Planet Earth, the beautiful blue pearl of the Sol System. Populated by humans, it was in no way perfect but it was mostly peaceful despite having its fair share of problems. Aside from a few conflicts here and there, the world was in harmony. Defended by the heroic NEO-NUMBERS, it was protected from threats both within and without.
Speaking of threats, a new one was approaching fast. A ship of alien origin was careening towards the planet at high speeds. It had a saucer-like shape, typically associated with UFOs. It was not alone as it was being pursued by half a dozen dark space fighters. These fighters had a dark colour scheme with a dagger-like shape and saucer-like rear sections that gave them an appearance that just screamed pure evil. The alien ships entered Earth's atmosphere, flying past the Hive Satellite which instantly detected them upon entry. It immediately sent an alert to the NEO-NUMBERS.
October 11th, 1992
"Thanks for joining me, Shin," Keiichi smiled as Shinichi joined him for his latest assignment. Keiichi was sent to cover the tech expo and since his usual photographer could not make it due to a family emergency, he had asked his friend for help.
"Hey, it's no problem, Kei," Shinichi said, holding his camera. "Like I told you before, if you ever need a photographer, then I'm your man."
"I really appreciate that but what are you wearing?" Keiichi questioned, looking his friend up and down. He had a good reason to ask as his friend was not dressed like he normally would. Currently, Shinichi sported a blue flannel shirt with dark slacks and suspenders. On his feet, he wore brown loafers. On his head, he had on a newsboy cap and if that was not enough he also included a bowtie.
"Have to look the part," Shinichi defended, adjusting his perception filter glasses. "I am your photographer and your personal 'Jimmy Olsen'." Keiichi did not understand the reference but chose not to comment. He was used to Shinichi's antics and he had to admit that what he wore was a pretty good disguise. The glasses also helped him blend in by making him unnoticeable. "So, what's the story you're supposed to be covering anyway?"
"There's going to be an unveiling of a new and highly advanced piece of technology. Nobody knows anything about it, except that it's been in development for years," Keiichi explained.
"Oh, and who developed it?"
"A foreign scientist. Can't remember her name though but I think it starts with a 'V'. Oh, it's starting now. Make sure to take plenty of pictures."
They both watched the stage as a woman with a briefcase walked onto it and Shinichi's jaw dropped the instant he saw who she was.
"Guten tag. My name is Doctor Viviana Eisenberg," she introduced herself. "Allow me to present to you the Cyberdeck Portable Computer system." She placed the briefcase on top of a table and cameras focused on it. The large screen behind her displayed an enlarged image of the item as she unveiled her invention. The briefcase opened to reveal a slim computer monitor and a keyboard integrated into the interior of the case. "As you can see, this computer is small enough to be carried anywhere. It has a rechargeable battery that can last for up to twelve hours and only needs one hour to be fully charged."
Shinichi was left speechless when he saw Viviana again. The last time he had seen her was before he jumped into the past to prevent her parents' death. She looked different now too. Instead of the hate-filled, rageful glare she had before, her gaze was much more relaxed and showed plenty of intelligence. She had grown out her red hair which she tied into a bun and she was also wearing a smart pants suit. Like her parents, she was a certified genius as she was able to invent the Cyberdeck which looked like one of those laptops he had seen in ARMOR.
"Now, any questions?" Viviana requested. She spotted Keiichi who raised his hand. "Yes, please."
"Dr. Eisenberg, what gave you the idea to create the Cyberdeck?" Keiichi asked.
"Oh, the idea for the Cyberdeck came to me in a dream," Viviana answered. "And my original prototype was built from scrap. Ever since then, I've been working to perfect it into the device you see today."
"And you believe everyone will want one of your Cyberdecks?"
"We live in extraordinary times and are nearly a decade closer to a new century and a new millennium. That is why I believe technology should take a huge leap forward. The future is coming and we mustn't be left behind. I predict that very soon, my Cyberdeck will be seen in every home and office," Viviana explained.
Shinichi took pictures of Viviana and her Cyberdeck. It was an advanced form of computer that was ahead of its time but he had a feeling it would soon be in every household. Once it hit the market, he would get one for his mother as a present. While surprised to see Viviana again, he was glad to see that the changes he had made in the timeline allowed her to lead a happy and fulfilling life. Living for the sake of revenge just wasn't worth it in the long run. He knew what it was like to be so consumed by hatred.
"Shinichi!" Sheila's voice suddenly rang through his com-link.
"Gah, Sheila!" Shinichi exclaimed as he put his finger against the back of his ear, touching his com-link. "Sheila, give a guy some warning next time, will you?"
"My apologies, but I need to tell you that several extraterrestrial vessels have entered Earth's atmosphere."
"Extraterrestrial? You mean aliens?"
"Affirmative. ETA is five minutes and according to their trajectory, they will arrive near your location. I am sending you the coordinates now."
"That's not too far from here," Shinichi nodded as he received the coordinates. He tapped Keiichi's shoulder. "Kei, I gotta go."
"Go?" Keiichi asked and he noticed his friend's serious expression. "There's trouble coming, isn't there?"
"Yeah, of the ET kind," Shinichi confirmed as he handed his friends his camera. "Here, I took a lot of pictures of the event already. Just get them developed and you're good."
"Thanks. Now, go and be a hero," Keiichi urged and Shinichi nodded before he took off and disappeared into the crowd.
The saucer had crash-landed in the middle of a park. Fortunately, no civilians were harmed. Many had fled but a few still lingered, watching the ship curiously. A hatch on top of the saucer opened up and the occupant crawled out of it. Due to Hollywood movies, people expected to see an ugly monstrosity as aliens were normally depicted as hideous creatures. The most popular depictions were little green men or BEM's, Bug-Eyes Monsters. This alien, however, was neither of those. In fact, she looked completely human. She was a woman who was dressed only in a tiger-skin bikini with matching boots that showed off a lot of skin along with her curvy and sexy figure. Her hair was a dark shade of green and the only inhuman traits she had were the short horns she sported on her head. These, however, did not ruin her beauty but instead enhanced it by giving her an even more exotic look.
The dagger-shaped space fighters landed shortly after. The bow of the fighters opened up like jaws to allow their occupants to march out. Known as Bone Warpers, they were hideous grey-skinned humanoids clad in twisted bone armour with helmets that sported a single, red cycloptic eye. These aliens were armed with halberds, showing their hostile intent.
"Princess Lum Invader, you will come with us, now!" demanded the leader of the Bone Warpers. He was distinct from the others as his helmet sported horns and his armour was marked with a blood red stripe on each shoulder. "Do not resist! Comply and no harm shall come to you!"
"Never!" the alien woman - Lum - shouted back in defiance at the twelve Bone Warpers.
"So be it. Pray that Lord Acheron shows you mercy."
Lum clenched her fists, electricity crackling around her. She did not see any way out of this but to fight these Bone Warpers here and now. However, she did not like her chances as they had her outnumbered and outgunned.
The Bone Warpers charged in to apprehend her and she lashed out with lightning blasts from her hands. She struck one of the Bone Warpers, knocking him to the ground, and leaving him with a dark scorch mark on his armour. The rest quickly fired upon her with their halberds and she flew around in the air to dodge their weapons' energy blasts. She fired another lightning blast, hitting another Bone Warper but she was hit in the shoulder. She let out a cry of pain before another blast hit her in the stomach, incapacitating her and sending her crashing to the ground. The Bone Warpers had been ordered to take her in alive so they had set their weapons to stun instead of kill.
Lum groaned in pain, lying helplessly on the ground. The stun blasts had left her temporarily paralyzed and unable to use her powers. Now, she was at their mercy. As the Bone Warpers moved in to capture her, a blue portal opened up beside Lum and Shinichi stepped out. He saw the UFO wreckage and then he looked beside himself to see an injured bikini-clad alien female who looked like a sexy oni woman. Finally, he looked at the grey-skinned aliens in bone armour who were armed with hi-tech halberds.
"I'm not going to assume or judge by appearance but I'm pretty sure you're not friendly," Shinichi said, pointing at the bone-armoured aliens.
"Stand aside, Terran!" the leader of the bone-armoured aliens shouted. "This is not any of your business!"
Shinichi's universal translator started working and miraculously allowed him to understand him.
"Not a chance," Shinichi retorted, his eyes shining. "Now, tell me what you're doing here."
"This female is under arrest for crimes against our empire! She is to be taken into custody! Now, stand aside and you will not be harmed!"
"No, he's lying!" the oni woman denied. "They're the bad guys!"
Shinichi was not sure who to believe but he saw how scared she looked and how menacing these Bone Warpers appeared.
"Look, I don't know who's telling the truth, so how about we all go someplace where we can talk about this?" Shinichi offered diplomatically. "How does that sound, guys?"
The leader of the Bone Warpers gave his answer by attacking Shinichi, firing a burst of energy from his halberd. It flew past Shinichi's head, blowing back his hair before it hit a tree behind him and blew it up.
"That was a warning shot, Terran! Now, step aside or the next one won't miss!" the Bone Warper leader warned him. Shinichi took a deep breath. It seemed like these guys meant business. Guess diplomacy was out the window.
"Can you run?" Shinichi asked the alien woman.
"I can't move," Lum answered, still paralyzed by the stun blasts. Shinichi drew a circle counterclockwise and her body was enveloped in a green glow that took away her injuries and the paralysis. "Huh?"
"You better find some cover," Shinichi advised the alien girl as he summoned his Spark Core. "But don't run too far. We still need to talk. Henshin!" In a flash, he transformed into Kamen Rider V3. "This will be over quickly."
The Bone Warpers charged at Showa V3 who got into a ready stance. They fired their halberds at him and he charged at them, bobbing and weaving between their shots as he closed the distance between them. He punched the Bone Warper leader in the face, knocking him to the ground and then spun around to kick another Bone Warper in the stomach, sending him tumbling across the street. Two of the Bone Warpers swung their halberds at him but Showa V3 caught their weapons by the shafts and snapped them in half before he backhanded them both. He delivered a flying kick into a Bone Warper, then sprung off his chest to deliver a repeat kick at the same point of contact, sending him flying.
"Freezer Shot!"
Showa V3 fired a sub-zero freeze ray at a Bone Warper, freezing him solid.
"V3 Thunder!"
Next, he fired electricity from his antennae, electrocuting some Bone Warpers until they passed out. He aimed to subdue, not kill.
"Rider Centrifugal Kick!"
He leapt and spun in mid-air, generating centrifugal power before landing a powerful kick that sent several Bone Warpers flying.
Meanwhile, Lum watched in amazement as she took cover behind the wreckage of her ship. Her eyes were wide and sparkling, and she had a faint blush on her cheeks as she witnessed this Terran warrior fight for her. While most of the galaxy considered Terrans as a primitive, weak and squishy race, there were also rumours of a small number of them possessing powers and being capable of accomplishing miraculous feats of heroism. Now, she was witnessing this first-hand.
As Showa V3 sent another Bone Warper to the ground with a kick, he heard Sheila call him.
"Shinichi, backup is en route," Sheila informed Showa V3 through his com-link.
"Good to know!" Showa V3 responded as he threw a Bone Warper to the ground with a palm strike. They regrouped and fired upon him but he shielded himself with the V3 barrier, neutralising their blasts with an electrical field of 1,000,000 volts.
As Lum continued to watch, another swirling portal opened up. Nothing came out of it until she could hear strange music coming out of it moments before an armoured jeep came speeding out. The radio was screaming Mariachi music. Sitting in the driver's seat was Kamen Rider Slasher with Kamen Rider Zero sitting shotgun beside him. A machine gun turret was mounted in the back, being manned by Kamen Rider Musician as he began firing while cursing at the Bone Warpers who scattered to avoid being riddled with bullets.
"EAT DIRT, ET SCUM! THAT'S RIGHT! COME GET SOME, YOU ALIEN MOTHERFUCKERS! NOW GET OFF MY FUCKING PLANETS, TROGLODYTES!"
"Does he even know what 'troglodyte' means?" Zero asked as he got out of the jeep with Slasher who shrugged in response.
"Nice of you to join the party," Showa V3 quipped as he threw a Bone Warper down with a punch.
"I'm surprised you haven't beaten these guys yet," Zero retorted as he fired his stinger blasts.
"And leave you out of the fun? No way!" Showa V3 responded as he delivered a roundhouse kick, knocking another Bone Warper to the ground. He threw a Bone Warper over his shoulder and then sent one flying with a palm strike to the chest, the force of the blow nearly breaking his armour.
Slasher said nothing as he struck with his chainsaws, causing sparks to fly as he violently attacked the Bone Warpers. Meanwhile, Musician continued to provide cover fire, cursing all the time. One of the Bone Warpers tried to knock him off the jeep but he kicked the alien in the face, knocking him out.
"EAT SHIT, ALIEN SCUM!" Musician yelled. A Bone Warper fired at Musician and destroyed the machine gun, much to his chagrin. Screaming in rage, he summoned his Musician Fork and fired a deafening sonic blast, shattering the Bone Warper's armour as he screamed. "DIE, YOU MOTHERFUCKER!"
The remaining Bone Warpers regrouped and lined up with their halberds aimed at the Riders, preparing to fire upon them.
"Set them to full power and fire!" If these Terrans were going to get in the way, then they were going to be dispatched without any mercy.
"Leave them to me, guys," Showa V3 said, standing his ground as his Spark Core glowed and projected an image of V3's Double Typhoon belt over it. While fighting the Bone Warpers, he had been gathering wind energy in his Spark Core and was just waiting for the right time to unleash it.
That time was now.
"V3...REVERSE DOUBLE TYPHOON!"
The Spark Core expelled the energy Showa V3 had stored in his body, sending out a swirling blast that blew the Bone Warpers away. They were sucked by a tornado that carried them violently into the air, destroying their weapons and armour. Once the attack ceased, the Bone Warpers all fell in a heap, utterly defeated. Shinichi undid his transformation and spread his wings, the feathers raining from them. Approaching one of the aliens, he scowled deeply.
"I'm only going to say this once: Get the hell off my planet," Shinichi commanded, his eyes glowing menacingly.
The Bone Warper looked at Shinichi defiantly but when he saw the blue wings, his eyes widened in abject horror.
"Law...Lawmaker!"
"Huh?" Shinichi blinked. Lawmaker? What did he mean by that?
The frightened Bone Warpers scrambled to their feet, picked up their wounded comrades and ran for their ships. Shinichi watched as the space fighters lifted off and shot into the sky, leaving planet Earth.
"OK..." Shinichi tucked his wings back. "Well, guess that solves that problem."
"Who were those guys?" Shogo asked as Chiaki and Daichi disengaged their armour. "What did they want?"
"They were after a woman. She's right over there," Shinichi answered and he pointed at the saucer. "You can come out now. Those guys can't hurt you anymore."
The alien woman stepped out from behind her flying saucer and she flew straight at Shinichi, hugging his arm lovingly.
"Darling!" the green-haired alien suddenly glomped on him, hugging him lovingly. "You saved me!" She kissed him on the cheek.
"'Darling'?" Shogo repeated. When Daichi saw her, he could not help but shake his head.
"Of course, you'd come to her rescue. Look at how she's dressed," Daichi commented, rolling his eyes.
"Hey, how she's dressed isn't a factor in why I saved her," Shinichi defended as he removed his arm from the alien woman's grasp. "She was in trouble and needed help. That's all."
"Right..." Daichi responded sarcastically but he could not deny that the woman was in trouble since she had been hunted by those other aliens.
"So, what's your name?" Shinichi asked her.
"It's Lum and thank you for saving me, Darling," Lum beamed.
"We helped too," Daichi grumbled.
"I'm Shinichi," Shinichi introduced himself to Lum. "These are my friends, Shogo, Chiaki and Daichi. Can you tell us why they were after you?"
"They were going to sell me off as a slave but I managed to escape," Lum answered. Shinichi's eyes narrowed when he heard this story. Judging by her appearance, it did not take a genius to figure out what kind of slavery they intended to sell her into.
"Looks like your ship is going to need a ton of repair," Shinichi said as he looked at the damaged saucer. "Chiaki, can you take care of it?"
"Think so. Could take me a while though," Chiaki answered. He was going to have to take a closer look at the saucer first before he could decide if he could fix it or not.
"You know, you could fix it," Daichi pointed out.
"I could but then I'd leave Chiaki with nothing to do," Shinichi replied. "Have Sheila open a teleportal to help you transport it back to base. You guys should also take Lum back to the Hive Tower so Hana can take a look at her."
"And what will you be doing?" Daichi demanded to know as he put his hands on his hips, annoyed that he was being given babysitter duty.
"I gotta head back. I left Keiichi at the expo and I don't wanna keep him waiting. Then I have to head back home to help plan a wedding. There's a lot of work to do," Shinichi answered. At the mention of a wedding, Lum squealed and glomped Shinichi tightly. "Hey!"
"Oh, Darling! Of course, I'll marry you!" Lum exclaimed excitedly.
"Huh!?"
"If you're having a wedding then I want to marry you!"
"Wait, what!?"
"And another girl gets added to your harem," Daichi deadpanned. "You damn manwhore."
"Gah, screw off!" Shinichi snapped as he tried to remove Lum from his body but she had a strong grip as she affectionately held him.
Meanwhile, the Coyote sat atop a nearby billboard, watching the entire scene. She smiled in amusement as her parents officially met for the first time.
Showa Chronicles: Road to Annihilation
Act I: The Calm before Disaster
June 20th, 1993
Eight months had passed since the NEO-NUMBERS saved Lum from the Bone Warpers. Since then, Lum had decided to remain on Earth while staying under their protection. When Shinichi introduced her to the others, the first thing they commented on was her clothes. She was half-naked in that revealing bikini of hers. Also, she seemed to have taken an instant liking to Shinichi since she kept calling him 'Darling'. As Lum did not have a place to stay, she had been staying at the Hive Tower and given her own quarters.
The Hive Tower was the NEO-NUMBERS' current headquarters on Earth-83. Built on what used to be Hinamizawa's junkyard, the Hive Tower stood as a proud and powerful monument. It overlooked the village, standing guard like a sentinel. While many of the traditionalists protested its construction, they were overruled by Mion and Rika, the heads of two of Hinamizawa's Three Great Houses. As this would not be harmful to their village as the dam project would have been, the rest of the villagers supported its construction as well.
The tower had several floors. The lobby was located on the ground floor where the main entrance was and there was a gift shop there. The garage was also located on the ground floor. The living quarters were on the first floor which made the Hive Tower like a second home for the NEO-NUMBERS.
Next was the second floor which was used for training. This was where the gymnasium was located as well as the Danger Room. It used holographic technology to simulate all sorts of environments to maximise training.
The Recreation Area was located on the third floor and it had holographic simulation (HoloSim) chambers installed. The medical lab and infirmary were on the fourth floor.
Their command centre was on the fifth floor and this was where they held meetings, made plans and prepared for missions. The command centre was also where their Teleportal System was located and the computers were connected to the Hive Satellite.
The sixth floor was the lounge area. It functioned as the team's living room where they could just relax, chill and entertain guests. It was equipped with a huge screen that functioned as a TV, a bookcase full of books of assorted genres, a kitchen area for cooking, and a dining area where they could have their meals.
The swimming pool was located on the roof along with a multi-purpose sports court and a helipad. The team's logo, a huge 'N2' was mounted on the roof as well.
The basement held the backup Teleportal System. The sub-basement level had the meta-holding cells that were used to hold superpowered criminals before they called ARMOR to pick them up. The whole tower's systems were run by Sheila, the NEO-NUMBERS' AI.
Shinichi was in Genovia with Rena, Satan, Shawna, Tsukuyomi and Lum. They were all planning the grand royal wedding which was kind of a big deal in Genovia. Traditionally, when a man had multiple lovers, he would marry all of them at once and not only was it a grand occasion but it was perfectly legal in Genovia. Tsukuyomi had been reduced to a blushing and stuttering mess when Shinichi asked her to marry him. Speaking of Tsukuyomi, the demigoddess was trying to avoid her big sister Amaterasu who kept insisting that she try out the kimonos she had chosen for the wedding.
"Why do I need to wear a kimono?" Tsukuyomi complained, crossing her arms stubbornly.
"Because it's your wedding," Amaterasu reminded. "The other girls have already chosen their dresses and will look lovely. You need to look lovely too. Besides, now that you've given birth, your fine and slender figure has returned."
Tsukuyomi and Shinichi's daughter had been born six months ago and it had been a very eventful birth.
"Shinichi-sama, I think I'm going into labour," Tsukuyomi said and the cyborg immediately stopped what he was doing to take her hand.
"Let's get you to a hospital!"
"No need. Just grab a blanket. It's time," Tsukuyomi said calmly as her body glowed.
"OK, that's different," Shinichi said as an orb of light floated out of Tsukuyomi's stomach which deflated until it was flat again, not even leaving any stretch marks. Shinichi gave the baby blanket to Tsukuyomi and the orb landed in the blanket before it changed into a baby. Tsukuyomi gently wrapped their baby in the blanket and held it. The baby cooed cutely with her golden eyes staring back at her parents curiously.
"Meet your daughter," Tsukuyomi introduced. Shinichi recovered from the surprise of watching Tsukuyomi give birth. He had been ready to rush her to the nearest hospital while she screamed at him to hurry. Then, he also expected to be in the delivery room, holding her hand as she pushed their baby out as she screamed at him again. But Tsukuyomi was a demigoddess so childbirth was a different and painless experience for her.
"She's as beautiful as her mom," Shinichi admired. "What are we gonna call her?"
"I knew a princess who lived on the moon ages ago," Tsukuyomi blushed as she smiled happily. "Her name was... Kaguya."
Never in a million years could Amaterasu imagine her sister having a daughter and getting married too. It was like a dream come true. Until she met Shinichi, Tsukuyomi never met a man that was worthy of her. And just like Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi had given up half of her godhood as she wished to have a relationship with him.
While Shinichi was already married to Rena and Satan, Shawna insisted that they hold a grand wedding ceremony with Shinichi as the groom and his harem as his brides. She also insisted on paying for the whole thing and the wedding would be held in the church. Shinichi really couldn't refuse Shawna and left most of the planning to her and the others.
Shinichi was not idle, however, as he was busy checking the guest list. His eyes lingered on Warren's name. Warren Smith was his biological father who never knew he existed until after the man came to recruit him personally. He had resented the man for not trying to save him when he had the power and resources to do so, but doing so would have caused a paradox and Shinichi's life would have changed unpredictably. Shinichi had long accepted that it was his destiny to become Kamen Rider Showa and managed to put his suffering behind him. It did take a while before Shinichi officially accepted Warren and considered him family.
When Warren had invited Shinichi to attend the Smith Family Barbeque, he decided to accept and bring along his family.
Shinichi stepped out of a blue portal with his family. He was accompanied by Rena, Shawna, Satan and their children. His parents Shiori, Kasai, their son Sho and their adopted daughters Rika and Hanyuu were also with them. Tsukuyomi, unfortunately, could not attend with them.
"Well, here we are," Shinichi said as he and his family arrived in the park. He spotted a huge banner which read 'SMITH FAMILY BBQ' in big bold letters and found where the party was being held. He saw members of the Smith Clan all mingling with drinks in hand or eating burgers and hot dogs. Warren Smith was manning the grill as he cooked burgers and hot dogs for his family. "And there they are."
"C'mon, Shin-kun," Rena encouraged. "Cheer up."
"I'm just, well, not sure if I belong here," Shinichi said doubtfully.
"Warren-san invited you. He wouldn't have done it if he didn't think you belonged here," Rena reminded. "Now, c'mon, let's go say hi. We don't want to be rude."
Warren was happily chatting with Ryuki wearing an apron that read 'For God's Sakes Just Let Me Grill!' with the picture of a man with a grill when he saw Shinichi and his family coming their way.
"Ryuki, man the grill for me, will ya?" Warren asked as he handed the tongs to Ryuki. He then greeted the new arrivals with a smile and open arms. "You all made it!"
"Of course," Rena smiled brightly. "We wouldn't miss it. Right, Shin-kun?"
"Right," Shinichi nodded. "You don't mind that I brought my whole family, do you?"
"Not at all. I was actually hoping for it," Warren smiled as he looked at the kids. Satan was carrying Hiroyuki in her arms. He was already three years old as he smiled at his grandfather. "Hey, Hiro."
"Grandpa!" Hiroyuki greeted him back, smiling. While Shinichi and Warren were not that close, the cyborg would not deprive his biological father of the chance of seeing his grandchildren.
"Jiro's looking big and healthy," Warren observed as he saw Shinjiro sitting in his baby stroller. "And so are the twins." He looked at Layna and Crow who both slept soundly in their shared double stroller. "Guess antenna hair runs in the family."
"Yes, and aren't they just adorable?" Shawna beamed proudly.
"Thanks again, Princess, for allowing Ryuki to give your kids a health check. I'm certain your royal medical staff was up to the task. I just have…issues with doctors and Ryuki is one of the very few I trust." Warren noticed someone missing. "Hey, I think you're missing someone."
"Tsuki-chan couldn't come, unfortunately," Shinichi said apologetically.
"That's a shame," Warren frowned before he perked up. "Well, I'll make sure to pack something for her. She is eating for two after all and she's going to need a lot of protein in her diet. Now, come on. We've got steaks, brisket, ribs, burgers and hot dogs. Have whatever you want."
"That is a lot of food," Kasai observed.
"That is a lot of meat," Shiori added more accurately.
"We have a lot of hungry guests," Warren reasoned as he had also invited the Hasumas. Those guys could eat "Now, go on and dig in. There's plenty to go around!"
As it would be rude to refuse, the group joined the party. As they started to mingle, Shinichi's kids drew a lot of attention for being adorable. Only the coldest, meanest hearts would not be taken in by cute little babies.
Shinichi went to Ryuki who had just given Naruto a burger.
"Burger or hotdog?" Ryuki offered.
"A burger," Shinichi answered and Ryuki happily put a patty between two buns and placed the burger on a paper plate.
"Papa! Papa! We're hungry!" A couple of kids, a boy and girl, ran up to Ryuki. They were twins who bore a striking resemblance to Ryuki.
"Here you go," Ryuki handed them both a hotdog each and they ran off to enjoy their treats.
"Your kids?" Shinichi asked.
"Yes," Ryuki nodded. "Ryuko and Ryutaro."
"Hey, I don't mean to be rude, but if this is a Smith Family Barbeque, then why are you here?" Shinichi questioned.
"Warren claims that I'm like family to him so my family is his family," Ryuki answered.
"Quite a family," Shinichi observed.
"Warren always wanted a big family and one that was bound by love. So it doesn't matter if you're blood-related or adopted; it's all the same to him."
"And once Warren adopts you, you're family for life," Ryuji added while he sat at a nearby picnic table with a cold bottle of beer in hand. "I'm guessing this is your first Smith Family Barbeque, huh?"
"What gave it away?" Shinichi asked rhetorically.
"Coz you have that look," Ryuji pointed. "Like you don't feel like you belong here."
"It's not that easy, you know? I know he's my biological dad but I still don't feel any kind of connection," Shinichi admitted.
"Give it time," Ryuji encouraged. "Warren has a way of worming his way into your heart."
"You all seem pretty close," Shinichi observed as he watched a few kids playing tag.
"I kinda owe Warren," Ryuji admitted. "He gave me a chance when everybody else saw a lost cause."
"Eh, that's just how Warren is," a tanned woman said as she took a seat next to Ryuji, not even bothering to introduce herself. "He always tries to see the best in everyone."
"Er…" began Shinichi. "Who are you?"
"Call me Leena," she said, finally introducing herself. "I used to work with Warren back before all this ARMOR stuff. Back then it was simpler since all we had to deal with were demonic invasions and Nazi vampires. But yeah, that's just how Warren is. 'The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb'. He has very few friends, but a huge family."
Shinichi regarded Warren's family, both biological and adopted. Leena's words rang true. Warren did indeed have a large family.
He spotted a young boy with a stern face who was holding a massive claymore that was almost as tall as he was. This was Warren's son, Leon. He was surrounded by a group of women who looked a bit out of place at the gathering as they were all clad in armour, with swords similar to Leon's strapped to their backs. They all had pale blonde hair of varying lengths. One of the women with short hair stepped forward, unsheathing her sword.
"Alright brat, let's see if you've been paying attention during your mom's lessons," she cackled. The woman lashed out her arm, which extended. Leon rolled under the attack before shooting forward. The woman withdrew her arm to block Leon's strike.
"What's up with that?" Shinichi wondered, puzzled.
"Those are the Claymores. They're related to his mom Teresa," Ryuji answered. "You could call them his aunts. Except for the one with that really intense look in her eyes. That'd be Clare, his sister."
"They must be expecting a lot from him if they're training him like that."
"Why not? He kicked your ass, didn't he?" Ryuji reminded, smirking.
"Don't remind me," Shinichi groaned. That was true. Leon, despite being so young, was pretty skilled and strong so he did not doubt that he could handle this. He looked around, trying to find the younger version of Alan. This version of him had not gotten his ring yet so Shinichi needed to be careful not to reveal too much of his future. He soon found him, throwing a frisbee with Lucy.
"Hey, Lucy," Shinichi greeted with a wave. He smiled at the younger version of Alan. "Hey, Alan."
"Shinichi!" Alan smiled as he hugged his big brother. "You came!"
"Yeah, and now I owe Naruto 1,000 yen," Lucy said to Shinichi as she lightly jabbed his shoulder. "I kinda bet him you wouldn't show up."
"You should have bet a bowl of ramen," giggled the young Alan. "It's cheaper."
"Yeah, yeah," Lucy rolled her eyes. "I'll remember that."
"Hey, Alan," Shinichi smiled. "You've grown."
"Yep," grinned the boy.
Shinichi smiled as he remembered Alan - the older version that he fought alongside - who said that he always looked up to him. He then looked at the boy sympathetically. Alan, the one he knew, had experienced a dark chapter in his life. This younger version of him had yet to experience it all. Looking at the way Alan once was, he didn't want him to lose his innocence and end up becoming Parallax's host. At one point he thought about going back in time to assassinate Major Force before he killed and stuffed Jade in a fridge but later decided against it. After learning from Warren about what he went through to try and stop Gebok from kidnapping him, he knew he'd just make things worse. As much as he hated it, Jade's murder was a fixed point and a vital part of Alan's history.
"Hey, want to see something cool?" Shinichi asked and without waiting for an answer, he freed his Void Wings which sprung out of his back.
"Cool!" cheered the awe-struck Alan. "Are they real?"
"Real and they're made of void stuff," Shinichi smiled. "Here, you can touch them."
"Cool!" Alan went and touched Shinichi's wings. "Wow!"
"Hey, would you like me to take you flying?" Shinichi offered.
"Really? That'd be awesome!"
"Not scared?" questioned Shinichi and Alan shrugged his shoulders.
"Anything that isn't a little scary usually isn't worth doing."
"Sounds like you have an adventurous spirit. Never lose that. Now, hop on my back and let's go!"
"Let's go! Up, up, and away!" Alan hopped onto Shinichi's back before he took off into the air. "WOOOHOOOOOO!"
"Try not to drop him!" Lucy yelled.
"Try not to jinx it!" Shinichi shot back.
"THIS IS AWESOME!" Alan yelled.
When Shinichi attended the barbeque, he had a good time. By then, any lingering resentment he had towards Warren had long since evaporated. They were still trying to figure out what they were to each other but baby steps, right?
Warren and his family were invited to the grand wedding. Hopefully, Shinichi's wedding would not be as eventful as Alan and Lala's wedding.
Shinichi stepped out of a blue portal to find himself in a large banquet hall.
"This seems like the right place," he said as he scanned the room.
"Freeze, Poozer!"
Shinichi immediately found himself surrounded by Green Lanterns who had their glowing power rings trained on him. He was surprised but not intimidated. They probably thought he was an intruder since he did not come through the front door like the rest of the guests.
"You can relax, gentlemen. I was invited," Shinichi answered calmly. "I'm the groom's brother. Just call Alan and he'll tell you."
"Likely story," Kilowog scoffed sceptically. "Now, no sudden moves or we'll light you up where you stand."
"Take it easy, guys," called a voice. The Lanterns lowered their rings as Alan came over, dressed in a black suit and tie, with a green buttoned shirt beneath the jacket. "He's my brother and he's invited."
"Just had to be sure, kid," huffed Killowag.
"Not a problem, big guy," smiled Alan as he patted Killowag on the back. The Lanterns all withdrew to continue their job as security. "Glad you could make it, Shinichi."
"Glad to be here. So where exactly are we?" Shinichi asked.
"A space station that's orbiting Earth," Alan answered as he walked Shinichi over to the window to see the planet Earth. "Lala's dad booked it and had it flown over for the wedding."
"Pretty extravagant," Shinichi commented, impressed.
"Lala's dad can afford it. This space station mainly functions as a chapel and he only wants what's best for his princess' special day."
"And once you marry Lala, you'll be the King of the Universe," Shinichi concluded. "Does that mean the Traveller is grounded?"
"You kidding? Lala loves hopping around the Multiverse just as much as I do. No, Gid's still King until he abdicates. Even then, I'm not royal in any way. So, I'd be more like the Consort of the Queen."
Suddenly, an alarm blared as red lights flashed rapidly, causing the guests to panic. The Lanterns immediately responded to the alarm to see what was causing it.
"What is that?" Shinichi asked.
"It's a proximity alert in case any unauthorised vessels fly too close," Alan answered and he looked outside the window to see a fleet of alien ships of different kinds and sizes. "Crap."
"I don't think they're here for the party," Shinichi observed beside Alan. Those ships looked like they were made for war.
"Damn," Alan muttered as he saw all the alien ships. "King Gid has a lot of enemies, so they figured crashing his daughter's wedding would send a message. Looks like I gotta deal with this."
"Can't you just let your Green Lantern buddies take care of this?" Shinichi asked as he saw green streaks of lights flying towards the fleet of enemy ships.
"Yeah, but Lanterns stick together. It's in the code."
"In that case, I'll take care of it for you. It's your big day, after all," Shinichi offered, patting Alan on the shoulder. "Call it my wedding gift to you."
"Well then by all means," Alan accepted with a smile.
Shinichi stepped through the time-space portal and exited from the large one outside the station. Only, he did not come out in his human form. Instead, he emerged in his dragon form, the Dragon of Dragons, a title he had claimed from Dreigon upon slaying him with Ascalon.
The enemy warships immediately opened fire on the giant armoured dragon who roared in retaliation. The dragon's armoured hide protected him from their firepower as he fired back, disabling their shields with just one shot.
"Their shields are down," Showa DxD informed the Green Lanterns.
"What the hell?" Kilowog recognized that voice. "You're Alan's brother."
"Bet he didn't tell you I could turn into a dragon," Showa DxD smirked. "Now, time to send these party crashers running!" The Dragon of Dragons roared as he fired upon the ships, damaging their hulls. The Lanterns provided backup as they took out the warships with their power rings whilst capturing the crews with energy bubbles.
The warships realised that they were severely outmatched. They had been prepared for resistance from the Green Lantern Corps and had not expected to face an ultra-powerful dragon in battle. However, that did not mean they did not have any contingencies prepared.
Several massive warships suddenly dropped out of warp. They dwarfed the other warships, and Showa DxD as he looked like an ant in comparison to them. Showa DxD's eyes went wide for a moment before they narrowed.
"The bigger they are..." he started as he began powering up an El Dragon Cero when he saw Alan fly up in front of him. "Alan?"
"How about you guys let me take care of this one, OK?" Alan offered with a wink. Showa DxD watched curiously, wondering what his brother would do. Would he use his ring to blast the warships to kingdom come? Would he use his heat vision to destroy them? Would he fly through the ships and tear them apart from the inside out with his super strength? Or would he use his Sonic Screwdriver to hack their systems to cause them to self-destruct? Instead of what Shinichi was expecting, Alan lifted his ring to his mouth and spoke into it. "Hello! This is the groom speaking! Now, as you can see, we have a giant dragon here that can more than decimate your ships. However, I'd rather not sully this joyous day with needless bloodshed. So, if any of you wish to leave right now, I'll allow it. And if any of you truly wish to fight, then you might as well know who you're facing: I am The Traveller. That's right. You should know that name but if you all still wish to fight, then…" Alan smiled, not even finishing his sentence. He didn't need to, as the ships turned around and made a hasty retreat. The members of the Green Lantern Corps burst into laughter.
"Way to go, kid," Kilowog chuckled, patting Alan's back. "You stopped a fight without even throwing a punch."
"The power of a terrifying reputation," Alan grinned proudly. "Alright, I need to get back. I still got a wedding to prepare for and somehow that's scarier than facing a fleet of giant warships."
After the wedding crashers were driven away, Shinichi returned to the station as he stepped out of his portal in human form. Hearing a pair of heels approaching him, he saw Conda walking over. She was dressed in a form-fitting crimson gown and had her hair done up in a bun.
"That was an impressive show of force, boy," Conda praised. "Well done."
"Well, I couldn't let them ruin Alan's special day," Shinichi shrugged. "And it was Alan who drove the rest of them away."
"I'm sure he appreciates it, nonetheless. We all do and we're all glad to have you with us today."
"Alright, Conda," began Shinichi, giving the Amazon Queen a suspicious look. "You've never been this nice to me. You didn't go hit your head or something, did you?"
"You dare to accuse the Amazon Queen of being discourteous?!" Conda growled, offended by his words.
"Yes, I am," Shinichi answered bluntly. "The few times we've interacted, you weren't exactly polite to me. In fact, you were pretty dismissive of anything I did. And after my rogue phase, you just got worse. You kept throwing insults at me and kept comparing me to Alan or my future self. Now that I think about it, you've never had anything nice to say about me, regardless of me being at my best or my worst. Which reminds me, where is my future self? Shouldn't he be here?"
Conda was at a loss for words, partly from realising he was right, and partly because she backed herself into a corner.
"Well, um, you see..." Conda fumbled.
"What she meant was this version of you, right now," Yami interjected as she approached them with Alice, both in black lolita dresses. "You just look mentally healthier right now." She looked over at Conda and gave a knowing nod, letting the queen sigh in relief.
"Oh, because I always imagined a much older version. Like someone in his thirties and with a beard," Shinichi replied. Alice suddenly ran over to him and hugged him tightly. "Hey, Alice."
"I missed you, Onii-chan" Alice whispered.
"I missed you too," Shinichi smiled, returning the hug.
"Shinichi, I know that I have not been the best person to you and that I treated you unfairly," Conda admitted as she recomposed herself. "I put your future self on a pedestal, making you feel as though it was a standard you could never reach. I'm sorry if I made things difficult for you. Alan explained several things to us after you got away from the witch, and I was unaware that your mental trauma was so grave. I didn't mean to add to your insecurities, and for that, I apologise."
"We were taking your trauma for granted," Yami added. "We knew about the things Alan went through when Parallax picked at his brain so we assumed you were the same, but that wasn't the case. After we learned everything, we felt rather terrible for the way we treated you."
"Look, I get that my behaviour was not exactly acceptable," Shinichi admitted. "I could have reached out for help instead of turning Alan and the others away but I wasn't exactly in a good place at the time. Nothing ARMOR did could stop him. Hell, Hanyuu even put the fear of God into Gebok once, literally, and even she couldn't stop him from threatening my family. So I thought the best way to protect everyone was to make sure he had all his attention on me while I dismantled everything he built. I know it may not have been my best plan but at the time it was a better alternative than letting Gebok hurt everyone else that I care about."
"At least you finally got your closure."
"Indeed, but between you and me, I would have killed the man myself for what he's done. Why didn't you?" Conda asked Shinichi.
"Because I was done being what he wanted me to be. I wasn't a killer anymore. It was that simple," Shinichi answered. "I wanted him to answer for his crimes, to pay for everything he did to me and my friends. Killing him would have just been giving him the easy way out."
"So you instead decided to give a fate much worse than death," Yami smiled darkly. "I highly approve."
"Somehow I find that compliment worrisome," Shinichi admitted.
"Darling! Darling!"
Shinichi was shaken out of his flashback by Lum. She had been given a new wardrobe thanks to Michiru and Hana taking the extraterrestrial shopping. Hana had chosen some modest pieces of clothing like blouses and blue jeans. Michiru, however, loved Lum's style and had grabbed some eye-catching and revealing outfits for the alien oni to try. The couple argued about appropriateness Vs. style until Lum broke the tie.
Since it was summer, Lum had chosen to wear a bright yellow tiger print tank top with a blue denim skirt that came down to just above her knees and matching sneakers.
"Sorry, my mind was elsewhere," Shinichi responded. "What is it, Lum-chan?"
"What do you think of this dress?" Lum said as she showed Shinichi a picture.
"Lum, that's just a bikini with a veil," Shinichi deadpanned. "That only works if we make it a beach wedding."
"But it would look good on me, right?" Lum posed. Shinichi rolled his eyes. Lum did have an amazing body and was not too shy about showing it off. Fortunately, she now limited it to the beach and the swimming pool. If she ever went out in public in her bikini, she would cause traffic accidents due to men watching her instead of the road. "C'mon, you should be more excited."
"I am excited," Shinichi claimed. "I'm getting married to the most beautiful women in the universe."
"Yeah, I bet you're excited about the wedding night too," Lum teased suggestively. "Shawna told me it's tradition for the groom to share a bed with all his brides from sundown to sunrise. Hope you brought your stamina, Darling."
"What am I, a stud?" Shinichi asked, pretending to be offended.
"Oh, yeah," Lum answered, licking her lips. "In fact, why wait for the wedding night when we can both get a room so you can screw my brains out right now?" A flash of gold butterflies suddenly appeared and Satan appeared to pinch Lum's ear.
"Nope. None of that," Satan frowned as she dragged Lum away.
"Ow, that hurts!" Lum whined.
"No sex until after the wedding," Satan scolded. "Now, come on. We've got more preparations to do, like the rehearsal dinner."
"Fine, but quit pulling my ear!"
Shinichi chuckled in amusement as he watched them go. There was another tradition in regards to Genovian weddings. The bride and groom were not supposed to have sexual intercourse for a whole month (30 days) before the day of the wedding. Not even self-pleasure was allowed.
Checking the guest list again, his eyes fell upon the name of an old friend: Kanna Kekkain.
In a Japanese manor deep in Kyoto, the young Head of the Kekkain clan sat in her meditation chamber as she chanted. Befitting her new position, Kanna looked more mature. Her hair had grown out slightly, and she was dressed in a white and red kimono. She was in deep meditation when one of the house servants entered.
"What is it?" she asked calmly, opening her eyes.
"My apologies for interrupting your meditation, Kanna-sama, but there's a letter for you," the servant said as he knelt before her and presented a letter to her. She took the letter and opened it to reveal a wedding invitation. Seeing the name of the sender, she let herself smile softly as she remembered the last time Shinichi had visited her.
"You know, I was surprised when you asked me to come over, Kanna," Shinichi said to the Head of the Kekkain Clan as he sat on the floor across from her in the meeting hall. "We didn't exactly part on the best of terms."
"That's exactly why I decided to reach out. I wanted to apologise for how I rejected your offer to help us rebuild," Kanna said sincerely.
"It's OK and I see you managed things without our help," Shinichi said. "How's your clan, by the way?"
"Everyone is doing fine. Although we have many children who lost their parents, everyone is looking after them," Kanna explained.
"I'm sorry," Shinichi said sympathetically, feeling a pang of guilt when he heard that.
"It wasn't your fault. Shiro Juuyon was the one who slaughtered my clansmen. You were the ones who wanted to help us," Kanna responded.
"No, there's something I need to say. I want to apologise on behalf of myself and my friends."
"An apology? What exactly are you apologising for?"
"I'm apologising for the slaughter that Shiro Juuyon committed on your clansmen."
"Why are you apologising for what happened?" Kanna questioned as she kept a straight face. "I told you that it was not your fault that Shiro Juuyon killed my clansmen."
"Actually, it just might be," Shinichi rebutted.
"Explain," Kanna demanded, eyes narrowed.
"We told you that, before Shiro began his plans in Kyoto, we had already defeated him. Unfortunately, he managed to survive by transferring his consciousness into a miniature body," Shinichi started. "He was so tiny, like a doll, and he acted so childishly."
"So, he was vulnerable," Kanna concluded. "Weak and powerless."
"Yeah," Shinichi admitted. "And because of that we underestimated him and we didn't think he was a threat to anybody. Didn't stop him from trying to harass us and being a nuisance but we managed to stop him quite easily."
"And not once did you think to kill him or capture him?" Kanna asked with a cold edge in her voice.
"Kanna, he was so small and powerless. He was practically no threat to anybody anymore," Shinichi answered. "Killing him would have felt wrong. Even locking him up would've been wrong since he was so child-like. But I guess he knew that we would underestimate him as a threat." Kanna remained silent, prompting Shinichi to continue. "It was a lack of foresight on our part. Shiro might have been reduced to a weakened state but that did not stop him from being a threat. He still had resources and Gnol Gnauh at his side. Once he got himself a new body, that was when he started-"
"Started killing my people," Kanna finished, clenching her fists on her lap.
"Yes," Shinichi agreed, sighing regretfully. "All to gain the powers of the Yamata no Orochi. So, I am sorry for what happened to your clan."
"He killed my clansmen, he killed my father, and devastated Kyoto," Kanna glared at Shinichi.
"I know and I know nothing I say can make up for what you've lost," Shinichi responded, looking regretful. "Yuji, Alan, all of us share the blame. We got careless and your family suffered for it."
"Get out..." Kanna growled in anger and disgust. "GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!"
Shinichi was not surprised by her reaction. She was upset and justifiably so. He nodded his head, and vanished, leaving behind feathers that scattered and faded away before they touched the ground.
Kanna took in deep breaths. She didn't mean to lose her temper like that but his words had opened old wounds. Maybe her blame was misplaced. After all, the NEO-NUMBERS had come to help them. However, she could not forget nor forgive what Shiro Juuyon had done.
"You know, you can't solely place the blame on his shoulders." Kanna gasped as she whirled around. In front of her was a mature-looking girl in her late teens who looked very much like her. She had long brown hair and deep green eyes, dressed in an Onmyouji uniform consisting of a kimono-style blouse with a female hakama-style miniskirt. She wore gloves on her hands and the narrow sleeves were detached from the blouse to leave her shoulders bare, forming an outfit that combined both Japanese and Western aesthetics. Finally, her legs were covered by white stockings that went up to her thighs.
"Who are you!?" Kanna demanded as she quickly went for her khakkhara staff.
"Don't freak out. I know what I'm about to tell you will sound strange, but it's the truth: I'm your daughter, Kagami, and I've come from the future," the unknown Onmyouji answered.
"K-K-Kagami!?" Kanna sputtered in disbelief, nearly dropping her khakkhara. "No, it's not possible! This is some kind of trick! My daughter is only three years old!"
"No tricks, Okaa-sama." Kagami pulled her glove off her right hand and held it up. "But if you require proof, I have this." Looking at her hand, Kanna noticed the family seal tattooed on her right palm.
"While this may confirm that you are a member of my clan, you could still be an imposter and I doubt you are my daughter from the future," Kanna stubbornly denied. The tattoo design was kept strictly in the clan but there was also a possibility that it could have been forged.
"As strange as it sounds, it is the truth. If I were trying to deceive you, I would have given you a much more believable story," Kagami offered logically.
"Suppose this is true and that you are my daughter. Why do you believe Shinichi isn't to blame for what happened to our clan?" Kanna questioned.
"Oh, he's partly to blame for not destroying Shiro Juuyon when he had the chance, but you have to admit our clan was also arrogant since they weren't willing to listen to the NEO-NUMBERS," Kagami responded.
"They were outsiders." Kanna defended.
"That's the elders talking, not you. Even outsiders can offer assistance if you give them the chance, Okaa-sama. Our clan should've worked together with the NEO-NUMBERS and listened to them from the start. Maybe doing so could have minimised casualties. Maybe we could have stopped Shiro Juuyon from resurrecting the Orochi," Kagami argued.
"That is a lot of maybes."
"You're right but I know that you supported the NEO-NUMBERS when they came to help."
"I did," Kanna admitted. "Because they were the ones who knew best about the situation. As Shiro Juuyon was a machine, none of our techniques had any effect on him. However, Jii-sama, Onii-sama, and the other older members refused to work with them. And because a few were in relationships with demons, that further caused a rift. Perhaps if I was successful in getting more support, things would have been different." She looked up at her future daughter. "You claim to be from the future. How is Shinichi doing there?"
"He died," Kagami answered, looking downcast.
"What?" Kanna's eyes widened in shock. "How?"
"I don't have a lot of details, but in a few years, he will go into space for one last mission," Kagami clarified. "He had everything a man could ever want, but he never succeeded in getting over his guilt, trauma, and depression. He decided that the only way for him to atone for his sins was to go out in a blaze of glory. So, to save all of existence, he sacrificed himself."
"He...he did all that...?" Kanna was stunned. "Gave up his life to save us all?"
"He sacrificed himself to save everyone and left behind many broken hearts," Kagami sighed. "You regretted not reconciling with him before he died too. You even told me that if you could turn back time, you wished to be friends again."
Kanna looked over at a picture hanging on her wall. It had been taken back when she attended college with Shinichi, both of them standing in front of their university and dressed as maids together. Amazingly, he pulled off the look quite well.
She had been shy and meek back then so the outfit was embarrassing for her, but she endured it for the boy she liked. The boy she admired. The boy... she might be losing time with. Back then, she had been able to tell that he had darkness in him. She at first thought it had been a demonic influence or taint, but it turned out the darkness was of the psychological kind, and it was killing him inside.
Kanna looked back at Kagami and gave her a small nod.
"Thank you, Kagami. You've given me a lot to think about. I don't know how you managed to come here and I don't believe you're an Ayakashi in disguise, but there is still much I'd like to ask of you. For now, I need to make the best of this time, and perhaps change things for the better before it's too late."
After leaving Kanna's home, Shinichi decided to hang out at Junko's tea shop. Michiru was there to help her grandmother.
"Guess your talk with Kanna didn't turn out so well, huh?" Michiru asked as she served him tea.
"Nope, it didn't, but I needed to get it off my chest," Shinichi answered. "And now she never wants to speak to me again."
"Oh, I don't know about that," Michiru said as she saw someone come into the tea shop. "Oh boy, look who it is." Reacting quickly, she camouflaged herself against the shop's wall.
"I knew I'd find you here," Kanna said as she walked up to Shinichi.
"I'm surprised you'd come to see me after you kicked me out of your house. Unless you're here to tell me to get the fuck out of your city," Shinichi remarked.
"No, I've come in peace. I had an enlightening conversation with someone that helped put things in perspective," Kanna said calmly.
"Oh, OK then," Shinichi nodded as Kanna took a seat in front of him.
"What Shiro Juuyon did to my clan was very traumatic for my family and I lost my father because of him. What you said dug up old wounds and I lashed out in anger. I shouldn't have done that and I'm sorry," Kanna apologised.
"Me too. I didn't mean to make you mad. I just felt that I needed to make amends," Shinichi replied.
"As do I. In a way, I am also to blame for this. My mother and I tried to garner support for you and your team in order to effectively fight Shiro Juuyon and his forces, but the clan was too set in their ways and I ended up wilting. I simply did not have the confidence back then and allowed the elders to treat you all so poorly. My clan's mistake was made out of petty pride and we paid the price for it. And, I was never able to tell you that I..." her voice slowly began to crack as her shoulders began to quake.
"Kanna?" Shinichi asked slowly.
"Never mind," she shook her head. She had lost her chance a long time ago and now they both had families and children of their own. She took a deep breath and graced him with a smile. "We both made mistakes. What I'm trying to say is that I'd like for us to start over again, Sempai."
"I'd like that, Kanna-chan," Shinichi smiled affectionately. "Hey, Michiru!"
"Yeah?" Michiru asked as she disengaged her cloak. Shinichi tossed her his camera.
"Take a picture of us together, old friends reunited," Shinichi smiled.
"You got it! Now, say cheese!"
The picture still hung on Kanna's wall to this day. After reconciling with Shinichi, she returned to the main house to discover that Future Kagami had already left, which didn't very much surprise her. She did, however, find an envelope on the table addressed to her. Inside was a picture of the two of them with Rena and a young man that resembled Shinichi who she could only assume was their son.
END OF ACT 1
DrEx: It's been a long time but I hope you enjoy this update. This chapter had a lot of exposition and flashbacks, but it was mainly for set-up and to show what everyone has been doing. Also, you may have noticed the new girl in Shinichi's harem. Yes, she's Lum Invader from Urusei Yatsura. She basically fell in love with Shinichi when he saved her from the Bone Warpers and now she's part of his harem.