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Fragmented Lives (The Parody Pieces)
"Suekko"
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Copyright Info and Disclaimer.
"Neon Genesis Evangelion" is Copyright (c) 2003 by Gainax. All OTHER material is Copyright (c) 2003 their owners. All materials used for PARODY purposes.
"Altered Lives (The Parody)" and "Fragmented Lives (The Parody Pieces)" are Copyright (c) 2003 by DBM. This work is an Amateur, Non-Commercial work by an Anime/Manga Fan. This work was created in the Spirit of the Copyright Exemptions regarding Parodies and Satire.
If you like my work, you may keep a copy for your own personal records, but you may NOT post it on any websites/newsgroups, NOR may you include it in any printed publication for sale/public distribution. If printing out a copy for yourself or a friend, you may reformat it (paragraph spacing, page-breaks, font and font size, borders, bold/italic, etc) to fit the paper you use, but please do not change any of the actual words or wording in the document.
Sole web-posting at FanFiction.Net - Author's E-Mail address on File.
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Censorship Info and Disclaimer.
NOT Recommended for Children.
Intended for MATURE Audiences.
There are NO 'sex scenes', but, just like the original NGE series, the story will explore the results and side effects of such activities. Along the way, there'll be swearing, violence, drugs, Adult situations, and frank discussions of sex education/family planning information, as well as thoughts and opinions on the morals and ethics of sexual assault, dating, courtship, marriage, alternate sexualities, pregnancy, childbirth, parenthood, Family Values, etc.
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Fandom Alerts and Disclaimer.
AU Alert (Alternate Universe).
OOC Alert (Out Of Character).
ACC Alert (Author Created Character).
SI Alert (Self Insert - Author appears in the story as a character).
SPOILER Alert (May 'spoil' surprises in the Manga and Anime TV/Movies).
' ' denotes thoughts.
" " denotes speech.
* * denotes emphasis, or electronic communication.
denotes other method of communication.
--- denotes letters deleted for censorship reasons.
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Author's Ramblings - Another 'What If' that came to me while researching the –ko names for the Clones.
Suekko or Sueko (soo-ehk-ko or soo-eh-ko) is another Japanese -Ko name. The particular Kanji for this one can literally mean 'Final Child' and is often the name or 'affectionate nickname' of the youngest child in a family.
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Fragment - Primordial Soup. (Weeks? Months? after the Final Battle)
Deep within the most restricted areas of the NERVIS base, one spacious room now stood empty. Devoid of the giant alien artefact codenamed 'Little', the room now echoed slightly to the regular drip of liquid condensation.
The small lake of TLC that had surrounded the artefact, now lay undisturbed, save for the odd small ripple caused by earth tremor, or moisture drip.
Deep within the lake of TLC, lay the remains of the Rave Clone Glando had tried to use as a control interface for the Alien Artefact. Dr Ritzy Akatlover had blown the Clone's brains out, rather than let Glando have any chance of controlling the Artefact. Glando had killed Ritzy in return.
Another Clone had witnessed the events, and had scanned the remains of the dead Clone's brain in an attempt to find answers. Finding out what little she could, the other Rave Clone had pushed the corpse into the TLC lake.
The Clones had little appreciation of such 'Human' concepts of 'funerals', so they didn't view this as any sort of 'burial at sea'. Rather, it was merely a way of preserving the corpse, until it could be autopsied. The Clones knew that a preserved corpse was better than a decayed one, and that TLC had several anti-bacterial properties.
However, events had prevented any of the Clones from returning to retrieve the corpse. There were just too many more important problems in the world outside.
The strange thing about death, is that parts of the body die at different rates.
The Guillotine operators in the French Revolution discovered that a person's head often retained 'awareness' for some time after the act of decapitation.
Science has confirmed that a normal brain can work for about a minute without getting fresh oxygen from it's blood supply. Some damage will occur to the brain in this time, with total and irreversible brain 'death' after five minutes.
This stands in stark contrast to the muscles of the body. They can generally survive at least 15 minutes without appreciable damage. An amputated limb may survive far longer, but once again, damage increases as time goes by.
Science has also found that 'orphaned' body cells, can continue to live away from the parent body, provided it is in a nurturing medium.
When the Rave Clone had pushed the dead Clone into the TLC lake, she had assumed the other Clone was dead.
Which was fair enough.
Dr Akatlover's bullet had punched a hole clear through the Clone's head, quite literally, blowing the Clone's brains out the other side. The ballistic shock alone, had pulped much of the Clone's brain, killing her instantly.
As a person, as an individual, and as an entity, the Clone was certifiably dead.
At a cellular level though, it was a different matter…
The shock of being shot, was a death knell to the Clones body. Within a short period of time, the complex living system of its body had expired.
However. In the warm soup that was the TLC lake, many 'orphan' cells found a nurturing environment. They absorbed the oxygen they needed from the TLC around them, and continued their existence, free of the complex biological system they had once been a part of.
The TLC sustained the cells, although it was not enough to satisfy all of their requirements. Especially as time passed, and the cells required food. Unable to find, or else absorb the nutrition they needed in the TLC around them, most of the cells eventually expired. Some cells though…
…Found a fertile feeding ground on the dead material that had spawned them…
Deep in the TLC lake, a pale corpse that had been preserved from decay caused by bacteria, now fell prey to the voracious appetites of other microbes.
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Fragment - Newcomer. (The Clones finally retrieve the corpse in the TLC)
In the cave-like darkness of the room where the Alien Artefact had been kept, something stirred within the inky depths of the TLC Lake…
Up from the depths it came, it's progress barely making ripples on the surface of the lake. A muted glow flickered into the shallows.
Then a pale form broke the surface of the TLC.
Rave Clone #75 stood up in the thigh deep shallows of the TLC lake, her torch beam bouncing over the lake as she bent over to expel the TLC from her lungs.
"Did you find it?" asked Rave Clone#52 on the shore, shining a torch onto the other Clone, and offering her a towel.
Not exactly sent Clone#75, still choking out TLC.
"Meaning?"
Clone #75 didn't answer, she merely reached under the surface of the TLC, and pulled on the rope she had just followed back to shore.
Deep within the lake of TLC, something else stirred in the pitch-blackness. Up from the depths it came, it's progress making increasingly large ripples on the surface. An indistinct shape moved into the murky shallows.
Then a large parcel, wrapped up in a cargo net broke the surface of the TLC.
Clone#75 hauled the net and it's contents onto the shore, before unwrapping it.
A smell of stale TLC mixed with something else wafted out.
"Putrefaction?" commented Clone#52, "We thought the TLC would prevent it?"
"Decay cannot account for this," replied Clone#75 cryptically.
With that, Clone#75 shone her torch on the contents of the net, revealing the fragmentary remains of the Rave Clone Ritzy had killed weeks earlier.
Apart from the head, the body had been intact when another Rave Clone had pushed the corpse into the TLC lake. Now the body lay in pieces, skin and muscle mostly stripped away, revealing tendons that barely articulated the eroded bones.
Clone #52 frowned slightly, "You are correct. The body should not have decayed at so great a rate. Nor would decay do that to the skeleton."
"When I was in the lake…" Clone#75 stated quietly.
Clone #52 looked expectantly at the other Clone.
"I sensed… a presence," Clone #75 finished, with a small frown, "Similar to how we have sensed the memory of another person's presence in an AVE…"
"Has someone been in the TLC?"
"Unsure," said Clone #75, "It did not… feel like a person…"
"Explain via send," requested Clone #52.
Clone #75 closed her eyes, and concentrated, sending her impressions to the other.
…need… …search… …move…
"It does not make sense," commentated Clone #52, "Such feelings are too basic to be the thoughts of a developed mind…"
"I know. But that is what I sensed."
The two Clones swept their torch beams around the room. Finding no other clue, they rewrapped their grim parcel, and walked away with it, trailing drips of TLC.
Deep within the dark reaches of the TLC Lake, something stirred…
Up from the depths it came, it's progress barely making ripples on the surface of the lake as it glided into the shallows.
Then something broke the surface of the TLC.
{…need…} {…search…} {…move…}
It crawled onto the shore, and began following the trail of TLC drips…
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Fragment - Squatter.
The door to Mazurka's old apartment squeaked open, protesting the weeks of disuse.
"Doesn't look like anyone's been in here since we moved out," Shakey murmured, entering the apartment and looking around it.
Sunlight filtered in through the lace under-curtains, lighting up the apartment. Through them, Shakey could see that the glass doors to the balcony were intact, still shut and locked. The furniture in the lounge was covered in a fine layer of undisturbed dust, as were the empty kitchen cabinets.
The fridge doors were still wedged slightly open with a crushed beer can and tape. Without any electrical power, Mazurka had turned the fridges off, and used an old homeowners trick to keep the disused fridge from growing mildewy.
The rooms all had their doors opened, allowing air to circulate.
Shakey paused, looking around his old room.
When they'd moved out, they'd left behind all of the furniture, reasoning that it was too awkward to move it. Besides, they'd need a truck, and trucks were in short supply, as were useable roads at the time. Shakey had left behind him the bed he'd slept in since coming to the City nearly two years before.
He'd left more than his bed behind him when he'd left, and that was the real reason he was back here today.
All of his posters still hung on the walls, and the other usual trappings of his innocent teenage years lay where they had for months before he'd moved.
Shakey looked fondly at the now-precious relics of a life that was gone forever.
'I can live without you,' Shakey thought, as he looked at the keepsakes of his lost innocence, 'But it won't be the same as if I had you with me…'
With the breakdown in Security, Looting had become commonplace, as had fires that totally destroyed buildings. Whether the fires were arson or accidents were anyone's guess. What was left of the Police Force was too busy with other matters to investigate the destruction by fire of wrecked buildings.
The main reason Shakey was in Mazurka's apartment, was because he'd heard that someone had been seen lurking around the apartment block.
'And if this place gets 'torched'…' Shakey sighed deeply at the thought of losing what few possessions he had.
He began collecting his things, taking his posters down off the walls and rolling them up, placing them and the last few mementoes into a bag.
It didn't take long to assemble all that he'd left in the room. Shakey stood in the doorway to his room, looking sadly back at the bare walls and the 'unfamiliar ceiling' that were like old friends to him by now.
"I never knew what I'd see when I woke up…" Shakey sighed, remembering the many times he'd woken up in Hospital.
On impulse, he put his belongings down, and went and lay down on his bare mattress, closing his eyes, and wondering if he could wake up and find out that everything had just been a dream.
The deserted neighbourhood was deathly quiet, with bird song filtering into the apartment. The dreamy nostalgic mood Shakey was in, soon let him drift off into a light doze.
The feeling of something gently touching his cheek woke Shakey with a start. His eyes opened, catching a blurry glimpse of blue hair, red eyes and a pale face.
"Oh… Hi Rave…" Shakey mumbled, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, "I was just…"
Shakey trailed off as he realised he was completely alone in the room.
"Great…" muttered Shakey, feeling embarrassed, "Now I'm seeing things…"
Shakey quickly collected his belongings and left the apartment.
Beneath Shakey's bed, something with red eyes watched him leave.
{…found…}
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Fragment - Echo.
In the late afternoon sunlight, Shakey sat on a hilltop overlooking the City.
'In this light,' Shakey mused, 'The City looks… normal…'
'But that'll change,' he realised, 'When the sun goes down, and the lights don't come on…'
Shakey sighed deeply, and lay back in the longish grass.
Shakey closed his eyes, and tried to convince himself that life as he knew it was a deranged fantasy, and that when he opened his eyes, he'd just be a normal High School student with mere School exams as the biggest problem in his life…
It didn't work.
When Shakey finally opened his eyes, he caught a blurry glimpse of blue hair, and red eyes looking at him from a pale face.
"Rave?" Shakey asked, sitting up, and turning to the person standing beside him.
A young girl child stood there. Looking barely old enough to be in Pre-School, she easily wore an Adult's T-Shirt as a dress. The T-Shirt was torn and dirty, and layers of mud and grime covered it and the girls arms, legs and bare feet.
But the thing that most got Shakey's attention, was her face. With her red eyes, blue hair, and pale skin, the girl looked almost exactly like the Clones.
Shakey blinked, feeling a strange sense of déjà vu, 'If you weren't so much younger…' he thought, 'I'd think you were one of them…'
"I-I'm sorry miss," Shakey said by way of an opening remark, "I didn't know you were there."
The young girl didn't reply, she just looked calmly at Shakey.
"M-my name's Shakey…" Shakey stammered, suddenly nervous under the child's gaze.
The child remained silent.
"Uh…" gulped Shakey, feeling strangely uneasy around the silent child, "It's been nice meeting you, but I have to be going… Bye Bye now…"
Shakey walked off, wondering why he'd felt so weirded out by the girl.
'It's not as if she did or said anything unusual…'
Shakey stopped as a thought hit him, 'Wait a minute! What IS a little girl doing up here all by herself anyway? Perhaps I should ask her if she's okay…'
His mind made up, Shakey turned around to go back to the girl.
And stopped as he nearly walked over her.
'She followed me?' Shakey wondered, 'Or was she just going the same way I was?'
"Uh… Miss?" Shakey asked hesitantly, "What are you doing up here?"
The child didn't answer, she just gazed calmly at Shakey.
"Err…" Shakey decided to try a different tack, "Where are your parents, Miss?"
The child continued to gaze calmly at Shakey.
"Where's your home?" Shakey asked, a sick suspicion starting to fill him.
The child didn't answer, nor did her gaze waver.
Shakey came to a worried conclusion, 'Doesn't talk… She's up here all by herself… Grubby appearance… There's definitely something wrong here… I'd better call Mazurka and get her to check things out…'
Shakey pulled out his Cell phone and dialled the Clone Zone.
"Yes?" asked the soft voice of one of the Clones.
"Shakey here, I've got a problem…"
"Where are you?"
"At the Hilltop lookout," replied Shakey, "I think I've got a lost child here. She appears to be traumatised, possibly a refugee… Can you send someone?"
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Fragment - Confrontation.
Shakey Atari sat at a Hilltop lookout, breathing the Dusk air, and playing 'Minder' to a lost child.
They sat beside each other at a picnic table, mostly just looking at each other.
For his part, Shakey tried to talk with the child, asking her who she was, where her family was, and how she came to be at the lookout. For her part, the young girl only looked at Shakey, never making a noise.
The sound of an approaching car caused Shakey to turn his head and look at the road leading onto the picnic area.
"Mazurka!" Shakey breathed in relief, recognising the new sports car Mazurka had recently 'acquired' from a car dealer whose family the Clones had saved.
The car pulled up, and Mazurka and two Clones got out, and walked towards Shakey.
"Oh man," Shakey rabbited, "Am I glad to see you! I was up here and this girl…"
"Move away from her!" interrupted the Clones, their faces suddenly frowning.
"Wh-what?" asked Shakey, as the two Clones moved sideways, putting themselves and the girl at the corners of an equilateral triangle.
Mazurka was puzzled, "What do…"
"Move Away!" hissed the Clones, assuming combat stances.
The unmistakeable feeling of fingernails scraping over the chalkboard of his spine, let Shakey know that an E.T. Field had suddenly manifested itself.
…VERY close to him.
Mazurka suddenly paled, and started to slowly back away.
The two Clones manifested their own E.T. Fields while gazing intently at a point beside Shakey.
Shakey slowly turned to check where the Clones were looking, only to end up facing the child beside him.
…And almost fainting…
The young girl sat there, a chaotic mash of energies crystallising in front of her. The calm gaze she had directed at Shakey, had been replaced by a slight frown directed at the Clones.
"…uh…" said Shakey, trying to stand up on unsteady legs, and failing.
At the movement beside her, the young girl turned her attention back to Shakey. She looked at him for a long moment, then she did some rather surprising things.
First, she smiled at him. A serene expression of non-aggression towards him. Second, she held her hand out to him, the energy patterns of the fractured E.T. Field swirling into a ball. Third, she turned to the Clones, and smiled at them. Fourth, the ball of energy in her hand vanished.
Shakey sat there, breathing hard.
"Do not worry," the two Clones softly chorused, faint smiles on their faces as they relaxed their postures, "She will not harm anyone…"
Shakey turned to stare at the two Clones. He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped as he realised that the child was now standing beside him.
The child smiled at Shakey, then she reached out and took Shakey's hand.
In a VERY firm grip.
"Ah-are you sure?" asked Shakey, not reassured in the least by the death grip the child had on his hand.
"Yes, we are sure," replied the Clones.
"H-how do you know?" asked Shakey nervously.
"Because she is flesh of our flesh," stated the Clones.
"Flesh of your flesh?" repeated Shakey, not quite coping with things.
"Yes," confirmed the Clones, "She is either our sister, or our daughter."
"D-Daughter?" a wide-eyed Shakey exclaimed, right before he fainted.
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Fragment - Family Addition. (After Confrontation)
Shakey regained consciousness on the hilltop lookout beneath a night sky.
'…ooogh… wotta nightmare…,' Shakey thought, 'Rave's got a secret daughter… And at only fifteen years of age! I don't wanna think about the rumours that'd pop up if that ever happened! Especially the ones about who the father is…'
Shakey moved slightly, and he heard a rustling noise.
He looked down, and was even more surprised to see he had an emergency Thermal Blanket wrapped around him.
"Hey!" he exclaimed, "What gives?"
"Are you feeling better?" asked a familiar soft voice.
Shakey turned his head, and noticed that a Rave Clone was sitting on the grass beside him.
Further off, Shakey could see Mazurka's sports car. Mazurka and another Rave Clone were sitting beside a young blue-haired girl at a picnic table.
"Err…" said Shakey, showing that despite the situation, he was still articulate, if not actually intelligible.
"Rest," said the Clone, "You've had a mental shock…"
"…girl…" whispered Shakey, "…she… she's…"
"One of us," said the Clone, watching Shakey intently.
"…h-how?" asked Shakey, "…and why… so… young?"
The Clone paused before replying slowly, "We are… unsure…"
"…another surprise from the secret labs…" muttered Shakey, lying back and closing his eyes, a look of weary suffering on his face.
"Perhaps," admitted the Clone.
"Ready to go home Shakey?" asked Mazurka's voice.
Shakey opened his eyes, to find that Mazurka had walked over to where he was.
"I guess so," he replied, sitting up and removing the crinkling plastic of the emergency Thermal Blanket.
"Great!" said Mazurka in a cheery voice, "I feel like going out and celebrating!"
"Celebrating?" asked Shakey, not quite up to speed with reality.
"Of Course, Silly!" replied Mazurka, looking fondly at the young blue-haired girl beside the other Rave Clone, "It's not every day I become an Auntie! Or for that matter, you get to become an Uncle…"
"U-uncle?" Shakey nearly fainted again.
"Sure!" confirmed Mazurka, "You heard the Girls. Junior over there is 'flesh of their flesh', so she's got to be some sort of 'family'. If not a 'sister', like the Girls are to each other, then a 'daughter' type of thing, or 'niece'…"
Shakey's mind nearly boggled as he tried to reconcile this latest addition to the tangled web of his family tree.
'137 half-sisters, plus one niece… Or should that be half-niece if she came from a half-sister?' ran through Shakey's dazed mind.
"Hurry up Shakey!" called Mazurka, striding back to her car, "The night's not getting any younger, and I need to PARRR-TEE!!"
One Clone sat in the backseat against the driver's side wall. The mysterious girl sat beside her in the middle. The other Clone guided Shakey onto the last seat in the back, before taking her own place in the front passenger seat.
Shakey wasn't too sure about the seating arrangement, especially not when the mysterious girl shyly smiled at him, and took his hand in another death grip.
"Don't worry," said the Clones, noting Shakey's nervousness, "She likes you."
Shakey began to sweat.
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Fragment - Rekindling old Rivalries. (After Family Addition)
Back at the Clone Zone, and Shakey's troubles were just starting.
"She could stay with us," offered Mazurka, obviously in 'Mother Hen' mode.
"But where will she sleep?" asked Shakey, "There's only 3 bedrooms in our apartment, and there's you, me and Aesir in them…"
"True…" muttered Mazurka, "Unless she sleeps with one of us…"
"That means you or me," said Shakey, stating the obvious, "I can't see Aesir sharing her room with any type of Rave Clone just yet…"
"She will sleep with us," a Rave Clone informed them, "She needs to be around others like her. Ones who can teach her, from personal experience."
"But she'll still be able to sleep over occasionally," asked Mazurka, a note of Maternal pleading in her voice.
"Yes," confirmed the Clone, "Once she learns to talk."
"She can't talk?" asked Shakey, "Why not?"
"She has not had the practical experience necessary, to be competent with verbal communications," explained the Clone
"But…" pressed Shakey, "A girl her age…"
"Her age is… undetermined," murmured the Clone evasively.
"A tank thing?" asked Shakey, remembering the Doppelganger Lab.
"Yes," replied the Clone, grateful for Shakey's unwitting help, "A… tank thing…"
"Poor kid," muttered Shakey.
Bedding arrangements worked out, those involved went their various ways.
Shakey went to bed, to sleep it all off. Mazurka sallied forth like an alcohol seeking Dracula. The Rave Clones plus one half set off to their part of the world, and Aesir…
Well, Aesir was helping out elsewhere, providing translation services to some of the GaiJin (Foreign People) Emergency Aid workers who were in town.
'On The Spot Translation' was an essential part of the Relief efforts, and Aesir was only too glad to prove she had more than one area of expertise. Much more so, now that she knew she could never again prove her worth by Piloting an AVE.
Even though Aesir was less than fluent in spoken Japanese, let alone the written form, her fluency in both the written and spoken forms of English and German more than made up for it.
Especially if she was only required to translate the all too vexing simple things that so bedevilled foreigners. Such as Japanese street maps, or restaurant menu items, or other cultural diversities…
"I'll let Mazurka tell Aesir about the new… girl," Shakey yawned, just before he fell asleep, 'If Mazurka wants her to live here… she can… tell… self… zzzzzz'
Shakey woke early the next morning realising that something was wrong.
He looked around his room, blinking as he realised his bedroom door was open, although he had definitely shut it the night before.
Then Shakey realised that he wasn't alone in the room…
On the floor beside his bed, was the young girl who had entered Shakey's life the day before. She was wearing an oversized shirt as a nightgown, and was curled up on the carpet, with no other bedding to cushion her small body.
Shakey tensed, 'What's she doing here?' he wondered.
Then he remembered what a Clone had said to him, '…she likes you…'
'She… likes me…' Shakey's mind went back to another blue-haired girl who had often sat by his bedside when he was in Hospital.
'Is she… watching over me? Like the Second Rave did?'
"Err… Miss?" Shakey asked, reaching out to gently shake her awake.
The girl woke easily, and turned to look calmly at Shakey, giving him a small smile as she did so.
"Is everything all right?" asked Shakey.
The girl nodded. The first response she'd ever made to any of Shakey's questions, that he would recognise as an answer.
"Aren't you uncomfortable, sleeping on the floor like that?" asked Shakey, somewhat concerned for the child's comfort.
The child shrugged slightly.
"Wouldn't you rather be in a bed?" Shakey pressed, hoping the child would toddle off back to her own room, wherever that was.
The child nodded, and stood up.
Shakey felt relieved, 'Looks like she understands me, at any rate…'
Then the child surprised Shakey by lifting his bedcovers, and climbing into bed with him.
Shakey froze, unsure of what to do or say…
The child partially resolved Shakey's dilemma, by snuggling up against him, and promptly appearing to fall asleep.
Old memories rose in Shakey's mind, from when he was a very young child, and he had found comfort when cradled by his mother.
'If little children are scared, or insecure, they'll often find comfort by being close to a Parent,' Shakey thought, 'Mazurka said I'm her Uncle… So I guess that means I'm some kind of a Parent figure to her…'
Shakey paused, then he put his arms around the child and cradled her to him.
'I'll ask Mazurka and the Clones about this later,' he decided, 'As well as what my other duties as an 'Uncle' are…'
Time passed.
'Should I wake her up again? Or wait until she wakes normally? I'll have to get up and prepare breakfast soon anyway, so there's…'
A sudden gasping noise from the doorway, made Shakey turn his head.
When the girl had entered Shakey's room, she had not shut the door behind her.
So it was, that the two had an unexpected audience.
Aesir…
She had woken up, and as per her normal morning routine, had made her way to the bathroom. And as usual, she had to walk past Shakey's room to get there.
But on this particular morning, Shakey's bedroom door was wide open.
Shakey started to sweat as he saw the slack-jawed look of shock on Aesir's face…
"…you…" Aesir growled raggedly, her body starting to tremble…
"What are you doing in bed with Rave?!" demanded Aesir.
"Rave?" asked Shakey in confusion.
Then it dawned on him, that because Mazurka had gone out partying the night before, Aesir might not yet know about the young girl the Clones called 'daughter'. As well as the fact that the dim light in his room might not allow Aesir to see that the person beside Shakey under the covers wasn't a Rave Clone.
"This isn't Rave," Shakey said honestly.
An instant after he said that, his brain realised that not only did very few people actually have skin as pale as Rave, even fewer had blue hair like she did. And despite such statistics, there was NO chance of any such coincidental look alike roaming around the Clones Secure Accommodation building…
And even LESS chance of Aesir believing the statement Shakey had just made…
"I m-mean…" Shakey stammered nervously.
Then the child turned in Shakey's arms and looked at Aesir.
The sudden appearance of the crimson eyes was more than enough proof for Aesir, that one of the Rave Clones was indeed, in bed with Shakey.
"Rave, why are you in bed with Shakey?" Aesir asked coldly.
The child remained silent, merely looking at Aesir.
"Answer me when I speak to you!" demanded Aesir, walking into the bedroom, "Don't just ignore me!"
"She is not ignoring you," said a soft voice from behind Aesir.
Aesir turned to confront the Rave Clone that had walked up behind her.
"Then why don't you tell me the meaning of this?" snapped Aesir, pointing an accusing finger at Shakey.
The Clone turned to those in the bed, "Stand," was all she said.
The blue haired child stood up, lifting aside the bedcovers, and revealing for the first time that the person in Shakey's bed was, despite her bodily colours, definitely NOT one of the Rave Clones.
Aesir's jaw hit the floor.
"We found her yesterday," stated the Rave Clone, "She does not answer you, because she is unable to speak. Shakey was… comforting her, as he often has other people. By holding them."
Shakey nodded.
"Nothing more," stressed the Clone.
"…i-i… didn't… i'm… sorry…" Aesir said in a small voice, before pushing past the Clone and fleeing the bedroom.
Shakey put his head in his hands and sighed, "This is definitely going to be, one of THOSE days…"
"Do not worry about it," said the Clone.
"B-but Aesir?" asked Shakey.
"We will take care of her," replied the Clone, looking at the blue-haired child.
The blue-haired child nodded.
"Stay in bed," the Clone said to Shakey, "We will make breakfast…"
With that, the Clone and the child left Shakey's room.
Shortly after, the aromas of a cooked breakfast wafted through the apartment.
Feeling hungry, Shakey rose from his bed and made his way to the breakfast table.
It was there that a strange sight met his eyes.
Aesir was already sitting at the breakfast table, looking rather uncomfortable. The Clone was in the kitchen, working away at the stove. The child was also in the kitchen, standing watch over the toaster.
"Good Morning Aesir," Shakey politely offered, sitting down at the table.
"…morning Shakey…" Aesir quietly replied, not looking at him, and still more than a little pink in her cheeks.
The toaster popped up, and the Clone put it on two plates. She scooped generous servings of scrambled omelette onto the toast. The Clone took one plate, and the child took the other. Then they both walked over to the breakfast table.
"Breakfast is served," stated the Clone, setting her plate in front of Shakey.
The child set her plate of food in front of Aesir, then stood silently by, as if waiting to see if her peace offering was acceptable.
"…thank you…" mumbled Aesir, still rather pink in the cheeks.
The child smiled.
======================================================================
Fragment - Check-up.
After the events of the Final Battle, Mayi Buttin had found herself in the same boat as many other NERVIS staff. That is, confined to the City until the level of her involvement in things could be determined.
Like many other people, Mayi's apartment building had been extensively damaged, and she had sought accommodation elsewhere. It was then that she'd had an unpleasant fact forced on her.
NERVIS personnel were NOT wanted as tenants…
Mayi had been lucky, in that she'd only experienced minor unpleasantness before the Rave Clones took her in.
Mayi had been grateful for the Clones hospitality, accepting their comments that the Clones needed her Medical expertise, as a polite cover story for their offer. Especially since all of the Medical equipment Mayi had used on the Clones had been lost when the NERVIS Base had been declared a 'no-go' area.
"But I still have Dr Akatlover's 'doctor bag'," Mayi had said wistfully, "So I can still act as a 'family doctor', even if I can't do a thorough analysis…"
Then Clones had taken Mayi to see the 'surgery' the Clones had set up in the second Dormitory level.
And Mayi's jaw had hit the floor…
For there… was a complete array of high tech Medical machinery that the Clones had covertly 'salvaged' from the NERVIS Base.
"Wha…?" Mayi had gasped, on seeing the 'commandeered' equipment.
"It's no good to anyone if it rots in the rubble!" the Clones had said.
So it was, that Mayi Buttin, with more than a little bewilderment, had become the In-House Chief Medical Officer for the Rave Clones.
Which brings us to the present…
"This can't be right…" said Mayi, the worried expression on her face, matching the tones in her voice. The cause of Mayi's worry, currently lay before her.
The blue-haired child the Clones had accepted as their 'daughter', and who they had named 'Suekko' ('youngest child').
"What is wrong?" asked the blue-haired Rave Clone who was acting as assistant to Mayi, and 'interpreter' for the speechless child.
Mayi sighed, "Her… nervous system… It's unlike anything I've seen before!"
The Clone looked at the readout, "I do not understand, please explain?"
Mayi paused to rub her eyes, "A normal Peripheral nervous system, branches out from the spinal cord. All of these branches are joined strings of nerve cells that pass information on by electric current."
"All of these branches," Mayi rambled on, "Have 'junctions' where the nerve branch physically stops, and another branch starts. The 'junction' acts as a feedback inhibitor, in that electrical impulses are stopped, turned into a chemical, then decoded by the next branch of nerve cells and passed on…"
"But she…" Mayi paused, "Has a… variation on this… She appears to have… extra branches in addition to the normal branches… Some sort of duplication, except that the duplicates don't have any 'junctions'… Basically, her nervous system is 'double-wired'… Not only which…" Mayi trailed off.
"The new nervous system doesn't appear to be composed of normal nerve cells…" Mayi muttered, "They look more like… Brain cells…"
"If her Peripheral nervous system is like this," said the Clone, "What is her Central nervous system, her brain like?"
"We'll soon find out," Mayi said grimly, adjusting the controls so the scanner moved towards the child's head.
"…oh…" gasped Mayi, as the scan of the child's brain came up.
Or rather, the child's brains…
======================================================================
Fragment - Multiple, not Split.
"…this…" choked Mayi, dumbstruck at what she saw on the medical scanner.
"Is not normal," stated the Rave Clone, showing her grasp of the obvious.
The medical scanner currently showed a scan of the braincase of the Psuedo-Clone called Suekko. Or more correctly, a scan of the contents of that braincase.
The gross abnormality that served Suekko as her Central Nervous System.
Mayi gulped, then tried to continue in a more professional tone, "Huuuh… Th-the scan shows… 4… 5… 6 major brain di-divisions instead of the nuh-normal left and right h-hemispheres… Other p-parts of the brain are… abnorm…"
Mayi fell silent, her shoulders slumping slightly as she turned pale.
"Mayi?" asked the Clone, noting Mayi's sudden paleness, "Are you all right?"
"…i'm fine…" croaked Mayi, unaware that her comment made the Clone stare at her, "I just… REALLY need a coffee break… Let's all… take a break… for a bit…"
"What sort of coffee would you like?" the Clone politely inquired.
"Strong…" said Mayi, still dazed from what she'd just seen, "Very strong…"
Mayi took several deep, calming breaths as she sat down in her chair.
'How did this happen?' Mayi asked herself, 'Was this part of some secret AVE project? Did Sempai (Ritzy) know about this? Was she involved?'
"Coffee. Strong," said a Clone in a Maid's Outfit, placing a tray with Coffee Pot, mug, saucer, spoons, sugar and milk beside Mayi.
"Thank you," mumbled Mayi, pouring herself a mug of the rich dark liquid. She added two sugars, paused, then added another one and some milk. Then she just sat for some time, idly swirling her spoon in the cup, obviously deep in thought.
The Clones waited patiently nearby.
"Rave…" Mayi asked, her gaze locked firmly on the swirling coffee in her cup, "Tell me again, where you found her…"
"Shakey met her on a hilltop lookout," the blue-haired Clone replied.
"Is that all you know about her origins?" Mayi quietly asked.
Neither Clone said anything.
Mayi was a scientist, with multiple degrees in Medicine, and Physiology. Beneath her shy, mousy exterior, lurked a brilliant mind, honed by years of discipline…
None of which she used now, as her 'Woman's Intuition' went into B-LS--T detection mode… And immediately rang several alarms…
"Tell me…" Mayi said slowly, turning her head to pierce the Clones with a steel hard gaze, "Everything you know, or suspect about her… And I mean, NOW…"
The two Clones began to sweat nervously.
"We…" they started in unison, "Believe that she is the result of our ability of instant regeneration…"
"The Doppelganger Unit that controlled Shakey's AVE that time…" the Clones paused, "Was controlled by a drugged Rave Clone…"
Mayi blinked.
"During the Final Battle," the Clones continued, "That Clone was killed, and her corpse immersed in a… large amount of TLC. We believe, that some of her body cells may have survived, and tried to regenerate themselves…"
"You mean…" Mayi wore a ghastly expression on her face, as she tried to calculate just how MANY cells in a Clones body might be capable of such a feat, "There may be… MORE like her running around?"
"No," replied the Clones honestly, "We have checked the… likely place of her creation, and there are no others like her."
"If…" Mayi murmured dazedly, her gaze going off into the distance, "She's the product of spontaneous regeneration of 'orphan' cells… Then… maybe…"
The Clones patiently waited for Mayi to return to them.
"…that could explain it…" Mayi uttered, suddenly shifting in her seat.
Mayi stood and strode purposefully over to the Medical scanner. For the next five minutes she frowned at the readouts on the monitor, as she quickly ran the scanner over the child's body.
"Yes," Mayi finally said, stepping back from the monitor and turning to look at the child, "That fits…"
"Please explain," asked the Clones.
"If…" Mayi paused, collecting her thoughts, "She is the result of 'spontaneous regeneration' of Rave Clone cells, then her duplicated nervous system may be the result of several such 'regenerating' cell clumps joining together. A neural version of the physical phenomena known as 'Chimerism'…"
"What is Chimerism?" asked the Clones
"Siamese Twins'," Mayi muttered, "Where two developing foetuses fuse together, or one is absorbed by the other, like what happens with 'Stone Babies'… Except that in her… or should I say, 'their' case, it's not a 'disability'…"
"What are Stone Babies?" asked the Clones.
Mayi blushed slightly, "Err… Just…"
Mayi sighed, then continued in Clinical Mode, "A 'Stone Baby' is where the developing embryo, or foetus dies in the womb, and isn't expelled through miscarriage. Instead, the dead tissue is encased by the body, and kept inside the body of the mother. In some cases of multiple births, an underdeveloped foetus, or dead embryo may be similarly encased within the body of one of it's siblings… When the child is born, instead of being a 'Siamese Twin', they may have a 'parasite twin' attached to them, or a 'stone baby' inside them…"
"Neither Mazurka or Dr Akatlover told us of such things," commented the Clones.
"Well," said Mayi, somewhat reservedly, "It's… kind of rare… I know I certainly didn't find out about such things until I was in College…"
"It may explain her E.T. Field," said the Maid Clone.
"E.T. Field?" asked Mayi, "The incoherent one she manifested at the lookout?"
"She did not manifest an incoherent E.T. Field," stated the Rave Clone.
"What? But I was told…"
"She manifested several dozen," clarified the Maid Clone.
"SEVERAL DOZEN??" exclaimed Mayi.
"Yes," confirmed the Clones, "She manifested multiple E.T. Fields, and had coarse control over each of them simultaneously."
"…several dozen…?" repeated Mayi, staggering onto her seat, "…b-but you…?"
"Can only manifest a single E.T. Field?" completed the Rave Clone, "Correct. That is partly why we wanted you to examine her."
"…" Mayi was speechless.
"And we believe we know how she was able to do it," said the Maid Clone, "Her nervous system… Is not like ours."
"…multiple processors…" mumbled Mayi, using an old computer term.
"Yes," nodded the Clones, "She can create more Fields than we can, because she has more 'neural processing centres' dedicated to the task."
"If clumps of cells joined together," theorised the Rave Clone, "It would be reasonable that they would not give up their self-defence method to another clump. Especially not if the clumps could 'synchronise' with each other, making their multiple Fields an even more effective weapon…"
Mayi's mind whirled back to when an Alien attack had occurred deep in one of the Test Facilities. In that instance, multitudes of living 'Nanomachines', each the size of a microbe, had invaded the facility.
At first the NERVIS personnel had thought it was some sort of biologically caused corrosion, and had tried to stop it with an automated laser system.
They had been shocked when the 'corrosion' had manifested multiple E.T. Fields…
"…oh… My… GOD!!" exclaimed Mayi, a look of pure horror on her face.
"What is wrong?"
"If… she… then other…" Mayi uttered incoherently, "…countries… MAKE…"
"Indeed," nodded the Maid Clone, "We had thought that if Suekko could exist, then there was a chance that others could be cloned from her. That the projects that made us, could be reborn, with her as their test subject…"
"We thought she was a mutation," the Rave Clone said quietly, "A unique variation. We did not expect her to be just ourselves, multiplied."
Mayi sat in her seat, breathing heavily, trying to calm down.
"Mayi?" asked the Rave Clone, "Would you like us to tell Mazurka about this?"
Mayi gulped and nodded.
"We will then," confirmed the Clones.
"C-could…" Mayi croaked, "…you do me a favor?"
Both Clones tilted their heads slightly toward Mayi, indicating their attention.
"A-ask Mazurka if she'd like a d-drinking partner tonight…" said Mayi.
"Drinking partner?" queried the Clones.
"Yeah…" sighed Mayi, "I need something a little stronger than coffee…"
======================================================================
Fragment - Teddy? Barely!
Sometime in the night, Shakey woke to find he wasn't alone in his bed.
A mop of blue hair lay on his chest, its body nestled in the crook of his arm.
'Suekko,' Shakey thought drowsily, 'She must be feeling lonely again…'
Since Suekko had come into Shakey's life, the toddler sized genetic conglomerate had made a habit of sleeping near Shakey whenever she could.
The Clones had explained that since Suekko was the only one of her kind, she quite naturally felt lonely.
They also pointed out, that despite her unique origins and mental capacities, Suekko was still a child emotionally.
And like ALL children, Suekko needed the reassurance, the 'Teddy Bear Factor' of being physically near someone that she knew cared for her, someone she trusted.
Since Suekko seemed to have an instinctive liking and trust of Shakey, the Clones had asked him if he would let her sleep in his room.
The proposal had met with mixed responses.
Mazurka had gone into 'Mother Hen' mode, and said that Suekko could sleep in her room if she wanted to, ANYTIME. Aesir had been slightly riled that she seemed to have yet ANOTHER rival for Shakey's affections. Shakey…
Well, Shakey had been an only child, and he wasn't sure if he should see this from the point of view of an Uncle, or an Elder Brother.
Either way, whenever the toddler snuggled up beside him, Shakey always felt a warm feeling of gentle protectiveness towards the child.
'I wonder if this is how my Mom felt,' Shakey thought sentimentally as he dropped off to sleep, 'Whenever I used to go to sleep in her arms… zzzz'
Meanwhile, Mazurka was feeling especially 'Maternal', gazing happily at Suekko as the toddler slept peacefully in Mazurka's bedroom.
Back in Shakey's room, the genetically engineered killing machine known as Rave, snuggled happily against the unsuspecting human.
Despite her age and intellectual development, Rave ALSO needed the reassurance, the 'Teddy Bear Factor', of being physically near someone that she knew cared for her, someone she trusted.
In the morning, Rave would leave before Shakey would wake up. But for now, her inner child dreamed as Suekko often did…
======================================================================
Fragment - Raising Suekko…
Raising a toddler like Suekko was NOT an easy thing.
Not just because child raising is not an exact science to start with. Nor because each child is normally different to every other child, and consequently needs a 'customised' upbringing specialised to their specific requirements.
No, it was because Suekko was truly unique among not only children, but among all the creatures that lived on the planet.
Her multiple nervous system, and abnormal physical abilities provided more than the usual dilemmas associated with child raising.
As well as some unheard of advantages…
To start with, Suekko had a full set of teeth, so she had none of the teething problems other children her age had. Although why a toddler should already have 'Wisdom' teeth, was not something the Clones wished to explain to anyone.
The telepathic link Suekko shared with the Rave Clones, had allowed her to absorb information from them. Some of this was conscious, although a lot of information had been obtained subconsciously. Such as 'Toilet training'…
The Rave Clones made full use of their telepathic link with Suekko to boost the child's learning curve to an appropriately 'inhuman' level. Consequently, Suekko was a VERY well educated toddler, with an intellectual development YEARS ahead of her age group.
But… The 'shared experiences' the Clones educated Suekko with, could only go so far. As with any sort of 'education', there came a time when the mental education the Clones were giving Suekko, had to be supplemented by a more physical, or 'hands-on' education.
Having been raised in a Lab, the Clones were aware of just how well it had worked for them. However, their own resulting lack of 'social skills' was something that made them wary of using the same techniques on Suekko.
Something Mazurka had forcefully brought up in her debates with the Clones.
"Do you want her to turn out like the Second Rave was?" Mazurka had hotly demanded, "Someone who didn't even KNOW what friendship was?"
"We now know what friendship is," the Clones had countered, "And we will inform Suekko of what we know…"
Mazurka had thrown her hands in the air at that statement, "But are you so certain that you know ALL there is to know about such things? And even IF you do, can a… a 'mental' explanation adequately replace experiencing what it feels like, to MAKE a friend for yourself?"
The Clones had hesitated to answer THAT argument.
Mazurka had pressed ahead, "It's in childhood, that a person first STARTS learning about what friendship really, truly is! If you want Suekko to develop into a normal well-adjusted person, then she NEEDS the sort of 'social contact' that other people get in their developmental years!"
A hot debate had followed, with the result that the Clones agreed that Suekko would enrol in a kindergarten. This was merely so that Suekko could get the 'social contact' Mazurka insisted was necessary. The Clones were adamant about continuing to 'home educate' Suekko about what the Clones knew.
Mazurka had gratefully taken what ground she had won, even though she personally wondered, 'Why does a toddler need to know about SWAT operations anyway?'
The matter settled, the Clones had conducted a search for a kindergarten that would suit their needs.
To start with, they needed one that would accept a 'mute' child like Suekko appeared to be. As Suekko had already learned sign language, those places that accepted 'deaf' children were automatically put at the top of the list.
Larger kindergartens were reluctantly passed over, as the Clones reasoned that it was best if Suekko gradually got to know other people her own age, a few at a time.
Then there was the fact that Suekko's existence was NOT Public knowledge, and the Clones wanted to keep it that way. If it was somehow revealed what Suekko really was, then the smaller number of people involved the better.
Which raised another problem, whether to 'disguise' Suekko or not.
The Clones eventually decided to give Suekko the appearance of a normal Japanese toddler. That of dark brown/black hair, dark brown eyes and mild skin colour.
Suekko had happily participated in 'playing dress-ups' like her 'Aunties' did.
Much to Shakey's surprise…
"Oh?" Shakey exclaimed on being ambushed by a dark-haired toddler. To his credit though, he'd immediately realised who it was when he saw the red irises.
"Suekko?" Shakey had asked, "Is that you?"
To which the toddler had nodded vigorously.
Eventually, everything was finally sorted out, and the day arrived when Suekko was to actually enrol…
Mazurka had butterflies in her stomach as she drove Suekko to the 'Sunny Days' kindergarten. She was not the only one.
'Auntie Aesir' had decided to stay home, as her trademark red hair would attract too much attention.
'Uncle Shakey' could have gone with her, but it was decided that his presence might also attract too much attention. After all, the vast majority of people dropping children off at Kindergarten WERE female…
'Auntie Rave' however… Had decided to 'play it safe', and had inserted a fully armed covert 'intervention team' in the neighbourhood. Not to mention having several 'Disguised Clones' available for less drastic interventions.
Mazurka had been left with the job of actually enrolling Suekko. This was partly because she was the most 'normal' of the people nearest to Suekko, but mostly because she had become well-known for her relief efforts to the survivors of the Final Battle. Her face had even been used in promotional posters and ads.
The surviving members of the Bridge Crew had offered to do the job for her, but having them any of them show up had its own special problems.
'I hope this goes all right,' Mazurka nervously thought, as she reviewed Suekko's cover story, 'Just arrive… And follow the plan… Tell 'em that Suekko is a mute War Orphan… They'll believe that… We got more than enough War Orphans to stock a school with, one more shouldn't be too conspicuous…'
'Yeah… Right…' Mazurka sourly considered, 'A War Orphan that just happens to be referred to them PERSONALLY by one Major Mazurka Kutsarug, Poster girl for the Combined Relief Services… I hope they don't wonder why I'm not trying to turn this into a media event… Suekko being 'mute' might cut it… But… If they start digging into her records…'
Mazurka arrived at the Sunny Days Kindergarten parking lot, and turned her car's engine off. She paused for a moment to compose herself, then turned to Suekko…
"Now remember," Mazurka said gently as she looked the Child in her eyes, "You're playing a role today, just like Auntie Rave does…"
Suekko nodded, her brown tinted contact lenses reflecting Mazurka's face.
"If there's any problems…" Mazurka paused, "Either myself or one of your Auntie Rave will come and get you… Do you understand?"
Suekko nodded again, a small smile on her face.
Mazurka reached out and hugged the child to her, "Give Auntie Rave a 'call' if you have any questions, or if anything unusual happens… They'll come and get you if it's needed. Remember, they'll be in the neighbourhood, nearby… Okay?"
Suekko nodded as she hugged Mazurka back.
Having reassured herself as much as she could, Mazurka walked Suekko towards the reception desk for the kindergarten…
======================================================================
The END of this Fragment of "Altered Lives (The Parody)"
======================================================================
OMAKE - Rekindling old Rivalries #1.
"What are you doing in bed with Rave?!" demanded Aesir.
Then the child turned in Shakey's arms and looked at Aesir.
{I sense a Disturbance in the Wa (Japanese term for Harmony)}
The sudden appearance of the crimson eyes was more than enough proof for Aesir, that one of the Rave Clones was indeed, in bed with Shakey.
"Rave, why are you in bed with Shakey?" Aesir asked coldly.
The child remained silent, merely looking at Aesir.
{First Law states, 'Protect the Shakey'…}
"Answer me when I speak to you!" demanded Aesir, walking into the bedroom, "Don't just ignore me!"
{Target Locked! Powering up Converters! Three Seconds to Obliteration!}
WAIT!! Screamed the Group Mind of the Clones.
Yeah, let me get some popcorn first!
TWELVE! snapped the Group Mind, That's *NOT* 'Helping'!
======================================================================
OMAKE - Rekindling old Rivalries #2.
"Breakfast is served," stated the Clone, setting her plate in front of Shakey.
The child set her plate of food in front of Aesir, then stood silently by, as if waiting to see if her peace offering was acceptable.
"…thank you…" mumbled Aesir, still rather pink in the cheeks.
The child smiled {Laugh off the laxatives in that lot, you Cow!}
Twelve? the Group Mind nervously asked Did you…?
It's not MY Fault! Twelve vehemently protested, She's been reading Mazurka's 'Crayon Shin-chan' Manga books!
Note - Crayon Shin-chan is a Manga story about an absolute brat of a child who does things that makes 'Bart Simpson' look like a Boy Scout!
======================================================================
OMAKE - Teddy? Barely!
In the morning, Rave would leave before Shakey would wake up. But for now, her inner child dreamed as Suekko often did…
Sometime the next morning, Shakey's 'sleep-in' time was rudely interrupted…
"What are you doing in bed with Rave?!" demanded Aesir.
"Rave?" blinked Shakey in confusion.
Then it dawned on him, that Suekko had probably climbed into bed with him again.
"This isn't Rave," Shakey said honestly, "It's Suek-"
"-ko…" Shakey finished lamely, as he realised that not only was the body beside him rather large for a toddler, it wasn't the only other body in bed with him.
All around the edge of the bed, the heads of a dozen Rave Clones peered out from under the covers. They all looked somewhat sheepishly embarrassed…
"Rave, why are you in bed with Shakey?" Aesir asked coldly.
"Well," chorused the pink faced Clones, "As you know, when a young child has a nightmare, they will often seek the comfort and security of their parent's bed…"
"AND…?" Aesir asked, her voice rising, and her eyebrow starting to twitch.
The non-human Clones shrugged in unison, "And since Shakey is the ONLY family we have, we wondered if sleeping beside him would work just as well…"
=========================The END of the OMAKE=========================