Alternative Urusei Yatsura Fanfic by *Lewis Burden* (file: jad7_uy.txt )
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This Fanfic is not yet finished and currently consists of 12 parts. Every
part will be uploaded and made available on a weekly basis on the Internet.
Files are available vie email request or ftp at world.std.com in:

ftp: world.std.com /pub/uy-fanfic    email request: uy-fan@lexicor.com
*********************************    *********************************

This Fanfic was first uploaded to GENIE and is now available on the Internet.

note: The new site is ftp.std.com, world.std.com has limited access
=====

Enjoy,

        Yat Siu

        - ysiu@lexicor.com

Nov. 1,1993


   Alt-Urusei Yatsura VII
Dreaming my Life Away

   Shinobu watched the garage fade into the darkness as the
jeep continued down the road.  Her head was nestled gently
in her mother~s bosom.   She supposed that she was safe now.
She no longer was a fugutive.  Shinobu was told that she
could go home, though she was sure that she would be watched
and questioned.  The best thing that she felt could do was
to tell the truth and hope that someone believed her.
   Her mother stroked her hair and said soft words.  There
now, mama's here.  You're safe now, just rest your head
until we get you to the hospital.
   Shinobu did feel comfortable, and safe.   When is anyone
safer than in their mother's arms, but still Shinobu was not
the same person who was caught in the shuttle.  The world
was much bigger now.   She had been in space, met aliens,
and even been shot.   She dared call an alien a friend.
   Shinobu worried about Benten, even though there really
was no need.   Benten, Shinobu knew, was able to take care
of herself.   She would escape the soldiers.   Still, when
the moment came it, was hard for Shinobu to leave her.
   Earlier, when the jeep had stopped in front of the
garage, and the soldier jump out.  They fanned out and began
searching.   They didn~t come straight to the garage.    The
three fugitives had a little time to find a way to escape.
There was a small back door in the garage.  It was just a
regular door, not big enough for a jeep.  The only hope for
escape that Benten saw was out that door and away on foot.
   "Just go", Shinobu said.  "I'll never be able to run."
   But Benten was resolute.  "I've been charged with
protecting you.  I'll be fucked if I~m going to abandon you
here!"   Benten went to help Shinobu out of the jeep, when
Shinobu heard someone call her name.
   Her eyes opened wide in recognition.  "Mama!",  Shinobu
said.  She turned to Benten.  "It's my mother."
   Benten looked out towards the sound, and asked herself
what was she doing?  What kind of protection was she giving
Shinobu.   Shinobu couldn't go back to the ship.  It was
Benten who the soldiers wanted.  They wanted the alien.
Shinobu's chances of being reaccepted by her people
increased dramatically if  Benten wasn't around.   Benten
came to a decision.
   She turned to Shinobu.  "I think itto go."
   "Go?"
   "You're going need a home again, and it should be on
your home planet with your family, not on the run with me."
   Although she was telling Benten to go before, Shinobu
wanted to argue.  She wanted to stay with Benten.  She
really did not want to give up the adventure.   In as much
pain as she was in, she felt really alive.   But Shinobu was
a sensible girl.  She was brought up in a family that was
sensibly plain, and that's what she was, sensibly plain, as
much as she hated to admit it.  That she got an oppurtunity
to leave her plainess, even for a little while, was far more
than most girls like her ever hope.   Plus, she was sure
that her brush with the fantastic would never leave her
entirely.
   Her sensible side said that she would only slow Benten
down, and unlike Benten there was nothing that she was
running to.   There was no rescue waiting for Shinobu, only
capture and hope for mercy, and reacceptance.  No one was
coming to take her home.  As much as an outcast she may have
become, home was still outside calling to her.
   She heard her mother calling again and she looked at
Benten.  "Run! I'll count to ten and call them here."
   "I'm still going to stick close to you," Benten promised.
"It's my duty.  If things go wrong, look for me in the
shadows."
   "You promised to come and get me for Ataru's wedding."
   Benten stood and smiled. "I never break my promises."
With that she went to the back door.   She opened it and
checked to see if things were clear.  They weren't.  There
were guards in sight, searching, but she felt that if she
timed it right she could make the shadows.   She waited and
then was gone.
   Mendo too heard Shinobu's mother calling and had watched
the exchange between Shinobu and Benten with interest.   He
was about to follow Benten out, when Shinobu stopped him.
   "Mendo, please stay with me," Shinobu called.
   Mendo looked back at her, and then at the door.   In his
imaginary adventures, Mendo was chivalrous, and so in real-
life he found he could be nothing else.   He turned back to
Shinobu, believing that he was giving up his chance ever to
go into space.   When he reached Shinobu, she took his hand
and held it.
   "Thank you for not leaving me," she said.  "I know you
wanted to go up and see the alien ships.  Having been there
I can understand why.   When Ataru marries  Lum, Benten is
coming to get me.   I'll see that they take you as well.~
   Mendo smiled and squeezed her hand. "Thank you," he said.
   Shinobu's mother called again.  They could hear voices
indicating that the soldiers were going to come and search
the garage.  Shinobu called out in response to her mother
and they were found.
   And so Shinobu was returned to her plainess, and was now
resting comfortably, held by her mother.  The jeep turned a
corner and Shinobu could no longer see the garage.  She
shifted in her mother's arms so that she could see Mendo in
the other jeep.  He was under guard, under suspicion of
treason.  Shinobu planned to tell the truth about everything
except Mendo's involvement.  She would say that he was
forced under gun point to help Benten.
   Shinobu didn~t like all this military alertness.  She
didn't like seeing her classmates in uniform, carrying guns.
Kakugari was driving her jeep, with Chibi in the passenger
seat.  Shinobu and her mother were sitting in back.  Shinobu
couldn't believe that they were really soldiers, but they
looked so grim-faced.
   "Mama," Shinobu asked, "will Papa be waiting at the
hospital?"
   She felt her mother stiffen.  There was no answer.   An
evil thought entered Shinobu's head.
   "Mama?" She said again.
   "Your father is dead, dear." her mother said quickly.
Shinobu's mother held her daughter tightly, but said nothing
more for the rest of the trip.
*  *  *
   Sugoi was having no luck in finding Benten.  Her fighter
was in the bay.  The attendant had recorded her checking in
from a mission to the planet.  The reason for which, would
very much interest Sugoi, if she could find out what it was.
But no one had seen Benten since she left for the planet,
and the fighters logs were erased.  Sugoi was becoming very
suspicious, not an unnatural condition for her.   She had
the curiousity of a cat, and right now she was eaten up with
it.  Something big was afoot.
   She went back to the attendent, who still swore that
Benten had returned to the ship.  However, Sugoi managed
extract even more interesting information out of him, mostly
without his cooperation.   Lum had returned to the planet
with some helmeted aristocrat.    Sugoi felt it very
interesting that the attendent couldn't guess as to who this
aristocrat was.
   Sugoi was off to Lum's room to try to confirm that she
wasn't on the ship, when Sugoi ran into Jariten.  He rather
startled her.  Her mind was so involved on solving this
mystery that she wasn't paying attention  to her
surroundings.  She nearly walked into him.
   The convenience in which he just happened to show up now,
with her so hot on an apparently important secret, struck
Sugoi as certainly planned.   She was wary of Ten.  She knew
that he was her counterpart and equal in everyway.   She
would even go so far as to acknowledge that in some ways,
particularly in his informant network, he was her superior.
   "Hallo, Sugoi!" he greeted her, and took her hand.  "You
don't know how much I have wanted to meet you."   He kissed
her hand.
   She jerked it back, and returned a cattish smile.
"Indeed," she said, ~and I have been looking forward to
meeting you.  I have heard so much about you."
   Jariten bowed, "You flatter me.   You seem in a rush to
be somewhere.  Might I inquire as to where you are going?  I
may be able to help."
   "Like hell," Sugoi thought.  She said, "I was just off to
see your cousin.   I so enjoyed my dinner with her, that I
wanted to ask if I could have lunch with her tomorrow."
   "Oh?" Jariten said with no revealing change of expression
whatsoever.  "I'm sure she would love to, but she is just so
busy.  I, on the other hand, would be quite free for lunch
tomorrow, and would be ever so pleased if a lovely young
woman such as yourself would accompany me for such a
repast."
   "I am honored," Sugoi responded continuing the game, "but
I am surely too young to be sharing a meal with a man such
as youself, and besides we are cousins."
   "Distant cousins, my lady, and your maturity and self-
composure is evident to all who see, not to mention your
beauty."
   This word fencing was fun, Sugoi felt, but it was obvious
she was being stalled.  "All the same, d  I wouke to talk with the princess, an

I believe that you are
stalling me.   Now why would that be, I wonder?"
   "Stalling, my lady?  I am wounded,"  Ten said feigning
injury.  "I wish only your company, and perhaps for that
reason I am behaving selfishly, but my motives are pure."
   "Where is your mistress?  Perhaps I could finish my
business with her quickly, and then you could continue
surrounding me with your sweet words."
   "Alas, I am not my mistress's keeper.   I assume that she
is in her room, but who can tell.  I do know that I long for
your graceful company, and that sweet words about you so
fill my mouth that if I don't speak them immediately, I
could drown in them."
   Now it was starting to get a little thick.  Sugoi
realizing that she wasn't going to out talk Ten, and she
certainly couldn't intimidate him.   She might be  able to
force her way through, but to what effect.  Besides, Ten had
told her that Lum wasn~t in her room.  By stalling her, he
told her that there was something up.  That was obvious.
She was sure that Ten knew this as well,  all he could
really do was keep her from proving that Lum was not aboard
ship.
   Sugoi decided that her best course of action now was to
go down to the planet herself.  See for herself what if
there was any threat the humans had to offer, and if
possible catch Lum in whatever she was doing.    That
helmeted aristocrat was certainly the dream lover that she
had found on the planet.   They taught him the accent.
Sugoi wanted to meet him as well.
   "My dear Jariten," Sugoi said, "I really must excuse
myself, but I think I will meet you for lunch tomorrow."
   "You flatter me, my lady.   I hope that you find the
princess soon, and if I see her I will convey your message."
   "Thank you, but I'm sure I will see her soon."  Sugoi
turned and went back to her room.
   Ten watched her walk away.  She was figuring out too
much, too fast.   He wondered why the results about Cherry's
exam hadn't come out yet.  If it wasn't soon, Sugoi wouldn't
be thrown off the trail quickly enough.   Lum did not need
to be on the planet now.   It made her situation far more
dangerous, but she was spending time with Ataru.   That was
the only reason that Ten didn't argue her decision to go
down.  She needed this time with him, but she didn't need
Sugoi finding her out before she was ready.   Ten had to put
some serious clogs in Sugoi's works.
*  *  *
   Rei paced his room.  His sister was here.  Even Rei was
intelligent enough to know that she was sent by the family.
Something was up!  Rei couldn't guess what it was.   There
were so many things, and she wouldn't tell him.  He was
deciding whether to go and see Ran that evening.  The family
couldn't have found out so soon, and he had had so many
other affairs, what would it matter?   But Sugoi was here
and she was looking for something.
   Rei was aware that Ran was a special case, being the
servant of Lum.   Lum, the name echoed in Rei's mind.  He
still felt a pain as he remembered what she said on the
planet.  He knew that she didn't like him.  That hurt
enough.  But to flatly say that she would not marry him.
Rei fell down on his bed.  He turned over and stared up at
the ceiling.
   "Why was she here?" He kept thinking to himself.  Rei
couldn't help thinking that it had to be him, and then there
was Ran.  He didn't know how he hadn't  noticed her before.
She was so beautiful, and she understood him so.  No one had
ever treated him so well, or had been so attentive to him.
For the first time in his life he had experienced emotional
depth.  She wanted him.   Not just for his body, or his
position, well maybe she did want that, but she wanted him
as well.  He was convinced that even without his position,
even if he was just some beast, she would still love him.
   It was so hard with Lum, and so easy with Ran.   He
wanted to be with Ran.  But he knew he couldn't, especially
with his sister on board.  She terrified him, and always
had.  He never got away with anything when he was young.
She was always there.  She knew everything that he ever did.
It was as if she could read his thoughts.  What was she
looking for?!
   Could the family already know that he didn't want to
marry Lum?  He had loved her for so long, but after his
experience with Ran, he realized what a hell it would be to
live with Lum.  She didn't love him.  She didn't want him,
and probably never would.
   Rei didn't want to be emperor, either.  He had, until he
was told that he couldn't be a fighter pilot anymore.  That
didn't sound like any fun to him.  They tried to impress him
with the power that he would have, or being able to send
scores of squadrons into battle, but it didn't interest him.
He couldn't conceive it.  The fighter was plain, hands on,
graspable.   That was the power he loved.  He'd do it, if he
had to.  He'd marry Lum and become emperor.  He knew how to
follow orders, but he didn't want to.   He wanted Ran.
   Rei finally stood and stared at the door out of his room,
concentrating as hard as he could, trying to make a
decision.  He didn't know what Sugoi was after, but he knew
what he wanted.  He wanted to know the touch of someone who
really loved him.  He wanted his life to be a lot simpler.
Lum was too complicated for him.   Ran was simpler, and Ran
wanted him.   He went through the door.
*  *  *
   As they flew, Ataru was becoming more comfortable with
the concept of flying.   They were approaching Tokyo harbor.
Up until then there were no obstacles and Lum was flying
slowly to allow Ataru to get used to controlling the belt.
He tried changing his speed and altitude.   He worked on
turns.   It was quickly becoming second nature.   It was
fascinating.
   He looked over to Lum.  Even with the helmet, she
reminded him so much of the dreams.  If her hair were flying
freely he didn't know what he would do.
   She noticed him looking at her, and smiled back at him.
Flying over Tokyo like a dream, she did feel  different. She
wanted to play.  She wanted to hold her Darling in her arms.
She wanted to forget her duties.  It was like a drug and if
their mission was any less serious than rescuing her friend
Benten, she might have been willing to give into it.   She
felt so light in the spirit.  She did a loop.  She knew if
it was daylight out, that she would see the destruction and
she would be depressed  again.   But it wasn~t.   It was
dark.   The lights of the city shown, and she could imagine
that everything was all right.  There had never been an
invasion.  She was dreaming again.
   "Oh Darling," she said, "I am finally home, and its
real!"
   Ataru was at a loss.  He had to admit that he was caught
up in the same fantasy that she was, but it wasn't real.  He
couldn't bear to tell her.   It was the first time that he
had seen her really happy, outside the dreams.  Perhaps in
that way it was real, but they had to find Benten and
Shinobu soon.
   They were flying over the shoreline.   Water and boats
gave way to piers and buildings.   "How will we be able to
locate Benten?"  Ataru asked, to get the subject back to
more concrete matters.
   Lum stopped.  She hadn~t forgotten Benten, but she wasn't
concentrating on her, either.  She looked down at the
streets below her, and on ahead to the flickering sea of
lights, which lay before them.   She took out her scanner
and took a quick reading.  It was as she thought.  "There's
just too much for us to pick her out by scan.  If she was
Uruseian it would be easier.  Our metabolism runs a bit
hotter than humans.  Her race is closer.  It's not enough to
pick her out at any significant range."
   "Then we have to get her to find us."
   "That's not easy to do, without sending everyone on our
tail."  Lum thought hard about what kind of signal Benten
would recognize, which would be unnoticed by most everyone
else.
   "Benten may not be at the school now," Ataru began, "but
there might be some clues there."
   Lum nodded and they flew off to the school.   When they
reached it they saw that it was well lit and there was a
great deal of activity.   There were many soldiers on the
grounds pacing and guarding.   An assortment of vehicles
carrying soldiers went in and out of the gate, like bees in
a beehive.   The two stopped short of the light.
   Looking out from the night's shadow, Ataru was surprised
to discover that he recognized most of the soldiers.   They
were classmates or fathers of classmates.  "Tomobiki's
become a military camp," Ataru observed.
   "They're waiting for me to come back," Lum said, almost
annoyed. "What fools! They have to know it wouldn't do any
good."
   "Fools?!" Ataru said angrily, turning to Lum.
   "I'm sorry.  I didn't mean to be derogatory.  It's just
that none of this is doing them any good."
   Ataru was still angry at how easily Lum dismissed his
people's efforts.  "Are you sure?  My people don't give up
easily."
   "Darling!"  Lum excalimed starting to get a little hurt.
"Even if it was only a dream, I was here.  I know these
people.  I love them.   It hurts to see them all ready for
battle like this, especially since it's a hopeless battle.
With a word I could have this planet obliterated.   I think
you know that.  And for the first time in my life, it
bothers me."  Lum was close to tears.  "Do you know how many
planets just like this one that I've brought to
destruction?"
   Ataru saw this and flew closer to her.  He took her in
his arms and held her.  She accepted him.  It felt so good
to feel him holding her.  She didn't have to hold her pain
in or hide it.  He received it gladly.  She never before
knew what it was like to not feel alone.   There were many
people in her life whom she loved.   Her father or Ten had
always been there for her before, but not like this.
   They separated.  "Thank you," Lum said softly.
   "I think I have an idea on how to find out about Benten,"
Ataru said.
   Benten was hiding in the shadows behind a wall, when she
heard Shinobu's call.  Benten had full view of everything
that was going on.  The soldiers were making a reasonably
efficient search and would have come to the garage soon.
Benten was worried that she would have to move again, when a
soldier was approaching her, but Shinobu's cry put a halt to
everything.
   Everyone congregated around the garage, guns ready.
Benten was getting a little nervous.   She already had
enough proof that they were a little trigger happy.  She
would have fired a shot to draw them away, but she saw one
of them who looked like the leader of the group wave
everyone back.   He had the garage door opened.  The
soldiers went in and Shinobu was carried out.  Soon Shinobu
and Mendo were driven away.  Three soldiers were left,
presumably to look for Benten, but she didn~t plan to stick
around.
   She said she was going to keep an eye on Shinobu and
that's what she would do.  She decided to make her way back
to the school.   If they were going to hold Shinobu again,
they would hold her there.  Benten also guessed that Mendo
might need looking after as well.
   Before she turned to go, Benten looked up into the sky,
hoping to see a light or something to indicate that her
rescue was coming.   Any rescue though, she  felt, couldn't
be good for Earth.  Benten was extremely worried that she
might have reignited the invasion.  She hoped that Lum had
found a better solution.
* * *
   Sugoi floated in a shuttle of her own down to the planet.
She had gotten information on where the dream transmissions
originated and now was making a scan for any transmission
signatures of Uruseian origin.  She found the shuttle in
ocean, and then the two other points which were undoubtedly
Lum and her lover.   Sugoi stopped her descent at 50 km's
and worked to decide what she would do with this
information.
   She could capture Lum in the act, with the dream lover,
but that wouldn't prove anything.  True, covorting with a
non-citizen of the empire was near treason, but there was
still the secret of dream control, and the princess
obviously had bigger plans than an alien lover.  Perhaps a
terran of her own would be in order, Sugoi thought.  She
would just sit and wait for Lum and her lover to move off
with whatever they were doing and then she would go down and
pick someone up from that same spot.  There seemed to be a
lot of people there.  Sugoi would have no problem finding
someone who knew something.
   This did solve one problem for Sugoi, though.  The
saboteur was not the dream lover.  There were two terrans on
the ship.   It didn't quite exonerate Lum, but it would
cause Sugoi to look elsewhere for the solution to that
problem.   She wondered what the brain scans would reveal.
She didn't expect that she could trust them with Jariten
aboard, but  he might have left something for her.
   Ataru floated down to the corner of the courtyard wall,
out of sight of the gate guards.   He had given his gun to
Lum, who still floated out of sight.  He didn't want to
appear armed, especially with some alien weapon.   Once
down, he took his helmet off, and holding it behind his back
walking casually around the corner and approached the guard.
   The guard was one of his neighbors.   He was an elderly
man, who actually never paid much attention to Ataru.   He
challenged Ataru as he approached.  It was obvious that he
recognized Ataru, but couldn't remember from where.
   Ataru smiled and waved.  "Good evening," he said.
   "Stop there until I get a better look at you.  What kind
of uniform is that anyway?"
   "I'm a pilot," Ataru explained.
   "A pilot?!  I didn~t know we had any planes.  Where are
you from?"
   "Tomobiki originally, but I've been away.   What's  the
big to-do?"
   The old man lowered his guard, and explained gruffly, "We
had one of them aliens, but these blasted kids let 'em get
away.  Gone soft since the war!"
   "You had an alien?!" Ataru feigned surprise.  "How long
since she escaped?"
   "Been about sundown.  Wait a minute, how'd you know it
was a she?"  The old man picked up his gun.
   Ataru tensed, but tried not to show it, "News of the
capture is all over the planet.  I'm sorry to hear she got
away.  A lot of people are going to be upset."
   "Hmph!" the old man put down his gun, "You're tellin' me.
Old Onsenmark called the goverment people.  They're supposed
to be comin' in the morning.   I've said it before.  I don't
care if we lost, we shouldn't have given up all the guns.
In my day kids had responsibility, and pride .  .  ."
   Ataru knew how this line usually started.  It would go on
until Ataru managed to excuse himself.   "Well, thanks for
your time," Ataru said, "I had better go to see if my
parents are fine."
   "Suit yourself," the old man said, and then under his
breath, "And we had more respect for our elders."
   Ataru started to walk past the man when Pama appeared at
the gate.  He recognized Ataru immediately.  He raised his
gun and shouted, "Traitor!"
   This got the attention of everyone in the area, and soon
there were several guns on Ataru.   Lum watched from the
darkness at a loss for what to do.   A diversion might do
it, she thought, if he could get his helmet back on.
   Just as she was about to fire a couple shots into the
area, the search parties returned with Shinobu and Mendo.
Lum immediately noticed Shinobu's injury.   She also noted
Benten's absence.   Lum felt reassured.   Even if they had
killed Benten they would have carried her body back.  Benten
was still at large.
   The jeeps stopped in front of Ataru.   His arms were in
the air by now.   He held the helmet in one hand.
Onsenmark got out of the jeep and approached Ataru.   Ataru
met Shinobu's eyes.   She looked worried.   He shot her a
reassuring smile.
   Onsenmark sized Ataru up and said gruffly, "Where did you
get these clothes?"
   Ataru thought fast.  "It's what the aliens give their
prisoners to wear.  I escaped."
   Onsenmark looked at Ataru skeptically.   He then glanced
at Shinobu.   She was wearing the same kind of uniform as
was, he remembered, the alien.
   "And the helmet," he asked, "that's prisoner garb as
well?"
   "No," Ataru admitted, "I stole it to hide my human
features."
   "He's lying," Kakugari said. "He followed the alien
freely.  We saw him get in the enemy space ship."
   It was then that Shinobu spoke up.  "He's not a traitor!"
   "Shinobu!  Remember your father," her mother interrupted.
   "He's not a traitor!" she repeated.  "He's saved us.
It's because of him the aliens stopped, and it's because of
him that they're not coming back!"  Shinobu looked around
her.  It seemed no one believed her.  Ataru had been
officially branded a traitor when he left in the shuttle.
He was already guilty.  Shinobu felt her mother's hold grow
cold.
   Onsenmark nodded to the driver.   The jeeps continued in.
When they were gone, Onsenmark turned back to Ataru.
"Moroboshi, I'll give you a chance to redeem yourself.  I
want you to tell me everything you know about the aliens,
starting with when they plan to attack again."
   "They're not coming back.  They're going to let the Earth
go.   The attack was a mistake.  That's why they stopped."
   "Quiet!  Do you know how many people died in the
invasion, while you were up selling us out?"   Pama and
another student came and held Ataru's arms.  Onsenmark
struck him.  "One more time!  When will aliens attack
again?"
   "They're not coming back,"  Ataru repeat his eyes cold on
Onsenmark.
   Onsenmark was about to strike him again, when explosions
erupted all around them.  No one was hurt, but they were
quite shaken.   Up above them, hidden in the darkness came
Lum's voice, "Drop your weapons!"
   There was some hesitation, until more explosions
followed.  "Drop them or I~ll be getting a lot more
accurate!"
   Onsenmark nodded to the others, and they dropped their
guns.  "Now release Moroboshi."
   Onsenmark nodded again, and Ataru was released.
   "Professor Onsenmark will follow Moroboshi away from the
light."
   Onsenmark put his hands behind his head and started
walking away from the school.   Ataru followed behind him.
He put his helmet back on just to be safe.   He wondered
what Lum had in mind.  Were they going to take a hostage
now?  When they had gotten a ways from the street lamps near
the school, Ataru had Onsenmark turn a corner.
   "How can you abandon your race like this?" Onsenmark said
under his breath.
   "You don't understand."
   When they were out of sight of the school, Lum fired
another shot.  "Stay right where you are and no one will be
hurt.  We just want to talk with him."
   Lum floated down in front of Onsenmark.   She took off
her helmet so that he could see her features.  It was dark,
but there was enough light to make out that she was
certainly less human looking that Benten.
   "You're not like the other alien,"  he said.
   "I'm the real alien," Lum said.  "I the Lum of Ataru's
dreams, if he has told you about them.  I am the Princess
Redet Lum, heir to the throne Uruseian Empire.  I want you
to believe me.   Shinobu was right.   Ataru has saved your
people.   I have no intention of continuing the attack.
Please release Mendo and Shinobu.  They're not traitors.
In a few months, I hope to return to begin peace
negotiations.  I am very sorry for the damage that I caused.
Through Ataru, this world is like a second home to me.   I
didn't find out which planet this was until it was too
late."
   "How do you expect me to believe you?  What proof do I
have?  Maybe you're just tricking us into surrender."
   Now Ataru spoke.  "Professor, I've seen their ships.  If
they wanted this planet you'd be a slave now.   They
originally came down with a fraction of their force because
they didn't think they would need anymore."
   Onsenmark looked back and forth between their faces,
trying hard not to believe them.  "I have government agents
coming in the morning looking for aliens.  What do I tell
them?"
   "Tell them that the war is over," Ataru said.
   "I don't think that it will be that easy.  Why don't you
stay and tell them?"
   Lum smiled and shook her head, "If I stay too long, my
people will think that I've been captured, and then there
will be an invasion.  I wouldn't be able to stop it again.
You took a terrible risk by holding my pilot."
   Onsenmark thought and nodded.  He turned to Ataru, "How
is it that it was you who saved our world?"
   "I'm going to be the next emperor," Ataru said, really
not believing it himself.  Lum took his hand.
   "You're going to be what?!"
   "He's going to be my husband," Lum announced.
   Onsenmark stood in stunned silence.  "Miss, this is
Moroboshi Ataru, not some great prince.  Do you really want
him as your emperor?"
   "He's all I've ever wanted," she answered, and pulled him
closer to her.
   Onsenmark began rubbing his forehead.  "This is all too
much for me.  I'm going to believe you, but I don't think
anyone else will."  He then looked with seriousness, meeting
Lum's eyes, "Don't expect any of us to forgive you for the
damage that you've caused."
   Lum lowered her head.  "I'm sorry about that.  This will
be the last innocent planet that my people attack.  I swear
it!"
*  *  *
   Benten had an excellent sense of direction.  Even hugging
the shadows in an unfamiliar landscape, she trusted that she
would be able to find the school again.   The explosions
helped as well.  She recognized the sound.   It was the gun
that she had given to Lum.   She couldn't imagine why Lum
was attacking the school, but it sounded like fun that she
was missing out on.  The rescue party had come.  She tried
to move faster, but it was really too dark, and too
unfamiliar.
   Eventually, she did reach the school.   She saw several
soldiers waiting outside the courtyard wall.  Their guns
were on the ground.   Benten could easily see where Lum had
fired.  She also saw that there were no bodies.  Lum was
just trying to scare them.   She saw Onsenmark returning to
the school.  Then she was surprised to see both Lum and
Ataru follow behind him.   Benten wasn't sure what to do.
She wanted to run out, but it didn't seem safe.   Lum and
Ataru entered the school yard.   The soldiers picked up
their guns and followed them in.   Benten snuck over to the
gate.
   "What was Lum doing?"  She asked herself.  She couldn't
be giving herself up.  Benten was at a loss for what to do.
Should she mount a rescue operation or just walk in and say
"Hi."  It didn't make since.  She understood being at war
much better.
   She peeked around the corner.   Lum and Ataru, were
standing on the front steps before a crowd of people.  Some
were gaping in astonishment.   Others were definitely not
pleased to see her.
   Lum began to speak.   Benten recognized the same
gibberish that the others spoke.  Benten couldn't get over
Lum, a princess of the Uruseian Empire, speaking a native
language.   There hadn't been an Uruseian who spoke more
than one language in millenia, especially a princess.  And
yet there she was, jabbering like she was one of them.   Lum
looked up and saw Benten peering around the corner.   She
hand motioned her in.
   Benten took some steps into the open.    Everyone turned.
She almost ran back into the shadows, but Lum called to her.
"It's all right.  We've reached a truce," she said.
   Lum went back to talking gibberish, while Benten
approached.   Most turned back to Lum, though some kept
their eye on Benten.   Lum and Ataru were fielding
questions.   Some were hostile, others just curious.  Benten
saw that past the crowd Mendo was being taken out by
professor Onsenmark.   He saw Benten and waved to her, but
then he saw Lum and his eyes opened wide.
   Benten was almost jealous that she did not look different
enough to keep his attention.  It was the first time, since
she left home that she felt ordinary.   It was the Uruseian,
for a change, who was the curiousity, not her.  She wasn't
quite ready to congregate with the humans, though.   She
found a tree to lean against, and watched Lum continue her
talk.   Benten couldn't help thinking, that this was the
starting point.
   Here was the Lum that Benten wanted to see.   Benten
would always remember that the first time the Empress spoke
before her people, and it was before non-Uruseians.   It
didn't matter than she hadn't been crowned yet.   Lum
carried herself well.  She was approachable, yet proud.
Even Ataru fufilled his role.  They looked every bit like a
royal couple, despite their simple military attire.  Benten
could see that Lum was winning people over.  Many were
nodding, and the frowns of distrust began to fade away.
   Benten watched Mendo leave the crowd and come toward her.
She acknowledged him.   He smiled back.  He went to stand
next to her under the tree.  Benten felt some initial
discomfort at his apparent easiness with her, but she let it
pass.   She didn't accept people easily, but he had shared
some danger with her, and watching Lum speak, although she
couldn't understand a word, Benten realized that a new order
had begun.
[End of Part 7]