The great switch
Rel 1.1
By Pizzigri
Disclaimer: Urusei Yatsura and all characters (C) Rumiko Takahashi, Shogakukan/Kitty.
The transfiguration is complete. Realization dawns in both teenagers, and untold secrets between them unfold, shedding light over murking darkness, revealing each other's true selves.
Please do comment, and maybe I can learn to write a bit better next time. Thank you!
Chapter 4
…
"LumMMOOoohh!"
A hulking and towering creature, with a black striped orange body, resembling some weird cross breed between a cow and a great feline, rushes forth with no regard for those standing in its path, his objective clear: the woman everyone believes to be Lum.
"Rei?"
Ataru jumps clear of the savage and craving creature's grasp, as Benten's surprised expression very rapidly turns into rage.
"Who the hell allowed HIM in MY party?"
Rei manages to follow Ataru in flight, jumping aloft then bouncing off a wall and tackling him midair, wrapping his paws around Ataru's body; they both land after a somersault and in a moment, Rei's bulk deflates and disappears, leaving in its wake an incredibly handsome green haired man in his early twenties.
"Lum."
Rei's calm, deep and warm voice mesmerizes Ataru.
The tackle turns to a strong and firm, yet gentle and warm, embrace and he cannot escape the Oni intense and hypnotic gaze.
By all that's holy and sacred…! He's gorgeous!
Rei's right hand soothingly glides in slow circles on Ataru's naked small of the back, stirring unknown emotions in him, while the young Oni shapeshifter's left hand caresses softly the hair on the back of Ataru's head.
Ataru protectively keeps his arms up between their chests, his hands balled in fists kept next to his bosom. He blushes, while his heart beats wildly.
Totally entranced, his mind a blank, Ataru cannot turn away as Rei slowly draws in to kiss him.
"Rei, you fuckin' retard, what the hell are you doin' here!"
Benten's scream breaks the spell. A vivid image of himself, earnestly smiling and holding up his right hand in a V sign flashes up in Ataru's mind.
No! Lum!
Back to his senses, Ataru reacts immediately, sending an energy bolt through the body of the Oni shapeshifter so strong the immense dancing hall's lighting is briefly subdued by its brilliance. The roar of the discharge echoes in the whole palace.
Ataru, his right hand on his chest and panting heavily, glares on to the charred and twitching Tigercow on the floor. Wrath and rage are not enough to describe what he feels now, as shame and embarrassment fuels his fury even more.
"He.. he dared make me feel like… Gods, oh Gods, how could I… for this ANIMAL!"
Another lightning, stronger than the first. Rei writhes briefly, and then stands still.
"Hey! Stop that! I'll take care of him, I understand how you feel, Lum, but that's enough!"
Benten tries to calm down Ataru, while a medical squad escorted by quite a few armed soldiers rapidly carry away the smoldering creature.
The music promptly resumes, and most of the guests witness to the quarrel comment to each other in awe at Ataru's display of power. Many are secretly very aroused by the show and dream of privately subduing and… taming Lum, having their way with the beautiful Oni.
"Lum? Are you all right? Striking Luck, kitten, I'm so sorry. I didn't invite Rei, no idea how he got wind of the party! Come on, let me get you somethin' to drink."
Ataru is still shaken by what happened. He almost yielded to Rei's avances. To a man! A MAN!
Shit, this is getting serious, I'm really scared now, we have NOT simply switched bodies! I mean, I can't… uh, shouldn't… be attracted to other men, but I thought of Lum, and… she popped up in my mind with MY face! As a… male! And Rei…Hey, I thought that Lum was immune to his power!
Cold sweat beads his forehead. A shade paler than white, he addresses Benten in a shaky voice.
"Benten… I need to sit down! I feel dizzy… Ugh! I want to throw up!"
Benten offers a crystal flute to Ataru.
"Here, here! Baby, take it easy! Drink this, it'll make you feel better."
Ataru regains some color in his face. The slurry drink flavor is quite dull and only slightly salty, but gives him a pleasant warmth in his body.
"what… is this?"
"Uh? It's supposed to be one of your favorite drinks, it's based on Earth's Umezu. Maybe it's not prepared right?"
Umezu! Right, Lum gets drunk eating Umeboshi!
"R-R-Right, Benten… no, it's OK. I am still shaken by what Rei did! Sorry."
Benten chuckles merrily.
"Good girl! Just forget about it. Now that you're cool, let's have some fun! And don't worry, I'll tight up security. I'd like to introduce you to some friends you may like!"
Benten throws the very large, and now empty, glass of liquor she gulped down hard on the floor, and wraps her fingers on Ataru's hand. Ataru resignedly allows himself to float as the strong Goddess of Luck cheerfully tows him to the dancing floor.
…
Roughly a quarter of an hour since Rei's incident, an incensed redhead girl marches down the hall, scantily clad in a very provoking pink metal bikini, with shiny grey metal collar and forearms and matching Stiletto boots.
She possesses elflike earlobes, vampire fangs are obvious in her tense grin and her eyes are blood red.
Ran!
'Tightened security' is nothing but a joke for the Q'aari native.
A small group of grey skinned and extremely well built humanoids with shiny platinum manes vainly try to flirt with an embarrassed Ataru, their clicking language discreetly translated by his earrings into Japanese (Ataru's native language, automatically detected by the devices), a must since the immense variety of different languages used throughout the Quadrant.
He's standing next to the dancing floor, where creatures from every possible race are having a good time, alone since Benten briefly left to properly welcome the Nth delegation of alien dignitaries.
Ataru notices the redhead approaching and dismisses his peers, turning to heartedly smile to the familiar face.
"Hi, Ran-chan! Am I glad to see you! How are-"
"Shush and come with me."
She gracelessly grabs Ataru's wrist and yanks him to a slightly more private corner of the hall. Her voice is livid.
"Now, now, Lum-chan what is this idea? So it is true, you really did decide to come party! Isn't this surprising."
"Uh, it's not what it seems, I mean, I…"
"Shut up, bitch! I followed poor Rei-kun here, as soon as I got news of this… celebration. You swore to me you never attended Benten's parties, and the one, single time I drop by to stop Rei from doing something stupid, not only I find him pounded to a pulp. Nope, I actually discover that the one person that shouldn't have been here in the first place did it! You lied to me! I should have known it."
"Hey, wait a minute here, Ran! You're making a mistake!"
"Oohh. So, I'm making a mistake…"
Ran's chilling voice gives Ataru the Goosebumps.
"No, Lum. There's no mistake! At long last, you finally show your true colors. All your talk about Darling… 'I love him so much, he's my only love, I can't live without him', well, it's all bullshit! Bullshit!"
Ran's eyes bore into Ataru as if she could kill him by just glaring him.
"You merrily came here to cheat on him. You came here to score…!"
She claps her hands and laughs madly.
"Hahaha, now isn't this a totally unexpected turn of events!"
"Ran…"
The redhead gracefully twirls on herself, as if dancing, to face Ataru again, a charming smile on her face, the tone of her voice disturbingly cute.
"Oohh, yes… This is going to be so-o-o sweet…"
Ataru shakes his head. She's totally crazy!
Ran hisses: "Let me tell you this, bitch. By the Great Swamps, I'll savor enlightening Darling about you. Telling him what a whore you are! Describing in painstaking and spicy detail how you conceded yourself here. How you're just like him! He's going to love it. And maybe, I'll kiss him and suck every single iota of life out of him! Oh, how he'll suffer…! Little Ran-chan will finally have her sweet revenge!"
Ataru's jaw hits the floor. He manages to whisper: "Revenge…?"
"What are you, nuts, or something? Yeah, revenge, for what you did! Since we were kids! For all the spankings, abuse and punishments I got from your schemes, since I always took the blame! Then, for playing the Alpha chick, always showing off how utterly, filthy rich you are around me! And to top it off, for taking my only love, Rei, away from me! So, I'll take away your Darling from you, so we're going to be even! So there!"
An evil gale of laughter escapes her. Ataru listened, totally bewildered, to the redhead's rant with increasing exasperation, and now surprise and annoyance are replaced with cold irritation and rage.
"Ran, maybe you're forgetting something?"
"What?"
"You are throwing all this shit right in my face."
"That's right!" Ran lets out another evil laugh.
"Right. So, you really expect me to just stand here… and let you get away with it?"
Ran stops laughing. She just noticed the fire burning in Ataru's eyes. Against her will, she finds herself stepping back.
"Uh… w-w-wait a moment… Lum-chan…?"
…
A few minutes later, Benten finds Ataru cheerfully sipping another drink in the VIP area, a smirk on his slightly flushed face. A few flutes are already empty on the amazingly luxurious granite table next to him.
"Lum baby, I see you're finally enjoying yourself!"
Ataru faces Benten, his smirk turning to an evil smile, thinking about the beat up and passed out redhead shoved down the garbage chute.
A deep breath.
"Oh, yeah, I feel SO much better, now."
…
Sunday morning, around half past eight; Lum wakes up in the closet.
She slept in it to feel protected. Darling did not come home last night, and she quietly sobbed until she surrendered to sleep.
Lum slips out of the even more cramped space she remembered, of course Darling's body is quite bigger, stirring and standing up; a short stop to the bathroom, loudly yawning. She can't help having a brief, cold shower, too.
Lum's a lot more comfortable with Darling's body, and does not feel so embarrassed of it and it's… peculiarities anymore, but, it's really a difficult task trying to ignore all the gorgeous naked girls that seem to constantly dance in the back of her mind whenever she relaxes a bit…
Yeah… especially if you wake up quite aroused and with a hard… uhm. Hmmm. Yeah, I'd better try to forget tonight's dream.
The day is beautiful, and the air has cooled off considerably thanks to the little rain that drizzled during the night.
Actually, Lum feels like everything she endured just the day before truly happened years ago. A subtle sadness permeates her being, however.
Divine Dragons, I do feel much better.
Breakfast: Lum sits at the table suffering as if she hasn't fed herself for months.
Fuel! I need fuel, energy!
She assaults the food on the table, wolfing down as much as she can, while her Mother in Law screams and tries to make her back off whipping around a kitchen paddle, while father hides behind another newspaper.
Lum remains silent, trying to ignore all the insults and scolding, focusing instead on a primal necessity… feeding.
An unquenchable need to escape, to be free from this household, this family, their dominating indifference, rises within herself once sated. To be ultimately free from the miserable, oppressive life she experienced for less than a DAY.
But, none the less, she can't take it anymore.
Freedom! I need to be FREE!
Lum abruptly leaps up from the table. Without a word, she jumps in her shoes at the entrance, as Ataru's mother loudly curses her son. She starts running as soon as she closes the house door behind her. Another primal necessity, and she marvels at how basic the needs driving Ataru's complex and multifaceted mind seems to be.
…
Lum heads for the park, jogging at a comfortable pace, the exercise and the air in her face making her feel even better.
As she passes by, a few girls scatter, yelling "Watch out! Moroboshi's on the loose again!" A very worried old woman protectively picks up her six years old granddaughter. A frightened girl flattens herself against a wall, her purse in front of her for defense.
She turns to grant them her widest and happiest 32 toothed smile, waving her hand, not at all disturbed by the odd reaction she seems to bring out of everyone she meets.
Some distance down to road, Lum slows down, the jogging turns to a walk. A girl she knows from Moroboshi's family neighborhood passes by. She curiously finds her very attractive. She smiles at her and for some reason she's compelled to say simply "Hi, gorgeous! How are you?"
The girl stops and slaps viciously Lum in the face. "You slimy, lecherous pervert! I told you to never dare talk to me again!"
Glancing at the incensed girl running away with a deep blush, Lum touches her stinging cheek, dumbfounded.
This is crazy. I only said hi. What is her problem? Ahh, who cares.
She starts looking at all the girls in the park, her hands behind her head, a wide smile on her face.
Lum's gaze glides along the curves of each beautiful girl around her.
Ohh, take a look at that magnificent bosom. Wow, that backside! Uh! This one's got white panties under her skirt!
A pair of jade eyes attracts her attention. The girl passes by, in a very tight running outfit, her ponytail whipping. A whiff of the girl's scent reaches Lum. Mmhh-aahh!
Walking girls, running girls, girls doing exercises… what a sight. Girls, girls, girls.
Many just ignore her. A few more stare back, disgusted of her attention. A couple actually smile back.
Excitement grips her! Lum starts walking towards the smirking girls. Hey those babes smiled back! Maybe I could ask them…
All of a sudden, the thought strikes her.
I… I am looking at girls! Women! I can't believe it, I am actually thinking to hit on them!
What about Darling?
Maybe he's doing the same…
She pictures herself, blue eyes, golden horns and green hair, turning her head and smiling beautifully to… herself. Her mind now actually identifies her own features with Ataru.
Darling? But, she's a male! No, he's in my body, so now she's a… no… wait…
Confusion and chaos in her head.
While Lum struggles to think rationally, she's already in front of one of the girls that smiled to her.
A graceful and petite brunette, her hair tied in a ponytail and with a sexy body, in a school uniform. Many girls like to dress with a Seifuku even on Sundays. The words come out almost in automatic.
"Hi! You are such a gorgeous beauty, so refreshing… I could not help but talk to you! My name..."
A heavenly giggle and a bright smile interrupts her.
"Ah, but I know just who you are, Ataru-kun! Stop making fun at me and pretending to hit on me."
A revelation that crashes on Lum like an eighteen wheel Mack truck. Suspicion and distrust immediately seep in her mind.
This woman knows Darling? Who the hell is this girl? So, Darling… cheated on me?
"Come on, Ataru-kun. I'll treat you to tea and pastry, this morning. Seriously, this time! Promise!"
Lum mechanically follows the stranger, her mind frantically trying to process this new information, to a familiar looking teahouse nearby.
A little later, both teenagers are sitting one on front of the other, at a table next to the glass window of the teahouse.
"So, how is it going with your alien Demon girlfriend, have you found the courage, yet?"
"Uh…? I… well, you know…"
"Oh, OK. Don't tell me. Same as ever! Pass me another cookie, please?"
The girl giggles softly, then slowly and gracefully sips her tea, occasionally staring into Lum's dark eyes.
Lum replies with a dumb smile.
The girls wolves down another pastry. She calls the waiter and orders another tray.
Then she chuckles to herself, looking down.
"It's funny, a few minutes ago, in the park… for a moment, I almost fell for it, I mean, like you did not know me. You reminded me of when we first met, a couple months ago. I really don't know why I did not slap you senseless then! I mean, you… you groped me! I really wanted to resort to ultimate violence, you know? Instead, I stared at your eyes… and burst crying on your shoulder. Christ, that was some scene."
After a moment of silence, in which she absently nibbles on yet another large cookie, the girl continues.
"And you changed your attitude completely. Dropping your mask…"
Lost in her thoughts, the unknown girl looks outside the window, to the people walking by. Lum shifts uncomfortably on the chair, unable to break the silence.
"You know, Ataru-kun, what has given me the strength to live on? What allowed me to bear the immense loss of my parents, to that drunk truck driver, so suddenly and early in my life, just days before we met?"
She turns back to Lum, her eyes watering, a grateful light shining through, a sweet treat in her hand.
Lum stammers.
"Er…"
"You. Your love for life… you taught me that any life, no matter how miserable, is worth living. You taught me that to have known loving parents is better to have never known them, or worse, to have parents that do not love you. At least, to have a cherished memory… I… was going to lose it… But… you…"
The girl sniffles, at a loss for words. Gazing at the table and at the empty pastry trays, she softly reaches for Lum's right hand.
"Ataru-kun…"
The girl squeezes Lum's hand. Then, she looks right up to her.
"Good Lord, I wish that the alien slut didn't have so much control over your life. I really wish… I could be…!"
Lum tenses. Something in her eyes darkens considerably, and she clenches her jaw.
The girl notices it. She lets Lum's hand go, and recoils, frightened.
"My God, I apologize! I'm so sorry! Please, forgive me, pretend I didn't say that! I… I wish you find true happiness with the one you love!"
The girl stands up, bows low, and runs away, tears in her eyes.
Lum is flabbergasted for a second, following with her confused gaze the graceful frame of the unknown girl running out of the teahouse, then snaps back to the present and stands up, her chair falling back.
"Wait!"
Before she can take another step, though, a towering figure moves in her way.
"Ah-hem!"
A large woman stands in front of the door, her arms crossed.
"I 'pologize, but… Ya have ta pay the bill."
"But… but, that girl, she said she was treating me!"
"Yeah, sure… ev'ry single time you two come here ya say that. Now, cough up the dough!"
Lum looks at the outrageous amount of yen written on the bill handed to her, and all of a sudden pictures herself as a giant lollipop with the word "SUCKER" printed on it.
Where did she put all that stuff, anyway? She even ate my pastries!
Lum searches her empty pants pockets, in a futile attempt to retrieve nonexistent money.
"Uh, ehm… aahh, maybe I forgot my wallet home, and…"
Lum shyly smiles, while the Landlady jeers: "Oh, my. Ain't that sad."
…
Minutes later, Lum walks back towards the park with her hands in her pockets. She managed to escape the landlady's wrath, but she's still upset because of the nameless girl.
This nameless girl…
She can't help thinking about how Darling helped the ghost of Nozomi-chan, a few months back. Lum never, ever dared talk about it again… She felt so jealous at the time. Envious of a ghost… But she must admit that it was the final proof of how gallant and noble Darling's heart truly is.
The scarf Nozomi-chan knitted for him in the hospital before dying is still cherished and treasured in his middle drawer, the one where he keeps his prized clothing. Right next to the tigerstriped one Lum gave him the first Christmas they both attended on Earth.
And what about Imo-chan, the big worm that turned into a gorgeous fairy. Darling fought the whole school, that time!
Divine Dragons, it happened so many times, it should have given me enough hints. There's no reason to doubt that girl's words; Darling really just helped her in a time of need. He's got a golden heart.
Lum stops at the edge of the park.
And I was going to get angry because I thought that he cheated on me…
She fiddles with her fingers nervously, her gaze lost to the horizon, totally immersed in her thoughts.
All the while I was the one hitting on… girls… good gracious…
Sadness, shame and guilt fall down on Lum, like thin and cold autumn rain, permeating her.
D-Darling… Will you come back, ever come back to me?
…
A loud, metallic, clanging noise attracts her attention, shaking her from her thoughts. She looks back to the entrance of the park. From behind a corner, a Leopard 1A4 tank rolls towards her, stopping a few feet away, the 105mm rifled barrel of the main gun trained at her face.
Mendo jumps down from the turret and confronts Lum. His precious sword held in his left hand, correctly carried with the blade up.
"Moroboshi. I have been informed from authoritative and reliable source that you have brought great harm to Lum-sama."
"I don't know what are you talking about, Shuu-chan."
"How dare you use such an intimate title to address me! What have you done to Lum-sama!"
His voice is harsh. The tone frightens Lum. She is not protected, she does not have flight, she cannot defend herself with her lightning!
"Shuutaro, wait! I can explain. You see this ring? I…"
"You again bring that ring up? Moroboshi, I had enough of your blabbering."
Mendo unsheathes his sword and in one elegant and blindingly fast downward arc movement slashes Lum. She reacts at amazing speed, blocking the blade between her palms, an automatic defense totally independent from her will.
"You will not escape your due, this time, Moroboshi!"
Mendo forces down against her with formidable strength, wielding the sword with both hands.
Lum is silently screaming, no sound coming out, as she realizes the incredible danger Darling plays with, every time he provokes Mendo in slashing him!
"Do not resist, and have the decency to die!"
She does not have enough experience to consciously restrain or avert Mendo's blade further, and she loses her balance, falling to slam one knee to the ground.
The sword slips out of her palms and, suddenly free, snaps towards her neck.
Mendo realizes a fraction of a second too late that Lum recklessly allowed the blade to be free, and stops just as it bites into her flesh. Blood gushes from the wound; a few drops stain Mendo's immaculate white shirt. Mendo pales instantly, his face beaded with sweat, carefully retracting the weapon and sheathing it. He warily lays the sword on the ground, as today he exceptionally used his Meitou, and jumps to Lum, down on her knees, her right hand compressing the cut, blood slowly seeping through her fingers, a puzzled and fixed stare in her eyes.
"Ataru! Why did you let the blade free?"
She feels terribly dizzy and confused. "I… don't know, I didn't know what to do…"
Mendo turns to his Kuromegane.
"By the Holy Jimmu Tenno! I want immediate medical care here! Did you get that? Also, a heliambulance, and alert Juntendo Nerima hospital for a an ER treatment of a Mendo family member! NOW!"
Lum lays on her side on the ground now, curled in a ball, all energy drained from her. She's shocked, more than wounded; the cut is mostly superficial, thanks to Mendo's incredible control of his blade, but quite extensive, and there's fairly a lot of blood staining her clothes and on the ground. She did not expect such an attack. From the outside, Darling always seemed so in control, making it look simple and easy… catching Mendo's blade…
He could have killed me, so easily …
Her eyelids feel so heavy. Breathing slows down. Her pupils are dilated, and her skin is damp and cold.
Kneeling by Lum, Mendo tries desperately to shake her. "Ataru-kun, please, look at me! We are taking care of you, stay awake!"
Seconds later, paramedics start treating the wound on Lum's neck. A helicopter lands 60 feet from their location, and a complete reanimation team is on hold a few feet from her.
A medic waves salts under her nose.
She comes round. "W-what happened?"
"Ataru-kun, this time you really scared me. Why on earth did you allow the blade to be free? You had it steady in your palms, as always."
"Shuutaro? I… please, let me go, I need to go."
"No way my friend, we need to take you to the hospital. It is my responsibility, I wounded you. Besides, Lum-chan would kill me, if I'd let you go now."
"No… you don't understand. I cannot come with you, I need to wait for Darling… He must come back… for me. What… what if he doesn't find me?"
The world dances and shifts all around her.
"Ataru, you're not feeling all right. You are delusional and delirant, please allow us to help you."
The paramedics close in.
In an adrenaline surge, Lum jumps up. She scans her surroundings, appearing lost, spaced out. Her eyes are like those of an animal in a cage. She bolts away, dodging all the paramedics and Kuromegane as if they were simple statues and disappears, running as fast as she can.
"No! Ataru!"
Mendo screams after her, his open hand towards the running figure in a futile attempt to stop it.
...
-continues
Thank you for reading my story! Please comment and review, it is thanks to your feedback that I am encouraged to write new stories!
Notes:
Juntendo Nerima Hospital is Tokio Nerima ward University hospital. Yes, it really does exist.
Umezu: it's a salty brine byproduct in the process of pickling Umeboshi plums that has the same effect of alcohol on Lum.