Repaying An Old Debt

by MakKeiUra

"That's crap! I heard a Literature Club Freshman found it!" A story about the kid who really found the so-called Jinnai Ruins.

"El-Hazard: Repaying an Old Debt"

By Makkei Ura

Send all comments, critiques, and other assorted nonsense to makkeiura

DISCLAIMER: El-Hazard - The Magnificent World and its various characters and situations are owned by AIC and is the intellectual property of Hiroki Hayashi and Ryoe Tsukimura. This is a non-for-profit piece of fanfiction created for entertainment purposes only. No monies are being made from this. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thank you to K'thardin for beta-reading this story many, many years ago.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This takes place in El-Hazard OVA 1 only continuity after the final ending of OVA episode 7.

000

"Excuse me? Sir?"

Ken looked up from the newsstand where he had been glancing at today's newspapers, searching for the Mainichi. He had been hoping to find some mention of the weather for tomorrow so he could plan ahead. The weather was growing cold, and he had to figure out what to wear for his long walk to school. Ken located the Mainichi and was about to reach for it when he noticed that someone—a female someone—was calling him.

"Yeah?" Ken turned around. "Can I help you with something?"

A black-haired girl smiled. "Yeah! I'm looking for a hamburger stand!"

Ken was momentarily taken aback. Did this girl not realize where she was? Did this look like the part of Shinonome where one could find an actual hamburger stand?

"Do you mean a place where you can get a hamburger or a real 'hamburger stand' like in some foreign show that just sells hamburgers, french fries, and milk shakes?" Ken asked. He mentally added in malts, too. He recalled his tenth birthday when his mother had made him a malt. From then on, it had become his favorite dessert. His mother first experienced the sublime joy of a malt after watching a badly dubbed American sitcom set in the 1950s with a lot of scenes set in some very garish diner. Ken's mother, Hitomi's family, worked on a dairy farm in Nagano and were always able to ensure that good glass jars of milk and packages of dairy malted milk made it to the Taro family.

They were the best damned milkshakes ever. And if anyone disputed that, Ken would set them soon to rights over such an insult. Some things were sacred, some were expendable or open to compromise but milkshakes and family were some of the things that were sacrosanct to Ken. Those and good hamburgers.

The black-haired girl was carrying a stick that seemed to resemble a scythe that a wheat farmer would have. He guessed she worked on one of the farms outside of Shinonome... or was in the Agriculture Club at a local school (from her bearing he guessed Takahashi Girls Preparatory Academy) or else she was someone very fond of cosplay. Briefly, Ken tried to recall if the show or video game she seemed to be cosplaying from was anything he had seen or heard of but he could not recall anything offhand. Maybe it was from some American or European home computer game. Before he answered her, he wondered if she was a foreigner.

But, she had asked for directions to a hamburger stand. And even if the Taro's family's financial circumstances prevented them from having the best hamburger beef as often as they would like—he was damn well not going to let a cute young lady down in this regard.

Ken smiled, the first smile he had had for a long time in these past few dreary weeks since the earthquake at school. "You want to go and hit Shimozaki's on 22 Yoshida in North Kurashiki. I have cousins who live there, every time me and my parents go there we always get a double-decker special and some British style Fish N' Chips... the chips are actually American-style french fries. The train fare there is also pretty reasonable."

The girl blinked, clutching her staff to her; seemingly almost instinctively. "Why would I want to hit them? That'd be bad!"

Ken regarded her for a moment. "I meant go visit them. The cheddar bacon burger is also very good..." Ken felt his stomach grumble softly at the thought of bacon.

"Bacon?" The girl's face lit up. "I'll be sure to get ten of them!" She beamed. "Tell me, do they have a quadruple decker burger?"

Ken blinked. How a girl with her figure could possibly contemplate consuming a burger that size was beyond him. He had only accomplished such a feat once himself on his fifteenth birthday... and then promptly spent the next two days locked in the bathroom. Ken still remembered the acidic taste of the generic stomach remedy he subsisted on for the two days and the pain...

It was worth it.

Ken smiled, a big smile. "They do, Ma'am. I suggest you take some stomach remedy before and after-and have a place to stay nearby. You will be Heaven—and then Hell. But if you survive," he chuckle warmly, "you will have your picture up on the wall."

The black-haired girl with that curious cosplay toy favored him with a look. "Do you have your picture up on the wall there?"

"Yes, I do." Ken grinned happily, before it turned into a grimace. "Proudest achievement of my life." 'Probably the only proud achievement of my life,' Ken mentally added, sadly.

The girl bowed formally. "I thank you, kind sir. What is your name?"

"Ken Taro," Ken bowed back.

The girl smiled. A smile that matched her good natured and bubbly face. "I bid you a good afternoon, Mr. Taro. I will keep you in my thoughts and my heart until our paths cross again."

"Um... yeah." Ken chuckled. The girl was obviously a cosplayer and a major otaku. Though for the life of him he could not place an otaku of what in particular. He raised himself from the bow. "Enjoy the hamburgers... um, Ma'am?" Ken looked around the street-corner next to the newsstand. "Ma'am?"

He was alone. The only sounds were the pedestrians further up the side-walk around the market-place on one end and the bus station on the other end. The newsstand vendor was napping behind the counter with headphones on.

Ken shrugged. He picked up a copy of the Mainichi, quickly found the weather page, noted the forecast for the next day, and returned the newspaper to its rack. He waved to the sleeping vendor before he turned back around to start up the side-walk towards home. That girl was an unexpected bright spot in an otherwise awful month.

000

Ken Taro shuffled through the door of his family's small house, one hand on his satchel and the other on a packet of mail. Closing the door and locking it by instinct, he put up his shoes and slowly shuffled down the hallway towards his room. His feet hurt from the walk from downtown Shinonome, and his shoulders hurt from being stooped over his desk all day. At the opposite end of the hallway he could see the setting sun filtering through the bathroom window; the light cascading gently off of the half-way open door. It had been another late day in Mr. Satoshi's after-school "Math Club." Or rather, it was the only after-school academic club that was NOT made up of the highest ranked students, or even a club in that joining was voluntary. Ken was once again thankful that the Literature Club met both before school and during lunch; so he met his club obligations there. What else was he going to do when he had to catch the earliest train in order to make it to school on time?

As Ken put up his satchel and changed out of his school uniform, he allowed himself a paper-thin chuckle. Well, it was voluntary... but anyone in his academic situation would not refuse such an offer from Mr. Satoshi to give up their after-school club-time in exchange for much needed mathematics tutoring. Two separate documents hung in Ken's hand, retrieved from his satchel as he exited his room now wearing a well-worn casual pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Both garments had signs of being too well-worn, perhaps.

Ken walked back down the hallway towards his family's modest kitchen, depositing today's mail on the kitchen table. He would put the school documents in their appointed place, awaiting the arrival home of both his father and mother. They ought to be pleased, Ken thought, he was now no longer in danger of repeating Year 1 of High School; Jinnai had been true to his word about making sure those bad marks on his report card went away... for someone so disliked and facing imminent impeachment from the Student Council, Jinnai sure knew how to make the wheels turn and there were members of the faculty who he had significant influence over. All that it had cost Ken was to let Katsuhiko Jinnai take all the credit for finding those ancient cultural ruins underneath the school... found in the midst of an extensive school renovation project after a highly localized earthquake. And his pride, of course, but when he had seen Katsuhiko on the television, getting ambushed by his own sister no less, Ken felt that he had probably made the right choice. No great loss. The world did not need to see his husky form with his acne, his grating voice that never quite recovered after puberty, or the teeth his parents never were able to afford braces for.

Probably made the right choice...

That and deflecting suspicion from him sneaking around in the school's basement—an area clearly marked off-limits-where construction workers had been working for the past month. The area had been completely roped off after the earthquake so the investigators from the local authorities and various university archaeological departments could have a look at such an odd event as a localized earthquake. Ken wondered if those construction workers who looked into that gaping hole in the basement wall could ever have dreamed they'd have an archaeological site on their hands.

What was it that the archeology club students called it in hushed, excited whispers? An Out Of Place Artifact? He shook his head, it mattered very little, ever since the earthquake had occurred his life had been worse than usual.

He should never have gone down into the basement that day.

Ken shuddered at the thought of his parents knowing that in a moment of rage and despair he had snuck down there while the construction workers were on lunch-break... after he had written that note to Shinobu Yamazaki asking if she'd like to go to the park sometime with him...

... she hadn't even the courtesy to answer him back.

Furthermore, she quite literally did not know that he existed. His locker was right across from hers, and Shinobu had asked her friend, Kimiko, who this Ken Taro was. Kimiko simply shrugged her shoulders. "Never heard of him. Is he new?" Kimiko asked.

'I've been in their classes since Elementary School! I'm also in their damned Literature Club, too! I've always participated, spoke up, and said hello even when I should not have!'

The sledge-hammer had felt good in his hands. He choose a safe point on the wall next to where the workers had been drilling holes for new wiring... the recent fissures from the earthquake were minimal there and Ken doubted he would do much of any damage. Briefly he wondered about the renovation the school was undergoing, something about upgrading the school for technology. The Internet, 500 TV channels, and the joys of even more global commerce among other things. But right then, all Ken wanted to do was bash that hammer against the wall until something broke. Either him, the hammer, or the wall.

But the wall had other ideas.

After a few good hits of the sledge-hammer against the wall with his eyes closed, Ken suddenly found himself stumbling forward a few steps. He blinked open his eyes, and felt the sting of concrete and dust in his eyes and stale air pass his nostrils. He could not believe it.

The hole he had just made was about big enough to poke one's head through, and the surrounding wall looked very unstable. From where he kneeled down, Ken could see the ornate tiles and some of the weird symbols that resided in the chamber within. The air, too... it had nearly made Ken gag with how stale it was. Realizing he had just put his foot in it-and then some-he had dropped the sledge-hammer and run back up the stairs, bursting past several students in the hallway. Some saw him run up the stairs and duck under the caution tape. Soon he ran straight into the chest of Katsuhiko Jinnai.

Jinnai had immediately berated him for running in the hallway and his carelessness, which Ken had greeted with a strange amount of good humor as Katsuhiko had actually known his name and used it. Even the teachers seemed to forget it at times. It seemed only Katsuhiko and Makoto Mizuhara knew his name and used it at times. Ken directed the Student Council President down the stairs, saying only that something was down there. Jinnai nodded, calmly said he'd check it out and for him to report to the front office immediately, and then wait in the Student Council chambers. When Jinnai returned to the chambers, he offered Ken a soda and then sat down behind his impressive desk and got straight down to business.

"Ken, I'm going to make you an offer," Katsuhiko said without preamble. "One I suggest you accept."

Ken sipped his soda. "I—I-I'm listening."

"It looks like what's down there," Katsuhiko pointed vaguely downwards, "is some kind of ancient ruins. The police are on their way as we speak... and behind them the investigators and all that."

Ken nodded.

"Now, you could claim the credit for your find. Answer all those questions, go on TV, and maybe even have to give testimonies depending on what exactly they find in that hole," Katsuhiko sipped some tea, smiling, those little eyes glinting. "You would also have to answer for why you were down there in the first place... and why a sledge-hammer was missing from a work table... and found next to the hole... where I might add it looks like many, many thousands of yen damage was done to where that wiring was going to go. "

Ken sat silently, his throat dry.

"Public property too, the lot of it," Katsuhiko shook his head. "Not all of it can be explained by the earthquake, either."

"L-look," Ken tried to speak.

Katsuhiko put up his hand. "My offer to you is this, Ken: If you allow me to take the credit, then no one will ever find out about your little pity party down in the basement. Not only that, but I can promise you that you will pass all your classes this year."

Ken blinked. "Y-you can do all that?"

Katsuhiko grinned, then laughed. That laugh. "Of course I can! Don't think you'll get anything more than the barest minimum passing grade, though. I'm not a miracle worker. What do you say?"

It was the hardest decision Ken had ever made, but he had agreed. What else was he going to do? Even if he had claimed that he had made the discovery, then Katsuhiko could have easily rolled out more than a few pieces of evidence against him. And who would care? It's not like anyone would seriously believe he had discovered the ruins. Even if Katsuhiko double-crossed him, Ken knew that another allegation of corruption was not something President Jinnai needed at the moment, even if it did come from a nobody like him. Ken figured that Katsuhiko knew this, and expected him to at least keep up most of the bargain. That was why Ken had agreed.

Was it? Just before he had been willing to tear down part of the world in anger, he had very little to lose by fighting and losing to Jinnai (and perhaps pride to gain), and why should he allow himself to get bribed AND blackmailed by someone like him?

Katsuhiko at least knew his name and who he was, for crying out loud. That wasn't much, but for some reason he felt an odd calmness about accepting such an outwardly crummy deal... a kind of peace with the world around him. A patience. A center. And, besides, first things were first. He couldn't have anyone finding out about him damaging school property and he desperately needed to pass Year 1. Even if it was a fool's hope.

If he did not, Ken shudder to imagine his parents' disappointment, after they had done so much to help him with his school work.

When Katsuhiko had disappeared along with his sister, Nanami, Mr. Fujisawa, and Makoto Mizuhara Ken had been concerned for them, naturally, but he was also concerned that Katzuhiko had been unable to put his promise into practice yet... if he was indeed serious about all of it.

As the school, police, and the investigators were puzzling over the disappearance of the teacher and the three students... and the archaeologists were still trying to figure out the ruins and the bizarre architecture and artifacts contained within, Ken had gotten his report card. Katsuhiko had indeed succeeded. His parents would be happy. He could live with the shame of selling out, he had enough experience in that. But he knew that the attached note from Mrs. Itsuki, his homeroom teacher, was not all that hopeful for his college or vocational prospects. Things just had not been adding up in his life since the end of Junior High School when his friends (all two of them) had either moved away to Hokkaido or gotten into a more prestigious High School than Shinonome.

Ken sighed, stretching, trying to rub the ache out of his left shoulder. No use. He figured he would watch some television, try and relax a bit before hitting his homework. He walked out of the kitchen, rounding the corner that separated the living room from the kitchen. Ken then discovered he was not alone.

"Hello there!" a man in his thirties with dark tousled hair sat on the family couch. He wore such unusual clothing that Ken's first thought was that he was either a lost circus performer, a crazy artist, or someone who really liked tunics with big eyes on them. Next to him sat...

"Greetings," a woman who appeared to be much younger, but with perfectly white porcelain skin and curled snowy hair sat besides him. She wore a kind of skin tight bodysuit underneath a kind of black coat. Along with all that were beautiful ribbons, some sparse jewelry (a ring was prominent on her hand), a decorative hair-piece and veils. Where she sat she held a gigantic stave that vaguely gave Ken the impression of a huge hour glass.

"Ueruhk!" Ken started. He looked from the man, to the woman and back and forth again. Their clothing was unlike anything he had ever seen before. Then his eyes darted all around the room for something close at hand-

"-please, do not be alarmed." The woman said, oddly soothing, but as strong as steel.

"We aren't here to hurt you," the man replied.

"W-w-who are you?!" Ken began backing away, back towards the kitchen. If he could just get there. He slowly raised his hands in front of him, hoping once he got back around the wall to the kitchen he could reach for a knife-

The woman rose from the couch, silently. Her eyes briefly flickering towards the kitchen. "Please stay where you are."

The man rose too. "Ken, please... just listen for a moment."

"You know m-m-my name?" Ken's voice was gone.

Before the man could respond, Ken's eyes narrowed. "Hey, hey, wait a second... are you related to Makoto Mizuhara?"

The man blinked for a moment. Then a bemused look took over his features.

The woman smiled.

Ken wondered for a moment what was so amusing about the story of four missing persons. There were already some whispers of a memorial being planned. "If you're here to ask me questions, I already talked to the police—along with the rest of the school and half the city. Nobody knows where they went or what happened that night."

"A factual error," the woman stated. "We both know where they went."

"Yup," the man said brightly, "we sure do." He smiled... and then Ken's face-fell.

"You mean...?"

The man nodded. "That's right."

Ken's eyes narrowed at them both, glaring. He should have known that this was what was going on. It was actually a pretty smart move on their part, almost as good as a Katsuhiko Jinnai original. And he, Ken Taro, and his parents were the perfect candidates for this too. Nobody would suspect him, and his parents were in constant need of extra money. It was perfect, right down to the beautiful mysterious woman to top it all off. Ken balled his fists.

"I know why you two are you," Ken said slowly, coldly. "And I and my parents will not be dragged into some kind of ransom negotiation! Especially if it's in some kind of stupid family inheritance squabble!" Ken was shouting at the top of his lungs by the end of his declaration as he spun on his heel back towards the kitchen.

The woman stopped him. In a way that almost seemed similar to the black-haired hamburger enthusiast he had met earlier. She appeared in front of him, clasping one of her arms on his left shoulder. The slightest pressure was applied and Ken knew he was now rooted to the spot he now stood in. He would not move unless she released him, so strong was her grasp on his shoulder. Yet, somehow, it only hurt in the slightest.

The man ran up to join them. "No, Ken... you have the wrong idea, man. I'm Makoto!"

Ken blinked. His reaction mixed with angry bristling under the woman's assured grasp and a sudden urge to laugh loudly at something so absurd. Him? Makoto? "Last I saw him, Makoto was just old enough to buy girly magazines." Ken thought for a moment, then added: "The real ones, not the swimsuit and lingerie ones."

"Come on, Ken. That was always your thing."

Ken gaped.

The man in the funny tunic grinned. "Remember when you got detention for bringing the 'Yukata Sweeties of Kyushu' photobook?'"

"It... it can't be..." Ken blinked.

The man fished around in the folds of his ornate tunic. "Here," he fished out a battered leather wallet. "See?" His fingers opened the wallet, picking out a dirty old card and holding it up.

Ken came face to face with a current year Shinonome High School ID card... and yet it clearly was significantly older. The card was that of Makoto Mizuhara, and the picture matched Ken's recollection perfectly. In fact, the entire card to Ken's memory was a match. He did not need to compare the older one with his own because the standard issue student identification card was the card he used every day at the cafeteria to get free breakfast and lunch since his family qualified for government assistance.

"Would you like to take a closer look?" The woman asked. "Dear?" she asked.

"Here, honey." The man took hold of the woman's staff with one hand and handed the card to her.

The woman handed the card to Ken gracefully, efficiently. Not a fraction of movement was wasted.

Ken examined every line of the card, as well as the picture of Mizuhara on it. He studied it slowly, as was his manner. Every so often he would look from the picture to the man standing to his side, and back again to compare the height and weight information. Why Shinonome High School decided it was necessary for such detailed information on a student's identification was a question he and others had always voiced, but in this instance it served another purpose.

"Makoto," Ken whispered finally. "Is it really you...?"

"In the flesh." Makoto nodded, smiling. Ken handed the ID back to the woman. She handed Makoto's battered student ID back to him. Makoto returned his wallet to it's place in his robes.

Ken just stood for a moment, completely dazed. He hardly felt it when the woman released his shoulder from her grasp. She stood back a full two steps to stand with Makoto, wordlessly reclaiming the staff in a fluid movement that spoke of it being done many times before. A moment passed.

"Oh! Where are my manners?" Makoto chuckled. "Ken, this is my wife, Ifurita Mizuhara."

"An honor and a pleasure, good sir." Ifurita bowed curtly, her words and tone measured, deliberate, with only faint warmth behind the cool formality. But it was there, nonetheless. Instantly, Ken guessed that Ifurita Mizuhara's native tongue was not Japanese. Her voice betrayed the qualities he had heard in those who had learned and mastered a foreign language. But something else made Ken take notice and note as he listened to Ifurita's words as she continued her greeting.

"I apologize for our sudden intrusion and my manner with you." Ifurita gestured with a very slight inclination of her head towards him.

"Um... yeah." Ken remarked dryly.

"But I would not have allowed you to harm us or yourself, Mr. Taro." Ifurita said bluntly, her eyes glaring at him lightly.

"Your concern is touching. Really." Ken replied.

"You are much too important for that." Ifurita said.

"What?" Ken asked, confused.

"It's true." Makoto smiled. "Why don't we sit down and we can tell you why we're here."

Ken nodded. "Would you like some water and crackers?"

"That would be swell, thanks." Makoto said. He shared a look with his wife.

"I will assist you." Ifurita's tone left no room for disagreement. "You have had quite a shock."

Ken nodded, numb. He walked into the kitchen while Ifurita shadowed his movements.

"Ifurita really likes water and crackers!" Makoto called after them, chuckling good naturedly.

000

"Wait... wait..." Ken said, holding up his hands. "The ruins sent you to another world?"

"You did not let my husband finish," Ifurita chided gently.

Makoto sipped his glass of water. "As I was saying, I went down to the ruins that night and..." he blushed.

Ifurita blushed too, the barest hint of a smile crossing her stoic features. "That was where I met my husband again."

"Again?" Ken asked, bewildered. He shook his head. "Makoto, I don't wanna be rude but what the hell are you two talking about?"

"That was my reaction when I first saw Ifurita reawaken. She was sleeping in that obelisk in the center," Makoto noted Ken's disbelieving look. "It was a hibernation chamber... she had been in the ground for ten thousand years. The reawakening sequence was keyed to my presence... as long as the chamber was exposed to light and outside air. When..." Makoto trailed off, clearly thinking for a moment, finally he turned to Ifurita. "Time froze?"

"No. A localized stasis field. Time still progressed outside of the bubble." Ifurita nibbled on a cracker.

"Right... it just still *feels* like time froze." Makoto nodded. He glanced to Ken, shrugged, then continued: "Jinnai seemed to freeze completely in place, and the entire campus seemed bathed in some kind of odd light. As I wandered into the South Wing—if I had gone in through the main entrance I would have probably found Mr. Fujisawa and Nanami, also in stasis—but that is neither here nor there at the moment." Makoto chuckled. "I was drawn down to the basement of the school by a... kind of inner voice, if you will."

Ken nodded, waiting for Makoto to continue. He was trying his level best to suppose that Makoto was not completely crazy. It was difficult to accept the story being told to him, even if all the evidence available to Ken clearly pointed to the story's validity.

"I go up to that hole in the wall... and it's glowing with all sorts of beams of light reaching from the ceiling to the floor," Makoto recalled. "I immediately knew that I had to go in there. Long story short, the beams of light 'confirmed' my identity and Ifurita here was revived after a ten thousand year slumber. I was certainly surprised when a beautiful woman popped out of that obelisk! She clearly knew me, but at that point I did not know her. She said she had to send me to a place called El-Hazard; and she did along with Mr. Fujisawa, Nanami, and Katsuhiko Jinnai" Makoto was silent for a moment, seemingly trying to collect his thoughts. "I had many adventures, and I helped play a little part in saving El-Hazard," he grinned modestly. "I also encountered Ifurita again." He glanced at Ifurita, she glanced down briefly. "She was not as you see her here now. Nor was she as I first saw her in the ruins you found, Ken."

"I was a slave, bidden to serve whoever held my staff." Ifurita stated coldly. "I knew only slaughter, death, solitude, and nothingness." Ifurita then smiled. "Makoto saved me. He freed me from slavery and gave me a soul. With that came freedom, emotions, memories... and love. I could go on, but we do not have a century or two. "

"Well," Ken interjected sardonically, "I should say that's love right there."

Both Makoto and Ifurita smiled at that. Makoto threw a sideways glance to Ifurita. "Aw 'shucks, ma'am, weren't nothin'."

Ifurita pat-patted Makoto's knee.

Ken blinked. "Kami, you ARE Makoto."

"You weren't completely convinced by the school ID?" Makoto asked.

Ifurita sipped her water.

"You used the word 'swell' a while ago and you just used some corny old American Western phrase."

"Good memory." Ifurita commented, having another cracker.

Ken smiled, genuinely smiled, at Makoto now. "It's really you, isn't it?"

"It is." Makoto nodded. "Now, continuing with the story... because the ending—if it could be called an ending—concerns you too, Ken. When we are finished you should have an idea why we are here today."

"Don't be so sure about that, Mizuhara," Ken said, "you should remember I'm ranked dead last in the class. Take as much time as you need to get the point across to me." Ken threw up a smile, trying to put on an air of cool detachment from his self-deprecating words.

Makoto gave him a look. Ifurita did too. It was an odd but familiar look, one Ken was not at all used to seeing; save occasionally from his parents. After a moment Makoto said: "Ken, you sell yourself short. If the Shinonome High scores had not been so heavily weighted towards math and science, you would have placed much higher."

Ken could not help but roll his eyes. "What else is there but math and science?"

"Words, emotions, events, and all that is unquantifiable." Ifurita replied.

"That's really not all that high up on the national agenda, Mrs. Mizuhara." Ken sighed.

"You were the best when it came to reading, literature, history, and English," Makoto commented, sipping on his water.

"Just... words." Ken looked down.

"Words can accomplish a lot." Ifurita told him, an edge to her voice.

"We'll discuss this later," Makoto said as he set his glass back down on the kotatsu. "After I freed Ifurita from Jinnai's control we all worked together to prevent a group called the Phantom Tribe from sabotaging our friends' ultimate weapon, the Eye Of God. All of us who went to El-Hazard gained special abilities as a side-effect of the trip. I gained the ability to 'sync' with ancient technology there. Mr. Fujisawa gained super strength; but only if he cut out the booze. He gained enormous strength when he cut out the bottle AND smoking." Makoto grinned.

"You gotta be kidding me. Fujisawa going clean and sober?"

"Only when needed," Ifurita commented.

Ken thought about it for a moment, nodding slowly, but then he shook his head: "No, I don't believe it. Are you sure this is the same Masamichi Fujisawa who hides Kissui in his satchel?"

Makoto laughed. "It's the very same. I'm not pulling your leg here, Ken."

Ken chuckled. "Damn. Just damn. I just don't believe it. Nope. Don't believe it at all."

Ifurita smiled. "Perhaps you will see for yourself."

Makoto, coughed, covering his mouth then continued: "Nanami gained the ability to see the Phantom Tribe. Katsuhiko... well, he gained the ability to speak and understand the Bugrom, a race of huge insects. They made him their General. Jinnai then embarked on a campaign to conquer El-Hazard... and nearly succeeded until the Roshtarian's—our friends—were forced to use the Eye Of God on them. Jinnai and his bugs narrowly avoided obliteration... while bizarrely saving us from the Phantom Tribe at the same time. Our intelligence indicates that he escaped with some of his minions and the Bugrom Queen Diva... last we heard he was out in the deserts of El-Hazard somewhere."

"He is a father now, too." Ifurita added.

"That's the only thing that surprises me about Jinnai." Ken groaned. "Still, he was good as his word... as long as it suited him."

"About protecting you from blame and allowing you to pass your classes? Yes, he did do that." Makoto sighed.

"Yea—wait, how did you know about that?" Ken asked, hitching forward where he sat.

"I'm getting to that." Makoto said, his hands raised slightly in front of him, begging their host's pardon. "The Phantom Tribe had sabotaged the Eye Of God, and it was looking pretty damned bad for all of us at that moment. All of us. I've seen the Eye used once in my life, and another time in Ifurita's memories, and I've read a lot about it—I could go a thousand and one lifetimes and never see that thing used as a weapon again."

Ifurita shifted ever so slightly where she sat, her eyes fixed on Makoto.

"I was about to go in... I thought my ability to sync with the technology of that world would yield the answer before we all got sucked into nothingness," Makoto grimaced. "It turns out I was only half-right. As it was Ifurita who sent me and the others to El-Hazard in the first place after learning how to accomplish such a feat *through* the Eye Of God's dimensional reactor; there was no other way for her to learn such an ability. It had to be her to stop the Eye Of God and endure the trip back in time and space—ten thousand years—to Earth in order for her to be there under the school when that earthquake occurred... and you found her hibernation chamber." Makoto looked to his wife, smiling, almost as if on cue or some unspoken message was passing between them. Ken wondered at this.

The mysterious woman continued. "As we have related to you, the reawakening sequence was keyed to light and air particles from the outside world. While I knew when I arrived on Earth with the several small fragments of the Eye Of God that I would have to create a hibernation chamber at the location of where it must be."

Ken half-raised his hand. "Using Makoto's memories and knowledge of what it had to look like, do, and more importantly where it had to go in order for all of this to work, right?"

"Correct," Ifurita answered. "It required many computing cycles and a lot of energy starting with the pieces of the Eye's reactor control room in order to fashion the stasis chamber." Ifurita sighed. "And then I had to excavate the location, place the chamber—and then bury it."

"That probably was not fun." Ken replied.

"Actually, I enjoyed it," Ifurita said. "I knew every handful of dirt and rock I excavated and then put back above the chamber would bring me one step closer to Makoto." She smiled, her hand gently grasping and squeezing Makoto's hand. The man smiled.

Ifurita continued as she held her husband's hand. "I had to rely on external events for the reawakening sequence to be activated so my scanners could begin searching for my husband. The earthquake assisted, but I did not cause it. I only checked the fault-lines of the ground to make sure I was at the exact right location before I went into stasis."

Ifurita looked straight into Ken's eyes. "But I knew before I went into that dark rest that it would be all for naught if someone was not there to expose the sensors for the reawakening sequence to begin. I would have never revived, Makoto and the others would never have gone to El-Hazard, I would never have been freed, and El-Hazard would be... possibly nothing or completely dominated by the Phantom Tribe." Ifurita smiled softly, "all of this occurred due to you, Ken. You started all of this."

Ken thought he was either going to laugh like a lunatic, jump up and down, or simply pass out from what Ifurita and Makoto were trying to say to him. Him? Helped save a world? Not only that, but he didn't even know about it? He found his voice after a moment.

"Wh-what do you want with me? Why are you here?" Ken asked in a suddenly dry throat.

"We are here to help you." Ifurita said.

"As you helped us, dear friend." Makoto said, "we are here to help you."

"Help? Me?" Ken looked from Makoto to Ifurita and back again. "You've gotta be kidding me."

"Oh no, we are not." Ifurita replied, clearly amused and holding back a little smile.

"What are you here to help me with?" Ken felt a low sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. Was this going to be some kind of patronizing lecture? Were they going to tell him he needs to 'tell the truth' to the principal about the sledgehammer and Jinnai's offer? Or were they going to tell him that he needs to mature, just accept the way his life is, and deal with it because nobody likes a whiner and it won't help him anyway? Slowly, a sardonic laugh shook Ken. A little chuckle at first, but then a giggle: "heh, I never thought I'd have people from the future AND another universe tell me I need to stop being a wuss, mature, work harder, and stop complaining."

"Woah, Ken," Makoto said quickly, "we are not here to do that at all."

"You just 'want to help' by telling me it's all my fault. That's all. How kind." Ken sighed. "Just my luck."

"On the contrary, we are here to tell you that it is time for you to consider a change in surroundings." Ifurita stated.

Makoto gave his wife a bemused look. "You kind of let the cat out of the bag, dear."

Ifurita blinked. "I do not detect Ura around; we left her at home."

Makoto chuckled. He turned his attention back to Ken. "Ken, I want you to look me straight in the eye. Right now."

"What the hell, nothing better to do." Ken said as he looked straight into Makoto's eyes. Somehow, they were calming. Ken rarely bothered to look anyone in the eye, least of all himself. This was a different experience for him.

"Ken, it is not your fault. None of it is." Makoto said.

"In fact, it is their fault." Ifurita said.

Ken could not believe what he was hearing. What kind of harsh "growing up" discussion included the two adults agreeing with him?

"What's the catch?" Ken asked.

"No catch, pal." Makoto replied.

"We simply wish to be your friend... and to help you." Ifurita added.

"You said I can make a change in my surroundings?" Ken asked. "I can't even move across town, you know. Even if you knew some kind of enchantment to work on my parents, they could not afford it."

" We... don't mean your parents, Ken. Though, they are welcome to visit. Ken, you can make a change in your surroundings... all expenses paid." Makoto smiled serenely.

"As the first act of our friendship and expressing our gratitude to you, we would like to take you on a brief tour of our home; El-Hazard." Ifurita said. "We can return you at almost the exact moment you left... no matter how long you stay with us. That is, if you wish to return."

Ken thought about it. Maybe the two visitors were telling the truth. But something held him back still from fully, seriously considering it. "Makoto... why now? I can see you're older... I can't believe after how long you've been away you have suddenly decided to come back because you think I did something very impor-"

"-no, you did do something very important," Ifurita interrupted.

"If you say so, ma'am." Ken allowed. He said no more.

Another look passed between Ifurita and Makoto. They seemed... somehow understanding and pleased at the same time while still clearly showing that same unfamiliar look that Ken had noted when he first encountered them in his living room. Seemingly all at once Ken realized what the look was; sympathy.

"To answer your question," Makoto said, "we knew we could always come back to any point in time we choose, yes, but we have wanted to repay your kindness for many years now."

"We were waiting for the right time and the right offer to make to you." Ifurita nibbled on another cracker with exact precision and efficiency.

"Right time... right offer..." Ken thought out loud.

Makoto leaned forward, his voice dropping and softening to almost a conspiratorial whisper. "You will not believe how bright it is there, Ken. How the sun will feel on your skin, how the air will feel when you breath it in, and how much more... real it is there." He sat back, and smiled. "Not to knock Earth; our family and friends visit here every now and again... but this place is no longer my home."

"There are many opportunities there." Ifurita smiled. "We think you may have what it takes to harness them."

'This cannot be for real,' Ken thought frantically. 'Another world... a completely, different, beautiful world to explore and enjoy.' Ken glanced from Ifurita to Makoto and back again. Briefly, he imagined what this El-Hazard might be like according to Makoto's brief description. Mostly, he imagined being away from all the dreariness of his daily life. Could this offer be for real?

Seeing that Ken was now seriously considering the offer, Makoto and Ifurita shared another, knowing smile.

"Ken, we'd like you to meet someone." Makoto said.

"I'm sorry, I'm out of crackers." Ken replied sheepishly.

Ifurita smirked. "She has already eaten."

"Dear, that doesn't mean a whole lot." Makoto rolled his eyes.

Ifurita laughed.

Ken looked from Makoto to Ifurita. "Who do you mean? Another friend?" Just as he finished speaking, he felt an odd almost-electric, slightly static-like charge all around him. Briefly, the living room seemed to be overtaken in a kind of hazy-fog, and it almost seemed like there were green-blue clouds forming everywhere. Just as suddenly as it appeared, it was gone. Once again, Ken realized he was not alone.

"I'm here!" a voice proclaimed cheerily from besides him. Ken found himself sitting next to a girl with black hair. He turned to look at her, reflexively switched his glance back to Makoto and Ifurita to ask who she was... but then found himself looking right back at the girl sitting next to him.

'She's nice,' an inner voice piped up within him. Ken blinked at this, why should he be so congenial about another uninvited guest when he was still talking to the first two? Does he have to set up a line outside his front door? Number tape like at some western-style meat market? Instantly, Ken's stomach gurgled. Times had been extra tight lately for the Taro family with his father's change in job and mother's cut in hours at the convenience store. It had been over a month since any meat had been had by the family.

The girl was about his height... certainly not his weight... but definitely his age with long black hair and dressed in a similar style to Mrs. Mizuhara... only somehow less encumbered. She wore mostly black, a warm black and light blue with small hints of green and red on her leggings. Like Mrs. Mizuhara, she wore a headpiece, and while this one was similar it had less elegance and more of a cold steel look to it. She wore a red necklace and screws. 'Yes, screws,' Ken thought as he noted the large screw-style bracelets on her hands, the head-piece, and finally the belt. Immediately he thought of clothing patches as he took in her attire... and her eyes. For some reason there was something happy about them. Not the experienced and studied happiness of this older Makoto sitting across the kotatsu from him, or the ethereal calm and strength of his wife, this happiness was almost... giddy. The girl turned towards him, and smiled, she held up her hand in greeting. In her opposite hand there was a stave just large enough for her to carry; it seemed similar to Ifurita Mizuhara's but much less ornate and harsh. This stave was simple and functional, almost like a farm implement.

"Hiya, my name's Ifurita Mizuhara!" The girl gushed.

"Hello, Ken Taro, good to meet you." Ken did his best to bow politely before her. "Hey wait... I know you! You wanted to know about hamburgers! Are you Mrs. Mizuhara's sister? "

This prompted laughs from the Mizuharas.

"No, you big silly! I'm their daughter!" The black-haired girl... Ifurita Mizuhara replied.

"Same name?" Ken asked, scratching his head.

"'Little Ifurita,'" Ifurita smiled.

"Little Iffy," Makoto corrected.

"Yup!" The girl proudly confirmed with a curt nod of her head.

"Little Iffy Mizuhara." Ken mused.

The girl nodded. "Hey... do you want to go get hamburgers and ice cream with me sometime?"

"Uh... wha-?" Ken's stomach leaped in joy at the thought of it as his mind struggled to keep up.

"Mom said," Little Iffy began, before being answered with a slightly sharp look from Mother Ifurita.

"Much too fast, dear." Makoto said. "First it is polite to grow acquainted with new friends before going out and eating."

"Oh... sorry." The girl blushed. She turned back to Ken. "You're kind to animals, you're cute, you like music, food, sunny days, and reading. I have trouble with reading-" Little Ifurita stopped at another look from her mother.

"I apologize, Mr. Taro," Ifurita said, smiling. "Sometimes my daughter moves a little too quickly... too soon. She also uses her... *talents* without discretion."

"You're telling me." Ken laughed sincerely. "But it's fine, really."

"Thank you for your understanding," Makoto bowed his head.

"Trust me, Makoto, at this point almost nothing could throw me." Ken chuckled. "Wow... just wow."

"I'm pleased to see you getting into the spirit of things," Makoto said in a sage voice, "trust me, it helps."

Ken smiled. He turned back to Little Ifurita, "so... your mother mentioned talents?"

"Ah-huh!" The bubbly dark-haired girl grinned. "Some of my friends back home think I read minds, but actually I don't. I pick up on things other people don't see for some reason—even though they're staring them right in the face! And these are really plain things that tell me a lot. Like how many cookies Aunt Nanami's baker can make in five hours with-"

"Little Ifurita." Mrs. Mizuhara stated calmly and clearly. Makoto gave his daughter a little wave of his hand.

"Oh, sorry!" Little Iffy nervously patted the back of her head.

"Tell me about the things you 'pick up on', please" Ken requested, interested.

The girl blushed. She looked to her parents, who seemed to approve of her answering, provided she did not go too far. She extended a gloved black hand; gloved in what appeared to be a kind of rubber. Only the gloves were much more sheer and fine than anything Ken had ever seen before. "Um, well your clothes smell of cat hair." Little Ifurita replied.

"They've just been washed! I did that last night!" Ken's voice, originally astonished but not unbelieving, now grew somber. "Blackie died four months ago."

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Little Ifurita said, she patted his arm in comfort, and almost instantly Ken felt a little bit better. "I knew from the scents here that she wasn't around... but I didn't know she was dead. I can still smell her on you... she must have been a good kitty!"

Ken smiled a bit. "Would you like to see a picture of Blackie?"

"Yeah!" Little Ifurita agreed, smiling.

Ken quickly got up from the kotatsu and retrieved a picture from his room. As Ken sat back down, he could have sworn that he had noted a further kind of silent communication going on between the family that now sat in his living room.

"This was Black-"

"No, this is Blackie." Little Ifurita corrected with a gentle smile.

"If you say so..." Ken felt warm amidst his sadness.

The black-haired girl looked at the mostly black domestic shorthair female cat with white "stockings" as Ken's mother had referred to them. The cat had lived a long and fulfilled life, dying fat and happy in her sleep at the age of eighteen. Ken's parents had told him of how the cat used to watch over him sleeping as a baby; guarding him and always following him everywhere... and always hounding him to take naps with her.

"Blackie's very nice." Litte Ifurita commented.

Ifurita and Makoto also agreed that Blackie was a nice cat. "You would like Ura," Ifurita said. "She is... different from Earth cats but very agreeable."

"Yeah, she never shuts up." Little Ifurita chuckled.

"Oh, that's fine." Ken said, chuckling as he remembered Blackie's near constant meowing. The kind of meowing that would wake up the entire house. A low, throaty yet undeniably loud meowing. "I'm used to noisy kitties."

"You have no idea." Makoto remarked dryly. He looked back to his daughter, "Iffy darling? You were saying to Ken...?"

"Oh, right! I forgot!" Little Ifurita exclaimed. She thought for a moment, as if flipping through some kind of mental scrapbook. "Um, right... continuing... you're cute because you're kind, humble and honest. You listen to your heart, soul, and the universe to tell you what needs to be done... even if it costs you personally."

Ken laughed. "*Now* I know you're pulling my leg. I've looked in the mirror lately, and I know what's there." While his words were self-deprecating, his tone held a note of genuine good humor. Amidst his laughs, Ken glanced around the room. Why did the light seem so bright this late in the day? Why was he smiling so much?

"Nope, I can see it!"

"You're being very nice, but I know I don't turn the girls' heads at school." Ken's voice dropped a bit, remembering a touch of pain. It was still too near to keep all the way out of his mind.

"If they can't see what kind of boy you really are, what good are they?" The black-haired girl asked reasonably.

Ken thought about it for a moment. He caught a look from Makoto and Ifurita, wondered at it. A moment passed. "I... I don't know..."

Little Ifurita patted his hand again, just enough to draw his attention back to the present and away from old hurts. "The rest about you I can tell very easily!" She motioned to the Taro family's battered old stereo and the shelves underneath that contained many vinyl records and cassette tapes, "they've all been played many times, and are well taken care of... you must go through lots of cleaning rags and, and other stuff!" The girl thought for another moment, she chewed her lower lip in concentration for a split-second; her pink tongue making an appearance. "I can smell the food you have made here... I know you made it—or helped—by your scent I can smell on the plates, pots, and pans. I know you like sunny days because you have curtains—not blinds—and the curtains always let lots of light in. And last of all I know you love to read because you smell just like my Daddy!"

Makoto smacked his forehead with his palm lightly. "She just had to mention that, didn't she?"

"Sorry, Daddy!" Little Ifurita giggled.

Ifurita patted her husband's knee lovingly as she smiled.

Ken looked from the girl to her parents. "Huh? Smell like books?"

"My husband, the Lord Makoto, is quite the voracious reader and scholar." Ifurita said proudly. "At home on El-Hazard you will always find him with a book open, or with many books near him. Most are quite old and have quite a distinct odor."

"Sounds like heaven." Ken said distantly. He dearly loved the smell of old paper and bookbinding. But... he looked around his family's modest home. If what these people were saying was true, then a grand adventure awaited him... could he just up and leave? What about his parents? What would it be like on this El-Hazard? Will the people there be as nice as his guests? What about school?

... then again, could he really afford not to take this chance? To see what wondrous land Little Iffy Mizuhara came from? Silently, he stood up and walked over to the living room window, looking out at the small back yard. The sun had set, and soon darkness would embrace Shinonome. His parents would be back home about an hour after that.

"You have been through a lot," Ifurita Mizuhara called out to him. She had stood up and had taken a step towards him. "Why not come with us? We can return you almost instantaneously to this place and time. Your parents will never knew you were gone... if that is your wish."

Ken thought about it, his eyes taking in the curious guests that were in his living room. Eventually, he spoke: "I still have trouble buying this... your story sounds very nice, but it's completely crazy too! How do I know this is not just some kind of joke?"

Ifurita smiled. "Let us show you. It will only take a moment. You do not even have to move from where you are now. Now close your eyes..."

Ken closed his eyes, still half-expecting a kind of joke. Finding himself in some measure of good humor, Ken smirked as he closed his eyes. He figured when he opened his eyes he'd find himself face-first with a pie or wearing some kind of humorous mask. The overall effect of today was fairly positive so he figured he would go with it. Ken barely noticed the beginning of the quiet tingling sensation that started at the soles of his feet and the ends of his fingertips.

"Keep your eyes closed," Ifurita intoned, a hint of a smile in her voice.

Ken obeyed.

000

The tingling grew in intensity for about a half second, there was the briefest sound akin to a quiet "whoosh" in his ear and then the familiar scents of home were gone and bright lights shone all around them.

"You may open your eyes now." Ifurita said beside him. The hint of a smile had developed further; a full smile.

"Oh, Lady Ifurita. A visitor?" Another female voice, very cultured and refined.

Ken opened his eyes to find himself standing next to a pillow across from Ifurita, who also stood next to a pillow. The third speaker was a woman sitting on even more elegant pillows on a raised dais at the front of the room. She was a beautiful woman of about forty years of age, and dressed in something (to Ken's blush) that put his girly magazines to shame while also seeming infinitely more elegant and seductive. Red carpets, light blue curtains, and indoor waterfalls were a common feature in the vast room. The scent of flowers and a light summer breeze wafted past Ken's nose from the open archways of the sides of the throne room. The main element Ken's awareness zeroed in on was the sunlight... it was very early afternoon at the latest. He knew he was somewhere very different.

"Yes, your majesty" Ifurita rose from the pillow, motioning Ken to do the same. He did so. She bowed deeply, respectfully. "Princess Rune Venus, may I present Master Ken Taro, also of Shinonome." Ifurita gestured to Ken.

"Ah," the woman's face lit up. "Yours and Makoto's benefactor... as well as Mistress Nanami, Lord Fujisawa, and indeed all of El-Hazard!" She rose from her pillow throne and made her way down the dais. "I will be with you in just a few moments... I apologize, but palace business never ends." Several female servants and a few male guards and courtiers surrounded the Princess as she listened, nodded, gave orders, signed documents, and occasionally smiled and chuckled as she cleared time for her guests—if only for a scant few moments.

Ken's blush deepened once he realized the Princess was heading straight towards him. He gulped in a suddenly dry throat, sweat breaking out on his forehead and his left hand shaking.

Noticing, Ifurita side-stepped towards Ken before speaking in a low tone. "It is El-Hazard protocol for you to kneel when she approaches within ten steps—wait, what else is the matter, Master Ken?"

"If you told me I was going to meet a Princess I would have changed!" Ken blinked. "Wait... El-Hazard... you mean, we're here? It's real."

"Where else would we be other than where I said I would take you?" Ifurita asked, dry monotone.

"Nevermind," Ken groaned, mortified. He glanced down at his house slippers with their thread-bare surfaces and a few tiny holes. If only he could sink into them and hide, or bury himself in the pillow he was standing next to.

"Do not be troubled by your appearance, Master Ken." Ifurita explained. "The Princess bestows honor not by appearance but by great deeds and inner worth."

"Well, that just makes it worse for me now, doesn't it, ma'am?" Ken sighed.

"You will see in time." Ifurita stated, that little smile back on her red lips.

Princess Rune Venus now stopped her advance down the red carpet. Ifurita kneeled, and from the corner of his eye Ken matched Ifurita's movements as closely as he could.

"Welcome to Floristica, capitol of Roshtaria and the seat of the Allied Tribes of... El-Hazard." The Princess said warmly. "You are an honored guest here."

Ken's mouth hung open briefly at the words "honored" and "guest" he felt he would almost faint. Princess Rune Venus was easily the third most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life... and certainly the most revealingly dressed. Somehow, this was a woman of such regal poise that it was all the modesty she needed. Ken guessed that her attire—as well as her servants-had much to do with the climate here. Indeed, he was starting to sweat from the heat itself.

"I-I-I accept graciously," was all that Ken managed to stammer out amid bowing his head.

The Princess smiled. "Please rise."

Ken and Ifurita rose to their feet.

Princess Rune favored Ifurita with a knowing look and smile. "Another 'brief tour,' Lady Ifurita?"

Ifurita nodded. "Yes, Princess."

To Ken, Princess Rune said: "Do not feel ashamed for having doubts, Master Ken. It is a fantastical claim to come from another world... indeed, I recall the many doubts and... heated discussions on the matter when your friends, Lord Makoto and Lord Fujisawa, appeared in our lands; even after they saved my life from the Bugrom I still had doubts. No doubt, your arrival here must seem sudden; but sometimes it is the only way to really *show* someone that, yes, our world is real."

"I apologize, Master Ken, for not warning you in advance but my husband has told me that sometimes words fail." Ifurita said.

"And I apologize for not having more of your friends from Earth here to greet you. I'm sure Lord Fujisawa and Mistress Nanami would love to see someone from Old Shinonome." The Princess chuckled. "But here on El-Hazard sometimes one must improvise."

Ken wanted to say something, anything, but he had no words. This was... this was almost too much. If finding Makoto, years older, with a beautiful wife and daughter in his dinky living room was not enough, then this Princess apologizing to him along with Ifurita in not having a proper welcome laid out for him certainly was.

Soon, Ken found the ability to once again string together some words into a sentence. He hoped not to embarrass himself further. "Indeed, Princess... Lady... words completely fail me right now... except... I thank you... both of you." Ken glanced around the room, noting the guards and servants standing at attention. "I'm also sorry for taking up your time, I'm sure you've got lots to do here."

"I can always take time out for an honored guest from Earth." The Princess smiled. "But alas, I must be on my way to a troop review with my husband. I hope this brief visit makes you want to come here to my Kingdom for a longer visit... Lord Makoto and Lady Ifurita only wish to help you. I hope to see and speak with you again soon, Master Ken."

"I hope so too, Princess Rune." Ken bowed. "It is just... quite a leap... and a big decision."

"I understand completely." The Princess smiled. "But think seriously on what Lord Makoto and Lady Ifurita have offered you. It is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity."

Ken nodded, feeling the beginning of tears, profound tears, in his eyes. "I will, Princess. I thank you again... I will not keep you from your husband or your duties as Prince and Princess any longer. "

Princess Rune and Ifurita shared a look, and a brief smile.

Ken's face flushed with embarrassment. He had tried so hard to avoid putting his foot in it. Though he was unsure what it was he just put his foot in.

"Master Ken," Princess Rune said. "My husband is a great man, yes, but he is not a Prince. Except to me and our children." She smiled.

"It is difficult enough to get him used to 'Sir Consort,' your Majesty" Ifurita commented.

Princess Rune laughed. "It is. But he just has such a darling look on his face when the title is used."

"As you say." Ifurita said.

"Then... he is not the ruler of this place?" Ken ventured cautiously.

"No, he is the head floor server at Mistress Nanami's Shinonome Diner in Floristica City." Princess Rune stated proudly.

"Excuse me?" Ken asked, incredulous.

"He is a waiter." Ifurita clarified.

A waiter and a Princess? What the hell was this? Ken looked from Ifurita to Princess Rune and back again, expecting the confirmation that some kind of joke was at work. None was forthcoming.

Ifurita smiled genuinely. "As we have told you, Master Ken. The rules that apply on Earth... do not apply here on El-Hazard."

"I... I see." Ken turned the possibilities over and over in his head. He felt almost giddy with them. Most of all he felt alive.

Princess Rune nodded to Ken. "I must be on my way. Good day to you, Master Ken."

"Good day to you, Princess. Please say hello to your husband for me." Ken said.

Princess Rune smiled. "I will. Safe journey and please visit us again soon." She strode towards the entrance of her throne room.

Ifurita allowed Ken a few moments to contemplate his meeting with the ruling Princess for a moment. She also allowed him to visually take in his surroundings again. After that, true to her predictions based on human behavior he also listened and smelled the throne room before reaching down to touch the pillow he had been standing next to.

She waited a moment more before speaking: "Master Ken, it is time to return."

Ken nodded, a small smile on his face.

The tingling felt like an extension of the giddiness he felt welling up inside him as Ifurita transported themselves back to Earth and his humble living room.

000

Ken found himself standing once again in his living room next to the kotatsu. He looked around at the Mizuhara family looking at him, smiling. Ken found himself walking over to the sliding glass door.

Ken tried to speak, but found his throat not quite cooperating. He kept his eyes fixed on the old tree in the narrow back-yard... really nothing more than a grassed alleyway, really. A cracked plastic chair sat beside his father's large ashtray next to the potted plants that somehow continued to thrive with his and his mother's care. Finally, he found the words he was looking for.

"A-a-are the people there all as good and beautiful as you are?" Ken asked, fighting to control his voice. "I try to be good... but sometimes I worry I'm doing too much or too little... and I know I'm not attractive, strong, or smart... what good could I do in this El-Hazard?"

Ifurita and Makoto were silent. Little Ifurita walked over to Ken. "My home is not perfect, not everyone is as nice as us there... but many, many are! There are no walls to keep you in, and I think it's time you stretch your legs and arms a bit, Ken. Come, we can make hamburgers and sweets together and run along the beaches until Mom gets mad at us!" Little Ifurita reached out and took Ken's hand. "I'll help you pack!" the girl grinned as she dragged Ken off to his room.

Ifurita and Makoto smiled as the two left. Soon they heard the two busily conversing about what Ken would need to take with him and what he should leave behind. Soon, there was much laughter and ease between them... and much conversing about anything and everything. He reached out for his wife's hand, which she took and squeezed.

"Do you have enough data, love?" Makoto asked.

"I do." Ifurita confirmed.

"Your findings?"

"I believe his ability in El-Hazard will be most noteworthy." Ifurita smiled. She said no more.

Makoto knew when Ifurita wanted to keep something a surprise, however small, and he left things at that for the time being.

Soon, Ken retreated to the bathroom with a stack of clothing. Little Ifurita galloped down the hall carrying a backpack. Ken soon joined them, dressed in what was obviously his best, a semi-formal button up white shirt with black slacks, a black blazer, and black leather shoes buffed and shined to their best. The Mizuhara's nodded with respect to Ken.

"You look fit for a great journey," Makoto commented, then laughed. "I just had my school uniform... that old thing was almost in tatters when Rune finally got rid of it for me."

"This Princess Rune... seems like quite a woman." Ken commented.

"She makes great 's'mores!" Little Ifurita piped up before her father could respond.

Makoto smiled, "that she does." He patted Little Ifurita's shoulder gently.

Ifurita shook her head in good humor at her family's antics. "Shall we go?"

Makoto and Little Ifurita nodded.

"Master Ken, please step over to the middle of the room with us," Ifurita spoke with utmost seriousness, as if a general giving orders to her soldiers. Ken suspected that this was true on many levels both in the Mizuhara family unit and also in other aspects of Ifurita's daily life. "My daughter will keep an eye on you on this journey, please keep your hand in hers... it makes the trip a lot smoother and pleasant. These precautions are necessary when multiple individuals cross dimensions."

"Gotcha." Ken smiled. He strode out of the hallway where Little Ifurita awaited him, his backpack waiting for him. As she handed the bag to him, her other hand which held her staff hit the dining room table where that day's mail rested. The mail fell to the floor. There was not much of it, mostly junk mail and minor bills, but one letter landed on Ken's shoe. After Little Ifurita apologized and picked up the mail, with Ken's assistance (which met with approving looks from the girl's parents), Ken picked up the letter and glanced at the address... then at the return address.

"What... the hell?" Ken wondered aloud.

"Something the matter?" Ifurita asked. Makoto and Little Ifurita all looked at him.

"It's a letter... from Katsuhiko Jinnai."

This met with a fair amount of stunned reactions from the Mizuhara family assembled in his living room. Ken held up the letter for them to see. True enough, it was from Katsuhiko Jinnai and addressed to him.

Ken stood up, looking at the letter in his hand for a moment. "I'm not sure I should open this..."

Little Ifurita was silent.

"It's up to you." Makoto remarked distantly.

"You should open it." Ifurita said coldly. "We must know what it says."

Makoto gave his wife a look. "Ifurita, we already know what Jinnai has to say."

Ifurita silenced her husband's objections with a mere look.

"Proceed, Master Ken." Ifurita instructed.

"It will be all right!" Little Ifurita comforted Ken.

Ken, sighed, "why not?" He opened the letter, unfolded the paper, and read aloud:

Dear Ken Taro,

I hope this letter finds you well, I know I am well writing it! You did the right thing allowing me to take credit for your discovery, and I just wanted to extend my sincere thanks for this boon. If my genius calculations are correct, then this letter will be read just prior to the other half of your reward coming your way courtesy of that bastard Makoto and that traitorous wind-up witch. I know you will join the fun here in El-Hazard, just remember to surrender to your true Lord and Master, Lord God Jinnai when those Alliance fools finally fall! Once again, I thank you Ken. Without you, I would never have found the way to my destiny and my Queen. Naturally, that destiny is to completely conquer the land of El-Hazard! Good hunting, and may the best man win! I say this laughing, because naturally we ALL know that the best man is me!

Sincerely,

Lord God Jinnai

P.S. HEY MAKOTO, GUESS WHO CAN TRAVEL THROUGH TIME AND SPACE NOW, TOO?! YOUR ASS ISSTILL MINE, BITCH!

"Ugh," Ken finished. "I can just imagine him laughing. Still... I guess I am strangely... touched he remembered me."

The Mizuhara's accepted this in silence.

"There is not a moment to lose." Ifurita said. "Let us be on our way."

Makoto nodded. "Lots of work to do when we get home, love."

Ifurita nodded. "As always."

Little Ifurita smirked. "Battle practice!" Noticing Ken's look at her statement, the girl squeezed his arm: "Don't worry, I will teach you!"

"Thanks," Ken replied as he was escorted to the middle of the room, the letter from Jinnai forgotten on the kitchen table.

The four took their places in the middle of the room. Ken took a quick look around as Ifurita raised her staff, the glass portions glowing and then crackling with colored lighting bolts. Little Ifurita raised her staff as well, the implement taking on a growing bright glow. Ifurita the mother's staff's glow soon seemed to drown out all other light in the room as the surroundings of Ken's living room seemed to become insubstantial... as if viewed through water. Noise rose and dropped, and colors faded to be replaced by streaking star-lines, planets, galaxies, and entire universes. Ken had seen this before when Ifurita had taken him on his brief tour of El-Hazard, but this time he could feel it. It was, so far, the happiest moment of Ken's life.

Back in the living room the only evidence of anyone having been there was the empty glasses and plate on the kotatsu. The mail sat on the kitchen table with Ken's letter home from school, and his satchel and school uniform hung in his room. The next moment, however, a box appeared in the middle of the living room with a letter on top of it.

When Ken's parents arrived home that evening they found a letter from their son apologizing for his lack of presence that evening, and describing in detail his first year in a place called El-Hazard where he divided his time between training as an apprentice scribe to the Demon God General and Historian Ifurita Mizuhara, but also a translator, and code-breaker in the Roshtarian Grand Army Signal Corps when he was not tutoring his girlfriend in reading, writing, and languages while she tutored him in mathematics, the sciences, and the minutiae of observation... and sometimes just esoteric, but useful, knowledge. It seemed that since arriving in El-Hazard, no language, code, or means of communication were a mystery to him. The letter went on to describe Ken's friends; his girlfriend Little Ifurita Mizuhara and the other three Mizuhara children: eldest Ifurina, Little Makoto, and Masamichi. Next his battle training with his old teacher Masamichi Fujisawa was covered. The letter closed with a promise to visit soon, and contact information for Daisuke and Ryoko Mizuhara who, Ken wrote, would confirm everything he has just told them. Included were many pictures to further confirm everything described in the letter. Ken, while still a big young man, had become quite muscular and his skin seemed so much healthier... and he smiled so much in the pictures, especially the ones with his girlfriend and friends. Finally, there was a key to the box. The box contained gold and jewels. Ken left a small note saying that the gold and jewels would be enough to last them in comfort for the rest of their lives and beyond. He also said the box would help him visit them no matter where they moved to.

Ken's parents had just deposited the money and started to believe the fantastic story recounted in the letter (thanks to much help from the Mizuhara's) when a slightly older Ken and Little Ifurita showed up for a quick visit, announcing their engagement, and inviting them to visit El-Hazard for the wedding.

They needed very little persuasion to do so.

000

END

AFTERWARDS: I always wondered about "that Literature Club freshman" who actually found the ruins underneath the school. I just wanted to add my take on it, and hopefully add to the appreciation of El-Hazard. I freely admit that Little Iffy is almost exactly like Wanderers Ifurita since, well, she looks almost exactly like what a daughter of Makoto and Ifurita would look like. And I find it amusing to imagine their daughter having a very eccentric personality. Thanks for reading!