A/N: The first of two prologue chapters.

The great and mighty Sergeant Keroro stood before him, casting a shadow over the land.

"How?" asked the Pekoponian Fuyuki, with tears in his eyes. "How did you…?"

"Invade the planet at last?" Keroro gave a froggish laugh. "Gero gero gero! Fuyuki, you underestimate me."

Fuyuki turned his head at the ground, becoming swallowed in a locked trance of hopelessness.

"And now… without further ado… I shall release my battle drones upon the planet and obliterate it, once and for all!"

The boy's eyes were still at the ground. Still unmoving. Suddenly, a response—a single, resolute syllable—

"No."

Fuyuki stood up before him, put his hands on his hips, and shook his head, adamant and strong.

"I won't let you, Sarge. Pekopon is our planet. It's our home." He clenched his fist with such a determined air that it could make a Keronian soldier have second thoughts. "And if you think for even a second that I will give that up, even after you've taken away everything from me… then you're wrong!"

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure of that, if I were you…." Keroro's eyes narrowed as he grinned and rubbed his chin.

"What do you…?"

"Turn, Fuyuki! See what Pekopon has become now in your midst."

Fuyuki turned around to see his messy room.

"NO!" He fell to his knees. "It… it can't be…. I won't believe it…."

"That's right… there's no turning back…."

"Yes… yes there is…!" Fuyuki stood back up. "There's still time! I can still save the planet…. I will stop you!"

"Oh, I don't think so. Gero gero gero!" Keroro thrust his hand forward. "Bow to me, fool!" Lasers shot from his eyes.

"No way!" Fuyuki unsheathed a sword and shield.

"Oh yes you are!"

"Oh no I'm not!"

"Arrrrg!"

"Arrrrg!"

They both charged at each other, and Keroro pushed Fuyuki to the ground. Bursts of light escaped from them as they battled and encircling one another. Keroro ignited his rocket boots and zoomed off into the sky, but Fuyuki grabbed him by the leg and dragged him back down to earth.

"You're not going anywhere until I'm done with you."

Keroro grinned. "You're beginning to sound like your sister, Fuyuki. The one that I happened to"—He brushed his fingers idly on his chest and slipped him a devilish smile.—"feed to the carnivorous slugs?"

Although phased for a moment, Fuyuki became even more enraged and super-powered after hearing this. He charged at Keroro again and looked him in the eye with his cold, blue eyes that sought vengeance.

They dropped their imaginary weapons and started laughing.

"That was too fun!"

"Yes indeed it was, Master Fuyuki!"

"Carnivorous slugs…. Ahahaha!"

"We should play Pretend Invader more often."

"Pphfft… yeah!"

After laughing a little while longer, they caught their breath and let out a contented sigh.

Fuyuki sat back up and leaned against his bed, while Keroro remained lying on his side on the ground.

"Yeesh… you really gotta clean your room, Master Fuyuki." He seemed to be rolling something between his fingers, which he flicked away in disgust.

"Not right now. Maybe tomorrow."

"Master Natsumi yell at you yet?"

"No… not yet…."

"You better not let her know, then."

"She says I have to do my homework first. Just another thing to put off."

"Gero! I know that feeling."

There was another bit of silence between them, until Fuyuki asked:

"You're not actually going to plan on invading like that, are you?"

"Psh. No way, Master Fuyuki." Keroro stood up dramatically and stuck his thumb at his chest. "When we invade, I'll be wearing a cape!"

He laughed at Keroro's imagination. "If you invade."

"When!"

"If."

"Why… why not, Master Fuyuki?"

"Well, the way I see it, I don't think you guys actually want to invade. 'Cause if you did, wouldn't you have invaded by now?"

He thought.

"Well, Sarge? Aren't I right?"

The question was innocent and curious enough, but still way too blunt. Keroro sat down and threw himself against the edge of the bed beside Fuyuki.

"Hey… Sarge?"

"Yeah?" Keroro turned to him.

"What would happen if… if you really invaded?"

"Gero? What do you mean?"

"Well… I mean…." Fuyuki hugged his knees to his chest. "You know that I've always taken it for granted that you guys will never, and I mean ever—"

Keroro began to frown.

"—even come close to invading this planet once and for all—"

"Hey! It could happen!" he protested.

"—but, well, have you ever actually thought about what happens after that? Like… where will you go then? Will you leave Pekopon?"

Keroro genuinely looked at the boy now, since he was so in need of assurance… but Keroro, to be honest… wasn't so sure of the answer himself.

"I guess, what I'm asking, is…. Do you think, Sarge, that… we'll still be friends?"

"I… I don't know, Master Fuyuki."

As soon as he said it, Keroro wanted to take it back. Seeing as planning ahead wasn't exactly one of his strong points, what really could he say to reassure the boy?

He hadn't honestly considered it before—it was something he didn't like to think about, because… no matter how much he wanted to ignore the ugly truth, his platoon and he weren't going to stay on Pekopon forever… emotional attachments or no emotional attachments. It was always a temporary thing, right from the start. Because of that, the future was a scary concept.

And, well, if they did stay on Pekopon… never invading even once… wouldn't that make them the most pathetic invasion squad in the universe.

"No… no…! She's dead, Natsumi's dead!

"It was that dream again….

"But… what if it's not just a dream…."

"Oh, no! Look! It's a real, live alien!"

"WHO?! WHAT?! WHERE?!"

"…

"How…

"H-h-how did you know?!"

That was the day that everything had changed.

Nothing was the same anymore for the six of them. Succeeding in school and leading normal, everyday lives? Yeah, that was pretty much a thing of the past. Now there were different things to be taken care of—What is the next stupid invasion plan of theirs? When will they stop setting things on fire and building weird machines? What's going on when our house starts to split in two? When can I listen to DJ Mutsumi already? Why do they always have to get in the way of things? Why can't they just leave us alone already?

It wasn't fair. They never asked to be the ones to have to deal with this. By all means, they shouldn't have.

But every single one of them knew that if not for them stopping the frogs from invading, just as much as the frogs had stopped them from leading normal, everyday lives… Pekopon might have already been invaded.

It was a bit of a sad thought, but some things could not be avoided.

"We do have our lives to live, you know."

"We don't have time to mess around with aliens."

That's what they were always telling themselves—at first. Wishful thinking, perhaps—because the longer the platoon stayed on Earth, the further and further that end in sight seemed to extend.

It was only a couple of years until that end of sight was completely forgotten.

And it was hardly any different for the aliens themselves.

It was only supposed to be a quick invasion—just a couple of military officers on a foreign planet, seeking to seize some land and create yet a new nobility for their planet to proudly bolster.

But the second that the Keron army took a whiff of that dry Pekoponian atmosphere, dropped that platoon off, and fled with their tails between their legs, the fate of the Keroro Platoon had already been set.

The longer they stayed, the worse it got.

Friendships were made. Emotional bonds tethered them to the Pekoponian ground. Before long, nobody really started to take that invasion mission of theirs really seriously. If they did, who was to know if someday, they might actually succeed? All relationships would then have to be forgotten if Earth were added onto the list of Keron's conquered territories.

No, it was all just child's play…. Something they made up to keep them busy, to keep them from thinking about the truth, the reason for their presence on Earth, and the impending date when they would actually have to get serious and destroy everything that they had come to love on that planet.

The Sergeant's incompetence? If Keron only knew.

They had no idea what they were getting into—and what they could no longer escape from.

And now, they were cornered against a wall.

In a dimly lit room, five figures stood with solemn faces. Confetti and banners were strung everywhere.

He set his glass down. "Now that we're all done partying…."

"The only one who was partying was you, Keroro."

"I helped!" someone put in.

"Um…."

"Well…" Keroro said, "I… just wanted… to make this one last Invasion Meeting fun, you know?"

They all looked down.

"There's nothing fun about this."

Someone cleared his throat.

Keroro took a breath. There would be no more dilly-dallying now; it was time to do what he had gathered them all for—the news that they all dreaded to hear.

"Now, Platoon." He put his hand out at them and dabbed at his eyes with a handkerchief. "I know you're all eager to hear the wonderful news… but I deliver it with a heavy heart."

Trying to pretend like it didn't matter to them, either, the rest of them rolled their eyes.

They already knew what he was going to say.

It still hurt to hear.

"There will be… no more invasion."

A pause.

A really long and uncomfortable one.

Then, a hesitant sigh throughout the room. Hardly one of relief. Mostly of anxiety.

"I can't believe… that it took you this long to tell us that, Keroro."

"Yeah. Ya can't say none of us were looking forward to it." Kururu lifted his elbows and tucked his hands behind his head.

"Because none of us were," Giroro corrected.

Dororo smiled and raised his hand. "Well, I don't mind it one b—"

"Not even you, Kururu."

"B-but I just said that I…"

"—Gero… I'm sorry, you guys…. But… this is the only thing that we can do." Keroro balled his hand into fists. "I don't like it as much as any of you do, but… we can't go on like this… with the way things have come to be…."

They all looked at him with sincere eyes, although most of them quickly frowned.

"It took you this long to realize that? Hmph. Must have been because of—"

"Oh, that's so not what happened, Giroro!"

"Oh, really, now?"

They charged at each other and began to fight.

Kururu had to pull them apart. "Now, now, children. Play nicely, ku ku ku."

Giroro continued to glare at Keroro, panting still from his five-second moment of aggression, when his expression began to soften—into one of fear. Fear of the future. Fear of the frightening question that churned their insides and chilled them all to the bone—What now?

Where are we supposed to go?

Their old leader brushed himself off and folded his arms behind his back. Now just an ex-platoon stood before him. His eyes flitted nervously around, speaking the same question that they all were thinking.

"So… what next, Mister Sergeant? Or… I suppose I shouldn't call you that anymore…."

"Right. Keroro, what next?"

"Well?"

He paused. He was under all their gazes.

"I—I—"

"Well?"

"I… I don't know…."

They stepped back in disappointment. More sighs. More hands over faces.

"What next, Keroro. If we're not invading this planet, then what are we going to do?"

"We've talked about it already, Giroro." He bit his lip slightly.

Another sigh.

There were many different answers… many different options… so many other things to do, places to go, and sights to see.

"But… will we all ever see each other again?" Dororo worried.

"I don't know." Their ex-leader shook his head. He really didn't know.

Tears formed in the eyes of the tadpole.

"Well… platoon…." Keroro paused and corrected himself. "Ex…platoon…"

He put his hand forward. One by one, each put his hand on the first.

"…it looks like this is the last time… we may be all together… for a very, very long time…."

They took their hands off and proceeded to wipe their eyes, some sniffling a bit.

He looked into all of their eyes.

"Shall we resonate one last time?"

"…All right."

"Gerogerogerogero…"

"Tamatamatamatama…"

"Girogirogirogiro…"

"Kurukurukurukuru…"

"Dorodorodorodoro…"

But that was such a long time ago that it could hardly be remembered.

A/N: I would love to hear your thoughts. Thank you.