Chapter 12:
Kazuki woke up before his alarm clock woke him up. There was nobody in his room, though he was sure that would change in the next few seconds. In the meantime, he tried to recall this dream he just had. He had been blowing up Zinv.
No wait; that was reality. He had really done it once, then he had gotten Zinv back, then he had dreamed about blowing up Zinv again. Kazuki then recalled that it was all real, that he really had blown up Zinv a second time.
He tried to remember his friends. He and Shiozaki and Izawa had just been watching the red Core Robot and Himc fighting, out in front of Dr. Sanada's house. Kazuki was confused, because he had only seen himself doing that in a vision. Then he realized that he was able to remember it because it was one of the universes combined together as a result of destroying Zinv the second time. So now he remembered seeing it in a vision and actually doing it.
How many universes had been bound together this time? Three? Five? This was getting to be too much for him to remember.
Mitsuki Sanada entered. "Kazuki, get up- oh."
"Mitsuki, how many parallel universes did we put together this time?"
"I'm impressed," she smiled, "you didn't wander around all day thinking it was a dream."
Slightly irritated, he pressed her, "I'm serious, how many."
"Five," was her immediate reply, "if you count the two we previously made into a third universe."
Kazuki sighed. "I'm never going to keep all this straight."
Yayoi entered through the door in the wall. "Don't bother trying to keep it straight, simply enjoy this new world. I'm just happy I got this door back."
"You can thank me for giving you a place at the lever by washing the dishes after breakfast," Mitsuki Sanada said evenly.
"Was that all it took to place the door here?" Kazuki was incredulous.
"Dad's the dimensional physicist, not me," Mitsuki Sanada shrugged it off. "We have to go finish breakfast." She and Yayoi left the room.
Kazuki got dressed, and before he left his room, he carefully checked the hallway to see that Kumu the dog was gone. Dee walked along the hall and called reassuringly, "Don't worry Kazuki, I put her outside to have some fun today!"
"Thanks, Dee!" Kazuki bowed slightly to show his gratitude.
Dee told him, "It certainly was exciting getting to fight in a human body. And Dr. Hayase is a really nice person; I was glad that she got to be a pilot too!" Kazuki heartily agreed.
They both went downstairs to the table. Akane and Dr. Sanada were seated at the table. Akane commented, "I didn't hear any screaming this morning, Kazuki. Have the girls finally taught you to wake up early?"
"I wouldn't count on it," Dr. Sanada said without looking up from the newspaper. He took a swig of coffee.
"Ken!" Akane rapped him on the hand. "You should encourage him in healthy habits!"
"No, no," Dr. Sanada said hurriedly, "I was talking about this story in the newspaper. I wouldn't count on Dr. Rara being named the most important scientist in the world."
"Ken!" Akane growled fiercely, since Mitsuki Rara had just entered the room.
"Well, the world is a big place," Mitsuki Rara commented amiably. She beamed at Kazuki, "Good morning, Kazuki."
"Uh, good morning," he returned, finally taking his place at the table. Mitsuki Rara set down her serving of breakfast, soon to be followed and not to be outdone by Yayoi and Mitsuki Sanada. As everyone ate, they could hear the bodyguard trio outside playing with Kumu.
Kazuki and the others headed out the door, ready to go to school. They went out of the gate marking Dr. Sanada's property. While Mitsuki Sanada shut the gate, Kazuki looked next door, towards the big house immediately to the side. Once the Raras had used it to spy on him, but now he knew it was totally innocuous.
There was a noise to the side, and he saw Mitsuki Rara's identical twin sister at the gate to that house. Of course Mitsuki Rara never had one before this new universe was created, but now she did and that was that. Now emerging from that gate was Kent Slade, wearing the nonprescription sunglasses he refused to part with. Kazuki swallowed nervously, despite knowing that in this world's history they had friendly relations. What if Slade chose to continue the animosities of the past?
That question was quickly answered as Slade turned to their group and smiled. He and his wife, Mitsuki's twin, walked towards them, and everyone greeted one another pleasantly.
Kent looked around the group very carefully. "I really must apologize," he said sincerely. "I've treated you all very badly, made you all go to a lot of trouble." He smiled at his wife. "She tried to warn me, you know, but I just wouldn't listen. I was entirely prepared to overthrow the world for the sake of my pride, and I'm sorry."
Kazuki stepped forward. "As far as we're concerned," he assured Kent, "it never happened."
Kent bowed forward. "I thank you all."
Dee commented, "I really like what you've done with the place! I think it looks a lot better!"
Blushing, Mitsuki's twin commented, "Thank you. I did hope that it would all turn out well."
"After all the work you put into it, it should." Kent continued, "I always did think it was a pity that this property was destroyed. I'm grateful to you that a less violent method was arranged for Zinv's return this time."
Mitsuki Sanada shook her head. "I think you'll have to explain exactly what happened more clearly. This troublemaker doesn't understand something unless you explain it five or six times."
Kazuki objected, "Hey, that's not true at all!"
Yayoi looked pointedly at her watch, and Mitsuki Rara's twin suggested they all walk towards the Nanjyo Academy for a while. On the way, Kent attempted to convey his understanding of what had occurred.
"Basically," Kent explained, "all of you combined the world I came from, the world I went to, and your synthesis world to make a new synthesis world. Of course, the previous synthesis world consisted of the world where Kazuki came from and the one where he didn't exist."
"I envy your comprehension," Kazuki groaned.
Kent chuckled reassuringly. "It took me quite a few sessions with Dr. Sanada and Dr. Rara to understand it myself. Especially since they spent most of the time denigrating each other instead of explaining it to me."
Mitsuki Rara, walking next to Kazuki, commented, "Aren't those your friends ahead?"
Shiozaki and Izawa were walking towards them, unnatural stares imprinted upon their faces.
"Oh no," moaned Dee. Mitsuki Sanada growled at the interlopers, who were still a good distance off.
"I am a teacher at the school. They won't bother us too much while I'm here," Yayoi reassured them.
"I didn't mean to cause a commotion," Mitsuki Rara said. "They might just be on their way to school."
"They aren't," Kazuki groaned. "I know where they live. They've gone out of their way to intercept us."
"It's bad enough that they remember where we live without their following us to school!" Mitsuki Sanada complained. She shouted, "Ryla! Mena! Alice! Go tackle those two or something!"
"Hold on!" Mitsuki Rara countermanded, but it was too late.
The bodyguard trio yelled happily and ran out from behind their current cover, a large tree, and sped towards Kazuki's friends, who blanched and began to run away. The trio rapidly pursued them around a corner and out of sight.
D wondered aloud, "Can't we get arrested for ordering our friends to attack people?"
Mitsuki Rara decided, "I'm going after them." She began to run in the direction her bodyguards had gone. The others sped up to follow her, and Kazuki would've gone too, but Kent said, "Kazuki, wait up."
"Yes, Kent?" Kazuki queried, recalling that they were on a first name basis in this synthesis world.
Kent said, "Kazuki, I really wanted to thank you. You could've killed me and my wife at least twice, but you didn't. Instead, you let me have this great life. I am forever in your debt."
Kazuki put his hand behind his head and commented, "Gee, I don't know what to say. Except that I think your count's wrong. And I can't recall ever trying to kill any of the Mitsukis." Kent shrugged and admitted, "I was counting your ability to leave my wife and I out of this universe as one of the opportunities. Perhaps that was a bit extreme of me. But you did let everybody evacuate the battleship. And you could've just swallowed me alive with the black hole, but instead you took your time and got me clear." Kazuki agreed, "Of course. I wouldn't have done anything else." There seemed nothing else to say, and so they were silent until the others returned.
"If they sue us, I'm blaming you!" D teased Mitsuki Sanada.
"D, we are not going to get in trouble!" Mitsuki Sanada insisted.
Yayoi concurred, "Fortunately not, since Ms. Rara was able to call her bodyguards back in time."
"They were just going to give them a stern talking-to," Mitsuki Rara assured them.
Alice looked determined. "Yeah, but next time there'll be no mercy! Kung fu action!"
Mitsuki's twin plead, "I'd really rather you didn't."
"Don't worry, Ms. Mitsuki," Ryla said calmly, "she doesn't even know kung fu."
"We'll make sure Alice doesn't hurt herself too badly," Mena grinned.
D looked up and saw an airplane flying high overhead. "I can't wait till the spaceship's ready!" She addressed this to Slade.
"Spaceship?" Kazuki asked.
Yayoi reminded him. "Your parents hired Dr. Hayase, Mr. Slade, and Slade's advisor Dr. Warai to help design the spaceship we'll all be voyaging on."
"Nepotism had absolutely nothing to do with it," Slade chuckled.
Mitsuki Rara put in, "We've all been working on the ship and preparations for the journey for the past few years, and we're nearly finished."
"Only a few weeks more!" D skipped with happiness.
"It won't be long now, Kazuki," Mitsuki Sanada laughed at Kazuki as he slowly remembered this aspect of the new universe. "Soon we're all going to travel in outer space!"
Kazuki looked around him. "This world really is great!"
Mitsuki Sanada looked suspiciously at him.
"The last one was great too!" he hurriedly clarified.
Advent ends here, but it is only the second part of a larger story. In the final installment, Pioneers, the main characters will finally go to space after their long wait. The first chapter of the next story will be posted tomorrow.
Ending Credits:
Great minds think alike. I did read several Dual fanfictions after I had the ideas for writing mine, but I had my ideas first and tried not to steal. "Dual! What Is This Emotion Love? When We Least Expect It Pt. 2," by COHugh, has Ms. Hayase becoming a doctor, a title she richly deserves. Also, Clayton Overstreet's "Dual Episode 15 Decision" came to the same conclusion I had independently; Yayoi would be able to pilot a robot in the synthesis world.
Acknowledgements:
I'd like to thank and acknowledge my beta readers Blue Comet and Shiori Hitohana for putting up with my initial versions of my stories. If you think it stinks now, just imagine what it was like before they improved it!
The Dual DVD (Digital Video Disc) extras and the "Dual! Ultimate Fan Guide" by Guardians of Order proved extremely helpful to me. If I misinterpreted them, it's my fault.
I'd also like to thank Star Trek for its parallel world story in the episode "Mirror, Mirror." That was the name of the episode where they go into a mirror world and meet a bearded Mr. Spock.
The following articles helped me to have a somewhat factual basis for this science fiction story. Blame me first for inaccuracies or insanities. I deserve it.
On the height of buildings:
www.wirednewyork.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-3819.html
Wikipedia: Tallest Buildings in New York City, Skyscraper, List of Skyscrapers
On global time zones:
Wikipedia: Time Zone, List of Time Zones, Japan Standard Time, Calculating Local Time
On The Use Of Characters:
Finally, please feel free to use these characters and ideas in your own fanfictions. Do it in your head or in writing, whether you liked how I did the story or not. As I understand it, since it's a fanfiction, I own nothing within the story anyways. Of course, I haven't exactly consulted a lawyer about that. Don't depend on me for your legal advice!