Neuro was still trying to figure things out when Higuchi arrived and offered to take care of the children to prove himself to Yako. While Neuro kept Mystery, Higuchi was given the task to baby-sit the little Yako, whom he didn't know was the same Yako he knew under a spell.

A Push in the Right Direction

Mystery 26: The Fairy Tale Falls Apart

The high pitched cries of "chicken!" echoed in the crowded restaurant where all eyes rested on Higuchi and his little guest. The waiters ran back and forth between their table and the kitchen, bringing dish after dish featuring a variety of recipes centered on chicken. Yako ate it all and resumed her screaming, while Higuchi pulled out his hair in desperation, the girl wouldn't stop eating chicken, when she finished, she would yell for more and they were running out in the restaurant, not to mention that this was all very expensive.

Though Higuchi swore not to improperly use his hacking skills again, he would make an exception if there was a big enough emergency. Tracking Yako had been an emergency and paying the restaurant bill was the next emergency. People wouldn't miss a few pennies out of their accounts, a little from here and a little from there could amount to a lot.

Higuchi's torture was never ending, he took Yako from one restaurant to another, where she devoured dish after dish, all of them containing chicken since that's what she apparently wanted. Eventually, Higuchi offered Yako some turkey and she ate it. Then he offered her fish, which she also ate, and he went on to feed her fruits, which she continued to eat. She kept yelling for chicken, but Higuchi discovered that she would eat anything, even if it didn't have any chicken. The day went by like that, Yako yelled and Higuchi fed her, then she yelled for chicken again and continued to devour all sorts of foods, chicken or not.

xoxox xox xoxox

That evening, Higuchi returned to the hotel to speak to Yako. He was exhausted and seriously frightened by the black hole of a child who looked so much like Yako and was named after her. Maybe Yako wasn't an ordinary human either. Sure she was special, but maybe that special something was not a human something. Whatever was going on, Higuchi wasn't ready to face it. He wouldn't give up on Yako, but he had to do a temporary retreat. "Is Yako here?"

Neuro had opened the door after hearing the knocks and stood smugly. "You just missed her, do you want to baby-sit some more? I'm sure you must have had a lot of fun."

"I just remembered there something I need t do..." Higuchi watched as little Yako clung to Neuro's leg happily. He had lost that battle, but after a strategic retreat, he would be back to fight the war.

"My slave," little Yako giggled.

Higuchi mused that victory was in the eye of the beholder and went on his temporary retreat, hopefully when he came back to try to win Yako over, he would be strong enough to face the challenges of alien children. "I'll be back..." with that promise he left.

While Higuchi retreated and Neuro closed the door, little Yako pulled his pant leg up and bit his ankle. She had tasted many things that day, but nothing was as good as the taste of her spicy roasted chicken slave.

xoxox xox xoxox

The challenger didn't show up, the one responsible for this mess was out there, but Neuro couldn't find him. He decided to return to Japan and booked their flight. Except this time instead of heading straight to the other side of the world, the airplane would fly over Europe. They would make several stops to switch airplanes so Yako could have enough food while flying. For the longest non-stop flight over the Atlantic Ocean, Neuro made sure to pack lots of food.

xoxox xox xoxox

The trip back to Japan went by surprisingly well. Neuro's plan to provide Yako with plenty of food worked perfectly and she was kept calm and quiet. Mystery was easy enough to take care of, he never caused trouble, at least not yet, though Neuro had a feeling that the hatchling's mischievous side would show up sooner or later.

Feeling frustrated, angry and ready to bite someone's head off, Neuro headed back to the office with the children. Godai was there, watching TV and not paying attention to who went in and out of the office. "Slave number two, stop being lazy! You're working extra."

Godai nearly jumped in surprise and had no time to reply before Neuro left as suddenly as he came.

xoxox xox xoxox

It was very late when Neuro returned to Yakos home that night. Mystery was sleeping soundly in one of Neuro's arms, as if bottling up his mischief for later and Yako was sleepily clinging to Neuro, held in the other. Neuro put Mystery in his crib, then attempted to pry Yako off and put her on her bed. Yako woke up for a short moment with a demand, "kissy, night-night."

"No."

Yako pouted, she wasn't going to take no for an answer. "Kissy night-night chicken slave!"

She wouldn't shut up and Neuro knew it, he missed the older Yako that knew it was best not to provoke his anger. "Stupid, annoying, little brat." He gave her a kiss on the forehead to make her stop complaining.

"Night-night!" Yako fell into a deep sleep and Neuro sensed magic at work, but it was going backwards. Yako was growing back to her normal age. That was all it took, a kiss, just like in a fairy tale.

xoxox xox xoxox

Yako woke up and yawned loudly, she didn't know where her pajamas went. She was wearing a shirt, which she unconsciously kept tugging down, but it wasn't long enough. She was confused, very confused.

"Beg for forgiveness slave, you've been very troublesome," Neuro was there, glaring with glowing green eyes.

"What do you mean?" Yako knew Neuro often said things like that, but she wasn't sure if there was more of a meaning to it this time.

"You should know, stupid salve, even your single brain cell should remember." Neuro wasn't sure if he was angry or grateful that Yako didn't remember what happened.

"I did have a strange dream," Yako admitted.

Neuro thought that Yako might be on to something, perhaps she concluded that the events that occurred while she was under the spell were too strange to be real and assumed it was all a dream.

"In my dream you flew away with me to a flying saucer and took me to your planet, rich in delicious food. Then we got married and lived happily ever after as the king and queen of an advanced alien civilization of professional chefs." Yako sighed happily, such things could only happen in her dreams.

"Wrong answer," Neuro growled menacingly; then the phone rang with an odd timing.

Yako thought Neuro was just being his usual self. She was disoriented, but slipped into a relatively normal routine easily, at least normal for her. "I should answer that." Yako got out of bed, tugged her shirt down trying to stretch it into a sort of mini dress, took her robe from the closet, put it on and rushed to pick up the phone before it stopped ringing. "Hello?"

Neuro followed Yako and observed her reaction; her expression was shocked, sad and heartbroken. Her lips quivered and she swallowed empty air, her voice wasn't working and her eyes were watering. She didn't like what she was hearing on the phone.

To be Continued

Disclaimer, I don't own Neuro. Behold the cliffhanger of doom! I'll have some requested scenes in the next chapter, that's the only clue I'll give about what's to come. :P Thanks to Papersak for pointing out Higushi is supposed to be Higuchi.