Urusei Yatsura - The Senior Year: "Shinobu: Futures Imperfect" Part 1
by Philip Gavigan
PGavigan@aol.com
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Edited by Fred Herriot and E.B. Kushnir
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A side story based on the fan fiction stories in turn based on "Urusei
Yatsura," created by Rumiko Takahashi
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WRITER'S NOTES:

1) This story is set in the period between "Mie's Story" and "Dakejinzou's
Story." The Niphentaxians first appeared in "What Price For Love?" Certain
elements of this story are transplanted from "Ramna 1/2." In this continuity,
the "Yatsura" and "Ranma" storylines are seen as coinciding.

2) The song Shinobu sings is "Another Suitcase in Another Hall" from the
musical play "Evita." Music and lyrics by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.

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And with that...ON WITH THE SHOW!!!!

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Ryuunosuke disliked parties, hated big parties, and truly loathed noisy
parties. Thus her presence at a truly large and noisy levee was unusual to
say the least. As she made her way through the boisterous throng, she
promised herself one long nose-to-nose, toe-to-toe confrontation with the
person who was supposed to be her best friend.

The celebration was in honor of three events: the graduation of the
1984 class of Tomobiki High, the handfasting of Mie and Makoto Seikou and the
successful repulsion of the threatened Niphentaxian invasion of Earth. Even
by Tomobiki standards this had been a busy day.

Ryuunosuke herself felt ambivalent about the day's events. Since she
was going to be spending the greater portion of her life at Tomobiki High as
an employee, graduating from the place seemed redundant. Mie's and Makoto's
wedding had been nice but also uninspiring. In the months since she had
joined Class 3-4, Mie and Ryuunosuke had become acquainted. However, their
relationship never really progressed from its early stages and Ryuunosuke had
only just met Makoto when she and the other Sagussans arrived on Earth.

The invasion crisis lasted just long enough to add fuel to the high
spirits that accompanied the enemy's retreat. However, the reason there was
room for celebration was Ryuunosuke's and her classmates' ability to "duck and
take cover," letting others do the actual fighting.

Well, at least most of them had.

It was not easy for the young tomboy to work her way through the crowd
packed into Tomobiki High's main gymnasium. Clusters of people kept breaking
up and regrouping as everyone tried to understand the full extent of the day's
activities. She did notice that her friends, townspeople, and a surprising
number of strangers hung on every word spoken by Ataru Moroboshi's latest
revealed allies. "No." "You don't say." "And what happened next?" were
about the only contributions made by the Terrans as the Sagussans were
steadily pumped for more information.

Ryuunosuke stumbled into a larger knot of spectators avidly listening to
one of the members of the ship's company of R.S.S. "Hasei'cha," Mie's
shipmates. There she began to get some answers to her own questions.
Lufy...remembered only by the curious red star tattoo the warrior wore on her
face...was going full steam with a half empty bottle of Sagussan brandy that
she held in her right hand.

Surprisingly, Lufy seemed to remember Ryuunosuke. Without warning, Lufy
reached across and greeted Ryuunosuke as a bosom buddy instead of the passing
acquaintance that she was. Before Ryuunosuke could stop it, she was gripped
in a vise-like headlock by Lufy's unincumbered arm. Sparing a fleeting moment
of sympathy for Chibi, Ryuunosuke divided her attention between listening to
Lufy's almost poetic recitation of the day's battle and keeping herself from
being brained by the brandy bottle the pilot waved in front of her like a
pendulum.

Within a few minutes Ryuunosuke discovered what she had been looking for
and when Lufy had thrown her arms wide to pantomime a particularly huge
explosion she effected her escape. The knowledge that she had acquired was no
comfort to her. It conformed her darkest fear, and Lufy's barely contained
admiration for one certain party's feats of strength at a crucial time were
the basis for yet another potential catastrophe.

Finally, in one of the quieter corners of the room Ryuunosuke spotted
one of her targets. Not the main one. She was not on the crowded dance floor
made more congested by the stage set up to accommodate the band that would
soon be providing the musical accompaniment to that curious Japanese ritual of
embarrassing one's self in public by demonstrating a complete inability to
carry a tune. However, this young girl, a recent and unwelcome addition to
the population of Tomobiki, had been with Ryuunosuke's friend early in the
day...and had disappeared with her. Pamanba Shapiro, or whatever her real
name was, had revealed herself to be a Vosian hunter at a very inconvenient
time. She had placed the muzzle of a very powerful raygun to the forehead of
someone who was very important to both of them. It was only the very quick
thinking of their mutual friend that had saved the alien girl when Nassur, the
true target of that day's terror, had arrived to prevent innocent blood from
being shed. To Ryuunosuke's particular interpretation, Shinobu Miyaki's
actions on that day was some of the stupidest things her best friend had ever
done.

At least until today.

Pamanba was deep into conversation with the person whom Ryuunosuke
recalled as being the leader of Pathfinder Troop Six. She could not remember
her name. She did spend a few minutes openly listening as the two commented
on the day's activities, only to catch the Sagussan asking a question in that
half-joking manner of someone seriously considering the issue. Now alarmed,
she broke into the conversation, muttered a short apology to Sylia, then
dragged the Vosian away from the startled commander before the girl could
protest.

"Where is she?" Ryuunosuke snapped at the smaller girl through tight
lips and clenched teeth.

Pamanba, although a brave individual, was also intelligent enough to
realize that the powerful figure before her was not in a playful mood. Having
survived one life threatening situation this day, and instinctively
recognizing that Ryuunosuke's anger was provoked by their concern for
Shinobu's well being, the ponytailed young girl concluded that honesty was the
best life-insurance policy. "She wanted to be alone for awhile so she said
that she was going to your old home room for a while..."

Pamanba stopped as Ryuunosuke spun around on her heels and pushed her
way to the nearest exit. If truth be told, Pamanba was a little jealous of
the retreating tomboy. Ryuunosuke had been a part of Shinobu's life long
before the Vosian had ever heard of this distant, pretty world, and she envied
their times together. Still she was here now and a part of Shinobu's life,
and if that young lady...here Pamela could not resist a snort of laughter at
the use of the term 'lady' in connection with Ryuunosuke...thought that she
could tell her Terran friend what to do there was going to be trouble.

Ryuunosuke plunged into the corridor. It was mercifully empty. At the
moment the only thing the young girl could think about was her friend and the
insane course of behavior that she seemed determined to pursue.

Ever since her meeting with Shinobu at the distant tea house where her
deranged father had insisted upon wasting their lives, she had instinctively
known that this person would always do her best to help her in any way that
she could. Shinobu had been there for her, sometimes to talk, others to
listen, and sometimes just to be there when her father had devised some new
means of making her life even more hellish than it had already been.

Best of all Shinobu never offered useless advice about behaving in a
more feminine fashion. She just did what she could to help Ryuunosuke deal
with the biological realities of being a woman. As Ryuunosuke climbed the
staircase leading to the room where so much had happened to the both of them
over the past few years, she steeled her resolve for the coming confrontation.
Her best friend had a death wish. She would not be allowed to indulge it.

Ryuunosuke stopped at the open doorway to her old classroom and looked
in. The lights were off but the room was lit by the courtyard lamps below,
creating strange patterns of shadows and light in the room making it look like
one of the abstract ink prints she had been forced to study in one of the
interminable art appreciation courses. Shinobu was there, still dressed in
her school uniform as she sat curled up on the window sill, gazing off into
space. For a moment Ryuunosuke fumbled for the light switch then stopped as
she realized that Shinobu needed this atmosphere of contrast. She entered the
room and moved noiselessly around the darkened desks till she came to stand
next to her friend.

The light from the powerful commercial lamps had a curious effect of
bleaching the colors from whatever it struck so that the object was given an
otherworldly appearance. Shinobu had a strange greenish glow to her and when
she turned to look at her school friend the resulting play of light and shadow
across her face resembled a skull of a person long dead. At that moment
Ryuunosuke was absolutely convinced that she was being haunted by the ghost of
her best friend who was yet among the living. Then the moment passed and the
anger that had grown from Ryuunosuke's love for this person before her and the
contempt that she seemed to hold for her own well-being blossomed and she
pulled her arm back and slapped Shinobu across both of her cheeks

"YOU IDIOT!!!!" the tomboy shouted as she grabbed Shinobu by the
shoulders and dragged the curiously unresisting girl down from her window
perch to shake her. "You frigging moron, they told us to stay out of it and
you just had to get involved, didn't you?!! They told us to find someplace
safe and to stay there 'till it was over and I did!! I got everybody over
here in the basement!! It was perfect; this outhouse is sacred to those
Church of Lum jerks. It's the last place they would've attacked!! We're all
downstairs, all together, all safe, then I look around for you...and you're
not there! And I start to look for you, then I start thinking 'she's with
that Shapiro bitch! They're together an' they're around here somewhere. It's
just that Shinobu doesn't want that girl around those morons. I mean, she
fried Lum the first time they met and Mendou and the others are dying for some
payback time.'

Shinobu made no resistance as Ryuunosuke continued her tirade. "And I
keep telling myself that...and I know it's a lie. I knew that you were out
there! I knew that you were involved! I knew that you could get yourself
killed just like you've been trying to do since you got Ataru put into that
box on Icarus!"

With that bitter accusation from Ryuunosuke, Shinobu let loose a low
groan of agony and pitched forward into her friend's arms. Ryuunosuke shook
her again, but much more gently this time and begged her to listen. "No, no I
didn't mean that, honey! But you gotta listen to me now Shinobu, you gotta
listen to me! We all put him into whatever it was that did it to him, all of
us. There are no innocents here! We all did it! And Lum and Ataru are at
the head of the list!! You're guilty, yes, but we all are! It's time to let
it go! You've done what you could to make it up with Ataru, and it hasn't
done either of you any good. He doesn't want anything to do with you, with
any of us anymore, and all your trying ain't gonna change that! Now it's time
to let him go! He's got his own life to make and there's no room for any of
us in it!!"

Ryuunosuke had slid her hands up the petite girl's frame and now cupped
her cheeks with her palms, her hands drenched by the steady flow of tears from
Shinobu's eyes. With a gentleness totally foreign to her, Ryuunosuke raised
Shinobu's head and looked into her dark eyes, marvelling at the storm of
emotions that swirled through those orbs. *How can anybody feel this much and
still live?* she wondered.

Ryuunosuke took a tiny, hesitant breath and then continued. "I know you
mean well, but what you did today ain't gonna do you any good and it's about
time that you started looking out for yourself because nobody else is going
to. You should hear that Lufy talking you up down there. You really
impressed her...and that ain't a good thing. She's like one of those
wandering minstrels, practically turned the battle into an epic poem already.
Made sure you got credit too with you ripping all those doors outta their way.

"Then she said something that really scared me and it should scare you,
too. She was talking about what kind of soldier you would make if you got the
proper training and the good that you could do. Later on I heard that
commander of theirs saying something similar to Shapiro, sorta half asking if
she thought you might be interested in taking some training with them while
they were here on Earth. Shinobu, I ain't saying nothing against Mie's
people. They're good folk...but they've got their own set of priorities! And
it's Ataru and Lum and *just* Ataru and Lum! They won't set out to hurt
you...but you will if you don't get outta their way."

Shinobu was quiet. She had said nothing since Ryuunosuke had entered
the room but the tomboy could tell that she had listened...truly listened...to
her. It had registered with her. Now was the time to finally effect the
break with Ataru, the time to set Shinobu free. Ryuunosuke and the rest of
Shinobu's friends had long known about her infatuation for Nassur. It had
been the contributing factor that provoked Shinobu's behavior which led to
that deadly farce on Icarus.

But none of them had been able to work up the courage to tell her of
Nassur's marriage to Benten. Now was the time. Shinobu's immediate response
would be anger directed against either Ataru or the bearer of the news. If it
was against her former boyfriend, it would not be much of a loss. Ryuunosuke
thought that any gentler emotions between the two had to have been burnt away
by the years of conflicting passions and pains. But if Shinobu's fury was
centered around a more immediate target, well, Ryuunosuke considered that to
be a price worth paying. "Shinobu, I've got to tell you..." Ryuunosuke slowly
said as she prepared to face the abyss.

"I know," Shinobu interrupted in a thin, strained voice.

"Pardon?" Ryuunosuke gasped in astonishment.

"I know."

Ryuunosuke chose that moment to engage in an endeavor not normally
associated with her: thinking before going any further. It was not that she
was afraid of bearing the brunt of Shinobu's explosive response, but intense
physical pain was something that she considered best avoided. Naturally, she
wanted to maximize her chances of escaping pain free. "Shinobu," she began
once again, "before this conversation goes any further, I really need to know
just what you are talking about?"

"Today, today when I was out there," the trembling girl began, "...I was
with them, dressed like one of them, acting like one of them. It was like I
wasn't me anymore...like I was being replaced by someone else. I looked at
them, and they were all so sure of themselves, of what they were doing. I
asked Mie if she was scared...and she said yes. For a moment I felt a bit,
just a little bit better. Then she said that she had died once already and
that death held no surprises for her."

Shinobu began to gasp for breath as her emotions pulled her chest
muscles tightly against themselves. "I had known this before...but I had
never realized it till that second. They had all died and had been brought
back. And the same thing could happen to me too!"

Now the words gush from her throat as if they were being forced past
some great obstacle. "I don't want that! I don't want that! I could die!
They could bring me back...but would it be me, the real me? Maybe I won't
really come back! How should I know; they don't tell us anything. Maybe
what's...really me would...be lost...gone! I'd be gone...and something
else...would be here...but not me! I don't want that...I don't want that...I
don't...I don't...I don't...!"

Slowly Shinobu began to crumple to the floor as her legs gave way
beneath her. Ryuunosuke followed her to the cold tile, cradling her sobbing
friend to her chest like a mother with her child.

* * *

Later, after the last lingering shudder had shook Shinobu's slight
frame, Ryuunosuke cautiously slipped her hands underneath Shinobu's arms and
pulled her slowly to her feet. Then, half leading and half carrying, she drew
her friend to the front of the school room, depositing her in the comfortable
chair behind the teacher's desk. Seeing that Shinobu was securely positioned,
Ryuunosuke pulled open the upper left hand drawer and took out the coffee mug
Koosei always kept there. A quick trip to the water fountain down the hall
and Ryuunosuke was back, using her moistened handkerchief to wipe the last
traces of tears from Shinobu's face.

The girl seemed so terrifyingly empty, so drained of energy. For a
moment Ryuunosuke toyed with the notion of fetching Sakura to help provide
some measure of comfort to her friend, but did not like the thought of leaving
Shinobu alone. This was still Tomobiki...and things had a terrible habit of
occurring at the worst possible time. Perhaps it would not be a bad idea to
wait a few minutes, the tomboy reasoned. Shinobu seemed calmer now; perhaps
she had finally purged herself of some of the furies which had been tormenting
her over the past few months. "Thank you," Shinobu whispered slightly.

"For what?" Ryuunosuke muttered, feeling guilty for having slapped her
best friend. "I sure didn't make it too easy on you tonight...and you got the
evidence to prove it," she pointed toward the sitting girl's face.

Shinobu managed a weak little smile and raised her right hand to the
offended cheeks. "Well, they say the truth hurts."

Both girls weakly chuckled at that feeble joke, then Ryuunosuke fell
silent as her friend continued. "It may have hurt, a bit, but it was the
truth and I needed to hear it, to hear it from someone else besides myself and
from someone I trust as completely as I trust you, Ryuunosuke."

The tomboy looked at the schoolgirl, amazement plastered across her
face. "Yes, I trust you, Ryuunosuke. I think you're one of the finest people
I've ever met, and I consider it a honor to be your friend."

With this statement Ryuunosuke blushed so intensely that the whole room
seemed to glow a soft gentle red. "I've been telling myself something like
what you told me tonight for sometime, and I've been getting similar advice
from other...people that we both know."

Shinobu's gentle features suddenly hardened. Ryuunosuke had a very good
idea who her best friend was thinking of. "But sometimes you can argue with
yourself and convince yourself that things can still work out. And it's hard
to take advice, no matter how good it is if it's coming from someone that you
don't know well. Don't like at all. She seems to think it's her god-given
right to lecture."

"Sounds like you've been giving this some serious thought," ventured
Ryuunosuke who wanted to keep Shinobu thinking more about resolving her
problems than dwelling on some of the slights that she had received. Still
none of the recent visitors had gone out of his way to endear himself to any
of Ataru's old schoolmates. Ataru was their sole concern and his previous
associates were considered impediments to his true destiny.

"Ever since we returned from being kidnaped by the Church of Lum,"
Shinobu paused, allowing her mind wander back to that particular ordeal. "I
had no idea why they took me along with Lum and the rest. In the pantheon of
their religion, those dorks call me a heretic, a 'Sinful Doubter.' Well I got
hurt bad that time."

Ryuunosuke thought that Shinobu could pick the most interesting times to
understate things. 'Hurt bad' didn't begin to describe when a mind-controlled
Megane had fired a clip of ammunition towards the back of Atako Moroboshi,
Ataru's bioroid sister. Shinobu had pushed her new friend out of the line of
fire only to be hit herself.

There had been a collective gasp of horror when Shinobu's female
classmates had first viewed the healed wounds in the showers after gym class.
Her left shoulder, which had previously been flawless, was now a mass of
crisscrossing ridges that trailed like vines down her arm. It was only the
repeated assurances of both Shinobu and Lum that the guards' leader had been
under the control of a malevolent curse to prevent the Oni from finding
happiness with her beloved that had kept the outraged girls from rushing en
masse and lynching the hapless nerd on the spot. Ryuunosuke, however, had
found a later opportunity to "express her discontent" with her classmate's
actions. Unfortunately he healed.

Then Shinobu began her story again. "At any rate, I didn't think it was
that bad. The Avalonian doctor who treated me described it as a 'flesh
wound,' and when I heard that it made me think of those war movies when the
hero is up and fighting again after getting a Band-Aid and a cigarette. But
it wasn't like that at all. Those type of bullets shatter when they impact
flesh to maximize the damage. If that had happened to me anywhere else
besides Phentax Twelve, I would have lost my arm, possibly the shoulder as
well. But the doctor said that even that wouldn't have been a problem since
they could have grown a new arm for me or replaced it with a bionic one. They
were talking so casually about replacing a part of me that it scared me to
death! It's kept me from going up to that factory to ask them to take another
look at me."

"There's something wrong?" Ryuunosuke asked, the urgency in her voice
giving it an even huskier quality than usual.

"I...I think I've got some type of nerve damage. My left arm tingles
from the elbow to the wrist and two of my fingers and the palm of that hand
seems numb. I can use them fine...but sometimes they're just not there."

"So go up and see them! Get it fixed!" Ryuunosuke fairly shouted.

"I don't want to owe anybody anything!" her friend snaps. "You're
right. I have been trying to make up with Ataru and Lum, to be their friend.
But no matter what happens, no matter what I do, I'm always back to square one
when the smoke clears. I'm tired of it. I'm tired of being sorry. I'm tired
of trying to make amends. I'm tired of being the punching bag whenever
someone comes out of a flying saucer and wants to prove how tough he is. I
want my life back and I want it back now!"

"Back?" Ryuunosuke was now a little confused. Where was Shinobu going
with this train of thought. "Back? Back as in *before* Icarus?"

"No!" was the immediate reply from Shinobu. "I mean before Lum! Before
the Tag Race! Before everything! I want a life, a normal life again without
aliens, flying saucers, time travel, curses, inter-species hybrids, ninja
fighting programs and watermelon gods. I want to be able to go into a coffee
house and not hear the conversation die down when I enter. I want one person,
just one person to describe me without once using the phrase 'Ataru
Moroboshi's ex-girlfriend.' I want to be able to go to bed each night with
the assurance that the next day will be the same as the one before it. I want
a chance to have a husband and a family. I just want to be normal again."

With that Shinobu took a long, shuddering breath and drank the water
Ryuunosuke fetched for her. Ryuunosuke herself was torn between conflicting
feelings. She was delighted that Shinobu's emotional eruption had resulted in
a desire to begin to build a life for herself that was not fused to Ataru's.
But the tomboy could not help but be astonished that Shinobu could ever use
the word "normal" in connection with herself. Understanding the word to mean
"unexceptional" or "average," Ryuunosuke was unable to use the word to
describe her friend. Anybody with the personal history of Shinobu Miyaki,
anybody with the ability to survive the adversities hurled against her with
increasing ferocity by a cruel fate, could never be described as "normal!"
She must have misunderstood the meaning behind her friend's words.

"So, what do you plan to do now?" Ryuunosuke asked.

"I'm really not certain," Shinobu replied sheepishly. "I guess I've
determined the problem but not the solution. Well, with Mie, Makoto and all
of the rest leaving tomorrow, I think I'll have some free time to work on it."

Ryuunosuke was puzzled. She had not heard anything about the Sagussans
preparing to leave Earth so soon after Ataru and Lum's graduation and asked
Shinobu what was going on. "Oh, it's not for good," Shinobu replied with a
little hand gesture that indicated quite clearly that it would not bother her
if she never saw any of them ever again. "I guess they're getting away for a
few days on a honeymoon trip and the rest of them are tagging along. Just
taking the opportunity to get in some vacation time. It should be really
peaceful around here, for a few days at least. Although, now that I think
about it, I think Pathfinder Troop Six might be staying to keep an eye out for
any Niphentaxian agents tempted to try something."

Ryuunosuke nodded, thinking it would be a good thing to make sure
Shinobu did not have the opportunity to spend too much time with Sylia's team.
Too much potential for backsliding there. "So, what's gonna be your first
move?" she asked.

Shinobu stood up, laughed, stretched her arms high over her head and
declared, "To get out of this room and go home," she giggled. "A lot has
happened in this room. A lot has happened to me in this room but that doesn't
mean I have to spend anymore time here than I really want to. Besides I guess
I'll be back here for cram school before we take those placement tests. Might
be a good time for me to start exploring my options. It's been a while since
I've done that."

"Oh, no, you don't!" Ryuunosuke protested in a laughing voice. "You
ain't getting out of it that easy. Everyone, and I do mean everyone in the
class, promised to do a song tonight. I was warned that you might try to duck
out on it and none of the girls will ever let me forget it if you do!"

"Oh, no," squealed Shinobu as her friend grabbed her arm and ,with a
look of one who will not be denied ,began to pull her from the room. "No,
please! I don't want to!"

"No way! Nothin' doin'!! Mendou spent a ton of yen and got a real good
band for us tonight! Besides, what are you so worked up about anyway? You
got a great voice and everybody knows it."

"But I never sing in public. Please! I can't do this."

Ryuunosuke stopped at the doorway into their old class room, staring
Shinobu straight into the eye. "Yes, you can!" Ryuunosuke said in a suddenly
serious tone. "Tomorrow and every day after that is gonna be yours and yours
alone. Tonight's gonna be the last for us...for all of us as a group. When
this party is over, our separate stories begin. Don't get yours off on a
start that you're gonna regret. If you don't do this tonight, you'll spend
the rest of your life asking what on earth you were running away from."

Shinobu looked back at her best friend, then at the same instant they
pulled each other into a warm hug of appreciation. "I really do love you,
Ryuunosuke," she whispered.

"Me too, Shinobu, me too." the tomboy muttered into her friend's ear.

Together the pair turned arm in arm and walked out of the dark school
room into the illuminated hallway. Ryuunosuke hooked her foot around the door
and slammed it shut behind them.

Then some idiot turned out the lights! "***I DON'T BELIEVE THAT FATHER
OF MINE!!!!***" Ryuunosuke roared to the heavens as Shinobu began to
helplessly giggle. "***EVEN ON THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL, HE KEEPS THE SAME
FRIGGIN' SCHEDULE!!!!!!***"

Ryuunosuke realized that Shinobu had taken her by the hand and was
leading her down the corridor and back to the party that they had both left
not so long before. Ryuunosuke's night vision was not the best and she was
nervous about making her way through the pitch-black building. "Can you
really find our way outta the dark, Shinobu?" she asked.

"Yes," came the answer back to her. "For the first time in a long time,
I really think I can."

* * *

The flight from Tomobiki to Oshika was a long one. Ataru was grateful
he did not have to do that again. With today's...actually yesterday's
...graduation ceremony, he had formally ended his association with that
district and brought a much needed sense of closure to a particularly painful
episode of his life.

The powerful engines that propelled his private helicopter through the
night skies were barely audible to the people in the heavily insulated cabin
permitting those returning with him to that seaside community to get a little
sleep. Even those who shared the comfortable bench with him were dozing; Lum
with her legs tugged up underneath herself and with her head resting on his
shoulder, Reiko lying with her head pillowed in his lap.

His adopted daughter had begged for the chance to attend her father's
graduation ceremony and Ataru had given in. It was not all going as the alien
girl would have liked; she had to agree to get up the next day at her regular
time to help get ready for Mie and Makoto's honeymoon and not sleep in. Ataru
considered it very important that his daughter learn early on in life that
almost everything comes with a price tag. Still, she needed sleep as did
almost everyone else on the helicopter, excepting Ataru and, hopefully, the
pilot. The reason for the pilot being awake were obvious, but for the young
man who had lead such a traumatic life of adversity which he had won, his
thoughts were centered upon one last source of concern.

It was not until the party at the end of the day at the Tomobiki High
School gym that Ataru had learned the news that had so disturbed him. He had
been briefed upon the day's confrontation with the Niphentaxian invasion fleet
threatening Earth. They had arrived at his home world solely to take revenge
for his regrettable but ultimately necessary actions on Phentax Twelve. The
conference had been thorough. It had dealt only with the broad aspects of the
battle: companies, squads, ships and flights had been covered, not
individuals.

It was not until his talk with Mie that he had learned something that
had banished any sense of satisfaction with the day's accomplishments. There
had been two stowaways on the "Kiboo'cha" and they had joined in on the
battle, one providing needed information and the other the power to remove a
series of obstacles that had threatened the success of Pathfinder Troop Six's
mission.

The first of these girls, a one-time Vosian hunter now generally known
as Pamanba Shapiro, was of no interest to Ataru. This was understandable as
the girl had once threatened the life of his much-loved girlfriend. It was
the other, Shinobu Miyaki, the last person on the face of the Earth who could
aggravate Ataru that he now found his thoughts swirling around her and her
actions.

Ataru knew that it was fundamentally wrong to categorize people, to give
them labels and define a relationship by what a person's primary function to
another person was. At this stage in his life such behavior was absolutely
necessary. His days were full with new demands for his attention, new
problems to be solved and these, coupled with a cursed renegade ninja program
that was still curled around his subconscious like a viper, were a constant
threat to both his maturity and his sense of self. It was easy to treat
everyone as functions: friends, allies, adversaries and lovers. But until
his fundamental sanity was restored to the state it was prior to the insertion
of the *saikoo jinseijitsu* into his mind, it was important that he continue
to do so. Later there would be time to make amends.

But Shinobu refused to be categorized. Her actions ranged from those of
the most implacable foe to a stalwart ally. Ataru's emotional response to the
girl also flew across the emotional spectrum. Sometimes livid anger bordering
on the most fundamental levels of hatred, sometimes concern and compassion,
and sometimes something sweet and tender. All of these could be how Ataru
felt towards his childhood friend and companion. Sometimes he felt these in
the course of a single day!

She was the last source of confusion to him. Now was the time that he
desperately needed a sense of assurance about who he was and where he was
headed. For this reason, he felt a growing sense of guilt for some of his
more vengeful acts against her. He had resolved to avoid Shinobu as much as
possible, to be cool and distant from her when circumstances forced them into
each other's company. No cruelty formed the basis for these actions. Ataru
realized that he still cared deeply for the girl, possibly more than he was
willing to admit. But if he was to protect her from the danger, he had to
keep her at a distance. Later, when everything was finally settled, would
come the time of reconciliation.

Shinobu, however, refused to stay put. Once again she had involved
erself in his affairs. Once again she had deliberately placed herself in
harm's way. Once again she could have gotten herself killed. As Ataru
listened to Mie's account of the battle once Pathfinder Troop Six and the
"Hasei'cha's" crew had boarded the Niphentaxian System Destroyer and learned
how Shinobu had been of vital importance to the final success of the
engagement, conflicting emotions rose higher and higher in his breast until
they threatened to choke him.

In his mind he could hear the shrieking laughter of the *saikoo
jinseijitsu* as it tried to capitalize upon the chaos in yet another attempt
to seize Ataru's physical form for its own. This latest attempt was easily
repelled, but it did underline the threat that Shinobu posed not just to Ataru
but to herself and all of those Ataru cared for.

Because if that demon ever did take control of Ataru again, its first
action would be to murder all those who were important to the young man to
ensure that it would retain control of its stolen body. Ataru had seen first
hand the results of this when he had visited that other temporal reality where
the *saikoo jinseijitsu* had wrecked havoc upon Tomobiki and those he loved.
That must not occur here. If necessary, Ataru was prepared to take the final
step to insure that it would not.

Ataru began to search the crowded room looking for the missing girl, his
hunt being interrupted by friends, well wishers, and those who simply wanted
to meet the young man whose adventures had so affected their lives. With the
skill of an experience diplomat he moved steadily through the crowd, never
being rude but making sure that no one had the chance to keep him from his
task. He simply had to find Shinobu. They had to reach some form of
understanding now, tonight...or the results could be catastrophic.

Then, after two complete circuits around the room he finally spotted her
standing next to the stage talking to the middle-aged man who was coordinating
the night's entertainments. Mendou had brought together a band of some of the
most prominent musicians in Japan to provide entertainment. Ataru had heard a
rumor that it had only been because of the recent tragic death of John Lennon
that Mendou had not made a more determined effort to secure a reunion of the
Beatles for his high school graduation party. Such an act of unrepentant ego
was well within the scope of Shutaro's actions.

As it was the entire class had agreed to participate in a karaoke night
and Shinobu was apparently first up. This was surprising because Shinobu had
always had a dread of public embarrassment. Perhaps she was just trying to
get it over with quickly. Still she did not have much to worry about. She
possessed a lovely voice and was probably one of the best singers in the room,
even taking into account the Sagussans, who loved music. Ataru paused and
remembered the last time he had heard Shinobu sing...

She had invited him to her music class. There was a recital going on
and she desperately needed his support to get through it. He had made a show
of protesting, maintaining a facade of disinterest...but was actually very
eager to attend. Shinobu had been lovely that night and had sung like an
angel. Later they had walked home hand in hand and Ataru had felt a sense of
ease that he hadn't known sense childhood.

The next day, Lum arrived on Earth.

In order to ensure fairness, no one would be allowed to bring his own
music. The songs had been numbered and lots had been drawn to determine who
would sing what. There would not be anything too complicated; show tunes and
pop standards were the order of the day. Now that Ataru was getting closer to
the stage he began to pick up bits and pieces of the conversation that Shinobu
was having with the director, Ryuunosuke and Pamanba, who had apparently both
volunteered to act as their friend's backup.

"...come on man...let her have somethin' else," the tomboy snarled at
the sweating older man.

"Don't worry about it," he heard Shinobu reply. "This won't kill me.
Besides I always liked this song and the play that it's from. I was really
sorry when I heard that the duo who had written it had broken up." She folded
the score that she had been given and handed it back to the suddenly puzzled
man. "I won't need this, I know this one by heart."

She turned to start up the stairs leading to the elevated stage, and
stepped directly into Ataru. She jumped backwards and seemed to raise her
left arm into a defensive posture; then she realized who was standing before
her and seemed to relax, if just a little.

"Oh, Ataru! I'm sorry!" she whispered.

Then a strange, absent expression fit itself across her finely drawn
features and she began to study the face of the young man who looked down at
her. Then with a smile like the Mona Lisa's she stood on her toes and leaned
toward the startled Ataru and brushed their cheeks together, gave him a soft
kiss and said in a very gentle, regretful voice, "I'm sorry, Ataru."

Then she turned and slowly walked up the staircase and joined Ryuunosuke
and Pamanba who had preceeded her there.

The dimming lights had informed the assembled partiers that the
entertainment was about to begin. Conversations quickly died. After a few
last seconds' instructions to the band, Shinobu picked up her microphone and
aited for the band to begin. The music had a slight flavor of Latin America
to it, as if it had been written by someone who had known about it but not
grown up with it. Then Shinobu's cue was reached and she began to sing:

I don't expect my love affairs to last for long.
Never fool myself that my dreams will come true.
Being used to trouble, I anticipate it,
But all the same, I hate it.
Wouldn't you?

So what happens now?
Another suitcase in another hall.
So what happens now?
Take your picture off another wall.
Where am I going to?
You'll get by, you always have before.
Where am I going to?

The crowd stood absolutely quiet with the first cord and as Shinobu
sang, Ataru noticed how the couples present had begun to hold each other,
almost in defense against the loneliness they all heard underneath the melody.
Then he felt someone wrapping her arms around him and he bent his head to her
green hair and breathed deeply of her aroma.

Time and time again, I've said that I don't care.
That I'm immune to gloom, that I'm hard through and through.
But every time it matters, all my words desert me.
So anyone can hurt me, and they do.

So what happens now?
Another suitcase in another hall.
So what happens now?
Take your picture off another wall.
Where am I going to?
You'll get by, you always have before.

Where am I going to?

Incredibly, all of Shinobu's female classmates had joined in with
Ryuunosuke and Pamanba as they sang the dispassionate response to the poignant
question raised in the refrain. Somehow, it was very right that they did so.

Call in three months time and I'll be fine, I know.
Well, maybe not that fine, but I'll survive anyhow.
I won't recall the names and places of each sad occasion.
But that's no consolation here and now.

So what happens now?
Another suitcase in another hall.
So what happens now?
Take your picture off another wall.
Where am I going to?
You'll get by, you always have before.

Where am I going to?

With that last chorus everyone joined in, Terran and Sagussan alike. It
was important that everyone be a part of it. Unfortunately they did not know
the final response. But Ataru knew. He raised his head from its comfortable
spot nestled atop of Lum's and, in his clear strong voice, sang, "Don't ask,
anymore."

With that Shinobu looked around the room, then with a brief brilliant
smile turned and left the stage.

And then she was gone.

* * *

It had been a very long day, Ataru thought as his helicopter sliced
through the night skies. A lot had happened and preparations still needed to
be finalized before the scheduled departure time arrived. But none of his
thoughts centered on these or any of the things that he now considered to be
so vital to his existence. All he could think about was of the slight but
valiant figure that had stood before him and that strange, one way
conversation that they had.

"Ataru," she had called him. Without the term of affection that had
always been a second nature to her, even in the darkest times of their
relationship. Just "Ataru." The behavior of someone who had decided
something very profound and had found the courage to act upon her convictions.
He thought that he would have been happy when this event had finally occurred.
That there would have been a feeling of getting on with his life, not a
strange feeling of emptiness, of something being not quite right with the
universe. He should be happy for himself and especially for her.

So why wasn't he?

The long ride back to Oshika seemed much longer that night...

* * *

To be continued...



The leader surveyed his domain and found it good.

As his ancestors had ruled for generations, he too controlled the lives
and destinies of all those within his immediate realm, despite the democratic
illusions of the peasants who had abandoned the sacred traditions which had
preserved their beloved country for centuries. Even now, the unwashed masses
fooled themselves into believing that a thousand idiots could lead the country
better than the enlightened wisdom of a single man. When he had attempted to
alert his fellow countrymen to the fast approaching crisis, they rejected him
and his devoted followers and called them reactionaries, ultraconservatives
and worse.

However, there were many paths to his ultimate victory and he would
exploit them all until he obtained his goal. Even now, as he stood alone in
the cold, night air and studied the skies above, his thoughts revolved around
his plans and the newfound allies who promised aid in return for minor favors.
The fools didn't realize that their real ambitions toward his world were as
transparent as the morning dew upon the rose. Still, with their technical
resources, they would be a useful, if temporary, convenience. One that could
be discarded easily at an opportune time. His servants busy now unlocking the
secrets of the sciences that they had produced as a measure of good faith.

The man of power allowed himself a tight smile as he contemplated the
near future and repeated the promise that he had made to himself everyday of
his life since early childhood. But this time there was something new added.

"America shall be our breadbasket, Europe our boutique.....and the stars
our destiny."

* * *

Urusei Yatsura - The Senior Year: "Shinobu: Futures Imperfect" Part 2
By Philip Gavigan
PGavigan@aol.com
**** **** ****
Edited by Fred Herriot and E. B. Kushnir
**** **** ****
A side story based on the fan fiction stories in turn based on "Urusei
Yatsura," created by Rumiko Takahashi.
**** **** ****

IN THE FIRST PART OF "SHINOBU: FUTURES IMPERFECT," Ryuunosuke and Shinobu
have a frank discussion concerning Shinobu's inability to stay out of the
affairs of Ataru Moroboshi despite the threat presented to the latter's life.
Surprisingly, Shinobu is receptive to Ryuunosuke's arguments and agrees that
to begin making a life of her own. However, making such a decision and
implementing it are two entirely different things...

**** **** ****

And with that... ON WITH THE SHOW!!!!

**** **** ****

"Dear Diary; "This was supposed to be so easy. All I had to do was
say, 'stop.' Just don't get involved. For the first few days after
graduation, everything was easy. With Lum and the rest gone on their
vacation, it was so quiet around here that I really began to feel good
about everything, even myself.

"About the only crisis was the problem that Pamanba was having
with that Henta jerk, but Koosei and Mr. Shapiro came up with a
good way to pay him back for telling stories about her. She was a
little depressed about everything but was coming around.

"Then we got another visitor from *out there*. That's when
everything changed. The next time I saw Pamanba, she had cut her
ponytail off. I knew what that meant to a Vosian woman so I was
getting ready to draw and quarter Henta until Pamanba told me what
had happened. Not only had she *recognized* another woman, but
one that was a Nendo-kata that had merged with a dying human
woman, I guess like one had with Nokoko Moroboshi. Well, when I
found out that it was Clarisse Ike that Pamanba had recognized I
nearly lost it. But I kept my reaction from showing. I hope I
did anyway. I mean, with Atako and Naromo in my past I have no
right to judge. I was just hoping things would be easier for
Pamanba.

"But things kept getting more complicated. Somebody, called the
*Mikado*, sent some people after Pamanba, nasty types called
*hunters.* I went down to the Toranoseishin Finances Center to
see if Pathfinder Troop Six could do anything to help. Lately
I've been trying to keep some distance between myself and the
Sagussans, but this was an emergency. I guess they don't care
much for that *Mikado* character either because they agreed and
took off. I went home, but I was worried for Pamanba. When I
tried to call her no one answered. It got later and later and I
got more and more worried.

"I decided to go to see Sylia to ask what was going on. I kind of
like her; she hasn't tried to punch out or shoot me...at least,
not yet. She and Priss were interrogating a prisoner that they
had taken, a hunter named Hinanba. Apparently she has been
addicted to some kind of drug and they had given her something to
help her come off it. I asked if I could see her. I'm not sure
why I did that. I've done a lot of research on drug addictions
for my medical hygiene studies in school, but that was all
literary work.

"We talked for a bit then I left the holding cell. I looked for
Sylia to tell her that I was leaving. But I couldn't find her, I
couldn't find any of them. They had all gone leaving me alone with
a drug addict about to go through withdrawal. I went back to the
holding cell and watched Hinanba in the viewscreen. She was
already into the first stages. They had left her shackled with
her hands above her head. She was convulsing and really doing
herself some damage.

"I didn't know her, I didn't owe her anything, I didn't have to do
anything.

"But I got involved.

"Again."

* * *

"So do you think we're doing the right thing leaving them with the
Nendo-kata?" asked Priss as she and her commanding officer restored their
weapons to their proper places in the makeshift armoury the Troop had
established.

"Absolutely," Sylia replied. "We simply don't have the room or the
facilities to properly treat them down here...or on Sagussa for that matter.
They'll be much better off in Oshika. They still have to go through the
mental stage of withdrawal. The Nendo-kata's abilities to help them through
that are better than ours. Besides, I'd much rather get that squad of Mikado
hunters as far away from Tomobiki as we can. Too easy for civilian casualties
if something should go wrong."

The two soldiers left the room and began to make their way back to the
holding area. "Now all we've got to do is collect Hinanba and get her with
the rest of them and our part in this is..." Sylia stopped, standing still as
a disturbing thought crossed her mind. "Priss..." she began.

"Yeah?"

"Who did we leave with Hinanba when we took off this afternoon?" her
commander asked.

Priss thought back. "I'm not certain," she began "But I know we did
leave someone with her."

"Who?" Sylia replied. "We were all on that mission, we didn't leave
anyone here."

"Come on. I know someone was with her when we left. We wouldn't take
off and just leave her here alone and about to go through..."

Priss stopped as she remembered who was left in the cell with the Vosian
hunter. "Shinobu. Shinobu was here and wanted to speak with her. I let her
in then went to finish my check list. Everything was rushed and we..."

Sylia raced down the corridor to the cell where Hinanba had been left.
Priss caught up with her as she slapped her palm against the access panel
causing the door to slide noiselessly open.

"Did we forget to do something today?" Shinobu asked.

The Japanese girl was sitting behind Hinanba on the narrow bench with
one arm wrapped around the Vosian to keep her from falling forward while
Shinobu massaged her back with her free hand. The Sagussans entered the room
blushing with embarrassment. As they approached the seated pair they noticed
that Shinobu was almost as exhausted as the addict. Both were drenched in
sweat and splattered with blood from the Vosian's chaffed wrists, damaged when
she tried to pull her hands free of her manacles. Shinobu's lower lip was
split. There were some bruises on her chin apparently caused when Hinanba's
head snapped back in convulsions.

"Ah...tough afternoon?" Priss asked as she released Hinanba from her
restraints.

The look that Shinobu gave her was deadly. Sylia saw it and knew what
was coming. "Bad afternoon? Of course not," Shinobu began in a sickeningly
sweet voice. "I mean, if you don't think about the hot and cold flashes, it
was fine. The convulsions were a bit rough but we came through with flying
colors. The paranoid illusions and the verbal and physical assaults just
added spice to the day. I will admit that the vomiting and the loss of bodily
control were a teeny bit upsetting but there was only so much waste she had
that it was almost unnoticeable. So if I don't think about it, this afternoon
was a walk in the park."

She stopped and looked at the blank expression on Priss's face. "Gods!"
she said, "Sarcasm is utterly wasted on you, isn't it?"

Priss knew exactly what Shinobu meant. She also had to admit that it
had been a stupid question to ask and that she had deserved the Shinobu's
response. If anything she found herself grudgingly respecting Shinobu for
having said what she did.

Sylia thought that this might be a good time to get things back under
control. "Don't worry, Shinobu. We've got the best help for Hinanba
available," Sylia began. "The rest of her Hunter squad were also addicted.
Their late commander found it a very effective means of insuring discipline.
The Nendo-kata's taken charge of them. They're going to help them get over
it. We can get Hinanba up there in just a few minutes and they'll take care
of her too."

"No, we don't!" Shinobu said. "We do not take her up there right away.
First we're going to get her cleaned up, have those wrists looked after and
put decent and clean clothes on her. When we do take her up there she's going
to have some dignity intact."

"Shinobu," Priss softly said. "The Nendo-kata want to help her. They
won't care about how she looks."

"But she will," Shinobu stood up holding the limp Vosian girl in her
arms, reminding Sylia of a sandpanther preparing to defend her cub. "If she
goes to Oshika looking like this it will be the image that she will always
carry of herself in relation to them. Even if they don't think badly of her,
she will. It will stick with her and make it harder for her to accept their
aid and delaying, possibly halting, her recovery."

"Priss," Sylia said. "Please take Shinobu and Hinanba to the life
station and prepare Hinanba for the trip. I'll go to our QM shack and see
about getting something for her to wear."

Sylia watched as her coxswain lead the pair from the holding cell. Then
she took a good look around the room, especially the slick bench where Shinobu
and Hinanba had spent their day. This was going to require a lot of cleaning
up.

Later, in the Troop's temporary quartermaster stores, Sylia found a
garment for Hinanba. It was a loose fitting one piece made from a soft,
orange colored material with automatically self fitting boots attached. She
was about to leave when she remembered Shinobu's own ragged appearance and
realized that the young girl was also going to need a change of clothing. She
reached to pick up another jumpsuit when something occurred to her. She went
over to a different shelf and found what she had in mind.

*Nothing ventured, nothing gained,* Sylia thought as she left the room.

In the Troop's field life station Sylia discovered that Shinobu had
cleaned up the Vosian and was putting the finishing touches to the first aid
to the girl's wrists. She took the one-piece from Sylia and began to slide
Hinanba into it. A quick tug of the zipper on the front of the suit and the
girl was ready. Shinobu slowly lowered Hinanba until the girl was lying
comfortably upon the stretcher. Shinobu gently brushed the hair back from the
girl's eyes, then turned to face Sylia and Priss. "I want to go home now."
Shinobu said in a small, tired voice.

"We'll get you there," Sylia replied gently. "But I don't think you're
going to want your parents to see you looking like that."

Shinobu looked down at herself and grimaced. Sylia continued. "Before
you go, take a shower and get some treatment for those cuts. We've got
medicines that will have you back to normal by morning. Those clothes of
yours have had it. I picked up something for you to wear, and we'll get your
things back to you after we've cleaned them up."

Shinobu nodded her agreement and walked to the apartment's bathroom.
Priss went to Sylia and took a good look at the bundle the woman was carrying.
"Just what are you up to?" the coxswain demanded.

Sylia did not respond but Priss knew the look in her eyes and accurately
guessed her intentions. "You're crazy." she snapped.

"Maybe, but you can't deny that Shinobu would make an excellent addition
to our society."

"With time and training, she'd be great. Right now she can barely stand
us," Priss countered. "Mie and Noa had to protect Ataru and Lum from everyone
here...and as far as they were concerned, that included Shinobu. And that
poses another problem. Even if she was interested in joining us, Ataru would
hit the roof."

"Ataru is going to be the leader of Sagussa," Sylia replied, "...not
absolute dictator. All of us have the right to invite those whom we feel
worthy to join us. I'm merely exercising that right. Besides," she continued
with a sigh, "I don't really think she'll go for it either."

"Then why are you trying?"

"Because it would be dishonourable not to."

Priss looked solemnly toward her friend, then sighed and left the life
station to prepare the hovercycles for the trip to Oshika. Sylia waited for
Shinobu to finish. The shower had stopped a few minutes before and the
Sagussan thought the girl would soon be ready to get dressed. The door to the
showers opened and Shinobu leaned out wrapped in a long, white towel.

"Ah...did you get something for me to wear?" Shinobu asked.

"Got it right here." Sylia tossed her the bundle which she easily
caught. The girl allowed the towel that she had been wearing to drop to the
floor. Apparently she was too tired to be concerned with modesty. She
unfolded the clothing, also a one-piece affair and began to pull it on. Once
it was zippered shut she tugged her hair out from the collar and turned to
examine herself in a full length mirror.

Then, she realized what she was wearing.

It was a Sagussan off-duty jumpsuit, coloured in the dark blue, red and
green of a Pathfinder. The cloth was softer and less form fitting than the
standard duty issue and had loose short sleeves. But the Sagussan phoenix was
impressed above the left breast, proudly proclaiming the ultimate loyalties of
the wearer of such a uniform. Shinobu looked at herself reflected in the
mirror and knew a moment of horror.

Sylia watched as the blood drained from Shinobu's face and kicked
herself mentally. *I rushed it!* she thought. *I got anxious and I rushed
it. I really blew this one big time!* She studied the girl in the looking
glass. Shinobu did not look like she was about to faint, but the expression
on her face was undeniable. Having gone this far, however, Sylia thought she
had no choice but to continue.

"It looks like it suits you," Sylia said, the true meaning of her
statement obvious to both of them.

Without turning to look at her Shinobu replied. "You must mean that it
seems to *fit* me."

*Well, that too!* Sylia thought. She gave herself a mental shake and
then asked, "Alright, how does it fit?"

"It's a little tight around the waist but I guess that's to be expected,
isn't it?" Shinobu replied, a mixture of hurt and hostility in her eyes.

"You seem to be sensitive about your hips," Sylia probed gently. "Why
is that?"

"It's been the insult of choice from most Sagussans that I've met. Even
the one who resembles me has a better figure than I do."

"Give us a few years and a couple of children. By then most of us would
be grateful to look like you."

Shinobu felt confused. She could sense the sincerity of what Sylia was
saying, However, having been on the receiving end of so many pointed barbs
about her physical shortcomings, she could not quite grasp the young woman's
meaning. "What do you mean?" she softly asked.

"When we were chosen by the Gatherer, we were selected by a series of
instructions. A set of requirements of mental, spiritual, and physical
standards had to be met. Unfortunately that also included a certain ascetic
style."

Shinobu thought about the Sagussans that she had met. High breasted and
slim hipped was the norm with all of them. She allowed herself a tiny
chuckle, then asked, "Who programmed that style?! Calvin Klein?!"

Sylia chuckled, then sobered. This was not amusing. "Too true. It
really is more suited for the cat walk than for giving birth. Unfortunately,
the standard has been set and I'm afraid that it's going to cause problems for
our society for many generations to come."

The Sagussan commander walked over to one of the portable cabinets
Reinoevan used in her secondary duty as Troop medic, then pulled open a drawer
and took out a small container. Sylia then handed it to the girl who
unscrewed the lid and took a cautious sniff of its contents. Satisfied,
Shinobu began to apply the salve to her cuts and bruises.

"I'm not your enemy, Shinobu."

"You're not my friend either, Sylia."

"I would like to be."

"I would like that too, but I really don't see how it can happen.
You're a good person, Sylia...but you're dangerous for somebody like me to
know. I...care too much for people that I like. I get involved in their
lives. In the past it wasn't too bad, but then the stakes got higher and
higher. I found myself doing things that I can't explain. I've hurt people
that I loved pursuing a man who's light years away from me. I can't go on
like this. Either I'm going to hurt someone really bad or I'm going to be.
There's too much potential for destruction around you for my peace of mind."

"So what are you going to do, Shinobu?"

"Run. I need to put distance between myself and you. I thought I could
stay in Tomobiki while you were here, but after today I know that's
impossible. Sooner or later, in one way or the other I'll get involved again.
Maybe later, when you've all left, I'll be able to return home."

"Do you want us to leave that bad?"

Shinobu was quiet for a few moments, torn between a comforting lie and a
painful truth. She had a resigned look as she bent to pick up Hinanba to
carry her to the helipad for the trip to Oshika. She studied the tired face
of the girl in her arms and considered the similarities between them. Both
were caught up in events beyond their control. Both had been used to benefit
others. Both were driven by compulsions beyond their understanding. Hinanba
had nearly been destroyed by hers today. Shinobu could be killed by hers
tomorrow.

Now was the time for the cycle to end, the addiction to be broken. If
Hinanba could overcome her need for drugs, then Shinobu could end her
involvement with Ataru, Lum and all of those who surrounded them.

Carrying the unconscious Vosian she walked to the elevator. The
automatic door slid open and she began to pass through. She paused and looked
back into the room, at Sylia who stood alone there. "Sylia," Shinobu began
in a voice far too weary for someone so young, "I bear no ill will towards any
of you. Not you, Ataru, Lum, not any of you. Go in peace, go in health, go
in comfort, safety and joy. But please...just go."

The commander of Pathfinder Troop Six watched as the door closed. For a
moment she stood frozen, then relaxed and began to walk from the room. She
stooped down to pick up the towel that Shinobu had dropped earlier. Sylia
carefully folded it then laid it on a bed. "My, but I handled that well," she
said then left the life station for the helipad...

* * *

"...it's just as I said, sir. The Prime Minister refuses to open talks
with *any* of the alien races. He maintains that the United Nations is the
only governmental body with the authority to negotiate treaties with races
from other worlds and the United Nations..."

"Refuses at this time," the man of commerce finished for his
governmental *protege*. "Continue to advocate my position, Mr. Takai. I must
remind you that while I've taken great pains to cultivate your career and
observe your progress with some pride, the other members of my consortium are
less patient and demand greater tangible evidence of the wisdom of our
investments. If you could arrange for the Minister of Trade to make some
leading comment, something suitably vague enough for the press to conveniently
misinterpret as a call for a more direct involvement with our guests. That
might prove enough for my partners. And please remember Mr. Takai, there are
many ways of turning a 'no' into a 'yes'."

The man of commerce cut off communication and turned to the other man
sitting around him. For such a powerful man the office was surprisingly
modest. Smallish, its furnishings consisted of a desk with a computer, a
comfortable chair for visitors, a window over a nice view and a painting. If
the occasional visitor realized that the painting was by the most revered of
the Impressionist painters and had recently set a record for the most
expensive single piece of artwork sold by Sotherby's in auction, the office
could easily be mistaken for that of a middle level manager. "Now, what is
your opinion of Mr. Takai?" he politely asked his guest.

"A useful tool," the other man said. He was a colorless man. It wasn't
that he was faded, just unnoticeable. Impeccably dressed in Savoy Row
clothes, taller than the average Japanese male and handsome even by the most
demanding standards, there was something about him that caused the casual
observer to simply not register his presence. It was a talent that he
exploited to its fullest potential.

"Indeed. Someday he will make an excellent Prime Minister. Is he in
the same category as the Baron?"

"No. The Baron is a man of high intelligence and ambition. For the
moment I would suggest that you regard him as an ally. Later, after your
position has become more secure, there will be time to redefine your
association."

"Thank you, Mr. Lee," the owner of the office, the building that it was
in, and the block of downtown Tokyo that it was on said. "That was my
interpretation of our relationship as well. I am most pleased you confirmed
it. In many ways the Baron and I are very alike. We both wish our nation to
take its place as the leader of our sad world, to bring true civilization to
the inferiors that now rule in our place. But the Baron seeks to resurrect
the Fifteenth century by using the means of the Twentieth. In business, the
first lesson learned is that you cannot reinvent the past, you must create the
future."

"And to this end the Baron and his *associates* are very useful," Mr.
Lee proposed.

"Indeed," the man of commerce smiled. "Already my scientists have
unlocked many of the secrets of the technological marvels that the Baron was
able to obtain for us." The man turned to his screen typed a few instructions
into the computer. For a moment he studied the image that was pulled up on
the monitor. Then he returned his attention to his guest.

"When you first brought these devices to me for analysis, you suggested
that we tell the Baron we needed a year's research before we would be able to
exploit their potential. We have reached that point in less than two months.
Shall we maintain that fiction with him?"

"No," the faded man instantly said. "Please allow me to tell the Baron
that you have had a major breakthrough and now expect to offer him tangible
uses for the technologies in four months. This would increase your value to
the Baron, encouraging him to be cooperative with you while giving him nothing
in return."

"Thank you again, Mr. Lee. An excellent suggestion. I gained much
wisdom when you offered me your services as counsellor. I shall never forget
your loyalties." The man of commerce bowed slightly to his visitor then
turned the computer monitor so that it faced him.

On the screen the faded man saw what appeared to be the service end of a
metal pike. It took him only a moment to realize that it was the sharpened
end of a needle. The man at the desk punched in another set of instructions
into his computer and the magnification level suddenly increased. Mr. Lee now
realized there was something very, very tiny on the tip of the pin. Something
so small that even at this level of magnification it could barely be seen.
Then he realized that what he was looking at was not a single piece but a
collection of smaller unit interlocking with each other.

It was mechanical. It was moving.

"There are many ways Mr. Lee," the man of commerce proudly said, "of
turning a 'no' into a 'yes'..."

* * *

Kimiki Miyaki found comfort in the routine of her housework. Every
morning she would awake two hours before her husband and child and begin her
preparations for the day ahead. When her husband, Toshoba, and their
daughter, Shinobu, finally came downstairs, their breakfast waited on the
table in the family room.

After the pair would depart for work or school Kimiki would begin to
straighten up after them. Her husband was very considerate towards her but
had a tendency to throw his ties about while searching for the most perfect
one to wear for his clients. The discards would have to be collected and
ironed before being returned to the drawer that they would be taken from and
thrown about when the next morning dawned.

Shinobu's room was immaculate due to the young girl's obsession for
order and dignity. Still there was more, much more to be done here if Kimiki
was to help her daughter in that struggle. The school uniform that she had
worn the previous day would require careful examination and repairs to correct
whatever damage may have been done to it. Sometimes there were blood stains
that needed to be treated before they could set. The bed linens were a
constant challenge due to the salt stains left behind from her daughter's
weeping bouts. These were occurring more frequently and even though Shinobu
tried to muffle her cries by burying her face into her pillows, Kimiki always
knew and would spend those evenings outside her daughter's door listening
until the sobs faded.

Kimiki yearned to comfort her daughter, but realized that Shinobu needed
to find her own way through these crises. But things never got any better.
Everyday some new complication, some new source of pain popped up.

A year ago went by as she listened to her child's cries. Then, Kimiki
heard something new through the thin door. Shinobu began talking to herself,
repeating something over and over. Her mother strained to make out what was
being said. Then Kimiki was so shaken, she spent the rest of the night in the
kitchen drinking chamomile tea.

Shortly after, everything seemed to change for the better. It had been
the night of Shinobu's graduation. Her parents had attended the ceremony and
had proudly watched their daughter as she walked down the aisle to accept her
diploma and take her place with the rest of her classmates. They had not
stayed for the celebration afterwards. One of Shinobu's classmates was
getting married and they had no taste for the gossip that flew whenever people
from Tomobiki gathered in one place. Too often it concerned their daughter.
They went home and waited for her so that they could tell her how proud they
were of her, and how she must now begin to seriously plan for her future.

When their daughter did get home that night, both of them instantly
realized that something important had happened. She was happy. Even though
her eyes were red from crying earlier their daughter was happy now. For a few
minutes they talked, then Shinobu excused herself and ran up the stairs to her
room. It was a quiet night, one that Kimiki spent in Toshoba's arms as they
held each other in relief. Maybe, maybe everything would turn out alright
after all.

For the next few days everything was different. Shinobu behaved like an
average teenage girl, laughing, spending time with her friends, helping her
parents around the house and making plans for the future. She talked about
applying to one of the local nursing colleges, about pursuing a career in that
or a related medical field. Her parents allowed themselves to indulge in the
dream of a bright future for their child.

Last night that dream had collapsed around them.

Shinobu had been late for dinner, only a telephone call from her at the
last moment had stopped her parents from going out to search for her. They
could tell from the sound of her voice that something was seriously wrong.
She apologized for not having called earlier, that she had been very busy this
afternoon but that she was alright and would be home as soon as she had taken
care of one last detail. Her parents waited, holding each others hands, lost
in their sad thoughts. Finally they heard the sound of powerful engines
approaching, of something landing on the street in front of the house. There
was a brief lull then the engines revved up again and whatever was out there
left to vanish into the night. The front door opened and closed and their
daughter entered the room.

She looked dreadful. Shinobu was exhausted, her skin paler than usual
and her hair hanging limp. There was bruising along the line of her chin and
one of her lips seemed to be slightly swollen. But worst of all was how she
was dressed. Gone was the cute outfit that she had been dressed in. Now she
was attired in what appeared to be the uniform worn by the latest group of
aliens.

Shinobu and her parents stared at each other. She tried to speak but
was unable to think of anything to say. Finally she bowed deeply to them,
then turned and walked slowly up the stairs.

That same night the sobs, the cries, and the words returned.

The following morning Kimiki studied her daughter as they all sat down
to breakfast. Shinobu was physically unmarked but looked defeated. She was
very quiet, speaking only when being spoken to. When her father asked what
plans she had for the day she replied that she was spending the morning at the
library going looking through the most recent editions of foreign newspapers.
Later in the afternoon she planned to meet with Shinoko and Atako Moroboshi at
Shapiro's. Kimiki was very relieved to hear that Shinobu would be spending
some time with her bioroid "sister." She considered the Avalonian to be as
much her child as Shinobu and believed the girl to be a calming influence upon
her sister.

Kimiki finished her morning duties and her husband's ties were back in
their drawer and her daughter's pillow cases were drying on the clothes line
behind the modest house. Normally she would go to the local markets to shop
for the evening meal. However, today, she deviated from her regular schedule.
It was time to take control of her daughter's life. If Shinobu could not keep
herself away from those influences that so threatened her future, then she had
to be kept away from them.

A phone call to their cousins in Nerima was the first step in this
campaign...

* * *

The door chimes of Shapiro's Ice Cream Parlor jingled musically as the
door closed. To Shinobu, the sound was incredibly harsh and grated upon her
nerves. She had done something today that she had thought herself incapable
of doing and the overly sensitive girl was now mentally flogging herself over
it.

She had lied to her parents.

She took pride in the honesty that existed between her parents and
herself, no matter how embarrassing the circumstances. But today when her
father had asked how she intended to occupy her day she had deliberately
misled him. It might have only been a lie of omission but it was still a lie
and a fundamental betrayal of her relationship with her parents.

When asked, she had answered that she intended to spend the morning at
the library and the afternoon at Shapiro's meeting with her sister and Atako.
This much was true. She had spent some of the morning at the local branch of
the public library doing research through the Japanese editions of the major
foreign press newspapers. She was not interested in the major new stories
that occupied the headlines. If the Vice-President of the United States would
be leaving on a tour of the Pacific Rim nations that was fine with her. She
was more interested in the possibilities presented in a certain section of
each paper.

It was after she left the library that the deception began. Instead of
going straight to Shapiro's, she headed for a certain agency that offered
unique employment opportunities for young Japanese girls. She then spent the
rest of the morning and the early part of the afternoon meeting with the
agency's representatives and providing them with the necessary background
information on herself. They were very enthusiastic about her chances and
promised to let her know as soon as they had developed some possible contacts.

It was this that bothered Shinobu. Not only was she doing something
without the knowledge or approval of her parents, she was behaving in a
deceptive fashion. Unfortunately she could think of no other course to
pursue.

It did not occur to Shinobu that her fatigue prevented her from
following an easier and less drastic solution. She looked around the ice
cream shop and saw the proprietor at work on one of the power outlets. He was
putting the finishing touches on some electronic device he was installing. A
last turn of his screwdriver and he gave the tiny box a self-satisfied nod and
picked up his tool box and began to walk towards the young girl. Shinobu
managed a weak smile and began to say hello when she was interrupted.

"Shinobu," Abraham Shapiro, the large Vosian observer began, "I like you
and your people. In fact, some of my best friends are Terrans. But if I have
anything to do with it, and I will, the next edition of the Intergalactic
Dictionary will have a picture of one of you next to the word *devious.*"

With that statement he continued walking till he was behind the serving
counter and into the kitchen. "Good morning to you too, Mr. Shapiro," Shinobu
said, a bitter smile twisting her lips. "Gee, that's just what I needed to
hear right now."

"Don't let him bother you," Pamanba Shapiro said as she walked up to her
best friend. "The great spy master is having a hard time accepting the fact
that he was being spied upon."

"Spied upon?!" Shinobu repeated. "You mean he actually found a
listening device in here?"

"Shinobu, there are more bugs in this room than there are in a termite
mound. The paint has a type of silicon fiber in it so when it dries, it makes
an excellent listening and transmitting set. I think he's actually impressed
by it." Pamanba pointed to the cube that her 'uncle' had put upon the wall.
"He put that scrambling unit in this morning to make sure that this would be
the one building in Tomobiki where somebody could hold a private conversation
without the entire intelligence community of your world listening in."

"What are you talking about?"

"Last night when we found this out," the Vosian girl made a circular
motion with her right hand above her head indicating the walls around them.
"After we got done checking out this building we took a couple of tracking
devices and took a little walk around Tomobiki. There are audio and video
links everywhere in this town. Every major intelligence agency on this world
was represented. CIA, KGB, MI6, even Mossad, have agents in the neighborhood.
Not only are they all collecting information here, they're sharing it.
Everything is being transmitted to one central collection point...and where
that is we can't tell. But what we do know is this: from the estimated date
of installation of the oldest devices we think that the spooks set up shop
here immediately after the First Tag Race three years ago."

*Three years ago,* Shinobu thought. *When Lum moved in and sanity moved
out.* The events of the past three years replayed themselves in her mind's
eye with painful clarity. Every embarrassment she had endured, every
humiliation she had suffered, every stupid thing that she had done were
recorded for posterity.

Perfect. Absolutely perfect.

It was turning into one of those days.

Shinobu waited for the next shoe to drop. It did not take long.

"Shinobu, Thank you for what you did yesterday." Pamanba was in a good
mood. Since coming to Earth in the capacity of a disposable spy and assassin
in the service of a collapsing dictatorship, the Vosian girl's life had
completely turned around. She now had a future with a partner and it was all
due to the faith that her best friend had held of her. Unfortunately, it did
not register that Shinobu was as depressed as a person could be without
putting a gun into her mouth. "I heard what you did for Hinanba and it was
very..."

"Don't mention it, please."

"No. I really have to say this..."

"No!!! YOU don't understand!!! I'm ASKING you NOT to mention it!!!
PLEASE!!!!"

Pamanba jumped. The laughter was gone, the anger was gone, the hope was
gone. Except for the emphasis placed on certain words it was the voice of a
scarecrow. Of someone who had been reduced to something less than human.

Pamanba watched as Shinobu looked around the shop. It had been a slow
afternoon and no one had come in after the lunch rush. She knew that Shinobu
was going to be meeting someone here but whoever it was, he had not arrived.
It seemed her friend could not comprehend that fact, like she desperately
needed him here and NOW.

Pamanba slowly slid her arm around Shinobu's shoulders and gently tugged
the girl over to her side. For a moment Shinobu resisted, then relaxed into
the embrace. The two girls stood there, one desperate for comfort and the
other desperate to give it, oblivious to the world. Neither noticed the
tinkling music of the door opening and closing or the pair of footsteps
approaching them. Pamanba only realized that there was someone standing next
to her when a slim hand reached over and began to caress Shinobu's locks.
Outraged that someone who interrupt such a moment Pamanba raised her eyes from
Shinobu's face to glare at the newcomer...

...only to find herself looking into Shinobu's eyes!

Stunned, it took the Vosian a few moments to realize that this person
must be one of the two identical sisters that Shinobu had gained in the past
five months. She could make out subtle differences between the two.
Shinobu's sister's hair had a slight curl to it, her features were less
distinct, and her eyes more hopeful. At first Pamanba thought that the tall
girl with her was Nokoko Moroboshi, then realized that this one was somewhat
younger than Ataru's sister.

The two girls studied Pamanba for a moment, then they moved so that the
three of them formed a triangle around Shinobu.

As if they were trying to keep the hurt of the world from her.

As if that was possible.

* * *

A small cluster of meteors hurling through space were about two hundred
thousand miles away from the Earth when they entered the sensor range of the
Sagussan Rover unit orbiting the planet. The Rover, a highly sophisticated
form of artificial intelligence, suspended its normal mission of scanning for
hostile space ships to survey this natural event. A quick probe revealed that
the meteors were a common combination of iron and nickel ores and probably
from the great asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

The Rover calculated the speed of the meteor pod, their relative size,
and their flight path. The speed was a bit fast for space debris but if the
group had been temporarily caught in the gravity of Mars then sling-shotted
away from that planet that would account for it.

The meteors varied greatly in size from that of dust and pebbles to
large rocks and boulders to one in the center that was about the size of a
large truck. The Rover theorized that the group had originally been a single
piece but had been torn apart by the rigors of space travel.

As the trajectory of the pod of meteors was calculated, the Sagussan
device powered up its on-board offensive systems and targeted its powerful
disrupters on the center of the group. The meteors were on a collision course
with Earth and the Rover's instructions in these matters were quite explicit:
* Any space borne material, either natural or artificial in character, that
when impact upon the Earth and threaten any population centers, vital
institutions, or major means of transportation were to be destroyed. Anything
else would be considered one of the natural hazards of living in a vital
universe and would be allowed to continue unabated.* While the computer
calculated that the smaller pieces of material would be consumed within the
Earth's atmosphere enough of the center piece would survive to poise a
possible threat. Further calculations would be necessary.

It took the Rover unit less than a nanosecond to determine the point of
impact for the meteor and it began to power down its weapons. The main strike
point would be in Antarctica and far away from the few scientific outposts
located upon that frozen continent. Satisfied that this constituted a natural
event of the second category, the Rover resumed its original mission of
scanning for prohibited spaceships approaching the Earth. It noted that this
was the fourth such occurrence since it had been placed in orbit and that this
was an indication of some new gravimetric disturbance in the solar system and
that should be investigated.

As the storm entered the outermost layers of the atmosphere the smallest
pieces were immediately converted to gas by the friction-caused heat. The
larger pieces took longer but burst apart as their exterior heated and
expanded around their frozen cores. Only the massive center piece was left
when a series of explosive charges shattered the carefully constructed facade
and allowed the Urusian ship hidden in the shell to fly free. The flight
computer immediately initiated its programmed commands and took the ship down
to the planet's surface. Once there it followed the instructions that had
been coded into it and began to fly to its predetermined landing point,
keeping low to avoid detection by the primitive systems of the world's
inhabitants or their guests' far more sophisticated devices.

Hours later the ship reached its destination, a vast estate in the
southern part of Japan. Many eyes watched as it came in to land, but it would
remain unreported to the proper authorities. They were all bound to the owner
of this land, the latest in a series that stretched back over a hundred
generations, and whether those bonds were of choice, duty, or dull acceptance
none would challenge them.

The ship came to rest in a small garden surrounded by high walls, a
place of great secrecy that did not exist on any plan of the grounds. A lone
man walked towards it. He was clad in traditional Japanese clothing of light
greys and tans. If anybody else had been there he would have found it
difficult to keep his attention upon him. He had that effect on people.

He watched as the ship lowered its gantry and its passengers
disembarked. He could tell that they were disoriented due to the extreme
conditions of their flight and were now suffering a slight case of gravity
sickness. He politely gave them a few moments to collect themselves.

The six tiger-stripped dressed men soon had themselves in hand and
turned to face the faded man before them. "Good afternoon, gentlemen," he
said while giving them a deep bow. "I am Mr. Lee, Baron Suzuki's
representative. Would you come with me, please?"

* * *

To be continued...



Urusei Yatsura - The Senior Year: "Shinobu: Futures Imperfect" Part 3
By Philip Gavigan
PGavigan@aol.com
**** **** ****
Edited by Fred Herriot and E. B. Kushnir
**** **** ****
A side story based on the fan fiction stories in turn based on "Urusei
Yatsura," created by Rumiko Takahashi.
**** **** ****

IN THE SECOND PART OF "SHINOBU: FUTURES IMPERFECT," Tomobiki proceeds on its
path, unaware of the various forces gathering around. Two of these, a baron
and an industrialist, have connected with a Mr. Lee. Further, representatives
from Uru come to Earth, meeting that selfsame baron. Meanwhile, Shinobu is
drawn toward making a decision which could forever alter her life...

**** **** ****

And with that... ON WITH THE SHOW!!!!

**** **** ****

It was worse than Atako had thought. Shinobu had spent over an hour
telling Shinoko, Pamanba and herself the events of the past week. She omitted
no details nor excused her behavior. If anything she had been unduly harsh on
herself, blaming herself and not others for their behavior. Pamanba
interrupted her repeatedly, protesting Shinobu's account of the events, trying
to balance her version with her own. Shinobu would remain still as the girl
spoke and, as soon as the Vosian finished, would pick up her story without
deviation.

Pamanba was desperate. She had seen behavior like this before, among
the troops of the Mikado's armies. War sickness, the Vosian equivalent of
battle fatigue. Shinobu's personality was being assaulted by the repeated
shocks that had rocked Tomobiki for the past three years. Now the girl was
demonstrating mood swings of alarming proportions. If these continued, her
personality would get lost. Pamanba rested her hands on Shinobu's shoulders,
to hold as hard as she could, a subconscious gesture to steady her and prevent
her best friend from disappearing into the dark. Atako watched the Vosian and
understood. Her own brother had waged psycological war against his enemies in
Tomobiki and his former girlfriend had been a principle target. punished her
constantly, keeping her in a constant state of emotional upheaval.

Unfortunately, Ataru had been blinded by his own sense of abandonment
and betrayal when Shinobu had left him to Lum to pursue Shutaro Mendou. His
rage coupled with the anger caused by Shinobu's part in the affairs that
climaxed with Ataru's torture on Icarus transformed his perception of the
girl. Gone was his childhood friend and confident. In her place, a grasping,
destructive demoness loomed. It was against this monster that Ataru planned
his campaign, not the girl who actually existed.

It was a classic case of overkill. Atako was convinced that, with time
and help, Ataru would again be able to regard Shinobu as his true friend. But
regarding the girl sitting so passively in front of her, Atako was uncertain
if Shinobu could wait that long. Her guilt over the harm that she had caused
Ataru was tearing Shinobu apart. Atako agreed that Sinobu had to get some
space between her and Ataru et al. However she suspected that it was going to
require a more drastic step then the girl was prepared to take.

Shinoko was very worried. As Shinobu's bioroid twin, she understood her
twin sister's desire to punish herself for her past behavior. Coupled with
her need to redeem herself in Ataru's eyes these was a lethal combination.

Shinobu had reached the end of her story and was staring at the table in
front of her. Both Shinoko and Pamanba began to speak at once, offering
encouragement, help and advice. "You've got the right idea, Shinobu," Pamanba
said patting her friend on the shoulder. "All you need is a little help and
I'll be able to do that. Let me. We'll spend more time together and when you
need me I'll be there for you."

"What about Clarisse?" Shinobu asked in a toneless voice. "How do you
think she'll react to your spending all of your time with me? And it would
have to be all of your time. You'll never know when something is going to
happen in Tomobiki. Even if she wouldn't mind, I would. You've been a good
friend to me, Pamanba...but even you can't protect me from myself."

"Let us help you then," Shinoko offered. "Come up to the factory with
us. There are things that we can do for you there..."

"NO!!!!" Shinobu shouted, rubbing her right hand up and down her left
arm. "I can't do that. I can't go up there. Don't ask that of me."

"Then there's only one thing left for you to do," Atako interjected.
She waited for the other three girls to look at her then added. "You're going
to have to leave Tomobiki and not return until Ataru and Lum have left for
Sagussa in the fall."

There was a moment of silence, then Pamanba and Shinoko both began to
loudly protest. That was too extreme. It was unnecessary. This continued
until Shinobu began to tap her knuckles on the table top. All the girls
looked at her, all of them knew what she was about to say. "I agree. I have
to leave."

She stopped as Pamanba and Shinoko renewed their objections, waited for
a moment and then went on. "Please listen to me. This isn't a spur of the
moment idea. I've thought of nothing but this for the past few weeks. Well,
I have to do something fast."

"What do you want to do?" Atako asked.

"What I want to do and what I can do are two different things. Economic
realities being what they are I have to find some way to pay for my living
expenses while I'm gone. But there is a way. After looking through the
'Situations Available' sections of foreign newspapers, I went to the Eiiko
Employment Agency. They're a reputable group that places Japanese girls as
nannies or au pair girls around the world. They'd pay my traveling expenses
and provide a way out for me."

"Those places usually require that you sign a contract with a definite
time limit," Shinoko said. "Just how long would you be gone?"

"The standard length of commitment is two years."

"Two years?!! That's much too long!!! Why don't you just spend the
summer at Sado with Atako and me?!!"

"Or you could stay at Oshika with Clarisse and me at our cottage there,"
Pamanba offered.

"If I kept out of Ataru and Lum's way, that would be like jumping from
the frying pan into the fire," Shinobu stood up and smiled at her sister and
friends. "Look, I have made no any commitments yet. My options, such as they
are, are still open. But I'm really too tired to continue this discussion
right now. Shinoko, I'll call you and Atako at your hotel tonight. Pamanba,
could you get me home? I'm not feeling too well right now and I've still got
to think of a way to bring this up with Mom and Dad."

* * *

The government-owned 707 lifted off from Andrews Air Force Base and
began the long trip west. Its first stop would be at San Francisco where its
occupant would be making a keynote address at a seminar on world relations.
This speech, which would form the basis for a free trade zone agreement
between the United States, Canada and Mexico, would be reduced to a two
paragraph summary that missed every relevant point before being buried on page
three of every domestic newspaper.

From California the plane would tour the Pacific Rim nations, all
emerging powerhouses on the world's commerce stage. The press had accepted
the cover story issued that the Vice-President would be on a "fact-finding
tour" without bothering to ask just *what* facts needed to be found.

In actuality, this entire trip was being taken for the benefit of one
individual.

After reviewing the history of this man for the past six hours, the Vice
President was very tired. He held three photographs that he shuffled and
studied all that time. The first photograph was of a young boy whose face was
twisted by a hideously lustful leer that he looked like a monkey. The second
photograph showed a teenager, radiating such anger, that the picture seemed
warm to the touch. The third photograph was of a young man the very
embodiment of poise and calm. All three photographs of Ataru Moroboshi had
been taken over the past six months and the Vice-President could not help but
wonder what he was in for. He had been warned. He had known for the past
three years that this radical of a change was inevitable.

He looked at the photographs again and sighed. "Maybe Barbra was
right," he said. "Maybe I should have stayed in the oil business."

* * *

"Shinobu," her mother called from the kitchen where she was putting the
finishing touches to dinner. "Isn't Pamanba going to be staying?"

"No, Mother. She and Clarisse have to go up to Oshika tonight."

"Oh. There's a message for you next to the telephone," Kimiki said in
an overly casual voice.

Shinobu thanked her then went to the cork push board next to the hall
telephone. The note pinned there read HITOME PHONED. PLEASE CALL BACK ASAP.

Shinobu's eyes looked at the note picturing her cousin's smiling face.
Dear Hitomi, first cousin, first playmate, first true friend. Before her
family had left Tomobiki when they were both six, they had been inseparable,
their friendship making every day an adventure. Even Ataru's arrival in
Shinobu's life had not diminished the bond between them. He was just another
child to them, someone new to play with.

It was not until the day that Hitomi's family had moved away that Ataru
became more important to Shinobu. Neither cousin had cried while the movers
loaded the last of the boxes into the huge truck. They were convinced that
their parents were playing some cruel joke on them. The children had laughed
and played until Yoko, Hitomi's mother, came to claim her daughter. Both she
and her husband had kissed Shinobu then gotten into their small car. Shinobu
stood there as the car, with Hitomi waving to her from the back window, pulled
away from the curve and was followed by the moving van. For hours Shinobu
stood in front of the empty house waiting for her cousins to return. As the
sun began to set she started to shake as small tears gathered in her eyes.
They were gone. They had left her. She was alone.

For the first time in her life Shinobu realized that it was a really big
world and she was a very little girl.

She was about to cry in earnest when she realized that a dirty hand was
holding a flower out to her. It was Ataru with such a serious look on his
face that her knees began to quiver. "Don't cry, Shinobu-chan," the little
man said. "You're not alone. You'll never be alone with me here."

That was the moment that Shinobu Miyaki fell in love with Ataru
Moroboshi.

Then Ataru took the little girl by the hand and took her back to her
home. By the time they had reached the house, Shinobu was feeling much
better. Ataru had reassured her that Hitomi had not gone away because she was
mad at her. Her parents had to move and she had to move with them.

Later Shinobu had visited Hitomi and her family at their new house. For
a few minutes the girls were nervous around each other, but they relaxed and
soon they were acting as if nothing had changed.

Looking back at those days, Shinobu smiled. Everything had been so much
fun then, so much simpler. Hitomi and she had maintained their friendship
through telephone calls and letters. Both girls had been a frequent guest at
each other houses, staying overnight or sometimes the weekends. During the
summer both girls would spend weeks together, alternating between Tomobiki and
Nerima.

Shinobu leaped out of her shoes as something suddenly occurred to her.
*In Nerima...in Nerima...HITOMI IS IN NERIMA!!!!*

Shinobu dialled the telephone number as if her life depended upon it.
The telephone was answered before it could finish a single ring and a easily
recognizable voice was at the other end. "Hello, this is the Miyaki
residence. May I help you?"

"Hitomi. Hello. This is Shinobu."

"Oh, Shinobu. It's so good to hear you. I hope you don't mind my
calling earlier. I just wanted to make sure that you were going to be able to
join us in Oshio next weekend."

"Yes. Definitely yes," Shinobu happily said. "But Hitomi, I wanted to
ask a favor of you."

"Of course, what is it?" Hitomi replied.

"You're going to have to ask your mother about this, but do you think it
would be alright if I...?"

* * *

"Yoko, are you telling me that Hitomi didn't even have to ask her?"

"I was standing right next to her when she called, Kimiki. Shinobu
brought up the subject of her spending the summer with us. Hitomi didn't have
the chance to mention it. I thought that you might have discussed it with her
before she called."

"No. I wasn't certain how she would react if I did. he might have
resist leaving Tomobiki. Did she say anything about how long she wanted to
stay with you?"

"At least six weeks. Does that mean anything to you?"

"Six weeks...? Yes, her cram school would begin in about six weeks. If
she could stay away that long I'm certain it would help her."

"Or she could go to cram school with Hitomi at Furinkan High. Hitomi
has been talking about taking the entrance exams for nursing school and it
would help if there was some one here to help her study for them."

"Oh, Yoko, Shinobu's been talking that. This is perfect. Best of all,
she'll be away for the entire summer. She won't get back until they're about
to leave."

"Kimiki, aren't you worried about Shinobu being away from you for three
months?"

"Yes. But I'm more worried about what will happen if Shinobu doesn't
get out of here now."

* * *

In her hotel room, Shinoko laid awake next to Atako. The phone call
from her sister two hours before was the best news that she could have hoped
for. Shinobu would be spending the summer with their cousins in Nerima, close
enough to visit and far enough away to be safe. There would be time to spend
together, to shop, to be in each other's presence.

Shinoko was deeply attached to her sister. She knew that some bioroids
were treated as property by their templates...or worse, an extension of
themselves. Shinobu had never done that, never assumed any rights to Shinoko
beyond that of a friend as well as sibling. From the moment of her creation,
Shinoko had been treated with the dignity due any intelligent being.

But Shinoko worried about her sister for two very distinct reasons.

The first cause of concern was biological in nature. While Shinobu had
been the template that her mind and form had been based, Shinoko's biological
heritage was pure Avalonian. She could expect to live from eight hundred to a
thousand years. Shinobu would be likely dead within seventy. Her sister's
life span was, to her perception, that of the May Fly: here today, gone
tomorrow. It had been less than three months since Shinoko had been "born,"
yet the discerning eye could already perceive the changes wrecked by time upon
her sister.

The other reason was far more complex, much darker. It sprang from
memories that threatened the very core of Shinobu' sense of self, something
Shinoko well understood. The loneliness of those days. the rage and the
humiliations. She would come home trembling with emotions; anger towards
Ataru, unrequited love for Mendo, resentment of Lum. Sometimes the storm
within her was so powerful that she was unable to sleep. She would lay in her
small bed as the day repeated itself endlessly in her mind. For a time tears
helped. She would cry until exhausted enough to sleep. But the hurt grew.
And with it a fear that she somehow deserved what was happening to her, that
she belonged within the madness of Tomobiki, that she was a part of it.

Then she discovered a new tactic, a new strategy that helped her to cope
with everything. One night after a particularly bad day she began to repeat
something to herself. Alone in the dark she said the words that she longed
someone would say to her, to absolve herself from what was happening to her
life. "You're normal," she chanted. "You're normal. You're not like them.
You're not like him. You're not like her. You're not like any of them.
You're not responsible. One day you will leave this all behind. You'll have
a husband and children. They'll be normal. You'll be normal. You're normal.
You're normal..." Again and again, she would repeat this mantra.

Shinoko realized it was a deal with the devil. Even after a year, her
sister knew it was a lie. Shinobu could never be described as normal. Her
sister was an extraordinary person who had already seen and done things that
average people would never be able to conceive let alone do. The thought of
her trying to live such a life was ludicrous, but it gave her the strength to
survive. But, when the moment of realization came, when the truth could no
longer be denied, Shinoko intended to be there for her sister. Until then she
would try to make her sister's lonely path a bit smoother.

Shinoko sighed as Atako's arm slid around her and pulled her into her
warmth...

* * *

"Dear Diary,

"I've got a way out. I'm going to be spending the summer with
Hitomi in Nerima. We're going to be studying for cram school
together. This is wonderful. I thought I was going to have to
travel around the world to get away from all of them. Instead
I'll be just an hour's train travel away. It won't be like going
into exile. I'll be able to see everybody I want to see when I
want to see them.

"And I'll be too far away to get involved with anything.

"Everything is a bit rushed right now. Mom and I are getting
everything ready. I'm planning on taking the train to Nerima next
Monday very early in the morning.

"Ooops. Look at the time. I've got to start getting ready for
the graduation party (yes, another one) at Mendou's tonight. He
promised no singing and that I could bring guests. Pamanba and
Clarisse are going with me. I've already told Pamanba about
Nerima and she seems to think that it'a good idea.

"I'll be telling everyone else tonight.

"I wonder what they'll think?"

* * *

The Baron Suzuki was a man who prided himself on his exquisitely good
manners. No matter the circumstances or the provocation, he would always
maintain his best behavior. It was not only a demonstration of his good
breeding, it was an excellent disguise for his true feelings.

His recent house guests had been less refined then he might have wished.
True, they said the proper things and made the proper gestures at their first
meeting, but their behavior, when alone, was less than exemplary. In those
suites assigned to them as their temporary quarters they quite forgot
themselves and began to refer to their host as a "tailless monkey" or a
"willing slave." Undoubtedly they felt safe to do this as they had scanned
the rooms for any possible listening devices and had found none.
Unfortunately, as products of a more technically advanced system, they made
the erroneous assumption that any eavesdropping would be done with some
electronic toy. They failed to notice that the ventilation system to
theiruarters was designed that even the quietest conversation would be
magnified and carried to the sharp ears of a nja trained in shorthand.

Still, as he watched the ship depart for their permanent base, a
ridiculously small island with a tea shop on it, he could not help but feel
that he had profited from this recent affair. Not only had he learned some
more of their technology, he had also the opportunity of evaluating not only
the troops who had been sent on some vital mission, but also the character of
those who had sent them. "Cannon fodder," the Baron said in his rich, deep
voice. He turned to look at the faded man behind him. "Do you agree, Mr.
Lee?"

"Most assuredly, my lord," the man dressed in a gray and tan kimono
said. "Yet the fact they were chosen for such a vital mission speaks
volumes."

"Indeed. For such a task as this only the best must be utilized. Yet
our allies have elected to employee such ronin for it. Obviously they are
concerned for the success of this assassination, yet ensure its failure by
using these ruffians."

"Yes, my lord. Might I suggest that this indicates an exploitable
weakness on the part of our 'allies?'" Mr. Lee asked.

"It does. It demonstrates that they are, to use an old cliche, 'too
clever for their own good.' They will plot until their own schemes choke
them. The more elaborate the plan the greater the potential for failure."

Now the Baron concentrated upon his servant. Sometimes his eyes ached
slightly when they rested upon Mr. Lee for too long. Yet he would not allow
his gaze to wander, that would have been rude. "Speaking of allies, Mr. Lee,
what news from Mr. Takanaba?"

"He claims a major breakthrough in the examinations of those alien
devices that you allowed him and that you may expected tangible results within
six months."

"And what are your thoughts?"

"That he is farther along than that and you should anticipate the full
exploitation of the new sciences within three months. It might become
necessary for you to assert yourself and convince Mr. Takanaba to be more
forthcoming with you at that time."

The Baron was quiet for a moment. "I see. Mr. Takanaba wants to keep
me hungry and to use my hunger to master my will. I was wise not to turn over
all the technological devices that I have acquired. Your opinion of Mr.
Takanaba please, Mr. Lee?"

"The man is an abacus. Brilliant in his own manner but lacking the
vision to see past the mere accumulation of wealth," the faded man answered.

"Agreed. Wealth is not the ends of the means, but the means to the end.
I will use my abilities to create the future of Japan by the traditions of our
past. Our people will use both their heritage and the alien sciences to take
our rightful place at the helm of our world. Then together, mankind marches
to the stars."

The Baron paused for a moment and looked at the sun in the afternoon
skies. "Consider the sun, Mr. Lee. We only regard it as it affects us
directly. We do not consider that somewhere it rises above the horizon to
herald in a bright new day for someone. Soon Mr. Lee, it will shine upon
ours."

* * *

"So you two are going to make it official, huh?" Shinobu said as she
looked at the couple cuddling on their shared blanket.

"Yup," replied Clarisse Ike, one time drug addicted rock star and now a
Nendo-kata. "My parents want me to stop living in sin anymore." The black-
haired woman paused for a moment while her paramour and her friend laughed.
"I'm serious. They actually said that."

Pamanba only laughed harder and rubbed her shoulder against Clarisse's
arm. What a difference a day could make. Yesterday, she had been terrified
that she was going to lose Shinobu for two years, possibly longer. Now that
she knew her friend's plans for the summer, she felt completely at ease.
Nothing could go wrong now, nothing.

The next moment proved why people living in Tomobiki are wrong in
thinking like that.

A commotion was going on around Mendou and one of his guests. Shinobu
looked at the striking Oni woman and tried to name the face. Yedris, that was
it. The mother of Rei and Sugoi. She was talking to Sylia and the Pathfinder
Troop Six group who had just arrived for the party. It occurred to Shinobu
that she had not seen Priss with the others. She mentioned that to Pamanba.
"Now that you mention it, I haven't seen her either," Pamanba turned and
continued the conversation with Clarisse. Shinobu found her attention
centered on the group around Mendou. It was like a magnet drawing her,
commanding her presence. All the sounds of the party faded beneath its
siren's call and she found herself getting to her feet.

Pamanba turned as Shinobu. It was like watching a moth being drawn to a
candle's flame. Shinobu seemed helpless to resist. Pamanba suddenly realized
what was happening as Shinobu began to walk over to the to the group.
Quickly, she reached out and grabbed the girl by her left wrist and yanked her
back down to the blanket. Shinobu let out a started yelp as she fell, but
once she regained her balance, tried to get up again.

"No," Pamanba said. "You told us that you weren't going to get involved
in these things anymore. That you didn't want to be involved anymore. Well
then, now's the time to start minding your own business."

Shinobu gasped and shuddered. "You right. I'm sorry. I really don't
know what I was doing. Thank you."

Clarisse reached over and tapped the girl on her shoulder. "Shinobu,
maybe you should tell people about your leaving. Everybody from your
class...well, almost everybody is here tonight and I don't think you would
want them to get the news second hand, would you?"

Shinobu looked at Clarisse and smiled. She knew precisely what she was
up to. But Shinobu did not mind. It would help keep her mind off whatever
was going on tonight. "Thank you." she said smiling. "I think that's an
excellent idea." She got up and walked over to where Megane and the rest of
the one time guards were standing, in the opposite direction from the
Sagussans.

"What do you think caused that?" Pamanba whispered into Clarisse's ear.

"I'm not sure," Clarisse whispered back. "I"ve never seen anything like
that before. I don't think she was even aware of what she was doing."

Both girls watched as their friend circulated through the party and
spread the news of her imminent departure. It became the hot gossip item with
her former classmates who began speculating on the reasons behind her leaving.
Some shot nervous glances towards Pamanba and Clarisse, apparently wanting to
ask them what was going on but lacking the nerve to do so.

It took Shinobu about an hour to work her way through the crowd and by
that time the party was beginning to wind down. She rejoined Pamanba and
Clarisse and the trio made their excuses to Shutaro and left the estate for
the ride home. Clarisse was driving a car that she had just finished
converting to electricity, so the trip would not take too long. Pamanba rode
with Clarisse in the front while a tired Shinobu stretched out across the back
seat. "So how did they take it?" Pamanba asked.

"Oh, everyone said the right and proper things. But I really didn't
expect much. It's kind of hard to impress people that you want to be their
friend when they're grabbing the floor to keep from being hit by a desk that
you've just thrown at someone." She paused while she turned to find a more
comfortable spot for her left arm. "But it would have been nice to have
someone say *I'll miss you.*"

* * *

"No. Who told you that?"

"She did herself. She told everyone last night."

* * *

"So why is she going?"

"The question should be why she stayed so long. Nobody here treated her
too nicely."

* * *

"....I can't really imagine Tomobiki without her."

"I guess we're not going to have much choice. She's leaving soon."

* * *

"Does anybody know when she's leaving?"

"I heard somebody say that she was planning on next Monday by train."

* * *

"What is your desire, Young Master?"

"I want you to find something out for me. I want to know precisely how
and when Miss Shinobu plans to leave Tomobiki for Nerima. Report back as soon
as you know. First Lum and now..."

"What was that, Young Master?"

"Nothing. You have your orders."

* * *

"... and that concludes my report." The small, pretty girl bowed to the
other members of the Furinkan High School Business Club and took her seat.
Before the next speaker on the agenda could begin her presentation, the
President of the Club cleared her throat and began to talk.

"I want to thank Miss Miyaki for her excellent services as Secretary to
this organization. As you all know this is the last time that both of us will
be present at one of these meetings. Our graduation from Furinkan means that
neither of us will be able to continue in our capacities within this Club.
While you have determined my successor you have yet to designate a secretary.
I can only hope that you will select someone with her abilities."

The petite girl blushed as there was a round of applause. Hitomi Miyaki
shared more than just a physical resemblance with her cousin, though on a
slighter scale. Both girls were painfully shy and preferred to stay out of
the spotlight whenever possible.

The meeting continued and Hitomi made notes of the pertinent issues.
Afterwards she would compare these with the cassette recording made of the
speakers and would write her report based on both sources. It would be the
last time that she would do this.

At the end of the meeting, she collected her things, Hitomi studied the
Club President from the corner of her eye. She was talking with two other
members of the group, known as the *Inner Circle,* an independent business
organization that controlled every money making scheme going on in Furinkan.
She had been offered a chance to join but had turned it down as gracefully as
possible.

Hitomi had joined the club at her father's prompting. He was hoping
that his only child would follow him into the world of finance and thought
that this would be an excellent means of encouraging her. He was right, but
not in the way that he hoped. After two years spent in close company with the
brown-haired girl who lead the club, Hitomi was determined to seek a career in
medicine. After watching Nabiki Tendou in action she wanted to stay as far
away from the girl as possible. To do otherwise would be like swimming with
an opened wound in a school of hungry sharks.

Hitomi finished packing her notes in her brief case and headed towards
the door. Before she got there she found herself being drawn to one side by
the smiling Club President This made Hitomi nervous. A smiling Nabiki meant
one of two things, she wanted something from you or she had something *on*
you.

"Hitomi, I was wondering if you could do me a favor," Nabiki asked
politely while still managing to make it sound like an order.

"What can I do for you?"

"There's going to be a meeting of banking officials at the Tokyo Finance
Center and it's open to the public. If you could go and take a few notes I'd
really appreciate it."

Hitomi thought about this. It didn't seem like too strenuous a task and
it would end their relationship on a more positive note. "I think I can do
that." she said. "When would this be?"

"This Monday at 9:00 in the morning."

"Oh. I'm sorry, but I won't be able to go then," Hitomi said
regretfully. "I'm going to be meeting my cousin Shinobu at 9:30 that day."

"Alright then," the tall brown haired girl said. "I'll get one of the
candidates for your position to go instead. It'll be a good way to test her
powers of observation."

The two girls left the meeting room together and headed down the
hallway. Nabiki found herself wondering about Hitomi's cousin. The girl had
often talked her in the past, about how they had grown up together and
remained good friends despite living in different districts. But Hitomi had
never mentioned her cousin's name before, as if she had been keeping it a
secret. Other people's secrets equated money in Nabiki's one-track mind and
any potential source of revenue automatically warranted exploration and
possible exploitation.

"So, where is your cousin from?" Nabiki asked in a disinterested
sounding voice.

Hitomi instantly recognized that voice and realized that she had made a
dreadful blunder. *What have I done?!!* the panicked girl thought. *If
Nabiki finds out that Shinobu is 'the Shinobu Miyaki of Tomobiki,' she'll make
her life miserable!!* "Kobe," Hitomi lied. "She lives in Kobe. I've got to
be going. Bye."

The petite girl took off almost running away, hoping that she had been
convincing. Nabiki watched as Hitomi vanished around a corner. *There's
definitely something going on there.* the girl thought. *And that little act
confirmed it. She said that her cousin lived in Kobe. But that's another
city. In the past Hitomi always said that her cousin lived in a different
district and that implies another part of Tokyo.*

Nabiki smiled and the other students in the hallway nervously backed
away from her. They all knew that smile. There was the taste of blood in the
water and nobody wanted to be caught in the feeding frenzy.

* * *

"Dear Diary,

"Tomorrow's the big day. Pamanba and Ryuunosuke are coming over
and they're walking me to the train station. By 8:30 I'll be on
my way and should be in Nerima in an hour. I spoke with Hitomi
earlier and she said that she'd be meeting me at the station down
there. She sounded a little upset but said it was nothing
important.

"Mom and I spent the day packing. Not just what I'll be taking
down, but also putting away things that I won't be needing
anymore. Or, if I'm was really being honest with myself, things
that are too painful for me to keep anymore; at least for now. We
got some storage boxes and put everything about Ataru, Lum,
Benten, Oyuki, all of them in it. I never knew how much I was
defined by my association with those people. It hurt to do this,
but it is necessary. If there is no room in their lives for me
then there is none in mine for them.

"There are just two last things to be put away then it will be
finished. One is the doll of Ataru as the Cyborg. I'm not
certain how I acquired this. Perhaps Lum no longer needed it when
she *got* the real Ataru and simply threw it away.

"The real Ataru. I wonder if Lum remembers the day that Ataru was
split into two different personalities both with their own bodies.
One was the lecher created by the *saikoo jinseijitsu* in its
futile attempt to take Ataru's physical form for itself. The
other was the honest, honorable and worthy man. What now appears
to have been the real Ataru all along.

"That day Lum chose the fool and I the man.

"I wonder if she ever thinks of that. Then again, why should she?
In the end, she got him.

"Now there's only one last thing to be put away and I'm done with
the past.

"It's you, Dear Diary, it's you.

"I wished there was some symbolic reason for this, but there
isn't. You've simply run out of paper. I'm writing this on the
inside back cover.

"Maybe that's symbolic enough.

"Good-bye.

"Love...Shinobu Miyaki."

* * *

"Come on, Shinobu," growled Ryuunosuke as she and Pamanba accompanied
their friend to the local train depot. "Let us carry those suitcases for
awhile. They're pretty heavy and you've had 'em ever since we left your
parents house."

The tomboy blushed as Shinobu looked at her mischievously. Implying
that the strongest girl in the world could use some help carrying a bag was a
bit silly. Ryuunosuke did not know what was in them but when she had tried to
pick up one of the suitcases earlier she had nearly thrown out her back. Yet
here was Shinobu skipping down the crowded sidewalk swinging one from each
hand. Ryuunosuke was hoping that the handles were secure, if one of those
came loose and struck someone it could kill them.

Pamanba was also concerned, but for different reasons. Shinobu seemed
so different today. Gone was the too serious girl she had met on her first
day on Earth. In her place was a laughing and playing sprite. It was not
that Pamanba objected to the change, but there was a great deal to be said for
that girl she had grown to love and she was worried that she might be changing
beyond recognition.

"Don't worry about it," Shinobu said with laughter rippling in her
voice. "This won't do me any harm. Besides, it's probably going to be one of
the last times that I can do something like this."

"Why?" Pamanba asked.

"This happened before you got here," Shinobu began, "...but sometime ago
Lum used a type of wishing well to turn herself into a human girl. A lot of
things changed then; the boys lost interest in her, everything got a lot
calmer, and I lost my strength. Since I'm going to be living away from
Tomobiki it stands to reason that it's going to fade away again."

"Yeah, I remember," Ryuunosuke added. "I always wondered why you lost
your strength."

"Sakura has a theory. She thinks that I might be allergic to Onis and
my strength is due to a chemical reaction to their presence."

Shinobu stopped walking as she realized that her friends were no longer
at her side. She turned around and saw the pair of them lying on the sidewalk
laughing helplessly. "Hey. It's Sakura's idea," she protested. "I never
said that I believed it."

This only made Pamanba and Ryuunosuke laugh harder and soon Shinobu
joined them. After a few minutes the trio sobered up enough to cover the
remaining distance to the train station, but they laughed all the way.

Once inside the older building the girls walked to the ticket counter
and discovered three lines leading up to the windows. Shinobu looked down at
her suitcases. It would be difficult to maneuver these and not hit someone.
Pamanba also saw this and began to speak. "Why don't you put those down while
you get your ticket?" the Vosian said. "Put them next to that empty bench
there and Ryuunosuke and I will keep an eye on them."

"And sit down at the same time."

"You've got it."

Shinobu smiled, carefully put her suitcases down, and took her place in
the fast moving line. Pamanba and Ryuunosuke sat at opposite ends of the
bench and eyed each other warily. Ryuunosuke found it hard to ignore the
circumstances of her first meeting with the young girl. Shinobu had bartered
her own life in exchange for Ryuunosuke's and the rest of their classmates to
save them from Pamanba when she had been under orders to kill one of them in
the Mikado's mad quest for vengeance against Nassur.

Pamanba was uneasy for precisely the same reason. At first she had been
disdainful of the masculine-dressed girl, but over the past few days had begun
to change her opinion. Ryuunosuke had initially been very shocked when
Shinobu had told her of her plans to leave Tomobiki, but since then had proven
to be a tower of strength. There seemed to be a thousand and one things that
needed to be done before their mutual best friend could depart for Nerima and
the tomboy had helped with each and every one of them. There was a lot to
respect with this person and Pamanba wished there was a way to get some sort
of relationship started with her.

*If only there was some way to say 'I'm sorry' and still have some pride
left,* Pamanba thought. She watched as Shinobu reached the head of the line.
*To Purgatory with pride!! If I don't do this now, I'll never get the chance
again.*

"Ryuunosuke," Pamanba began, "...I don't know if this means anything to
you, but I wanted to apologize to you for how we first met. I'm not that
person anymore and I wish that we could be friends. I hope that someday we
will be."

Ryuunosuke looked at the girl as she made her impassioned plea. "Okay,"
she said and held out her hand.

"Okay?!" Pamanba repeated as she took the offered hand in her own.
"That's it? Aren't you going to make me grovel first?"

"Nah, I've never been any good at that," the tomboy said as the two
girls began to shake hands. "I always figured that when somebody says *sorry*
and means it, case closed."

The two girls looked at each other and began to giggle. "Are you two
going to let me in on the joke?" Shinobu was standing next to the bench with
ticket in hand.

This just made them giggle harder. "So, what do we do now?" Pamanba
asked.

Shinobu took a quick look at the departure time printed on her ticket
and looked at the clock on one of the station's walls. "We've got a little
time, but not really enough to do anything," she said as she stooped to pick
up her suitcases. "I think I'd better go to the loading platform, just to be
on the safe side. Would you mind coming up and waiting with me. I don't
really want to be alone right now."

"We'd love to," Pamanba said and the three of them headed for the
stairs. Pamanba noticed that Shinobu had a pensive expression on her face and
asked her what was wrong.

"It's nothing really. It's just that we were so busy these last few
days that I never got the chance to say good-bye to any of my classmates. I
don't mean like at Mendou's party, then I was really just letting them know
that I was leaving. I would have liked to have a chance to see them one more
time. I hope that they won't think too badly of me for not saying bye."

Neither Pamanba or Shinobu noticed Ryuunosuke's small smile.

Shinobu blinked as she walked from the darkened stairway into the sunlit
loading platform. She looked around and blinked even harder as she dropped
her suitcases onto the hard concrete floor.

They were all there. All of Shinobu and Ryuunosuke's classmates, with
three notable exceptions, had put whatever plans they had made for this day
aside and come to the train station to say good-bye to one of their own. To a
person who had shared the best and worst of times with them. A bond like that
is hard to ignore. "Ryuunosuke arranged it," a serious Megane said. "She
called all of us on Saturday and explained how busy you were. That's when it
sank in, that you were really going. There wasn't time to arrange a party,
and that didn't seem appropriate anyway. We hope you don't mind that we
wanted to spend this time with you."

"Oh, no, Aisuru," Shinobu said as her eyes filled with tears. "I don't
think that anything could make me more happy."

Her former classmates surrounded her then as Pamanba and Ryuunosuke
dragged the suitcases over to the porter who would be taking charge of them.
Pamanba looked at the tomboy who was struggling as hard as herself to move one
of the heavy cases. There was quite a lot to respect in this person.

Everybody from the old class had a story, an antedote, a memory that he
wanted to share one last time with Shinobu. But that, in the end, there
simply was not time. All there was time for was laughter, best wishes,
promises to attend marriages; all good things. The girls had prepared little
presents of small useful items, the boys had brought flowers. Shinobu
cherished all of it.

Shutaro Mendou was the last to approach her. For a moment he looked at
the young girl and thought again about the past they had shared. If he had
not been so obsessed with capturing Lum for himself, he might have behaved
better towards Shinobu. Instead he had used her as a means of staying as
close to the alien girl as possible. With that thought he dropped to his
knees in front of his one-time girl friend and touched his forehead to the
cold cement before her.

"Shinobu Miyaki," he began as a gasp went through the crowd. "I have
acted in a manner unworthy of a samurai to you. Please accept my apology and
let there be peace between us."

Shinobu looked at the immaculate figure in white prostrating himself
before her. What Shutaro said was true. But that was in the past and
something that she was leaving behind. Now she had to get on with her life.
Maybe she could help Shutaro do the same. Shinobu drew herself up and in the
manner of a queen, replied, "Shutaro Mendou, I acknowledge your apology and
respect the samurai that makes it. Arise, and let there be peace between us."
With that she extended her hand to Shutaro who took it and allowed her to
raise him to his feet. She then stood on her toes and gave him a swift peck
on the check and whispered in his ear, "Besides Shutaro, you'll get your pants
dirty on that cement."

Shutaro colored slightly at that joke, then recovered and took a small,
tastefully wrapped package from his jacket pocket and handed it to Shinobu.
"This is a cellular phone," he explained. "My personal number is on the speed
dial mode. If you need anything, please call. I'll be..." here he paused and
looked at their classmates and continued "...*we'll* be there for you."

The teenagers surrounding them loudly voiced their approval. Pamanba
came up to Shinobu and touched her shoulder. "It's time." she said. "The
train's leaving in a few minutes."

Shinobu turned and looked at Pamanba and Ryuunosuke standing next to
each other. She owed these two so much, debts that could never be repaid.
She began to go to hug Pamanba then stopped. Shinobu wrapped an arm around
each and held them both.

Ryuunosuke was near tears. She could not let Shinobu see her like this.
She had to be strong and encouraging for her friend's sake...if just for a few
more minutes.

Pamanba was uncertain how much more she could take. Over the past few
days her emotions had been as much in turmoil as Shinobu's, perhaps more. She
did not want to think about a life without her best friend near her. Slowly
she had come to accept that she could not keep her friend by her side like a
pet. If both of them were to grow as individuals she had to respect Shinobu's
decision to explore the possibility of a life beyond the confines of Tomobiki.

Accepting that was one thing, liking it was another.

The conductor leaned out of the train and called for those leaving to
board the train. Shinobu turned and looked at him and reached into her purse
and took a small envelope from it and handed it to Ryuunosuke. The tomboy
looked at the name written on it then looked at her friend with a startled
expression on her face. "I want her to know how I feel, that I don't hate
her," Shinobu said. "Maybe some day we really can become friends. If she
wants to."

"What about him?" Ryuunosuke asked in a tense voice.

Shinobu looked at her with a tired smile on her face. "What about him?"
she said as she turned and went into the train.

Shinobu was lucky enough to find a seat next to the window. As she sat
she studied the faces of her classmates and friends intently, committing this
moment to memory. A remarkably good one. The train began to move slowly then
picked up speed as it pulled out of the station. She looked back until the
train went around a bend and the station disappeared from sight.

"She's really gone," Megane whispered. "I didn't really believe this
would happen. Somehow I thought that..."

He broke off what he was saying as a strange, choking sound filled the
air. He and the rest of his classmates looked around trying to identify the
source of the noises.

Ryuunosuke was crying. Her palms were pressed tightly against her eyes
and she was fighting against every sob. A large hand settled on her shoulder
and she looked up into the face of her father. A groan went through the
crowd. This was not good. There was a unfamiliar look on the old school
janitor's face. He looked almost thoughtful, even intelligent. "Why don't
you let the tears flow?" he asked his "son."

"Why?!!" the tomboy snapped at her parent, her anger beginning to rise.
"Because *guys* aren't supposed to cry, remember."

She began to pull back her right arm to let loose with a blow that would
have sent the idiot to Beijing...when he said something that stopped her in
her tracks. "I cried when your mother was taken from us." the old man said.
"There's no shame in a man crying."

The tomboy had a stunned expression on her face and then buried her face
into her father's chest and said through her sobs, "I'm a girl, you idiot."

The old man chose to ignore that statement...

* * *

As the train left Tomobiki something occurred. Something not
immediately noticeable to any of its inhabitants. Something not on their
world or even in their universe but intimately connected with them and their
future.

In the Bureau of Destiny Management, that strange dimension where
possibilities are made tangible and accessible something was happening. Two
of the doors that represented different futures began to move from their
aimless orbits. Slowly they aligned themselves until they were precisely a
foot apart and level with each other in all aspects. Another joined them.
Then a fourth and a fifth. Soon more and more futures would enter into this
configuration.

It would be sometime before this was noticed by those who fancied
themselves the managers of destinies.

It was already unstoppable.

* * *

To be continued...