Aishiteru Means I Love You

"You! Blondie!" Hyena snapped at the man who was passing by with a curly haired woman on his arm. "You speak English?"

Castaway was rankled at the act of being called "Blondie" He stared at the small woman in the unseasonal hooded coat. "I speak it." he said. "But my name is not 'Blondie'. I advise you to refer to all men you do not know as 'sir'."

"Jonny, don't you recognize her?" asked Beatrice. "From those photos you had me touch up." She looked at her. "You're the one called Hyena, aren't you?"

Hyena pulled back just enough of her hood to show her face. "Tell me how to get to Ishimura and I might give you an autograph."

"Why do you want to go to Ishimura?" asked Castaway.

"Attending an old friend's wedding." Hyena said with a smile. "And then I'm gonna get the gargoyle who gave me this!" She pointed to the three thin, white scars on her forehead.

"That's right!" said Beatrice. "She is the one from that photo from Times Square in '97! That small green one tried to kill her. Oh, you poor dear!" Beatrice touched her arm. "My name is Beatrice Brown and this is John Castaway, the head chairman of the Quarrymen." She beamed proudly at her new boyfriend. "If you have a problem with gargoyles, we're you're friends."

"F-for real?" It had been years since Hyena played the "fragile flower" role, but decided it would be good to slip back into it. "We really could use your help! Those gargoyles are the reason my brother and I are...well...." She affected a shamefaced look and pulled back just enough of her coat to reveal her cyber implants. "And what they did to our friend Randy is even worse! They-they had some evil magic and tried to turn him into a gargoyle. We managed to rescue him, but not before he...he...." Hyena cupped her cupped her face and pretended to cry.

Beatrice embraced the other woman. "Sh...it's OK. We'll get those monsters. In Ishimura, you say?"

Hyena pretended to catch her breath and wipe her eyes. "Yeah. Our old friend Dingo turned against us and now he's on their side. He's getting married to a Robyn Someone-or-other."

"Robyn?" said Castaway. "We're looking for her too! We thought she and the gargoyles would be here in Tokyo. Trail turned up cold."

"Do you know where Ishimura is?" asked Hyena. "You're the first English speakers I've met in this crazy town!"

"We could find out easily enough." said Castaway. "Rev. Walters might have some idea."

That evening, Castaway scheduled an emergency Quarryman meeting in one of the hotel board rooms. "I would like to introduce three new friends of the Quarrymen." said Castaway. "Please, do not let their frightening appearance alarm you." He presented the members of the Pack. "It is because of our common enemy that they are forced to live with these forms."

"Wait, isn't that the Pack?" said a man with a thick blond beard. "Didn't they do time?"

"Many people have been jailed for their beliefs." said Castaway. "From Paul and Silas, to Susan B. Anthony, to Martin Luther King Jr. The Pack wanted to be the champions of humanity, to protect the world from these monsters. In doing so, they sacrificed bits of their own humanity. Still, they will not be detoured! Like us, they will not rest until every gargoyle on Earth is but a fading nightmare! They are the enemy of our enemy and thus our friends. Our voyage to Japan was not in vain. Not only have we gained three new allies, but they give us valuable information. The gargoyles are not in Tokyo as suspected but in a town called Ishimura. Rev. Walters, you have made many missionary trips to Japan. Have you ever heard of a place called Ishimura?"

Rev. Walters gave a heavy sigh. "Not only have I heard of it, I've been to that wretched place. Japan is a difficult country to convert, but the Lord called on me and deemed that it was my cross to bear. In places like India and Gambia, it's so easy. You just offer someone a bag of rice if they'll accept Jesus as their savior and they'll fall to their knees right there and then. In Japan, they'll smile politely, shake their heads and go back to their cell phones and hand held video games. I went out to the countryside, hoping the people there were less worldly and more ready to accept the Good News of the Gospel.

"It was six years ago that I came to Ishimura. I thought the constable there would be an easy mark- conversion! He had just lost his wife to pancreatic cancer and was now raising their baby daughter and young son on his own. I talked to him of Heaven and how the two of them, indeed the whole family could be reunited. Of course, I made sure not to tell him his wife was undeniably in Hell for not accepting Christ. He listened politely, but seemed determined to stick with the false doctrine of Shintoism, dooming himself and his poor children to eternity in Hell.

"What I remember most, though, about Ishimura is these horrible looking statues they had on the village walls, facing the town. 'Tengu' they called them. Hideous, demonic looking things they were. I told the villagers that such graven depictions of evil were an affront to God and would bring down his wrath if not evil influences from demons. They laughed at me! I tried to save the village, and they laughed at me!

"I remember now, the villagers tried to keep me busy with indoor entertainments at night. It was at nighttime that their laughter stopped and they listened politely to my sermon, even begging me to read to them from the Bible, explain it to them and teach them songs of praise. They were eager for truth, and I was willing to give it to them until I was too tired to read or sing more. I remember seeing one of the statues looked a bit different from the last time I saw it. Many were, actually. One had a left hand instead of a right hand raised. One would have its tail up an inch or so higher. The laughter was back with the sun. They told me the statues had always looked like that and I was only imagining things. Had I known then what I know now, I would see those 'tengu' statues for what they undoubtedly are."

"It's like they said back in 'Nam." said a man with a husky man with graying hair. "Sometimes, you gotta destroy the village in order to save it." He smiled. "Man, those were some good times!"

"Where is Ishimura, Reverend?" asked Castaway.

"On a peninsula some 200 odd miles to the west." Rev. Walters replied. "It's surrounded by mountains on one side, the ocean on another. The town is so small it can't be found on most maps. It is difficult to get to, but not impossible."

Castaway rested a hand on his chin. "It may take me some time to rent a couple of mini vans to transport all of us. I doubt the train will be welcoming of our new furry friend." He patted Wolf on the shoulder, who responded by growling. "Get some rest, my Quarrymen. You will need it for the battle to come."
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There was a room at the Old Temple that served as a playroom. It had a thick carpet and was equipped with a myriad of toys and games and a wardrobe of dress-up clothes. Right now, the hatchlings and two human children were playing a make-believe game. "I am Sailor Moon!" Izumi announced, making some wild arm gestures. "Champion of love and justice!"

"And I'm Sailor Mini Moon!" Yoshimi said in Japanese, making similar arm motions.

"And in the name of the Moon," they both said. "We will punish you!"

"Ha ha, Sailor Twerps!" said Hideki. "You are no match for my yoma, Lexzilla!"

"Roar! Growl!" Lex waved his talons in the air. "Be scared and stuff!"

"Eee! I'm scared!" said Izumi.

"Don't run away, Sailor Moon!" said Yoshimi.

Lex didn't know what the girls were saying, but decided to play his role as 'monster' to the hilt. "Roar! I'm taking you away!" He grabbed Yoshimi and carried her off.

"Help! Help!" Yoshimi yelled, making a few token kicks.

"You're losing your wig." Lex broke character to help Yoshimi put her bubblegum pink wig back on.

"Kidnapping children is wrong!" a female hatchling dressed in a pink and green sailor fuku said in Japanese. "I will not forgive you!" She made a hand gesture and mimed throwing something at Lex. "SPAHKRING WIDU PRESHAH!"

Lex pretended to be electrocuted, dropping Yoshimi in the process. "Jupiter-Baka!" she yelled. "You nearly electrocuted me too!"

"BENUS RABBAME CHAIN!" A female hatchling with a red bow in her hair and dressed in an orange sailor fuku wrapped a jump rope around Lex.

"Oh no! I'm all tied up!" Lex hammed it up as he made a token effort to escape. "Whatever will I do?"

"SHABON...SPRAY!"

"MARSU FRAME SNIPAH!"

"AAAAAHHH!" Lex pretended to writhe in pain.

"And now to finish him!" said Izumi, raising her scepter.

"Ha ha, you tiny fool!" Lex broke from his bonds. "You cannot defeat Lexzilla so easily!"

"Oh no!" said Izumi. "If only Tuxedo Mask were here!" She looked pointedly at a closet door. "I saaaaaid if only Tuxedo Mask were here!" she repeated a bit louder.

"I'm not doin' it!" said Nashville.

"Aw, c'mon, Nash." said Lex. "You gotta play along."

"OK, but you better not laugh!" Nashville stepped out, dressed in a tuxedo print t-shirt and a cardboard top hat and mask. He had a red silk rose in his hand. He did not look happy. Lex tried to control his giggles, without much success. "You're laughing!"

"I-I'm sorry!" Lex panted between chuckles. "You just look so cute!" Nashville threw the rose at him.

"OK, kill him, Sailor Moon." said Nashville.

"That's not how it's done!" Yoshimi said peevishly.

"Yeah," said Izumi. "You're supposed to give a speech about how I should believe in myself and that the yoma is a big bad nasty thing that needs to be punished."

"Alright." Nashville rolled his eyes. "Believe in yourself, Sailor Moon, and kill that big bad nasty yoma."

Izumi spun her scepter like a baton. "MOON SPIRAR HAHT ATTACK!"

Lex screamed and grabbed his heart. "Oh no! I've been defeated by the Power of Love and Justice!" He staggered about. "I am doomed! Doomed! Oh, this is the end of me!" He made a few melodramatic gurgles and gasps as he fell to the ground thrashing. "I'm going! I'm going! Oh, what a world, what a world!" A shuddered a few times as he lay on the ground before he finally gagged and closed his eyes.

"Where is Lexington-San?" asked Kaede on entering the playroom.

"We killed him!" the hatchlings said cheerfully.

"You what?" Kaede shook her head. "Chlidren, killing a guest is very rude!"

"Aw, we didn't really, Kaede-San." said Nashville. "We were just playing."

"Here I am!" Lexington rose from the dead.

"OK, girls." said Hidiki. "We played your game. Now we get to play 'Dragon Ball Z'!" The male hatchlings enthusiastically agreed.

"It is Yoshimi-Chan's bedtime." Kaede said as she picked up the little girl.

"Aw, can't I play a little longer, Oba-San?" asked Yoshimi.

"No, little one," Kaede said gently as she removed the pink wig. "Your papa is waiting. Hidiki-Chan, you have another two hours. Oh, Lexington-San," Kaede took something out of the pocket of her kimono. "Staghart-San asked me to give you this." It was a folded piece of paper with "Lex" written on it in Staghart's handwriting. Lexington read the note as Kaede carried Yoshimi off.

/Lex,/

/Meet me in the left bedroom at the end of the west hall. Come alone. I have a surprise for you./

/Amp/

"What's it say?" asked Nashville craning for a better look.

Lex quickly crumpled the note before he could see it. "Ah, nothing. Just a bunch of boring grown-up stuff. Don't kill each other!" Lex quickly hurried off.
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Lex fairly ran down the hall. He tried to calm down before he slid open the door, his mind full of images of Staghart in various states of undress. "Amp?" he said, opening the door a bit. The room was dimly lit by some candles.

"Come in." Amp said seductively. "And close the door behind you." He was sprawled on a low futon with satin sheets and cushions piled up on one end. Amp was reclining on said cushions, his kimono opened to completely expose his chest. On a low table in easy reach were a sake flask, two cups, a platter of cookies, a bottle of lotion and- incongruant- a pair of wide mouthed test tubes. Amp smiled at his lover. "I figured that just because we're conceiving artificially is no reason to treat it like milking a cow."

Lex smiled and undid his belt. "Guess not." he said, letting his loincloth drop as Amp poured a couple cups of sake for them. Lex sat on the futon next to his lover and accepted his sake.

"Ganbai." Amp said, touching his cup to Lex's.

"Yeah. Ganbai." Lex gulped it down, feeling lightheaded.

Amp sipped his sake. "I found these cookies that have a bit of chocolate icing on them. They're called 'chinsukou'. If you pronounce it the wrong way, it sounds a lot like the Japanese word for 'penis'." Amp was smiling at Lex as he offered him one of the cookies.

Lex took a bite. "It's very good." he said. He put the cookie back in his mouth to take another bite. Amp gently pulled his hand away so that the cookie was hanging partially out of Lex's mouth.

"Let me try." Amp said, biting the cookie, bringing his mouth very close to Lex's. Lex gulped down the bit of cookie still in his mouth, feeling a little hot and bothered as Amp ate the rest of the cookie. "Oh, you have some crumbs on your cheek." Amp whispered into Lex's ear. "Let me get that for you." He gave Lex's cheek a small lick.

"Y'know, I could've got that." said Lex.

"But it wouldn't be fun now, would it?" Amp rubbed a bit of the lotion on his hands. He pulled Lex close to him so that Lex's back was pressed against that broad, furry chest. Amp nuzzled his lover's neck as he ran his slick hands over Lex's body. Lex lay back and let the strong but gentle hands touch him everywhere. The arms going around him made him feel warm and safe. He shivered as Amp made those featherlight strokes on his wing membranes that he liked so much. The hands smoothed up and down his torso, fingers running over every swell and dip. A trail of hot, damp, fuzzy kisses ran from Lex's ear to his bicep and back up again. Talons traced over the thin flesh of Lex's thighs, his penis bobbing for attention. Lex smiled at the feeling of soft fur and loving hands. He soon became aware of a hard lump poking into his tail. /Wow./ Lex thought. /He gets hard just from touching me?/ He stopped thinking altogether when that strong hand finally curved around his cock, squeezing it gently but firmly.

"You're going to have to tell me when you're about to come." Amp whispered in his ear. "So I can catch it." Lex shuddered and moaned as the hand squeezed and pulled on him. "I love you so much, Lex." Fur caressed Lex's ear. Lex panted as he gripped Amp's arms. The pleasure was building with every pump of his hand. "Do you know how beautiful you are when you're enjoying yourself, love?" Lex gasped and arched his back.

"Amp...Amp, I'm close!"

Amp grabbed the test tube with his free hand. "OK, Just let go whenever you're ready." Lex arched like a bow and let out a low cry as his orgasm hit him. Amp managed to catch every milky drop in the tube as Lex collapsed against him. "Lex? Sweetheart?" Lex mumbled happily into Amp's fur. "Lex, I hate to break up a good cuddle session, but this needs to go in the freezer."

"Oh." Lex rolled off his lover. "OK, you do that. And when you come back, I'll do the same for you."

Amp put his kimono back in some semblance of order. /Right./ Amp thought. /I'm going to have to calm down if I'm going to take this to the kitchen. Think of something not sexy. Baseball. Yank game played by men in tight pants who slap each other on the bum...no, that's not going to work! Margaret Thatcher naked on a cold day! Margaret Thatcher naked on a cold day! Ah...that did it!/

In the kitchen, Staghart noticed a problem. The test tube had no cork and there was no way to stand it up in the freezer. He considered the problem solved when he saw an empty creamer carton in the wastebasket. On inspection, it looked fairly clean, having recently been thrown there. It would do. Staghart poured the tube full of freshly squeezed Lex juice into the carton. He put that in the freezer and started looking for something Lex could use. There was another creamer carton in the refrigerator, with barely half a teaspoon full of cream left. Staghart emptied it and washed it in the sink. He put the empty carton in the freezer and helpfully wrote "creamer" on the grocery list, hoping whoever was in charge of shopping could read English.

He returned to the bedroom to find Lexington completely relaxed on the futon. Staghart cuddled up behind him and caressed him. "My turn." he whispered.

Lex realized that their size difference meant they couldn't take the same position. Lex stacked some pillows together and had Amp lay against them. Lex rubbed himself against Amp's body, stroking his fur, pausing to kiss his ears. Amp was making those soft sighs and running an appreciative hand over Lex's back. Lex kissed and nuzzled his way down Amp's body, letting the penis slip into his mouth. Amp shuddered and gasped Lex's name as Lex suckled. He took his mouth away and kissed the tip, letting his hand pull and squeeze the thickening member. Lex let the organ rub against his cheek and teased the tip with his lips and tongue. Amp hissed and arched. "Lex, I'm close!" he announced. Lex grabbed the tube and sped up his pumping. Amp gave a series of ecstatic moans as Lex caught every drop he had to offer.

"There's-there's an empty creamer carton in the freezer." Amp managed to gasp out as his body tried to return to normal. Lex nodded and hastily did up his loincloth.

The carton was where Amp said it would be, along with another carton already holding Lex's sperm. Once Lex had Amp's sperm put away, he called the number Dr. Kimura gave him. Lex didn't understand the words he heard, but he could tell it was an answering machine. "Hey, Dr. Kimura," he said after the beep. "It's me, Lexington. Am-uh-Staghart and I put the sperm samples in the freezer in a pair of creamer cartons. Come pick them up at the Old Temple whenever you like. Thanks, bye."
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The next morning, Dingo poured himself a cup of coffee. One sip of the black, bitter liquid was enough to get him semi-awake. "Where the devil do they keep their blinkin' creamer?" Dingo asked as he searched the refrigerator. "Wonder if they got any Eggos." He opened the freezer. "/There's/ the creamer! Why the blazes did they put it in the freezer?" Dingo inspected the "creamer'. "Only a bit froze. It'll thaw." he added it to his coffee. "Why'd they leave two nearly empty containers in there? I hate when people do that!"

"Yo, Dingo!" called Fang. "Didja hear the one about the ninja who hid in the supplies closet? He jumped out and shouted 'Supplies!'"

"Fang," Dingo sighed. "Don't let Yama hear you tell that joke. In fact, play it safe and don't tell anyone that joke!" Dingo sipped his coffee and grimaced. "What in blazes is wrong with this coffee?"

"It's coffee, it's supposed to taste like crap." said Fang.

"Nah. This was pretty decent coffee until I added the cream. It must've gone off or something." Dingo took an exploratory sip. "It tastes kinda sour, and kinda salty."

"Didn't ya sniff the cream first?" Fang sniffed one of the empty cartons. "Ugh. Smells like ass!"

"And how would you know what ass smells like, mate?" Dingo teased. "Anyroad, I gotta have my joe. Keepin' gargoyle hours is gettin' to me. Gotta go down to the courthouse today, pick up the certificate. Also gotta pick up the programs and get you and the rest of the gents fitted tonight."

"I don't gotta wear that skirt, do I?"

"Hakama." Dingo sipped his coffee and gagged. "Maybe sugar will help." He added a few spoonfuls.

"I am making an intrusion." Dr. Kimura said apologetically as he entered through the kitchen door.

"Naw." Dingo said, stirring his coffee. "I was just 'bout to go visit yer brother, Doc." Dingo tasted his coffee. The sugar only just masked the sour-salty taste some. "Say, Doc, is it bad to eat food that's gone off?"

"I don't recommend it." Dr. Kimura opened the freezer as Dingo took another sip of his coffee. "Did you see a pair of creamer cartons in here? Lexington-San told me he and Staghart-San put their sperm samples in there."

Dingo did a spit take. "S-sp-sp-sperm samples?" he gasped as Fang grinned sadistically.

"Yes." said Dr. Kimura. "I need to add the cryoprotectant so they can stay frozen for ten years. I'm sure you've heard about the deal they made with Shinju and Yuri."

Fang laughed as a horrified look came to Dingo's face. "Aw, man! This is too funny!" Fang laughed. "Dingo! You just drank gargoyle jizz!" Dingo shoved past him and Dr. Kimura and vomited in the sink.

"You're not doing your esophagus any favors." Dr, Kimura said helpfully.