Oh Miya, Oh Zaki
by
Tearful Seacow 14217
As Souske stood next to the clear blue water, watching the boats the words of Ponyo's mother echoed in his head; "Once you kiss the bubble Ponyo will become human." Souske cradled the bubble in his arms staring down at Ponyo, reluctant about whether or not he was ready for such a huge responsibility. Suddenly Ponyo lunged at him, violently forcing the bubble to his lips. Ponyo was now a human forever…
10 years later…
Ponyo and Souske got married by the sea. It was a typical wedding, very formal and no- nonsense, but the couple was happy to be married. The small Oceanside town, who had always lived in fear of Ponyo's wrath, was glad to see them go. Ponyo and Souske moved to the city and had two beautiful baby girls. Strangely though, one of the girls looked rather froggish in appearance, no doubt run-off from Ponyo's magic while in the womb. However it was not long after the birth of the second child that Ponyo took ill. It was almost as though all the magic was drained from her. Ponyo's brilliant red hair changed to a more proper black color. It was for Ponyo's health that Souske decided to move to the country. So, the night after his second daughter was born, the family packed their things and moved away, silent as shadows. Souske decided it would also be best to change their names, so he legally changed the family's names. Now instead of Ponyo and Souske they would be Tatsuo, Yasuko, Satsuki, and Mei Kasukabe.
1 month later…
Tatsuo stood in the hallway with the doctor, watching the two girls with their mother through the small window on the hospital room's door.
"So doctor, when do you think we'll be able to take her home?"
The question forced the doctor to break his gaze and look Tatsuo straight in the eyes.
"Mr. Kasukabe, this is one of the hardest duties a doctor has to perform. In your circumstances, however, it's proving to be more… complicated."
Tatsuo turned to the doctor. The look on his face implied he hadn't expected to hear any different from the doctor.
"Complicated in what way?"
"Well, your wife's condition hasn't changed at all, we've been keeping her on a strong regiment of fluids but her condition hasn't improved since she was first transferred here. At this rate her organs will continue their rapid deterioration. In less then a fortnight your wife's innards will shrivel like a sponge in Morocco … to put it gently…"
Tatsuo's hand clutched the tissue tighter. He had expected to hear this but nothing could have prepared him to handle this. Tatsuo knew that Ponyo had lost the magic of the ocean and soon she would be completely dried out.
"Thank you, doctor… that will be all for now…"
Tatsuo entered the room. He watched as Yasuko brushed Satsuki's hair and smiled. Inside, however, Tatsuo began to break, knowing this would be one of the last moments their girl's would have with their mother. Tatsuo, Satsuki, and Mei left the hospital and began the long bike ride home. Mei, happy as a bug, broke the silence.
"When mommy comes home she's gonna sleep in my bed!"
Tatsuo shed a silent tear
1 week later…
Tatsuo sat next to Yasuko's hospital bed. It was a hot summer night, but a slight breeze kept them comfortable as the sat looking out the window listening to the cicadas. Tatsuo had left the girls with Granny so he could spend this quiet evening with his wife. Suddenly a powerful gust of wind blew through the window. Tatsuo got up to draw back the shutters, but when he got to the window he found something unusual in the window. It was a piece of corn.
"Yasuko, look at this, there's something written on it"
Yasuko inspected the corn and read the message aloud.
"to Mommy…"
Yasuko gasped and looked out the window.
"I thought, just now, that I saw Mei…"
Less than an hour later Yasuko, Ponyo, was dead.
6 months later…
Tatsuo sat at home, alone, in the darkness. He sat thinking of that fateful night. He had left Satsuki and Mei at home with Granny so he could go be with Yasuko. Later that night Yasuko had died. This would have been a terrible burden for any man, but no man could have been prepared for what followed. When Tatsuo returned home he found that both of his daughters had died as well. The story was that Mei had wandered away from Granny to try and find her way to the hospital. Mei had become lost and fell into the old fishing pond and drowned. When they dragged the pond they found Mei's shoe, and when she saw it Granny suffered a massive stroke, fell flat on her face, and died. Satsuki ran off, denying that Mei could be dead, and began searching the country side in vain. About 20 minutes later Satsuki was picked up by a young couple in the middle of the country. The couple promised to help Satuski search for Mei, but they betrayed her trust and murdered her. 2 days later they found Satsuki's dismembered corpse in a field, the couple confessed with no remorse in their hearts.
Tatsuo sat in front of the shrines of his family. Slowly he took out three sticks of incense and lit them. He sat, the room only lit by the small flames. Tatsuo began remembering an old tale his father had once told him on one of the rare occasions he could be home. It was about sailors who were lost at sea. The spirits of these sailors would wander as if they were still alive, invisible to the living, but convinced that they were still among the living. The spirits would wander until they were picked up by another wandering spirit whose job it was to seek out and guide these spirits to the afterlife. Tatsuo knelt in front of the shrines of his wife and two daughters and began to pray.
"Oh great Catbus, please find and help guide the spirits of my family to the otherside…"
1 year later…
Tatsuo made his way into the seedy house of ill repute. It was loud, packed with people, loud music blaring, and a stench and purple haze lingered in the air. A friend had told him he could meet a man who might be able to help him at this bar. Tatsuo walked up to the bar. A fat man in a flight suit was drinking a scotch. Struggling to get in next to the fat man Tatsuo gestured for the bar tender. The bar tender swaggered over.
"What can I do for you pal?"
"I'm looking for a man named the Red Pig…"
The obligatory record scratch occurred as the bar began silent as Tatsuo's family's graves. The bartender scowled at Tatsuo and retreated back into his domain. The fat man set down his drink and cleared his throat.
"And what exactly do you want with the Red Pig?"
Tatsuo looked down at the man.
"Do you know where I can find him?"
"You're lookin' at him kid…"
The fat man turned to Tatsuo, he was old and scarred. Above his jaunty little moustache sat prominently on his face a pig snout.
"…but I prefer to be called Porco. Porco Rosso at your service."
The two men walked back to a quiet alcove of the bar. Porco drank out of his scotch glass as he observed the sordid crowd who had resumed their debauchery fueled revelry. Porco stirred the drink with a cigarette.
"So where are you running too?"
Tatsuo jumped nervously and adjusted his glasses.
"What exactly makes you think I'm running?"
"Well kid, there's only three kinds of people who come to me for help, and since I don't have a gun in my face or a paternity suit in my right hand, you must need my help. Plus since you apparently have no luggage you must being trying to put some clicks between you and someone."
"Look, I assumed you were the "don't ask, don't tell type" but if you're going to pry into my private business I'll just find someone else…"
"Someone else? Someone else who can get you the papers you need to stay west of the Russian border?
Porco finished his drink, and ate the soggy drink stirring cigarette.
"What's your name kid?"
Tatsuo hesitated. Overhearing the song on the noise box in the bar he came up with his third nomenclature.
"Mouska… call me Mouska."
Porco snorted and laughed a hearty belly laugh. Wiping a tear from his eye he regained his composure.
"Ok "Mouska" but that name isn't gonna fool anyone. You look like you just walked out of a rice patty. I know a little gal down the way, she'll fix you up with a Rusky makeover so good Stalin would think you two were cousins."
20 minutes later…
Mouska walked out of the salon. His hair had been dyed a reddish blonde, and he wore a red suit. The crown piece was the new glasses that would conceal his unique facial features. Across the street Porco stood in a dark alley. He gestured for Mouska to follow him. Once in the alley Porco examined the new man.
"Well you definitely look the part, but you still sound like Superman…"
"I can do a pretty good impression of the Joker. How's this? (imagine he sounds like Mark Hamill)
"Perfect, let's roll."
That night Porco flew Tatsuo, once Souske, now Mouska, across the Russian border and into his new life, away from the pain of losing his family.
Several years later…
Mouska made his way to Europe and obtained a position as a government agent for a small kingdom. After a few grunt level assignments he made his way up into the highest positions the agency had to offer. Now we see Mouska returning from his latest assignment….
Mouska entered the king's throne room and approached the noble with a confidence that he was more of a man then the royalty before him. The king eagerly walked down from his throne to meet him.
"Ah Mouska! How is my kingdom?"
"Well, your majesty, only two nuts today so far, I recently apprehended a poor delusional girl. She was convinced she lived in a post- apocalyptic world inhabited by giant bugs and was monkey wrenching our construction efforts to prevent the "Ohmu" from swarming. Oh and there was the Zeppelin crash yesterday, but we managed to capture the girl responsible for that, this one was convinced she had magic powers and could fly…"
The king stared at the man he held in high esteem with awe.
"Well my boy, I certainly don't envy what you do. In fact you might be a more important part of this kingdom than myself!"
"Nonsense your majesty. In fact I may have with me the most significant find of the century, one that would have you remembered for the rest of recorded history."
The king stopped and stared, eager as a kid at Christmas to hear this news.
"Well let's hear it, my boy! I hold anything you value with the highest recognition"
Mouska smiled, his plans were now coming to fruition. The years of sycophants about to pay off. According to the old books he studied while Mei played in the yard all those years ago, an ancient race of people had discovered the power to call back the dead from the beyond. Soon he would have his family back.
"Tell me, my king, do you know of the lost city of Laputa?"
3 Months later….
Mouska held the two troublesome children at gunpoint in the grand throne room of Laputa, the Castle in the Sky. These two brats had done everything imaginable to hinder his quest to bring back his family, but soon they would be as dead as his family was but soon wouldn't be.
"Well kids, it's time, let's hear your answer."
Mouska cocked the gun in anticipation. The two children, Sheeta and Pazu, held hands and looked Mouska square in the eyes.
"Balus"
The Spell of Destruction took effect immediately in ways that justified the spells name. The castle began to crumble and a flash of light blinded Mouska.
"My eyes! MY EYES!"
Mouska screamed and stumbled blindly through the collapsing corridor. He ran, determined to find someway to stop this, then the ground was pulled out from under him. Mouska fell….
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Suddenly it was like a veil was pulled away from Tatsuo's face. He was falling. Wind rushing past his body, Tatsuo was a leaf on the wind. The dark blue ocean stretched out below and the bright blue sky above, in that moment, Tatsuo was the firmament. The world never seemed larger to him.
"Mei, Satsuki,… Ponyo. I'm coming home!"
Then Tatsuo saw a bright light and out of it came the Cat Bus, and there was Mei, and Satsuki, and Ponyo, riding with the purring people mover. The door opened and all three of them reached out to Tatsuo. Crying Tatsuo fell towards the bus. He reached out his hand and the three people he loved the most, in this world and the next, pulled him in. Crying Tatsuo said…
"Watashiwa Genki…. I'm happy as can be!"
The End…?
Prologue:
Sometime during eternity…
The happy family of four splashed in the giant bathtub! Laughing and spraying each other with water. The spirit world sure was heavenly. Tatsuo pulled on a velvet cord and almost immediately a small servant door opened and a disheveled, over worked, girl entered through it.
"Yes sir?" she asked.
"Hey Sen, bring us some more dumplings."
Dedicated to those who have the endurance to read all of this.