Chapter Disclaimer: I do not own Excel-Saga. Thought they deserve another chance since the Sci-Fi episode.
Night 6
Who knew the night before everyone departs back to their own dimensions would there be such a scene? Something abducted Ash, Kari, Edward, Nodoka, Luna, Mesousa and Larvitar. Serena, TK, Pikachu and Patamon only caught a glimpse of what just happened, dashing back to warn the others. "Guys!" he yelled as they slammed the door open. Everyone there corked their heads to the two.
"What's wrong, TK?" Darrien wondered. Won't the news be pleasant.
"Something took some of our friends!" Patamon yelled. A chorus of gasps. No one wanted to hear about something abducting people they knew.
"Do you know who or what were taken?" Shinji asked. A reflection to the moment had TK remember seeing those below, not above.
"I did see Ed and Nodoka and two of the creatures," he recalled. "There were two others higher up but I didn't see who they were." Winry and Negi instantly feared the worst. Neither Misty or Pikachu were aware of Ash and Larvitar being taken. Ichigo had an idea to figure who's still on the island.
"Everyone return to your rooms!" he ordered. "We'll know who's here and who's not. InuYasha, can you help me look over the island to see if they've gone somewhere?" Ichigo theorized that they were taken somewhere eyes don't normally look like the cavern Emma took TK and Nia. InuYasha already counted Kagome and Kilala present and Ichigo's friend, Orihime, was in the room.
"Yeah, count me in!" InuYasha accepted. As everyone returned to their rooms, someone should contact the front desk to alert the hosts, Ichigo and InuYasha split up to search the islands. However, they weren't on the island. Instead, they were in a much colder setting inside something metallic...and black. Ash, Kari, Edward, Nodoka, Larvitar, Mesousa and Luna laid unconscious. For a while, no one moved a muscle. However, Larvitar stirred. Back on his feet, he saw the humans as something above with yellow eyes watched from the ceiling. Larvitar's first concern was Ash.
("Ash, get up!") he hollered. ("Something's not right!") Ash woke to Larvitar's screeching. As he opened his eyes, he saw the others, including Kari wrapped around his shoulders. He sat up and cradled Kari in his arms, limp like a rag doll. He remembered before going up, she kissed him. He thumbed Kari's cheek, massaging her face. The massage tickled Kari awake. Opening her eyes, she saw Ash. A soft smile warmed his emotion.
"A-Ash?" she weakly murmured. Cheeks red as cherries and worry of a child missing her parents, she wrapped her arms like a snake's body around its prey. Tears trickled. She was afraid. Ash mercifully cuddled Kari to calm her down. Larvitar smiled at the two.
("I guess this is what love's about, huh") Hearing Larvitar, Edward came around...and not one who wanted to be awakened so suddenly.
"What the hell was that?!" he snapped loudly. His yell alerted Nodoka, Luna and Mesousa. Man, he needs to calm down more often. Then again, the group were taken against their collective will so he has all the reasons to complain.
"You okay, Ed?" Ash asked.
"No! I'm somewhere away from Al and now from Winry and everyone else! How am I supposed to be okay?!" Edward took a deep breath and examined the scene with Ash and Kari. "Okay, you two, Get a room before I get sick." Sick by jealousy? Ash focused on Kari's condition.
"Can you stand?" Kari nodded and both rose to their feet. Now the focus should be their site.
"Does anyone know where we are?" Kari asked. Nodoka received a hint from moving stars, having her look out a window nearby. What she saw gave her a huge shock: there's a planet below them. A yelp had all turn to her. "Nodoka?" Her paling face wasn't good news.
"We're...above the island," she hesitated. "I mean...far above." The others tried to understand Nodoka.
"What the hell do you mean 'far above'?" Edward demanded more information. Sometimes, the best thing to say is just a few words.
"We're...in...outer space." Then again, coming straight may result in outrageous reactions.
"WHAT?!" gasped the others. No one could believe they were in orbit, far above Earth, let alone the island. Then came an interesting discovery: the air control. No one was suffocating.
"It seems the climate aboard whatever we're on is set to allow living organisms to live," Luna observed. "We're all breathing in this so we should be fine in regard to our location." Knowing that their area was safe, all eased down. That's when Luna noticed Mesousa acting somewhat peculiarly.
"This ship..." he hushed. "Why do I have a feeling like I've been here before?" Nostalgia filled the bunny's mind.
"I beg your pardon?" Something on the vessel irked Mesousa.
"I-I don't know. This is the first time being on here...yet I feel like I've been here before." The humans tried to make sense of Mesousa's issue. He hasn't been on this spaceship before but yet feels familiar. Huh? Ash chose to forgo the puzzle and plot a course.
"We need to find a way off of this ship," Ash pointed out. "The best way is splitting up so that we can look for it faster." All agreed to the idea.
"I'll take Larvitar and Mesousa down this corridor," Luna offered, focused on the hall behind them.
"Ash, Kari, go that way," Nodoka ordered. "Ed and I can take this path." Edward hiccuped at Nodoka's suggestion.
"Why should we go down one way and those two go another?" he questioned. "I mean, we saw the two making love before we were abducted. Why can't you take her and me go with Ash?" Hearing what those two did in secrecy made Ash groan. Witnesses to love, was there really any need?
"Look, blame Asuka, blame Serena, blame whoever wanted me to wear those angel wing attachments that went with this swimsuit," Kari muttered. "I'm actually glad I came out and admitted my feelings to Ash." The named person blushed in some embarrassment. Dude, take it to heart! He refocused on the task at hand.
"You two gonna be okay?" he asked in concern. Nodoka nodded. "Alright, if we find someway to contact each other, do so." On that exchange, they broke toward their paths. Minutes passed. The cold steel did not feel good to Ash or Kari, barefoot since they were taken from the beach. "If I knew something like this was gonna happen, I'd bring my shoes with me. The floor feels like ice." Kari would relate.
"At least I'm not the only one complaining about the floor." The two found a door and hitting a green button on a control pad, the door opened. There, the Earth was on-screen. Seats strewn around the room. Lights, scales, monitors, buttons...the room seemed to be the main control of everything. "I'm not a sci-fi girl but I'm thinking this is the bridge." Ash sat on a chair in the center. The chair had a built-in control panel on the armrests where he messed with the buttons.
"Let's hope one of these makes contact with those below." Each key Ash pressed, the panel changed. "Come on..." Finally, one tap of a key gave him access to the resort. Two key presses later, a ringing. The front screen switched from the view of the Earth to Ash's and Misty's room. Misty turned the monitor on in the room, excited to see Ash okay.
"Ash!" she cheered. Hearing his name called, Pikachu and Togepi checked the monitor to make sure.
"Hey, guys!" Pikachu happily breathed a sigh of relief. Togepi chirped like this was nothing.
"Where are you? TK and Serena said they saw Ed and Nodoka being taken."
"Yeah, Kari and me too, as well as Luna, Mesousa and Larvitar." The update didn't sit too well for Pikachu. He wanted to make sure Ash could get down safely from where they sat or stood.
"Misty, tell the others that we'll be back on Earth as soon as we can," Kari advised. Their collective plan: escape.
"I can do that," she agreed. "You guys be careful." The screen switched back to the view of Earth. Now, it was just Ash and Kari alone. That would last a little while. In stormed several human-like beings. They had fins on top of its saucer-styled head with different color eyes. All pointed what looked like rifles. They surrounded the humans. Kari feared what they would do to them, hoping someone would come and save them. Ash stood his ground, ready to defend Kari.
"Captain, what do you want done with them?" a green-eyed being asked the red-eyed one. Wait, they can talk English?
"First off, hold your fire," Captain ordered. "We're in violation of the Galactic Federations bylines considering direct contact with the test subject's related species. Though I am wondering how the species managed to reach here." Kari awed the conversation among these beings.
"I guess there are intelligent life forms beyond Earth," she joked. Ash could care less. However, an idea on resolving the matter popped up.
"Maybe you can tell us why you needed to watch us," he ordered. Captain peered at Ash, not sure if he should answer or keep quiet.
"That is information which is not permitted to be shared by those not partnered with the Galactic Federation," he denied. This was going nowhere fast.
"Well, it would help if you didn't keep bringing it up every other day!" the green-eyed associate snapped. This wasn't an argument worth joining. Ash chose to go right to the point.
"Then tell us why we were brought on this ship?" he asked. The aliens gawked. Something's not right and those aliens were acting as if they were an innocent party.
"Hold on...you mean that you didn't get here on your own?" Ash and Kari shook their heads. None of the aliens wanted to take responsibility for this debacle.
"There may be a way to decide their honesty," Captain theorized. "Let's bring the Or-lingual over here." The green-eyed associate did not like where this was going.
"Captain, are you serious? The last time we used it, it overheated and malfunctioned, sending the children into a synchronized dream!" Captain knew the risk.
"We won't be needing it for any longer than 15 minutes. Besides, what else could there be?" Captain with the worst words to say. Sirens wailed across the ship. Even the humans knew this was trouble.
"You were saying?" Kari mocked. All turned to see another spaceship approaching. This one looked to have a yellow bear with some sort of beaters as a cross at the helm. Edward and Nodoka regrouped to see the new craft. The associate detected something from a different monitor.
"Communication lines active, Captain," he reported. "Our new arrivals wanna talk." A negotiation?
"Put it on-screen," he commanded. The screen switched again, showing little yellow teddy bears wearing pink diapers along with a pink teddy bear with blond hair and a black soldier uniform. Something's amiss. That's when pink teddy bear's face disfigured, almost looking human.
"Ah, the Galactic Federation Research Fleet," he sneered. "Still keeping your eyes on that little girl?" Captain wasn't amused, more annoyed with the bear's animosity.
"What's it to you, Puchuu Overlord?!" The pink Puchuu snickered.
"Why are you so obsessed with understanding humans via one child? Has it ever dawned on you that your mission to study just that child has no merit to anything in the future?" The humans didn't know what to say or act on. Who was this child these aliens were observing? Why did they need to go after this child when there's more than enough to help their research?
"Yeah, and what about you? Why come into our business?" Overlord's cackled meant evil.
"Easy, federation scholars: take over the world!" A wave of his paw and the guns mounted on the ships hull fired. Each shot of laser, bullet or something out of this world tagged the primary ship. Each hit rocked the ship and nearly threw everyone on the floor. Ash and Kari huddled along each other.
"Doesn't this thing have weapons to shoot back?!" Edward complained.
"No, this is a carrier!" the associate corrected. No weapons? Everyone was doomed until Larvitar entered the bridge. Ash had an idea.
"Ed, can you create a loudspeaker?" he asked. Why would Ash want with a loudspeaker? Seeing Larvitar and remembering what he can do, Edward grinned.
"One loudspeaker, coming up!" he announced. A clap of his hands and slamming them to the floor, sparks crackled from around Ed and beneath the ship as it faced the Puchuu cruiser defending Earth. Out sprung a giant loudspeaker. The Overlord could only wonder what something like that could do. He never thought about what the vessel he attacked had.
"Cover your ears, everyone!" Easy for the aliens to do. Everyone shielded their ears as Ash presented a microphone to Larvitar. "Okay, Larvitar...Use Screech!" Larvitar hiccuped at the request. His Screech attacks have caused problems. However, Ash nodded. This was okay as he braced his ears. Oh, were the Puchuu in for this. Larvitar screamed into the microphone and the loudspeaker transmitted the Screech which pumped out sound waves. The waves blasted the Puchuu ship and considering how loud it sounded, those evil teddy bears couldn't stand the noise. It was so bad, ears exploded and the Puchuus dropped like flies dead. Little Pokémon, dangerous weapon. Then a collection of explosions struck the ship all over. Such a powerful Screech attack.
"They...had a secret...this whole time?!" Overlord cried in pain. The ripples shook the controls out of whack and somehow, a "Self-Destruct" program activated. The power of voice happens to be stronger than anticipated or that could be one heck of a loudspeaker Edward transmuted. The program's countdown entered the last ten seconds. "No! My dreams of conquest...ruined by a harmless vessel? Blasphemy!" Hard to argue but it's the truth. The countdown read zeros across the monitor. Time's up! KABOOM! A huge explosion devastated and demolished the Puchuu ship. There was nothing left of the enemy fleet. Larvitar stopped his Screech and everyone removed their ears. All looked at the remains and some body parts of the Puchuu. The threat had been stopped. Ash and Edward cheered in victory.
"We did it!" Ash yelled. The aliens and the girls joined the cheering, Kari embracing Larvitar in a hug.
"Thank you, Larvitar," she praised. Larvitar cheered to Kari's happy words.
"Well, I guess there was a reason we were sent on this space ride," Edward realized. Captain almost forgot about the humans that trespassed on board.
"Yeah, thanks for reminding me!" he snapped. "How did you get on this ship?" None of the humans had a clue.
"You mean you don't know yourself?" Nodoka gulped. This was now a problem. The humans and aliens were clueless to how the humans and creatures came on board.
"This could be a problem," the associate huffed in slight frustration. The door opened to the bridge where Luna emerged.
"I believe we found the responsible party," she mewed. The aliens balked to Luna, a talking black cat.
"A talking...cat?" Captain stuttered. "I thought that one who calls himself 'God' was the only talking cat we needed to worry about." Luna rose a brow at the aliens.
"Excuse me?" Kari wanted to get back on topic.
"So, what did you find?" she wondered. Luna turned to where a small brunette girl wearing a blue school uniform with yellow skirt entered with Mesousa in her arms. Everyone jumped in shock at the little girl who cheered with a giant smile.
"A toddler?" Nodoka guessed. Captain recognized the little girl.
"Ichijo's little sister!" he remembered. Who? Ash had to know what Captain meant.
"Who's little sister?" he questioned.
"A student of Miss Miyamoto. That's her little sister who somehow finds her way on this ship. She may be very young but knowing that she's the one responsible is part of her intelligence." That made Kari think. If the little sister was able to call the humans up here... She knelt to her level.
"Hey, little sister," she greeted. Little sister looked over to Kari. "You wanna return back on Earth? Back with your big sister?" The toddler nodded before walking over to Kari. Within reach, Kari scooped the little child as Ash regrouped with her. Little sister saw Ash as he pet her head and Larvitar back on his shoulders. She brought out a notebook and crayon and started drawing.
"I should tell you that she likes to draw." A talent? Done, she showed a drawing of two stick figures, one with a veil and another with a top-hat.
"Indeed, she does," Luna awed. Kari looked at the drawing, wondering if that's what little sister saw with her.
"You think you see me and Ash together?" she guessed. Little sister confirmed with a flurry of nods. Careful, little sister. No need to suffer whiplash.
"Well, I'll be!" Edward huffed in astonishment. "I guess Asuka and Serena were on to something." With the understanding settled, Ash was ready to return back to Earth.
"What do you say we return to the island?" he suggested. "Tomorrow, you and your sister can get back together." Little sister cheered at the thought, making Larvitar laugh. Nodoka and Edward couldn't wait.
"I can do this, Captain," the associate volunteered as the other aliens marched off the bridge.
"Thank you, friend," Captain accepted. Following the associate, the humans and creatures exited the bridge. Meantime back on the beach, Misty, Pikachu, Togepi, TK, Gatomon, Negi and Winry prayed for the safe return of their friends. InuYasha and Ichigo, frustrated that their search for those missing was in vain, watched from the roof. Well, their prayers would be answered. A pillar of blue light fell on the sands. Everyone jumped back, not wanting to become trapped in that light. With a flash, those who vanished reappeared. Those in the sands were glad to see their friends okay. Negi and Nodoka hugged. Misty and TK were glad at least to see Ash and Kari alive. Surprisingly, Misty wasn't offended with how close Kari was to Ash. Neither was TK. Kari had her arms wrapped around Ash's as the little sister rode on her shoulders much like Larvitar. One glimpse of Misty and little sister hid her face from the redhead.
"It's all right," Kari tried to ease the toddler's worry.
"Okay, did something happen between you two?" he joked. Both giggled. TK became more interested with any detail they could offer.
"You could say that what happened was out of this world," Ash punned. Did he seriously needed to say that?
"I think the reason he asked is because you and Kari look like the perfect item," Winry pointed out. Ash and Kari would agree.
"You're not the only one," Kari referred to the little sister. Misty retreated a step, seeing the toddler.
"Y-Y-Y-You have a kid?" she mistakenly believed. Pikachu wasn't sure how to approach this issue. He went with Misty's word, thinking that they did it together in some time defying chamber and had a daughter of their own. Ash wanted to straighten this out.
"No, it's a sister of one of Rebecca's students," he corrected. Rebecca's face flushed with despair.
"You brought her here?" she growled in anger. Little sister summoned her notebook and drew once more. Rebecca didn't want to know what she illustrated. There's a good reason: little sister colored up a skull and bones in an X. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. I don't need a reminder." Kazuki saw the picture, thinking that little sister didn't like Rebecca.
"I take it this is her thought about you?" he asked. Rebecca's boiling smug told Kazuki to hush. Little sister turned the page after seeing him and Yuna and resumed her drawing.
"Is this what you see from Kazuki?" Kari wondered. Little sister chirped to confirm Kari's thoughts. Complete, she presented Kazuki and Yuna two people, one being a white-haired baby held in the arms of a brunette looking like Kazuki. Yuna saw the drawing, a theory compiling.
"You see Kazuki having a child?" she pondered. Little sister nodded as Kazuki noticed something interesting about the baby.
"Yuna, there's something familiar about the baby in the picture," he pointed out. Yuna looked again. That's when she realized what Kazuki saw.
"Oh, my! Elizabeth?" Rebecca gazed to Yuna, interested with the name.
"Uh...who?" she wanted a recall.
"She haunts the school Kazuki and I attend. But I'm starting to think that Kazuki's child is Elizabeth reborn." A crazy concept. Little sister reached out for Darrien who joined Serena in the safe return of Luna. Kari wondered why the little sister wanted the attention of the tall young man.
"You wanna meet Darrien and Serena?" she asked. Little sister nodded and waived to Ash to come join. Ash happily came along as the three met up with the other two. The searchers huffed in some comedy relief.
"Well, I guess all's well that end's well," InuYasha summed up.
"Yeah, I guess so," Ichigo agreed. Misty was happy to see Ash okay, but not to Ash having someone like her around him. TK came forward with an idea.
"Why don't you join me in my room," he offered. "You know, give them the night together." TK didn't mind Kari being with someone other than him which startled Misty.
"But aren't you and Kari-" she started but stopped at seeing TK shake his head.
"Just friends." It was also the last night for the two together, let alone everyone. Grateful for the return of their friends, all retired for the last time on this island. Misty accepted the offer, having Pikachu and Togepi join TK and Patamon. Edward and Winry entered their room as well as Negi and Nodoka. As the night rolled on, Serena and Nia, awake for some reason, sneaked into Ash's room, viewing Ash and Kari snuggled in the same bed. Larvitar, Mesousa and Gatomon slept on the other. Serena felt both foreheads, feeling warmth. No, neither had a fever.
"So, this is what it means to be together," Serena pictured. Nia started to see what Serena meant.
"If understanding each other means love, I think Simon and I have what it takes," she theorized.
"Yeah, same with Darrien and me. I hate to do this, mainly because they're together but..." She leaned down and kissed Ash and Kari on the foreheads. "For luck from the moon." Now why would she kiss Ash even though it appeared Kari was the perfect choice for Ash to everyone on the island and...there's something new. Did Serena keep feelings for Kari?
"Do you normally do that with other people?"
"I do that to Sam, my younger brother. Ash kinda reminds me of Sam. Same with Kari, reminding me of my best friend, Molly." To Nia, Serena did it like a sibling love, not an actual romantic bloom. "I hope you two meet in the future." Nia prayed for Ash and Kari's love to stay strong even as they left the room. Meantime, Misty was still awake. Something bothered her, no doubt that Kari, who's known him since arriving on the island, has made a serious connection to Ash considering how much longer she's traveled with him. Seeing her away from the bed, TK sat up.
"You're still upset about Kari?" he questioned. Misty grunted in jealousy...but at herself.
"Not her," she answered. "Me." TK balked, amused that her anger was at her, not Kari. Why would her anger be at her when Kari's the one with Ash? He hopped out of bed and reached Misty at the window.
"Why are you mad at yourself? Vacations like these are meant as relaxing times." Misty didn't mind the vacation. It was something else.
"I thought Ash was someone who didn't understand what love means. If I knew from the start..." TK wasn't sure he wanted to believe Misty's saying that Ash didn't get love. Ash had got plenty of love since Day One.
"If anything, he's caring. I believe he learned that from your care of Togepi." In TK's eyes, Ash did learn from Misty about feelings. Misty was taken aback by this possible ponder. Misty wondered about how she approached the situation on the first day when she saw Darrien, chasing him in a sense of "love at first sight." Ash was trying to enjoy a little vacation away from their world. Instead, Ash's relaxing week filled with admirers and Misty's week drenched in misery. Nothing went wrong for Ash and almost nothing right for Misty. What could Misty have done differently during the week?
"He's caring all right." That's when she had a request. "If it's okay... Can I give you something? You know, for helping me feel better about what happened?" TK bobbed a nod.
"Of course." Misty snagged TK's head and planted a kiss on his lips. If TK didn't mind Kari being with Ash, surely Ash wouldn't mind Misty being with TK. A lot of kissing on the last night. Perhaps tomorrow's sendoff will be bittersweet.
TO BE CONCLUDED...
