Act IX: The Departure

     Akari and Hitoshi run through the dark city io order to get away from the authorities.
They slip into a small alley and stop to catch their breath.
     "Now what are we going to do?" Akari asks.
     "We? You have nothing to worry about. It's me they want," Hitoshi mentions.
     "No, it's going to be 'we' because I can't stand here anymore."
     Hitoshi stares at her with a questioning look on his face.
     "I don't know what you plan to do, but it appears that there is little more I can do."
     "So, now what?" Akari asks again.
     "I have no choice," Hitoshi says solemnly. "I have to leave. I know of a quiet little place
where I am sure they won't look for me."
     "Can I come with you?"
     "Why? All the you have is right here."
     "No it isn't. I have nothing. I need to get away from this place, from people like Aritsune,
for my sake, and...for my child's sake."
     "Child?" Hitoshi inquires.
     "Yes."
     "Well, okay, I will let you come along. But we need to leave soon."
     "Thank you, Hitoshi. I need only a few things."
     "I was worried that I might have to leave suddenly. When you're ready go to pad 493. I
will have a ship there ready to leave the moment you get on."
     "Thank you."
     "I will see you soon."
     The two depart. Akari goes to collect what she will be bringing.

     Akari walks quietly down the hall to her room. She enters and finds Yamaneko waiting
patiently for her.
     "Hey, boy," she says while patting Yamaneko on the head. "We have a trip to make."
     Yamaneko gets excited as Akari packs a small bag.
     She continues, "I'm sure it will be bright, with a lot of space to run and play in. Will you
like that?"
     Yamaneko rubs against her leg as if to say 'Yes'.
     "Now, we need to hurry. Come on, Yamaneko."
     The two leave the room. They go through the hallway and exit the building on their way
to pad 493.

     An official-looking man stands in front of a group of people assembling.
     "Order!" he shouts and the many people find their places to sit. "We are here to decide
what course of action to take in Acting Ruler Hitoshi's absence."
     The crowd mumbles to itself. A man stands and speaks.
     "It is my reasoning that we should select one of the two advisors to Hitoshi to assume
command."
     The official man speaks again, "That would be Kouten or Kourou Nouri."
     Another stands whilst the previous one sits.
     The man says, "In this time of uprising, we require a leader who can put down such
revolts. Kouten was made advisor for his military tactics, and because we live in disarray, he
should become the leader."
     Another man stands while this one sits.
     He says, "Uprising is only occurring on the Venus colony. And there it is caused by a
gang, not by the true citizens of the empire. Rather than put someone in control who would
throw away our economy on military force, we need someone who we know will protect this
economy's future. He has proven able over and over, and that is Nouri."
     The members of the group talk between themselves discussing the arguments for each
person. An unexpected person rises and they quiet down.
     This man says, "If you were willing to put Hitoshi in control, with these two 'advisors'
that did just as much in running the empire as he did, why don't you just make them both in
control? It's the 'best of both worlds' idea. Nouri can make sure we stay in a stable financial
situation and Kouten can stop revolt if such a thing were to spread."
     Immediately people rise to support this idea. The official man raises his hand to quiet the
people.
     "It appears to me that this is the generally accepted plan from all of you. Therefore,
Kourou Nouri and Kouten will both be made the Acting Rulers of this empire. Each has a check
on the other to make sure everything stays balanced.
     The crowd agrees fully with this decision. Kourou and Kouten are sworn in as the
leaders.

     Kourou walks to his office to find Munenori waiting for him.
     "Excuse me, who are you?" Kourou asks not recognizing him.
     "I am Munenori, a friend of Aritsune."
     "Oh."
     "I heard the two of you have begun living together," Munenori states.
     "Well, yes, she has decided to live at my place," Kourou acknowledges.
     "I was hoping, then, that you might know where she has been for the past little while."
     "What do you mean?" Kourou asks.
     "She seems different to me," Munenori explains. "I wanted to know where it was she
came back from."
     "Well, I found her at Charon."
     "Charon?"
     "She wasn't sure how she got there, and was very disoriented."
     "Hmm, well, have you noticed a change in her behavior?"
     "No, but then again, I didn't really know her before that. We only had a couple
conversations."
     "Okay, thanks."
     Munenori gets up and leaves Kourou's office. He walks through the building on his way
out thinking to himself, I think I'm going to go to Charon to see if I can find out what she was
doing there. I'll see if I can get someone to bring me there.

     It is night, and Kouten leaves his office after working late. He walks out to go to his
vehicle. The lot is mostly empty, as he is one of the last to leave. He reaches his vehicle and
unlocks it when he hears a noise behind him. He turns quickly to see who it is.
     "Who is it?" he asks.
     A voice says, "Someone who knows you are in the way of the woman who is giving him
power."
     "What?" the man asks confused.
     A dark figure steps out from the shadows. His muscular build and green eyes are
intimidating to most. The black hair the hangs long and loosely over his shoulders sways a little
in the breeze.
     "You, I know who you are," Kouten states. "You're the one causing all that trouble at
Venus."
     "Oh aren't you the intelligent one," Kano says sarcastically with a small laugh.
     He takes a step closer to Kouten.
     "What is it you want?" Kouten says menacingly.
     "I want you dead," Kano declares as he lunges at Kouten with a small blade. Kouten,
being of strong military background dodges the attack and disarms Kano. Holding Kano in a
painful clutch by one arm, Kouten holds the blade above Kano's head.
     "Did you really think that would hurt me?" Kouten asks.
     Kano stares frightened at the blade as Kouten says, "You need to learn a lesson."
     Just as Kouten is about to bring the blade down on Kano he is zapped in the back and
sent sprawling over the hood of the car. Kouten rolls off and on to the ground. He slowly tries to
pick himself up.
     As Kouten struggles to his feet, a woman in a dark cloak speaks to him, "You are a
strong man to withstand such shock."
     She turns her attention temporarily away from Kouten and directs it toward Kano, "You
have failed me in such a small task." Kano just stares at her. "You did manage to cause trouble
for Hitoshi, so I will let you live, but if I ask you again to do something, make sure you do it."
     Kano gets to his feet and under his breath mumbles, "Yes, Aritsune."
     Kouten has managed, with support from the vehicle, to stand up. He says, "So you, lady,
are the one responsible for this mess. Hitoshi isn't the one responsible, it's you."
     "You have guessed right," Aritsune says to Kouten. "But there is nothing you can do
about it. In five seconds you'll be dead."
     Kouten stares at her as she lets a bolt rip into Kouten, she holds the electricity flowing
from her hand for five seconds before she stops it. Kouten falls first to his knees, and then lands
face down, dead.
     Kano watches all this going on and now knows for sure not to disappoint this woman
again.

     The next morning, Munenori walks to a place resembling a station. The station is old,
and has a couple ships docked at it. Munenori gets onboard a slow-moving transport ship to
Charon. It eventually ignites its engines and slowly leaves Europa. It picks up speed once in
space, but it will still be awhile before Munenori will reach Charon to begin investigating the
reasons for Aritsune going there.

     Meanwhile, the ship from pad 493 has left with Hitoshi, Akari, and Yamaneko to a quiet
place Hitoshi knows of at Earth. As the ship nears the planet, Akari stares out the window
towards the blue of the oceans. She thinks to herself, I hope I can make a new home from the
planet I originally came from. I know what I will do first, for Naitsuu. I will set up a
Hachimonguu Shrine. Just like the one his father made, that we so happily put back into
condition together. Just one thing to do, together.