This fanfic is a sequel to the previous fanfic ("El
Hazard: The Magnificent Sequel") and takes place
approximately 5 years after the very beginning of the
1st OAV series. This story is a result of the 2nd
story arc of an RPG. This fanfic is based on the joint
efforts of me and a group of friends. I should mention
that in this RPG, tokyorose_ca played Queen Diva,
madklown_22 played Palnus Relrye, I played Makoto
Mizuhara chisatokenni played Afura Mann and
nightfall_19 played Katsuhiko Jinnai and also there's
a short cameo by tundrawolf as Groucho. Credit should
be given to all of these people who worked hard at
this. In the previous fanfic, there were a lot of
loose ends still hanging and I think it's realistic
because in life, it's not always possible to resolve
everything. Anyhow this sequel will continue the
story, resolve some loose ends and perhaps pose some
new issues in the never-ending cycle of life. We are
always doing all kinds of story arcs and we always
need people to join the RPG, so if interested, check:
http://clubs.yahoo.com/nighfallselhazardworld
If you've any queries about this particular story,
feel free to e-mail me.
Disclaimer: El Hazard is the propery of Pioneer/AIC.


El Hazard: Continuations

Chapter 1

It had been almost a year since everyone returned to
El Hazard.
The Bugrom and the Roshtarians formed an alliance; an
alliance that was important not from the military
viewpoint but also from the political and historical
standpoint. Together in unity, these two forces
defeated the Doralye Tribe.
As for the Phantom Tribe, they had hardly been seen
throughout this time. Had they vanished? Or were they
merely hiding; waiting for the hands of time to turn
back into their favor?
Roshtarian parents would often use the name of Nahato
to scare their children to go to bed early. "Go to
sleep now or he will come and get you in the middle of
the night." And the little kids would hurriedly go to
bed in fear of the bogeyman. Nahato's name had become
an urban legend but nobody knew what really happened
to him; where he was or what he was doing.

So peace had returned to El Hazard.

Or had it?

Old habits die hard. While most of the Roshtarians now
peacefully co-existed with the Bugrom, there was still
a very small segment of the population who resisted
change. Calling themselves the 'Roshtarian Liberation
Army,' this hate group had perpetuated occasional acts
of mindless violence against the Bugrom and their
Roshtarian sympathizers; the latest being a bomb blast
at a meeting which luckily Rune Venus had arrived 10
minutes late. Nobody was hurt of course, but Rune
Venus was saddened at this unnecessary bigotry.

*****************************

It was a hot and sunny day.
Other than the sounds of people chatting, the only
other sounds were the lullaby of the occasional
breeze. At the Shinonome Diner in Florestica, two
women were engaged in conversation. One was still
wearing her wedding ring which she often flaunted as
if she was a newlywed. The other one was a red-haired
girl with a fiery temper to match and she was busy
gulping down a glass of wine.

"You know, Afura hasn't been seen for nearly a year.
Do you think that we should appoint a new Wind
Priestess soon?" Miz drummed her fingers irritably on
the table.

"I believe in her. I have faith that we will see her
again someday and really, I think that we should
postpone this idea." Shayla Shayla looked serious.
"It's all my fault for being in such a hurry to return
to El Hazard that I forgot to check and see if she was
with our group."
"I am not..." Shayla sighed and gulped down another
glass of alcohol. "...a worthy...." She leaned back
against her chair as her eyes suddenly seemed misty.
"...friend...to Afura." She looked rather sad.

Miz mused while looking at the solemn Shayla Shayla.
*Who would have thought that despite all their
squabbles, Shayla and Afura had such a strong bond of
friendship?* Miz was lost in her thoughts.

**********************************
(Back in Japan)

The cat looked around Makoto's room. It was rather
neat and tidy; with books stacked carefully where they
should be. Makoto had told this cat nearly a year ago
about what had happened on the Tokyo Tower. Strangely,
there had been no mention of the incident in the local
newspapers. All they had said was that "Tokyo had
experienced a major blackout." Oh yes, and also
"Senior Inspector Koiji Arizumi had died in a freak
accident when some loose metal portions of the tower
had fallen on him."
The cat glanced at the strange contraption in Makoto's
room. Makoto had told her that it had belonged to
Lagus; the great general of the Phantom Tribe. Makoto
had said that he would keep the device. Maybe there
was some scientific use he could find for it.

Ura yawned and went back to sleep...

*****************************

Makoto Mizuhara and Ifurita were now in their second
year in their University. This was nothing new. What
was unexpected was how intellectual the Relrye
siblings proved themselves to be. Having settled down
in Japan, Makoto had convinced them that the key to a
bright future was through education. With a little
coaching from Makoto and Ifurita, Alielle and Palnus
had easily aced their entrance exams and were now 1st
year students in the same University.

"HiMakoto!Notimetotalknow!ByeMakoto!" Makoto Mizuhara
could barely make out what Alielle was saying as she
was talking so fast. He looked around and saw that she
was chasing a girl down the corridors of the lecture
halls.
*Some things never change...*

Makoto continued to walk slowly down the corridors.
His attention turned to the new transfer student. He,
as usual was mobbed by a bunch of female students.
Akira Kanzaki. That was his name. Or so he claimed.
He was of medium height but rather well-built. He had
quickly distinguished himself for being rather
well-informed of many things. It was no secret that he
had plans to run for the post of the Student Council
President. No one knew too much about his past or
where he had come from and he would always dismissed
such questions with the casual remark "It's a long
story..."

***************************

Palnus sat in his class, barely listening to his
college professor drone on monotonously. Palnus
groaned and leaned back in his seat.
*Oh man, when is this class going to end? It seems
like I've been here FOREVER!* Palnus thought to
himself.

He directed his attention to Alielle, who was sitting
a few rows ahead of him. She was listening attentively
to the professor's lecture, and was taking notes
feverishly. Palnus watched her in awe.
*Look at her! My God, she's like....some sort of
machine! I've never seen anyone work so hard!*
A huge grin suddenly crept up over his face. *Well, I
guess I can't really complain. She's basically doing
all the work for me....all I have to do is read the
notes she already took...which means less work for
me!" Palnus set his head down on his desk and let mind
drift.

Palnus yawned and closed his eyes, and it wasn't long
before he had fallen asleep. It seemed like he had
been only asleep for a few minutes when he felt
someone whap him on the head. Palnus looked up
groggily to see Alielle standing over him.

"Up and at 'em, Palny! Class is over, and we've got
work in an hour, so you had better get ready."
"What?! We're working again? I thought today you said
we had a day off--"

Before Palnus could finish his sentence, Alielle
punched him in the arm playfully. "Well, we did have
the day off originally, but we're gonna need some
extra cash to meet our rent this month."
Palnus rubbed his arm absent-mindedly. "Hmph. I don't
see why we should pay so much for that room in that
dirty roach---OW!" Alielle punched him in the arm
again, this time not so playfully.

"Stop your griping and get ready, okay?" Alielle said
as she turned and walked away.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm coming....." Palnus reached inside
his bag to grab his work clothes and get ready for his
shift......

***********************
Palnus sat behind the cash register inside a local
fast food restaurant. As usual, he was daydreaming
when he should have been working. This time though,
his thoughts drifted towards that of his home in
another dimesion.

*I wonder what everyone is doing in El Hazard right
now.* he thought to himself. *I bet Nanami is cooking
away in her restaurant and making money as usual...Mr.
Fujisawa and Miz are probably playing with their
son...Shayla and Kauru are probably pining over
Makoto....Fatora is almost certainly making moves on
every reasonably attractive female in the palace.
Gosh, I can't believe how much I miss them.*
Palnus felt a sharp stab of homesickness that he
hadn't felt in quite a while. He began to think about
the "old times" when he used to live in the palace,
and all the events that occured after he and the
others had been transported to Earth.

"I wonder if I'll ever see them all again," Palnus
wondered out loud to himself.

His thoughts were interrupted by a customer
approaching the counter. The customer was a young,
good-looking woman, so naturally Palnus' "Cute-Girl
Radar" (or CGR for short) was beeping like crazy.

*Attractive female at 5 o'clock! I had better get
ready to head in for the kill...*

Palnus smiled cheerfully at the customer. "Hello, and
welcome! What can I get you?" he asked.
"Um, let's see...I think I'll have the number 3
combo."
"Excellent choice, miss! I'll only be a moment..."
Palnus went to go get her order, and was back shortly
with her food.
"Okay, great! How much do I owe you?"
Palnus' grin grew even wider. "Well today, we're
offering a special, once in a lifetime offer. You see,
today and only, every meal purchase is included
with....ME!"
"Uh...ex-excuse me?" the woman stammered.

Palnus jumped and threw himself on the counter. "Yes,
you heard right, not only do you get a delicious meal
to take home, but you also get to keep me as your
love-slave forever and ever! Whaddaya say?"
The girl simply removed the top from her soda cup and
poured the contents on Palnus' head, and stalked off.

"Hey! That was a 'no', right?" Palnus asked as he
called out to her.
The woman didn't answer and stormed out of the door.

Alielle who had been working at the other register,
walked over to where Palnus was lying. "Um, Palnus,
it's not good for business when you scare off
customers like that. That approach of yours doesn't
seem to be working anyway," she casually observed.
Palnus sighed and got off the counter. "It just isn't
the same without the others here...Alielle, don't you
miss El Hazard?"
Alielle shrugged. "Sure, of course I miss it. Why do
you ask? Is that what's been bugging you lately?"
"Yeah...the Earth's a nice place to visit and all, but
it just can't compare to El Hazard."
Alielle frowned. "Hmmm...you know what, I think you've
been working yourself too hard. What you need is a day
off. Look, why don't you call Makoto tonight? Maybe we
could do something later during the weekend like have
dinner or something like that? I'm sure it would cheer
you up."
"Yeah...maybe. Thanks Alielle."
"Sure anytime. Now if you'll excuse me, it's time for
my break." She walked over to an area where her
co-workers had gathered and immediately began to hit
on all the female workers. Palnus was too absorbed in
his own thoughts to even notice this. "A day
off....yeah, that's what I need..." he muttered under
his breathe.

******************************
(A young girl was running. Debris and dirt were
everywhere and the defeaning roar of silence was
occasionally punctuated by explosions. Bodies were
lying on the ground. Some of them had been split open
and their insides were spilling out.
This was a scene from the horrors of war.
Where was she?
Why was she here?
When did this happen?
The girl looked lost. She searched to and fro along
the desolate grounds, looking for the remaining
members of her family. To the left and right she
looked. Up and down she walked. She was too lost in
her despair to notice.....
There was an explosion and it was all over.)

Ifurita sat up in her bed. Nothing extraordinary about
her bed but it was still her favorite bed all the
same. Nice frilled bed sheets and lush pillows.
She stared into the darkness of her room. Nothing
could be heard except the rhythmic sound of crickets
chirping away.
*What a weird dream.*
Ifurita blinked her eyes and glanced at the telephone
by her bedside. She decided to dial the familiar phone
number....

Ring! Ring!

"Hhhellloooo....zzzzz"
"Hi Makoto, are you awake? I had a strange
dream....(yada yada blah blah blah)"
"I'm sure....zzzz. Let's talk about it in the morning.
Time to go back to my braincell-stimulating
sleep....zzzz"
"Morning? But it's already 6:30a.m."
"WHAT!! Time for my morning jog. We can talk about
this later!"
Saying that, Makoto dropped the phone and went to the
bathroom to brush his teeth.

*************************************
The evening breeze was very soothing.
A solitary jogger could be seen from the distance.
Makoto Mizuhara was huffing and puffing as he went on
his morning jog. A lot was going on his mind as he
jogged past tree after tree in the park.

*I guess I should be so lucky to be in college. But it
wouldn't be possible without Fujisawa-sensei's
efforts. Even in El Hazard, he often insisted on
preparing me for college entrance exams telling me
that "it would be useful when I eventually returned to
Japan." He may seem like an irresponsible drunk at
times but he really is a dedicated teacher at heart.
He would spend a lot of time intensively reviewing all
the different subjects. You wouldn't be able to tell
by looking at him but when he's away from the bottle,
you would be amazed at how much knowledge and wisdom
this man had.*
Makoto's mind wandered on the various subjects he had
to study for.

Huff.
Puff.

He was sweating as he jogged.
Makoto continued to jog when......

BAM!!

A young girl had fallen on the ground. She looked like
she was probably in Junior High. While lost in his
thoughts, Makoto had knocked her down while jogging.
Feeling sorry, he knelt down to help her up.

"Are you okay? I...."
"What have you done! You have dirtied, you have soiled
my pretty dress, you...you wretch!"
"I am sorry. I am really sorry. Let me help you up."

The girl got up on her feet. There was something oddly
familiar about her very manical look in her eyes.
"Hey! I know you! You're Makoto Mizuhara, aren't you!"
"Yes, I...."
"Cousin Jinnai has told me a lot about you. You are
the one he calls his 'destined rival.' Always out to
ruin his plans; always getting in his way."
"Ruin what plans? What are you talking about?"
"By the way, the name's Konoha Haida. See ya." With a
twinkle of the eye, the girl scampered away leaving a
very perplexed-looking Makoto to try to decipher what
the girl had been saying.

********************************

The throb of the ceremonial drums echoed through the
halls like the beating of a great, hidden heart. Even
in the lofty chambers, Diva could still hear the
high-pitched keening of the Bugrom victory song. As
she strod down a corridor, two orange Bugrom followed
her. Though she had always felt safe in their wing of
the palace of Florestica, the recent random attacks
against the Bugrom had left her wary. At last she
paused before a tall set of double-doors, her hand on
the ornate handle.
"She's been away for months, and the moment she
returns here, she goes straight to her chamber! What
could be the matter with her?" Diva mused.
"Wait here," she instructed her guards. "I will speak
to my daughter alone."

The room was festooned with thick, billowing black and
gold draperies that hung from the high ceiling. In the
centre of the room stood a tall, four-poster bed with
a gold-edged canopy, and on the bed, covered up to her
chin in blankets, lay a woman with long, black hair.
Diva sat on the edge of the bed and laid her hand on
the woman's forehead. "I expected you in the throne
room, with stories of your victories. What's wrong, my
darling?"

The young woman lowered her almond-shaped brown eyes
and coughed pitifully. "I - I think it's something I
brought back from the battlefield, Mama. Don't come
too close! It could be dangerous!"
"Nonsense. Do you think I would be afraid to tend to
my own daughter?" Diva smoothed her daughter's hair
back. "Strange, you have have no fever. What did
Groucho say?"
"I don't care what Groucho - " Inari coughed quickly.
"I mean...I don't think Groucho understands how
serious this could be. I didn't want to worry him.
Please Mama, don't send word to him. And don't tell
Papa!"
"Inari, your father will want to see you. After all
the months he spent teaching you warfare and tactics
and strategy, he'll want to know how you fared in your
first campaign. And you did defeat the Doralye!"
"Oh Mama, it was glorious!" Inari's eyes flashed, and
she sat up, revealing the black fitted body armor she
was still wearing. "I realized that the Doralye
depended upon scent to communicate, so we synthesized
the scent for "destroy" and had our Bugrom flyers
spray it on the Doralye's own ranks! They literally
tore one another apart!"
Diva raised an eyebrow. "A strategy worthy of your
father, Inari. But don't you think you would be more
comfortable in bed without your armor?"
Inari looked down and gasped, then dragged the sheets
up again and sank back on the pillows. "I was so weak
I...I didn't even bother to take it off. I'll do it
later, Mama."

Diva looked around. "Where is your servant? Couldn't
he have helped you?"
"I...sent him for some water. Oh, Mama...." Inari
lifted a gloved hand to her forehead. "I think you'd
better fetch Dr. Stallabaugh. I think I'm going to
faint!...oh...and Mama?"
"Yes?"
Inari pointed feebly to the large laundry hamper in
the corner. "When will they pick up that laundry? It's
my camp things....there's quite a lot."
"The servants should be along to collect it any moment
now, my love. I'll fetch the Doctor for you at once."
Diva calmly smoothed the girl's hair back again. "So
like your father," she murmured and left the room.

The moment the door clanged shut, Inari bolted from
under the covers. She was still in full armor, right
down to her boots. She arranged the pillows to form a
body "shape," pulled the blankets over them, and
slicing the black fringe from one of the tapestries
with her knife, arranged it on the pillow to look like
her own hair. Chuckling at her own cleverness, she
then burrowed down to the bottom of the laundry hamper
and laid still.
Not a moment too soon. She heard the door open again,
followed by the click-clack of Bugrom feet. The hamper
rose unsteadily into the air and began to move.
Stiffling her giggles as the hamper bumped to and fro,
she waited until they finally set her down, and the
footsteps clacked off. With a wild laugh of triumph,
she jumped out of the hamper and shook her fists in
the air.

"Inari! Don't you realize that armor can't go into the
wash?"
Inari's laugh choked into a mortified gurgle at the
sight of her mother and the two Bugrom guards, all
standing with arms folded. They had never left the
bedroom.

"You are like your father. Just as cunning, and just
as determined to get what you want. The trouble, my
dear, is that whatever he has taught you, he has also
taught me."

Inari clenched her fists for a moment. Then she burst
out, tearfully. "But Mama, it isn't fair!"
"What is not fair?"
"I got sent home! The battle was over, we'd won, and
all the Roshtarians were so happy! They came crowding
around me, all the Roshtarian soldiers, all these
beautiful men, and Groucho packs me up and sends me
back home! I never got to meet any of them!"

Diva nodded slowly. "I thought as much. Your father
has been worried about this, dear. He saw the signs as
he was training you; the...the interest you kept
showing in the Roshtarian men."
"Well of course I'm interested! How else am I going to
lay my eggs? How else am I going to become a Queen
Mother like you?"
"It's not time yet, darling. It's far too early for
you, and for the hive. You won't need to start laying
eggs for many years to come."
"But then why do I want to now?"

The Queen sighed. "It was Lagus, Inari and what
happened to you on Earth. Your body was
super-accelerated to adult form and your instincts
developed at the same speed. But there are so many
things you need to learn before you become a mother."
"But how long will it take, Mama? I'm so lonely!"
"Lonely? I thought you were enjoying your father's
training, and fighting alongside the other Bugrom.
Your father says you are a genius, and Groucho would
cross the world to get you a blade of grass that you
wanted. Aren't they enough?"
"I love them dearly, and you too, Mama. I..." Inari
paused for a moment, summoning a brave smile. "I know
you mean well. I'll try to be strong, Mama. I'll
really try."
"Well done, my darling." Diva moved forward and hugged
her. "And welcome home." She stepped back, looking at
Inari's armor. "And you may remove that armor now.
I'll have the servants bring some suitable clothes for
you to meet your father in." With a gesture to the two
Bugrom servants, Diva left again, as Inari stood with
hands held respectfully behind her back. When the door
closed, the daughter of Katsuhiko Jinnai grinned.

"As father always says, if at first you don't
succeed...."

*************************************

"And what can I get for you, sensei?"
Looking perky in her work clothes, Nanami was standing
beside Fujisawa in her Shinonome Diner waiting to get
her order.
"Miso soup will do."

Nanami walked away. At the table, Miz was busy playing
with her son Taro while Kauru Taurus and Fujisawa were
busy drinking tea.
"You look very contented," Kauru asked as she turned
towards Fujisawa.
"Of course. Last week, I climbed Mountain Riricoco. I
also found time to go hiking in the jungles and
canoeing in the rivers of the El Greco Kingdom.
Ahhh....that's the life for me...." Fujisawa
contentedly stretched out his arms. "...I'd like my
son to take up after me someday."

"Did you see how Inari kept flirting with the
Roshtarian soldiers? I am glad that our son is not old
enough to catch her attention," Miz interrupted,
sounding as if she meant to say something unpleasant.
"Actually sweetie, our son was born earlier than
Inari. It was that darn device used by Lagus that
accelerated her growth...." Fujisawa turned to Kauru.
"Say, how was Palnus when he was your attendant?"
Kauru merely smiled. "He's actually quite good if he
can keep his mind focused on what he is doing."
"The kid's got potential. I can see it in him. When he
crossed the dimension to Japan, he gained the same
super-strength that I now have. It's a pity he's not
here right now but if he was, I could teach him a
thing or two on how to control his power and put it to
good use."
"Yeah." Nanami interrupted as she appeared with a bowl
of miso soup that she promptly placed on the table.
"If not for the alliance between the Roshtaria and the
Bugrom, I'd ask sensei to go and kick my darn
brother's butt."
Miz spoke, "It is probably because of the alliance
between the Roshtaria and the Bugrom that the Phantom
Tribe has been silent all this time. They could
probably take on either of us but with this alliance,
they just don't stand a chance."


Coins tinkled musically as Nanami swept them from the
table into the pocket on her apron. "Arigato Sensei!
Miz! Kauru! Come again!"
"See ya later, kid!" Mr. Fujisawa waved as he walked
out with the rest.

Nanami scooped the coins out of her pocket and started
to count them when a voice from the kitchen made her
whirl.
"Now there's a man who makes nice babies! Will you
introduce me to him, Aunt Nanami?"
Nanami blinked at the young woman in thigh-high
leather boots and skin-tight red leather catsuit who
stood in the kitchen doorway. Even if she hadn't seen
her before, the long gosammer wings, black antennae
and the familiarly cunning eyes were a dead giveaway.
Nanami blinked again. "I-Inari! Wh-what are you doing
here?"
Instead of answering, the Bugrom girl crept to the
window and pulled the shutter closed, and then bolted
the door. "Hey!" Nanami cried. "What are you doing?
There could be more prospective customers out there!"
"Boy, Papa was sure right about you. You didn't get
the brains in the family!"
"WHAT?!"
Inari smiled kindly, like someone explaining something
to a rather slow child. "How can we hold a private
conversation if customers keep barging in ?"
"But I want them to-" Nanami shook her head as though
to clear it of cobwebs. "What do you mean, a private
conversation? What private conversation?"
"About me, and Mama and Papa and Groucho, and babies!"
"Babies...?"
"Yes, Aunt Nanami, do listen!" Inari suddenly spotted
a bowl of large yellow fruits on the table beside her.
"Mmmm! Are these tanamelons?"
"Well yes, but...."
"Wow! On the battlefield we had to make do with
oatmeal!" Inari planted a boot on the bench, stabbed a
melon with her war-knife, and took a big bite. Juice
ran down from her fangs and dribbled down her throat
as she continued gleefully. "I fooled them, Aunt
Nanami! They didn't think I was slim enough to squeeze
down the laundry shute, but I am! It wasn't easy, but
Papa taught me that to a true leader there is no such
word as impossible!"
Nanami felt as thought she were arguing with a playful
tornado. "Hey, I just cleaned that bench! And that
tanamelon is three roshtals..." she finished weakly.
"Now it's very important that Mama and Papa and
Groucho don't know about these little visits of mine,"
Inari continued, as though Nanami hadn't spoken.
"Visits? This is the first time you've ever come here!
And..." And awful suspicion struck her. "You don't
plan to make a habit of this, do you Inari? What'll my
brother say?"
"Exactly! I knew you'd catch on, Aunt Nanami. You
can't be as stupid as Papa says that you are. You see,
he won't say anything because he won't know about it!
I mean, this is the last place Papa would stop for a
bite to eat, isn't it?"
"You mean you want to come here and keep it a secret
from him?"
"Of course! How else will I ever be able to meet any
men and hatch a brood of my own? Papa is the most
brilliant military leader in the world but-" Inari
paused to take another bite of melon, "I don't think
he knows too much about babies and how we get them."

Nanami stared at her tall, lithe niece, whose face so
eerily resembled Katsuhiko and shuddered. "I wouldn't
have thought so either, but I guess he knew enough.
Oh, I don't even want to go there! Anyway, Inari, I
know you and I are family and as much as doing
something to bug my brother would please me to no end,
I don't think that should include letting his daughter
secretly meet men and get pregnant! Not to mention
what it might do to the Bugrom Roshtarian alliance!"
"Alliance? It would help the Alliance! If I married a
Roshtarian, the countries would be united by blood,
wouldn't they?"
"Well yes, but if it were before your parents wanted
it, we could have war all over again! And I'd be
caught in the middle!"
"Oh Aunt Nanami, don't be so silly! Papa always says
that you're as clued in as a foreigner who's just got
off the plane. It'll be fine! Besides, if you go to
him and tell on me, he'll just say you're lying out of
spite! Why would he ever think you'd try to help him?"
"You're right. He wouldn't. But oh, Inari!"

Suddenly there was knock on the door. "Hey,Nanami, why
is this door locked? It isn't like you to go on break
during business hours! It's me, Fujisawa-sensei! Miz
left her scarf behind. Can you open up?"
"It's Mr. Fujisawa! Quick Inari, out the back door!"
Nanami grabbed the girl and began to propel her
towards the kitchen.
"Fujisawa? Was that the man with the nice boy? Do you
think his wife would let me borrow him for a night?"
"Oh, Inari! Oh, brother!" Nanami shoved her niece out
through the back door, bolted it, and sagged tiredly
against it. "Oh, Lord. How did I get stuck with such a
crazy family?"

****************************

Preparing to leave, Groucho looked at the shattered
nest behind him. He could not help but wonder if the
Dorylae really had been extinguished. Even with
Inari's plan, the Doryale queen had been no fool. On
whatever of her minions that remained she sprayed some
spores allowing them to clear their senses and start
fighting the "true" enemy once more.
These last few warriors were a pain that cost many
lives. The queen herself was no cakewalk. None of the
Roshtarian weapons could penetrate her dense
exoskeleton and she seemed unaffected by the flamed
arrows that bugrom warriors threw at her. A temporary
retreat had to be called.
Fortunately for Roshtaria's forces, the queen returned
to her den to nurse the eggs that survived the now
growing fire. A suggestion by a Roshtarian soldier to
attempt a cave-in was reluctantly accepted. He said
that the risk was great and even if the queen did
manage to survive, all the weight would at least keep
her pinned down until she starved of hunger.
With no other alternatives, the nameless Roshtarian
lead a small platoon of fellow Roshtarian and bugrom
soldiers. The idea was that the Roshtarians would
plant heavy explosives while the Bugrom soldiers would
dig through support beams. The unknown commander
advised that important personnel should stay outside
as the operation might backfire and take out the crew
as well. And to these last words, he was right. Those
who witnessed the mission from outside the nest heard
several explosions and the whole earth before them
crumbled closing the entrance. A shallow depression
was all that was left of the nest.
Groucho could not help but think of all the losses
that were involved in this campaign. Jinnai reassured
him in an calm manner that the brave souls who died
did so protecting everything they cared for and thus
they should be honored eternally for their exploits.
Groucho accepted these answers and marched on.
"What do you suppose Our Queen wants, Lord Jinnai?"
Jinnai looked at Groucho and replied, "I'm not sure,
Groucho. My guess is that she is worried about the
Bugrom's place in El Hazard now that Roshtaria isn't
at war with us anymore. That said I must now consider
my own position in all this."
Jinnai suddenly went into an expression of deep
thought that Groucho never had seen before. Most of
Jinnai's plans were on the spur of the moment and
their success rate was very high provided that Makoto
wasn't around to interfere. One couldn't expect less
from a military genius. Groucho knew that Jinnai had
to deal with a big dilemma, his plans of conquest
clashing with the newfound peace.
*Hmm...Lord Jinnai has faced many things that forced
him to attune some of his attitudes. Now having to
deal with his daughter and face his sister again, in
my opinion, I don't think he'll blindly walk through
that decision. I do believe that he will make the
right choice.*
Groucho then looked forward to his destination trying
to sway his senses from the field of corpses before
him.