Standard Disclaimer
I own nothing of Nadesico or its crew.
To check for the owners I advice going to the advfilms Website.
I hope I don't make too much a mess of the story line or make the charters to OOC, still I hope you like this fic and continue to read it.
First version 6/6/02
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anata No Ichiban Ni Naritai
Chapter 2- Reconnaissance
Ruri opened her eyes and found she had again changed location. Instead of being outdoors on Mars, she was inside a room in a medical ward. A quick survey of the room proved that she was still on Mars. Her head was bandaged, and a nurse was walking over to her.
Taking the chair next to the bed the nurse spoke, "Glad to see you awake. How are you feeling, Miss…?
Ruri sat up in the bed and answered, "Hoshino Ruri, I am fine. How did I get here, did you find anything wrong with me?"
The nurse smiled at the young girl, "Akito brought you in, and aside from the nasty bump to the head you sustained you're free to go. Shall I call your parents?"
Ruri's eyes widened when the nurse told her who brought her in, 'Akito's here? Why didn't I see him? Why isn't he here now?' She looked at the nurse, and noted that her hesitance to answer brought a shadowed look to her face.
"You don't have a family do you…poor dear. Is that why you were outside the orphanage?"
A slew of emotions were coursing through Ruri. Anger for being left behind, fear because she only knew of Akito's presence, and relief that at least one person she knew was still around. She collected her thoughts, and after a moment replied, "Yes, that is correct," she chided herself for the small lie but continued, "you said Tenkawa-san left me here, can you tell me where he is?"
The nurse looked at the girl in front of her and began making plans to find room for her in the military orphanage. "Akito-kun is out in the hybrid forest behind the orphanage. Do you feel strong enough to walk that far?"
'I have no choice I need to know what has happened to us.' She nodded and slid off the bed only to suffer a mild cause of dizziness. Gripping a nearby table for stability she addressed the nurse again, "I'll be fine, thank you for your concern."
The nurse smiled again and told her how to find the exit. Ruri thanked her again for her assistance and left the room. Her mind was plagued with questions about what had transpired. She knew the Nadesico was nowhere nearby, Mars was still under Nergal control, and the Aestivalis had disappeared. Hoping Akito had some of the answers she sought to find him. As she passed several doors it dawned on her that she was indeed inside an orphanage, but something was strange about it.
Finding the exit was a simple task for her, and spotting the oddly colored trees nearby just as easy. 'The trees have red leaves, I wonder what they were hybrid with?' she questioned as she looked for Akito's yellow and black jump suit.
Sitting up in one of the taller trees a young boy spotted a girl approaching his location. 'Isn't that the girl I found outside this morning?' He climbed a bit higher up the tree hoping not to be spotted. Unfortunatly for him, he put a bit to much weight on a branch and caused it to make a loud snap, giving him away immediately as he heard the girl call out.
"Excuse me, have you seen a man in a yellow and black suit?"
Looking down at her from his perch, "Who are you looking for, your dad?"
Her voice beginning to become soar from speaking so loud to the young boy she gestured for him to climb down. 'He looks vaguely familiar, shaggy brown hair…eyes…'
The boy didn't obey her hand signal and yelled again, "Who is it?"
"Akito Tenkawa," she yelled again and made another attempt to coax the boy down.
Looking down at her he calculated the distance, 'Hope this doesn't hurt too much.' He proceeded to jump off the branch and fall about 15 feet to the ground, which he hit rolling. Ruri looked at the act of stupidity and couldn't resist the urge in her, "Baka."
Tucking the blue crystal necklace back under his shirt, "What do you want with me?"
In disbelieve, "You…are Akito Tenkawa, the boy that took me to the medical station?"
Getting a good look at her, "Yeah, I saw you laying on the ground on the outskirts of the compound."
'Akito…he's my age, this is his orphanage! I went back in time. How is that possible?' She stared blankly for a few moments until Akito tapped her shoulder.
"Are you ok?" he asked in a low voice, 'She's kinda cute.'
Shaken from her revelry, she lowered her head to hide her eyes. "I…I don't know." The stress of her situation became too much for her to bare and her eyes began to moisten.
Unfamiliar as to how to react to the situation, Akito put his hands on her shoulders. "You'll be ok. If you don't want to go home you can stay here."
Calming her self, she tried to speak evenly, but it came out broken despite her efforts, "Thank you Tenkawa-san."
Helping her off the ground, "I just did what anybody else would have done in the situation."
"Still, thank you." Any further comments were cut off as her stomach began to rumble.
"Do you like fish sticks?" he asked her.
Looking at Akito, Ruri noticed how his demeanor was different now. He appeared more withdrawn and depressed. His voice was also softer and lacked his usual passion. 'He sounds like me.' She nodded to his question, "Yes, but why do you ask?"
Taking her hand he lead her back towards the door, "Because you're going to eat mine."
Ruri didn't argue as she defiantly felt hungry, and had no other way of obtaining food. She was lead to a small cafeteria with a few other children, some older than her, but most were younger. She sat at the back table and waited while Akito gathered their supper and returned to her.
A few of the other children noted how 'mopy Tenkawa' had brought a stranger in, but they lost interest as after he gave her the tray he left.
Ruri looked at Akito's retreating form in shock, 'he gave me his food then leaves without saying a word?' She began to eat the meal set out in front of her noting that it was in fact one of the worst meals she ever ate.
Eating the bland food, Ruri pondered her current situation and what she had to do. 'I'm in the past; I need to learn how this happened. Then I need to learn how to return to my own time.' She gathered that her current state had to have been caused by the Boson jump. Then as a matter of deductive logic figured the best place to go for answers would be the Nergal mainframe.
'I hope they have a computer I can use.' Thoughts of altered time-lines, time paradoxes, and other possible tragedies that could result from her being like this filled her mind. So deep in thought was she that she didn't notice the older girl walking over to her table.
Taking a seat across from her, "Who are you?"
Ruri looked straight into the girls pink eyes, "Hoshino Ruri, do you have a computer here?"
Sneering slightly, "Friendly aren't you, no wonder you were with Tenkawa."
Ruri noticed the twin light blue haired pigtails, "Did I offend you?"
"Why don't you speak with emotion? You like a doll or something?"
Picking up her tray, Ruri gave up talking to the venom-ant girl and headed for the door. She was stopped a few feet short as the same girl grabbed her hand and spun her around.
The girl's voice rising in anger, "Don't ignore me. Think you're to good for us or something?"
"No, but I have a task to accomplish," she replied while attempting to free her hand from the other girls grasp.
"Fine," the blue haired girl said as she pushed Ruri away with excessive force. She smiled as Ruri lost her footing and toppled over, covered with her remaining food. Then she noticed Ruri's hands.
"You have those things on your hands like Akito does! You're a worker," each word full of disgust.
Squeezing her hands into fists to control the building anger in her, Ruri stood, dusted herself off and left. 'Akito already has his IFS?'
She wandered about the various hallways and corridors until she came across a few open doors. She noted that each door had a metal plate affixed to it with two names on each. 'I know those names…well the sur-names.' Reading more names off a few more doors, Ruri realized exactly what type of orphanage she was in, a military-officer war orphan's. 'They must have thought I was a daughter of an officer due to my clothing.' She thought as she looked at the Nergal emblem on her shoulder. 'Explains why it has only a few children but still looks very well ran.'
She looked into a few of the open doors and was greeted by the sight of typical children's rooms. Posters, dolls, cloths, and other objects kids would have. 'No computers here…'
She wondered the halls of the orphanage for another twenty minutes before the nurse from before approached her again. With her head cleared Ruri finally took note of the woman's appearance. The nurse had red hair that went down to her chin and green eyes.
"Oh Ruri, did you find Akito alright? What happened to your cloths?"
Stopping to face the elder woman, "I found him, and a girl found my manner of speech unacceptable."
"The kids don't take to new comers easily," she said with a touch of sadness.
"Baka."
Dismissing the insult, she continued, "Will you be staying with us Ruri, it wouldn't be any trouble we have an open bed."
Knowing she didn't have a choice, she needed shelter and had no money to pay for it, Ruri answered positively.
"You'll be staying with Tenkawa Akito, he's the only one currently without a roommate"
Ruri bowed to the nurse, "Thank you, ma'am."
Smiling, "Takeshi Kyoko."
"Takeshi-san, do you have a computer that I could use?"
'Girl knows what she wants,' Kyoko thought. She gestured for Ruri to follow her and lead the young girl to a small room with five computers. "Nergal funds this place so we have many benefits. Since you'll be staying with us, you'll need to fill out some paper work," she told her as she called up a document file, "after that you can do what you please. Lights out is at 10 o'clock."
Ruri again bowed to the nurse as she left, and set to work on the form. She embellished her story in a few places as to not draw attention to her other, younger, self on earth. She sent the completed form to the director's office then began her real work.
Hacking into the Nergal mainframe posed more difficulty than she had expected, mainly due using a lower grade computer than she was used to. When she did gain access she checked the current state of jump gate technology, locations of scientists in the field, and for any other information that could prove useful. She stopped her hack when she saw a recent file record of an unknown boson jump inside of the utopia colony. 'They know about the jump that brought me here, or was it another?'
Shaking off the thought of being captured and interrogated by Nergal she pressed on. Finding only bits and pieces of the whole; she shut the computer off in frustration. The sky had already darkened and she was bathed in blackness. 'The moons of Mars don't illuminate the surface well.' Looking at the wall clock she realized lights out would occur in ten minutes, and she didn't know the location of her room.
As she made her way out of the room, the young Akito walked up to her, "I heard that you'll be staying in my room."
"If it is a problem, I can seek an empty room," she asked out of respect but hoped he would let her stay. 'He is the only link I have to my life…even if he is my age now.'
Shaking his head, "It's ok, and they don't really like to have us separate. I'm the exception because… He noticed her disheveled clothing, " I should have warned you of Maki."
Looking at her still soiled cloths, "The girl in the cafeteria?"
Akito nodded again and took Ruri to their room. It was a small room, no bigger than her room aboard the Nadesico. She was shocked to see how empty the room was, aside from the bunk bed, dresser, and worktable it was empty, except for a plush Gekiganger doll.
"There are a few spare sets of cloths in the closet if you want to change before bed," he said while standing outside the door.
Smiling at him, "Thank you Tenkawa-san, I will."
"Don't call me Tenkawa-san…makes me feel old."
'Yes, he isn't my elder now,' she looked at him, 'he still is taller than me though.' She entered the modest room, sealed the door and changed into a plain yellow pajama combination and sat down.
Waiting for permission to enter his room Akito thought about the strange girl, 'How did she get here, she's really cute too, platinum hair and yellowish eyes,' he allowed himself a small smile as he thought of how he had actually done somebody good today. He allowed himself another moment or two of happiness before old memories resurfaced and he returned to his mild depression.
Ruri opened to door for him and he walked back in. He blushed softly when he noticed this girl, Ruri, had put on his pajamas, but he didn't tell her. 'Yellow really doesn't suit her to well.' He climbed into the top bunk clutched his plush toy and closed his eyes. "You can request your own cloths in the morning…if you want."
Ruri made a sound of understanding. She felt a bit nervous about sleeping in the same room as Akito, but Ruri turned the light off and climbed into her bed, 'what if I can't go back…can I just stay with Akito, or will that alter time?' Despite all the sleep she had already, she felt exhausted from all the activity she had done searching for her way back to her own time. The thought that she may never return occurred to her, but she quickly dismissed it.
Thoughts of possible futures filled both children's minds as sleep over came them. They didn't even hear the sounds of the ATV that approached to location where Ruri had appeared earlier that day.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I was going to have this proceed really quickly in the scope I had set for the entire story.
But one of my pre-readers offered the suggesting that instead of aiming for a quick story (about 4-5 chapters) I pace myself and add more story and develop things more clearly.
I took his advice and well as you can see this chapter took up only about one day.
I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and if you spot any plot holes or grammar mistakes, I apologize.
Yes Ruri did go back in time and has meet up with the younger Akito. I have Akito a bit more depressed and withdrawn, as the memory of his dead parents is still fairly fresh in his mind.
Next chapter- what will Nergal do once the noticed a boson jump occurred on mars?
Thanks to my pre-readers Chewy and Golden Kitsune
Till then Ja-mata
Zentrodie (zentrodie@secondimpact.com)