First off, I would like to thank my reviewers for, well, reviewing. It's nice to know that my story is being read. Second, I would like to confirm what you all figured out: this story is not in any way related to Tastychainsaws' similar crossover, Falling Stars. Indeed, "lolwut" sums up my response when I found that someone else had published a Lucky Star/Fallout crossover. Personally, I find it to be a fascinating coincidence. But my story has been in the works, if only in my mind, since late November, and was actually inspired by ArmorBlade's Lucky Star/Oblivian story: Standing Between Luck and Oblivian. If you haven't, I recommend reading it. I won't say it's perfect, since I'm a hypercritical ass, but ArmorBlade does an amazing job of weaving the girls into the world, and that hooked me.

I must say, I'm happy that Tastychainsaws and myself can share a readership, though it looks like I'll have to post a lot more before Luckless Wasteland is as popular as Falling Stars. And to Tastychainsaws, I'm flattered that you actually read and reviewed my story. I plan on doing the same for you, but you write so fast it's hard to keep up! I've only had the free time to get to chapter three on Falling Stars, but I'll catch up at some point.

And to answer Condor green's question, it will follow the main storyline of Fallout 3, but the beauty of Fallout 3 is that it's an open world game; no two people will play exactly the same story. Likewise, a story set there can and likely will be significantly different from any other story set there, thanks to the incredible amount of leeway in Fallout 3's plot. Also, in case anyone is interested, I will include Fallout 3's expansion packs in my story, and one in particular has a bit of a surprise hooked on to the end. But I shouldn't tease, I'm only on chapter 2 after all.

"Oh my," Miyuki gasped as Konata led her through a hinged inner gate. "This is amazing!"

The vault dweller gazed around at the assorted scrap metal shacks that made up the town. Some sat on the ground, some were piled on top of others, some even stood on long stilts. Pipes snaked along the ground and hung in the air, and catwalks crisscrossed to and from the highest buildings.

Konata smiled at Miyuki's childlike wonder before looking out at the town herself. "I wouldn't call it amazing, but it's home. And there's no place like it," she stated fondly.

"Well I'll be damned," a male voice started, "You're from that vault! Vault 101!" The girls faced the man as he chuckled. "I ain't seen one of those jumpsuits in a long time!"

"Ah, Sheriff Simms!" Konata greeted.

"Hey, Konata. You know, I've seen you open a lot of locked doors, but I never imagined you could get into that vault. I hope you didn't bring back a troublemaker."

Konata rubbed her head. "Well, I actually found her in the school. She got herself cornered by some raiders."

"I see." He turned to Miyuki. "You're lucky to be alive, Miss."

Miyuki eyesmiled. "Indeed. If Konata-san had not arrived, I would likely not be here. My name is Miyuki Takara," she said with a bow.

"Pleased to meet you. Name's Lucas Simms, town sheriff. And mayor too, when the need arises."

"This is a very nice town, Sheriff. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Friendly AND well-mannered? I think we're gonna get along just fine. You treat my people nice, and you're welcome to stay as long as you'd like."

"Of course. Thank you for being so welcoming!"

"Sure thing. Just be sure to watch your pockets if you're staying with Konata."

"Hey!" Konata interjected, "I'm not that bad..."

"Well, I won't keep you two any longer," Lucas said, "Stay out of trouble."

"Goodbye!" Miyuki called after him. "My, everyone is so nice in this town."

"He can be, but the Sheriff can also be a real pain, too," Konata said with a shrug. "Anyway, come on. I'll take you to my place. You could use some rest." She started to walk down the hill, and Miyuki followed.

"Konata-san, thank you. You have been very kind to me, and we've only just met. I don't even know your whole name."

Konata turned to face her as they walked. "It's Izumi. Konata Izumi. And don't sweat it. I've never been one to let the raiders have their way. Besides, it's really no trouble if you stay at my place. Dad would really enjoy having you around," Konata said, directing her eyes to Miyuki's ample bust. Miyuki didn't catch the shorter girl's implication.

"Well, thank you all the same. I really owe you more than my life, Izumi-san."

Konata grinned. "Aw, the way you're so polite all the time makes you so moe!"

Miyuki tilted her head. "Eh? Moe? Is that bad?"

Konata held up her hands. "No, no, your character is perfect! Keep it up!"

"Uh, thank you, I suppose." Miyuki faced forward and stopped suddenly.

"Hm? What's wrong?" Konata asked.

"K-Konata-san? Is... is that what I think it is?!" Miyuki was pointing at the enormous atomic bomb dug into the ground and surrounded by a small pool of stagnant water.

"Well, if you think it's an atomic bomb, then yeah. It's perfectly safe though."

Miyuki cast her a nervous look. Konata reached up to place a hand on Miyuki's shoulder. "Yuki-chan, I've lived here my whole life, and that bomb has never done anything but sit there. It's fine." Miyuki smiled a bit, relieved, but threw a concerned look over her shoulder as they walked on.

As they ascended the ramps and catwalks over the town, Miyuki noticed that the town was built in the crater formed by the bomb's impact. The central plaza surrounding the bomb was home to the handful of ground level establishments, while the many other buildings were built – rather precariously, it suddenly seemed – on the crater walls.

"We're here!" Konata announced, drawing Miyuki from her thoughts. She glanced up at the building. She couldn't identify it, since it had just turned dark out, but it was built like all the others from sheets of scrap metal.

Konata grabbed her arm. "Come on, Dad will want to meet you." Konata pulled Miyuki into the building, revealing it to be a saloon of sorts. There was a bar which took up most of the floor, along with some scattered small tables. A staircase led up to the second floor, which overlooked the first. All the patrons had already left for the night

"Dad! I'm back!" Konata called.

"Ah, Konata!" a voice called from one of the back rooms. "I was beginning to think I'd have to eat raw dog meat for dinner!" The man was eyesmiling and rubbing his head as he walked into view. His short hair was a darker blue than Konata's, and he wore a settler's outfit; a loose gray-green shirt with gray trousers. "I really don't know what I'd do without you!"

Konata's father opened his eyes and froze, his jaw hanging open. He quickly composed himself. "K-Konata," he asked, sweatdropping and looking nervous, "who's your friend?"

Konata grinned. Her father's reaction was better than she had hoped. "This is Miyuki Takara! Yuki-chan, this is my dad, Sojiro!" She held her hands out at both of them, presenting them to each other.

"Pleased to meet you!" Miyuki said with a polite bow.

Sojiro turned sideways, avoiding eye contact and scratching his chin. "Y-yeah, same here..." My God, it's her!, Sojiro thought, The little baby girl, all grown up! Really grown up... She looks so much like her mother!

"Well," Konata started as she headed for a back room, "I'll start making dinner, both of you must be hungry."

Miyuki and Sojiro both perked up. "Oh, yes please!" they said simultaneously. They faced each other for a moment and then laughed. Konata smiled as she disappeared around the corner.

"Well, you two seem to be getting along!" Konata said as she carried a stack of dishes in one hand and a large tray in the other out from the kitchen. She had washed her hair and removed her vest, wearing an apron instead. Miyuki was sitting at the bar, and Sojiro had pulled a stool behind the bar so he could face her.

"Ah, Konata. I was just telling Miyuki-san about how I set up the saloon. So, what did you make for dinner?" Sojiro asked as she set down the dishes.

Konata grinned. "Well, since we have a guest, I decided to make something extra special. Behold!" She set down the tray, revealing the contents. "A heaping slab of brahmin steak with a side of squirrel stew!"

Sojiro's eyes lit up and he clasped his hands together. "Konata! That looks absolutely delicious!"

Miyuki was hesitant, but did not show it. "My, that looks very nice," she said politely.

"I'm glad you think so," Konata said. She divided the large steak into three portions and handed them out. Then she ladled the stew into three bowls and handed those out. Finally, she passed out silverware and plastic bottles of water.

Sojiro dug in as soon as everything was in front of him, but Miyuki waited politely for Konata to round the bar and take a seat next to her. Rather than eat, however, the blunette watched Miyuki expectantly. The meganekko took the hint and cut off a small piece of steak, eying it carefully before putting it in her mouth.

Konata brought her face close to Miyuki's. "Wellllll?" she asked as Miyuki chewed and swallowed.

"Oh my." She turned to face Konata. "Konata-san, this is delicious!"

Konata jumped up and stood on her stool, pumping her fist. "Ha ha, victory!" she shouted. Miyuki sweatdropped.

"I've never met anyone who can match Konata's cooking!" Sojiro exclaimed as Konata sat down. "Hey, is this ant meat in the stew?" he asked.

Konata nodded. "I find that it compliments the flavor of the squirrel meat." Sojiro nodded in confirmation and continued eating.

"Hm? Ant meat?" the vault dweller asked.

"Oh, you see, there are mutated giant ants out here," Konata explained. "Their meat is pretty healthy, but it usually doesn't taste that good. Unless you know how to cook it, that is."

"Ah, I see." Miyuki took a spoonful of stew. Despite looking a bit unappetizing, the stew proved just as good as the steak. Miyuki showed her approval with a nod and an eyesmile. Konata performed another fist pump, though she remained seated.

"I'm really glad you like the food, Yuki-chan. I was afraid it wouldn't compare to the food in the vault, being irradiated and all."

Miyuki stopped eating. "Irradiated?"

"Well, yeah," Konata said, "What did you expect after two hundred years worth of fallout? Pretty much all the food and water is irradiated. But it's not gonna kill you or anything. The radiation levels are really low, so you just gotta take some Rad Away to flush it from your system every month or so."

"Oh. I see." Miyuki cast a discreet glance at her Pip-Boy's Geiger counter and found that she was, in fact, accumulating rads. She suddenly lost her appetite, but she kept eating, not wanting to appear rude. The fact that the food was genuinely good helped.

"That reminds me," Konata said, "Dad, do we still have any Rad Away? I think we used it all last time, but I'm not sure."

Sojiro stopped eating and held his chin. "Hm, I think you're right. I'll need to buy some from Doc Hoff. His caravan comes to town tomorrow. It's good that you reminded me." He leaned back, folding his arms. "I guess it is about time for our monthly dose, isn't it? That means stomach aches and headaches all day," he said with a sigh.

"Yep, it is a real pain," Konata agreed. "Still, it's better than living with radiation sickness. Trust me on that."

"That's right," Sojiro said, "Didn't Moira want you to get rad sickness for her a few months ago?"

"Yeah, I had to sit in the bomb's puddle for hours before I was sick enough. I could barely climb up to her shop I was so tired. And to top it off, the whole ordeal gave me a mutation!"

Miyuki put a hand to her mouth. "Oh my. Why would you need to do that?"

"Well, Moira wanted to study the effects of rad poisoning for a book she's writing. The Wasteland Survival Guide, she calls it. I've been helping her do research for it for the past few months now. It's dangerous work, but it's way more exciting than just sitting around and serving drinks. No offense, Dad."

"None taken," Sojiro said, "I remember when I was your age, I was always out looking for adventure and excitement. I actually envy you, Konata. Ah, if only I was younger, I would probably join you!"

Konata nodded. "You know, Yuki-chan, I was actually coming back from one of Moira's 'research assignments' when I found you."

"Really? What were you researching?"

"Well, Moira wanted to know if the robots in the old RobCo factory could be put to use. So she gave me this gadget called a 'processor widget,' and had me install it in the mainframe. All the robots woke up, but they were locked in attack mode. Unfortunately, I'm no good with computers, so I had to fight my way back out of the factory. I'll have to tell Moira tomorrow."

"What other tasks have you completed for Moira, Konata-san?" Miyuki asked. Konata grinned, eager to share her adventures with the vault dweller.

As Konata told tales of minefields and mirelurks and supermarkets to a wide eyed Miyuki, Sojiro's thoughts were focused on the pink haired girl. She must be searching for her mother. Why else would she leave the vault? But she'd never make it, even if I told her. And if she left, Konata would surely go with her. Neither Yukari nor Kanata, bless her soul, would forgive me if I let their daughters go and get themselves killed. No, I must keep them here, away from D.C. Besides, they're both so adorable! I wouldn't want them to leave me even if they would be perfectly safe! And so, having made his decision, Sojiro continued to eat, listening to Konata's excited retelling of the story of the exploding mole rats.

"Ta da!" Konata held her arms out, presenting her room to Miyuki as she entered. The small room was shaped like a sort of backwards L, with the door positioned at the corner. Facing forward, Miyuki saw a stained mattress on a rusted bed frame, with a footlocker beneath. The nook to the left had a rack of five shelves standing against the wall, and the floor was home to many items, mainly scrap and garbage.

"My, this is nice," Miyuki said with a sweatdrop.

Konata chuckled. "You can say it's a dump, Yuki-chan. I won't get offended." Konata walked toward the bed. "Sorry you can't use the guest room, but Dad says we need it open for paying customers."

"That's quite alright. I understand completely." Sojiro had told Miyuki of the saloon's function as an inn.

"Anyway," Konata said, "feel free to kick off your shoes and make yourself at home."

Miyuki noticed that much of the jagged, rusty metal that made up the floor was covered by an old rug, so she took off her vault-issue boots and set them neatly by the door. When she turned around, she was shocked to see Konata kicking her pants onto the floor.

Miyuki quickly turned away, face flushed. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't know you were changing!"

Konata looked over at her. "Hm? Oh, you can look, Yuki-chan. I don't mind."

"O-Okay..." Miyuki turned back just in time to see Konata lifting her shirt over her head, showing off a bare, flat chest. Miyuki's face reddened even more. Now wearing just panties and socks, Konata bent down to throw the clothes in her footlocker and dig out her nightshirt. The plain gray shirt was similar to that worn by her father, and Miyuki breathed a sigh of relief as she put it on. The small girl kicked the footlocker back under her bed; the long shirt reached down to her thighs, so she didn't bother with pants. She plopped down onto the bed, causing the frame to creek, and stretched her arms above her head.

"Man, what a day, huh?"

"Indeed. I can scarcely believe all that's happened today. To think that just this morning I was sound asleep in my bed," Miyuki replied.

"Speaking of beds," Konata said, "I know mine isn't as clean as your old one, but it's not as bad as it looks. You don't mind sleeping on it, do you?"

"Hm? I wouldn't mind, but where would you sleep?"

"Oh, we would share the bed."

Miyuki blushed a bit, her eyes widened slightly. "Share the bed? We can do that?"

"Well sure," Konata said, "The bed may be small, but so am I. We can both fit."

"Oh, I see." That wasn't what Miyuki had meant, but she didn't question it further.

"So, uh, are you gonna sleep in that?"

"Hm? What do you mean?" Miyuki asked.

"Your jumpsuit. It's a little... dirty."

Miyuki looked down and was shocked to find her Vault 101 jumpsuit covered in filth and spots of dried blood. "Oh my! How did this happen?"

"Well, you did get dragged around in the dirt," Konata said, "Not to mention I killed three raiders while standing over you."

"I suppose... I also fell to the ground twice in the school. I can't believe I never noticed!" Miyuki paused for a moment before realizing something, causing her to blush. "Oh my, I don't have any other clothes!"

Konata giggled. "Don't worry, Yuki-chan! We can share body heat!" she said, a bit overenthusiastic.

"Um, a-alright..." Again, that wasn't quite what Miyuki was worried about.

There was an awkward pause, during which Miyuki shifted uneasily and cast a nervous glance at Konata. Konata responded with a catlike grin. "No need to be shy, Yuki-chan," she teased, "We're both girls, after all."

"I suppose..." Miyuki hesitantly reached for the zipper on her neck, her face already turning red. Konata watched intently as Miyuki unzipped the blue jumpsuit and slid her arms from the sleeves, stretching them over her Pip-Boy to do so. The suit fell to the floor, revealing a white sleeveless undershirt and dark blue panties. Konata giggled as Miyuki folded the jumpsuit, causing her blush to darken. The tight undergarments did a much better job of showing off Miyuki's figure then the loose jumpsuit had.

Miyuki set the jumpsuit neatly beside her boots before approaching the bed. Konata gave her a curious look. "Aren't you gonna take that off?" she asked, pointing to Miyuki's wrist.

"Oh, I'm afraid I can't. It's locked on, you see." Miyuki held her arm out to show the device to Konata. The bulky gauntlet-like computer took up half of her forearm, and the interface consisted of a large screen, a radiation meter, three buttons, a knob, and a scroll-wheel.

"That seems inconvenient. What's it do?" Konata asked.

Miyuki's eyes brightened; she was unconsciously glad that attention had been shifted away from her body. "Well, the Pip-Boy 3000 is a state-of-the-art pre-war personal computer. It is can monitor health functions such as heart rate, as well as detecting the addition of chemicals to the bloodstream. It also has a built in Geiger counter and is capable of diagnosing radiation sickness. It has a catalog system for tracking items and equipment, and it uses radar and sonar to create maps of areas I've been to. It also features numerous other functions, including data transfer with a terminal, text input and storage, audio and video holotape compatibility, a radio receiver, a light, and a miniature fission power source."

"Wow. That little thing can do all that?"

"Indeed. The technology is amazing! It's well worth the minor discomfort."

At that moment, a cold draft blew through the room from the rickety patchwork walls, causing Miyuki to shiver. Konata smiled and settled into the bed, holding the thin blanket open invitingly. Miyuki's blush started to return as she climbed into bed with Konata, laying sideways with her back to the small girl.

Konata grinned mischievously before snaking her arms around Miyuki's belly and squeezing, coaxing a surprised squeak from the meganekko. "There. Do you feel warmer yet?" Konata asked playfully.

"Y-yes, v-very much so." The red on her cheeks attested to that.

"What's the matter, Yuki-chan? You sound nervous."

"Well, um, it's just that... doing this was forbidden in the vault..."

"Doing what? We're not doing anything. Yuki-chan, are you thinking something dirty? Are you a pervert?" Konata teased.

Miyuki's whole face turned dark red. "N-No! I just meant that this is a little... intimate."

Konata squeezed once again, but in a gentle, reassuring way. "Relax Yuki-chan, I'm just picking on you."

Miyuki's blush lightened, though she still felt awkward. After a few seconds of silence, Konata suddenly buried her face in Miyuki's thick pink hair. The movement startled Miyuki, but it was not entirely unpleasant. "You're so soft, Yuki-chan," Konata muttered.

"Hm? What was that?" Miyuki asked. But Konata had started to nod off and didn't answer. Instead, she nuzzled up closer to Miyuki and fell asleep, her long ahoge curled over Miyuki's head. Miyuki watched the strand of hair bob in and out of sight in time with Konata's breathing. She smiled before closing her own eyes. "Good night, Konata-san."

The small girl took a startled step back as the dark room suddenly burst into brilliant, blinding light. As she attempted to blink away her flash-blindness, she heard the sounds of noisemakers, clapping, and voices shouting out "Surprise!" One voice called out, "Stanley, you turned the lights on too fast! You blinded the poor kid!" The voices all joined together once more to say "Happy birthday!" as the girl's eyesight returned.

Miyuki Takara rubbed her eyes, looking a bit embarrassed as she smiled back at everyone clapping for her.

"Happy birthday, dear!" said Miyuki's mother, Yukari.

Miyuki gave a polite bow. "Thank you everyone! This is just wonderful!"

Yukari looked down at her daughter with an eyesmile. "I can't believe you're already ten. I'm so proud of you. If only your father-"

"Congratulations young lady," Vault 101's Overseer interrupted Yukari, "I don't have to tell you how special this day is, do I? Down here in Vault 101, when you turn ten, well, you're ready to take on your first official responsibilities." The Overseer retrieved a Pip-Boy from behind his back. "So here you are. As Overseer, I hereby present to you your very own Pip-Boy 3000!"

Miyuki took the device in her hand with a gracious nod and slid it over her left hand. The band contracted, clamping down onto her wrist. The sudden pressure on her skin caused Miyuki to flinch slightly.

The Overseer noticed her momentary discomfort. "Get used to it," he advised. "You'll be getting your first work assignment tomorrow," he continued before walking away, chuckling to himself.

"Enjoy your party dear," Yukari said as she sweatdropped at the Overseer's interruption, "You're only ten once, so have fun!"

Miyuki gave an affirmative bow and walked over to her friend Amata, the Overseer's daughter. "Happy birthday!" Amata said cheerfully, "We really surprised you, didn't we?"

Miyuki blushed slightly. "I'm afraid you did. I must say that I was really startled."

"Yeah, your mom was afraid you were on to us, but I told her not to worry. You're so easy to fool."

Miyuki's eyes turned to thin black ovals and she sweatdropped. Is that really what she thinks of me?!

"Anyway, I bet you can't guess what I got you for your birthday. Go on, guess!"

"Oh... um..." Miyuki put a finger to her chin and turned her eyes upward. "I really have no idea," she conceded with an eyesmile.

"Ha, I knew I'd surprise you! Since you love reading so much, I got you a Grognak the Barbarian comic book, issue fourteen!"

Miyuki hid her disappointment with a smile. She wasn't particularly interested in comics. "Oh... that's very... thoughtful."

"No problem. I found it in a box of my father's old things, believe it or not. Imagine him reading comic books. I guess everyone was ten once."

"I suppose so," Miyuki said as she took the comic.

"Well, I'd better let you get back to 'mingling' with your guests," Amata said, "We'll talk later, okay? Happy birthday."

"Thank you." Miyuki bowed before Amata walked away. Miyuki walked over to greet Old Lady Palmer, who was sitting in a nearby booth.

"Are you having a nice party?" Mrs. Palmer asked as Miyuki approached.

"Yes ma'am. Amata really did a great job setting this up."

"That's good to hear sweetie. Ten years old, my my my. Seems like only yesterday that your mother came... Goodness, listen to me ramble! You're waiting for your present aren't you?"

Miyuki smiled. "Yes, please!" she answered cheerfully.

"Such a nice polite young lady you are! Don't ever lose your gift of speaking your mind so directly. We could use more of that down here. Here you go, a nice sweetroll that I baked for you just this morning. And it's all for you. You're the birthday girl, no sharing required today!"

Miyuki beamed as Old Lady Palmer handed her the frosted sweetroll. "This looks delicious! Thank you Mrs. Palmer!" Miyuki said with a bow.

They were interrupted by the mechanized English butler voice of Andy, the Mr. Handy robot. "Attention everyone! It is time to cut the cake!" The robot lifted its saw-blade arm into the air.

"Andy, wait!" Amata called out, but it was too late. The spinning saw descended on the hapless cake, splattering it into a gooey mess. "Oh no..." Amata moaned.

"Oh dear," Andy said to himself. He turned to face his three robotic eyes at Miyuki. "I'm terribly sorry about the cake, madam."

Miyuki smiled, but she couldn't help sounding a little disappointed. "It's okay, Andy. You didn't mean it." She turned away from the counter and held up her sweetroll. At least I still have my sweetroll.

"Hey!"

Miyuki looked up and saw the bully, Butch, leering at her.

"I'm hungry, and that stupid robot destroyed the cake. Give me that sweetroll you got from Old Lady Palmer."

Miyuki looked nervous. "But... but Mrs. Palmer said I didn't have to share... since it's my birthday..."

"'Mrs. Palmer said I didn't have to share'" Butch mocked, "Who's talking about sharing, moron? I want the whole thing."

Miyuki frowned and could feel her eyes start to moisten.

"Now are you going to give me that sweetroll, or am I gonna have to give you a knuckle sandwich?" Butch got up from his seat, ready to fight.

Miyuki wanted to cry, but she tried to stand up for herself. "N-No! I'm sorry, but this is my sweetroll!" she cried.

Butch scowled. "Oh yeah? We'll see about that."

Butch jumped forward and hit Miyuki on the arm, making her drop her sweetroll. He shoved her back against the wall and trampled the sweetroll as he closed on her, fist raised. Miyuki closed her eyes and braced for the hit, but instead she heard the voice of Security Officer Gomez.

"Butch! What are you doing?" Miyuki opened her eyes to see Gomez standing over Butch, who dropped his fist back to his side. "Hitting a girl, and on her birthday for heaven's sakes!"

Butch grumbled and walked back to his booth. Officer Gomez turned to Miyuki. "I hope Butch didn't hurt you. Do you want to tell me what that was all about?"

Miyuki was on the verge of tears. "H-He tried to take my birthday present..." she managed to say.

"Why that little... I figured it was him that started it. He's been nothing but trouble since the day he was born. You let me handle this." Officer Gomez walked back to lecture Butch.

Miyuki had started to compose herself when she noticed her crushed sweetroll on the ground. She sunk down to her knees and started to cry. "No... my sweetroll..." she sobbed. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see her mother Yukari kneeling beside her.

"Are you alright, Miyuki? Butch giving you a hard time again?"

Miyuki sniffed. "H-He stepped on the sweetroll Mrs. Palmer gave me..."

Yukari hugged her daughter. "I'm sorry Miyuki. I wish we didn't have to invite him, but there just aren't that many children your age in the Vault."

Miyuki had started to calm down. "I wouldn't mind if it was just Amata who came to my party... We could still have fun..."

Yukari sighed. "Don't worry dear, I'm sure that someday you'll learn to deal with bullies. I'm afraid the world is full of people much worse than Butch, so don't let him ruin your birthday."

The intercom on the wall across the room beeped.

"You know what, dear? I think I have something that will cheer you up. I'll be right back."

Yukari walked away, and Amata crouched down beside Miyuki. "What's Butch's problem anyway?" she started, "I can't believe he tried to start a fight at your own birthday party. What a jerk."

Miyuki had stopped crying now, but she kept staring at the sweetroll, looking sad. "He ruined my sweetroll..."

"God, he really is a butthead. Oh well. You can always count on Butch to make an ass of himself. Oh, your mom is coming back. I'll leave you alone."

Miyuki watched her walk away, looking a bit surprised at her language.

"Hey," Yukari called, getting Miyuki's attention, "That was Jonas on the intercom. He and I have been cooking up a little surprise present. He's waiting for you downstairs on the reactor level. Go ahead, I don't think anyone will mind if you slip out for a few minutes."

"Alright..." Miyuki stood up and wiped her eyes on her jumpsuit sleeve before exiting the diner room. On her way out she nearly bumped into Beatrice. "Oh, I'm sorry," Miyuki said, "I wasn't paying attention."

"Oh, that's alright. Happy birthday, dearie! My goodness, I hope I didn't miss the party!"

"Oh, you didn't. My Mother and Amata really threw me a great party."

"They sure did. My, my. Ten years old already. Why, I can remember helping your mom change your diapers... And now look at you! A great big grown up ten-year-old with your very own Pip-Boy. Since this was such a special occasion, do you know what I did? I wrote you a poem! Just for you. I hope you like it."

"Oh, thank you. That's very nice. Is that all?"

"Of course! Run along now, dearie, and have yourself a wonderful birthday!"

Miyuki bowed and continued down the hall. She decided to read the poem later and tucked it into her pocket with her comic book. She made her way to the stairs down to the reactor level. She hesitated, but she reminded herself that she wasn't a little kid anymore. She walked down the steps, eventually emerging in a dimly lit room with a large piece of machinery in the center.

"What are you doing down here, young lady? I thought kids weren't allowed down on the reactor level." The voice startled Miyuki, and she turned to face Jonas.

"Oh... But Mother told me it was okay to come down here..." she said, shifting uneasily.

"Hey, relax! I was just teasing. Listen, now that you're ten you don't have to take guff like that from grownups anymore. Got it? Hold on one more minute, I think your mom will want to give you the surprise herself." After a minute or so, Yukari came down the stairs to meet them.

"Are you ready for your surprise?" Yukari asked.

Miyuki tilted her head. "What kind of surprise?"

"The Overseer gave you your Pip-Boy, and you're old enough to do some work. So I figure you're old enough for this." Yukari pulled something from behind her back. "Here it is! Your own BB gun! It's a little old, but it should work perfectly." She handed the gun to Miyuki, who began to examine it curiously. "Jonas found it down here. It was in pretty rough shape. It took us a good three months to find the parts to get it working again."

"Oh my. You didn't need to go to so much trouble for me," Miyuki said.

"Oh, Miyuki. It's no trouble putting together a nice gift for your tenth birthday. So, what do you think? Want to give it a try?"

"Um, sure! But, we can't shoot a gun down here, can we?."

"We sure can't, unless we want the Overseer beating down our door. Jonas and I have found a place, though. It's over here." Yukari led Miyuki to a side door and unlocked it. They walked into a long storage corridor with crates lining the walls. Three targets had been set up at the end of the corridor. "Well, what do you think? You can come down here and shoot any time you want. Go ahead and try it out."

Miyuki nodded and approached the targets. She lifted the BB gun to her shoulder and took careful aim. Upon pulling the trigger, she was rewarded with the metallic clink of a BB pellet hitting the target. She took her time setting up her shots, and she manged to hit the other targets on her first try as well.

"My, you seem to be quite the marksman!" Yukari said.

Miyuki smiled at her. "You know, I wasn't sure about getting a BB gun, but hitting the targets is actually kind of fun! Thank you!"

"You're welcome, sweetie. Happy birthday."

Suddenly, Miyuki heard an insectile clicking sound. She turned around and saw a cockroach the size of a small dog skittering across the floor in front of the targets. She shrieked. "W-What is that?!" The mutant insect turned to face her and moved in her direction.

"That's a radroach, Miyuki! Take care of it with your BB gun!" Yukari shouted.

Miyuki took two panicked shots at the radroach, both missed. The roach was getting closer, and Yukari readied herself to step in if it got to close to Miyuki.

"Don't panic, Miyuki! You can do it!"

Miyuki took a breath and carefully aimed as she did before. She fired, hitting the roach's abdomen and causing it to stumble. She pumped the lever and fired again, hitting the roach square in he head this time. The roach dropped dead, its legs still twitching.

Miyuki gasped in excitement. "I got it! I really got it!" she exclaimed.

Yukari eyesmiled. "Good job, Miyuki! That's one less radroach to deal with. Let's get a picture together and capture the moment." She stood next to Miyuki and turned around. "Jonas, get a picture of me with the big game hunter!"

Jonas nodded and produced a camera. "Smile!" he said as he lifted the camera to his face.

Miyuki smiled wide as the flashbulb ignited, filling her eyes with a glaring light.

Miyuki blinked repeatedly, as she had all those years ago at the party, trying to force away the flash-blindness. Through the wall of white, she thought she saw a blur of dark blue hastily leaving the room, but she attributed it to her imagination.

Odd, she thought, Why can I see the camera flash if I'm awake now?

She soon dismissed it, though, and attempted to stretch her arms. As she started to move, however, she realized that Konata was still clinging to her and sleeping peacefully. It was still dark, so Miyuki settled back down and went back to sleep as well.

Author's Notes: A quick note on Konyuki fluff. If you do not like Konyuki/yuri/romance in general, then good news. This is not a love story. That sleeping together bit was put in because both Konata and myself like to tease, and the fluff immediately thereafter was put in because I want to build a kind of sisterly bond between the two. That's the way I see the Lucky Star girls, as sisters rather than lovers, and my writing will reflect that. That said, however, if you do like Konyuki/yuri/romance, then you're not entirely left out either. Little moments like the above will show up occasionally, and Konata, being Konata, will continue to tease from time to time. And if you really like yuri, then you can look forward to *SPOILER* Hiyori's fantasies. Those should be fun to write. But that's still a ways off yet.

Now a note on story flow. As you likely noticed, this chapter does not have much action at all, unlike the previous one, and it is likely to stay this way for about, oh say... three, maybe four more chapters. If you like the action, then sorry, but as any Fallout player knows, there are times for shooting and times when you have to run around town talking to everyone. Fallout players also know that there is quite a bit to be done in Megaton, but have patience. The action will come back when it is time. I feel I should warn the Lucky Star fans, however, that staying in Megaton for the sake of plot and character development has one other side effect: no other Lucky Star characters are introduced here. Well, that's not entirely right, two others are introduced, but our heroines don't actually meet them. While this may cause some dismay, it's for the sake of proper plot pacing. Rest assured, every Lucky Star character has a distinct place in the world and a unique role in the plot, and another is introduced shortly after the girls leave Megaton. So in short, just have patience and let the story unfold.

One last thing. In case it wasn't clear, that part about the birthday party was Miyuki flashing back while dreaming, and it was part of the Fallout 3 tutorial.

There, I am done. If you find any problems or mistakes in my writing, then please let me know so I can improve.