On the plane…
Dachii and the others sat in the back of the plane while Yamato flew through the clouds, exiting Voltiana and soaring over the Asmana Forest.
"Look at the clouds!" Soari gasped, her head in the window. "They're so pretty!"
"Should we be trusting this kid piloting?" Hikari worried. "After all, we don't even have any parachutes! And where's the straps? Do you people live for danger?"
Akari put a hand on Hikari. "Hikari. You can't show weakness to these people. They'll eat us alive."
"But their GENERAL is literally sitting on the WING of the plane!"
She pointed to Toru, who appeared to be meditating on the right wing of the plane. Reika laughed and waved her off. "Please, he always does that! Doesn't matter if it's the roof, basement, or even underwater, General Toru is going to find his peace and quiet!"
"Why did it have to be him…?" Hikari groaned.
Noriko was sitting next to Dachii, biting her fingers. "Dachii, it's great to see you and all, but did you really have to bring…them?"
She motioned to the rest of his squad, where Saori was attempting to open the window, Luca was sitting upside down in his seat, and Aoki was stabbing her own blade into her ear, drawing blood.
"It wasn't my idea…" he explained.
Noriko took a deep breath to calm herself. "I hope they don't screw this up. General Toru was serious about this mission. If anything happens, we'll all get beatings for a MONTH!"
Yamato nosedived the plane. "Hold it steady, amigos! Gotta swerve through this storm!"
As lightning crackled through the sky, the plane quickly soared lower, making everyone fall out of their seats. Surprisingly, Toru was still on the wing, undisturbed.
"How can he casually ignore that?" Hikari questioned. "What's with this squad?"
Noriko got up. "I've…gotta hurl! I'll be right back!"
She hurried to the bathroom in the back.
"For a Vice-General, she seems a bit of a…wimp," Akari remarked. "Why would someone like him choose someone like her?"
Aoki glared at him from out the window. "Maybe he's an idiot, to go along with his annoying self-righteousness."
"Don't be so hard on poor Noriko!" Reika stated. "She is the Vice-General for a reason! General Toru never makes mistakes! Well, if he does, he usually beats them."
"What reason is that?" Aoki replied. "Running away at the slightest hint of danger?"
"You'll see!" Reika winked.
The plane swerved again.
"Hey, can you give us a warning next time?" Reika shouted.
"Okay!" Yamato shouted back. "Warning!"
The plane flew high into the sky again, causing everyone to fall towards the back of the plane. Yet again, Toru remained in his position. "Not what I meant!"
Soon, the sea could be seen, a vast ocean that spanned for miles and miles. Dachii remembered it as clearly as when he first crossed it.
"Home…" he thought. "Just on the other side…"
Yamato hit a button. "Hold your horses, folks!"
The boosters on the back of the plane activated, and the plane sped over the ocean much faster than a speeding bullet. Marachii almost hit the ground. "Man, why does this feel so familiar? What's with these vehicles and their overdrives?"
The sparkling blue water below them passed by, and by, and by, until finally, Dachii and Marachii could see land. Not just any land—-their homeland.
"What's that?" Saori wondered.
"Home…" Dachii replied, his voice flat.
Yamato pulled the plane down, landing it on the edge of the border. "Hope you had a great flight, folks! Please exit the plane in a timely manner…ahh, who am I kidding? Get your asses out!"
He pressed a button, opened the doors. Most of S-6 piled out the door, hurling and nauseous. A few of them knocked Dachii out of the plane, causing him to fall on his back.
"Sorry!" they apologized.
"It's fine…" Dachii said, getting up and looking around.
Toru stepped off the plane, a disapproving look on his face. "That ride was hardly intense. Pick yourselves up off the ground and grab your gear. And where is Noriko?"
"Still in the bathroom," Reika pointed out.
"Ridiculous. Grab her at once!"
Dachii's squad got out of the plane as well.
"So this is what's across the sea?" Akari remarked. "I never knew. But where's the…people?"
"Where's the cities?" Hikari wondered.
"Where's those sports you were talking about, Dachii?" Aoki asked.
Both Akari and Hikari looked at her. "Sports?"
Dachii pointed down the road. "That way."
Marachii stretched. "Feels good to be on this side of the ocean again! I can feel the nostalgia!"
Toru appeared behind Dachii and Marachii. "Good. Because you two are going to show us the way to the mainland. Yamato! Prepare the vehicle!"
A bus deployed from the back of the plane, rolling up to the soldiers. Yamato got out of the plane and got into the driver's seat of the bus, rolling down its window. "Vehicle deployed, sir! All aboard!"
One by one they got in the bus, and Reika dragged a still-sick Noriko inside. Toru, Dachii, and Marachii were the last ones to enter, and Toru stationed them near the front.
"Follow their directions, Yamato. And no pit stops!" Toru ordered.
"You got it, boss man!"
He stepped on the gas. "Now point that way!"
Dachii remained silent, his hair still covering most of his face. Marachii pointed down the road. "Start by driving down this road. It's a bit long, so you might need a bit of gas—-!"
BOOM.
Yamato immediately stomped on the pedal and took off, nearly causing everyone to fall. Dachii activated his powers and used a hand to stop Marachii from falling.
"Not THAT much gas!"
"What's next?" Yamato asked, excited.
"Uhh…go left!"
He swerved the car left so fast that Marachii nearly hit a wall, but Dachii grabbed his arm.
"What now?"
"Go straight!"
"Hell yeah!"
From the back, Akari had put the rest of S-1 in a force field. "You were right, Hikari. This squad is crazy."
"I TOLD you!" Hikari exclaimed.
After more twists and turns, the soldiers could see a city in the near distance. Marachii immediately recognized it. "That's Yuara City! Okay, we're close!"
"Yuara?" Yamato questioned.
"Just drive to it," Marachii said.
"You bet!"
The bus took off, sending everyone but Toru flying backwards, who grabbed onto one of its poles. Once Yamato got close, he noticed a gate guard at the entrance to Yuara. "What's that?"
"Crap," Marachii realized. "Trouble."
The guard knocked on the window, and just as Yamato prepared to roll it down, Marachii stopped him. "Wait! They don't know what a Voltian is! Switch places!"
"Hmm?"
"Switch! Get in the back!"
Yamato shrugged and stood by Dachii. Marachii rolled the window down and waved. "Uh…hi! What can I do for you, sir?"
The guard studied him. "You're Kia's kid, ain't ya? Morino's grandson! Which one are you? Marachii, right?"
Marachii nodded. "Yep, that's me!"
"Ya mom was just through this gate a couple days ago. You come to visit her?"
Marachii nodded again. "Just a causal trip, that's all!"
The guard narrowed his eyes. "What kind of fancy car is this? I didn't know a kid like you was driving such a thing!"
"Heh, well, Morino gave it to me," Marachii explained. "Nothing special."
"That crazy old man," the guard laughed.
"Yep! That's him!"
The guard stepped aside, letting him pass. "Well, best hurry. If I know your mom, she won't want you driving alone for long."
"Yep, will do! Thanks!"
Marachii rolled the window back up, allowing Yamato to get behind the wheel. "That guy looks tough! Should I fight him?"
"NO," Marachii declared. "No."
Yamato kept driving, but the moment he pulled into Yuara, he became confused. "Huh…?"
There were regular-style buildings, roads, and cars, humans walking all over the place, homeless people smoking, cats and dogs running around, and even a group of people gathered around a man in a magician's outfit, who pulled a rabbit out of a hat.
"What IS all this?" Yamato asked.
Dachii looked around. "Same as ever."
Marachii turned back to Toru. "What city are we supposed to be searching in?"
"The Queen did not specify," Toru replied. "We must figure out where this artifact is on our own."
"That helps a lot," Marachii groaned. "Alright, fine. I guess just park somewhere here, but be discreet about it. If they see a bunch of glowing white people pop out of a giant tech bus we'll all go to jail."
"Jail! Sounds fun!" Yamato laughed.
"No."
Yamato pulled the bus over to an alleyway, parking it between the two buildings. "Parked and parked! Off you go, everyone!"
They stepped out of the bus, pulling their hoodies on as they checked out the city. Aoki, Akari, and Hikari all walked outside the alleyway, confusion and intrigue on their faces. Marachii immediately pulled them back.
"What the hell are you three doing?"
"Sorry, we, uh…" Hikari stammered. "Just wanted to see where you three came from!"
"It's so…ordinary. So different…" Akari noted.
Aoki looked around. "Dachii, where are the sports? Are people fighting?"
"They might," Dachii said. "Who knows."
Marachii shook Dachii. "Dachii we need to do something! They can't be seen dressed like…this!"
He pointed to their squad uniforms. "Is there any way you guys can like…make your skin appear normal?"
Akari shook her head. "We're bright and glowing. It's genetic."
"Ahh, hell…"
A large group of kids came running past the alley, causing Toru to wave his hand. "Disperse!"
The soldiers quickly hid by the time the kids reached the alleyway, leaving only Marachii and Dachii standing there. The kids stopped when they saw them.
"Ooh! What costumes are those?" one asked.
"Are you from the military?" another asked.
"What's that?" a kid wondered, pointing to the bus.
Marachii scratched his head. "I don't know either! We just stopped by to check this out! So, nothing to see here!"
The kids shrugged. "Okay!"
They continued, and Marachii breathed a sigh of relief. "Phew. Thank goodness for the ignorance of children!"
Luca suddenly shifted from an ant back into his normal form. "Obviously, this hiding stuff won't work."
Toru dropped from above. "The wolf is correct. We can't investigate if we are to cower and duck from every human that approaches. We need a cover."
A light bulb went off in Marachii's head. "I have an idea! Disguises!"
Toru lifted an eyebrow. "Elaborate."
"If you all dress like humans, you guys can probably pass off as some…form of human! Most people here have never been to the Unknown Side, so they'll be totally obvious to any races that come from there!"
"You mean the land of Asmana," Toru corrected. "If that's what you people call the other side, then it's no wonder your land looks like this."
Marachii sighed. "Let's just get you all dressed up. Dachii, can you help me sneak them in?"
Dachii's hand twitched before forming a thumbs-up.
"No need," Toru interrupted, putting a hand on the bus. "Everyone get inside."
They piled back into the bus, and Toru activated his magic, turning the entire bus and the occupants inside invisible.
"Whoa! Could he always do this?" Marachii asked.
"More or less," Reika replied.
"Now boys," Toru said. "Where do we get these…disguises?"
"The mall…" Dachii answered. "It's where all…the fashion heads go."
"Then lead us to this mall!" Toru ordered. "And make haste!"
At Yuara City Mall…
Yamato drove the bus through the giant mall entrance, stopping in the middle of the mall, amongst a bunch of stores and shoppers.
"Did you have to park right in the middle?" Marachii groaned. "They'll see us!"
Dachii exited the bus, grabbing it and dragging it along to the back of the mall.
"That works too," Marachii remarked. "Luca, we'll need your help. Turn into a dog or something."
"I can do the something."
He shifted into a wolf. Marachii shook his head. "I guess that can work. Alright Dachii, it's up to us to dress these soldiers up."
"Sure…" he replied, staring off into the distance.
The three of them walked into the mall, with Luca getting side-eyes and stares from some of the shoppers. After stopping in a luxury store, Marachii scanned the items. "What would human girls wear…hmm…Dachii, any ideas? Dachii?"
Dachii was watching a group of kids: two boys and a girl. As he watched them, he noticed they felt oddly familiar. "It can't be…"
The girl among them was laughing, holding a barrage of purses. "Zentaruo, Chiho! You two are a mess! Let's hurry up and get out of here before the line gets…long…"
She turned around, her eyes immediately widening.
"…Dachii? Marachii?"
Marachii noticed too. "No way…"
"…Mihina?"
—-