Hikori stared out at the desolate blackness of space. It seemed as if there were no end
to this journey, but they knew they would eventually reach their destination. Being a small
girl of five, she had limited knowledge of why she was sitting on her bed in the middle of this
large ship. All she knew was that Mama and Papa were on a mission.
She clutched her stuffed Pupurin in loneliness. Her parents would be off pilot duty very
soon, so she hopped off of her bed and walked towards the main control room. The cerulean steel
walls made her footsteps echo in her ears, making her feel even more isolated. Flourescent
lights shone from the ceiling, but still the sharp turns of the corridors felt dark. She picked
up her pace and soon came to the control room entrance.
She stood on the tips of her toes, trying to reach the access pad. She knew the code in
which to get in, but her height was a great disadvantage, with the keys five feet above the
floor. Suddenly a shadow loomed above her. She turned around only to find Mondo, grinning at
her.
"Trying to sneak into the control room again, Hikori-chan?"
"No, sir. I just wanted to see Mama and Papa. They get off duty now."
"I know that, dear." He rubbed the top of her head with his hand, sending a few hairs
astray. "Would you like me to open the door for you?"
"Oh, yes, please, Mondo-san."
He punched in the access code, causing the airlock to open with a loud woosh. He took
her hand and walked inside. "Honestly," he murmured to himself, "I don't know how those two
could end up with such a sweet kid."
Hikori looked at all of the buttons, knobs, and levers on the control panel in front of
her. She dreamed of one day piloting a great ship of her own, complete with her own crew, just
like her parents did now. She looked around in growing anticipation, but the ones she came here
for were nowhere to be seen. "Mama? Papa?" she called out in a small voice.
"I bet I know where they are. Now you wait here, Hikori-chan, and I'll find them for
you."
"Domo arigato, Mondo-san."
Mondo walked out of the room, leaving the airlock open behind him. She wandered over to
the huge chair that the pilots sat in and climbed up into it. Pulling up her Pupurin, she
skimmed over the labels for the controls. Uranium liquifier, missile launcher, shield
amplifier... she was clueless to the functions of all of these. "Oh, Moru, how will I ever be
able to do this?" she whispered.
She heard a small group of voices entering the room. "Now, you have to at least have one
of you in the control room at a time, senpai."
"I tried to say she had to go back, Mondo-kun."
"I was hungry, too!"
"I could have brought you something."
"You would have brought me back something gross."
"No, I wouldn't have. Not for my sweetheart..."
"Stop it! You're making me blush!"
"Senpai! Your daughter is here to see you."
"Where is she?"
Hikori spun the chair around and leaped off of it, dragging Moru by its ear behind her.
"Here I am, Papa!"
"Oh, Hikori!" He picked her up and swung her around in a circle before placing her back
on the ground. "How is my chisaii bara doing today?"
"I'm doing just fine, Papa."
"Come here, Hikori," her mother called her. She hugged her and picked her up, seating
her on her arm. "Mama, I'm so glad to see you. And Papa, too," she said, ringing her arms
around her neck.
"She's the cutest little girl, senpai."
"And she's all ours, isn't she, Kojiro?"
"Of course, Musashi." He smiled proudly at his daughter. "Now, come on, Hikori, I'll
race you to the library. First one there picks the game we play."
"Hai, Papa!"
No sooner then Musashi put her down than she was off like a flash down the hallway.
Kojiro, only a few yards behind, shot after her. "Hey, come back here!"
Musashi turned to Mondo and sighed. "Looks like I've got two children on my hands."
Mondo laughed. "Don't be discouraged, senpai. I'm sure you can handle them. Now you
better get to the library before you end up with the worst controller."
"Arigato, Mondo-kun." She smiled and jogged off towards the library.
to this journey, but they knew they would eventually reach their destination. Being a small
girl of five, she had limited knowledge of why she was sitting on her bed in the middle of this
large ship. All she knew was that Mama and Papa were on a mission.
She clutched her stuffed Pupurin in loneliness. Her parents would be off pilot duty very
soon, so she hopped off of her bed and walked towards the main control room. The cerulean steel
walls made her footsteps echo in her ears, making her feel even more isolated. Flourescent
lights shone from the ceiling, but still the sharp turns of the corridors felt dark. She picked
up her pace and soon came to the control room entrance.
She stood on the tips of her toes, trying to reach the access pad. She knew the code in
which to get in, but her height was a great disadvantage, with the keys five feet above the
floor. Suddenly a shadow loomed above her. She turned around only to find Mondo, grinning at
her.
"Trying to sneak into the control room again, Hikori-chan?"
"No, sir. I just wanted to see Mama and Papa. They get off duty now."
"I know that, dear." He rubbed the top of her head with his hand, sending a few hairs
astray. "Would you like me to open the door for you?"
"Oh, yes, please, Mondo-san."
He punched in the access code, causing the airlock to open with a loud woosh. He took
her hand and walked inside. "Honestly," he murmured to himself, "I don't know how those two
could end up with such a sweet kid."
Hikori looked at all of the buttons, knobs, and levers on the control panel in front of
her. She dreamed of one day piloting a great ship of her own, complete with her own crew, just
like her parents did now. She looked around in growing anticipation, but the ones she came here
for were nowhere to be seen. "Mama? Papa?" she called out in a small voice.
"I bet I know where they are. Now you wait here, Hikori-chan, and I'll find them for
you."
"Domo arigato, Mondo-san."
Mondo walked out of the room, leaving the airlock open behind him. She wandered over to
the huge chair that the pilots sat in and climbed up into it. Pulling up her Pupurin, she
skimmed over the labels for the controls. Uranium liquifier, missile launcher, shield
amplifier... she was clueless to the functions of all of these. "Oh, Moru, how will I ever be
able to do this?" she whispered.
She heard a small group of voices entering the room. "Now, you have to at least have one
of you in the control room at a time, senpai."
"I tried to say she had to go back, Mondo-kun."
"I was hungry, too!"
"I could have brought you something."
"You would have brought me back something gross."
"No, I wouldn't have. Not for my sweetheart..."
"Stop it! You're making me blush!"
"Senpai! Your daughter is here to see you."
"Where is she?"
Hikori spun the chair around and leaped off of it, dragging Moru by its ear behind her.
"Here I am, Papa!"
"Oh, Hikori!" He picked her up and swung her around in a circle before placing her back
on the ground. "How is my chisaii bara doing today?"
"I'm doing just fine, Papa."
"Come here, Hikori," her mother called her. She hugged her and picked her up, seating
her on her arm. "Mama, I'm so glad to see you. And Papa, too," she said, ringing her arms
around her neck.
"She's the cutest little girl, senpai."
"And she's all ours, isn't she, Kojiro?"
"Of course, Musashi." He smiled proudly at his daughter. "Now, come on, Hikori, I'll
race you to the library. First one there picks the game we play."
"Hai, Papa!"
No sooner then Musashi put her down than she was off like a flash down the hallway.
Kojiro, only a few yards behind, shot after her. "Hey, come back here!"
Musashi turned to Mondo and sighed. "Looks like I've got two children on my hands."
Mondo laughed. "Don't be discouraged, senpai. I'm sure you can handle them. Now you
better get to the library before you end up with the worst controller."
"Arigato, Mondo-kun." She smiled and jogged off towards the library.