Weeks later, there came a knock at the bakery door. Naota answered it, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Who came to a bakery at three in the morning?

Three odd-looking strangers stood in the doorway. A pink-haired Raver girl, a brown-haired girl in a high school uniform, and a robot with a television for a head. Naota blinked at them, not really certain if he was awake or dreaming.

"What do you want?" he asked after a long silence. "And who are you people?"

"Shit," muttered the pink-haired one. "He forgot already."

"What do we do?" whispered the other girl.

"I don't know. I wasn't planning on this."

"Maybe we should hit him over the head with something."

"That's not going to help him any!"

"Um, excuse me," Naota said from between clenched teeth, "but why are you muttering like that?"

The pink-haired girl suddenly snapped to attention, jolting a few inches away from her companions. Raising a hand in a robotic salute, she grinned.

"Haruhara Haruko reporting!" she yelped, whipping a bass guitar from a case on her back. "First-class space patrol officer!"

"Uh-huh. There's a psychiatrist living on the next block. You should try talking to him," offered Naota, ready to close the door.

The robot, sensing his intention, clamped one metal hand on the edge of the door, leaving marks where his fingers were. Naota made a feeble attempt to loosen his grip, then made for the telephone. The robot caught him up with the other hand and held him a few inches above the ground.

"What the hell is this thing doing?" grunted Naota, swinging wildly at the three invaders. "Get it away from me!"

"You really don't remember us…" sighed the one called Haruko.

Every trace of amusement drained out of her, leaving imaginary puddles of color on the pavement. As Naota watched, her shoulders slumped almost imperceptibly. And when she smiled again, there was no trace of the better emotions in her eyes.

"I thought you'd be able to resist it. After all, your head still has something I need." She gave a humorless laugh. "I shouldn't have thought I could depend on a kid like you."

Something stirred in Naota's head. A memory struggling for air. And then his conscious mind pushed it back down, drowning it again. He glared at the three before him, his mind struggling to recover what was lost, his instinct trying to kill it.

"Can we hit him with something heavy now?" asked the high-schooler.

"No, Mamimi," sighed Haruko, irritated. "No, we can't hit him with anything. Got it?"

Mamimi pouted and sat down on the edge of the step.

"Look," muttered Naota, still dangling from the robot's iron grip. "If I let you in, will you make the tin man put me down?"

"Sure, whatever." Haruko nodded to the robot. "Kanti, put him down."

Kanti obeyed, dropping Naota immediately. The boy's legs crumpled beneath him, and he cursed loudly. The one called Haruko let out a muffled bark of laughter.

Naota ignored her and stood. Gritting his teeth, he motioned the three inside.

"Wow, this place hasn't changed at all," snorted Haruko, running a finger over the back of a chair. "I see the dishes need cleaning, though. Amazing what three weeks without Kanti will do to you."

"Three weeks without…what are you on?" asked Naota, suddenly suspicious.

"Earth, I think," answered Mamimi, her brow furrowed.

"Don't think, Mamimi. You'll injure yourself." Haruko patted her on the head and smiled. "Sorry about Samejima. She's trying to quit smoking. She'll be fine in a couple of weeks."

"Naota-kun!" called his father, entering the room without a glance at the three guests. "Did you take out the trash?"

"These people are crazy," announced Naota, jabbing a thumb in Haruko's direction. "Are they friends of yours?"

Naota's father did a double-take. Naota noticed with a degree of embarrassment that his gaze rested on Haruko's chest.

"No, I don't believe we've met before," he admitted slyly. "But I really would like to get to know you, my pink-haired angel."

Haruko grinned and pretended to blush. "You flatter me."

"What. The. Hell." Naota took a step back. "You're all crazy."

He My sentiments exactly.

Naota jumped. He glanced at Kanti, who was standing next to him, with an expression of disbelief and fear. Kanti shrugged by way of explanation.

We used to merge, remember? Kanti's blank screen stared at Naota with a frightening intensity. Don't you remember?

"Dad, the robot is talking to me," stammered Naota, backing away. "It's really freaking me out."

But his father was too busy wooing Haruko. Mamimi looked on with a bored confusion, and Kanti still kept staring at Naota. Finally, Naota gave up and ran for it.

x.x

a/n: sry, had to replace this chappie. >. realized id accidentally copied the last chappie into it. geh. ah well. should be good now.