Chapter 1

Shirogane Luna:

Luna strode proudly through the silent school hallways, her footsteps making crisp clicks on the gleaming tiles. Although school didn't start for another hour, she was always early. As the sophomore class student council representative she needed to be a good example to the hoodlums that made up her "peers." Mornings were the perfect chance to get a head start on the day, or visit with the teachers. She was going to show them all how she was the perfect student.

There was no need to mention her extra curriculars either: student council, tutoring, piano (giving and taking lessons), drama, photography club, community service, and she was even captain of the intramurals sports team. She could go on, but Luna wasn't one to brag. She wanted to do great things (especially from a political standpoint); she really wanted to change the world. And she would start right here with this sorry excuse for a school, Kodoma High.

She stopped as she heard the faint echo of running feet in the adjoining hallway. Putting on her most superior and unsatisfied face that she could manage, she turned to see her two friends run up to her, panting with the exertion of running to school.

"Luna-chan!" the smaller one managed between gasps, "We're very sorry that we're late. We missed the tram because Gonta here wouldn't miss breakfast for the world!"

"Breakfast is a very important meal of the day, Kizamaro. And you wouldn't like me very much if I missed it because of you!"

Luna rolled her eyes as the two began to squabble. Unfortunately, Kizamaro was hopelessly outmatched. He stood barely five feet tall, with thick, framed glasses and bushy brown hair that looked like he had tried to flatten it with a comb that morning, but failed. His woeful shortness only added to the effect of his overall nerdiness, the rest was his complete lack of style. His green shorts exposed his knobby knees as they were firmly pulled up above his waist and fastened with a belt, obvious because his shirt was snugly tucked into his shorts (the look was completed with a loose hanging tie). Really, the kid needed to grow up a bit; this was 10th grade after all.

Gonta on the other hand, was the exact opposite. He had always been a chunky boy, but since puberty hit, he was a veritable beast. He towered at six feet tall, his black hair poked out at odd angles from underneath his leather cap (why he wore it, she didn't know). His yellow tee-shirt was sleeveless, exposing rather large arms, though not all muscle, reinforced by the fact that he had an undying love for food. Baggy brown shorts and worn tennis shoes completed the "rough-tough" look that he prided so much, although Luna just thought it looked messy.

The three of them, standing in the hallway, would probably look like the oddest group to any general passerbyer. A beast boy, a nerdy kid, and a prim, trim girl (with the most beautiful long, blonde curls) would definitely attract attention, though most people in this school had gotten used to it. As difficult as it may be to believe, these boys had been her friends since she first transferred to Kodoma High from a private school for her freshman year. Now, they flanked her wherever she went.

"It's alright today boys," she said to calm the situation, "Since it is the first day back from winter break there isn't much to catch up on. I'll excuse your tardiness this time, but if it happens again…" she let the treat hang in the air, smirking with satisfaction as the two boys gulped.

"Good, I'm glad we got that cleared up. Now come on, we've got a lot to do today." With that, Luna spun on her heel and headed to their first class, presuming she was prepared for anything that would come towards her that day.

Ikuta sensei, their science teacher, never lacked enthusiasm when it came to learning. With this in mind, Luna wasn't unduly surprised when he announced they would be doing a project for the next few weeks. They had recently been studying modern developments in technology that greatly affected society, so it was a no-brainer that the project was over wave-technology. Luna had already established that her group would be Kizamaro and Gonta (though in this case Kizamaro would be of more use, as Gonta had far more brawn than brains). Now, as the class split into groups to discuss their project, all they had to do was wait for Ikuta-san to give them their assignment.

Luna waited patiently as he visited each of the groups, steadily getting closer to Luna's pose.

"I wonder what we'll get," Kizamaro said with anticipation, "I love wave-technology. It really is the whole future to our society, just look at the ways it's affected our communications." He lifted up his arm, indicating the computer on it, famously known as a transer. The boxlike device didn't look very impressive on the outside, but everyone knew of all of its applications: computer, communications, constant internet access, planner, info storage, and so much more. Scientists were still discovering new uses for the Electromagnetic Waves gathered from various sources, outer space being the most primary. And as enthused as Luna was about the frontier of science, she just wished they would make a more streamlined version first. Wearing a giant box on your arm wasn't very fashionable, much less attractive.

Ikuta-san finally moved to their group, smiling apologetically for leaving them for last. He looked down at his sheet before exclaiming, "Ah, last but not least. This is a good topic Shirogane-chan: R&D. Do you think you can handle explaining to the class about the ways wave-research is done and how it's applied to new inventions?" he winked, knowing that Luna was fully capable of suck a task.

"Of course," she announced, Kizamaro was practically bouncing on his toes, "Do you have any suggestions for sources though?"

Ikuta-san pursed his lips in thought, "Well, you should definitely go to AMAKEN labs, they have a great presentation of their studies, especially space research, and the scientists there are always willing to talk to students."

"Anything else?" Luna pressed.

"Well," his eyes lit up as a sudden realization hit him, "You could probably go talk to Hoshikawa Subaru. He's your age and he used to do tons of wave-studies with his da…" Ikuta suddenly trailed off, then said in a quieter tone, "On second thought, perhaps you shouldn't speak with Hoshikawa-san."

When Ikuta-san remained quiet for a few seconds, Luna couldn't control her curiosity, "And why shouldn't we speak to this "Hoshikawa" guy?"

Ikuta stood up, but he wouldn't meet Luna's gaze, "AMAKEN, is a good source. You'll get plenty of information if you go there. I know I can count on you to do a good job Sirogane-chan. Good luck!"

And without further ado, Ikuta sensei went back to his desk. Luna watched as he sat down heavily, the same sad look in his eye that had appeared when her first mentioned Hoshikawa Subaru.

It was later that day at lunch when the subject of the project finally came up again, and with it, the mysterious "Subaru-san." Luna, Gonta, and Kizamaro sat at their own table, undisturbed by any of the other students. This was one of the perks of having a giant, ham-fisted flunkie; people tend to steer clear, especially when he's eating.

"I know I've heard that name before!" Kizamaro agonized, "It sounds so familiar."

"Did you read it in a book? Or maybe somewhere online?" Luna said, trying to help him. She really wanted to know why Ikuta had been all secretive and ignored any of her further questions on the subject, "I mean, if Ikuta sensei wanted to recommend him as a source, then that would make sense."

"No," Kizamaro was gritting his teeth while gripping his head between his hands, "I've definitely heard it somewhere, but it was when I was younger. This is so frustrating, I wish I could remember."

As usual, Gonta could shed no intelligent light on the subject. That, and it was dangerous to try and interrupt him while he was eating.

Luna sighed, put out. The whole situation was strange. Ikuta wouldn't talk and Kizamaro could recognize the name from when he was a kid.

"Well, I want you to find out by the end of the day, Kizamaro," Luna commanded, "We must know, and not necessarily for the project, but for our sanity."

"Don't worry Luna-chan. I will find out."

Luna smiled; this was one of the perks of having a nerd for a flunkie: information.

The end of the school day couldn't come fast enough. Luna could barely stay focused on the sheet music in band class; she lost her place on multiple occasions, and completely missed her solo once. And even though she had been looking forward to it all year, she barely listened to the announcement about student elections that would take place soon. The only thing on her mind was finding Kizamaro and Gonta the moment the bell rang.

When the ding-dong finally sounded Luna was down the hall before the final note echoed off the walls. She found her friends exiting the boy's locker room, hot and sweaty from gym class. Without even giving them a chance to catch their breath she dragged them into the elevator, jabbing the button for the roof-top courtyard. From the roof students were able to observe the entire campus of Kodoma High. Very little expense had been spared on the grounds. The landscape was neat, and the school itself was immaculate. But what impressed most people was the sheer bulk of amenities the school could boast of: indoor pool, tennis courts, observatory, planetarium, and much more. They crossed the roof and deposited their book bags on a picnic table and plopped down beside them, conference style (the boys sitting side-by-side, opposite of Luna). She folded her hands and leaned in close, reading Kizamaro's expression, hoping for a triumphant one.

She was not disappointed.

"So what did you find out?" Luna asked breathlessly.

"I knew I had heard it before," Kizamaro almost squealed, "How could I be so stupid, not noticing it before? And I can't believe I forgot, it wasn't even that long ago-"

Kizamaro's excited chattering was cut off by a sharp slap on the back of his head, delivered courtesy of Gonta.

"Shuddup!" He commanded, "Luna-chan wants to know now!"

"Thanks you Gonta," Luna said, glad Gonta was showing some skills of observation (and initiative for that matter), "Do enlighten me Kizamaro. And start at square one."

Kizamaro cleared his throat before beginning: "Hoshikawa Subaru, age 15, extended attendee of Kodoma High. He was born here in Echo Ridge to Daigo and Akane Hoshikawa (1378 W. Hope St.)."

"'Extended attendee'?" Luna cut in, "What is that supposed to mean."

"He completes the same school work as us, but at home, under the Aide Program. I had to ask around at the office for that little tidbit." Kizamaro blushed proudly at his sleuthing skills.

"But why?" Luna asked, puzzled.

"That's the catch," Kizamaro said, with less enthusiasm, "He hasn't come to school since his dad died three years ago. Most people say he never got over the shock of losing his father. That's why Ikuta sensei didn't want us to go to him for the project (even if he can help us, which I highly doubt)"

"Ah, I see." Luna murmured, "What happened?"

"To his father?" Kizamaro asked. Luna nodded, so he continued, "After I found out that his father had died three years ago, I remembered where I had heard the name before. There was a big deal about it on TV for a while. So I searched it on the internet to get all the details. Subaru's dad was a famous scientist. He actually discovered the wave-source in space that is now the biggest source of energy for the entire planet, and he invented the first transer. A few years after that he started a satellite project to manage the EM waves that were collected by earth. He was on the first station when they finally got clearance to start building, but something went wrong. The station blew up, and broke into pieces that scattered from the force of the explosion. For a while people searched for survivors, because the station was so durable it hadn't been totally obliterated by the blast, but not even a body was found. By the end of the disaster, people were saying that Hoshikawa Diago was a bit off-his-rocker. They think he made a mistake on the design of the station, and lead his entire crew to their deaths. Some even say that he had begun to claim that there were invisible aliens, and that our new power source was a planet made entirely out of 'radio waves.' The account got quite fantastic towards the end."

As Kizamaro's story trailed off, Luna tried to take it all in. She remembered hearing about the space station accident now too. What had it been called? Space Station Peace, yes that was it. All her questions were answered, so why did she feel like there was more to this revelation?

"What should we do?" she asked quietly, without thinking, which was totally unlike her.

"'What should we do?'" Kizamaro reiterated, "What can we do? This happened years ago Luna, it can't be fixed. Over a hundred people lost their lives. Subaru-kun lost his dad. They've moved on, even if we are just finding this out now. There is nothing to do."

Luna felt lost. Something felt so wrong.

"Then why is Hoshikawa-kun not here, at school, studying like a normal kid? Like the rest of us?"

"My sources seem to think that he never got over it. The media blamed his father; they called him crazy. Maybe he feels like he can't be seen in public." Kizamaro shrugged, "But what has that got to do with us?"

Suddenly a brilliant plan struck Luna like a bolt of lightning. The pieces fell into place, like her life was realigning itself, making everything perfect. She grinned widely, and both Kizamaro and Gonta gave her a surprised look.

"What?" they both demanded at the same time.

"We now have two missions," Luna said dramatically, "But they are one in the same. You do recall that student elections will be taking place soon? And I will be running for student body president for the upcoming school year. That said, we need to do something momentous; something that will make a good impression on all of the students in Kodoma High."

"So what are we gonna do?" Gonta asked, finally following their conversation again.

"First, we will campaign for my position as future student body president. And, to up my already shining popularity…" she let her sentence dangle, waiting for a prompt.

"What will we do?" Kizamaro asked. His voice was slightly tinged with sarcasm, aware that Luna had bated that response.

"… and we will persuade Hoshikawa Subaru to come to school."

Hoshikawa Subaru:

Subaru blinked hard, trying to rid the sleep from his eyes as the first rays of sunlight peeked through the skylights that made up half the ceiling of his bedroom. Though this was convenient for stargazing at night, the morning sun often frustrated his attempts to sleep in. Sighing, he threw off his blankets and dragged himself down the steps that lead to his bed. Right now, he needed a really good wake up call. Coffee would be nice.

He could already hear his mom in the kitchen downstairs, so he quickened his morning routine, realizing he had lounged in bed longer than he thought. After washing his face and brushing his teeth he threw on his standard outfit: his red and white jacket, fingerless gloves, and navy blue jean shorts. As he made his way down the steps he habitually slipped on his star-pendant necklace and set his odd green glasses atop his head. Call him girly, but both were sentimentally significant to him; he never went anywhere without them. They were important reminders of his father.

He plodded into the kitchen, greeted by his mom's cheery smile. Hoshikawa Akane still appeared young, despite the fact that she was just one year shy of 40. Her apron was tied over a purple blouse and black yoga pants, and brown hair was twisted up into a bun. Soft, large brown eyes that matched Subaru's exactly, studied him as he sat down at the kitchen table.

"Are you going to figure out that food processor for me Su?" she asked slyly, indicating the offending appliance with a spoon she had been using.

Subaru rolled his eyes at her, but got up anyway to operate the food processor (a machine that actually materialized certain types of food from EM waves). Akane sometimes feigned ignorance on how to use the "new-fangled wave-based" machines in the kitchen, but Subaru suspected it was a ruse to get him downstairs every morning to help her with breakfast. Either, she purely enjoyed having him around, or she was concerned that if he started to sleep in every day, he'd never get his school work done. Despite her worries, breakfast with mom was not something Subaru considered optional. She prided herself on her cooking, and Subaru wasn't one to disagree.

But Subaru wasn't just there for the food. Since the disaster of SS Peace Subaru's only important family member he had left was his mother. He never wanted to take a moment with her for granted. Call him sappy, but he had never really had many friends. His family meant the world to him, and three years ago half of his world collapsed: his dad's half.

The pain from that day was still as raw as ever; it had been there so long, he doubted it would ever heal. To be honest, he hadn't tried very much. Most people weren't as close to their parents as he was. His dad had been so much more than a father to him: a mentor, a teacher, and a friend. When people told him to move on, they didn't realize they were asking for the impossible.

He felt a gentle hand land on his head that snapped him out of his reverie. Akane teased his spiky brown hair, despondently saying, "Did you do anything with this mess this morning?"

He chuckled as she sat down opposite of him, the breakfast set while he had been distracted by his dark thoughts.

"No, but it's not like I'm going out somewhere," he said, and then corrected himself, "at least not yet. I may go to AMAKEN later."

Ironically, with that statement, the doorbell chimed softly, interrupting Akane's first bite.

"I'll get it," Subaru said quickly, allowing Akane some reprieve to finish chewing before she would supposedly have to greet whoever was at the door. He passed out of the kitchen to the foyer in order to open the front door after a second, insistent ringing.

"Hoshikawa residence," he said politely as he opened the door.

"Hoshikawa Subaru-san?" came the direct question.

"Yes," he answered somewhat hesitantly, not sure what merited such formalities.

The girl before him was the most singular he had ever seen (not that he had ever paid attention to very many). Her flawless suit dress oddly made her look like she belonged behind a podium, speaking to a large crowd, but the leggings underneath and smart flats were a little more "rouge-teenager." Her olive green eyes analyzed him carefully, inspecting him for who knows what. She had two, ostentatious, corkscrew curls that bounced with every movement she made. He was honestly clueless as to why she was here, looking for him no less.

"I am Shirogane Luna, class representative of Kodoma High's sophomore class. Your tenth grade class, therefore I am your class representative." She offered her hand as if to seal the official greeting.

Subaru desperately restrained himself from saying something sarcastic. She had obviously not been assuming her target was very intelligent, observing from the empathetic reiteration.

With some difficulty he resisted the urge to roll his eyes and asked, "What can I do for you?" while shaking her hand and very dearly hoping there was nothing he could do for her.

When she shook his hand she didn't let go, but continued her obviously planned speech, "As representative of the sophomore class, the sophomore class in turn represents me. By default, it affects my reputation if all students of the tenth grade are not in steady attendance."

"But I study the materials under the Aide Program." Subaru interjected, "I'm practically homeschooled."

"But you are not homeschooled Hoshikawa-kun," Luna corrected, "The Aide Program was meant to be a temporary measure. It is most commonly used for kids who are severely sick, and have a doctor's notice to show for it. Are you ill Hoshikawa-kun?"

"No," he said shortly, trying to retrieve his hand from Luna's grasp and trying not to glare at her smug face. Just then Akane came to see what commotion had been holding Subaru captive at the door, literally. (Mom, meet Shirogane "Stubborn" Luna-chan. She's a wonderful and pushy person).

"What is going on?" Akane asked, more puzzled than worried that a strange girl had a vice-like hold on her son.

"Ah, you must be Hoshikawa Akane-san. A pleasure to meet you ma'am," Luna bowed respectfully, all charm, "I intend to take your son with me to school today. If I recall correctly, some time has passed since he's been. I'm sure it will be a good learning experience."

Akane thought on that awhile. It was true she wanted Subaru to go to school, but she didn't want to force him. But, in this case, she wasn't doing the forcing, so she really didn't see a problem. And the girl was so pretty too, maybe Subaru would talk to her some. Heavens knows he needed friends.

"Alright," she said hesitantly. She sounded as if she were unsure it was a good thing that a strange girl was abducting her son to school when she was in fact celebrating that someone was forcing him to interact.

"Thank you ma'am!" Luna gushed then dragged Subaru out the door so fast Akane barely had time to hand him his red sneakers.

A highly displeased Subaru made it all of two blocks before he tugged Luna to a stop. She had only let go of his arm long enough for him to tie his shoes, and he was not accustomed to the undivided attention. He really just wanted to go back home; he hadn't even had a bite of breakfast, and his stomach unmercifully reminded him of this.

"Stop Shirogane-chan," he said forcefully. When she turned to face him he demanded, "What do you want?"

"I thought we established that Hoshikawa-kun," Luna said slowly, enunciating every syllable as if he were stupid, "I want you to come to school with me."

"And you're doing this out of the goodness of your heart?" he asked, the sarcasm finally surfacing, "No. What do you really want?"

Just then, a set of voices called out behind his back, and Subaru cringed as more joined the party.

"Ah!" Luna smirked with satisfaction, "Kizamaro, Gonta, glad you could make it," she turned Subaru around to face them, ignoring his earlier question, "Hoshikawa-kun meet my associates: Ushijima Gonta and Saishoin Kizamaro." She gestured to each boy in turn.

"I would shake their hand, but you already have mine Shirogane-chan," Subaru said without emotion, "Now would you care to tell me what's going on here?"

"Did Luna-chan not tell you that you were coming to school with us?" Kizamaro asked, adjusting his glasses on his nose.

"She made that part quite clear," Subaru said between clenched teeth, "I was just asking why?"

"I need to boost my credibility in the eyes of my classmates because I am running for student body president," Luna said matter-of-factly, "If you are seen attending with me, it will seem like the prodigal son has returned, and I guided his wayward soul back to the haven of Kodoma High. It will skyrocket my ratings, and benefit you no doubt. I know you are an intelligent boy, Hoshikawa-kun, but you're class-work grades do not seem to attest to that. You need peer encouragement, or competition."

"Why don't you want to go to school Subaru-kun?" Kizamaro asked, peering at Subaru intently "Is it because of your father?"

Subaru's emotionless brown eyes were suddenly boiling with anger. He swiped his wrist in such a way that Luna was unable to hold on.

"I don't go to school because I choose not to." He proclaimed coldly, and turned to leave.

This would have been a good exit had Gonta not grabbed him by the scruff of his jacket, effectively restraining him.

"Good job Gonta!" Luna exclaimed, and then turned to Subaru, "It would be greatly appreciated if you attended with us. Perhaps we could arrange a deal. Is there something you want?"

"I want to go home and eat my breakfast." Subaru said clearly. And then so suddenly that Luna would have missed it if she had blinked, Subaru planted his foot on Gonta's knee, pushing off so hard that he flipped backwards over his own shoulder and landed crouched on one knee. The effect resulted in Subaru's wrenching his jacket from Gonat's grasp and distancing himself from the group. With a silent, mocking salute, he turned and slipped between the morning crowds growing on the sidewalks. Within seconds he had melted into the masses.

"That's not the direction of his house." Kizamaro said, puzzled.

Luna just shrugged, but was more determined than ever to bring the enigma that was Hoshikawa Subaru to school with her. She would not lose this war. With her own smirk and salute in the general direction that he had disappeared, she turned on her heed and marched toward school.

Shirogane Luna:

She wasn't sure what she had been expecting when Hoshikawa Subaru opened the door that morning. When Kizamaro had given her his bio summary the day before she had thought he would be freakishly immature or possibly emo. She had also expected him to be asleep when she arrived. That's what any teenager who stayed home from school would do, duh. She had to quickly recover when her target opened the door directly. The boy standing in the doorway was not what she had prepared herself for. He was neatly dressed though with a distinct personal style. His jacket was red with white stars on the shoulders. His jean shorts went past his knees by a respectable distance, though he still sported a wide belt. Surprisingly, he wore no transer on his arm (see, they were no fashion statement), but his hands were covered with matching red fingerless gloves. His accessories were by far the strangest: a yellow, shooting-star pendant hung at chest level and a curvy pair of green specs rested on his head. When she met his eyes, she had to quick catch a breath. It's not like he was overly good looking, but his chocolate brown eyes were so intense it was painful; she thought she might melt. Get a grip Luna! How are you going to persuade him to go to school if you can't meet his eyes with equality? The only thing that saved her was his brunette hair, which appeared as though it had been spiked to laughable distances above his head. She quickly regained her composure before she began.

In Luna's mind, all this took place in a matter of seconds.

Hoshikawa Subaru:

Subaru knew his mom would be disappointed if he returned home so soon. She would know how he had failed at putting his past pains aside and moving forward, and that he had missed out on a potential chance to make friends. He knew she wouldn't say anything to upset him, but he couldn't handle to looks she would shoot his way: worried, hurt, angry, lonely (she had lost her husband in the accident after all). So many people were telling him to move on, but he was scared that he would lose the image of his father that he held in his mind. He would admit it: he was a coward, and he was deathly afraid of forgetting.

But every time he thought of something besides his dad, he would find it harder to recall his father's courage, strength, love, and passion. Years had passed, and the less he remembered his dad, the less he could remember who he wanted to become. Whichever route he chose simply tore him apart even more. Sooner or later, he would cease to be Hoshikawa Subaru altogether, even if that did sound a tad bit dramatic.

His mom once asked him if he wanted to get counseling. Subaru thought he counseled himself just fine.

So AMAKEN it would have to be. Amachi-san wouldn't mind having him there this early. That man practically lived in his labs; he probably had some food too. Subaru put the morning's eccentric start behind him as he slipped through the human traffic and headed east towards the labs.

His lucky break came when he remembered he had put his transer console in his pocket this morning. This touch screen device was detachable from the transer body but only provided basic functions: time, phone, and data passcards. This meant he wouldn't have to talk his way into the labs, because security generally didn't take to kindly to teenagers wandering, unescorted through the R&D department. In reality, Subaru was a member of AMAKEN. His dad had gotten him a lab, so that Subaru could do his own research when his dad was at work.

Subaru and his dad had started doing wave research together when Subaru was eight. The lab had been his tenth birthday present. While Subaru didn't invent anything so-to-speak, he published data on wave environments, fields, and activity. His findings gave inventors sources to go to when they were considering a new product. Amachi had proudly told Subaru that he invented everything; his research was used in every project. Daigo hadn't disagreed, but Subaru was not going to take credit for work he didn't do.

Subaru passed by the testing rooms, peering through the glass, looking for his friend, and hoping he wasn't busy. Unable to spot him anywhere, Subaru proceeded to Amachi's private labs. As cofounder, Amachi's space was much larger than Subaru's, furnished with the most recent equipment. The lock on Amachi's lab was on yellow, but as Subaru was unsure to what that meant, he merely proceeded inside.

The pneumatics of the door whirred slightly, signaling his entrance. Amachi Mamoru's head peeked over the top of a giant rocket engine that had been parked in his lab (Subaru was quite jealous). The rest of the lab was a huge mess, schematics and tools lying everywhere with an occasional soda can or pizza pox strewn haphazardly across the floor. Subaru raised his eyebrows at the mess.

The man himself was sitting behind the rocket turbine; a section of the paneling had been removed to expose the inner workings to the scientist's calculating eye. Amachi Mamoru was a rather hefty man, at an average height. His AMAKEN jacket looked rumpled like he had slept in it, and his brown cargo pants were streaked with grease and metal shavings. A wide boyish face was capped by and AMAKEN issue baseball hat so that his hair was flattened down, only to protrude out the back. The man had an infectious smile and dark black eyes, and for only being 27, he was a surprisingly accomplished engineer and inventor.

"Haven't left for a few days Amachi? Either you need a wife so you go home more often, or a maid to clean up after you in the lab." Subaru teased, putting his hands on his hips in a reproachful manner with a teasing frown of disapproval.

"Ah, no offence Subaru, but the door was supposed to be locked," he grinned sheepishly, "I didn't want anyone to see this mess, but I was making so much progress that I didn't want to stop. And I don't need you to come in here and get all motherly on me. Akane can do that just fine without your help."

"I think your door is broken then," Subaru said, shrugging off Amachi's good natured insults, "Is that what the yellow light means then?"

"Good heavens Subaru! You came in here without knowing what the warning light meant? I could have had this thing fired up," Amachi slapped the turbines to indicate his point, "and you could have been burnt to a crisp."

"Well I had to risk it; else I die of hunger on the doorstep of your lab. Have you got any good eats left over? I'm starving."

"And I'm surprised," Amachi laughed, "Why would you come here to eat instead of going home. The food is ten times better. Trust me, I know."

"There was a little interference at breakfast this morning." Subaru said reluctantly, knowing Amachi would have encouraged him to "make friends" as well.

Amachi frowned, but didn't press for details. Suddenly he had an idea.

"How long are you going to stand there moping," he called to Subaru with an encouraging smile, "Get up here and help me! We'll order you some breakfast as payment."

Subaru's enthusiasm was enough to wipe away the previous concerns. Amachi would stay in the lab a few hours after Subaru left, before he would decide to take a break. And when he did, Amachi found his lock pad light on green, fixed by Subaru's twiddling fingers.

Subaru hadn't found the heart to go home by lunchtime, or suppertime for that matter. Instead, he waited, patiently working in his lab as afternoon faded to twilight. Any other person would have found it horribly boring to be cooped up in his small lab, running scans and tests for hours on end, but Subaru enjoyed the silence, even if it was tiny bit lonely. Of course, he would never admit her was lonely to anyone else. His brain kept playing back the scene from this morning. He frowned, trying to shake the incident from his head. He wanted to forget that it had ever happened and return to his version of "normal." He hoped that Shirogane's group had given up, but for some reason, he highly doubted it. That Luna girl seemed like the type that always got her way.

"If those are friends, then I don't need or want them."

Subaru's voice sounded like it had been swallowed up by the humming of machines. Talking to himself really wasn't a good sign, but it had been a weird day altogether.

Glancing again out the window, he made a final note on his lab records before shutting it. As Subaru turned out the lights, a sudden surge of loneliness filled him again. Geez, what was with him today? He merely stared at the dark room, noting the shadows of familiar shapes of workbenches and machines. Subaru suddenly forgot why he did any research. What was the point?

Oh, yeah. Dad. He did research.

Subaru's heart thudded as he gripped the shooting-star pendant round his neck so tight that the sharp corners pressed painfully into his palms. Hurriedly, he shut the door and sprinted down the shadowy corridors of AMAKEN, crossing the compound in a matter of minutes to his destination. He carelessly banged through the door of the observatory, climbing a rickety, steel maintenance stairway to the roof. Without his usual caution, he plopped down along the edge of the spherical roof, dangling his feet off the side. Subaru took a deep breath, shut his eyes, and leaned back, allowing the cool air to clear his head. When he opened his eyes again, he saw the stars as they peeked out one by one, as the colors of the sunset faded to midnight blue. Butterflies still fluttered uneasily in his stomach for a reason he could not determine, and it wasn't the height.

Subaru came up here often to stargaze. The roof of the observatory was towered higher than most of the buildings of the AMAKEN grounds giving him a clear view of both the science labs and the city of Echo Ridge in the west. But Subaru was mostly here for the stars.

Stargazing always helped him remember his dad. As he found the constellations, a smile grew on his face: Cancer, Taurus, Libra, and Gemini. The loneliness that had plagued him earlier started to ebb slowly. Subaru could remember all the innumerable times he had done similar things with his dad, waiting for shooting stars, and betting each other on who knew the most constellations.

That reminded him. He slipped his green glasses down over his eyes, reveling in the new dimension of his vision. Hundreds of multicolored, crisscrossing beams of light filled the sky now, indicating a network of waveroads (radio transmission pathways) that stretched endlessly in every direction. The visualizer was something he had actually made, but with loads of his dad's help. When he had first started wave-studies, Subaru had the idea to create something that would easily allow someone to see other frequencies. It was a year before his efforts came to fruition in the form of his odd green glasses. With his revolutionary specs he was able to see all spectrum of light; each color corresponded to frequency intensity, producing a rainbow of invisible waves.

The pulsing waves glowed brilliantly in the night sky. Darkness had officially set in, but Subaru remained unworried by the fact.

A few minutes later, Subaru noticed a disturbance in the wave environment above him. At first, he had thought he was imagining things or maybe falling asleep, but after consulting his Transer interface, he confirmed that his reception was spotty. That's strange, AMAKEN never suffered from such problems, it would disrupt tests taking place in the labs. When he looked up at the sky again, he could barely believe his eyes. A wide, circular gap in the waveroads had opened up above him, save for the transmission leading straight to the observatory tower. The interference crackled with palpable energy, the interrupted waveroads buzzed angrily, but the tower transmission grew brighter and brighter. He stood up just as a painful flash filled his vision, blinding him momentarily.

While Subaru remained blinded, he suddenly heard the very last thing he could have expected: a voice.

"This is earth?" a deep voice growled, "I thought it would be different."

To say that Subaru was surprised would be a dramatic understatement. He opened his eyes, residual flashes of white still obscured his vision, but not enough to block out a massive, ghost-like creature floating in front of him. The readings from the visualizer were telling him that it was made completely of EM waves, but that was impossible. The specter glowed, primarily green, the visualizer informed him that the thing existed in all wave states by outlining its silhouette with a rainbow sheen. The thing's face appeared dragon-like: a square-ish mouth with a row of razor fangs, glowing red eyes, and crests that spiked backwards on each side of its head. Its other definable features were a blue breastplate and shoulder guards, arms ending in huge claws, and a fiery green mane flowing down its back. Though Subaru had never seen anything like it, the overall effect was frightening.

The ghost seemed to be ignoring him, observing its surroundings with ruby eyes before it muttered to itself again, "There was a strong signal coming from this server, yet all that's here is a dweebish kid. What's up with that?"

"Hey," Subaru finally regained his senses, "I can hear you, ya'know!"

The ghost turned towards him, teeth glinting in the starlight, and claws ready for action. Subaru gulped; perhaps he shouldn't have drawn attention to himself. The dragon-whatever looked angry, and he was trapped atop the observatory roof; there was nowhere to run.

"You can see me as well it would seem," the beast growled, floating closer to Subaru. His presence seemed to charge the atmosphere around Subaru with energy, his hair stood on end and his mouth tasted like metal. Subaru desperately wanted to edge away, but he was already backed against the precipice of the roof. The ghost-thing was critically analyzing him with intense red eyes, completely unmoving.

"C-can I help you?" Subaru stuttered uncertainly, going for the respectful route.

"That symbol around your neck," the creature indicated Subaru's necklace with a green claw, "Does every human were such a thing?"

Confused Subaru shook his head, "No, I made it myself. I'm the only one who has it."

"Then why did Hoshikawa Diago wear such an emblem as well?"

"Dad?" Subaru's whisper was so soft, he was sure the creature didn't hear it.

"You are the son of Hoshikawa Diago?" the creature said, surprised.

"You know my dad?" Subaru questioned loudly, "What-? How-? Who are you?" Subaru's questions came out rapid fire, uncontrolled.

The creature floated back a ways from the sudden tirade, unsure what the child was attempting to say. The boy was in obvious distress, even from an alien's point of view. He now recognized the wave patterns that had brought him here. And the pendant; it had some sort of amplifying effect. The boy's misery seemed to wash over the creature, he could feel the emptiness inside the boy, calling him to take control, but he didn't want to. This new conscience he had developed stopped him from involving a child in his escape.

"Who are you?" the demand came more firmly this time.

"Warrock, of planet FM," Warrock growled, not particularly keen on revealing the information.

"How do you know my dad?"

"That's none of you business kid," the creature rumbled, red eyes flashing.

"Tell me." Subaru demanded.

Suddenly, Warrock was very close again, his muzzle only inches from Subaru's face. Subaru leaned away, nearly losing his balance and falling backwards over the edge of the roof. Without warning, Subaru's stomach flipped sickeningly inside of him. His head began to pound as if someone was banging on it like a drum, and his vision hazed over. Warrock's very presence scrambled his bodily functions. He felt weak and shaky, his breath coming in short gasps.

"I don't think you need to be making demands here." Warrock growled menacingly, as Subaru dropped to his knees.

"I-I want. To know. About my fa-father," Subaru gasped through the pain as he clutched his chest.

Warrock suddenly spun around, as if he heard something, "Someone is coming. They have sensed my presence. I must go."

"NO!" Subaru exclaimed grasping at straws, "They can track you if you do. Your energy signature is too powerful. Didn't you notice the way you disturbed the waveroads for like a mile in every direction. You have to disguise yourself, not run."

"Then what do you suggest?" Warrock snarled.

With a trembling hand Subaru withdrew his transer console from his pocket, "In here," he said, more calmly this time, "I won't tell anyone about you, and this computer will disguise you as the energy source."

"Why would you protect me?" the creature asked, skepticism written across its face.

"Just trust me." Subaru pleaded. Secretly, Subaru wanted to question Warrock further about his father. The creature was obviously one of the Wave-creatures his dad had talked about. Though the idea had sounded a touch crazy, Subaru never doubted his dad. Now here was a real, live alien right in front of him, no more proof necessary. If the alien was indebted to Subaru, he might fell honor bound to answer his questions. Might being the key word here.

Without any further objections, Warrock beamed himself into the transer. His mission complete, Subaru returned the interface to his pocket and sat down normally again. With Warrock's presence contained by the transer, he no longer suffered from the effects of powerful wave-exposure either. Subaru took a deep shuddering breath to calm his nerves, awaiting whoever had been sent to check the tower to discover him.

Thirty seconds later, the maintenance door burst open, revealing a huffing figure. Amachi Mamoru looked like he had just run a few miles, instead of a few hundred yards.

"Subaru! What on earth are you doing up here?" He practically yelled in a single breath.

Subaru merely pointed upward, feigning calmness, "Stargazing." He said simply.

Amachi rolled his eyes, "That is what the observatory is for Subaru, not theobservatory roof."

"I know Amachi-san."

"How would I explain it to your mother if you managed to get a pair of broken legs 'stargazing'?" The scientist said jokingly, and then grew serious, "She called by the way. A bit worried about you. Why didn't you tell her where you were? Did you turn your transer off again?"

"No," Subaru said, mildly ashamed, "I forgot it. I only brought my interface, and it's a little out of wack today."

"You still could have called her on a phone in my lab." Amachi admonished.

"I know."

"Is something wrong Subaru? Is there something you want to talk about?"

"No, I'm just ready to go home." Subaru tried to stand up, but his body was still uncooperative from his run-in with Warrock. He barely rose a few inches from his perch before he was forced to give up, and slump back down. Amachi pulled him to his feet, concern flitting across his face.

"I'll drive you home. It's already pretty late."

"Thank you Amachi-san," Subaru sighed gratefully.

The scientist helped Subaru to his car, assuming the boy was just worn out from a long day. But right before Subaru fell asleep in the passenger seat, he heard Amachi ask, "Hey, did you see anything odd when you were up there?"

"Nope, not a thing," and with that, Subaru passed out.