Warning: What ain't mine, ain't mine. Pita-Ten is property of Koge-Donbo* (who officially has an asterisk at the end of her name). Bear in mind this story take into account the animé version, so certain features of the manga version (e.g. Misha's "first love", and Nya's human form, Klaus) are NOT present here. And as usual, WHAT AIN'T MINE, AIN'T MINE! Anyways, enough of my rabbiting, let the story commence-su!
How To Confess Your Love Aboard A Train
Part 1 – We Won Tickets-su!
A year had passed since the two Vanishing incidents. Life was pretty much back to normal, or as normal as it had become ever since Misha and Shia moved in next to Kotarou. Kotarou had advanced to middle school, and now had more hope. But some things were still the same. He still had thoughts about the girl who he truly loved, but just couldn't say it. Of course, Koboshi wanted him to say he loved her, but there was no way it was happening. But every time he wanted to tell the girl he truly loved that he loved her, every time he came near her, he lost his nerve, as usual, in a manner reminiscent of a Police song. And compounding the problem, with a twist that Sting never had to deal with, that is, the girl he loved was…different. Mainly because she was actually an angel. This girl in question, was, of course, Misha.
Recently, his best male friend, Takashi "Ten-Chan" Ayanokoji, confessed to him that he too had a crush on someone "unusual", Misha's room-mate Shia, who was supposedly a demon, but acted the polar opposite of one. She was very gentle, caring, and kind. And she made the best lunches, in all of Japan, arguably.
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The last day of the school term started like all the others. Kotarou woke up, got dressed, showered, ate a light breakfast, and got ready to go to school. He always looked at a picture by the front door. A picture of his parents and himself, when he was very young. His mother died years ago, saving him from getting run over by a truck. His father recently got a promotion, which meant more money, but he was seen less, because he was on business trips quite often, and Sundays usually meant golfing with the higher-ups. So most of the time, he effectively lived by himself. But with the next-door neighbors, things were more bearable. Misha had failed her angel exam a further two times, but was transferred into the "new Guardian Angel Program", and she was apparently the guinea-pig for it. Rumors had it that "The Rules of Heaven" had changed, but as Misha herself didn't fully comprehend what that meant, neither did Kotarou.
"GOOD MORNING-SU!" came a shout as soon as he left the apartment, and Misha crashed into him like a charging locomotive, and hugged him so tightly he was almost crushed. "Tee-hee-hee!" she laughed. Immediately after, Shia came out, in a light blue dress, and handed them several bundles.
"I hope you like your lunches today! The yellow one is for Ten-Chan!"
"Thank you, Shia-chan!" replied the two in unison.
This had been the normal routine for quite some time. Kotarou was worried, because it was the last exam day before holidays. He envied Ten-Chan, who still had a knack for retaining knowledge like a sponge and being ready for exams with minimal effort. He had to work really hard just to keep his grades "acceptable."
Another thing that had him concerned, is that not one but two limousines passed them in the last few days. One of them belonged to Hiroshi "Dai-Chan" Mitarai, who always took passing glances at Misha, but the other one looked completely different. There was something creepy about it.
At the school gates they were met by Koboshi Uematsu, a blonde girl who still wore cat ears, and still yelled at Misha to stop hanging on to Kotaru, and this still had no effect. They also met Ten-Chan, who was very happy to see them.
A limousine pulled up in front, and a smartly-dressed man opened a door, and a couple of uniformed men unrolled a long red carpet. Out came Dai-Chan, wearing his normal uniform, plus a samurai headband.
"TEN-CHAN!" he bellowed. "TEN-CHAN, THIS IS IT!"
"I know, physical science and Japanese history," replied Ten-Chan.
"BAKA! This is truly the day that I, Hiroshi, heir to the great and powerful Mitarai clan, shall vanquish you, for it is my destiny to do so!"
"Please give it a rest!"
"How DARE you trivialize this moment of truth."
"Do you remember your acids and bases? What about your Heian-era history?"
"Of course I know them, the Mitarai family owns three chemical companies, and we had the finest samurai in the Heian Era!"
"Really, then why isn't the Mitarai crest shown next to the Minamoto and Taira crests in our text book?"
"How DARE you compare us to those glorified street-sweepers! I will not take this insult lightly, now it is personal, even MORE personal, now the Mitarai and Anyakojji clans are eternal enemies, and the examination hall will be our battlefield…"
"Whatever!" Ten-Chan started walking inside.
"HOW DARE YOU!" He flailed his arms. "YOU WILL PAY FOR YOUR INSOLENCE, NOBODY TURNS THEIR BACK ON A MITARAI!" He accidently bumped into Misha, and had a grin on his face while everyone looked at him.
"Sorry, sorry, a thousand times sorry!" He began reciting haiku on the spot about just how sorry he was, and how he wasn't worthy to be her sweat, which of course she didn't have. "My Angel, can you ever forgive me?"
"Yes I can-su!" was Misha's reply.
"I am deeply honored that my humbleness has been accepted!" He bowed and kissed her feet. He waved a hand behind him, and a group of butlers and bodyguards all bowed towards her.
The exams passed very quickly. Dai-Chan and his sister, Kaoru, were waiting at the door when Kotaru, Ten-Chan, and Koboshi came out. Misha ran from another direction, since she was in a different grade.
"We are going to our annual retreat in our southernmost island," said Dai-Chan. "So I must say farewll, my angel," he added, facing Misha. He turned towards Ten-Chan. "And when the marks come, I will be above you, for I must!"
"Farewell, Takashi," added Kaoru, "may we soon meet again, and a million sakura plants blossom!" The two were then picked up by helicopter.
"Do they ALWAYS have to make an entrance, and an exit?" asked Koboshi.
When Kotaru returned home, he saw a strange envelope sitting on the ground. It didn't have any stamps or cancellation marks. It just had his name on it. He figured it was from one of his friends. He opened it, only to find a train ticket.
What was odd, was printed at the top, in both Japanese and English, "Congratulations, you have won a trip on our luxury train. All expenses paid!" It was dated for three days ahead. It also had his full name on it. It seemed a bit odd. And the destination was just listed as "Southern Kyushu."
Shia knocked on the front door, and he answered it. "Kotaru-chan, we're having dinner, and I made too much-"
"Yes, I'd love to come," he replied. Having nothing to study for was much pressure off him.
Next door, Misha, Shia, and Ten-Chan were around the table. And they all had tickets.
"We all won these," said Ten-Chan.
"Me too," replied Kotaru.
"And look at mine," said Shia. At the bottom of it, printed was "***Plus One Cat***" in both English and Japanese. Everybody looked at Nya, who had a surprisingly blank expression.
"I don't remember entering any contest," said Ten-Chan.
"Nor me-su!" added Misha. "But we will be all together-su! This will be GREAT!" She tightly hugged both Shia and Kotaru, as she was between them.
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Three days later, the four went to the train station together. Kotaru had Misha on his mind, being entranced by the flowing pink hair, with the two bunny decorations in it, and her flowing orange dress. Ten-Chan was in a similar situation. He was admiring the contrast of Shia's dark brown hair and the cream-colored dress she was wearing. As usual, neither of them could say anything. All of them had bags, and Shia also had a small cage for carrying Nya. Nya gave a strange look to Ten-Chan. They all walked to Platform #9, which is where their train was waiting. It was long, sleek, and black and gold. It vaguely resembled the Shinkansen or "bullet trains", yet somehow it didn't. A door opened, and out rolled a red carpet. Meanwhile, a helicopter landed on track 8. An irate train driver blared his horn.
The helicopter opened, and out jumped Dai-Chan, Kaoru, and Koboshi.
"We're coming too," insisted Koboshi. "So Mischa-san, KEEP YOUR ARMS OFF!"
The group of four waved and exchanged greetings with the newcomers, before boarding the train. The newcomers rushed forward behind them.
A moment later, the newcomers were taken back to the door, by a man dressed all in a charcoal grey suit, and an oversized fedora. He had enormous lips.
"No ticket, no travel, and you don't have tickets!"
"We'll buy them," said Dai-Chan, "name your price.
"I'll pay TEN TIMES, no, A HUNDRED TIMES, to ride with my love," added Kaoru.
"Sorry, I don't think so, we don't do that! Have a nice day!"
He walked away from the door. The four aboard thought about getting off the train, but the doors all slammed shut, and the train took off with extreme speed.
The last thing that was heard was Dai-Chan's yelling.
"HOW DARE YOU TREAT A MITARAI LIKE THIS! I HATE YOU AND YOUR TRAIN, IT'S NOT EVEN A TRUE JAPANESE MARVEL, YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO TRAINS, YOU ARE NOT MITARAI!"
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The inside of the train seemed a bit odd. For one thing, there weren't that many fluorescent lights in use. Instead, old-fashioned lanterns were hung the length of the cars. And they all had many small fireball-like entities circling around in them. The ceiling was lined with human ribs. Nya looked at them with admiration, and sighed. If Shia was the demon she was supposed to be, then her place would have been decorated just like that, he mused. Despite the light, the car they were in seemed dark. Some of the "fireball lights" focused on a table with four chairs. The four took their seats, the guys on one side, the girls on the other. Suddenly, a spotlight appeared in the middle of this car, revealing a piano and a drum set. A pair of women appeared at them, dressed in outfits similar to what Shia wore on the night of the first Vanishing. These women were older, though. One of them wore an entirely red version, the other wore shades of brown. The brown-clad was at the drums, the red-clad at the piano.
"Ladies and gentlemen", came a voice, "Ruby Tuesday and Brown Sugar!" The two started playing, and their music was joined by the shaking of maracas. Another light came on, to reveal the mysterious man in charcoal grey. He threw off his hat, to reveal wild dark hair. "Please allow me to introduce myself, I'm a man of wealth and taste. You're all guests on a special cruise, you know that? And by the way, Shia, you can let your kitty out of the cage, in fact, you better!"
Shia complied, and Nya ran to the other end of the car. He looked around. He knew who that man was, and there'd probably be deep trouble for Shia. On the other hand, Nya could not deny that he had true demonic nature, and reveled in being around someone who could actually appreciate it.
"Just call me Jagger!" instructed the man. He snapped his fingers. The fireball lights became bright, shining light everywhere. "Enjoy your meal!" An army of featureless people in black uniforms came and dropped off all manner of courses, including pasta and lobster.
Another odd thing was noticeable to Kotarou. Rather than Japanese, or even English, there was a notice only written in another language. It was a small metal plaque that said "Hecho en España." He wondered what it meant.
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Outside, on a parallel track, came another train, this one a Shinkansen, but with the Mitarai crest on it. In the cab, or "cockpit", of this train, sat Dai-Chan, Kaoru, Koboshi, and an old man who was driving the train.
"Faster, Ji, Faster!"
"As you wish, Master," replied Ji, the head Mitarai butler/manservant/cook/chaufer/pilot/gardner/whatever else was needed.
"I sense…GHOSTS!" he shouted. He quickly grabbed a portable ghost-detecting kit, and turned on the intercom.
"Mitarai Mobile Demon Hunters Bravo, THERE ARE GHOSTS ON THE TRAIN TO THE LEFT OF US! I REPEAT, THERE ARE GHOSTS ON THE TRAIN TO THE LEFT OF US! BATTLE STATIONS! BATTLE STATIONS! Mitarai Shinobi Group Amataresu, PREPARE FOR BOARDING OF TRAIN AT SPEED! BATTLE STATIONS! BATTLE STATIONS!" The Mitarai train became a hive of activity as ninjas and demon-hunters took their positions. The sliding doors all opened, and some of them had men and miko (shrine maidens) with charms, the others had ninjas. The door closest to the cab, though, had Dai-Chan himself standing there. "NOW!" he screamed through a bullhorn.
Things were thrown at the train. A small hose appeared on Jagger's train, and sprayed off the charms and the embedded shuriken. At one of the doors, Kaoru pushed aside a couple of ninjas, and took their place. She had an even larger megaphone.
"STOP THE TRAIN NOW, AND DO NOT HARM TEN-CHAN, OR YOU WILL BE SORRY YOU WERE EVER BORN!"
One of the doors on the other train opened, and Jagger stood there.
"Shut up, stupid girl!" he retorted.
"DO NOT INSULT A MEMBER OF THE NOBLE MITARAI CLAN!" shouted Dai-Chan. "WE ARE ABOUT TO BOARD YOUR TRAIN, YOU CAN NOT STOP US!"
"We can too!" replied Jagger.
"HOW? WITH DOGS? OR BEES? OR DOGS WITH BEES IN THEIR MOUTHS WHO FIRE BEES WHEN THEY BARK? OR A ROBOTIC RICHARD SIMMONS?"
"No, like THIS!" The train turned off onto another track.
"THEY WILL PAY!"
"You don't need to yell anymore, they're gone," informed Ji.
"BUT I MUST, FOR THEY HAVE COMMITED THE ULTIMATE INSULT!"
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The four were checking out the enormous suite that they were staying in. It had two rooms, and it was decided the girls would have one, the boys, the other.
The girls quickly got their bags unpacked, and Misha decorated the room as though it were her own home. She even put down a few potted plants, remembering what Dai-Chan said at his castle a long time ago.
The boys were watching an action movie on a widescreen TV in their room.
A sudden announcement came over the train's PA system.
"Your attention, there has been a change of plans. This train will not go to Kyushu. It will go to Seville in Spain instead."
"Spain?" asked Ten-Chan, "Does this train have wings? The lights are funny, there aren't that many other people on this train, and LOOK!" Outside, the passing Japanese countryside was being obscured by strange psychedelic light patterns. "What is this place?" Metal restraints appeared on their chairs, and held them in place. The chairs rolled themselves into the hallway, where they saw Shia and Misha, in similar devices.
"These chairs are alive-su! Tee-hee-hee!" laughed Misha. The chairs took them through several train cars, all of them similarly laid out with those odd lights. They stopped in another, directly in front of Jagger.
"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen. You're all in trouble, especially, you, Shia-chan! It's all over now. You're stuck between a rock and a hard place!"
To be continued…
Author's Notes: Well, because I watched the animé series, I thought I'd come up with a story that takes place after it. And yes, there's references to two rock groups and an Irish singer-songwriter, try to guess who! I also came up with an explanation as to why Misha is still on Earth. And all I'll say about the next chapter, is that someone will be forced to confess something. Any questions or comments? You all know what to do! Sayanara!