ARGH! Another late update DX
Other than that, I don't have much to say... except enjoy!
Dororo sighed, rubbing his eyes clear from the sand that he still felt after waking up the next morning. He had gathered all his belongings (which wasn't much) and was on his way outside where everyone would be giving him and their friends the final farewell.
It was finally time to return back to Pekopon. Most of his friends were very eager to get a taste of back home and being able to get back to their normal - or close to normal - lives.
But he was one of the few who still dreaded the thought of leaving.
Despite the little time he had known some of his new friends, he would miss them, especially Yukiko, since they had been travelling with her a much longer time. But above all, if she decided to stay in Ikuy as well, he would miss Koyuki the most of all.
He had of course waited a little while to see if the kunochi would join him one last time, but the girl hadn't answered the door, possibly still being asleep from last night's party. After finally being reminded by the others, as they were getting ready, that they would be leaving real soon, Dororo finally left the door, even if it was painfully to him.
This is for Koyuki-dono's happiness, he reminded himself as he moved along silently down the hall. She has the right to do what she wishes... no matter what.
While those words continued to be played in his head, it seemed that so little time had passed before he had finally stepped out into the courtyard where his friends and a small crowd of people were waiting for him.
"Took you long enough, Dororo!" Keroro huffed as the ninja approached. "We're about to return home and you take your sweet time in getting here! Sheesh!"
Natsumi smacked the alien over the head with a fist, causing him to immediately clamp up out of both fear and the need to rub the visible bump on his head. When Dororo was close enough, however, the female's frustration at the other frog completely melted away, being replaced by sad eyes as she gazed at the ninja.
"Where's Koyuki-chan?" she asked softly.
Dororo took a moment to respond. "Still in her room."
"So she's not coming?" questioned Fuyuki, also a little saddened by this.
"It appears so."
Natsumi exchanged some sad looks with her brother and friends, but the ninja was the first to break the silence by commenting to Giroro, "Leader-dono seems to be in a much less cheery mood than I thought."
"Heh, that's because of his reaction earlier this morning," the Corporal explained. "He asked for a reward, but we were told that practically all the gold the kingdom previously had was mostly gone and they couldn't offer him much since they need to recover."
The ninja immediately got a mental image of his leader's reaction and became a bit amused by the thought of the Green Keronian's jaw dropping in shock when hearing the news.
He pushed away the humorous thought when Yukiko suddenly approached and kneeled down in front of him. "I truly want to thank you again, Dororo. Without your help, the kingdom would have never been freed. I really do wish that we could of thanked you in some other way..."
Dororo put up a hand to stop her. "No need, Yukiko-dono. Your appreciation is all we need."
"Speaking of which, Yukiko-san," began Fuyuki curiously, "now that you have the kingdom back, what will happen to the Uzuzians and Uzuzacs?"
The queen smiled a bit. "That's already being taken care of. While there are several who were against it, my new council and I proposed a treaty with them. They may be freed and are allowed to settle somewhere in the north if they agreed to establish peaceful ties with us."
Dororo probably would have returned the smile himself. "If I may say so, that is a very wise choice as queen."
Yukiko's smile widened somewhat. It took her a few moments to realize that her eyes were watering a little and she quickly used her sleeve to wipe them clear. "I... I am queen. I shouldn't let farewells be so tearful."
The ninja held out a hand. "It won't have to be a farewell. Maybe someday, you can visit us on Earth when you aren't too busy. We'll be able to work something out."
She sniffled, wiping away the rest of her tears. She stopped when noticing his hand extended out and slowly smiled again as she took a hold of it and they shook; sealing the deal of their promise. "I shall be looking forward to it."
"As will I."
"Kukuku," Kururu snickered, interrupting the moment (to everyone else's despite). "If we're done with all the mushiness, then I suggest that we go while the transportation back is still active."
The new Captain of the Guard, Iruka, nodded his head to the group, while the elderly Goro kindly said, "Don't be a stranger now."
"We won't," Fuyuki assured, smiling a bit as he also shook hands with the old man.
Jiro's mother (whom they had found out days earlier that her name was Suzuki) looked down at her youngest son, saying, "Make sure you thank them again, Jiro."
"Thank you!" Jiro cried happily, waving.
"It was truly wonderful in having you here," Mana added with her own sweet smile.
The Sergeant Major took out a remote. "If I were the rest of you, I would step back."
Heeding the alien's words, Yukiko and the other residents of Ikuy immediately stepped back a few feet out of caution of whatever may happen next.
Dororo made sure to take one last look around, knowing well that this'll probably be the last time (for a while anyway) they see their faces and Ikuy. He hoped that he would see the kunochi there also, but there was no helping it now. As soon as Kururu activated the transport back...
"Wait up!"
The ninja and everyone stopped in surprise, and even Kururu's finger paused over the buttons. That voice...
Natsumi looked around for the source... and as soon as she did, she smiled brightly. "Koyuki-chan!"
Feeling his heart skip a beat, Dororo looked to where the red-head was gazing and saw that she was in fact right! There was the kunochi, in her casual clothes from Earth and all, running to the group, her characteristic smile across her face.
"Koyuki-chan, what are you doing?" asked a surprised Momoka.
"You can say; totally unexpected?" Angol Mois added.
The kunochi stopped in front of her friends, her smile not faltering in the slightest. "What does it look? I'm coming back with you!" She wasn't able to suspect that the next moment, Natsumi had rushed forward, hugging her friend happily. Giroro's eye twitched.
"That's great, Koyuki-chan!" she cried, overjoyed with her best friend.
If maybe Dororo wouldn't be so embarrassed by hugging the girl himself, he probably would have done it long ago. Instead, he found himself frozen in place; making sure that he wasn't seeing things when he saw Koyuki there. "B-But... Koyuki-dono; what about Yukiko-dono?"
Koyuki stopped hugging her best friend, looking down at Dororo with a smile. "I already talked to her about it." She glanced over at her sister. "Isn't that right, Yukiko-san?"
"Certainly," Yukiko answered.
"Besides, Dororo," the kunochi began, returning her attention to the Keronian, "aren't you glad to see me?"
"Of course I am!" Dororo blurted out instantly. When realizing that he did, he stiffened, daring to look at his friends... who were all grinning knowingly at him. "W-why are you looking at us like that?"
Tamama snickered softly. "We're not doing anything, but it looks like you two are, desu."
The ninja and the kunochi's eyes widened, not at all excluding the heat going up all the way pass their cheekbones. "We don't know what you're talking about!"
While the others were continuing to tease their flustered friends a little, Iruka whispered to the queen, "Your friends never cease to surprise me with their antics."
Yukiko smiled fondly, watching the sight. "They truly are one of a kind."
"Which makes me curious," Goro commented, chuckling a little. "If what they said was true about their story... I do wonder how they were able to get here in the first place."
The queen said nothing, looking down at the object hanging from her neck; her family heirloom. Even if she didn't say it out loud, she somehow had a feeling that she knew the answer to that question. It was you, wasn't it? When I needed help the most...
"... So is everyone ready to go home for sure this time?" asked Saburo calmly as soon as things quieted down.
Dororo and Koyuki shared a smile, while the others nodded. After the confirming, Kururu (who had mostly stayed out of the whole conversation) snickered a bit, then pressed the button on the remote. "I press!"
The group braced themselves as the whole area glowed yellow, forcing most of them to cover their eyes during the process of the transportation. However, the two ninja made sure to get one last look at the awe-struck Ikuy residents, giving them a small wave. They just barely saw the wave given back to them by Yukiko, and could of sworn that they also saw tears rolling down her smiling face.
Koyuki too felt some tears coming on just before their own world vanished around them. Goodbye, Yukiko-san... I'll miss you... sister...
Aki sighed as she walked through the front door of the Hinata Residence, carrying a binder of papers from work. It had been another hard working time to meet deadline as a manga editor, but she was just glad to be home that night at least.
"I wonder where those kids are," she wondered to herself, taking off her shoes and strolling down the hallway. "And why is it so dark in here...?"
Keroro's bedroom had been completely abandoned and quiet... up until that moment.
The Sergeant Major's invention, "The Have Anything You Wish For Lantern", suddenly started to slowly rattle. Then just seconds after, the lens shot out a beam of light like it had done before and instantly the whole gang appeared in mid-air... then promptly falling to the floor in a pile together.
"That... hurt..." Fuyuki muttered, not taking notice of the flushing Momoka right under his arm.
"Get off!" Giroro growled, shoving a half-consicious Keroro away from him.
"Did we have to come back home like this?" demanded Natsumi, embarrassed as she started to stand up.
Kururu only gave off his forever plastered smirk. "I never said that it would be an enjoyable trip back."
"Jerk," grumbled Tamama.
He and the others were not at all expecting what happened next. They saw the door to the bedroom open up and the Hinata children's mother, Aki, walk right in.
Fuyuki blinked. "Mom?"
"Oh, there you are," the woman smiled. "I was wondering where you were. What were you and your friends all doing?"
"Nothing, really," her son lied, seeing it would kind of be too much of a hastle to explain everything.
Aki giggled and winked. "Well, if that's the case, why don't we all head upstairs and enjoy ourselves some dinner, hm?"
"Sure, I'll help with the cooking," the red-head offered, going up to the woman.
The kunochi sighed happily, glad to see everyone in high spirits... especially now that they were all back home. Her home.
As she started to follow the others out (with Giroro dragging along the half-awake Keroro still), Koyuki looked down at Dororo, asking, "Dororo, I was thinking of helping too. Do you want to also?"
Dororo gave a polite incline of his head. "It would be my pleasure, Koyuki-dono."
I sure hope this chapter came out good ; Anyway, this is the second to last chapter (not including a little "credits" part, some facts about the story, and a bit of a special sneak peek chapter to a future Keroro fanfiction of mine), which will basically serve as the epilogue - not that it will take place too long after the end of this one, mind you.
Review please!
