Giroro couldn't take it anymore he needed to know. Had he just been embarrassing himself and she had been playing along with his delusion or was her past declaration of love genuine? He could no longer keep his insecurity to himself. "Natsumi, I need to know, am I making a fool out of myself?" he asked quietly.
"What'cha mean?" She asked confused, did it have something to do with their current predicament.
"The date I took you on, the second proposal, saying I love you. Is it real? Do you actually love me back. Or was it just a question you couldn't refuse because the Treaty?" He asked in defeat expecting he already knew the answer.
"Giroro" she looked him straight in the eyes "I know we've had a rocky start, and I have to admit I felt so sure the answer was no weeks ago but now." she paused as a smile spread across her lips "I love you, you stupid frog. Your like my little knight in shiny armour. I said before that i'll be with you through thick and thin, and I mean it. This is true love, sometimes it's messy and doesn't go as planned but that's life.
You've made me the happiest woman on Earth and I'd argue even Keron. And I can't wait till we bust out of here and get married" she reassured him.
"Natsumi" he said softly. He felt so convinced now.
But it only takes a few minutes for something to ruin the mood. Guards rush in and take her, he tries to stop them but only gets further hurt and left for dead. His woman's sad cries for his name the last thing he'll ever hear.
"He's dead" one guard announced "Now come along, Pekoponian you will be killed for your crimes" he pulled her forward as the tears didn't stop.
"What'd I?!" she cried out, she didn't know genuinely didn't know what she did wrong.
"You killed him" the alien stated with a delightful grin on his face looking back at the un-moving red form.
Aki and Haru sat together arms in arms, there children were gone, it was every parents worse nightmare. Natsumi... she was on death's row, Giroro was dead and the platoon and Fuyuki were gone. They had awoken to the worse news imaginable on a day that was supposed to be joyous.
They were supposed to see their daughter up at the altar on her magical day, not locked in chains.
"I just got word back from Kururu, Fuyuki and the others are fine and they are going to get Natsumi back" Mois reassured them, thankful for the yellow frog for contacting her. She knew there was some good in him.
"Oh thank god" Aki said in relief "I just don't believe should could do such a thing."
"Quick turn the TV on!" Momoka called out to them and they did.
"That's right we just got word that the Sargent of the Keroro platoon has ordered an emergency trial to determine what will happen to Pekoponian Natsumi Hinata, we are live in the court room now bringing you live updates now only on channel 42"
"Oh Keroro I hope you bring back my girl home save" Aki pleaded to the TV.
"All raise for the judge, 5 star general Maginin" the bouncer called and they all arose.
"you may all sit, on the prosecution, representing Keron we have Major general Draruru and representing the defendant we have Sargent Keroro and sargent major Kururu. Draruru why don't you start with your opening testimony?" the elderly keronian judge stated.
"Very well, I have two witnesses who had seen the murder last night, the murder of Corporal Giroro committed by none other then Miss Natsumi Hinata, I'd like to call my first witness to the stand, Lupa to deliver his testimony".
A large brawny shark like alien took to the stand. "I waz dere when dis broad killed 'em. Saw dat whole thing 'ith me own two eyes." the shark stated "it waz at the luminous park, she jumped 'em. We had to wrestle her off of 'em and called da fedz" the man replied in a thick accent.
"That's a lie!" Natsumi cried out, none of that happened.
"Order in the court, please re-frame yourself from speaking out of turn" the judge ordered.
"I'd like to cross examine the witness?" Keroro inquired.
"go ahead Sargent" the Judge affirmed.
"What were you doing at the location prior to the incident?" Keroro started off with his first question.
"We 'ere sight seeing" the gruff voice returned.
"why were you sight seeing so late?"
"... do you not know da park? The attraction is glowing shrooms, that only glow at night" the alien asked bewildered by such a ridiculous question.
"Oh well I've never actually been there so I guess that checks out" Kururu face palmed at the stupidity "So you admit you were there?" Keroro stated accusingly like he had the man on the ropes ready to confess to something.
"Yes? How could we be witnesses if we weren't dere?" the man asked confused.
"Did you see the defendant with a gun?"
"No, I didn't see here with any weapons, she beat him with her own two hands"
"Do either of you own guns?"
"No sir, we try to keep out of confrontations"
"one final question, do either of you own a pen?"
"...a pen? What kind of stupid question is that, who honestly doesn't known at least one pen"
"...No further questions your honour" Keroro announced going back to his seat.
"Let me show you how it's done in a real court room, lord knows i've been in enough of these, kukukuku" Kururu laughed before standing up "we'd like to call our witness to the stand, Natsumi Hinata"
Fuyuki and Dororo contiuned their journey through the air ducts following the signal to it's resting place. "it's not that much further" Fuyuki called as he wiggled through the enclosed space in his new form. But then he noticed the glow and the ground creaking beneath him. The guns effect was running out as he fell down through the vents on to the cold hard floor.
"Halt intruder" the soldiers yelled guns pointed at the Pekoponian boy, he nervously put his hands up.
"Ninja art, pressure point" dororo duplicated himself and quickly jammed his hand into the back of each soldiers neck causing them to instantly faint. "Looks like we will have to take the less stealthier route now, are you alright Fuyuki?" Dororo asked.
"Yeah thanks for the save back there." he said appreciatively. "I just hope we make it in time" he said running with the little blue ninja.
"Your statement miss Hinata?" the judge inquired.
"Giroro and I had received a letter to meet his brother Garuru at the park that night before being jumped by two large guys, It was too dark to really make out the details but I know Giroro was knocked into a tree at the start of it and I heard a gun-shot but couldn't see it. Giroro jumped out to try and get this guy off of me but went down to some kind of electric thing, I tried to help him but something was stabbed into my neck and I was knocked out.
I woke up later and Giroro was there but some guys came in to get me and they killed him" she said tears in her eyes unable to stop them any longer.
"I'd like to cross examine the witness?" Draruru asked, the judge nodded at him "miss Hinata have you ever harmed a Keronian before? Let me remind you are under oath"
"Well I suppose I have, but only in self defence" she tried to reason, knowing it made her sound guilty.
"But you have harmed them, I'd like to extend the question out to her defendants, Sargent, Sargent major. Has Natsumi Hinata ever harmed you? I remember hearing about it in multiple reports by you, unless those are lies?"
"W-we have been on the receiving end of her rage before" Keroro replied ashamed. The audience gasped. "But it wasn't that bad" Keroro tried to reason.
"there you have it, ladies and gentlemen of the jury is it so hard to believe that this women would snap in anger and kill someone?"
"But I didn't!" she pleaded "I would never hurt Giroro like that"
"Isn't it true that you were going to reject Giroro's marriage proposal at the start?" Draruru pressed on "A reminder that lying under the court of law is a great offence"
"... it's true." she doesn't know how this man knew but it was indeed true "I didn't' want to get married at first, I wanted to marry out of love"
"and did you love Giroro at the time?"
"Not romantically"
"there you have it her motive, what better way to stop a wedding you want no part of then to get rid of the groom" he stated dramatically to sway the jury.
"It's not like that!" she shouted angrily "That was at the time not now, I want nothing more then to marry him now... but now I can't" she wiped her eyes trying to get the tears to stop.
"Your honour I'd like to call Garuru too the stand so that miss Hinata may rest before more questions" Keroro suggested.
"Very well, your testimony 2nd Lieutenant?" the judge asked.
"Well I wasn't there, I had dropped them off back at the embassy and only returned the next morning. But from what I had found during the investigation I discovered someone had forged a hand-written letter from me to my brother which was used to form an ambush." he stated sternly.
"do you believe that Natsumi could of forged this letter?" Draruru questioned.
"the handwriting didn't match neither did the line thickness but I don't think that clears her entirely from the crime. We do not know if Natsumi had instructed another to write that letter for example. Only thing I know is I did not write that letter" he explained his case not wanting to rule out any possibilities.
"wow, Garuru was a bad witness choice kukuku" Kururu laughed. "he doesn't even think she's innocent"
Fuyuki and Dororo had made it, just beyond this door Giroro was waiting, whether he was dead or alive was uncertain. They kick down the door and immediately located the red keronian on his side facing away from them un-moving, a small puddle of red liquid laid beneath him.
Fuyuki felt a surge of guilt they had seemed to be too late, he didn't dare move as water swelled up in his eyes. Dororo moved closer to his long time friend his steps were quick as he moved in a hurry.
"He's still alive but not for much longer if we don't stop the blood flow." he rolled the red one on his back the blood was hard to distinguish from his red skin but he found the wound.
"Dororo?" the red one asked weakly.
"it is, don't worry I'll help you old friend"
"Leave me to die." the red one pleaded. He didn't want to live in a world with out her.
"Never" dororo held the wound closed with his hand but it was proving useless "Fuyuki tear off your sleeve" he said handing him his knife "We need cloth to stop the blood from seeping out"
"right" Fuyuki wasted no time as he destroyed his hoodie giving the sleeves to the ninja.
"Come on Giroro you have to pull through for Natsumi" Dororo demanded as he was noticing his friends will to live was not there.
"S-she's still alive?" he asked eyes watery and voice hoarse.
Kururu got that smirk on his face after reading his last text "kukuku" he laughed "Your honour I'd like to call a surprise witness to the stand" this will knock their socks off.
"I'll allow it" the judge confirmed.
"I call to the stand Corporal Giroro!" he shouted and the whole audience was thrown into hysterics. How could a murder victim show up to his own trial?. The doors busted open as a bruised and broken red keronian rested on the shoulder of his blue friend, a tall boy behind them.
"Giroro!" Natsumi cried as she ran down the isle and he limped towards her as soon as he heard her sweet voice. She held him tightly in her embrace as he nuzzeled into her both of them had cried tears of joy at the knowledge that the other was still alive.
"I think you'll find that sickening display of affection is proof enough that Natsumi didn't kill him kukuku" the Keronian with glasses laughed "oh and the fact he's alive is probably proof too"
"Giroro!" he heard his name being called as his friends joined his side for a hug, much to his pain, like literal pain, he should probably go to a hospital.
"Do you know what you put me through you little twerp" Gazuru said teasingly but couldn't keep the smile off of his face as he wrestled his boy in an arm-lock.
"I'm glad your alright" Garuru stated. his little brother didn't know how much they had grieved in these last couple hours, how much they had realised just how much he had meant to them.
"I promised you I wouldn't die while you still needed me" he whispered to the woman above as she gave him another loving hug.
"Ahem, I know your all in the middle of a touching reunion but court is still in session. I know that Giroro's aliveness proves that Natsumi Hinata is innocent but I'd like to know what happened so that who's responsible will face consequences. So if your well enough will you give your Testimony corporal?" the judge asked.
"gladly." he hobbled up to the front of the room before the woman picked him up much to his embarrassment.
"Hey it's better then hurting yourself further mister tough guy" she teased and he blushed. She sat him up at the chair and sat back down with her 'lawyers'.
"Natsumi and I were abducted by the men in this very room" Giroro started and the whole crowd audibly gasped "It seems that not everyone was in favour of the treaty for Pekopon, some one in this room had planned a way to stop the peace treaty from being enacted and to start a war, to take over Pekopon once and for all." Giroro explained,.
A small red finger pointed out into the prosecution stand to the dark blue keronian "Major General Draruru was that man"
"This is preposterous, you all seriously believe this nonsense, i'm a highly respected military figure, we would I ever kidnap my own soldiers?!"
"Wait a minute you tried to recruit me for the pekopon invasion right after Giroro died!" Gazuru yelled out.
"I also remember you recruiting me for the Pekopon invasion" Garuru called out aswell.
"I remember you were the only one against the treaty of pekopon during the ruling" the judge remembered.
"Also the tracking device I put on Giroro lead to your military base" Kururu stated.
"What tracking device?!" Giroro called out confused.
"I want to say something incriminating about him!" Keroro shouted feeling left out "ummm,you just look guilty?"
"He does look extremely guilty" the judge agreed.
