The usual warning applies here, if it ain't mine, it ain't mine.

Two spaceships were headed towards Oava’ia’i. The SS Coralala and the Red Zeppelin.

The SS Coralala was a large spaceship that had five main jets in the back and a tail with another jet. The main section was three stories in height. There would be nothing special about this spaceship, except that it had a large camel’s head and neck made out of living coral on the front, and growths of coral throughout the spaceship. There was also a large glass vista dome on the top.

The Red Zeppelin, true to its name, was an enormous zeppelin that was red in color. It had numerous jets on the back, enabling it to fly through space.

Outside the Poru Starport, giant banners had been hung. "Welcome home, Heroes!" was a common message, as was "Victory over Tapuitea!"

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Teuila woke up early that morning, glad to once again be in the Poru Palace. She looked at her boyfriend, always a heavier sleeper than her. She smiled. She was looking forward to introducing her boyfriend to her mother and stepfather. She got up, and put on her best dress, which was black with a yellow floral pattern. She admired herself in the mirror. She had a fair complexion, pointed ears, and long brown hair, that she arranged into a hairstyle with a pair of long braids. These braids were prehensile, and could move like they were extra appendages. It was much easier that she could make her hair comb itself. She then put on her amulet, it was a simple gold chain, with a golden circle with an eight-pointed star in it. It was called a Fetu Amulet, and it contained much power. She walked over to her sleeping boyfriend, and patted him on the head.

Wake up, Max, They’re coming! They’re coming today! Put on a suit, they’re coming!"

"wha, huh?… Who’s coming?" asked Max sleepily.

"Sekola, and his wife, Sara,"

"Who?"

"Friends. And of course, Woo’oof."

"Who?"

"Mia’aou’s husband. Oh, and of course, my parents!"

"Okay then," replied max, who then jumped out of bed, and made himself formally presentable as quickly as he could. He combed his yellow hair, and then put on a shirt and jacket, and the fanciest lavalava on hand. He admired himself in the mirror. Yes, he liked the way he was even able to make his died yellow hair look less "punkish." He debated whether or not to put on a hat, and then realized he didn’t have a hat on hand. He then hugged his girlfriend.

"They won’t be here until after breakfast. So we might as well go downstairs now, since we’re dressed!"

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In another room, Elka and Jerome were peacefully asleep. Jerome was having a dream in which he was surrounded by bells. Church bells, train bells, firebells, and a school-bell, just for variety. All of the sudden the bells rang. He woke up and realized that an alarm clock was ringing. He now remembered. He wanted to get ready to meet all of these people who were due to arrive. Half-sleepily, he got up, and admired himself in a mirror. He had a dark complexion, befitting his heritage. He combed his black hair, and then went into the adjoining bathroom for a quick shower and a shave. After that he walked in, and wrapped a maroon sarong around him, and put on a red shirt. He thought about all that happened in the past couple of months. He went from being a draftee in a gang, conscripted by his brother, that was led by aliens, to being part of an elite trio called the Dudes. He now had a girlfriend, as did his two comrades. He thought about Elka, and then he kissed Elka on the head.

"Wha…wha…what?" said Elka in an early-morning haze.

"Good morning sweetie. I’m surprised the alarm clock didn’t wake you up!"

"Alarm…clock? What’s an alarm clock?"

"Anyways, I’m glad you’re awake now!" He kissed her again. "Today’s a big day. Today we’re meeting a lot of people. Including this Sekola and Sara, whoever they are. I don’t know any of those guests."

"I know them, but not that well," said Elka, as she got up and went to take a shower. Once she had finished, she put on a shiny gold dress with black stripes. It looked good on her. She was covered in purple fur, and had bat-like wings on her back. She was of the Muguri or Moogle race, and of the ethnicity known as O’ive. She had a stalk with a round ball on her head, called either an ike’u or a raundorb. Her face was catlike, with pointed ears on top of her head like a cat, and whiskers, although the shape of the face was flatter than a cat. She also had a tail. She put on another Star Amulet, this one having ten points instead of Teuila’s eight. Jerome smiled at her.

"Me like, me like!" he said in a fake idiotic manner. The two hugged each other, and then kissed. "Let’s go get something to eat!"

"Good idea! I’m hungry, after the wild night we had last!" The two smiled at that.

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Kushi and Roy woke up at the same time. The buzzer went off, and then easy listening filled the room. The two got up, and then walked to the deluxe shower together. They showered, and cleaned each other. After this, they dried off. Roy put on a red and green sarong and a blue shirt and an Ai’a’ive Railways bowtie. He picked up Kushi and held her tightly.

Roy was tall, had a tanned complexion, and long dirty blond hair. He also had a past life involved in crime, but unlike the two other Dudes, he came from the West Coast of the US, not the East one. He was thankful that his life was turned around, or "180’d", as he’d say in surfer lingo. And he really loved his girlfriend.

His girlfriend was Kushi, or more fully Kushi Afa’ese Ai’a’ive (although one could add "Princess" to the front of that all, as she was royalty.) She was a pink Afatasi-Muguri, or one who is half Moogle, and half Ai’a’ive (winged human). She had pink fur. She was slightly taller than an average Muguri, being around 5’2". Instead of bat-like wings, she had blue and pinkish crystalish feathery wings. Her ike’u was bright red and had a pink star-shaped entity in it, and she had a similar orb at the end of her tail. She also had a pair of giraffe-like horns with stars at the end on her head as well as the ike’u. She put on a necklace that was made up of carved wood, except for her amulet, which had five points, in the middle.

"It’s like a totally rad day Koosh!" exclaimed Roy. The two went to breakfast.

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The Fiddler work up from his bed, and said his morning prayers. He was another moogle, and he had fur that was grey. He then took off his nightshirt, washed, and put on his finest brown suit, one that he last wore at the weddings of Kulia and Kuro and Lara and Kerenge. He also put on his own Amulet, which had six points. He then grabbed his fiddle and played a soft melody. Music always got him going.

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Kulia and Kuro woke up in the master bedroom. The two went into the grand bathroom and took a shower together. They shampooed each other (they didn’t use normal soap, as they were entirely fur covered), and they hugged and kissed each other, and they even quickly got intimate. After that they dried off. They didn’t need to get dressed, since Muguri (which Kuro is) and Afatasi-Muguri (half Muguri, half Ai’a’ive…what Kulia is) were covered in fur and went naked. The only things that were put on was a red and white bandanna around Kuro’s neck, and an ula (lei or floral necklace) and a crown of shells and flowers on Kulia. Kulia was the Ai’a’ive Matriarch, and the Masiofo (queen) of the Ai’a’ive lands on the planet of Oava’ia’i in the Green Dimension, which is where they were (and Oava’ia’i was technically a MOON, not a planet, but that is irrelevant), and she was also a traditional matai or chief, and she had several other titles as well. Her husband, on the other hand, was a train engineer.

"Let’s highball down for some chow!" suggested Kuro.

"Double green on that!" laughed Kulia.

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Mia’aou and Loookie also woke up, and quickly showered. Mia’aou was overly excited, because her husband would be returning. She had four waiting arms ready to hug him on sight. Mia’aou and Loookie were both Pororos. Mia’aou Gigure had yellow-greenish fluorescent fur, and six limbs that all Pororos have. Her head was cat-like. Her eyes were bright blue. Her ears were not cat like, though, they were petal-like, and her tail was like a feathery fan. She wore a nine-pointed Star Amulet. Loookie Hiare had bluish purple fluorescent fur, and another cat-like face, but ears shaped like clovers. Her tail was spring-shaped with a clover at the end. Her eyes were bright green. She wore a necklace of pearls.

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The various siblings of Kushi and Kulia, along with Kalete, the girlfriend of Koro, were also coming down to eat. They resembled Kushi and Kulia, except that their fur were in different colors.

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Moli, Teuila’s grandmother, was there before everyone else. She had pointed ears, just like her granddaughter. She also wore her hair with two braids, but it was orange. She was also slightly taller than Teuila, and also a little heavier. She was wearing a bright orange and blue swirl-print dress. She welcomed everyone to the dining room. They were seated, and soon breakfast arrived.

"I came here early, because I was too excited!" explained Moli.

"Tell me, WHO ISN’T?" asked The Fiddler. There was no answer. "I thought so!"

Breakfast consisted of sausages, eggs, taro, pastries, mango, pineapple, and various fruit juices. Pleasant conversation filled the vaulted room. Kulia was happy the palace was rebuilt, but sad the old one was destroyed, especially since she connected it to her mother, the late Sina Ai’a’ive.

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After breakfast, everyone walked from the palace, towards the periphery of Poru. Soon they came to the Starport. It vaguely resembled an airport, but without the long runways, since all of the major spaceships were vertical take-off and landing. It had numerous towers with satellite dishes and long range radar antennae. Everyone waited anxiously.

A male Ai’a’ive, with a darkish complexion and orange wings, came out to meet them. He was wearing a navy blue ie lavalava, or sarong, and a matching jacket. He wore a badge that identified him as an assistant radar officer of the Ai’a’ive Aviation and Space Authority, one of their responsibilities was the Starport.

"Your Majesty, we’ve spotted two spaceships on the radar. I think those are the ones you are waiting for!" everyone began cheering. As this Starport didn’t have the volume of traffic of Starports and Spaceports on other worlds, the assistant radar officer often went out to chat with anyone waiting by the tarmac. He went back in. A few minutes later a sound was heard. Everyone looked up, and they saw two things moving closer. Kulia suddenly launched into a song, and her sisters joined in, and then soon everyone else did. The song was about the "return of the travelers", originally a song from ancient Samoa, it was carried by the Ai’a’ive everywhere they went in the universe, and on Oava’ia’i, it became a popular song to sing at ports, train stations, and airports when awaiting someone.

Eventually the two spaceships landed. Everyone watched in awe as the doors opened. First a couple came out of the SS Coralala, walking down a stairway. "SEKOLA! SARA!" yelled Kushi.

Sekola, or Yafala Sekola Ai’a’ive, né Kokare, and always referred to by his middle name Sekola, was a Ya’a Naomi, of a race that resembled a cross between the human and the raccoon, but was neither. He had the face of a raccoon, as well as a ringed tail or sua’a in Naomian, but her stood on his hind feet, like humans do. His feet had five toes of equal length, spread out like those of a bird. He could also talk. Most of his fur was brown, except for black around his eyes, and white on his face and his chest and stomach. He was born in Naomi, on the planet YaYa-Niaferia. Around his neck was a stone amulet with strange engravings, and it was held by a necklace of flowers. Around his waist was a yellow and pale-green laari, also called a lavalava or a sarong.

"Yafa-Yali, Yafalae!" he exclaimed, meaning "Hello Friends!"

Walking with him, and holding hands, was his beautiful wife, Sara Vaosa Ai’a’ive, née Iafe’ea. She had long dark-brown hair that reached down below her knees, and a tanned complexion. On her back was a pair of rainbow-colored feathery wings. She was slim and had a graceful step to her walk. She was wearing a red puletasi or Samoan dress.

"I know I’m the Chosen Ai’a’ive and all that, but I didn’t expect a crowd this large. Especially since we didn’t make it to the finals in the GWWA!" Everyone laughed at that. "Ok, so we defeated Tapuitea. Big deal!"

The next ones to disembark came from the Red Zeppelin. First came a Pororo. His name was Woo’oof Gigiru. He was slightly larger than the other two Pororos mentioned so far in this story. He had orange-brownish fur, and yellow eyes and a face like that of a bulldog. But his ears were trumpet-shaped, except with a zigzag edge. His tail was shaped like a cotton-ball at the end of a long tail. Yes, he also had the six limbs. He also happened to be incredibly stupid most of the time. He now had flashes of intelligence more often, and, with luck, would regain his old personality. But everyone learnt not to hold his or her breath.

"Uh, which team is winning?" he asked in a stupid manner. "I notice everyone is cheering, but who is winning? An’ which sport is being played?"

Finally the last two travellers emerged. A couple, named Kerenge and Lara. Moli and Teuila both started screaming wildly.

Lara Nuanua-Jackson had long red-peach hair that reached below her knees, some of it flowing freely, some of it in the form of three braids. These braids were all attached at the end to a strange device called the Silver Star. The Silver Star had a central sphere with arms projecting out of it and each arm having a sphere at its end. Lara’s fair skin contrasted against her dark red dress she was wearing. She had a Fetu amulet with four points on it, as well as a platinum engagement necklace that her husband bought her shortly after proposing. She was taller than both Teuila and Moli. Like them, she had pointed ears, indicating that she was a Nuanua and not a human.

Todd "Kerenge" Jackson had shoulder-length brown hair, a fair skinned complexion that wasn’t as light as Lara, and a tall build. He was wearing an oversized long brown "Certified Pimp" T-shirt that reached down just below his knees. He also wore a seven-pointed Amulet.

Moli and the Dudes introduced themselves, and Lara was overjoyed to see her mother again. Moli, Lara, Kerenge, Teuila, and Max all got into a large group hug.

"Notice anything different?" asked Teuila.

"YOUR HAIR! You had your second puberty, didn’t you?"

"Correct!"

"Sorry I wasn’t there. No matter, we’ll celebrate it soon!"

The travelers were given a parade on their way to the palace. They had to answer numerous reporters at Poru Palace.

That night the entire group boarded a train at Poru’s Central Station, to head towards another palace, Le Tina, out in the middle of nowhere. The station had about twelve tracks, set between raised platforms, and about nine stories above the ground. The thing is that Poru was a city on many different floors. It was built among a forest of tall trees. A maze of roads, walkways, and a few railways went through this. From one of the wooden platforms in the station, the group boarded a trio of Ai’a’ive Rail cars that were stainless steel and had the Ai’a’ive Matriarchal Seal (a rising bird, a sunrise, a crossed nifo oti [Samoan knife] and fue [fly whisk] atop a ceremonial kava-bowl) in red and orange. There was also the word "Tiltalino" in purple letters, and a vague discoloration where a long time ago the original paint, declaring these Penn Central Metroliners, was. These railcars were powered by overhead wire or catenary, and each car had a flexible current-collector or pantograph with which to get this electricity. This train could go up to 160 MPH, and had a tilting mechanism installed so that it could take corners without throwing around the passengers.

Little did they realize that someone was watching them. Four figures.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Shoutouts: The usual

Author's Notes: Ok, so this seems a bit slow. You're probably ecstatic that Sekola and Sara are back. Who were those four figures watching them? It's a surprise, but I'll tell you this much. It's NOT Monkey Wrench and company, and it's NOT Trillium, and it's NOT Mr. Fish. And the significance of the title of this story in the series will become clear next chapter or the chapter after.

See y'all later,

~Ra'akone