Author's notes- heh. Sorry it's been a while. But my mind has been rather dry. I'll try to update more often. Oh and big thanks to all my lovely reviewers.

Chapter 3

"Wow. That's weird." Shimbo said staring wide eyed at the television screen. After looking around for any distinguishing marks and not finding any, Shimbo decided to plug Chi into the television in hopes of finding some data. No such luck.

"What's weird?" Hideki asked moving closer to the television screen, thus blocking Shimbo's view.

"Get out of the way." Shimbo said, pushing a disgruntled Hideki aside.

After a minute Shimbo said, "I mean it's weird that there's no data. I mean, not even the basic data that comes with an OS-"

"OS?" Hideki interrupted.

"Operating System." Shimbo said with an impatient wave of his hand. "The point is, she shouldn't even be able to move. I mean a persocom with an Os, is like...is like a human without a heart or muscles. I mean, with an OS a persocom should be like an oversized doll. But this one is working without an OS. It's amazing."

"Uh." Hideki said, absorbing all the new information.

"You say you found her in the trash? On the way home from work?" Shimbo asked, turning to face Hideki.

"Uh, yea." Hideki said, trying not to sound like he was lying. Inside Hideki felt awful, he was now lying to his best friend, but he didn't want someone to found out.

"Trash?" Chi spoke up for the first time since Shimbo came over. She had been quietly cooperative, with an aura of sadness around her.

"Don't know what trash is?" Shimbo asked before Hideki could say anything.

"No." Mumbled Chi looking down at her hands.

"Hmm. She seems to have forgotten some basic things, but has remembered others. Oh well. Well, trash is what we call something we are done with. We usually throw trash out, or destroy it." Shimbo said, busying himself by searching around in a small duffel bag he carried around with himself everywhere.

Hideki noticed Chi's eyes widen with the words 'destroy it' and he mentally cursed Shimbo.

"Here we are!" Shimbo said with much relish pulling something out of his duffel. It was a little persocom notebook.

She appeared to be asleep, he eyes were closed anyway. She looked to be about a foot tall. Her deep lavender hair was pulled back in a ponytail, the ends curled, with a head decoration on her head. She was wearing an Arabian style outfit. The pants and sleeves were pale pink, while the sash and bodice were dark pink.

"Plum." Shimbo said, prodding her slightly with his finger.

The notebook slowly opened here eyes, which were purple, and said "Hello master."

"Plum. Do me a favor. Give this persocom the basic run through." Shimbo said, hooking Plum up to Chi.

"Kay!" Plum said, flashing Shimbo a thumbs up sign.

Plum let her eyelids droop slightly and she seemed to zone out. Then suddenly Plum seemed to jerk forward, as if being pushed by an invisible hand. The wire connecting Plum and Chi sparked then disconnected. Plum lay on the floor, seemingly unconscious.

"AH!" Shimbo wailed, running over to Plum. He picked her up and shook her slightly, and when she didn't wake he rounded on Hideki.

"What the hell kind of persocom is that!?" Shimbo shouted.

"Uh, uh." Hideki stuttered.

"This is to hard for me." Shimbo said beginning to calm down. "Go to this address. Ask for Minoru Kokubunji. He helps me with cases sometimes. He's a real genius, he's studying to be a lawyer and he knows a lot about persocoms. Go there and talk to him."

"Um. Ok." Hideki said, taking the address written on a piece of paper from Shimbo.

"Well, I've got to go. It's late and I've got work tomorrow." Shimbo said, gathering his things.

"Bye!" Hideki called.

"Bye!" Shimbo's voice rang out from the doorway, and with a slam of door Hideki knew Shimbo had laughed.

That left him alone with Chi.

Chi was looking extremely downcast, staring at her hands once more.

"Chi?" Hideki asked softly.

Chi looked up, startled. Her eyes were wide and sad.

"What's wrong?" Hideki asked.

"Chi, I can't remember anything. No matter how hard I try. And I know it makes you sad. I'm sorry." Chi mumbled.

Hideki sighed then smiled, "you can't help it if you can't remember. Don't worry, I'm not sad."

Then, as if on instinct, Hideki reached out and gently pulled Chi toward him, and wrapped his arms around her. Chi sat stunned for a minute, before reaching out and hugging Hideki as well.

She snuggled close to Hideki and whispered, "Hideki." But her eyes became sad for a moment as she whispered,

"Forget."

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

Hideki looked at the address on the piece of paper once more before knocking on the large wooden door. This house he was in front of was undoubtedly the biggest one he'd seen in his whole life.

"Hideki?" Chi asked hesitantly beside him.

"Yes?" Hideki answered.

"Will Minoru Kokubunji help me remember?" Chi asked. Hideki had told her all about Minoru the night before, and Chi had readily agreed to come along. This put Hideki into quite a situation, as he had no clothes for Chi to wear. So he gave her his smallest shirt (which reached the tops of her legs) shorts (which reached her mid shins) and shoes (which were extremely large). It would have to do for now.

"I think so." Hideki said, giving Chi a reassuring smile.

Chi peered up at Hideki for a minute before nodding and smiling brightly. It lit up her whole face.

"You may enter." A voice said from the communication box by the door.

Hideki hesitated, but pushed the door open. Inside was a grand room furnished with marble, including a grand staircase.

"Um. Hello?" Hideki asked.

Chi followed Hideki's example and called out hello herself.

The sound of footsteps on the stairs made Hideki look up.

Coming down the stairs was a boy of about twelve, with black hair and dark brown eyes. He had a calm expression on his face and he was wearing an expensive school uniform. He stopped and stood right in front of Hideki.

"Um. Can I see your father?" Hideki asked nervously. "Minoru Kokubunji? Are you his son? Or his little brother maybe?"

The stotic faced boy peered up at Hideki before saying, "I am Minoru Kokubunji."

Hideki face faulted on the spot.

"You? You?" Hideki stuttered.

"Does my age surprise you?" Minoru asked, with a ghost of a smile hovering on his mouth. "It does most. Shimbo already contacted me and told me why you were coming."

At this Minoru stepped around Hideki to get a good look at Chi, who was hiding behind Hideki. He stared at her for a long time.

"Hmm. Come this way please." Minoru said, motioning with his hand for Chi and Hideki to follow him. The group went down a long hall way on the left, until the reached what looked like a large library.

Minoru sat down at a large desk in a corner, while Chi and Hideki sat across from him.

Minoru pressed a button on his desk and said clearly, "Yuzuki. Please send up four of the maids, I need their help."

A soft voice replied, "yes."

Soon after four persocoms dressed in skimpy maid outfits came into the room.

Minoru worked quickly, connecting the persocoms wires to Chi. At last he said, "Give me a full scan."

All of the maids nodded simultaneously.

They went into a trance much like Plum, then, just as Plum did, the jerked then shorted out.

"Maybe I could help?" a soft voice from the doorway said.

Hideki looked up and saw a young woman about his age with deep blue eyes and dark blue wavy hair in two braids reaching to her waist.

Hideki was about to say something when he remembered something Shimbo had called to mention to him about Minoru, 'whatever you do, don't question him about Yuzuki. She died a long time ago, but he's constructed a persocom just like her. When he's ready, Minoru will tell you more about it.'

Hideki snapped out of his stupor when he heard Minoru say, "If you want Yuzuki."

Yuzuki sat down next to Chi and smiled warmly at her. She hooked her self up to Chi and went into a trance. Yuzuki's trance lasted a lot longer than the other's had. But soon, she jerked forward, but instead of shorting out, her wire disconnected quickly and Yuzuki sat breathing heavily, but she was still conscious.

"Yuzuki? Are you all right?" Minoru asked, sounding concerned.

"I am fine, but I have good news." Yuzuki turned to face Hideki, "Mr. Motosuwa, I've learned of your problem from Minoru and it turns out that you needn't worry at all."

"Huh?" Hideki asked.

"It turns out," Yuzuki continued a smile on her face, "that miss Chi does have data. It's just protected."

End of Chapter 3

Hmm. I might be making Chi a bit out of character, what with her being depressed and all. And I really will have more than this, since this chapter is a lot like the actually story. My own plot will soon develop. Thanks for reading! And review to! Please? Mandy-Chan