I should point out, I have never seen iCarly iGo to Japan or any other iCarly media, but I have seen MILLIONS and MILLIONS of adverts inbetween Fairly Odd Parents and the like, so when Bethan suggested the name it just seemed too perfect not to use. Over time it seemed less perfect... But I couldn’t think of anything else so here it is!

It’s a silly, fluffy naff chapter in which stupid cheesy things will inevitably happen. That’s just a little warning for you.

But enjoy! It’s officially the END of generation H!!!!

“You want rooms for all these people?”“Yes please.” “And you’re paying for all of them?”“Yup,”“Rather you than me mate. But right-o.”Godric and Iris had been discussing this trip for years and had finally got around to doing it. Yes, it would be expensive but it was worth it. The kids would all be off to start their own families soon and there would be too many of them to take a trip together.

It was just a shame that Hamlet and Gail weren’t there with them. Gail’s parents lived in Veronaville and Hamlet was spending the summer there with her to meet them. He was also planning on asking Gail to marry him and had got the idea into his head that he should do the thing properly and was going to ask her father first. Whilst outdated and unnecessary, it was the sort of thing that fathers found incredibly flattering.

Okay, so I wanted to get photographic evidence of the hilarious belly flops that Iris kept spontaneously doing, so I directed her to dive and she goes and does this >>>

Hmmm, I now realise that that’s a dodgy angle. Sorry Rissa :S

But that immediately prompted a diving competition.Godric somehow managed to bomb whilst looking timid.

I didn’t see this coming either. I’ve clearly underestimated Hermione; she must get it from her Mum I suppose.

Just like Hiro! What kind of freaky awesome diving skills genes has she given them? I have NEVER had sims that can dive like this. Honestly. Bombing was the height of diving prowess until now.

Oh yes, and here’s Corbin Gray (who appears to be stalking the family whilst they’re on holiday) demonstrating the standard I would have expected.

Like all true musical superstars, Godric briefly became a deeply spiritual person overnight.“I am one with nature,” he chanted quietly, gracefully assuming dramatic poses with his arms in a deeply spiritual way. “I am one with the sun and with the moon. I am one with the rivers and the oceans. With the grass and the hills. With clouds and with wind.I’m sorry, you’re at one with wind? “SSSSSH!”

A strangely dressed man passed through the gate and walked towards the Zen Garden. Though little could be seen of his face, as he looked down at Godric his disdain was clear.“Pft,” he muttered scornfully under his breath. “Tourists.”He sat down beside Godric and entered into the lengthy preparations that came before true meditation.

He had trouble clearing his mind because he was still dwelling on his contempt for the uninformed dabblings of amateurs in an ancient and profoundly complex art. They think they can just cross their legs, breathe slowly and say “OM” and-“Look! That guy’s floating!” a voice called excitedly. He opened his eyes and looked down; he was still on the ground.

As a crowd began to form around Godric, he redoubled his concentration, squeezing his eyes shut tightly.Nothing happened.C’mon... He begged the cosmos. He’s showing me up!

What’cha doin’ IIIIIIIris? *indestinct muffled murmurings*I beg your pardon?She raised her head from the table.“I’m learning to do an acupressure massage.”Learning?“Yes! It’s not like I’m doing this for my own relaxation and enjoyment or anything- a little lower Harriet, a little bit more- AAAAAH.”

“Hehehe, methinks t’is a spot rife with the bumblings of troublesome tourists and ripe for the picking. Watch in awe and amazement as I utilise the twin ideals of confusing words and distracting hand movements and prove myself the victor of-”Look, if you’re going to wrip one of them off, could you just get it over and done with please?“Could you suggest a wise mark? Otherwise I shall simply continue to try until I am successful.”Hmmm... Horatio will probably fall for it. Yeah, try Horatio.“Thanks.”

Godric insisted that Xander and Demetri joined him for a nice friendly, totally innocent game of Mah-jong. “So what are your intentions with my daughters?” asked Godric sternly.Demetri and Xander dropped their tiles.“Er...” said Xander, staring desperately at Demetri.“Hey,” said Demetri “Why aren’t you interrogating Horatio too?”

“Because you two remind me of a young me,” he replied. “And I don’t trust my younger self.”“Well who does Horatio remind you of then?” asked Xander.“A young Ray Stubbs.” replied Godric, pausing and looking up for several seconds with a faraway look in his eyes.

“I would like to make more money in my spare time...”

Told you so.

“The Shodoku estate has been owned for over 700 years by the noble Nakamura family and is considered to be one of the great beauties of the region. It has been besieged twice in its history and on both of those occasions the house was destroyed. It was rebuilt on both occasions and the present house has stood for 300 years. The Nakamura family still reside in the house but the gardens and large art collection are open to the public. Historically, the Nakamura family are said to be descended-”

“Hey girls!” shouted Godric, brandishing a camera “Say ‘cheese’!”“CHEESE!”

“A genuine example of pottery from the Sengoku period!” gasped Godric. “But they’re so rare.” “Since when do you know anything about centuries old vases?” Iris asked, raising a quizzical eyebrow. “Hey baby, I’m a mystery. A riddle wrapped in an enigma.” he said enigmatically. And then, in a brighter voice: “And I’ve had a LOT of time to kill on tour busses over the years. I’ve also got an honourary degree in experimental psychology.”

“It seems to me,” mused Heffalump, stroking her chin ponderously “that as government returned to the capital in the Muromachi Period, cultural expression took on a more aristocratic, elitist character.”“What the hell is going on with this family?!”

Hiro dragged himself after his family as they progressed through the rooms of priceless antiquities. “How much longer do we have to look at this stuff for?” he groaned. “At least until I can join in with their discussions about Japanese art.” said Iris, jerking a thumb over her shoulder in the direction of her husband and daughter as she stared intently at an exhibit. “Why don’t you have a walk in the gardens Hiro?”

Hiro much preferred the stunning beauty of the tranquil gardens. All too soon he found himself back in front of the house. He raised his head, taking in the graceful majesty of the building and spotted a figure high above him- but she was not so high as would prevent Hiro from noticing her astonishing beauty and, in that instant, falling hopelessly in love.

The girl had noticed him too. There was something about the boy that made her smile. Perhaps it was the sunlight glinting on his glasses, or the wild tangle of his wind ruffled hair- or even the wondering innocence of his expression as he stared at her. She raised a hand and waved to him. He waved back and she felt a small tingle rush through her.

But it was soon swept away.“Yaeko?”She sighed, waved sadly at the boy and walked reluctantly inside to answer her father’s summons.

“What’s this?” he demanded, gesturing to the splattered canvasses either side of Yaeko’s bed with a flourish of his hand. “You attended the finest art school in the country, graduated as the most talented student in your year and you spend your time creating this?”

“Oh I was just having a bit of fun with it Dad.” she sighed resignedly, well aware of what was to come. “It’s not exactly classical but-”“Too right it’s not!” said Kaito “You’re wasting your gift.”“No I’m not.” she said exasperatedly. “I have 20 pieces on display in the national gallery, all following the conventions of traditional art. Which is what I love! But I just enjoy messing around with my work every so often Dad.”

Kaito sighed and massaged a temple with one hand. “I’m sorry Yaeko.” he said in a tired voice. “I just... I worry about you losing your sense of tradition- of your heritage. I know it’s stupid, but when I see you listening to your ipod, texting your friends and going to see strange rock bands... I just worry that since your mother died- that I haven’t-”Yaeko smiled gently. “Dad, I doubt there is any girl in the country who is more aware of her heritage than I am. I’m constantly surrounded by it- and I love that! I’m proud of my background, but I have to spend some time in the present too.”

Kaito looked at his daughter and wondered how the little girl he remembered had grown up so quickly.“I’m sorry Yaeko.” he said in a tired, regretful tone. “It’s okay Dad.” she replied.“I’ve always worried that I wouldn’t be able to raise you properly on my own. I’ve felt so useless without your mother- but somehow, even with me as your father, you’ve grown into a wonderful young woman.”“Dad,” Yaeko said, embarrassed.“No,” he insisted “I want you to know that your mother would be so proud if she could see you now.”

Outside, Hiro stood waiting for the girl to appear. Time passed and he was forced to accept that she would not reappear, but he was determined to see her again. He noticed a woman passing by on her way into the house and decided to take a chance.“Excuse me?”The woman stopped and turned to face him.“Yes?”

“Er,” he began nervously “I just saw a girl- er lady- I mean young woman” he stumbled “on that balcony” he pointed with his finger “Would you be able to tell me who she was?” “Dark hair, dark eyes, blue kimono, breathtaking beauty?”Hiro nodded enthusiastically, feeling a tingling sensation pass through his body at the memory.

“Aaah,” she smiled knowingly “That would be Yaeko Nakamura, the only child of Kaito Nakamura, owner of the estate. And if you’ve fallen for her then I’d advise you to give up now and save yourself the heartache. Her father is VERY protective of her- as am I so I’d any fancy ideas you have out of your head if I were you.”

“But I don’t think you understand.” Hiro insisted. “She smiled and waved-”“She’s been brought up to have excellent manners” she said dryly. “Look, I can wave at you too.” She demonstrated this. “But is doesn’t mean anything does it?”“If I could just speak to her for a moment-”

“No, no, no, no, no” she interrupted. “That is definitely not going to happen.” “But-”“Look, for your own sake, let this go.”Hiro said nothing.“Go on now, vamoose” she flicked her hand impatiently.“But-”“Skedaddle.”

Hiro took a last look at the doorway through which the girl had vanished and then nodded before walking away.“It’s for your own good.” the woman called.Hiro didn’t answer. He didn’t know how, but he would find a way to speak to the girl.

The boy had not taken Caryl’s advice.Three days had passed and in that time she had found him lurking in flowerbeds and hiding behind trellises in order to avoid being spotted by her as he waited hopefully for another sight of Yaeko. He was becoming really quite irksome and she had considered having him barred from the estate- but that would need Kaito’s approval and if he knew that a strange young tourist had fallen in love with his daughter... The boy was annoying but he didn’t deserve that.

The matter must have been on her mind more than she had realised, because, whilst tidying Yaeko’s room, she had inadvertently said “Some tourist has taken to stalking you.”“What?” Yaeko cried in surprise.“Oh,” said Caryl, reprimanding herself “Don’t worry, he’s harmless. A sweet boy really- he’s just hanging around in the gardens and-”“Does he have dark hair and glasses?!” Yaeko cried excitedly. “Well-” Caryl was taken aback. “Well yes.” she narrowed her eyes. “Why?”

“What’s he like?” Yaeko asked hurriedly, her eyes were bright and eager. “Is he nice? Is he funny? Is he-”“Wait, wait, wait.” interrupted Caryl. “How do you know this boy?”“Oh I don’t.” Yaeko sighed. “I’ve only seen him once from up here. If I had known he’d been here again... Is he here now?!” “I don’t know,” said Caryl as Yaeko moved quickly towards the window. “Just hold it a second. Why are you getting all excited about this? He’s just some boy.”“But what of he isn’t?” smiled Yaeko. “I don’t know what it was- but in that moment I just felt...” she trailed off, unable to find the right words. “I’m sorry,” said Caryl, confused and astounded “I must be missing something here. You had eye contact for about 6 seconds and you think you’ve found your soul mate?!”“Don’t you believe in love at first sight?” “No.” said Caryl flatly. “I do not. And neither should you. Love at first sight. Honestly Yaeko. How clichéd. What would your father say?”

“This isn’t about him!” she cried desperately. “I’m sure he’ll fix me up with someone incredibly suitable and proper- but I don’t want that.”“Yaeko I really-”“Don’t you want me to be happy?”Caryl stared at her- into the dark, stubborn, daydreaming eyes that she had spent the last twenty years looking after. She softened with a sigh.“Of course I do.”

Yaeko’s face broke into an elated smile. “I’m going to go straight out into the gardens and see if I can find him. And if he’s not here today then I’ll-”“LALALALALA!” yelled Caryl, stuffing her fingers in her ears. “I’m not hearing this! I can’t tell your father anything if I haven’t heard anything! LALALALA!”

Yaeko laughed and pulled Caryl’s fingers from her ears. “Thanks Caryl,”“I just hope you aren’t disappointed Yaeko.”“I won’t be.”

Yaeko had had no luck that day, but she had not had long before she had to return inside to prepare fro dinner with her father. She hoped that the next day would be more successful. “There you go,” she said softly as she scattered the food across the water’s surface, watching the widening ripples and the ponderous movement of the koi. It was almost noon and she had seen no sign of the boy so far. She didn’t have that much more time to spend in the gardens that day.

“Uh, excuse me?”At the sound of the gentle voice, Yaeko looked up. Her heart leapt- it was him. “Yes?” she was impressed with how calm she had managed to keep her voice.“Er, well,” he began nervously. “I don’t know whether you remember- I mean, I don’t know why you would and I certainly wouldn’t expect you to- but I-”

“I remember!” she cried eagerly. “You do?” he seemed genuinely surprised.“Of course!” she said without thinking. Yaeko felt herself beginning to blush. She looked away, fiddling with a strand of hair. She looked up and saw the boy gazing at her intently. He looked away hurriedly, embarrassed that he had been staring. Yaeko laughed and, as she did so, he looked up, smiling, and laughed too.

He seemed to draw confidence from this and, taking a deep breath, he let a stream of words tumble out.“Okay, you don’t know me and I don’t know you either- but that day, when I saw you for the first time, I felt like I did- Like I always had. And I’ve been here every day since then trying to see you- and I’ve fallen out of trees and into rivers and been chased by angry gardeners with strimmers for treading on flowers accidently, but it’s all been worth it to see you again. And I know it’s crazy but the first time I saw you I felt like we were meant to be together and I feel that now more than ever.”

He stumbled to a finish, waiting nervously for her to respond as if anticipating a blow to the head. Yaeko’s heart was racing; surely if he felt all that too then it had to mean... But she should try not to let her heart race ahead of her like she normally did- for Caryl’s sake.She smiled warmly and his stance relaxed a little. “I feel as if I know you too.” she said. “You- you just don’t feel like a stranger. Like there’s something...” she trailed off. “Although I don’t know your name.” she smiled.“Oh!” His eyes widened and he laughed again. He had a wonderful laugh; it was warm and familiar- it made her feel safe. “My name is Hiro Marmite.”“I’m Yaeko Nakamura.” she replied.

“Yeah, I know.” he smiled. “ I asked a woman on her way into the house.”“That would be Caryl.” said Yaeko.“Not overly friendly is she?”“No,” she sighed. “But she means well. Wait a second- did you say Marmite?”“Yeah...” Hiro said nervously.“As in Godric Marmite?!” Her eyes were shining and her mouth was hanging open.

“Oh,” said Hiro as understanding dawned. “Yeah.”“Godric Marmite the front man of My Allergic Reaction?!”“Yup, he’s my Dad.” he smiled.“They’re my favourite band!” she squealed. “And wait, that means you must also be related to Elendil and Elijah from Troll in the Dungeon and- oh my god! Fiyero too!” Why have I never joined a band?! Hiro thought furiously.

“Are you musical?” he asked.“No,” she sighed. “I’ve always wanted to be and I had lessons when I was younger but I just didn’t have the talent I suppose.”“But you’re an artist aren’t you?” “Well, yes.” she gave him a surprised smile.“I er-” Hiro began to blush “I googled you.” he explained. “Well now I feel terrible,” she cried and Hiro looked up in alarm. “You seem to know lots about me but I didn’t have your name to google.” “I suppose you’ll just have to spend more time with me then.” he grinned, surprising himself with his own confidence; he just felt so at home around her.

“I’d like that.” she said softly.

Hiro’s was unable to hold back a broad grin and a joyful laugh.“What?” she giggled as she watched him clap his hands together.“That’s a verbal contract,” he winked “You’ll have to see me again now.”

He laughed again and this sent Yaeko into a fit of melodic giggles which resulted in further peals of laughter from Hiro. Eventually their mirth faded away, leaving them to catch their breath. They were silent for what felt like a long time, just looking at each other.“I like you Hiro,” she smiled.

He smiled back; a sweet, honest, affectionate smile that made her insides flutter. “But I have to go. Can you come back tomorrow?”“Of course!”“Meet me by the East wall at... Eleven maybe?”“Okay,” he said breathlessly “Great! Can’t wait!” She smiled at him again and then walked away, still laughing gently.

The next day...What surprised Hiro was not that the date was going well, but that he wasn’t surprised that it was going well. It just felt natural. Why would he be shocked when this was just how it was meant to be?“Hiro you don’t half talk some rubbish sometimes you know.” she said happily. “Aaah, but it’s sweet rubbish isn’t it?” he raised an eyebrow knowingly.

“The sweetest,” she smiled “Like the bins behind Honeydukes.”“Is that the basis of an affectionate nickname I hear?” he grinned, leaning in close.“Oh stop it.” she laughed, pushing him away lightly and walking away down the path teasingly. He laughed as he caught up with her.

The afternoon was fading into evening and Hiro knew that their time together on that day would soon be drawing to a close.He stopped walking and took her hand, lightly pulling her round to stand opposite him. “Yaeko, what’s your favourite flower?”She frowned.

“Why?” she asked sceptically.“Just tell me.” “Poppies” “Now close your eyes.” She did so. “Wow, I thought you’d argue.”“No, I trust you Hiro.”Barely a second had passed when Hiro spoke again. “Okay, open!”

She was speechless.They were surrounded by poppies; a blanket of them right up to the river bank.“Hiro...” she breathed , utterly enchanted by the sheer impossibility of the situation. “How did you...?”

“Well that would be telling wouldn’t it?” It’ll be less impressive if she knew how it was done. Telling her about his power would be a long and complicated story and that wasn’t what was needed right now. This was romance.

“I just...” she was still gazing around her. “No one’s ever done anything like this for me.” she whispered. And then in a stronger voice:“Largely because it’s impossible.”Hiro shrugged. “Only if you believe it is.”Yaeko laughed again. “You’re not going to tell me are you?”“Not today. Next time maybe.”

“I still don’t seem to know anything about you.” she frowned. “Which is why there has to be a next time.” he grinned. “And besides, you know the important stuff. You know that I love you and that I’m going to hide in your flowerbeds until you love me too.”“You know I should really be very creeped out by that.”

“But you aren’t are you?” smiled Hiro.“No, no I’m not.” she replied. “But you don’t have to hide in the flowerbeds Hiro.”He thought for a moment. “Does that mean what I-”“Ssssssh.” she pressed a finger to his lips to silence him and looked around nervously as if checking for other people.

Dad will murder me. Hissed a voice in the back of her head.“Wait outside the tourist information centre in the centre of town at 8.30 tomorrow night, I’ll meet you there.”

“Are you sure I look okay?”“For the last time YES.” said Caryl exasperatedly “And if you don’t get going soon I might change my mind about helping you!”

“Okay, okay I’m going!” “Are you sure you want to do this Yaeko?” “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.” she beamed.

“Okay,” Caryl grumbled reluctantly. “But remember,” she said, tapping an imaginary watch “you have to be back by-”

“Yes, yes, I know.” she said hurriedly, pulling Caryl into a hug. “Thank you so much for this!”“Just go, quickly!”

He was already waiting when she arrived. “Hello Hiro,”He span around, smiling happily. Yaeko noticed a faint flicker of surprise when he saw her.

“Did you think I wore my kimono all the time?” she laughed.“I er-”“You did didn’t you?”“I hadn’t really-” a blush crept into his cheeks “well yeah I suppose I-” he gave up with a sigh “you look lovely Yaeko.”“C’mon,” she smiled, taking him by the hand, “Let’s go to the arcade.”“You have an arcade here?!”“Well, yeah.”“I just figured I would have found it by now. But I suppose I’ve been distracted haven’t I?”She laughed again and lead him away.

“So how much longer are you staying for?”“Another week.”“Oh,”

It was late and Yaeko and Hiro stood alone on the bridge above the lazy river. The only sound was the whisper of the blossom in the gentle breeze.

“Or at least,” said Hiro “That’s when my family are leaving. But maybe I won’t go with them.”“But what about the heirship? You don’t know who’s won yet do you?”“It’s not important to me. I mean, it never really was and now...”“but now what?” she asked, her voice trembled ever so slightly.

“I don’t want to leave you. Ever.”“Hiro,” she began in a touched, but faintly pained voice “You can’t-”“Don’t you want me to stay?”“Of course I do!” she cried “I’ve never been as happy as I have been since I met you. I’d leave for Gotham with you right now-” she stopped and sighed “But it’s not that simple.”“Because of your Dad?”She nodded sadly.

“I couldn’t do that to him. It’d break his heart. He means well, but he’s just so protective of me. He’s got such a traditional attitude- it’s like he can’t trust anyone else with me.”“So, if someone- er-um- got it into his head that he’d like to marry you, I bet he’d really have to prove himself wouldn’t he?”

She lifted her gaze to look at him quickly. Hiro was watching her cautiously.“What are you saying?” she asked quietly, feeling her heart pound, as a faint blush crept into her cheeks and a smile played with her lips.“I, er-”But she didn’t let him finish.

If the kiss hadn’t been enough for Yaeko to be sure that she loved him, the way his glasses had been knocked askew by it did the trick. She laughed as Hiro readjusted his specs and adopted a look of steely determination as he took her hands gently in his.

“What’s that look for?” she giggled.“This is my ‘figuring out a way to prove myself to the girl that I love’s father’ expression.” he explained. “Don’t you like it?”“I love it.” she smiled. “But Hiro, you really don’t have to prove yourself. Dad just needs to understand that-”

“Are you sure?” he asked “Because daring feats of valour and honour are a speciality of mine.”“Sure they are,” she said “But I’ll talk to Dad.” She smiled at him and then flung her arms around him. “I’m so happy Hiro.”“Me too.”

Yaeko had planned to talk to her father the next day, but when she arrived home he was already waiting with a discussion in mind. “Where the hell have you been Yaeko?!”“I- I was just-”“Don’t bother with your excuses, I know exactly where you were- and with who. What do you think you’re doing running around all night with some tourist?!”“You know absolutely nothing about him!”

“I don’t need to!” She stared at him incredulously.“Can you not hear yourself?!”“That’s ENOUGH!” he roared. “You are not to see that boy again and that’s the end of the matter!”

Hiro had received an email from Yaeko in which she explained what had happened. Deeply distressed, she didn’t know what they were going to do and was now effectively under house arrest. Hiro had tried his best to reassure her and had insisted that he would sort things out- although he didn’t know how he was going to do so.Until, by a happy coincidence, he overheard the conversation of two women whilst having lunch. They were discussing the legendary Japanese hero, Takezo Kensei and in particular, his sword which was a lost treasure of the land that had been searched for by many but found by none. “Yeah,” said one woman “So the Nakamura family had it for centuries- you know they’re supposed to be descended from Kensei- and the last time Shodoku house was burnt down it disappeared.”“And no one has any idea where it is now?” asked the other woman.“Well no, but people keep looking. Kaito Nakamura has been desperate to get it back for years, but he hasn’t been able to find it. I’ve heard Daiki mumbling that he knows where it is- but he’s off his rocker.” “Uh, excuse me,” said Hiro as politely as he could “Where can I find this Daiki guy?”The women laughed. “Good luck trying to reach him” said one. “Yeah, he only comes down out of the mountains about once every 3 months.” said the other. When Hiro asked her why she replied “Oh he’s a bit funny in the head. But for some reason he’s really highly respected around here. If you really are determined to talk to him, you could try to get some information out of one those ninja guys.”“Oh they are NOT ninjas.” cried the other woman. “I mean, ninjas, seriously?”“Why else would they dress like that?”“I don’t know. But do you really-” Hiro left quietly, leaving them to their argument.

Hiro found it surprisingly easy to locate one of the strange maybe-ninjas. “Excuse me,” he began “Can you tell me where I can find Daiki?” The man replied in an unexpectedly friendly manner. “I can do better than that, I can show you.” He produced a map and pointed with his finger.“Wow, that’s right up in the mountains isn’t it?”

“Yes, it’s totally inaccessible” he said matter-of-factly. “Er,” Hiro was confused. “Then how can I get there?”“You’ll have to teleport.”“I’ll have to what?!”“Teleport. Like so.” The man moved faster than Hiro could register. Bending into a crouch before springing high into the air, he disappeared, leaving Hiro dazed and wondering.

“Awwwww.”

Locating the ninja- because he had decided that it was more than reasonable to apply the term to the strangely dressed teleporting man-proved more difficult the second time. However, eventually his search yielded results. “Oh, it’s you again.” the man said. The little Hiro could see of his face seemed faintly surprised.

“Er, yeah.” replied Hiro, unsure of quite how to phrase his request. “The thing is, I really need to see this Daiki guy, so I was wondering if you could teach me to teleport?” “Sure,” the man said happily.“Really?” Hiro was stunned. “Just like that? Shouldn’t give me some sort of test or something?”“Hey, I was just trying to be friendly, but now that I think about it, maybe I should... No one’s ever actually asked me before...”

He stood a while in thought. “Ok,” he said at last “I’ve got it. Wayne Rooney and his wife Coleen had a baby in November 2009, what is the child’s name?”“Er... Kai?”“Yes! Now I will teach you!”“That’s seriously your question?”“Yes, what’s wrong with it?”“Nothing! I just wasn’t expecting something so Heat-Magazine-Crosswordy.”

“Look, do you want to learn or not?”“I definitely do. Sorry.” It didn’t take as long as either Hiro or the ninja had expected. In just under an hour, Hiro was able to teleport successfully- something which astounded his teacher. Hiro suspected that his ability might have had something to do with it, but kept the thought to himself. “You are ready Hiro.” he said solemnly “But use your power carefully. Oh,” his voice changed. “And good luck with Daiki, he’s a grumpy bastard.”

Unn

eces

sary

but

ado

rabl

e pi

ctur

e.^

Things had gone generally quite smoothly so far, but Hiro couldn’t stop himself from feeling nervous as he stared around the area he had teleported into. The plateau was hidden deep in a mountain range, surrounded by the four tall, domineering peaks of the mountains it perched upon, that rose like walls holding up the immeasurable weight of the flawless canopy above. Alone on the plateau stood a proud pagoda, that gave an impression of immense age and yet had none of its hallmarks. From where he stood, Hiro could just make out the figure of a seated man, inside the pagoda. He walked forwards but halted immediately as an unfamiliar voice spoke in his mind. Tend my Zen garden. It saidErr... Why? Hiro asked the voice nervously.Come no closer until you have tended my Zen Garden.

Deciding that it was best not to argue with a man who could speak inside other people’s heads, Hiro set to work. Hmmmm, said the voice How do I know that you haven’t done something to it?What could I have possibly done to it?An explosive device triggered my psychic energy perhaps?Don’t be ridiculous!Well I still don’t trust you. Meditate there for a while so that I know you haven’t done anything to it.

Sighing, he settled down to do so. He didn’t know how much time passed, but eventually the voice spoke again.Okay, that’s enough.Hiro opened his eyes and wondered how he had managed not to notice the rain that had started.Of course now you’ll have to tend the garden again.What?! Why?!

You messed up the stones with your psychic energy you idiot. It was all over the place! It was quite indecent to watch actually. Sure enough, the stones were no longer in their neat lines.“Awwwwww.” Hiro groaned.I’d get started if I were you. Said the voice The rain’s picking up and it’s almost sunset.

Grumbling, Hiro began the arduous task all over again. By the time he had finished, night had fallen.

Okay, you can come in now.

The man was indeed sitting, as Hiro had guessed from afar, but was doing so a few feet above the ground. He remained perfectly still as Hiro entered the pagoda, giving no sign that he had noticed his presence.No milk, two sugars. Step on it.Until then that is.Hiro hurriedly settled down at the table and prepared the tea.

“Aaaaaaah,” the man spoke for the first time as he came out of his meditation, returning to a standing position slowly and gracefully. “Er, are you Daiki?” asked Hiro.“Indeed I am.” he replied, taking a seat at the table.“I was hoping that you could help me,” said Hiro cautiously. “You see-”“I know why you are here boy.” Daiki interrupted.“You do?”

“Yes, but the question is, are you worthy of my help?” He left the question hanging in the air for a moment or two. “Pass me my tea.” he demanded sharply, causing Hiro to jump slightly in surprise. He fumbled to pass the cup across as quickly as he could.Daiki took a sip from the steaming cup, his eyes closed. After a couple of seconds, he opened them again.“That,” he said “is an excellent cup of tea. You are worthy of my assistance.”“Just because of the tea?” “Never underestimate the power of a good cup of tea.” Daiki said gravely. “And now I shall tell you what you wish to know.”

Daiki drained his cup and stood up, assuming a stance that reminded Hiro of his lecturers back at University. “Many long years ago...”Daiki drifted into a long and ancient tale which, although fascinating, was totally irrelevant to Hiro. But, being a polite boy, Hiro waited patiently for the story’s end.“...and was never seen again.” Daiki finished.

“That was fantastic,” said Hiro “But what I was actually hoping to find out was the location of the lost sword of Takezo Kensei.”“Aaaah,” said Daiki, slightly embarrassed. “So you didn’t want to learn the dragon legend then?”“Not really no,” said Hiro “But it’s a bonus I suppose!”“Hmmm,” Daiki regarded Hiro ponderously “I have a good feeling about you, so yes I will tell you where the sword is.”

How Daiki had come by the information he did not reveal, but the sword was now in the possession of one of the country’s more elite criminals who had a taste for rare artefacts. Daiki wished Hiro good luck and farewell before springing into air and vanishing from sight.

The drama of the exit was lost of Hiro. Yeah, yeah. I can do that too y’know.

Teleporting in had taken Hiro a couple of attempts. One the first, he found himself in a large, very well stocked pantry and on the second in what appeared to be a room that housed the largest collection of Sylvanian Families toys that Hiro had ever seen- including the controversial ‘The Village Abortion Clinic’ playset.

The third attempt however, was successful. “There it is.” he whispered. Hiro couldn’t believe how close he was.The sword was right in front of him and as he stared at it, to his confusion, its form seemed to undulate slightly.

Realising what was happening he closed his eyes.“Oh not now.” he begged himself as his head spun. He massaged his forehead, taking deep breaths and after a while, to his relief, the episode passed.

However, when he opened his eyes again, his relief soon disappeared. In front of him stood three distinctly angry and distinctly muscular men. Men- Hiro assumed- employed to beat intruders to a sticky stain on the floor.“Ah,” said Hiro as the men moved towards him, balling their hands into fists and snarling.

As Hiro panicked, one of the men became close enough to swing a well prepared punch towards his face. “Let’s see how you like-”Hiro screwed his eyes shut and focussed desperately on what he was trying to do.

Tentatively, Hiro opened one eye. Letting out a long, relieved sigh, he opened the other.“Pheeeew”

Hiro walked over to the frozen forms of the other two men, chuckling to himself; there was something comical about their suspended rage. “Of course the question is” he said aloud to himself “what am I going to do with you now? I’m not going to hurt you, but if I just leave you here you could make things difficult for me. Hmmm...”

“-THIS.” growled the man.But his fist did not make contact with the intruder’s cheek- and the fist was now protruding from the end of a puffy, brightly coloured, sparkly sleeve.

“Hey what the fuck?!”“What happened?! Where are we and-?!””“Why are we-?!”“What’s going on?!”

“I WANT A BALLOON ANIMAL! I WANT A GIRAFFE!”“Listen kid, we’re not-”“HE SAID YOU DO BALLOON ANIMALS! MAKE ME A GIRAFFE NOW!”“Who said that we-”“THE MAN WITH THE SWORD! GIRAFFE! NOW!”“Hey, screw you kid. We’re not-”“DADDY!

Hiro arrived outside Shodoku house, utterly exhausted. It had taken a lot of energy to teleport one of the men along side him, and he had had to make three trips.

As his surroundings drifted in and out of focus and the ground wobbled beneath him, Hiro regretted making the extra journeys to get the costumes. He felt his legs buckle and he fell down into blackness.

In a guest room of Shodoku house, Hiro slept, as he had done for the last 3 days. He had been examined by numerous doctors, all of whom had insisted that he would be fine in time and was simply, as Godric phrased it, ‘utterly zonked’. Nonetheless, Yaeko sat in agonising worry, terrified that there would be some lasting damage.

“Honestly Yaeko,” said Godric, trying to reassure her “Dr Suresh said he would be fine and he’s a specialist in these kind of abilities. Don’t worry.”“When did you speak to Mohinder?” demanded Iris, sounding hurt. “How is he?”“He’s fine.”“Didn’t he want to speak to me? Did he ask about me?”Er, he didn’t-”“He didn’t mention me at all? I don’t understand, I thought we were friends! Does he not like me anymore? Why-”“He’d waking up!” cried Yaeko happily.

Sure enough, Hiro stirred and heaved himself out of bed. “What happened?” he asked, rubbing his eyes. “Where’s the sword?”“The sword is safe now.” Kaito stood up, approaching Hiro as his daughter watched nervously.

“You did a very brave thing young man.” Hiro found it impossible to read his tone. “A very stupid thing, but nonetheless a very brave and dangerous one too. I am sorry that my pride and ignorance caused you to undertake such risks.” he hung is head for a moment before continuing. “You are a truly honourable young man and it is clear to me that you and Yaeko are very much in love. If you can forgive me, I would be honoured to consider myself a part of your family.”

“Thank you sir,” said Hiro, trying his best to bow correctly. Kaito laughed. “You have picked a fine one Yaeko.”

“The best.” cried Yaeko happily as she ran forward and flung herself into Hiro’s arms. “And he’s full of surprises too.” she laughed. “Mr Icanfreezetime.”“How-” Hiro began.“We filled them in about your ability.” explained Iris. “And that’s not all,” smiled Yaeko. “Apparently you were in a play!”“Awwww, Mum.” Hiro groaned.

“Hey, it was a feat of dramatic excellence.” smiled Iris. “And if you’re going to sleep for 3 days things are going to crawl out of the woodwork if you know what I mean.”Hiro smiled and hugged her, then his father.“We’re so happy for you Hiro.” Godric said happily. “Now let’s go home and sort out this heirship dealeo.”Hiro’s face fell. “But I’m not-”“Yeah you are,” interrupted Yaeko. “And I’m coming with you.”

“But-”“I’ve talked it over with Dad.” smiled Yaeko.“And I just want Yaeko to be happy.” said Kaito.“So I’m coming to Gotham with you.” she grinned. “For the heir poll, and after that- well, we can figure things out can’t we?”“Yeah,” He smiled, finding it difficult to speak due to the level of elation running through him. “Yes we can.”

I thought I’d end with Hermione and Horatio as they didn’t feature much in this chapter and are being particularly sweet at the moment. I hope you’ve enjoyed it. It was just a bit of a fun, silly (and deeply naff) chapter. If there were any parts in which you wanted to vomit, I assure you I was right there with you. I’m going to get the heir poll up as soon as this chapter is I swear. I can’t wait to get onto generation I! Thanks for reading.