

"*Tcha!*" Lum and Numon fly off.

It wasn't easy. With the roof collapsed, and the rubble unstable,
entering the ruins is difficult. Lum knew she couldn't use her lightning to
blast her way in and Numon didn't have Shunran's pulse-photon blasts. It
would only cause things to collapse even more and endanger Amora. Luckily,
there are spaces large enough for them to shuffle through. <<Amora,>> Lum
psi-links. <<Where are you?>>

* * *

"Hey!!" Reiko calls out.

The small group who had rescued the children turn to see Willow's
scout land, Reiko charging out. "Where's Amora-chan?!"

"Reiko-chan!!" Koosei blinks surprisedly, then notices the others who
had come with her. "What are you doing here?!"

"What does it look like?!" the Noukiite snarls. "Where's Mom and
Dad?! Where's my sister?!!"

"Still in there, Reiko-chan!" Sakura points to the wrecked
warehouse...

...then blinks as Reiko charges in without another word. "Reiko!!"
Willow screams. "Come back here!!!"

Racing into the ruins, the Noukiite notices the amount of wreckage
that lies between her and her family. Growling, she reaches out
telekinetically to seize the piles of twisted metal and with a wave of her
hands, sends everything flying!! People behind her scream out as the wreckage
crashes down, revealing Mendou, Megane and the others who had joined Lum and
Ataru in rescuing their daughter and finding Lara, now flattened under flying
debris. Makoto, of course, is able to land on her feet, then catch her life-
mate and Ataru. "What was that?!" the *pirpirsiw'r* wonders.

"That was Reiko," Sakura sighs.

"Geez, did she have to throw us so hard?!!" Lan winces as she is
helped to her feet by Rei.

All the children are suitably impressed. "Wow!!" Junba whistles.
"Amora's sister is awesome!"

"I wish I had a sister like her!" Dansei grins.

"Oh, goody!!" Seiteki beams. "Now I can see Onii-chan..."

Yuri stares at the young girl, freezing her into an ice block! "I
think not," the Tritonian hums.

"What...a cold...stare...!" Seiteki rasps.

Yuri then notices Megane still passed out. "Megane-san!" she kneels
beside him, producing a small block of ice to place on the lump swelling over
his eyes, her eyes flashing with concern no one from Oshika expected from
her...and no one from Tomobiki expected anyone to give to the likes of Megane.
"Are you alright?!"

"What's with Yuri?" Willow looks at Hiromi.

The latter shrugs. "Oh, my head..." Megane moans as he tries to
shake off the dizziness. "Tan-chan, is that you...?"

Yuri jolts, her face clouding. "***WHO'S TAN-CHAN?!?!?! MEGANE NO
BAKA!!!!!!***"

An explosion later sees Megane flung into orbit!! "It's fate...!"
the monk wails.

"What's that all about?!" Hiromi's eyebrow twitches...

* * *

Somewhere in the rubble, Amora wakes up. *What happened?!* she
wonders. One minute, she was listening to Lara Skelad boasting about how she
was going to make Lum bow down to her, the next moment, all hell broke loose!
A quick check of herself showed no serious injuries outside of some bruises
and scrapes...it seems Amora inherited her father's ability to take enormous
amounts of punishment. She could hear groaning nearby. Looking around in
the near-dark of the warehouse was Lara who is just coming back into
consciousness. She looked badly injured.

Then she sits up suddenly, the wounds vanishing. Insanity crosses
her face. Amora could sense the surprise and growing madness within her. "I
don't know how she did it!!" Lara growls. "But she stopped me!" Taking a gun
from an downed soldier, she moves through an opening. "For the moment!"

Amora, now scared, does not know what to do when she sees Lara
leave. She is only a twelve year old girl. *I should be chasing boys with
Seiteki or eating chocolate while watching TV!*

"There's no need to worry," a man's voice says.

"W-who's there?" Amora looks around before seeing Benten and Nassur
standing in front of her. "Y-you look like those statues in Heroes' Park,"
she recognizes their likenesses. She could sense they are trustworthy and
friends with their mother. But, it seemed they both were not...here?

"Don't worry," Benten says. "We're friends of your mother. "You
must be empathic if you can see us."

"That explains it," Amora replies. "What do you want of me?"

"If you go out that way," Nassur points to an opening. "You will be
safe. Your sister's coming."

"But what about my mom...and Lara Skelad?" Amora asks.

"Don't worry," Benten replies. "Your mother'll be fine. We'll help
her. Now go!"

Nassur and Benten fade out. Amora, having heard ghost stories during
sleep-overs at friends' places, immediately goes out the opening Nassur
pointed out to her to safety...and runs right into Reiko. "Onee-chan!!!"

The two fiercely embrace. "Are you alright?!" Reiko gazes worriedly
at her sister. "What's going on here?!"

"Some crazy woman named Lara Skelad's trying to destroy Sagussa and
hurt Mom!!" Amora frets. "Two people just appeared outta nowhere and helped
me get out of there..."

"'Two people just appeared out of nowhere...?'" Reiko blinks, then
looks up. "Nassur!! Benten!! Where are you two?!"

"Hi, Reiko-chan!" Nassur grins as he and Benten appear beside the
Noukiite. "Lecasur's Soul, you're grown!!"

"Stow it!" Reiko snarls. "What's going on?!"

Nassur and Benten touch Reiko's face, allowing the Noukiite to scan
their thoughts and learn what happened. "That bitch!!" Reiko snarls, her
eyes flashing dangerously. "What was she going to do next?! Re-conquer
Noukiios?!"

"Probably," Nassur sighs, then points into the wreckage. "Lum's that
way! Better hurry!!"

"Right! Amora-chan, go find the others!!" Reiko races off.

"Ah...right!" Amora sighs as Nassur and Benten fade...

* * *

"Where is she?!" Lum growls. "Nassur and Benten said she was here!
Where is she?!"

Lum comes to an open space where she could finally stand up and walk
around without any problem. She looks at her dirt-streaked skin. *I guess
wearing a bikini wasn't very practical for this part of the job!* she muses.
Taking a bath had to wait. Amora is still out there and so is Lara Skelad.

Lara herself also chanced on the same opening...and when she sees
Lum, Lara attacks using the gun as a club. "You will bow down to me!!!" Lara
snarls in a voice that has lost all sanity. "You may be my queen someday, but
you will BOW DOWN TO ME!!!!"

The suddenness and furiousness of the attack put Lum at a
disadvantage and soon she was backed up against the rubble. "I'll never bow
down to you, Lara!!!" Lum tries to psyche her out. "And I'll NEVER be a queen
of anywhere...except Sagussa!!!"

Lara answers Lum with a whack with her gun to the side of her head.
"Don't count on your slutty Sagussan friends to help you," Lara roars. "We
are prepared for them! We know their weakness and can exploit it! First, we
break Earth from Sagussa, then Earth will become apart of a new Urusian
Empire where you shall rule as is your birthright! The forces are in motion
as we speak! When we finish, every Sagussan will be dead at our feet...AND
YOU SHALL RULE THEM ALL!!!!!!"

"I think not!" a pistol jabs her.

She turns to see Numon standing there. "Numon...?!" Lara gasps, then
looks down to see the dark green-and-red windrider embossed uniform she wears.
"You traitor!!!"

"No, Lara dearie, I never was a traitor to *my* people," Numon smiles
as her eyes close, then open, now cat-slitted.

Lara gags, horrified, as the Sagussan's ears extend to their proper
Cha'than length, then Irunmei backs away, her fingers tapping a number on her
phone. "You really are a pathetic little slug, aren't you?" the intelligence
officer smiles. "You really think you can get away with manipulating people
like that?! I've been after you for over a decade, Lara...and now I have
you!"

"You think you'll get away with this?! Once people find out the
truth about you..."

"Oh, they already know the truth," Irunmei laughs. "You see, all
that was told about me was the truth...save one detail. It was Numon who
died, not me. I absorbed all her memories before she passed on, may Ram and
Atar protect her soul. And because of that, my people decided to take
advantage of that to place a deep-cover penetration agent in your
society...to make sure that any Pathfinder Troop Six missed...will never
escape."

The videophone screen then comes on. "Is that you, Numon-chan?"
Negau's image appears.

"Yes, it's me, love," Irunmei smiles, her features melting back to
Numon. "How did our smart bombs fare?"

"They made it to target," the DIA chief reports. "ISIS, my father
and the Speaker of the Senate got the package...anonymously. They send their
thanks."

"Bless you, love," Numon nods.

"'Smart bombs?!'" Lara growls.

"Yes," Numon nods. "I took a page from Hezbollah's book. Two young
boys who were infected with Hifuto went to your facilities on Spotak and
Oyatsui...laden with enough hydrogen-charged bauximite to make the destruction
of Tere'na City by Tarun-Chong 14,000 years ago look quite tame. The files on
your research have been wiped out of your computers, so whoever might follow
you'll have to start at the beginning. I'm so sorry, Lara dearie!" she mock-
pouts.

Lara shudders, then growls. "So are you here to kill me?"

"Yes," Numon nods. "Your death was ordered today. But I think he
deserves the chance to end your worthless life more."

"He...?"

The sound of a blaster is heard! Its beam cuts through the centre of
Lara's chest, missing Numon by centimetres. She falls like a stone to the
ground. Lum looks for where the shot came from. She sees Nassur and Benten
standing there. Nassur holds his gun in his hand. It smokes from just having
been fired. "Bang, Lara, you're dead!" Nassur says cryptically. "Thanks,
Irunmei."

"You killed her?!" Lum gasps.

"Mom!!"

Lum blinks. Nassur and Benten are gone and Reiko is standing there.
"Reiko-chan! You saved me? But..."

Dakejinzou appears, gun drawn. "It looks like I came in time with
the evidence," the alien sighs. "What happened to Lara?"

"Don't you know?" Lum blinks confusedly. "You shot her..."

"Not guilty," Dakejinzou frowns. "I just got here myself and Reiko-
chan's unarmed. When you guys have a fight, you don't kid around. By the
way, Reiko-chan, thanks for clearing a path."

"My pleasure," Reiko laughs.

Dakejinzou notices the Oni/Cha'than-turned-Sagussan. "And what are
you doing here, Numon-san...or whatever your name is?!"

"Word of advice, Dakejinzou...you never saw me," Numon smiles.

"Okay," Dakejinzou laughs, then checks Lara. "Oh, her heart's fused
to ashes and it looks like a Vosian laser pistol...like what Natsu-chan
had...that did it."

"It was Nassur," Lum protests. "And Benten was with him."

"I see," Dakejinzou points to the Oni's forehead. "Are they still
inside here?"

Lum concentrates. Nothing. "No, they're gone. They didn't even say
goodbye or told me where they were being kept prisoner."

Dakejinzou puts her arm around Lum. She could tell the bond between
her and her missing friends is still strong. "I'm sure that someday we will
find them, I swear it," the hunter vows. "At least we know they're still out
there...alive."

"It was so weird," Lum nods. "I could see them, feel them, talk to
them, like they were here like you!"

"That's unusual," Dakejinzou replies. "I've never seen a link like
that before. Who knows, maybe they were here...in some way."

"*Tcha,*" Lum nods sadly.

"Let's go," Dakejinzou sighs. "Ataru-kun and Amora-chan are waiting
for you."

Lum looks happy. "Amora's all right?!"

"Yep, it seems she saw Nassur and Benten too," Reiko replies. "They
helped her out of the rubble, then I pointed her clear."

"Let's go!" Lum says as she, Reiko and Dakejinzou rush through the
rubble to join the others. "'Bye, Numon-chan!"

"'Bye, Lum-chan," Numon sighs, then taps her wrist-comm...

* * *

Over the next few days, news of the Skelad Scandal flood the media.
The locations of the factories building the weapons and technology were
revealed...it's hard not to ignore 500 megaton-equivalent bauximite
flash-bombs when they explode...thanks to hacking done by Dakejinzou on one
side and Tere'na Compudata on the other. The CEO of Skelad Industries was
stuck doing damage control...then he found out Numon Kuk was going to buy out
the company!

Both the Urusian and Terran governments apologized to Sagussa for
what happened. The apologies were accepted with the usual Sagussan
reservations. Unknown to the Urusians, however, Sagussa's intelligence
ministry begins to make plans to prevent a repeat of this incident in
conjunction with the United Nations Intelligence Agency, Zephyrus' Holy
Inquisition and Vos' An'san-Mikado.

A surprising development then is announced on Noukiios. After years
of discussion and review, the Cabal of High Clerics, the Dominion's senior
spiritual council, announces that they would support a recent government move
to emancipate all remaining slaves and eradicate the Naihu forever from the
Ten Orders. All those who are Naihu in rank at present will be re-baptized
over the next few months into other castes. Once that is done, the way will
be clear for the Ip'ihu to come home, their informal caste being officially
welcomed into Noukiite society as an equal part of the Ten Orders.

Welcoming the move so many throughout the galaxy have desired,
Earth...with a quiet suggestion from Sagussa...officially invites a
delegation from Noukiios to come to New York City and open normalization
talks between the Dominion and the United Nations. With that comes a promise
to organize a Noukiite mission on Earth within the year...and keeping in mind
the Skelad Scandal, the United Nations arranges for the Noukiite embassy to
be located in Tokyo close to the Urusian embassy.

Despite developments between Noukiios and Earth, official relations
between the Dominion and the Union remain tense. The Urusians demand further
compensation from Ip'ihu pirate raids on border colonies, plus negotiations
concerning the fate of Noukiios' three colonies, worlds Uru still claimed.
The Noukiites demand that Uru officially apologize for their past misdeeds
against Noukiios and foreswear any further attempts at marginalizing the
Dominion within the Galactic Federation. Leaders in other Federation states
sadly shake their heads, wondering when they'll EVER see the day Noukiios and
Uru would be at peace.

As for everyone involved, life returned to normal...or as normal
could be...

* * *

Heroes' Park. A week later.

Lum took the day off. Sakura and the school board officials were
very understanding about the reasons...even without Ataru and Koosei
threatening to kill them all if they didn't comply. She carries with her two
bouquets of roses...one of blue, the other of red. She would need them.

Arriving at the statues of Nassur and Benten, Lum places the bouquets
at the pedestals of each, the colours matching each hunter. After she placed
the bouquets in their respectful places, Lum kneels to the ground and prays.
"Nassur, Benten," she mumbles quietly to herself. "It seems I owe you my life
again. Thank you. Wherever you go, there you are."

"Lum!"

Lum sees Ataru walking up to the statues. He is also carrying a
bouquet of Sagussan flowers; blue windreeds and red fire blossoms. "Darling?!
What are you doing here?"

"I took today off, too, just to be with you!" Ataru replies.

"And those flowers?"

"These?" Ataru sets them down between the statues. "They're
something Mie-chan sent for Nassur and Benten...even if we're not sure it
really was them who helped out." He looks thoughtful. "Y'know, it's funny.
Nobody can explain what went on with you and them. Even Dakejinzou couldn't
explain it and she supposedly taught Nassur how to do that little mind trick
of they did."

"It was more like faith than anything else," she kisses him. "It was
faith!"

Lum and Ataru pray. They both could feel Nassur and Benten are with
them...somehow. And someday they would all meet again.

"Mina-chan was accepted at the Young Woman's Academy," Lum smiles at
him.

"That's good," Ataru nods. "Great thing we know the headmistress.
Now, Reiko-chan won't be so lonely. Who's paying?"

"Grandma," she sighs. "Uncle Komeru sent his ninjas down to get all
of Mina-chan's things from her mother's apartment, moving them to Sendai so
she could get at them when she starts school."

"You going to tell Reiko-chan?"

"No, let's let it be a surprise," Lum smiles.

"Type of surprise I'd like," he chuckles as they kiss.

A voice then hails from behind them. "Uncle Ataru? Aunt Lum? What
are you doing here?!"

Both turn and see Junba standing there holding her lunchbox. "Oh,
Junba, what brings you here?" Lum asks her protegee.

Junba sits in front of the statue of Benten. "I was going to eat my
lunch here," she unwraps her lunchbox and begins to eat. Upon starting on her
sandwich she notices both Moroboshis staring at her. "What is it?"

"These are nice statues, aren't they?" Ataru asks. "Grandma really
paid a lot to have them made."

"Yeah, I always like to eat lunch beside them," Junba smiles and
points to Benten's statue. "Especially this one, for some reason. Amora said
those people who rescued her looked like them. I think she's been eating too
much chocolate."

"These two people were good friends of Darling and I who disappeared
shortly after you were born," Lum smiles. "Would you like to hear a few
stories about them?"

"Sure," Junba nods. "They never talk about them in school."

Lum smiles and begins to tell a few stories of Junba's missing
parents. Ataru joins in when he can. Both make an effort not to tell Junba
her true link with them as to not break their word to Shinobu. Junba listens
intently as she eats. Sometime later, she heads back to school. Ataru and
Lum exchange looks, then turn to head home...when they see a silver-haired
woman in traditional Noukiite dress standing there. "Who are you?!" the Oni
blinks.

Niap'yeng introduces herself, then drawing some incense, walks over
to bless the statues. "There is much more going on here than you could
suspect, Mrs. Moroboshi," she gazes at Reiko's adopted parents, then explains
what happened in Oshika.

Ataru and Lum are horrified. "You mean to say some creep under Lara
was trying to kill Reiko-chan?!" he demands. "Why?!!"

"Because your daughter is needed by my people to begin the slow
process of reuniting them under one roof," Niap'yeng sighs. "First with the
Lost Stars, then the Ip'ihu. Fate has drawn your daughter away from Noukiios
for a long time. But now, if my people are to know true freedom, she has to
come back."

Ataru and Lum exchange looks, then the latter turns to the
priestess. "As long as you don't coerce Reiko-chan into doing this, we won't
object. She...doesn't know what to do with herself now that she's out of high
school. Dakejinzou Shogai might want to take Reiko-chan under her wing, teach
her how to use her powers and be a hunter...but the choice must always be
Reiko's."

"I understand," Niap'yeng nods. "Be assured, Mrs. Moroboshi, I won't
force P'yeknu into this if she doesn't want it. Just her verbal agreement
would be good enough."

"'P'yeknu?!'" Ataru and Lum blink.

"Her name in Noukiite," the priestess smiles. "My plan requires her
to be re-baptized, elevated from Naihu to Yekhu. That I'll do when I see her
after she's settled down at her new school."

"You seem confident," Ataru muses.

"I am," Niap'yeng shrugs, then reaches into her jersey. "Oh, you'll
need this."

She hands Lum a case. The Oni opens it to reveal two silver chains
linked to two gold hearts welded together, rubies in the middle of each heart.
"This is a promise necklace," Niap'yeng explains. "P'yeknu would know what
this means and how it works. The one who breaks the link between the hearts
and takes the second chain would be seen as being engaged to her. I'm sure
your friend Mina Fujisawa would fit the bill."

"She does," Lum smiles, then bows. "Thank you."

They gaze at the statues of Nassur and Benten. "I wish there was
some way to find out what happened to them," Ataru sighs.

"Within seventy Earth-moons time, you'll learn what happened,"
Niap'yeng smiles.

"Six years?!" Ataru blinks.

"Aye. Then, they'll be reunited with their child. In the meantime,
I best be back to Ishinomaki."

"How do you know?" Lum wonders as the priestess heads off.

"As you recently departed friend Hayao Sakurambou would say it, Mrs.
Moroboshi," Niap'yeng winks, "...it's fate."

With that, she teleports away. Unseen by Ataru or Lum, the spirits
of Nassur and Benten have observed them...hopeful that one day, Niap'yeng's
promise would come true and they would rejoin their friends in telling their
story to their only daughter.

But, that is another story...

*** To Be Continued ***