New Home

Gold optics flickered on as cold grey eyes swam into focus. His head hung heavy and numbing pain seared through his circuits. A faint electric hum swarmed into the gundam hearing receptors from the bonds holding him spread eagle to the wall. Two words emerged from his vocalizer, “Damn it!”

The seven feet six inch green gundam clenched his fist and growled. His escape to freedom was a fool’s quest. The dark portal into the unknown, that painful crash, those gundams; was it all but a dream? It must have been…. Three different pairs of footsteps entered the room, one voice was spoke, “You foolish tool!” The gundam’s body seized up as hundred upon thousands of volts of electricity seared into him. The punishment lasted only a few seconds, felt more like several minutes.

“Look at me, Militant Attack Chaos Killer!”

Mack refused, instead keeping focus on the ground. Resistances reward was a swift kick in the head.

“You will obey me!”

The attacker pushed against Mack’s forehead causing him to look up.

Dr. Ramos stared back with is dagger like disapproving glare; his cold blue eyes attempting to penetrate into Mack’s soul, “You foolish weapon of destruction.”

A rifle clicked, Mack’s grey eyes shifted to Barry. The human stood a fair distance back, the infamous battle rifle aimed at the giant’s neck, “And to think I called you my greatest success. Another failure of mine in the long line it seems.”

Scratching of graphite on paper brought Mack’s gaze to Alice. The sole female of the group pushed her eternity sliding glasses back up, “So sorry, Mack. Nevertheless, orders are orders, and rules are rules. You acted against us, and all of KOLD.”

Ramos scoffed capturing the killer’s attention again, “A healer? Bah! You are a warrior, a destroyer of worlds. You had what many gundams of this world do not. And you throw it back in our face.”

Mack snarled, “You have no room to talk! You are a gundam like me. And we can be whoever we choose to be!”

“More foolish banter, hmm?” Ramos replied unhindered, “Even I know that humans make us who we are. The sole reason I am the leader of this squad is because I found favor with the High General.” A smirk crossed his face, “Barry, show your monster what we do with those you stick up from the crowd.”

Barry grinned evilly, “Gladly. They get shot back down.” With that, the human fired an armor-piercing bullet into Mack’s shoulder and neck junction ripping open the softer under armor.

Pain screamed out again, Mack refused to show it, though his clenching fist and a grunt betrayed him.

Alice spoke up, “The library was a foolish move on my behalf. We will have to delete all knowledge of those books from his memory banks in order for him to be an obedient killer once more, doctor.”

“Agreed,” Ramos removed Mack’s helmet, the golden KOLD symbol glisten on the giant’s forehead, “Barry?”

The human nods and turns to a computer consol, his fingers swiftly dancing across the keyboard summoning an orb like contraption from the ceiling with wires snaking from it. A pair of vice grips unfurled from its sides and clamped onto Mack’s head holding him still, “Activate rewrite.”

“Nein!” Mack struggled against his bonds desperate to free himself from that vile machine.

“Please, hold still, Militant Attack Chaos Killer,” the computer spoke in a high pitch voice, “It will hurt more and for much longer if you struggle.”

“No! I refuse! You can’t force me! I choose to be who I want to be! I refuse to-AHHH!” A yell of terror escaped is throat as the orb pulled away the inner shield protecting his vital circuitry and wires fixated to predetermined points. “No! Release me! No! Nein! NO!”

Many static filled images passed across his optics as he continued to scream in denial. In the chaos, a concerned female voice could be heard shouting, “Wake up! Wake up! Giant! Giant!”

“AH!” Mack’s optics flared online, his grey eyes wide in terror, “Huh?! What?!” He frantically looked around, “Where are you devils!”

“There are no devils here, giant.” A gentle hand could be felt on his shoulder

Mack’s sight snapped to the femme, “It’s you… Oidasushii-domosai, correct?”

The Naosu clan headwife smiled sweetly, “Hai. Mack, correct?”

He nodded, “Yes.” A relived sigh escaped as he laid back, terror slowly leaving his systems.

“You gave all of us quite a scare,” she stared in a sweet tone while checking his systems, “I don’t know how you awoke after one day, then slept for over two weeks.”

He looked over at her, “I was out for that long?”

“Hai…we thought you weren’t going to wake up,” she smiled at him again, “I’ve been proved wrong before. Aiya did an excellent job putting you back together. Poor girl, took her all night and nearly worked herself to deactivation.”

“Aiya?” he questioned, “Your daughter, correct?” Oida gave a nod. Mack continued, “Why…why did she save…someone who… who has nothing to live for?”

“Now, don’t go talking like that,” She replied in a rather mother like tone, “Everyone has something to live for. And, you will find it. You asked for us to save you, and Aiya answered.”

Mack gave a sigh and returned to looking around the room, “Where am I?”

“Naosu Clan, in Shufu.”

“Where?” He asked confused.

Oidasushii gave a soft giggle, “I could tell from your accent you are foreign. Are you from Gundaria?”

“Gundaria?”

It was the gundamess’s turn to be confused, “…Where are your from?”

Mack lowered his gaze and turned away, “Those are pain filled memories…I wish to forget that horrid world.”

“Very well, Mack-san. I will not force you to answer,” Oidasushii then ran her hand over Mack’s exposed body feeling the various wires and synthetic muscles underneath stopping to trace a few of the many brands that marked his ‘skin’, “Are these…symbols of your clan?”

“Nein…” he quickly answered, “You said a clan is a family. I never had a family. Please, I do not wish to discuss my past.” Mack let out a soft growl as bitter memories replayed themselves in his mind.

Oidasushii gave a gruff exhale, “Can you not tell me something? Even if it is something small?”

Mack shot her a glare then sighed, “If it will cease your pestering, my world is home to both gundams and humans. And is constantly at war. That’s all I will say.”

She smiled, “There see? That wasn’t so hard.” Her gentle touch traveled to his faintly glowing blue soulstone encased by a rivet band. His soul flame flickered faintly, she knew the injuries he had sustained, and that this one would take a while to recover from. He had been hurt, she knew that much. No point in reopening a wound if it was not necessary.

After checking his systems, Oidasushii laid one hand upon his head, “Rest well, Mack-san. Do not let my daughter’s work go to waste.” That calming motherly touch, Mack had never felt it before, and in truth, rather enjoyed it. She stood and turned to leave, but he stopped her, “Domosai. Wait….” With a grunt, he managed to push himself into a laid back sitting postion allowing his wings to unfurl and be relived of his weight, “What happened to my armor?”

“Mack-san! Please don’t move so much yet!” She went back to him and tried to push him back down, “Your armor was to badly damage for us to repair, it was sent to the Keisan, the armor smiths. Please, lay back down and rest.”

“No,” Mack pushed her off and forced himself to sit up all the way, “I wish to look around this world. Or if nothing else, meet Aiya.”

Oidasushii gave a sad sigh and sniffled, “Aiya, I’m afraid is in about bad of shape as you are. As I said, she worked herself to near deactivation to save your life. She is still recovering.”

“Oh…,” he looked down at the sheet covering him, “Do you have something I can wear, and at least walk for a couple minutes?”

“Single minded mech I already said you need rest,” Oida replied.

“No, no,” He replied, “If I walk around, even if only for thirty minutes, it will hasten my healing. You said so yourself I am foreign. What evidence have you against exercise helping me?”

“Touché, Mack-san,” Oida sighed, “Very well. However” her voice turned stern, “I will follow you, and at the first sign of fatigue, you will return here immediately.”

“Deal,” Mack nodded holding out his hand.

Oidasushii looked at the gesture confused, “What is this motion?”

“Oh! Um, it’s a way of sealing deals in my home world.” His face flushed slightly and he retracted the hand to scratch his head.

Oida couldn’t help but laugh, “Deal then, Mack-san.” She then hesitantly held out her hand unsure of the gesture. Happy that she was playing along, Mack took her hand and shook it. The domosai then looked at her hand, “A very interesting gesture Mack-san.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Under the hawk like watching eyes of Oidasushii, Yoruhebi, and a hand full of the clan’s masters, Mack was allowed to walk around for short amounts of time at first before being able to wonder the dojo for a few hours. With his armor still being remade, he wore a plain white kimono, that one being the only one they could find that would fit the newcomer, and a piece of white cloth tied like a headband covering most of his forehead. The simplest way to describe Mack is that he was as curious as a sparkling of this new world.

After a few days, it seemed that all the energy he had lost to his crash landing had returned, and was actually giving Sota, the master charged with following him, a hard time keeping up with the all too curious giant gundam.

“Mack-san! Wait up!” Sota called out chasing him down, “By Aijou, you’re faster then you look.”

“Aijou?” Mack skids to a stop and looks down the corridors before looking over his shoulder at Sota, “That’s the legendary that started this clan, correct?”

“Hai, Mack-san,” Sota gratefully took the chance to stop and catch a fourth wind.

“And there are ten of these legendary gundams? And thirteen major clans, thirteen minor clans, making up twenty-six clans total in Shufu?” He eagerly asked.

“Hai,” Sota replied, “I’m guessing you’ve been reading while recovering.”

He chuckled, “It is the best way to learn about one’s world.” A red flying insect darted in front of Mack’s eyes for a second before taking off down the hallways, “What was that?” Curiosity taking over once more, Mack chased the insect.

“Mack-san!” Sota called out again chasing him down once more, “He may as well be a sparkling!”

Grey eyes following the bugs every move, the gundam relentlessly chased it frightening a few Naosu’s into flattening themselves against the wall as he hurdled pass. Just as it was about to escape, Mack made a leap and caught the bug in his hands and crouched down looking at his closed hands.

Sota soon caught up to him, “What was so interesting you had to run off that time?”

“This….” He slowly opened his hands and a red dragonfly sat on his palm, “What is it? Never have I seen this kind of insect before….”

Sota gave Mack a look of shock, “You’ve never seen a dragonfly before?”

“Dragonfly,” he ignored Sota’s question, “It’s very beautiful….Hey!” The dragonfly took off in a blink of an eye and flew out of a higher window, “Aw….” Mack gave a sadden look as the bug left.

The Naosu master tried his hardest not to laugh, “You are very much like a sparkling Mack-san. I guess it’s to be expected. There will be plenty of more dragonflies for you to catch later.”

“I suppose….” The giant was still saddened, then huffed and wall kicked up to the window and jumped out side, getting a blast of strong wind to the face.

“Mack-san!” Once more Sota was forced to give chase, though this time he caught Mack quickly, the giant was kneeled on the on the roof in shock, “Mack-san? Are you alright.”

“This…where….” Mack was stunned at the sight. There was no metal, no tall buildings, no cars, no trains, no ships, and no humans with gundams dutifully following them, no cyborgs, no roaches, no rats, and no smog. There was however, greenery and fresh air. “How…is this….” The shocked gundam rubbed his grey eyes multiple times, and even punched him self once for good measure.

But, the scenery remained the same. This planet, it wasn’t dying, it wasn’t solid metal, there was more then just cityscape to see, “H-how can this be?” This made no sense to Mack. He never saw any actual worlds like this. Or couldn’t remember seeing them anyway.

“Mack-san?” Sota laid one hand on the distressed gundam’s shoulder, “Is something wrong?”

There was a long pause as the wind blew around both of them, “….Sota…a-am I seeing things? Is…Is there really that much plant life in front of us?”

This caught the mech off guard, “Hai. There is a lot of plant life in Shufu.” Sota looked out onto the Naosu grounds.

The sparklings were happily playing with one another and tormenting a few journeymen that were stuck with sparkling sitting duty. Several of the masters were seen milling about going about various chores in a carefree matter. The entire of the world seemed at ease, nature and machine had meshed so perfectly on this world.

“This can’t be….” Mack breathed. He looked further up to the highest point of the Naosu dojo.

“Mack-san don’t you-” Sota’s warning went unheard once more, Mack sprinted up the roof to the highest point, “-dare.” The mech growled and more gave chase.

The winds were stronger at the high point and billowed around the giant, rustling his kimono. At the height, he could see most of the city and clearly make out the statue of Shukumeisei. “Hmmm, the statue is facing a waterfall…weird,” he commented while looking around the rest of the city.

“You need to stop doing this, Mack-san!” Sota scolded him.

“I am fully healed, just missing my armor,” He chuckled, “Maybe once it’s back on you can keep up with me.” His chaser replied with an un-amused groan.

Mack turned his attention back to the city, amazed by how much different it was from his home. Stone pathways, gundams running about doing various jobs, sparklings at play on their way home from school, journeymen dashing back and forth. Trees lined the paths as did various fauna and flowers. He couldn’t help but notice, there were no humans, no patrol cameras, no gundams being randomly beaten, and having to take it, no soldiers marching up and down the streets, no vehicles, everyone got around on foot or riding on someone’s back. It was peaceful. A state of being he had never knew. “I never thought it possible….”

“Mack-san?” Sota asked with his head tilted.

The stunned gundam remained silent, staring out into the city much like a gargoyle on a church ledge. This is what he was looking for…he had found it. He had found where he belonged, it was somewhere on this world. Only one task now remained, where to call home. Mack closed his eyes and bowed his head into the sunlight almost as if praying. “….Danke*.”

The mood was instantly ruined by a shout of joy ringing up from inside the dojo.

“Nani?”

“What the heck?”

Sota was already at an open window and had crawled back inside, “Come, Mack-san. Let us see what the commotion is about.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Aiya-chan! You’re awake! You’re okay!” Yoruhebi and Oidasushii had pulled their daughter into a tight hug with Tragus clinging tightly to his sister.

“We thought we lost you Aiya,” Oida cried holding her tight.

“Mother! I’m fine! I can’t breathe…air…please!” Aiya pleaded against the attention being layered on her.

“Don’t ever do that again Aiya!” Tragus begged, “You scared us good!”

“Hai, but she’s alive and well. That’s all that matter,” Yoru spoke wiping away joyful tears.

Aiya eventually managed to wiggle out of her families suffocating affection, “Hai, I’m well. What happen to the giant?”

“Ah, so you are Aiya, correct?” Mack stood behind the gathered crowd looking down at the sparkling, “You are the one who saved my life?”

Aiya looked up at the giant gundam and nodded, “Hai, I am and I did. How long have you been awake?”

“About four days now,” Mack edged his way closer towards her causing the crowd to part and let him by. He then kneeled down in order to look at her face to face, “My name is Mack. Thank you for saving my life, however I must ask. Aiya, why, why did you save the life of someone who has nothing to live for?”

"Why ever not save someone if you can?" She looked up innocently at him with intense, questioning lavender eyes. "Isn't that the point of a healer, to save the life of anyone you can?"

His grey eyes soften at her answer, “I suppose it is. You gave me a second chance at life, and I will use it. Thank you.” He bowed his head to her, “As payment, I’ll grant you one wish within my power. Thank you, for saving my life.”

It was from then on Mack’s care was placed in the hands of Aiya, who pleaded for the job, saying she had saved him there fore it was her duty to make sure he finished healing. Granted this task was made quite difficult what with all the school Aiya had to make up from being knocked out cold for three weeks. Not to mention Mack’s insistent refusal to eat anything, stating he did not require food for energy, and want to practice his fighting technique every morning before Sheol Aravinda, Gundaria’s sun, even rose.

“Mack-san!” Aiya growled during one such morning session, “You need to rest! It’s a miracle you survived crash landing and making two craters!”

“I did survive, did I not, Aiya-chan?” He answered continuing to punch a defenseless tree, “and I told you. I am healed. You need not to fret over me. The only reason I am still here is waiting to get my armor back.

“H-huh!” Aiya asked alarmed, “Mack-san, a-are you going to leave? Even after father offered you to stay here as a master of the Naosu?”

He gave one more strong punch causing the tree to splinter, “I have not made up my mind yet. I might leave, or I might stay. When the time comes, I will make my choice.” He then looked down at the sparkling and smiled, “You have enough to worry about with your school work. Do not worry about me, short stuff.”

“Mack-san!” Aiya frowned, “Don’t call me that.”

“I mean it as a sign of affection is all,” he chuckled and gently patted her head, “Now go get some breakfast and get ready for school.”

“You need to eat as well,” she pointed out once more.

Mack’s expression changed to annoyance, “I told you many times, I do not eat. I only require the intake of water.

“You are going to starve to death if you don’t eat something, Mack!” Aiya growled stamping her foot.

“I have yet to do so,” he replied with a smirk and started for the dojo, “Now come on. You however need food.”

“You’re going to regret not eating one day, Mack-san.” Aiya sighed and dashed into the dojo, might as well get some breakfast before it was gone.

He groaned and rolled his eyes, once more walking by the dining room receiving countless complaints and fighting off several who tried to force him in. Mack’s savior this time was Yoruhebi calling for him about his armor. The Keisan had finally managed to piece it back together and had brought it to Naosu

At first, the armor smith master that had brought it couldn’t believe there was a gundam walking around that was taller then six feet, but her mind soon changed when Mack appeared frightening the messenger into a semi state of shock. Yoru quickly calmed her before the Keisan passed out on the threshold and took the armor, handing over the necessary funds and giving the repaired gundaium to Mack.

“Judging by the femme’s reaction, they may have made it to tight,” Yoruhebi commented.

Mack shrugged, “Even if they did, I’m just glad to have it back.” He began to lay the pieces out placing identical armor sections close to one another, “Now, which goes where?” He pulled the white, tattered kimono off his upper body, sliding his wings out of the holes he had punctured for them, and let it fall around his waist, “Hmm… I guess I’ll start down and work my way up.”

An electric hiss was heard as an arch formed from several connecter points along his leg and went to the respective armor pieces, causing Yoru to jump at the sight. Once each piece was identified, Mack secured it in place and soon, he was back to his former, heavy, green, rivet banded self.

Yoruhebi looked over Mack’s fully armored self, “Ah, so that’s what you look like in one piece.” He chuckled, “Had I not known you were a healer, I dare say you look ready to march off to war at sea.”

The giant froze at the comment then quickly shook it off with a nervous chuckle, “Like I said, my home is always at war. Even we healers must be prepared to be on the front lines.” Several sweat bullets ran down the side of his helmet, he had forgotten to take into account that his armor could give away his lie.

Yoruhebi took notice of Mack’s nervousness but quickly waved it off, but mentally deicide to watch Mack rather closely, he knew he was hiding something from them now. But, he was to forgiving, “Mack-san, about my offer to make you a master of the Naosu, have you made your choice?”

“N-nai,” Mack replied, “I need a bit more time please, Naosu-sai.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Everyone else at Naosu gave Mack pretty much the same reaction, many stating he looked ready for war, other said he resembled a fish. The latter was quickly countered with “Don’t call me that.” After over three weeks of not having his armor, Mack could be seen outside training to get his strength back and be able to carry the extra weight like he once could.

Aiya had finally let up on telling Mack to rest but still insisted he needed to eat. This of course was met with pretty much the same response as before. During this time an unforeseen trait seemed to arise in the giant, he was a sparkling magnet. Every time they came home from school or had free time from studies and the sort, they would all go looking for him and attempt to tackle him to the ground. This was first discovered while Mack was burying the duel KOLD symbol that had pervious been on his shoulders along with his dog tags by the craters he had created in the ground. After firmly packing the earth, it seemed like every sparkling in Naosu, led by Aiya, tackled him from behind and flatten the surprised gundam while shouting, “Topple the Naosu Giant!”

Shortly afterwards, some of the sparklings started calling Mack, Sensei, and soon argued with the other masters they wanted to learn from Mack, not them. However, he had yet to accept Yoru’s offer and was not an official member of the Naosu clan quite yet.

A couple days passed when the horrific nightmare had returned to him, and was growing steadily worse as time went on, causing Mack to jump awake in the middle of night, robbing him of much needed sleep. They became so fierce that at one point, Aiya welded Mack to his recharging berth, preventing the terrified mech from accidentally knocking down the door and toppling some furniture, much to the giant’s displeasure.

One day he awoke already weakened, he couldn’t explain it, he woke up and all his energy was still drained. Aiya once more insisted that he should eat but again he declined, shaking it off as having a bad night’s sleep.

Mack stumbled and struggled to keep his feet under him, the feeling of exhaustion creeping over his energy-deprived body. “How can this be?” Mack asked himself, “Nearly a month I have survived here, and now…energy escapes me. What’s wrong with me?” He groaned and made his way outside, his mind busily trying to solve this crisis. If something wasn’t done soon, Mack was going to deactivate.

And to add insult to injury, it began to fiercely rain on the exhausted mech. He made it to the sight of the twin craters and finally collapsed to his knees and stared up at the sky as the reason behind his energy crisis surfaced. His primary energy source, the Fluid, found only on his home world, his body had been deprived of this energy for to long and his reserves were at last running dry.

“No… damn it!” he slammed his fist into the ground, “Why! Why, Almighty! I asked for an escape from that life! Instead, you sentence me to death! I can’t survive on this world! Cruel fate! Is my destiny to die?! I found what I’m looking for! I found a peaceful world where I no longer have to kill! I found a place were I can be whatever I want to be! Why!” he shouted to the heavens, “Why! Why did you send me to a utopia knowing I would die! Damn you, Almighty! Damn you!”

As if answering his cry for help, his helmet sparked violently as the words “System Rewrite Active” flashed into front of his optics. Mack curled over yelling in pain and clutched his now pounding head, “AH! Now what! As if this day couldn’t get worse!! And what the hell is System Rewrite!”

“Mack-sensei!” It was Aiya. She had been looking for him all morning, “What are you doing out here in the rain? You’ll get sick.”

He gave a huff, “I have been out longer in weather much worse.” Mack’s limbs were beginning to quiver under his own weight, he could hold out much longer, the words “Rewrite Complete” Flashed in front of his optics.

“That’s not the point, sensei,” Aiya wrapped her arms around his right arm and started tugging on him, “Come on. Let’s get you inside. And get some food in your systems.”

Food…this time Mack didn’t resent the idea and allowed the much smaller femme to lead him back inside the dojo. She looked back and smiled at him, “Don’t worry Mack-sensei. I’ll have you feeling as good as new, again, in no time.”

He smirked, “At least I will be conscious to see it this time.” Next thing Mack knew, Aiya had him sitting at the empty dinner table, breakfast had ended an hour earlier.

“Now wait here,” she dashed into the kitchen, his tried gaze following her. Aiya returned with a plate piled high with rice balls in one hand and a bowl of rice in the other. Giggling, she placed the plates in front of Mack, “Here you go sensei.” She looked up at him with her lavender eyes filled by happiness.

Mack looked at her, then at the food in disgust. He had tried ‘human food’ once before, the smallest taste sickened him to no end. Instead, he turned his head away, “I told you, Aiya-chan. I d-” The green gundam suddenly doubled over as a crippling hunger pain roared thru the mech, making its presence know to Aiya.

“There, see?” The femme stated in a matter of fact tone, “You are hungry. You’re stomach just growled.”

‘My stomach?’ Mack though to himself, ‘Since when do I have one of those?’ He recovered from the crippling pain and looked back at the riceball, and against better judgment, pick up one and held it close, reluctant to take even the smallest nibble.

“Have you never had riceballs before, sensei?” Aiya asked confused, tilting her head at him. She then picked one off the pile, “You eat it like this.” She took a small bite out of the riceball and smiled at the foreign gundam.

He looked back down at the food item. Mack really did not want to put it to even the tip of his tongue, but his body and hunger pains screamed out for him to do so. With a nervous gulp and tightly closed eyes, he took a tiny bite from the riceball.

His eyes lit up, it was good. No, better then good. Delicious! The ravenous mech stuffed the remainder of the rice ball into his mouth and loudly tore through it.

Aiya sat there and stared at him wide-eyed. She had never seen anyone inhale a rice ball that fast and that rudely. Wherever Mack was from, she was convinced they had no table manners after watching that display. As he went for a second one Aiya caught his wrist, “Sensei! You have no table manners! You don’t just tear through a rice ball like some rabid largeik! You eat it slowly and enjoy it.” She nodded at feeling quite smart teaching him.

“I would rather just get energy into my systems as fast as possible, Aiya,” Mack replied grabbing two at once and stuffing them into his face, “An oo it me om ee?”

Aiya growled, “You also shouldn’t talk with your mouth full. Plus I have no idea what you just said.”

He swallowed the food items and licked the lingering rice from his fingers, “I said ‘Can you get me some tea?’” With that, two more rice balls were devoured simultaneously.

Aiya sighed and gave up on teaching manners for now, “You’re going to choke if you keep eating like that!”

“No, I won’t,” Mack reached for the last two but Aiya snatched one away from him.

“One at a time sensei!” She gave him an angry glare and continued to eat her first rice ball.

He whimpered at her to return the riceball but she refused, turning away from his pleading grey eyes, “Jerk….” He sighed and ate the remaining riceball, going at it a little slower then the first five.

Aiya rewarded him with a smile and surrendering the last rice ball to him and pushing the bowl closer to him, “I’ll go get you something to drink, Mack-sensei.”

He watched her disappear into the kitchen once more and went for the bowl of rice. After scanning it, he found there to be eel and various vegetation mixed in. Quickly finding out how to work the chopsticks, he plowed through the bowl, shoveling the much-needed food into his mouth rather then savoring it as Aiya had instructed him to do.

“Sensei!” Aiya hit him in the head with a small teacup, “Don’t just shovel the food! Enjoy it! It took me a long while to cook this ya know!”

Mack flinched as the cup shattered against his helmet, “Sorry Aiya-chan.” He gave a smile, “You’re a good cook.”

She blushed, “I-I’m not that good. But, you are probably too hungry to care.”

The mech chuckled, “Maybe so.” It had been the first time he had ever eaten, as far as he was concerned, it was good but his hunger was not yet satisfied, “Can I have some more?” He asked in an innocent begging way.

Aiya looked at him stunned, “You’ve had enough, sensei. If you eat to much you’ll get sick.” She grabbed the plates and took them away leaving behind the tea; all the while ignoring Mack’s whimpers for more food.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“What by Aijou!”

“Yoruhebi-sai! We’ve been robbed!”

“Nani!?” The headmaster rushed to where all the commotion was coming from. During the night, the kitchen had been ransacked and half the pantry cleaned clear out. Yoru went wide-eyed at the scene, “What manner of beast could do this, and eat that much in one night?! Unless…unless there were a group of them.”

“I don’t think so….” Oidasushii pointed to a certain green fin like wing sticking out from under a pile of bowls.

All the sparklings knew it instantly, “Mack-sensei!”

Mack gave a grunt and shuffled, “Five more minutes….”

“Nai,” Yoru reached into the pile and yanked him out, gaining a startled yelp from the gundam.

“I’m up! I’m up! Rep-” Mack took a second to look around before remembering where he was, “Um…hi? Why am I in the kitchen?”

Oidasushii looked down at him, “Look like you went on a midnight binge after getting your appetite back.” She sighs frustrated and rub the area just below her helmet.

“Huh?” The green mech sat up and looked around, last nights events returning to his mind, “Eh, heh, heh…oops…..” He quickly scrambled to his feet and backed away from the angry clan members, “My mistake…I guess I was hungrier then I thought….” He gulped nervously and soon hit a wall, “Sorry?” He then threw up his arms shielding himself from the potential punishment, “Please don’t hurt me!”

Yoruhebi started, “Mack-san… you’re a fool if you think we are going to hurt you for satisfying hunger.” He smiled at the larger gundam, “You were hungrier then you thought, and granted your ways are still, well, strange to us, we would never harm you. And we are forgiving.”

“Huh?” Mack lowered his defensive stance, “Y-you are not mad at me? Y-you aren’t going to punish me?”

Oida smile from behind her husband, “We forgive you Mack-san. Granted now we have to go to market earlier then thought. We’ll let you off this time.” She shifted to her authoritive mother tone, “Do not repeat this act.”

“Hai, I won’t,” He bowed to the both of them, “Thank you.” With that, he fled from the kitchen relived he was, for once, off the hook.

However, the event got Mack thinking. He had for quite some time pleaded for a new place to call home and was able to escape. Granted he had a rough first month of living on this world, he could make a home here. Yoruhebi still held onto his offer the make Mack a master of Naosu. But, alas, the foreign mech was still uncertain if it was a wise decision.

Mack leaned against the window, his v-fin resting on the glass, “Should I stay…, or should I go?” He let out a heavy sigh, “If I stay, then I can remain here in Naosu,” he chuckled, “And the sparklings would have someone to play with that enjoyed their games. If I leave, then I guess I would be a wondering soul in this world.” Mack rolled his shoulders in a shrug, “That would be an interesting life.”

Then grim images dominated his mind, “Who am I kidding? I cannot stay! KOLD is surly looking for me. And by now, Ramos has enlisted the help of several other squads.” Mack moaned in distraught, “They’re going to find me. I cannot stay here if my past indeed does come back to haunt me. Whom am I kidding! It already is!” He snarled at himself, “Mack, you are a fool, Healer by choice, but Militant Attack Chaos Killer by build. You can only hide it for so long. That system is a part of my vital programming it will resurface one day. I…” He felt a tear run thru his soulstone, “I have to leave…. In order to protect these gundams, I must leave. The sooner the better.”

It is with a heavy heart, and a forlorn sigh, Mack began to pack what he needed. Granted there wasn’t much, some healing supplies, a book, and enough food to last him until he reached the next town. He took one last look around the room, some scrolls, and books laid scattered on his desk, the tatter white kimono with the wings holes hung silently almost ghost like off the wardrobe, bed covers sprawled out, torn in places by either fins of spikes during one of many nightmarish night thrashing. A second twinge of pain shot through the mech, but it went unaddressed. With new memories flooding his mind, Mack shouldered his pack and turned to leave, “I have to leave… to protect them from me….”

Sadness washed over the giant as he crossed the threshold; there was no turning back once he left Shufu for good. He knew this, and as much as his heart revolted, his mind pushed him on.

“Mack-san? Wh-where are you going?”  Oidasushii had seen him leaving and was now walking a step behind him.

Mack froze up for a second or two, then lowered his head refusing to look at her face, “I…I’ve been healed thanks to Aiya and yourself, and all of Naosu. Now, it is time for me to leave.”

Oida nods, “Hai, but where well you go? You are foreign to this world.”

“Wherever the sea current take me,” Mack replied as he continued to walk away, “I am an expert swimmer and can avoid strong currents. I will be fine.”

“The sparklings will miss you,” she replied, “As will I. Are you declining Yoruheibi’s offer to stay with us, giant?”

He gave a long sigh, “It is better if I do…please Oidasushii-domosai. You are once more picking at my past. I thought we agreed that you would not ask me of it.”

“Hai….We did,” her chest rose and fell once more before trotting in front of Mack and blocking his path, “Take care of yourself Mack-san. Remember, you can always return here.”

He raised his gaze just enough to look at her, “I will remember your offer.” The green militant mech bowed to her and started once more, “Farewell, Aiya, Oidasushii, Yoruhebi, and all of Naosu…goodbye.”

“MACK-SENSEI! STOP!!” Aiya came barreling out of to dojo and attached herself to Mack’s right leg, “Sensei! Don’t leave us!” Her lavender eyes filled with tears, “Please don’t leave! Stay here! With us! Sensei! Don’t leave!”

He stopped once more and looked down at the sobbing sparkling clinging to his leg, “Aiya-chan. I have made up my mind. I am leaving. To where, I don’t know…please get off me.”

“Nai!” She defiantly tighten her grip, “Nai! I won’t! Sensei don’t leave!”

“Mack-sensei!” Aiya and Oida had slowed him down long enough for the other sparklings to come racing towards him but their parents stopped them, “Sensei! Don’t leave!”

“Mack-san!” The masters and journeymen were now present; the entire clan was watching the giant from within the ground’s walls.

The mech looked up and turned to face them, Aiya still holding tight to him. Tears continued to pour from sparklings optics. Yoruhebi and Oidasushii stood in front of everyone, the remaining clan members giving Mack a pleading look to stay. The older members watched knowing nothing could stop free will.

Another yell of pain ripped through Mack’s soulstone, his heart was screaming ‘stay’, yet his mind continued to yell ‘leave’. He turned on his heel once more and started walking away while trying to shake Aiya off, eventually having to reach down and pry her off, “I’ll come back, maybe many years from now, but I will come back.”

Aiya whimpered and held tight onto his hand, “Before you go, I have thought of what to use the wish you gave me for.”

“Oh?” Mack smiled and kneeled down to her, expecting to be asked something simple, “What is it that you wish of me, Aiya Naosu-chan?”

Aiya wiped away her tears and locked her lavender eyes with his grey ones, “I wish….I wish for you to stay here! Stay here with us Mack Naosu-sensei!”

There was a long pause, followed by Mack giving a chuckle, “Crafty femme. You were smart enough to hold on to the wish until you absolutely needed it. As you have asked, I shall do. I will stay here, with my new found family, as Mack Naosu-sensei.”