Somewhat Lost In The Translation
By Slim Gohan and Keiya Tenpouin
Series – Sailor Moon/Hellsing
Rating – PG-13
Pairings – WHAT????
Err ….. Major Characters? – Mizuno Ami, and Alexander Anderson. Sailor Mercury and the Paladin. The brain of the Senshi and the Crazy Priest of Iscariot. The Goddess of Mercury and the Regenerator of the Vatican Section XIII. I think you get it already.
Disclaimers – We don't own either series. End of story.
We also don't own the songs sung at any point during the story.
Summary- Paladin Alexander Anderson is sent to Tokyo to help subdue the FREAK threat there. He runs into Ami Mizuno, who is adrift in life (and alone, at the present), and maybe together, they can find what they are both looking for…(Loosely Based on "Lost In Translation")
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Part I – First Song
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It was a LONG plane trip for Father Alexander Anderson.
There was one semi-redeeming quality about it though, and it wasn't a few young couples' random attempts to join the "Mile High Club". Their futile attempts became annoying after a while.
The semi-redeeming quality was to contemplate the reason he was ON the plane.
"Damn you Maxwell……" he grumbled to himself.
However, he wasn't the only person to hear himself.
"Do you say something dear?" asked the kind old lady in the seat next to him.
"No, your hearing is just going." He mumbled, hoping she wouldn't hear. But then again, he didn't care.
"Yes, I think these seats are also lowering! It's like my late husband used to say……."
Yes, this would be the perfect time for him to contemplate the reason why he was on the trip. But he would make sure to nod randomly in the right places.
**&**&***&&&****&&&
The Vatican - 4 hours ago :
Paladin Alexander Anderson sat in front of Maxwell's desk. He had Heinkel and Yumiko standing to each side of him. Father Renaldo was also there, as he stood behind the Iscariot's Leader. Maxwell was looking over a paper, and was re-reading it. He then stopped and handed the paper to the Paladin.
"What is this?"
"An order from the higher-ups. Iscariot has been tracking demonic ability for some time in Tokyo, Japan. Evidently, this has never been a problem since there has been a small force of 9 people there to stop the threat. They are called "the Sailor Senshi", and are led by a high school girl, who goes by the code name "Sailor Moon". But now, there is a rise in FREAK vampires appearing there. From what we have gathered, they have had some trouble with them. We have decided to send operatives in to subdue this rising threat."
Anderson glanced down at the paper, and read the first few lines. What was there was basically what Maxwell said.
Maxwell cleared his throat, and continued.
"We are going to send an operative over to Tokyo to report on the situation there over the duration of one week. After that week, the operative will report back to me, and we will take it from there."
"And why are you telling me this?"
"Read the second line of the third paragraph."
Anderson did so. His jaw dropped when he read the line.
"We request that you send Paladin Anderson for this mission, for he may be the best suited for this type of mission."
"Yes, you will be sent to Tokyo. In your place, Heinkel and Yumiko will cover for your missions."
"What about Hellsing?"
"In which case?"
"Both."
"I have ordered Heinkel and Yumiko to only attack Hellsing, more specifically Alucard, only in self-defense. I also am positive that the sow Hellsing will not send her operatives to Japan at any time during the duration of your stay. However, if you do run into Hellsing operatives, DO NOT ATTACK UNLESS YOU ARE ATTACKED."
"What about my children at the orphanage?"
"Father Renaldo said he would cover for you."
Anderson then felt a little relieved. In Father Renaldo's hands, the children should be safe.
No one in Iscariot in his or her right mind would cross Father Renaldo.
Anderson looked down at the paper again, and then asked with a sigh. "When do I leave?"
"Your plane leaves at 11 A.M., and you had better start packing."
He nodded, and stood up.
"I'll go start now."
"You'll have a cab waiting for you at 10 A.M.. Go, and may God be with you."
"Amen."
Anderson then left the room.
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"….. And that's what he used to say about these awful planes."
"That's interesting, madam." He offered her a smile.
"So, what do you do for a living, young man?"
"Madam, I'm hardly young."
"Hmm…..You look young to me."
"I'm probably older than you, lady." He mumbled. Before she could say something in response, he answered her first question.
"I'm a priest, ma'am."
"So, what is a nice priest going to Japan for?"
"…….To visit some relatives o'mine."
"I am too! My daughter and my son-in-law invited me to stay a week with them, and show me around Tokyo!"
"That's very kind of them."
"Yes, I am very proud of both of them."
"A mother's pride……"
His sentence was interrupted by the pilot's message over the intercom.
"We are over Tokyo and are preparing to land! Please buckle up, and thank you for flying with us today!"
Anderson and the old lady, along with the other passengers all followed the directions, and geared to land.
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I was a lonely day for Mizuno Ami.
The other Senshi were all out of town for the break, and she was left behind.
Well, not going with the others was her choice. But that was because she thought that finally, she and her mother were going to spend the week together in Kyoto.
But, that was until a call changed all of her plans.
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"Are you excited Ami?"
Ami smiled a genuine smile. "Yes. I'm glad we finally get to spend some time together."
"Yes. I'm sorry for not spending enough time with you. I truly am."
"It's alright mother. I understand that it's all part of being a doctor."
"All packed?" Ami nodded yes. "Then let's……"
The phone rang, interrupting her sentence.
"One moment, Ami." She went over to the phone, and answered it.
"Hello……"
Ami sat down on the couch with her suitcase next to her. She truly was excited that she and her mother were going on this trip together. But there was this strange feeling in her stomach trying to tell her something different….
About 3 minutes later, Dr. Mizuno walked into the room with a somber look.
"Ami….."
"Let me guess, you can't go."
She nodded yes.
"They need me to go out of town for a while."
"Kyoto?"
"No. Hong Kong."
"Hong Kong?!?"
"A specialist is needed there. I'm sorry, it will only be for a week."
"Oh….."
"Next week, I promise, we will do something together."
"All right."
"Why don't you spend the night over one of your friend's house?"
"They're all away on vacation."
"……..I'm sorry Ami……"
"No mother, it's all right. I will find something to do. I'll be fine. Do what you need to, alright?"
"Thank you for understanding."
Her mother grabbed her suitcase, and walked out the door.
Just sitting there in silence, Ami could her the car starting and driving away.
She was alone again.
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"There has to be something to do……..maybe a walk would do me good."
She paused a moment to evaluate. But the conclusion was the same. "Yes, a walk would do fine. Maybe the park wouldn't be so bad."
She went to pick up her coat, which was on the coat rack. After reaching it, she put it on, and slipped on her shoes, which were near the door. She checked her coat to make sure her keys were there. She found them in her left pocket and then opened the door. She took one last look, and walked out the door, locking it in the process.
Walking down the hallway, a thought crossed her mind.
'I hope I don't run into any trouble.'
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With the landing of the airplane, Father Alexander Anderson had landed in Tokyo.
Instead of wandering aimlessly at the airport trying to find the exit, he found a small, older Japanese man with a sign that said "ANDERSON" waiting for him.
This was a Godsend, simply because he knew absolutely no Japanese at all.
He walked over to the man, who bowed at him, and said in broken English "Hello, Father Anderson-san."
Taking this as a way to show respect in the culture, he bowed at the man as well.
"Father Maxwell-san has called ahead, and has asked that I take you to your hotel, Anderson-san."
"Anderson-san?…."
Ignoring the Paladin's question, the man gestured for him to follow.
"Your bags are in cab that's waiting. Come, Anderson-san!"
"Lead the way then……Cab driver-san."
Cab driver-san led him through the seemingly endless and incredibly active Tokyo airport. He was taken back at the sights a bit, but managed to keep up with Cab driver-san. He had to admit, for a smaller, elderly man, he was quite quick.
Soon enough, they made it out of the airport. Cab driver-san's cab was parked close by. The small man looked at his windshield, and noticed a ticket there for illegal parking. When the man started saying words rapidly in Japanese, which Anderson could only assume that he was swearing rapidly with every swear word in the book. The man then turned to Anderson and said with a sly grin, "Don't tell anyone."
He then ripped his ticket in half, pulled out a lighter, and burned the rest of it.
Anderson raised his eyebrow, but said nothing of it. He just went into the cab, and waited without saying a word.
***
Soon after, Cab driver-san got into the car and started driving after starting up the car. They pulled out, and soon the cab made it's way into downtown Tokyo.
Along with making it's way into downtown Tokyo, they also faced the midday traffic of downtown Tokyo. Anderson just took in the sights from his window, while Cab driver-san became annoyed.
Out of the blue, the driver said, "Would you like to drive through the park? The road to get there is coming up."
"Is it faster?"
"Much."
"Alright then."
Cab driver-san took another sly grin out of the blue.
"Maybe, we'll get to see some fine young women, right Anderson-san?"
"……… I'm a Priest you know, Cab driver-san."
"Oh…. More for me!"
"You're too much."
Once they came upon the road, they took it to their destination.
It took about 5 minutes, but they made it to the park. Anderson was somewhat amazed at the Cherry Blossoms blooming, and some of the other flora. It was quite different from the flora and overall atmosphere of Italy, the Vatican, and Great Britain. It was a nice scene, he thought.
He then took note of some of the people there. Among the population in the park seemed to be a young married couple walking a stroller, and elderly man sitting on a bench just observing, a street artist sketching a few school girls, a dejected blue haired girl strolling trying to get her problems off her mind. She then looked up, and smiled at him. Anderson nodded his head at her and muttered a "God be with her". He then turned his head forward to look out the windshield.
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It wasn't a bad day at all, Ami thought.
'The only downside is that I'm alone.'
As much as she didn't want to think that, it was in the forefront of her mind. The rest of the Senshi were out of town, wherever the hell they were, and her mother in Hong Kong, she couldn't help accepting that as true.
She looked and felt dejected.
However, the Cherry Blossoms and the rose bushes were in bloom, and were starting to reclaim their beauty that was hidden during the winter.
Besides that, there were no signs of youma, and/or other creatures of the Underworld. There might be no need for Sailor Mercury to appear today.
"That's a good thing ……but I could also use a little excitement, or something to take my mind off my problems……"
She looked around her, and saw the park bustling with activity……… granted, not as much as the city, but it was a decent amount. The artists were busy, the couples were out and active, there were things to observe, and it was a good get away place from the troubles of life.
She stopped in front of a blooming rose bush, which was under a blossom tree.
"Beautiful. Simply beautiful."
She then looked towards a cab that was passing by, more specifically, who was in the backseat.
A tall, blond haired man, with a scar on his cheek and glasses on his face was there. He looked to be a Catholic priest by his collar.
He caught her gaze. She smiled at him in hello, and he nodded back. The cab drove past her fully, and she went back to her thoughts.
"I wonder what he is doing here? He's probably another visitor, I guess. Well, I hope he has a good time."
She then continued her walk, trying to get her mind off of her problems. In doing so, she began singing in a low soprano to herself a lyric from one of her current favorite J-Pop songs. (*)
"Toozakaru omoide wa itsumademo mabushisugite
motto soba ni itakatta
mou nido to aenai kedo itsumo soba de sasaetekureta
anata dake wa kawaranai de ite….
Saigo ni miseta namida ga kesenakute….
Kono shiroi yukitachi to issho ni kieteshimattemo
anata no kokoro no naka ni zutto saiteitai kara……"
She then walked out of the park, singing the rest of the song. Her goal was to find a nice little café to order some coffee.
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Father Anderson and Cab driver-san finally reached their destination. The hotel they were at was, quite frankly, quite big. When they entered, the Paladin was amazed.
"I can't believe Enrico Maxwell would put me in a place like this! It's……very…..big…and nice too!……No, must focus…."
At this moment, Cab driver-san tapped him on the shoulder. "Father Anderson-san, you need to check in! Father Maxwell-san said he had called ahead and made reservations for you."
"Thank you, Cab driver-san."
He led Father Anderson to the reception desk. The lady there wished them a hello in Japanese, but for all Anderson knows about the language, she could have said, "Go away filthy American!"
'But I'm not American! I'm Scottish!' he thought in response to the previous thought.
Luckily for him, Cab driver-san took over. After a short conversation with the reception lady, Cab driver-san turned to him with information.
"Father Anderson-san, I told them that Anderson-san doesn't know Japanese, so they will try their best to speak English to you. They will have a translator on standby if need to. Your room is on the 5th floor, number 515. Here is your key." Which he handed to Anderson, and continued, "It has been a pleasure driving you Anderson-san. May you have a good trip."
Cab driver-san bowed to him. Anderson bowed back.
"Thank you for all your help, Cab driver-san."
"If you need a driver any time soon, just call!" He referenced to his number on the card, in which he handed the Paladin.
"Thank you, I'll take that to heart. May God watch over you and keep you."
Cab driver-san bowed once more, eliciting another bow from Anderson, and walked away.
Father Anderson took another glance around, picked up his luggage, and walked towards the elevator……..
……. which he had no idea where it was.
*&*
After twenty minutes, he found the stairs instead. He hiked is way up to the fifth floor, and found his room. He opened the door, and walked in. He dropped his stuff down on the floor once he heard the door close, and walked over to the king-size bed. He then collapsed onto it.
Before he could do any serious resting though, the phone rang. It was grudgingly answered.
"Hello."
"Well Moshi-Moshi Alexander! I trust your flight over was alright?"
"I'm here. So I didn't die."
"Very uplifting. I hope the hotel I reserved for you is to your liking?"
"Yes, It's lovely."
"Excellent. I'm sure I don't need to remind you of your assignment."
"Scout the city, send impure souls to the darkest depths of Hell, report back in a week. I know."
"Also, try to relax while you're there. The Vatican doesn't always do this you know."
"Yes sir. I'll keep that in mind."
"Alright, I'll leave you to your work. May God watch over you, Amen."
"Amen."
He heard a click on the other end of the line, signaling him to hang up the phone, which he did.
He closed his eyes for a second, trying to gather his thoughts. A rumble in his stomach wouldn't allow him to sleep though. He decided to get up and try to find some sort of café for something to eat. He placed his room key in his trenchcoat pocket along with his wallet. He checked beneath his coat to make sure he had a good supply of his blessed bayonets, just in case. Once he did that, he was out the door, and ready for exploration.
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Ami had finally made her way to a small café, which was not the one she and the other Senshi went to usually. The name of the place was called "Kagura's", and had outdoor tables set up, very much in the style of the French. She started to walk over there when she heard a loud yell. She quickly assumed that it was in a nearby alleyway, and without a second thought, dashed over to where she heard the shriek. She quickly pulled out her Sailor Crystal on the way.
She stopped once to change in a secluded, shadowed alley near her destination. After her transformation into Super Sailor Mercury had happened, she was on her way once more.
Less than 30 seconds later, she had reached the spot where she heard the scream. The two people closest to the scared teenage girl looked to be the heads of the operation, while about ten people followed.
"STOP!"
They all turned around and faced the Sailor Solder.
One of the heads of the operation sneered at her. "Oh, what are you going to say little girl? "In the name of the Moon, we will punish you"? HA! You don't stand a chance against us. Ghouls, go kill her while we feed."
"Feed…?"
She had no time to contemplate as the ghouls attacked her.
She dodged the first one's airborne assault by jumping backwards.
"MERCURY SHABON SPRAY!!!!"
The bubbles flew from her, creating a mist, and allowing Mercury to gather her bearings.
She then rushed the closest of the ghouls, by elbowing it in the chest, then she followed by a swift kick to the head………which knocked it off.
"What the…"
She had no time to finish, as the ghouls quickly closed in on her location.
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Father Anderson followed a fairly linear path in the city. His reasoning didn't even make sense to him. Then again, not much did in life anymore.
"I'm bound to find somewhere to eat…"
However, this didn't look like the part or the city to find a nice little restaurant to eat at. It seemed empty; that no one was around for miles.
That is, until he heard a scream.
"Oho! Sounds like I'll get some action after all!"
He suddenly took a feral look to himself, and began to hunt in the direction of the scream.
He ran to a misty alleyway, where it seemed the action had started. The mist was soon fading, and vision returned to all there.
Ghouls seemed to be attacking a blue-haired girl, who seemed to be holding her own with them. And there seemed to be two FREAK vampires moving toward a scared child.
He drew two of his blessed bayonets, and held them so they looked like a cross.
That grabbed everyone's attention.
"I am the representative of God, and Earthly Agent of Divine Punishment. My mission is to destroy down to the last wee bit of you fools who oppose God Almighty."
He then dashed toward the ghoul who was trying to sneak up on the blue haired fighter during his speech.
"AMEN!"
With that, Paladin Anderson joined the fight.
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Anderson rushed passed Mercury, and with one swipe with both blades, took the head off the ghoul and cut it into two. He then threw one of his blades at the ghoul to the left of him. It hit it in the head, destroying it. He quickly drew another blade, and jumped to the ghoul to Mercury's right. He stuck both his blades into the ghoul's head, and tore it right off.
Mercury wasn't doing so bad herself. She kicked the head off of one ghoul, and put her heal down into it, making sure that one won't get up for more. She then stretched her hands out in front of her and yelled "SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!!". This froze the rest of the ghouls, which weren't destroyed.
With them only as ice blocks, Anderson put both hands inside his coat, then threw several bayonets at each of the ice blocks, destroying them all.
The only ones left were the two vampires. Both young, Japanese males.
"As I was saying, we will punish you!" Mercury said.
"Try it……you can't stand up to us!"
"Please lads, I've fought true undead and have won. If it helps, she could beat you senseless as well. Trust me, you won't be walking out of this alley. Instead, you'll be burning in hell!"
The vampires had no idea what he was saying, considering they had no idea how to speak English.
Anderson reached into his coat, and pulled out four bayonets. He handed one to Mercury, who accepted.
They threw their bayonets, and hit both of them. Once in the heart, and once in the head for both vampires.
They soon fell, dead once more.
The girl stood up and bowed to the two, and ran off.
Mercury turned to Anderson, with a smile on her face.
"Thank you, sir. I might have died there if you didn't help me."
Thankfully for him, she spoke perfect English.
"It was nothing lass. You were doing fine without me." He took a closer look at her, and it finally clicked. "Say, aren't you that girl from the park? You looked a little sad earlier. Are you alright?"
"You're the man from the cab?"
"Aye."
"How did you recognize me? Normal humans have no idea of who we are in our transformed states."
"You could say lass, that I'm not normal. Besides, that smile and the blue hair gave you away. Well, I should introduce myself. I am Father Alexander Anderson. Nice to meet you."
"I'm Sailor Mercury."
"Aye, but that can't be your real name."
She de-transformed in front of him. "My name is Mizuno Ami. The pleasure is mine."
"So, your name is Mizuno?"
She giggled at him. "No, it's Ami, Alex-san. In Japanese, your name would be Anderson Alexander."
"Strange culture."
"You could say that –" She was cut off by the grumbling in his stomach.
"Sorry Lass, but I haven't had anything to eat today. I was about to find somewhere to eat before the fight, to be honest."
"I was going for some coffee at a café, would you like to join me, Alex-san?"
"Aye, sounds fun lass……err….Ami-san."
On that note, they headed off for the café together.
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Instead of taking one of the outdoor seats, Ami and Father Anderson settled on an indoor seat for two.
The waiter came up to them, wished them a hello in Japanese, and asked them for a drink.
Since the Paladin had no clue what they were saying, Amy ordered him an imported beer. She ordered a coffee.
"What did he want to know lass? In case you haven't noticed, I don't know any Japanese…."
"It's alright Alex-san. He just asked what we wanted to drink."
"Really? What did you say?"
"I ordered you a beer."
He smiled, and it looked like his right eye had a tear in it.
"Are you alright, Alex-san?"
"I'm just so happy………Thank you so much….."
She giggled again. "It was no problem. Really!"
"Alright, to more serious matters. I can't read the bloody menu."
She laughed softly at him. Who knew that the same feral Paladin she fought alongside could make such wonderful company?
"Since you can read the menu, please tell me, do they have fish?"
She picked up her menu, and looked for the food item. Luckily for him, she found a few different kinds of fish.
"Well, there is sushi."
"Which is…"
"Raw fish."
He made a disgusted face, which brought about another giggle from her. "Anything else, lass?"
"Fried battered fish."
"That'll do."
She set her menu down, and watched him look at the menu some more. He realized his plight was futile, and he set down the menu as well.
"So lass, why did you look so down before in the park?"
"Well, It's because my friends are off on vacation out of town, and my mother is on call in Hong Kong."
"A doctor?"
"Yes, she is a doctor." She then paused, and laughed a little. She noticed the puzzled face he had, and decided to enlighten him. "It's nothing. I just think it's funny, because I want to be a doctor also, yet…I blame that profession for the lack of time I spend with my mother. Strange, no?"
"Quite a predicament you're in. A doctor is an honorable profession, however the lack of time it gives someone to spend with his or her family when they are on call is truly a sacrifice. What about your father?"
"Somewhere in the world. I don't see him at all. I get a postcard periodically….but that's it."
"If you want my sympathies, you can have them."
She smiled at his concern. "Thank you."
After a little uneasy silence, Ami started the conversation again.
"So, why are you in Tokyo?"
"I told an older lady was here to see family, but I guess I'll tell you the truth. I'm here on business."
"Such as…?"
"I'm here to take notes on, and report on the FREAK situation here in Tokyo."
Needless to say, she was interested. "Who do you work for, Alex-san?"
"That's a wee bit classified."
"You know my secret, let me know yours…..please?"
"Well…that seems fair…but you don't tell another soul, or else I'd have to kill you."
"Promise."
"I work for the Vatican's Section XIII. We are codenamed "Iscariot". Our job is to fight the undead to make it safe for the rest of you. But it seems you Senshi are doing a good job of it here."
"Thank you. You have no idea what we had to go through to protect the peace……my friends and I, I mean."
"You've done an honorable job. But real undead wasn't as easy as those punks back there. True Nosferatu are better warriors, and are a bit more fun to tangle with than those FREAK vampires. But they all need to be taken out the same, and those impure souls need to be in the deepest parts of hell where they belong."
"Wow."
"You wanted to know."
"You're absolutely right."
Soon, the waiter appeared with their drinks. He asked them if they wanted anything to eat. Ami ordered them both fried battered fish with rice.
Anderson took a big sip of his beer, while Ami took a small sip of her coffee.
"So lass, how did you become Sailor Mercury anyway?"
"That part is complicated. I guess the easiest way to say it is that it was destiny."
"It makes some sense."
"What about you. There is a reason you're a warrior of a secret division of the Catholic Church, isn't there?"
"Aye. I'm a Paladin of the Church. I run an orphanage in my spare time. Also, I am a regenerator."
"What?"
"I can regenerate body parts and such if they're blown off. I can also take a bullet to the head. Wanna try?"
She laughed. "No, I'll take your word on it, Alex-san."
Another silence came between them. But then Ami ended the silence once again.
"How old are you, Alex-san?"
"Why?"
"Just curious, I suppose."
"Hmm……well, I don't know. I believe I'm about 95 years old, give or take a few years."
"95?!?!?!?"
"Regeneration, remember. I don't age very much. Why, how old are you lass?"
"17."
"In the prime of life. Love, life, and thoughts of the future."
"Hmm…you could say that."
"Have you experienced any of those three?"
"Life and future, but not love. I think I may be at a crossroads there."
"Why lass?"
"Well, love has always been in the backseat for me, you know? I'm really not so sure about my love life anymore really…" She paused a second, and stated. "Why am I telling a complete stranger this?"
"Well, I'm a priest for starters. You can trust me lass. I'm also good company."
"I guess that's true."
"So, why are you not so sure about your love life?"
"Would you care if the person was female instead of male? I mean, my emotions are split on that."
"No, It's alright lass. Whether you find love with a female that's just the way God made you lass. If you really want her, go for her. I'm sure it won't ruin your friendship."
"That…….really helped. Thank you, Alex-san."
"Don't mention it lass!"
"No really, don't mention it." Ami giggled some more at him.
The waiter came with their food. Alexander said a small prayer before starting, while Ami timidly dug in.
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"Wonderful meal, lass!"
"I thought so too."
"Would you like me to cover the check?"
"No, I can pay my share."
"No, lass. I insist."
"Alright, but I'd better read it to you."
The meal didn't cost too much, and the Paladin paid for it easily with the Yen he had.
"Alex-san?"
"Yes lass?"
"Would you like to go to karaoke with me? The night is still young, and I would like the company."
"Lass………I can't really sing."
"I insist, Alex-san."
"Alright…."
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On their way to the karaoke bar, Ami insisted that they stop in a costume shop. Her companion asked why, but she just responded that "We deserve some fun, don't we?"
Unable to argue that, the Paladin joined her.
While they were there, Ami dragged a somewhat confused Alexander toward the wings. She looked thoughtfully at the selection for a moment, and then reached for a straight-haired, medium length blue wig.
In a random act, she then put the blue wig on Anderson's head. Before he could complain, she brought him to the mirror. She started giggling again at him as he admired how the wig looked on him.
"It looks nice, on me lass!"
She agreed, and dragged him once more to the checkout. She purchased the wig for him, and they left the store.
She put the wig back on his head, and he never took it off for the rest of the night.
*&*&*&*&*&*&
Eventually, they made it to a karaoke bar called "KARAOKE! KARAOKE! KARAOKE!", which, true to it's name, had karaoke. It was a relatively new establishment, established a few years ago.
"How did you know about this place, lass?"
"My friends brought me here on it's opening. We sang the night away, I remember."
"It sounds like you had a good time, lass."
"Yes, it was a good time. Let's go inside, and sign up, shall we?"
"Alright…."
They entered the karaoke bar together.
*&*&*
They looked around once they were inside, and found that it wasn't too packed. They chose a table for two, and sat down. Ami volunteered to find the sign ups for karaoke, which was not contested. The reason being, simply, Father Anderson knew no Japanese……but I'm sure you know that by now.
It took her about five minutes, but she came back with a smile on her face.
"Are we signed up lass?"
"Yes, we are. I'm going after this couple that has just started, and you are on after me."
She took notice of the semi-nervous look on his face. "You'll do fine. Just read the lyrics on the monitor and sing." She kept her smile on as she said, "Just watch what I do."
"Alright lass, I'll do what you do."
They turned to watch the couple in front of them, who was doing a rendition of "One", by the group V6. They were laughing at points during their turn, but they did an overall good job. To top it off, they kissed at the end of their turn, reflecting the romantic nature of their song.
The announcer came up after them, and introduced Ami to the stage. She stood up from her spot, and went to sing.
She chose a song by an American band, Diamond Rio.
The orchestra started playing on the track, as Ami waited for the lyrics to scroll across the screen. Once they did, Ami started singing in a high alto, instead of a soprano.
"Every now and then, soft as breath upon my skin,
I feel you come back again, and it's like you haven't been
Gone a moment from my side, like the tears were never cried,
Like the hands of time were holding you and me….
And with all my heart I'm sure we're closer than we ever were,
I don't have to hear or see, I've got all the proof I need,
There are more than angels watching over me, I believe,
I believe….
That when you die your life goes on, It doesn't end here when you're gone,
Every soul is filled with light, it never ends, and if I'm right
Our love can even reach across Eternity…..
I believe, I believe…..
Forever you're a part of me, forever in the heart of me,
And I'll hold you even longer if I can,
The people who don't see the most, say that I believe in ghosts,
And if that makes me crazy, than I am….'cause I believe…."
She paused a moment for the guitar solo, and looked up at Alex-san. He was watching her intently, and when he noticed she was looking, he smiled at her. The lyrics then flashed on the screen and she continued.
"There are more than angels watching over me, because I believe…
I believe….
Every now and then, soft as breath upon my skin,
I feel you come back again…..
And I believe…."
The song ended, and she took a bow.
She received a loud ovation for her performance, and a whistle from a few people in the crowd. She quickly went back to her seat, as if trying to avoid the attention. Anderson smiled, and whispered into her ear "Good job."
The announcer came back on stage, and introduced the next singer to the stage. Gathering his confidence, Father Alexander Anderson took to the stage, and grabbed the microphone.
The song Ami had chosen for him was by the J-Pop artist Gackt.
The acoustic guitar played the first few strings of the song, as he cleared his throat in preparation. Once the lyrics began, he tried singing in a low alto, and tried not to butcher the Japanese too much.
(Lyrics are in English instead of Japanese)
"I continued wandering aimlessly, all alone…
A faint sigh painting a stroke of white,
In the ephemeral nature of the changing seasons,
Tears overflowed without any reason,
"Even now, I love you…"
The continually falling sadness changes into pure white snow
Through it all, I raised my head to the sky
Before this body disappears now, if my wish reaches you
Please hold me tight just once more…
We didn't understand each other, and we hurt each other over and over again,
Even at those times, you were always kind…
I cut myself on the suddenly surrendered ring,
As our promises to each other were not granted
"Even now, I remember…"
The fading memories are too brilliant as always
I wanted to be closer by
We can't meet again but you were always close to hold me up
Just you, don't change yourself…
I can not erase those last tears you showed to me…
Even if I disappear with this white snow,
I want to always bloom in your heart…
We held each other close, don't forget that warmth…
Even if you love someone else
I'll never let go of the sound, the last I heard of your voice
I want to fall into a deep sleep…
The continually falling sadness changes into pure white snow,
Through it all, I raised my head to the sky
Before this body disappears now, if my wish reaches you
Please hold me tight just once more…
Please hold me tight just once more…"
Proud with his work, Alexander took a bow. To his surprise, he received a very warm reception. He walked off the stage, and took his seat next to a beaming Ami.
"That was fun."
"You sang very well, Alex-san. It was a nice choice as well."
"You chose the song…"
"It was one of my favorites."
"It wasn't so bad."
Another silence came between them, as they watched the next act's performance. Dissatisfied with the drunken performance, they both agreed to leave.
Once they were outside, Ami started the conversation again.
"It was a fun night, Alex-san. Tell me, how long are you in Tokyo?"
"One week, lass. Then I go back to Vatican City."
"Would you like to go to lunch tomorrow…..or dinner?"
"Sure, lass. I'd love to."
She smiled at him. "Thank you, once again."
"No lass, Thank you."
&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&
Thank you for reading
A/N – Yes, this based on the movie "Lost In Translation". Alexander and Ami are two of our favorite characters, and it seemed like a good idea at the time……..still does, actually. Stay tuned for part II, coming soon!
The songs sung in the karaoke bar are "I Believe" by Diamond Rio, and "Last Song" by Gackt.
(*) As for the Japanese lyrics Ami is singing, they are from the song "Last Song", by Gackt….which is the song Alexander Anderson sang at the Karaoke.
The English for that are as follows:
"The fading memories are too brilliant as always
I wanted to be closer by
We can't meet again but you were always close to hold me up
Just you, don't change yourself
I can't erase those last tears you showed me
Even if I disappear along with this white snow
I want to always bloom in your heart"
*&*&*&*&
We hoped you enjoyed it.