Saturday, December 16, 2006
A slight break for Azkaban
What with all the Christmas themed titles next week I am taking a small time out on Azkaban for awhile. It'll be back right after Christmas though, so stay tuned!
CardCaptor Sakura Remastered Episode 1-9 (10)
Sunday (December 17th)
CardCaptor Sakura Remastered 9 (10)
“Ninja girl?” Sakura remarks, tapping Nina’s jet black uniform. “Look who’s talking!” (taps Sakura’s costume) “Trying to get on Saint whoever’s bad side by mimicking her?”
“It’s a look for stealthy magic making.” Tomoyo said, defending her pride and her design as she did, “It’s based on Saint Tail’s outfit but without the stereotype skirt and hat. I went for black shorts with barely noticeable pockets for the Clow cards, a trim black top with a pocket for the staff key, and this night vision visor (that Sakura is wearing) for the dark museum. I also had a visor made for Kero---” (pointing at Kero) “---to complete the look.”
“Very nice. I’m sorry then, my bad. I didn‘t know we were required to take up a fashion statement while robbing a museum. What was I thinking…” Nina mock apologizes, “Well, let’s get this show on the road.”
Kero - “Right. There’s Clow cards inside and I want to seal them before this so called Saint Mesa arrives.”
“If she arrives.” Eliza points out. “The calling card might have been a hoax. If I reflected on Saint Tail, as Tomoyo just brought up, I thought the entire series revolved around her sending calling cards to her rival (not to her victim)… so, then, if we put that towards Saint Mesa why did she suddenly alert Misho of the impending theft if even Saint Tail had never done that before?”
“She can’t send a calling card to someone she doesn’t have, remember Asuka Jr. was her love interest and, well, Saint Mesa doesn’t have a cop or detective as a love interest.”
“Oh, right Nina, my bad (as it were).”
“There were two Saint Tails? Pheww?”
“Never mind, later Sakura---” Nina takes a deep breath as she returns her focus from Sakura to the task at hand, “Alright, let’s do it.”
* * * * * *
The set-up was sweet and simple.
Since Misho wanted Sakura’s help to remove the Clow cards from the museum, she left a large opening in the museum’s security grid for Sakura to walk through and into the museum. From there Nina would lead the group to the place where the card was and seal the card.
Without Shadow though she would have the seal the card close up, but Misho thought of that too. As they entered they picked up something Misho called a “Null Sound Generator” (a device which created a sphere of silence). Sakura just had to use the device on the painting and catch it from outside the sphere (Silence, being inside the sphere, wouldn’t hear Sakura until it was too late). Now that all in all was well enough, but they also had to deal with Saint Mesa who was either on the way or already there, but Sakura had no doubts that they could do this just fine and both capture the cards and deal with Saint Mesa if they had to.
Now all they had to do was work their way from the rear security station to the place where the painting hung in the west wing of the museum. It was about that time that Nina’s commlink went off. Keiko (sitting in on this job as Sakura’s remote eyes and ears) was calling in. “What is it, Keiko? I thought we agreed to---”
“You want this or should I shut off and let it be a surprise for you?“
“Alright, I want it, I want it. What is it?“
“Well since you growled so nicely like your doing ME the favor -- there’s another pair of people in the museum. Just came in a minute ago from another dead hole in the security grid. One singular, one pair. The pair seems to be Saint Mesa and… oh dammit what’s she doing here…” (silence) “Anyway I put them on your sensors so you should be able to track them. As for the singular one? That has me totally stumped.” Tomoyo speaks up through her link, “Whose closer, Keiko? Saint Mesa or the singular?”
“The singular, but Saint Mesa is right behind that one probably following. But that doesn’t matter as much as the fact that they‘re both headed your way.”
“I see---” (Sakura motions for everyone to stop) “---we’re taking cover and waiting for them to arrive. Maybe scare them off or something.”
“Well, good luck.”
Everyone takes cover behind an exhibit and waits. Time slowly passes--- Two minutes of hiding and waiting later and the singular intruder enters the room. Obscured by shadows the figure slowly creeps into the center of the room looking about warily. “So, what do we do with our mystery guest?” Nina asks.
Kero - “We could scare it. Give it a shock so it leaves us alone, then we’ll---” Somebody grabs the figure from behind and heft it up, walking into the light with it struggling. “Or we could just grab her for questioning. And it’s a her because I can feel it through her--”
“LET GO!!” ‘she’ apparently didn’t like being gripped by Eliza, and decided to do something about it by slamming her head back into Eliza’s chest knocking her off stride. The two stumble into a nearby water exhibit just as it triggers (shooting fountains of water).
Eliza - “EEK!!”
Girl - “YEOW!! COLD!! COLD!!”
Nina - “Or we could just give her a cold bath slash shower and freak everyone out---”
(as Nina turns she is bowled over by a frantic Saint Mesa who runs full steam ahead through the hallway into her, knocking both girls out). Sakura looks over the two of them, sweat dropping, “It went so much easier the first time around.”
* * * * * *
It takes a few minutes to get Eliza/girl (Mimi) dried off. It takes a few more minutes to get Saint Mesa and Nina back on their feet, what with Keiko (another Keiko) in the room staring at them oddly. “Ah thought y’u were bushwhackin’ her! I---” (“Saint Mesa” blushes) “---sorta jumped the gun on that one didn‘t I, f’rgot everythang and just came running through like a runaway locomotive out on the flats---” (frustrated) “DAMMIT IT’S NOT MY FAULT! I HAVENT DONE THIS BEFORE SO I SORTA LOST MY---” (sighs) “---cool.”
Sakura smiles, “I know the feeling.”
The other Keiko motions to all in the room, “I’m guessing we’re all here for the same thing.”
“But probably not for the same reason.” Nina surmises, “Care to tell us your side of it, other Keiko?”
“Other Keiko? What…“ (sighs) “Oh. Her.“ (looks up and waves at camera) “Hi, sister.“
“Sister?“ Nina said dumbfounded, but Keiko apparently didn’t catch on as she went on about why she was there. “The painting belongs to Mesa because I brought it for her as a wedding gift so we’re here to get it back.“ she said without much elaboration, only for the other girl (Mimi) to jump up from her spot and yell “It’s my father’s painting! He’s the one who did it for my wedding to Crystal and she stole it! It belongs to me and my lover!”
Nina - “That’s nice and all, and as much as watching dysfunctional people bitch about the most interesting things we’re just here for our own thing. Now all you two weird people have to do is figure out who gets the painting back while we work in peace and everything will be fine again.”
And thus Nina brought up the point of the whole trip. The matter of the Clow cards.
Eliza ends up being the one to ask the obvious as Sakura and company separate themselves from the arguing pair of Saint Mesa and Mimi, “I’m going to take it that it’s a no-no to let Saint Mesa and her argumentitive friend there take the painting with the Clow cards in it until we seal it, right? Let alone we shouldn’t be exposing them to the existence of the cards while we‘re at it.”
Nina nods her head in the affirmative, “Right. We have to catch the cards without them knowing about the cards…” (looks at them) “…and since they’re occupied let’s do it while they’re arguing the specifics of who owns what.”
Easier said than done. As they entered the hallway Sakura removed the device from her pocket (the null device) and motioned for a diversion. Quickly Nina “tripped” and fell into Saint Mesa, who fell in turn into Mimi, who fell to the ground in a large heap with the other two entangled which quickly triggered another arguement. Nina did everything she could to keep the two from getting up (not so hard as fists began to fly with Nina in the middle) as Sakura went to work. She quickly threw out the device which attached itself to the wall next to the painting generating a silent bubble around itself and the painting. That being done all she had to do was seal the cards. As quietly as possible, Sakura quickly held the key out towards the silenced painting, “Key of the star, with powers burning bright, reveal the staff and shine your light--- release.”
As the staff grew Sakura held it out and at the painting. “Clow card return to your power confined, Silence card.” (with a quick slam Sakura hit’s the wand down over a Ham-ham--- and nothing happens.) “What?” (Sakura looks at the painting oddly, but still nothing was happening, everything was the same as before.) “Clow card return to your power confined, Silence card.” (she picks another Ham-ham and does it again. Still nothing.)
Saint Mesa pops up behind her, “Let’s grab it and---” Saint Mesa stops, “What is this they painted over my pai-- wait, is the painting moving?” Before Sakura can respond she finds herself and everyone else outside, staring through the glass doors at the painting.
Saint Mesa takes off back to the door with Mimi right behind her, right into the museum the two chased each other madly as the other Keiko watched, “What are you two doing…” she sighed to herself bitterly.
“I don’t get it.” Sakura whispered, “I did it and nothing happened!”
“Must be the Toon card’s doing.” (everyone turns to Kero who’s talking) “It must be focusing the cards into one image on the painting. That means you have to know exactly which one of those gerbils hide the cards.”
“They’re hamsters, no gerbils.” Nina points out, “Which ones did you try so far?”
Sakura - “The one in the middle and the one with the workman’s hat.”
Nina looks at the painting and nods her head, “That’d be Hamtaro & Boss. 2 down, only another dozen or more Ham-hams to go. Got any favorites for the next---”
Saint Mesa runs into the room, and tries to just grap the painting by force as Mimi also grabs it in turn. All it accomplishes is the fact that this tug-of-war trick makes Silence pissy at both women, sending them outside again.
“W-w-what happened?!?” Saint Mesa griped, running back inside again with Mimi in hot pursuit once again.
“She’s stubborn, ain‘t she.” Nina notes, her eyes going over to Keiko as she shrugs and says “That’s what she is, the girl that just has to be on top.”
Nina - “…you mean it that way, don’t you…”
Keiko - “Don’t ask if you already know what I mean.”
Nina - “…whatever, enough of her---” (Nina motions back to the painting) “---pick a Ham-ham. Any Ham-ham… before the crazy women return.”
“It must be one that isn’t so obvious. Something you might overlook.”
Sakura looks at the painting as a frown forms on her face, “But which one, Tomoyo! There’s over a dozen of them!”
Tomoyo - “Maybe we have to watch which one doesn’t move, that might be a dead---”
Saint Mesa runs back into the room and tries to throw a “borrowed” cloth over it, only to get sent back outside (cloth over her head) again by a less than impressed Silence. With her temper almost gone, Saint Mesa runs over to the glass doors and kicks them in, the lock breaking and glass rattling (yet not breaking in turn) as she runs right back towards the painting with Mimi getting there at the same time. Once again both women are sent directly outside when they tried to grab the painting again.
“I saw all the hamsters move that time.” Tomoyo noted, to which Nina said. “She’s right, they’re all moving. It’s hopeless. Perhaps---” (Nina sighs as she looks over at Saint Mesa as she gets sent outside again) “---do you mind? We‘re working here.”
“---I---I--- THIS ISN’T HAPPENING!!” she screams, her fake “western“ mumbling gone as she turns red in a pure all out rage. “Something tells me I better check on this. Hold that thought.” Nina takes out her cellphone and makes a call. After a few seconds the line picks up. “W-what---”
“Caught you at a bad time, Keiko?”
“Nah, just catching on my sleep… Eve and I already had fun and we’re just tired… what’s up?”
“Off the record… and damn you since Sakura and Tomoyo were supposed to break in the SakuraMobile THAT way…” (Sakura - “NINA!!”) “…uh, do you know what’s up with this Saint Mesa and her lover who looks like you?”
“Why me? How should I know?”
Saint Mesa - “STOP IT!! STOP IT!! I HATE THIS!!”
Nina - “Oh, I don’t know, maybe you should know because Saint Mesa is having a nervous breakdown while other you is standing there so quietly it’s almost scary how quiet she is! I mean talk about being completely out of character. Want to explain WHY?”
“---uh---”
Nina - “You do know why, don’t you---”
“Well--- off the record?”
Nina - “Off the record.”
Keiko clears her throat before continuing, “That might be because “Keiko” is… well… she’s my little sister Reiko and… she’s kinda abit like me but not so much.“
“So she’s your “good” twin then.“ Nina remaks, to which Keiko mutters “Gimme a break.“
“She sticks it out on the Central Hub, I stay on Terra the Dream Moon of the Earth and we love it when we stay so far apart from each other. Family reunions ain‘t our thing as you probably have guessed already.”
Nina - “So I guessed. What about Saint Mesa?”
“They’re from the Mesa Valley, a place for Western culture lovers. She works at a dude ranch and Reiko is a Judgment on the Central Hub. They’re “married” and that’s it.”
Nina - “Please don’t tell me that’s that because…“ (clickt) “…THAT WON’T HELP NOW DAMMIT!! I---” (blinks) “---hello? HELLO?!?” (shuts off phone) “She hung up on me!!!” (screams to no one in particular)
Tomoyo - “Aren’t we worried about the guards finding us?”
Eliza - “A friend is handling that---”
* * * * * *
Twelve biirus later and the guards were drunk as heck. She shakes her head and pouts, “Sometimes I think biiru is my only friend in the world---”
“I hear you.”
“Amen to that. Let’s go down to the nearby 7-11 and get more. I’m walking!”
She nods her head vigorously, “Yeah! Responsible people don’t drive! They walk the neighborhoods and skinny dip in total strangers pools! Yeah!!”
* * * * * *
Eliza - “…couldn’t that have been rewritten? That still made zero sense even if we know who’s in the scene because we…“ (muffled voice)
Nina - “Don’t jinx the only good thing about this moment. Let’s bask in it and enjoy…“ (looks back at Saint Tail) “---so what do we do with her? The real Keiko was about as vague as ever about what we’re supposed to do with her other than letting her be “on top” and I don’t think we want to see THAT right now!“ (blinks) “Me, sure, but I’m always ready to see that anytime so that’s no big surprise, but still… Sakura. Sakura?” (looks at the grim face Sakura is making) “You in there? Hey Snoozer!”
“It shouldn’t have moved---”
Nina - “Say what?”
Tomoyo - “Sakura, do you have something?”
Sakura quietly points to the painting and whispers “All the Hamsters moved.”
Tomoyo - “Yes?”
Nina - “So what’s so important about that?”
“Don’t you get it?” Sakura points out, motioning towards the painting. “ALL the Hamsters moved, including the one that never moves much at all.”
“The Ham-ham that doesn‘t move--” (Nina turns and regards the painting) “Wait, wait, wait, wait, you mean Snoozer right?”
“It’s a chance I’ll take.”
Sakura walks in, staff in hand as she nears the painting again.
“Clow card, return to your power confined, Silence Card!”
With one slam she brings the staff down near Snoozer, as it’s eyes open in shock. Seconds later it’s entrapped in tendrils of energy.
“Now return to your powers confined as well, Toon card and Prism card!”
Secondary tendrils snake out grabbing the Snoozer image, splitting the cards back into their original forms. Silence. Toon. Prism. As all three are sealed and returned to card form, each card flies to a different hand. Silence to Sakura, Prism to Tomoyo & Toon to Kero.
“Oh my favorite card!” Kero swoons, holding the Toon card to himself as he does, “I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you!”
“Gee, lay off a little Kero!” Sakura sighs as she gathers up the cards. “I trust it you two can figure out who owns the…“ (!!) “…what the HELL!!“
Tomoyo - “Good. Now let’s see. Silence---” (in her hand) “---Prism---” (Tomoyo holds all three) “---and finally Toon---” (blushes) “Oh, there‘s the copy of the painting of us making love I had made for Christmas last year for us, Sakura…” (blushes) “…I do remember saying the Artist could keep a copy for himself because he loved it so and I guess somehow a copy also got into Saint Mesa‘s hands and… Sakura? Are you crying?”
Sakura, teary eyed, takes the cards from Tomoyo to sign them only to notice the Toon card, on it is an image of a Super Deformed Kerberos (big Kero) chasing after a super deformed Yueh with a large mallet. “This is your favorite image, isn‘t it…” Sakura mutters.
Kero nods his head happily, “I always like the stories with me getting one over on Yueh. They make me all warm inside.”
“I’ll bet---” (Sakura sighs) “---why me…“
* * * * * *
From the rooftop of the museum he watches. His cloak fluttering slightly in the breeze, his gloved hands flexing as he watches the two groups split up, his face smiling slightly.
“Nice work.” Lazarus remarks as he turns and regards the city about the museum, and ponders deep thoughts.
* * * * * *
Two days later--- Back at Daidouji Estates
“We’ll probably run into them again, you know.”
“Saint Mesa or Rachel the cowgirl?” Sakura asks as she checks on the fixings for Tomoyo’s box lunch for school. “At least they found that somebody stuck two copies of the same painting into one frame so there was more than enough for both… BUT WHY DID YOU LET OTHER PEOPLE HAVE THAT PAINTING!!“
“I Don’t see why not. I’m not ashamed of our love, I think it’s beautiful.“
“But it’s so NAUGHTY!!“ Sakura cries out, tears forming as she finishes Tomoyo’s lunch.
“You don’t say.” Kero (while eating breakfast) remarks offhandedly. “Yup. I pity the person who gets stuck having wet dreams about you, Sakura, because mobody should have to be stuck with a…” (pakt) “…ouch.”
“If you ever want to eat again you better stop mocking me.“ Sakura hissed, pointing to Nina’s lunch as she entered the room. “Lunch. Memorize the note within.”
“Note? What are you…“
Nina pulls open the top and inside the box cover is this---
“My museum isn’t a library for sextoys! You better return that stuff you “borrowed” out of the Joys of Sex exhibit by this weekend or there’ll be hell to pay!“ (signed Misho)
“That spiteful…” Nina huffs her breath and slams her lunch shut, “I’m glad I have several hours to work up an appetite because I just lost it now.”
Sakura - “You don‘t say.”
Nina - “Shut up.”
“Sometimes a Quiet Mouth is Better than a Big Mouth”
To Be Continued
CardCaptor Sakura Remastered 9 (10)
“Ninja girl?” Sakura remarks, tapping Nina’s jet black uniform. “Look who’s talking!” (taps Sakura’s costume) “Trying to get on Saint whoever’s bad side by mimicking her?”
“It’s a look for stealthy magic making.” Tomoyo said, defending her pride and her design as she did, “It’s based on Saint Tail’s outfit but without the stereotype skirt and hat. I went for black shorts with barely noticeable pockets for the Clow cards, a trim black top with a pocket for the staff key, and this night vision visor (that Sakura is wearing) for the dark museum. I also had a visor made for Kero---” (pointing at Kero) “---to complete the look.”
“Very nice. I’m sorry then, my bad. I didn‘t know we were required to take up a fashion statement while robbing a museum. What was I thinking…” Nina mock apologizes, “Well, let’s get this show on the road.”
Kero - “Right. There’s Clow cards inside and I want to seal them before this so called Saint Mesa arrives.”
“If she arrives.” Eliza points out. “The calling card might have been a hoax. If I reflected on Saint Tail, as Tomoyo just brought up, I thought the entire series revolved around her sending calling cards to her rival (not to her victim)… so, then, if we put that towards Saint Mesa why did she suddenly alert Misho of the impending theft if even Saint Tail had never done that before?”
“She can’t send a calling card to someone she doesn’t have, remember Asuka Jr. was her love interest and, well, Saint Mesa doesn’t have a cop or detective as a love interest.”
“Oh, right Nina, my bad (as it were).”
“There were two Saint Tails? Pheww?”
“Never mind, later Sakura---” Nina takes a deep breath as she returns her focus from Sakura to the task at hand, “Alright, let’s do it.”
* * * * * *
The set-up was sweet and simple.
Since Misho wanted Sakura’s help to remove the Clow cards from the museum, she left a large opening in the museum’s security grid for Sakura to walk through and into the museum. From there Nina would lead the group to the place where the card was and seal the card.
Without Shadow though she would have the seal the card close up, but Misho thought of that too. As they entered they picked up something Misho called a “Null Sound Generator” (a device which created a sphere of silence). Sakura just had to use the device on the painting and catch it from outside the sphere (Silence, being inside the sphere, wouldn’t hear Sakura until it was too late). Now that all in all was well enough, but they also had to deal with Saint Mesa who was either on the way or already there, but Sakura had no doubts that they could do this just fine and both capture the cards and deal with Saint Mesa if they had to.
Now all they had to do was work their way from the rear security station to the place where the painting hung in the west wing of the museum. It was about that time that Nina’s commlink went off. Keiko (sitting in on this job as Sakura’s remote eyes and ears) was calling in. “What is it, Keiko? I thought we agreed to---”
“You want this or should I shut off and let it be a surprise for you?“
“Alright, I want it, I want it. What is it?“
“Well since you growled so nicely like your doing ME the favor -- there’s another pair of people in the museum. Just came in a minute ago from another dead hole in the security grid. One singular, one pair. The pair seems to be Saint Mesa and… oh dammit what’s she doing here…” (silence) “Anyway I put them on your sensors so you should be able to track them. As for the singular one? That has me totally stumped.” Tomoyo speaks up through her link, “Whose closer, Keiko? Saint Mesa or the singular?”
“The singular, but Saint Mesa is right behind that one probably following. But that doesn’t matter as much as the fact that they‘re both headed your way.”
“I see---” (Sakura motions for everyone to stop) “---we’re taking cover and waiting for them to arrive. Maybe scare them off or something.”
“Well, good luck.”
Everyone takes cover behind an exhibit and waits. Time slowly passes--- Two minutes of hiding and waiting later and the singular intruder enters the room. Obscured by shadows the figure slowly creeps into the center of the room looking about warily. “So, what do we do with our mystery guest?” Nina asks.
Kero - “We could scare it. Give it a shock so it leaves us alone, then we’ll---” Somebody grabs the figure from behind and heft it up, walking into the light with it struggling. “Or we could just grab her for questioning. And it’s a her because I can feel it through her--”
“LET GO!!” ‘she’ apparently didn’t like being gripped by Eliza, and decided to do something about it by slamming her head back into Eliza’s chest knocking her off stride. The two stumble into a nearby water exhibit just as it triggers (shooting fountains of water).
Eliza - “EEK!!”
Girl - “YEOW!! COLD!! COLD!!”
Nina - “Or we could just give her a cold bath slash shower and freak everyone out---”
(as Nina turns she is bowled over by a frantic Saint Mesa who runs full steam ahead through the hallway into her, knocking both girls out). Sakura looks over the two of them, sweat dropping, “It went so much easier the first time around.”
* * * * * *
It takes a few minutes to get Eliza/girl (Mimi) dried off. It takes a few more minutes to get Saint Mesa and Nina back on their feet, what with Keiko (another Keiko) in the room staring at them oddly. “Ah thought y’u were bushwhackin’ her! I---” (“Saint Mesa” blushes) “---sorta jumped the gun on that one didn‘t I, f’rgot everythang and just came running through like a runaway locomotive out on the flats---” (frustrated) “DAMMIT IT’S NOT MY FAULT! I HAVENT DONE THIS BEFORE SO I SORTA LOST MY---” (sighs) “---cool.”
Sakura smiles, “I know the feeling.”
The other Keiko motions to all in the room, “I’m guessing we’re all here for the same thing.”
“But probably not for the same reason.” Nina surmises, “Care to tell us your side of it, other Keiko?”
“Other Keiko? What…“ (sighs) “Oh. Her.“ (looks up and waves at camera) “Hi, sister.“
“Sister?“ Nina said dumbfounded, but Keiko apparently didn’t catch on as she went on about why she was there. “The painting belongs to Mesa because I brought it for her as a wedding gift so we’re here to get it back.“ she said without much elaboration, only for the other girl (Mimi) to jump up from her spot and yell “It’s my father’s painting! He’s the one who did it for my wedding to Crystal and she stole it! It belongs to me and my lover!”
Nina - “That’s nice and all, and as much as watching dysfunctional people bitch about the most interesting things we’re just here for our own thing. Now all you two weird people have to do is figure out who gets the painting back while we work in peace and everything will be fine again.”
And thus Nina brought up the point of the whole trip. The matter of the Clow cards.
Eliza ends up being the one to ask the obvious as Sakura and company separate themselves from the arguing pair of Saint Mesa and Mimi, “I’m going to take it that it’s a no-no to let Saint Mesa and her argumentitive friend there take the painting with the Clow cards in it until we seal it, right? Let alone we shouldn’t be exposing them to the existence of the cards while we‘re at it.”
Nina nods her head in the affirmative, “Right. We have to catch the cards without them knowing about the cards…” (looks at them) “…and since they’re occupied let’s do it while they’re arguing the specifics of who owns what.”
Easier said than done. As they entered the hallway Sakura removed the device from her pocket (the null device) and motioned for a diversion. Quickly Nina “tripped” and fell into Saint Mesa, who fell in turn into Mimi, who fell to the ground in a large heap with the other two entangled which quickly triggered another arguement. Nina did everything she could to keep the two from getting up (not so hard as fists began to fly with Nina in the middle) as Sakura went to work. She quickly threw out the device which attached itself to the wall next to the painting generating a silent bubble around itself and the painting. That being done all she had to do was seal the cards. As quietly as possible, Sakura quickly held the key out towards the silenced painting, “Key of the star, with powers burning bright, reveal the staff and shine your light--- release.”
As the staff grew Sakura held it out and at the painting. “Clow card return to your power confined, Silence card.” (with a quick slam Sakura hit’s the wand down over a Ham-ham--- and nothing happens.) “What?” (Sakura looks at the painting oddly, but still nothing was happening, everything was the same as before.) “Clow card return to your power confined, Silence card.” (she picks another Ham-ham and does it again. Still nothing.)
Saint Mesa pops up behind her, “Let’s grab it and---” Saint Mesa stops, “What is this they painted over my pai-- wait, is the painting moving?” Before Sakura can respond she finds herself and everyone else outside, staring through the glass doors at the painting.
Saint Mesa takes off back to the door with Mimi right behind her, right into the museum the two chased each other madly as the other Keiko watched, “What are you two doing…” she sighed to herself bitterly.
“I don’t get it.” Sakura whispered, “I did it and nothing happened!”
“Must be the Toon card’s doing.” (everyone turns to Kero who’s talking) “It must be focusing the cards into one image on the painting. That means you have to know exactly which one of those gerbils hide the cards.”
“They’re hamsters, no gerbils.” Nina points out, “Which ones did you try so far?”
Sakura - “The one in the middle and the one with the workman’s hat.”
Nina looks at the painting and nods her head, “That’d be Hamtaro & Boss. 2 down, only another dozen or more Ham-hams to go. Got any favorites for the next---”
Saint Mesa runs into the room, and tries to just grap the painting by force as Mimi also grabs it in turn. All it accomplishes is the fact that this tug-of-war trick makes Silence pissy at both women, sending them outside again.
“W-w-what happened?!?” Saint Mesa griped, running back inside again with Mimi in hot pursuit once again.
“She’s stubborn, ain‘t she.” Nina notes, her eyes going over to Keiko as she shrugs and says “That’s what she is, the girl that just has to be on top.”
Nina - “…you mean it that way, don’t you…”
Keiko - “Don’t ask if you already know what I mean.”
Nina - “…whatever, enough of her---” (Nina motions back to the painting) “---pick a Ham-ham. Any Ham-ham… before the crazy women return.”
“It must be one that isn’t so obvious. Something you might overlook.”
Sakura looks at the painting as a frown forms on her face, “But which one, Tomoyo! There’s over a dozen of them!”
Tomoyo - “Maybe we have to watch which one doesn’t move, that might be a dead---”
Saint Mesa runs back into the room and tries to throw a “borrowed” cloth over it, only to get sent back outside (cloth over her head) again by a less than impressed Silence. With her temper almost gone, Saint Mesa runs over to the glass doors and kicks them in, the lock breaking and glass rattling (yet not breaking in turn) as she runs right back towards the painting with Mimi getting there at the same time. Once again both women are sent directly outside when they tried to grab the painting again.
“I saw all the hamsters move that time.” Tomoyo noted, to which Nina said. “She’s right, they’re all moving. It’s hopeless. Perhaps---” (Nina sighs as she looks over at Saint Mesa as she gets sent outside again) “---do you mind? We‘re working here.”
“---I---I--- THIS ISN’T HAPPENING!!” she screams, her fake “western“ mumbling gone as she turns red in a pure all out rage. “Something tells me I better check on this. Hold that thought.” Nina takes out her cellphone and makes a call. After a few seconds the line picks up. “W-what---”
“Caught you at a bad time, Keiko?”
“Nah, just catching on my sleep… Eve and I already had fun and we’re just tired… what’s up?”
“Off the record… and damn you since Sakura and Tomoyo were supposed to break in the SakuraMobile THAT way…” (Sakura - “NINA!!”) “…uh, do you know what’s up with this Saint Mesa and her lover who looks like you?”
“Why me? How should I know?”
Saint Mesa - “STOP IT!! STOP IT!! I HATE THIS!!”
Nina - “Oh, I don’t know, maybe you should know because Saint Mesa is having a nervous breakdown while other you is standing there so quietly it’s almost scary how quiet she is! I mean talk about being completely out of character. Want to explain WHY?”
“---uh---”
Nina - “You do know why, don’t you---”
“Well--- off the record?”
Nina - “Off the record.”
Keiko clears her throat before continuing, “That might be because “Keiko” is… well… she’s my little sister Reiko and… she’s kinda abit like me but not so much.“
“So she’s your “good” twin then.“ Nina remaks, to which Keiko mutters “Gimme a break.“
“She sticks it out on the Central Hub, I stay on Terra the Dream Moon of the Earth and we love it when we stay so far apart from each other. Family reunions ain‘t our thing as you probably have guessed already.”
Nina - “So I guessed. What about Saint Mesa?”
“They’re from the Mesa Valley, a place for Western culture lovers. She works at a dude ranch and Reiko is a Judgment on the Central Hub. They’re “married” and that’s it.”
Nina - “Please don’t tell me that’s that because…“ (clickt) “…THAT WON’T HELP NOW DAMMIT!! I---” (blinks) “---hello? HELLO?!?” (shuts off phone) “She hung up on me!!!” (screams to no one in particular)
Tomoyo - “Aren’t we worried about the guards finding us?”
Eliza - “A friend is handling that---”
* * * * * *
Twelve biirus later and the guards were drunk as heck. She shakes her head and pouts, “Sometimes I think biiru is my only friend in the world---”
“I hear you.”
“Amen to that. Let’s go down to the nearby 7-11 and get more. I’m walking!”
She nods her head vigorously, “Yeah! Responsible people don’t drive! They walk the neighborhoods and skinny dip in total strangers pools! Yeah!!”
* * * * * *
Eliza - “…couldn’t that have been rewritten? That still made zero sense even if we know who’s in the scene because we…“ (muffled voice)
Nina - “Don’t jinx the only good thing about this moment. Let’s bask in it and enjoy…“ (looks back at Saint Tail) “---so what do we do with her? The real Keiko was about as vague as ever about what we’re supposed to do with her other than letting her be “on top” and I don’t think we want to see THAT right now!“ (blinks) “Me, sure, but I’m always ready to see that anytime so that’s no big surprise, but still… Sakura. Sakura?” (looks at the grim face Sakura is making) “You in there? Hey Snoozer!”
“It shouldn’t have moved---”
Nina - “Say what?”
Tomoyo - “Sakura, do you have something?”
Sakura quietly points to the painting and whispers “All the Hamsters moved.”
Tomoyo - “Yes?”
Nina - “So what’s so important about that?”
“Don’t you get it?” Sakura points out, motioning towards the painting. “ALL the Hamsters moved, including the one that never moves much at all.”
“The Ham-ham that doesn‘t move--” (Nina turns and regards the painting) “Wait, wait, wait, wait, you mean Snoozer right?”
“It’s a chance I’ll take.”
Sakura walks in, staff in hand as she nears the painting again.
“Clow card, return to your power confined, Silence Card!”
With one slam she brings the staff down near Snoozer, as it’s eyes open in shock. Seconds later it’s entrapped in tendrils of energy.
“Now return to your powers confined as well, Toon card and Prism card!”
Secondary tendrils snake out grabbing the Snoozer image, splitting the cards back into their original forms. Silence. Toon. Prism. As all three are sealed and returned to card form, each card flies to a different hand. Silence to Sakura, Prism to Tomoyo & Toon to Kero.
“Oh my favorite card!” Kero swoons, holding the Toon card to himself as he does, “I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you!”
“Gee, lay off a little Kero!” Sakura sighs as she gathers up the cards. “I trust it you two can figure out who owns the…“ (!!) “…what the HELL!!“
Tomoyo - “Good. Now let’s see. Silence---” (in her hand) “---Prism---” (Tomoyo holds all three) “---and finally Toon---” (blushes) “Oh, there‘s the copy of the painting of us making love I had made for Christmas last year for us, Sakura…” (blushes) “…I do remember saying the Artist could keep a copy for himself because he loved it so and I guess somehow a copy also got into Saint Mesa‘s hands and… Sakura? Are you crying?”
Sakura, teary eyed, takes the cards from Tomoyo to sign them only to notice the Toon card, on it is an image of a Super Deformed Kerberos (big Kero) chasing after a super deformed Yueh with a large mallet. “This is your favorite image, isn‘t it…” Sakura mutters.
Kero nods his head happily, “I always like the stories with me getting one over on Yueh. They make me all warm inside.”
“I’ll bet---” (Sakura sighs) “---why me…“
* * * * * *
From the rooftop of the museum he watches. His cloak fluttering slightly in the breeze, his gloved hands flexing as he watches the two groups split up, his face smiling slightly.
“Nice work.” Lazarus remarks as he turns and regards the city about the museum, and ponders deep thoughts.
* * * * * *
Two days later--- Back at Daidouji Estates
“We’ll probably run into them again, you know.”
“Saint Mesa or Rachel the cowgirl?” Sakura asks as she checks on the fixings for Tomoyo’s box lunch for school. “At least they found that somebody stuck two copies of the same painting into one frame so there was more than enough for both… BUT WHY DID YOU LET OTHER PEOPLE HAVE THAT PAINTING!!“
“I Don’t see why not. I’m not ashamed of our love, I think it’s beautiful.“
“But it’s so NAUGHTY!!“ Sakura cries out, tears forming as she finishes Tomoyo’s lunch.
“You don’t say.” Kero (while eating breakfast) remarks offhandedly. “Yup. I pity the person who gets stuck having wet dreams about you, Sakura, because mobody should have to be stuck with a…” (pakt) “…ouch.”
“If you ever want to eat again you better stop mocking me.“ Sakura hissed, pointing to Nina’s lunch as she entered the room. “Lunch. Memorize the note within.”
“Note? What are you…“
Nina pulls open the top and inside the box cover is this---
“My museum isn’t a library for sextoys! You better return that stuff you “borrowed” out of the Joys of Sex exhibit by this weekend or there’ll be hell to pay!“ (signed Misho)
“That spiteful…” Nina huffs her breath and slams her lunch shut, “I’m glad I have several hours to work up an appetite because I just lost it now.”
Sakura - “You don‘t say.”
Nina - “Shut up.”
“Sometimes a Quiet Mouth is Better than a Big Mouth”
To Be Continued
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Three Days of Remastered the First
Remastered the First wraps it's run in the next few days.
Today is 8 of 10, with the last two coming Sunday and then Tuesday.
After that we have the Christmas Tales break, then Remastered II will kick off before the end of the year. Stay tuned.
Today is 8 of 10, with the last two coming Sunday and then Tuesday.
After that we have the Christmas Tales break, then Remastered II will kick off before the end of the year. Stay tuned.
CardCaptor Sakura Remastered Episode 1-8 (10)
Sometimes reality can be multiple choice.
Where any number of things and outcomes can occur.
But what if one reality spawns two of one person, and each chose a different path?
That’s the situation for one Keiko Yamanaka, and the incident concerning a painting, a promise to two lovers for two different Keikos, and a Clow card named---
New Tomoeda Art Museum
(Named so because it’s new majority stockholder, one Misho NamoCatCat, wanted to draw in crowds by making it sound spiffier and newer than it was. And, oddly enough, it worked.)
Today Sakura’s class was doing an art appreciation class taught by Eliza (as her cover identity at the school as the school’s art teacher), and everyone picked out a topic to draw. Everyone wandered about picking subjects, Nina (as the class chaperone for the trip) just sat near Sakura/Tomoyo and sulked as she sketched on her pad, mostly out of boredom than any real desire to have an appreciation of art. “I’m not old enough to be a chaperone. Makes me sound like I’m some sort of old maid!”
“You are kinda old.” Sakura snips.
“Can it, Snoozer, I’m NOT in the mood---” (Nina frowns as she looks about) “Goddess I never realized until now just how boring modern art is. You’d think in a Realm of Dreams they’d have an exciting hentai exhibit. Lots of really hot stuff. I’d bet that make your bloods boil just thinking of it---” (turns and catches the two young women’s blushes as they go back to drawing) “---I thought so.”
A familiar presence suddenly was nearby, hovering over Nina‘s shoulder. “It’s perverts like you that keep me from putting a hentai exhibit up. I’d have overwrought girls like you masturbating in public and that’d down my approval rating with the cultured art goers who support the arts with their donations.”
Nina - “And we wouldn’t want your “cash-cat” to dry up now would we? (And I don’t do that sorta shit in public so shut up!)”
Misho NamoCatCat sits down next to Nina as she stares at her picture. “I thought you were chaperone, not student. And I don’t see any naked girls making out around here.”
“?” (Sakura takes the pad from Nina against her wishes and looks at it) “Making o--” (pales) “ACCKK!!!” Eliza quickly rushes up to shush them only to look at Sakura oddly, “Why is she all pale? What is she---” (takes the pad and looks at it) “---Nina, did you do this?”
“Yeah.” (blushes) “Well it’s her fault looking and---” Eliza bends down and kisses her softly, “You naughty girl, you. Behave or I won’t make your pictures come true--- my beautiful sweetness.”
“Hmmm---” Nina smiles at the prospects, “I like a good incentive.” she whispers back as she returns Eliza’s kiss in full. “What did you see? Sakura? Sakura?” Tomoyo asks as she tends to her fallen love. “---I’m scarred for life---” Sakura whines, “---what is she?!?”
Nina changes the subject suddenly, ignoring Sakura’s whines, “So, Misho, is there any reason your around me or are you just here to bother me?”
Misho - “Just keeping an eye on you. Making sure this isn’t “work” related. Not like last time, and you do remember last time don‘t you…”
“This is Eliza’s art class. No Clow cards here, promise. Say, what’s that in your hand?” (pointing at the box) “Secret admirer or death threat? Probably death threat knowing you.”
Suddenly Misho‘s expression changed, her hand flipping the box over a few times as she looked at it, “It’s not a bomb, I don’t smell explosives. It’s just a package. Smells like a party inside---” (opens the box for it to explode in lights and confetti) “ACK!!” As Misho falls backwards a small card pops out of the box and falls into Misho’s hair.) “Been pissing on the pop culture artist’ again have we? Let’s see---” (picks up card) “I will come for “The Smile” tonight. Resistance is Futile. Saint Mesa”--- Saint Mesa?!”
“This is all your fault.“ Misho hisses in disgust, sits up quickly and snatches the card. “The weirdoes just seem to come out of the woodwork whenever YOU are around!”
Nina - “Oh, yeah, sure, blame me for all your problems. Boy are you anti-social.”
“Whatever. (Maybe this is one of the pop artists’ because they’re freaks, but still)”
Misho huffs once and stands up, “First it’s the park event and now this, don’t tell me it’s not a coincidence that you happen to be present for both of those. This is worst for me because I got a public relations backlash because of the park incident and this…” (holds up card) “…is just another annoyance that will bite me in the media butt in the end. I don’t need a Saint whatever debacle screwing my PR because I’m already quite full from the “ghost” thing from before, thank you very much.“
And with that Misho storms off in a huff, grabbing a guard as she does. “Bring me the acquisitions dept.’s head--- preferably detached and in a basket if at all possible!”
“Somebody got up on the wrong side of the kitty bed this morning---” Nina remarks.
“By the way…” Misho stops, and spins back around towards Nina, “I got a call from the Italian Embassy for you to stop mangling the word “Fettucine”.”
“---I knew that---” Nina huffs, picking up the box (mostly to ignore Misho) as she does. “Well, it may be nothing but it’s better than just sitting around doodling. Once you two finish the project--”
“Finished.” Both girls announce holding up their completed work. “Show offs. Let’s go. I want to see the “Smile” firsthand.”
* * * * * *
“What makes you think it’s a painting?” Sakura whispers.
Tomoyo - “She’s right, it could be a sculpture or a statue.”
Nina - “Because the database said it’s a painting. And here it is---” all three stop and look at the painting, all three frowning at the same time. “That’s a smile?” The picture was of all the Ham-hams (Hamtaro) smiling in a house setting. As the three watched from a distance Nina commented quietly, “Didn’t know Hamtaro was good enough to rate a spot in the Art Museum.” (smirks) “Saint Mesa must be bored out of his or her mind to actually want to liberate this! Must be some frantic closet Hamtaro fan… or maybe just really into beastality if you know what I…” (fwhack) “…don’t use your art easel in vain, Sakura.” (points at picture) “Hey, there’s Sakura.” (pointing at Snoozer) “Ain’t she---“ (fwhack) “…get a new stchick other than hitting me when your pissed.“ (frowns) “Somebody’s still got a nasty temper---” (fwhack) “…stop it.”
“I’m NOT Snoozer!” Sakura silently hissed, turning her attention back to the painting.
“I don’t see any significance to this painting being stolen, do your Tomo-chan?”
“Maybe it’s a Hamtaro fan like Nina suggested. There’s nothing here to suggest anything out of the ordinary, and I don‘t remember there ever being a Hamster card.”
“But it’s cute though.” Somebody said from behind them, all three turn to face the source of the comment. “Hey there Sakura, Tomoyo.”
Sakura - “Hi Keiko, Eve.”
The two women, holding hands, step up besides Sakura as she greets them, “So did you manage to finish your pictures with Nina tormenting you the way she did?”
Nina - “Hey!”
Sakura - “Yup. Just did.” (Eve looks at painting as Sakura talks) “So, what were you three talking about when we got here?”
Nina - “Misho has her tail wound up in a knot because Saint Mesa is going to steal this painting… must be a stupid criminal to want to steal this sugery sweet acid trip on canvas. Anyway we just stopped by to see what’s so good about it… not much.”
“That’s the head of this museum, right? Misho NamoCatCat?” Eve asks, “I didn‘t know Nekos were into the arts.”
Nina - “Only because she floods it’s coffers with yen every year as a tax shelter or writeoff or whatever it is rich people do to stay rich, otherwise she’s about as culturally aware as a overwrought Otaku with a hentai fixation.”
“I heard that!” Misho yells, storming in and right into Nina’s face, “I got far more culture than you! At least I don’t lie about my habits unlike SOME people!”
Nina - “Now whose the bigger liar here? Bet it’s you!”
Misho looks downright frigid at the comment, “Why-- the nerve! I--”
Suddenly something catches Sakura’s attention, as all the Ham-hams move their fingers towards their lips all at once. As they finish this move, everything goes silent. No noise, no sound, nothing for seconds on end. Finally when the noise returns Misho & Nina are staring at each other dumbstruck. Misho huffs her breath and storms out, whispering to herself in a huff. Without another word Sakura takes Tomoyo & Nina and leads them out of view of the painting.
* * * * * *
“That was the Silence Card, wasn’t it?” Tomoyo asked as they left the museum with the class. “I’m sure of it--- but---” (thinks back) “The last time it was a woman dressed in black. Now it’s a bunch of Hamsters? I don’t get it. Maybe it’s another Card with the power of silence? (The Silent Animation Card?)”
“Here---” Tomoyo hands her cellphone off the Sakura, “Ask Kero. I called him while we were leaving the museum.” (Sakura takes the phone and relays the message, seconds later the answer comes) “Oh no, it’s Silence alright. But there should only be one image unless---” (thinks) “---there must be more than one card in play here. Silence must be “merged” with another card to better hide it’s presence. One I know, Prism, might be the culprit. It creates multiple images of one thing--- but the effect---” (silence) “---that one has me stumped. Ham-hams? I don’t think we’ve ever had an animation card before… maybe it’s a fan card though -- arghhh -- I have this nagging feeling I should know this one! I have to some research on that one.”
Sakura - “Research?”
Kero - “Yeah! There’s this great hentai site I found and it’s all naughty you, you, you doing the most dirtiest things (nowhere near as special as the fansite dedicated to consensual lesbian you and Tomoyo)! However the dirty site is important because somebody went out of their way to make a master list of all fan created cards. I’ll browse that for awhile and see what synches while I think of new ways to test my humor on you! Bye!”
Sakura - “Kero, wait! KERO!!” (growls as she closes the cellphone) “He’s been really on my case ever since we started going after Clow cards again! What’s with him?!”
Tomoyo - “He just seems to have fostered a new (and bad) sense of humor. It probably didn’t help that he ordered that manga from that site and got a Card Captor Sakura fan porn accidentally shipped to him with his manga. Ever since then he’s been fixated on teasing you about your sexual exploits with men… Toya…” (cough cough) “…mostly.”
“THAT WASN’T ME!!” Sakura yelled, quickly hushing down as everyone stared at her, blushing she quickly waved them off until they had their “privacy“ again. “I didn’t do that! It’s sick fantasy stuff about me, but it’s NOT me! I swear!”
Tomoyo smiles her even-leveled smile as she embraces Sakura, “I know, I know. I think Kero’s just cranky about being little Kero again all the time and he’s taking his frustration out on you in this manner. Helps him unwind and not be so upset if he has something to keep his mind active.”
Sakura sighs bitterly at the thought of being Kero‘s verbal punching bag, “I wish he’d get a girlfriend because his jokes are making me angry.”
Nina smirks at that thought, “I sorta like the homemade manga he made where you thumped the entire household staff from tail end to tail end in hot lesbian action and---” (next words are silenced as Sakura beams Nina upside the head with her bag).
* * * * * *
“Did you learn anything?” Eliza sighs, checking Nina’s bruise again. “Snoozer needs a slow Prozac drip near her bed to simmer that god awful temper?”
Eliza - “You know what I mean.”
“I know, I know…” (Nina sighs) “…she’s not as sociable as the other serious relationship girls in her class. I heard there’s another girl in her class who drew a sex manga with her lover’s permission of them doing it and her love? She didn’t mind one bit.”
Eliza - “You just said why she didn’t mind one bit, mostly because she probably participated and it wasn’t meant to mock her. It was a loving gift for them to remember their first time. Kero’s manga wasn’t as kind or as beautiful though I guess I’m being hypocritical since I did kinda help with the sex positioning on his manga. As for the other manga I did get a copy of that when it was done because I helped with the publishing. It was called “Sweet Sixteen Love“, beautiful stuff. It‘s about two girls who were friends since they were 11-12 and grew up together eventually falling in love and dating for a year or two before consummating on one of the girl‘s sixteenth birthday. Sorta like Sakura/Tomoyo only without the Card Captoring or the daughter who used to be a card spin on things. Think they live together now ever since one of the girl‘s parents died and left the house to her.”
Nina huffs her breath, clenching her teeth abit as Eliza uses a medico stick on her injury, “Alright. So Kero’s manga wasn’t that beautiful as “Sweet 16 Love”, but it sure was red-hot. I kept a copy of it for myself and it’s filled with naughty stuff. Still---” Nina stifles a whine as she wiggles under Eliza‘s “care“, “Sakura can stand to be less violence prone and a little more diplomatic being she’s the world’s greatest mage and all. And where is the great Snoozer, mistress of the cards, any-- ouch!”
“Don’t wiggle so much. As for Sakura? Maybe she’d be nicer if you got off her back once in awhile.”
Nina - “Where’s the fun in -- Ow… are you doing that on purp-- ouch!!“
* * * * * *
“I can’t believe she was so mean!” Sakura pouted, lying face down on the bed as she did. Tomoyo carefully rubs the kinks out of Sakura’s back, working her nerves to a calm state slowly as she does. Both of them were still in their school uniforms but Sakura felt naked beneath Tomoyo’s loving fingers. “She gets a rise from making you react like that. Don’t let her antics upset you, she means well even when she’s getting on your nerves.” (sighs) “I’m only sad that they never got it right.”
Sakura - “Phhew?”
Tomoyo - “Us, I mean. What few times we make love in these things from what Kero told me? It’s short and it’s not in the beautiful depth of our lovemaking, or holds the strength of our feelings when we make love.” Sakura smiles, her nerves relaxing as she does. “I know. It’s beautiful the way we make love. There are days I wish we should share it with the world and scream from the top of Tokyo Tower how truly beautiful it is and how ignorant people are to even try to describe the true beauty of a love like ours.”
Tomoyo - “Then let’s tape it one day and I‘ll draw the manga inspired by it!”
If Sakura wasn’t already on her face she would have fell over from the shock. “?!?”
“Come on, Sakura-chan! I’m the only one who’d see it and nobody’s know and I’ll need it as reference material to draw it and your so beautiful when we make love and---”
“I think I heard this story before.” Sakura whispers, sweat dropping.
* * * * * *
After dinner, Nina makes a phone call while the others get ready to leave. Eliza seemed confused by this, “Who are you calling?”
“Jack. If there’s anyone who knows what’s going on with somebody called Saint Mesa it’s the resident Raven of the Earth--- hey there, Jack? Yeah, it’s Nina--- Kotobuki--- yes, yes, the one that smelled like chicken. Are you going to go over that old joke from the start of the volume or are you going to help me? Yeah? Yeah! Sure I’ll hold---” (looks at Eliza’s odd expression) “I’ll explain later---” (sighs) “---I hate elevator mus--- oh, there you are. Right. I need to know what the word is on this so called Saint Mesa and what he or she’s up to with this painting “The Smile”.”
* * * * * *
Here is what Jack had to say.
“Saint Mesa? She’s relatively nobody. There’s never been a Saint Mesa from what we know of it (in either fictional or real history from anywhere or anytime). He or she does seem to be fixated on this painting Misho has, and if Misho NamoCatCat has this treasure he or she is so hot on then maybe focusing on that might yield info about what this Saint Mesa is.“
“That’s the official spiel about Saint Mesa. Give me the unofficial version. You know, the stuff kept under wraps only for Guardian/Judgment corps to know about.”
Silence. A long unbearable silence. Then--
Jack - “What do you know about Keiko Yamanaka’s family history?”
Nina - “Nothing. You can’t squeeze that kind of personal history from a cranky bitter silent type like her and you know it.“
Jack - “Keiko was once a Normal of sorts who lived in the Waking World. She lived and died in Japan before the age of contact with the “outside world“. For the most part her family went to heaven, and she is mostly alone here. Which is odd, mind you, because of her particulars of ther existence… but that is all sealed info, so even I can‘t reveal that to you except for two facts.”
Nina - “And those facts would be…?“
Jack - “Keiko Yamanaka has a sister living in the realm, a TWIN sister named Reiko. That’s one. The second… she’s been working the Americas as of late as Keiko, and is presently tied to a cowgirl named Rachel who lives in…“
Nina - “Don’t tell me, let me guess… Mesa.“
Jack - “Recently Reiko placed a request for a seizure of a painting from NamoCatCat, claiming it was stolen from Rachel’s family and they laid claim to it. This might be the painting though the record is not totally in the open as it is a Judgment Action Report that is presently in the process of being mediated over. Perhaps Rachel just got tired or waiting for the mediators to resolve this and decided to do something about it herself.“
Nina - “And I guess just giving her the painting is out of the question as there is a Clow Card on the painting, right?”
“What? You serious?” Jack asks, to which Nina grunts in the afirmative, “Actually, Jack? It’s more like three cards are on the painting from what I know of it. Silence, Prism, and another card. It’s not going to be easy catching them though because Silence has some weird powers and that’ll make catching it harder. Anyway we can contact this Rachel and convince her to sit on her dude ranch hat for awhile so we can clear up the Clow card thing?“
“She’ll get suspicious if I called because officially we don’t acknowledge having this information, and Reiko will be suspicious because I said I‘d never contact her lover directly. This is all way too complex as it’s all under the table hush-hush, way too much secrecy for it‘s own good it seems. In fact I shouldn’t even have told you what I did. Sorry, but you’ll have to greet this Saint Mesa and take it from there. Be gentle though, if you thought Keiko was a hothead when it comes to Eve being harmed you can bet Reiko will be just as volitale when it comes to Rachel’s safety.“
“I see.” Nina said with gritted teeth, “Well, we’ll do our best. Thanks.”
“Take care, and give Sakura a break once in awhile.”
Nina sighs as she turns off her phone. “Well? What did she say?”
“Your in for a shock. It seems…”
* * * * * *
Outside the Museum (11PM)
“Very nice.” Nina remarks as she pokes around the van’s interior, “Sorta like a mobile Card Captor base complete with GPS system, very comfortable office seating bolted to the floor with seatbelts attached and a huge storage compartment the size of a closet. Interesting.” Nina quickly sits down in one of the office style chairs and swings herself around in it. “I’m going to love Card Captoring in this baby!”
Kero, for his part, was very deep in thought (Tomoyo was filming him as he thought things through) “Never thought Silence would team up with any other cards. But it makes sense since Sakura caught her so easily the last time. But one is Prism… the other must be… must be… must be…” (shakes his head) “It’s on the tip of my tongue but I can’t seem to remember! So damn close and yet I‘m blanking out!”
“Give it a second, I’m sure it’s there.” Tomoyo urges him as she turns to film Sakura, “Any ideas?”
“We know two of the cards. Maybe the effect masking the cards is Mimic’s work?”
Kero shakes his head, “Nah, Mimic is too egotistical to work with any other card on equal terms under any circumstances (you remember Mimic‘s totally bad attitude, right?). It might be using those cards to gauge Sakura’s abilities but that seems unlikely since Silence usually hates working with any of the uppity cards even under the worst of conditions. Right now Mimic has gone to ground so we won’t hear from it for awhile--- still, something familiar about this card.”
Sakura - “It must be something with a strange sense of humor, using toon-ish images as…”
Kero - “THAT’S IT, SAKURA!!” Kero suddenly leaps into the air, flutters around abit as he cheers, and grabs Sakura and kisses her hard. “That’s IT!! You‘re a genius (sometimes)!”
Sakura - “Kero! Don’t do that…” (Sakura wipes her mouth off) “…no tongue.”
Kero couldn‘t hold it in anymore, flittering about madly he cried out “It’s the Toon card!” Silence. A long unbearable silence. “The Toon card. The Toon card. Hello, am I talking to myself here? I said it‘s the Toon card!”
Sakura - “Kero, I never heard of the Toon card. Is that a fan card you read about on that dirty site you “love“ so much---”
Kero - “NO, no. It’s a card Clow Reed created off the books.”
“Off the books?” (Tomoyo was now talking) “Why wasn’t it part of the original set?”
“Because we mostly used the card when we were bored.” (Kero) “There were days when we had nothing to do, nothing new to create or things to accomplish and Clow Reed, myself & even dull as wood Yueh would become bored by it all. So Clow Reed created the Toon card just to entertain us.” (Kero suddenly starts to smile in a half dream like state) “I remember we used to sit around for hours laughing as Toon’s wild shows and plays it did for us, each one more hilarious than the last. And it’s card image is my favorite. Sigh--- memories like that are so sweet! Like chocolate cake… like the one we have at home and can eat the minute we finish this and go home.”
“I’ll see if I can hurry it along.” Sakura sighs, turning towards the door, “Let’s go.”
“Wait!” Tomoyo called out to Sakura, “You almost forgot your costume!”
“Oh---” (Sakura blushes) “---right. My costume. Silly me.”
Tomoyo - “Everyone else outside while Sakura changes.”
As everyone files outside Nina sighs, “Must be nice to have one’s own wardrobe expert.”
“Sure.” Kero adds, “Think she’ll ever make Sakura some kinky bedroom play outfits?” Everyone stops and thinks--- An image of Sakura dressed in a cat outfit and--- everyone stops thinking and shudders. “Let’s save those “warm” thoughts (as if) for the lemon stories.” Nina remarked, to which everyone quickly nods their heads quickly.
Nina - “I feel like a cold shower all of the sudden, anyone else?”
To Be Continued
Where any number of things and outcomes can occur.
But what if one reality spawns two of one person, and each chose a different path?
That’s the situation for one Keiko Yamanaka, and the incident concerning a painting, a promise to two lovers for two different Keikos, and a Clow card named---
New Tomoeda Art Museum
(Named so because it’s new majority stockholder, one Misho NamoCatCat, wanted to draw in crowds by making it sound spiffier and newer than it was. And, oddly enough, it worked.)
Today Sakura’s class was doing an art appreciation class taught by Eliza (as her cover identity at the school as the school’s art teacher), and everyone picked out a topic to draw. Everyone wandered about picking subjects, Nina (as the class chaperone for the trip) just sat near Sakura/Tomoyo and sulked as she sketched on her pad, mostly out of boredom than any real desire to have an appreciation of art. “I’m not old enough to be a chaperone. Makes me sound like I’m some sort of old maid!”
“You are kinda old.” Sakura snips.
“Can it, Snoozer, I’m NOT in the mood---” (Nina frowns as she looks about) “Goddess I never realized until now just how boring modern art is. You’d think in a Realm of Dreams they’d have an exciting hentai exhibit. Lots of really hot stuff. I’d bet that make your bloods boil just thinking of it---” (turns and catches the two young women’s blushes as they go back to drawing) “---I thought so.”
A familiar presence suddenly was nearby, hovering over Nina‘s shoulder. “It’s perverts like you that keep me from putting a hentai exhibit up. I’d have overwrought girls like you masturbating in public and that’d down my approval rating with the cultured art goers who support the arts with their donations.”
Nina - “And we wouldn’t want your “cash-cat” to dry up now would we? (And I don’t do that sorta shit in public so shut up!)”
Misho NamoCatCat sits down next to Nina as she stares at her picture. “I thought you were chaperone, not student. And I don’t see any naked girls making out around here.”
“?” (Sakura takes the pad from Nina against her wishes and looks at it) “Making o--” (pales) “ACCKK!!!” Eliza quickly rushes up to shush them only to look at Sakura oddly, “Why is she all pale? What is she---” (takes the pad and looks at it) “---Nina, did you do this?”
“Yeah.” (blushes) “Well it’s her fault looking and---” Eliza bends down and kisses her softly, “You naughty girl, you. Behave or I won’t make your pictures come true--- my beautiful sweetness.”
“Hmmm---” Nina smiles at the prospects, “I like a good incentive.” she whispers back as she returns Eliza’s kiss in full. “What did you see? Sakura? Sakura?” Tomoyo asks as she tends to her fallen love. “---I’m scarred for life---” Sakura whines, “---what is she?!?”
Nina changes the subject suddenly, ignoring Sakura’s whines, “So, Misho, is there any reason your around me or are you just here to bother me?”
Misho - “Just keeping an eye on you. Making sure this isn’t “work” related. Not like last time, and you do remember last time don‘t you…”
“This is Eliza’s art class. No Clow cards here, promise. Say, what’s that in your hand?” (pointing at the box) “Secret admirer or death threat? Probably death threat knowing you.”
Suddenly Misho‘s expression changed, her hand flipping the box over a few times as she looked at it, “It’s not a bomb, I don’t smell explosives. It’s just a package. Smells like a party inside---” (opens the box for it to explode in lights and confetti) “ACK!!” As Misho falls backwards a small card pops out of the box and falls into Misho’s hair.) “Been pissing on the pop culture artist’ again have we? Let’s see---” (picks up card) “I will come for “The Smile” tonight. Resistance is Futile. Saint Mesa”--- Saint Mesa?!”
“This is all your fault.“ Misho hisses in disgust, sits up quickly and snatches the card. “The weirdoes just seem to come out of the woodwork whenever YOU are around!”
Nina - “Oh, yeah, sure, blame me for all your problems. Boy are you anti-social.”
“Whatever. (Maybe this is one of the pop artists’ because they’re freaks, but still)”
Misho huffs once and stands up, “First it’s the park event and now this, don’t tell me it’s not a coincidence that you happen to be present for both of those. This is worst for me because I got a public relations backlash because of the park incident and this…” (holds up card) “…is just another annoyance that will bite me in the media butt in the end. I don’t need a Saint whatever debacle screwing my PR because I’m already quite full from the “ghost” thing from before, thank you very much.“
And with that Misho storms off in a huff, grabbing a guard as she does. “Bring me the acquisitions dept.’s head--- preferably detached and in a basket if at all possible!”
“Somebody got up on the wrong side of the kitty bed this morning---” Nina remarks.
“By the way…” Misho stops, and spins back around towards Nina, “I got a call from the Italian Embassy for you to stop mangling the word “Fettucine”.”
“---I knew that---” Nina huffs, picking up the box (mostly to ignore Misho) as she does. “Well, it may be nothing but it’s better than just sitting around doodling. Once you two finish the project--”
“Finished.” Both girls announce holding up their completed work. “Show offs. Let’s go. I want to see the “Smile” firsthand.”
* * * * * *
“What makes you think it’s a painting?” Sakura whispers.
Tomoyo - “She’s right, it could be a sculpture or a statue.”
Nina - “Because the database said it’s a painting. And here it is---” all three stop and look at the painting, all three frowning at the same time. “That’s a smile?” The picture was of all the Ham-hams (Hamtaro) smiling in a house setting. As the three watched from a distance Nina commented quietly, “Didn’t know Hamtaro was good enough to rate a spot in the Art Museum.” (smirks) “Saint Mesa must be bored out of his or her mind to actually want to liberate this! Must be some frantic closet Hamtaro fan… or maybe just really into beastality if you know what I…” (fwhack) “…don’t use your art easel in vain, Sakura.” (points at picture) “Hey, there’s Sakura.” (pointing at Snoozer) “Ain’t she---“ (fwhack) “…get a new stchick other than hitting me when your pissed.“ (frowns) “Somebody’s still got a nasty temper---” (fwhack) “…stop it.”
“I’m NOT Snoozer!” Sakura silently hissed, turning her attention back to the painting.
“I don’t see any significance to this painting being stolen, do your Tomo-chan?”
“Maybe it’s a Hamtaro fan like Nina suggested. There’s nothing here to suggest anything out of the ordinary, and I don‘t remember there ever being a Hamster card.”
“But it’s cute though.” Somebody said from behind them, all three turn to face the source of the comment. “Hey there Sakura, Tomoyo.”
Sakura - “Hi Keiko, Eve.”
The two women, holding hands, step up besides Sakura as she greets them, “So did you manage to finish your pictures with Nina tormenting you the way she did?”
Nina - “Hey!”
Sakura - “Yup. Just did.” (Eve looks at painting as Sakura talks) “So, what were you three talking about when we got here?”
Nina - “Misho has her tail wound up in a knot because Saint Mesa is going to steal this painting… must be a stupid criminal to want to steal this sugery sweet acid trip on canvas. Anyway we just stopped by to see what’s so good about it… not much.”
“That’s the head of this museum, right? Misho NamoCatCat?” Eve asks, “I didn‘t know Nekos were into the arts.”
Nina - “Only because she floods it’s coffers with yen every year as a tax shelter or writeoff or whatever it is rich people do to stay rich, otherwise she’s about as culturally aware as a overwrought Otaku with a hentai fixation.”
“I heard that!” Misho yells, storming in and right into Nina’s face, “I got far more culture than you! At least I don’t lie about my habits unlike SOME people!”
Nina - “Now whose the bigger liar here? Bet it’s you!”
Misho looks downright frigid at the comment, “Why-- the nerve! I--”
Suddenly something catches Sakura’s attention, as all the Ham-hams move their fingers towards their lips all at once. As they finish this move, everything goes silent. No noise, no sound, nothing for seconds on end. Finally when the noise returns Misho & Nina are staring at each other dumbstruck. Misho huffs her breath and storms out, whispering to herself in a huff. Without another word Sakura takes Tomoyo & Nina and leads them out of view of the painting.
* * * * * *
“That was the Silence Card, wasn’t it?” Tomoyo asked as they left the museum with the class. “I’m sure of it--- but---” (thinks back) “The last time it was a woman dressed in black. Now it’s a bunch of Hamsters? I don’t get it. Maybe it’s another Card with the power of silence? (The Silent Animation Card?)”
“Here---” Tomoyo hands her cellphone off the Sakura, “Ask Kero. I called him while we were leaving the museum.” (Sakura takes the phone and relays the message, seconds later the answer comes) “Oh no, it’s Silence alright. But there should only be one image unless---” (thinks) “---there must be more than one card in play here. Silence must be “merged” with another card to better hide it’s presence. One I know, Prism, might be the culprit. It creates multiple images of one thing--- but the effect---” (silence) “---that one has me stumped. Ham-hams? I don’t think we’ve ever had an animation card before… maybe it’s a fan card though -- arghhh -- I have this nagging feeling I should know this one! I have to some research on that one.”
Sakura - “Research?”
Kero - “Yeah! There’s this great hentai site I found and it’s all naughty you, you, you doing the most dirtiest things (nowhere near as special as the fansite dedicated to consensual lesbian you and Tomoyo)! However the dirty site is important because somebody went out of their way to make a master list of all fan created cards. I’ll browse that for awhile and see what synches while I think of new ways to test my humor on you! Bye!”
Sakura - “Kero, wait! KERO!!” (growls as she closes the cellphone) “He’s been really on my case ever since we started going after Clow cards again! What’s with him?!”
Tomoyo - “He just seems to have fostered a new (and bad) sense of humor. It probably didn’t help that he ordered that manga from that site and got a Card Captor Sakura fan porn accidentally shipped to him with his manga. Ever since then he’s been fixated on teasing you about your sexual exploits with men… Toya…” (cough cough) “…mostly.”
“THAT WASN’T ME!!” Sakura yelled, quickly hushing down as everyone stared at her, blushing she quickly waved them off until they had their “privacy“ again. “I didn’t do that! It’s sick fantasy stuff about me, but it’s NOT me! I swear!”
Tomoyo smiles her even-leveled smile as she embraces Sakura, “I know, I know. I think Kero’s just cranky about being little Kero again all the time and he’s taking his frustration out on you in this manner. Helps him unwind and not be so upset if he has something to keep his mind active.”
Sakura sighs bitterly at the thought of being Kero‘s verbal punching bag, “I wish he’d get a girlfriend because his jokes are making me angry.”
Nina smirks at that thought, “I sorta like the homemade manga he made where you thumped the entire household staff from tail end to tail end in hot lesbian action and---” (next words are silenced as Sakura beams Nina upside the head with her bag).
* * * * * *
“Did you learn anything?” Eliza sighs, checking Nina’s bruise again. “Snoozer needs a slow Prozac drip near her bed to simmer that god awful temper?”
Eliza - “You know what I mean.”
“I know, I know…” (Nina sighs) “…she’s not as sociable as the other serious relationship girls in her class. I heard there’s another girl in her class who drew a sex manga with her lover’s permission of them doing it and her love? She didn’t mind one bit.”
Eliza - “You just said why she didn’t mind one bit, mostly because she probably participated and it wasn’t meant to mock her. It was a loving gift for them to remember their first time. Kero’s manga wasn’t as kind or as beautiful though I guess I’m being hypocritical since I did kinda help with the sex positioning on his manga. As for the other manga I did get a copy of that when it was done because I helped with the publishing. It was called “Sweet Sixteen Love“, beautiful stuff. It‘s about two girls who were friends since they were 11-12 and grew up together eventually falling in love and dating for a year or two before consummating on one of the girl‘s sixteenth birthday. Sorta like Sakura/Tomoyo only without the Card Captoring or the daughter who used to be a card spin on things. Think they live together now ever since one of the girl‘s parents died and left the house to her.”
Nina huffs her breath, clenching her teeth abit as Eliza uses a medico stick on her injury, “Alright. So Kero’s manga wasn’t that beautiful as “Sweet 16 Love”, but it sure was red-hot. I kept a copy of it for myself and it’s filled with naughty stuff. Still---” Nina stifles a whine as she wiggles under Eliza‘s “care“, “Sakura can stand to be less violence prone and a little more diplomatic being she’s the world’s greatest mage and all. And where is the great Snoozer, mistress of the cards, any-- ouch!”
“Don’t wiggle so much. As for Sakura? Maybe she’d be nicer if you got off her back once in awhile.”
Nina - “Where’s the fun in -- Ow… are you doing that on purp-- ouch!!“
* * * * * *
“I can’t believe she was so mean!” Sakura pouted, lying face down on the bed as she did. Tomoyo carefully rubs the kinks out of Sakura’s back, working her nerves to a calm state slowly as she does. Both of them were still in their school uniforms but Sakura felt naked beneath Tomoyo’s loving fingers. “She gets a rise from making you react like that. Don’t let her antics upset you, she means well even when she’s getting on your nerves.” (sighs) “I’m only sad that they never got it right.”
Sakura - “Phhew?”
Tomoyo - “Us, I mean. What few times we make love in these things from what Kero told me? It’s short and it’s not in the beautiful depth of our lovemaking, or holds the strength of our feelings when we make love.” Sakura smiles, her nerves relaxing as she does. “I know. It’s beautiful the way we make love. There are days I wish we should share it with the world and scream from the top of Tokyo Tower how truly beautiful it is and how ignorant people are to even try to describe the true beauty of a love like ours.”
Tomoyo - “Then let’s tape it one day and I‘ll draw the manga inspired by it!”
If Sakura wasn’t already on her face she would have fell over from the shock. “?!?”
“Come on, Sakura-chan! I’m the only one who’d see it and nobody’s know and I’ll need it as reference material to draw it and your so beautiful when we make love and---”
“I think I heard this story before.” Sakura whispers, sweat dropping.
* * * * * *
After dinner, Nina makes a phone call while the others get ready to leave. Eliza seemed confused by this, “Who are you calling?”
“Jack. If there’s anyone who knows what’s going on with somebody called Saint Mesa it’s the resident Raven of the Earth--- hey there, Jack? Yeah, it’s Nina--- Kotobuki--- yes, yes, the one that smelled like chicken. Are you going to go over that old joke from the start of the volume or are you going to help me? Yeah? Yeah! Sure I’ll hold---” (looks at Eliza’s odd expression) “I’ll explain later---” (sighs) “---I hate elevator mus--- oh, there you are. Right. I need to know what the word is on this so called Saint Mesa and what he or she’s up to with this painting “The Smile”.”
* * * * * *
Here is what Jack had to say.
“Saint Mesa? She’s relatively nobody. There’s never been a Saint Mesa from what we know of it (in either fictional or real history from anywhere or anytime). He or she does seem to be fixated on this painting Misho has, and if Misho NamoCatCat has this treasure he or she is so hot on then maybe focusing on that might yield info about what this Saint Mesa is.“
“That’s the official spiel about Saint Mesa. Give me the unofficial version. You know, the stuff kept under wraps only for Guardian/Judgment corps to know about.”
Silence. A long unbearable silence. Then--
Jack - “What do you know about Keiko Yamanaka’s family history?”
Nina - “Nothing. You can’t squeeze that kind of personal history from a cranky bitter silent type like her and you know it.“
Jack - “Keiko was once a Normal of sorts who lived in the Waking World. She lived and died in Japan before the age of contact with the “outside world“. For the most part her family went to heaven, and she is mostly alone here. Which is odd, mind you, because of her particulars of ther existence… but that is all sealed info, so even I can‘t reveal that to you except for two facts.”
Nina - “And those facts would be…?“
Jack - “Keiko Yamanaka has a sister living in the realm, a TWIN sister named Reiko. That’s one. The second… she’s been working the Americas as of late as Keiko, and is presently tied to a cowgirl named Rachel who lives in…“
Nina - “Don’t tell me, let me guess… Mesa.“
Jack - “Recently Reiko placed a request for a seizure of a painting from NamoCatCat, claiming it was stolen from Rachel’s family and they laid claim to it. This might be the painting though the record is not totally in the open as it is a Judgment Action Report that is presently in the process of being mediated over. Perhaps Rachel just got tired or waiting for the mediators to resolve this and decided to do something about it herself.“
Nina - “And I guess just giving her the painting is out of the question as there is a Clow Card on the painting, right?”
“What? You serious?” Jack asks, to which Nina grunts in the afirmative, “Actually, Jack? It’s more like three cards are on the painting from what I know of it. Silence, Prism, and another card. It’s not going to be easy catching them though because Silence has some weird powers and that’ll make catching it harder. Anyway we can contact this Rachel and convince her to sit on her dude ranch hat for awhile so we can clear up the Clow card thing?“
“She’ll get suspicious if I called because officially we don’t acknowledge having this information, and Reiko will be suspicious because I said I‘d never contact her lover directly. This is all way too complex as it’s all under the table hush-hush, way too much secrecy for it‘s own good it seems. In fact I shouldn’t even have told you what I did. Sorry, but you’ll have to greet this Saint Mesa and take it from there. Be gentle though, if you thought Keiko was a hothead when it comes to Eve being harmed you can bet Reiko will be just as volitale when it comes to Rachel’s safety.“
“I see.” Nina said with gritted teeth, “Well, we’ll do our best. Thanks.”
“Take care, and give Sakura a break once in awhile.”
Nina sighs as she turns off her phone. “Well? What did she say?”
“Your in for a shock. It seems…”
* * * * * *
Outside the Museum (11PM)
“Very nice.” Nina remarks as she pokes around the van’s interior, “Sorta like a mobile Card Captor base complete with GPS system, very comfortable office seating bolted to the floor with seatbelts attached and a huge storage compartment the size of a closet. Interesting.” Nina quickly sits down in one of the office style chairs and swings herself around in it. “I’m going to love Card Captoring in this baby!”
Kero, for his part, was very deep in thought (Tomoyo was filming him as he thought things through) “Never thought Silence would team up with any other cards. But it makes sense since Sakura caught her so easily the last time. But one is Prism… the other must be… must be… must be…” (shakes his head) “It’s on the tip of my tongue but I can’t seem to remember! So damn close and yet I‘m blanking out!”
“Give it a second, I’m sure it’s there.” Tomoyo urges him as she turns to film Sakura, “Any ideas?”
“We know two of the cards. Maybe the effect masking the cards is Mimic’s work?”
Kero shakes his head, “Nah, Mimic is too egotistical to work with any other card on equal terms under any circumstances (you remember Mimic‘s totally bad attitude, right?). It might be using those cards to gauge Sakura’s abilities but that seems unlikely since Silence usually hates working with any of the uppity cards even under the worst of conditions. Right now Mimic has gone to ground so we won’t hear from it for awhile--- still, something familiar about this card.”
Sakura - “It must be something with a strange sense of humor, using toon-ish images as…”
Kero - “THAT’S IT, SAKURA!!” Kero suddenly leaps into the air, flutters around abit as he cheers, and grabs Sakura and kisses her hard. “That’s IT!! You‘re a genius (sometimes)!”
Sakura - “Kero! Don’t do that…” (Sakura wipes her mouth off) “…no tongue.”
Kero couldn‘t hold it in anymore, flittering about madly he cried out “It’s the Toon card!” Silence. A long unbearable silence. “The Toon card. The Toon card. Hello, am I talking to myself here? I said it‘s the Toon card!”
Sakura - “Kero, I never heard of the Toon card. Is that a fan card you read about on that dirty site you “love“ so much---”
Kero - “NO, no. It’s a card Clow Reed created off the books.”
“Off the books?” (Tomoyo was now talking) “Why wasn’t it part of the original set?”
“Because we mostly used the card when we were bored.” (Kero) “There were days when we had nothing to do, nothing new to create or things to accomplish and Clow Reed, myself & even dull as wood Yueh would become bored by it all. So Clow Reed created the Toon card just to entertain us.” (Kero suddenly starts to smile in a half dream like state) “I remember we used to sit around for hours laughing as Toon’s wild shows and plays it did for us, each one more hilarious than the last. And it’s card image is my favorite. Sigh--- memories like that are so sweet! Like chocolate cake… like the one we have at home and can eat the minute we finish this and go home.”
“I’ll see if I can hurry it along.” Sakura sighs, turning towards the door, “Let’s go.”
“Wait!” Tomoyo called out to Sakura, “You almost forgot your costume!”
“Oh---” (Sakura blushes) “---right. My costume. Silly me.”
Tomoyo - “Everyone else outside while Sakura changes.”
As everyone files outside Nina sighs, “Must be nice to have one’s own wardrobe expert.”
“Sure.” Kero adds, “Think she’ll ever make Sakura some kinky bedroom play outfits?” Everyone stops and thinks--- An image of Sakura dressed in a cat outfit and--- everyone stops thinking and shudders. “Let’s save those “warm” thoughts (as if) for the lemon stories.” Nina remarked, to which everyone quickly nods their heads quickly.
Nina - “I feel like a cold shower all of the sudden, anyone else?”
To Be Continued
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Azkaban 3
(NOTE - Disclaimer time once again ladies and gentlemen! Harry Potter and all related characters are the property of the one and only J.K. Rowlings. One book to completion of her series, three movies to go (with Order of the Phoenix coming in Summer of 2007). By the way, that means she only has until… hmm… I’d say we’ll see Harry Potter Year 7 the Movie by Summer 2010 if things go the way they do, so Rowlings will have to answer whether she’ll do anything with the Potter franchise past the last book of the series by then. Don’t envy her, by the way, when she finally makes her announcement if she hadn’t already.)
She didn’t want to speak. Didn’t want to converse. Didn’t even want to get to her destination right away. She just paid her galleons and sulked in one of the beds as the bus went on it’s way oblivous to everything and everyone around her.
She didn’t pay attention to how the bus jumped seemingly hundreds of miles with each “BANG”, or how things just seemed to leap out of the bus’ way (to make up for the driver’s occasional habit to ride the bus upside the sidewalks instead of the streets). She didn’t even pay attention to who got on with her. She was just in a bad mood, period.
“I was born with a bad mood.” she whispered to herself.
“No arguments here.”
The voice, damningly familiar and damningly coy, drew her attention to a bed next to her.
On it was a rather fit asian woman, dressed in a black uniform. Her arms were at rest folded across her chest, a thin smile etched across her face. “You did seem to be rather off back
there. Must be that time of the year I suppose.”
Alicia frowned severely at her “bunkmate“, “What would you know, Yamanaka.”
“You’d be surprised.” Keiko Yamanaka, the 7th Judgement muttered, “I don’t ever remember anyone back home exiling you, yet you seem to be whining about that to a few people here and there how you were sorely treated back home.”
Alicia - “It would have came to that.”
“With you everything would come to a bad end.” Keiko retorted, “You have a bad habit of expecting the worst. Though I suppose it also makes you feel safer from disappointments, especially since you always do seem to bring out the worst in a situation when you fully set that “Beautiful Mind” of your’s to it I suppose.”
Alicia scoffs at this. “Thanks for being the dark acid rain cloud in the horizon, Yamanaka.”
“No problem.”
Silence envelops them for a few seconds as they lie there staring at the ceiling, then, “How’s life?” Keiko asks. “Other than the homicidal pissy fits you throw now and again how is it?”
Alicia - “Same old thing. How’s your life.”
Keiko - “Same old, same old.”
Alicia - “That bad, huh?”
Keiko - “Same to you.”
More silence. Finally Keiko huffs her breath and sits upright, “Look I don’t know why you feel so persecuted over what happened, but it’s none of my business to tell you that you aren’t as hated as you’d like to think you are.”
“I just don’t want to think about it.” she sighs, rolling over to not have to look at Keiko. “Well that would be such a beautiful convenience if you could not think about it,wouldn’t it?”
“And what’s the problem with that, Keiko?!”
“Nothing. Nothing.” Keiko sighed, “It’s your life so you want to live it that way I have no problem with that. Still, you’re the only one who seems to let it rip into yourself over and over again so blame us for your shortcomings.”
“No I’m not.”
“You almost ripped those three boys in half back there, you sure you’re not---”
“WHAT THEY DID WAS WRONG!!” she screamed, shocking the two in front abit, nearly causing the driver to swerve into a tree which barely managed to jump out of the way.
“I know that.” Keiko countered in an even toned voice, “But in light of your abilities you can’t go about slaughtering the “infidels” who don’t live up to your high standards of…”
“WHAT HIGH STANDARDS!!” Alicia yelled, eyes burning. “Don’t give me--”
Keiko - “Even I don’t expect ignorance to disappear overnight. It’s an unrealistic expectation of those who live with bias. But still, you could have handled it---”
“And how would YOU have handled it?!” Alicia spat out, spinning about on the bed to come face to face with Keiko, both sitting upright. “Don’t you sit there preaching to me from on high that you could have done better than me, because I know you wouldn’t have.”
Silence once again separates the two for a little bit, “Maybe your right. But at least I wouldn’t have sent a highly charged plasma disc through a building! What if it hurt someone? Brought the building down? What then? Those discs don’t exactly stop on a dime and you
weren’t in the best of mind to stop it that quickly---”
“I could have stopped it.”
“---you weren’t in the right state of mind to stop it!” Keiko finished, growling her words over Alicia’s denial. “You were so messed up that you would have let that disc fly regardless, devil be damned who or what was in front of it!”
“Do you think I would have…”
Keiko - “I KNOW you would have, and you did if it wasn’t for that Mughi guy who---”
Suddenly Alicia face scrunched abit, “Who?“
“Mughi. Mughi. That guy with the funny spellcraft eye that swivels around like it‘s juiced on ten cups of coffee a day!“ (Alicia begins to laugh) “Mughi and… what?!?” Keiko asks, looking flustered, “What’s so funny??”
“MOODY!” Alicia gasps, her laughter growing, “His name is Moody, not Mughi!”
Keiko looks at her oddly as she doubles over, laughing now hysterically. “Wasn’t that funny… “Moody“, “Mughi“, what‘s the difference.”
The next five minutes end up being lighter in mood with her laughing, easing tensions. By the time she recovers she turns to notice that Keiko was gone. On her bed a note.
“Alicia Spinner” (-_-) (“Spinnet, loser, Spinnet.”)
It wasn’t that funny. Get over yourself.
But I didn’t come here to harass you, you know. I just wanted to make sure you’re OK.
Despite what you think I don’t blame you for what happened at the end.
I’m just glad you’re OK and over her. It’s better this way anyway.
I hope you find happiness with whoever you choose as your soulmate in this world.
Best (signed Keiko Yamanaka)
Alicia sighs and tucks the note in her tessearct pouch, lying back down to catch her breath (occasionally snickering everytime she thought of “Moody”/”Mughi”).
So much so that she once again lost track of who was getting onboard. It wasn’t until she happened to turn her head that she saw--- “YOU?? H--” he quickly clamps her mouth shut, sitting up quickly to do so, before she finished saying the name “Harry Potter”, his grip is rather tight for some reason tonight -- too tight in fact. She stares at him awkwardly, his hand still clamped on her mouth. He motions for her silence then whispers “Sorry.”
“Mmpmmpmmp. Mpmpmpm---”
“I can’t explain it now. I just--- I have to get out of here---I---” he suddenly stops when he notices Alicia waving her arms in a panic. He quickly uncovers her face (hand covered too much) and let’s her breath again. “GASP!!” (she rolls over) “I know I died once but let’s not go through that again---”
“?” (Harry’s confused)
“Never mind.” she grumbles, turning her attention back to Harry. “What are you--- WAIT!!” (hands up to shield her face) “Not that again!” (sighs) “Alright, alright. Never mind.”
As the two lie silently on the bed, Alicia began thinking again and one thought came to her mind. ‘I’ll bet my pocket change that it has something to do with the Dursley. Rutty bunch of racists I’ve ever seen in my---’
“That man!”
Alicia’s head spins around, looking towards the source of the voice, Harry, “He was on the Muggle news!”
Briefly Alicia had a sudden and most peculiar thought. She imagined Sirius Black, dressed up in the most becoming dress, twirling about at the sound of “That man!”
THAT MAN (in color)
Alicia stifles her giggles. ‘Eck. Complete with background music--- better not laugh, they might think I’m psychotic to laugh about a convicted criminal.’ (a few more giggles though just because)
“You oughta read the papers more, Neville.”
‘Neville?’ she thought, looking about almost expecting to see the forgetful boy and his half elfin (sweet as heck but abit scary in her sweet ways) girlfriend, “May”, who was sent mostly to spy on her at Hogwarts (but ended up mostly following Neville around much to her
great relief). It then dawned on her that they were talking about Harry. She only then began to realize the depth of his fear if he wasn’t even telling people who he was.
She rolled off her bed to come up next to Harry, looking over his shoulder as he read.
The picture that accompanied the report didn’t move. It took awhile for Alicia to notice that it was, in fact, a moving picture --- only that the subject on it didn’t move an inch.
BLACK STILL AT LARGE
Sirius Black, possibly the most infamous prisoner ever to be held in Azkaban fortress, is still eluding capture, the Ministry of Magic confirmed today.
“We are doing all we can to recapture Black,” said the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, (at this section the image shifted to what looked like a moving press conference as Fudge answered questions while trying to shake his reporter “shadows” that followed him through
the halls of the Ministry building) this morning, “and we beg the magical community to remain calm.”
Fudge has been criticized by some members of the International Federation of Warlocks for informing the Muggle Prime Minister of the crisis. (a still of Prime Minister Tony Blair (‘I thought he got replaced?’ Alicia thought to herself) came up next)
“Well, really, I had to, don’t you know.” said an irritable Fudge. “Black is mad. He’s a danger to anyone who crosses him, magic or Muggle. I have the Prime Minister’s assurance that he will not breathe a word of Black’s true identity to anyone. And let’s face it --- who’d believe him if he did?”
While Muggles have been told that Black is carrying a gun (a type of metal wand that Muggles use to kill each other), the magical community lives in fear of a massacre like that of twelve years ago, when Black murdered thirteen people with a single curse.
The image reverts back to that of Black once again.
Alicia stares at the image, having already memorized it from news reports. Only the eyes seemed to contain any sign of life on the picture, and even they didn’t move.
He looked like someone that even Alicia had misgiving about running into in any circumstances, be it dark alleyway or broad daylight surrounded by a hundred Judgements as backup.
“Scary-lookin’ fing, inee?” said Stan, the conductor, who had been watching the two read.
“He murderered thirteen people? With one curse?” Potter said in shock.
“Yup,” Stan shot off as if it didn’t mean much to him, “in front of witnesses an’ all. Broad daylight. Big trouble it caused, dinnit, Ern?”
At that Alicia grabbed the paper and stared at the image intensely.
“Ar,”
The picture was indeed dark, and scary, but the man in the image? He looked far too intelligent and smart to have done something so stupid like kill 13 people in broad daylight. There was something about his eyes which---
“Black woz a big supporter of You-Know-’Oo,” Stan said.
“What, Voldemort?”
“Voldemort would approve -- uh, “Neville“.” Alicia responded, tapping the page, “Looks like his---?” stops as the bus swerves hard, almost tossing her from her bed, causing her to throw her arm out grab something to keep from rolling off.
“You two outta your tree?” yelped Stan, to which Alicia growled “WHAT?!”
“Choo say ‘is name for?”
Harry apologized, but Alicia refused, tossing the paper back to Stan and calling him a baby for being so afraid of a name. They talked to Harry in hushed whispers the rest of the ride, mostly because Alicia had hurt Stan’s feelings. “Big deal.” she griped, “It’s only a name.”
Alicia didn’t have to listen anyway, she simply opened her mind to his and picked off the images he was ‘feeling’ as he talked. Nothing too hard for her to do.
The images she saw made her think.
Image of Voldemort, crumpling under his own spell in a overtly dramatic mannerism while standing in front of a glowing baby. It had to be Harry’s “defeat” of Voldemort (though she thought it was rather over the top for “Harry” to have been standing in his crib waving
Voldemort down as he fell, Stan seemed to have had a lively imagination).
Newsclippings and reports on wizarding news of the capture of Voldemort supporters.
Image of Black, cornered on a busy street, going down fighting (wand striking out at his enemies). Death. Destruction. Then he started to laugh.
It was silent, because Stan never heard Sirius Black speak so he didn’t have a voice to put with the laughter, so it was rather errie to see this scene play out. Just to be sure she watched it a few more times, but then gave up.
‘Too colorful.’ she thought to herself. The images in his mind were the “colorized”, sensationalized recollections of a man who reads the newspapers and overdramatizes the events within them. There was no factual information to be gained from his “account” of the situation. In a moment she supposed if she did some background and found an actual eyewitness, she could then scan his or her thoughts and get a better peek. But, then again, didn’t she say promise that she was through with “saving” the world after the chaos last year at Hogwarts?
‘There’s got to be a better way to find a significant other than this way.’ she lamented.
Briefly an image of Azkaban came up, and she remembered that she hadn’t “disconnected” herself from his thoughts. She did that and came back to reality. The rest really didn’t interest her since Stan didn‘t even get Azkaban right in his mind.
Still, the brief memory of Azkaban made her remember the Dementors.
She had only seen them once, and she was in her worst mood then. When Hagrid was taken there. She had been frustrated, angry, and overtly pissed that everyone was being so easily manipulated by Lucius Malfoy. That just got her anger up.
She used what power she had (which wasn’t as much as it was now post her receival of a new Raven’s “heart” and Familyar Cloak) to travel there (teleport) and made a big show to threaten the Dementors. The guards were miffed at her arrival, and Hagrid looked embarrassed at her boldness, but the Dementors were intrigued. They followed her as she walked Hagrid to his cell, and then stopped. When she turned to look at them, eyes burning red, they drifted away.
It was on her way out she saw something that interested her. Something that got her thinking---
Stan (who apparently had to speak to her because it was his job) woke her out of thought. “where abouts in London?”
“Diagon Alley.” she whispered, her thoughts fading back to Azkaban and her discovery.
But that didn’t last long because a few shaky moves and twists later and they were there with a thunderous BANG to announce their arrival.
“Thanks,” Harry said to Ern, jumping down the steps, helping Stan lower his trunk and Hedwig’s cage onto the pavement. Alicia right behind him.
“Well, said Harry. “Bye then!”
Alicia moved to join him, only to realize that Stan wasn’t moving. His eyes were firmly fixed at something, or someone, ahead. She looked up, and saw him.
“There you are, Harry.”
Alicia saw him the minute she looked out the bus, but for Harry it was too late as he felt a hand on his shoulder. At that exact same moment, Stan shouted “Blimey! Ern, come ‘ere! Come ‘ere!”
‘For God’s sake don’t act so excited!’ Alicia thought to herself gloomily as she stepped off the bus and approached Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic. As she did this, Stan leapt onto the pavement besides them. “What didja call Neville, Minister?” he asked in an excited tone.
Fudge, a rather portly little man (yet with an air of power about him) in a long, pinstriped cloak, looked at Stan oddly. He was worn out, looked rather tired and cold, yet he still had that air of power about him which came from his mantle as Minister.
“Neville?” he repeated, frowning as if he couldn’t understand why Stan would say such a thing, “This is Harry Potter.”
“I knew it!” Stan shouted gleefully, almost instantly causing Fudge to turn pale, no doubt regretting that he even mentioned that to Stan. “Ern! Ern! Guess ‘oo Neville is, Ern! ‘E’s ‘Arry Potter! I can see ‘is scar!” (his eyes suddenly turned onto Alicia, who suddenly felt quite
anxious to leave the alleyway ASAP) “What is it?!”
“YOU!!” Stan shouted, suddenly grabbing Alicia’s right arm trying to force the sleeve of her shirt up. She quickly shoves him back and screams, “STOP THAT!!” (obviously they were looking for her raven tattoo which was making the rounds ever since she the end of last year
after her fight with the Darke Raven, when she came back upstairs in her tattered robes (her uniform safely “tucked” back into subspace), her right arm exposed showing her tattoo.
But why such an excitement over a tattoo was something Alicia couldn’t fathom. She just knew people wanted to see her raven tattoo, that’s it. It was 20 or so the first week, and then a steady 1-4 each week afterwards. Maybe they were just fond of tattoos.
“Yes,” Fudge finally interrupted, his patience with Stan growing thin (a feeling Alicia could relate to wholeheartidly) “well, I’m very glad the Knight Bus picked Harry up, but he and I need to step inside the Leaky Cauldron now---”
Fudge, making sure not to lose Harry, skillfully increased pressure on his arm to maneuver him inside the pub. Tom, the wizened, toothless landlord of the Leaky Cauldron, his stooping figure coming through the door bearing a lantern, eyed the crowd outside. “You’ve got him,
Minister! Will you be wanting anything? Beer? Brandy?”
“Perhaps a pot of tea,” said Fudge carefully, slowly manuvering Harry into the pub. Behind them there was a loud scraping and puffing, as Stan & Ern appeared carrying Harry’s trunk (dragging it more likely) and Hedwig’s cage looking about rather excitedly. ‘It’s like they
barely ever get out of the bus they drive around in.’ Alicia thought with great disdain.
“’Ow come you di’n’t tell us ‘oo you are, eh, Neville?” Stan asked, to which Alicia replied “Because of the way your acting now I suppose.”, still that didn’t stop Stan from continuing to gawk with Ernie’s rather owllish face peering intensely over Stan’s shoulder in a rather
un-owllike manner.
“And a private parlor, please, Tom.” said Fudge, his tolerance for the duo obviously at it’s end. Then he turned to Alicia and added “I’d like to see you as well if you don’t mind, after I talked with Harry that is.”
Alicia nodded her head and trudged off to her private booth, already feeling the weight of his request on her shoulders. Well, she figured, somebody reported her in for nearly hacking up those boys. Oh, well, guess she was going to be in for it now she figured. Still, as she sat
down and waited for him to call for her, she didn’t seem to care one way or the other.
Tom returned in awhile with a drink for Alicia, and took her order for dinner (which he said he’d deliver to Fudge’s private parlor for her when she was called in). As he hurried on his way she sat there and pondered what he’d do. Thoughts of that lead back to thoughts of what happened in the alley, and thoughts of that lead to thoughts of Hermione.
For a brief instance she imagined it was her in the alley, her robes hiked up as one of those “things” straddled between her legs and -- ‘dammit.’ Alicia hissed mentally, drinking down another gulp, ‘Don’t go all paranoid. That’s what got you in trouble in the first place.’
Still, if it was Hermione, she wouldn’t have stopped when she did, and she wouldn’t have bothered with an easy to dispell thing like the Eviscerator Disc. Then she realized something. Something she didn’t before in the alleyway. “I wanted to be stopped.”
Before she could ponder it further she realized that Tom needed help with Harry’s luggage seeing how heavy it was. Meeting him at the foot of the staircase leading upstairs she simply lowered her left hand, “gripped” the trunk with her power, and raised her hand levitating it
into the air. It didn’t take long that was (trunk floating behind her) to get Harry settled in. By the time she was done Harry and Fudge were done talking and Tom showed her down a narrow passage to the parlor where Fudge was waiting.
“Sit down.” Fudge motioned, indicating a chair by the fire. Alicia, however, took a seat at the table and motioned for him to sit down. “I’m expecting dinner. Come.”
Feeling a little awkward by her boldness he did just that, watching as Tom brought in a huge bowl of spaghetti, a bowl of sauce, garlic toast and two plates. “I took the liberty of ordering dinner for you.” she motioned, digging in. As he helped himself he stared at her, his
expression one of curious amusement. It seemed as if he didn’t know quite what to make of her, and this seemed to have thrown him off balance abit. “I’m Cornelius Fudge,” he began, digging in himself, “The Minister of Magic.”
“Your reputation precedes you, sir.” she compliments him as she eats, “What can I do for you, Mister Minister?”
She felt that she was already in trouble, lest he wouldn’t be speaking to her now, so she played it rather coy and kept her hands close to her chest while she waited for Fudge to make his own move. However the first thing out of his mouth made Alicia more concerned than worried.
“What about young Mr. Potter, huh? We were in quite abit of a flap about that incident I assure you---”
“Stop.” she whispers, motioning with her hand (garlic toast held tight), “As much as I’m deeply concerned for young “Mr. Potter”’s welfare, I don’t think you called me in here for that. Want to try that again?”
He stopped, and swallowed a little harder than he should have. He was clearly at a disadvantage, and for the first time she saw his power slipping a little. Whatever he was on about? It wasn’t going to be about her, or at least not to the point of her being in trouble.
“The boys you -- had words with earlier tonight? They’re dead.”
Alicia frowned, looking up at him from her plate, “And you’re blaming --”
“No! No! No!” Fudge spat out, turning pale. “I wasn’t blaming you at all. It seems the three young men you ran into -- were eaten alive.”
‘Now there’s a lively thing to chat about during dinner.’ Alicia lamented to herself as she took another bite, “And what does that have to --” (she stopped and thought about it) “-- tell me, were the bite marks on the remains rather large? Like say that of a fair sized carnivore? About six feet from nose to tail?”
“That’d be about right.” Fudge confirmed.
“Sharp small incisions like that made by, say, a Velociraptor? With claw marks that showed signs of an opposable thumb, yet ground markings of something huge with talons and a tail like a reptile? Is that what “ate” the little bastard boys?”
Fudge was now paper white as he stared at her, shaking, “Now, now, they weren’t that bad--”
“Yes or no, Mister Minister.” Alicia pressed, drawing closer to him as she spoke in a firm even tone. ”Unless you were in that alley and watched them beat those young women for the “Crime“ of being lesbians don‘t you dare tell me they weren‘t that “bad“, OK?”
Her abruptness took him off guard, causing him to studder a little as he choked out “yes”. She simply raised a hand and produced an image of “A Galerian.”, then waited for his reply. As he stared at the image his eyes grew wider and his mouth fell open. “Chew your food honey, it’s showing.” she jabbed, causing him to shut his mouth, “I bet it looks familiar, this little guy. Azkaban? New guest? The “unregistered Ani-Magius”?”
“How did you--”
Alicia shook her head as she motioned towards the image in her free hand, “I hate to break this to you, but it’s NOT an Ani-Magius. It’s worst.”
Fudge didn’t answer. He looked like he was incapable of giving an answer. So she gave it to him anyway. “Cornelius Fudge? Meet your first extraterrestial.”
Fudge - “---w-w-what?”
“That’s right. Meet the Ministry of Magic’s first hostile alien life form.”
* * * * * *
It took five minutes to give Fudge the data he needed to take back to the Ministry of Magic.
Just as long to get him to eat again after she gave him the gory details.
He seemed to relax when she suggested that he tell her all about Harry, taking his mind off of the topic of the alien. At least his appetite improved, and that was good for starters.
In short? She wasn’t in trouble, and apparently neither was Harry despite what he did.
“So he… ahem…” (Alicia motioned with her hands as if she was indicating something inflating) “…”blew” up his aunt, and then ran away from home?”
“That’s basically it.”
Alicia whistled in amazement, “And the Ministry has been running about rampant because they were worried that he’d get capped by this Black fella before someone had a chance to find Harry alive?”
“That’s basically it.” Fudge repeated, his appetite returning with each bite.
“And the Aunt & Uncle will take Harry back as long as he stays at Hogwarts for the Christmas & Easter holidays which he already does without being asked?”
“That’s basically it.”
For a minute she could imagine Hermione scolding her from the background, chiding her for the nasty remarks and insults she had on the tip of her tongue, ready to go at a moment’s notice. So, for her “imaginary Hermione-chan’s” sake, she kept her tongue civil. “And he
asked about punishments, right?”
“Right.” Fudge answered. “Well it’s true! We simply don’t cart people off to Azkaban just for blowing up their aunts!”
She kept her thoughts of what they did to Hagrid last year to herself, however --
“That’s funny.” she remarked, her sly voice coming back as she leaned towards Fudge, making him more than abit nervous as she did. “As I remember it? Last year your boys sent Harry an “official warning” just because Dobby the House Elf smashed a cake (mislabeled “pudding” in the letter) in his uncle’s house. Didn’t the letter say they’d expel him from Hogwarts if anymore tom foolery of that sort took place?”
Fudge swallowed hard again, and began to fidgit nervously, “Mistake. Some overzealous paper pusher back at the Ministry took it upon himself to send the warning. Didn’t ask his superior or anything, just sent it. He got a good scolding of course, won’t happen again.”
“Sir.” Alicia whispered, drawling out the word which made Fudge sweat, “I’m not trying to blame you. But the circumstances--”
“Are different now that Harry’s life is in danger.” he quickly pointed out, shoveling down another bite of food as he did.
“Well then,” Alicia spoke up, slapping her hand down on the table to his shock, “What’s the hubbub about! Let’s enjoy dinner!”
“Yes, lets.” Fudge agreed quickly.
Dinner, for the rest of the meal, went by quietly. Fudge didn’t ask questions, Alicia didn’t volunteer answers. As they wrapped up she lead him to the door, then stopped. “How’s the search for Black progressing?” she asked.
Fudge’s fingers slipped on the fastenings of his cloak, his hands shaking as he tried to grip the silver metal beneath his fingers. “Oh, well, we’re trying our best but so far nothing. It’s only a matter of time.”
“Before you catch him, or he kills again?”
“I better be going--” he groaned, pushing his way out and quickly down the corridor before she could pursue him.
“Guess even the best of the best falter.”
* * * * * *
Writing that night’s letter to Hermione was more of an adventure than she thought.
‘I’m beginning to act like a love sick girl.’ she thought to herself as she laid stretched out on her bed, in her panties only, scribbling madly on a piece of paper everything that happened as if she was pouring her heart out to her girlfriend. “We’re not even there yet and already I’m babbling like she’s my sweet forever love.”
She took care not to refer to Hermione as “Hermione-chan”, or to babble sticky sweet words. She just wrote the letter, filled it with info and sometimes thoughts and such (she only depended on two people to hear her innermost thoughts - Hermione & Cho Chang) and sent it off with Chii.
“She’ll probably owl me just to spite me. She knows I hate owls.” she griped, settling down into bed for sleep.
As she looked up at the ceiling above one thought came into her mind, “Helluva day.” she muttered, rolling over as she slowly fell asleep.
“Uh-huh.” the mirror replied wearily.
To Be Continued
She didn’t want to speak. Didn’t want to converse. Didn’t even want to get to her destination right away. She just paid her galleons and sulked in one of the beds as the bus went on it’s way oblivous to everything and everyone around her.
She didn’t pay attention to how the bus jumped seemingly hundreds of miles with each “BANG”, or how things just seemed to leap out of the bus’ way (to make up for the driver’s occasional habit to ride the bus upside the sidewalks instead of the streets). She didn’t even pay attention to who got on with her. She was just in a bad mood, period.
“I was born with a bad mood.” she whispered to herself.
“No arguments here.”
The voice, damningly familiar and damningly coy, drew her attention to a bed next to her.
On it was a rather fit asian woman, dressed in a black uniform. Her arms were at rest folded across her chest, a thin smile etched across her face. “You did seem to be rather off back
there. Must be that time of the year I suppose.”
Alicia frowned severely at her “bunkmate“, “What would you know, Yamanaka.”
“You’d be surprised.” Keiko Yamanaka, the 7th Judgement muttered, “I don’t ever remember anyone back home exiling you, yet you seem to be whining about that to a few people here and there how you were sorely treated back home.”
Alicia - “It would have came to that.”
“With you everything would come to a bad end.” Keiko retorted, “You have a bad habit of expecting the worst. Though I suppose it also makes you feel safer from disappointments, especially since you always do seem to bring out the worst in a situation when you fully set that “Beautiful Mind” of your’s to it I suppose.”
Alicia scoffs at this. “Thanks for being the dark acid rain cloud in the horizon, Yamanaka.”
“No problem.”
Silence envelops them for a few seconds as they lie there staring at the ceiling, then, “How’s life?” Keiko asks. “Other than the homicidal pissy fits you throw now and again how is it?”
Alicia - “Same old thing. How’s your life.”
Keiko - “Same old, same old.”
Alicia - “That bad, huh?”
Keiko - “Same to you.”
More silence. Finally Keiko huffs her breath and sits upright, “Look I don’t know why you feel so persecuted over what happened, but it’s none of my business to tell you that you aren’t as hated as you’d like to think you are.”
“I just don’t want to think about it.” she sighs, rolling over to not have to look at Keiko. “Well that would be such a beautiful convenience if you could not think about it,wouldn’t it?”
“And what’s the problem with that, Keiko?!”
“Nothing. Nothing.” Keiko sighed, “It’s your life so you want to live it that way I have no problem with that. Still, you’re the only one who seems to let it rip into yourself over and over again so blame us for your shortcomings.”
“No I’m not.”
“You almost ripped those three boys in half back there, you sure you’re not---”
“WHAT THEY DID WAS WRONG!!” she screamed, shocking the two in front abit, nearly causing the driver to swerve into a tree which barely managed to jump out of the way.
“I know that.” Keiko countered in an even toned voice, “But in light of your abilities you can’t go about slaughtering the “infidels” who don’t live up to your high standards of…”
“WHAT HIGH STANDARDS!!” Alicia yelled, eyes burning. “Don’t give me--”
Keiko - “Even I don’t expect ignorance to disappear overnight. It’s an unrealistic expectation of those who live with bias. But still, you could have handled it---”
“And how would YOU have handled it?!” Alicia spat out, spinning about on the bed to come face to face with Keiko, both sitting upright. “Don’t you sit there preaching to me from on high that you could have done better than me, because I know you wouldn’t have.”
Silence once again separates the two for a little bit, “Maybe your right. But at least I wouldn’t have sent a highly charged plasma disc through a building! What if it hurt someone? Brought the building down? What then? Those discs don’t exactly stop on a dime and you
weren’t in the best of mind to stop it that quickly---”
“I could have stopped it.”
“---you weren’t in the right state of mind to stop it!” Keiko finished, growling her words over Alicia’s denial. “You were so messed up that you would have let that disc fly regardless, devil be damned who or what was in front of it!”
“Do you think I would have…”
Keiko - “I KNOW you would have, and you did if it wasn’t for that Mughi guy who---”
Suddenly Alicia face scrunched abit, “Who?“
“Mughi. Mughi. That guy with the funny spellcraft eye that swivels around like it‘s juiced on ten cups of coffee a day!“ (Alicia begins to laugh) “Mughi and… what?!?” Keiko asks, looking flustered, “What’s so funny??”
“MOODY!” Alicia gasps, her laughter growing, “His name is Moody, not Mughi!”
Keiko looks at her oddly as she doubles over, laughing now hysterically. “Wasn’t that funny… “Moody“, “Mughi“, what‘s the difference.”
The next five minutes end up being lighter in mood with her laughing, easing tensions. By the time she recovers she turns to notice that Keiko was gone. On her bed a note.
“Alicia Spinner” (-_-) (“Spinnet, loser, Spinnet.”)
It wasn’t that funny. Get over yourself.
But I didn’t come here to harass you, you know. I just wanted to make sure you’re OK.
Despite what you think I don’t blame you for what happened at the end.
I’m just glad you’re OK and over her. It’s better this way anyway.
I hope you find happiness with whoever you choose as your soulmate in this world.
Best (signed Keiko Yamanaka)
Alicia sighs and tucks the note in her tessearct pouch, lying back down to catch her breath (occasionally snickering everytime she thought of “Moody”/”Mughi”).
So much so that she once again lost track of who was getting onboard. It wasn’t until she happened to turn her head that she saw--- “YOU?? H--” he quickly clamps her mouth shut, sitting up quickly to do so, before she finished saying the name “Harry Potter”, his grip is rather tight for some reason tonight -- too tight in fact. She stares at him awkwardly, his hand still clamped on her mouth. He motions for her silence then whispers “Sorry.”
“Mmpmmpmmp. Mpmpmpm---”
“I can’t explain it now. I just--- I have to get out of here---I---” he suddenly stops when he notices Alicia waving her arms in a panic. He quickly uncovers her face (hand covered too much) and let’s her breath again. “GASP!!” (she rolls over) “I know I died once but let’s not go through that again---”
“?” (Harry’s confused)
“Never mind.” she grumbles, turning her attention back to Harry. “What are you--- WAIT!!” (hands up to shield her face) “Not that again!” (sighs) “Alright, alright. Never mind.”
As the two lie silently on the bed, Alicia began thinking again and one thought came to her mind. ‘I’ll bet my pocket change that it has something to do with the Dursley. Rutty bunch of racists I’ve ever seen in my---’
“That man!”
Alicia’s head spins around, looking towards the source of the voice, Harry, “He was on the Muggle news!”
Briefly Alicia had a sudden and most peculiar thought. She imagined Sirius Black, dressed up in the most becoming dress, twirling about at the sound of “That man!”
THAT MAN (in color)
Alicia stifles her giggles. ‘Eck. Complete with background music--- better not laugh, they might think I’m psychotic to laugh about a convicted criminal.’ (a few more giggles though just because)
“You oughta read the papers more, Neville.”
‘Neville?’ she thought, looking about almost expecting to see the forgetful boy and his half elfin (sweet as heck but abit scary in her sweet ways) girlfriend, “May”, who was sent mostly to spy on her at Hogwarts (but ended up mostly following Neville around much to her
great relief). It then dawned on her that they were talking about Harry. She only then began to realize the depth of his fear if he wasn’t even telling people who he was.
She rolled off her bed to come up next to Harry, looking over his shoulder as he read.
The picture that accompanied the report didn’t move. It took awhile for Alicia to notice that it was, in fact, a moving picture --- only that the subject on it didn’t move an inch.
BLACK STILL AT LARGE
Sirius Black, possibly the most infamous prisoner ever to be held in Azkaban fortress, is still eluding capture, the Ministry of Magic confirmed today.
“We are doing all we can to recapture Black,” said the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, (at this section the image shifted to what looked like a moving press conference as Fudge answered questions while trying to shake his reporter “shadows” that followed him through
the halls of the Ministry building) this morning, “and we beg the magical community to remain calm.”
Fudge has been criticized by some members of the International Federation of Warlocks for informing the Muggle Prime Minister of the crisis. (a still of Prime Minister Tony Blair (‘I thought he got replaced?’ Alicia thought to herself) came up next)
“Well, really, I had to, don’t you know.” said an irritable Fudge. “Black is mad. He’s a danger to anyone who crosses him, magic or Muggle. I have the Prime Minister’s assurance that he will not breathe a word of Black’s true identity to anyone. And let’s face it --- who’d believe him if he did?”
While Muggles have been told that Black is carrying a gun (a type of metal wand that Muggles use to kill each other), the magical community lives in fear of a massacre like that of twelve years ago, when Black murdered thirteen people with a single curse.
The image reverts back to that of Black once again.
Alicia stares at the image, having already memorized it from news reports. Only the eyes seemed to contain any sign of life on the picture, and even they didn’t move.
He looked like someone that even Alicia had misgiving about running into in any circumstances, be it dark alleyway or broad daylight surrounded by a hundred Judgements as backup.
“Scary-lookin’ fing, inee?” said Stan, the conductor, who had been watching the two read.
“He murderered thirteen people? With one curse?” Potter said in shock.
“Yup,” Stan shot off as if it didn’t mean much to him, “in front of witnesses an’ all. Broad daylight. Big trouble it caused, dinnit, Ern?”
At that Alicia grabbed the paper and stared at the image intensely.
“Ar,”
The picture was indeed dark, and scary, but the man in the image? He looked far too intelligent and smart to have done something so stupid like kill 13 people in broad daylight. There was something about his eyes which---
“Black woz a big supporter of You-Know-’Oo,” Stan said.
“What, Voldemort?”
“Voldemort would approve -- uh, “Neville“.” Alicia responded, tapping the page, “Looks like his---?” stops as the bus swerves hard, almost tossing her from her bed, causing her to throw her arm out grab something to keep from rolling off.
“You two outta your tree?” yelped Stan, to which Alicia growled “WHAT?!”
“Choo say ‘is name for?”
Harry apologized, but Alicia refused, tossing the paper back to Stan and calling him a baby for being so afraid of a name. They talked to Harry in hushed whispers the rest of the ride, mostly because Alicia had hurt Stan’s feelings. “Big deal.” she griped, “It’s only a name.”
Alicia didn’t have to listen anyway, she simply opened her mind to his and picked off the images he was ‘feeling’ as he talked. Nothing too hard for her to do.
The images she saw made her think.
Image of Voldemort, crumpling under his own spell in a overtly dramatic mannerism while standing in front of a glowing baby. It had to be Harry’s “defeat” of Voldemort (though she thought it was rather over the top for “Harry” to have been standing in his crib waving
Voldemort down as he fell, Stan seemed to have had a lively imagination).
Newsclippings and reports on wizarding news of the capture of Voldemort supporters.
Image of Black, cornered on a busy street, going down fighting (wand striking out at his enemies). Death. Destruction. Then he started to laugh.
It was silent, because Stan never heard Sirius Black speak so he didn’t have a voice to put with the laughter, so it was rather errie to see this scene play out. Just to be sure she watched it a few more times, but then gave up.
‘Too colorful.’ she thought to herself. The images in his mind were the “colorized”, sensationalized recollections of a man who reads the newspapers and overdramatizes the events within them. There was no factual information to be gained from his “account” of the situation. In a moment she supposed if she did some background and found an actual eyewitness, she could then scan his or her thoughts and get a better peek. But, then again, didn’t she say promise that she was through with “saving” the world after the chaos last year at Hogwarts?
‘There’s got to be a better way to find a significant other than this way.’ she lamented.
Briefly an image of Azkaban came up, and she remembered that she hadn’t “disconnected” herself from his thoughts. She did that and came back to reality. The rest really didn’t interest her since Stan didn‘t even get Azkaban right in his mind.
Still, the brief memory of Azkaban made her remember the Dementors.
She had only seen them once, and she was in her worst mood then. When Hagrid was taken there. She had been frustrated, angry, and overtly pissed that everyone was being so easily manipulated by Lucius Malfoy. That just got her anger up.
She used what power she had (which wasn’t as much as it was now post her receival of a new Raven’s “heart” and Familyar Cloak) to travel there (teleport) and made a big show to threaten the Dementors. The guards were miffed at her arrival, and Hagrid looked embarrassed at her boldness, but the Dementors were intrigued. They followed her as she walked Hagrid to his cell, and then stopped. When she turned to look at them, eyes burning red, they drifted away.
It was on her way out she saw something that interested her. Something that got her thinking---
Stan (who apparently had to speak to her because it was his job) woke her out of thought. “where abouts in London?”
“Diagon Alley.” she whispered, her thoughts fading back to Azkaban and her discovery.
But that didn’t last long because a few shaky moves and twists later and they were there with a thunderous BANG to announce their arrival.
“Thanks,” Harry said to Ern, jumping down the steps, helping Stan lower his trunk and Hedwig’s cage onto the pavement. Alicia right behind him.
“Well, said Harry. “Bye then!”
Alicia moved to join him, only to realize that Stan wasn’t moving. His eyes were firmly fixed at something, or someone, ahead. She looked up, and saw him.
“There you are, Harry.”
Alicia saw him the minute she looked out the bus, but for Harry it was too late as he felt a hand on his shoulder. At that exact same moment, Stan shouted “Blimey! Ern, come ‘ere! Come ‘ere!”
‘For God’s sake don’t act so excited!’ Alicia thought to herself gloomily as she stepped off the bus and approached Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic. As she did this, Stan leapt onto the pavement besides them. “What didja call Neville, Minister?” he asked in an excited tone.
Fudge, a rather portly little man (yet with an air of power about him) in a long, pinstriped cloak, looked at Stan oddly. He was worn out, looked rather tired and cold, yet he still had that air of power about him which came from his mantle as Minister.
“Neville?” he repeated, frowning as if he couldn’t understand why Stan would say such a thing, “This is Harry Potter.”
“I knew it!” Stan shouted gleefully, almost instantly causing Fudge to turn pale, no doubt regretting that he even mentioned that to Stan. “Ern! Ern! Guess ‘oo Neville is, Ern! ‘E’s ‘Arry Potter! I can see ‘is scar!” (his eyes suddenly turned onto Alicia, who suddenly felt quite
anxious to leave the alleyway ASAP) “What is it?!”
“YOU!!” Stan shouted, suddenly grabbing Alicia’s right arm trying to force the sleeve of her shirt up. She quickly shoves him back and screams, “STOP THAT!!” (obviously they were looking for her raven tattoo which was making the rounds ever since she the end of last year
after her fight with the Darke Raven, when she came back upstairs in her tattered robes (her uniform safely “tucked” back into subspace), her right arm exposed showing her tattoo.
But why such an excitement over a tattoo was something Alicia couldn’t fathom. She just knew people wanted to see her raven tattoo, that’s it. It was 20 or so the first week, and then a steady 1-4 each week afterwards. Maybe they were just fond of tattoos.
“Yes,” Fudge finally interrupted, his patience with Stan growing thin (a feeling Alicia could relate to wholeheartidly) “well, I’m very glad the Knight Bus picked Harry up, but he and I need to step inside the Leaky Cauldron now---”
Fudge, making sure not to lose Harry, skillfully increased pressure on his arm to maneuver him inside the pub. Tom, the wizened, toothless landlord of the Leaky Cauldron, his stooping figure coming through the door bearing a lantern, eyed the crowd outside. “You’ve got him,
Minister! Will you be wanting anything? Beer? Brandy?”
“Perhaps a pot of tea,” said Fudge carefully, slowly manuvering Harry into the pub. Behind them there was a loud scraping and puffing, as Stan & Ern appeared carrying Harry’s trunk (dragging it more likely) and Hedwig’s cage looking about rather excitedly. ‘It’s like they
barely ever get out of the bus they drive around in.’ Alicia thought with great disdain.
“’Ow come you di’n’t tell us ‘oo you are, eh, Neville?” Stan asked, to which Alicia replied “Because of the way your acting now I suppose.”, still that didn’t stop Stan from continuing to gawk with Ernie’s rather owllish face peering intensely over Stan’s shoulder in a rather
un-owllike manner.
“And a private parlor, please, Tom.” said Fudge, his tolerance for the duo obviously at it’s end. Then he turned to Alicia and added “I’d like to see you as well if you don’t mind, after I talked with Harry that is.”
Alicia nodded her head and trudged off to her private booth, already feeling the weight of his request on her shoulders. Well, she figured, somebody reported her in for nearly hacking up those boys. Oh, well, guess she was going to be in for it now she figured. Still, as she sat
down and waited for him to call for her, she didn’t seem to care one way or the other.
Tom returned in awhile with a drink for Alicia, and took her order for dinner (which he said he’d deliver to Fudge’s private parlor for her when she was called in). As he hurried on his way she sat there and pondered what he’d do. Thoughts of that lead back to thoughts of what happened in the alley, and thoughts of that lead to thoughts of Hermione.
For a brief instance she imagined it was her in the alley, her robes hiked up as one of those “things” straddled between her legs and -- ‘dammit.’ Alicia hissed mentally, drinking down another gulp, ‘Don’t go all paranoid. That’s what got you in trouble in the first place.’
Still, if it was Hermione, she wouldn’t have stopped when she did, and she wouldn’t have bothered with an easy to dispell thing like the Eviscerator Disc. Then she realized something. Something she didn’t before in the alleyway. “I wanted to be stopped.”
Before she could ponder it further she realized that Tom needed help with Harry’s luggage seeing how heavy it was. Meeting him at the foot of the staircase leading upstairs she simply lowered her left hand, “gripped” the trunk with her power, and raised her hand levitating it
into the air. It didn’t take long that was (trunk floating behind her) to get Harry settled in. By the time she was done Harry and Fudge were done talking and Tom showed her down a narrow passage to the parlor where Fudge was waiting.
“Sit down.” Fudge motioned, indicating a chair by the fire. Alicia, however, took a seat at the table and motioned for him to sit down. “I’m expecting dinner. Come.”
Feeling a little awkward by her boldness he did just that, watching as Tom brought in a huge bowl of spaghetti, a bowl of sauce, garlic toast and two plates. “I took the liberty of ordering dinner for you.” she motioned, digging in. As he helped himself he stared at her, his
expression one of curious amusement. It seemed as if he didn’t know quite what to make of her, and this seemed to have thrown him off balance abit. “I’m Cornelius Fudge,” he began, digging in himself, “The Minister of Magic.”
“Your reputation precedes you, sir.” she compliments him as she eats, “What can I do for you, Mister Minister?”
She felt that she was already in trouble, lest he wouldn’t be speaking to her now, so she played it rather coy and kept her hands close to her chest while she waited for Fudge to make his own move. However the first thing out of his mouth made Alicia more concerned than worried.
“What about young Mr. Potter, huh? We were in quite abit of a flap about that incident I assure you---”
“Stop.” she whispers, motioning with her hand (garlic toast held tight), “As much as I’m deeply concerned for young “Mr. Potter”’s welfare, I don’t think you called me in here for that. Want to try that again?”
He stopped, and swallowed a little harder than he should have. He was clearly at a disadvantage, and for the first time she saw his power slipping a little. Whatever he was on about? It wasn’t going to be about her, or at least not to the point of her being in trouble.
“The boys you -- had words with earlier tonight? They’re dead.”
Alicia frowned, looking up at him from her plate, “And you’re blaming --”
“No! No! No!” Fudge spat out, turning pale. “I wasn’t blaming you at all. It seems the three young men you ran into -- were eaten alive.”
‘Now there’s a lively thing to chat about during dinner.’ Alicia lamented to herself as she took another bite, “And what does that have to --” (she stopped and thought about it) “-- tell me, were the bite marks on the remains rather large? Like say that of a fair sized carnivore? About six feet from nose to tail?”
“That’d be about right.” Fudge confirmed.
“Sharp small incisions like that made by, say, a Velociraptor? With claw marks that showed signs of an opposable thumb, yet ground markings of something huge with talons and a tail like a reptile? Is that what “ate” the little bastard boys?”
Fudge was now paper white as he stared at her, shaking, “Now, now, they weren’t that bad--”
“Yes or no, Mister Minister.” Alicia pressed, drawing closer to him as she spoke in a firm even tone. ”Unless you were in that alley and watched them beat those young women for the “Crime“ of being lesbians don‘t you dare tell me they weren‘t that “bad“, OK?”
Her abruptness took him off guard, causing him to studder a little as he choked out “yes”. She simply raised a hand and produced an image of “A Galerian.”, then waited for his reply. As he stared at the image his eyes grew wider and his mouth fell open. “Chew your food honey, it’s showing.” she jabbed, causing him to shut his mouth, “I bet it looks familiar, this little guy. Azkaban? New guest? The “unregistered Ani-Magius”?”
“How did you--”
Alicia shook her head as she motioned towards the image in her free hand, “I hate to break this to you, but it’s NOT an Ani-Magius. It’s worst.”
Fudge didn’t answer. He looked like he was incapable of giving an answer. So she gave it to him anyway. “Cornelius Fudge? Meet your first extraterrestial.”
Fudge - “---w-w-what?”
“That’s right. Meet the Ministry of Magic’s first hostile alien life form.”
* * * * * *
It took five minutes to give Fudge the data he needed to take back to the Ministry of Magic.
Just as long to get him to eat again after she gave him the gory details.
He seemed to relax when she suggested that he tell her all about Harry, taking his mind off of the topic of the alien. At least his appetite improved, and that was good for starters.
In short? She wasn’t in trouble, and apparently neither was Harry despite what he did.
“So he… ahem…” (Alicia motioned with her hands as if she was indicating something inflating) “…”blew” up his aunt, and then ran away from home?”
“That’s basically it.”
Alicia whistled in amazement, “And the Ministry has been running about rampant because they were worried that he’d get capped by this Black fella before someone had a chance to find Harry alive?”
“That’s basically it.” Fudge repeated, his appetite returning with each bite.
“And the Aunt & Uncle will take Harry back as long as he stays at Hogwarts for the Christmas & Easter holidays which he already does without being asked?”
“That’s basically it.”
For a minute she could imagine Hermione scolding her from the background, chiding her for the nasty remarks and insults she had on the tip of her tongue, ready to go at a moment’s notice. So, for her “imaginary Hermione-chan’s” sake, she kept her tongue civil. “And he
asked about punishments, right?”
“Right.” Fudge answered. “Well it’s true! We simply don’t cart people off to Azkaban just for blowing up their aunts!”
She kept her thoughts of what they did to Hagrid last year to herself, however --
“That’s funny.” she remarked, her sly voice coming back as she leaned towards Fudge, making him more than abit nervous as she did. “As I remember it? Last year your boys sent Harry an “official warning” just because Dobby the House Elf smashed a cake (mislabeled “pudding” in the letter) in his uncle’s house. Didn’t the letter say they’d expel him from Hogwarts if anymore tom foolery of that sort took place?”
Fudge swallowed hard again, and began to fidgit nervously, “Mistake. Some overzealous paper pusher back at the Ministry took it upon himself to send the warning. Didn’t ask his superior or anything, just sent it. He got a good scolding of course, won’t happen again.”
“Sir.” Alicia whispered, drawling out the word which made Fudge sweat, “I’m not trying to blame you. But the circumstances--”
“Are different now that Harry’s life is in danger.” he quickly pointed out, shoveling down another bite of food as he did.
“Well then,” Alicia spoke up, slapping her hand down on the table to his shock, “What’s the hubbub about! Let’s enjoy dinner!”
“Yes, lets.” Fudge agreed quickly.
Dinner, for the rest of the meal, went by quietly. Fudge didn’t ask questions, Alicia didn’t volunteer answers. As they wrapped up she lead him to the door, then stopped. “How’s the search for Black progressing?” she asked.
Fudge’s fingers slipped on the fastenings of his cloak, his hands shaking as he tried to grip the silver metal beneath his fingers. “Oh, well, we’re trying our best but so far nothing. It’s only a matter of time.”
“Before you catch him, or he kills again?”
“I better be going--” he groaned, pushing his way out and quickly down the corridor before she could pursue him.
“Guess even the best of the best falter.”
* * * * * *
Writing that night’s letter to Hermione was more of an adventure than she thought.
‘I’m beginning to act like a love sick girl.’ she thought to herself as she laid stretched out on her bed, in her panties only, scribbling madly on a piece of paper everything that happened as if she was pouring her heart out to her girlfriend. “We’re not even there yet and already I’m babbling like she’s my sweet forever love.”
She took care not to refer to Hermione as “Hermione-chan”, or to babble sticky sweet words. She just wrote the letter, filled it with info and sometimes thoughts and such (she only depended on two people to hear her innermost thoughts - Hermione & Cho Chang) and sent it off with Chii.
“She’ll probably owl me just to spite me. She knows I hate owls.” she griped, settling down into bed for sleep.
As she looked up at the ceiling above one thought came into her mind, “Helluva day.” she muttered, rolling over as she slowly fell asleep.
“Uh-huh.” the mirror replied wearily.
To Be Continued
Mirra's Trilogy 2
Mirra’s Trilogy 2
The snow crunched underfoot as the two climbed up into the woods behind the house. The light of the Central Hub overhead (it’s huge landscape reflecting the “light” of Elsespace which lit the night like a strong full moon that encompassed the night sky for a few hours each night) was strong so the two could see where they were going without the need for a light to show the way.
The wind was still, so all they could hear was the soft crunch of the snow beneath their boots. But Mirra was still a little nervous and shaky nevertheless.
‘Tell her before she makes her wish!’ Mirra thinks to herself, scolding herself as she walked. She felt rather awkward and uncertain about what the other girl wanted to wish for, but it must be something important to bring Mirra with her. But she wished she was back in bed now, with Hikaru cuddled close, rather than walking out in the snow.
It might not have been windy, and it might have been well lit, but she didn’t like the idea of traipsing through the forest of hibernating trees which looked rather scary. And she was feeling a bit chilly. Nighttime in the city would reach a rather cool temperature in winter, but not this cold. She could almost swear that her face was going numb. She just wanted to get into the warmth of the house and back into bed--- that’s when she felt the warming glow ahead from the “shrine”, and her body began to loosen up again. Either from the warmth, or the knowledge that her questions were going to be answered shortly, she didn’t know--- she just knew she liked being warm again despite wearing her best winter clothes out which didn‘t seem to warm her until the moment they drew close to the shrine.
As they entered the spring like environment of the shrine’s area, they saw the woman from earlier decked out beneath a tree. She was sleeping rather peacefully, with her board leaning against the tree, using a blanket and pillow she had tucked into her “tesseract” backpack to sleep. Hikaru motioned for Mirra to follow her quietly to the pond, but the later’s first step unfortunately was on a tree branch which snapped. “WH-?!?” the woman suddenly woke, her arms flaying as she knocked her own board over into her head, knocking her back onto the ground with a soft thud. “Ow.”
The two quickly rush to her side, pulling the board aside. As she looks up, abit pained, she sighs at the sight of them. “Oh. It’s you two. Hi---” (winces abit) “---ouch--- what’s up?” (with a bit of a sigh she grabs her backpack and tries to stick her head into it, failing. With a slight sigh she passes it to Mirra, pointing at it with one hand while holding her head with the other) “Be a doll and get me my medical kit? It’s in there somewhere.” With a nod, Mirra reaches to pull the bag open, looking into it--- and what she saw made her gasp. The inside of the “pack” was a large white “space”, inside of which a great many things floated in the “air”. While there seemed to be a “border” to this space, it was a large space and quite a few things could be “held” within it at any given time.
There was a giant refrigerator marked “My Food! Don’t Touch!”, along with a device that (no doubt) was used to remove or replace items from said fridge. There was an area for cooking materials like pots, pans, a small micro heater Mirra seen Nina use from time to time in her room to cook things, and silverware. There was also several boxes of stuff ranging from books, clothes, and a box marked “Private”, and even a box marked “snacks“. There was an entertainment system (portable), a surfboard, a small safe (no doubt for valuables), and more things than Mirra could count, but the medical kit (floating past her face) was what she wanted, and quickly grabbed.
As she tended to the woman, she smiled at Mirra’s gentle ministrations of her. “I didn’t know they thought medico kit first aid to young girls in school.”
“A friend taught it to me.” she remarked, remembering back…
Flashback (Daidouji Estates)
Hikaru laid back in the bed they shared, smling abit as Mirra fumbled with the medical kit, opening it up and quickly becoming confused by the devices within. Hikaru had fallen on the way home and injured her knee, cutting it open abit, and Mirra insisted on taking care of it right away. She pulled out long metal tubes, metal devices and other things not knowing what to do. She shook devices, prodded them, waved them around like magic wands hoping something exciting would happen, yet nothing. She was about to give up on the whole thing when she heard a knock on the door, and Nina entered the room. “I brought you two up some snacks while you two…” (stopped, looked at Mirra, then the most indescribably wicked smile came across her face) “Oops! I see you’re going to “probe” Hikaru in a naughty way so I’ll just leave this here and…”
“NO!” Mirra nearly yelled, jumping up to her feet. “It’s not that! I mean! It’s not…”
“I cut my leg when I fell down on the way home.”
“Uh-huh, and what’s all… oh, wait…” (Nina walks up, picking up one device which was a long metal tube with a red rounded crystal point at the end) “It’s the Medico kit from the shuttle. Damn.” (tosses device back to Mirra) “Have fun.” “But I don’t… I mean…” (pushes device back into Nina’s hand) “Help me?”
“Sigh. Alright. Kneel down.” (Mirra kneels down, followed by Nina kneeling behind her, placing the device firmly into her hand with the long end pointing down). “Now get a firm grip, there, you want to be able to hold it tight and strong in that hand. Ok? Now I want you to flex your arm up and down so it doesn’t slip, make sure it’s a tight solid grip. It is? Good.”
“Now what?” Mirra asks, sweating abit with the strange device in her hand. “Easy. You’re going to fix her up, right?”
“Right.” she nodded, sweating a little. “Alright then. No problem. You got a tight grip on that so you’re all set. Here, I’ll prep her. And once her panties are off you go and…”
“Nina!”
“Oh.” (turns around) “When did you sneak in?”
“Followed you upstairs. Here---” Eliza sighs, motioning for Mirra to hand her the device. “This is a hypo spray, and her injury doesn’t need a pain killer. Just a general cleaning and repair, the mender can do that just fine on it‘s own.”
“But it’s nice and rounded and just like a---” (Nina catches Eliza’s disapproving look) “---and I’ll stand in the corner and behave.” (walks off, allowing Eliza to take her place next to Mirra as she rummages through the tools, picking out another tool similar to the first but with a different head) “Gently grip it between your fingers and touch the pointy end to her wound, press the button and move it back and forth watching where the light falls as the wound is cleaned and mended.”
“Will the light---?”
“It won’t damage healthy cell, just clean and mend the wound.” Eliza notes, “Now then gently start off and… there you go…” The young woman takes the device, and a deep breath, as she holds it out. She feels Hikaru’s hand touch her shoulder, comforting her, as she turns the device on and begins to work. With a few runs of the device, the wound seals itself shut and Mirra lets go of her held breath. “I did it.”
“That wasn’t so hard, now was it?” Eliza notes, patting her on the back as she retrieves the kit. With that she walks out, with Nina in tow. “Come on.”
“You know we’re well on our way to creating monsters, don’t you. First it’s cuts, then it’s bruises, then it’s probing and then she‘s on all fours while---”
“Not now, Nina.”
Hikaru motions for Mirra to come closer, pulling her into her arms and hugging her, “I think my cute little nurse’s aide needs a reward.”
“----” Mirra blushes as she closes her eyes, feeling the soft touch of lips touching lips, her mind just floating away under the warming glow of the kiss.
* * * * * *
“You OK?” Mirra stops, her blush deepening in red for a different reason now. “You’re turning all red and stuff, is that normal?”
“Uh, I…”
“That’s alright.” she answers, leaning back against the tree as she looks up into the sky through the tree canopy above. “Being here on a night like this, well it just makes me remember…”
“Remember?” Mirra asks.
The woman suddenly stops, and realizes her place, waving Mirra off as she does, “Nothing. I’m just remembering the last time I spent time camped out beneath the sky like this. Most of the time I stay at the resorts but I can’t stand being there this time.”
“Why? Sad memories?”
“Nah.” (reaches out to wipe a stray tear from Mirra’s eyes) “Some loud mouthed green haired girl is in the next room and she’s a pain up the butt.”
“---loud mouthed---” Mirra sighs, blushing again. “There you go again, turning all red. Are you sure it’s not a skin ailment?”
“-----” Mirra sighs as she tries to cover her embarrassment, but it only made the woman happier watching her so embarrassed. “I love that awkward smile! It’s kinda cute and all but you’re really this bright red and I’ve seen paint that looked paler and--- want to share a meal with me? I usually like a late snack.”
“We’d love that.” Hikaru responded, sitting down next to Mirra. “But you’re wish---?”
“Made it already. Let’s eat.”
“----phwee?” Mirra face faulted, feeling the ground fall out from beneath her. ‘She made her wish already?!? Without me??’
* * * * * *
The meal was nice, crackers and cheese, but abit awkward because Mirra sat silently eating her food and looking rather depressed. Hikaru tried to explain, but Mirra seemed eager to watch her make the wish and was disappointed that she wasn’t allowed to see it. A few minutes after they started, the woman suddenly felt the urge to hit the slopes so she grabbed her gear and backpack and wandered off (“The noisy one must be asleep now so I’m going back to my bedroom after I thrashed the hills a few times to work off the cheese. I paid for that room dammit and I’m going to use it!”) leaving the two some food to eat while they talked. She was being kind. She knew they wanted to be alone, and she accommodated them. Hikaru couldn‘t help feeling a bit guilty as she looked on at the sad expression on Mirra‘s face.
“I’m sorry you couldn’t watch, but it’s a private thing only one person can do. I’m sorry my precious.”
“I understand---” she sighed, only to feel Hikaru press a piece of cheese to her lips, “I know you don’t understand, don‘t try to ease me down or anything, you’re crying.”
“I’m not crying---”
Hikaru’s fingers move from Mirra’s lips to her cheeks, dabbing away a few tears as she does. “You’re crying.”
“I’m sorry.” Mirra choked, looking even more depressed, “I‘m such a baby.”
“I don’t blame you for being sad. I made so much of a fuss about it I should have told you right off the bat that I had to do it alone.” Hikaru sighs, flicking away the last of the tears as she stares Mirra straight in the eyes, “I should have told you that you couldn’t watch, but I didn’t want to depress you and you were so happy with the idea, even though you felt abit reluctant about it.”
“I was not!” Mirra yelped in her defense, her red blush returning to her cheeks as she sighed, her lips drooping into a pout as she tried to put her thoughts to words. “Will I ever know…”
“I’ll explain everything soon. I promise you that much. Now smile for me precious…” (pokes at Mirra’s lips) “Because nothing’s more beautiful on your lips than a smile.” (as she watches, a thin smile begins to form) “There you go, now there’s the Mirra I know.” (Hikaru watches a smile bloom with her prodding, smiling in turn back for Mirra) “I know what’s on your mind.”
“No-- n-no you don’t.”
“You---” (Mirra suddenly jumps into Hikaru’s arms, holding her tight) “I want a hug!”
“You want me to stay forever with you.”
Mirra face faults, new tears flowing as she realized her secret was out.
She felt so bad that she just wanted to rip herself away and run back to the house ashamed. She felt awkward thinking it, but now she felt bad that it was out. Hikaru, staying with her forever, it felt like such a dream that… she felt Hikaru’s arms tighten as she tried to wiggle free. “I--- I--- I----”
“I want that too.”
“H-Hikaru-chan---” Mirra stammered. Suddenly Hikaru stood up, walking away. “Hik---”
“Be right back.”
Mirra sighs, lowering her head. “She must be angry with me.”
“No I’m not. Catch!”
Before she could respond, a huge cot, quilt, and pillows rains on her head burying her. For a few confused seconds she lies beneath the pile, wiggling abit while staring upwards at the quilt in confusion, before she felt the quilt being peeled off. “Mokona likes crawling under my blankets too when he visits sometimes!” (Hikaru’s face pops into view as she looks into Mirra’s eyes, smiling) “But you’re neither kitty, puppy or Mokona!” (she reaches forward, pinching Mirra’s cheeks) “But you look so precious!”
“----” Mirra’s redness begins to grow, but this time more from happiness than shame. Her smile very wide as she quickly grabs Hikaru, pulling her into the blanket, screaming, “Pillow fight!” The two take swings at each other, laughing, as they have their own private little slumber party brawl. A few minutes later they dress for sleep, and curl up beneath the stars in each others arms. As they stare into the night sky, Mirra points up at the Central Hub high above. “I wonder if there’s a couple there whose just as happy as we are? Looking out towards us at this moment?”
“Maybe---”
The two watch the sky for awhile more, pointing at cities glowing in the night sky, huge mountain ranges, lakes, oceans, and other things of note, before falling asleep.
* * * * * *
Mirra’s thoughts as she dreams are comforting. She didn’t mind anymore that she couldn’t see Hikaru’s wish. She only hoped that Hikaru would tell her soon what she wished for. Patience, she sighed, she’d say soon enough. And with that she rolled over in her sleep -- and suddenly felt a chill. She woke up and found herself alone. The bedding was crumpled, as if she had just left. “Maybe she want to the bathroom in the woods.”
Mirra looks about the woods, thinking about how cold it must be out beyond the comforting warmth of the Mana Pool “shrine” area. “Hope the pool doesn’t mind if she takes a leak here, she’d become a girl-cicle out there.”
Suddenly a sharp crp pierces the air, sending a shiver down Mirra’s spine causing her to bolt upwards into a sitting position. “Hikaru---?” she whispered, her eyes carefully scanning the area left and right, then she heard it again. It was near but… without thinking she jumps up and dashes towards the sound, her breath rapid with fear. “Hikaru-chan?!” she cried out. “Hikaru-chan!!” As she rounded a few trees she nearly fell upon Hikaru, and gasped.
Hikaru was crumpled on the ground naked, her face convulsed in pain as she held her head tight, crying a little bit. Mirra quickly moved forward, taking Hikaru into her arms and holding her. “Hikaru-chan! What’s wrong! Hi---”
She convulsed again, and her limbs grew a little longer. Her body swelled a little bigger. Her breasts bloomed a little, and her body seemed to age a little. She cried out, her arms flaying until they latched onto Mirra and held her unconsciously. She whimpered a few minutes, her body growing a little bit at a time until it stopped. With a final breath of pain she collapsed into Mirra’s grip, unconscious from the pain. Mirra, looking her up and down, was amazed.
“She’s… bigger?”
‘Was this her wish?’ she thought, mind whirling in confusion. ‘To be… bigger?’
She gathered up Hikaru’s clothes, and carried her back to their camping site. It took Mirra a little effort to get her back to the bedding, but she managed just fine. And, as she wrapped her in the blankets, Mirra couldn’t stop but stare at her body. “She’s…” (winces involuntarily) “…she did it.”
She made herself older, as she told Mirra she would one day. Losing two to four years of her childhood memories she’ll never experience now, for her. Mirra felt awful, the pit of her stomach ached. She felt as if she was to blame for Hikaru’s decision. She drove Hikaru to make the decision, taking away precious years of her childhood.
“I wish she never met me.” Mirra whimpered, falling back into the bedding sobbing a little.
* * * * * *
Mirra walked up to Mimic, tears flowing down her face. “Damn you.” she hissed.
“You did it to yourself, so don’t come whining to me about it.” Mimic sighed, nearly shoving Mirra aside as she walked past. “You’re such a baby! Couldn’t live one minute without her holding your hand, you weak little bitch! Same with Clow Reed, you always did suck up to him, like such a…”
“I’m not a wh… wh…”
“Say it! Just say it already because it’s true!” Mimic raged, her anger boiling up as she paced around Mirra, teeth clenched as she did. “You’re not happy with her throwing her youth away to be your precious little bed slut are you…”
“DON’T SAY THAT!!”
“You wanted her like that! You always wanted it like that!” Mimic went on, prodding Mirra’s weaknesses, “I’m surprised you didn’t drop down and do her right when I gave you the chance, you horrid little slut!”
“I LOVE HER!!” Mirra screamed, dropping down to the ground covering her head. “I love her! I love her… I love her…”
Mimic - “That’s right, you kneel down whore. It’s all your good for anyway.”
“I love her! I love her! I love her…” Mirra whimpered over and over again, crying in pain. “I didn’t want her to do that… I don’t want her to lose her precious youth because of AGH!!” Mirra suddenly screams out, feeling a foot slam into her back dropping her face first into the ground. As she turns, she comes face to face with Hikaru, standing next to Mimic stark naked. “You like it don’t you? My little PRECIOUS!” (kicks her down again) “You like a more matured woman, nice firm breasts, longer legs and arms, smooth silken soft little…”
“I’M SORRY!!!” Mirra screamed, in more pain mentally than physically, “I’M SORRY!! PLEASE!! HIKARU-CHAN I’M SORRY!! I’M SORRY I’M SO WEAK!! I’M SOR--- ACK!!”
“You’re sorry?” Hikaru choked out, “You smothered me and I couldn’t live without making myself older because I so wanted to make you HAPPY, and you’re sorry!?” Hands grasp around Mirra’s waist, undressing her, “Sorry’s not good enough my worthless little bitch in heat!” As Mirra’s clothes fell away, and Hikaru forced her on all fours, and then…
“I’M SORRY!! PLEASE!! DON’T!! FORGIVE ME!! FORGIVE ME!! FOR---” Mirra screams as she feels Hikaru spread her legs and…
* * * * * *
“Mirra-chan? Mirra-chan!”
Mirra snaps awake, screaming “FORGIVE ME!! FORGIVE ME!!” as two strong arms wrap around tight, and hold her still. They stood like this for several seconds, her face buried against Hikaru’s now slightly more mature breasts, tears flowing rapidly down Mirra’s face. “No!! I’m sorry!! I’m sorry!! Don’t rape me!! Please!! Forgive me!! Forgive… Forgive…” (buries face into Hikaru’s breasts) “Forgive…”
With a strong sigh, Hikaru holds Mirra tight whispering gently, swaying her back and forth comforting her. “You did nothing wrong my precious… my sweetness… nothing… don’t cry… don’t cry.” Suddenly she lurches forward, screaming again, bringing a tear to Hikaru’s eyes. “Stop! Please stop hurting yourself! I love you! I love you--- goddess, I love you!”
For the longest time she couldn’t speak, couldn’t move, just lie there crying. It took that time for Hikaru to comfort her, and find out what she saw. With a gasp she began to apologize, realizing what Mirra saw and how it affected her.
“Mirra, you didn’t… I mean…” Silence. For a few seconds Hikaru tries to put the words together, then, “I had a vision.”
* * * * * *
Tokyo Tower. She dreamt that she was there, and it was night. Everyone was gathering around the tower and she didn’t know why. She felt weak, her legs refused to move. She was lying on the floor of the observation deck, yet she knew they were all coming.
She once managed to drag herself up so she could look out the windows and saw them coming, just to verify what she knew. As she fell back she saw herself--- and she was naked and bleeding. She heard a voice behind her, and knew immediately what it was. Mimic. She felt Mimic’s hand grab her head, spin it around and then felt fingers grab her jaw and force…
* * * * * *
She could say no more. Mirra began to cry again, and it took awhile to comfort her before she spoke. “I saw--- my own rape--- as Mimic’s hands---” she said. “But only one dream---”
Hikaru shook her head, “I dreamed it every night for the past two months.”
“---w-w-w-what---?”
“I didn’t want to worry you! I can’t stand it when you suffer so because of me… I wake up in the night hearing you crying out my name, reaching out in pain, I know you cry every night and all I want to do is take that pain away. I didn’t want to compound your pain with that knowledge, it only would have made you cry harder each night.”
“But it’ll make me cry now…”
“I know, but it’ll pass… I wanted to let you know that I had to do this… be older… for us.”
“BUT YOU LOST YOUR YOUTH!” Mirra cried out, “YOUR PRECIOUS YEARS OF INNOCENCE BECAUSE OF ME! IT’S NOT FAIR! IT’S NOT FAIR---?” (Suddenly Hikaru begins to laugh, confusing Mirra) “Wh-what’s… what’s so… funny?”
“Silly precious!” (bumps her head against Mirra’s, bringing a confused look onto the young Clow girl’s face) “Youth is a state of mind. I’m going to enjoy my youth as long as I can, and then when it’s done I’ll relive it again in your arms! I can’t lose my precious years as long as I have you around to make me forever young in heart and soul… besides which, we stop aging at 21 so it’s not like we’ll be old!”
Mirra - “---r-r-really?”
“Uh-huh. Didn’t Tomoyo-mama tell you that?”
Mirra frowned severely, “No.” (sighs) “I’m so stupid.”
“You’re my precious little Clow Mistress…” (kisses her cheek) “I don’t care how silly you are as long as we’re together to be silly together!”
“But---” (her voice trembles a little as she speaks) “Your age.”
“One day, my love, I want to make love to you before she can take that away from us. I want you to know that nothing Mimic does to me will break my love, and in the end regardless of what happens I will always love you, and so… I wanted to make sure that I don’t lose my virginity… except to you.”
“---lose---?”
Hikaru nods her head softly, “She’s going to do something bad to me. I know it, but I’ll heal. I know that too.” Hikaru smiles, hugging Mirra tightly as if to keep her warm against the chill that was blowing against them. “Nothing she does will harm me permanently. I’ll mend fast, and my spirit will mend too with you by my side. She does something bad to me because she’ll realize I’m not a virgin anymore and… and it enrages her.”
“No--- no---”
“It’s OK Mirra-chan, it‘s alright. It’s alright…” (deep breath) “…I’d rather be raped than let her take our most precious moment away from us. I won’t let her do it. I won’t---”
“Hikaru-chan---”
“Mirra-chan. It‘ll be OK--- I know it‘ll be OK, because I‘ll always have you. Always.”
The two fall back into the bedding, it’s softness wrapping them tight as Mirra holds on to Hikaru tightly, the last of their strength fading as they slowly fall back to sleep… their grips loosening, but never releasing, as they slumber together again in each other’s arms.
* * * * * *
Mirra felt someone waking her up. “Mirra-chan? Wake up---”
“Wh---what is it?” she groggily answered, pulling herself around to look at Hikaru--- who was now fully dressed. She wore a beautiful school uniform that resembled her old one but made to her size. “I found this at the foot of our bedding when I woke up. And I found this…” (she holds out a note, upon which a key was attached) “Open the package waiting at home.” Mirra read out loud. “You couldn’t have done this… you didn’t know…” Hikaru whispered, looking at herself in the uniform in confusion, “And I never told anyone my wish except Fuu-chan and she…” (smiles) “…is it Fuu-chan’s work?”
“I guess.” Mirra remarks, looking on at the uniform. “It’s beautiful on you.”
“Thanks---” (blushes slightly) “---let’s go home and get some breakfast, and open that package.” As the two gather their stuff, and rush back the way they came, they barely notice the figure standing in the woods watching them leave.
* * * * * *
“WE’RE HOME!!” Hikaru yelled as she barreled through the door, passing Fuu, Presea, Hikaru & Ferio as they stood around a strange suitcase. “Hi, honey!” (Presea) “Some FedEx guy dropped this off and…” (Hikaru grabs it, and runs upstairs with Mirra) “Thanks, Fuu-chan!”
“---Fuu?” (Everyone looks at her) “But--- I didn’t do that---”
“And why did she lift it so damn easily!?” Presea pouted, “It took all four of us to drag that thing inside a few feet and she carts it off like it weighted nothing! I don’t get it!”
Everyone exchanges confused expressions as they look upstairs. “Did Hikaru-chan leave wearing her school uniform?” (Hikaru) “She looked cute in it.”
* * * * * *
“KERO-CHAN!!” Mirra yelled out as the door flew open, nearly giving Kerberos a heart attack. Kero nearly falls into the bed, the game softly falling onto the mattress. “ACK! Don’t do that!! Did you bring me breakfast or…” (Mirra quickly hands him a plate with waffles (from the table she passed on the way to the stairs) and the syrup as Hikaru throws the case onto the bed and opens it). “I didn’t know you brought your school uniform, does your class have a trip today or some---?” (blinks) “Is it me or is Hikaru bigger?”
“Clothes!”
As the two look into the case they find it filled with clothes for her, all her new size. “I guess trying them all on would be futile.” Hikaru noted lifting one of the dresses up, “They all look like they’ll fit me.”
“Why wouldn’t they.” Kero pondered, looking down at the case, “Did Tomoyo visit while I was sleeping? She made all this, didn’t she? (She must want a grandchild worst than I ever thought she did!)” (Mirra & Hikaru sweatdrop abit)
The rest of the day was spent on the slopes thrashing the powder with their boards. Ferio fell down a few more times, and lots of fun were had by all. Eventually they stopped questioning where the clothes came from and accepted it.
The next morning, strangely enough, another parcel of clothes arrived. For some reason though, nobody wanted to even try to pick up the case and that confused Hikaru. It confused her even more that everyone looked at her oddly while she carted the light suitcase (which was filled with clothes like the first) up the stairs with deliberate ease.
It was now Sunday, and they had to go (Monday was school again) so they caught one more time on the slopes in the morning, ate a filling lunch, and prepared to say goodbye. Mirra helped Hikaru pack her clothes, storing her old clothes in the house as she did. When they got home they would empty her side of the closet and fill it with the new clothes. Before they left, Hikaru & Mirra visited the “shrine” one last time. There, sitting in front of the pond with a fishing rod, with the woman they met.
“Is that allowed?” Mirra asked, watching the woman fish. “Oh sure. The pond sometimes drags stuff through the mana stream and it’s a great place to pick up odds and ends. Last time I picked up a perfectly good coffee maker. Still glows in the dark from the mana saturation but it makes it easier to find it at night. Can’t offer it to any Darklings or evil beings though because anything brewed in the thing eats rights through them from the inside out because of the mana saturation which makes anything brewed in it dosed with positive mana. Poor things. Completely horrible the way they scream as they die. I once splashed a Darkling with coffee from it once and it ate it’s head clean off and… uh… never mind (I should really learn to shut up while I’m behind.)”
Mirra, looking shellshocked, managed to mutter “We’re going home today.”
“That’s too bad. There’s still a few weeks of good powder up here and all.”
“Aren’t you going home to celebrate Christmas soon? Or are you--- alone?” Mirra asked.
“Oh I have family. But I like shopping alone, you know, I hate the stress of shopping with family or noisy friends who can‘t keep their opinions to themselves.” (At that Mirra smiles, as she could relate to the woman’s feelings about christmas shopping.) “We really enjoyed your company, and we wanted to thank you for being so kind to us.”
“No problem, no problem, glad to be of help.” the woman remarked, testing the pole for any “bites”, “After all, it’s Christmas and all.”
“Thank you. Uh---” (Mirra stops, blushing) “What’s your name?”
“Trisha. Said it yesterday I think.” They said their goodbyes and parted company. The woman still fishing for something as she watched them leave, “Maybe this time I’ll get a glow in the dark toaster oven--- bake killer pot pies of doom---”
“What a thing to want out of a mana pool, Mina.”
“Oh, sure. Take all my fun away why dontcha---” she sighed, pulling the rod back and winding the hook in as she looked behind her, “That wasn’t as bad as it seemed when you first pitched that idea to me--- Nina.”
Nina, from her hiding place, frowned at the comment. “Well I felt a friendly face would do them a world of good. Though I didn’t watch their intimate moment here… did you---?”
“I’m not that kind of MINA Unit, you know that---”
“Yeah. Mina 00. Mina for short--- or is it Trisha?”
“Mina. And don’t you dare say that name in front of Michi.” she warned, grabbing her stuff as she stood up. “Why? She used to be an old flame or something? One night stand?”
“Because, Nina, just because… show some respect to your fellow officers.” Mina sighed, “As for those two? You worry too much. They’re going to be just fine. They’ve got that strong love for each other and…” Mina stops, as if remembering something, then shakes it off without further thought, “I don’t think anything will tear them apart.”
“Becoming sentimental at your age, Mina?”
“Maybe moreso than you think---” (turns and walks away) “---you better get going if your going to meet them at the shuttle port. I’m going to grind the hills some more and enjoy my holiday. See you around, Kotobuki.” And, with that, Mina 00 walks off back towards the resort, smirking as she does. “At least I won’t have a noisy neighbor anymore--- how did we ever make love with her making so much noise?”
“We managed.” Dr. Adri Talbot whispered from her hiding place behind the trees, “We managed.” (Note - MINA Unit. Slang for “Mina” (everyone or everybody), the MINA Operational Unit is the cyberroidal “backbone” of the new generation Freeworld Alliance Cruiser class vessels because they could litterly be “everybody” on board in case of emergency or if the crew was incapacitated. The ship utilizes 100 Minas to 100 crew per ship (equal balance between humanoids and crew).)
Nina - “Thanks for the exposition there, doc.”
Dr. Talbot - “You’re welcome.”
* * * * * *
The shuttle lifted off from the pad, it’s wings folding back down into position as the shuttle headed back to the Daidouji estates. Still, Nina couldn’t seem to shake something. “You get taller or something? I could swear you look different.”
“I’ll tell you about it someday.” Hikaru remarked, her attention focused only on Mirra, and vice versa. As the mountains fell away and the coast came back into view both girls clasped their free hands together again, and told stories of their adventures (minus the intimate moments) to Nina/Eliza as they slowly headed for home, the world seeming abit brighter and warmer to the two now that they’ve grown closer in the past few days, even though their greatest challenges still laid ahead.
“I know it’ll be OK, because I’ll always have you. Always.”
To Be Continued (next week : a Christmas Tale)
The snow crunched underfoot as the two climbed up into the woods behind the house. The light of the Central Hub overhead (it’s huge landscape reflecting the “light” of Elsespace which lit the night like a strong full moon that encompassed the night sky for a few hours each night) was strong so the two could see where they were going without the need for a light to show the way.
The wind was still, so all they could hear was the soft crunch of the snow beneath their boots. But Mirra was still a little nervous and shaky nevertheless.
‘Tell her before she makes her wish!’ Mirra thinks to herself, scolding herself as she walked. She felt rather awkward and uncertain about what the other girl wanted to wish for, but it must be something important to bring Mirra with her. But she wished she was back in bed now, with Hikaru cuddled close, rather than walking out in the snow.
It might not have been windy, and it might have been well lit, but she didn’t like the idea of traipsing through the forest of hibernating trees which looked rather scary. And she was feeling a bit chilly. Nighttime in the city would reach a rather cool temperature in winter, but not this cold. She could almost swear that her face was going numb. She just wanted to get into the warmth of the house and back into bed--- that’s when she felt the warming glow ahead from the “shrine”, and her body began to loosen up again. Either from the warmth, or the knowledge that her questions were going to be answered shortly, she didn’t know--- she just knew she liked being warm again despite wearing her best winter clothes out which didn‘t seem to warm her until the moment they drew close to the shrine.
As they entered the spring like environment of the shrine’s area, they saw the woman from earlier decked out beneath a tree. She was sleeping rather peacefully, with her board leaning against the tree, using a blanket and pillow she had tucked into her “tesseract” backpack to sleep. Hikaru motioned for Mirra to follow her quietly to the pond, but the later’s first step unfortunately was on a tree branch which snapped. “WH-?!?” the woman suddenly woke, her arms flaying as she knocked her own board over into her head, knocking her back onto the ground with a soft thud. “Ow.”
The two quickly rush to her side, pulling the board aside. As she looks up, abit pained, she sighs at the sight of them. “Oh. It’s you two. Hi---” (winces abit) “---ouch--- what’s up?” (with a bit of a sigh she grabs her backpack and tries to stick her head into it, failing. With a slight sigh she passes it to Mirra, pointing at it with one hand while holding her head with the other) “Be a doll and get me my medical kit? It’s in there somewhere.” With a nod, Mirra reaches to pull the bag open, looking into it--- and what she saw made her gasp. The inside of the “pack” was a large white “space”, inside of which a great many things floated in the “air”. While there seemed to be a “border” to this space, it was a large space and quite a few things could be “held” within it at any given time.
There was a giant refrigerator marked “My Food! Don’t Touch!”, along with a device that (no doubt) was used to remove or replace items from said fridge. There was an area for cooking materials like pots, pans, a small micro heater Mirra seen Nina use from time to time in her room to cook things, and silverware. There was also several boxes of stuff ranging from books, clothes, and a box marked “Private”, and even a box marked “snacks“. There was an entertainment system (portable), a surfboard, a small safe (no doubt for valuables), and more things than Mirra could count, but the medical kit (floating past her face) was what she wanted, and quickly grabbed.
As she tended to the woman, she smiled at Mirra’s gentle ministrations of her. “I didn’t know they thought medico kit first aid to young girls in school.”
“A friend taught it to me.” she remarked, remembering back…
Flashback (Daidouji Estates)
Hikaru laid back in the bed they shared, smling abit as Mirra fumbled with the medical kit, opening it up and quickly becoming confused by the devices within. Hikaru had fallen on the way home and injured her knee, cutting it open abit, and Mirra insisted on taking care of it right away. She pulled out long metal tubes, metal devices and other things not knowing what to do. She shook devices, prodded them, waved them around like magic wands hoping something exciting would happen, yet nothing. She was about to give up on the whole thing when she heard a knock on the door, and Nina entered the room. “I brought you two up some snacks while you two…” (stopped, looked at Mirra, then the most indescribably wicked smile came across her face) “Oops! I see you’re going to “probe” Hikaru in a naughty way so I’ll just leave this here and…”
“NO!” Mirra nearly yelled, jumping up to her feet. “It’s not that! I mean! It’s not…”
“I cut my leg when I fell down on the way home.”
“Uh-huh, and what’s all… oh, wait…” (Nina walks up, picking up one device which was a long metal tube with a red rounded crystal point at the end) “It’s the Medico kit from the shuttle. Damn.” (tosses device back to Mirra) “Have fun.” “But I don’t… I mean…” (pushes device back into Nina’s hand) “Help me?”
“Sigh. Alright. Kneel down.” (Mirra kneels down, followed by Nina kneeling behind her, placing the device firmly into her hand with the long end pointing down). “Now get a firm grip, there, you want to be able to hold it tight and strong in that hand. Ok? Now I want you to flex your arm up and down so it doesn’t slip, make sure it’s a tight solid grip. It is? Good.”
“Now what?” Mirra asks, sweating abit with the strange device in her hand. “Easy. You’re going to fix her up, right?”
“Right.” she nodded, sweating a little. “Alright then. No problem. You got a tight grip on that so you’re all set. Here, I’ll prep her. And once her panties are off you go and…”
“Nina!”
“Oh.” (turns around) “When did you sneak in?”
“Followed you upstairs. Here---” Eliza sighs, motioning for Mirra to hand her the device. “This is a hypo spray, and her injury doesn’t need a pain killer. Just a general cleaning and repair, the mender can do that just fine on it‘s own.”
“But it’s nice and rounded and just like a---” (Nina catches Eliza’s disapproving look) “---and I’ll stand in the corner and behave.” (walks off, allowing Eliza to take her place next to Mirra as she rummages through the tools, picking out another tool similar to the first but with a different head) “Gently grip it between your fingers and touch the pointy end to her wound, press the button and move it back and forth watching where the light falls as the wound is cleaned and mended.”
“Will the light---?”
“It won’t damage healthy cell, just clean and mend the wound.” Eliza notes, “Now then gently start off and… there you go…” The young woman takes the device, and a deep breath, as she holds it out. She feels Hikaru’s hand touch her shoulder, comforting her, as she turns the device on and begins to work. With a few runs of the device, the wound seals itself shut and Mirra lets go of her held breath. “I did it.”
“That wasn’t so hard, now was it?” Eliza notes, patting her on the back as she retrieves the kit. With that she walks out, with Nina in tow. “Come on.”
“You know we’re well on our way to creating monsters, don’t you. First it’s cuts, then it’s bruises, then it’s probing and then she‘s on all fours while---”
“Not now, Nina.”
Hikaru motions for Mirra to come closer, pulling her into her arms and hugging her, “I think my cute little nurse’s aide needs a reward.”
“----” Mirra blushes as she closes her eyes, feeling the soft touch of lips touching lips, her mind just floating away under the warming glow of the kiss.
* * * * * *
“You OK?” Mirra stops, her blush deepening in red for a different reason now. “You’re turning all red and stuff, is that normal?”
“Uh, I…”
“That’s alright.” she answers, leaning back against the tree as she looks up into the sky through the tree canopy above. “Being here on a night like this, well it just makes me remember…”
“Remember?” Mirra asks.
The woman suddenly stops, and realizes her place, waving Mirra off as she does, “Nothing. I’m just remembering the last time I spent time camped out beneath the sky like this. Most of the time I stay at the resorts but I can’t stand being there this time.”
“Why? Sad memories?”
“Nah.” (reaches out to wipe a stray tear from Mirra’s eyes) “Some loud mouthed green haired girl is in the next room and she’s a pain up the butt.”
“---loud mouthed---” Mirra sighs, blushing again. “There you go again, turning all red. Are you sure it’s not a skin ailment?”
“-----” Mirra sighs as she tries to cover her embarrassment, but it only made the woman happier watching her so embarrassed. “I love that awkward smile! It’s kinda cute and all but you’re really this bright red and I’ve seen paint that looked paler and--- want to share a meal with me? I usually like a late snack.”
“We’d love that.” Hikaru responded, sitting down next to Mirra. “But you’re wish---?”
“Made it already. Let’s eat.”
“----phwee?” Mirra face faulted, feeling the ground fall out from beneath her. ‘She made her wish already?!? Without me??’
* * * * * *
The meal was nice, crackers and cheese, but abit awkward because Mirra sat silently eating her food and looking rather depressed. Hikaru tried to explain, but Mirra seemed eager to watch her make the wish and was disappointed that she wasn’t allowed to see it. A few minutes after they started, the woman suddenly felt the urge to hit the slopes so she grabbed her gear and backpack and wandered off (“The noisy one must be asleep now so I’m going back to my bedroom after I thrashed the hills a few times to work off the cheese. I paid for that room dammit and I’m going to use it!”) leaving the two some food to eat while they talked. She was being kind. She knew they wanted to be alone, and she accommodated them. Hikaru couldn‘t help feeling a bit guilty as she looked on at the sad expression on Mirra‘s face.
“I’m sorry you couldn’t watch, but it’s a private thing only one person can do. I’m sorry my precious.”
“I understand---” she sighed, only to feel Hikaru press a piece of cheese to her lips, “I know you don’t understand, don‘t try to ease me down or anything, you’re crying.”
“I’m not crying---”
Hikaru’s fingers move from Mirra’s lips to her cheeks, dabbing away a few tears as she does. “You’re crying.”
“I’m sorry.” Mirra choked, looking even more depressed, “I‘m such a baby.”
“I don’t blame you for being sad. I made so much of a fuss about it I should have told you right off the bat that I had to do it alone.” Hikaru sighs, flicking away the last of the tears as she stares Mirra straight in the eyes, “I should have told you that you couldn’t watch, but I didn’t want to depress you and you were so happy with the idea, even though you felt abit reluctant about it.”
“I was not!” Mirra yelped in her defense, her red blush returning to her cheeks as she sighed, her lips drooping into a pout as she tried to put her thoughts to words. “Will I ever know…”
“I’ll explain everything soon. I promise you that much. Now smile for me precious…” (pokes at Mirra’s lips) “Because nothing’s more beautiful on your lips than a smile.” (as she watches, a thin smile begins to form) “There you go, now there’s the Mirra I know.” (Hikaru watches a smile bloom with her prodding, smiling in turn back for Mirra) “I know what’s on your mind.”
“No-- n-no you don’t.”
“You---” (Mirra suddenly jumps into Hikaru’s arms, holding her tight) “I want a hug!”
“You want me to stay forever with you.”
Mirra face faults, new tears flowing as she realized her secret was out.
She felt so bad that she just wanted to rip herself away and run back to the house ashamed. She felt awkward thinking it, but now she felt bad that it was out. Hikaru, staying with her forever, it felt like such a dream that… she felt Hikaru’s arms tighten as she tried to wiggle free. “I--- I--- I----”
“I want that too.”
“H-Hikaru-chan---” Mirra stammered. Suddenly Hikaru stood up, walking away. “Hik---”
“Be right back.”
Mirra sighs, lowering her head. “She must be angry with me.”
“No I’m not. Catch!”
Before she could respond, a huge cot, quilt, and pillows rains on her head burying her. For a few confused seconds she lies beneath the pile, wiggling abit while staring upwards at the quilt in confusion, before she felt the quilt being peeled off. “Mokona likes crawling under my blankets too when he visits sometimes!” (Hikaru’s face pops into view as she looks into Mirra’s eyes, smiling) “But you’re neither kitty, puppy or Mokona!” (she reaches forward, pinching Mirra’s cheeks) “But you look so precious!”
“----” Mirra’s redness begins to grow, but this time more from happiness than shame. Her smile very wide as she quickly grabs Hikaru, pulling her into the blanket, screaming, “Pillow fight!” The two take swings at each other, laughing, as they have their own private little slumber party brawl. A few minutes later they dress for sleep, and curl up beneath the stars in each others arms. As they stare into the night sky, Mirra points up at the Central Hub high above. “I wonder if there’s a couple there whose just as happy as we are? Looking out towards us at this moment?”
“Maybe---”
The two watch the sky for awhile more, pointing at cities glowing in the night sky, huge mountain ranges, lakes, oceans, and other things of note, before falling asleep.
* * * * * *
Mirra’s thoughts as she dreams are comforting. She didn’t mind anymore that she couldn’t see Hikaru’s wish. She only hoped that Hikaru would tell her soon what she wished for. Patience, she sighed, she’d say soon enough. And with that she rolled over in her sleep -- and suddenly felt a chill. She woke up and found herself alone. The bedding was crumpled, as if she had just left. “Maybe she want to the bathroom in the woods.”
Mirra looks about the woods, thinking about how cold it must be out beyond the comforting warmth of the Mana Pool “shrine” area. “Hope the pool doesn’t mind if she takes a leak here, she’d become a girl-cicle out there.”
Suddenly a sharp crp pierces the air, sending a shiver down Mirra’s spine causing her to bolt upwards into a sitting position. “Hikaru---?” she whispered, her eyes carefully scanning the area left and right, then she heard it again. It was near but… without thinking she jumps up and dashes towards the sound, her breath rapid with fear. “Hikaru-chan?!” she cried out. “Hikaru-chan!!” As she rounded a few trees she nearly fell upon Hikaru, and gasped.
Hikaru was crumpled on the ground naked, her face convulsed in pain as she held her head tight, crying a little bit. Mirra quickly moved forward, taking Hikaru into her arms and holding her. “Hikaru-chan! What’s wrong! Hi---”
She convulsed again, and her limbs grew a little longer. Her body swelled a little bigger. Her breasts bloomed a little, and her body seemed to age a little. She cried out, her arms flaying until they latched onto Mirra and held her unconsciously. She whimpered a few minutes, her body growing a little bit at a time until it stopped. With a final breath of pain she collapsed into Mirra’s grip, unconscious from the pain. Mirra, looking her up and down, was amazed.
“She’s… bigger?”
‘Was this her wish?’ she thought, mind whirling in confusion. ‘To be… bigger?’
She gathered up Hikaru’s clothes, and carried her back to their camping site. It took Mirra a little effort to get her back to the bedding, but she managed just fine. And, as she wrapped her in the blankets, Mirra couldn’t stop but stare at her body. “She’s…” (winces involuntarily) “…she did it.”
She made herself older, as she told Mirra she would one day. Losing two to four years of her childhood memories she’ll never experience now, for her. Mirra felt awful, the pit of her stomach ached. She felt as if she was to blame for Hikaru’s decision. She drove Hikaru to make the decision, taking away precious years of her childhood.
“I wish she never met me.” Mirra whimpered, falling back into the bedding sobbing a little.
* * * * * *
Mirra walked up to Mimic, tears flowing down her face. “Damn you.” she hissed.
“You did it to yourself, so don’t come whining to me about it.” Mimic sighed, nearly shoving Mirra aside as she walked past. “You’re such a baby! Couldn’t live one minute without her holding your hand, you weak little bitch! Same with Clow Reed, you always did suck up to him, like such a…”
“I’m not a wh… wh…”
“Say it! Just say it already because it’s true!” Mimic raged, her anger boiling up as she paced around Mirra, teeth clenched as she did. “You’re not happy with her throwing her youth away to be your precious little bed slut are you…”
“DON’T SAY THAT!!”
“You wanted her like that! You always wanted it like that!” Mimic went on, prodding Mirra’s weaknesses, “I’m surprised you didn’t drop down and do her right when I gave you the chance, you horrid little slut!”
“I LOVE HER!!” Mirra screamed, dropping down to the ground covering her head. “I love her! I love her… I love her…”
Mimic - “That’s right, you kneel down whore. It’s all your good for anyway.”
“I love her! I love her! I love her…” Mirra whimpered over and over again, crying in pain. “I didn’t want her to do that… I don’t want her to lose her precious youth because of AGH!!” Mirra suddenly screams out, feeling a foot slam into her back dropping her face first into the ground. As she turns, she comes face to face with Hikaru, standing next to Mimic stark naked. “You like it don’t you? My little PRECIOUS!” (kicks her down again) “You like a more matured woman, nice firm breasts, longer legs and arms, smooth silken soft little…”
“I’M SORRY!!!” Mirra screamed, in more pain mentally than physically, “I’M SORRY!! PLEASE!! HIKARU-CHAN I’M SORRY!! I’M SORRY I’M SO WEAK!! I’M SOR--- ACK!!”
“You’re sorry?” Hikaru choked out, “You smothered me and I couldn’t live without making myself older because I so wanted to make you HAPPY, and you’re sorry!?” Hands grasp around Mirra’s waist, undressing her, “Sorry’s not good enough my worthless little bitch in heat!” As Mirra’s clothes fell away, and Hikaru forced her on all fours, and then…
“I’M SORRY!! PLEASE!! DON’T!! FORGIVE ME!! FORGIVE ME!! FOR---” Mirra screams as she feels Hikaru spread her legs and…
* * * * * *
“Mirra-chan? Mirra-chan!”
Mirra snaps awake, screaming “FORGIVE ME!! FORGIVE ME!!” as two strong arms wrap around tight, and hold her still. They stood like this for several seconds, her face buried against Hikaru’s now slightly more mature breasts, tears flowing rapidly down Mirra’s face. “No!! I’m sorry!! I’m sorry!! Don’t rape me!! Please!! Forgive me!! Forgive… Forgive…” (buries face into Hikaru’s breasts) “Forgive…”
With a strong sigh, Hikaru holds Mirra tight whispering gently, swaying her back and forth comforting her. “You did nothing wrong my precious… my sweetness… nothing… don’t cry… don’t cry.” Suddenly she lurches forward, screaming again, bringing a tear to Hikaru’s eyes. “Stop! Please stop hurting yourself! I love you! I love you--- goddess, I love you!”
For the longest time she couldn’t speak, couldn’t move, just lie there crying. It took that time for Hikaru to comfort her, and find out what she saw. With a gasp she began to apologize, realizing what Mirra saw and how it affected her.
“Mirra, you didn’t… I mean…” Silence. For a few seconds Hikaru tries to put the words together, then, “I had a vision.”
* * * * * *
Tokyo Tower. She dreamt that she was there, and it was night. Everyone was gathering around the tower and she didn’t know why. She felt weak, her legs refused to move. She was lying on the floor of the observation deck, yet she knew they were all coming.
She once managed to drag herself up so she could look out the windows and saw them coming, just to verify what she knew. As she fell back she saw herself--- and she was naked and bleeding. She heard a voice behind her, and knew immediately what it was. Mimic. She felt Mimic’s hand grab her head, spin it around and then felt fingers grab her jaw and force…
* * * * * *
She could say no more. Mirra began to cry again, and it took awhile to comfort her before she spoke. “I saw--- my own rape--- as Mimic’s hands---” she said. “But only one dream---”
Hikaru shook her head, “I dreamed it every night for the past two months.”
“---w-w-w-what---?”
“I didn’t want to worry you! I can’t stand it when you suffer so because of me… I wake up in the night hearing you crying out my name, reaching out in pain, I know you cry every night and all I want to do is take that pain away. I didn’t want to compound your pain with that knowledge, it only would have made you cry harder each night.”
“But it’ll make me cry now…”
“I know, but it’ll pass… I wanted to let you know that I had to do this… be older… for us.”
“BUT YOU LOST YOUR YOUTH!” Mirra cried out, “YOUR PRECIOUS YEARS OF INNOCENCE BECAUSE OF ME! IT’S NOT FAIR! IT’S NOT FAIR---?” (Suddenly Hikaru begins to laugh, confusing Mirra) “Wh-what’s… what’s so… funny?”
“Silly precious!” (bumps her head against Mirra’s, bringing a confused look onto the young Clow girl’s face) “Youth is a state of mind. I’m going to enjoy my youth as long as I can, and then when it’s done I’ll relive it again in your arms! I can’t lose my precious years as long as I have you around to make me forever young in heart and soul… besides which, we stop aging at 21 so it’s not like we’ll be old!”
Mirra - “---r-r-really?”
“Uh-huh. Didn’t Tomoyo-mama tell you that?”
Mirra frowned severely, “No.” (sighs) “I’m so stupid.”
“You’re my precious little Clow Mistress…” (kisses her cheek) “I don’t care how silly you are as long as we’re together to be silly together!”
“But---” (her voice trembles a little as she speaks) “Your age.”
“One day, my love, I want to make love to you before she can take that away from us. I want you to know that nothing Mimic does to me will break my love, and in the end regardless of what happens I will always love you, and so… I wanted to make sure that I don’t lose my virginity… except to you.”
“---lose---?”
Hikaru nods her head softly, “She’s going to do something bad to me. I know it, but I’ll heal. I know that too.” Hikaru smiles, hugging Mirra tightly as if to keep her warm against the chill that was blowing against them. “Nothing she does will harm me permanently. I’ll mend fast, and my spirit will mend too with you by my side. She does something bad to me because she’ll realize I’m not a virgin anymore and… and it enrages her.”
“No--- no---”
“It’s OK Mirra-chan, it‘s alright. It’s alright…” (deep breath) “…I’d rather be raped than let her take our most precious moment away from us. I won’t let her do it. I won’t---”
“Hikaru-chan---”
“Mirra-chan. It‘ll be OK--- I know it‘ll be OK, because I‘ll always have you. Always.”
The two fall back into the bedding, it’s softness wrapping them tight as Mirra holds on to Hikaru tightly, the last of their strength fading as they slowly fall back to sleep… their grips loosening, but never releasing, as they slumber together again in each other’s arms.
* * * * * *
Mirra felt someone waking her up. “Mirra-chan? Wake up---”
“Wh---what is it?” she groggily answered, pulling herself around to look at Hikaru--- who was now fully dressed. She wore a beautiful school uniform that resembled her old one but made to her size. “I found this at the foot of our bedding when I woke up. And I found this…” (she holds out a note, upon which a key was attached) “Open the package waiting at home.” Mirra read out loud. “You couldn’t have done this… you didn’t know…” Hikaru whispered, looking at herself in the uniform in confusion, “And I never told anyone my wish except Fuu-chan and she…” (smiles) “…is it Fuu-chan’s work?”
“I guess.” Mirra remarks, looking on at the uniform. “It’s beautiful on you.”
“Thanks---” (blushes slightly) “---let’s go home and get some breakfast, and open that package.” As the two gather their stuff, and rush back the way they came, they barely notice the figure standing in the woods watching them leave.
* * * * * *
“WE’RE HOME!!” Hikaru yelled as she barreled through the door, passing Fuu, Presea, Hikaru & Ferio as they stood around a strange suitcase. “Hi, honey!” (Presea) “Some FedEx guy dropped this off and…” (Hikaru grabs it, and runs upstairs with Mirra) “Thanks, Fuu-chan!”
“---Fuu?” (Everyone looks at her) “But--- I didn’t do that---”
“And why did she lift it so damn easily!?” Presea pouted, “It took all four of us to drag that thing inside a few feet and she carts it off like it weighted nothing! I don’t get it!”
Everyone exchanges confused expressions as they look upstairs. “Did Hikaru-chan leave wearing her school uniform?” (Hikaru) “She looked cute in it.”
* * * * * *
“KERO-CHAN!!” Mirra yelled out as the door flew open, nearly giving Kerberos a heart attack. Kero nearly falls into the bed, the game softly falling onto the mattress. “ACK! Don’t do that!! Did you bring me breakfast or…” (Mirra quickly hands him a plate with waffles (from the table she passed on the way to the stairs) and the syrup as Hikaru throws the case onto the bed and opens it). “I didn’t know you brought your school uniform, does your class have a trip today or some---?” (blinks) “Is it me or is Hikaru bigger?”
“Clothes!”
As the two look into the case they find it filled with clothes for her, all her new size. “I guess trying them all on would be futile.” Hikaru noted lifting one of the dresses up, “They all look like they’ll fit me.”
“Why wouldn’t they.” Kero pondered, looking down at the case, “Did Tomoyo visit while I was sleeping? She made all this, didn’t she? (She must want a grandchild worst than I ever thought she did!)” (Mirra & Hikaru sweatdrop abit)
The rest of the day was spent on the slopes thrashing the powder with their boards. Ferio fell down a few more times, and lots of fun were had by all. Eventually they stopped questioning where the clothes came from and accepted it.
The next morning, strangely enough, another parcel of clothes arrived. For some reason though, nobody wanted to even try to pick up the case and that confused Hikaru. It confused her even more that everyone looked at her oddly while she carted the light suitcase (which was filled with clothes like the first) up the stairs with deliberate ease.
It was now Sunday, and they had to go (Monday was school again) so they caught one more time on the slopes in the morning, ate a filling lunch, and prepared to say goodbye. Mirra helped Hikaru pack her clothes, storing her old clothes in the house as she did. When they got home they would empty her side of the closet and fill it with the new clothes. Before they left, Hikaru & Mirra visited the “shrine” one last time. There, sitting in front of the pond with a fishing rod, with the woman they met.
“Is that allowed?” Mirra asked, watching the woman fish. “Oh sure. The pond sometimes drags stuff through the mana stream and it’s a great place to pick up odds and ends. Last time I picked up a perfectly good coffee maker. Still glows in the dark from the mana saturation but it makes it easier to find it at night. Can’t offer it to any Darklings or evil beings though because anything brewed in the thing eats rights through them from the inside out because of the mana saturation which makes anything brewed in it dosed with positive mana. Poor things. Completely horrible the way they scream as they die. I once splashed a Darkling with coffee from it once and it ate it’s head clean off and… uh… never mind (I should really learn to shut up while I’m behind.)”
Mirra, looking shellshocked, managed to mutter “We’re going home today.”
“That’s too bad. There’s still a few weeks of good powder up here and all.”
“Aren’t you going home to celebrate Christmas soon? Or are you--- alone?” Mirra asked.
“Oh I have family. But I like shopping alone, you know, I hate the stress of shopping with family or noisy friends who can‘t keep their opinions to themselves.” (At that Mirra smiles, as she could relate to the woman’s feelings about christmas shopping.) “We really enjoyed your company, and we wanted to thank you for being so kind to us.”
“No problem, no problem, glad to be of help.” the woman remarked, testing the pole for any “bites”, “After all, it’s Christmas and all.”
“Thank you. Uh---” (Mirra stops, blushing) “What’s your name?”
“Trisha. Said it yesterday I think.” They said their goodbyes and parted company. The woman still fishing for something as she watched them leave, “Maybe this time I’ll get a glow in the dark toaster oven--- bake killer pot pies of doom---”
“What a thing to want out of a mana pool, Mina.”
“Oh, sure. Take all my fun away why dontcha---” she sighed, pulling the rod back and winding the hook in as she looked behind her, “That wasn’t as bad as it seemed when you first pitched that idea to me--- Nina.”
Nina, from her hiding place, frowned at the comment. “Well I felt a friendly face would do them a world of good. Though I didn’t watch their intimate moment here… did you---?”
“I’m not that kind of MINA Unit, you know that---”
“Yeah. Mina 00. Mina for short--- or is it Trisha?”
“Mina. And don’t you dare say that name in front of Michi.” she warned, grabbing her stuff as she stood up. “Why? She used to be an old flame or something? One night stand?”
“Because, Nina, just because… show some respect to your fellow officers.” Mina sighed, “As for those two? You worry too much. They’re going to be just fine. They’ve got that strong love for each other and…” Mina stops, as if remembering something, then shakes it off without further thought, “I don’t think anything will tear them apart.”
“Becoming sentimental at your age, Mina?”
“Maybe moreso than you think---” (turns and walks away) “---you better get going if your going to meet them at the shuttle port. I’m going to grind the hills some more and enjoy my holiday. See you around, Kotobuki.” And, with that, Mina 00 walks off back towards the resort, smirking as she does. “At least I won’t have a noisy neighbor anymore--- how did we ever make love with her making so much noise?”
“We managed.” Dr. Adri Talbot whispered from her hiding place behind the trees, “We managed.” (Note - MINA Unit. Slang for “Mina” (everyone or everybody), the MINA Operational Unit is the cyberroidal “backbone” of the new generation Freeworld Alliance Cruiser class vessels because they could litterly be “everybody” on board in case of emergency or if the crew was incapacitated. The ship utilizes 100 Minas to 100 crew per ship (equal balance between humanoids and crew).)
Nina - “Thanks for the exposition there, doc.”
Dr. Talbot - “You’re welcome.”
* * * * * *
The shuttle lifted off from the pad, it’s wings folding back down into position as the shuttle headed back to the Daidouji estates. Still, Nina couldn’t seem to shake something. “You get taller or something? I could swear you look different.”
“I’ll tell you about it someday.” Hikaru remarked, her attention focused only on Mirra, and vice versa. As the mountains fell away and the coast came back into view both girls clasped their free hands together again, and told stories of their adventures (minus the intimate moments) to Nina/Eliza as they slowly headed for home, the world seeming abit brighter and warmer to the two now that they’ve grown closer in the past few days, even though their greatest challenges still laid ahead.
“I know it’ll be OK, because I’ll always have you. Always.”
To Be Continued (next week : a Christmas Tale)
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