[UY][FanFic][Repost] Story #1 "Tomobiki 2001" (3 of 7)
Frederick Herriot
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Next door, Shinobu was heating some food for Benten. The hunter
was asleep on the living room couch. Junba had finally turned in for
the night. Once the meal was ready, Shinobu poured it into a bowl,
set it on a tray, and then she headed into the living room.
Carefully, she jostled Benten awake. "Benten?" the nurse/princess
called out. "Wake up!"
Benten started. Catching sight of Shinobu, she then recoiled
from her hand. Glaring at her host, her lips instantly curled into
a silent snarl. "Benten, relax," Shinobu soothed with a sigh. "It's
me, Miyake Shinobu. You must recognize me!"
The Fukunokami's eyes remained fixed on Shinobu. The nurse
remained still, knowing that, in cases like this, any sudden movement
could provoke a violent response. Comfortable with the fact that her
psionic powers and strength could more than match a deranged Benten,
she saw no reason to provoke a fight. "You're probably hungry."
Shinobu presented the bowl. "I warmed up some leftover beefbowl
for you."
Looking at the offered food, Benten snatched it from Shinobu's
hands. After a precautionary sniff, she then proceeded to gobble
it down. "I need to get her trust," Shinobu mused aloud as she sat
in a chair across from the hunter. "Benten?" she then probed,
deciding it was time for answers. "What happened to you? Where have
you been? Where's Nassur-kun? Why haven't you aged all this time?"
The now-empty bowl flew at Shinobu in answer. The nurse calmly
dodged it. "More!" Benten snapped.
"At least she can talk," Shinobu wryly mused.
Incensed by the flippant response, the Fukunokami grabbed the
Terran-turned-Sagussan by her housecoat, glaring into her eyes.
"More!" Benten repeated as she glared intently into Shinobu's
eyes. "Hungry!"
Shinobu sighed as she firmly pulled Benten's hands off her, her
grip causing the hunter to gasp. "Hai, hai, Sahib! My feet are like
wings!" She then stood, muttering, "One thing about you I *didn't*
miss is that Lyna-be-damned temper of yours."
As she picked up the bowl from the floor, Shinobu then froze
in mid-stride when Benten sobbed, "Aiotoga."
Shinobu looked over. The moonlight flowed into the room, making
Benten's tears glisten. "She's asleep. Do you want to see her?"
Those words were enough to shatter the dam holding the other
woman's emotions back. "S-she . . . " the hunter gasped. "She
didn't know who I was, but . . . b-but I knew her as soon as I saw
her! How long has it been since Nassur and I were captured?"
"Seventeen years."
Silence fell as Benten processed that bombshell. "Seventeen
years?! I missed so much . . . and it's all her fault . . . !"
With that, her strength faded as sorrow once more overcame
her. Shinobu set the bowl on an end table, and then she sat beside
Benten, instinctively pulling her into a warm embrace. "Who's
fault?" the nurse gently inquired. "Benten, who are you talking
about?"
"It was Queen Elle!" Benten icily replied. "She took us away
from our child and friends . . . !"
More sobs. Shinobu remained still, allowing Benten the chance
to regain some sense of decorum. Finally, the latter gazed on her
host. "You've changed," the hunter whispered. "You're not hyper
like you used to be. It's like you're a different person!"
"In more ways than one," Shinobu ruefully admitted. "Seventeen
years have passed. In that time, I've physically aged a year and a
half. What did you expect?" An eyebrow arched. "That we'd all go
into cryogenic suspension to wait for your return?"
"Very funny!" Benten wryly snarled. "It could be worse, I
admit. You could be an old lady . . . or dead."
"Care to have more of your body wrecked?" Shinobu dead-panned.
Benten shrugged. Gradually, as the tension faded, the old
friendship came back to them. Laughter washed away the last of the
apprehension as they warmly embraced. "Oh, it's so good to be back!"
Benten said. "Hey, I'm hungry still! Got something to eat?!"
"Okay, greedy guts, you win! I'll go get the shovel!"
Shinobu headed back into the kitchen. Benten stuck her tongue
out at the nurse's back, and then she relaxed as her mind churned
over the primary bit of news Shinobu gave her. *Seventeen years . .
. !*
* * *
Finally stuffed to the gills, Benten then found herself the
centre of attention of a gathering of the "usual suspects." Lum and
Ataru had come immediately over from their home, the latter having
sensed what had happened through his marei'cha bond with Shinobu.
Also present was an obviously pregnant Seq Ran, a curious Ozuno
Sakura and Ryooki Koosei and a calm Megane Aisuru. Junba was also
awake, she eager to learn the truth about herself. Surrounded
by both old friends and a new daughter, Benten realized she needed
to explain her seventeen-year absence. "Elle's troops captured
Nassur and me," Benten began. "I put Junba into an escape pod on the
'Renegade' because we both believed we wouldn't escape. We knew
someone would find her and take care of her. Nothing until five days
ago. We woke up . . . in freezer units."
"Freezer units?" Ataru said. "You were cryofrozen all this
time?"
Benten nodded. "That's right. It was then we made our escape
. . . "
** ** **
Five days previously . . .
On Elle, in a darkened laboratory outside Baran, Benten and
Nassur woke to find themselves standing in cryofreeze chambers.
Both were quick to discover that the chambers weren't open. The
uncomfortable warmth was also something they couldn't ignore. To
make matters worse, Nassur saw thick grey smoke seeping into the lab.
Turning to each other, they tried to shout something. No sound could
pass through the walls of their chambers. Nassur then made a motion
with his open hand across his face, mouthing "psi-link." Benten
nodded understandingly as both relaxed themselves, allowing their
minds to forge a psionic line.
*Benten, can you hear me?*
*Yeah! I guess you can hear me.*
*Loud and clear. You have an idea what happened?!*
*Damned if I know! Last thing I remember's seeing Aiotoga
escape. Where are we?! Why've we been frozen? Why's it getting
so hot?*
*This clearly wasn't planned,* Nassur replied with a grimace.
*These units usually open automatically when the person inside thaws.
The unit's still working but the lab's so warm, the computers
haven't registered that we're awake.*
*Great!* Benten moaned. *We suffocate or we sweat to death.
You sense anyone around?*
*Several people nearby. Their brainwave patterns tell me
they're frantic about something.*
*They aren't the only ones,* Benten began to pant. *Can we get
out of here?*
*Good question.*
Benten sighed, and then she began to bang on the glass to see if
it would break. No effect; the confines of the chambers prevented
her from leaning back and hitting the glass with her usual ilan.
Nassur then flashed a warning: *Somebody's coming! Stay still!*
They assumed their original positions. Through slightly opened
eyes, they watched as several Ellsian lab technicians, supported
by members of the Royal Ellsian Defence Force, rush in. Some headed
for the other chambers and open them; others gathered and moved
portable equipment, tools and notes out of the room as quick as they
could. An older technician raced to the chambers containing
his guests. "Good," she said with a relieved nod. "They're still
frozen! Take them out of those tubes before the fire spreads to this
room."
The doors were unlocked and opened. The attendants grabbed
them roughly, hurling them onto available gurneys and pushed them out
of the room. The stench of a chemical fire assaulted the hunters'
noses as they were carried out. *Now what?* Benten asked.
*Wait for it,* Nassur warned.
The technicians and the guards transported the "frozen" hunters
out of the complex. The parade finally arrived at a loading dock
where a small hovertruck marked MOBILE FREEZER UNIT awaited them.
*Uh-oh!* Benten tried not to gulp. *We're in trouble.*
*Now or never!*
Nassur sprang into action. The technicians and guards were
startled at the sight of two "frozen" beings leaping nimbly off the
gurneys. Their hesitation was enough to give Nassur and Benten the
chance to easily subdue them. Off in the near distance, another
guard doing sentry duty turned a corner, spot the ruckus, and then
she yelled, "They're awake!"
"Capture them!" one of the subdued technicians ordered. "Don't
let them escape!"
Thanks to their long suspension, it took fifteen seconds for the
hunters to eliminate all potential resistance. As the last guard
dropped unconscious, Nassur and Benten quickly armed themselves.
"That was easy!" Benten noted as she picked up a rifle.
"We've learned one thing," Nassur affirmed as he grabbed a
couple of blasters. "We're on Elle."
Benten blinked. "Elle?! How can you tell?!"
He showed her a blaster. "The guards are dressed in R.E.D.F.
uniforms and these are standard issue weapons!"
"What does Elle want with us?" Benten wondered. "We're not on
her list of most popular people."
"We'll find out soon enough," Nassur mused. "Let's go."
"No arguments here."
They leave the mobile freezer unit truck behind, knowing that
the darkness of the night would help keep them invisible. The
hunters made their way to a bush behind the lab to catch their
breath. "Made it!" Benten gasped.
Nassur motioned to the lab. Benten watched as flames consumed
the building. A dozen fire trucks, lights flashing and sirens
blaring, pulled up and try to quash the blaze. "Lucky!" Benten
commented. "We just missed becoming fried squid."
Nassur motioned into the bush. "Let's get some distance from
this place!"
* * *
After an hour of running, the bush melted into Baran's suburbs.
Despite the late hour, Nassur and Benten stayed in the alleyways
and back streets. No telling what police patrols were dashing hither
and yon, hunting for criminal-looking types. "Now what?" Benten
wondered.
"Right now? Avoid capture." Nassur then snorted. "What we
have to do is get off this planet."
"How?" Benten asked as she stretched herself. "My body feels
so sluggish . . . "
"Hibernation sickness," he noted as he took a moment to examine
their surroundings. While he had not frequented this world as much
as he had places like Gomiana, Nassur did know Baran's general
layout. "It'll pass soon. We've probably been frozen a couple of
years."
"Why would Elle freeze us?" she asked as she took her own look.
"It doesn't make sense." Hearing no reply from her husband, she
turned to see Nassur hacking into a street-side computer information
terminal. "What are you doing?"
"Trying to find some answers," he grunted as he played with the
keyboard. After a moment, he smiled. "There! I've broken into
planet Elle's main database. Let's see . . . "
* * *
In the core of Baran's main city computer complex, a security
monitor technician blinked as something appeared on her screen.
"Commander," she called out. "I'm detecting an unauthorized
entry in terminal THX-1138. Should I send a squad to investigate?"
The obese watch supervisor limbered up to glance over her
subordinate's shoulder. "Strange. It's only a street information
post. Perhaps some kids playing around. Keep an eye on them. They
might get into something sensitive."
"Yes, ma'am."
* * *
Nassur gritted his teeth. "This computer's more advanced
than I thought. We've been out a long time."
Benten remained on watch as her husband worked away. "Get
anything?"
"Nothing . . . wait!" Nassur then yelped. "I've just located
'Renegade.'"
"Good! Let's get out of here!"
"Agreed."
* * *
The supervisor's private audiophone rang. "Yes?" she answered.
She then tensed as the other end made its report. "I see. We'll
send squads out immediately!" Hanging up, she then opened a video
phone line to the city's internal security primary dispatch station.
"Attention all units! Be on the lookout for Nassur of Vos and Benten
Shigaten of Fukunokami! They're both armed and dangerous! If
possible, they're to be taken alive! Chief Operative Seven Bake
Rose, report to duty immediately!"
Around her, the technicians all shuddered on hearing the
mercenary's name. The one monitoring THX-1138 then looked up on
noting some new action from the terminal in question. "Ma'am! The
hackers stopped after gaining information about the captured starship
'Renegade.'"
"What?!" the supervisor gasped, then, on realizing the
significance of that report, she flipped open the link to internal
security.
"All units: converge on City Spacedock 245!"
* * *
City Spacedock 245 once belonged to the Royal Ellsian Defence
Force. Currently, it was largely empty. Save for storage boxes and
a familiar Fukunokami-built frigate, all covered with dust and
cobwebs. "There she is!" Nassur declared with a cautious smile as
the hunters slipped inside through a side door. "She still looks
in fine shape." A pause. "I hope."
"I hope so, too," Benten muttered as she scoured the area.
"This is too easy! Somebody must know we've escaped!"
Almost in answer, Nassur's eyes glowed, and then he grabbed
his wife to force her to the deck. "Down!"
Several lasers bisected the air above their heads. "I knew it!"
Benten moved to take cover. "I see seven!"
"Mark! Let's fight!"
A sporadic firefight began. *I just thought of something!*
Benten psi-linked. *Where do we go when we get off this rock?*
*Not sure,* Nassur replied as he fired his weapon. *Right now,
any port in a storm will do.*
*Thanks for the encouragement!* Benten forced a security
officer to dive for cover with a spray of rifle fire. *Here's
another thought: what if everyone we know is dead or too old to be
any use to us?!*
*We're in trouble.*
Suddenly, all fire ceased. Nassur and Benten peek out from
cover, both quickly noting that more security troops were streaming
into the spacedock. *I think we can make a break for it,* the Vosian
mused as he bit his lip. *C'mon!*
Both bolted for the "Renegade's" boarding ramp, they dodging
sporadic fire as the other side quickly noticed what was happening.
*I'll stand guard,* Nassur psi-linked as he took cover by several
boxes, still some distance from the boarding hatch. *Get her going!*
*Right!*
Benten dashed aboard. The Fukunokami ignored the dust and
cobwebs as she ran to the bridge. The disturbed air threw up a fine
cloud, causing her to sneeze. "So much for house cleaning!"
she grumbled as she sat at the helm to commence emergency start-up.
Below, Nassur kept watch. His eyes flashed, and then he ducked
as a metal fist flew overhead. "Ah, Seven Bake Rose!" Nassur then
smiled on seeing an older yet familiar -- and currently
cybernetic-enhanced -- mercenary facing him. "You haven't aged
well!"
"I've waited years for this!" Rose de Hausenbach growled,
sensor-eye glowing. "I'm better than I was the last time we fought!"
"Bad imitation of Ataru's Cyborg form!" Nassur noted as he
calmly began to evade her punches. *Benten, Seven Bake Rose's here!
Can you get 'Renegade' ready?!* he psi-flashed his wife.
Benten was busy trying to cold-start the warp core. *Trying!
Keep her busy!*
It was easy; Nassur was more than able to hold his own against
Rose. "You're an idiot getting cybernetic parts, Rosie!" he taunted
her. "Even now, you can't take me on one-on-one! I speak from
experience!"
Meanwhile, on the frigate's bridge, Benten angrily slammed
her hands on the console. "Damn it, why won't you start?!"
"Renegade's" engines turned over. "Finally!" she cried.
Nassur blinked as he heard the start-up. Rose moved to take
advantage. "Don't get your hopes up!"
He sidestepped the cyborg as she waded into some nearby crates
with the grace of a crashing missile. "Sorry, Rosie!" Nassur said
in farewell as he dashed to the boarding ramp. "We'll finish this
some other time!"
"Coward!" Rose screamed. "Come back here and fight like a man!"
*Benten!* he psi-linked. *Coming aboard!*
*Hurry up! More soldiers!*
Unseen by either of them, a sniper had taken position behind
a crate. Calmly, she bore-sighted her weapon on the Vosian some
metres away. Her bolt lanced into Nassur's left shoulder!
*B-Benten!* he gasped as he sank to the spacedock deck. *I'm hit!*
*I'll stop and get you!*
*N-no . . . * Nassur said pleadingly as he faded out. *Get help
. . . Varanko, Dakejinzou, the hybrids, Lum . . . do it . . . !*
As more soldiers raced into the dock, he smiled as "Renegade"
blasted off before unconsciousness overcame him . . .
** ** **
"I decided to fly 'Renegade' to Earth," Benten completed.
"The engines gave out over Triton and I crashed. End of story."
Everyone remained silent as they absorb the hunter's tale. "As
soon as I'm able," Benten added, "I'm going back to rescue Nassur."
"I'll help!" Junba immediately volunteered. "I want to meet my
dad."
"Junba, are you out of your mind?" Ataru demanded. "That's
very dangerous."
"Moroboshi-sensei." Junba stared at him. "I'm no green kid!
Mrs. Moroboshi's been teaching me marital arts for years."
Benten blinked as she absorbed what she just heard, and then she
smiled. "I see a lot's changed since we left!"
"We wished you could've come," Lum noted as she squeezed her
husband's hand.
"Makes four of us." Benten then gazed at Junba. "What about
you, Aiotoga? Do you have a boyfriend?"
Hearing that, the teenager's happy look crashed. "What have I
done?!" she wailed as she bolted for her bedroom.
"Did I say something?" Benten asked as she heard a bedroom
door slam shut. "What happened?"
"Junba's boyfriend was Jariten," Shinobu explained with a shake
of her head. "They were going to be married. I never told Junba
she was adopted. Neither did Ten. When you came back, they got into
a fight and Junba broke off the engagement."
"I see," Benten breathed out. "Poor kid."
The other nodded, many of them sighing in turn. In her bedroom,
Junba was weeping into her pillow. "What a jerk! What an idiot!
Why did I break it off?! What do I do?! How will he ever forgive
me?!"
* * *
Next morning, Amora was quick to pass on the news to her
classmates.
Tomobiki High's rumour mill did the rest . . .
"This is the most horrible day I ever thought I would live
through!" Megane Shinpai exclaimed.
"I've never seen Junba-chan so upset!" Chibi Rikoshugi noted.
"What do we do?"
"If word spreads," Kakugari Kokishin warned, "Every guy in the
school will be after Junba-chan! What will we do?!"
The bodyguards crossed their arms and thought about it. "I got
it!" Paama Omoshiroi spoke up. "Why don't we get first in line?!"
They exchanged looks, and then the quartet diabolically
laughed. "And they say **I'M** wanton and fickle?" Amora sneered
at them before she barked out, "You guys are sick! Working on a poor
girl's sadness for your own gain! Disgusting!"
Junba then arrived, her shoulders sagged in sorrow. Fujinami
Dansei trailed her best friend, concern etched on the tomboy's
face. On seeing their class representative, many of the boys moved
to "prepare" themselves. *Poor girl,* Amora mused as she gazed
sympathetically on her neighbour. *She's in for it now! How could
Shinobu-bachan DO such a thing to her?!*
Junba sat down. "S-she's here!" Shinpai stuttered as
nervousness washed through him. "Who should go first?!"
"Should it be by lot?" Rikoshugi wondered.
Kokishin shook his head. "Nah! Too easy to cheat! Jurgen?!"
"Too long!" Omoshiroi hissed.
"There's only one course to take!" Shinpai's glasses then
glowed. "***A MASS ATTACK!***"
With that, they leapt at Junba . . .
And ran into a pair of tiger-stripped walls!
Of course, the "walls" were the transformed Rin and Ren.
"There's the devil twins, right on schedule!" Amora muttered.
They reverted to normal as they sympathetically gazed at their
class rep. "Hiya, Junba!" Rin began. "We heard about your
break-up."
"And we'd be honoured if you'd go out with one of us!" Ren
added.
"And it'd better be me!" Rin finished.
Sure enough, Ren spun on his brother, he snaring Rin's jacket.
"How can you be so airheaded?! She wants to be with me!"
"Stick your head in a cannon! She wants me!"
"ME!"
Junba rolled her eyes as the expected fight began. *I don't
want EITHER of them!*
Suddenly, a pair of rockets blasted Rin and Ren out of the
class! When the smoke cleared, Mendou Tetsubou stormed in, rocket
launcher at the ready. "Enough! You monsters will not fight near
Junba-san as long as I'm here!"
"Tetsubou!" Junba gasped, surprised by his actions. "What are
you doing with that?!"
"I was merely paying homage to 'Assemble Insert,'" Tetsubou
reported.
Mass face-fault! In the blink of the eye, Tetsubou is at
Junba's side, his hand gently grasping her. Expectantly, the lights
around them grew fuzzy as romantic music played in the background.
Their classmates watched this strange tableau play out. Save Amora,
she clearly nauseous by his show of exuberance. "Junba-san,"
Tetsubou intoned. "I know how you feel. It was the same for me when
my parents divorced."
Junba looked ready to cry. "I feel so dead inside, Tetsubou."
"I'm here if you want me. Go ahead and cry. You'll feel
better."
"I see Tetsubou didn't waste time," Seiteki commented from
nearby.
Amora scowled. "You'd think this was a soap opera, not a
science fiction comedy-adventure!"
Tears flowing, Junba accepted Tetsubou's embrace. "Tetsubou
. . . "
He patted her back. "Aiotoga . . . "
"So THIS is what you do when my back's turned!"
Everyone spun around to stare at the window, where a VERY
incensed Jariten currently stood. "Jariten!" Junba gasped as she
pulled herself away from Tetsubou. "It's not what you think . . . !"
"Oh?!" the ensign icily growled. "What DO you think I'm
thinking?!"
Amora was quick to notice the bouquet of flowers. *It's hit the
fan, folks . . . *
Incensed by Jariten's unspoken accusation, Junba marched up to
glare at him. "Tetsubou's only showing some kindness," she growled.
"Is that what YOU call it?!" He snorted. "I came ready to
apologize. Seems to me it didn't take YOU long to find a
replacement!"
"Oh, yeah?!" she retorted, her face flushing with rage. "Well,
listen up! Mendou Tetsubou's a lot better than you! At least HE
knows how to treat a woman and HE doesn't hold the truth from them!"
Hearing that, Jariten seemed stricken. "I see," he then said.
"So that's what you think, eh?! You want him?!" he demanded as he
then threw the bouquet into the air, incinerating it then with his
flame-breath. "You can have him!"
The ashes cascaded to the floor between them. Junba slapped
him. "It's over! I hope you die in space! HORRIBLY!"
"If I had to come back to a girl like you?!" he retorted with
bared fangs, "I'd rather I DID die in space!"
With that, he was off, flying back to the shipyards. His abrupt
departure instantly made Junba realize that she just let a golden
opportunity slip through her fingers. "Oh, no!" she then moaned,
hand falling over her heart. "What have I done?!"
Tetsubou then seized her from behind. "Aiotoga!"
* * *
Moments later, Ataru stepped in. "'Morning, class!"
The teacher jolted on seeing wrecked desks piled over someone
and Amora trying to calm a violently shaking Junba down. "Calm down,
Aiotoga! There's still time to get back together if you try!"
Ataru stared at Seiteki. "What happened?"
"Ten and Junba just had a fight and Tetsubou interfered,"
she responded before a coy stare crossed her face. "I didn't know
Junba was into kinky stuff. It gives me an idea . . . "
His eyes rolled. "Grow up, Seiteki, and stow it!"
The principal's daughter jolted. The teacher called the class
to order, pointedly ignoring her. "Why's he playing hard-to-get?!"
* * *
Later, at the Miyake home, Benten stared in disbelief at an
ornate suit of body armour hanging on the wall of Shinobu's bedroom.
Magenta with silver piping, it was clearly Yehisrite in design,
complete with ceremonial cape and sheathed broadsword. After taking
a moment to absorb that fearsome image, the hunter then hesitantly
turned to Shinobu, she busy drawing out some photo albums. "You're
a laqu'r?!"
"That's right," the nurse replied with a smile. "Shortly
after you and Nassur were captured, Sheko tried to avenge the
Mikado's death on Ataru. He nearly killed Ataru; my sister Joshu
saved him via tre'cha. I killed Sheko. End of story."
Benten moved to sit beside her. "Then why aren't you living
in Kyotos?"
"I lived there for five years, helping out with political
reforms and cleansing out Sheko's cronies," Shinobu explained
as she opened an album. "But eventually, I felt Kyotos City was no
place to raise Aiotoga. I moved back here and left Varanko's
grandson Chanko in charge as Principal Lord Protector. It's the
first time ever that Kyotos has tried this form of government.
No one's had reason to complain: the lords' positions are secure
and the citizens are prosperous, light-years different from Sheko's
time. Anyhow, take a look . . . "
Benten eagerly began looking through the many images of Junba
growing up, first on Yehisril, then on Earth. As the various albums
were paraded before her, a mixture of delight and sadness crossed
the hunter's face on seeing how Junba had matured. "These pictures"
-- she indicated one of Junba and Dansei on a school trip to Kyoto
-- "Make me realize how much I've missed."
"I've tried to keep her out of trouble," Shinobu moved to assure
her guest. "Lum's been teaching her kari'fu, taking what lessons
Nassur once gave her and passing it on to Aiotoga. Most everyone
likes her; Lyna, there's even a 'Junba's Bodyguards.'"
Benten's eyes rolled. "Bensaiten's Grave! Not that again!
I assume Megane's relatives have something to do with that!"
"Aisuru's nephew Shinpai leads it. Shitto's, Daremo's and
Urayamu's sons back him up." Shinobu chuckled. "Their luck's
usual."
Both laughed. "How did Aiotoga wind up with Ten?" Benten then
wondered.
"Ten's always had an interest in Aiotoga," Shinobu explained.
"I think it stemmed from the times Aiotoga took over your body when
you were carrying her. They grew up almost side-by-side.
She helped him out of a . . . very difficult time while in high
school."
Benten tensed. "Minami, you mean? I remember she was pretty
interested in him when they were staying with me in Oshika . . . "
"Minami isn't with us anymore," Shinobu then reported with a
saddened sigh. "Anyhow, Junba recognized Jariten sometime after.
Unfortunately, she became quite the pain when he left to attend the
Urusian Naval Academy. She only saw him during vacations. Always
moping around. Once, she even tried to run away to Uru to live with
him."
Benten laughed. "She obviously got that from me."
"Oh, there're a few things I regret her inheriting from you,"
Shinobu wryly mused. "Still, there's a bright side to this. Ten's
on exchange with the United Nations Defence Force. He was just
assigned to the 'Lum-san.'"
"'Lum-san?'"
"Our first home-built starship," Shinobu reported. "Ten years
ago, Earth officially became part of the Galactic Federation.
Thanks to technological transfers, mostly from Uru, Vos, Zephyrus,
Ipraedos, Kyotos and most of the other Yehisrite principalities,
we're now able to build our own fleet. Daremo and Kenmei designed
her. Shuutarou's going to command her. I hear the name was chosen
out of a hat."
Benten grinned. "I never thought Lum would have a starship
named after her. How're Ataru and Reiko?"
"Reiko's living with Dakejinzou with her lifemate and their
child. As for Ataru . . . well, he's okay, but there have been
problems."
Benten noted the downcast look. "Something wrong?"
"I'd rather not comment," Shinobu exhaled. "The last seventeen
years have not been kind to some. Ataru and Lum are two of them.
If you want to know more, you should speak to them. Since I am
Ataru's bond-mate, I would be violating his privacy by saying more.
We've lived side-by-side for the last decade here in Tomobiki,
but many Sagussan social guidelines still dominate our lives."
The Fukunokami tensed as that warning washed through her, and
then she nodded. "I . . . okay."
Their conversation was suddenly interrupted when the front door
flew open, slamming against the wall as Junba stormed in. Benten
and Shinobu walked out of the latter's bedroom to greet their child.
"Aiotoga!" Benten chirped, beaming. "How was your day at . . . ?"
Junba slammed her bedroom door shut behind her!
"School?" Benten completed before she stared at Shinobu. "I
guess today wasn't very good."
Shinobu smiled as she headed into the kitchen. "Your temper,
I'm afraid."
"What about YOUR temper?" Benten taunted.
Shinobu stopped, turning to face her. "Benten, let me make
something VERY clear: Just because I may only look a year older,
I am not the person I was seventeen years ago. I don't particularly
care to regress to that time, even for your amusement. You don't
realize what it's been like, being a Sagussan and raising a
part-Vosian child. I've learned to maintain a tight control over
myself. Think about it. If I dropped my psi-shields, Aiotoga would
die of a stroke because her tracking powers would overload once she
sensed my brainwave pattern."
Benten fearfully nodded. "I . . . I see."
"Then you see why I've disciplined myself." Shinobu then
sighed. "Just to warn you, Ataru and Lum are the same way. I'm
sorry about you missing out on so much. But, like it or not, we
can't change the past. This is the way I am now. The sooner you
accept it, the better for all of us, especially Aiotoga. Now, why
don't you look in on her while I get started on supper?"
"Um . . . y-yeah, sure!" Benten sputtered with a nod before
she headed off.
* * *
In her bedroom, Junba wept into her pillow. "It's over!" she
sobbed. "It's my fault! I'm so stupid . . . I . . . ?!"
"Bad day?"
The teary-eyed teenager turned to gaze on her smiling mother.
"I had a fight, Mom. With Ten-chan."
"I see," Benten calmly replied as she wiped her daughter's
face. "You know, your father and I fought once. Real bad one, too."
"You did? When?"
"Shortly after we first met," Benten explained. "He was
training Lum. I was assisting him. Unfortunately, Nassur's first
wife Cinba died during that time. He wasn't in a good mood. I was
only a few years younger than you are right now and I had
major-league crush on him. He became incensed about that one day.
Our tempers flared; there was a lot of screaming and yelling and I
slapped him."
Surprised by that revelation after hearing so much about Nassur
from Amora and Lum, Junba leaned up. "Then what happened?"
"He slapped me back," Benten answered. "Twice, right in the
face." She pointed to her cheeks in emphasis. "For the first time
in my life, I actually hated him. So I ran away. Then I realized
Nassur was in pain over Cinba's death. He wasn't really mad at me
per se. So I decided to help him get over that sadness. It took me
seven years but I finally managed to do it."
With that, she displayed her cygnet's eye wedding ring. Junba
blinked confusedly. "So what does that mean for me?"
Benten shrugged. "Everyone has fights, especially when they're
developing a relationship. You gotta set boundaries and some rules
for it to work out. Until that happens, there're gonna be
misunderstandings, misconceptions. There's no such thing as the
'perfect' relationship, Aiotoga. As you grow up, so grows the
partnership. And," A pause, and then she pointed at her daughter.
"You always gotta remember this: Nothing's ever truly over until
you both agree it is."
Junba looked down. "I see. But . . . after what's happened,
how can Ten-chan and I get back together?"
Silence fell as Benten considered how to answer that. "I don't
know," she finally announced. "But somehow, I'm sure you'll find a
way. One of you'll have to make the first move. Then, things'll
progress from there."
"Maybe."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)