So, this is my very first attempt at writing for this fandom. Naota is slightly OOC, but it is meant to signify that he is maturing. Haruko is also slightly OOC, but it was just hard to try and keep her in character with what all is going on. Just pretend it is due to the events of her travels. I hope someone enjoys this, and i do plan to continue this eventually!
"Eri, come on. We're going to be late for class if we don't get going!" Naota leaned in the door way with his guitar and backpack hanging from his shoulder. The dark haired girl he was speaking to was sitting in his chair running a brush quickly through her hair.
"Hold on! Why didn't you set your alarm earlier?!" She was frantically trying to tug her socks on with one hand as she tied her hair back with the other. No time for any fancy styling today.
"Because I didn't realize it took you an hour to get ready in the mornings!" He huffed and sat his bag on the ground. It was heavy. He carried not only his own school materials, but also those of his closest friend, and recently girlfriend, Eri Ninamori. And in addition to that, he also had a couple of books on how to play the guitar, song books, and a few notebooks for things he had written himself.
"I don't understand how you can get ready in fifteen minutes! That is barely long enough for a shower!"
"The shower is just to rinse off and wake up, so it only takes five minutes. And I brush my teeth and hair while i'm in there. You don't need a full deep clean twice a day and I know you shower of the evenings too." Eri tossed a shoe at him when he started making a valid argument.
"Shut up! I'm ready, lets go!" She hopped up and slipped into the disguarded shoe as she walked past him. He smiled and picked up his bag. He knew the others would freak out when they bothed walked out of his house today.
He knew what it would look like. They'd been close friends for years, always been attracted to each other, finally started dating, and less than a week later, she's walking out of his house in the morning. Of course, she'd only been over to finish some homework and ended up falling asleep at his desk while he passed out on his bunk, but no one would believe that.
"Hey, you've both got a lunch on the table! I'll be out when you get back, fix whatever you like for dinner." Naota's father called from the back of the shop as the two desended the stairs. The man had changed over the last couple of years. He'd finally met a woman who could put up with him and she'd immediately set to work straightening out some of his worst habits and traits.
He was by no means a mature and functional member of society, but he was no longer a hopelessly perverted, irresponsible moron. He could be counted on to do the basic chores and duties of a typical high school student's father. His magazine's popularity had gone up recently, and he'd been hired on at the local paper, where he worked most afternoons and evenings.
"Thanks Dad!" Naota smiled and grabbed the two paper bags, handing one to Eri as he locked the door behind them. She took it and opened it, looking inside.
"Oh it's leftovers from their date so this should be delicious!" Eri refolded the top of the bag and turned toward the street to find their two friends waiting with very pointed looks.
"So what were you two up to last night?" One of them asked. The other sniggered and Eri glared them both into submission.
"We were completing our weekend homework. Did either of you two finish it?" They both looked at each other guiltily.
"Actually, do you think we could have a look at yours?" Eri dialed her glare up another notch and Naota tried not to laugh as the two withered. It was nice spending less time on the receiving end of that glare since high school had started.
It had been six years since the unbelievable events that still haunted his dreams had occurred, and a lot had happened. After two years away, Mamimi came back to visit with the beginnings of a legitimate career taking shape. Coincidentally, Tasku returned from America at almost the exact same time, walking through the door to surprise his family only to see his ex girlfriend sitting at the table talking to them.
It had been a rather awkward reunion, but ended with no screaming and no blood, so Naota could call it a success as his family went. His brother had only stayed a week before returning to America. Mamimi visited daily for that week, and sent him some contact info to pass on if he met anyone in the photography business in America.
She went back out into the world only a week after that, and hadn't returned since. Naota still respected his brother, but had stopped idolizing him a while ago. It was hard to think of anyone from this planet as extraordinary when he'd met an alien who put all humans to shame.
Eri's parents had reconciled and her father did not run for re election. They were now just a slightly more wealthy family with no special status. It made things a lot less awkward for her and Naota. After grade school Naota had tripled his efforts on his school work. He'd decided he wanted out of this town and college was the best way to make that happen.
So he'd began studying and working as hard as he could. He kept up with Eri in grades and it re solidified their friendship. When she found she could respect him academically, her crush on him had only skyrocketed. It had still taken them almost three years to start dating.
Their two friends still walked to school with them, and ate lunch with them, but they had mostly gone their separate ways. Life had finally settled into a normal rhythm after the cataclysmic events that had shaken the entire city.
But normal just wasn't in Naota's destiny.
His first thought was one of exasperation and defeat.
"More aliens? Great... Why me? Do I just attract weirdness?"
Eri and the other two ran immediately. Eri tugged on his arm, but he told her to leave him and hide. He didn't have a clue what he intended to do, but he knew he stood a better chance than his friends did. He tossed his bag aside and picked his guitar up in one hand like a bat.
The creature that stood before him was like nothing he'd ever seen. It was tall, at least seven foot. It was built like a buffalo, with enough bone and muscle to build three or four pro wrestlers, and it held a long, thick, sharp sword that was at least as long as Naota was tall. The creature had appeared out of nowhere, as if it had been hiding in the crowd and suddenly tossed off it's disguise.
It sneared down at Naota and lifted it's sword over its head. Naota lifted his guitar and swung just as he saw the blade begin to desend. He struck it at the half way point of its arc, causing it to miss him and instead gauge a deep trench in the pavement, cleaving the stone in two like butter.
Naota swallowed and tried not to look as afraid as he felt. The creature's snear turned into a glare as it raised the sword again.
Naota closed his eyes and hoped Eri wouldn't be next on the creature's list.
Then he heard something that made his spine tingle and his eyes open in surprise. As scream. No, maybe a yell is a better word. No. It came to him. A war cry. A shout of anticipation and courage and determination that made him want to grin. The sound flooded his mind with memories. Happy, sad, angry, painful, beloved, terrible. Memories of someone truly unforgetable. He looked up and watched in awe as the creature's face turned to shock, and then terror.
A girl, no older than himself, with pink hair and a double guitar clutched in her hands was flying through the air with a look of triumph on her face. She struck the beast square in the chest, snapping it's blade like a twig as she plowed her own weapon into him. Naota heard it's ribs give way beneath the blow. The impact would have rolled a fully grown elephant. The creature never stood a chance.
The girl straightened up, pushing her goggle up her forehead and resting the guitar on her shoulder. She turned around slowly to see who she had just rescued and Naota would forever treasure the look of shock that came over her in that instant.
"Naota? Ta-kun, is that really you?!" She stared open mouthed at the young man who was standing before her. A man who clutched her very own guitar in his hands as if it were his most valuable posession.
"Hey Haruko. It's been a while." She stared for a moment longer, then dropped the double guitar and stepped forward, wrapping her arms around Naota and laughing with delight.
"Naota you're still alive! How long has it been? Five years? Six years? It can't have been much longer than that, or you are looking really young for twenty. Or maybe you're just looking really old for thirteen? I didn't think you'd mature that fast." Naota couldn't help but laugh.
"Six years, Haruko. Where have you been?" She stepped back and took a deep breath. She sighed and then picked up the instrument and leaned on it.
"Everywhere. I searched the whole universe for Atomsk, but I never found even a whisper. Rumor is his power dried up. It would explain why this stopped working." She held up her wrist, where a shackle with a single chain link was attached.
"I'm not sure I follow." He'd seen that plenty of times, but it rarely so much as wiggled.
"This was a source of power. It was directly bound to Atomsk by quantum entanglement and a powerful N.O. portal. It made me experience time differently. It also ampliphied my own N.O. Abilities. Now i'm just a normal girl with a guitar and a scooter. Well... normal-er." She grinned at Naota and he laughed.
"So are you staying in town for a while? I've still got your bunk cleaned off." She looked at him with interest.
"You've changed. Can't quite tell what it is, but something is majorly different. Sure, I could use a place to crash for a while. Thanks. Oi! You three can stop cowering behind the shrub, I don't bite on mondays!" I looked over my shoulder to see Eri and the other two attempting to take cover behind a rather sickly looking bush.
"You... You're that woman from before... From six years ago..." Eri sounded terrified.
"Yeah. I guess I am. You're the one who touched Naota's ears when I told you not to." Eri blushed and looked at the ground angrily.
"Why did you come back? Things were finally back to normal." Haruko's smile faded to be replaced by the look of a kicked puppy.
"If I hadn't come back, you'd have half of a Naota for home, and half for school. That creature came here before I did, and it wasn't alone. All hell is about to break lose if something isn't done to stop it. Do you really hate me that much?" Naota was shocked by the hurt in Haruko's voice. He'd never imagined her caring about anyone's opinion of her.
"You... You... You want to take Naota away, don't you?" Eri cracked. She looked small and defeated.
"What he does and where he goes are his own choice. I came here to stop these guys from wrecking my home away from home. I don't know how long i'll stay after that's done, but when I leave, if I leave, i'll let Naota come with me if he wants to." Eri began crying silently. Naota put an arm around her and hugged her.
"Hey, don't cry. I'm still here, Eri. Did you think I was going to just hop on her vespa and fly off without a word?" She looked up at him and shook her head. She sniffed and then wiped her eyes.
"No. You're right. I was being dumb. And the alien is right. If there are more of these, that is a bigger priority than your travel plans."
"Right! So, you seem like you're out of practice, Naota. That was a pretty miserable attempt at fighting you know." Haruko grinned at him again.
"Yeah, yeah, I guess there haven't been many meteors or aliens to practice on lately. I'll get the hang of it again." He couldn't help but laugh. It felt like no time had passed since she'd left. She'd appeared out of nowhere, changed him and turned his world upside down, then vanished. No she was back, and he felt like he owed who he was now to her.
"Ha! Well there will be plenty of aliens to practice on! You still radiate with a small trace of Atomsk's power, so they decided to investigate you first. As long as you're alive, their threat assesment technology will keep them focused here. I'll probably do a good job of that too. They have a bit of an irrational fear of me." Her look of pride and energy was contagious and all four of the teenagers soon found themselves grinning broadly.
"So, they'll attack the two of you. Do you have a plan beyond bashing them with guitars?" Eri was the voice of reason as usual.
"We'll need to get in contact with Commander Amarao. He should be able to lend us some support if we can make him understand i'm not the threat. He's a moron, but his heart is in the right place." Naota nodded.
"I think I may have his contact info from the investigation six years ago." He pulled out his cell phone and his wallet, digging through a stack of cards and folded notes until he found the one he wanted. "Here." Haruko took the two items and dialed, holding the device to her ear and waiting.
"Commander Amarao?"
"No, Amarao was removed from duty five years ago. This is Commander Kitsurabami. May I ask who this is, and how you got this number?" The voice over the phone was slightly familiar.
"Oh you're his old assistant that tried to shoot the robot! This is Haruko Haruhara. There is an extraterrestrial attack immanent and we're going to need the help of your organization to avert disaster."
"Haruko? The one he called Raharu? What sort of trouble has followed you here this time?!"
"Followed me? I followed it, you primitive monkey!" Haruko snarled at the phone.
"Really? Well... We'll deal with that later. What sort of help can we be to someone like you?"
"If you can shoot down their main ship, Naota and I can deal with the ones who make it to their emergency teleports and land on the surface. They will all still be aimed near by I believe."
"Naota? So that's how you got the number. Haven't you caused that boy enough trouble?" Eri nodded and Haruko gave her a strange look then ignored the comment all together.
"Your fire power should be sufficient to bring it down in one direct hit, just don't miss. If you do, they'll put up their shields and land on the surface, then we'll have a real problem."
"Alright. Understood. We will be speaking more when this is over though." The line went dead and Haruko glared at the phone for a moment before handing it back to Naota.
"Alright, we need to be ready. Let's head out to the old baseball field near the city limits. We'll draw them away from the civilians. You three should go about your business and pretend you know nothing about this." Haruko looked at Naota's friends. Eri locked eyes with him for a few seconds before nodding and turning away.
"Alright. Wait for them to attack. You've got the advantage of speed and manuverability. Dodge and attack, alright?" Naota nodded dumbly. "Go for their torso or head. Their arms and legs are to heavily armored for you to get through." More nodding. "Is any of this making it inside that head of yours?"
"Yeah, i'm just nervous I guess. You remember I was sharig my body with Atomsk the last time I fought, don't you? And I was inside Cante every time before that."
"You weren't when you swung the bat for the first time. You were on your own, and you pulled through. You were impressive. You were more of a man back then than most guys ever become. And you've only grown stronger and more mature since then. You can do this, Naota."
"Thanks, Haruko. I really missed you, you know? It's good to see you, but do you think you could have just stopped by to chat instead of staying away till everything went to hell?" The pink haired girl cackled madly and grinned at her friend.
"You're something else! I didn't expect you to have grown a sense of humor while I was away too!" Naota could only laugh and shake his head. She was the same as ever. Confident and strong. Beautiful and dangerous. A pillar of fire in the desolate wasteland of his monotonous life in Mabase.
"Did you mean it, when you said I could come with you this time? I'm working to get into college so I can leave this place, but that will only take me so far. With you, I could see the world. I could see the universe even." Haruko opened her mouth to speak when the sky erupted in flames.
The explosion resounded through Naota's chest and the ground beneath his feet. He stared at the sky as an enormous ship broke apart and burned to ash in the atmosphere. "Looks like they nailed it. Get ready."
"Right." Naota nodded and shouldered Haruko's old guitar. "We'll come out of this alive? Both of us?"
Haruko looked over at him as the first fleeing aliens teleported to the ground near them. She looked confused for a moment, or maybe lost. Then her confident grin returned.
"You and me? No power in the universe can stop us!" With that she opened her mouth and let out her war cry as she charged into the group. The aliens faltered when they saw her. Naota took a breath and clenched his teeth.
He sighed and charged after her, roaring out with all the terror and desperation and determination he had in his heart, and to his disbelief, the invaders looked just as terrified of him.
"You... you did it." Eri stared at him in awe, covered in blood and ash from head to toe, a slightly dented guitar slung over his shoulder, and a triumphant smile on his face. Haruko had won the honor of first bath by killing more of the aliens than Naota.
"Yeah. You're okay? Is everyone alright?" Eri nodded.
"Everyone at school was fine. But the whole town heard the explosion. They thought we were under attack. I hoped it was that lady from the phone. Both of our parents are fine. The news said two of the creatures appeared in town, but the police were able to stop them. Five officers died."
Naota didn't feel as triumphant any more. After all he'd done, and as hard as he'd fought, people had still died.
"Alright, I'm clean. Your turn!" Haruko slid down the banister and jumped to her feet beside the two teenagers. "You smell like donkey vomit. Hurry up." Naota held the guitar out to her and she took it carefully.
"I've held onto it for you." She shook her head and handed it back.
"First of all, it needs a bath as bad as you. Second, it's yours. It's a gift. Fighting with each others weapon is considered a bond of friendship and trust beyond any other on some planets. Now stop stalling and go!"
Naota took the instrument, and walked up the stairs quietly, lost in thought.
"Thank you for bringing him back alive." Eri refused to look at the older girl.
"He saved me as many times as I saved him. He's not helpless. Your boyfriend up there isn't some powerless school boy anymore. He's a hero. He's a warrior. He's been a man longer than his own father." Eri looked up at Haruko is surprise.
"He never talks about what happened back then. I always thought it was because the memories terrified him. Now I see. He missed it. All of it. Most of all, you." Haruko couldn't help but smile at the girl's words.
"Don't give up on him." Eri looked at her with confusion. "I'll take him with me, if he chooses, but that isn't for a while. And... I think he'd be better off staying with you. I won't try to change his mind, and you shouldn't either. But... don't give up on him. As long as you're here, he'll have a reason to stay."
"You... want him to stay?"
"Yeah. He'll be safer here. He'll have a normal life, and once he leaves this city, he could find a career, marry you, be happy. He deserves to be happy. No one should have to live the life I live. But I couldn't live any other way. He's not me, though. Not yet. He's at a turning point. He'll choose one of two lives, and we need to both be honest with him about what he's choosing."
"I.. agree. You're right. I... hadn't realize you actually care about him." Haruko smiled gently.
"It's hard not to care about him. You know that better than anyone." Eri nodded and smiled back at the woman for the first time since they met.
"Yeah. Well, he'll be back down soon. May the best woman win?" Eri held out her hand. Haruko blinked, then took it.
"Yeah. I'm beat. Tell Naota I'm going to go crash. He'll want to say a proper goodnight to you. Guys are interesting after a good long dose of adrenaline. Night." Haruko yawned and waved as she went up the stairs toward Naota's room.
"Night..." Eri sighed and sat on the bottom stair.
At least I know that if I lose, he'll be in good hands...
Please read and review! Reviews will make me write chapter two sooner rather than much much later!