The Big Switch

by dave-d

Kaname visits a medical center with secret facilities, to help research the origin of the Whispers. No good deed goes unpunished. Who will be the hero this time? The answer is not as simple as it might seem.

24. Epilogue

Okay. One final chapter. Can you make it to the finish line?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

EPILOGUE

Sousuke had chosen fishing.

Kaname had commandeered him one day after school… rushing to avoid the stampede of people who wanted a piece of her time. She told him that the next time would be his choice.

"Next time?" He had asked, innocently. 'Don't you want a next time?' That had been Kaname's response, her lips quivering, before the danger signals flashed in her eyes and she gave him a lecture about her needing to get away from things, and his needing to be there with her… for her protection, of course.

He knew quite well, that if you're the kind of angler who is always on the hunt for exciting new places to fish, places where getting there is almost as much fun as the fishing itself, then Hachijojima has everything one might want.

Hachijojima is one of eleven islands found off Tokyo Bay the southernmost island of the Izu Seven Island group bordering on the Phillppine Sea.. It's part of a volcanic island chain offering a wide variety of wild and natural experiences. Hachijojima in particular is one of the farthest islands from the center of Tokyo, which only heightens the natural wonder that comes with a remote fishing experience

The two students stood topside on the white and blue ship, the Salvia-Maru, a four-deck and 120 meter passenger and cargo ship of the Tokai Kisen line, with capacity of 814 travelers aside from the two of them. The ship's amenities included a restaurant, a room of ceiling-high automatic vending machines, and coin-operated showers. He had sprung for a deluxe cabin, complete with its own veranda.

Sousuke's choice had initially been well received. "I've heard of that place," Kaname had said. "I've heard it called Japan's Hawaii!" She had talked about needing a new swim suit… which he could help pick out… plus a new sun bonnet, walking shoes, binoculars for watching birds and whales, and more. When he told her that it was a fishing trip, her mouth had fallen open… her eyes had narrowed… and she hadn't spoken for the rest of that day.

"You said I should choose," he had told her when she would look at him again. "I chose." He had added: "I had hoped that you would accompany me. I do not have to stay by your side at all times. If I ask headquarters, Wraith will take over." Kaname had changed horses in the middle of the stream again, hearing that. Saying that the trip 'would almost be like a date,' she had started getting excited again.

Sousuke knew guns. He did not know girls, even after being one for a short while. But, it was not a problem. He had always fished alone. It would be nice to have company.

There are two ways to find fishing peace in Hachijojima: fly or take a ferry. Hopping on a plane will get you there in fifty-five minutes, while taking the ferry is a ten-hour experience.

Sousuke was in no rush. He had arranged a room at a simple inn. Crossing a large stretch of ocean on a boat is something everyone should enjoy at least once in their life. You see wildlife you wouldn't normally see, doing things you wouldn't normally see them doing, and it takes the already wonderful Hachijojima experience to another level. He was no stranger to the sea; but, this wasn't work… there would be no military interruptions. After all of the stress he had been under, he needed to cleanse his soul again, so to speak. For safety sake, after they would be out and about in plain view for such a long period, they would fly home.

"This is all so beautiful," Kaname said, one hand holding her fluttering sun hat down. She wore a sky blue dress, carried a vibrant orange day bag, and sported a bright yellow pair of sneakers. Her dictionary didn't contain the word 'inconspicuous', today. She too had been under immense strain, in the lab and afterwards upon her return to school.

"Yes," Sousuke said, looking at Kaname, and wondering why there were butterflies battling in his belly. "You… it is…." He wore a pleasant civilian ensemble, picked out by his travelling companion, of course. A deep blue shirt, pressed khaki slacks, and a pair of fashionable black sandals. He had been threatened to within an inch of his life, if he dared strap on a pair of boots. Or carry any weapons, for that matter.

His trusty Glock had accidentally fallen into his fishing case, of course.

"Do you think it makes up for it?" Kaname said, a gleam in her eye. She had caught his slight slip, knowing the meaning, even if he did not. But, she felt just the slightest taste of bitterness. She was still Kaname Chidori, and her world had been turned topsy-turvey yet again.

"For the karaoke?" Sousuke asked. "You said that if I did that with you-"

"No," Kaname said, shaking her head. "Not the karaoke." She frowned. "But… you almost ruined that, too. Why you had to choose that song… and sing it like a strangled cat…."

"Kaname?" Sousuke raised one eyebrow, and ran a hand through his hair. It needed to be cut again. He considered asking Kaname. "Which song." He had been ordered to sing so many. "This one?" He cleared his voice and spoke, rather than sang: "But shoot it in the right direction ..hey, hey, hey, hey, yeah… Make makin' it your intention… ooh yeah, ooh yeah…Live those dreams…Scheme those schemes…Got to hit me… hit me…Hit me… hit me…Hit me with those laser beams…Ow, ow, ow…Laser beam me…Ah, ah, ah…Relax… Don't do it-"

"Stop!" Kaname reached up to cover Sousuke's mouth with her hand. He was too quick, and she fell forward into thin air. She felt him save her from falling, pulling her close. Her hat fell off, but he caught it without even looking. "I still have nightmares from that song," she continued when she was able. She was feeling dizzy… not from the close call, but from the close contact with her companion.

"I find that curious," Sousuke remarked. "I would have thought that the song you chose would have done that." He took his cellphone out of his pants pocket, held it up, and pushed play:

FEEL MY PAIN! FEEL MY RAGE!

FEEL MY PAIN! FEEL MY RAGE!

I WILL ESCAPE FROM THIS CAGE!

FEEL MY PAIN! FEEL MY RAGE!

Even at low volume, the song somehow sounded loud. A young mother took her little boy by the hand and led him to another part of the ship.

LISTEN UP, OLD MAN, AND I'LL TELL YOU HOW I FEEL!

WORKING WITH YOU MAKES MY BLOOD CONGEAL!

YOU CALL ME TO BOTHER ME ON VACATION!

THIS JOB'S A DISEASE, VACAY'S THE VACCINATION!

THIS DEATH METAL SONG IS STRESS RELIEVER!

YOUR COMPANY'S VALUES!? I'M NO TRUE BELIEVER!

YOU'RE HAPPY COMING IN WHEN YOU'RE SICK AND DYING!

FOR ME, COMING IN IS MORE KICK AND CRYING!

AND THE CUSTOMERS CAN ANNOY ME TO DEATH!

I'VE NO OTHER WORD TO RHYME

WHEN I THINK OF THEM, I PRAY FOR DEATH!

The song had played to a video from Aggretsuko, naturally, since it was a song that Retsuko had sung. Kaname had found the red panda character kawaii, despite Sousuke's description of the mascot version and its actor. But, there was far more to it than that. Normally, Kaname would rather have a tooth pulled out without anesthesia, than listen to Death Metal. But, she could relate, and she too had needed to shout... some... things... out.

FEEL MY PAIN! FEEL MY RAGE!

FEEL MY PAIN! FEEL MY RAGE!

I WILL ESCAPE FROM THIS CAGE!

FEEL MY PAIN! FEEL MY RAGE!

"Sousuke!" Kaname reached for the phone. "Not here! Not now!" She tried again, no luckier than before. She stopped and stared. There were two young men dressed like metal fans, doing air guitar to the song. She and Sousuke always seemed able to flush out the crazies.

I'M IN CHARGE OF DIGITAL, OUTBOUND CALLS, AND MAKING SALES NUMBERS!

AND OF COURSE I'M FAILING ALL THREE!

YOU SIT ME DOWN AND SAY I OPEN FAKE ACCOUNTS?

YOU'LL BE HANGING FROM A TREE!

YOUR TELLERS ARE SLOW AND THE LINE TAKES FOREVER!

YOUR CUSTOMERS DUMB, BASIC THINGS THEY CAN'T REMEMBER!

NEXT PERSON WHO GIVES US SHIT ABOUT NEEDING THEIR ID,

I'LL RIP OPEN THEIR CHEST AND PLAY BASEBALL WITH THEIR SPLEEN!

Sousuke felt a strange tingling inside. Here he was playing a song he had no real desire to listen to, causing Kaname to get worked up. But, it was enjoyable, seeing her animated like that. It was almost like pulling a piece of yarn away from a kitten. His nascent smile died at birth, as he remembered what happened to his pets in the mujahedeen camps, and what he had seen done to animals while in training with the KGB. But, that memory was blown away by the salty sea wind. Kaname was no longer in his body, or mixed in with his own mind. But, he seemed to have higher spirits ever since the incident.

FEEL MY PAIN! FEEL MY RAGE!

FEEL MY PAIN! FEEL MY RAGE!

I WON'T BE A MINDLESS SLAVE!

FEEL MY PAIN! FEEL MY RAGE!

GRAAAAAAAAAH!

*OTHER GENERIC DEATH METAL GRUNTS AND ROARS*

SHITTY BOSS! SHITTY JOB! SHITTY BANK!

*INCREDIBLY AWESOME DEATH METAL GUITAR SOLO*

"Finally!" Kaname said, when Sousuke shut the song off before the brief bit remaining finished playing. She was feeling a bit miffed. Usually it didn't take her long to smack Sousuke into shape, so to speak. He had kept going and seemed to be in high spirits. Transfixed, she hadn't smacked him. In the past, she might have given him the halisen once, twice, and thrice. Was she growing soft? She seemed somewhat more stolid… more composed… when faced with the big idiot's antics. "As I was saying, do you think it makes up for it? For all that happened to me… my body… and my reputation…"

"Uhhh-hh-h." Sousuke looked troubled. He couldn't change the past; but, he was still tormented some, seeing all that had happened. Death and destruction was only part of it. He felt as if he had failed to protect Kaname, even though she hadn't been present in spirit, and he had not been present in body. "I didn't think that I had to make up for things. How can-"

"Well," Kaname said crisply. "Let's do the math." Bad choice of words. There was a little more than a week before the two of them had to make their presentation at the Tokyo Dome.

"Math, Kaname?" He gently gave her a nudge, wanting to start moving closer to the bow of the ship. Thy were pulling into their disembarkation point now, small waves lapping against the side of the ship as it slowed down.

"Yes, Sousuke." Kaname said. "Math." She looked around at the island. She almost let go of her griping altogether. The sight was so lovely, the open space so inviting. But, there would be time for all that later. "We're going to add up the score." She followed him as he joined the line to get of the boat.

"I didn't bring a calculator with me," Sousuke said, raising and lowering his tackle box. "And I doubt they have a computer we can use at the bait shop, or at the hotel." He shrugged. "Maybe someone will have an abacus." He began sweating some, having remembered something. There had only been one room available on the island near the best fishing spots, a small one with a single bed. He let out a sigh. Old habits would save him. He could sleep under the bed, of course. Kaname wasn't like Tessa, she wouldn't try to follow him under there, only to need hand-cuffing.

"I don't need one," Kaname said. She tapped her temple with one finger. "I'm smarter than any runaway robot."

"Uhhh-hh-h," Sousuke said. Now he had a good idea where things were headed. Well, Kaname might need this. It might be good therapy for her. For him? No problem. No matter what ruckus she might eventually make, the fish in these waters wouldn't hear her. Just the same, he'd see if he could nip things in the bud, "The great thing about fishing on Hachijojima is that you can rent everything you need when you get here." He picked up his pace some, wanting to stretch his legs after the ten-hour trip. "The Hachijojima Fishing Club offers visiting anglers the chance to lease fishing gear for all kinds of fishing experiences, from off the shore to on-board a boat. Which means all you really need with you when you arrive is determination and an adventurous spirit."

"Oh," Kaname said, licking her lips. Her eyes looked dark. "I packed plenty of determination. Spirit, too. You are in for an adventure."

"I-" Sousuke coughed. "Well, I didn't bring my own equipment, so trying to figure out new water may be a bit of a battle, especially water as challenging as the Pacific Ocean."

"Battle, Sousuke?" Kaname frowned. "Really? Battle?" That was one word that she didn't want to hear on a cheerful excursion. Of course, her whole spiel wouldn't be all that cheerful; but, there is a price to pay, sometimes, being with Kaname Chidori. Losers and wimps need not apply. "Minus one."

"Kaname?" Sousuke shrugged when Kaname did not elucidate. He continued with his efforts to defuse the bomb, whatever it might be. He was wise enough not to vocalize that thought. "The beautiful thing about fishing in the ocean is that you never really know what you're going to hook. It could be a monster tuna or a small, feisty bonito. The sea's the limit. And the waters around Hachijojima are no exception when it comes to ocean diversity. Anglers who make the trek-"

"Funny you should mention Trek," Kaname said. "That's minus one, too. And we'll tack more on later." She didn't explain that, either.

"Kaname?" Sousuke pursed his lips. She was in the 'make you wait' mode. But, that was better than the 'make you bruise' one. "From the mainland we can expect to find horse mackerel, greater and yellowtail Amberjack, tuna, and bonito, among other species of seawater fish. No matter what kind of fish we might hook, they are all well worth the effort it takes you to catch them. All's fair when you're in love with fishing."

"In love-" Kaname's eyes looked distant for a moment. Then, they flashed again. "That's another minus one!"

Sousuke walked quietly for a few moments. He kept trying to catch a glimpse of Kaname's face, to see if there truly was a hurricane brewing, or if this was one of the squalls that blows over quickly, only to reveal a beauteous day. She gave no clues. In fact, seeing what he was doing, she turned her face away and said "Hmmm-mm-mpf!" He began speaking again. "Once we've had our fill and caught our fish, we have a number of options open to us."

"Yes indeed," Kaname said. "We'll be getting to the numbers, soon enough." She'd wait until they found their private spot. Or until the urge to do her little rant took over. "Hmmm. Why wait. Minus one."

"That-" Sousuke squared up his shoulders, and then relaxed. Responding would only escalate the engagement. There were some battles it was better to retreat from, or avoid altogether. "First, we can let them go. Catch and release fishing is a growing trend among anglers who want to ensure that the youth of the nation can keep fishing the waters that we get to enjoy. The locals, along with the fish, are sure to show their appreciation."

"At least someone will," Kaname said, swinging her bag up and back in a sweeping arc. "Minus ten."

"Only ten," Sousuke put a hand to his mouth, too late. He had just stepped on a tripwire, trying to stealthily enter an enemy base. "I mean… forget I said that…."

"Minus o-n-e h-u-n-d-r-e-d," Kaname drawled. She looked at Sousuke, waiting to say if he'd make another error.

Eh hemmm-mm-m," Sousuke cleared his throat. He needed to be more succinct and serene. "If we want to enjoy our freshly caught dinner, however, there are a few places where anglers like us can get fish cleaned and cooked. Eating what you've caught yourself is an experience that just can't be beat and makes the day spent fighting the sea seem even more rewarding."

"How much of a reward remains to be seen," Kaname remarked. "Since you'll probably smell like fish again…." There was a strong emphasis on the word 'again'. "Minus one."

After that, they walked in silence for a bit. First, they briefly stopped by their inn, to leave their luggage. Next, Sousuke led them to the General Fishing Center Asagiku to pick-up some mackerel and other live bait, along with the necessary fishing gear Sousuke had brought plenty of hooks, lures, and leaders with him. Finished there, they asked a local for a good tip, pressing some money in his hand as a thank you. Sousuke followed directions he had been given and eventually made it to a recent hot spot, at the end of a jetty near a local shrine. He began to set-up the rods and reels that they had rented when buying bait. He gave Kaname a quick explanation on the hefty salt-water gear. They both stood on a small concrete platform, just a couple of feet from very deep water.

"You've been awfully quiet for a while," Kaname noted. "Is that because you're trying to avoid losing more points?" She made a face when she needed to bait her hook. The poor mackerel just stared at her with fishy eyes. "Minus one."

"Mmm-mm-m." Sousauke clamped his lips tightly together. But, he couldn't help himself. When fired upon by the enemy, it was his natural response to fire back. "Before you toss your line out, there is something that I need to do, to make certain that we have enough for dinner. And, it might be nice to supply fresh fish to the kitchen at our hotel." He began rummaging in a backpack that he had brought with him. "You'll be amazed to find out just how great a fishing method grenades are." He tried not to grin. "I only brought four, so I have to time things just right, to reach the proper level. Thermite grenades use iron oxide as an oxidizing agent and they are able to function underwater and can be used by soldiers when their gear is submerged in lakes, rivers, and oceans. The AN-M14 TH3 incendiary hand grenade will make a fine depth charge. The added benefit is, the fish will float up already cooked."

"Sousuke Sagara," Kaname said frantically. "Don't you dare!"

Sousuke just smiled for a moment. "Psych." He showed her the contents of his bag, Nothing more flammable than suntan lotion.

"Minus one hundred points!" Kaname said, almost losing grip on her fishing rod. "No… minus one thousand…."

"It's worth it," Sousuke claimed, having no idea what his penalty would eventually be. "How about another thousand."

"Oooo-ooo-oo-o!" Kaname made a face and began to take her fishing seriously. She was not about to take off more points when he asked her too! She watched him out of the corner of one eye, as he baited a hook and tossed it out away from hers.

As it turned out, Kaname had the first strike. The unseen fish pulled hard, but she didn't set the hook. She stepped too close to the edge, and found herself falling as she made effort not to let go of the rod. "Ahhh-hh-h." She never hit water. A strong pair of arms surrounded her… cradled her… pulled her back from danger.

"You need to be careful," Sousuke admonished Kaname. He began to loosen his arms, and blinked rapidly when Kaname hugged those arms tighter to her for a moment, before letting go.

"Thank you Sousuke," Kaname said. "Because of that-" She didn't specify the save, the hug, or both. "I'll start you back at zero." She was silent for a while, as the two of them stood, comfortable in the cool breeze, breathing deeply, enjoying the salt-laden air. The setting was certainly relaxing. But, her mind… quite happy to be back in her own body… was not one to let go of things, just because the world seemed peachy at the moment. "And so it begins!"

"You've hooked one?" Sousuke asked. He placed his thumb just so after adjusting the drag, and made a strong sturdy cast, fourteen-pound flourocarbon line spinning nicely off of his Daiwa Millionaire Bay Casting Special reel. He stopped the spooling just before the bait hit the water, not wanting to risk any backlash.

"No," Kaname replied. "But. Someone is on the hook." She sighed. She needed to do this. She needed to get things off of her chest, once and for all. She might not ever have outer peace again. Inner peace, that was a must. "When you were first me, you took a helicopter ride. You told me they made jokes about you being me, and you didn't feel the need to show restraint. You used my elbow as a weapon. I still have faint bruising." She held her elbow up. "One point."

Sousuke had no defense.

"You didn't say anything in my defense," Kaname continued. "When Kurz suggested putting T-… another girl's mind in my body." She stuck her tongue out faster than a snake of a lizard. "You lose Ten points."

"I didn't say I wanted that," Sousuke said. "It was because Kurz said that Tessa wants me… and that I am supposed to be… ehhh… hot for your body."

"You said Tessa. That's one point off." She tossed her hair, hat held at her side. "And you said 'supposed'… ten points." She thought a moment. "You… meaning I… had to dance around with that sourpuss, Mardukas. I get the creeps just thinking of it," She shuddered. "Minus One point"

"But I also stood up for you," Sousuke protested. "When Mao wanted to take a picture of me… you… smoking a cigarette… and when she told me to go out and get fu-" He stopped abruptly.

"-" Kaname was shaken by that last bit. She smoothed her dress with one hand, and after a second found her voice. "That… well… I'll give you ten back."

"And Kurz said-" Sousuke was cut off.

"Don't push it!" Kaname didn't have two fingers free to put in her ears. There was no way in Hell that she needed to hear what Kurz Weber might have suggested!

"Push it?" Sousuke thought a moment. "Didn't you push something where it didn't belong?" When Kaname looked clueless he added: "My winkie's a key."

There was a noise clatter, as Kaname dropped her fishing gear, and got down on her knees to gather it back up again before it fell into the sea. At the same moment, Sousuke jerked his line abruptly, setting the hook. The reel had a quick return, so he brought the fish in relatively quickly, still needing some time to subdue the vital fish. The whole time, Kaname was slowly going from beet red to rose pink. She was basically back to normal when her fishing partner pulled a five kilogram Lesser Amberjack up to the platform.

"How many points for this," Sousuke asked proudly, holding his prize aloft?"

"None," Kaname said in a crusty voice. "No points for fish."

"Well," he asked slyly. "How many for my… winkie…."

"Gah!" Kaname almost swallowed her tongue. "Ten points back if you never mention it again!" Damn either Dr. Hfuhruhurr or Dr. Necessiter, whomever told Sousuke about that episode! They deserved their current assignments. "Let's talk about your tree climbing, instead. And your meeting my neighbor." She coughed. "Who now thinks that I have Irritable Bowel Syndrome. She left a large basket of appropriate foods at my door. And an unexpected visitor. Her cousin-" She shivered again, and then jerked hard on her line, but the fish got away. "Minus one and minus ten more." She turned and gave Sousuke a grave look. "Now we start getting to the heavy stuff!"

"Heavy stuff?" Sousuke scrambled to remember what happened next.

"Yes," Kaname said, the sound of doom trumpeted in her voice. "I found my Hammy all covered in Korean barbeque sauce." She clenched one hand. "He's a vegetarian. Do you know how many baths it took before I could get his hair clean? Minus one thousand!"

"Uhhh-hh-h." Sousuke bowed his head in apology, but Kaname didn't rap it. "I have never had a hamster as a pet. On a kebob-" He stopped there. His early childhood meals need not be discussed.

"I-" Kaname shook her head. She pretended not to hear that last part. "And… I found Goldie swimming in water that looked like Cool Aid!" Kaname hunched her shoulders up, but then relaxed. "Because someone put Gummi Worms in his bowl."

"Well… they were worms…" Sousuke swallowed hard. Kaname's face looked like an oni mask. "And they had been left out… right near the bowl…"

"So," Kaname said, cold as ice. "You're blaming me? That ten points added to another thousand points off." She looked Sousuke straight in the eyes. "If that was what you fed them… what did you feed me. For your sake… I hope it wasn't that military stuff you eat sometimes…."

"I ate a field tested and very nutritional MRE," Sousuke replied.

"I see, " Kaname said quietly. In a similar low voice she said "One hundred more points off."

"Kaname?" Sousuke looked quizzical. "Your point scale seems arbitrary. In the military, imprecision can lead to-"

"One… million… points… off!" Kaname shook her rod at Sousuke. "I am the judge… the jury…." *smack* She whacked Sousuke on the crown with the pole. "…And executioner." She sighed. "But, I am a generous judge. So, I will reduce your fine to one hundred." She frowned. Sousuke had a contemplative look. "What were you thinking?"

"Uhhh-hh-h," Sousuke didn't want Kaname to be on a constant jag.

"Souuuu-uuu-uu-us-kayyy-yy-y…." Kaname had the 'She That Must Be Obeyed' look in her eye.

"I pictured Darth Vader saying 'Kaname is not as forgiving as I am'." Sousuke said.

"Oh… I see…." Kaname smiled. It was a Cheshire Cat smile. "Star Wars? One hundred points off."

"It's a good thing that this is good therapy for you," Souuske muttered under his breath. "It should be more fun than going to see the Melida shrink."

"What was that?!" Kaname hadn't heard anything. That's what bothered her. Sousuke usually would blurt anything out. When he was super-quiet, it might be something less than complimentary. "Never mind. You went through my personals. You stole my magazines. You got into a street fight. A producer approached me, asking my permission to use my likeness in a new movie… 'Monks versus the blue-haired Demon'. The Monks are the good guys…." She counted in her head. "Minus one hundred and eleven points."

"The gang would have assailed your virtue," Sousuke said, keeping things as low key as possible. "But I stopped them,"

"You're right," Kaname said. "I'll give you one point back… and take away fifty, because you could have taken a bus or a cab! At night. As a beautiful young lady." She struck a pose. That pose collapsed and she hung her head. "Then… then you… then you called the submarine…." She tried to stay calm. "You talked to Tessa about… having your… having my period…." She gave him a piercing glance. "Like I want that shared with everybody!" She snapped her fingers. "Name a big number."

"Uhhh," Sousuke cocked his head and thought a moment. "Ten." He hoped that worked. He wasn't certain why. After all, what could all the numbers mean?

"Ten," Kaname said and chuckled. "Ten he says. Probably because that's as high as he can count on his fingers. But I'm really disappointed. He forgot his toes." Her voice turned sharp. "One hundred thousand points off. No. That would make my grievances seem like a joke, like some kind of game." Her eyes looked like pools of darkness. "This… is… no… game…. Let's make it one hundred off."

"I dodged a bullet there," Sousuke said, immediately regretting his choice of words.

Kaname didn't penalize him for that. She had more than enough left on her plate. On a restaurant full of plates. And then some! She rubbed her forehead. "You slipped on some soap… and you left a goose egg on my forehead…."

"It proved very instrumental," Sousuke hated the sound of his voice, it was as if he were pleading with the headsman. "When you came back to school as yourself… everything before that was written off and exonerated because of supposed brain injury."

"And… there… was… so… much… to… write off…" Kaname said. "Wasn't there?

"Wellll-lll-ll-l-" Sousuke tossed out another long cast. He forgot to thumb the reel. Luckily, there was only a small tangle of line that he easily fixed. Kaname had forgotten to take off more points. He probably wouldn't win points by telling her, so he kept quiet. That was a small miracle.

The irate girl was doing this all from memory. She had a lot of grievances, and hadn't even bothered to write them down. Then again, they were engraved into her brain. "And that woman… what did you say her name was… the building's biggest gossip…"

"Miss Iwasaki," Sousuke offered.

"Yes," Kaname said. "Her. She saw me… coming out of your… apartment early in the morning. She then hoped that… we… were… using condoms… have I got that right?"

"Affirmative," Sousuke said.

"I see," Kaname said saccharine sweet. "THAT'S ANOTHER THOUSAND OFF!"

"Would it have been better if she thought we were irresponsible." Sousuke cringed. Stupid mental moral editor. Why did it usurp his tongue.

"Ah hah hah hah hah hah." Kaname had another bite, but she didn't even bother to take action. "Talking about being irresponsible. Being weird and dangerous. Being highly visible in my body. No. I'm overreacting. Everybody probably uses a potato cannon to get a kitten out of a tree."

"Ummm," Sousuke said. "The cat was fine."

"And I was on the news." Kaname griped. "But wait… there's more… I'm on T-shirts now. I saw one at the mall with Kyouko. It had my face on Rambo's body, holding a potato gun. It read 'Cat-bo: First Spud part 2."

"Was it a good likeness?" Sousuke wisely did not say that he might buy one as a souvenir.

"Ooooo-oooo-ooo-oo-o!" Kaname jerked her line, and inadvertently set the hook on another hit. "What? Sousuke! Help me!"

"Stay calm, Kaname." Sousuke stood behind her. He felt her melt back against him, and held his breath. "Here… let me show you… reel it in strongly and continuously… until the fish comes close on its own… then reel it in even faster." He expertly worked the Daiwa TD-X 2500iA spinning reel. "Let it go out some if you think it might escape or break the line." He showed her how to do that, too.

Kaname finished the process. She proudly held up a thirty-inch fish. "What is this one?" She asked. "Oh. I see, an Eastern Pacific Bonito," she added, after being told. "Ten points for me."

"You said no points for fish," Sousuke reminded Kaname.

"No points to you for fish," Kaname said matter-of-factly. "And I hadn't finished with the potato stuff. People have been approaching me on the street, asking me to sign their spuds!" She stamped a foot. "Minus one hundred points." She frowned. "Some creep from Amalgam can approach me like that." She didn't want to think about being Whispered today, not at such an idyllic place.

"There has only been one case of kidnap by tuber," Sousuke said. In Paraguay, 1987-"

"SOUSUKE!" Kaname looked around. Happily, they were the only toe out on that platform. "Ahem. You stole another bicycle. You put me near the top of that psycho police woman's list. You got me photographed riding the bike… in a skirt… showing my panties…" She took a deep breath and let it out. "You led a police car down a pedestrian lane. There were flags, old women, furniture, Scouts, and food flying everywhere. A large Bull truck ended up in a small expensive China shop. And a very expensive squad car and an even more expensive train were damaged." She ran through mental calculations while flicking her fingers. "My my my. One thousand one hundred eleven points off."

"I couldn't let her delay me…." Sousuke said. "Or delay you, as 'you' would have been tardy and sent to see the Principal… if they let 'you' in school at all. Then all of it would have been for nothing."

"You forgot to say 'If it pleases the court', Sousuke." Kaname made a face. "It does not please the court. One more point." She thought a moment. "What's next? Let's see… of course… no one would ever forget the speech I gave at the weekly assembly, right? The one where you told everyone about my brain damage. The one where you compared life to a battleground. Yes… they will never take our freedom… huh." She was quiet a moment, trying to chase away a memory. "When I came back to school, there was a line of people waiting outside of my locker. They had Mel Gibson posters they wanted signed. That's worse than potatoes! One thousand points off for all of it." She held her hat down again when a strong gust threatened to steal it. "We'll get to Mr. Ciocio later. I am so glad that you plan to keep a low profile while in my body was such a success. But wait, we've barely scratched the surface." Her hand looked more like the paw the way that she held it. A claw-filled paw.

"Does this work both ways?" Sousuke asked.

"What do you mean, Sousuke." Kaname replied.

"Well, you were supposed to be me." Sousuke said. "But not only did you get all jealous, according to Dr. Hfuhruhurr…" Oops. He probably shouldn't have phrased things that way. "But you got the attention of all of those girls." Oops again. Probably should have avoided the subject altogether. But, in for a penny, in for a pound. "You're not the only one who's been asked to sign things. Someone took a photo shot of me and has been selling blow ups. I've also been asked to sign breasts and bottoms… and… uhhh-hh-h… other anatomical regions. I did not, naturally. Oh. And a woman from Playgirl magazine approached me. I can be a center spread, if I want. As long as I'm naked, I can hold as many weapons as I like."

"That was sure a lot of words, mister." Kaname noticed. Her eyes caught fire, looking like small fireballs. "And a lot of points off."

"But-" Sousuke was right. He should have kept his mouth shut.

"Minus one thousand points," Kaname grumped. "Big idiot. Who's jealous. One hundred more points."

Sousuke slid another flapping mackerel onto his hook. He stood tall, braced himself, and unleashed a monster cast. He nodded his head. That Daiwa reel had been a real beauty back in the day. This one was beaten up from long years of service… but an old soldier can be a particularly dangerous one.

"Yes," Kaname said. "Let's go for a bonus. Who can forget 'mum's the word'? Subtract one more point." She reeled her hook in to see if the bait was still there. It was. "There's something that shouldn't be mum, right? Something to do with Atsunobu."

"Ah" Sousuke said. "I understand. I have not told any of the other students about his roommate, the Russian stripper named Natalia."

"-" Kaname looked like a deer caught in headlights for a moment. Then her customary feisty spirit returned as her face pinked up. "Not that! Why would you even think of her? Minus one point!" She let out her breath. "The list that he dictated to Ren. The list with the names of people that behaved badly in homeroom. The one he said shouldn't fall into your hands. Did you get it? Have you taught the transgressors about the evils of their deeds?"

"Negative," Sousuke said firmly.

"And why not?" Kaname asked. "Don't you want to protect me? Protect the honor of our school? And the reputation of our overworked teachers?"

"Kaname," Sousuke replied. "Revenge is not protection… its retribution…." He stopped reeling in his line. "Also… His Excellency will handle things in a way that he sees fit… subtly, as usual… to the benefit of everyone in the school."

"I see," Kaname said. She did see, and she agreed. Nonetheless. "Minus ten. You still should have tried to get the list… with his permission…." She frowned as the wind slapped her in the face with her own hair. She had to spit out a mouthful. That made her remember something else on her list. "Do you think my hair is beautiful, Sousuke?"

"Yes," Sousuke answered. His military mind running through numerous scenarios, he had no doubt what the next complaint would be. He watched as Kaname smiled at first, but then put that stern look on again.

"But you must have thought I'd look better with black hair," Kaname harrumphed. "So I would look more like your generic action manga girls."

"Negative!" Sousuke said. "I was… it…." He ran down. He had been in a bad state of mind, and that was a sin for an operative. It hadn't been nearly as bad as Hong Kong, but it still made him question his own abilities. "I failed."

"Yes you did," Kaname said, well informed of his actions, but still not clued into his inner state at that time. She wanted to know that too, some day, didn't she? That, and the way his mind was working today. Or were those things that were best left untold? "Minus one thousand, but with five hundred credit, since you cleaned my hair off later." She thought a moment more, making another mental connection. "And… in all that… you never had my high school picture taken!"

Sousuke tossed his line very far this time, wanting it to land in an area with strong current. "If I had it taken as you," he said in his defense, even though it was merely logic after the fact. "They would have known it was you… at least in body. Then, they would have kidnapped me, in your body."

Kaname thought a moment. She nodded her head and said nothing more on the subject. Her list was too long to bog down on any given point. "It's time to revisit Math class. We already covered Math day. And I won't chide you for coming to my defense. That was sweet. Because of that, your deductions will be smaller." Her smile vanished. The oni look was back. "But let me get this straight. You wired chairs with electricity. You set off explosions with skunk scent. And you caused people to wet themselves in class." She paused. "One thou-… one hundred points."

"You forgot the brown note." Sousuke blurted that out, fortunate that he hadn't been more graphic."

"Ah yes," Kaname said. " How could I have forgotten that? Thank you so very much for bringing that image up!" She was hyperventilating. "Make that one thousand!" Thinking of the subject made her think of toilets, which naturally led to plungers. "And… Mr. Civil Servant… when you thought that your fellow student needed CPR… what did you do….?"

"I did not want to put your lips on the boy…" Kaname eyed him like a hawk, as if she were trying to divine his motivation for that decision. "So… searching for a life-saving solution… I improvised with the weapon… I mean tool… at hand. He lived to fight… learn… another day."

"A plunger, Sousuke. Call it by its name." Kaname tossed her bait out as far as she could manage. "Did you clean that plunger first, or did you think the boy who had fainted from the odor you so kindly caused was actually dying, so you had to be in an absolute rush?"

"Uhhh." Sousuke was saved from further answering by a strike. He set the hook, fought a relatively brief fight, and reeled in a nice-sized Pacific Saury. "Good eating," he said.

"Congratulations," Kaname said flatly. Flatly, for good reason. First, he was ahead in catch count. Second, she was still locked on target. "It seems that you were very fond of that plunger. Mr. Ciocio, probably not so much. I don't even want to say what you did with that… tool." She coughed. "That was after you put my life in great danger, by sitting alone with a serial killer!"

"But… well… I did not know that. He was a school official. He ordered me to visit." Sousuke looked like he was being charged with dereliction of duty. "And… through my actions… your actions according to the news team… the man's true crimes were discovered. We may have saved lives!"

"Very noble, Sousuke." Kaname agreed. "But… you reminded me… my photograph was shown on another news channel. My unwanted fan club keeps growing. And it's like I'm the one at a fish market…" She stared down at the fish they had caught. "Why don't you advertise." She spoke in a seep gruff voice. "Today's special… Kaname Chidori… a fresh caught Whispered girl… just right for your pot… or your experiment table!" She shivered again, this time from salt spray and not anger. "Minus one hundred points."

Sousuke was about to complain, but he stopped. A large school of Japanese flying fish passed by, not too far from their position. They almost looked like small flying silver birds, or a new class of autonomous skimming drones. Breathtaking, either way. He put his pole down for a moment.

*doink*

That sound had Kaname narrowing her eyes. But, it was time to move onto yet another grievance. "Mizuki told me something you said. You told Tsubaki that you were a part of me,and that he wouldn't never be part of me. How do you think people took that one, soldier?"

"Uhhh." Sousuke pulled at his lower lip, and spat. His finger tasted of mackerel.

"We'll adjust the score later," Kaname considered. "Since the rumors reached much greater levels later on in your adventures." She looked really perturbed now. She let yet another strike go without any response. "We still have the yanki to discuss. I have had my fill of guns and bombs. But, thanks to you, I learned that the human body can be explosive too… and can fire off projectiles of its own…." Her words were obviously a play on 'projectile' vomiting. "I still think some of our classmates are suffering PTSD from that whole SNAFU." Damn. That was a military term. "I should take points off for everyone struck by that barrage of barf. But I won't. Do you know why?"

"Kaname?" Sousuke looked as if he had no idea.

"You acted for my benefit again," Kaname said quietly. "To defend my mother." She smiled, thinking of his kindness, and also picturing a moment spent with her mother. "For that… positive one thousand points." Her cheeks dimpled slightly. "Thank you, Sousuke."

"-" Sousuke said nothing. He thought briefly, that the smile he saw was even more captivating than the Flying fish. His look was not lost on Kaname. But, it wasn't enough to stop her, not by a long shot.

"It was very amusing," Kaname began. "Hearing how… I… entertained the class with all of those Reader's Digests funnies… taken from a magazine that someone filched…." She had already been asked by a number of people if she knew any more jokes. Daily. Ever since her return. "But the crowning glory was another assignment for me to do. What was it again? Of course. It's about the commercialization of fairy tales and folklore. The specific comparison is between the Disney movie 'Pinnochio', and the original children's novel 'The Adventures of Pinocchio' written in 1883 by Italian writer Carlo Collodi. And Miss Eri was kind enough to give me a double slot. Wonderful." She paused. She would wait to assign a value. There was more. "Then, you made me an unknown co-conspirator to gruesome injury, when you told the janitor about the perpetrators. But, your reputation later almost made me a co-victim to gruesome injury. Because of things that you had dome, the King of Fear and his flunkies decided to pay you back… when I was you!" She stomped a foot again. "And… I… haven't… even… gotten… to… the… gift… that… keeps… on… giving…."

"Venereal disease?" Sousuike was perplexed. "I never-" His eyes went wide. "Did you-"

"Of course not!" Kaname shouted. "Minus ten thousand points for thinking that. Jeee-ee-ez! Sousuke!" She calmed herself down. "Mascots. I was talking mascots. You brought Bonta-kun out and fought a big pink bear… during a telethon… for Cancer organizations that I invited! You later had a near naked me fight a giant pair of… you know…." She looked as if she felt dirty. "Then, your actions had a whole bunch of mascots… while being filmed… fight each other brutally… while our clashing classmates were also captured by the camera. My softball team… all of the sports teams involved… which means all that exist… and most of the clubs… have been suspended from all activities for a month. It would have been longer, if the whole student body hadn't been traumatized by an exploding tree and a knock down drag out A.S. battle!"

"That…." Sousuke felt a shadow fall over his soul. That battle and all of its subsequent ripples had been his doing, in effect. Mithril didn't know that. He had been deemed a great asset, after taking down the Chazaqiel, and having stopped a dangerously vain rogue Arm Slave pilot. "I-" The subject of mascots weighed heavy there, too. Three died in battle. They volunteered, but there would have been no need for that, had there been no battle.

Kaname let the points slide. She was silent for a while, knowing what Sousuke must be feeling.

"Fish on." Sousuke spoke without excitement, his words meaning there was a fish on the line. He sounded like a heavily medicated Jeremy Wade, Suffolk-born British host, biologist, adventurer and angler extreme from the 'River Monsters' television show. Luckily, the action at hand brushed layer and layer of pain away, as he began to feel a great rush. This was a big one. A really big one. The fight took some time, but he was rewarded mightily in the end. "It's a small one, as far as they go." But, the fish weighed more than he did. "Bluefin tuna."

"How come you can catch something like that?" Kaname looked envious. Her arms would have fallen off fighting that monster, but her pride would have glued them back on.

"I'm a Specialist," Sousuke claimed, his spirit returning in full. He looked at the fish they had caught. That was more than they could easily transport. Everything hence would be catch and release. He would be very welcome at the inn just the same. Bonito, saury, and tuna were among many people's favorite eating fish.

"Yes." Kaname said. "Or so I've heard… again and again and again…." She made a grimace. "And everything can be a weapon to you. A chair, for example." She was referring to one that he had thrown at a rude boy, following Kyouko's request. "But let's not stop there. You did a good number on a creepy Spanish guy… after dancing with him… while you… I… made myself out to be a great Ballroom dancer. Minus three hundred points." She paused. She knew the next point was a very sore point with Sousuke. But, she was a stickler for finishing what she started. "Then… you and the class quoted 'Zoolander'… thank you so very much… and pissed the photo guy off. But… he wasn't just a photo guy… he was an Amalgam agent."

"I didn't-" Sousuke would have been truthful saying 'Of course I couldn't know that'. But, he had suspected something about the man at some point. "Things happened, anyway. Because of me."

"Snap out of it!" Kaname said forcefully. "How could you possibly know what would happen? Yes, you are ultimately responsible. But, you did nothing wrong." She froze, and as she was wont to do, changed mental hats. She took of the nurse's hat, and put on the gangster's hat. "I misspoke. You did do something wrong. You mentioned my sister's name. That deflected any knowledge of me… but did you think that somehow you might be putting my little sister… and possibly my father… in danger?!"

"Uhhh-hh-h." Sousuke just blinked rapidly. He hadn't worried about that at all. When you shoot a bad guy in the crowd, you can't worry about every spectator as an individuals. You do your best to take down a big threat, and give thought to the safety of the entire crowd as a whole.

"Minus… ten thousand… points…." Kaname bit off each word. "Oh… how could I forget that?! The date. You accepted a date. For me." Her fury wasn't dying down. It looked as if the reactor was headed for meltdown. "Thank you for deciding who I should date." The way she said that, it almost sounded as if she did want to go on a date with someone. "Minus ten thousand more." In a sarcastic voice she said "I am truly amazed. All this. Done by one man. Without even trying. I'm impressed." She was not. She was most definitely not.

Sousuke had been Kaname in body. And he had rubbed his mind up against a portion of hers, while residing in her brain. As a result, he was beginning to see the effects of his actions… especially his actions in toto… on Kaname. No, on the school as a whole. Why stop there… on the world around him. But, was there really anything he could do, other than return to Da Danaan, never to come back to Tokyo?

"You better not be thinking in that Sousuke brain of yours…" Kaname shook her pole at him, mackerel and hook swinging close to his face, and then hers. "…'I have to leave school forever to make Kaname happy'!" In a softer voice she stated: "That wouldn't make me happy, you know…."

"I see," Sousuke said, somehow feeling touched. That wouldn't make him happy, either.

Quite the opposite.

"Another thing that shouldn't make me happy at all-" Kaname started off like she was about to smack Sousuke on the head again. "But… well… somehow does…." Now, it looked like she could give him a peck on the cheek. "You flipped Satomi. And then, you stuck the toilet brush… you know where. That was wrong. So… minus one tenth of a point." Her eyes flashed again. "But then, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions, right mister?"

"Kaname?" Sousuke gathered that she was no longer talking about the brush in the girl's anus.

"Before I get to that, there's another issue." Kaname rested the pole against her body and cracked her knuckles. "In the shower room, there were a lot of naked girls, were there not?"

"I-" Sousuke swallowed hard. He began sweating, and not from the heat. "Affirmative."

"Did you cover your eyes?" Kaname asked. When Sousuke said 'No', she said: "Were you thinking 'I'm a boy, but they don't know it. I can stand here as long as I want, looking at them as much as a boy might want?' Well, were you Sousuke?"

"U-h-h-h-h-h." Sousuke began sweating even more. That 'Uhhh' didn't come out right. He was a swimmer, bleeding after being pushed by the current against razor sharp coral. Kaname was a circling shark. "Affirmative."

"I see," Kaname said, partially filled with righteous anger. But, there was a part of her that thought: it's nice to know that he likes girls. "And then when I was naked… and you gals discovered that boys were spying on the room… you tossed a couple of towels on and give chase… didn't you?" After his 'yes', she continued. "Lucky me. My celebrity grew even more. Everyone and his perverted uncle got pictures of me raining justice on the boys… and fighting a giant… hairy... scrotum!" She was close to shouting again. "Before I blew him up like a water balloon, and washed the floors of the entire school!"

"It was clean water," Sousuke mentioned by habit.

"Minus ten thousand points!" Kaname snapped. She tossed her line back out, having forgotten to bait the hook. "If you weren't defending the girls from those peeping toms… or my honor from that sick mascot… it would have been doubled." She really did enjoy the way that Sousuke stood up for the helpless. Especially, how he stood up for her.

Sousuke reeled yet another fish in, causing Kaname to sniff and lift her nose in the air. At least he didn't brag when he jerked too hard at the end, and the large colorful wrasse practically leaped from the water and onto the platform. He removed the hook and sent the beautiful fish back to the briny deep. He looked up at the sky, and then down at his watch. "It's getting to be about time," he announced. "We should gather up our fish and head for the inn."

Kaname agreed to stay with the fish, alone, while Sousuke headed back to the shop. There should be no danger out here, at this time. She churned her internal thoughts, and chummed the water for her mental sharks. The fires in her mind were still stoked when Sousuke arrived after returning their fishing gear. He brought along a large cart with him, one that he could leave at their destination. After he threw the fish in, he began pushing it off of the platform and along the long jetty. Kaname walked by his side.

Eventually, they found themselves walking on a large outside area, which took the place of a lawn, or the ubiquitous sand. The expanse was made up of large cement tiles, and had grass growing up between those tiles. Metal railings spotted the area, a place to tie up bicycles. Beyond that were two rows of short palms trees. Partially obstructed from view, a blockish two story inn stood, a rather nondescript hotel. It was peach-colored, with pea-green awnings. Yes, the word 'plain' would be doing it too much justice. But, it was a place to leave their stuff, a place to wash up, a place to dine, and a place to stay the night. The sign outside said 'Seadive Guest House.'

"Ah," a kindly woman at a dusty front desk said as he walked up to her. "Mister Sagara…good to see you again." She looked at Kaname. "And bride? This your honeymoon?" She grinned a nearly toothless grin when she saw the girl turn a bright salmon. That color was appropriate, seeing that the young man offered her fish for the kitchen. "Such a thoughtful young man. You're a lucky girl, Miss-"

"Kaname," Kaname said. "Kaname Chidori." She felt an urge to deny being Sousuke's wife, but bit her tongue.

"Be sure you are a good bride," the woman said. "You should learn to cook for your husband. Would you like to help make yours and his dinner, tonight?"

"Well-" Kaname didn't see how she could deny the woman's request. They were paying for a room, but the dinner would be no cost, even though the inn would supply cooks, pots, spices, and whatnot.

"We both will," Sousuke put in. "We work best as a team. I will do the knife work." That was the dirtiest job, the cleaning. And it was also the most precise and import part, the fileting. He wondered why Kaname tensed up when he mentioned knifework. It wasn't in a military context.

"Well, let me get someone to bring the fish in," the woman said, ringing a small brass bet. "And I'll get the two of you matching aprons and gloves."

While the woman was gone, Kaname went from blushing bride to nagging housewife in the blink of an eye. "We'll get to Home Ec soon enough." That's what the mention of knives had brought to mind. "First, there is the small matter of Japanese History." She looked curious for a moment. "On a lark, let me know what answers you put down on the test paper before it got eaten."

"Uhhh-hh-h." Sosusuke didn't see how that could possibly matter, but was wise enough not to say so. "You see…." This couldn't possibly go well. "… I wrote down basic facts about the most common Arm Slaves."

"I see," Kaname said, smiling and nodding her head. "Arm Slaves. I should have guessed." Her eyes flashed. Her hands clenched. "What if the test hadn't gotten eaten. What then, Sousuke."

"You would have gotten a 50," Sousuke replied. That was the minimum grade that Mr. Watsugi gave on pop quizzes. "It would have been a 0, if I didn't take the test, or left it blank."

"Oooo-ooo-oo-o!" Kaname winced. She'd bitten her tongue. Sousuke would take the silent blame for that, too. "You could have tried to answer the questions for real! You couldn't have done worse than 50!"

"I-" Sousuke frowned. "I made an assumption. I know. You need not say it. When I assume, I make an ass out of 'u' and 'me'."

"No," Sousuke. "In that case you would have made an ass out of me alone. Minus one thousand. But that isn't the best part, right? That would be Dog Day Afternoon." She wasn't referring to the Al Pacino film of the same name. "People got barked at. People got licked. People got covered with hair." She blurted out: "People almost got… humped. All because of your ninja juice." She stuck out her tongue. "As Mari told me… I looked like a yeti when things were done."

"More like the Hibagon," Sousuke opined. He swallowed hard. It had just jumped off of his tongue."

"Oh. That's alright then," Kaname said. "Not a yeti. Just the Hibagon." She shook a fist at Sousuke. "Slavered with dog saliva. Covered with canine hair. Yuck! The only thing saving you, mister, is the fact that you broke the date with that cowardly creep! One thousand points off." She quickly said "Yes, I love you times one thousand," wondering just what the old woman had heard on her return.

"How sweet," the old lady said, handing out the garments. After that, she led them, to a small but well-equipped kitchen, with old but functioning tables and appliances. The prep work went well, the cooking went quick, and the meal was sublime. Afterwards, the two settled into their room a bit, checking to make certain that the luggage they had left at the counter earlier in the day had been delivered there. It had.

The room was small, with white unadorned walls, small hand-made wooden desk and chair, a tiny bed covered with a red fleece cover, and a television set that looked like it was manufactured in the 60s. The room window was wall length and height, and had a worn tan curtain with a dirty white pull-string.

There was still sunlight left, and a beautiful sunset should be happening within the hour. Sousuke and Kaname decided to make the four minute walk necessary, and visited the black-sand Sokodo Beach. They had changed into bathing suits, mostly because there previous clothing smelled of sweat and fish.

They soon found themselves at the beach, a lovely curved expanse, quiet, with a magnificent view of distant rolling hills, and pleasant looking beach communities.

"Uhhh-hh-h," Sousuke began, unprompted. "You look…." He coughed. Why was this difficult? He had actually been appreciative of Kaname's beauty. That was a victory in itself. Was it because of his time in her body? Or was he finally blossoming, after spending so much of his life dead on the vine? "You look…"

"How do I look," Kaname asked, shocked. She was wearing a simple blue one-piece with small ruffles, not a white bikini this time.

"Beautiful," Sousuke said, the word bursting forth. He felt very sheepish, somehow. That was unacceptable for a Specialist! "Even better than in a kimono."

"Oh." Kaname turned pink. She smiled, and couldn't stop smiling. "Thank you." She had been about to resume her litany of slights, but waited for a while. She was hoping that Sousuke would take her hand, but he didn't. One step at a time, girl. One step at a time.

Some things should not be rushed.

The two passed a few couples as they walked, but for the most part, they had larges stretches of beach all to themselves. There were no life guards, but they still chose to wade out into the gentle waves, waist deep. It was there that Kaname resumed her tally. "So… I am thinking that we are safe from Lethal Autonomous Weapons here…' She began.

"I believe so," Sousuke replied. "As I told you before, there are some that operate on or in water, and-" He knew what she was about to recount.

"Too bad we can't same say the same thing for our school," Kaname said. "And especially… our band…."

"That-" Sousuke had no defense. He had gone overboard, building Al Junior.

"Because they wore red sashes," Kaname said. "And because the men you told me about… the ones you almost took out with the stolen bicycle… wore red sashes." She splashed Sousuke with a large wave of water. "Honestly! They were mourners, not yakusa! And the stricken students missed the All-Japan Band Competition. They worked so hard for that!" She splashed him again. "Ten thousand points off."

"Mithril did donate anonymous funds to the school," Sousuke remarked. "That bought a whole new set of instruments." He did not mention that the organization also paid for initial psychiatric sessions for a number of band members.

Kaname ignored that information. "In between interruptions from an over-zealous robot," she said. "You entertained Home Economics class with your… my… amazing knife skills." She frowned again. "After you made me seem like some kind of a weirdo, talking about cooking and survival skills. You-" She stopped for a moment. "Wow. So beautiful." A sea turtle was swimming not to far out from the two of them. Kaname thought about swimming beside it under the water; but, she didn't want to get her hair wet. This really was a remarkable island. She'd like to return some day and go snorkeling. "You frightened Satomi out of a year of her life… and you got some of the other students worked into a frenzy. Plus one tenth of a point for the one, minus one hundred for the other. No. Make that minus one thousand. Some boys are calling me 'Knives,' now. From that 'Million Knives' character in the anime you made me watch."

"Trigun," Sousuke said. He remembered Kaname calling him the Humanoid Typhoon on any number of occasions.

"Yes," Kaname said. "That one. The one where the hero was an evolved plant. Minus ten just for that." She shook her head. She looked at Sousuke expectantly. Was he going to complain, since he enjoyed that show so much? No. He remained silent, just looking at her. "You killed a rat with a taser bullet. You took my body to fight your robot. You did the dance off thing from 'Guardians of the Galaxy', and even used the turd blossom line." She hung her head. "And then you went all Star Trek on him. Does that about sum things up?"

"Affirmative," Sousuke replied.

"Well then," Kaname said. "Minus fifty thousand points." She smiled when Sousuke's eyes bulged. She was the Queen. He was just her Jester. It was best that he realized that. He was lucky she didn't say 'Off with his head!' She splashed him again and again in preparation for the next part. She should probably dunk him, too… and fill his pants full of sand… and maybe a big crab. "What would you think of a girl who quickly quaffed a big bottle of soda and let out a belch that would frighten Godzilla away?" Sousuke's recounting of his actions had been phenomenally detailed. "Never mind. I have bigger fish to fry." She paused, enjoying her turn of phrase, her belly still pleasantly full from supper.

"Ummm." Sousuke had a sinking suspicion about what was coming. He though about playing submarine… and swimming away unseen. But, Kaname no doubt would soon have torpedo lock. She wouldn't stop until he was sitting powerless on the ocean floor.

"It was bad enough that you cause a number of wagging tongues to start a rumor that I was pregnant…" Kaname said. "… And to make it a big game, to guess who the father might be…." She splashed Sousuke again. "But then, s-h-e appeared."

"Tessa," Sousue mouthed.

"Yes, Sousuke." Kaname brought both hands down forcefully. Water shot high in the air, landing smack dab on the top of her head. That did not make things better, of course. "The girl who asked if you had ever thought about lifting up a skirt… who asked if you prefer smooth or ribbed condoms… who asked if you wanted to know whether she was a virgin… whether you pictured her naked… what… you… thought… your… children… with... her...would… look like." She stared Sousuke down. "Those are questions we can get into, later. I shouldn't forget her invitation back to the onsen… where they now have mixed bathing…." Her current eruption was getting closer. "And then, you pose for a sex-ed poster with Comu-chan, the giant pink condom. That poster will go all over Japan. With my belly swollen by all that gas!" She calmed herself down, briefly. "Minus one hundred thousand points."

Not for the first time, Sousuke wondered what all the deduction of points meant. The number was growing by leaps and bounds.

"But it gets better, in some ways, right?" Kaname grinned. The shark from 'Jaws' was nothing but a guppy, by comparison. "You were listening when darling Tessa and the other girls were talking about… you know… sex!" She splashed Sousuke again, but from a distance. She felt a little uncomfortable then, looking down and seeing that the bathing suit didn't completely hide the prominence of her nipples. She bent her knees, keeping only her head above water. "And Tessa said 'My birthday comes up in a few months, and I really wish we could do something. You know, like dinner. Or dancing. Or maybe a trip on a cruise ship.' You better never think about doing anything with that girl on a cruise ship!" She almost forgot the deduction. "One hundred thousand points off."

Sousuke swam under the water for a moment. When he came back up, he got a big splash of water in the face.

"You pervert!" Kaname said. "You better not have been staring at my n-" She stopped just in time.

"Your n-" Sousuke asked. He held up something that he had retrieved after stepping on it. It was a small piece of coral.

"N-" Kaname swallowed. "Never mind." They swam a bit after that, and then got into a more playful exchange of splashing. At one point, an unexpectedly large wave pushed Kaname against Sousuke's back. She closed her eyes and hugged him some, pretending that she had grabbed hold to keep from going under and getting her hair all wet. Sousuke for his part, felt something against his back that had him try to think priestly thoughts. The lower part of his body was more devilish. Fortunately he was facing away from Kaname.

His body's reaction had Sousuke thinking thoughts that he chased away, the same way that their walking in the water scared off darting schools of small fish. When he stood watching the sunset with Kaname a short while later, he thought tamer thoughts that had him wondering what his future might hold. He also wondered what Kaname must be thinking. She'd been silent for a good while. In time, it became too dark to swim safely, so the two headed back inside to clean off and get ready for the night. Kaname used the shower and soaking tub first. When she was done, and after a family of eight slipped in after her, Sousuke took his turn. He came back dressed in an olive drab T-shirt and a pair of camouflage pants. Awaiting his return, Kaname was wearing a T-shirt with Bonta-kun, and a pair of pink shorts.

Wanting to enjoy the pleasant together time, Kaname kept her lips zippered until the movie they watched, a color film they could see only in black and white, reached the sped-up end-credits. The movie was 'When Harry Met Sally.' Early on, she took her hairbrush out of her luggage and began brushing her hair. "Owww-ww-w," she said at one point. "My arms hurt so much, after that fishing." The way she hung her head after saying that touched Sousuke to the quick. "Ow... ow ow... ow ow ow..." She grimaced because of muscle pains.

"Here," Sousuke held out his hand. "I can brush it for you." He opened and closed his hand a number of times before Kaname dropped the brush into his grip.

"I can't believe that a boy... especially a Specialist... would want to do a girl's hair." She made a face. "I don't know if I really want a boy to do that. What can a boy know about a girl's hair." She was being her usual contrary self. She was truly touched, and not a small bit intrigued. What might this simple and caring human act portend?

"I doubt that you have forgotten," Sousuke said. "And I have no reason to believe that you truly suffer from traumatic brain injury. So you should know that I can do your hair as me now..." He looked her directly in the eyes, noticing how large and moist they seemed. "...Because I have done it as you before." He looked away briefly, fearing that he might fall into those eyes forever. "Besides... it's a matter of trust, is it not. I trusted you to cut my hair, at a time when I would trust no one else." He added. "Back then, you had no experience with sharp scissors perilously close to a seated soldier's ears. You had only played around with Kyouko's hair."

"Yes," Kaname said. "Of course I remember." She smiled a wicked smile. "You were so very... cute... when you were sleeping." She knew that word would cause Sousuke make a face. He did. "Okay. I'll trust you. But... if you pull my hair even once... it will be a gazillion points!"

Sousuke stood up from his own chair and walked over behind Kaname's. He ran a hand through her hair a couple of times, checking for tangles, finding none. It was odd, doing things from this perspective, after having done the same thing while in her body. "Commencing operations now," he said, moving the brush carefully and adeptly.

"Don't make it sound like you're starting up an A.S.," Kaname said. "Or getting ready to attack a pill box or machine gun nest." She harumphed.

"Understood," Sousuke complied. He began brushing Kaname's hair, as they both watched the movie in silence. His brush strokes were perfect, and came in metronomic frequency. Kaname closed her eyes, only listening to the movie for a while, and that only in spurts. She smiled, feeling a type of pleasure that she'd never felt before. This was Sousuke touching her, not a hairdresser. This was him sharing something with her. Something personal. Almost sensual.

Kaname stood up, turned about, and sat down facing Souske, so he could reach things from a different angle. For her, it was no big thing. For Sousuke. it brought into view two big things. As Kaname leaned forward, her shirt tented out at the collar. He had an unobstructed view of her cleavage, much the way that he had had when she had cut his hair that day.

"You..." Sousuke brushed at random intervals, and different speeds. His eyes were very large. A sweat drop formed at his temple, followed by two more. He forced himself to stare at the hair he was brushing; nonetheless, that enticing part of Kaname's chest seemed to be the magnet, and his eyes the steel. He felt craven, sneaking peaks the way that he did. "This-" He almost fumbled the brush. He would not be like the anime characters who always screamed and stepped way from the situation. Right? He certainly wouldn't pull a Kurz Weber!

It certainly didn't help when a certain iconic scene came on, one that featured the two title characters having lunch at Katz's Delicatessen in Manhattan. That couple were arguing about a man's ability to recognize when a woman is faking an orgasm. Sally claimed that men cannot tell the difference, and to prove her point, she vividly faked one as other diners watched. The scene ended with Sally casually returning to her meal as a nearby patron…played by the director's mother… placed her order by saying 'I'll have what she's having.' That had Kaname feeling a bit self-conscious, enjoying Sousuke's touch. Sousuke almost imagined it was Kaname making those noises because of his brushing, and began sweating up a storm.

"This time," Sousuke said, trying to find something... anything... to talk about, to quell his uneasy feeling. "No one needs to feel restless this time, because of the issue of Wraith."

"I doubt she's here at the hotel," Kaname said, looking up at Sousuke with big happy eyes. "Even if she showed up disguised as the island hairdresser, I doubt that she would come in and brush my hair like this."

"I agree," Sousuke said. "Also, you don't have to worry about being targeted again today," Sousuke said, nearing the end of his task. "You don't need to believe that I'm worried about the stalker incident..." He thoughts were marching in step, bringing up the things that he and Kaname had talked about during that haircut.

"Stalker incident?" Kaname made a quizzical face at first. She thought back to that special day, when she'd trimmed his hair... he'd fallen asleep at the end... and she'd stared at his lips, before shouting that she's rinsing his hair, waking him when she pushed his head abruptly down into the sink. She cleared her throat. Her eyes narrowed and her smile vanished when she understood what and who he had meant. "Stalker... incident... Sousuke..." She grabbed the brush from him... scooted around in the chair... and began brushing her own hair, speaking in a clipped and frigid voice. ""I... do... not... want... to... talk... about... them..." Not here. Especially not now!

"Uhhh-hh-h." Sousuke wished that he could read his thoughts on a teleprompter, and be able to decide which words he should speak and which he should not. He'd stepped in something again. As the end credits began scrolling past a high speed, moments before the next show was set to begin, he changed the subject by saying: "That film had a number of wonderful parts-" He sounded like a film critic. "-But it doesn't quite add up."

"Hah hah hah," Kaname said with that patented laugh. "Add up." She laughed again. "Funny you should mention adding up." She stopped brushing. The wonderful spell had been broken. It was time to finish up. "We should probably channel surf now, looking for 'Law & Order' or some other legal drama, in honor of your life of crime." She had pictured the Pony Man, and was none to pleased by that. She had also pictured Wakana, and didn't want to think about the policewoman, either. "At school you stole two science projects… stole the one project a second time… stole a tennis ball machine… not to mention all of those eggs and an Easter Bunny costume. You put on that suit… built a tank… used that tank to shoot the eggs… after training the girls like you trained those rugby guys."

"But-" Sousuke knew that he had been a bit over zealous. "I was doing that to defend the girls, not to cause them any harm. I was doing it because those boys were particularly interested in getting revenge against you." That should earn him some points back, right?

"Why did they want revenge. Huh, mister?" Kaname was not in a mood to be charitable. "The boys always complain about the girls; but, they usually don't go to war with them. With mascots joining in. With left over camera-men who had earlier been filming the mascots for the telethon… filming the skirmish, too!" She sounded as if she were on the verge of frothing at the mouth. "Then… nearly everyone gets hurt or shook up during a big stampede… because somebody blew up some trees. And where did that someone get that weapon… among others? From giant… uh… mushrooms hidden in the watermelon and strawberry gardens. Giant mushrooms filled with weapons. Some pretty powerful weapons. When he is not supposed to have any weapons!" She had to stop to catch her breath. "And what else does our hero do with weapons? He gives them to a small attack squad of mascots. Yes, you heard that right. Mascots. A big pink bear. A giant pig. A cute cat. A hipster squid. And Retsuko, dear Retsuko. Armed mascots! What could be worse than that? Bombs disguised as Pokemon?" She scrutinized Sousuke's face. His little Sousuke mind wasn't picturing exploding Pikachus, was it? "Don't... you... dare!" If he could turn a theme park mascot into a small A.S., what might he do with plush toys!

"Kaname?" Sousuke asked.

"I forgot one." Kaname said drawing designs on the bedspread with her finger. "The sausage guy. An ... alien... sausage..." She smacked the bed abruptly, like she was spanking someone. "And even poor Shinji got involved-"

Sousuke felt obliged to correct Kaname. "I did not supply the sausage. He must have happened open a cache on his own." That didn't sound good. It made him sound sloppy and unprofessional when it came to the integrity of his stash.

"Thank you for that correction," Kaname said. She did not sound thankful. "Shinji stole a tractor. He transported an illegal combatant. He was heartbroken, coming so close to seeing Arm Slaves duke it out, before being stopped and taken into custody. Just think how his meeting with his parents must have gone… when they picked him up from the holding cell." She had a distant look in her eyes, picturing something. "He was in the cell next to Mr. Ciocio. He saw Mr. Oonuki. And… she was there too…." She shivered. "Wakana." She shook the brush at him. 'And he was in a cell with some strange drunken guy who asked him if he wanted to play 'Hide the Pickle'."

"Hopefully it will teach Shinji a lesson," Sousuke said. He didn't feel his 'borrowing' of the UTVs was theft. It was requisitioning, the gathering of necessary war materials. "If he ever wants to enlist in the military, he should not have a criminal record."

"LESSON!" Kaname's voice rose. "WHO DO YOU THINK THE ONE IS WHO REALLY NEEDS TO LEARN THE LESSON?!" She ducked her head, and stayed silent for a moment, after someone in the room next door banged on the wall in protest. She whispered: "Minus two hundred thousand points, for all of that!"

"I-" Sousuke saw things through Kaname's eyes, figuratively this time, not literally. "You are correct."

"Yes I am," Kaname said. Her voice changed. It sounded very vulnerable. "But for so much time, I was scared. I was really scared, Souske." Tears welled up in her eyes. "You were at school as me… to be me… so I wouldn't get counted as absent again. It… it was… it was my fault, really." She walked over to the bed, took the pillow, and hid her face there for a while."

Sousuke stood up and walked over to stand near her. He lifted one of his hands up, but didn't know what the appropriate way to comfort her was. He softly threw her own words back at her: "Snap out of it. How could you possibly know what would happen? Yes, you are ultimately responsible. But, you did nothing wrong."

"It doesn't feel that way." Kaname's voice was muffled by the pillow.

"Tell ,me about it, " Sousuke said. When Kaname sat down on the bed, he sat next to her. Of course, she had to strike him playfully with the pillow. Full force directly on the face. "That smarted!"

"Big baby," Kaname said, smiling. How could her change her mood so fast? "Yes, things were bad. And bad things happened. Trains crashing. Temples falling. Apartment buildings evacuated. People burned by explosions. It was really hard watching all that on television. Rock em Sock 'em robots. Those dangerous balls of light. Cannons, knives, grenades. All that fighting, punching, and kicking. Car juggling followed by catch and release. The time while you and Arbalest were pinned. Then you took off into the sky. It-" Tears came to her eyes again. She wiped away a tear with one finger. She stared at it, sparkling the like a diamond in the room light. She stared more intensely at that finger. Precisely, she looked at her fingernail. "Worst of all…you broke my fingernail. Minus one million points?"

"One million?" Sousuke was incredulous. "For a fingernail?"

"It was my favorite fingernail," Kaname harumphed. Then, in dramatic fashion she yawned, and with pillow in hand, took down the bed cover, and slipped underneath it. "I think I'm ready for bed. It was a busy day. We have more fishing to do tomorrow, before we fly out." She paused. "And then you need to take me shopping for souvenirs. I at least need to get one for Kyouko." She plopped her head into the pillow. Reaching a hand up she pulled a chain, turning off the light over the bed.

Sousuke, not wanting to watch TV if Kaname wanted to sleep, rolled underneath the bed. The fit was tighter than usual, but he would be fine as long as Kaname didn't get up and use the mattress as a trampoline.

"In case you're interested-" Kaname's voice came from above. "You are now one million… four hundred and forty thousand… one hundred seventy nine… points below zero."

"That many," Sousuke mused. "Is there no way to reduce that number?"

"No," Kaname said, snuggling under a warm blanket. "No way."

"But do you remember," Sousuke said. "When I called you, because I wanted to hear your voice?"

"I-" Kaname felt a wave of warmth ah over her. Then she frowned and lifted herself up on one elbow. "You made me part of an equation. Here. I'll return the favor. The number is an even one million five hundred thousand, now!" She thought a moment. "No. Two million. Thinking about your fight made me think of that Leonard guy, again." She buried her face in her pillow. What she said next only she could hear. "And when you showed up on top of the hospital, it looked like you wanted to hug me, but all you did was hold your hand out for a handshake. Big idiot."

"A comedy of errors, I suppose." Sousuke believed that in the truest sense; but, he saw no reason for laughter. He thought about a return salvo. But, he didn't want to see what Kaname might do if he said 'IT'S HUGE.' But, he was a soldier. A Specialist. He couldn't let her assault go unchecked. "I suppose my biggest error was walking into your ambush. It would have been simpler to accept Tessa's invitation."

"W-h-a-t!" Kaname said. The way the bed shook, she must had abruptly sat up. "What did you just say?"

"At school… after hearing all of the sex talk…" Sousuke said that on purpose. "Tessa said: "Tonight… after school….we could do a sleepover. We could paint each other's finger nails and toenails…." He thought a moment. "I wonder what she would have wanted to do if I was back in my own body." Point. Set. Match.

"You don't need to wonder that!" Kaname said automatically, her animation making the box spring creak. "A soldier doesn't need his nails painted!" She knew that Tessa would want to do more than that, even though she was just as innocent as she herself was. Who knows what she might do, if Melissa wasn't there to restrain her!

"If I took Tessa fishing," Sousuke sounded like he was thinking over the prospect. He wasn't. "I bet she wouldn't take points away from me." He laughed. "She probably give me more points than I could possibly count." There was a thump. Something heavy hit the floor.

Kaname rolled up under the bed, ending up face to face with Sousuke, her eyes very wide, pupils huge in the minimal light. "I like to fish. A prissy girl like Tessa probably does not." She had no doubt that Tessa would follow Sousuke anywhere, even if he wanted to explore the sewers of Tokyo. "If you like… since you brought me to such a nice island… I'll reinstate all of the points."

"Really?" Sousuke looked at Kaname. The way her face looked was indescribable. "Will you…." He knew there was a lot more than points involved. He couldn't fathom the depth of the pain, annoyance, and frustration that must have piled up on top of her over the course of those memorable two days, and the days that followed. "Will you forgive me?"

"No," Kaname said matter-of-factly. "Not one bit." She added: "Not just for taking me on this trip."

"What then?" Sousuke asked.

"A whale," Kaname said. "I'll forgive you if you catch me a whale." The old standards were the best.

"I see," Sousuke said. It was impossible, with rod and reel, of course. But, the waters surrounding Hachijojima were incredibly rich with sea life. Whales and other large sea mammals can be viewed from many sites, even from hot springs. Humpback whales. Sperm whales. False Killer Whales. True Orcas. There were Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, too. "I didn't bring enough money with me to charter a whaling ship." He couldn't do that, anyhow. They weren't pleasure vessels. "I don't have an explosive LAV."

"Too bad," Kaname said, not moving away. 'So sad."

"What if I take you whale watching," Sousuke offered. "Instead of fishing?"

"D-e-a-l!" Kaname smiled happily.

Tired, they both soon fell asleep, just as they were.

The crash of waves could barely be heard in the distance. Crickets called to one another, outside their window. There must have been an owl somewhere, too.

"Sous-kayyy-yy-y," Kaname said softly during one dream. "You shouldn't…."

"Affirmative," Sousuke said, dreaming too.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

*FINIS*

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

'What a Long Strange Trip It's Been' was the second compilation album by the Grateful Dead. It was released August 18, 1977 by Warner Bros. Records, The title taken from the lyrics to the song 'Truckin':

Truckin', like the do-dah man. Once told me "You've got to play your hand"
Sometimes your cards ain't worth a dime, if you don't lay'em down,

Sometimes the light's all shinin' on me,
Other times I can barely see.

Lately it occurs to me what a long, strange trip it's been.

That title about sums up this story, Epilogue and all. It's been a journey of five months or so. Many an hour invested for author and readers alike. Only time will tell if it stands as a monument to creativity… stupidity… or both.

PEACE OUT!

-the author