The last chapter. This one might be a bit sad, but this is how I wanted to write it. Enjoy.
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Chapter 6: Saying Good-Bye
5:32 PM
Hinata Household
"I-I guess this is it," Keroro sniffled, standing in front of the basilisk. Keroro Junior was drooping. "Y-You have to g-g-go now. To your own planet. WAAAAHHHH!!"
Tears fell from Keroro's eyes as he hugged the serpent. "I'll miss you, Keroro Junior!"
The basilisk ducked down and laid its head on top of Keroro's head. Fuyuki, Natsumi, Giroro, and Aki watched this spectacle. Fuyuki had a knowing look when he gazed at the two. "So the basilisk really did love Sergeant," Fuyuki deduced. "Some parent-and-child pairings are a bit strange."
Natsumi's scowl melted at the sight of the two. "Maybe the stupid frog didn't do so badly this time," she smiled.
Giroro's back was turned to them, his face looking away. If you peered around the side of his head, you would see him crying, "So . . . so touching!"
Aki Hinata crouched down beside Keroro and laid her hand on his should. "Kero-chan. It's time to let Kero-chan Junior go."
Keroro rubbed his eyes with his hands before he was presented with a tissue from Aki. "Th-Thank you, General Mom," he sobbed. "It's just . . . so beautiful to see your children grow up and leave you . . . and yet so sad! WAAAAAAHHH!!"
Her eyes softened. "Be strong, Kero-chan." She straightened up to gaze on the basilisk. "I'm sorry that I didn't get a chance to get to know you better. Perhaps we'll meet again someday."
Keroro Junior stooped down, giving her a huge lick. As the tongue slid up her body, she giggled, "T-That tickles!"
The basilisk straightened up, looking toward the sky. A screech sounded from somewhere up high, and Keroro Junior responded with a piercing screech of his own. He crouched down, then flew up. His body undulated and rippled as he shot straight upward, a squiggly black line against the bright blue sky. Keroro waved his damp tissue after Keroro Junior, calling, "Come back and visit me sometime! I love you, Keroro Junior!"
There was one more screech before the black squiggle disappeared into the clouds. Keroro stopped waving, his arm dropping to his side. Tears leaked without end out of his eyes, running down his face. Aki noticed this and ran inside. She brought out a box of tissue this time and handed the box to Keroro. "You can have it," she assured.
He blew his nose loudly. "Thank you, General Mom. You truly are the most wonderful Pokopenian female in the world!"
"It must be hard, Kero-chan," Aki sighed, looking up at the sky. "To see your children leave you. I'm lucky that my kids are still with me, but in a few years . . . they'll leave, too. It seems like it was only yesterday when Kero-chan Junior was born."
"It was only yesterday that he was born, Mama," Natsumi pointed out.
"Oh, yes. Thank you, Natsumi." Aki glanced at Keroro, who was still sniffling. "We're going to go inside, Kero-chan. Do you need us to bring you anything?"
"No," Keroro replied, shaking his head. "I'll be fine."
Aki nodded and gathered Natsumi and Fuyuki. They stepped inside, leaving the door open behind themselves. Giroro shook himself out of his tearful state and went back into his tent as Keroro sat down.
He sat. And he sat. Hours passed, and the sky darkened as he gazed after Keroro Junior. Stars, distant pinpricks of light, shone like tiny lamps in the night, illuminating the black-blue sky. Several of the stars flickered on and off, as if they were undecided whether to shine or not. The moon gazed serenely down on the Earth, casting its soft radiance across the planet. Keroro watched the sky for all those hours, and he eventually stopped sobbing. Used, balled-up tissues were piled up around himself, creating a virtual wall of tissues.
'Keroro Junior . . . you've grown up so quickly,' Keroro thought. 'Just yesterday, you were building Gunpla with me and today, you're going away to your own planet. I'm sad, but I'm proud at the same time. Maybe this is what is means to be a mother . . . to raise your children the best you can and hope that they can make it on their own when they have to leave. But even if you're gone, I'll always remember you . . . Keroro Junior!'
Tamama peeked around the side of the house, his face crumpled in disappointment. 'Somehow, I feel like I can't be jealous,' Tamama thought. 'I know that Sergeant-san loves the Death Serpent a lot, and I should be jealous of it, but I'm not. I'm just not, somehow. I can't bring myself to be jealous of it. Let's see . . . that woman! She always spends her time fawning over my Sergeant-san! She makes me so angry that I . . . I . . . TAMAMA IMPACT!!"
A beam of bright yellow energy shot into the wall around the Hinata house. It made a huge hole that sizzled at the edges, tendrils of smoke drifting off of it. Tamama panted, the veins in his eyes popping. He breathed slower after a few seconds, looking ashamed. "Nachi's going to be mad at me," Tamama squeaked as he ran away. "I'm sorry, Nachi!!"
"What was that?!" Natsumi demanded, popping out of the backyard door. She noticed Keroro, who was still sitting there. "What are you still doing here, stupid frog?"
Keroro didn't answer.
Natsumi's expression softened, then she turned away. "Not that I care or anything, but . . . are you okay, stupid frog?"
She peeked out of the corner of her eye at Keroro. He slumped down for a moment, then stood up shakily. His legs wobbled as he leaned against the wall. Steadying himself, Keroro stepped cautiously towards Natsumi. "No . . .," Keroro replied, his voice cracking, ". . . I'm not okay. But I will be."
He stumbled inside and past Fuyuki, who was reading a book on the couch. Fuyuki looked up as Keroro passed, inquiring, "Eh? Sergeant?"
Keroro tottered down the hall, falling down the ladder. He forced himself to get back up and push his door open. Keroro fell onto his bed, falling asleep immediately. Natsumi peeked through his door at him. As she watched him snore, her usually hardened facial expression relaxed into a gentle smile. She stepped inside, lifting the blanket and tucking Keroro in. He mumbled something as he turned to the other side. Natsumi whispered, "Good night, stupid frog."
He muttered, "Natsumi-dono, don't kill me."
"I won't kill you," Natsumi replied. "Not this time."
She closed the door behind herself with a soft click and walked back up to the living room. "Hey, sis, is Sergeant okay?" Fuyuki questioned.
Natsumi shook her head. "No, he isn't okay. But . . ." She looked out of the glass door. "He will be."
A distant star twinkled, and they heard the echoes of a familiar screech.
The End
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It may be hard to let things go,
but a person's true strength is shown
when they must part with something.
Everything must leave home eventually.
Crystal Blossoms
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This is the end of Egg of Doom. I have a general idea of my next fanfic, and I'm almost done wrangling the plot out and coming up with more funny moments (it's going to be a comedy!). Till then, may peace watch over you all. Please review.