Author's Note: I'm back! Sorry about the long wait, I was working on a couple of my other stories (The Kiss of Death and A Life Unknown). Gomenasai! I also must apologize that Pururu (yes, she comes in) is a bit OOC at the end of this chapter. Also, speaking of Pururu, a mistake of mine was corrected by VaridyTigerSoul in a review: Pururu doesn't have a gift for turning human. She has a Grade-A Pekoponian suit. So sorry about that!
Also, just a little notice: I have set up a Keroro Gunso RP forum, but we are in desparate need of RPers. Please, if you're interested, join!
Now, on with the story!
14
Song: Wide Awake by Katy Perry
Three months later, Natsumi was tossing and turning in bed.
"What's wrong, sweetie?" Aki appeared in the door.
"I can't sleep," Natsumi replied. "I just have the feeling that something bad's about to happen."
"Well, I'm sure it won't. You can go back to sleep. It's almost midnight-"
Then a light swarmed outside.
"Natsumi!" Giroro came rushing in. "It's Garuru."
Natsumi breathed a sigh of relief.
"You don't understand! He's got his whole platoon with him. He's trying to invade- again."
Natsumi sat bolt upright. "Let's go."
The word 'invade' hadn't been brought up for quite some time. A month after Natsumi had started her sophomore year, the Keroro Platoon had told the Hinata family that they had decided not to try to invade anymore- that they would much rather keep things the way they were. And they had stayed true to their promise.
But now the threat of invasion was back and more threatening than ever.
"Mama, stay inside!" Natsumi called as she ran down the stairs.
"I understand, Natsumi!" she called back. "Just… be careful."
"I will!"
They ran downstairs to see the rest of the Keroro Platoon and Mois, already assembled.
"Same people as last time?" Giroro asked.
"Yeah," Tamama answered. "I've got Taruru."
"I've got Zoruru," Dororo stated.
"Pururu," added Keroro. "Although she wasn't there last time."
"And that idiot Tororo," Kururu finished. "Let's see who's the better hacker now."
"So that leaves me with Garuru," Giroro finished.
Natsumi almost smiled. It was like the beginning of a soccer game. I've got number 8, she thought.
Kururu tossed lightweight metal backpacks- that everyone knew from past experience contained wings- at everyone, rapid-fire. As Fuyuki groggily came downstairs, he was woken up as another backpack was tossed at him.
"Kururu, what is this?" Giroro questioned. "This is human-sized!"
"Kukuku… you don't have time to transform. Now get out there!"
Natsumi was tossed her transforming collar and clipped it on. After she had switched to her powered suit, she and Giroro rushed outside.
Giroro grabbed two guns when he passed his tent.
"Why that one?!" Natsumi nodded to one of the guns frantically.
"Trust me. I have a plan."
Then they took off. Giroro searched the sky until he saw a speck of purple. "There!" They homed in until they reached their target: a menacing purple Keronian with a stylized wolf's head as his symbol.
None of them said a word. Giroro took out one of the two guns. Natsumi materialized a shield and a gun of her own.
"Make it look like you're trying to hit him, but don't. Steer him toward the ground," Giroro whispered.
Then the battle began.
It was clear, right from the beginning, that Garuru wasn't here to test the Keroro Platoon. This time, it was the real deal- he actually meant to invade.
And he was looking to kill.
As a bullet whizzed at Giroro and he barely dodged it, he said, "Why are you doing this, Garuru?"
"How do you know my name?" Garuru asked coolly. Collected as always. "And who are you?"
"It's your brother, Giroro," he shot back.
Giroro saw shock register in Garuru's eyes. Now's our chance.
He began to shoot repeatedly above Garuru, slightly to the right- forcing him down and towards the Hinata backyard.
Once they got close enough to the ground, Giroro dropped the gun he was holding and materialized the other one he had grabbed.
"What kind of a gun is that?" Garuru snickered, regaining his composure slightly.
"The 'We all live together' gun," Giroro replied. Then he aimed and shot.
A yellow light surrounded Garuru. For the first time in Giroro's life, his brother looked vaguely scared.
Then the light grew blinding, and when it faded a young man- probably around twenty-two or twenty-three- with purple hair and yellow eyes dressed in a purple t-shirt and jeans was standing in front of them.
"What did you do?!" he yelled.
"Garuru," Giroro stated, "You're human."
"Well, obviously. Now how do I turn back?"
"I won't tell you-"
"Giroro," he said warningly.
"-Unless you let me show you why we didn't invade Earth."
"If you expect me to live even a few days as a Pekoponian-"
"That's exactly what I expect. Do you want to get back to the way you were?"
Garuru sighed. "Fine."
"So where am I supposed to sleep?"
"On the couch. Same as me."
"I am not sleeping in a Pekoponian house!"
"Suit yourself. There's always the ground."
Natsumi half-sighed, half-laughed at Giroro and Garuru's conversation. Clearly, turning human was all it took to break Garuru's usually cool and collected demeanor.
Then she heard a knock on the door. Walking up the front entry, she opened up the door- to find Pururu standing there in her human form.
"I've got my Powered Suit collar in my pocket," Natsumi warned.
"I'm sorry, Natsumi-chan. We're calling off the invasion. The Lieutenant's gone missing and we just wanted to know if you had seen him."
"Out back," Natsumi laughed.
"Where-" her jaw dropped as she looked around Natsumi. "You don't mean to tell me that one of those human boys is Lieutenant Garuru?"
"Yeah, and the other one's Giroro."
Pururu ran to the backyard. Natsumi suppressed a smile. She and Giroro were the only ones who knew, but Garuru had a massive crush on Pururu.
Following Pururu outside, Natsumi saw Garuru's eyes widen. "Chief Medic! It's-"
"I know it's you, Lieutenant."
He sighed. "My apologies, but we have to call off the invasion- at least for now. Natsumi and Giroro are refusing to make me Keronian again until they show me why we shouldn't invade."
"It's already called off. We were worried about you. I was worried about you."
Another first for Giroro concerning his brother- Garuru blushed.
Clearly, Pururu was quicker to pick up on little signals like that than Natsumi was. "You like me, don't you?"
"No, I-"
"He does," Natsumi and Giroro said simultaneously.
Pururu sprang at Garuru and tackled him in a hug.
It was clearly taking every ounce of mental strength Garuru had to maintain his composure.
End note: I am very sad to report that this story is drawing to a close- I have two more chapters after this, and then Summer and Skull is over. *tears up* I have a lot of good memories from this story- I wrote it with several of my friends from my old school. So I'm sad about this, too. But don't worry! I have a sequel coming up called When We Said Forever, and a possible third story to follow that. So keep an eye out!