So...Remember when I was like, Keroro, Tamama, Kululu, Giroro, Dororo arc?
I looked through my chapter summary, turns out that isn't how it goes. It goes Giroro next and then more Kululu I think? I'm pretty sure I left Dororo's arc out for a while for a major reason of that it took so long to find him because he's learning ninja things while the rest of the platoon's finding pekoponians in a month at most, but mostly a day and maybe a week. Dororo however? He's going to be a while.
So Dororo won't show up for a while. I'm sorry.
But next chapter after this I'm pretty sure is Giroro.
This boy...Saburo...He's unique. Kululu tried to think to himself about important things instead of his new found stunning fear of dying alone and pointlessly on Pekopon.
Saburo, his captor and possible ally was the only person Kululu knew on this planet now. He was his only hope of survival. But Saburo was an honest boy.
Kululu knew if he didn't prove himself he'd die.
"Pekoponians lure aliens onto this planet, huh?" Kululu asked once again from what he heard of. It was hard to get up from his wounds as his legs and organs slowly healed, but he was pushing himself trying to appear tougher than he actually was. Now that Saburo was around Kululu hadn't moaned in pain or shown the least bit of discomfort. Instead he had pushed those feelings down.
"I wouldn't say lure." Saburo shrugged, "I mean the aliens came here on their own, right?"
Kululu couldn't argue with that. "But most pekoponians don't like aliens. So why would you be helping me?" He didn't believe that Saburo was a kind person. He seemed to be like him just looking out for his own interests.
"Personally I have no opinions on aliens myself. I neither like nor dislike them. I have no preference." Saburo shrugged. "You however can try to make me have one." He pointed, "You seem interesting and I do have a preference for amusement. I love interesting things. So I'm seeing if you're worth the effort."
Kululu's face drew into a smile. He would do the same.
Maybe I can turn this into a successful situation for myself. Maybe I don't have to be alone on Pekopon. Saburo interested him too. And Kululu had never felt more lonely than in the moments that the angol had almost killed him and he realized that nobody would have cared.
He would just be a splotch of a name of a soldier who died on Pekopon. It wouldn't have mattered. He'd just be forgotten.
He didn't want to be nothing. He didn't want to be alone. And he didn't want to die. Saburo was the key to all three of these things. His only hope.
He'd play this dangerous game with his captor. You want amusement? I'll give you amusement. I'm sergeant major Kululu! Ku, ku, ku!
In the following week, Kululu knew that leaving Saburo's house was a bad idea. Not only because of the tight security locking him in and camera monitors, but because of the fact that Kululu was sure he was being hunted.
It didn't mean Saburo's house was a paradise either though. Saburo seemed to wire up little traps everywhere in his house that he figured Kululu might stumble upon and try to drag himself to on a crutch, the kitchen, the bathroom, the small guest room Saburo had allowed Kululu to use. It all had time sensitive bombs that Kululu needed to discover and defuse if he wanted to survive. And they would be hidden away the moment he closed his eyes.
Two can play at this game. Kululu knew why there were so many traps. Saburo was testing him. Slowly he was allowing parts of his house to open up with less junk to see how curious Kululu was, as if to psycho-analyze him to see if he valued safety or knowledge and then seeing if Kululu was a worthy intellectual foe.
Kululu loved challenges like that, Saburo would leave riddles for him with the threat of his life ending if he didn't solve them, but Kululu also had to feel worried. Because of the loss of a lot of blood and no other keronians on sight to give him a blood transfusion he wasn't at his best. He didn't really want to do all these things.
I am intellectually worthy though! I am worthy of being a friend or foe. Kululu reminded himself, pushing himself more and more to solve riddles, crosswords and try to think two steps above Saburo.
Where would he not want me to go? Where should I go? Kululu wondered. Eventually he decided that he could try to sneak into Saburo's messy library.
Saburo's house was messier than any place Kululu had ever been, but Kululu felt some solitude and peace for once in the small library.
Saburo was out doing something else- what Kululu didn't know, although he did care slightly. All Kululu knew was that he could use the time away from Saburo to get some much needed rest to heal or research more about Pekopon. And learning would be more valuable in the long run and more valued by Saburo.
Pulling out various history books, Kululu decided to research what was important to him. Pekopon's history with aliens. He quickly scanned the books, reading as quickly as he could.
"Earth is an advanced civilization, their technology being on par with many alien civilizations." Kululu deciphered, "However they haven't yet perfected space travel. They don't have the resources or the knowledge. Ku, interesting." It wasn't exactly what Keron had told them, but it made sense how they could hide the fact they knew about aliens if they didn't know about space travel.
Bet they really want it. Kululu thought to himself. He wondered if they captured some aliens instead of killing them in hopes of finding their secrets on space travel, or if they simply didn't care about exploring the universe.
Nah. They make friends with some aliens oddly enough. Those aliens would have helped given them resources on space travel if they were really that interested. Kululu remembered the angolian who had protected the pekoponian school children as her primary goal, she was obviously their ally, not a captured enemy alien to them.
Kululu continued skimming the history books trying to pick up anything that might benefit him. Anything that could be useful.
Apparently Pekopon had learned about the presence of aliens roughly five hundred years ago and started trapping them and experienced a technological boon, Kululu wasn't sure what had started this.
He finally got to a chapter that interested him a bit. About the two main political parties of Pekopon.
"They rule the planet." Kululu read aloud, "The sword party and the shield party, two opposing political parties. The shield party is known to only attack aliens that have come to the planet, trying to defend their homeland from being invaded, they however have no desire to perfect space travel and invade the universe, all they want is to put their resources into protecting their home." Kululu thought that was boring.
"The sword party however wants more. They want to colonize the entire universe before aliens can invade them, hoping to torture information out of aliens how to make better spaceships. Ku, ku, ku." Kululu read out loud. He looked at various examples of what both parties did and stood for. Overall the sword party seemed much more outwardly cruel.
"Learning about the party system, huh?" Saburo said out loud, closing the door behind him. He had caught Kululu in the library.
Kululu stood up, appearing unfazed that Saburo had caught him. "Yeah. Not going to lie, I was curious about why this planet was so much different than I was told about. Ku, ku, ku. Which...Which party do you belong to?" The book had said all pekoponians belonged to one of the parties. They were all very opinionated.
Saburo sat down. He didn't seem to look mad that Kululu had rummaged through his books. "Each party has their strong sides. For example the sword party is back by this huge empire called the Nishizawa empire- The richest people in the world, they control 52% of the economy." Saburo explained.
Kululu frowned. Saburo was avoiding the question.
"The shield party also has strong allies. I've heard the ninja clans back them. I suppose they're more defensive than offensive." Saburo snickered.
"Well? Which do you side with?" Kululu asked again.
"Neither." Saburo admitted, "I'll go with whichever one most benefits the situation at the moment. I only choose the winning side. Not the losing one. I trust that you are the same?"
Kululu didn't back down from Saburo's gaze. "Of course." For some reason he knew disagreeing with Saburo was a bad choice.
He wanted to be like him. Exactly like him. It was the only way to survive. He needed him as an ally so he could heal.
Saburo kept disappearing and leaving Kululu at home alone. Kululu wasn't sure where he would go.
He was fine with me exploring the library maybe I should look a bit farther. He tried to swallow his fear and get farther in Saburo's house. His goal was to stake out the entire house and find the windows.
Going slowly because of his crushed leg that was slowly healing, he eventually got to the end of the hall and a room labeled TV room.
He opened the door to the entertainment room, a room that he assumed would be Saburo's favorite.
Maybe I'll modify his television for him. That's sure to get me in good standing. Kululu decided. He didn't need to be Saburo's pet or captive, he could pretend that he was being here out of his own free will thankful for Saburo letting him rest up and heal.
The entertainment room was messy like all the other rooms of Saburo's house. But it was messy with the sound of screaming and the smells of rotting bodies. A large plasma TV was of course in the middle of the room, but so were cages- everywhere.
Kululu tried to keep his wit, to keep calm. This wouldn't be his fate.
"K-keronian?" Kululu turned his head to see an alien that looked like a pekoponian female. She had long blonde hair and a sort of western cowgirl outfit. Her face was teary eyed and she wore bunny ears
He couldn't figure out what species she was for the life of him. Maybe part of the space detective band? She looked like one of them. They could do relevantly simple tasks in just about .3 seconds, like putting on a hat.
"I assume you're one of the aliens he captured." Kululu tried not to panic. He was smoother, smarter than these other aliens. He wasn't a captive. If I run he'll put me in one of these cages. I must appear willing.
He needed to con Saburo more than Saburo could con him. It was a game.
The alien nodded, "My...My name is Lavie." She admitted, "I'm not sure if I'll have a name anymore though after whatever he does to me. I'm just happy that I met him as Saburo, at least me and my brother got a chance to prove myself."
"You failed." Kululu said coldly. His eyes drifted to the cage next to hers- a rotting body.
"He said he'd clean my...My brother up eventually. But he's so messy." Lavie cried, "The shipment for me comes in a week."
"So...What does he plan to do with you?" Kululu asked. What would be his fate if he didn't prove to be interesting. And what does she mean met him while he was Saburo?
"Sell me as a household slave. I suppose it's the best I could have hoped for here. I survive, he gains money. It's not torture." Lavie tried to look on the brightside. "I'm just glad he didn't catch me for his show."
As if on cue, Kululu glanced at the television.
"MUTSUMI'S LOVEY-DOVEY RELATIONSHIP SHOW!" It was a reality show broadcast, a game show basically.
Kululu could hear Saburo's voice as the host. He had a compelling voice easy to strike up emotion in the crowd.
So that's where he's been. Kululu realized.
"As you know it's one of the final episodes of the season." Mutsumi explained, "The couple that our boards have matched up will go through several obstacles, competing with the other couples to make their love grow."
It sounded simple. Sappy and unreal.
"As you know they might die in the obstacles, but hey, who cares? They're aliens!" Mutsumi laughed, "The winning couple will get to live, forced to breed. Their odd cross-breed child or in species child will be auctioned off as a slave, a memorably of this show. The rest of the losing couples will be tortured on live TV. Too bad." Mutsumi's voice laughed again as he had fake pity.
It seemed like a cruel game show. But Mutsumi sounded like he enjoyed it, and it was easy to know that Mutsumi was Saburo. It took a real idiot to not know. The pekoponians just like to see unnecessary cruelty.
Kululu didn't have a problem with that though as he watched the show and the other aliens who obviously weren't really in love and their romance was for the media's eyes only try desperately to survive he realized what kind of world he had been dropped in.
It was a winner or loser world. There was no in between. And Kululu didn't have a problem with that. He wasn't disgusted by the cruelty or frightened.
It's in my own power. I won't be a loser. Kululu decided. It calmed him to think of the world, this show as a winner/loser scenario, it meant he had some control. And it frightened Kululu to ever think about not having control.
While Mutsumi's show played, Kululu tinkered with some parts making no effort to leave the room, run or free the aliens caged as they begged for him to run or help them. Instead he fixed up his communication device.
He tried to send a message to the only platoon member that he thought might have a chance on this world. Who might be able to survive having taken survivor training.
"I don't really like you corporal Giroro, but I have to warn you. This planet isn't anything like what we predicted. It seems a bit troublesome. On our own I doubt any of us, me included, can survive. I suggest we group up around-" Kululu was cut off as Saburo tapped him on the shoulder.
He didn't squirm against him as he grabbed his communication device and crushed it.
"I can't let you do that." Saburo sighed. He glanced at the room and the TV. "It stinks in here. Can we leave to your guest room?"
"Ku, sure." Kululu nodded. He allowed Saburo to carry him. He'd be slow on his feet anyway.
"You saw that I saw the cages and your show." Kululu realized as Saburo dropped him on his bed. He was quiet for a moment, "Ku, do you intend to put me on your show if I prove myself?"
Saburo shook his head, "I only use aliens they give to me or I met as Mutsumi." He admitted, "The rest are house hold pets or sold. You don't seem to be boring in the least bit, you're interesting, so likely I won't sell you."
Kululu smiled for a moment. So he had proved himself. "I thought you said you hadn't really formed your opinions about aliens. You're clearly torturing them on your show."
"I haven't formed my opinions yet, I only do that on my show to get by for cash. And for fun." Saburo smiled, "So what did you think of it?" He asked curiously.
"I didn't mind your show. I'm a sick and twisted guy. Ku, ku, ku. It's a winner or loser world." Kululu pointed out, "I understand that more than anyone."
Saburo smiled. No alien had said they didn't mind his show before. "You've definitely earned your stay! Don't worry, you'll love being my personal slave, unlike those aliens in the cages I give my personal slaves good lives." Saburo's leg twitched as he smiled.
"I don't want to be your slave." Kululu wasn't frightened enough of Saburo to hold his tongue. Instead he was blunt. "It's not that I don't like you, buddy...It's just..." Kululu bit his lip. He had trouble admitting these things but after a shocking near death experience it was easier, "I'd rather be your friend."
Saburo gave a sad smile, "Maybe in a different world. But I don't think that's possible here." He rejected Kululu.
Kululu's hopes dropped but he nodded.
"I won't tell anyone if you stay here. I promise." Saburo eagerly told him.
Kululu shook his head. "I have to leave. You know that. And I hope you won't get in my way of me leaving."
Saburo was quiet for a moment. It was his duty as a human to stop Kululu.
Kululu brought something out of under the bed. It was the reality pen Saburo had scavenged. Kululu could have protected it to keep himself safe, but on a whim he decided to give it to Saburo instead. He handed it over. "It can draw anything. After you use it, it will work only for you." Kululu explained, "It's a reality pen I made. Ku, ku, ku. Draw something and it will come to life."
"You're giving this to me for your freedom?" Saburo asked.
"Nah, I know I could escape here easily now that I'm feeling better. Ku, ku, ku." Kululu knew he was smart, Saburo didn't look like he'd stop him. Kululu was too interesting to hurt. "I'm giving it to you to remember me by."
"A token of friendship, huh?" Saburo smiled for a moment.
Kululu neither confirmed nor denied that. "I need to go though."
Saburo nodded, "Fine. Just don't tell anyone you stayed here."
Kululu turned around, but yet again on another whim he turned back to Saburo for some final words. Instead of speaking he hugged the pekoponian boy.
Maybe it was the desire for companionship or thankfulness that he wasn't dead, but Kululu desperately wanted a hug. And Saburo hugged back smiling.
It was a moment where a human and an alien actually bonded. A rare moment.
"Bye Kululu." Saburo told him.
Kululu nodded and left. He'd always think of Saburo as a friend. Building a quick hover craft, he left the vicinity quickly.
He'd find his platoon mates. And he'd find a way to be safe on this planet.
It's kind of nice to think I have a friend out there. Kululu thought to himself.
It didn't take more than one day for Saburo to go to the government with the reality pen.
"You should see this." He boasted to the officials.
"It's just some weird teen, don't let him in." The officials growled. But eventually Saburo made it in the building.
He plopped down the reality pen on the desk of one of the higher ups. "The alien known as sergeant Major Kululu made this for me. I thought it was cool for a day until I realized how dangerous it is. It can make weapons."
"I thought the alien was dead, and that he only had the material to make one which was destroyed." The man picked up the reality pen.
Kululu was dangerous. Saburo drew something to demonstrate how amazing Kululu's technology was.
"How much do you want for this information?" The higher up asked.
"A lot. You owe me a ton of cash for this." Saburo teased.
"Put out top priority into catching the yellow frog alien known as Kululu. He may be the most dangerous alien we've faced yet." The man ordered all his underlings.
The whole world would know about Kululu soon and it was all Saburo's fault. Everybody would be hunting him.
Friendship with an alien didn't matter to him. Even if Kululu wanted it, it could never be. Saburo had to stay loyal to himself.
It's a winner or loser world and it seems I'm the winner and you're the loser. Saburo thought to himself. There game had ended, but he wondered what moves Kululu would pull to try to survive this one?
He couldn't wait to see.
Please review.
Oh yeah, I hope you liked the parties. They'll be a major point in the story.
Saburo's on neither side. Fuyuki and Momoka are part of the sword party.