Author's Note

This takes place just at the very end of FLCL Alternative, as while I do admit the ending being ambiguous was a good thing, it honestly felt like they didn't do a lot to reflect on Pets' behavior. Sure, Kana was no doubt selfish and suffered a bit of consequences, but Pets doesn't even have a consequence for leaving her only friends, so I figured…well, might as well continue on this myself. I enjoyed the series for the most part, but to do a season that hinges on friendship and her longest friend decides to leave the group all cause one screwed up? It just doesn't feel right, and I want to feel like fixing what I thought was the only major issue of it, so…enjoy, and be nice if you want to leave reviews.

("Little Busters" by The Pillows plays in the background)

"Every day just drifts off into a pink light. It's too bright for my eyes that are swollen from crying all night and my head really hurts from it. But familiarity can be a novelty. So even if tomorrow just is a gathering of yesterdays, cracked and tangled…in this city, I will…"

The music abruptly stops. Suddenly, Kana is seen in her bed, as it seems like lots of complications suddenly have happened in her life, not just that despite trying her best efforts, even going as far as confessing out to Pets, and even after pretty much causing a rift in the space-time continuum, just to reset it all, saving the world from certain doom, she still couldn't see her and she realizes her words from Pets are still true…she truly is selfish from not wanting change, and she just continued to feel not only awful, but figured she shouldn't deserve even having other friends, at least in her mind, almost as if she has to halves of herself.

"It really is that complicated…if Pets…if Pets really felt that way on me…why did I confess? Am I just that depressed? That's just not me…and yet I still feel really, really trashy about it. I want to move on, but…I can't seem to accept this. Why did I even…say that I loved her? Should I…just go to Mars?"

Due to Kana's massive power of her warping, the planet of Mars actually stood closer, just being above Earth and the enormous irons from Medical Mechanica were gone, global warming was no longer an issue and more recycling was even done more now than ever.

FLCL Alternative Ep 7: "Going On"

("Limp Tomorrow" by The Pillows plays)

Her smartphone rings, but Kana just ignores it. In fact, she's pretty much been ignoring phone calls from her friends lately, almost as if she wants them to leave her, too. She does throw texts every once in a while, but they're usually really short ones regarding in her wanting to be left alone.

"Still no, huh? I mean, for as much as Kana saved us, you might think she'd feel at least okay that we're alive from all that, well and still have a surprisingly healthy educational system nowadays.", Hijiri said as she's seen on a bench drinking a soda alongside Mossan.

"One one hand, I don't blame her, but on the other…damn, though, they should move on, I mean, Pets might have…maybe ranted on her, and maybe left without even saying goodbye to us and…wow, I feel like an idiot.", Mossan replied, giving upon contacting her and instead tries to text Kana.

"And yet I still can't get my mind up that she's actually doing more study work. In fact, the more I think about it, I can probably see her do some sort of New York Times best-seller book, titled "All From My Forehead, a book by Kana Koumoto"…or something like that."

"Well, that does sound pretty funny, but…to get back on track, did we let off Pets too easily?"

A small pause happens as it seems both girls sort of just seem to want to avoid it, but then Mossan growls to try to let off a bit of steam, with Hijiri slightly reacting scared from how sudden it was "I'm not gonna lie…I didn't want to start more drama around Kana, and I know it's cause the world was ending or…some weird crap like that—"

Hijiri then interrupts, "Oh, trust me, all those disaster movies ended up over exaggerating fear and panic and such.", then suddenly bursting into laughter, "Our acting would suck in those kinds of movies!", then calming down.

"Oh, totally, but, uh…ahem…yeah, I was tempting to yell out, calling her a bitch…all that standard frustrating stuff.", Mossan shrugs and sighs, "But I don't think it'd be right saying that next to her."

Hijiri nodded, but then sighs, letting off another pause as the music slowly fades.

"I acted too silly there, huh? Maybe I'm trying too hard, I mean…someone's gotta get the mood up now that Kana's down in the dumps and Pets…is likely up there.", she said, pointing upwards to the red planet.

"Did you try calling her? I mean…it'd be worth a shot."

"I did and…nothing."

"Remind me to slap the shit out of her if we ever do see her again."

"Whoa, Mossan! That's a little over the edge, isn't it?

"Look, Pets may be right that maybe Kana was a little selfish, and I even went at her when she tried to help me with the fashion outfits, and yet we all helped each other out, so why is it that I can accept her, but she couldn't!", she punched down to the bench…which causes her to let out a surprisingly soft "Ow…"

Hijiri acted worried, but with her being a tad calmer, tries to get a bit of sense into her, "This whole situation sucks, and it's understandable to be frustrated, but maybe we shouldn't do it in a sort of public place.", she replied, as some people were around them and a took a few looks at Mossan's slight rage there before going back to doing their usual business.

"S-sorry, folks, you know us teenagers with our angst and universe saving pow-!", Mossan nervously replied with a chuckle, but Hijiri covered her mouth.

"Uh…Mossan, maybe it's best to not say too much like that here."

"It just slipped out…", she replied back with a muffled tone before Hijiri uncovered her.

"We haven't really seen Haruko for days, either. You don't think she's on Mars too?"

"Look, I ain't good with all that science-fiction crap, so maybe we shouldn't think on it so much and just get Kana's groove back on. I mean…Pets might have left her alone, but we'll definitely won't!"

Her smartphone then rings, mentioning that a message was sent, which simply said "LMA", almost as a source of dark, yet hilarious irony, garnering a bit of an uncomfortable reaction for the two girls

"You know, maybe she should be in some sort of therapy at this rate."

"That's it!", Mossan runs off.

Hijiri sighs, but chuckles, "Determination, thy name is Mossan."

("New Animal" by The Pillows plays)

However, back up on the planet of Mars, Haruko was seen, oddly enough, whacking on some rock monsters with her trusty bass guitar, "Alright, this is the part where I'd sing a rock monster rendition of "Rock Lobster", but ya'll don't even deserve that cause I don't think you'd have ears!", swinging it once more as they sort of easily break, only breaking them some more through various means like slashing them in half, through the middle, making X's in all amusing ways only Haruko could, even using the guitar's headstock to break through one, as she even whistles that that. "I swear, if this baby turned into an anthropomorphic human, I'd be all up in its grill…or strings. Grillings.", she kept swinging away, defeating those monsters with ease.

"I guess aliens being here were just a myth after all, like Republicans. Correction, human republicans.", she says so smarmily to herself, then getting a phone call, "Yo."

The music fades as Kanda was on the other side of the line, "Looks like you're finished. You're having way too much fun, aren't you?"

"Dude, are you kidding? This is like my exercise routine now. Like, I could go forever…I think. Maybe, look any excuse I have to feel like I'm on a Koei game, I'm all up for that."

"Just remember to not overdo it. Too much flashiness and you might let some monsters enter in the ever growing city of Mars."

"You know that Kana chick saved pretty much the Earth, right? By confessing her love to that sneaky girl that…outright dumped her? Yeah, I don't get it, either."

"Love's overrated. As much as I appreciate couples and same-sex relationships, it's not of my concern."

"Yep, there's the kinda old man leet speak again."

"Well, just do what you want. By the way, if you want to drive around Mars, just don't get too crazy on that Vespa around here, either.", he then hangs up.

"Of course…although I don't think I ever went in there…or maybe I got drunk randomly one night, who knows? My mind ain't that strong. Hm…now...how the hell do I get up to Earth?", she thought as she looked upwards to that planet, but then looks back to the glass-encased city in Mars, "And I wonder if Pets is dealing with it well there?"

Despite actually having her own apartment, millions of money in her credit card and her home having all the consoles, streaming applications and the best possible furniture around as part of the project living in Mars, Pets didn't seem to feel right, just resting on bed with the air conditioner on, as the only soft noise came from all of it.

"Am I just meant to always be alone?"

She remembers her incredibly rough childhood, and even up to her tweenhood. It turns out both her parents were truly ignorant of her, making her take advantage to do whatever she wanted, causing her to lead that being independent is the best overall and that having relationships and friendships were overrated.

"Do I just not trust anyone anymore? My parents didn't care…Kana is too selfish, and yet…I still left my other friends…should I really feel happy for this? I should have…"

She flashes back to when she left Kana as she's unconscious, with tears on her eyes. She walks away, looking almost soulless, as Haruko watches.

"I shouldn't care too much about this, but…you're making yourself look like a bit of an asshole.", Haruko said, surprisingly with a bit of seriousness.

Pets stops dead in her tracks and turns around, staying silent for a couple of seconds, and actually showing a little remorse in her voice "I'm…testing her. I want her to suffer before she learns for a bit.", she confesses, slightly biting her lip.

"Woof. She's gonna kick your ass if she ever sees you again…or maybe…you're the one actually in love with her?"

"Shut up.", she turns around, "I don't even care if Mossan and Hijiri find out that I left. It's impossible."

"And what if she does? Hypotetically, I mean."

She actually walks up to Haruko and whispers something to her, but it's not heard.

She flashes back to the present, shedding a few tears, putting the sheet over her head as only her soft cries are heard, transitioning Kana also being covered on a sheet, although not crying, she was rather close to breaking out in tears again.

The door in her room gets knocked a few times, with her Mother's voice heard, "Kana, your friends are here to see you!"

She sighs, "Tell them I'm sick and I can't get out!"

A small yell was heard, "Kanaaaaaaaaaa!", which was no doubt Mossan's voice booming on the house, which actually caused Kana to have her whole body shiver and deciding to unlock the door and opening it up, having a feeling that she'd actually break the door, but Mossan passes through it and trips, landing on the bed, upside down with her legs spread, revealing her blue and white striped panties as Hijiri also enters the room, "Huh, that's a new one. It's usually Kana's panties seen all over." saying it so matter-of-factly.

Mossan actually blushes, regaining her posture and standing up, brushing off her skirt, "Well, stripes are kinda sexy, alright? Also my thickness is one of my many charms. You don't think that was kinda funny, Kana?"

Kana stays silent, although she didn't look as hurt as before, "You…you guys hate me, don't you?"

Hijiri shakes her head,"Look, I know losing Pets is off for her, but…you still got us. If she really was your childhood friend, why'd she leave you? Because you got some flaws? Everyone has flaws, Kana."

"I know, but…my flaw being that I'm selfish? That I can't seem to accept adulthood? Face it, guys…I'm just…an awful human being…"

"DON'T SAY THAT!", Mossan stops the floor, "You learn from your mistakes, we all do, it's how it goes! Look at us! You lost one, but it doesn't mean you lose everyone! You said so yourself after you saved all of us! You confessing you screwed up is the first step forward, and if you're just down on the dumps all day, guess what it accomplishes? NOTHING.", with her voice starting to break, "I know it's not the same around here with Pets gone, but…that's how changes goes…"

"Oh, Mossan, don't…no…if I help you, it'll just prove right that I'm selfish and I'm just a damn attention grabber!"

"Don't think that!", she grabs Kana's shoulders, "It's not just you! We all do crazy things! You do, I do, Mossan…you've been ditching us for days! Just because you lost one isn't meant to make you feel that way! You lost Pets, you may not see her again…that's her mistake, but don't attach it to you, okay?", she then hugs her, Mossan joining in the hug now as well.

"You slightly got over it afterwards, didn't you? We want the Kana that can still joke around no matter what, the one that regardless, still gives a damn about us! We give a damn, so why can't you?!", Mossan starts crying as well.

Kana also starts to have tears as well, as she really needs to let the negative emotions out…but just as she's about to say something, her forehead starts to act up. "W-what?!"

("Nowhere" by The Pillows plays)

"Oh, here we go again!", replied Mossan. The tears were replaced by slight fear from what kind of odd monstrosity could come out of her forehead.

"B-but…I thought…there wouldn't be more of this after…all that! G-gah!", she screams out is it doesn't indeed look pretty, as it's causing her to fall off the window, before fully summoning what looks to be some sort of metallic tree lobster, "G-guh! I'm not gonna…go down without a fight.

"Kana!" Hijiri yelled out, "Screw it, we're gonna jump on that—"

Mossan was way ahead of what she said, as she lets out a yell, leaping out of the window, with Hijiri just letting out a simple, "Yep.", leaping out as well, both lading on top of the metallic tree lobster.

"Now what?!", Hijiri yelled, as with the fact that the thing is immediately metal, it'd be pointless to punch it…which Mossan goes for it anyways, but lets out a louder groaning sound anyways, "JEEZ, metal! You're a douche!"

"Why couldn't you just get over it, Kana?! Now you're summoning those weird things again…I'm supposed to move on! WHY CAN'T I?!"

However, hope is slowly regained, as a vehicle can be heard roaring, then jumping up to hit right at the rock lobster, as Kana starts falling, with the forehead finally letting go of the big creature, able to land on the seat of the very sort-of familiar blue Chevrolet Bel-Air. However, both Mossan and Hijiri land on the ground slightly hard, though

"Oof…wha…?"

"Mm-hmm, you seem to be the one. Name's Julia Jinyu."

Kana, for the first time in a while, actually lets out a small smile, "I, uh…thank you for that—gah, my friends!"

"I'll check on them, you, though…!", she sticks her hand inside her forehead.

"Oh, God, it's still going…guh…!", she strains as Jinyu drags out a gold-colored Gibson Les Paul Classic guitar, "I think you've seen a certain pink-haired woman handle this."

"Uh…I'm not exactly the kind of gal to rock—"

"Just slash it!"

Kana blinks once and makes a saluting taunt, "Yes, ma'am!", she replied, with Jinyu throwing her right at the lobster, slowly starting to get up.

"Oh, how I wish I can make a quirky quote here!", she slashes right into the monster as it explodes around a bit, defeating it that quickly. The music ends.

"Holy crap…that felt…kinda cool, actually. This feels like some sort of therapy…" Kana thought. "Shame that I may not play it, though…dunno if I'd be a musician."

Both Mossan and Hijiri slowly stood up.

"Okay…if you saw a car that hit that thing, tell I'm not crazy." Mossan said.

"We've been through crazier stuff like this, so…I guess the whole world is.", Hijiri replied.

"You two? No broken bones, no teared-off skin?" Jianyu said in her usual cool and serious tone.

"You, uh…look too cool to talk to us." said Mossan.

"I'm aware that you're her friends. Do you two usually act like jackasses by trying to save her like that?

"To be fair, that's sort of not the first time.", Hijiri replied.

"Wait, is that…Kana?", Mossan pointed as Kana was seen running at the smoke, carrying the guitar, "Hah…hah…if I didn't know any better…I think you're here because of me, right?"

"Well, here's the thing…I can take you to Mars. You want to at least see your friend, don't you?"

Those words struck Kana big time, not being able to move for a few seconds, letting off a big shiver in her. "Y-you serious?"

"I wouldn't joke, really. Let's just say…Mars is in real danger. Medical Mechanica is at it again. And they really won't stop at causing chaos."

"…You're kid—", Kana then covers her own mouth, realizing indeed, she's serious. "Even after all that?", she said, sounding a bit muffled before slowly taking her hand out. She sighs, "They're just like zombies…"

"I know you were hit pretty hard from what happened before you reset this world. Think of me as sort of an older sister, mentor, whatever you'd like. However, I didn't just give that guitar for show. We're going to take it out. Forever."

"W-what?", was all that Kana could question.

TO BE CONTINUED

("Star Overhead" by The Pillows)

tooi hi no chirabatta yume wa

hoshi ni natte zujou ni atta

nakushita to utsumuiteita yo

nagai aida zutto

shounen no aragatta hibi wa

kizu wo otte buzama datta

na no ni ima omoidasu tabi

itooshiku omou fushigi sa

toki wa sugite yuku ima mo

datou ni tada susunderu

kimi wa donna kao shiteta kke

maboroshi no you

hitorikiri kakaekondeta

hijou jitai mo mushou no ai mo

zankoku ni karamatteita yo

mogaku hodo motto

kimi to mita sora to biggu ban

arekurutte kirei datta

shashin ni wa nokosenai bamen

bokura ikiteiru ima wo ikiteru no sa