Well Heyas!

As you can see, the name's OtakuSama9, formerly the King of Blades, for those familiar with my ultra crappy Love Hina fan-fics. But I digress. After a year or so to tune my skills, and with a new series to flaunt my love to, I think we may have something pretty spiffy! Don't you? No? Well, so what. I'm gonna waste server space anyway, 'cause everyone needs more Fooly Cooly (both literally and figuratively).

Disclaimer: Peaches and Oranges and FLCL are not my property,

but I'm writing anyway, because I want to.

The Search for Haruko

#1-A

Vespa

"Nothing amazing happens here...

...Only the everyday, mundane stuff..." Naota Nandaba

I had searched for a long time...but I never found her. After Haruko gave me her Vespa and left, life continued on in Mabase, albeit with a massive reconstruction effort and more press than I cared for. Ninamori and I sort of stuck it out together. Mamimi went to do her photography... We lost touch. But I guess that's good. She needed to go somewhere new, where the people were nicer and there was something to keep her mind occupied. I sometimes see her in the paper. She's done real well for herself.

But anyway, after MM left, I spent most of my time learning to ride Haruko's Vespa. And playing the guitar. I didn't go to school all that much. Just when Ninamori asked me to. She's a nice girl. But she's not Haruko. Though I guess she's all I have left to remind me of what happened. The Vespa, guitar, and even Canti are gone. It all started sometime in the Spring.

In the desolate wastes that dot Mabase, a young Naota, 16, rides Haruko's Vespa off of jumps, increasing the size each time. It seems as though he is trying to reach the stars. And that is, undoubtably, his mission. As he angles the jump one last time, and by now the thick wood is nearing a 90 degree angle, he looks towards the night sky.

"You left me Haruko... but I'll find you...I promise..."

He hops onto the Vespa, and guns the motor. As he speeds forward, the sky seems to blur. 10 seconds later, he's in the air. Soaring through the heavens on a Hyper-Space Vespa. Of course, this trip was short lived as he soon crashed down to Earth. But, sometimes the view from the bottom is the best kind.

"What the...ow...hell is this?" Naota chokes, spying something on the underside of the Vespa.

--Hyper Drive-- said the label, and near it was a small switch, like a light switch.

Naota, both confused, dazed, and curious, flicked the switch.

The Vespa's underside glowed a faint blue, and it seemed to hover just slightly off the ground. Dazed with wonder and lack of blood, Naota stood up. Smiling in the cheery way that half-dead people who have just found out how stupid they are smile, he hopped aboard the HSV. It was then that he heard a voice behind him.

Ninamori.

"So, your gonna leave now...I guess." She was dressed in a slightly snug turtleneck sweater, a dull green in color. She wore a dark blue skirt that went just below her knees. Her long black hair billowed in the wind, and Naota caught a smell from her he had never encountered before. Her hands were behind her back and she gazed at Naota with a caring and aloof kindness as well as something else.

Something Naota didn't quite understand.

"Yeah... I got it to work...er...would you...like to...come with me?" Naota asked, avoiding eye contact. It's not easy to look at people you were about to leave.

"You weren't gonna say goodbye, were you?" Ninamori asked, sounding more than a little hurt.

Naota stared at his feet. His name meant honesty, and he lived more or less by that name.

"No...I wasn't..."

Ninamori looked at him for a moment, then ran off. Two small slips of paper drifted to the ground.

Picking them up, Naota realised his mistake.

--Peaches and Oranges--

--Tonight only!--

--Mabase Music Center--

At first it startled him. He had figured out that Ninamori was interested in him. But he had always thought she had realised he wasn't interested and moved on. It was now apparent that she hadn't.

Of course, it didn't change his mind... he had planned this for six years, practicing riding that Vespa. All that time he dreamed only of Haruko. He couldn't stop now. Slinging both his and Haruko's guitar over his shoulder, he rode off into the night, into the sky...

"I'm coming Haruko..."

--End--

I understand that this was abysmally short, but I need to see some feedback to know if I've gotten anyone too OOC. However, please keep in mind that the characters have aged 4 years. The next chapter isgoing to show what's happened in all that time. I'm not sure if Haruko gave Naota the Vespa in the Anime, but she did in the manga. Also, Kamon may or may not have died in the Anime. Actually, I haven't seen the Anime. But I plan to buy it soon! If only there was a quick way to make money...Hmmm...

Regardless, I would like some feedback, because that's what cool people do, y'follow? Spiffy!

Preview:

As Naota searches the stars for his childhood "tormentor", Ninamori reflects on the time since it all happened, an incident that became known as "Martial Mechanica" as per the headline in the late Kamon's zine. Mamimi recieves distressing news from... Amarao!

--Stay Tuned!--