TRANSMISSION RESTORED

EPILOGUE — EPIPHANY

"I don't like you!"

Wallaby Beatles couldn't sleep. It wasn't because the injuries of his fight with Cree and Chad were giving him problems, which they weren't, since he had a rather high pain tolerance. However, since it had happened under his pool, he had begun thinking about the previous incident with his pool.

"I don't like you!"

He had opposed the idea of getting a pool for his house, at first. But since his dad had got a BIG bonus (a rarity, especially because he worked for Mr. Boss), Mr. Beatles wanted to give his family a bit of luxury in their semi-dilapidated neighbourhood, and thus had the pool installed.

Which was a big waste of money, according to Wally. His inability to swim meant that he wouldn't be able to use an expensive pool, meaning, he would be left out.

And he had no intention of learning how to swim, either. Being buried in the sand was enough for him.

It didn't help that his friends came over regularly to use the pool while he just stood by and watched. Even with their ships, which could take them to the nearest beach in less than 30 minutes, they thought that it was more convenient for them to use his pool. It was almost as if they were doing an in-your-face insult.

"I don't like you!"

But then, that was just the beginning of the adventure.

It seemed that in another world, another universe, someone had his exact same house and his exact same pool—

—and opened a portal to both worlds through the two pools.

"I don't like you!"

And there he met kids that looked just like kids he knew, except they were their exact opposites. There, the Kids Next Door, or the Destructively Nefarious Kids, were evil, and he and the Kids Next Door had to go in and defeat their counterparts.

"I don't like you!"

Not that he had many problems: he defeated the Negative Sector V in less than five minutes. Now that he thought about it, the whole thing seemed rather comical. Numbuh -86 was a complete wimp. Numbuh -1 was a total loser. Numbuh -2 was actually funny but he couldn't nail two boards together. Numbuh 3—

"I don't like you!"

—was the meanest of them all. Numbuh -4, his counterpart, may have been the supreme leader of the NDK, but he was nothing but a weakling and a coward, hiding behind bullies. And Numbuh -5 was the biggest nerd he had ever met.

"I don't like you!"

But eventually, they won, and the portal was closed. On their side, the pool was drained, and on his side, the pool was drained and turned into a dune, just how he liked it.

"I don't like you!"

Ikuk's—Numbuh -3's—words kept repeating in his head, for some reason, and he couldn't sleep because of that.

"I don't like you!"

But why?

In the end, they became friends with the NDK, now that they were free from the tyranny of Yballaw, his counterpart, who was sent to the broccoli mines in his world. He wondered if they would ever meet again.

"I don't like you!"

Now THAT would be a blast. Every one of them would be driving their counterpart crazy: Nigel, being the great leader he is, would be incensed at Legin's submissiveness. Abby would find Ybba as the most annoying nerd as well. Hoagie would probably be on the floor laughing at Eigoah's jokes. And Kuki—

"I don't like you!"

—would have a hard time dealing with someone as mean as Ikuk.

"I don't like you!"

Grrr—why couldn't he get that phrase out of his mind? He KNEW Ikuk hated him.

"I don't like you!"

And she probably hated him even more because of that left hook he gave her.

"I don't like you!"

But it's not as if he could do anything about that. Ikuk hated him, just as Kuki—

GASP

Wally sat up in bed, eyes wide.

"I don't like you!"

And if Ikuk DIDN'T like him, that meant that Kuki—

—that Kuki—

—that Kuki————

—that Kuki————————

"She loikes meh—"

The blonde boy looked at the darkness.

"She loikes meh—"

Gradually, he became soaked with sweat.

"Kuki—loikes—meh—"

Trembling, he got up, and began pacing nervously around his ring. "OH CRUD! She loikes meh—she loikes meh———What da crud am Oi supposed t'do now?" The sudden realisation and the shock of the revelation was enough to make him forget his injuries. And just WHAT was he supposed to do? Tell her he knew now? Spill ALL his secrets toward her?

He looked at the door of his room. Behind it, down the hall, was Kuki's room.

What was he supposed to do now?

Why was he suddenly afraid?

Why—did he feel terrified—and happy—at the same time?

Again, he looked at his door. For some reason, it looked like it was a bamillion miles away.

The curtain parted.

Why she had chosen a curtain instead of a door was something he would ask her later.

And there she was, on her bed, sound asleep, surrounded by a bamillion cruddy Rainbow Monkeys™—

—and she never looked more beautiful.

She looked so peaceful, and even asleep, she was still smiling. Her raven hair partially covered her face, but all that did was make her look more enticing. Her oriental eyes, though closed, held a soul willing to consider him a friend, and now he knew: more than a friend.

Sadly, though, as tough as he was, he still had a bit of cowardice.

He couldn't confront her.

Not now.

Not yet.

But soon. Soon, he'd know when the time was perfect.

For now, though, all he could do to acknowledge that his epiphany was about to make him do something that even HE considered totally crazy.

Slowly, he leaned over the bed.

Slowly, he got closer to her.

Slowly, he closed his eyes.

And very gently, he kissed her head.

Looking at her again, he straightened up, and whispered as quietly as he could, "Oi luv ya too, Kooks." And when he said that, a rush of emotion took over him, and he couldn't help but smile.

And blush.

At last, he said it.

He SAID it.

Isn't it so cute?

He SAID it.

It's really, really sweet.

He SAID it.

Like yummy fresh fruit.

He SAID it.

And soon, they'll finally meet………

He left as quietly as he had arrived, and gently placed the curtain back in place. "Oi luv ya, Kooks," he repeated, and again, his chest overflowed with a happiness he couldn't describe, and he returned to his room as the happiest boy on the face of the Earth.

Once he was safely away, the Japanese girl opened her eyes, looked at her curtain, and replied, "I love you so much, Wally."

She then looked at the date on her alarm clock.

She smiled.

She really loved birthdays.

END TRANSMISSION

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