Episode 20: Ride On Shooting Star Part III
Naota: (stammering) Ta... Tasuke...
Kitsurubami: That's him...?!
Tasuke stands darkly, perched on top of the giant iron's handle. His cold, black eyes stare down at Naota, like dark pools of void. In each hand, he sports a Silvertone Paul Stanley Apocalypse Special, each one as black and cold as his empty eyes.
Naota: (thinking) Tasuke... My brother...
Tasuke: ...
Naota: I...
Tasuke: ...
Naota: You're... back...
Tasuke: ...
Naota: It's been...
Tasuke: ...
Naota: I...
Tasuke: ...
Naota: I'm sorry...
Tasuke: ...
Haruko: (distantly) So... It's come to this, huh...?
Kitsurubami: What do you mean?
Haruko: (looking over at her) Don't you get it...?
Kitsurubami: ? ? ?
Haruko: (looking back up at Naota) ...
For a long time, they all just stand there, completely silent. The crowd looks on as Naota stands before his brother. Their placement resembles that of a judge looming above the convicted criminal, ready to give the sentence.
Kitsurubami: (thinking) Why isn't he fighting...?
Ninamori: (softly) What is he doing...?
Haruko takes a step forward, her eyes never leaving Naota's back.
Haruko: (cheering) You can do it, Takkun!
Kitsurubami: What are you waiting for? Hit 'em!
Naota's flinches, visibly. His fingers loosen around the neck of his guitar and slowly, the red aura around him dissipates. He lowers his head, as if in defeat.
Naota: (quietly) I... can't...
Everyone but Haruko and Ninamori seem taken aback by Naota's statement.
Kitsurubami: What do you mean, "you can't?!"
Naota: (again) I... can't... (slumping further) I can't do it... (looking up at Tasuke) Tasuke... I...
Before he has a chance to answer, Tasuke swoops down from his perch like a hawk. The guitar in his left and swings around and caught Naota fully in the face. The blow topples the boy, who rolls limply across the iron's body.
Kitsurubami: Naota!
Ninamori: (gasping) No!
Haruko: ...
Slowly, Naota lifts his head, to see his brother stand over him. His empty eyes burn deeply into Naota. Silently, Tasuke kicks Naota in the ribs, then steps on his shoulder. Naota grunts in pain, but doesn't resist.
Kitsurubami: WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! GET UP AND FIGHT!
Naota: (quietly) What would be the point... I can't win...
Kitsurubami: WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!
Haruko: (calmly) It's simple, really... Think about it... All his life, the only person Naota ever considered himself to be inferior to, the only person he ever felt lower than, is his brother. Tasuke.
Kitsurubami: (exasperated) WHA...!
Haruko: He's always seen his brother as being better at everything... It's... it's all he's known, I guess. To him, Tasuke is ... almost godlike...
Another grunt of pain cuts through the air, as Tasuke jabs Naota in the ribs again and again with the body of his left guitar.
Kitsurubami: NAOTA, GET UP!
Again, Naota is kicked.
Kitsurubami: (desperately) NAOTA!
Naota: (softly) Sorry...
???: Takkun...
Naota: Wha...?
Naota looked up and finds himself surrounded by white void. He attempts to sit up, but the pain in his sides won't allow him to. Cautiously, he turns his head to the other side, and there stooped at his side is Mamimi.
It was amazing. She looked exactly the same as when she left. Nothing about her appearance had changed. The same dark red hair. The same dull uniform. The same full lips. The same glazed brown eyes.
Her face was calm and serene, though tinged with a bit of concern.
Mamimi: Takkun...
Naota: Mamimi... I thought that you...
Mamimi: Why are you doing this...?
The urgency in Naota's eyes flickered out and he relaxed. His mouth dropped into a straight line.
Naota: I... I can't do it...
Mamimi: Takkun, you can...
Naota: He's better than me...
Mamimi: Why do you think that...?
Naota: ...
Mamimi: You never even gave yourself a chance...
Naota: (bitterly) What's the point? I can't compare...
Mamimi: You know, Takkun... Before I left... The reason why I always wanted you close by ... was because... Well... You were ... safe...
Naota: (curious) Safe...?
Mamimi: I felt comfortable around you... You never swung the bat... So I knew that you'd never leave me... You'd never grow up... You'd always be Takkun...
Naota: Mamimi...
Mamimi: But,, I was wrong... It's time for you finally grow up...
Naota: ...
Mamimi: And when it's all done, we'll see each other again...
A gentle smile passed over her face. She ran her fingers through his short brown hair, her eyes never moving.
Mamimi: Later, Takkun...
Naota slowly closed his eyes and sighed. When he opened them, he was back on the iron. Still lying under Tasuke's sneaker. His vision was blurry and his hearing was stifled. As his eyes focused, every detail of the evening sky was visible. all of the shades of yellow and orange and red and violet... It was almost unreal. And as he gazed up, the faint noise beneath him slowly cleared into voices. Then it hit him...
Naota: (thinking) I... I can't just sit back... They're counting on me... If I can't do this for myself, I have to at least defend them... I can't lose... I have to face this...!
Tasuke barred down on him, crushing his body under the force of his foot. Naota's pulse began to race. His body temperature rose, steadily. He couldn't just lose like this. He had to at least try.
The symbol of Atomsk flashed on his forehead, and suddenly, he felt all of his power surging through him. With a great rush of strength, Naota shot upward. The sudden movement pushes Tasuke back. Naota scrambled to his feet and snatched up his guitar.
Ninamori: He's up...!
Kitsurubami: He can do it!
Naota's ragged posture slowly changed. He stood straight and tall though his shirt was torn and smudged with dirt. His blue eyes gleamed on his bruised face. He spit to his right and raised his guitar.
Naota: I'm ready...
Tasuke: ...
Haruko: Well, here it is ... the final battle... Good luck Takkun...
Naota rushed at Tasuke, but he threw up his guitar to defend with time to spare. They clashed again and again, the earth beneath them jumping under their force. Each blow shook the ground. The shockwaves swept over the street, blowing up dust and pebbles. Tasuke was obviously the superior fighter, but Naota continued to strike out at him, again and again. Tasuke dodged and blocked with little to no effort.
Out of breath, Naota paused and looked up through squinting eyes. Sweat poured down his face, blurring his already blurring vision. He was slowly being drained of his power. No matter how much effort he put behind his sings, he couldn't connect. Tasuke was on a completely different level. He was out muscled, out maneuvered, outclassed and outsmarted. He had nothing that could stand up to his brother, but he knew he had to try.
Ninamori: Naota...!
Haruko: He's losing power... At this rate, his body won't hold out...
Kitsurubami: You mean...?
Haruko: (finishing for her) ... If he doesn't do something, he's going die...
Ninamori: But, what can he do...?!
Haruko: Well...
Naota forced himself to stand straight, despite his fatigue. He couldn't lose like this. Not with so much on the line. Tasuke stood relaxed, yet somewhat threatening. Naota shuttered. His brother was as skilled as he'd always been. He thought back to the days he'd watched him at the old batting cages. Nothing, no force on earth could compare to the power of his swing. It was the perfect display of strength and grace. And now, here, he found himself facing off against the same boy he'd grown up idolizing. His childhood hero.
The boy shook the thought from his head. No. This was an enemy, even if it was his brother. He had to beat him. Losing wasn't an option anymore. He had responsibilities. And with the power of the Pirate King, how could he lose?
Naota: Tasuke...
Tasuke: ...
Naota released a rush of air and flew back at Tasuke. Tasuke leaned back and bolted backwards, retaining a constant distance from Naota as the little boy swung wildly. Tasuke ducked under and rebounded from the ground, taking to the air. Naota followed suit, only a few steps behind.
Kitsurubami: (thinking) No... He's not even attacking him and Naota can't even lay a hand on him... This is bad... Come on, Naota... I know you can do this...! I know you can!
Suddenly, Naota's body exploded in a flash of red. Every inch of him glowed crimson, as if he was on fire. He looked like a fire poker. His white, circular eyes were wide, resembling car headlights. An aura of light flickered around him as he picked up speed, heading right at Tasuke. Naota brought his arm around and struck hard, locking his guitar with Tasuke's left. Before he could react, Tasuke thirsted his right guitar into Naota's stomach.
The boy stopped dead, immediately broken. With a flick of his wrist, Tasuke popped the Rickenbacker from the boy's hand and flung it high into the air. Still holding Naota by his stomach with his primary arm, Tasuke fired his second guitar. The black orb expelled from the end shot through the air like a missile. As it flew, it slowly changed its course, seeking out the free falling guitar. They met with terrible force. Upon impact, they cracked and sizzled with an impending explosion. Then it was all over. Everyone watched in shock as Haruko's prized Rickenbacker, the one she'd left to Naota, was shattering into pieces. A blast of flame and smoke followed.
Ninamori: NO!
Kitsurubami: (shocked) HOW COULD HE...?!
Naota, who until now had been resting on the sharp points of Tasuke's guitar, attempted to move. He was penalized with two shots to the face and a kick in the ribs. The red glow immediately died out, leaving a very plain looking Naota floating backwards in midair.
Naota's eyes were wide with shock. His lips trembled as he was unable to utter a cry to express his pain. He fell back in the air, silent and helpless.
Tasuke swept over him and grabbed him roughly by the hair. Naota hung defenselessly like a stuffed animal in the hands of a child. There was nothing he could do but endure it. Tasuke struck Naota across the face with his left guitar. His other guitar was now neatly strapped to his back, though Naota didn't realize or care. The blow shook Naota's body and the air around him, but that was only the beginning. A similar hit followed. Then another. And another. Again and again his face met with his brother's guitar.
Kitsurubami: NO! (looking at Haruko) WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! GET UP THERE AND HELP HIM!
Haruko: ...
Kitsurubami: HEY! DIDN'T YOU HEAR ME?! HELP HIM!
Haruko: (quietly) I can't...
Kitsurubami: WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T!
Haruko: This is Takkun's battle... There's nothing I can do. Even if I could save him, it wouldn't make any difference...
Kitsurubami: WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!
Ninamori: I don't get it...
Haruko: If I jump in there and save Takkun, this fight would be meaningless... This is a fight between them... I can't settle the score for him...
Ninamori: ...
Haruko: Up until now, Takkun's always been grounded by his brother... But now, for once, he's standing up to him... This isn't a fight between us and MM... This fight started 13 years ago...
Kitsurubami: (quietly) Oh...
Haruko: If Takkun doesn't win, he'll never get out from under his brother's shadow... So you see, he HAS to win ON HIS OWN...
Meanwhile, Tasuke forced Naota to lean forward and began bashing in his stomach with his knee. Naota winced in wide-eyed pain. If it wasn't for his endurance, he'd have passed out a long time ago. A harsh jarring kick forced him to cough up a splash of blood.
Ninamori: He's KILLING him...!
Kitsurubami: (thinking) This is awful.. I can barely watch... But, I have to... I HAVE TO.
Tasuke held Naota out over the edge of the iron by his short brown hair. He was barely alive. Bruises and scratched covered every inch of his body. His clothes were tattered and torn, his shirt no more than a rag clinging to his torso. Blood trailed down the corners of his mouth, an above it, his broken nose. His once bright blues eyes were gray and half closed. It wasn't hard to see that he was hanging by a thread.
He dangled out over the city below, as if some sort of example. Like a prelude of what was to come. Tasuke was as cold as ever, his eyes empty and unchanged. Then, silently, he released Naota's scalp.
The group could only stand and watch in horror as the boy plummeted down to the cement below. He looked like a discarded rag doll. He fell freely, clothes flapping against his in the wind. And then he hit.
The force of his body's impact shattered the street below. Thick chunks of concrete and asphalt went up into the air, followed by a mushroom cloud of dust. Debris was everywhere. Anyone who hadn't seen it happen wouldn't believe that a human body was responsible for the damage. All went silent.
Haruko: ...!
Kitsurubami: ...!
Ninamori: (quietly) Naota...
A moment passed and there was still no sign of Naota. Somewhere, under all that rubble, he was buried, probably dead.
Haruko: (lowering her head) Takkun...
Ninamori: Is he...?
Kitsurubami: ...No... (turning to Ninamori) Don't say it...! He's not dead...
Haruko: Give it up... There's no point denying the truth...
Kitsurubami: (tears welling up) YOU SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP! IF IT WASN'T FOR YOU THIS WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED! MAYBE YOU DON'T HAVE ANY FAITH IN NAOTA, BUT I DO! I BELIEVE IN HIM AND I KNOW HE'LL PULL THROUGH! HE ALWAYS DOES!
Haruko: ...
Kitsurubami pushed past Haruko and rushed over to where she'd seen the boy land. Dropping down to her knees, she desperately began to dig her way to him, throwing rocks and dirt to the side. But, being a normal human, there was little she could do. Her morale slowly depleted until she finally gave up. Sensing the inevitable, she buried her face in her hands and began to cry, openly.
Kitsurubami: (hysterically) NO...! NO...! ITS NOT FAIR! NAOTA!
Haruko: (angrily) Tasuke...
She glared up at the phantom boy staring back down at her. Nothing mattered anymore. Not Medical Mechanica. Not Atomsk. The only thing she cared about was avenging Naota. She couldn't think of anything else. Without warning she drew her guitar and rushed at Tasuke.
He sidestepped and countered her attack with a shot to the ribs. Under normal circumstances, Haruko would have gone down and stayed down, but this was by no stretch of the imagination, the normal Haruko. Before she hit the ground, she threw out a hand and rebounded with a flip. With all of her leg strength, she pushed off and flew back at Tasuke. All traces of the carefree, fun-loving alien were incinerated in her scorching rage. her gold eyes burned hot in her ire.
Haruko: I'LL KILL YOU!
Tasuke: ...
Haruko swung again ... and again ... and again... No matter how quickly she swung or how angry she got, she couldn't even come close to hitting the boy. And she knew this. She knew that she stood no chance against him. But her anger and pain blundered her. She didn't care if she died, anymore. What did she have to live for?
Tasuke, seemingly bored with the fight, finally struck back. His fist shot out and sunk into Haruko's stomach. She gagged and paused. Her guitar fell from her hand and rolled clattered away. Before she could recover, he followed up with and elbow between her shoulder blades. That was it for her. With a grunt, she fell to the ground and the lie there, unable to move.
Haruko looked up out of the corner of her eye to see Tasuke slowly approaching. He was going to kill her. Now that she was immobilized, it'd be a definite hit. She was completely defenseless, now.
Ninamori: HARUKO...!
Haruko: (to herself) Well, this is it...
Tasuke raised his guitar over his head for the final blow. Haruko closed her eyes and waited for the final blow. Suddenly, from below, the ground erupted in a column of blue light and debris. The explosion rocked the iron from side to side. All eyes turned to the light.
Ninamori: Its...!
Kitsurubami: NAOTA!
As the dust died down, Naota came into view.
Ninamori: ...!
Kitsurubami: What...?
Haruko: Whoa...
Standing atop a pile of rubble was the very incarnate of power. Naota's body burned hot white with a tint of blue. His eyes were barely visible against the brilliance of his skin, just above them, on his forehead burned the kanji "honto" (truth). A great blue aura swirled around him like smoke from a fire. It billowed up and slowly circled him. It looked as though he was a being of light ... pure and divine.
Naota, standing solemnly, slowly raised his head and looked up at Tasuke and Haruko. Tasuke didn't move. If his face could show emotion, it would probably be somewhere between terror and shock. The heat of Naota's seemingly endless aura warmed the air around them.
In the blink of an eye, Naota vanished into thin air. A split later, an earthshaking shockwave radiated from Tasuke, who snapped forward. His ebony eyes went wide with shock. Naota appeared in front of him, his knee wedged deeply in Tasuke's chest. His body hovered in place, due to the sudden change in speed. His eyes flamed brightly, yet remained eerie and emotionless.
Ninamori: NO WAY!
Haruko: I DON'T BELIEVE IT...!
Kitsurubami: Naota...
Naota shifted in midair, whipped around in a full spin and crashed his elbow into Tasuke's face. A violent shockwave blasted the entire area, blowing Tasuke away in the aftereffect. Naota gracefully reversed his movements and landed softly on the body of the iron.
Ninamori: (thinking) He's so fast... So graceful... He's like a god...!
Tasuke met with the ground with brutal force. His body's momentum blasted a creator in the city street. Weakly, he forced himself to his feet. Naota reappeared under him, his right leg extended upward, parallel to Tasuke's chest. His foot was rammed harshly into Tasuke's neck. Another shockwave shook the city and Tasuke went back down.
Canti, taking full advantage of this distraction, flew up to the iron and retrieved the injured Haruko. Gently, he laid her down beside Kitsurubami and Ninamori. She winced in pain with every attempted movement, but forced a feeble grin when she saw the look of concern on their faces.
Haruko: (smiling) Just a scratch...
They looked back over at Naota, who was now standing over an apparently unconscious Tasuke. The older boy lay sprawled out on his back. Naota began to close the few feet between them, walking at a slow, solemn pace.
Without warning, Tasuke shoot up and jabbed with his second guitar (the one that had been strapped to his back). In one swift movement, he'd drawn if from its resting place on his shoulder and made a solid swing, but it wasn't nearly quick enough.
Naota blocked the guitar with two fingers, folding it firmly in place. Then, with no effort at all, he gentle moved it to the side. Tasuke fought his brother's strength with all of his own, but it was like a child fighting a gorilla. With the guitar held to the side, Naota simply looked down at his brother in silence.
Ninamori: (thinking) With one finger! (aloud) He stopped that hit with ONE FINGER! IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?! HOW CAN ANYONE BE THAT STRONG?! (to Haruko) Is this the power of Atomsk...?!
Haruko: (grinning) No... Atomsk is strong, but not this strong... Takkun is on a completely different level of power... And now that they've fused, completely... (struggling to her feet) No, this is all Takkun...!
Kitsurubami: (thinking) She's right... It is Naota... I can feel it... So warm...
Tasuke, reversed and jolted backwards. He slide backwards and skidded to a stop. The two brothers eyed each other, coldly. Tasuke brought out his second guitar and crossed the in an "X" in front of him. This would be his final strike.
Naota coolly brought his right hand and to his forehead and slipped it in. His arm moved from side to side as his hand wandered inside his head. Finally, he fouled what he was looking for and pulled his hand back. In his fist he held a new guitar. Its surface glowed with the same brilliance as its owner.
Haruko: (in awe) ITS THE FENDER STRATOCASTER; THE KING OF ALL GUITARS!!!
With a wave of his arm, he pulled it out in front of him in preparation for the next attack. Then, as if a gun had gone off, both brother dashed forward and promptly disappeared.
Ninamori: Whoa! I can't even see their movements...!
Haruko: Its pretty exciting, isn't it...? (thinking) Its all resting on you, Takkun.
Naota and Tasuke ran at each other with grueling speed. Their feet charred and crushed the pavement beneath them. Simultaneously, they leapt into the air, guitars poised for the hit. A blinding flash of light erupted into the air, disrupting all vision. The gleam of shiny metal parts the light several times. When everything became clear, both fighters were standing a few meters apart with their backs to one another. Neither moved or spoke.
Ninamori: What happened?
Haruko: (smugly) We won, that's what...!
Tasuke gradually slumped over, then collapsed to the ground. Naota turned and looked down at him.
Amarao: (from a distance) So... You did it...
All: (turning to face him) ...?
Amarao sat astride his moped, watching them quietly. Haruko wondered just how long he'd been there.
Haruko: What are YOU doing here...?
Amarao: They're coming...
Haruko: What?
Amarao: A whole fleet of them... MM shuttles orbiting Earth...
Haruko: So, they're going to his us with everything all at once, huh...? I guess Takkun's brother was their last game card so they have to skip to trumps...
Amarao: Something like that... (to Naota) So... You finally fused, huh... Pretty amazing...
Haruko: How long until the attack...?
Amarao: About ten minutes...
Haruko: (sneering) Funny... Shouldn't you be pissing your pants right about now...?
Ninamori: What are you guys talking about? What "ships?"
Haruko: Medical Mechanica is out of legal moves, so their planning to "clear the board..." They know they don't have anything else that can stand up to us, so their going to take out the entire planet...
Amarao: You could have left by now, if you wanted to... Why didn't you...?
Haruko: (grinning smugly) You wouldn't get it if I spelled it out for you...
Amarao: Yeah... Anyway... (to Naota) So... What are you going to do...?
Naota: ...
Haruko: How about it, Takkun...? Think you can hit a homerun, this time...?
If Naota's mouth had been visible, he'd have been grinning. Haruko grinned back. As they stared at each other, the ground began to quake beneath them. Everyone paused to glance around. Their confusion gradually grew as the tremors increased in power.
Amarao: Huh...? WHAT IS THAT?!
Haruko: (to herself) Uh oh...
The beam, that until now, had remained dormant, suddenly began to pulse with new vigor. With each passing second, the intensity of the energy grew, tensing in preparation. Then, with a loud crash, dozens of robots fell from the sky. The sky rained metal men. Their weight crushed in the ground as they landed. Every arrival was like a small explosion. Again and again they fell. There was o end to them.
Haruko: They just don't give up, do they...?
Kitsurubami: (screaming) What do we do now?!
Canti: !!!
The metal titans continued to fall, slowly forcing the team into a huddle. The army encircled them, completely. There was no place to run. No place to hide.
Amarao: (sweating) This is bad... This is really bad...!
Naota, who had turned to look at the robots, calming glanced back at Haruko. After a moment, she nodded in compliance.
Haruko: Canti! Get the girl!
Canti dashed to Kitsurubami, snatched her up and flung her over his shoulder. Using his free hand, he grabbed Amarao by the collar of his shirt and hoisted him up onto the other shoulder. With no further warning, he sprung into the air and rocketed away.
Meanwhile, Haruko grabbed Ninamori around the waist and headed to her Vespa. An ape-looking robot skid out in front of her, stopping Haruko dead in her tracks. This was a bad fix. Without her guitar, there wasn't much she could do.
Ninamori: (handing Haruko her purple guitar) HERE!
Haruko grinned and took it. The robot struck, but Haruko jumped to the left and hit it from the side. The body of the guitar dented its armor and sent it toppling forward. It was far from beaten, but it was enough for Haruko. She had just enough time start up her bike and fly away.
The two looked back as the giant robots slowly began to move in on Naota. He looked so tiny in surrounded by the metal titans. Haruko felt bad leaving him like that, but she assured herself he knew what he was doing.
That assurance was immediately dashed as watched the entire crowd rush at him. They hit like a wave, rolling over each other under their own power. The impact sent a few into the air. They crawled over themselves with Naota buried somewhere underneath.
Ninamori: Naota!
Haruko: Shit!
Everyone turned to watch as the dog-pile grew. The sound of metal bodies colliding could be heard form miles. Even the sky seemed to darken with impending doom. Amarao tightened his hand into a white-knuckled fist.
Amarao: So close!
Kitsurubami: (weakly) No... Naota...
A blanket of silence fell over Mabase. The dark clouds hanging over the city suddenly pulled away. The heavy shadows slinked back, replaced with blue-white rays of light. The pile of robots suddenly began to glow. The metal monsters remain oblivious, climbing over each other like maggots. The ground beneath them light up and began to part. The concrete split down the middle. It sounded like paper being ripped. The light continued to grow, radiating everywhere.
Haruko: Takkun...?!
Ninamori: Naota! He's... Alive!
A loud clap of thunder shattered the mass of robots, blowing them all back and upward. A bright white aura stood around Naota's lone body. One by one, the robots landed, hitting his aura like dragonflies on a windshield. Hit and stick. Hit and stick. It was a solid barrier, Haruko realized. She'd seen them used for warships and the like, but never like this.
Haruko: (speeding up) Go Takkun!
Naota remain completely silent, guitar held calmly at his side. Blue electricity jumped from him to the barrier as robots began to collect around him. Above him, his friends watched at a growing distance. Waiting to see what he would do next.
His mind was so clear, it was as if it was blank. Nothing else around him existed. It was just him and all him. The spotlight settled on his form, surrounded by darkness. It was all up to him.
He raised his arms out at his sides, fingers spread away. His short hair fluttered with the breeze created by his own energy. The kanji on his head pulsed with light and warmth. Slowly, very slowly, Naota drew it all back in. Simultaneously, his arms and legs folded up, fingers curling in to form tight fists. The bolts of energy hopping from his body abated. His torso vacuumed inside the barrier, though it remained intact.
Haruko: What...?
The boy curled tighter and tighter. His form resembled a fetus regressing with every second. He was almost there. Just a few more moments and... A blinding flash engulfed the city and sky. Everyone turned or covered their eyes. The air around them went suddenly still. Time and space itself had slowed form a split second. The light dissipated just in time for them to catch a glimpse of Naota before it was over.
In the center of the barrier, Naota began to uncurl. From his back, two long protrusions crept out, one on each shoulder blade. They unfolded with his limbs, slowly spreading. Wings. They were wings, long and majestic. They spanned more than four meters from either side. Naota stretched his limbs skyward. He'd awakened.
Amarao: NO WAY!
The barrier around him began to cracked and hiss. With a buzz, the robots vanished, vaporized in the unbearable heat. Particles danced and glowed around the godlike child who levitated calmly in the center. He raised his guitar above his head in triumph. In the sky above, his friends stared in silent reverence.
Kitsurubami: (marveling) It's beautiful... (thinking) He looks like... an angel...
The barrier roared and quickly grew, spreading further out. With every metal body it contacted, another enemy was sent shattering into nothing. A final blast of light erupted beneath Naota as he barreled into the air. This wings flapped graceful at his sides as he soared upward. He was completely silent as he passed Haruko and Canti. His brilliance danced in the air, even after he ascended above him.
Haruko: He's going for the fleet!
Ninamori: You can do it, Naota!
They all watch as Naota flies higher and higher. He eventually becomes a tiny speck in the sky before disappearing, altogether.
Kitsurubami: (thinking) Come back, alive, Naota...
Naota ripped through the Earth's atmosphere with ease. Normally, a human would burn to ashes under the intense heat, but not him. He stopped just outside of the blue planet's gravity and looked around him.
Naota: (thinking) There...
His eyes rested on an army of ships, an endless armada. The center ship was five times the size of the others that surrounded it. From the bottom of its hull, Naota spotted the beam that connected it to Earth. That must be how they transported all of the robots without an N. O. gate. The formation resembled an atom, the main ship being the central nucleus surrounded by electrons.
Naota took off toward the ships. He held his guitar like a baseball bat, arms squared to the side. The fire in his eyes burned brighter than ever before as he shot forward. His aura left a long white trail in the blackness of space.
Immediately, the smaller ships to evasive action, veering off to the side and firing off their laser cannons. Naota wove in and out of their gunfire, but never slowed. One of the ships pulled out in front of him, trying to cut him off from the core vessel. Naota bolted to the side and shoved his guitar deep into the hull. His weapon sliced down the hull as he flew alongside the ship. As he passed, the ship erupted in a ball of flames.
Down on Earth, Ninamori, Canti, Kitsurubami and the others waited anxiously. Haruko remained cool, as always. She sat reclined against a toppled wall, hands clasped behind her head.
Ninamori: How can you be so calm at a time like this?! Naota's up there risking his life and you're here, relaxing!
Haruko: What's the point in panicking? S'not like there's anything I can do...
Kitsurubami: Haruko's right... We just have to wait it out... Naota'll be fine... I have faith in him...
Haruko: (sneering) Never thought of you as being the mushy type, Soldier Girl...
Kitsurubami: (frowning as she blushes) I don't know what you're talking about...!
Haruko: Don't feel bad... It happens to the best of us... (thoughtfully) Takkun has that affect on people... You can't help but fall in love with him...
Haruko looks at Kitsurubami, who blushes again. Her eyes fall to the ground, avoiding Haruko's gaze. She wasn't really IN LOVE with him, was she? No... Caring about someone and being in love with them are two different things. She cared about him, and maybe even loved him... But to be IN LOVE with him... No. Not possible. Slowly, he eyes rose to the reddening sky above them.
Kitsurubami: (thinking) He'll be back... I know he will...
Chaos dominated the lead MM ship. People were running back and forth over the bridges. Orders were being shoulder over the dull roar of side conversations.
Intercom: Ships 15 through 24 have been destroyed.
Outside, Naota downed another ship in his steady approach. Every ship that came into contact with the boy was quickly reduced to scraps of floating metal. The main ship was close, now. Many of the small ships had turned tail. They knew they didn't stand a chance against him. A winged phantom of light ... almost like the devil himself. They weren't about to die like this.
Suddenly, the large ship started up, turning on its barrier as it moved in the opposite direction. It started out slow and lethargic, but with every passing second, it picked up speed. Little by little it moved over space. Naota vanished from the ship's rearview. Before they could get a lock on his new location, the censors on the ship indicated severe damage to the second and third bridge.
The ship turned downward and began firing back up at the attacker. Naota hung in space for a moment, then vanished again. The beams intended form him flew past the spot where he had been and disappeared into the distance.
Intercom: Target lost.
Another flash of red on the main screen showed that the seventh deck had been completely destroyed, carved out of the side of the ship by Naota's guitar. It didn't make any sense. How could a kid, a human boy, cause this much trouble for the most dominant organization in the galaxy? They were at full military power and he was picking them apart like soggy bread.
The ship balked and turned around. Naota floated a distance away, seemingly relaxed and calm. This was it. All of the cards were on the table.
The MM vessel roared as it drove toward Naota. In return, he readied his guitar and charged. All at once, every weapon on the battleship fired at the boy. Streams of blue, red and yellow trailed toward him. His slender body dodged from side to side. The silence of space was shattered by the gunfire that rang out from above Earth.
Naota flapped his great wings, slowing gaining speed. Then, in a bust of light, Naota warped away. In the darkness of hyperspace, Naota had hit ether drive. His entire form glowed like a star as he drove toward the war-vessel. His guitar rose once more.
Naota: (thinking) This is it...
Announcer: (in Naota's head) Nandaba steps up to the plate...
The space around Naota becomes a blur of light.
Announcer: The bottom of the ninth...
Naota's hair flaps around on his head with the shockwaves forming around him.
Announcer: The bases are loaded...
The ship roars and begins to move, again. Naota narrows his eyes.
Announcer: Here comes the pitch...
Naota pauses and swings his guitar just before the ship hits him head-on. His entire body rumbles with the steady vibrations coming from the guitar's impact.
Announcer: He swings...!
The power of the hit wrinkles the black, starry background behind him. Transparent rings radiate from the point of the hull Naota hit. Everything slows down for a split second. Naota's eyes widen in anticipation.
Announcer: Its up... Up... And out of the park! HOMERUN!
Naota: (thinking) I did it...
No sooner had he said that, Naota is engulfed in a bath of white light and flames. The exploding ship bursts into a great yellow cloud. A wave of hit pulses through cold space, followed by a ring of aftershock.
On Earth, the uneasy silence of anxiety is blown away by the sudden darkening of the sky. Before anyone can protest, the blackness is cut in two and forced away by an expanding wall of illumination. A sound resembling a distantly fired gun rings out.
Haruko: (sitting up) Wha...?
Kitsurubami: Huh...?
Amarao: (looking up) What was...?
Haruko: (grinning contentedly) Well... He did it...
Ninamori: You mean... (growing excited) We won...?!
Canti: (jumping for joy) !!!
Amarao: (cooly) Well, kid... That was an impressive swing if I do say so, myself...
Kitsurubami: (caught between excitement and worry) ...
Out in space, the fireworks lasted only a few minutes. Then the area cleared, there was nothing left. Space dust was the only remnant of the armada. The explosion of the first ship had a chain reaction effect on the rest of the fleet. They were all gone.
Ninamori: Do you think Naota's all right...?
Amarao: Its hard to say...
Kitsurubami: Naota...
Haruko: (chuckling) Heh... Guess you guys really DON'T known Takkun that well...
Ninamori: What do you mean...?
Haruko: That kid's indestructible. As a matter of fact ... He should be "landing" right ... About...
From above, a piercing whistle shot through the air. All eyes immediately turned to the sky.
Kitsurubami: What is that...?
Amarao: Looks like... a comet...?
Haruko: Heh...!
As they watched, the falling object's course slowly adjusted. It took a moment for the group to realize the fact that if they didn't get out of the way...
Amarao: Whoa! Its coming right at us!
Haruko: (excitedly) INCOMING!
Everyone went into a mad scramble, nearly trampling each other in a desperate attempt to get away. Ninamori, being the smallest and most oblivious of them was unfortunate enough to trip and fall before she managed to hide. By the time she climbed to her feet, it was already too late. The blowing mass of heat slammed into the ground, sending up a wave of earth.
Dirt and rocks went everywhere. The shockwave shook the few structures that had survived the area battle damage. As the clouds of dust faded, Haruko, Canti, Haruko and Kitsurubami slowly came out of hiding.
Canti immediately rushed over to where Ninamori had been standing a started digging. He shoved the dirt away with his fat, metal hands, his screen blinking in panic.
Canti: !!!
Amarao: (looking around) And here I thought it couldn't get any worse...
Haruko: Oh, quit whining... S'not that bad... Nothing a little spit-shine won't fix...!
Amarao: This is even worse than the first time! It'll cost at least five times as much as the old repairs...!
Haruko: (teasingly) Guess that means you can discount those government paychecks for a couple of months...
Amarao: Funny, Raharu... No one ever accused you of being a rational person...
Haruko: And no one ever accused you of being any fun...!
Amarao: (sarcastically) Oh, that hurt...
Haruko: You'll get over it... Right, Kitsu...? (looking around for her) Soldier Girl...?
About fifty yards away, Haruko spots Kitsurubami scrambling over piles of dirt, tripping every few steps. Her uniform is covered in dirt stains and riddled with jagged holes.
Kitsurubami: (calling out) NAOTA!
Haruko: Here it comes...
Kitsurubami: NAOTA, SAY SOMETHING!
Haruko shook her head as she watched the lieutenant tumbled over her own two phone as she searched the dirt piles one by one. Suddenly, a choked response made her look up.
Kitsurubami: NAOTA?!
Quickly, she rushed toward the sound and stopped just short of a rather large creator planted in the center of the dirt piles. Her eyes fell to the bottom where a small body lay, bruised and filthy. His body had returned to normal now, making him look much smaller than he'd appeared before.
Kitsurubami: HOLD ON! I'M ON MY WAY!
In her excitement, Kitsurubami didn't bother to catch her balance and went sliding down the creator's slope. She skid on her butt as she hit the bottom and stopped.
Kitsurubami: (closing the distance between them) Naota! Oh my god! Are you okay?! Are you hurt?!
Naota: (coughing) Huh...?
He weakly opened his eyes to see her staring down at him. She had him cradled in her arms with his head resting on her chest. He adjusted himself to get a better look at her face. Were those tears in her eyes? She was crying ... for him...?
Kitsurubami: (reassuringly) Its going to be okay, Naota.
Naota: Yeah... I know...
Kitsurubami: (frowning) You jerk...!
Naota: (confused) Huh...?!
Kitsurubami: Running off like that without even saying anything! You had me worried, Naota!
Naota: (stuttering) I... I... Uh... I...
Kitsurubami: (sniffling) Its not fair, leaving me hanging like that...!
Naota: (looking off to the side) I'm sorry...
Kitsurubami: (softening) The next time you decide to go off and save the world... Do you think you could do it a little closer to Earth...?
Naota: (smiling) ...Okay...
Kitsurubami slowly leans over and plants a soft kiss on Naota's lips. At first contact, Naota's eyes go wide and his entire body stiffens. She leans in a bit further, lifting Naota closer to her with her supporting arm. Finally, letting of his anxiety, Naota closes his eyes and accepts. In the background, Haruko hoots and cheers, rudely. After a minute, Kitsurubami eases back and smiles down at him.
Naota: (dumbly) Wow... That was... ... ...
Kitsurubami: (brushing a strand from his face) That was a "grown-up" kiss... (leaning down to whisper) We can do more later...
Naota: (blushing) Uh...
Ninamori: (sneering; covered from head to toe in dirt stains) Why don't you two get a room...?
Naota: Why don't you shut up, you brat!
Ninamori: You know, just because you got a kiss doesn't change the fact that you're still a juvenile delinquent...!
Naota: What are you talking about?! I save the world! Weren't you even watching?!
Ninamori: That doesn't mean anything if you totaled the city in the process!
Naota: BRAT!
Ninamori: You know I'm right! That's why you can't come up with a halfway decent comeback!
Naota: That's it! Canti! (pointing to Eri) Sic-em!
Ninamori: You can't sic you're robot on me!
Naota: Oh yeah?! Watch me!
Canti: ...
Amarao walks over to a half-buried truck that Haruko is sitting on. At first. he says nothing, but eventually gathers up enough nerve to speak.
Amarao: So... Its really over, huh...?
Haruko: Looks that way, doesn't it...?
Amarao: (seemingly disappointed) Hmm...
Haruko: (suddenly) But, hey...! You never know, right...?
Amarao: (grinning contentedly) Well then... (offering a handshake) Until next time...
Haruko: (smiling) ...
(in the background)
Ninamori: And let's not forget those purple boxers you like to wear so much...!
Naota: SHUT UP, YOU LIAR!
---------------------
RIDE ON SHOOTING STAR
ORANGE no SLIDE utsusu sora
SPONGE no PRIDE burasakete
SPIDER
kike totta sono yokan wa
kakusanakuta tte ii n da
iro no tsuita yume mitai na
Ride on Shooting Star
kokoro no koe de sandanjû no yô ni
utai tsutzuketa
GRUNGE no HAMSTER otona bite
REVENGE no LOBSTER hiki tsurete
SNIPER
fuchi totta sono sekai ni
nani ga mieru tte iu n da
nerau mae ni sawaritai na
Ride on Shooting Star
kimi o sagashite kindanshôjô ch
uso o tsuita
Ride on Shooting Star
kokoro no koe de sandanjû no yô ni
utai tsutzuketa
---------------------
Haruko: Talk about going out with a bang! Stay tuned for the conclusion of Fooly Cooly: Second Season!
Naota: (stammering) Ta... Tasuke...
Kitsurubami: That's him...?!
Tasuke stands darkly, perched on top of the giant iron's handle. His cold, black eyes stare down at Naota, like dark pools of void. In each hand, he sports a Silvertone Paul Stanley Apocalypse Special, each one as black and cold as his empty eyes.
Naota: (thinking) Tasuke... My brother...
Tasuke: ...
Naota: I...
Tasuke: ...
Naota: You're... back...
Tasuke: ...
Naota: It's been...
Tasuke: ...
Naota: I...
Tasuke: ...
Naota: I'm sorry...
Tasuke: ...
Haruko: (distantly) So... It's come to this, huh...?
Kitsurubami: What do you mean?
Haruko: (looking over at her) Don't you get it...?
Kitsurubami: ? ? ?
Haruko: (looking back up at Naota) ...
For a long time, they all just stand there, completely silent. The crowd looks on as Naota stands before his brother. Their placement resembles that of a judge looming above the convicted criminal, ready to give the sentence.
Kitsurubami: (thinking) Why isn't he fighting...?
Ninamori: (softly) What is he doing...?
Haruko takes a step forward, her eyes never leaving Naota's back.
Haruko: (cheering) You can do it, Takkun!
Kitsurubami: What are you waiting for? Hit 'em!
Naota's flinches, visibly. His fingers loosen around the neck of his guitar and slowly, the red aura around him dissipates. He lowers his head, as if in defeat.
Naota: (quietly) I... can't...
Everyone but Haruko and Ninamori seem taken aback by Naota's statement.
Kitsurubami: What do you mean, "you can't?!"
Naota: (again) I... can't... (slumping further) I can't do it... (looking up at Tasuke) Tasuke... I...
Before he has a chance to answer, Tasuke swoops down from his perch like a hawk. The guitar in his left and swings around and caught Naota fully in the face. The blow topples the boy, who rolls limply across the iron's body.
Kitsurubami: Naota!
Ninamori: (gasping) No!
Haruko: ...
Slowly, Naota lifts his head, to see his brother stand over him. His empty eyes burn deeply into Naota. Silently, Tasuke kicks Naota in the ribs, then steps on his shoulder. Naota grunts in pain, but doesn't resist.
Kitsurubami: WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! GET UP AND FIGHT!
Naota: (quietly) What would be the point... I can't win...
Kitsurubami: WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!
Haruko: (calmly) It's simple, really... Think about it... All his life, the only person Naota ever considered himself to be inferior to, the only person he ever felt lower than, is his brother. Tasuke.
Kitsurubami: (exasperated) WHA...!
Haruko: He's always seen his brother as being better at everything... It's... it's all he's known, I guess. To him, Tasuke is ... almost godlike...
Another grunt of pain cuts through the air, as Tasuke jabs Naota in the ribs again and again with the body of his left guitar.
Kitsurubami: NAOTA, GET UP!
Again, Naota is kicked.
Kitsurubami: (desperately) NAOTA!
Naota: (softly) Sorry...
???: Takkun...
Naota: Wha...?
Naota looked up and finds himself surrounded by white void. He attempts to sit up, but the pain in his sides won't allow him to. Cautiously, he turns his head to the other side, and there stooped at his side is Mamimi.
It was amazing. She looked exactly the same as when she left. Nothing about her appearance had changed. The same dark red hair. The same dull uniform. The same full lips. The same glazed brown eyes.
Her face was calm and serene, though tinged with a bit of concern.
Mamimi: Takkun...
Naota: Mamimi... I thought that you...
Mamimi: Why are you doing this...?
The urgency in Naota's eyes flickered out and he relaxed. His mouth dropped into a straight line.
Naota: I... I can't do it...
Mamimi: Takkun, you can...
Naota: He's better than me...
Mamimi: Why do you think that...?
Naota: ...
Mamimi: You never even gave yourself a chance...
Naota: (bitterly) What's the point? I can't compare...
Mamimi: You know, Takkun... Before I left... The reason why I always wanted you close by ... was because... Well... You were ... safe...
Naota: (curious) Safe...?
Mamimi: I felt comfortable around you... You never swung the bat... So I knew that you'd never leave me... You'd never grow up... You'd always be Takkun...
Naota: Mamimi...
Mamimi: But,, I was wrong... It's time for you finally grow up...
Naota: ...
Mamimi: And when it's all done, we'll see each other again...
A gentle smile passed over her face. She ran her fingers through his short brown hair, her eyes never moving.
Mamimi: Later, Takkun...
Naota slowly closed his eyes and sighed. When he opened them, he was back on the iron. Still lying under Tasuke's sneaker. His vision was blurry and his hearing was stifled. As his eyes focused, every detail of the evening sky was visible. all of the shades of yellow and orange and red and violet... It was almost unreal. And as he gazed up, the faint noise beneath him slowly cleared into voices. Then it hit him...
Naota: (thinking) I... I can't just sit back... They're counting on me... If I can't do this for myself, I have to at least defend them... I can't lose... I have to face this...!
Tasuke barred down on him, crushing his body under the force of his foot. Naota's pulse began to race. His body temperature rose, steadily. He couldn't just lose like this. He had to at least try.
The symbol of Atomsk flashed on his forehead, and suddenly, he felt all of his power surging through him. With a great rush of strength, Naota shot upward. The sudden movement pushes Tasuke back. Naota scrambled to his feet and snatched up his guitar.
Ninamori: He's up...!
Kitsurubami: He can do it!
Naota's ragged posture slowly changed. He stood straight and tall though his shirt was torn and smudged with dirt. His blue eyes gleamed on his bruised face. He spit to his right and raised his guitar.
Naota: I'm ready...
Tasuke: ...
Haruko: Well, here it is ... the final battle... Good luck Takkun...
Naota rushed at Tasuke, but he threw up his guitar to defend with time to spare. They clashed again and again, the earth beneath them jumping under their force. Each blow shook the ground. The shockwaves swept over the street, blowing up dust and pebbles. Tasuke was obviously the superior fighter, but Naota continued to strike out at him, again and again. Tasuke dodged and blocked with little to no effort.
Out of breath, Naota paused and looked up through squinting eyes. Sweat poured down his face, blurring his already blurring vision. He was slowly being drained of his power. No matter how much effort he put behind his sings, he couldn't connect. Tasuke was on a completely different level. He was out muscled, out maneuvered, outclassed and outsmarted. He had nothing that could stand up to his brother, but he knew he had to try.
Ninamori: Naota...!
Haruko: He's losing power... At this rate, his body won't hold out...
Kitsurubami: You mean...?
Haruko: (finishing for her) ... If he doesn't do something, he's going die...
Ninamori: But, what can he do...?!
Haruko: Well...
Naota forced himself to stand straight, despite his fatigue. He couldn't lose like this. Not with so much on the line. Tasuke stood relaxed, yet somewhat threatening. Naota shuttered. His brother was as skilled as he'd always been. He thought back to the days he'd watched him at the old batting cages. Nothing, no force on earth could compare to the power of his swing. It was the perfect display of strength and grace. And now, here, he found himself facing off against the same boy he'd grown up idolizing. His childhood hero.
The boy shook the thought from his head. No. This was an enemy, even if it was his brother. He had to beat him. Losing wasn't an option anymore. He had responsibilities. And with the power of the Pirate King, how could he lose?
Naota: Tasuke...
Tasuke: ...
Naota released a rush of air and flew back at Tasuke. Tasuke leaned back and bolted backwards, retaining a constant distance from Naota as the little boy swung wildly. Tasuke ducked under and rebounded from the ground, taking to the air. Naota followed suit, only a few steps behind.
Kitsurubami: (thinking) No... He's not even attacking him and Naota can't even lay a hand on him... This is bad... Come on, Naota... I know you can do this...! I know you can!
Suddenly, Naota's body exploded in a flash of red. Every inch of him glowed crimson, as if he was on fire. He looked like a fire poker. His white, circular eyes were wide, resembling car headlights. An aura of light flickered around him as he picked up speed, heading right at Tasuke. Naota brought his arm around and struck hard, locking his guitar with Tasuke's left. Before he could react, Tasuke thirsted his right guitar into Naota's stomach.
The boy stopped dead, immediately broken. With a flick of his wrist, Tasuke popped the Rickenbacker from the boy's hand and flung it high into the air. Still holding Naota by his stomach with his primary arm, Tasuke fired his second guitar. The black orb expelled from the end shot through the air like a missile. As it flew, it slowly changed its course, seeking out the free falling guitar. They met with terrible force. Upon impact, they cracked and sizzled with an impending explosion. Then it was all over. Everyone watched in shock as Haruko's prized Rickenbacker, the one she'd left to Naota, was shattering into pieces. A blast of flame and smoke followed.
Ninamori: NO!
Kitsurubami: (shocked) HOW COULD HE...?!
Naota, who until now had been resting on the sharp points of Tasuke's guitar, attempted to move. He was penalized with two shots to the face and a kick in the ribs. The red glow immediately died out, leaving a very plain looking Naota floating backwards in midair.
Naota's eyes were wide with shock. His lips trembled as he was unable to utter a cry to express his pain. He fell back in the air, silent and helpless.
Tasuke swept over him and grabbed him roughly by the hair. Naota hung defenselessly like a stuffed animal in the hands of a child. There was nothing he could do but endure it. Tasuke struck Naota across the face with his left guitar. His other guitar was now neatly strapped to his back, though Naota didn't realize or care. The blow shook Naota's body and the air around him, but that was only the beginning. A similar hit followed. Then another. And another. Again and again his face met with his brother's guitar.
Kitsurubami: NO! (looking at Haruko) WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! GET UP THERE AND HELP HIM!
Haruko: ...
Kitsurubami: HEY! DIDN'T YOU HEAR ME?! HELP HIM!
Haruko: (quietly) I can't...
Kitsurubami: WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T!
Haruko: This is Takkun's battle... There's nothing I can do. Even if I could save him, it wouldn't make any difference...
Kitsurubami: WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!
Ninamori: I don't get it...
Haruko: If I jump in there and save Takkun, this fight would be meaningless... This is a fight between them... I can't settle the score for him...
Ninamori: ...
Haruko: Up until now, Takkun's always been grounded by his brother... But now, for once, he's standing up to him... This isn't a fight between us and MM... This fight started 13 years ago...
Kitsurubami: (quietly) Oh...
Haruko: If Takkun doesn't win, he'll never get out from under his brother's shadow... So you see, he HAS to win ON HIS OWN...
Meanwhile, Tasuke forced Naota to lean forward and began bashing in his stomach with his knee. Naota winced in wide-eyed pain. If it wasn't for his endurance, he'd have passed out a long time ago. A harsh jarring kick forced him to cough up a splash of blood.
Ninamori: He's KILLING him...!
Kitsurubami: (thinking) This is awful.. I can barely watch... But, I have to... I HAVE TO.
Tasuke held Naota out over the edge of the iron by his short brown hair. He was barely alive. Bruises and scratched covered every inch of his body. His clothes were tattered and torn, his shirt no more than a rag clinging to his torso. Blood trailed down the corners of his mouth, an above it, his broken nose. His once bright blues eyes were gray and half closed. It wasn't hard to see that he was hanging by a thread.
He dangled out over the city below, as if some sort of example. Like a prelude of what was to come. Tasuke was as cold as ever, his eyes empty and unchanged. Then, silently, he released Naota's scalp.
The group could only stand and watch in horror as the boy plummeted down to the cement below. He looked like a discarded rag doll. He fell freely, clothes flapping against his in the wind. And then he hit.
The force of his body's impact shattered the street below. Thick chunks of concrete and asphalt went up into the air, followed by a mushroom cloud of dust. Debris was everywhere. Anyone who hadn't seen it happen wouldn't believe that a human body was responsible for the damage. All went silent.
Haruko: ...!
Kitsurubami: ...!
Ninamori: (quietly) Naota...
A moment passed and there was still no sign of Naota. Somewhere, under all that rubble, he was buried, probably dead.
Haruko: (lowering her head) Takkun...
Ninamori: Is he...?
Kitsurubami: ...No... (turning to Ninamori) Don't say it...! He's not dead...
Haruko: Give it up... There's no point denying the truth...
Kitsurubami: (tears welling up) YOU SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP! IF IT WASN'T FOR YOU THIS WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED! MAYBE YOU DON'T HAVE ANY FAITH IN NAOTA, BUT I DO! I BELIEVE IN HIM AND I KNOW HE'LL PULL THROUGH! HE ALWAYS DOES!
Haruko: ...
Kitsurubami pushed past Haruko and rushed over to where she'd seen the boy land. Dropping down to her knees, she desperately began to dig her way to him, throwing rocks and dirt to the side. But, being a normal human, there was little she could do. Her morale slowly depleted until she finally gave up. Sensing the inevitable, she buried her face in her hands and began to cry, openly.
Kitsurubami: (hysterically) NO...! NO...! ITS NOT FAIR! NAOTA!
Haruko: (angrily) Tasuke...
She glared up at the phantom boy staring back down at her. Nothing mattered anymore. Not Medical Mechanica. Not Atomsk. The only thing she cared about was avenging Naota. She couldn't think of anything else. Without warning she drew her guitar and rushed at Tasuke.
He sidestepped and countered her attack with a shot to the ribs. Under normal circumstances, Haruko would have gone down and stayed down, but this was by no stretch of the imagination, the normal Haruko. Before she hit the ground, she threw out a hand and rebounded with a flip. With all of her leg strength, she pushed off and flew back at Tasuke. All traces of the carefree, fun-loving alien were incinerated in her scorching rage. her gold eyes burned hot in her ire.
Haruko: I'LL KILL YOU!
Tasuke: ...
Haruko swung again ... and again ... and again... No matter how quickly she swung or how angry she got, she couldn't even come close to hitting the boy. And she knew this. She knew that she stood no chance against him. But her anger and pain blundered her. She didn't care if she died, anymore. What did she have to live for?
Tasuke, seemingly bored with the fight, finally struck back. His fist shot out and sunk into Haruko's stomach. She gagged and paused. Her guitar fell from her hand and rolled clattered away. Before she could recover, he followed up with and elbow between her shoulder blades. That was it for her. With a grunt, she fell to the ground and the lie there, unable to move.
Haruko looked up out of the corner of her eye to see Tasuke slowly approaching. He was going to kill her. Now that she was immobilized, it'd be a definite hit. She was completely defenseless, now.
Ninamori: HARUKO...!
Haruko: (to herself) Well, this is it...
Tasuke raised his guitar over his head for the final blow. Haruko closed her eyes and waited for the final blow. Suddenly, from below, the ground erupted in a column of blue light and debris. The explosion rocked the iron from side to side. All eyes turned to the light.
Ninamori: Its...!
Kitsurubami: NAOTA!
As the dust died down, Naota came into view.
Ninamori: ...!
Kitsurubami: What...?
Haruko: Whoa...
Standing atop a pile of rubble was the very incarnate of power. Naota's body burned hot white with a tint of blue. His eyes were barely visible against the brilliance of his skin, just above them, on his forehead burned the kanji "honto" (truth). A great blue aura swirled around him like smoke from a fire. It billowed up and slowly circled him. It looked as though he was a being of light ... pure and divine.
Naota, standing solemnly, slowly raised his head and looked up at Tasuke and Haruko. Tasuke didn't move. If his face could show emotion, it would probably be somewhere between terror and shock. The heat of Naota's seemingly endless aura warmed the air around them.
In the blink of an eye, Naota vanished into thin air. A split later, an earthshaking shockwave radiated from Tasuke, who snapped forward. His ebony eyes went wide with shock. Naota appeared in front of him, his knee wedged deeply in Tasuke's chest. His body hovered in place, due to the sudden change in speed. His eyes flamed brightly, yet remained eerie and emotionless.
Ninamori: NO WAY!
Haruko: I DON'T BELIEVE IT...!
Kitsurubami: Naota...
Naota shifted in midair, whipped around in a full spin and crashed his elbow into Tasuke's face. A violent shockwave blasted the entire area, blowing Tasuke away in the aftereffect. Naota gracefully reversed his movements and landed softly on the body of the iron.
Ninamori: (thinking) He's so fast... So graceful... He's like a god...!
Tasuke met with the ground with brutal force. His body's momentum blasted a creator in the city street. Weakly, he forced himself to his feet. Naota reappeared under him, his right leg extended upward, parallel to Tasuke's chest. His foot was rammed harshly into Tasuke's neck. Another shockwave shook the city and Tasuke went back down.
Canti, taking full advantage of this distraction, flew up to the iron and retrieved the injured Haruko. Gently, he laid her down beside Kitsurubami and Ninamori. She winced in pain with every attempted movement, but forced a feeble grin when she saw the look of concern on their faces.
Haruko: (smiling) Just a scratch...
They looked back over at Naota, who was now standing over an apparently unconscious Tasuke. The older boy lay sprawled out on his back. Naota began to close the few feet between them, walking at a slow, solemn pace.
Without warning, Tasuke shoot up and jabbed with his second guitar (the one that had been strapped to his back). In one swift movement, he'd drawn if from its resting place on his shoulder and made a solid swing, but it wasn't nearly quick enough.
Naota blocked the guitar with two fingers, folding it firmly in place. Then, with no effort at all, he gentle moved it to the side. Tasuke fought his brother's strength with all of his own, but it was like a child fighting a gorilla. With the guitar held to the side, Naota simply looked down at his brother in silence.
Ninamori: (thinking) With one finger! (aloud) He stopped that hit with ONE FINGER! IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?! HOW CAN ANYONE BE THAT STRONG?! (to Haruko) Is this the power of Atomsk...?!
Haruko: (grinning) No... Atomsk is strong, but not this strong... Takkun is on a completely different level of power... And now that they've fused, completely... (struggling to her feet) No, this is all Takkun...!
Kitsurubami: (thinking) She's right... It is Naota... I can feel it... So warm...
Tasuke, reversed and jolted backwards. He slide backwards and skidded to a stop. The two brothers eyed each other, coldly. Tasuke brought out his second guitar and crossed the in an "X" in front of him. This would be his final strike.
Naota coolly brought his right hand and to his forehead and slipped it in. His arm moved from side to side as his hand wandered inside his head. Finally, he fouled what he was looking for and pulled his hand back. In his fist he held a new guitar. Its surface glowed with the same brilliance as its owner.
Haruko: (in awe) ITS THE FENDER STRATOCASTER; THE KING OF ALL GUITARS!!!
With a wave of his arm, he pulled it out in front of him in preparation for the next attack. Then, as if a gun had gone off, both brother dashed forward and promptly disappeared.
Ninamori: Whoa! I can't even see their movements...!
Haruko: Its pretty exciting, isn't it...? (thinking) Its all resting on you, Takkun.
Naota and Tasuke ran at each other with grueling speed. Their feet charred and crushed the pavement beneath them. Simultaneously, they leapt into the air, guitars poised for the hit. A blinding flash of light erupted into the air, disrupting all vision. The gleam of shiny metal parts the light several times. When everything became clear, both fighters were standing a few meters apart with their backs to one another. Neither moved or spoke.
Ninamori: What happened?
Haruko: (smugly) We won, that's what...!
Tasuke gradually slumped over, then collapsed to the ground. Naota turned and looked down at him.
Amarao: (from a distance) So... You did it...
All: (turning to face him) ...?
Amarao sat astride his moped, watching them quietly. Haruko wondered just how long he'd been there.
Haruko: What are YOU doing here...?
Amarao: They're coming...
Haruko: What?
Amarao: A whole fleet of them... MM shuttles orbiting Earth...
Haruko: So, they're going to his us with everything all at once, huh...? I guess Takkun's brother was their last game card so they have to skip to trumps...
Amarao: Something like that... (to Naota) So... You finally fused, huh... Pretty amazing...
Haruko: How long until the attack...?
Amarao: About ten minutes...
Haruko: (sneering) Funny... Shouldn't you be pissing your pants right about now...?
Ninamori: What are you guys talking about? What "ships?"
Haruko: Medical Mechanica is out of legal moves, so their planning to "clear the board..." They know they don't have anything else that can stand up to us, so their going to take out the entire planet...
Amarao: You could have left by now, if you wanted to... Why didn't you...?
Haruko: (grinning smugly) You wouldn't get it if I spelled it out for you...
Amarao: Yeah... Anyway... (to Naota) So... What are you going to do...?
Naota: ...
Haruko: How about it, Takkun...? Think you can hit a homerun, this time...?
If Naota's mouth had been visible, he'd have been grinning. Haruko grinned back. As they stared at each other, the ground began to quake beneath them. Everyone paused to glance around. Their confusion gradually grew as the tremors increased in power.
Amarao: Huh...? WHAT IS THAT?!
Haruko: (to herself) Uh oh...
The beam, that until now, had remained dormant, suddenly began to pulse with new vigor. With each passing second, the intensity of the energy grew, tensing in preparation. Then, with a loud crash, dozens of robots fell from the sky. The sky rained metal men. Their weight crushed in the ground as they landed. Every arrival was like a small explosion. Again and again they fell. There was o end to them.
Haruko: They just don't give up, do they...?
Kitsurubami: (screaming) What do we do now?!
Canti: !!!
The metal titans continued to fall, slowly forcing the team into a huddle. The army encircled them, completely. There was no place to run. No place to hide.
Amarao: (sweating) This is bad... This is really bad...!
Naota, who had turned to look at the robots, calming glanced back at Haruko. After a moment, she nodded in compliance.
Haruko: Canti! Get the girl!
Canti dashed to Kitsurubami, snatched her up and flung her over his shoulder. Using his free hand, he grabbed Amarao by the collar of his shirt and hoisted him up onto the other shoulder. With no further warning, he sprung into the air and rocketed away.
Meanwhile, Haruko grabbed Ninamori around the waist and headed to her Vespa. An ape-looking robot skid out in front of her, stopping Haruko dead in her tracks. This was a bad fix. Without her guitar, there wasn't much she could do.
Ninamori: (handing Haruko her purple guitar) HERE!
Haruko grinned and took it. The robot struck, but Haruko jumped to the left and hit it from the side. The body of the guitar dented its armor and sent it toppling forward. It was far from beaten, but it was enough for Haruko. She had just enough time start up her bike and fly away.
The two looked back as the giant robots slowly began to move in on Naota. He looked so tiny in surrounded by the metal titans. Haruko felt bad leaving him like that, but she assured herself he knew what he was doing.
That assurance was immediately dashed as watched the entire crowd rush at him. They hit like a wave, rolling over each other under their own power. The impact sent a few into the air. They crawled over themselves with Naota buried somewhere underneath.
Ninamori: Naota!
Haruko: Shit!
Everyone turned to watch as the dog-pile grew. The sound of metal bodies colliding could be heard form miles. Even the sky seemed to darken with impending doom. Amarao tightened his hand into a white-knuckled fist.
Amarao: So close!
Kitsurubami: (weakly) No... Naota...
A blanket of silence fell over Mabase. The dark clouds hanging over the city suddenly pulled away. The heavy shadows slinked back, replaced with blue-white rays of light. The pile of robots suddenly began to glow. The metal monsters remain oblivious, climbing over each other like maggots. The ground beneath them light up and began to part. The concrete split down the middle. It sounded like paper being ripped. The light continued to grow, radiating everywhere.
Haruko: Takkun...?!
Ninamori: Naota! He's... Alive!
A loud clap of thunder shattered the mass of robots, blowing them all back and upward. A bright white aura stood around Naota's lone body. One by one, the robots landed, hitting his aura like dragonflies on a windshield. Hit and stick. Hit and stick. It was a solid barrier, Haruko realized. She'd seen them used for warships and the like, but never like this.
Haruko: (speeding up) Go Takkun!
Naota remain completely silent, guitar held calmly at his side. Blue electricity jumped from him to the barrier as robots began to collect around him. Above him, his friends watched at a growing distance. Waiting to see what he would do next.
His mind was so clear, it was as if it was blank. Nothing else around him existed. It was just him and all him. The spotlight settled on his form, surrounded by darkness. It was all up to him.
He raised his arms out at his sides, fingers spread away. His short hair fluttered with the breeze created by his own energy. The kanji on his head pulsed with light and warmth. Slowly, very slowly, Naota drew it all back in. Simultaneously, his arms and legs folded up, fingers curling in to form tight fists. The bolts of energy hopping from his body abated. His torso vacuumed inside the barrier, though it remained intact.
Haruko: What...?
The boy curled tighter and tighter. His form resembled a fetus regressing with every second. He was almost there. Just a few more moments and... A blinding flash engulfed the city and sky. Everyone turned or covered their eyes. The air around them went suddenly still. Time and space itself had slowed form a split second. The light dissipated just in time for them to catch a glimpse of Naota before it was over.
In the center of the barrier, Naota began to uncurl. From his back, two long protrusions crept out, one on each shoulder blade. They unfolded with his limbs, slowly spreading. Wings. They were wings, long and majestic. They spanned more than four meters from either side. Naota stretched his limbs skyward. He'd awakened.
Amarao: NO WAY!
The barrier around him began to cracked and hiss. With a buzz, the robots vanished, vaporized in the unbearable heat. Particles danced and glowed around the godlike child who levitated calmly in the center. He raised his guitar above his head in triumph. In the sky above, his friends stared in silent reverence.
Kitsurubami: (marveling) It's beautiful... (thinking) He looks like... an angel...
The barrier roared and quickly grew, spreading further out. With every metal body it contacted, another enemy was sent shattering into nothing. A final blast of light erupted beneath Naota as he barreled into the air. This wings flapped graceful at his sides as he soared upward. He was completely silent as he passed Haruko and Canti. His brilliance danced in the air, even after he ascended above him.
Haruko: He's going for the fleet!
Ninamori: You can do it, Naota!
They all watch as Naota flies higher and higher. He eventually becomes a tiny speck in the sky before disappearing, altogether.
Kitsurubami: (thinking) Come back, alive, Naota...
Naota ripped through the Earth's atmosphere with ease. Normally, a human would burn to ashes under the intense heat, but not him. He stopped just outside of the blue planet's gravity and looked around him.
Naota: (thinking) There...
His eyes rested on an army of ships, an endless armada. The center ship was five times the size of the others that surrounded it. From the bottom of its hull, Naota spotted the beam that connected it to Earth. That must be how they transported all of the robots without an N. O. gate. The formation resembled an atom, the main ship being the central nucleus surrounded by electrons.
Naota took off toward the ships. He held his guitar like a baseball bat, arms squared to the side. The fire in his eyes burned brighter than ever before as he shot forward. His aura left a long white trail in the blackness of space.
Immediately, the smaller ships to evasive action, veering off to the side and firing off their laser cannons. Naota wove in and out of their gunfire, but never slowed. One of the ships pulled out in front of him, trying to cut him off from the core vessel. Naota bolted to the side and shoved his guitar deep into the hull. His weapon sliced down the hull as he flew alongside the ship. As he passed, the ship erupted in a ball of flames.
Down on Earth, Ninamori, Canti, Kitsurubami and the others waited anxiously. Haruko remained cool, as always. She sat reclined against a toppled wall, hands clasped behind her head.
Ninamori: How can you be so calm at a time like this?! Naota's up there risking his life and you're here, relaxing!
Haruko: What's the point in panicking? S'not like there's anything I can do...
Kitsurubami: Haruko's right... We just have to wait it out... Naota'll be fine... I have faith in him...
Haruko: (sneering) Never thought of you as being the mushy type, Soldier Girl...
Kitsurubami: (frowning as she blushes) I don't know what you're talking about...!
Haruko: Don't feel bad... It happens to the best of us... (thoughtfully) Takkun has that affect on people... You can't help but fall in love with him...
Haruko looks at Kitsurubami, who blushes again. Her eyes fall to the ground, avoiding Haruko's gaze. She wasn't really IN LOVE with him, was she? No... Caring about someone and being in love with them are two different things. She cared about him, and maybe even loved him... But to be IN LOVE with him... No. Not possible. Slowly, he eyes rose to the reddening sky above them.
Kitsurubami: (thinking) He'll be back... I know he will...
Chaos dominated the lead MM ship. People were running back and forth over the bridges. Orders were being shoulder over the dull roar of side conversations.
Intercom: Ships 15 through 24 have been destroyed.
Outside, Naota downed another ship in his steady approach. Every ship that came into contact with the boy was quickly reduced to scraps of floating metal. The main ship was close, now. Many of the small ships had turned tail. They knew they didn't stand a chance against him. A winged phantom of light ... almost like the devil himself. They weren't about to die like this.
Suddenly, the large ship started up, turning on its barrier as it moved in the opposite direction. It started out slow and lethargic, but with every passing second, it picked up speed. Little by little it moved over space. Naota vanished from the ship's rearview. Before they could get a lock on his new location, the censors on the ship indicated severe damage to the second and third bridge.
The ship turned downward and began firing back up at the attacker. Naota hung in space for a moment, then vanished again. The beams intended form him flew past the spot where he had been and disappeared into the distance.
Intercom: Target lost.
Another flash of red on the main screen showed that the seventh deck had been completely destroyed, carved out of the side of the ship by Naota's guitar. It didn't make any sense. How could a kid, a human boy, cause this much trouble for the most dominant organization in the galaxy? They were at full military power and he was picking them apart like soggy bread.
The ship balked and turned around. Naota floated a distance away, seemingly relaxed and calm. This was it. All of the cards were on the table.
The MM vessel roared as it drove toward Naota. In return, he readied his guitar and charged. All at once, every weapon on the battleship fired at the boy. Streams of blue, red and yellow trailed toward him. His slender body dodged from side to side. The silence of space was shattered by the gunfire that rang out from above Earth.
Naota flapped his great wings, slowing gaining speed. Then, in a bust of light, Naota warped away. In the darkness of hyperspace, Naota had hit ether drive. His entire form glowed like a star as he drove toward the war-vessel. His guitar rose once more.
Naota: (thinking) This is it...
Announcer: (in Naota's head) Nandaba steps up to the plate...
The space around Naota becomes a blur of light.
Announcer: The bottom of the ninth...
Naota's hair flaps around on his head with the shockwaves forming around him.
Announcer: The bases are loaded...
The ship roars and begins to move, again. Naota narrows his eyes.
Announcer: Here comes the pitch...
Naota pauses and swings his guitar just before the ship hits him head-on. His entire body rumbles with the steady vibrations coming from the guitar's impact.
Announcer: He swings...!
The power of the hit wrinkles the black, starry background behind him. Transparent rings radiate from the point of the hull Naota hit. Everything slows down for a split second. Naota's eyes widen in anticipation.
Announcer: Its up... Up... And out of the park! HOMERUN!
Naota: (thinking) I did it...
No sooner had he said that, Naota is engulfed in a bath of white light and flames. The exploding ship bursts into a great yellow cloud. A wave of hit pulses through cold space, followed by a ring of aftershock.
On Earth, the uneasy silence of anxiety is blown away by the sudden darkening of the sky. Before anyone can protest, the blackness is cut in two and forced away by an expanding wall of illumination. A sound resembling a distantly fired gun rings out.
Haruko: (sitting up) Wha...?
Kitsurubami: Huh...?
Amarao: (looking up) What was...?
Haruko: (grinning contentedly) Well... He did it...
Ninamori: You mean... (growing excited) We won...?!
Canti: (jumping for joy) !!!
Amarao: (cooly) Well, kid... That was an impressive swing if I do say so, myself...
Kitsurubami: (caught between excitement and worry) ...
Out in space, the fireworks lasted only a few minutes. Then the area cleared, there was nothing left. Space dust was the only remnant of the armada. The explosion of the first ship had a chain reaction effect on the rest of the fleet. They were all gone.
Ninamori: Do you think Naota's all right...?
Amarao: Its hard to say...
Kitsurubami: Naota...
Haruko: (chuckling) Heh... Guess you guys really DON'T known Takkun that well...
Ninamori: What do you mean...?
Haruko: That kid's indestructible. As a matter of fact ... He should be "landing" right ... About...
From above, a piercing whistle shot through the air. All eyes immediately turned to the sky.
Kitsurubami: What is that...?
Amarao: Looks like... a comet...?
Haruko: Heh...!
As they watched, the falling object's course slowly adjusted. It took a moment for the group to realize the fact that if they didn't get out of the way...
Amarao: Whoa! Its coming right at us!
Haruko: (excitedly) INCOMING!
Everyone went into a mad scramble, nearly trampling each other in a desperate attempt to get away. Ninamori, being the smallest and most oblivious of them was unfortunate enough to trip and fall before she managed to hide. By the time she climbed to her feet, it was already too late. The blowing mass of heat slammed into the ground, sending up a wave of earth.
Dirt and rocks went everywhere. The shockwave shook the few structures that had survived the area battle damage. As the clouds of dust faded, Haruko, Canti, Haruko and Kitsurubami slowly came out of hiding.
Canti immediately rushed over to where Ninamori had been standing a started digging. He shoved the dirt away with his fat, metal hands, his screen blinking in panic.
Canti: !!!
Amarao: (looking around) And here I thought it couldn't get any worse...
Haruko: Oh, quit whining... S'not that bad... Nothing a little spit-shine won't fix...!
Amarao: This is even worse than the first time! It'll cost at least five times as much as the old repairs...!
Haruko: (teasingly) Guess that means you can discount those government paychecks for a couple of months...
Amarao: Funny, Raharu... No one ever accused you of being a rational person...
Haruko: And no one ever accused you of being any fun...!
Amarao: (sarcastically) Oh, that hurt...
Haruko: You'll get over it... Right, Kitsu...? (looking around for her) Soldier Girl...?
About fifty yards away, Haruko spots Kitsurubami scrambling over piles of dirt, tripping every few steps. Her uniform is covered in dirt stains and riddled with jagged holes.
Kitsurubami: (calling out) NAOTA!
Haruko: Here it comes...
Kitsurubami: NAOTA, SAY SOMETHING!
Haruko shook her head as she watched the lieutenant tumbled over her own two phone as she searched the dirt piles one by one. Suddenly, a choked response made her look up.
Kitsurubami: NAOTA?!
Quickly, she rushed toward the sound and stopped just short of a rather large creator planted in the center of the dirt piles. Her eyes fell to the bottom where a small body lay, bruised and filthy. His body had returned to normal now, making him look much smaller than he'd appeared before.
Kitsurubami: HOLD ON! I'M ON MY WAY!
In her excitement, Kitsurubami didn't bother to catch her balance and went sliding down the creator's slope. She skid on her butt as she hit the bottom and stopped.
Kitsurubami: (closing the distance between them) Naota! Oh my god! Are you okay?! Are you hurt?!
Naota: (coughing) Huh...?
He weakly opened his eyes to see her staring down at him. She had him cradled in her arms with his head resting on her chest. He adjusted himself to get a better look at her face. Were those tears in her eyes? She was crying ... for him...?
Kitsurubami: (reassuringly) Its going to be okay, Naota.
Naota: Yeah... I know...
Kitsurubami: (frowning) You jerk...!
Naota: (confused) Huh...?!
Kitsurubami: Running off like that without even saying anything! You had me worried, Naota!
Naota: (stuttering) I... I... Uh... I...
Kitsurubami: (sniffling) Its not fair, leaving me hanging like that...!
Naota: (looking off to the side) I'm sorry...
Kitsurubami: (softening) The next time you decide to go off and save the world... Do you think you could do it a little closer to Earth...?
Naota: (smiling) ...Okay...
Kitsurubami slowly leans over and plants a soft kiss on Naota's lips. At first contact, Naota's eyes go wide and his entire body stiffens. She leans in a bit further, lifting Naota closer to her with her supporting arm. Finally, letting of his anxiety, Naota closes his eyes and accepts. In the background, Haruko hoots and cheers, rudely. After a minute, Kitsurubami eases back and smiles down at him.
Naota: (dumbly) Wow... That was... ... ...
Kitsurubami: (brushing a strand from his face) That was a "grown-up" kiss... (leaning down to whisper) We can do more later...
Naota: (blushing) Uh...
Ninamori: (sneering; covered from head to toe in dirt stains) Why don't you two get a room...?
Naota: Why don't you shut up, you brat!
Ninamori: You know, just because you got a kiss doesn't change the fact that you're still a juvenile delinquent...!
Naota: What are you talking about?! I save the world! Weren't you even watching?!
Ninamori: That doesn't mean anything if you totaled the city in the process!
Naota: BRAT!
Ninamori: You know I'm right! That's why you can't come up with a halfway decent comeback!
Naota: That's it! Canti! (pointing to Eri) Sic-em!
Ninamori: You can't sic you're robot on me!
Naota: Oh yeah?! Watch me!
Canti: ...
Amarao walks over to a half-buried truck that Haruko is sitting on. At first. he says nothing, but eventually gathers up enough nerve to speak.
Amarao: So... Its really over, huh...?
Haruko: Looks that way, doesn't it...?
Amarao: (seemingly disappointed) Hmm...
Haruko: (suddenly) But, hey...! You never know, right...?
Amarao: (grinning contentedly) Well then... (offering a handshake) Until next time...
Haruko: (smiling) ...
(in the background)
Ninamori: And let's not forget those purple boxers you like to wear so much...!
Naota: SHUT UP, YOU LIAR!
---------------------
RIDE ON SHOOTING STAR
ORANGE no SLIDE utsusu sora
SPONGE no PRIDE burasakete
SPIDER
kike totta sono yokan wa
kakusanakuta tte ii n da
iro no tsuita yume mitai na
Ride on Shooting Star
kokoro no koe de sandanjû no yô ni
utai tsutzuketa
GRUNGE no HAMSTER otona bite
REVENGE no LOBSTER hiki tsurete
SNIPER
fuchi totta sono sekai ni
nani ga mieru tte iu n da
nerau mae ni sawaritai na
Ride on Shooting Star
kimi o sagashite kindanshôjô ch
uso o tsuita
Ride on Shooting Star
kokoro no koe de sandanjû no yô ni
utai tsutzuketa
---------------------
Haruko: Talk about going out with a bang! Stay tuned for the conclusion of Fooly Cooly: Second Season!