(Scene:  The Rock of Perpetuity, in the dining room.  SKJAM! and 
Officer Midori are seated at opposite ends of a long candlelit

table, 

while the food serves itself.)

SKJAM!:  Finally completed the new set!

<Lured by the smell of food, Lurker shows up in a fast-moving purple
blur, helping himself to as much of the meal as he can before
settling down beside Hikaru, who primly seats herself>

Hikaru: <sweatdrop> Anou, Lurker-kun...

Lurker: <already stuffing his face> Whmph? 'm hmmgrpph.

	Chapter 20: Hello, how are you, goodbye

Kira:  Deja vu is normal for precogs, but this is a bit much.

SKJAM!:  Mr. Morrison has moved the old Chapter 20 to be #21, and 
inserted this one.

Lurker: <nod> You are correct sir!

Lantis asked. He, too, had changed clothing, at Hikaru's

insistence.

Mokona had provided him with jeans and a t-shirt in his size, and
shoes, and had given him a way to store his armor and sword. The

trio

were now headed to Hikaru's old home.

SKJAM!:  Mokona wearing a Doraemon costume to blend in.  And

where's 

Primera? 

Lurker: I'd wager she either got eaten by Mokona again or is hiding
in Lantis' pocket.

	Lantis nodded. "I can understand that." Mokona had a fairly

serious

expression on its face.

Kira:  Having swallowed the fairy again.

Lurker: <snicker>

	Hikaru gathered her courage, and the trio made their way to the
Shidou dojo.

SKJAM!:  Wait, there's still some courage between the seat

cushions.

Hikaru: <groans> His jokes are even worse than yours, Lurker-kun...

Lurker: <nod> <piku> Anou ne...!

	"Mmm hmm. That's nice, Umi dear," the woman said. She was busily
crafting a bento, using the soy sauce to write rather sappy

things on

the rice. She giggled to herself. "Oh, your father's going to

love

this," she said.

Kira (Umi voice):  "Ucchan loves Ranchan"?  Mom, is there something

going 

on I should know about?

Lurker: <chuckle>

Hikaru: <giggle>

	Her mother nodded, picking up the folder of documents and

looking it

over. "Alright," she said. "Have fun, and be careful! China's
supposed to be a rough place. Do you need any help getting ready,

or

money, or anything?"

SKJAM!:  Some rat poison for that big white rodent?

Hikaru: Shhhh! Umi-chan'd probably take that offer...

	"Well, alright then. Take care of youself, Umi-chan."
	Umi smiled, and hugged her mother. "I will, Okaasan! I'd better

go

catch the train to Nerima. I'll see you in a few weeks!" Umi

hoped

her time estimate was right. She had a feeling they'd be having

to

hike across China, and kami-sama only knew how long that would

take. 

SKJAM!:  Four, maybe five chapters.

Lurker: If you're lucky.

	"Enjoy your trip!" her mother called after her as Umi left the
Ryuuzaki residence. She smiled to herself. "So young and

energetic.

It's nice to see her taking an interest in travel."

Kira:  Now I can drip the soy sauce somewhere really interesting.

Lurker: ...

Hikaru: Hentai! <whacks Kira>

	Umi nodded. "My mother seems to be also. Well, we'd best head

back

to Nerima and get over to the Dojo."
	Fuu nodded. "I've already purchased train tickets for both of

us."

She handed Umi a ticket.
	Umi smiled. "That's just like you, Fuu." Both girls giggled.

SKJAM!:  For the ticket wore green and glasses too.

Lurker, Hikaru: <groan>

	As he himself had been doing for months now.

SKJAM!:  If only he hadn't kept asking directions from that guy in

the 

bandana...

Lurker: <snicker>

	It was the second anniversary of her disappearance, though, and

the

three brothers, at least, had finally reunited at the Shidou

home.

Masaru had become an obsessive clean freak, and spent almost

sixteen

hours a day cleaning the house and dojo. The only thing he never
touched was Hikaru's bedroom. None of them would enter it. Kakeru

had

Kira:  The garlic and banana sandwich she'd left there was just too

powerful. 

Hikaru: Anou ne...! I only eat garlic with *peanut butter*, thank
you!

Lurker: <sweatdrop>

	Those who knew of the incident would say that it was the first

time

Kunou had showed anything remotely resembling common sense in his
entire life.

Kira:  The second time involved Happosai and some fishnet

stockings, but 

that's another story.

Lurker: Yes, quite.

Kakeru was wearing a kendo outfit which, frankly, needed to be
washed...or burned. Satoru was just sitting there, miserable.

SKJAM!:  Being too close to Kakeru.

Lurker: <snicker>

Hikaru's pet wolf, Hikari, was also present, barely...the animal

held

on tenaciously, despite the fact that he had become so thin his
skeleton was visible beneath his skin. If canines could radiate
depression, Hikari would be a prime candidate for a Shishi

Houkoudan.

Kira:  The only thing that cheered him up was that cute Shirokuro

next 

door... 

Lurker: Heh.

Hikaru: <giggle>

 > 	There was a tentative rapping at the door. The three brothers

blinked at each other. Nobody had come around the place in quite

some

time.

SKJAM!:  Since they'd mugged the last rapper to show up.

Lurker: <Kakeru voice> That was different.

Hikaru: How so?

Lurker: <Kakeru voice> Last one was Vanilla Ice.

	Satoru frowned. "We don't need to be rude to people." He rose,

and

made his way slowly to the door. He slid it open. "Yes can
I--YAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!" 

SKJAM!:  Kiaijutsu!

Lurker: <snicker>

side of the door was a teenage girl with braided red hair and red
eyes, wearing Chinese clothes, a tall, rather large man with

black

hair, wearing jeans and a t-shirt, and an egg-shaped white rabbit
with a jewel on its forehead. 
	It was the girl that had their undivided attention.	

SKJAM! (Shidou brothers voice):  Boy, has she filled out!

Hikaru: <blush!> H...hentai...!

	Hikari looked up from where he sat hunched in the corner, and

caught

sight of Hikaru. His eyes brightened, and he leaped towards her,
barking happily.

SKJAM!:  Feed me!  No one else knows how to operate a can opener!

Lurker: <snicker>

	A short while later, the Shidou brothers awoke. They found

Hikaru,

the large fellow, and the bunny sitting in the middle of the

dojo.

"HIKARU-CHAN!" they all shouted simulataneously, and virtually
dogpiled her.

SKJAM!:  Simultaneously.

Lurker: Urk. <fixes that>

	"Ack---hey!" Hikaru giggled. "One at a time, guys!"

SKJAM!:  Yes, there's enough of her for--
	(dish flies over and breaks on his head)
Kira:  Hentai!

Hikaru: <bashes SKJAM! with her sword>

	"Travelling?" the brothers chorused.

SKJAM!:  o/~My poppa was a barker in a traveling show~\o

Lurker, Hikaru: <collapse twitching, as every dog in a ten mile
radius falls to the ground howling in pain>

	Hikaru nodded. "I've been travelling for two years, in places

that

were very harsh. I had no way to get back to Japan until very
recently," she explained. She sighed. "And as much as I'd love to
stay and be home again, my journey isn't finished yet."

Kira (Hikaru voice):  I must travel to the center of the Earth!

Lurker: <shakes head> Just to the center of this fanfic. <snicker>

Hikaru: <blinks> Anou...

Lurker: It was a *joke*, Hikaru-chan. Relax.

Hikaru: <whew>

	Hikaru nodded. "That's right. Lantis will be accompanying me and
some other friends to China. He's a very skilled swordsman, and

we'll

probably need him."

Kira:  Cannon fodder is always good.

	"Why couldn't the three of us go with you?" Kakeru asked.

SKJAM!:  We need competent cannon fodder.

Lurker: <snicker>

	"So am I," Masaru said, hugging his sister. Hikaru smiled.
	"Me too," Kakeru said, moving to hug Hikaru. She held up her

hand to

ward him off. "Kakeru-niisama? Bathe."

SKJAM!:  Two speakers in same paragraph.

Lurker: Yeah, I noticed that. <fixes it>

	Hikaru nodded, smiling. "Will you accompany us, Lantis?"
	Lantis shook his head. "I think I'd like to explore more of this
city, if it's alright with you."

SKJAM! (Lantis voice):  I am most intrigued by this..."red light 
district" you mentioned.

Lurker: ...

Hikaru: ...

Lurker: You want to take this one?

Hikaru: <shakes her head> Not worth it.

Lurker: <nods> Agreed.

	The brothers watched Hikaru as she headed for the gate with

Hikari.

As soon as Hikaru, Lantis, and Mokona were all gone, Satoru

turned to

the others. "Kakeru, bathe...and burn that gi," he added.

"Masaru, go

get the safe deposit box out of Father's room. I'll be on the

phone,"

he added, "making some plane reservations. I intend to find out

just

where in China Hikaru-chan is headed," he finished ominously,

"and

we're going to follow her."

SKJAM!:  So we can all die horribly!  Won't that be fun?

Lurker: <dryly> More fun than a root canal without novacaine.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
"Kakeru-niisama? Bathe."
--Shidou Hikaru, Onna: Red Side chapter 20
---
The Eternal Lost Lurker
EternalLostLurker@worldnet.att.net

I get my kicks *above* the waistline, sunshine.
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