"I-I was" sweat seeped down his face as his mind went blank as he stared at the girl of his dreams and felt bad as he had abused her trust by trying to steal from her in her sleep. He swallowed his fears and replied quickly "I was c-checking your um.. pulse" he assured her, hands moved quickly off her. Pulse? Was that really the best excuse he could come up with, no way would she believe that.

"My...pulse?" she asked confused. "Why would you need to check my pulse?" she questioned

"I was concerned that you, um weren't breathing right and I checked your pulse to make sure your pulse was normal" he replied, lying through his teeth.

"huh, I wasn't breathing right?" she asked concerned "Y-you don't think it was the chocolate from earlier do you?" after all she was on alien planet it wouldn't surprise her if she had some weird reaction to the food.

"...maybe? Looks like your fine though, so" he laid down with his back turned to her "goodnight" he said quickly just wanting this awkward conversation to end.

"...night?" she replied unsure of what to make of what just happened but quickly she fell back to sleep while he just laid there with his heart racing, he couldn't sleep now with the knowledge of her possibility finding out weighing heavily on his mind.

The next morning, Natsumi awoke to an empty bed, on the bedside table rested a note 'gone to see Garuru, won't be back for awhile go have breakfast with the others downstairs while I'm gone' she yawned as she got dress and left to the dinning table where everyone was gathered. "Morning everyone" she greeted and they greeted her back.

"You excited to visit Keron's many cultural sites lady Natsumi?" Keroro asked

"yeah, I bet Fuyuki is more excited though" she said with a knowing smile. He sat across from them several books set aside and one in his hands which he read intently.

"He's been reading Keronian books all morning, I think he's hyping himself up alot" Keroro deadpanned

"that sounds like him"

"I'm surprised you came down alone, where's my corporal gone?" he asked noticing the red one was missing.

"He left me a note saying he went to see Garuru" she explained.

"That's odd, wonder what that's about?"

"I messed up!" Giroro groaned to his brother. "She woke up and I had to make up some kind of lie about checking her pulse."

Garuru passed him a red drink from the mini fridge "That's thinking on your feet, we just need a new strategy, your too close, meaning you acting out would be too suspicious." he opened his can of the horrible tasting drink.

"So what do you suggest I do?" Giroro asked, as he was at a total loss.

Garuru thought on it for a second "Perhaps we could stage a mugging, make her give up the ring voluntarily if she thinks her life or yours is in danger, people are more complacent under pressure"

"How do we set that up?" Giroro asked in interest he was desperate to hide his feelings convinced that a broken heart was worse then a silent one.

"Just leave it to me, this seems like a perfect mission for my platoon to work on our espionage" he stated as he finished downing his red juice.

"You ready to set forth on the tour?" Garuru asked to large crowd, it was going to be a lot of people to keep safe but he knew his platoon could do it.

"Giroro, you just kind of took off this morning, are you alright?" the pink woman asked the red Keronian.

"I'm fine, I just needed to see Giroro about something" he said defensively.

Everyone set out as they walked around the streets stopping by the first of many statues "This is Kiruru the conqueror, the once fiercest Keronian solider he successfully invaded several planets solo and was a all around model solider. To honour his service he had a statue erected in his image" Garuru explained as stared at the statue.

"Wait this is where the Kiruru thing came from?" Keroro asked confused had he really not paid that much attention to his classes.

"The Kiruru's we fought which were apart of the KiruMiran system were clones of the original" Kururu explained.

"Yes they were, one was planted in Pekopon as that was where he died, it was supposed to be so he had a second chance at taking over Pekopon which would of been his greatest achievement" Garuru stated saluting to the statue as a sign of respect for a fallen comrade.

"Then he failed again kukuku" the yellow one laughed.

Giroro wasn't interested in any of this history stuff he was just waiting in anticipation for his brothers plan. He was alert looking around him in anxiety, just what was his brother planning? It seems like he was about to find out as his brother signalled to him to hide in a nearby alleyway.

"are you okay Giroro?" Dororo asked in concern causing Giroro jump. "you look nervous?" he placed his hand on his comrades shoulder in comfort.

"I'm umm, fine" he said peeling the blue hand off, walking away from him and the group. Dororo looked at his teammate in worry his friend just seemed to have so much emotional baggage weighing him down. But he couldn't dwell on it as he was quickly alerted to a sinister presence. His ninja senses making his whole body tense in anticipation.

Natsumi screamed as she heard the sounds of swords slamming together, Dororo was right beside her swords entangled with a half metal keronian as Koyuki pulled her out of the way.

"I have been looking forward to our next battle for so long, Zeroro" the half Keronian snarled.

"You, what are you planing?" Dororo pushed him back.

"That's none of your concern I just want to fight you once again, now" he launched at him once again their blades clashed. "Say my name!" he growled.

"What?" Dororo asked confused, he wanted him to say his name? Wait a minute what was his name?

"Say my name!" he demanded louder, all eyes were on them.

"ummm, was it Zololo?" Dororo guessed, his mind was a blank, he couldn't remember his name.

"Zoruru!" the half man shouted attacking in further rage.

"Don't worry Natsumi i'll protect you" Koyuki said seriously sword out in front of her in a guarding position.

"Thanks, I don't know why he tried to attack me" She said confused. "Isn't he from Garuru's platoon?" she could of sworn he was

"it's weird he didn't seem to really by aiming for you, more like in front of you? His stance was all wrong" Koyuki said confused, maybe this guy was planning a frontal attack.

"Don't worry my solider will be probably punished for his outburst." Garuru reassured them before looking around "That's strange, I can't see Giroro anywhere have you seen him, Natsumi?" he asked.

"Huh?" she looked around he really was missing she couldn't help but feel guilty as she didn't notice. "oh no I haven't seen him he didn't even tell me he was going" she confessed.

"this isn't good" he stated he turned to the black haired woman "you seem capable of defending, could you protect the group while Natsumi and I search for Giroro?" he asked to Koyuki.

"Are you sure?" she asked confused it didn't make sense to leave her in charge of them.

"Yes, I've seen you fight before, I know you can protect them if trouble may emerge" he stated in trust.

"Then leave it to me" she said with a nod, happy to help out.

Natsumi looked around in worry, Giroro was missing, she didn't know what she'd do if he was in trouble. She's had to save him a few times but that didn't make it any less worrying. sure he was tough and could probably could handle himself but there was no shame in needing help. She thinks back to the time he was dried out in the desert after being captured by some alien and how weak he looked, she never wanted to see him like that again.

A grey keronian walked by them and dropped something beside them, Natsumi looked down and saw the familiar cat key-chain. It was like the one she won it for him at the carnival, she immediately picked it up instantly she could tell it was the same one. "This is Giroro's" she stated in fear. Her mind went a mile a minute as she panicked over what could of happened to her beloved friend.

"So that bastard knows something?" Garuru started to run after him and the guy noticed, taking off on his own pair of mechanical wings. They had a chase in the sky, leaving Natsumi alone in fear for her companion.

Natsumi tried to run after them but stopped short when she noticed an alleyway with a belt sticking just outside of it, she knew this belt, she saw it pretty much everyday so she immediately turned into the alleyway and there a taller alien, one she was unfamiliar with and in a headlock and with a gun to his head was Giroro.

"Giroro!" Natsumi called in shock. Giroro struggled in the mans hold.

"Ah if it isn't your girlfriend, I was hoping you'd join us." the alien snarled "you see there is a lot of money on his head if I can prevent this wedding but i'm not interested in politics, I'll let him go Scott free if you give me your ring, ever since I saw it on TV I knew I wanted it!" he said with a grin.

he pushed the barrel of the gun into Giroro head "Give it or i'll blow his brains out" he threatened.

"My ring?" she asked and slid it off her finger the answer was a no brainier as much as she loved the ring it wasn't worth his life."Fine, just keep your end of the deal and let Giroro go" she said sternly.

"I'm a man of my word" he said as she came closer to him ring in hand. The hold on Giroro had been relaxed as her hand was just inches away from the aliens. Then Bam! Natsumi punched the unsuspecting alien in the face and he went down clutching his bloody nose. Giroro would be proud, that is if his whole plan didn't just go up in smoke. He humiliated himself in front of her playing the damsel in distress and she still had the damn ring.

"Your not hurt are you?" she asked in worry hugging him tightly. "You scared me I was so worried" she confessed, it was like the heart attack all over again he didn't know how much this was affecting her.

"I'm fine" he stated which was true the only thing damaged was his ego.

Garuru landed near them "Giroro, i'm glad your alright" he expressed but it was a little awkward, he turned his gaze to the guy on the ground "I'll alert the authorities to this guy" he stated "You two start walking back to the group, i'll catch up in a sec"

and true to his word he did, after paying off his poor actor extra for the bloody nose he returned to them. They were nearing the group when Garuru turned to them "Giroro can I have a word" and they stood aside as Natsumi rejoined her friends and family. "So that plan failed, though I have an idea for a possible way to salvage it"

"well it can't be anymore humiliating then that plan so go on" he deadpanned.

after the debrief Giroro joined Natsumi by her side "That moment was worrying it seems the ring has made you a target, I can keep it safe for you till we're off Keron" he suggested.

"why did he even want this ring?" she asked annoyed the stupid thing almost cost her Giroro"wait a minute I can read this?" she said in surprise, while Giroro sweated in dread this was it, he was finished, their friendship was over. She'd call him a creep and want nothing to do with him.

He scrunched his eyes closed as his fist shook in anxiety "Natsumi, invader of my heart, Pekopon's fiercest warrior" she read it out loud and her expression turned to worry as she stared down at the little red alien "W-what's it mean?" she swallowed her breath, she couldn't misinterpret this.

"isn't it obvious the dumb ass is in love with you" kururu teased wanting to enjoy the show of awkwardness, he loved to make things more difficult for the corporal "why do you think he staged such a stupid mugging"

"How'd you know about that?" Garuru demanded of the sargent major.

"Spying and prying into peoples private lies is a bit of a hobby of mine kukuku" he laughed.

"You... love me?" she asked this was all to much for her to process she clutched her chest as she stared at the red one who flinched, he looked away he couldn't take looking at those amber eyes. A softed voice reached his ears "for how long?" she whispered the question. Her mind clicked as she realised just how obvious it was. This frog had tried everything to show his affection and she had misconstrued it all, this man was willing to change everything about himself for her, even his species. "A long time huh?" she said knowingly as she sat on her knees near him.

He just stared silent words were lost to him, what ever he did say would only make things worse but what she said next surprised him. "I'm so sorry" she said in a pained whisper pulling the red one into her arms "I've been so blind"

"Y-your not mad?" he asked worried he was stuck in the hug, unable to leave but he also didn't want to leave at the same time.

"You kidding?, this is the best day of my life" she hugged him tighter. "Im just sorry I didn't see it sooner" she pulled his body awhile "just promise me, not more lies, I don't think I can handle another fake mugging, it was like your heart attack all over again"

"I promise" he said with determination.

"and I love you too" she said softly "sorry it took me so long to figure it out."