Chapter Thirty-four: Why is Japan suddenly the place to go?



"Ohayo!" Chase called out to the small flat as she looked over the sunbathed room. "Heero? Quatre-kun? Meg-san?"

The small pilot looked over to the couch when she heard a muffled yawn. Meg Collins stretched and smiled. "Good morning, Chase. I'm glad you found your friend safe and sound."

"Hai. I mean… Yes. Sorry."

Meg smiled.

"So where is everyone?"

"Quatre is upstairs. He disappeared some time ago."

"And Heero?"

"I think I found out what happened," Quatre's voice met their ears from upstairs.

Chase scowled slightly and started towards the stairs. Hikari and Ryuujin looked at each other and shrugged. The blond pilot disappeared up the stairs and into the loft.

"Found out what happened to who?"

Quatre gasped in surprise. "Chase! O…Ohayo, Chase. I'm afraid…"

"What happened, Quatre-kun?"

The blond Arabian looked down at the floor. "I'm afraid Heero has rigged up an other world hopping device. There was a bright flash of white light and when we came to see what it was, he was gone."

Chase gaped. "What? How did he know if it would work or not? He couldn't have just…"

"I'm afraid he did, Chase."

Chase closed her eyes and shook slightly, controlling her desire to let out a stream of curses. She took a calming breath. "This is what we're going to do: I have a manga convention to go to."

"Chase! Now?"

"It will say to everyone in Japan that Trowa's remarks about the Luck Inc. incident are false. It will also lure Trowa to us."

"Perfect," Ryuujin said from behind.

Chase grinned. "Minna-san, we're going to Japan. Pack up."



The land passed by them as the plane took off into the late morning sky. Chase lay her head back on the seat and sighed. All this was happening so fast. Had it been a little over a week ago that this had started? First Duo showed up at her convention and things seemed to go into a mass of chaos from there.

Her thoughts wandered to Heero. Baka. Trying out a new world hopping system on himself? Had he gone back to his old ways of not having anything to live for? Why?

Ryuujin's hand on her shoulder pulled her out of her thoughts. "You okay, Chase-chan?"

"Hai. Daijobou."

"Where exactly are we heading?"

"Tokyo, Japan. By the way, Ryu, this is a formal convention,"

He looked at her oddly. "Huh?"

"Ya know, dressing up. Looking nice for the public."

Ryuujin sunk back in his seat. "Maybe I shouldn't go to this. I really don't feel very well in the first place…"

"Oh c'mon, Ryu! Don't chicken out on me now," she answered with a wink.

Ryuujin muttered something and then sunk a little lower into his seat.

The petite Gundam pilot smiled and turned her attention back to the window. This was going to be a long flight. It had been chaotic just getting onto the plane. Ryuujin had NOT wanted to leave his sword behind, even when they had gone through the explanation that the authorities would never allow him to carry it onto the plane. Chase had made special arrangements for Odin Lowe to meet them there and bring the sword to the blue haired swordsman.

Chase sighed deeply.



*~*~*~*~*

Chase stretched as she stepped out into the early evening air. "Tokyo! I've missed this place!" she sighed loudly.

"Not enough people to speak English," Ryuujin growled. "And where's Lowe with my sword?"

Chase rubbed her temples. Oh stars… Him and his sword…



By the time they reached the hotel, the whole gang was worn out.

"You're saying we have to go to this tonight?" Quatre asked as he fell back onto the bed.

"Hai. Gomen ne, Quatre-kun." The small woman stepped toward the window and peered out. "Ne, Ryu?"

"Hmm?"

"We're going to need to get you a suit before tonight."

"I really am not feeling well…"

Chase threw a glare in his direction. "I know somewhere we can get one."



Chase huffed her annoyance and banged on the door once again. Ryuujin had changed into the suit but would not come out.

"I feel ridiculous."

"Still won't come out?" Odin asked from his seat on the bed. He'd made it there half an hour before.

"Iie. Stubborn man!" she called towards the door. "I swear, Ryuujin, if you don't come out right now I'm coming in there and dragging you out!"

There was a loud sigh and the door opened. Ryuujin stepped out and looked at everyone. Quatre and Odin sat in the main part of the two-room hotel room dressed in tuxes. Chase stood before him, hands on her hips. She was dressed in a long, form fitting dress that came up as a halter-top and left her back bare. Slits reached up to her thighs. He blinked.

Chase allowed a grin to spread across her face as she looked at him. "You look very nice, Ryuujin," she said as she took hold of his sleeve. "Now COME ON!!"

"Ack!" He stood still and left Chase pulling and tugging on his sleeve. "Do I get to bring my sword?" he asked with a grin.

"Oh stars… Ryu… No! No sword!"



*~*~*~*~*



"You let him bring the sword?" Hikari asked as she watched the blue haired man out of the corner of her eye. "People are gonna wonder…"

"Not really. C'mon, Hikari, we're going to a manga convention. There are going to be some strange people there."

She smiled. "With swords hooked onto their back?"

"As long as he leaves it in the sheath," she answered, pointing the comment towards Ryuujin more than Hikari.

"Yeah, yeah."

"By the way, Quatre-kun," Chase said as she smiled back at him. "There's someone here that was wanting to see you."

Quatre looked at her with a puzzled expression. "Dare?"

Dorothy Catalonia stepped out and smiled at him. Quatre looked at Chase, silently thanking her as he rushed to meet her.

Chase smiled. "Happy reunions."

"They won't last, you know."

Chase glared slightly. "Way to rain on the festivities, Ryu-kun," she muttered. She looked at the blond Arabian as he took Dorothy's arm and led her into the room they had been heading for. She turned to the swordsman by her side. "Anou, Ryu?"

"Hmm?"

"Would you like to escort me in?"

Ryuujin smiled and took her arm. The petite ex-assassin smiled. "Arigatou, Ryuujin."



Chase stepped outside into the cool night air and walked up next to Ryuujin. "Not having a good time?"

He shrugged. "I told you I didn't feel well."

Chase reached up and placed her hand against his cheek. "Doesn't feel like you have a fever."

"I don't get sick often."

"I know."

Ryuujin turned his attention back away from the young woman at his side. "It wouldn't be very good for the people around me if I did get sick often, ne?"

Chase grinned. "Iie. I doubt that a sneezing Ryuujin would do anyone any good."

He smiled and leaned against the railing of the small balcony, head down. "Go on back inside, Chase. Let's keep this act going as long as possible."

Chase nodded and started back, then turned. "Ryu?"

He looked up and smiled. "I'm okay. Just tired, I think."

Chase nodded and walked back inside.



It had been a good fifteen minutes and Chase was beginning to worry. She stood from her seat where she had been talking with some of her artist friends. "Excuse me."

She started for the outside, but heard someone in behind her. "Elise- san!"

Chase turned quickly and saw her friend backing away from Ryuujin, who had his sword drawn. His eyes glowed a dark red and Chase gasped. This was NOT in her plans.

"Ryuujin!" she called.

"Is that Ryuujin-san?" Hikari asked as she backed up behind Chase.

The tall swordsman made his way over to the assassin and she held her ground. "Not here, Ryuujin. Please."

His eyes glared into her own and she stepped back. She remembered this part of being close to Ryuujin. She remembered it all too well.

She jumped up and back as the sword came slicing toward her. Memories of the first time he'd fought her flooded into her mind. He hadn't even been trying and he had defeated her easily. 'I'm better than I was at age fifteen,' she reminded herself silently as she jumped back again. She crouched to see if she could throw his judgment off slightly.

Without warning, Ryuujin stopped. He sunk down to the ground, holding his head in his hands, eyes wide. Chase stared.

Darkness surrounded Ryu as his eyes opened again.

"Where am I?" There was a strange urge to go ahead into the darkness. Pulling him forward.

"Ryu, it's time you knew your past."

"Whose there?" lights created a path across the floor towards the pull. Ryu stood up and began walking across the floor; Images began to flood his dream. First of Chase and when they first met, then the day he saw the colony explode before him, back to the Battle of One. His memories raced back to the day he first got his sword from his parents. Then he saw things he had never "Remember" but to the day he was born and him as a blue haired infant. The images shattered around him and a figure approached from the shadows.

"Hello Ryuujin, or Ryu as the humans call you for short. My name is Drizzik." As the cloaked man approached and became more visible Ryu noticed his long purple hair going back to his back over his black cloak. His reflective red eyes flashed open "Ryu, I have brought you here to tell you the truth of your life and about who you really are, and what you really are…"

Before the tall man could continue Ryu felt something summoning him back to the real world.

"Wait!" Drizzik beckoned.

The young artist took her opportunity when it presented itself. She knelt down next to Ryuujin and kissed him.

His eyes fluttered open, returning to their natural colour and he looked at her.

"Daijobou ka?" she asked quickly. "What happened?"

"I sneezed."

Chase could imagine a dozen sweatdrops forming on her head. "Baka," she muttered and wrapped her arms around him.

Chase rested her head against his chest and sighed. "There go any plans to get OWN in all this."

"I'm sorry, Chase."

"It's not your fault."

"Chase…"

She grinned. "Don't worry about it. Let's get back to the hotel before the cops come. I'm not sure how this is going to go over…"

Ryu nodded and stood.

The blond woman smiled, stood on her toes, and kissed him on the cheek. "Just promise that you'll never stop coming back to me from that personality."

He blinked. "Okay," he answered and then pulled her close. Chase allowed herself to relax in his arms. Somehow this all felt so right…



Darkness. Nothing but darkness. Chase shivered as she tried to push through the fog her mind trapped her in. Where was everyone?

The silence was broken by a laugh echoing through the darkness. Not a laugh of joy. "Who are you?!" she screamed in Japanese.

Victor stepped out of the darkness. "Hello there, little one."

Chase glared. "Anta!"

He smiled. "Don't you want to play my game, little one?"

Chase lunged at him, but he seemed to fade back to the darkness he had come from. The laugh remained. Then the laugh turned to a childish giggle.

"Ima nani?"

A figure stepped from the darkness, but Chase could only see the silhouette. A young woman, no taller than herself, short hair and walking closer. The figure became clear and the ex-Galaxy pilot gasped. The woman that stood before her looked like the girl she had once been in the alternate world that she had learn to call home.

"You really want to save your friends?" the dream asked.

"Nani?"

The girl laughed.

Chase blinked. When she opened her eyes, she saw her friends around her. All of their eyes were hollow and empty. Dead. "MINNA-SAN!" she screamed, yet her voice did not come from her mouth. "IIE!! Masaku… Masaku…" she sobbed.

"Chase?"

"Chase?"

Brown eyes fluttered open and she saw Ryuujin leaning over her. Chase sat up and latched onto his shirt, making sure he wasn't a dream. She sobbed openly. He sat down and held her close.

"What happened?"

"Yume," she murmured. "Just a dream."

Ryuujin looked down at her face. "About?"

"I… I saw all of you…dead. Watashi… Watashi…"

"Shh, Chase-chan. It's okay. Don't worry about it."

"You won't leave, will you Ryuujin?"

"Of course not. That's a stupid question," he laughed.

"Heero left. Trowa left." She looked up at him. "Please don't leave me."

He pulled her close once more. "I won't leave you."