Disclaimer: I don't own Outlaw Star, though I wish on every star in the galaxy I did, so please don't sue me 'kay?

Notes: Hi again. Well, I guess it’s time to end this *tear*. Thanks for all your reviews and *tear* support. *sniff* *sniff* It’s been fun. *tear* Oh I can’t take it!! I’M GONA CONTINUE!!! However, not this fic. Yes, this is the very last chapter of the Boutou Hoshi saga, but I’m going to write more in the Boutou Hoshi Side Stories series. Also, if you guys want it *note the influence of review on my work!!*, I plan to write at least one more series and a one shot. So READ AND REVIEW PEASE!!! *ULTRA WARNING; this was done while watching one of my fav episodes of Gundam Wing and listening to Fushigi Yuugi Mp3s as well as some Yuu Yuu Hakusho*

Review Replies:

~Hiya MoonDreamer15!; Ooh, it seems MoonDreamer15 has cursed my muse.

Chibi-Ko; Ko! <(@.@)>

Oh it’s all right Chibi, don’t worry! The curse is only so that you stay awake for 11 nights straight. That means we’ve got plenty of time to write!! ^^

~Kyotora; Wow, thanks! (^-^))

~Aisha’s Kid; Nope, that wasn’t the end. This is! Well, sort of anyway (READ MY NOTES PLEASE EVERYONE!)

~barbo-chan; I think you made sense! And besides, if I didn’t end it there not only would it be much longer than the other chapters, but it wouldn’t have the same dramatic feel. ^^

~Bishexy No Miko; Thanks very much for the complement! That’s so cool, especially since it was from such a wonderful writer (not that the rest of you aren’t, you’re all great!!!) who has had my respect and admiration for so long! Except for that comment about ending this *snarles with aforementioned venomous fangs*. Actually, I took that to heart, and decided to wrap it up . . . sorta. SEE HOW REVIEWS EFFECT MY WRITING! (blame this ending on her, not me *runs from BNM (I seem to be doning that alot)*)

Trunks, Jade S., and Digiberry~ Ohayo again! You guys are wonderful, thanks for your fantastic reviews and encouragement, this fic couldn’t have been written without you! (^-^))

Okay, on with the fic!! ^^

Boutou Hoshi Ch. 7

By: Adakie aka Jim No Miko

Gene carefully climbed down from the fire escape. He felt numb, like he couldn’t even think. He cautiously stepped towards the dumpster and, tucking his caster in his belt, placed a shaking hand against the dull metal. The sickening smell of blood was thick in the air. He stared in. Riakie’s body lay horribly still, head tilted to the side and limbs twisted in unnatural directions. Blood soaked her dress and matted her hair, and her dirty skin was already noticeably pale. Gene looked away quickly, unable to bear the sight any longer.

A thought suddenly shot through his mind. ‘Jim!’ He quickly ran the short distance to where the boy was. He had long since stopped coughing and was just laying there on the floor, soaked in blood. Gene put a hand against his back.

" . . . you’re bleeding." [1] The boy didn’t speak, but moaned slightly in response.

"Hey Jim? Are you okay?" Another muffled moan. Gene, deciding that this was getting them nowhere, pulled him up into a sitting position. However, the minuet he started to pull his hand back, Jim started to fall. Gene grabbed him again, leaning the boy back against himself. The blood had all but stopped, but one important thing caught the teenager’s eye; the hook was still there. ‘She left it in, why that b*t- . . .’ but he couldn’t bring himself to complete the thought. ‘She was a psycho and I can’t forgive what she did to Jim, but . . . maybe she wasn’t such a b*tch. I’d better get this out.’

"Hey kid, I’ve got to take out this hook, okay?"

Gene didn’t wait for a reply. He wrapped his arm around the boy’s chest to brace him and gently tugged on the metal. It was embedded just below his cheek-bone and the barb made a sickening scraping noise as the prongs tried to catch against it. He winced at the sound but continued to pull. After what seemed like an eternity the reddened metal finely twisted free. He flung it with all his might, wanting to be as far away from the hated object as possible. It hit the wall and fell against the pavement with a dull clatter. Gene turned away, staring down at the child in his arms. The blood was flowing a little freer now. ‘That’s not good. I’d better get something to stop this . . . I know.’ He ripped a patch of dark cloth from his sleeve and pressed it against the wound.

"I think you’re gona be okay now kid."

"Nnn . . . Aniki . . . "

Gene gasped. ‘What the h*ll?! Did he just . . . no way, no way! That’s not possible. I mean . . we just met and . . . I should end this. Ya, that’s right, I should just end this now. I can drop him off at an orphanage or something and . . . ’ Jim was unconscious now, leaning against him with a look of pure, child-like innocence on his face. ‘Aw d*mn it . . . why can’t I say no to him? Why? Uh . . . we’ll I’d better get you home then.’

Just then, a dark shape on the ground caught his eye. It was the glove Riakie had tossed aside earlier. He sat there a few moments, just steering at it. He couldn’t remember what had compelled him to give those gloves to the kid, but at that moment it really didn’t matter. He picked up the black fabric and slipped it back over Jim’s hand. And with that, he carefully gathered the small body into his arms and started back to the apartment.

~*~

Calm, dark eyes stared down into crystal blue. ‘I’ve got to face it,’ Gene thought silently, ‘he doesn’t belong here.’ It had been weeks since what he had started referring to as "the incident" had happened, and Jim hadn’t really seemed himself since. Not that Gene actually knew how the boy was suppose to act, but he had been so passive and distant. It was like he didn’t have any reason to care anymore, like he didn’t have a reason to keep going.

His wounds had healed well enough but blood loss and infection had set back his recovery. There were days then Gene truly thought the boy wouldn’t make it, but he had pulled through somehow. Now, standing there in Gene’s old jacket and the shirt and pants the older boy had given him originally, one could barely tell that he’d fought such a horrendous battle.

But Gene could tell.

He knew where to look for the fading scars on his face and neck. He knew that the slightest pressure on his abused hands and wrists could still make him wince. He knew that the spark that had once light those pure blue eyes . . . was dead.

‘He doesn’t belong here.’ "Well, I guess this is goodbye." Jim simply stared up at him, so much like he had before.

"Hey, don’t’ give me the silent treatment again. Do I really deserve that, after all I’ve done for you?" Not even Gene’s classic trademark sarcasm could make him speak. The teen stuck his hands in the pockets of his jacket, a nervous habit. "Well . . . anyway, you aren’t the type to be cooped up, are you?" Silence. "Ya, I thought so. So, I’m setting you free. You can go where ever you want to, I’m not holding you back." Still nothing . . . how annoyingly familiar. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

Almost hesitantly, Jim started to take off the dark jacket. "No, you keep that. It’s yours now." The younger boy stared up at Gene for a minuet more, then took off down the street. ‘Well, he’s gone . . . I gave him back his freedom, right . . . then why do I feel like such a b*stard?’

~*~

Jim couldn’t stand it any longer, he turned and ran. The tears he had been trying so hard to hold back were finely breaking through, and he couldn’t let Gene see him cry. He had to be strong, there was still unfinished business to take care of.

He ran as fast as his legs could carry him, afraid that if he didn’t he would be too late. He couldn’t be too late, not again.

After what seemed like an eternity he finely reached where he was going; his home. He slipped breathlessly into the basement, searching frantically for what he could only hope would still be there . . . it was. Jim dropped to his knees in front of the still figure of the only one he would ever call otouto-chan. It was a miracle that the body hadn’t been found before then. He was glad, he wanted to do this himself. Cautiously, he lifted the still form into his arms and walked out into the noonday sun.[2]

~*~

Gene stuffed the last of his belongings into the oversized duffel-bag. He’d spent eighteen years of his life living in the same place and he’d made many memories there, both good and bad. He’d lived a happy life there with his father, suffered through the deaths of both of his parents, made and lost countless friends, dated countless girls, and much more all without leaving his hometown. But now it was time to move on.

‘Oh well, you can’t stay home forever. And besides, I really don’t want those big shots after me. I guess it’s time for a change of scenery.’

He hefted his bags and took out his ticket. It was a one way pass to a nearby planet called Coriga. It was small, not really the best place for a reckless, renegade, adventure seeking spirit like him, but it was also all he could afford. One last glance around the now empty apartment, and Gene Starwind set off for a new home and a new life.

~*~

Jim stood slowly. He’d buried Liko a few feet away from the city underneath an old tree. He felt that would be best, a gentle spirit like his Otouto-chan didn’t deserve to be left in the crowded, choking city. He had tried to find Riakie’s body so that he could do the same for her as well, but it was nowhere to be found.

He’d spent the day sitting there in the sun, silently morning for his lost family and wondering what to do with his newfound freedom. ‘The last time I was alone like this’, Jim remembered sadly, ‘was when this entire mess started. Do I really want to wind up like this again? I don’t want to loose anymore family . . . I don’t want to have to bury more dead.’

~*~

Gene looked over his shoulder nervously. He was use to being stared at by random civilians and pedestrians, with as many scars as he had he couldn’t help but attract attention, but his was different. He could tell that someone was following him. He whirled around suddenly, hand ready to grasp his gun at a moments notice. Staring back at him from the alleyway was a tall, blond man.

"Who are you, why are you following me?!"

"Tall, red hair, scars, a star tattoo on the left shoulder . . . I’ve heard of you, you’re the Red Star of Moushiko 6, Gene Starwind."

Gene smirked slightly. "Well, it seems my reputation precedes me. However, I’d appreciated it if you didn’t call me that, okay?"

"Hum," the man was clearly not impressed. "I’ve been looking for you Starwind . . . and I’m here to destroy you!" The man rushed him with such lightning speed that Gene could barely avoid the punch.

‘G*d he’s fast!’ The blond turned and charged again without even a moment’s hesitation. Gene felt the wind whip his rusty-red hair as he narrowly avoided another punch. A voice suddenly echoed from the shadows.

"He’s an android!"

Both men stopped dead in their tracks. The owner of the voice didn’t emerge, he didn’t have to. Gene knew that voice by heart.

"Didn’t you hear me? He’s an android! Aim for his left leg, that’s where the main power cable is!"

The teen grinned triumphantly and pushed the blond man away. "Right, got it!"

In the wide world of space, a quick draw is a fighters best offense and defense, and Gene Starwind was one of the fastest alive. The android never had a chance.

"Heh, well that was almost too easy. Thanks for the help kid." Just as suspected Jim’s small figure stepped out of the inky blackness. He lifted his face, showing bright eyes and a small grin. Gene couldn’t help but smile at the boy.

"You’re back. But you were so quick to leave ."

"Ya, you see I . . had something to take care of."

"And you tracked me down because . . . "

"Well . . . let’s just say . . I don’t want to loose another family . . . Aniki."

A slight blush crossed over Gene’s embarrassed face. "Oh, so you, uh, remember that?" Jim stepped forward, grabbing his wrist.

"You . . . you will be my Aniki, right?"

"Well sure, of course I will."

Jim smiled brightly, his eyes sparking with the light that Gene had thought was extinguished forever. "Oh, but, I’m leaving. I’ve already got my ticket and everything. I’m going to Coriga."

"Huh, I figured as much. Don’t worry, I can sneak onboard."

"Oh really?" Gene smirked, his trade mark sarcasm clearly evident in his voice. "You do know that that’s illegal, right?"

"Sure I do."

"And you do realize that some of the stuff I do is illegal, right?"

"I thought so."

"And if you were my Otouto, you’d have to be my partner as well . . ."

"What, you think I can’t do it? I helped you out back there, didn’t I?"

"Ya, I guess so . . ."

"You guess so?! Face it, if it wasn’t for me you’d be a bloody pulp by now."

"Hey, I wouldn’t go that far!"

The two laughed happily, both comforted by the fact that they wouldn’t have to be alone anymore.

~*~

A dark figure rocked back and forth silently, surrounded in white. Two voices were the only thing that penetrated the blinding white void.

"Why do I have to take guard?"

"It’s your turn!"

‘I won’t be here forever . . .’ the one thought, paying no heed to the arguing guards outside.

"But . . ." the voice quieted slightly, but the one could still hear it, "I don’t like it here, this patient scares me."

‘I will not forget . . . ’

"W-what?" The second started laughing. "You’re scared?! Ah, what a wimp! It’s just a little girl."

‘It’s all your fault . . .’

"Ya, I know, but how does a girl get two broken legs and a broken arm and wind up in a dumpster? And besides, she beet up the last two guards without even taking off her straight-jacket."

‘You will pay!!’

The tearing of fabric echoed through the room, disturbing it’s pure, crystal-like stillness.

~*Owarii - End?*~

[1] - Gene said this to Jim the first time they met (actually met, not just the one sided conversation). I like to put the same lines in different places, it adds a touch of humor in an otherwise far to serious chapter. ^^

[2] - This is symbolic . . . or at least it’s suppose to be. See, the other times he was leaving, especially the last time, it was dark. Now, this time he leaves, it’s light. Uh . . . ya.

Adakie; *snif* *snif* Well . . . *snif* I guess . . . this is . . really . . *sob* . . . the end . . *breaks down crying*

Outlaw Star Fangirls; Ehh . . . *sweatdrop*

Chibi-Ko; *takes out a hand held translator from Hammer/Sub/Z/Ether/Spandex-Space (*refferences to Yuu Yuu Hakusho, Gundam Wing, and Outlaw Star plus other stuff I can’t remember*) Koko koo, ko kooo. Ko ko kkoko ko kooko. Ko ko ko! Koo, ko ko k-koo ko kkoooko ko koo.

Translation; Sorry everyone, don’t mind her. She’s just upset about this being over. She’ll get over it! Anyway, please make us happy and read and review our next stories.

OSF; Okay! Anything for Gene and Jim!

Chibi-Ko; Koko! Ko ko kokko ko koo, ko koko koooo ko kokko.

Translation; Oh, I forgot! Please send lots of reviews for this too, so that we’ll have lots of stuff to go on.

Chibi-Ko; <(^-^)> *puts translator back and tries to revive her author*

Adakie; *pulls herself together* Ehh, sorry about that, but do listen to Chibi-Ko, we need lots of reviews. There the best way to keep her from going into hibernation.

OSF; Ergh, hibernating muses, not fun.

Adakie; Well, anyway, it’s time for your reward!

OSF; Reward?

Adakie; Yup! It’s for reading this far, writhing enthusiastic reviews, and actually making this fic the most reviewed Outlaw Star fic (we surpassed the Chronicles of Starwind and Hawking, a wonderful fic *shameless promo* that’s one of my favorites). *teary eyed* You guys are great!!

OSF; Aww . . . okay, where’s the reward?

Adakie; *pulls her own device out of Hammer/Sub/Z/Ether/Spandex-Space (aah the references) and presses a blue button* Tada! *a projector starts up and shows a film against a white screen*

OSF; Wha?! *sweatdrop* That’s not what we expected!

One day, while strolling in the Makai (the Demon World where all Youko live), Chibiko from the Tide and Real Yu Yu Hakuso doujinshi series sensed a strange ki.

Chibiko; Grr?

Translation; Huh?

There, a few feet away from him, was a female chibi youko a little like himself. Her fur was the same silver, but with a blue highlight, and she wore a short cut white kimono tied with a gray sash. Her ears and tail twitched slightly when she saw him.

Chibi-Ko; Ko! Ko kko. Ko ko koooko?

Translation; Hi! I’m Chibi-Ko. You’re Chibiko, right?

Chibiko; Grr? Grrrrr, grrrrr?

Translation; Huh? How you know my name?

Chibi-Ko; Ko, koko.

Translation; What a stupid question.

Chibiko; Grr, grrrrrrrr!

Translation; That’s it, get out of my territory!

Chibi-Ko; Kko? Ko kko!

Translation; You’re territory? This is my territory!

OSF; Uhh, this is confusing . . .

Chibiko; Grrr.

Translation; No it’s not.

Chibi-Ko; Koko!

Translation; Yes it is!

Chibiko; Grr!

Translation; Is not!

Chibi-Ko; Ko!

Translation; Is so!

Chibiko; Grrr . . .

Translation; Grrr . . .

Chibi-Ko; Kkk . . .

Translation; Grrr . . .

OSF; I still don’t get it . . .

Chibiko; Grr, grrrrrr, grrrr?

Translation; Besides, shouldn’t you be with you’re author?

Chibi-Ko; Ko ko.

Translation; I am.

Chibiko; Gr?

Translation; Heh?

Chibi-Ko; Koko ko koooko, ko ko koo?

Translation; This is a fanfic, didn’t you know?

Chibiko; G . . . grr?

Translation; A . . . fanfic?

Chibi-Ko; Kk . . ko!

Translation; Hehe . . yup!

Chibiko; Gg-g-g-g . . . *dazed*

Translation; f-f-f-fanfic . . . *dazed*

Chibi-Ko; Koko, ko kooko!

Translation; Yes, I’ve won!

And so the grand territory battle between muse and doujinshi character . . . was over.

OSF; . . . I still don’t get it!

Adakie; Well, that was long. Okay, got to take a little break before getting back to work. (^-^)) hey Chibi, let’s go beat up Tomo, Miboshi, and Ashitare! Come ryuuseisui! *shooting star weapon appears* Syonara Mina-San!! *runs off to beat up on unpopular senshi*

~smiley parade!~

(^-^)) ^-^x //-^ ^-^= <(^-^)> ((-^) 9-9 ^_~ v

~kudose to anyone who can name them all~

~*Owarii . . . for real this time *snif* *~