Disclaimer - I do not own any of the characters, except for the supporting cast (mother, father, school bullies, random people, etc).

Fanfic Notes - This fanfic is based very, very, very loosely on the original comic. Set when Saki is ten and Nagi is eighteen.

Space Invaders

Chapter 1: Things Change

The world was changing, that much was certain. Not just within my own life, but the town as a whole. Japan had only just begun to recover from its devastating defeat in World War II. Cities were becoming more populated, technology was developed to assist a booming economy, and America had sunk its consumerist claws and teeth into our culture and civilization. My father hated it. He was always proud of the old ways and traditions. Like many others his age that had lived before the war, he found organizations such as The Foot as a source of undying patriotism.

People in the town always appreciated the presence of The Foot and what it represented. Back then it was viewed as a historical, simple training facility, where students could be reacquainted with their ancestral Japanese traditions. Members were highly regarded by the general population, and positions within The Foot were fiercely sought after. The organization held some mystery, and there were rumors circling that it operated like an unofficial police force. However, it was an honorable place to be. I like to think it still is, but unfortunately others these days now disagree.

My older brother Nagi was a Foot soldier. He had been a member ever since I was born. Everyone was so proud of him, especially my father. The two of them loved to talk about the olden times, and what traditions Nagi upheld while learning ninjitsu as part of The Foot. I guess that's why I never got along with my father. To be honest, I never minded the Americanization of our culture, as I felt it was inevitable. I simply thought that the world was evolving, and while I really looked up to my brother and respected what he was a part of, I didn't have that much of a desire or a reason to follow in his footsteps. So I was an utter dilemma to my father, who constantly urged me to be more like Nagi.

In truth, when I was a young boy, I wasn't good at anything. At school, although I had an interest in mathematics, upcoming technology and dissecting rats in biology, I still didn't have a tendency to gain good grades. Essentially I was a disappointment to my family. I was neither interested in my family's political and traditional stances, nor did I seem to have much of a future in a career elsewhere. I felt like I was merely stumbling through life with no hope and no direction. But as always, there was room for change.

Space Invaders was first introduced into my life when I was ten years of age. It was an arcade game, and while in today's standards it would be considered crude, back then it was the most fascinating thing I could have at my fingertips. I would save all the money I gained from my chores, and instead of buying delicious delicacies like I used to, I would spend it on the game. School was hard, and after enduring hours of learning useless and pathetic information, on the way home I would stop by the store that contained the arcade game. To me it was a godsend. I would play it everyday until it was absolutely dire that I had to be home.

Then one day, the unthinkable occurred. It was like any other. After experiencing another mediocre day at school, I would rush over to the store, just feverish to play Space Invaders located in the shady corner. I would tap that little red button like a maniac and swivel around the joystick until my wrist became stiff. It was so intense that sweat started to dribble down my forehead. While playing that game, I never felt so alive in my life! An hour passed by, then two. It was the longest I had ever played. Eventually I couldn't keep it up and I was beaten. Yet to my surprise, a blank space flashed beside the first place position. I, the boy who never accomplished anything, had made it to the scoreboard.

I was still delirious with excitement and glee when I had arrived home. However it never took my father long to dump me back into my place. Dinner was always a horrid affair, with family discussions taking place every night. My mother would typically start off by asking, "How was your day?"

"Same as always," my father would grumble as a reply. He was a hard-working businessman who worked over a forty-hour week to ensure that we could place food on the table. We weren't a wealthy family, but we weren't exactly poor either. There was usually money left over at the end of the week that it could be saved up, or given to us as a reward. We could have gotten by without my father pulling extra shifts, but he was a workaholic. In doing so, he also expected his sons to have the same excellent work ethic as himself.

My father never liked to talk about his boring and average line of work. So he usually turned his attention straight onto his favourite son, Nagi. "How's The Foot coming along? Still teaching the new comers?" He loved to discuss the topic. Sometimes I wondered if it was a childish fantasy of his to fight like a warrior and use medieval weapons, as he always tried his best to get as much involved with Nagi's world as possible.

"I had a new student today," Nagi said. My brother wasn't the leader of The Foot. Rather he was one of the higher ranks, where it was his job to instruct inexperienced pupils in some of the basic areas, however the clan's leader oversaw most of the training.

"Any good?" My father was so intent on hearing every stupid detail.

"Very good. There's a lot of potential there."

"How old is he?" My father wanted to pry even more.

"Eight."

"Eight! Saki, are you listening to this? An eight-year-old can get into The Foot! Why can't you?" I knew it would only take a matter of time before my father started to degrade me.

"Because I don't try out," I murmured.

"Well you should! Look at how respected your brother is!"

"I don't want to join The Foot," I muttered under my breath. I could literally see the anger rise within my father.

"Why wouldn't you want that?" he snapped. "What's wrong with you? Why can't you be more like your brother?"

I groaned. I had heard that argument before. I was always compared to Nagi. "Saki just has different interests, father," Nagi was kind enough to try and defend me.

"Different interests? Like what? Saki, look at me. What are you good at?" My father just wouldn't back down. Mother never spoke up when my father was like this, while my brother allowed the room to fall silent. Back then I used to wonder if I was a game to my father – if I was merely an object that he could take out all of his frustrations that originated from work. I didn't know how to respond. I felt like my words were being smothered with insecurity.

"I am good at something," I whispered while I gazed hopelessly at my abandoned bowl of food that was in front of me. I didn't know if I should continue. But I wanted to defend myself – I wanted my father to be proud of me for something.

"Oh? And what's that?" My father sounded intrigued, though I knew he was waiting for another opportunity to tear me down.

"Space Invaders." I cringed when I said those words, as I knew what was going to come next. I dropped my hands a little and braced myself by digging my fingernails onto the edge of the table.

"Space Invaders?" Father demanded to know more.

"It's an arcade game," I murmured, first clearing my throat. "I got on the high score table. First place," I explained further. At first I didn't know whether my father was stunned, or if he was simply trying to control his anger. I quickly discovered that it was the latter.

"A game!" he screeched. "A GAME!" he furiously repeated. His brow lowered while his mouth formed a menacing scowl. "This is what you waste your time on, Saki!?" he screamed. "It's no wonder your grades are pathetic if you spend your time, rotting your brain on things like this!" My father paused for a moment, but only to think of more horrible things to say. "So, you spend money on this game?" he demanded an answer.

"Yes," the words were choked out of me.

"You moron! How dare you spend the money I entrusted you with on stupid games. And what's worse, your name is on there! Now everyone can see what an idiot my son is for wasting his time and money," he spat, completely offended. Tears were rushing to my eyes. I wanted to cry, I really did. But I knew that if I had cried, it would only make things worse. My father hated tears. He said it showed weakness. So I bit my lip, sucked in a deep breath and desperately tried to keep the tears at bay. "Since you're wasting my money, you won't be getting any more of it-"

"-But father!" I interrupted, but I quickly realized that I had no argument. The man had complete control over me.

"You won't receive any money for your chores. Which is how it should be. Back in my day, I never got any money. You children don't know how lucky you have it!" he sneered. I couldn't look him in the face any more. I felt ashamed at what I had done, but I also secretly knew that playing Space Invaders was the best thing that had happened to me in a while.

"Father?"

"Yes, Nagi?" the man said, calming down when he heard my brother's voice.

"I met girl today. Her name is Tang Shen," Nagi announced, changing the topic. I was grateful that he was taking away some of the heat and flak I had endured, but it was too little too late. I tuned out while they blathered on about how Nagi liked her, and how father offered to invite that woman to come over for dinner.

Later on that night, just when I was about to turn off the lights, Nagi came into my room and sat at the end of my bed. He gave me a smile while his brown eyes softened, making me feel completely at ease within his presence. It was the little things that made him a good brother. I looked at him curiously as I noticed he was holding one hand behind his back. "Saki? Hold out your hand," he instructed.

I was suspicious at first, but I knew he wouldn't do me any harm. So I timidly reached out towards him, palm outstretched and facing the ceiling. I gasped in surprise when he plopped some yen into my greedy little hand. "What's this for?" I asked even though I knew the answer.

"For that game you want to play," he said confidently.

"But what about father?"

"Saki… You've found something that you enjoy. No one should have the right to take that away from you," Nagi empathized.

"It's just a game," I muttered, feeling silly that I could get so obsessed with something so pointless.

"It doesn't matter what it is. It could be a game today or a girl tomorrow. But you shouldn't give up on what you enjoy."

"Is this about that girl you like? Tang Shen?" I wondered, hoping I had heard her name correctly.

"Partly. For a while I thought she didn't like me. Then one day I decided to just pursue her regardless. I could have just given up, but I didn't. Thank goodness I didn't, because it has now all paid off and we're dating," Nagi told his story. I listened intently to the lesson he was trying to teach me. That was what I liked the most about my brother – everything made sense when he was around.

"But what if father finds out?" I still wasn't comfortable with everything, even though I understood my brother's intentions.

"He won't find out if you don't let him find out," Nagi said with a sly wink. "And if he does… well I'll deal with him."

"Really!?" I was so excited. It was practically a 'get out of jail free' card. Nagi gave me another one of his gracious smiles, obviously pleased by my childish reaction.

"Saki, everything you do in life is practice. At the heart of it, it may be just a game, but by playing it, you are overcoming obstacles and defending what is important to you. One day, you might have to fight for something that you believe in, and having related past experiences will only make you stronger," Nagi gently lectured. I never took my eyes off him. I guess that was the only thing my father and I had in common – we were both proud of Nagi.

"Thank you, brother," I said, bowing my head out of respect. He gave me a little nod in return, before he gracefully stood up and silently left my bedroom.