From gorgo@kwangju.net Sat Dec 20 00:13:36 1997 Date: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 13:33:39 +0900 From: Fred Herriot Subject: [fanfic][lemon][UY] "A Remarkable Destiny" Part II "Report." The gaily dressed woman bows, a knee bend as her hands push down on her knee-length skirt. Save for her tapered ears and somewhat plain face, she could've been a Hollywood superstar from the late 1950s. The Church of Hollywood had been one of the three churches which had vied for the attention of Niphentaxians for several decades...before Oogi was inspired to create the Church of Lum. Now, most of their flock had swarmed to the new faith, denouncing their old theology as pagan, worthy of destruction. That act would be never forgotten or forgiven. "Sir, I'm happy to report that the strike team is ready to go," she smiles, her teeth dazzling in the limited light. At least she has a pretty smile, the colonel muses. "They'll be over Earth in a day, two at the most. Several hours for the extraction, then two days back. It is expected that pursuit may come." "What about cloaking devices?" the colonel muses. "I paid top dollar to the Ipraedies for you to use them." "They're operational of course, but racing back at top speed even when cloaked is bound to attract someone's attention," she warns. "You want Lum Redet alive and intact, don't you?" "Of course," he smiles. Learning that this woman wasn't an idiot was quite pleasing. It made him more comfortable. Standing, he limps to the window of the castle. They were on Phentax Twenty-three, the outermost world of the three-star Phentax system. Most of the worlds in this curious group were capable of supporting organic life, targets for colonists from the two which actually produced intelligent life, the second and fifth. Most of the worlds were nominally under Phentax Two's control, including this one. But even with "all" Niphentaxians professing loyalty to the Great Goddess Lum, there were places where dissidents could live out their lives in peace and harmony...as well as conspire. "Send them out," he smiles. "We came together for different reasons. You're out to dismantle Oogi's lunacy asylum and regain control." Unlike the Church of Lum, the Church of Hollywood only worshipped dead stars. "I'm out to save my race from the morons in both the Unionist and Imperialist camps who'd drag us down into a civil war which'd make the Union Revolution look like a tea party. Denying Lum to both groups is the only way." "I'll see them on their way," she nods, turning to leave... * * * "Everyone here?" Eluza wonders. The six warriors of Pathfinder Troop Six and the twelve sailors assigned to the Republic of Sagussa Starship "Hasei'cha" nod. They were the Pros from Dover, borrowing a phrase from the famous Terran anti-war comedy "M*A*S*H." Nothing happened on their watch they didn't want to happen. It would have been nice for Iiiieo to be here, the warpsloop's shipmistress muses, but she went missing right after Ataru returned to Earth. Makoto was here in her place, but Eluza doubted the watchmistress would be really up to snuff, still mourning her would-be marei'cha's loss. As soon as this business concerning the Niphentaxians was settled, Eluza had told them, they'd go out to find their missing pilot. So strange, the woman who had not the previous day just called herself Iieiiioa-ao muses. Ataru's intimate bond with Noa had spilled tons of information through the Dreamscape to her fellow Daishi'cha. Included in that was Ataru's interest in manga and anime; it was extensive. So profound, how those who had been the closest to their Daimon'cha had found names to replace their numbers. The "Hasei'cha" crew took names from one anime. The Troop got theirs from two other shows. Makoto and her close friends from yet another show. Many others were similarly blessed. It took some getting used to. "So what do we do now, Ii-cha...ah, Eluza-chan?" the ship's second medical officer, Eluza's bond-mate, wonders, flushing. Eluza smiles at Pony. "We're going to Earth," she sighs. "This business concerning Koosei Ryooki's death may come to affect the Daimon'cha personally. We're not sure if Lum is the Other, by the way, but even if she is, she's at most a secondary concern. The Niphentaxians can be manipulated if we play our cards right." Heads nod. "Our priority is keeping the Daimon'cha safe," Sylia, Pathfinder Troop Six's commander, adds. "And I mean SAFE, especially from Tomobiki. They've no real idea how powerful the Daimon'cha can be. Our presence won't do much to help him, though we will give him a better sense of personal safety and stability. NO lethal force is to be used on the natives whatsoever." "Other than that, use your imagination...right, Boss?" Priss, the Troop's coxswain and reconnaissance expert, grins. "Exactly," Sylia smiles. Everyone snickers. If anyone could be made to like Tomobiki, they'd prefer the district turned into a bomb crater, its citizens six feet under. "Before we go," Amy, the "Hasei'cha's" coxswain, holds up her hand. "May I propose a moment of silence?" It would be better in the Forge, they knew as their heads bow. Offering prayers for the soul of someone none here had met, someone who sacrificed everything on their behalf, would've been better in Lyna's presence. The Sagussans were not theologically religious like the Zephyrites, but were still very spiritual. They knew Lyna would help Koosei achieve his place in the vastness of the Te'a. Someone would go to Triton to look in on his would-be surei'cha. That had not been said. It was just automatically assumed. "Let's go," Eluza raises her head. * * * "A Remarkable Destiny" a Urusei Yatsura lemon fic by Fred Herriot gorgo@kwangju.net **** **** **** Based on "Urusei Yatsura" created by Rumiko Takahashi **** **** **** NOTE: All standard lemon warnings apply. This is my second time at this, so please give me a break. I'll try to keep it as spicy as possible without going too overboard. WRITER'S NOTES 1) The names, numbers and positions of the "Hasei'cha" crew, Pathfinder Troop Six, the "Lyna'cha" crew, the SISF Hostage Rescue Team, plus Deunan and Hitomi: R.S.S. HASEI'CHA Eluza 32306/Iieiiioa-ao - Commanding Officer Shildy 20530/Eioao-uiiio - Executive Officer Spea 47325/Oieoiieiui - Combat Officer Catty 40435/Oioai-oiiiui - First Medical Officer Pony 36795/Iiaoeououi - Second Medical Officer Makoto 61558/Aoaiuiuiio - Third Gladiator Pilot (from First Fleet) Amy 83572/Ioiiuieoei - Coxswain Patty 70557/Eooai-uiuieo - Chief Engineer Articifer Rumy 56415/Uiaooiaiui - Chief Science Technician Lufy 29363/Eiuoiiaoii - First Gladiator Pilot Rabby 27009/Iieooe-uo - Second Gladiator Pilot Mie Seikou 337/Iiiieo - Third Gladiator Pilot (missing) PATHFINDER TROOP SIX Sylia 76073/Eoaooe-eoii - Troop Commander Reinoevan 10272/Oae-eieoei - X.O./Medic/Sniper Priss 22860/Eieiioaoo - Coxswain/Scout Linna 53091/Uiiioe-uoai - Demolitions CPO/Phys Ed. Nene 88576/Ioiouieoao - Communications CPO/Hacker Asukanoevan 95143/Uouiaioiii - Transport CPO/Languages R.S.S. LYNA'CHA Feb 1913/Aiuoaiii - Stategic Defence Director April 15409/Aiuioioa-uo - Commanding Officer Jun 33750/Iiiieoui-o - Combat Officer May 21221/Eiaieieiai - Engineering Officer Janny 96811/Uoaoioaiai - Plans Officer SISF HOSTAGE RESCUE TEAM AND FRIENDS Makinoshoo 593/Uiuoii - Team Commander Rio 77299/Eoeoeiuouo - Team Master CWO Maya 22240/Eieieioi-o - Sniper CWO Lilica 91251/Uoaieiuiai - Computer CWO Nanvel 2967/Eiuoaoeo - Supervisor, SISF Weapons Support Centre Marianoshoo 95271/Uouieieoai - Supervisor, SISF Robotics Support Unit GROUND FORCES Hitomi 6941/Aouooiai - SC A Squadron Warsuit Bde Deunan 34118/Iioiaiaiio - SC D Squadron Warsuit Bde 2) Reinoevan and Asukanoevan will be called Rei and Asuka unless they're in the same scene as Lan's boyfriend or Mendou's fiancee. Ditto with Makinoshoo and Marianoshoo; they'll be called Maki and Maria unless a namesake appears. 3) More Sagussan terms: I'sagh - Term for all healers, including dentists and psychologists. himgh-tagh - Calorie juice, similar to Coca-cola. **** **** **** PART TWO - CONFRONTATIONS "Where's Darling?!" Lum wonders aloud. The Oni looks around the empty living room. Repair crews had swiftly put the damage from several mushrooms aright, thought it'd be at least two weeks before Ataru's parents could come home; the Sunin had really gone to town on them. She left a note in his room before going to her scout; she had been waiting for a call from Triton confirming Oyuki's welfare, then fell asleep. Yet he hadn't come down in answer to her hails when she came down. Shaking her head, she marches upstairs. This was getting on her nerves. His ignorance of her was always grating, but now he seemed to act as if she didn't exist. Well, she was going to straighten that right away. She had suffered a lot of personal embarrassment and humiliation because of him. Throwing open the door, she looks around...then stops. "Darling...?!" The room seems as barren as the day it was built. Everything which belonged to Ataru was gone, even the bedsheets. Only the bed itself stood, an empty mattress the only other item of furniture save the desk and chair. Lum blinks as she steps in, then looks around. Her note was still on the wall above the desk, nothing added to indicate what had happened. Turning to the closet, she looks inside. All her stuff was there, as were Ten-chan's. Where was Ataru?! Lum backs away, then feels her legs buckle. "Darling..." * * * "So Oyuki-sama has lost her fiance, eh?" Megane bites his lips. "That's too bad. How is she?" The bodyguards shared another room in the intensive care ward. When it came to the Sunin, these four always got the worst outside of Mendou. Still in a coma, the scion of Japan's richest family was recuperating in his estate's private clinic. Shinobu sighs, relaxing by Megane's bed. "I really don't know," she sits back, crossing her arms. "But we should do something when we're back on our feet. We are her friends even though she doesn't visit often." "Private wake?" Kakugari grunts from across the way. "That's a good idea; Sakura-sensei said her friend came from Tomobiki. Wonder if his parents knew..." "They died some years ago," Shinobu sighs, feeling a shudder rattle her frame. Someone, someone from Earth, someone she only knew of from second-hand information, was dead. Really dead, without a chance to come back as Ryuunosuke's fiance had. He wouldn't even be brought back to Earth for burial, but interred on Triton where Oyuki could go visit him. That was scary. Shinobu's mind flashes back to her confrontation with Honey. Things were happening. People she was concerned about were being affected and she couldn't do anything to stop it. Somehow, it all had to be connected. Oyuki's fiance dying, then some strange woman coming after Ataru, then some other woman warning her to back away. *What's going on here?* her mind repeated again and again. "You okay?" Megane wonders. Shinobu stares at him, surprised by his concern. There had been few times when she could ever consider these four her friends. "I'm alright," she lied. What could she do? Tell the truth? If what happened between Ataru and her friend got to these four, who knew what'd happen next. Did she want it to happen...or should she just listen to Honey and back off? What to do? She stands. "I'm gonna visit Ryuunosuke at the school," she smiles, turning to head out. "Her father got pounded into paste, so she's got some time to herself. I'm gonna see if she's okay." "Yeah, see ya," Megane nods. Shinobu steps out of the ward, then moves toward the exit. Ten-chan floats out of Benten's room. "Hi, Shinobu-chan," the young Oni flies up to her. "Whatcha doing?" "Seeing the guys," Shinobu smiles. "Any news from Oyuki?" "She's okay," Ten-chan nods. "But everyone really curious. No one...I mean NO ONE...meets Koruneko-sama just to be friends!" "What do you mean?" the Terran wonders. "Well, he and Koosei-onii-chan were really good friends," the young Oni admits. "But Koruneko-sama NEVER leaves Sakusei Station even if he had to go tell Oyuki-chan wh-what happened," new tears brim in his eyes. Wiping them, he sniffs, then smiles. "So everyone's wondering what's going on." "Do you think this fellow wants something from Oyuki?" "Maybe...but whatever it is, Oyuki-chan's not telling." Shinobu leans back. Could that have something to do with what was going on with Ataru? Honey and her friend were aliens, of Lan's race, but could that actually have anything to do with what befell Oyuki? The only connection was the timing. Ridiculous but still, every fibre of her being was shouting a warning. "Well, I'm sure she knows what to do," Shinobu smiles, moving to walk out. "Anyhow, I'm going to visit Ryuunosuke. See you." "Okay," Ten-chan nods, then blinks. "Lum-chan!" Shinobu turns to see the older Oni fly up, a devastated look on her face. "Lum, what's wrong?!" Lum stares at her former rival, then sniffs. "Darling..." "What about Ataru-kun?!" Shinobu tenses. "He...he...he..." Lum looks down. "He left home!" Shinobu and Ten-chan exchange surprised looks. "He left home?!" the younger Oni stares at his cousin. "Where'd he go?!!" *I think I know where,* Shinobu bites her teeth. "I don't know!!" Lum shakes her head, tears flowing down her cheeks. "I tried to scan Tomobiki from my ship, but somebody's deliberately jamming my scanners! What's worse, all his stuff's gone from his room! He's left home!! He...he's left me...!" Sobbing, the Oni collapses into Shinobu's arms. Fighting down an urge to blurt out what she saw, the Terran smiles. "Lum, maybe he hasn't left you," she soothes. "Maybe he's just tired of living with his parents. You know how they treat him at times. It's a wonder to me why he never left them years ago!" Lum stares at her, hope in her eyes. "You think so?" "Probably," Shinobu sighs, feeling her skin crawl as the lie compounded itself...or was it? Honey never mentioned anything about Lum. "Look, how many times we've heard Ataru-kun's mom wish she never had him? How many times have we seen Ataru-kun's dad read his paper and ignore everything around him? I'd be devastated if my parents started to treat me like that. So would you!" "Th-that's true," Lum nods. "But where would he go?!" "Who knows," Shinobu shrugs. "Maybe he's had a private place all his own somewhere safe where he could go and be by himself. We never saw him during the other times we were guests here. The last time this happened, you lost track of him for two weeks...and you weren't having your body stitched together again, remember?" Lum shudders. More secrets. First those giants, now this! Why was this happening to her?! "How could he do this to me?" she demands, feeling her strength return as she rises. "How could he treat me like this?! Doesn't he care?!" Shinobu gazes at her. "Maybe he doesn't," she moves back to as close to the truth as she dared. Lum quakes, then feels more sobs escape her. "Darling no baka...!!" she gasps, collapsing anew into the Terran's embrace. Shinobu remains silent, allowing the Oni the chance to cry... * * * An hour later, Shinobu makes her way toward the Ginza. After giving Lum the chance to cry, the Terran had left her with Benten and Ten-chan. She did visit Ryuunosuke for a bit, then headed out to locate Ataru. Regardless of what Honey said, she wasn't going to allow this to continue unchecked. The chaos that normally enveloped Tomobiki would escalate into all-out war if Ataru and Lum broke up. The people in Tomobiki, especially everyone of high school age, hadn't changed THAT much during the Second Tag Race! As she walks along, her eyes detect several people heading the other way. Her attention is instantly grabbed by their unusual garb. The men were either dressed in white suits reminiscent of Elvis in his later years or a combination of jeans, T-shirt and leather jacket movie rebels like James Dean once wore. The women were dressed in something movie sex queens like Marilyn Monroe or Bridget Bardot would wear. It was made even more stranger by the fact that all had pointed ears. "Alien tourists?!" she exclaims, her eyes never wavering from the small group. Next thing Shinobu knows, she finds herself AGAIN on her back, her chest on fire thanks to a deadly rabbit punch which came from nowhere!! "Klutz, watch where you're going!!!" someone barks. Shinobu shakes her head, then finds herself staring at a tall woman of about twenty glaring at her, her one hand cracking the knuckles of her other fist. Save for her Mediterranean tan, she seemed like your normal blonde punk babe from America given the streak of green in her hair and the red star tattoo on her right cheek. Even her clothes...white T-shirt, ripped jeans and bomber jacket...added credence to that observation. But it was the eyes that caused Shinobu to quake. A chestnut shade which matched the hair of Honey's friend, they burned with such unholy fire, it almost makes the Terran wet herself. Her general demeanour didn't add to Shinobu's comfort; now she knew what a cockroach felt like when someone was ready to stomp it. "Next time, keep your eyes on where you're going!" the blonde snarls as she walks past, finger raised in warning. Shinobu watches her go, then blinks as she senses someone by her feet. Looking, she sees a woman somewhat shorter than her. She was obviously an alien with her pale gold eyes, almost white skin and lavender hair, a shade she had last seen on her only visit to Triton. Dressed in a blue-striped white golf shirt and ankle- length skirt, she had a very large purse slung over her shoulder. She also seemed worlds friendlier. "Please forgive Lufy, Shinobu- san," she bows. "She isn't what you'd call 'civil' when we're in such hostile territory, but I'd say you're lucky. If she was in a bad mood, you'd be in the hospital. What happened to your arm?" Shinobu nearly faints from the information overload. "Who are you people...?" she feels dizziness take over. The woman kneels beside her, a deceptively strong hand keeping the Terran in place as she puts her handbag down, then reaches in for a tricorder-like scanner which definitely WASN'T from Earth. "My name's Catty," she introduces herself. "I'm a doctor. I understand you made Honey's acquaintance. As for who we are, well, we're under orders not to tell you. Let me see your arm." *A doctor...?!* the Terran mentally exclaims, guessing at the woman's age. *She's only sixteen!!* Shinobu tenses as Catty nearly yanks her wounded arm out of its sling. Scanning the broken extremity, she then reaches into her bag for a cutting laser. It shatters her cast. Next comes a probe-like device which emits an energy beam at the point of her break. Shinobu tenses, feeling the parts of her lower arm shift back into position...then to her total surprise, the pain fades to a very dull throbbing. Once that's done, Catty draws her scanner for another peek. "There, all fixed!" the doctor smiles, then pulls out a small flask and a pill. "Take this." Shinobu takes the pill, then swallows it with a gulp from Catty's flask. It had to be fruit juice, but it wasn't of any fruit Shinobu was familiar with. "This is safe, I hope?" "You'll be fine," Catty takes her flask back, then puts away her equipment. "You'll need the vitamins to help your arm. No heavy exercise for the next few days. I hate to re-mend wounds." "Um...arigato, Sensei!" Shinobu nods, smiling. "I'sagh!" Catty amends, forgiving the Terran her obvious mistake. "That's a healer's proper title on my planet." "EXCUSE me, Oioai-i'sagh!!!" Lufy storms back up, scaring Shinobu out of ten years growth. "We have a job to do, remember?! Can we leave the stupid native alone, huh?!" With that, she storms away. "Lufy is uncooth, isn't she?" Catty whispers, then waves as she races after her fellow Sagussan. "'Bye, Shinobu! Remember what I said about the arm!!" "Ah...uh...hai!" Shinobu watches them go, then brushing herself off, flexes her newly-healed arm. "Strange people." "We could say the same thing," a familiar voice hails. Shinobu spins around to see Honey standing behind her. With her are Sylia and Priss. "Honey-san!" the Terran gasps. "It seems no matter how hard we try, we can't keep you away," the physical education instructor muses, then stares knowingly at her friends. "Sorry about Lufy. She's one of the ones I warned you about yesterday. Were it up to her, we'd've taken Ataru back to Sagussa with us, then nuked this place into the Stone Age." "Ineffectual," Priss sneers. "You know the idiots that live here'd rebuild it in a week!" "Never mind, Priss," Sylia bemusedly stares at her coxswain, then smiles at Shinobu. "You're curious about us, undoubtedly. There's a coffee shop nearby. Would you care to join us, Shinobu? It seems we have some things to talk about." Shinobu blinks, then finds herself smiling... * * * "Your doctors are fantastic!" Shinobu muses as she flexes her arm again as the waiter serves them coffee. "It would've taken me almost a week to heal under normal circumstances." "Well, our doctors do try to earn their reputations as miracle workers," Honey sips her expresso, sitting beside the Terran. It had been the third time Shinobu had complimented Catty. "I thought engineers are miracle workers," Shinobu muses. "Doctors are where we come from," Sylia muses. Shinobu stares at her. Before her sat a woman of Lan's race, although she'd never seen black hair on an Urusian. Further, Sylia didn't disguise herself; her elegantly tapered ears and pronounced canines were exposed for all to see. Her hair was stylishly short, an unruly curl draped over her forehead. Her light brown eyes flashed immense knowledge which made Shinobu feel like a babe. She was stylishly dressed in a white ruffled shirt, red skirt, jacket and slip-on pumps. Shinobu also knew Sylia kept a large pistol in her purse. "Who are you people?" the Terran wonders. "I can tell Honey and you are from Lan's race, Sylia-san, but..." "Seishin-Urusian," Sylia explains. "That's the proper name for my ancestral race. I'm surprised Lan never told you." "Even to this day, she still pretends she's just a normal Earth girl," Shinobu rolls her eyes. "Even with an Oni boyfriend and a spaceship for a home?! Get real!" "What did you expect from that kimei'ne?!" Honey sneers. "Her family claims descendance from Noa and me! Can you believe that?!" "I'd be insulted," Sylia sneers. Priss laughs. Shinobu suddenly feels a giant can of worms opening. "Excuse me?!" she turns to Honey. "What do you mean Lan's descended from you?! You both look the same age!" "Thank you," Honey smiles. "I may not look it, but I'm nine hundred years old, Shinobu. Most of that was spent in cryogenic suspension, by the way. Priss is a decade short of eight hundred and Sylia's just over a hundred and eighty." Shinobu's jaw drops. "What?! You were frozen?! Why?!!" Sylia smiles, sipping her swiss mocha. Like Noa, she had an addiction for chocolate and would take it any way she got it. "We're live on a planet named Sagussa, Shinobu. That's in a solar system thirty-three thousand light-years from here. Over the past ten thousand years, a hundred thousand of us have been gathered from across twenty races to engage in the largest socio-cultural construction program ever attempted. We call it the Grand Design of the Fifth Republic. Between us, we'll create a new race that will resettle and rebuild Sagussa to the way it was before the previous race destroyed themselves in a great war long ago." Silence falls as Shinobu stares at Sylia, eyes widening in disbelief as the full meat of her words hits. With great effort, she lowers her cup of coffee to the table, her mind reeling from the concept the Pathfinder commander just revealed. This wasn't settling a colony on another planet, like many races around Earth had done. This was creating a CIVILIZATION, indigenous from those Sylia, Priss and Honey once hailed. Her mouth opens and closes as she tries to find her voice. Finally, it comes. "Gods!" she looks down. "What do you say when you hear that?" "It must sound overwhelming," Sylia apologizes. "Indeed, our task is overwhelming. The Fourth Republic left us a desert for a planet with little water, skeletons for cities and little in the way of self-sustaining life from which to build a new ecosystem. Still, it's not impossible. The planners of the Grand Design left us with the skills, knowledge and materials to do it. Barring serious calamity in the future, we will succeed." "Wow!!" Shinobu whistles, then blinks as something comes to her. "Um...but that doesn't answer the big question I have. How does Ataru-kun fit into all this?" "Easily explained," Sylia smiles. "Thirty years ago, after we found our last Daishi'cha...that's what we call ourselves...we realized we needed someone from which we could learn how to emote. All of us were re-programmed to espouse Sagussan morals and values. However, the two agents who re-programmed us, while advanced, are only a pair of sentient computers. So, because our children would develop emotions, we had to learn about them. Twelve years ago, our search brought us to Earth...where Noa first met Ataru." Shinobu feels her skin pale. Twelve years ago, Ataru had disappeared for two months. Not a trace of him was found until one day, he walked back into the house, not the worse for wear, happily telling everyone about a large group of nice women he had met far away. Of course, no one took him seriously. "Gods!" she exclaims. "You took him to your home planet?! That's kidnapping!!" "Shinobu, that's how naive we were," Sylia shakes her head. "Morals are an off-shoot of logic and emotion. Our morals then demanded that our future children have the best environment for them, which primarily demands understanding parents. Without our having emotions, we'd fail our own offspring. In that case, we saw no other choice than to bring Ataru to Sagussa. He was never under any threat when he was with us." "I see..." Shinobu whistles, looking down on herself. She couldn't fully conceptualize what the Sagussans had endured; the idea still sounded like wild fantasy. "So, what brings you back?" "Two reasons," Sylia then looks grim. "First, we've decided the time has come for Ataru to be separated from Tomobiki and return to Sagussa. His memory will have to be brought back to speed. Noa's handling that; Catty and Pony will join in when the time comes. When he comes to Sagussa, we'll declare him Daite'cha, our head-of-state. From there, our government will be properly inaugurated and the Grand Design will then proceed to Stage Two, commencing the actual reconstruction process." Shinobu's jaw drops. "By becoming Daite'cha, Ataru will be free to choose whomever he decides to mate with," Sylia continues. "That's why we also call him Daimon'cha, First Father. Our society doesn't have marriage. Further, we recognize that all people fundamentally must have total freedom of choice when it comes to seeking one's surei'cha and marei'cha. Ataru's never really had the chance to decide if he wants to marry Lum; everyone's assumed they've had the right to make the decision for him. I'm sure you know his parents and Lum's bullied him into agreeing to marry Lum. Whatever arrangements Lum assumes she has won't wash on Sagussa. If she can't accept Ataru as he will become, we have the means to stop her from forcing him to do whatever she wants. "Finally, as you might suspect, our presence will attract the attention of the neighbouring powers," Sylia crosses her arms. "We will, out of courtesy, extend our protection to Earth to ensure no other race can dominate your people as Lum's have done. If they chose to argue that point, we will destroy them. Our loyalty to Ataru demands that, of course. We have the means; our technology is light-years ahead of even the most powerful state in the local cluster. If the neighbouring powers are willing to leave Earth alone, we'll leave them alone. We won't transfer much technology; none of it life-threatening in any way. Our most sacred law, the Non-Interference Directive, prevents that." She smiles. "In my eyes, Earth will get quite the deal out of this." Shinobu shudders. The mere thought of Ataru with all those women...well, at least she understood from where his harem dreams came. Obviously, he subconsciously remembered his first visit to Sagussa. She then smiles as one thing comes to her. "I don't think even Ataru-kun can go to bed with a hundred thousand women." The Sagussans laugh. "Relax," Honey snickers. "We'll be inviting other guys to come live with us." "Those who can tolerate living in a matriarchal society, that is," Sylia amends. "We do want the best for our world." "Well, all I can say is 'good luck,'" Shinobu breathes out. "But I warn you. Lum won't let go of Ataru-kun that easily." "Technically, she's never had him in the first place," Sylia warns. "Ataru's parents ceased to be his legal guardians the day before you met Queen Elle's representatives. He is now under his grandmother's charge. By Urusian tribal laws, a clan leader has final say over marriages between clans. Since Nagaiwakai Moroboshi was never consulted concerning Ataru's engagement to Lum...and since she became his legal guardian BEFORE Lum's parents talked to Ataru's parents concerning their engagement...an Urusian family could would automatically declare the whole thing null-and-void." "WHAT?!?!?!" Shinobu gasps, bolting to her feet. "But...why didn't Ataru-kun...he never told us...DOES HE KNOW?!?!?!" "Yes, he knows," Sylia nods as Shinobu sinks back into her chair. "He knew right after the Sunin...they're the ones who just put your friends into hospital; they're his great-grandmother's personal bodyguards...tore you apart the first time." "Then why didn't he tell us?!!" Shinobu demands. "He felt trapped, Shinobu," Sylia replies. "You don't know about his grandmother? Nagaiwakai Moroboshi has been communicating with aliens for three decades. And not just any old race; she's been dealing with the cluster's most powerful state, the Holy Republic of Zephyrus. They own the solar systems closest to Earth, just five light-years away. Because of her...she's a farmer...a dozen colonies were saved from famine. They made her an honourary member of one of their main churches, which gives her fantastic influence. One word from her and Uru would've been destroyed if Ataru lost the First Tag Race. Who would've stopped them?" "Then, he could've escaped!" Shinobu gapes. "And what would've happened?" Sylia remains calm. "There's one more thing you should know, Shinobu; Nagaiwakai HATES Lum...and all those who are associated with her, which includes you. How would Mendou have reacted if he learned Ataru was the grandson of Earth's richest woman?! He would've gone to war...and Nagaiwakai would've killed you all! And Lum; Lyna's Soul, she's praying for the chance to kill her!! What did you expect Ataru to do?! Allow everything he's known to be wiped out?! Where would it stop?! If Lum died, Nagaiwakai would go after Invader next to keep him from destroying Earth! Uru ITSELF would have to be destroyed; the Zephyrites could do that with insane ease! And from there, then what?! How many people would have to die?!" The Terran is stunned, shaking her head in denial. "Gods...!" "Well," Sylia sighs. "I can see you're still having trouble accepting this. Let me suggest this, then: next time you see Lum, ask her what 'Righteous Gentile' means in the Zephyrite context, then watch her reaction. That will explain it all." "N-no..." Shinobu shakes her head. "I believe you...gods, it's just so much to take in all at once! You mean, he acted that way, stayed in Tomobiki...because he felt we'd all be killed if we tried to stop him from living with his grandmother?!" "Gotta admit, that is the worst-case scenario," Priss muses. "But, yeah, that's what's going through Ataru's mind." Silence falls as Shinobu recounts what has happened. There should've been many times when any man in Ataru's position would've done anything to be rid of Lum, do something to put her in her place. Granted, despite what everyone said, he wasn't the sole cause of Tomobiki's many troubles. But Ataru seemed to accept it all with a measure of grace, a smile, then went on with his life. To realize that he did it to keep everyone safe from an worse calamity...it was insane! Yet...what else could it have been? "I want to see him," she stares at Sylia. "Shinobu," Honey warns. "Please!" Shinobu gazes at the physical education officer. "I need to see him. I believe you, I really do. But I need to hear it from him. And...I want to tell him I understand." The three exchange looks. "Let's go," Priss stands... * * * Lum ignores the slight wind whip past her face as her eyes scan the crowds below. For the past hour, she had been scouring Tomobiki from one end to the next in hopes of finding Ataru. All his usual haunts had turned up a blank. For the first time, she begins to realize how big Toyko really is. She had been tempted to ask Shutaro's people for help, but rejected it. She doubted that his parents would be inclined to help the Oni; it would've been worlds easier if he were conscious. Looking down one lane, she notices Shinobu walking toward the district Ginza. Beside her are three other women. The Oni blinks as her eyesight locks in on noticeable details. "Two Seishins and a Yehisrite?!" she mutters. "What are they doing with Shinobu?!" Without thinking, Lum drifts down to get a close-up, keeping out of their direct line-of-sight. It was helped because Shinobu was talking animatedly with her new friends. Now at ten metres range, Lum notices other details. The Yehisrite has a tattoo on her cheek, a musical note crossed with a dagger. A chill runs up her spine. She hadn't heard any rumours about the possible return of Yehisril's legendary *pirpirsiw'r,* the Most Dangerous Ones. Or was she some cultist worshipping that long-dead clan of Yehisrite Amazons? Her eyes then focus on the Seishins. A Kurokaminoke and an Akaikaminoke. Staring at their faces, the Oni freezes as she recognizes two of the three greatest heroes of Urusian history. "Honii-sama...Syl-sama...?" Impossible!! Honii died nine centuries ago when the Urusians liberated themselves from the Dominion! And Syl Aruka had been assassinated in the act sparking the Union Revolution! What were they doing on Earth, much less doing still alive?! The four women walk into a beautiful apartment complex. Lum drops to ground level, then slips in right after they had walked into an elevator. Watching it rise up, she notes where it stops, then heads for the stairs. Minutes later, she arrives at the ninth floor. Ducking into the stairwell on seeing Shinobu and the three walking ghosts, she watches them enter an apartment at one end, then flies down right after the door closes. Glancing at the door, she pales on reading the name plate: Noa Aruka. "Masaka...!" Lum shakes her head. Either this was one of the most vicious hoaxes ever perpetrated or else the impossible had happened. She then blinks as the laughter of several women echo from inside the apartment. Her ears then pick up another person's laugh, a man's. "Darling!!!" she exclaims, moving to grab the door handle...when the door flies open, slamming into her cheek! At the door, Priss' troopmate Linna blinks on seeing the dazed Oni. "Lum?!" she gasps, then looks inside. "Um...Ataru?" Ataru walks up, then his eyes roll. "Oh, terrific! Just what we needed! Get her inside..." * * * "*Tcha*..." Lum's eyes flutter open. As her vision clears, the first thing she sees is Ataru staring concernedly at her. "Ouch!" he winces on seeing the bruise building on her cheek. "You're gonna have one hell of a shiner when that stops bleeding! You okay?" She blinks confusedly, then her eyes focus on the women standing behind him. Along with Noa, Honey, Shinobu, Sylia, Priss and Linna, there were Linna's marei'cha Nene, Eluza and Pony. "Darling...Shinobu...?" Lum murmurs, then gazes at the three most recognizable personages. "Noa-sama...Honii-sama...Syl-sama...!" "I think she's okay," Noa smiles, then looks to her kitchen. "Rumy, some himgh-tagh, please?!" "Hai!" a very young voice echoes back. Lum shakes her head, then gazes at Ataru. "Darling, what's going on here?!" she shakily stands. "What are you doing with these women?!! Why'd you leave the house?!!" "Sit and relax, Lum," he insists. "This is going to take a bit to explain...gods, **I** don't know it all yet and I'm the one this affects the most!!" "What?!!" she demands, taking a step towards him. "What do you mean?! What's going on here?!" "Is she normally like this?" Nene wonders. "She's actually quite calm," Shinobu reports. Ataru sighs. "Lum, sit down!" he grits his teeth. "Flying off the handle like you normally do won't help you this time!!" Lum then feels an angry rush thunder through her. "How dare you speak to me that way?! You're coming home with me right now!" She grabs his hand, moving to the door...when Ataru yanks it clear, remaining still. Lum stops, then spins on him. "Darling!!" He gazes at her, his brown eyes sullen. The Oni freezes as she sees anger twisting his face into an unholy sneer. "Even if we were married...WHICH WE ARE NOT...you have NO right to order me around like I was a Noukiite slave in your planet's Imperial age!!! How dare YOU treat me like that?!! ***NOW...SIT...DOWN!!!!!!***" Quaking at his rage, something Lum has NEVER felt from Ataru, she feels her knees buckle as she returns to the couch. He turns to the Pathfinder commander. "Sylia, tell me. Outside of killing my 'spouse,' what's the best way to divorce an Oni?" "Oh, you don't have to go that far, Ataru," Sylia muses. "All you have to do is hack off her horns!" "I see. Priss, your combat knife, please?" It's actually the size of a machete, Shinobu realizes as Priss produces the weapon. Turning to Lum, who was now sweating buckets, her eyes locked on the knife's serrated edges, the Terran feels a twinge of sympathy. She then relaxes as Ataru pats the blade's flat on his palm. "I think we have her attention now," he smiles. "Now, Lum. We're going to play a little game here. It's called 'telling the truth.' It's a game I've avoided playing for some time for reasons which will become very clear. All you have to do is sit and listen. As you notice," he waves around the apartment, "...your otaku...Mendou, Megane and his nerd patrol...aren't here to confuse things. I should warn you right now that even if they were well enough to come here, these fine ladies behind me would terminate them with EXTREME prejudice...and unlike Nagisa, they'd never come back. You know what that phrase means, don't you?" "H-h-hai..." Lum nods, trembling. "Good," he relaxes. "For the past two years, you've never once asked me about any other relatives I might have. I've had to endure your parents, your cousin and aunt, not to mention what your great-grandfather...oh, yes, I know of him now...did which forced us to deal with Rupa and his uncle. To be brief, I have an uncle on my dad's side, my paternal grandmother and great-grandmother." "What's that got to do with them...?!" Lum points to Noa. Ataru pats the knife flat on her forehead. "Ah-ah! You're only supposed to listen, Lum!" he cuts her off. "Now, while you've never met my great-grandmother, you have met her bodyguards, the Sunin. You remember them; I think that after they stopped you from marrying me on Uru, they left you with two broken thighs, a crushed right hand, several broken ribs and a punctured lung, right?" Lum jolts. "Your great-grandmother's bodyguards?!!" "That's right," Ataru nods. "Actually, you got off easy that time. If it were up to my grandmother's personal bodyguards, the Kuromoroboshi, you and everyone else would've been out of my hair forever...for you would've been **dead!!**" The Oni quakes, her eyes locked on this stranger which she once thought was the man of her life. "You don't like the idea that there would be people on Earth who'd hate you that much, huh?" Ataru crosses his arms. "Well, get used to it, Lum. After your stunt of last week, my grandmother's been on the phone begging the U.N. to have your visa revoked. I even hear that she's been making some discreet inquiries on getting someone to assassinate you. The going rate on your head is fifty million uniCredits last I heard." Lum faints! "You might've wondered how the Sunin were able to get to Uru, pound the snot out of you, then get me back to Earth," Ataru muses. "Tell me, what does 'Taepalun Yughtaein' mean?" The Oni gapes, her green eyes wide. She then looks down, tears in her eyes, understanding coming to her. Her mouth then moves, but no sound escapes. "What was that?" Ataru wonders. "It's Zephyrite," Lum's voice is full of ashes, her whole body quaking like a tree in a strong wind. "'Righteous Gentile'..." "That's right," he kneels before her. "My grandmother was so anointed by the Protestant Reformist Church thirty-five years ago. You're quite aware of what one is capable of unleashing." "Hai..." "Good," Ataru sighs, handing the knife back to Priss. "I've had my faults; I'll not deny that and I'll be spending a long time figuring out why I did what I did. But we're all to blame for this. I wish I could've made things easier, but I was trapped. On one side, a grandmother who would've seen you dead the instant we were married, then would've killed everyone you knew to ensure no one could ever get their revenge. On the other side, you: naive, self-centred...and Tomobiki: who would've gone to great lengths to keep me suppressed had they learned of Grandma...and would've died for it. I know Grandma, Lum; it's within her means. Until last night, I felt there was no way out except play my role and hope that something'd came to give me a chance to change things. That happened when I reunited with them," he nods to the Sagussans. "Reunited?!!" Lum blurts out. "That's the other part," Ataru sighs. "Twelve years ago, Noa here was on the lookout for someone to teach her people emotions. She found me. Two months later, they effectively decided I was the right sort they'd want to become their ceremonial head-of-state. They've come here now to ask me to do just that. I've accepted." The Oni jolts back, then feels her own anger well up. "And when was I supposed to be told this?!" she demands. The Terran's eyes narrow, his voice ice-cold. "To be frank, it's none of your business. We were NEVER married. Will you finally get THAT through your head?! Grandma became my legal guardian the day BEFORE we met Babara! For that, you can thank Elle; she sent Grandma an invitation to our 'wedding.' Everything your parents talked to mine about had no meaning...and even an Urusian court would recognize Grandma's prerogatives as head of my clan when it came to our 'engagement.' Her word is final on the matter regardless of what I said on the 'Kashin.' And I think I've made my reasons for never telling you that quite clear." Lum seems to shrink. "Lum," Shinobu sits beside her. "Think! He's been protecting you, protecting US, all this time!! It's not because he hates you; if he really hated you, he would've told his grandmother to go to town!! Can't you try to ignore your fantasies for once and see what's really going on?!" The Oni gazes at Shinobu, then at Ataru. "You should've said something..." she finally utters. "Maybe I should've," he looks away. "Maybe...oh, hell, I just don't know anymore! Like I said, I need the chance to put this all together in MY head! I'm not asking for your forgiveness. You can walk away if you want. I won't stop you; I don't have any moral right to do that. The choice is completely yours." Lum gazes at him, then flicks a glance at the Sagussans. "Did they promise you a harem if you went with them?" she sarcastically wonders, turning back to him. A wry grin splits his face. "Lum, they ARE my harem." Eyes wide with disbelief, Lum spins on Noa, then gazes at everyone else. Ataru turns to the "Hasei'cha's" shipmistress. "Eluza, what's the Gatherer's nickname on Uru?" "Same as everywhere else," Eluza shrugs. "Eternal Voyager." Silence falls like a shroud as that hits Lum like a photon torpedo. Ataru, her Darling, her would-be husband...the Chosen One of the Eternal Voyager?! The one power in the galaxy even the Zephyrites would respect. Speculation had raged for years over who'd be the lucky man, what sort of man would be allowed close contact with the Maidens of the Voyager. Along with that was hushed speculation over what the Chosen One would do were he to gain the nearly infinite power the Maidens welded. Now the choice was made...or rather, had been made many years before Lum had even met that man. Nothing in her life could prepare her for that! "So what will you do?" Lum wonders. Ataru breathes in. "Right now, they want me to undergo the regenerative process which restored them in the first place. I've agreed to that. After that, I'm off to Sagussa...that's the name of their planet. How long I'll stay...who knows," he shrugs. "And where do I fit into this?!" she demands. "You're welcome to come along," he muses. "You'll have to get used to the fact that no marriage exists on Sagussa. Freedom of choice is not just an ideal, it's FACT there. They'll also be asking me to parent their children. Other men, those who can stand living in a matriarchy, will be invited to come. Others who'd like to contribute but couldn't stand living on Sagussa will be sought out, too. Immigration will be strictly controlled; it has to be to prevent those who'd try to destroy us from getting too close. Of course, infiltrating a race of touch-telepaths isn't easy. I can't give guarantees for anything now, Lum; it's too soon." "So that's all I am to you now, right?!" Lum quakes, her fists shaking. "Just an add-on?! Someone who doesn't have the right to decide anything for herself?!!" "Why do you sound so surprised?" Ataru glares at her. "It's the way you've treated me for the last two years." Her eyes blaze angrily as she leaps at him. "DAMN YOU!!!!" she screams as her hand slams into his cheek! Ataru jolts as the pain lances across his cheek, then quakes as two years of suppressed rage and resentment explode from the depths of his soul. "Fine, then," he calmly replies. "If you can't take what's happened, I understand. But remember this..." Out of nowhere, his fist smashes into her nose with the force of a wrecking ball, propelling Lum into the floor!! Everyone gasps as Ataru holds out his hand. Priss' knife fills his palm, then with two deft cuts, he slashes off Lum's horns! The Oni howls, her hands darting to her temples as the two bits of cartilage drop to the floor. "Ataru-kun!!" Shinobu cries out. Ataru drops to one knee, the knife at Lum's throat. "If you EVER touch me again without my permission..." his voice lowers to an angry whisper, "...**I...will...kill...you!!**" Lum's eyes widen fearfully as Ataru's laser-like gaze burns into her. "And I will do everything I warned you Grandma would do!" he adds. "With one addition! I'll hunt down and destroy every ship Uru has!! I'm sure the Ipraedies and the Noukiites would welcome that! You won't be living on this planet for too long anyway, Lum; as of now, Earth is under Sagussa's protection and Sagussa will make war on ANY race who treats Earth like it was their private playground!! I'm sure the United Nations will be looking forward to being rid of you, Jariten, Lan and the rest once I offer them the chance; they'd be stupid not to and not EVERYONE on Earth is as clueless as most of the morons living in Tomobiki!!" He then stands, waving to the door with Priss' knife. "***NOW GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!!!! I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!!!!!!***" Screaming incoherently, the Oni races out of the apartment. Ataru watches her go, the anger bleeding from every pore on his body. The other Sagussans watch him with a mixture of awe and fear. Noa decides to brave his rage. "Does the word 'tact' ever ONCE enter your language?!" she demands, glaring at him. "Stow it, Noa!!" he hands the knife back to Priss, then seeing Lum's shed horns, stomps on them. The satisfying *crunch!* of the cartilage shattering under his weight doesn't begin to calm him. "I'm going for a walk!" he marches out of the apartment. Once the door closes behind him, everyone breathes out. "Shit, this is a mess!!" Honey exclaims. "What do we do?" Sylia wonders. "Once he cools off, he'll realize what he did! How will they ever get back together?!" "This makes their spat over Rupa look tame!" Shinobu exclaims. Noa sighs, then taps her wrist-communicator. "Noa to Makoto." "Makoto here," the watchmistress replies. "Ataru just left my apartment; he just had a doozy of a fight with Lum," the Ashi'cha sighs. "Keep an eye on him." "Aye-aye, ma'am," the line then goes dead. Noa then grabs her coat. "Where're you going?" Eluza wonders. "I'll go talk to Lum," she sighs. "I doubt Lum'll want to see you," Shinobu warns. "Relax," Noa winks. "I've my own charm. Be back soon." "Good luck," Honey waves as her sister departs... * * * In the darkness near the Moroboshi home, Lum's sobs echo from her open bedroom window. The small group of Niphentaxian observers remains in the shadows as they await the right moment. "The Oni was missing her horns," one woman smiles, cradling a rifle which looked so out of place with a string bikini that belonged more on the beaches of Saint-Tropez. "So much the better for us!" "She must've been rejected by her so-called husband," the team leader adjusts his sunglasses, his voice a horrible mockery of Elvis' Tennessee twang. "I've always heard he never liked her. We'll be doing the 'Great Evil,'" he snorts on hearing the Church of Lum's official title for Ataru, "...a favour." The others nod as they continue to wait... * * * To be continued...^Z