GoII

Third to last day of school. No one can pay attention. Classes are short. Kids whisper and pass notes. The teachers even look bored. Kids stampede out of the classroom to unpack their lockers. There's nothing in my locker but books so I sit in the class while the kids shriek and jump around outside. My teacher sits down on the desk in front of me. "Hey Tak-kun..." She murmurs. I jerk my head up.

"What?" I whisper. Her smile widens and spreads from ear to ear.

"Hey Tak-kuuun..." She hisses. Her eyes glow red. She raises a red Gibson EB-O and smashes the desk. It splits in two. The shrieks of the kids in the hallway sound miles away. "You're the one I saw first Ta-kuuuun...Never is enough...Then you just hit hit hit kaking!" Her heads tilts to the side and her lips part showing pointy teeth. "Bingo..."

I jolt awake. I'm alone in the room. I grit my teeth and clench my fists.

It's over. I'm not going to allow this anymore. I want answers.

Now.

I run home, dodging cars in the street. Only Mamimi's there, lying in the same position as morning. She's holding a cigarette in one hand and a marker in another though. I run upstairs and yank open a drawer. I nod. Everything's there. There's nothing to do but wait. So I pull out the Rickenbacker and play. I start to hum the vocal part to the song I'm playing - Ride on Shooting Star, I think. When I'm finished I noticed Mamimi's arms around me again. "Rock Star." She whispers, nuzzling me. I sit still and let her relax against me.

"Mamimi?" I whisper. "Mamimi?" I shrug my shoulder which her head is rested on. She jumps a little. "Did you fall asleep?" I murmur. Mamimi nuzzles me again.

"Did I? I'm always so tired, Tak-kun..." She relaxes against me again and I shrug my shoulders again.

"Don't call me that. My name's Naota." Mamimi hugs me close to her.

"Sorry."

I stand up.

"I have to go." I say quietly.

"Naota-kun." Mamimi grabs the bottom of my shirt. "You're taking your guitar?" I clutch the Rickenbacker tightly.

"Yeah." I grab my backpack and leave. It's a pain to walk, considering where I'm going but I deal with it. The sun seems to follow me, just behind me as I walk. I hike the hill and when I finally reached the top, Haruko's there, her pink hair blowing softly in the wind. The Rabbit is next to her, silhouetted by the setting sun. The grass has already grown over where the Metal Mechanica factory used to be. "Raharu." I call. Haruko turns.

"Don't call me that." Haruko says. "I hate that name."

"Why? What is that name?" I ask. Haruko smiles at me. Her eyes are pained.

"I can't tell you."

"Why not?" I demand, taking a step towards her.

"I"-

"Tell me!" I shout. Haruko jumps a little. "Tell me why you left all your clothes here - like you were going to pick them up or something." I dump out the contents of my backpack on the ground in front of her. "Tell me who you are and what you do and where you went. Tell me everything!" Haruko shakes her head.

"I can't." She says. Her voice cracks. I grip the Rickenbacker. I'll have to do it. I didn't want to, but have to but I do. I take another step towards her then take a running start, jump and swing the Rickenbacker. The Gibson Flying V blocks it seconds before it hits Haruko.

"Naota what are you doing?" Haruko yells.

"Looking for answers!" I shout back. I heave the Rickenbacker and swing it again.

Hit!

I push her down the hill with my attacks.

Hit!

"Naota! Stop!" Haruko shouts.

"Why?" I bellow, swinging again. The Flying V breaks.

Hit!

Haruko's eyes widen in shock and horror. Time freezes again. Our eyes meet and Haruko's eyes do something that might've been pleading but I couldn't tell in the moment I could see them. When time resumes, I don't stop to think.

I swing.

Kaking!

Haruko slams into ground.

Bingo.

She props herself up, groaning. I pull the motor and the guitar starts to vibrate in my hands. My entire body hums with power.

"Tell me." I say. My voice is low and shocks even myself. Haruko stares at me and sighs.

"Fine." She stands up and looks me in the eyes. "I'm Haruha Raharu, an ex-Galaxy Space Police Brotherhood member. My planet was ravaged by Metal Mechanica. When the Galaxy Space Police Brotherhood showed up, they took me with them. Atomsk was my prisoner and I fell in love with him. He told me that if I let him go he would help me get revenge against Metal Mechanica. I let him go but he just escaped and didn't keep his promise. I was kicked out of the Galaxy Space Police Brotherhood. When they learned that I had gone through their records searching for clues about Metal Mechanica, they wanted me back for questioning to see what I knew but I was already gone in search of Atomsk. They probably want their sub-light Vespa and N.O. Channel Rickenbacker back too. I left to search for Atomsk but then I came back. I call myself Haruhara Haruko now - the name of my superior. She was sort of like a mother to me." Haruko tilts her head back slightly and grins. "You know the feeling I'm sure."

My face feels hot.

"Why did you come back?" I ask.

"Because Tak-kun..." Haruko looks at me. "I need to find Atomsk." I can tell she's lying. Everything about her shows it, even though her voice is steady and her body is calm and she's looking me right in the eye. I can tell. Haruko hikes up the hill and I hear the Rabbit rumble as it drives away. Night has fallen. I sit down at the base of the hill and lean back. The stars twinkle softly here - it's the actually the darkest spot in Mabase. I close my eyes and drift off.

"Is he dead?"

"I dunno - poke him!"

Something jabs my shoulder. I open my eyes slowly. Masashi and Gaku stand in front of me. "Hey." Masashi grunts.

"Are you dead?" Gaku shouts. I climb up and glare at them.

"No." I mutter.

"What's with the guitar?" Masashi asks. I glance at the Rickenbacker.

"Oh yeah...Just...practicing..." My heart stops for a second as I wonder what happened to Haruko. I wonder if her N.O. channel has been opened.

"You're late for school." Masashi says. "The teacher told us to go find you."

"Your wife told us that you'd be here." Gaku looks around. "Where's the Vespa woman? I heard she was back."

"Mamimi's not my wife. She's my brother's ex-girlfriend. And it's not 'the Vespa woman.' She has a name. Ha"- I cut myself off. "Raharu." Gaku nods and looks up.

"Whoa! What happened there?" He shouts. I glance up and see the gashes in the earth from Haruko and my battle. Gaku starts to climb the hill. Masashi looks at me.

"Hey Naota-kun, what's up with you?" I give Masashi a bored look.

"Nothing." I say.

"Naota-kun!" Gaku shouts, sliding down the hill. I look up at him. "Aren't you going to school?" I think back to Mamimi who sat under a bridge and waited for me instead of going to school.

"No." I say and I walk away.

"Naota-kun!" Mamimi shouts as soon as I come home. "Haruko-san she"-

"I don't want to know." I say. I walk upstairs. Haruko's there.

"Naota-kun." She says. She has a bandage wrapped around her head.

"Did I...open it?" I ask. Haruko shakes her head.

"No. You have to start the motor." Haruko says.

"So what do I call you now?" I ask, shouldering the guitar. Haruko grins.

"Mother." She laughs. I turn away. "Haruko. Call me Haruko." She calls after me. Her voice sounds rushed and worried.

At night I hear noises in my father's old bedroom. I take the Rickenbacker with me and creep over. I shove the door open and see Haruko sitting in my father's bed, curled up in his sheets. I don't think they've been touched since my father left. "Haruko?" I murmur. She looks up at me, her yellow-green eyes bloodshot. "You really did like my dad?" I mutter. Haruko smiles at me.

"No."

I stare at her hard. "Why are you here? You haven't been doing anything related to looking for Atomsk. You haven't even opened an N.O. portal or anything. Besides my cat's not here to talk to." Haruko looks at the sheets. "Why are you here?" I ask. Haruko stands up, still wearing the jumpsuit.

"Come on." She says, brushing past me. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Then I turn and follow her.