Hi there!  I've been taking a look around this wonderful list for a bit,
and I thought that I'd take a stab at it!

Any C&C is welcome!  I'd appreicate any comments, especially on
characterization.  Please send them to my e-mail address, so as not to clog
up the list.

Thanks in advance, and enjoy!

Alex

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Disclaimer: All Nadesico characters are copyright Xebec, and are used
without permission.  Original characters are copyright to the author.

Martian Successor Nadesico
I'll Be There
(c)1998 R. Alexander Spoerer

	Too much.
	The overwhelming sounds of the reception grated on Maki's nerves.  She
knew it 
was the happiest day of Akito and Yurika's life, but she couldn't take it
anymore.
	A moment alone, that's what she needs.
	The ornate, French, doors closed silently behind her, muffling the sounds
of the 
reception.  Silence rushed her like a torrid wave, crashing over her.
	Sitting carefully on the edge of the balcony, a cool breeze wafted through
Maki's 
hair.
	Much better, definitely not as noisy.
	The soft whirring of the cicadas occasionally broke the silence of the
night.  
Moonlight bathed her surroundings, showing the mysterious side of the
otherwise 
ordinary pond, sleeping below her.
	A small sigh escaped from Maki's lips, warming the air around her face 
momentarily.
	She felt at home out here.  Maki always felt just outside of life, away
from the 
party, and noise.
	Away from the pain.
	This always happens at weddings.  The pain returns in an eruption of
emotions. 
Sadness. Anger. Regret.
	Why can't she be happy?
	Why can't she have a life beyond her career?
	Why do the men she falls in love with have to always die on her?
	A tear falls onto the palm of her hand, gliding down her index finger before 
ultimately being absorbed into the fabric of her dress.
	So tired.  Tired of it all.
	There is no point, is there?  Why bother anymore?
	It'll just hurt more.
	It isn't worth it.
	Quiet sobbing joined the cicada in a symphony of desperate sadness.
	"Maki?"
	Turning around slowly, she was greeted by a concerned expression upon 
Toshiro's face.
	Maki sniffed, as she wiped a tear from her left eye, "Yes?"
	"You. You left your ukulele on the table.  I thought that you might have 
forgotten it."
	Regaining some of her composure, Maki slid off of the balcony railing, "Thank 
you. Umm."
	"Toshiro.  Toshiro Ikari, Assistant Chief Engineer."
	"Thank you, Toshiro."
	Maki leans the ukulele against the balcony railing, and looks back out at
the pond.
	Toshiro blinks, "A. Are you alright?"
	"Sort of.  Not that it matters, anyway."
	He sits on the railing, away from her.
	"Usually people are happy at weddings.  Unless of course, they were in
love with 
one of the two who were getting married."
	She had to smile at that one.
	"No. I think Akito has enough admirers.  The last thing he needs is a bad
luck 
charm, like me."
	"Bad luck charm?"
	"Yeah.  Most men that I take a liking to tend not to live for long."
	"Oh. What a shame."
	Maki looks over at him.
	"How's that?"
	Toshiro gazes out over the nightscape.
	"I thought that some lucky man would have stolen your heart by now."
	"Please, don't."
	He looks back at Maki, who is now sitting back on the railing again, looking, 
downward.
	"I'm not worth it.  And I couldn't take another loss."
	The sound of a ukulele being played badly assaults Maki's ears.  Wincing, she 
looks over at Toshiro, who also happens to be singing badly as well.
	As he sings, and plays, he does a silly little dance.
	"Won't you let me take you on a sea cruise!  Hoooiii!  Hoooiii! Baaabbiiiee!"
	Maki blinks, and reacts to the spectacle the only way she could.
	She starts laughing.

	"Damn it.  How many drills do we have to keep doing?"
	Hikaru shrugs, "Dunno.  As many as they want us to, Ryoko."
	Sounds of mecha being moved around the Nadesico's flight deck punctuated 
every step that Ryoko made toward the vending machines.
	A large bang of metal on metal occurred in concert with her soda being opened.
	Downing most of the soda, Ryoko stopped drinking to breathe, "Ahhhh!"
	"It's been pretty hectic with all the attacks that have been happening.
It'd be nice 
to have a change of pace.  I mean the only time that we had off was for the
wedding." 
sighed Hikaru, as she opened her own soda.
	Interrupting Hikaru's sentence, Akito walks by them, with Yurika literally 
hanging off of his right arm.  In his left arm are several bags of
differing size, looking 
quite heavy.
	"Com'on Akito, you promised me!"
	Akito shakes his head vehemently, "No!  No way in hell am I gonna do it!"
	She then whispers into his ear, and Akito blinks in response, then his
eyes widen 
in surprise.
	"Um. In that case.  Sure."
	Yurika looks even happier as they continue with their public display of
affection.
	Ryoko downs the last of the soda, and shakes her head.
	"Those two are starting to annoy the."
	"Hey, guys."
	Both of them look up and see Maki walking toward them.
	Hikaru smiles, "Hiya, Maki."
	Ryoko tosses the can into a trash can across from her, "Hey there, Maki."
	Maki smiles at both of them and the two girls cringe at her creepy smile.
	"Scary."
	"IZUMI!"
	Maki handing both the women an envelope interrupts Ryoko's outburst.
	Ryoko takes the envelope, looking at it quizzically.
	"The others are in the mail.  I wanted to give these to you personally."
	Both women open the envelopes simultaneously, and their mouths drop.
	"Wedding invitations!"

	"Do you, Toshiro Ikari, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife,
to have 
and to hold, to love and cherish, for richer and for poorer, in sickness
and in health, till 
death do you part?"
	"I do."
	"Do you, Maki Izumi, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to
have 
and to hold, to love and cherish, for richer and for poorer, in sickness
and in health, till 
death do you part?"
	"I do."
	"Then with the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife."
	"You may kiss the bride."
	Maki sees Toshiro's hands slowly lift the veil that obscured her vision,
and looks 
into his eyes, seeing something that she never thought she'd see again.
	Someone absolutely in love with her.
	Her.  The bad luck charm.
	Toshiro brings her in close for the kiss, Maki gliding closer to him.
	Maki feels lighter than air, her heart so filled with love that she could
float away 
if Toshiro weren't holding her now.  She's never been happier in her life.
	As her lips met his, she heard the cheers of all her friends from the
Nadesico.
	However, a thought kept repeating itself in the recesses of her mind as
she let 
herself be swept away in the moment:
	It was worth it.


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R. Alexander Spoerer			|"Kancho also means ssspppyy.."
E-Mail: iczer2@generalagents.com		|--Maki Izumi, Nadesico
WWW: To be announced shortly...	|"IZUMI!!!" --Ryoko Subaru, Nadesico
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