Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Weekends Only?
Now that we're coming down to all new material that needs to be written, we may slow our pace abit from three updates a week to two (Friday and Sunday). I'll be thinking about that this week and we'll see what happens next week.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
CardCaptor Sakura Remastered II Episode 8 (10)
Today, Sakura’s class was on a field trip to the Gold Island, just off the coast of the Grimmlands (the island continent born of the dreams and writings of the Brothers’ Grimm) for a field trip.
But for Keiko Yamanaka, being one of the chaperones on this field trip was the last thing she ever wanted. It meant a return to memories of when she first came to the Grimmlands--- as she pushed her memories back into her head she watched everyone frollick and play on the
beautiful golden sand of the huge beach. In the background behind her was the camp, and a small forest. Above that forest was the reason they came here for the field trip---
“You want to play some volleyball with us?”
Keiko is brought out of her thoughts by Rika, who stands nearby looking at her waiting for a reply. “Uh--- sure. OK.” (‘Anything to get my mind off the past.’ Keiko thinks glumly to herself while keeping a smiling face as she joins the others.)
As Sakura joins them, Rena takes a look around cautiously, “Anyone see Yama the Liar?”
“Don’t jinx us.” Keiko sighs, “One less reality bending lie from him a day is all I ask out of life. Is that too much? I don‘t think so.”
“OK, then---” Sakura cheerfully broke in, “Let’s do---”
“Do you know about Beach Volley---” (at this point Keiko is already upon him like a flash holding his mouth shut) “Enough of that already!! (Can’t you say one truthful thing in your life you bastard you?!?)”
“I’m bored enough that even a reality bending lie from him sounds too good to pass.” Rebecca muttered in boredom.
“Your evil, you know that Rebecca? Evil.” (finally Keiko relents and allows him to start talking as she begins to drift back abit, looking upwards at the mountain---)
* * * * * *
Gold Town
In the 17th Century---
The Japanese trading vessel had dropped her off at the dock, making it’s drop as it did.
The island was huge, and like all of Edenina it touched into a lot of times old and yet to come. Middle Age shops and stores stood next to technology yet to be made in the waking world, while aliens from all points of call walked amongst the humans and “mythical” beings of
dreams and races no longer living in the mortal coil.
After a little searching about, Keiko met a couple of Galerians (huge reptilian beings with hyper intelligence) who lead her to a huge castle on the hill, where the ruling family once stood. There, within the now empty halls, she met a cursed princess, and---
* * * * * *
“Story’s done.”
“---?---”
Tomoyo smiled as she pointed at the game getting underway. “Story’s done.”
“Oh. Right---” (Keiko stretches abit) “---do I really want to know what he said?”
Tomoyo shook her head, “Maybe not.”
“That bad, huh?”
“Are you going to play Beach Volleyball?”
Sakura - “Ms. Mitsuki!”
At this Keiko groaned inwardly, while Rebecca shuffled her feet. “Why did she have to come along anyway?”
Ms. Kaho Mitsuki. Gifted with the paranormal ability to see into the future. Born with the paranormal ability to annoy certain members of the female species (Keiko & Rena included).
Ms. Mitsuki - “Can I play too?”
Everyone nods their heads and cries out yes.
Everyone that is, except Keiko & Rebecca who just stand there not saying much. At that she stops next to them and says “You two don’t like me much, do you.”
Both women exchange glances, then look back at her. “Gee, were we being that obvious?”
“I feel guilty already! I‘m such a bad, bad chaperone.” Keiko sighs, “(note the obvious sarcasm in that statement, folks.)”
“Yawn!” (Rebecca turns and walks off into the water) “I’m going to go drown myself. Anyone else wants to follow? It‘s painless that way.”
Keiko - “Take Yama the Liar with you. He deserves a good drowning.”
Mr. Terada - “COME ON IN!!”
Keiko - “Aw damn.”
“Too bad, free time’s over.” Ms. Mitsuki announces in a matter of fact way.
“Oh, really.” (Keiko shuffles her feet in turn as Rebecca walks back onto the shore) “No kidding.”
Ms. Mitsuki - “We’ll play later.”
Keiko - “Sure, whatever---” (everyone heads in) “---what did he say the Ancient Hawaiian’s used again to “play“ Beach Volleyball? I missed that part.”
Rebecca - “Coconuts.”
Keiko - “Oh.“ (pauses for dramatic effect) “I’m all for skipping the play part and going straight to the senseless blunt force trauma strike to Mitsuki‘s head.”
Mr. Terada - “Ladies?”
Keiko - “WE’RE COMING! WE’RE COMING!” (Keiko sighs) “I hate my life.”
Rebecca - “The way your screaming you’d think you really were com…”
“Shut up.”
* * * * * *
Meanwhile back at the Daidouji Estates (Nippon)
"And Eliza's more than my friend!” Nina argued back at her opponent down in the Holochamber, “I like to think of her more like my husband…"
"Wonder why."
Nina turns around, her face lighting up, "ELIZA!"
"Took you long enough to notice me. Now does the--- ahem--- "man" of your life need to duel for you or can you take him yourself?"
"I'm doing fine. Don't worry about me." (smiles) "NOW it's your move. (don't jump ahead until I'm done!)"
Her opponent blushes and smiles sheepishly, "Sorry. You didnt specify if it was my turn or not. Well fine. Now I play Tribute to the Doomed and discard a card from my hand to destroy your imp---"
"And once again my card is mummified and destroyed--- yeah, yeah, what else is new."
"Then I lay a continuous card, Messenger of Peace. I pay 100 LP a turn and no monster with 1500 or more attack can attack. If I decide not to pay the card is destroyed. So I lose 100 LP and its your turn.”
"Fine." Nina relents, looking at her cards.
Nina - 4600LP (Arena)
Andrew - 5250LP (Arena)
"Didn't know peace could be so dangerous for your health, Nina."
Nina - "It's not. I still have this nice little face down card, but I'm not familiar with the card he played so I'll have to ask--- what did you play, anyway? Trap or Magic---" (alarm goes off once again) “---he did it again.”
Eliza - “Kero?”
Nina - “He must have dropped the books from Sakura’s shelf onto himself again. Go take him to the store to get some new games, just keep him from killing himself why dontcha!”
Eliza - “Right. I’ll be back later.”
Nina - “Fine. So let‘s take a break while we wait for her to come back--- I‘ll call down for drinks and food from the upstairs---” (Nina sighs as Eliza leaves) “I miss her already.”
Andrew - “Keiko?”
Nina - “Hell no, nobody misses her. I meant Eliza… why the hell would I miss Keiko for.”
* * * * * *
Back on the Gold Island (Grimmlands)
Eve finds Keiko pouting off to one side beneath a tree, not even attempting to help cook.
“Don’t want to learn how to cook fish?”
“Fish isn’t one of my strong suits---” (looks up as Eve sits down next to her) “---about Cath…”
“It’s nothing.” Eve deflects sullenly, “It’s just that when we were younger I thought she was coming on to me, silly me… but I’d never do anything to betray…”
Keiko - “It’s not that. I’m not…”
Eve - “I know.”
“No! No! No! I just---” (Keiko leans back, looking over at Eve) “---why?”
“Keiko.”
Keiko - “?”
Eve - “I-I…I don’t know--- I’m sorry.”
Keiko - “Why fish? Why not a bar-b-q? Rabbits are all over the place and…”
Eve smiles, resting her head against Keiko‘s shoulder, knowing she changed the subject just to spare Eve‘s feelings. “We’re in a National Reserve, that means rabbit poaching is illegal and in the same category as… ahem… “Owl Huggers” (as you put it) that’s been after your neck for the past 100+ years for eating that rare owl… remember?”
“Yeah, I remember that one Eve.” (a thin smile etches across her face) “I also remember the song Grethel’s dad would sing everytime he thought of killing one of those disgusting flying fleabags that those fricking Owl Huggers love so much---” (suddenly Keiko starts to sing
“Disco Inferno” while making “bursting into flame” motions w/ her hands).
Eve - “Is that any way to really remember the Striped Owl?”
Keiko - “Is it extinct, Eve?”
Eve - “No.”
Keiko - “Then screw the Striped Owl. Burn, baby, burn--- disco inferno--- burn, baby, burn--- yahh!!”
Eve - “*sigh*”
* * * * * *
Rebecca sighs discontentedly as she watches Sakura keep up with her pace by pace in cutting her potatoes flawlessly. “Iron Chef Sakura--- phht.”
Trinity - “Iron Chef Japanese Vs. Iron Chef American in a fight to the---” (stops) “---sorry.”
Rebecca - “Even think of doing your William Shatner improv in front of me again at a moment like this, Trinny, and I won’t sleep with you for a month!”
Trinity - “Your glaring at Sakura too much, and the rice is done.”
“Why---” (stops) “---oh. We’re trying to avoid the glazed over fright look on Sakura. Right.” (sighs) “Never mind.” (takes rice, and grabs a handful of aromatics from Trinity‘s pouch) “I’ll take that to Sakura.” (as she heads over, a strange feeling comes over her as if Tomoyo would jump in front of Sakura if she got too close). “Here, Sakura. Your rice is done. And
here---” (palms off handful of herbs) “---Tomoyo’ll know what to do with these.”
“Thanks---” (stops Rebecca) “---I didn’t have a chance to ask you---”
“For what?”
Sakura - “About what you said when we first met.”
“Ah, forget about it Sakura.” (Rebecca stretches as she speaks) “I’ll have to get over it I suppose, as Trinity said. Nothing to get your hair up about.”
Sakura - “Do you know Ms. Mit---”
“Only abit.” (smiles as she looks over at Sakura) “She gave me a bad bit of mojo once by telling me more than I needed to hear. Unlike her, I’d rather not know what’s coming at me in the future if it’s all the same to her.” (stops) “Sakura--- would you have wanted---”
Sakura turns, listening.
Rebecca shakes her head, “Never mind. Forget it. I’m just rambling.” (sighs) “You better get that to Tomoyo so she can make the fish.”
This leaves Sakura in a confused state.
Trinity - “You confused her aga---”
Rebecca - “Thanks for the blow-by-blow reporting, Trinny. Now are you going to make our rice or---”
Trinity holds up the pot, “Done.”
“---oh--- never mind then.”
* * * * * *
Chop. Chop. Chop. Chop. Chop. Chop.
Tomoyo - “Done chopping yet?”
Sakura - “Yes.”
Tomoyo - “Alright, I need your help with the aromatics. Here, I’ll show you how to use them.”
Tomoyo’s arms snake around Sakura, her hands grasping onto Sakura’s, leading the other girl’s hands as she shows her how to prepare the fish with the herbs, wrapping it in aluminum foil before putting it down for cooking. Gently, as Sakura finishes the task, Tomoyo pulls
her arms together and squeezes her tightly, her head rested comfortably on Sakura‘s strong shoulder as she holds the smaller young woman tightly. “Your going to be a beautiful chef one day if you keep this up, Sakura.”
“Tomo-chan?”
“Hmm?”
“Would you--- I mean would you have wanted to know--- I mean, about us--- if you---I mean--I mean our futures together?”
Tomoyo - “Our futures before it happened? Would I have wanted to know?”
Sakura bites her lip nervously, “Yeah.”
For the longest time Tomoyo held her, and thought about it. Silence reigned as she waited, until finally--- “Once maybe, but not anymore.”
“Why?” Sakura asked.
Tomoyo - “It’d break my heart if you were gone from my life and there was nothing I could do about it.”
“But Tomo-chan---”
“Hush---” (Tomoyon presses her fingers onto Sakura’s lips) “---I’m just saying I wouldn’t want to know if one day I wouldn’t have you in my arms anymore--- like now. I’d rather treasure each and every day of our love, and not worry about tomorrow because--- well--- tomorrow will always be tomorrow.”
“Eh?” (confused)
Tomoyo - “It’ll always be out of our reach. We have to focus on today, Sakura-chan, and not worry about what might come, or what has yet to come. It’ll come, soon enough, but for now this is all that matters to me.” (hugs Sakura tighter)
“Tomo-chan.”
Tomoyo - “Now check the fish to make sure it’s cooking.”
Sakura - “pwweeh?”
“Come on, I’ll help---” (Tomoyo’s hands reaches out again to grasp Sakura’s, bringing a slight whimper from Sakura as she lets go) “---cook first, soft hugs in a minute---”
Sakura smiles as she focuses back on cooking again. Checking the fish---
Sakura stops, “It’s staring at me. It looks kinda sad---”
Tomoyo - “---I’ll cut it’s head off later---”
Sakura - “---whimper---”
Tomoyo sighs as she realizes she should have cut the head off before Sakura got a good look at the fish’s sad gaze. (She’ll be mourning the fish for a few hours at least.)
* * * * * *
Later that night.
“So tell me again why we’re the only two who didn’t think of getting a private accommodations?” Keiko sighs irritably as she rolls over to stare at Eve. “Sorry, Keiko--- it’s our bad luck the camping store sold out of private tents before we went on the trip?”
“Sigh.”
The night wasn’t going very well. Sakura felt completely restless and despite Tomoyo’s assurances that they’d sleep together in each other’s arms that night, she still felt uncertain about it.
Rika nearly blushed herself to death when she was praised for dinner, and kept fidgeting with her ring all night (probably the mention of her being a good wife that did it--- again).
“Is it me or is Rika dodging the whole marriage thing?” Keiko remarks in a hushed whisper.
“Maybe she got married during vacation?” Eve said innocently.
“At that age? What kind of girl gets married at that young…” (stops, looks, sighs) “Oh, right, Nadeshiko. Right. My bad.“
Of course, there’s the lights out incident to speak of.
As the lights went off, and Sakura cuddled into Tomoyo’s loving embrace to fall asleep, Tomoyo had to bring up--- “Are we having another test of courage? Like the cliff? I saw a cave---”
Sakura tensed up, “HUH?!”
“Oh, no.” Keiko responded, calming Sakura down for a second. “Not in the cave. We’re going to the nearby Dragon’s mound for the test of courage.”
Sakura - “PWEEHH?!?”
Tomoyo - “What Dragon’s Mound? I didn’t see---”
“Eve?”
Eve rolls over, drawing a circle into the floor in the middle of the grouping, chanting as she does. Seconds later a burst of smoke and a small pillar of light forms. Inside that pillar an image of a floating mound above the forests. While everyone’s attention is focused on Eve,
Tomoyo brings the CardCaptor’s head to rest against her nude breasts.
Eve - “Normally the Mound is hidden by ShadowCloak magic, but tomorrow it’ll appear for a short amount of time during it’s monthly visible cycle which lasts several days.”
“Speaking of the mound---” (Naoko) “---have you heard this story?”
Sakura begins to cry, Eve turns to look on in interest, Keiko sighs, “Fuji TV hires you to consult every Halloween for their scary specials don’t they.”
Naoko - “Actually---”
Keiko - “Never mind, never mind, forget I said anything---” (sighs) “---go on.”
(Sakura begins to cry abit more, holding Tomoyo tight as she cradles Sakura against her breasts)
Naoko - “A long, long time ago--- a student group just like us came here on a field trip just like us---”
“I think I heard this---” (everyone shushes Keiko)
Naoko - “On the first day, they swam and made fish, and had a generally fun day.”
“Then you started this story and---” (everyone shushes Keiko again)
Naoko - “On the next day they too had a test of courage---”
“Aren’t you all too old for such childish---” (again everyone shushes Keiko)
Naoko - “---at that very same Dragon Mound.”
“What kind of dragons are buried there?” (someone asked, bringing silence to the group)
Eve - “Water dragons. It‘s only perched above the forests of the island because it was grounded over the forest after the hurricane of ‘27.” (everyone turns to Keiko and looks, to which she only shrugs) “She’s right. Go on.”
“I did quite abit of checking on it.” Eve remarks as she points at the image, “According to records, a shrine like this has one long stairway that leads from the platform top to the center shrine.”
“That leads to the Central Prayer Chamber, surrounded by a reflecting pool where one can speak to the spirits of the dragons entombed in the mound. The shrine itself is very complex and huge. The stairs is the dragon culture representation of the path to the next “life” past the Dreaming. One must walk the bridge to get to the shrine. The test of courage is to rotate a light sphere on the shrine and say a prayer.”
Sakura looked like she was going to explode from the fear if Tomoyo wasn’t holding her.
Naoko - “The students paired off and each traveled the stairs to the shrine, carrying their sphere of light. The stairs is very long, representing a long journey to the next “world”. But, eventually, it was clear none of the students were coming back up the stairs. Not one---”
“Uh-huh.” (Keiko already felt Sakura’s hypertension)
Naoko - “No matter how long the stairs to the shrine was, or how beautiful the shrine, this was too strange a thing to be happening. So the teachers and remaining students went looking for them--- and they were nowhere to be found.”
If Sakura grew anymore pale, she’d have found work on CSI-Tokyo as one of the corpses.
“So what happened next? A tormented water dragon spirit ate them all?”
(Sakura shrieks in a soft voice causing Eve to give Keiko a stern glance) “Sorry.”
Naoko - “The truth is--- in that shrine---”
“TEACHER!!” Keiko hurriedly whispers, motioning outside. Quickly everyone falls silent.
“I thought you put sound dampeners---” Eve begins to whisper, “---I did, but she doesn’t need to know that nobody outside can hear us. At least it killed that story pretty fast---”
A few seconds later Eve gives the all clear.
By now Tomoyo noticed Sakura’s horrid disposition, and begs off the rest of the story so they could go to “sleep”.
Naoko - “I’ll finish the story tomorrow.”
Keiko sighs. “Wonderful.” (looks over at Sakura) “Now she’ll never fall asleep.” (with a tired grunt, Keiko rolls over, whacks Sakura with 10cc of sleepy drugs, and rolls back towards Eve as Sakura falls into Tomoyo, consciousness slipping fast but her mind screaming to be awake. Her fears gripping her).
* * * * * *
“Sakura? SAKURA!!”
Tomoyo’s arms wraps around Sakura, her voice straining as she screams.
“It’s alright! It’s alright--- don’t scream--- I’m here---”
As Sakura looks into Tomoyo’s face she notices the room was gone.
In it’s place they were sitting on a grassy hill overlooking the forest of the island, and the ocean beyond said forest. In the background, the mound was floating as they saw it in Eve’s hologram.
Tomoyo - “We’re dreaming, Sakura, we’re dreaming--- don’t be afraid---”
Sakura - “I’m too scared. I shouldn’t be asleep! I‘m scared!”
Tomoyo - “I think it’s safe to say Keiko drugged you. She warned me she might do that if you were about to start wandering around in the dark because you couldn’t sleep.”
Sakura - “I don’t want to sleep. I’m too scared!”
“I’m here--- please don’t be scared---” (Tomoyo holds her tight) “---there’s nothing to be---”
“HEY!”
“ACCKK!!!” (Sakura nearly jumps out of her night clothes, spinning about as she does) “REBECCA?”
“DON’T DO THAT!!” (sighs) “What are you doing in my dreams anyway you two?”
“Your in my dreams! And you scared me!” Sakura countered.
“You scared ME!! And we’re in my dreams!” Rebecca countered in turn.
“I think your both in my dreams.” Tomoyo points out.
Rebecca frowned, “Whatever--- you really didn’t have to scare me like that though sheesh.”
Eventually the topic shifts from who’s dreams they were in to---
Sakura - “Why are you in my dreams?”
Rebecca - “It’s my dreams, Sakura, and you tell me first--- or did Keiko really go through with it and hit you up with sleepy time juice?”
“W-well---”
“She did.” Tomoyo finishes, cuddling Sakura as she spoke. “Why are you---”
Rebecca - “My Dream Familyar felt something and came to tell me about it, so here I am.”
Sakura - “A CLOW CARD?!?”
“----” (Rebecca looks about slightly miffed) “---well I don’t see the dead rising just yet so please be sure to SCREAM a little louder next time! (I still have the ability to hear).” (avoids Sakura’s hurt expression, and Tomoyo’s understanding gaze) “My Familyar didn’t know.”
Sakura - “M-m-may-maybe it’s a gh-- gh--?”
Tomoyo - “Ghost? Dragon ghost?”
Sakura - “Don’t say that!!”
Rebecca - “Then why bring it up.”
“Rena!”
“Sigh.” (Rebecca lays back on the “grass” of the hill and sighs) “How should I know? You’re the Card Captor, you tell me. All I know is that the feeling is coming from the mound.”
“How old is the mound?” (Tomoyo)
“Thousands of years old. It used to be a submerged shrine but it was destroyed in the 7th Century (Waking world timeology) by some sort of undersea “event”. It was replaced with an airborne shrine that’s been in place ever since.” (sighs) “Seems the minerals in the anti-grav
rocks that floats the shrine acts as a powerful conduit for psychic energy and amplifies spirit activity in the shrine---”
“PHWEEEE!!” (Sakura shivers and sweat drops coldly in Tomoyo’s loving grasp)
“---and I probably shouldn’t have said that---” (sighs again)
Sakura - “Let’s talk about something else! Ok? Ok?”
Rebecca tried to talk again, “It’s a benevolent shrine of peaceful spirits and---”
Sakura - “Ok??”
“Ok. Ok. Whatever---” (Rebecca changes the subject) “---I was debating before I
fell asleep whether to ask the walking 8-ball if she knew what was going to happen tomorrow or not but I couldn‘t resolve my feelings before sleep.”
Tomoyo - “Ms. Mitsuki?”
“Any other creepy future seeing former math teachers on this field trip?”
“But---” (Sakura fidgets) “---she used to make me feel all floaty---”
“Then you discovered Tomoyo and after sex you never stopped float---” (Rebecca looks at Sakura’s askew expression) “---and there’s another topic I probably should have steered clear of. Look. In any case she’s an enigma. She can seemingly see the future, but she doesn’t seem capable of Minority Report-ing her ability.”
Sakura - “Huh?”
Rebecca - “She doesn’t seem to be able to see the “two side of the coin” her power could offer up and see the alternate choices the future might hold. In fact, I dare say her powers drags her along by the nose because once she sees it she’s dead certain it’ll happen even if it
doesn’t have to happen the way she sees it.”
“Doesn’t she know this? Maybe she already has made her choices and we’re just hearing the end result of those choices?” (Tomoyo)
“Maybe. But still it’s very odd.” (Rebecca looks up at the sky) “Yeah, it’s my dreams.”
Sakura - “How do you know?”
Rebecca - “I just do. Just like I know her powers creep me out. She shouldn’t have come back, yet for some reason here she is--- what’s her angle this time?”
Sakura - “She’s not a bad person, she doesn’t have an “angle”! She’s just trying to help!”
“Sakura---” (Rebecca looks at her sternly) “---we don’t know what she really wants, and her “involvement” at the end a few years ago is still a mystery to those who studied the event, forget you who allows her feelings to cloud her judgment.”
Sakura shakes her head no.
Rebecca - “You do remember when you realized how much Tomoyo meant to you though, right? You remember that.”
Sakura - “I knew--- when I was so close to losing her--- as a friend--- how much she truly meant to me.”
Tomoyo smiles, leaning her head against Sakura as she hears Sakura speak of their love.
“Well, I felt the same with Trinny when---” (stops to notice both Sakura/Tomoyo staring at her, blushing, causing her to blush in turn) “WHAT?!?” (stands up) “I gotta go! Go crash in your own---”
“WAIT!” (Sakura) “What about you--- when did you--- I- I mean-I-I---”
Blushing from ear to ear, Rebecca plops herself back down in a huff. “During our first little adventure together to free a village from under a spell of darkness. She was attached to me for sometime before that, firmly set in this belief that I was her intended love after
I--- well--- got drunk and sorta--- made all these promises that even now I don’t remember. When she took a shot meant for me I thought I’d go crazy because she--- she was always by my side, I thought she was a pest but--- she only wanted to be loved---” (silence endures after this, Rena refusing to speak anymore). “When she was raped and then vanished (absorbed by Fly) I thought I would go insane. It hurt me so much that she was gone.”
Silence reigns for a few minutes before Tomoyo speaks
“You and Sakura are so much alike.”
Both look at Tomoyo in their own way, Sakura with understanding and Rena in confusion.
“You can’t help living, feeling and loving without restraints. You wear your hearts on
your sleeves and are all out in your emotions, not accepting anything less in yourselves or others. You two are just like sisters---”
“Oh I really have to go now!!” Rebecca spits, jumping up to move off without waiting to be called back. Sakura sighs, leaning into Tomoyo as she does, “I love you.”
“I love you too--- forever---” (Tomoyo reaches a hand up to touch Sakura’s cheek)
* * * * * *
With a slight sigh, she drops out of her hiding spot and wanders off, only to find herself face to face with Rebecca. “Voyeurism seemingly suits you, doesn’t it Piccadello.”
Catherine waves Rebecca off, “I felt something in the sublayer and investigated. Is it my fault that Sakura has a very strong “vision” self that reads off like a beacon when she’s in “dream” mode?”
Rebecca grabs the Raven, “Don’t give me that self indulgent “It’s all for the job” thing! Your
still mourning over her---”
“Don’t psychoanalyze me.” (Catherine pushes past Rena in a huff) “I’m really not in the mood.”
Rebecca - “It’s still sticking in your craw, isn’t it. Even after all this time it’s still---”
“Give me a break!” (Catherine spins about, face tight and narrowed, “I don’t need to listen to you preach to me about my shortcomings! It has NOTHING to do with that! NOTHING!” (And, with that, she “vanishes” from the forest).
“So you say.”
With that Rebecca heads off to find Trinity in her dreams.
* * * * * *
Sakura woke up the next morning in Tomoyo’s loving arms, the other girl sleeping as she stirred in her grasp. For several minutes before Tomoyo woke she relished the comfort of being so lovingly cradled, then they got up (dressed) and were outside washing up. In the
backdrop, over the forest, was the mound, but as of yet Sakura had not noticed it (while the others were just becoming aware of it’s presence).
Sakura finished washing up, only to feel a towel pressed into her face, and two familiar hands slowly drying her off. “Is that OK?”
“Thanks.” (muffled abit as she spoke, smiling at how attentive Tomoyo was to her this morning) “Sorry about last night. I guess I should have warned you.”
“That’s OK---” (start laughing abit)
“What’s so funny, Sakura?”
“I sorta liked the dream we shared though. I guess it was worth it just for that.” Sakura remarked.
Tomoyo - “You were rather frisky and energetic once you got over your fears! I almost thought I had to change my panties this morning from all the orgasms we had last night!”
Sakura suddenly blushes and drops her head on Tomoyo’s shoulder.
“Oh, right. Your still shy about talking about sex in public.” (Tomoyo looks about smiling abit as the others walk around them, some obviously hearing about their “nocturnal fun”.)
* * * * * *
While the others swam, Sakura/Tomoyo soaked in the sun and relaxed. The golden sand feeling so warm against their bodies as they laid in the sun and soaked in the morning warmth before taking a swim.
“Last night was beautiful, Tomo-chan--- thank you.”
“No problem. That’s what lovers are for. Hey, look---”
Behind them they could see the mound. Suddenly it shimmered abit.
“Huh? Did anyone see that?” Sakura asked.
Tomoyo - “What’s wrong?”
“The mound just looked kinda--- odd for a second.” (she grabs Rebecca as she passes her by) “Did you see that?”
Rebecca shakes herself abit trying to dry herself, “I just got out of the water. Let me dry first---” (?) “---see what?”
After a hurried explanation, Rebecca retrieves her Seeker from her gear and comes back with it, then gives the mound a once over. “That’s odd---”
“What is?” (Tomoyo)
“Even from this distance my Seeker is sensing something. It’s telling me the shrine tried to dry start it’s ShadowCloak spell again.”
Sakura - “Is that strange?”
Rebecca - “Very strange, Sakura. The mound’s ShadowCloak is made specifically to go dormant once a month for visitors to have access to the shrine to pray and stuff, but somehow the shrine itself tried to go back into ShadowCloak. At least, that’s what my Seeker is telling me.” (blinks) “Weird. It’s as if the shrine doesn’t want to be visible right now--- I don’t know why though. After all tonight’s the big Test of Courage thing and it’s as if something in there doesn’t want anyone in it. Probably going to go through a great deal to defend itself and keep out intruders too, maybe even go so far as---”
“WAAAHHHH!!!” (Sakura)
“---and why can’t I learn to stop talking after two minutes---” Rebecca sighs irritably.
“Come with me! Tomo-chan COME WITH ME!!”
“Get a room you two!” (Keiko walks by drying herself off as she does) “One game of water tag and it gets out of hand--- can’t hear straight--- have to remove the squid from my hair--- too much water---”
Silence.
“Well---” (Rebecca) “---that was weird.” (walks off)
“Want to go back to the room? Maybe a little sex will make you heroic---” (Tomoyo smiles)
Sakura takes her hand and lets her lead her back to their empty bunkhouse, a wide smile on her lips as she shivers in anticipation of what was to come.
* * * * * *
That night
One short teleport through a platform set to link to the shrine and everyone was on the entrance platform, the stairs heading into the mound lying before them. Close up what once looked like a flying rock now resembled a proper temple, shaped perfectly to look like a hill
but obviously made by humanoids. The rock walls and floors were all smooth to the touch, and grass grew on the mound in spots but was well maintained and trimmed. Inside the stairs were well lit by spell lights.
All in all, Naoko was dying to get in. Sakura was dying to leave. Tomoyo was intrigued by the mound, while Rena was just really interested in getting the whole thing over with.
A clear case of opposites in a small confined area of people.
Rena stretched her muscles, looking up at the early night sky at the “stars” above (it would be three more hours before the rotation of the world faced them towards the Central Hub so they had a good view of the other “dream moons” which glittered like stars in the “sky”. “Knew I should have feigned illness and stood home like Nina. Me and my big un-helpful mouth.”
“AND NOW---” (‘EEK!’ Rebecca jumps at the sudden burst of noise) “---WHAT YOU’VE ALL BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO! THE TEST OF---” (Rebecca yanks the megaphone out of the teacher’s hand and aims it right back at her) “WAKE THE DEAD WHY DONTCHA!!” (in a huff she tosses the megaphone back at her and snarls) “What’s next? We’re going to traipse the class through the Hollow Vatican next week?”
“?” (Sakura)
Keiko - “Because places that have a strong tie to either heaven or hell has no place in dreams (religions here are mostly to comfort and soothe, but have no real fierce ties to either “philosophy” of heaven/hell) certain places of religious power is nothing more than hollow shells in Edenina. Hence Vatican City is pretty much an empty shell of buildings, rooms, and so forth that nobody feels comfortable stepping into.” (Keiko, as everyone turns to regard her) “Hence the name “Hollow Vatican”.”
Eve - “Rumor has it Vatican City (or to be more precise, it’s dream self) is in fact alive, well, and teeming with angels and devils that walk the halls of the Hollow Vatican using it as a sort of “neutral territory“ to thrash out differences amongst the sides. Certain large religious
areas like the “Hollow Vatican” and cities like Jerusalem are a “open door” to the opposing sides of light/dark and they tend to gather there in great numbers, so the Goddesses sealed those areas off and made them “No Dream Land” because of the fear of contamination from
either side of the religious spectrum.”
Everyone begins to nod, whisper, and talk about the stories. Naoko no doubt would have a ton of Hollow Vatican stories to tell that night--- unfortunately. ‘Wonder if the Teacher trick will work again?’ Keiko laments to herself as everyone gets their instructions about the
shrine.
Basically it goes like this.
There’s a huge shrine with many light spheres lining it’s walls surrounded by a huge reflecting pool which can be gazed into from the shrine. Over time these spheres die out and need to be replaced, hence the Test of Courage. Students must go down the stairs and into the Shrine chamber, swap a dead sphere for a live one, then say a prayer for the spirits within the shrine (any prayer will do, the shrine is multi-culturally sensitive). The students then exit back out up the stairs and put the spheres (dark) into the recharge nitches along the platform’s railing to recharge them with sunlight, and that’s that.
“ARE YOU READY?!?” (teacher)
“YEAH!!”
Rebecca grabs the megaphone again and this time doesn’t give it back. (Somehow the one with the megaphone ended up standing next to Rebecca)
Sakura wasn’t too happy with the idea already, shaking as Tomoyo held her hands tightly to try and comfort her frightened lover. Keiko was overtly bored with the idea, (she’s done this before), and Rebecca couldn’t care less (she didn’t care one way or the other).
“Alright. Remember to divide yourself into groups of 2 or 3.” (Keko was talking now) “The stairs is the only way in, or out, so don’t worry about becoming confused and taking the wrong route out. The “reflecting pool” is protected by a perpetual barrier shield so
there’s no chance of anyone drowning in the shrine. Additionally, the pool does reflect the spirits in the shrine, but it’s common knowledge that the spirits only want to come out for relatives so unless your part dragon and know someone in this shrine whose buried there it’s a safe bet nobody’s seeing any spirits no matter how hard they glare at the pool. Once you swapped your spheres and said a quick prayer, just head back up the stairs and place it in on the the recharge nitches and that’s that. Nuff said, let’s go. First group come up and get
their sphere---”
As the groups began to go in, Keiko took a brief moment to speak to Ms. Mitsuki---
“What is she saying?” Tomoyo asks, looking on as the two converse.
“I can’t hear--- too much noise.” (For a few brief seconds, the desire to know what Keiko was saying to Ms. Mitsuki (and vice versa) swallowed up Sakura’s fears. But as the groups go in one at a time, Sakura’s fears return quickly and with a vengeance). “It’s almost our turn!”
“It’s alright. You brought the cards, right? And your rings?” Sakura nods her head quickly. “They’ll keep us safe if there’s anything to fear. Trust me.”
“It’s our turn now!”
Rebecca didn’t need to turn around to know she was being glared at behind her back by Sakura, who had an expression like she was being asked to step through a wood chipper (or worst). “Oy vey.”
As the last group before Sakura’s enters, Keiko sighs and nudges Rebecca in the arm, “Think she’ll buck up and---”
“WE’RE NEXT!!!”
“Forget about it.”
“----” (sighs as Sakura/Tomoyo walk up). “Here’s your sphere. Good luck. I’ll be praying---”
“FOR US???”
“For the spirits in there. Pity the first dragon spirit that’s curious about YOU! Re---” (stops) “Oh, sure, walk away! Hey, nice walk Sakura! Too much starch in your diet?” (sighs, turning her gaze on Ms. Mitsuki now) “What?! Go stare at somebody else with your creepy eyes, you bug me!”
“Think they can do this without something going wrong?”
“What do you think, Rena?”
“----aw damn---”
Slowly the last of the students enter the stairs, and time passes.
"Want to go in?"
"Been there, done it, big deal." Keiko sighs, "I don't think there's anything that could possibly make me want to take the trip all over---" (a soft repetitive sound, like someone banging on a huge drum, could be heard) "---aw damn."
"What?"
"That means the Auto Defense system just came on--- but what---"
Before Keiko can say anymore she's already in motion, scurrying through the opening and into the stairs before the shrine's defense barrier drops into place, leaving the few remaining teachers on the platform.
"What the---?"
To Be Continued
But for Keiko Yamanaka, being one of the chaperones on this field trip was the last thing she ever wanted. It meant a return to memories of when she first came to the Grimmlands--- as she pushed her memories back into her head she watched everyone frollick and play on the
beautiful golden sand of the huge beach. In the background behind her was the camp, and a small forest. Above that forest was the reason they came here for the field trip---
“You want to play some volleyball with us?”
Keiko is brought out of her thoughts by Rika, who stands nearby looking at her waiting for a reply. “Uh--- sure. OK.” (‘Anything to get my mind off the past.’ Keiko thinks glumly to herself while keeping a smiling face as she joins the others.)
As Sakura joins them, Rena takes a look around cautiously, “Anyone see Yama the Liar?”
“Don’t jinx us.” Keiko sighs, “One less reality bending lie from him a day is all I ask out of life. Is that too much? I don‘t think so.”
“OK, then---” Sakura cheerfully broke in, “Let’s do---”
“Do you know about Beach Volley---” (at this point Keiko is already upon him like a flash holding his mouth shut) “Enough of that already!! (Can’t you say one truthful thing in your life you bastard you?!?)”
“I’m bored enough that even a reality bending lie from him sounds too good to pass.” Rebecca muttered in boredom.
“Your evil, you know that Rebecca? Evil.” (finally Keiko relents and allows him to start talking as she begins to drift back abit, looking upwards at the mountain---)
* * * * * *
Gold Town
In the 17th Century---
The Japanese trading vessel had dropped her off at the dock, making it’s drop as it did.
The island was huge, and like all of Edenina it touched into a lot of times old and yet to come. Middle Age shops and stores stood next to technology yet to be made in the waking world, while aliens from all points of call walked amongst the humans and “mythical” beings of
dreams and races no longer living in the mortal coil.
After a little searching about, Keiko met a couple of Galerians (huge reptilian beings with hyper intelligence) who lead her to a huge castle on the hill, where the ruling family once stood. There, within the now empty halls, she met a cursed princess, and---
* * * * * *
“Story’s done.”
“---?---”
Tomoyo smiled as she pointed at the game getting underway. “Story’s done.”
“Oh. Right---” (Keiko stretches abit) “---do I really want to know what he said?”
Tomoyo shook her head, “Maybe not.”
“That bad, huh?”
“Are you going to play Beach Volleyball?”
Sakura - “Ms. Mitsuki!”
At this Keiko groaned inwardly, while Rebecca shuffled her feet. “Why did she have to come along anyway?”
Ms. Kaho Mitsuki. Gifted with the paranormal ability to see into the future. Born with the paranormal ability to annoy certain members of the female species (Keiko & Rena included).
Ms. Mitsuki - “Can I play too?”
Everyone nods their heads and cries out yes.
Everyone that is, except Keiko & Rebecca who just stand there not saying much. At that she stops next to them and says “You two don’t like me much, do you.”
Both women exchange glances, then look back at her. “Gee, were we being that obvious?”
“I feel guilty already! I‘m such a bad, bad chaperone.” Keiko sighs, “(note the obvious sarcasm in that statement, folks.)”
“Yawn!” (Rebecca turns and walks off into the water) “I’m going to go drown myself. Anyone else wants to follow? It‘s painless that way.”
Keiko - “Take Yama the Liar with you. He deserves a good drowning.”
Mr. Terada - “COME ON IN!!”
Keiko - “Aw damn.”
“Too bad, free time’s over.” Ms. Mitsuki announces in a matter of fact way.
“Oh, really.” (Keiko shuffles her feet in turn as Rebecca walks back onto the shore) “No kidding.”
Ms. Mitsuki - “We’ll play later.”
Keiko - “Sure, whatever---” (everyone heads in) “---what did he say the Ancient Hawaiian’s used again to “play“ Beach Volleyball? I missed that part.”
Rebecca - “Coconuts.”
Keiko - “Oh.“ (pauses for dramatic effect) “I’m all for skipping the play part and going straight to the senseless blunt force trauma strike to Mitsuki‘s head.”
Mr. Terada - “Ladies?”
Keiko - “WE’RE COMING! WE’RE COMING!” (Keiko sighs) “I hate my life.”
Rebecca - “The way your screaming you’d think you really were com…”
“Shut up.”
* * * * * *
Meanwhile back at the Daidouji Estates (Nippon)
"And Eliza's more than my friend!” Nina argued back at her opponent down in the Holochamber, “I like to think of her more like my husband…"
"Wonder why."
Nina turns around, her face lighting up, "ELIZA!"
"Took you long enough to notice me. Now does the--- ahem--- "man" of your life need to duel for you or can you take him yourself?"
"I'm doing fine. Don't worry about me." (smiles) "NOW it's your move. (don't jump ahead until I'm done!)"
Her opponent blushes and smiles sheepishly, "Sorry. You didnt specify if it was my turn or not. Well fine. Now I play Tribute to the Doomed and discard a card from my hand to destroy your imp---"
"And once again my card is mummified and destroyed--- yeah, yeah, what else is new."
"Then I lay a continuous card, Messenger of Peace. I pay 100 LP a turn and no monster with 1500 or more attack can attack. If I decide not to pay the card is destroyed. So I lose 100 LP and its your turn.”
"Fine." Nina relents, looking at her cards.
Nina - 4600LP (Arena)
Andrew - 5250LP (Arena)
"Didn't know peace could be so dangerous for your health, Nina."
Nina - "It's not. I still have this nice little face down card, but I'm not familiar with the card he played so I'll have to ask--- what did you play, anyway? Trap or Magic---" (alarm goes off once again) “---he did it again.”
Eliza - “Kero?”
Nina - “He must have dropped the books from Sakura’s shelf onto himself again. Go take him to the store to get some new games, just keep him from killing himself why dontcha!”
Eliza - “Right. I’ll be back later.”
Nina - “Fine. So let‘s take a break while we wait for her to come back--- I‘ll call down for drinks and food from the upstairs---” (Nina sighs as Eliza leaves) “I miss her already.”
Andrew - “Keiko?”
Nina - “Hell no, nobody misses her. I meant Eliza… why the hell would I miss Keiko for.”
* * * * * *
Back on the Gold Island (Grimmlands)
Eve finds Keiko pouting off to one side beneath a tree, not even attempting to help cook.
“Don’t want to learn how to cook fish?”
“Fish isn’t one of my strong suits---” (looks up as Eve sits down next to her) “---about Cath…”
“It’s nothing.” Eve deflects sullenly, “It’s just that when we were younger I thought she was coming on to me, silly me… but I’d never do anything to betray…”
Keiko - “It’s not that. I’m not…”
Eve - “I know.”
“No! No! No! I just---” (Keiko leans back, looking over at Eve) “---why?”
“Keiko.”
Keiko - “?”
Eve - “I-I…I don’t know--- I’m sorry.”
Keiko - “Why fish? Why not a bar-b-q? Rabbits are all over the place and…”
Eve smiles, resting her head against Keiko‘s shoulder, knowing she changed the subject just to spare Eve‘s feelings. “We’re in a National Reserve, that means rabbit poaching is illegal and in the same category as… ahem… “Owl Huggers” (as you put it) that’s been after your neck for the past 100+ years for eating that rare owl… remember?”
“Yeah, I remember that one Eve.” (a thin smile etches across her face) “I also remember the song Grethel’s dad would sing everytime he thought of killing one of those disgusting flying fleabags that those fricking Owl Huggers love so much---” (suddenly Keiko starts to sing
“Disco Inferno” while making “bursting into flame” motions w/ her hands).
Eve - “Is that any way to really remember the Striped Owl?”
Keiko - “Is it extinct, Eve?”
Eve - “No.”
Keiko - “Then screw the Striped Owl. Burn, baby, burn--- disco inferno--- burn, baby, burn--- yahh!!”
Eve - “*sigh*”
* * * * * *
Rebecca sighs discontentedly as she watches Sakura keep up with her pace by pace in cutting her potatoes flawlessly. “Iron Chef Sakura--- phht.”
Trinity - “Iron Chef Japanese Vs. Iron Chef American in a fight to the---” (stops) “---sorry.”
Rebecca - “Even think of doing your William Shatner improv in front of me again at a moment like this, Trinny, and I won’t sleep with you for a month!”
Trinity - “Your glaring at Sakura too much, and the rice is done.”
“Why---” (stops) “---oh. We’re trying to avoid the glazed over fright look on Sakura. Right.” (sighs) “Never mind.” (takes rice, and grabs a handful of aromatics from Trinity‘s pouch) “I’ll take that to Sakura.” (as she heads over, a strange feeling comes over her as if Tomoyo would jump in front of Sakura if she got too close). “Here, Sakura. Your rice is done. And
here---” (palms off handful of herbs) “---Tomoyo’ll know what to do with these.”
“Thanks---” (stops Rebecca) “---I didn’t have a chance to ask you---”
“For what?”
Sakura - “About what you said when we first met.”
“Ah, forget about it Sakura.” (Rebecca stretches as she speaks) “I’ll have to get over it I suppose, as Trinity said. Nothing to get your hair up about.”
Sakura - “Do you know Ms. Mit---”
“Only abit.” (smiles as she looks over at Sakura) “She gave me a bad bit of mojo once by telling me more than I needed to hear. Unlike her, I’d rather not know what’s coming at me in the future if it’s all the same to her.” (stops) “Sakura--- would you have wanted---”
Sakura turns, listening.
Rebecca shakes her head, “Never mind. Forget it. I’m just rambling.” (sighs) “You better get that to Tomoyo so she can make the fish.”
This leaves Sakura in a confused state.
Trinity - “You confused her aga---”
Rebecca - “Thanks for the blow-by-blow reporting, Trinny. Now are you going to make our rice or---”
Trinity holds up the pot, “Done.”
“---oh--- never mind then.”
* * * * * *
Chop. Chop. Chop. Chop. Chop. Chop.
Tomoyo - “Done chopping yet?”
Sakura - “Yes.”
Tomoyo - “Alright, I need your help with the aromatics. Here, I’ll show you how to use them.”
Tomoyo’s arms snake around Sakura, her hands grasping onto Sakura’s, leading the other girl’s hands as she shows her how to prepare the fish with the herbs, wrapping it in aluminum foil before putting it down for cooking. Gently, as Sakura finishes the task, Tomoyo pulls
her arms together and squeezes her tightly, her head rested comfortably on Sakura‘s strong shoulder as she holds the smaller young woman tightly. “Your going to be a beautiful chef one day if you keep this up, Sakura.”
“Tomo-chan?”
“Hmm?”
“Would you--- I mean would you have wanted to know--- I mean, about us--- if you---I mean--I mean our futures together?”
Tomoyo - “Our futures before it happened? Would I have wanted to know?”
Sakura bites her lip nervously, “Yeah.”
For the longest time Tomoyo held her, and thought about it. Silence reigned as she waited, until finally--- “Once maybe, but not anymore.”
“Why?” Sakura asked.
Tomoyo - “It’d break my heart if you were gone from my life and there was nothing I could do about it.”
“But Tomo-chan---”
“Hush---” (Tomoyon presses her fingers onto Sakura’s lips) “---I’m just saying I wouldn’t want to know if one day I wouldn’t have you in my arms anymore--- like now. I’d rather treasure each and every day of our love, and not worry about tomorrow because--- well--- tomorrow will always be tomorrow.”
“Eh?” (confused)
Tomoyo - “It’ll always be out of our reach. We have to focus on today, Sakura-chan, and not worry about what might come, or what has yet to come. It’ll come, soon enough, but for now this is all that matters to me.” (hugs Sakura tighter)
“Tomo-chan.”
Tomoyo - “Now check the fish to make sure it’s cooking.”
Sakura - “pwweeh?”
“Come on, I’ll help---” (Tomoyo’s hands reaches out again to grasp Sakura’s, bringing a slight whimper from Sakura as she lets go) “---cook first, soft hugs in a minute---”
Sakura smiles as she focuses back on cooking again. Checking the fish---
Sakura stops, “It’s staring at me. It looks kinda sad---”
Tomoyo - “---I’ll cut it’s head off later---”
Sakura - “---whimper---”
Tomoyo sighs as she realizes she should have cut the head off before Sakura got a good look at the fish’s sad gaze. (She’ll be mourning the fish for a few hours at least.)
* * * * * *
Later that night.
“So tell me again why we’re the only two who didn’t think of getting a private accommodations?” Keiko sighs irritably as she rolls over to stare at Eve. “Sorry, Keiko--- it’s our bad luck the camping store sold out of private tents before we went on the trip?”
“Sigh.”
The night wasn’t going very well. Sakura felt completely restless and despite Tomoyo’s assurances that they’d sleep together in each other’s arms that night, she still felt uncertain about it.
Rika nearly blushed herself to death when she was praised for dinner, and kept fidgeting with her ring all night (probably the mention of her being a good wife that did it--- again).
“Is it me or is Rika dodging the whole marriage thing?” Keiko remarks in a hushed whisper.
“Maybe she got married during vacation?” Eve said innocently.
“At that age? What kind of girl gets married at that young…” (stops, looks, sighs) “Oh, right, Nadeshiko. Right. My bad.“
Of course, there’s the lights out incident to speak of.
As the lights went off, and Sakura cuddled into Tomoyo’s loving embrace to fall asleep, Tomoyo had to bring up--- “Are we having another test of courage? Like the cliff? I saw a cave---”
Sakura tensed up, “HUH?!”
“Oh, no.” Keiko responded, calming Sakura down for a second. “Not in the cave. We’re going to the nearby Dragon’s mound for the test of courage.”
Sakura - “PWEEHH?!?”
Tomoyo - “What Dragon’s Mound? I didn’t see---”
“Eve?”
Eve rolls over, drawing a circle into the floor in the middle of the grouping, chanting as she does. Seconds later a burst of smoke and a small pillar of light forms. Inside that pillar an image of a floating mound above the forests. While everyone’s attention is focused on Eve,
Tomoyo brings the CardCaptor’s head to rest against her nude breasts.
Eve - “Normally the Mound is hidden by ShadowCloak magic, but tomorrow it’ll appear for a short amount of time during it’s monthly visible cycle which lasts several days.”
“Speaking of the mound---” (Naoko) “---have you heard this story?”
Sakura begins to cry, Eve turns to look on in interest, Keiko sighs, “Fuji TV hires you to consult every Halloween for their scary specials don’t they.”
Naoko - “Actually---”
Keiko - “Never mind, never mind, forget I said anything---” (sighs) “---go on.”
(Sakura begins to cry abit more, holding Tomoyo tight as she cradles Sakura against her breasts)
Naoko - “A long, long time ago--- a student group just like us came here on a field trip just like us---”
“I think I heard this---” (everyone shushes Keiko)
Naoko - “On the first day, they swam and made fish, and had a generally fun day.”
“Then you started this story and---” (everyone shushes Keiko again)
Naoko - “On the next day they too had a test of courage---”
“Aren’t you all too old for such childish---” (again everyone shushes Keiko)
Naoko - “---at that very same Dragon Mound.”
“What kind of dragons are buried there?” (someone asked, bringing silence to the group)
Eve - “Water dragons. It‘s only perched above the forests of the island because it was grounded over the forest after the hurricane of ‘27.” (everyone turns to Keiko and looks, to which she only shrugs) “She’s right. Go on.”
“I did quite abit of checking on it.” Eve remarks as she points at the image, “According to records, a shrine like this has one long stairway that leads from the platform top to the center shrine.”
“That leads to the Central Prayer Chamber, surrounded by a reflecting pool where one can speak to the spirits of the dragons entombed in the mound. The shrine itself is very complex and huge. The stairs is the dragon culture representation of the path to the next “life” past the Dreaming. One must walk the bridge to get to the shrine. The test of courage is to rotate a light sphere on the shrine and say a prayer.”
Sakura looked like she was going to explode from the fear if Tomoyo wasn’t holding her.
Naoko - “The students paired off and each traveled the stairs to the shrine, carrying their sphere of light. The stairs is very long, representing a long journey to the next “world”. But, eventually, it was clear none of the students were coming back up the stairs. Not one---”
“Uh-huh.” (Keiko already felt Sakura’s hypertension)
Naoko - “No matter how long the stairs to the shrine was, or how beautiful the shrine, this was too strange a thing to be happening. So the teachers and remaining students went looking for them--- and they were nowhere to be found.”
If Sakura grew anymore pale, she’d have found work on CSI-Tokyo as one of the corpses.
“So what happened next? A tormented water dragon spirit ate them all?”
(Sakura shrieks in a soft voice causing Eve to give Keiko a stern glance) “Sorry.”
Naoko - “The truth is--- in that shrine---”
“TEACHER!!” Keiko hurriedly whispers, motioning outside. Quickly everyone falls silent.
“I thought you put sound dampeners---” Eve begins to whisper, “---I did, but she doesn’t need to know that nobody outside can hear us. At least it killed that story pretty fast---”
A few seconds later Eve gives the all clear.
By now Tomoyo noticed Sakura’s horrid disposition, and begs off the rest of the story so they could go to “sleep”.
Naoko - “I’ll finish the story tomorrow.”
Keiko sighs. “Wonderful.” (looks over at Sakura) “Now she’ll never fall asleep.” (with a tired grunt, Keiko rolls over, whacks Sakura with 10cc of sleepy drugs, and rolls back towards Eve as Sakura falls into Tomoyo, consciousness slipping fast but her mind screaming to be awake. Her fears gripping her).
* * * * * *
“Sakura? SAKURA!!”
Tomoyo’s arms wraps around Sakura, her voice straining as she screams.
“It’s alright! It’s alright--- don’t scream--- I’m here---”
As Sakura looks into Tomoyo’s face she notices the room was gone.
In it’s place they were sitting on a grassy hill overlooking the forest of the island, and the ocean beyond said forest. In the background, the mound was floating as they saw it in Eve’s hologram.
Tomoyo - “We’re dreaming, Sakura, we’re dreaming--- don’t be afraid---”
Sakura - “I’m too scared. I shouldn’t be asleep! I‘m scared!”
Tomoyo - “I think it’s safe to say Keiko drugged you. She warned me she might do that if you were about to start wandering around in the dark because you couldn’t sleep.”
Sakura - “I don’t want to sleep. I’m too scared!”
“I’m here--- please don’t be scared---” (Tomoyo holds her tight) “---there’s nothing to be---”
“HEY!”
“ACCKK!!!” (Sakura nearly jumps out of her night clothes, spinning about as she does) “REBECCA?”
“DON’T DO THAT!!” (sighs) “What are you doing in my dreams anyway you two?”
“Your in my dreams! And you scared me!” Sakura countered.
“You scared ME!! And we’re in my dreams!” Rebecca countered in turn.
“I think your both in my dreams.” Tomoyo points out.
Rebecca frowned, “Whatever--- you really didn’t have to scare me like that though sheesh.”
Eventually the topic shifts from who’s dreams they were in to---
Sakura - “Why are you in my dreams?”
Rebecca - “It’s my dreams, Sakura, and you tell me first--- or did Keiko really go through with it and hit you up with sleepy time juice?”
“W-well---”
“She did.” Tomoyo finishes, cuddling Sakura as she spoke. “Why are you---”
Rebecca - “My Dream Familyar felt something and came to tell me about it, so here I am.”
Sakura - “A CLOW CARD?!?”
“----” (Rebecca looks about slightly miffed) “---well I don’t see the dead rising just yet so please be sure to SCREAM a little louder next time! (I still have the ability to hear).” (avoids Sakura’s hurt expression, and Tomoyo’s understanding gaze) “My Familyar didn’t know.”
Sakura - “M-m-may-maybe it’s a gh-- gh--?”
Tomoyo - “Ghost? Dragon ghost?”
Sakura - “Don’t say that!!”
Rebecca - “Then why bring it up.”
“Rena!”
“Sigh.” (Rebecca lays back on the “grass” of the hill and sighs) “How should I know? You’re the Card Captor, you tell me. All I know is that the feeling is coming from the mound.”
“How old is the mound?” (Tomoyo)
“Thousands of years old. It used to be a submerged shrine but it was destroyed in the 7th Century (Waking world timeology) by some sort of undersea “event”. It was replaced with an airborne shrine that’s been in place ever since.” (sighs) “Seems the minerals in the anti-grav
rocks that floats the shrine acts as a powerful conduit for psychic energy and amplifies spirit activity in the shrine---”
“PHWEEEE!!” (Sakura shivers and sweat drops coldly in Tomoyo’s loving grasp)
“---and I probably shouldn’t have said that---” (sighs again)
Sakura - “Let’s talk about something else! Ok? Ok?”
Rebecca tried to talk again, “It’s a benevolent shrine of peaceful spirits and---”
Sakura - “Ok??”
“Ok. Ok. Whatever---” (Rebecca changes the subject) “---I was debating before I
fell asleep whether to ask the walking 8-ball if she knew what was going to happen tomorrow or not but I couldn‘t resolve my feelings before sleep.”
Tomoyo - “Ms. Mitsuki?”
“Any other creepy future seeing former math teachers on this field trip?”
“But---” (Sakura fidgets) “---she used to make me feel all floaty---”
“Then you discovered Tomoyo and after sex you never stopped float---” (Rebecca looks at Sakura’s askew expression) “---and there’s another topic I probably should have steered clear of. Look. In any case she’s an enigma. She can seemingly see the future, but she doesn’t seem capable of Minority Report-ing her ability.”
Sakura - “Huh?”
Rebecca - “She doesn’t seem to be able to see the “two side of the coin” her power could offer up and see the alternate choices the future might hold. In fact, I dare say her powers drags her along by the nose because once she sees it she’s dead certain it’ll happen even if it
doesn’t have to happen the way she sees it.”
“Doesn’t she know this? Maybe she already has made her choices and we’re just hearing the end result of those choices?” (Tomoyo)
“Maybe. But still it’s very odd.” (Rebecca looks up at the sky) “Yeah, it’s my dreams.”
Sakura - “How do you know?”
Rebecca - “I just do. Just like I know her powers creep me out. She shouldn’t have come back, yet for some reason here she is--- what’s her angle this time?”
Sakura - “She’s not a bad person, she doesn’t have an “angle”! She’s just trying to help!”
“Sakura---” (Rebecca looks at her sternly) “---we don’t know what she really wants, and her “involvement” at the end a few years ago is still a mystery to those who studied the event, forget you who allows her feelings to cloud her judgment.”
Sakura shakes her head no.
Rebecca - “You do remember when you realized how much Tomoyo meant to you though, right? You remember that.”
Sakura - “I knew--- when I was so close to losing her--- as a friend--- how much she truly meant to me.”
Tomoyo smiles, leaning her head against Sakura as she hears Sakura speak of their love.
“Well, I felt the same with Trinny when---” (stops to notice both Sakura/Tomoyo staring at her, blushing, causing her to blush in turn) “WHAT?!?” (stands up) “I gotta go! Go crash in your own---”
“WAIT!” (Sakura) “What about you--- when did you--- I- I mean-I-I---”
Blushing from ear to ear, Rebecca plops herself back down in a huff. “During our first little adventure together to free a village from under a spell of darkness. She was attached to me for sometime before that, firmly set in this belief that I was her intended love after
I--- well--- got drunk and sorta--- made all these promises that even now I don’t remember. When she took a shot meant for me I thought I’d go crazy because she--- she was always by my side, I thought she was a pest but--- she only wanted to be loved---” (silence endures after this, Rena refusing to speak anymore). “When she was raped and then vanished (absorbed by Fly) I thought I would go insane. It hurt me so much that she was gone.”
Silence reigns for a few minutes before Tomoyo speaks
“You and Sakura are so much alike.”
Both look at Tomoyo in their own way, Sakura with understanding and Rena in confusion.
“You can’t help living, feeling and loving without restraints. You wear your hearts on
your sleeves and are all out in your emotions, not accepting anything less in yourselves or others. You two are just like sisters---”
“Oh I really have to go now!!” Rebecca spits, jumping up to move off without waiting to be called back. Sakura sighs, leaning into Tomoyo as she does, “I love you.”
“I love you too--- forever---” (Tomoyo reaches a hand up to touch Sakura’s cheek)
* * * * * *
With a slight sigh, she drops out of her hiding spot and wanders off, only to find herself face to face with Rebecca. “Voyeurism seemingly suits you, doesn’t it Piccadello.”
Catherine waves Rebecca off, “I felt something in the sublayer and investigated. Is it my fault that Sakura has a very strong “vision” self that reads off like a beacon when she’s in “dream” mode?”
Rebecca grabs the Raven, “Don’t give me that self indulgent “It’s all for the job” thing! Your
still mourning over her---”
“Don’t psychoanalyze me.” (Catherine pushes past Rena in a huff) “I’m really not in the mood.”
Rebecca - “It’s still sticking in your craw, isn’t it. Even after all this time it’s still---”
“Give me a break!” (Catherine spins about, face tight and narrowed, “I don’t need to listen to you preach to me about my shortcomings! It has NOTHING to do with that! NOTHING!” (And, with that, she “vanishes” from the forest).
“So you say.”
With that Rebecca heads off to find Trinity in her dreams.
* * * * * *
Sakura woke up the next morning in Tomoyo’s loving arms, the other girl sleeping as she stirred in her grasp. For several minutes before Tomoyo woke she relished the comfort of being so lovingly cradled, then they got up (dressed) and were outside washing up. In the
backdrop, over the forest, was the mound, but as of yet Sakura had not noticed it (while the others were just becoming aware of it’s presence).
Sakura finished washing up, only to feel a towel pressed into her face, and two familiar hands slowly drying her off. “Is that OK?”
“Thanks.” (muffled abit as she spoke, smiling at how attentive Tomoyo was to her this morning) “Sorry about last night. I guess I should have warned you.”
“That’s OK---” (start laughing abit)
“What’s so funny, Sakura?”
“I sorta liked the dream we shared though. I guess it was worth it just for that.” Sakura remarked.
Tomoyo - “You were rather frisky and energetic once you got over your fears! I almost thought I had to change my panties this morning from all the orgasms we had last night!”
Sakura suddenly blushes and drops her head on Tomoyo’s shoulder.
“Oh, right. Your still shy about talking about sex in public.” (Tomoyo looks about smiling abit as the others walk around them, some obviously hearing about their “nocturnal fun”.)
* * * * * *
While the others swam, Sakura/Tomoyo soaked in the sun and relaxed. The golden sand feeling so warm against their bodies as they laid in the sun and soaked in the morning warmth before taking a swim.
“Last night was beautiful, Tomo-chan--- thank you.”
“No problem. That’s what lovers are for. Hey, look---”
Behind them they could see the mound. Suddenly it shimmered abit.
“Huh? Did anyone see that?” Sakura asked.
Tomoyo - “What’s wrong?”
“The mound just looked kinda--- odd for a second.” (she grabs Rebecca as she passes her by) “Did you see that?”
Rebecca shakes herself abit trying to dry herself, “I just got out of the water. Let me dry first---” (?) “---see what?”
After a hurried explanation, Rebecca retrieves her Seeker from her gear and comes back with it, then gives the mound a once over. “That’s odd---”
“What is?” (Tomoyo)
“Even from this distance my Seeker is sensing something. It’s telling me the shrine tried to dry start it’s ShadowCloak spell again.”
Sakura - “Is that strange?”
Rebecca - “Very strange, Sakura. The mound’s ShadowCloak is made specifically to go dormant once a month for visitors to have access to the shrine to pray and stuff, but somehow the shrine itself tried to go back into ShadowCloak. At least, that’s what my Seeker is telling me.” (blinks) “Weird. It’s as if the shrine doesn’t want to be visible right now--- I don’t know why though. After all tonight’s the big Test of Courage thing and it’s as if something in there doesn’t want anyone in it. Probably going to go through a great deal to defend itself and keep out intruders too, maybe even go so far as---”
“WAAAHHHH!!!” (Sakura)
“---and why can’t I learn to stop talking after two minutes---” Rebecca sighs irritably.
“Come with me! Tomo-chan COME WITH ME!!”
“Get a room you two!” (Keiko walks by drying herself off as she does) “One game of water tag and it gets out of hand--- can’t hear straight--- have to remove the squid from my hair--- too much water---”
Silence.
“Well---” (Rebecca) “---that was weird.” (walks off)
“Want to go back to the room? Maybe a little sex will make you heroic---” (Tomoyo smiles)
Sakura takes her hand and lets her lead her back to their empty bunkhouse, a wide smile on her lips as she shivers in anticipation of what was to come.
* * * * * *
That night
One short teleport through a platform set to link to the shrine and everyone was on the entrance platform, the stairs heading into the mound lying before them. Close up what once looked like a flying rock now resembled a proper temple, shaped perfectly to look like a hill
but obviously made by humanoids. The rock walls and floors were all smooth to the touch, and grass grew on the mound in spots but was well maintained and trimmed. Inside the stairs were well lit by spell lights.
All in all, Naoko was dying to get in. Sakura was dying to leave. Tomoyo was intrigued by the mound, while Rena was just really interested in getting the whole thing over with.
A clear case of opposites in a small confined area of people.
Rena stretched her muscles, looking up at the early night sky at the “stars” above (it would be three more hours before the rotation of the world faced them towards the Central Hub so they had a good view of the other “dream moons” which glittered like stars in the “sky”. “Knew I should have feigned illness and stood home like Nina. Me and my big un-helpful mouth.”
“AND NOW---” (‘EEK!’ Rebecca jumps at the sudden burst of noise) “---WHAT YOU’VE ALL BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO! THE TEST OF---” (Rebecca yanks the megaphone out of the teacher’s hand and aims it right back at her) “WAKE THE DEAD WHY DONTCHA!!” (in a huff she tosses the megaphone back at her and snarls) “What’s next? We’re going to traipse the class through the Hollow Vatican next week?”
“?” (Sakura)
Keiko - “Because places that have a strong tie to either heaven or hell has no place in dreams (religions here are mostly to comfort and soothe, but have no real fierce ties to either “philosophy” of heaven/hell) certain places of religious power is nothing more than hollow shells in Edenina. Hence Vatican City is pretty much an empty shell of buildings, rooms, and so forth that nobody feels comfortable stepping into.” (Keiko, as everyone turns to regard her) “Hence the name “Hollow Vatican”.”
Eve - “Rumor has it Vatican City (or to be more precise, it’s dream self) is in fact alive, well, and teeming with angels and devils that walk the halls of the Hollow Vatican using it as a sort of “neutral territory“ to thrash out differences amongst the sides. Certain large religious
areas like the “Hollow Vatican” and cities like Jerusalem are a “open door” to the opposing sides of light/dark and they tend to gather there in great numbers, so the Goddesses sealed those areas off and made them “No Dream Land” because of the fear of contamination from
either side of the religious spectrum.”
Everyone begins to nod, whisper, and talk about the stories. Naoko no doubt would have a ton of Hollow Vatican stories to tell that night--- unfortunately. ‘Wonder if the Teacher trick will work again?’ Keiko laments to herself as everyone gets their instructions about the
shrine.
Basically it goes like this.
There’s a huge shrine with many light spheres lining it’s walls surrounded by a huge reflecting pool which can be gazed into from the shrine. Over time these spheres die out and need to be replaced, hence the Test of Courage. Students must go down the stairs and into the Shrine chamber, swap a dead sphere for a live one, then say a prayer for the spirits within the shrine (any prayer will do, the shrine is multi-culturally sensitive). The students then exit back out up the stairs and put the spheres (dark) into the recharge nitches along the platform’s railing to recharge them with sunlight, and that’s that.
“ARE YOU READY?!?” (teacher)
“YEAH!!”
Rebecca grabs the megaphone again and this time doesn’t give it back. (Somehow the one with the megaphone ended up standing next to Rebecca)
Sakura wasn’t too happy with the idea already, shaking as Tomoyo held her hands tightly to try and comfort her frightened lover. Keiko was overtly bored with the idea, (she’s done this before), and Rebecca couldn’t care less (she didn’t care one way or the other).
“Alright. Remember to divide yourself into groups of 2 or 3.” (Keko was talking now) “The stairs is the only way in, or out, so don’t worry about becoming confused and taking the wrong route out. The “reflecting pool” is protected by a perpetual barrier shield so
there’s no chance of anyone drowning in the shrine. Additionally, the pool does reflect the spirits in the shrine, but it’s common knowledge that the spirits only want to come out for relatives so unless your part dragon and know someone in this shrine whose buried there it’s a safe bet nobody’s seeing any spirits no matter how hard they glare at the pool. Once you swapped your spheres and said a quick prayer, just head back up the stairs and place it in on the the recharge nitches and that’s that. Nuff said, let’s go. First group come up and get
their sphere---”
As the groups began to go in, Keiko took a brief moment to speak to Ms. Mitsuki---
“What is she saying?” Tomoyo asks, looking on as the two converse.
“I can’t hear--- too much noise.” (For a few brief seconds, the desire to know what Keiko was saying to Ms. Mitsuki (and vice versa) swallowed up Sakura’s fears. But as the groups go in one at a time, Sakura’s fears return quickly and with a vengeance). “It’s almost our turn!”
“It’s alright. You brought the cards, right? And your rings?” Sakura nods her head quickly. “They’ll keep us safe if there’s anything to fear. Trust me.”
“It’s our turn now!”
Rebecca didn’t need to turn around to know she was being glared at behind her back by Sakura, who had an expression like she was being asked to step through a wood chipper (or worst). “Oy vey.”
As the last group before Sakura’s enters, Keiko sighs and nudges Rebecca in the arm, “Think she’ll buck up and---”
“WE’RE NEXT!!!”
“Forget about it.”
“----” (sighs as Sakura/Tomoyo walk up). “Here’s your sphere. Good luck. I’ll be praying---”
“FOR US???”
“For the spirits in there. Pity the first dragon spirit that’s curious about YOU! Re---” (stops) “Oh, sure, walk away! Hey, nice walk Sakura! Too much starch in your diet?” (sighs, turning her gaze on Ms. Mitsuki now) “What?! Go stare at somebody else with your creepy eyes, you bug me!”
“Think they can do this without something going wrong?”
“What do you think, Rena?”
“----aw damn---”
Slowly the last of the students enter the stairs, and time passes.
"Want to go in?"
"Been there, done it, big deal." Keiko sighs, "I don't think there's anything that could possibly make me want to take the trip all over---" (a soft repetitive sound, like someone banging on a huge drum, could be heard) "---aw damn."
"What?"
"That means the Auto Defense system just came on--- but what---"
Before Keiko can say anymore she's already in motion, scurrying through the opening and into the stairs before the shrine's defense barrier drops into place, leaving the few remaining teachers on the platform.
"What the---?"
To Be Continued
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Thing are finally back to normal
Looks like I'm slowly catching up again and getting back on schedule.
We should be back to normal next week, sorry for the confusion. Take care and good day.
We should be back to normal next week, sorry for the confusion. Take care and good day.
Azkaban 10
Azkaban Episode 10
It was coming to the point that Alicia was practically living out of the hospital ward. This time it would only be for the weekend, yes, but still it was another stay in a long string of stays she has already endured in the hospital wing. Snape, near nightfall, brought her a toolkit from the women’s dorm in Gryffindor (he did not elaborate as to how he came by it though). Inside was a set of old crafting and forging tools, something she taken from the body of an Assassin Guilder who tried to put a bullet through her skull last year (and failed). The bullet, forged from the broken remains of Oliver Wood’s broom (shattered during the rogue bludger incident) gave her an idea. At night, while Potter slept (with the “help” of a sleeping draught “accidentially” left by Snape in her care) she forged the remains of her old Nimbus 2001 into long range “SpellAirius” spell breaker ammo, loading them into the “bottomless” clip of an old Glock she had from the old times (the spell scrawling on it maintaining it’s indestrucible status glowing red in the magic rich environment of Hogwarts).
She knew she was being a tad paranoid, turning her old broom into ammo, but it kept her hands busy and idle hands were only going to get her into masturbating (and thinking about Hermione) if she wasn’t careful. She didn’t share the same sentiment about it as Harry did his broom, which did seem to bother him abit but not to the point of confronting her about the way she handled her broom’s remains. “Next he’d probably expect me to give it a proper burial and last rites.” she muttered as she turned over another handful of SpellAirius shells for the gun.
She could only work at night, though, since the daytime was occupied by a constant stream of visitors and a wide awake Harry. All of these visitors had two objectives in mind : one was to cheer Harry up, the other to cheer Alicia up (one way or another).
Hagrid sent both of them a bunch of earwiggy flowers that looked like yellow cabbages, (“Not yellow cabbages.” Alicia noted with disdain, half a flower sticking out of her mouth “Maybe I need to flour, panko and fry these to make them taste better… roll in a hotdog or some other meat while I‘m at it… use a beer batter… be half drunk when I eat the next flower… something.”).
Ginny Weasley, bright red from her excessive girlhood crush on Harry blushing, turned up with a get well card she had made herself which sang shrilly… but before Harry could stick it under a fruit bowl to silence it Alicia took it straight away and (for once) used her wand to change it. One tap and the words “Accentuate, deliverate, pronounciate, sing” made the card sing well. She put the card next to Harry and said “Young ladies grow up into beautiful women, and beautiful women sing the most lovely songs.”
(She then smacked Harry on the head and said “ingrate” before lying down again).
Gryffindor team visited on Sunday morning, this time bringing the now mostly recovered Oliver Wood with them (who did more than hide in the shadows of the doorway delivering product information on Nimbus brooms). Wood, speaking in a rather hollow dead voice, said he didn’t blame Harry in the slightest. “Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence there.” Alicia muttered, catching a shellshocked sad look from Wood as he turned realizing she was listening. “Shake it off. I’m just kidding you.”
Ron and Hermione only left the duos bedsides at night, which again made it near impossible to forge the SpellAirius ammo in anything but nighttime conditions. Harry, for the most part, was walking wounded as nothing anyone could say could shake him out of his suckitude that he was in. Alicia gritted her teeth everytime she thought of him, and wondered just what happened to him with the Dementors to make him such a basketcase now all of a sudden. It didn’t matter to her, though, since she had her own troubles.
Blitzkrieg was upping his attacks. Once content to sit quietly for an opportunity it was now cranking out more and more drones at a steadily increasing pace. Soon attacks may become almost daily occurances as he becomes embolden by repeated progress in his attacks (this attack landing Alicia once again back in the infirmary). Then there was the matter of Black and his obsession with Potter, though she felt Black would most likely stick to that fascination and not include her in his plans… yet.
Finally there was the Dementors, who were steadily becoming harder and harder to control. After the incident on the field they had snapped back into full obedience mode, but once their “hunger” returned it would be only a matter of time before they became uncontrollable again. She had already contacted Azkaban about rotating the Dementors on a more frequent basis, pulling the most “weakened” back to replenish before sending full “controllable” ones out again, but according to them they were doing the best they could under the circumstance to rotate them as often as possible… not good enough, but there was a hint that there would be more attempts to keep the rotations going at a quicker pace to keep this from happening again.
All in all this was setting up to be one entirely lousy year.
Which could only get worst once she went back to schoollife and her first day back at Lupin’s class (with Lupin).
* * * * * *
Returning to the main hustle and bustle of schoolife was a relief to Potter, but not so for Alicia as she knew she’d have to face Lupin later that day after her “coup” of the class with Snape days earlier. Malfoy, however, was at least easier to handle than Lupin in her opinion. She got out early that morning and used that time to make an appearance to Malfoy in front of the painting to Slytherin (guarded by a rather nasty looking image of a “gentleman” who seemed as nasty as the students he was “guarding”). As he walked up to her, insult in mouth, she simply held up a little brown envelope and said “The most amazing things some can find in people’s heads when they’re at the controls.”
Malfoy, at first dumbstruck, turned red quickly as he snapped the envelope away and looked at it with first anger then resentment. “Keep those if you wish, I’ll just make more.” she said as she turned, walking away without another word.
After that Malfoy took off the bandages and contented himself with occasionally tormenting Potter, but steered clear of Alicia from that point forward.
“One less git in my life.” she muttered, working her potion with the usual flair as she tried not to make this one explode like one from five weeks earlier.
It didn’t take much to silence him, in fact it almost hurt her to do it.
Before she went to see Malfoy she stopped, and opened the envelope to glance at the photos. “Is there any real affection in this, or is it just the acts of disturbing individuals.”
“To attribute affection to one like Malfoy seemingly would take an act of the almighty, and yet I can assure you…” (tapping moving image of Malfoy and his mother making love) “…this is nothing but pure affection and love. I dare say if father snearest was out of the way she’d so bond with him as only a wife could… Oh, and don’t get that sick in the face look because she’s technically NOT his mother… kinda…”
“Say what…” Alicia muttered, “Is she mommy or not?”
Jack shrugged as he allowed his holoimage to fade away from behind her, “Kinda.”
She decided to leave it at that and not try to figure out the mating habits of evil people.
* * * * * *
“If Snape’s teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts again, I’m skiving off.” Ron said as they headed towards Lupin’s classroom after lunch. He motioned towards Alicia and said “You’re pals with him, why don’t you stick your head in since he won’t snap it off or anything.”
Alicia groaned, but did just that as she peeked into the classroom. “Oh bother.”
“What?!” Ron hissed, “Is it…”
“Lupin.” Alicia noted, opening the door wide to show it was indeed Lupin in the class. Ron cuffed Alicia as he passed, mumbling “Don’t do that!” as he did. Professor Lupin, as she knew it had to be, was back to work. It certainly did look, however, as though he had been ill. His old robes were hanging even more loosely on him than before, and there were dark shadows beneath his eyes. Nevertheless, he smiled that same disturbingly chipper smile as the class filed in and took their seats. This quiet was short lived as the class immediately set to voicing their objection to Snape’s class the moment they sat down.
“It’s not fair, he was only filling in, why should he give us homework?”
“We don’t know anything about werewolves…”
(‘Still?!?’ Alicia thought to herself, wondering why they even bothered talking about it if all that valuable information slipped right out of their brains over the weekend).
“…two rolls of parchment!”
Lupin, frowning slightly, asked the obvious question. “Did you tell Professor Snape we haven’t covered werewolves yet?”
The wave of babble broke over the “wall” once again, like a tsunami wave.
“Yes, but he said we were really behind…”
(‘And being a bunch of behinds.’ Alicia thought.)
“--- he wouldn’t listen ---”
“--- two rolls of parchment!”
Professor Lupin absorbed all the complaints even handedly, and smiled at the looks of indignation from all the complaining students. “Don’t worry. I’ll speak to Professor Snape. You don’t have to do the essay.”
“Oh, no!” Hermione choked out, “I already finished it!”
The rest of the class interested everyone except Alicia, who tried to block it out of her mind… especially at the point where the hinkypunk tried to balance it’s light while bouncing on a basketball that somehow ended up in it’s possession in front of Alicia.
“I hate my life.” she muttered absently as it fell over, the ball flying ghostly through the enclosed glass box and knocking Neville over.
* * * * * *
“How’s the “work” going?” Snape asked quietly, drawing Alicia into the quiet teacher’s staffroom.
“Done.” she noted, pulling the old Glock out of a hidden tesseract pouch in her robes (recently added in a previous “stay” in the infirmary). “Got enough ammo to last the rest of my stay here I dare say.” (clicks the gun once, checks her sights, then locks it back into safety mode and puts it away again) “The Dementors sway back and forth from obedient to out of control the longer they’re not fed. If only the Azkaban people would rotate them more this wouldn’t happen…” (sighs) “…how angry was Dumbledore that day?”
“I can’t ever say I saw Dumbledore as angry as he was that day.” Snape remarked coldly, “The Dementors apparently weren’t the only ones who were past due for an outburst.”
“So I see…” Alicia muttered, her hand involntarily reaching up to touch her arm that had been damaged time and time again recently, “…Dementors.”
Just then inspiration hit. She quickly dived into another pocket and fished out a few tesseract gems, going through each one (holding it up to the light to check it’s “content” before emptying one of a small pocket book, holding up said book to show Snape). “Let’s ask the Book of Knowledge about it.”
“The book of what?” Snape asked, expression changing from cold to curious as he followed Alicia to the chairs. Quickly she sat, plopped the book on the table, and said in a clear voice “I need a reference check on Dementors as they relate to this present reality that we are in.”
Silence. The book did not move. For the longest time it sat there, and Alicia (dumbfounded) muttered “Maybe it’s broken.” before the book snapped open, flipped page onto page until it came to an entry entitled “The Tormented, a Dimensional Crossreference” and began to “read” in Alicia’s own voice.
“Dementors are a misgiven slang to refer to halflife human souls known as The Tormented. The Tormented as humans who are neither alive nor dead fully, stuck between realities in a half life. Often humans of a low class status these tormented souls hide in the dark filthy places that they dwelled in life, craving only to absorb the happiness and love from the living they were denied in life. Normal humans (aka “Muggles” in realm talk) are not affected nor hunted by Tormented for they remember in shards being “Muggles” once themselves, they prefer to target the “mystical” community as they see them as an “elitist” species that caused their suffering in life (be this fact or dementia caused by transition into Tormented form is not yet clear at the time of this reading).
Though they will not affect “Muggles”, they can sense the presence of the Tormented, in essence still having an ethereal connection to their “fellow” man even if they did not share that “connection” with them in life. If a Tormented feeds on a humanoid long enough said being will be dragged into a living hellish state similar to the Tormented themselves, hollow of bright feeling yet craving said feeling from others to the point of becoming violent towards said individuals exhibiting traits they yearn for (happiness, love, etc).
Cross Refernce “Dementor’s Kiss” for more info.
Snape made a sudden motion with his arm shutting the book as it wrapped up. “That is abit to absorb.”
“You don’t say.” she muttered, snapping the book up and putting it away. “I wonder if Dumbledore would feel the same about these so-called “Dementors” if he knew the truth?”
Snape - “Hard to say.”
Alicia reaches out to take the book, but stops. Instead she draws it closer to her and says “I need a reference check on a place called Azkaban, located in this present reality.”
Quicker, the book flipped open and fluttered for abit before settling down, on the page was the words “Azkaban the Water Prison”
“The Fortress Prison Azkaban is located on an artifically created island in an undisclosed location. The island is in a constant state of dimensional flux, dimensionally slipping from location to location at the rising of the sun. This keeps it’s present location a secret though a few entities have been able to locate the prison without the aid of the Ministry of Magic’s Shards of Suffering (mystical devices made solely for the purposes of tracking the last remaining Fortress Prison in exsistence).
Prisoners are locked away in this antiseptic environment and watched over by the Tormented (Dementors) who serve the dual purpose of keeping the populace docile while inflicting torturous conditions upon them metting out “justice” onto the wicked.
WARNING! Azkaban Prison is presently under a review by the Goddess Council for gross breeches of humanoid rights violations. The Prison’s case is presently being supervised by The Goddess of Sorrow, who is expected to turn in her report on the prison in two year cycles once a complete 10 year cycle evaluation is done to insure all data and info have been processed and gathered.
Originally one of a quartet of prisons, it is the only one in active use.
Would you like to cross reference the fates of the other three prisons?”
The two exchanged glances warily, “I didn’t know there were three other prisons.” Snape said cautiously. “May I?”
Alicia motioned towards the book, “The book holds no restrictions on who accesses it’s information.”
In a clear tone, Snape says “Cross reference the three other prisons, their purpose and the reasons behind their closure.”
“Crossreferencing…”
The pages suddenly fluttered to life, shifting to another entry.
“Cross Reference to Schadazaar, the Fire Prison.”
“Originally erected as a prison for dark wizards of the Middle East and Asia, the prison became infamous for it’s mistreatment of women prisoners (magical and non) in both violent and sexual means. The prison was thus destroyed by the Winterian Alliance in 1350 in a multi-lateral magical community/non-magical community assault which brought forth prison time in the recently built Azkaban Prison for the warden and jailers of the Schadazaar Prison (those who were not killed outright by the Winterians or deported transdimensionally to Winterian PrisonStars. (See Winteria, Culture of Women for more information)).”
The pages flipped again, a new entry coming to light.
“Cross Reference to Drumstragg, the Dark Winds Prison”
“Originally erected as a prison for BloodWizards, the followers of a dark cult that worshipped the serpent god Set (crossreference Ancient God Deities, Set and the Blood Wizards of Set) the prison fell out of use when the cult of Set fell out of favor and became a dead religion. Presently used as a school for dark wizards, the school’s dark heritage is not completely known or understood by it’s staff though a few may still be carrying on the practices of the BloodWizards to this day (if only in symbolic mannerism).”
One more time the pages flipped again, a new entry coming to light.
“Cross Reference to Hades, the Underworld Prison”
Originally erected as a prison for Distruptors, wizards who openly broke the Seperation Act Between Muggles and Magicals, the prison was the setting of a prison riot called the Human Riot where the imprisoned fought to overthrow their wardens in an attempt to, in the words of the riot leader “win back their humanity” only to be killed in the uprising. Sickened by the sad brutal events of the horrible uprising the prison was exposed to the light of day, and the underground cavern flooded with water turning it into a lake. Presently it is a dwelling of merpeople and located near the present location of…”
“Hogwarts.“ Snape snapped the book closed. “That explains the more than usual excess of ghosts that surround the area. This used to be a prison area.”
“And if you think that’s something…” Alicia says as she retrieves the book, “Imagine what you’ll learn tomorrow. Speaking of which…” (motioning to Snape) “…I know why you called me in here. You want to check on the little “gift” we’re storing down below. So if you’ll follow me we’ll get to it.”
* * * * * *
November rolled on, and the first good news in terms of Quidditch began to roll in.
Ravenclaw annihilated Hufflepuff in their Quidditch match at the end of November, once again opening the door for Gryffindor to possibly take the Quidditch Cup for the year. Everyone’s mood lifted when they saw the gleam of chance to win the cup, and Wood quickly took that as a sign to work the team harder in practice to get their game just right for their eventual match against Ravenclaw. After all this was a chance, but it was also a last chance as failure this time would be a permament failure and no third chance would rise again. This maniac pace of training rolled out of November and right into December, this time Dementor free as they kept their distance after Dumbledore’s rage against them.
Two weeks before the end of term the sky began to lighten, and the weather started to turn around. Inside most of the castle there was an air of Christmas, most of the castle except the Chamber of Secrets which had been reopened and reconfigured for use. Compliments of Lazarus a huge complex of machines and magic synched technology was set into the Chamber, the remains of the Bassilisk removed from the water source and replaced with a water to energy conversion fusion generator to power the machines. The focus of attention in the room was the decapitated head of the Galerian assassin guilder, many wires and attachments sticking out of it as the machiens labored day and night to hack it’s internal core memory and dig out as much useable information from it as possible.
As expected this was slow going, especially since this was only a secondary lift since the prime core was in the guts of the Galerian drone (destroyed in the explosion). But still, any information no matter how small was better than nothing. Alicia would drop in a few days a week to check on progress, waiting for the download to finish… but it was slow, and days passed with no progress.
As if to further depress her, students began to happily discuss their plans for the holidays. Since she really had no home except for Hogwarts she had no plans for the holidays. She would only travel back to Diagon Alley on the first day of holiday to go christmas shopping, as well as to buy a replacement broom, and then return to spend the rest of her holiday at Hogwarts. One bright spot of this plan was Ron and Hermione, both of whom had said they were going to stay at Hogwarts for the holidays. They had their reasons, sure, but she knew they were only staying for herself and Harry (which she felt was sweet of them, especially since it looked like this would be her best chance to make a move on Hermione).
To everyone’s delight, except Harry’s and Alicia’s of course, talk of a new trip to Hogsmeade began to dominate conversations. “We can do all our Christmas shopping there!” Hermione said cheerfully, “Mum and Dad would really love those Toothflossing Stringmints from Honeydukes!”
“Giving sweet floss to a pair of dentists?” Alicia said from her corner of the common room, “Is that legal?”
Resigned this time to her fate, Alicia decided to busy herself reading over the catalog sent to her from the shoppe over in Diagon Alley where she was going to buy her new broom. They had several models that each caught her attention for one reason or another, and she was weighting the choices before the trip. She had found an older broom put into her locker with a note that said “Loaner” on it, which was an old style HellFire broom that actually ran well. Sleek, dark, and well maintained for a broom that old, Alicia wondered if it was Snape’s considering it was meticulously maintained and he seemed the type. Still she couldn’t keep that broom for long, and wanted only to get her own broom again even if she was abit confused as to what broom she should be getting..
Taking her catalog with her to the Chamber of Secrets, after seeing Ron and Hermione off (“I’ll get you alone soon enough.” she whispered to herself as she walked down the newly installed hidden stairs placed in Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom). There she sat down at one of the command chairs only for the computer to go off thirty seconds later.
“DOWNLOAD COMPLETE. FILES READY.”
“Oh NOW you’re ready.” she muttered, putting the catalog aside as she reaches for the keyboard, “This had better have been worth it.”
As she taps into the system she flips through file after file, each one a disappointing visual log of it’s short life and nothing else. One, logged 10/31, caught her eye. Nervously she waved the cursor over the entry as if she was afraid the system would self destruct if she clicked it, finally clicking the entry and leaning forward to watch. As the images came on she watched it carefully… scenes scrolling forward… until at last she saw something and stopped it. For the most part the visuals were unimpressive, mostly of the Galerian being outside or sneaking about, but then suddenly it pulled something out into it’s sight (a datapad) and tapped it… said something and watched as a complex mapping system (on virtual parchment) rolled out before it and showed it a path into the castle. It tapped the pad again with the stylus, said something else, and the images vanished. Quickly Alicia checked the rest of the footage, now more interested in knowing what it knew about her “situation” that night than what she just saw. However this only yielded one thing, which made no sense… an image of a hunched thing scurrying along the moving staircases away from the area where Gryffindor’s area was. “Is that it?” she muttered, looking at the image oddly. “Computer, can you figure out what this image is?” (taps the dark image) “Clear up the darkness and show me what this is?”
“IT’LL TAKE SEVERAL DAYS TO DO THIS. DO YOU WISH TO CONTINUE?”
“Yeah, why not…” she muttered, “Not like I have anything else to do… but now…” (pulls out a datapad and then scans through the files until she finds… “Marauder’s Map File.”
It takes a few seconds but it loads down onto the pad. As the pad comes to life the image of a blank parchment page comes on, and then nothing. The only thing on the page other than the parchment was a “voice” icon, with the datapad’s vocal device flashing waiting for input. Perplexed, Alicia sat there and stared at this for several seconds until inspiration hit. She quickly replayed the scene with the pad and listened, playing it over and over again until she was sure she got it right, finally lifting the pad’s stylus and tapping it down on the icon as she repeated the words from the datafile. “I solemly swear that I am up to no good.”
At once virtual ink lines began to spread like a spider’s web on the screen, they joined and wove about crisscrossing until a message was formed.
Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs.
Purveyors of Aide to Magical Mischief Makers of a New Generation
Are proud to present…
The Marauder’s Map Version 2.0
It was a map showing every detail of the Hogwarts castle and grounds. Marking the location of every person in the castle, as well as every ghosts and entity within the walls.
“Dumbledore is pacing in his study, Mrs. Norris is on the second floor, Peeves is in the trophy room, Harry is here… what the…” (taps passages) “…this is how Blitzkrieg is getting in and out! These passages! But where…” (suddenly the map changes with the legend “To Hogsmeade” on each passage.) “…you gotta be kidding me.”
New icons, not the same as the one the map used, suddenly appeared. Alicia tapped one.
“ENTRANCE BLOCKED BY DEBRIS. UNUSABLE.”
‘This must be notes by Blitzkrieg.’ Alicia thought, tapping another noteicon.
“PASSAGE PATROLLED BY TOO MANY HUMANS. UNUSABLE.”
On the third tap the right message came up.
“OPEN PATH. ENTRANCE LOCATED IN BASEMENT OF HONEYDUKES.
Magical Entry required from Hogwarts side, use Whomping Willow path to Shrieking Shack for extraction. Magical means to enter as follows…”
Alicia’s facial expression changes as she reads on, a confused expression morphing into a devious grin. “Oh come on, you know I gotta use this.” she whispered to herself…”And I better hurry before I start talking to myself out of bore--” (sighs) “…damn.”
* * * * * *
‘Now what.’ Alicia thought to herself, finding herself standing in front of the statue in question only confused as to what she should do next. Pulling out the datapad she glanced at it looking for info., only to notice to her shock that a new image had appeared upon it, labeled with her true name. Quickly covering the screen, eyes glancing about madly, she began to worry about the “product” in her hands.
“Never trust anything that can think for itself, if you can’t see where it keeps it’s brain.”
Words that were oh so clear now from the esteemed Mr. Weasley, and right now it made a whole lot of sense to Alicia at that moment. Carefully glancing back at the datapad she noticed herself standing where she was, tapping the witch with her little itsy bitsy wand with the words “Dissendium” appearing in a voice bubble next to little “Alicia”. Pulling out her own wand she tapped the wand and whispered “Dissendium”, at once the statue’s hump opened wide enough to admit a fairly thin person through. Alicia squeezed herself through, muttering “Must be the Super Model entrance to Hogsmeade…” as she did so. As she hit the ground glancing about the dark corridor (uselessly), she tucked the datapad out of sight into one of her robe pouches (sewn into the material) as she holds her wand up whispering “Lumos!”
She was in a very narrow, low ceiling, earthy passageway. It went on for awhile, which made sense since it was no doubt abit of a walk from Hogswart to Hogsmeade. Retrieving the datapad from her robe pouch she stares at it… and stares… only to realize she didn’t know how to shut it off. Suddenly a small notation appeared on the bottom of the screen, as if the map was reading her mind (which wasn’t making her feel any better about holding the thing).
“To Close, Tap Voice Icon and Say “Mischief Managed”.”
“Mischief Managed.” she said with authority, watching the map clear as she did so. Putting it back into her pouch once again she began to walk down the corridor, carefully observing the corridor for “Dead Man’s Hands” (packs of C4 left for the curious and unwary) as she walked. The passage twisted and turned, more like the burrow of a giant wyrmbeast than a manmade tunnel (no doubt done to avoid underground building support pillars and people’s stone basement slash storage areas). Alicia continued her pace, stumbling now and again on the uneven floor as she moved, her wand held out in front of her as she let her visor (pulled from a different tesseract pouch she was storing it) scanned for traps.
It seemingly took ages but finally she reached the basement, an hour seemingly passing as she finally reached the rising towards the entrance to the Honeydukes’ cellar. She sped up her pace, her nerves itching to get through out of the passage and into Hogsmeade. It took another 10 minutes before she came to the foot of some worn stone steps, which rose out of sight above her. Deciding to forego the stealth technique she quickly bent down, kicking off upwards and using a small amount of energy to levitate upwards (instead of risking drawing attention to herself with her footfalls on the stone steps), which made it quick for her to reach the top which was a solid trapdoor. Gently testing it to make sure it wasn’t blocked, she set herself down on the staircase and pushed the trapdoor open so she could peek.
As promised this was the cellar of Honeydukes, filled with wooden crates and boxes labeled with the contents of what a well stocked sweets shop should hold. Alicia rolled clear of the trapdoor, using her power to lightly bring it down soundlessly (noticing it blended perfectly with the floor so that you’d have to have had actually climbed out of it to even know it was there in the first place). She quickly moved to the door, using another boost of power to make her robes shift into something more civilian in appearance so that she didn’t stick out (suddenly she stopped, shrugged, then pulled a short red headed wig and glasses from yet another tesseract pouch putting it on) (’Didn‘t get to wear it for Halloween so now is as good a time as any.’), then she quietly slipped into the crowd outside the door and completely blended in.
The place was so busy you could have easily walked off with half the stock from the storage room without anyone noticing, the whole place buzzed with business as all the students of Hogwarts were seemingly attempting to jam themselves into this one shop at once from the endless amount of student surrounding her. Quietly slipping to the back of the crowd (which was more concerned with getting towards the wares than who was moving out of their way) she took a quick look about the room before exiting, noticing a few of her classmates but no Hermione or Ron. Oh well, she mused silently, they’ll be somewhere in town so it shouldn’t be too hard to find them. Deciding to come back later for a few purchases (on her way out) she left the store and began wandering the streets of Hogsmeade.
To Be Continued
It was coming to the point that Alicia was practically living out of the hospital ward. This time it would only be for the weekend, yes, but still it was another stay in a long string of stays she has already endured in the hospital wing. Snape, near nightfall, brought her a toolkit from the women’s dorm in Gryffindor (he did not elaborate as to how he came by it though). Inside was a set of old crafting and forging tools, something she taken from the body of an Assassin Guilder who tried to put a bullet through her skull last year (and failed). The bullet, forged from the broken remains of Oliver Wood’s broom (shattered during the rogue bludger incident) gave her an idea. At night, while Potter slept (with the “help” of a sleeping draught “accidentially” left by Snape in her care) she forged the remains of her old Nimbus 2001 into long range “SpellAirius” spell breaker ammo, loading them into the “bottomless” clip of an old Glock she had from the old times (the spell scrawling on it maintaining it’s indestrucible status glowing red in the magic rich environment of Hogwarts).
She knew she was being a tad paranoid, turning her old broom into ammo, but it kept her hands busy and idle hands were only going to get her into masturbating (and thinking about Hermione) if she wasn’t careful. She didn’t share the same sentiment about it as Harry did his broom, which did seem to bother him abit but not to the point of confronting her about the way she handled her broom’s remains. “Next he’d probably expect me to give it a proper burial and last rites.” she muttered as she turned over another handful of SpellAirius shells for the gun.
She could only work at night, though, since the daytime was occupied by a constant stream of visitors and a wide awake Harry. All of these visitors had two objectives in mind : one was to cheer Harry up, the other to cheer Alicia up (one way or another).
Hagrid sent both of them a bunch of earwiggy flowers that looked like yellow cabbages, (“Not yellow cabbages.” Alicia noted with disdain, half a flower sticking out of her mouth “Maybe I need to flour, panko and fry these to make them taste better… roll in a hotdog or some other meat while I‘m at it… use a beer batter… be half drunk when I eat the next flower… something.”).
Ginny Weasley, bright red from her excessive girlhood crush on Harry blushing, turned up with a get well card she had made herself which sang shrilly… but before Harry could stick it under a fruit bowl to silence it Alicia took it straight away and (for once) used her wand to change it. One tap and the words “Accentuate, deliverate, pronounciate, sing” made the card sing well. She put the card next to Harry and said “Young ladies grow up into beautiful women, and beautiful women sing the most lovely songs.”
(She then smacked Harry on the head and said “ingrate” before lying down again).
Gryffindor team visited on Sunday morning, this time bringing the now mostly recovered Oliver Wood with them (who did more than hide in the shadows of the doorway delivering product information on Nimbus brooms). Wood, speaking in a rather hollow dead voice, said he didn’t blame Harry in the slightest. “Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence there.” Alicia muttered, catching a shellshocked sad look from Wood as he turned realizing she was listening. “Shake it off. I’m just kidding you.”
Ron and Hermione only left the duos bedsides at night, which again made it near impossible to forge the SpellAirius ammo in anything but nighttime conditions. Harry, for the most part, was walking wounded as nothing anyone could say could shake him out of his suckitude that he was in. Alicia gritted her teeth everytime she thought of him, and wondered just what happened to him with the Dementors to make him such a basketcase now all of a sudden. It didn’t matter to her, though, since she had her own troubles.
Blitzkrieg was upping his attacks. Once content to sit quietly for an opportunity it was now cranking out more and more drones at a steadily increasing pace. Soon attacks may become almost daily occurances as he becomes embolden by repeated progress in his attacks (this attack landing Alicia once again back in the infirmary). Then there was the matter of Black and his obsession with Potter, though she felt Black would most likely stick to that fascination and not include her in his plans… yet.
Finally there was the Dementors, who were steadily becoming harder and harder to control. After the incident on the field they had snapped back into full obedience mode, but once their “hunger” returned it would be only a matter of time before they became uncontrollable again. She had already contacted Azkaban about rotating the Dementors on a more frequent basis, pulling the most “weakened” back to replenish before sending full “controllable” ones out again, but according to them they were doing the best they could under the circumstance to rotate them as often as possible… not good enough, but there was a hint that there would be more attempts to keep the rotations going at a quicker pace to keep this from happening again.
All in all this was setting up to be one entirely lousy year.
Which could only get worst once she went back to schoollife and her first day back at Lupin’s class (with Lupin).
* * * * * *
Returning to the main hustle and bustle of schoolife was a relief to Potter, but not so for Alicia as she knew she’d have to face Lupin later that day after her “coup” of the class with Snape days earlier. Malfoy, however, was at least easier to handle than Lupin in her opinion. She got out early that morning and used that time to make an appearance to Malfoy in front of the painting to Slytherin (guarded by a rather nasty looking image of a “gentleman” who seemed as nasty as the students he was “guarding”). As he walked up to her, insult in mouth, she simply held up a little brown envelope and said “The most amazing things some can find in people’s heads when they’re at the controls.”
Malfoy, at first dumbstruck, turned red quickly as he snapped the envelope away and looked at it with first anger then resentment. “Keep those if you wish, I’ll just make more.” she said as she turned, walking away without another word.
After that Malfoy took off the bandages and contented himself with occasionally tormenting Potter, but steered clear of Alicia from that point forward.
“One less git in my life.” she muttered, working her potion with the usual flair as she tried not to make this one explode like one from five weeks earlier.
It didn’t take much to silence him, in fact it almost hurt her to do it.
Before she went to see Malfoy she stopped, and opened the envelope to glance at the photos. “Is there any real affection in this, or is it just the acts of disturbing individuals.”
“To attribute affection to one like Malfoy seemingly would take an act of the almighty, and yet I can assure you…” (tapping moving image of Malfoy and his mother making love) “…this is nothing but pure affection and love. I dare say if father snearest was out of the way she’d so bond with him as only a wife could… Oh, and don’t get that sick in the face look because she’s technically NOT his mother… kinda…”
“Say what…” Alicia muttered, “Is she mommy or not?”
Jack shrugged as he allowed his holoimage to fade away from behind her, “Kinda.”
She decided to leave it at that and not try to figure out the mating habits of evil people.
* * * * * *
“If Snape’s teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts again, I’m skiving off.” Ron said as they headed towards Lupin’s classroom after lunch. He motioned towards Alicia and said “You’re pals with him, why don’t you stick your head in since he won’t snap it off or anything.”
Alicia groaned, but did just that as she peeked into the classroom. “Oh bother.”
“What?!” Ron hissed, “Is it…”
“Lupin.” Alicia noted, opening the door wide to show it was indeed Lupin in the class. Ron cuffed Alicia as he passed, mumbling “Don’t do that!” as he did. Professor Lupin, as she knew it had to be, was back to work. It certainly did look, however, as though he had been ill. His old robes were hanging even more loosely on him than before, and there were dark shadows beneath his eyes. Nevertheless, he smiled that same disturbingly chipper smile as the class filed in and took their seats. This quiet was short lived as the class immediately set to voicing their objection to Snape’s class the moment they sat down.
“It’s not fair, he was only filling in, why should he give us homework?”
“We don’t know anything about werewolves…”
(‘Still?!?’ Alicia thought to herself, wondering why they even bothered talking about it if all that valuable information slipped right out of their brains over the weekend).
“…two rolls of parchment!”
Lupin, frowning slightly, asked the obvious question. “Did you tell Professor Snape we haven’t covered werewolves yet?”
The wave of babble broke over the “wall” once again, like a tsunami wave.
“Yes, but he said we were really behind…”
(‘And being a bunch of behinds.’ Alicia thought.)
“--- he wouldn’t listen ---”
“--- two rolls of parchment!”
Professor Lupin absorbed all the complaints even handedly, and smiled at the looks of indignation from all the complaining students. “Don’t worry. I’ll speak to Professor Snape. You don’t have to do the essay.”
“Oh, no!” Hermione choked out, “I already finished it!”
The rest of the class interested everyone except Alicia, who tried to block it out of her mind… especially at the point where the hinkypunk tried to balance it’s light while bouncing on a basketball that somehow ended up in it’s possession in front of Alicia.
“I hate my life.” she muttered absently as it fell over, the ball flying ghostly through the enclosed glass box and knocking Neville over.
* * * * * *
“How’s the “work” going?” Snape asked quietly, drawing Alicia into the quiet teacher’s staffroom.
“Done.” she noted, pulling the old Glock out of a hidden tesseract pouch in her robes (recently added in a previous “stay” in the infirmary). “Got enough ammo to last the rest of my stay here I dare say.” (clicks the gun once, checks her sights, then locks it back into safety mode and puts it away again) “The Dementors sway back and forth from obedient to out of control the longer they’re not fed. If only the Azkaban people would rotate them more this wouldn’t happen…” (sighs) “…how angry was Dumbledore that day?”
“I can’t ever say I saw Dumbledore as angry as he was that day.” Snape remarked coldly, “The Dementors apparently weren’t the only ones who were past due for an outburst.”
“So I see…” Alicia muttered, her hand involntarily reaching up to touch her arm that had been damaged time and time again recently, “…Dementors.”
Just then inspiration hit. She quickly dived into another pocket and fished out a few tesseract gems, going through each one (holding it up to the light to check it’s “content” before emptying one of a small pocket book, holding up said book to show Snape). “Let’s ask the Book of Knowledge about it.”
“The book of what?” Snape asked, expression changing from cold to curious as he followed Alicia to the chairs. Quickly she sat, plopped the book on the table, and said in a clear voice “I need a reference check on Dementors as they relate to this present reality that we are in.”
Silence. The book did not move. For the longest time it sat there, and Alicia (dumbfounded) muttered “Maybe it’s broken.” before the book snapped open, flipped page onto page until it came to an entry entitled “The Tormented, a Dimensional Crossreference” and began to “read” in Alicia’s own voice.
“Dementors are a misgiven slang to refer to halflife human souls known as The Tormented. The Tormented as humans who are neither alive nor dead fully, stuck between realities in a half life. Often humans of a low class status these tormented souls hide in the dark filthy places that they dwelled in life, craving only to absorb the happiness and love from the living they were denied in life. Normal humans (aka “Muggles” in realm talk) are not affected nor hunted by Tormented for they remember in shards being “Muggles” once themselves, they prefer to target the “mystical” community as they see them as an “elitist” species that caused their suffering in life (be this fact or dementia caused by transition into Tormented form is not yet clear at the time of this reading).
Though they will not affect “Muggles”, they can sense the presence of the Tormented, in essence still having an ethereal connection to their “fellow” man even if they did not share that “connection” with them in life. If a Tormented feeds on a humanoid long enough said being will be dragged into a living hellish state similar to the Tormented themselves, hollow of bright feeling yet craving said feeling from others to the point of becoming violent towards said individuals exhibiting traits they yearn for (happiness, love, etc).
Cross Refernce “Dementor’s Kiss” for more info.
Snape made a sudden motion with his arm shutting the book as it wrapped up. “That is abit to absorb.”
“You don’t say.” she muttered, snapping the book up and putting it away. “I wonder if Dumbledore would feel the same about these so-called “Dementors” if he knew the truth?”
Snape - “Hard to say.”
Alicia reaches out to take the book, but stops. Instead she draws it closer to her and says “I need a reference check on a place called Azkaban, located in this present reality.”
Quicker, the book flipped open and fluttered for abit before settling down, on the page was the words “Azkaban the Water Prison”
“The Fortress Prison Azkaban is located on an artifically created island in an undisclosed location. The island is in a constant state of dimensional flux, dimensionally slipping from location to location at the rising of the sun. This keeps it’s present location a secret though a few entities have been able to locate the prison without the aid of the Ministry of Magic’s Shards of Suffering (mystical devices made solely for the purposes of tracking the last remaining Fortress Prison in exsistence).
Prisoners are locked away in this antiseptic environment and watched over by the Tormented (Dementors) who serve the dual purpose of keeping the populace docile while inflicting torturous conditions upon them metting out “justice” onto the wicked.
WARNING! Azkaban Prison is presently under a review by the Goddess Council for gross breeches of humanoid rights violations. The Prison’s case is presently being supervised by The Goddess of Sorrow, who is expected to turn in her report on the prison in two year cycles once a complete 10 year cycle evaluation is done to insure all data and info have been processed and gathered.
Originally one of a quartet of prisons, it is the only one in active use.
Would you like to cross reference the fates of the other three prisons?”
The two exchanged glances warily, “I didn’t know there were three other prisons.” Snape said cautiously. “May I?”
Alicia motioned towards the book, “The book holds no restrictions on who accesses it’s information.”
In a clear tone, Snape says “Cross reference the three other prisons, their purpose and the reasons behind their closure.”
“Crossreferencing…”
The pages suddenly fluttered to life, shifting to another entry.
“Cross Reference to Schadazaar, the Fire Prison.”
“Originally erected as a prison for dark wizards of the Middle East and Asia, the prison became infamous for it’s mistreatment of women prisoners (magical and non) in both violent and sexual means. The prison was thus destroyed by the Winterian Alliance in 1350 in a multi-lateral magical community/non-magical community assault which brought forth prison time in the recently built Azkaban Prison for the warden and jailers of the Schadazaar Prison (those who were not killed outright by the Winterians or deported transdimensionally to Winterian PrisonStars. (See Winteria, Culture of Women for more information)).”
The pages flipped again, a new entry coming to light.
“Cross Reference to Drumstragg, the Dark Winds Prison”
“Originally erected as a prison for BloodWizards, the followers of a dark cult that worshipped the serpent god Set (crossreference Ancient God Deities, Set and the Blood Wizards of Set) the prison fell out of use when the cult of Set fell out of favor and became a dead religion. Presently used as a school for dark wizards, the school’s dark heritage is not completely known or understood by it’s staff though a few may still be carrying on the practices of the BloodWizards to this day (if only in symbolic mannerism).”
One more time the pages flipped again, a new entry coming to light.
“Cross Reference to Hades, the Underworld Prison”
Originally erected as a prison for Distruptors, wizards who openly broke the Seperation Act Between Muggles and Magicals, the prison was the setting of a prison riot called the Human Riot where the imprisoned fought to overthrow their wardens in an attempt to, in the words of the riot leader “win back their humanity” only to be killed in the uprising. Sickened by the sad brutal events of the horrible uprising the prison was exposed to the light of day, and the underground cavern flooded with water turning it into a lake. Presently it is a dwelling of merpeople and located near the present location of…”
“Hogwarts.“ Snape snapped the book closed. “That explains the more than usual excess of ghosts that surround the area. This used to be a prison area.”
“And if you think that’s something…” Alicia says as she retrieves the book, “Imagine what you’ll learn tomorrow. Speaking of which…” (motioning to Snape) “…I know why you called me in here. You want to check on the little “gift” we’re storing down below. So if you’ll follow me we’ll get to it.”
* * * * * *
November rolled on, and the first good news in terms of Quidditch began to roll in.
Ravenclaw annihilated Hufflepuff in their Quidditch match at the end of November, once again opening the door for Gryffindor to possibly take the Quidditch Cup for the year. Everyone’s mood lifted when they saw the gleam of chance to win the cup, and Wood quickly took that as a sign to work the team harder in practice to get their game just right for their eventual match against Ravenclaw. After all this was a chance, but it was also a last chance as failure this time would be a permament failure and no third chance would rise again. This maniac pace of training rolled out of November and right into December, this time Dementor free as they kept their distance after Dumbledore’s rage against them.
Two weeks before the end of term the sky began to lighten, and the weather started to turn around. Inside most of the castle there was an air of Christmas, most of the castle except the Chamber of Secrets which had been reopened and reconfigured for use. Compliments of Lazarus a huge complex of machines and magic synched technology was set into the Chamber, the remains of the Bassilisk removed from the water source and replaced with a water to energy conversion fusion generator to power the machines. The focus of attention in the room was the decapitated head of the Galerian assassin guilder, many wires and attachments sticking out of it as the machiens labored day and night to hack it’s internal core memory and dig out as much useable information from it as possible.
As expected this was slow going, especially since this was only a secondary lift since the prime core was in the guts of the Galerian drone (destroyed in the explosion). But still, any information no matter how small was better than nothing. Alicia would drop in a few days a week to check on progress, waiting for the download to finish… but it was slow, and days passed with no progress.
As if to further depress her, students began to happily discuss their plans for the holidays. Since she really had no home except for Hogwarts she had no plans for the holidays. She would only travel back to Diagon Alley on the first day of holiday to go christmas shopping, as well as to buy a replacement broom, and then return to spend the rest of her holiday at Hogwarts. One bright spot of this plan was Ron and Hermione, both of whom had said they were going to stay at Hogwarts for the holidays. They had their reasons, sure, but she knew they were only staying for herself and Harry (which she felt was sweet of them, especially since it looked like this would be her best chance to make a move on Hermione).
To everyone’s delight, except Harry’s and Alicia’s of course, talk of a new trip to Hogsmeade began to dominate conversations. “We can do all our Christmas shopping there!” Hermione said cheerfully, “Mum and Dad would really love those Toothflossing Stringmints from Honeydukes!”
“Giving sweet floss to a pair of dentists?” Alicia said from her corner of the common room, “Is that legal?”
Resigned this time to her fate, Alicia decided to busy herself reading over the catalog sent to her from the shoppe over in Diagon Alley where she was going to buy her new broom. They had several models that each caught her attention for one reason or another, and she was weighting the choices before the trip. She had found an older broom put into her locker with a note that said “Loaner” on it, which was an old style HellFire broom that actually ran well. Sleek, dark, and well maintained for a broom that old, Alicia wondered if it was Snape’s considering it was meticulously maintained and he seemed the type. Still she couldn’t keep that broom for long, and wanted only to get her own broom again even if she was abit confused as to what broom she should be getting..
Taking her catalog with her to the Chamber of Secrets, after seeing Ron and Hermione off (“I’ll get you alone soon enough.” she whispered to herself as she walked down the newly installed hidden stairs placed in Moaning Myrtle’s bathroom). There she sat down at one of the command chairs only for the computer to go off thirty seconds later.
“DOWNLOAD COMPLETE. FILES READY.”
“Oh NOW you’re ready.” she muttered, putting the catalog aside as she reaches for the keyboard, “This had better have been worth it.”
As she taps into the system she flips through file after file, each one a disappointing visual log of it’s short life and nothing else. One, logged 10/31, caught her eye. Nervously she waved the cursor over the entry as if she was afraid the system would self destruct if she clicked it, finally clicking the entry and leaning forward to watch. As the images came on she watched it carefully… scenes scrolling forward… until at last she saw something and stopped it. For the most part the visuals were unimpressive, mostly of the Galerian being outside or sneaking about, but then suddenly it pulled something out into it’s sight (a datapad) and tapped it… said something and watched as a complex mapping system (on virtual parchment) rolled out before it and showed it a path into the castle. It tapped the pad again with the stylus, said something else, and the images vanished. Quickly Alicia checked the rest of the footage, now more interested in knowing what it knew about her “situation” that night than what she just saw. However this only yielded one thing, which made no sense… an image of a hunched thing scurrying along the moving staircases away from the area where Gryffindor’s area was. “Is that it?” she muttered, looking at the image oddly. “Computer, can you figure out what this image is?” (taps the dark image) “Clear up the darkness and show me what this is?”
“IT’LL TAKE SEVERAL DAYS TO DO THIS. DO YOU WISH TO CONTINUE?”
“Yeah, why not…” she muttered, “Not like I have anything else to do… but now…” (pulls out a datapad and then scans through the files until she finds… “Marauder’s Map File.”
It takes a few seconds but it loads down onto the pad. As the pad comes to life the image of a blank parchment page comes on, and then nothing. The only thing on the page other than the parchment was a “voice” icon, with the datapad’s vocal device flashing waiting for input. Perplexed, Alicia sat there and stared at this for several seconds until inspiration hit. She quickly replayed the scene with the pad and listened, playing it over and over again until she was sure she got it right, finally lifting the pad’s stylus and tapping it down on the icon as she repeated the words from the datafile. “I solemly swear that I am up to no good.”
At once virtual ink lines began to spread like a spider’s web on the screen, they joined and wove about crisscrossing until a message was formed.
Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs.
Purveyors of Aide to Magical Mischief Makers of a New Generation
Are proud to present…
The Marauder’s Map Version 2.0
It was a map showing every detail of the Hogwarts castle and grounds. Marking the location of every person in the castle, as well as every ghosts and entity within the walls.
“Dumbledore is pacing in his study, Mrs. Norris is on the second floor, Peeves is in the trophy room, Harry is here… what the…” (taps passages) “…this is how Blitzkrieg is getting in and out! These passages! But where…” (suddenly the map changes with the legend “To Hogsmeade” on each passage.) “…you gotta be kidding me.”
New icons, not the same as the one the map used, suddenly appeared. Alicia tapped one.
“ENTRANCE BLOCKED BY DEBRIS. UNUSABLE.”
‘This must be notes by Blitzkrieg.’ Alicia thought, tapping another noteicon.
“PASSAGE PATROLLED BY TOO MANY HUMANS. UNUSABLE.”
On the third tap the right message came up.
“OPEN PATH. ENTRANCE LOCATED IN BASEMENT OF HONEYDUKES.
Magical Entry required from Hogwarts side, use Whomping Willow path to Shrieking Shack for extraction. Magical means to enter as follows…”
Alicia’s facial expression changes as she reads on, a confused expression morphing into a devious grin. “Oh come on, you know I gotta use this.” she whispered to herself…”And I better hurry before I start talking to myself out of bore--” (sighs) “…damn.”
* * * * * *
‘Now what.’ Alicia thought to herself, finding herself standing in front of the statue in question only confused as to what she should do next. Pulling out the datapad she glanced at it looking for info., only to notice to her shock that a new image had appeared upon it, labeled with her true name. Quickly covering the screen, eyes glancing about madly, she began to worry about the “product” in her hands.
“Never trust anything that can think for itself, if you can’t see where it keeps it’s brain.”
Words that were oh so clear now from the esteemed Mr. Weasley, and right now it made a whole lot of sense to Alicia at that moment. Carefully glancing back at the datapad she noticed herself standing where she was, tapping the witch with her little itsy bitsy wand with the words “Dissendium” appearing in a voice bubble next to little “Alicia”. Pulling out her own wand she tapped the wand and whispered “Dissendium”, at once the statue’s hump opened wide enough to admit a fairly thin person through. Alicia squeezed herself through, muttering “Must be the Super Model entrance to Hogsmeade…” as she did so. As she hit the ground glancing about the dark corridor (uselessly), she tucked the datapad out of sight into one of her robe pouches (sewn into the material) as she holds her wand up whispering “Lumos!”
She was in a very narrow, low ceiling, earthy passageway. It went on for awhile, which made sense since it was no doubt abit of a walk from Hogswart to Hogsmeade. Retrieving the datapad from her robe pouch she stares at it… and stares… only to realize she didn’t know how to shut it off. Suddenly a small notation appeared on the bottom of the screen, as if the map was reading her mind (which wasn’t making her feel any better about holding the thing).
“To Close, Tap Voice Icon and Say “Mischief Managed”.”
“Mischief Managed.” she said with authority, watching the map clear as she did so. Putting it back into her pouch once again she began to walk down the corridor, carefully observing the corridor for “Dead Man’s Hands” (packs of C4 left for the curious and unwary) as she walked. The passage twisted and turned, more like the burrow of a giant wyrmbeast than a manmade tunnel (no doubt done to avoid underground building support pillars and people’s stone basement slash storage areas). Alicia continued her pace, stumbling now and again on the uneven floor as she moved, her wand held out in front of her as she let her visor (pulled from a different tesseract pouch she was storing it) scanned for traps.
It seemingly took ages but finally she reached the basement, an hour seemingly passing as she finally reached the rising towards the entrance to the Honeydukes’ cellar. She sped up her pace, her nerves itching to get through out of the passage and into Hogsmeade. It took another 10 minutes before she came to the foot of some worn stone steps, which rose out of sight above her. Deciding to forego the stealth technique she quickly bent down, kicking off upwards and using a small amount of energy to levitate upwards (instead of risking drawing attention to herself with her footfalls on the stone steps), which made it quick for her to reach the top which was a solid trapdoor. Gently testing it to make sure it wasn’t blocked, she set herself down on the staircase and pushed the trapdoor open so she could peek.
As promised this was the cellar of Honeydukes, filled with wooden crates and boxes labeled with the contents of what a well stocked sweets shop should hold. Alicia rolled clear of the trapdoor, using her power to lightly bring it down soundlessly (noticing it blended perfectly with the floor so that you’d have to have had actually climbed out of it to even know it was there in the first place). She quickly moved to the door, using another boost of power to make her robes shift into something more civilian in appearance so that she didn’t stick out (suddenly she stopped, shrugged, then pulled a short red headed wig and glasses from yet another tesseract pouch putting it on) (’Didn‘t get to wear it for Halloween so now is as good a time as any.’), then she quietly slipped into the crowd outside the door and completely blended in.
The place was so busy you could have easily walked off with half the stock from the storage room without anyone noticing, the whole place buzzed with business as all the students of Hogwarts were seemingly attempting to jam themselves into this one shop at once from the endless amount of student surrounding her. Quietly slipping to the back of the crowd (which was more concerned with getting towards the wares than who was moving out of their way) she took a quick look about the room before exiting, noticing a few of her classmates but no Hermione or Ron. Oh well, she mused silently, they’ll be somewhere in town so it shouldn’t be too hard to find them. Deciding to come back later for a few purchases (on her way out) she left the store and began wandering the streets of Hogsmeade.
To Be Continued
Friday, February 09, 2007
CardCaptor Sakura Remastered II Episode 7 (10)
Fuu (the maid) lets Eve into the house, and she’s lead into the kitchen where Keiko is waiting. “Did anyone arrive yet? I thought we had an invitation to dinner tonight.”
Eve - “Mostly because I volunteered to cook, remember?” (sighs) “They’re still out and Tomoyo hasn’t checked in yet in the holochamber below (or so the readings say) so we’re mostly alone except for Fuu and Light/Dark. Everyone else is out.”
Keiko - “Right.”
Eve - “Something wrong?”
Keiko “What?” she jumps abit, looking nervous. “What’s wrong? There’s nothing wrong with me. Nothing‘s wrong.”
Eve looks at her severely. “You can’t fool me. I know you better than that, remember?”
* * * * * *
Anarchist looks about and checks her hand pistols again before moving. “Oh, the fun places I’d go in my life… right.” she mutters, walking down one corridor and ducking into a room to wait for Sakura.
Sakura watches as one of the creature briefly steps into the open, then vanishes off the board again as she blasts it. Sakura slumps her shoulders looking weary as she looks about, wondering where the next enemy might come from. She reaches for one door hand slowly reaching for the knob as she watches about.
“SAKURA STOP!!”
Suddenly she freezes, hand jolting backwards as it brushes the doorknob, the door disintergrating at the slightest touch. “WHAT?!?”
“Ooops.” Anarchist’s voice echoes in her mind, “You must have triggered one of Maze’s traps! Lucky you you weren‘t holding that when it went bam like that!”
Sakura - “TRAPS?!?”
Anarchist - “Uh-huh. Nasty little buggers all over the place. And, worst yet, it would drain you abit if you were caught by it.“
Nina (voice booming) - “How the hell do you know about that?!“
Anarchist - “…no reason…“ (sighs at smoking hand) “…no reason whatsoever.“
Sakura - 4000LP
Anarchist - 3275LP
* * * * * *
Eve - “This has something to do with Piccadello, doesn’t it?”
Keiko - “It’s not what you think---” (sighs) “---I just don’t want to be near her now.”
Eve - “I know your disappointed with me, and I’m sorry I am such a disappointment…”
“It’s not like that,” Keiko reprimends her, “I could never be disappointed of you, you‘re my one and only remember? It‘s not that.” (Keiko’s shoulders slump as she leans on the dining table) “You don’t understand. It‘s something that happened during our relationship. I‘m… just feeling inadequate because of it.”
Eve - “Are you angry with me because of it?”
For the longest time Keiko neither moves nor speaks, but finally “I don’t know what the hell I’m feeling right now. Jealous, angry, embarrassed, humiliated, I just don’t know. I wish I could put a finger on my heart and tell you what I’m feeling but it’s a hard thing to decipher my own feelings, let alone express them out loud.“ (Keiko leans back) “I feel ashamed, yet I don’t even know why I feel this way. Am I’m afraid she’ll want to try to pick up where she left off, try to take you from me… am I really that petty…”
Eve kisses Keiko on the lips. “Do you want her to act on these feelings?”
“No, but I don’t want you to be hurt if you’d rather be with her than me. I don’t know---”
Eve - “Let me worry about that. You just keep being the sweet lover I always cared for---” (a slight beeping noise catches their attention) “---Tomoyo’s here. Guess we better head down and tell her…”
Keiko - “I guess.” Reluctantly the two get up, and holding each other’s hand the two walk towards the staircase leading down to the holochamber below them.
* * * * * *
“That’s not fair!” Nina yells, “You didn’t warn her!”
Anarchist shakes her hand as feeling returns to it, “Why should I? If she can’t handle little twists like that she might as well stop being a Card Captor if the slightest wrong turns throws her off her game -- (damn that smarts!)”
Nina - “But---”
“I’m not thrown yet!” Sakura growls. “Might as well be because I think I got the hang of this, but first…” she quickly spins about and shoots down a corridor, the sound of something dying in the distance echoing in her ears. “Thanks, Rebecca.”
Sakura - 4000LP
Anarchist - 3200LP
“Aww!” Nina scoffs, “Did the little girl not like that little twist in the plot?”
“SHUT UP!!” Anarchist yells, picking herself off the ground (the creature shot was standing in front of her and knocked her over on it‘s death) “That had to be a fluke.“ she grumbled to herself, “No big loss. I can get back into this with a little…” (shoots another monster as it tries to get the drop on her) “…effort.”
A new creature moves up to cut Sakura off from walking down the corridor, but is stuck in the doorway it tried to come through to sneak attack Sakura (making it visible to Sakura in the progress). She easily shoots it and moves on.
Sakura glances about the corridor trying to find Anarchist as she does. Left, right, left, right, above her Nina and Rebecca glanced around the board nervously.
“I saw her somewhere on that side of the board.“ Nina called out from above, her voice booming as she did, “Watch it! She could be any--“
Suddenly the world goes bright as something plows into Sakura and knocks her over and over head over tails until she rolls into a wall and unconscious.
Nina - “SAKURA!!”
Rebecca - “Damn.”
Everything blacks out.
Anarchist - “Your turn, but I’m getting close to nailing you. That was only a distant shot, nowhere near as powerful as it could have been.”
* * * * * *
Tomoyo took the news rather well, for someone who started to frantically yell for Sakura to be found safe and sound. As she sat on the holo-suite’s bed she began to think back to when she told Sakura…
Flashback (Tomoyo)
“Your going on a business trip?” Sakura asked, cuddled in Tomoyo’s arms as they sat in the holochamber (set to a duplicate of New King Penguin Park at night), “It won’t be for long, and I’ll be back before you know it… and we can use this room to keep in touch in realtime, be together even over a great distance. That way it softens the blow of the trip a little bit.”
“I wish I could go with you.” Sakura whispered softly. “Somebody has to stay to get my studywork so I don’t fall behind.” Tomoyo announced, rubbing her cheek to Sakura’s cheek, “I wish I didn’t have to go, I hate to see you so depressed when I leave on these trips.”
As Tomoyo looks up at the sky above she holds Sakura a little tighter in her arms, “It’s been quite sometime since we swore our hearts to each other, and longer since the day you returned my love for you and we started to build our lives together. Yet still, despite the time that passed, it still kills me every time we have to separate even for a short time. I know I have to, but I can’t help missing you. I’m so happy. I love you so much I can’t bear being apart from you. But I had to go on this trip, and it was quite productive when I participated in the release of the Sakura movie in America--- (strange that it’s dream continent is named the same as the real thing).”
“Why the past tense?” Sakura asked.
Tomoyo - “Because it’s past for me already and I’m back in your arms. Going there tomorrow is just a formality, because I’m already by your side again and that’s what truly counts.”
End of Flashback (Tomoyo)
Eve & Keiko collapse on the bed. Tomoyo looks at them oddly. “Did I say that out loud?”
“What do you think?” Keiko grumbles under her breath, “Go on, make us feel like we’re invisible why dontcha---” (Keiko checks the monitoring station she set up on one side of the room to watch for Sakura) “Nina & Rebecca are still incommunicado, where are they---” (stops) “---they must be with Sakura, but what is she doing…”
Tomoyo suddenly gasps, “I remember where Sakura said she was going today!”
* * * * * *
Sakura slowly pulls herself back onto her feet, shaking the dust out of her head as she did. She stumbles into a room… then silence… then she exit’s the room and simply sits down crosslegged in the middle of the corridor, and waited. Anarchist stares in disbelief, pondering Sakura’s strategy. ‘Oh who am I kidding?’ she thinks to herself, ‘She’s just tired of getting her butt kicked about. There’s no real strategy here, dammit! She’s too thick skulled even now to be of much threat. Too easy.’
Shuffling feet signals that Anarchist was moving, but Sakura couldn’t see what’s going on. She sweats a little as she waits for the noise to stop before moving.
“Alright, fine then tough girl.’ Anarchist thought as she drew closer to Sakura, ’Let’s see what your playing.’ And with that she steps out in front of Sakura and aims to finish her.
* * * * * *
Keiko rolls one of the spare hover cycles off of the huge tech shuttle Nina keeps parked in the backyard of the Daidouji residence as Eve approaches her. “I called her school, and they said her practice ended quite sometime ago. Nina’s command center also stated that she & Eliza left sometime ago, but Eliza hasn‘t seen her since she went to Cherry Hill Temple. Also I checked with Trinity and she doesn’t know where Rena is.”
Keiko nods, “Then Tomoyo had it dead on. I’ll go over to the Cherry Hill Temple like Tomoyo recommended, they should be there now.”
Eve - “Should I call in Command Tokyo?”
Keiko shakes her head in the negative, “Not yet. Nina’s going to blow a gasket if we called this into her superiors.” (gets on hover cycle) “Let’s keep this under wraps for the time being until I find out what’s going on. I’ll keep in constant contact. Otherwise I’ll be right back ASAP.”
“Good luck---” Eve silently whispers as Keiko takes off out of the estates’ grounds and onto the streets, the cycles hover engines on full power.
* * * * * *
Sakura did not move, she simply stared at Anarchist without flinching.
“I thought you were supposed to be all that and here you are waiting for me to plug you!“ Anarchist complained, waving her gauntlet arm at her in a huff. “Come on, twitch or something! You can’t be tired already!!“ Silence. “Well? Say something!” Silence.
Finally Anarchist hisses once and aims at Sakura, “Forget it already! Just drop!”
Near point blank she shoots, and is too close to dodge as the shot reflects back and hits her fully, throwing her to the ground hard as “Sakura” shatters back into water.
“Screw you!” Nina cheers from the sideline. “SAKURA Do it! Waste her!!”
Sakura pokes her head out of the door and shoots, taking Anarchist point blank range and knocking the slowly rising woman down again hard.
Sakura walks over (over the loud booming protests of Nina) and holds her hand out to Anarchist, “Please, let’s not fight anymore. I just want to capture the---”
“SHUT UP!!” Anarchist screams, aiming her own gauntlet up towards Sakura’s head, “Give me one good reason not to cave your fricking head in damn you!!“ As Sakura watches her, she can only sigh. “Is it me---” Nina starts motioning towards the scene below, “---or is this all too unreal? I mean, Sakura’s suddenly all tough girl Rambo one minute then Pollyanna let’s all be friends the next. What’s up with that?”
“How the hell should I know.” Rebecca replies honestly, “What’s with you anyway, while I’m on the topic? You suddenly defending the Snoozer like that? I thought you hated her guts?”
Nina - “Eck. It’s a weird day so I figured why bother staying in character.”
Rebecca - “Oh.”
Anarchist fires point blank range, missing once again as Water springs forth and shields Sakura, bringing a rageful scream from the Assassin. “You cheated! That ring!! You don’t get the cards, I’m NOT giving them to you!!“ (fires again) “BITCH!! BITCH!! BI--“
To Sakura’s surprise, Big moves forward placing her hand on Anarchist, holding her down and stopping her attacks. “Goddess…” Anarchist cries, Big picking her up and bringing her close, “Help me Willow… please help me…”
‘---Big’s helping her?’ Sakura thinks to herself, ‘Could they be---’
“Wait! Time out! I want to talk about this!”
Everything stops.
* * * * * *
Maze returns Sakura and Anarchist to their normal sizes.
Sakura - “Your in love with Big aren’t you.”
Both Nina & Rebecca look over at the two in surprise. “But she’s so much bigger than her!” Nina cries out, “Are you serious?!?”
“So what?!” Anarchist screams out, turning to hold Big to herself (looking abit weird this smaller tough woman being hugged by this tall almost mystical looking being, seeming rather fragile next to her. “I’m the only one she really talks to. And she’s the only one who really wants to be with me, listen to me---”
Nina - “Oh please don’t say it, for god’s sake don’t say it.”
Anarchist - “Make love to me.” (Big blushes abit as she holds her smaller lover tightly, nodding her head in the affirmative)
“I SAID NOT TO SAY IT!!” Nina screams.
Sakura - “Pheew?”
Nina - “Phew? Is that all you can say?” (Nina huffs her annoyance at Sakura) “A minute ago you couldn’t stop being vocal but now it’s phew? Sheesh!”
Rebecca points at her head, “Eliza stopped talking to me in my earpiece.”
“WHAT?!?” (everyone falls over, but Nina is up first) “WHEN DID YOU FIND THE TIME---”
“Actually Eliza wanted me to tell her if they sold Fairy adult sex aides here so she could surprise Nina and I said probably not but I’ll check so she wired me for sound and---”
Nina - “Since when did Eliza wire YOU for sound?!?” (silence) “This is a shrine, not an adult novelty shop! They don’t sell---”
“Yes they do.” (Everyone looks over at Anarchist) “That’s why we were here--- lover girl here needed a little more lovin’ when we---”
Nina - “I SAID NOT TO TELL US THE BLOODY DETAILS!!!” Nina screams (again). “So Eliza’s been spying on this the whole time and you couldn’t say a word about it because…“ (silence) “…what.“
Rebecca - “It has a vidlink and she’s watching--- now she’s apologizing because she realizes Nina found out and she only wanted to get that special fairy lubricant--- now she’s yelling at me to shut up because she doesn’t want me to air their sex lives and--- OUCH!!” (pulls earpiece) “She yanked the plug! Ouch! The feedback shriek hurts!”
Nina - “I really don’t blame her for being pissed at you. Even I don‘t talk too much about our sex lives.” Nina laments, to which everyone does a group sigh.
Anarchist butts in, “I don’t care what you do with the others, but don’t seal Willow! I love her!” (Big tries to move towards Sakura but Anarchist holds onto her tight) “Don’t leave me alone--- don’t--- don’t---”
Sakura - “Willow?”
“It’s Winterian.” Rebecca points out to Sakura, “Big is a close approximation to the Winterian word “Willow”, or to be more precise, “Pu”---”
Nina - “DON’T FINISH THAT SENTENCE EITHER!!” (Nina) “I know what “Big” means in Winterian!! Don‘t say--”
Sakura - “I don’t. What does it---” (Nina/Rena) “ASK TOMOYO!!”
“----” Nina takes her stuff back and gives Sakura her key. She charges it up and regards the three. “Clow cards return to your power confined---” (Anarchist holds Big tighter, crying) “Maze card! Little card---” (stops, looking at the two) “Big card, return your power to me--- and be free.”
With that Sakura seals Big’s power, but leaves her intact. Big, smiling (and blushing a little) takes the smaller Cyberroid into her arms and holds her tight, rocking her tears away (her legs dangling in the larger woman’s arms).
“DAMMIT ANARCHIST! DON’T YOU DARE HURT--- her and--- oh for god’s sake is that Madison? What the hell is she doing?!?” (looks at the Cyberroid and former Clow card together) “---oh for crying out loud that’s disturbing to look at!”
Rebecca shakes her head, “I don’t get it.”
Nina shrugs, “I never took Maddy to be a closet macro-philia type--- think that’s what it’s called-- anyone know what’s the name for someone with a taste for large things. Large bods, breasts, legs and---”
“Don’t finish that sentence.” Keiko/Rebecca blandly hiss point blank at Nina.
* * * * * *
Sakura couldn’t get into Tomoyo’s arms fast enough.
As the two held each other, Sakura couldn’t help but feel abit ashamed for Tomoyo worrying about her. Upside everyone sits around (Keiko picked up takeout on the way home) and talks. “Guess I’m not the one then.” Madison (Anarchist) remarks, reaching over to touch Willow (Big)’s shoulder as she eats her first solid meal. “What do you mean?” Nina asked, “Your not the one what?”
“Guess I can tell you since everything turned out alright.” Madison (Anarchist) remarked, “When I first began to fall for Willow I sought the advice of a friend I knew who had this pipeline to the future thing or something (probably born in the 24th Century or something). Anyway, she told me someone with an unrequited love she could never fulfill would shape the destinies of all those touched by the cards. I thought that was a remark about me losing Willow, but since I didn’t lose her it’s obviously not me.”
Keiko falls into a deep thought process, “Shape the destinies of all those touched by the cards? What the heck does that mean.”
“Beats me.” Madison said offhandedly, “She was a little vague on the details (then again she’s always vague on the details). She did help me find Maze & Little though, and taught me about the Clow cards and then I--- well, you know the rest.”
Keiko - “You know what that means?”
“Sorry, Keiko,” (Eve shrugs) “Never heard of it before.”
Keiko - “Rebecca?”
Rebecca - “Do I look like a wandering fortune cookie to you? N-O, I don’t know what that means.”
Keiko - “Maybe someone else will know.”
Rebecca - “Yeah, whatever… somebody pass the soy sauce please.”
* * * * * *
The next day
Sakura’s school, the school library.
“Why are you laughing at me?” Ms. Mitsuki slaps Keiko on the back a few times as she laughs, “You NEVER ask me about the future before and now you do and even I don’t know what your talking about!”
Keiko - “Well that’s a first…” (stifles a few more laughs) “Your actually clueless about something… (if this wasn’t so dreadfully important I’d laugh more at your expense).”
“Whatever.” (Ms. Mitsuki pats Keiko on the head) “You’re a good girl. Sit. Stay. Stop that.” (then she leaves, Keiko facefaulting as she does) “Whattya think I am? A puppy? Cut that out damn you!!”
Eve - “So you didn’t find out anything?” (Eve steps in from the shadows) “You know I didn’t find out anything since you were standing there listening---” (sighs) “---she creeps me out. Always so cheery and manipulative and bouncy happy and scheming! It’s like a bad cross between a stereotypical bubbly anime girl and a Ferengi! Disturbing to say the least!”
Eve - “She manipulating?”
Keiko - “She’s not entirely honest and always has three cards up her sleeve, in a sense, so I say that if anything is a sure sign of manipulation if I ever saw one.”
Eve - “Still crossing your fingers and hoping for the best with this job, aren’t you. You haven’t changed one bit, Keiko.”
The two spin around, coming face to face with Catherine. “See you in class, Keiko.” Eve calls out as she leaves Keiko huffs her breath, “Speaking of people that creep me out---”
* * * * * *
Meanwhile, on the other side of the ocean.
Tomoyo finishes packing her bags and smiles, helping take them down to the limo.
“Miss Tomoyo? We’re taking down twice as many bags as we started with!”
Tomoyo nods her head as she packs the last bag, “I got some costumes from the Studio that they weren’t using anymore! I’m going to use them to make Sakura-chan a whole new set of costumes! She’s going to be so cute in the new designs I want to try out I can’t wait to get home and start making them!”
Her bodyguards sweat drops as the elevator doors close.
To Be Continued
Eve - “Mostly because I volunteered to cook, remember?” (sighs) “They’re still out and Tomoyo hasn’t checked in yet in the holochamber below (or so the readings say) so we’re mostly alone except for Fuu and Light/Dark. Everyone else is out.”
Keiko - “Right.”
Eve - “Something wrong?”
Keiko “What?” she jumps abit, looking nervous. “What’s wrong? There’s nothing wrong with me. Nothing‘s wrong.”
Eve looks at her severely. “You can’t fool me. I know you better than that, remember?”
* * * * * *
Anarchist looks about and checks her hand pistols again before moving. “Oh, the fun places I’d go in my life… right.” she mutters, walking down one corridor and ducking into a room to wait for Sakura.
Sakura watches as one of the creature briefly steps into the open, then vanishes off the board again as she blasts it. Sakura slumps her shoulders looking weary as she looks about, wondering where the next enemy might come from. She reaches for one door hand slowly reaching for the knob as she watches about.
“SAKURA STOP!!”
Suddenly she freezes, hand jolting backwards as it brushes the doorknob, the door disintergrating at the slightest touch. “WHAT?!?”
“Ooops.” Anarchist’s voice echoes in her mind, “You must have triggered one of Maze’s traps! Lucky you you weren‘t holding that when it went bam like that!”
Sakura - “TRAPS?!?”
Anarchist - “Uh-huh. Nasty little buggers all over the place. And, worst yet, it would drain you abit if you were caught by it.“
Nina (voice booming) - “How the hell do you know about that?!“
Anarchist - “…no reason…“ (sighs at smoking hand) “…no reason whatsoever.“
Sakura - 4000LP
Anarchist - 3275LP
* * * * * *
Eve - “This has something to do with Piccadello, doesn’t it?”
Keiko - “It’s not what you think---” (sighs) “---I just don’t want to be near her now.”
Eve - “I know your disappointed with me, and I’m sorry I am such a disappointment…”
“It’s not like that,” Keiko reprimends her, “I could never be disappointed of you, you‘re my one and only remember? It‘s not that.” (Keiko’s shoulders slump as she leans on the dining table) “You don’t understand. It‘s something that happened during our relationship. I‘m… just feeling inadequate because of it.”
Eve - “Are you angry with me because of it?”
For the longest time Keiko neither moves nor speaks, but finally “I don’t know what the hell I’m feeling right now. Jealous, angry, embarrassed, humiliated, I just don’t know. I wish I could put a finger on my heart and tell you what I’m feeling but it’s a hard thing to decipher my own feelings, let alone express them out loud.“ (Keiko leans back) “I feel ashamed, yet I don’t even know why I feel this way. Am I’m afraid she’ll want to try to pick up where she left off, try to take you from me… am I really that petty…”
Eve kisses Keiko on the lips. “Do you want her to act on these feelings?”
“No, but I don’t want you to be hurt if you’d rather be with her than me. I don’t know---”
Eve - “Let me worry about that. You just keep being the sweet lover I always cared for---” (a slight beeping noise catches their attention) “---Tomoyo’s here. Guess we better head down and tell her…”
Keiko - “I guess.” Reluctantly the two get up, and holding each other’s hand the two walk towards the staircase leading down to the holochamber below them.
* * * * * *
“That’s not fair!” Nina yells, “You didn’t warn her!”
Anarchist shakes her hand as feeling returns to it, “Why should I? If she can’t handle little twists like that she might as well stop being a Card Captor if the slightest wrong turns throws her off her game -- (damn that smarts!)”
Nina - “But---”
“I’m not thrown yet!” Sakura growls. “Might as well be because I think I got the hang of this, but first…” she quickly spins about and shoots down a corridor, the sound of something dying in the distance echoing in her ears. “Thanks, Rebecca.”
Sakura - 4000LP
Anarchist - 3200LP
“Aww!” Nina scoffs, “Did the little girl not like that little twist in the plot?”
“SHUT UP!!” Anarchist yells, picking herself off the ground (the creature shot was standing in front of her and knocked her over on it‘s death) “That had to be a fluke.“ she grumbled to herself, “No big loss. I can get back into this with a little…” (shoots another monster as it tries to get the drop on her) “…effort.”
A new creature moves up to cut Sakura off from walking down the corridor, but is stuck in the doorway it tried to come through to sneak attack Sakura (making it visible to Sakura in the progress). She easily shoots it and moves on.
Sakura glances about the corridor trying to find Anarchist as she does. Left, right, left, right, above her Nina and Rebecca glanced around the board nervously.
“I saw her somewhere on that side of the board.“ Nina called out from above, her voice booming as she did, “Watch it! She could be any--“
Suddenly the world goes bright as something plows into Sakura and knocks her over and over head over tails until she rolls into a wall and unconscious.
Nina - “SAKURA!!”
Rebecca - “Damn.”
Everything blacks out.
Anarchist - “Your turn, but I’m getting close to nailing you. That was only a distant shot, nowhere near as powerful as it could have been.”
* * * * * *
Tomoyo took the news rather well, for someone who started to frantically yell for Sakura to be found safe and sound. As she sat on the holo-suite’s bed she began to think back to when she told Sakura…
Flashback (Tomoyo)
“Your going on a business trip?” Sakura asked, cuddled in Tomoyo’s arms as they sat in the holochamber (set to a duplicate of New King Penguin Park at night), “It won’t be for long, and I’ll be back before you know it… and we can use this room to keep in touch in realtime, be together even over a great distance. That way it softens the blow of the trip a little bit.”
“I wish I could go with you.” Sakura whispered softly. “Somebody has to stay to get my studywork so I don’t fall behind.” Tomoyo announced, rubbing her cheek to Sakura’s cheek, “I wish I didn’t have to go, I hate to see you so depressed when I leave on these trips.”
As Tomoyo looks up at the sky above she holds Sakura a little tighter in her arms, “It’s been quite sometime since we swore our hearts to each other, and longer since the day you returned my love for you and we started to build our lives together. Yet still, despite the time that passed, it still kills me every time we have to separate even for a short time. I know I have to, but I can’t help missing you. I’m so happy. I love you so much I can’t bear being apart from you. But I had to go on this trip, and it was quite productive when I participated in the release of the Sakura movie in America--- (strange that it’s dream continent is named the same as the real thing).”
“Why the past tense?” Sakura asked.
Tomoyo - “Because it’s past for me already and I’m back in your arms. Going there tomorrow is just a formality, because I’m already by your side again and that’s what truly counts.”
End of Flashback (Tomoyo)
Eve & Keiko collapse on the bed. Tomoyo looks at them oddly. “Did I say that out loud?”
“What do you think?” Keiko grumbles under her breath, “Go on, make us feel like we’re invisible why dontcha---” (Keiko checks the monitoring station she set up on one side of the room to watch for Sakura) “Nina & Rebecca are still incommunicado, where are they---” (stops) “---they must be with Sakura, but what is she doing…”
Tomoyo suddenly gasps, “I remember where Sakura said she was going today!”
* * * * * *
Sakura slowly pulls herself back onto her feet, shaking the dust out of her head as she did. She stumbles into a room… then silence… then she exit’s the room and simply sits down crosslegged in the middle of the corridor, and waited. Anarchist stares in disbelief, pondering Sakura’s strategy. ‘Oh who am I kidding?’ she thinks to herself, ‘She’s just tired of getting her butt kicked about. There’s no real strategy here, dammit! She’s too thick skulled even now to be of much threat. Too easy.’
Shuffling feet signals that Anarchist was moving, but Sakura couldn’t see what’s going on. She sweats a little as she waits for the noise to stop before moving.
“Alright, fine then tough girl.’ Anarchist thought as she drew closer to Sakura, ’Let’s see what your playing.’ And with that she steps out in front of Sakura and aims to finish her.
* * * * * *
Keiko rolls one of the spare hover cycles off of the huge tech shuttle Nina keeps parked in the backyard of the Daidouji residence as Eve approaches her. “I called her school, and they said her practice ended quite sometime ago. Nina’s command center also stated that she & Eliza left sometime ago, but Eliza hasn‘t seen her since she went to Cherry Hill Temple. Also I checked with Trinity and she doesn’t know where Rena is.”
Keiko nods, “Then Tomoyo had it dead on. I’ll go over to the Cherry Hill Temple like Tomoyo recommended, they should be there now.”
Eve - “Should I call in Command Tokyo?”
Keiko shakes her head in the negative, “Not yet. Nina’s going to blow a gasket if we called this into her superiors.” (gets on hover cycle) “Let’s keep this under wraps for the time being until I find out what’s going on. I’ll keep in constant contact. Otherwise I’ll be right back ASAP.”
“Good luck---” Eve silently whispers as Keiko takes off out of the estates’ grounds and onto the streets, the cycles hover engines on full power.
* * * * * *
Sakura did not move, she simply stared at Anarchist without flinching.
“I thought you were supposed to be all that and here you are waiting for me to plug you!“ Anarchist complained, waving her gauntlet arm at her in a huff. “Come on, twitch or something! You can’t be tired already!!“ Silence. “Well? Say something!” Silence.
Finally Anarchist hisses once and aims at Sakura, “Forget it already! Just drop!”
Near point blank she shoots, and is too close to dodge as the shot reflects back and hits her fully, throwing her to the ground hard as “Sakura” shatters back into water.
“Screw you!” Nina cheers from the sideline. “SAKURA Do it! Waste her!!”
Sakura pokes her head out of the door and shoots, taking Anarchist point blank range and knocking the slowly rising woman down again hard.
Sakura walks over (over the loud booming protests of Nina) and holds her hand out to Anarchist, “Please, let’s not fight anymore. I just want to capture the---”
“SHUT UP!!” Anarchist screams, aiming her own gauntlet up towards Sakura’s head, “Give me one good reason not to cave your fricking head in damn you!!“ As Sakura watches her, she can only sigh. “Is it me---” Nina starts motioning towards the scene below, “---or is this all too unreal? I mean, Sakura’s suddenly all tough girl Rambo one minute then Pollyanna let’s all be friends the next. What’s up with that?”
“How the hell should I know.” Rebecca replies honestly, “What’s with you anyway, while I’m on the topic? You suddenly defending the Snoozer like that? I thought you hated her guts?”
Nina - “Eck. It’s a weird day so I figured why bother staying in character.”
Rebecca - “Oh.”
Anarchist fires point blank range, missing once again as Water springs forth and shields Sakura, bringing a rageful scream from the Assassin. “You cheated! That ring!! You don’t get the cards, I’m NOT giving them to you!!“ (fires again) “BITCH!! BITCH!! BI--“
To Sakura’s surprise, Big moves forward placing her hand on Anarchist, holding her down and stopping her attacks. “Goddess…” Anarchist cries, Big picking her up and bringing her close, “Help me Willow… please help me…”
‘---Big’s helping her?’ Sakura thinks to herself, ‘Could they be---’
“Wait! Time out! I want to talk about this!”
Everything stops.
* * * * * *
Maze returns Sakura and Anarchist to their normal sizes.
Sakura - “Your in love with Big aren’t you.”
Both Nina & Rebecca look over at the two in surprise. “But she’s so much bigger than her!” Nina cries out, “Are you serious?!?”
“So what?!” Anarchist screams out, turning to hold Big to herself (looking abit weird this smaller tough woman being hugged by this tall almost mystical looking being, seeming rather fragile next to her. “I’m the only one she really talks to. And she’s the only one who really wants to be with me, listen to me---”
Nina - “Oh please don’t say it, for god’s sake don’t say it.”
Anarchist - “Make love to me.” (Big blushes abit as she holds her smaller lover tightly, nodding her head in the affirmative)
“I SAID NOT TO SAY IT!!” Nina screams.
Sakura - “Pheew?”
Nina - “Phew? Is that all you can say?” (Nina huffs her annoyance at Sakura) “A minute ago you couldn’t stop being vocal but now it’s phew? Sheesh!”
Rebecca points at her head, “Eliza stopped talking to me in my earpiece.”
“WHAT?!?” (everyone falls over, but Nina is up first) “WHEN DID YOU FIND THE TIME---”
“Actually Eliza wanted me to tell her if they sold Fairy adult sex aides here so she could surprise Nina and I said probably not but I’ll check so she wired me for sound and---”
Nina - “Since when did Eliza wire YOU for sound?!?” (silence) “This is a shrine, not an adult novelty shop! They don’t sell---”
“Yes they do.” (Everyone looks over at Anarchist) “That’s why we were here--- lover girl here needed a little more lovin’ when we---”
Nina - “I SAID NOT TO TELL US THE BLOODY DETAILS!!!” Nina screams (again). “So Eliza’s been spying on this the whole time and you couldn’t say a word about it because…“ (silence) “…what.“
Rebecca - “It has a vidlink and she’s watching--- now she’s apologizing because she realizes Nina found out and she only wanted to get that special fairy lubricant--- now she’s yelling at me to shut up because she doesn’t want me to air their sex lives and--- OUCH!!” (pulls earpiece) “She yanked the plug! Ouch! The feedback shriek hurts!”
Nina - “I really don’t blame her for being pissed at you. Even I don‘t talk too much about our sex lives.” Nina laments, to which everyone does a group sigh.
Anarchist butts in, “I don’t care what you do with the others, but don’t seal Willow! I love her!” (Big tries to move towards Sakura but Anarchist holds onto her tight) “Don’t leave me alone--- don’t--- don’t---”
Sakura - “Willow?”
“It’s Winterian.” Rebecca points out to Sakura, “Big is a close approximation to the Winterian word “Willow”, or to be more precise, “Pu”---”
Nina - “DON’T FINISH THAT SENTENCE EITHER!!” (Nina) “I know what “Big” means in Winterian!! Don‘t say--”
Sakura - “I don’t. What does it---” (Nina/Rena) “ASK TOMOYO!!”
“----” Nina takes her stuff back and gives Sakura her key. She charges it up and regards the three. “Clow cards return to your power confined---” (Anarchist holds Big tighter, crying) “Maze card! Little card---” (stops, looking at the two) “Big card, return your power to me--- and be free.”
With that Sakura seals Big’s power, but leaves her intact. Big, smiling (and blushing a little) takes the smaller Cyberroid into her arms and holds her tight, rocking her tears away (her legs dangling in the larger woman’s arms).
“DAMMIT ANARCHIST! DON’T YOU DARE HURT--- her and--- oh for god’s sake is that Madison? What the hell is she doing?!?” (looks at the Cyberroid and former Clow card together) “---oh for crying out loud that’s disturbing to look at!”
Rebecca shakes her head, “I don’t get it.”
Nina shrugs, “I never took Maddy to be a closet macro-philia type--- think that’s what it’s called-- anyone know what’s the name for someone with a taste for large things. Large bods, breasts, legs and---”
“Don’t finish that sentence.” Keiko/Rebecca blandly hiss point blank at Nina.
* * * * * *
Sakura couldn’t get into Tomoyo’s arms fast enough.
As the two held each other, Sakura couldn’t help but feel abit ashamed for Tomoyo worrying about her. Upside everyone sits around (Keiko picked up takeout on the way home) and talks. “Guess I’m not the one then.” Madison (Anarchist) remarks, reaching over to touch Willow (Big)’s shoulder as she eats her first solid meal. “What do you mean?” Nina asked, “Your not the one what?”
“Guess I can tell you since everything turned out alright.” Madison (Anarchist) remarked, “When I first began to fall for Willow I sought the advice of a friend I knew who had this pipeline to the future thing or something (probably born in the 24th Century or something). Anyway, she told me someone with an unrequited love she could never fulfill would shape the destinies of all those touched by the cards. I thought that was a remark about me losing Willow, but since I didn’t lose her it’s obviously not me.”
Keiko falls into a deep thought process, “Shape the destinies of all those touched by the cards? What the heck does that mean.”
“Beats me.” Madison said offhandedly, “She was a little vague on the details (then again she’s always vague on the details). She did help me find Maze & Little though, and taught me about the Clow cards and then I--- well, you know the rest.”
Keiko - “You know what that means?”
“Sorry, Keiko,” (Eve shrugs) “Never heard of it before.”
Keiko - “Rebecca?”
Rebecca - “Do I look like a wandering fortune cookie to you? N-O, I don’t know what that means.”
Keiko - “Maybe someone else will know.”
Rebecca - “Yeah, whatever… somebody pass the soy sauce please.”
* * * * * *
The next day
Sakura’s school, the school library.
“Why are you laughing at me?” Ms. Mitsuki slaps Keiko on the back a few times as she laughs, “You NEVER ask me about the future before and now you do and even I don’t know what your talking about!”
Keiko - “Well that’s a first…” (stifles a few more laughs) “Your actually clueless about something… (if this wasn’t so dreadfully important I’d laugh more at your expense).”
“Whatever.” (Ms. Mitsuki pats Keiko on the head) “You’re a good girl. Sit. Stay. Stop that.” (then she leaves, Keiko facefaulting as she does) “Whattya think I am? A puppy? Cut that out damn you!!”
Eve - “So you didn’t find out anything?” (Eve steps in from the shadows) “You know I didn’t find out anything since you were standing there listening---” (sighs) “---she creeps me out. Always so cheery and manipulative and bouncy happy and scheming! It’s like a bad cross between a stereotypical bubbly anime girl and a Ferengi! Disturbing to say the least!”
Eve - “She manipulating?”
Keiko - “She’s not entirely honest and always has three cards up her sleeve, in a sense, so I say that if anything is a sure sign of manipulation if I ever saw one.”
Eve - “Still crossing your fingers and hoping for the best with this job, aren’t you. You haven’t changed one bit, Keiko.”
The two spin around, coming face to face with Catherine. “See you in class, Keiko.” Eve calls out as she leaves Keiko huffs her breath, “Speaking of people that creep me out---”
* * * * * *
Meanwhile, on the other side of the ocean.
Tomoyo finishes packing her bags and smiles, helping take them down to the limo.
“Miss Tomoyo? We’re taking down twice as many bags as we started with!”
Tomoyo nods her head as she packs the last bag, “I got some costumes from the Studio that they weren’t using anymore! I’m going to use them to make Sakura-chan a whole new set of costumes! She’s going to be so cute in the new designs I want to try out I can’t wait to get home and start making them!”
Her bodyguards sweat drops as the elevator doors close.
To Be Continued
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Sailor Moon Remastered Episode 3
The world was changing yet again.
The ruined city was surrounded by Winterian Frigates and Destroyers.Ground troops already controlled most of the city with only the main tower remaining.
The reign of darkness was over, but even as first dawn over the once corrupted city came over it's shattered landscape, it was not yet over.
"What would you do if every time you fell in love with someone you had to say good-bye?"
As the last shuttle prepared to depart, the architect of this darkness climbed into his escape craft, surveying what was once his. "Bitches." he grumbled, "Where did they all come from?"
As the shuttle lifted free from what was once his fortress, something quick moved towards the shuttle, leaping into the air to grab the open hatchway as it closed.
("What would you do if every time you wanted someone they would never be there?")
A hand grabbed his shoulder, pulling him back into the half open hatch, her face half bloodied, half gone revealing the shiny metallic endo skeleton beneath. She was a Cyberroid trooper, but more importantly she was his Cyberroid. Built to make his fun with his "girls" he held that much more pleasant, until she grew a damnable "conscience" and became his enemy. "NO YOU DON'T!!" she screamed, pulling at him, "NOT AGAIN!! NOT AGAIN!!"
As they struggled the building behind them fell away, two other shuttles departing from lower levels exploding as fighters strafed them, knocking them back into the shattered husk of the tower.
("What would you do if for every moment you were truly happy there would be 10 moments of sadness?")
She grabbed his clothes tight, and shoved backwards, pulling himself and her into the dark void, both falling away towards the dark Earth below. Seconds later three shots ripped through the hull of the shuttle blowing it apart into a million fiery pieces.
("What would you do if your best friend died tomorrow and you never got to tell them how you felt?")
"You bitch! We're going to die!!" he screamed, but if that was to shake her up or distress her it did no such thing. She simply stared at the ground far below and muttered to herself as it slowly rose towards them.
"I should be so lucky."
("What would you do if you loved someone more than anything else and you could never have them?")
He lashed out, catching her attention. With a mighty swing she backhanded him into the side of the tower, glass shattering as he hit the fractured surface of the once smooth abomination, his body bouncing off the glass over and over again cutting him open as it did. Yet, bloodied as he was, he managed to push back towards her fists swinging.
("Some people live and some people die.")
She caught his arms and they struggled, gripped in hate for the other, as they fell silently downwards with only the tinkle of broken glass and the whoosh of the wind accompanying them down.
("But I want to tell you I love you and you are a true friend...")
The ground sped up to them, and the last thing she thought before it hit was this--
("That I will always be here for you when and if you need me...")
"I'm sorry--"she thought, eyes downwards as the darkness rushed right at them.
("If I died tomorrow, you would be in my heart forever. Would I be in yours?")
Her last thought -- "Forgive me."
Silence and darkness. That was supposed to have been her end. Yet, five years later, she was still "alive".
As Makomi carefully brushed the few hairs from Grace's sleeping face, she wondered how she came to this. She had known Grace for four years, since the day she stopped the other girl from committing suicide. She had loved her for the longest time, yet only a few weeks ago have they become this intimate. Still, how this beautiful creature could love a girl with a machine's biodrive for a heart, a wetware organic computer system for a brain, and organic steel for bones didn't make sense to her.
But she couldn't live without Grace. She was her dawn, her sunlight, and her beautiful evening respite. She was everything to her, and she couldn't imagine life without her. Her "mama", her "papa", her beloved. They were her life, and she would do anything to protect them and her friends. Anything.
As she tried to fall back to sleep, she wondered if she would ever put her past behind her.
* * * * * *
That day everyone was to meet at the Tower, to discuss the day's events. Some were going because of what happened the day before.
Some were just going because Makoto was using the Tower's extensive kitchen and cooking help to whip up a masterpiece in dining and the thought of free food appealed to some, even though they were supposed to be there for work.
When Ami-chan called Makomi to remind her, she replied in the positive but -- "Something's come up, I might be a little late. What came up? Nothing much, just an appointment I have."
As she turned off her link, she followed a Drone unit, which in turn was following four young women.
* * * * * *
Pacifica Rim Hospital
The only thing Sakura could think of saying was that Fight should think about it.
While it was true that Sakura needed to seal Fight's power, she didn't want to do it for the wrong reasons. She wanted Fight's blessings, and if it meant waiting a little while longer she was prepared to do so. So it was in this state of mind that Sakura, Tomoyo and Eve went with Fight so she could speak to her significant other and come to a decision on this.
The hospital was beautiful. The huge sprawling complex that was the Pacifica Rim Hospital had three huge buildings, which were the medical complexes and patient recovery center. In the center of the three building complex was a giant park dubbed the Starlight Gardens, where patients and visitors alike took time to recover both physically and spiritually from what ailed them.
The patient recovery center was to one side of the huge park, and that's where Fight had to go. As the four crossed through the park, admiring the beautiful shade trees and lovely pond, Fight felt something was amiss. "Something's wrong." she said, eyes glancing about
nervously, "Something's not right."
Suddenly something sped past the edge of her eyesight, barely catching her attention. Before she could spin about she felt a sharp pain as something impacted into her back sending her crashing to her knees. A second blow knocks her side over side into the ground, stunned. As Sakura and Tomoyo rush to her aid, a man in dark black armor steps out into the light and regards the group. "So that's a Clow Card human." he said, glancing at her casually, "Not impressed."
Before Sakura could utter a single word the four of them found themselves surrounded by a half a dozen armored beings, each a perfect match for the first one that confronted them. "Assassin Guilder' Drones." Eve rasped, eyes glancing back and forth at the Drones as she knelt next to Sakura/Tomoyo to protect them. "You must be Scorpion Guild."
"I guess so--" the leader remarked idly, tapping the insignia of a scorpion on the left breastplate of his armor, "I am Decauter. With Ravage "dysfunctionally deactivated" that makes me the new head of the Guild doesn't it. But, to the point, assassination is not the goal here today--" (holds up hypo) "-- simply DNA extraction." (two of the Drone units hauls Fight up onto her feet, holding her tight) "I'd be very interested in seeing the kind of tightly wound DNA you have in your body. And then I'd like to see if any of that DNA rubbed off on your boy toy in the hospital--"
"Leave him be." Fight growled, struggling against her captors, but still dazed and stunned from the first attack, "Just take what you want and leave us alone."
"I wish it were that simple, but I'm supposed to bring you back and not let you go until we figured out what makes you tick--" (taps hypo) "--even if it leaves you in a rather-- unreturnable condition. But then--"
A soft, sand music fills the air. At this a thin smile forms across Decauter's face, though no one can see it as he's wearing his armor's helmet. "About time." quickly Decauter steps back surveying the landscape. "Everybody heads up, we have a "Sailor Trooper" in our midst."
"What--?" Fight groans, eyes narrowed as her rage built, the others glancing about. Eventually their gazes fall on a young woman in blue/green. Her hair short and blue, her clothes a mix of blue and green colors from the long coat, to the shirt and pants, with only
black boots and gloves to add accentuation to her wardrobe. In her hands she held a small shiny harmonica which she slowly played. Fight couldn't help but chuckle. If only her lover was here right now, because this so reminded her of her significant other's favorite old TV
Show (except for the instrument).
"So what does the Guild want with Clow Card DNA." she slowly challenged, eyes locked firmly on Decauter as she lowered her instrument from her lips. "Well, traitor, that just so happens to be for me to know and you never to find out. Maybe we'll just take her boy toy and leave her behind." he goaded, which stokedthe already raging fire in Fight's heart.
As Tomoyo and Sakura looked on, the two combatants braced themselves for battle. The drone troopers around them tensing for the blue haired woman to make the first move.
Movement was swift on both sides.
As Decauter drew his guns to fire at her, she leaped into the air over the gunfire slamming down into the nearest Drone unit knocking it over. She then spun about whipping her leg upwards to catch the second charging unit, snapping it about and into the ground hard.
Watching her move, Decauter tried to pace her step for step, guns at the ready. Every time he fired, she would get out of the way, rolling into a Drone while she was at it and taking it down. "Idiots!" Decauter screamed, "Damn drone units are never as good as the original once
they're cloned too far down the tech-line!"
Tomoyo looks over at Eve curiously, who smirks slightly, "Drone units are only good when their wetware is copied from the original. Clones made from Prime Drones aren't as "well-bred" as the Prime Drones culled from the original Assassin. I--" it turns, and is met with a sight that causes it to pause.
Fight pulls her arm back, eyes burning with rage, before she lashes out shattering the drone unit’s arm, snapping it loose from the Drone unit. She then spins about and proceeds to decapitate another Drone unit with one kick. Her fists shatter steel and armor, cloned flesh and metal bone. Her kicks rip and shatter. Her body moving swiftly yet in a terrible rage. Each move is light and fluidic, but filled with power which matches the anger boiling in the Clow girl. As the last of the drones fall to the wayside, Decauter examines it's options and decides retreat is better than cybernetic oblivion. It falls back, and escapes amidst the chaos.
Fight, on her knees, pummels her fists into another dead Drone unit, screaming until at last Sakura and Makomi drag the distraught Clow girl off, restraining her.
It takes her five minutes to recover, and suppress her anger.
* * * * * *
Leaving the girls in capable hands, Makomi barely makes it to the meet.Everyone is waiting for her at the Tower when she arrives, last to arrive in the huge dining room which dominates the 90th floor (beneath the command area above).
They were met by Captain Jack Lazarus, who was to represent the FreeWorld Alliance, whose officers manned and maintained the Tower's command and control centers. Next to him, on one side, the Raven Goddess stood with tool alteration kit at hand. On his opposite side stood a Judgment representing the Judgment Corps and the SpellThrashers.
"Before we begin the meal, which I have been informed is the only reason some of you showed up --" (all eyes turn towards Usagi and Haruka, who both glance off in no particular direction to avoid the glances) "We need to modify your transformation tools to power them up. So if each of you would present your tools?"
First was Rei, who handed her tool over to the Goddess. A minute later she was presented with -- "A ring?" she asked, holding the ring up. "The tool is in "rest" now. When you need it just focus on the ring and command it through your will to change back into it's transformation form. Go on, give it a whirl."
Rei looked down, and focused. Seconds later the ring changed shape into a small power stick with the Mars emblem at it's top. "That's it's true form. To transform simply yell "Mars Dreaming Power, Make Up". And it's just that simple."
Next was Usagi, who gave her old tool forward rather reluctantly. In a minute she had a brand new transformation amulet that clipped onto her schoolgirl uniform rather nicely. "Moon Dreaming Power, Make Up. And that's it."
After a minute of confusion, and a swap of tools (Ami & Mako each were carrying the other's transformation pen) they were presented with their rings. "Mercury Dreaming Power, Make Up. And Jupiter Dreaming Power, Make Up."
Minako, who was the most anxious to give up her tool, looked over the Goddess' shoulder the whole time making comments on the design, shape and ring stone. Finally the Goddess turned her new ring over, though it seems the Goddess couldn't turn the ring over fast enough. "Venus Dreaming Power, Make Up -- or do you want to change the words as well."
Minako, knowing she was just pushing her luck (at long last realizing this) simply shook her head and thanked the Goddess. That's when the meal started (and when Makomi entered, looking rather worn out.)
"Hard time?" Jack asked, to which she shook her head and sat down next to Ami. Jack nodded his head, and didn't push the subject anymore. Usagi, on the other hand, was curious. "Isn't she going to have her tool redone like us?"
"Her tool is already at its peak efficiency.” the Goddess admitted, There's no more I can do for it since it's already perfect."
Usagi grunted, going back to eating. Minako looked miffed while the rest ate on silently.
Eventually the conversation turned to the situation at hand.
From the center of a table a small holoprojector rose up, showing an image of Carnage. Jack Lazarus started the lecture, drawing everyone's attention to the image. "This is, of course, the Assassin Guilder you fought yesterday. Carnage, of the Raptor Guild. Or, to be more precise, one of Carnage's Prime Drone Units." (silence as he regarded the image)
"From the remains we've determined that this particular Prime Drone was reported destroyed sometime ago."
"How did you find that out?" Michiru asked, to which he replied "It was reported to us by the Guilds. One of the agreements between the Alliance and the Guilds is that they keep us "in the loop" when one of their own (human or Prime Drone) is terminated. That way we keep count of the bodies, so to speak, and try to insure they are in fact dead and haven't gone to ground for some insidious reason -- like this Drone had apparently done so it seems." (silence) "Who has been keeping an eye on the news as of late? Watching the slow increase in Assassin Guilder attacks on seemingly random non-target/innocents? What if I was to say
that there is a pattern to the madness?"
"What?" Rei said, intently listening while mildly chewing on her food.
"All the attacks have been directed towards girls of 16-17 years of age, who all resemble these girls--" (image flashes on screen) "Clow Card females. The latest attack on her at the hospital only confirms our suspicions. They went straight for Fight, tried to capture her.
Similar incidents were reported in a kidnapping attempt on a girl that resembled Umi (Water) and Dawn (Light)."
"But that's strange, isn't it?" Ami pointed it, attention focused, "All these attacks on girls resembling Clow Card girls? Why? What's the connection?"
The Judgment next to Jack hands him a batch of files as he speaks, "If you were a SpellThrasher you'd know the connection already." he then hands out the files speaking as he does. "For awhile now the SpellThrashers have been on high alert, monitoring Clow Card females for sometime watching for anyone trying to "recruit" them."
"Recruit them for what?" (Haruka)
"Unknown. Originally we thought it would be in regard to an “incident“ codenamed “CLAMP SCHOOL“ but that incident had passed." Jack said, turning his gaze backwards out the window towards the skyline. “So now we’re just left with an interest that doesn’t seem to explain itself.”
“CLAMP School?" (Makoto)
"CLAMP School. Or, to be more precise the “world“ called CLAMP School… gone now, don‘t know why… probably something that happened in the “past“ which rewrote history. Whatever it was we‘re here with a missing CLAMP School and I bet it‘s just as well that it‘s gone.”(Jack)
"So where do we go from here?" (Makomi)
"This means we have to find out who is trying to "recruit" these girls and why." Minako concluded, confident in her answer which drew a positive nod from Jack. "She's right. Whatever is done next it has to be to uncover the architect behind this plot -- but who? We never found out who it was the first time, so we have nothing to base a theory as to who it is this time out."
Usagi, eating away, nodded her head again, without stopping. Rei sighs as she watches, "What do I ever see in you anyway--"
The Judgment, Keiko, sighs as she focuses on her own food.
* * * * * *
The Tower (Level 97-Command Level)
The huge circular command center, almost empty except for one person, hums quietly as AI systems monitor activity within and without of Tokyo city limits for any sign of Clow Card or Assassin Guilder activity. But for the person working late into the night, another task is set before them.
As Jack works on one of the terminals a familiar voice catches his attention. "Working late I see."
He turns, and regards the visitor with a slight smile on his face. "Michiru would be quite annoyed to know you like to sneak around in the dead on night for mysterious rendezvous with men."
"What are you working on?" Haruka asked, not minding his banter with her since she knew he wasn't at all serious about it. He turned and motioned towards the board, "This used to be Infinity Bank in your Earth, but here it's the Trinity Bay Project. It's called that because
of the three "sectors" of Tech-Noir construction on each corner (Tech-Noir being the term coined in relation to the construction and laying of artificial tech ground "foundation" for buildings which was perfected by the Winterians)."
"The three corners, clockwise, envelope the three "Goddesses" of Winterian folklore. The Goddess of Creation to the north, the Goddess of War to the West and the Goddess of the Heart to the East. Each "sector" bears the emblem of each goddess, with the center being the Winterian sign of the Trinity, the joining of the three goddesses as one."
As Haruka watches, Jack brings a closer view of the "city". "It's a self sustaining micro-city within a city, complete with office buildings, residential and shopping districts, a park and a school infrastructure. The center of the complex is the Trinity Sector, the center point of the three goddesses, their "joining point" as it were. This is where the Trinity Towers is, a set of four office buildings, one to each corner in conjunction to a sector, and a center one which encompasses the traits of all three. Here, let me draw a closer look at that sector, it's where we're going tomorrow."
"Why?" Haruka asked, watching the images as they narrowed and closed in on the center. "That's where the Guild has its offices. Here--" (points out the four buildings) "The North Tower is real estate, construction, GalacticWeb site building, anything which concerns with
"creation" of one type or another. The West Tower belongs to the FreeWorld Alliance and is the Alliance's equivalent of the Pentagon (one of a dozen "Pentagon" type command structures on Terra) which conforms to the Goddess of War. The East Tower deals with matters of the Heart in line with the Goddess of the East. The center is a mix of these. Here --" (points at center building as it zooms in closer) "--is a major Assassin Guild base of operations. Their central check-in point for incomings from off planet. This is where they're given assignments, and where we'll find Guild reps who'll explain why these Assassin Prime
Droids are giving us so much grief."
Haruka stifles a yawn, and turns to leave. "Rei's right, you really do talk too much."
"Hmph." Jack mutters, waving her off (knowing full well that she's just joking with him), "Go to bed before Michiru blames us for keeping you up past your bedtime -- again."
"Wouldn't want that." Haruka retorts, allowing the lift doors to close behind her.
As Jack looks over the holoimage of the central tower he can't help but think that there's more to this than meets the eye -- something more to this, but what?
* * * * * *
"One down." Holocaust sighs, leaning back in his chair in the conference area, looking over the others who came to the meeting. "We shouldn't be so hasty that it leads to premature termination without yielding any results." he remarks, turning his attention to Decauter.
"That is completely my fault that the attempt was a failure. I'll do better next time."
"Wait." Holocaust whispers, deep in thought for a few seconds before raising his voice (and hand) "Maybe we need to rethink our plan. We know who we need to keep occupied while we do our job, the Sailor Soldiers, the Judgments, and now this Trooper Mercury -- I'm giving you all new assignments."
Everyone leans forward to listen as Holocaust lays out his plan. "I want you to keep all opposing parties at bay, while the extraction teams switch from retrieval, to simple DNA collection. We'll let the cloners handle the rest once we require sufficient DNA to start making suitable "copies" for our use. Meanwhile there's still the matter of the 101."
As he turns towards the huge windows looking out over the dark oceanscape about them, he pulls his tesseract sphere out of his pocket. "So far we have only 1 of the required 101 damned souls sent and recorded paid. We need 100 more impure souls of the damned to finish the payment in full, and gain what was promised us. To this end I want you all to be on the lookout for any beings that match this "status". Even if it means departing from a pre-set mission it is vital that we gather the remaining 100 "Credits" and complete the payment as set forth in the covenant." (silence reigns for a few seconds as everyone in the room and monitoring from another part of the mobile fortress considers the possibilities) "Keep the opposition occupied, but if the chance arises then terminate the damned. 100 more dead and we'll gain what we need to continue to survive in the world that is."
As the meeting breaks up, Holocaust turns to watch the sun rise, and Tokyo slowly begin to appear in the distance as the cloaked Fortress ship arrives at it's destination.
* * * * * *
And so, the Sailor Soldiers arrive at the Trinity Towers.
However, not all of them were there.
"Makomi isn't here." Rei noted, taking a look about. "I don't see anything out of the ordinary. The buildings have no strange auras or sense of power coming from them."
"But they don't have the density of normal space either." Ami notes in turn, "The one in the center is most out of place. It's distorted in a strange way somehow."
Makoto looks about, a curious expression on her face. "The wind is too smooth. Flows too easily. Something's up."
"That's because the entire complex is made to be aerodynamically sound from what I heard."
Everyone spins about and comes face to face with an armored male, no doubt an Assassin Guilder. "The Winterians built these pre-fab tech cities with the ability to launch into the air in case the city came under attack. So this entire "micro-city" has good aerodynamics for
atmospheric maneuvering if need be. Now--" (motions to the building) "We got the call this morning that you were coming, so if you would come with me? I'll--"
Suddenly he stops, and turns back towards his rather reluctant “guests” "This isn't a trap if that's what your concerned about. The 7th Judgment arranged this so I want to assure you it's all on the up and up. I even have this--" (holds up datapad) "--to confirm that she made the arrangements. We have nothing to hide, but if your uncertain of our motives I can call for our reps to come down here and explain the situation to you."
Left with little option, they agree to a face to face meeting outside.
* * * * * *
Hotaru seemed as reluctant to ride the coasters now as a young adult as she was when she was "Little Hotaru", but with two energetic and hard to say no personalities as ChibiUsa and Cloud (her new friend she met a few days ago at the mall) staring her in the face she had no option but to go. ChibiUsa was having the time of her life. Hotaru seemed to scream a lot, but only because she was getting into the fun of coasters after a few rides. Cloud seemed to cover her eyes half the time, only to peek through them.
As they took a break, Hotaru glanced over at ChibiUsa and asked the obvious question, "You love roller coasters, don’t you?"
ChibiUsa, drinking a bit of her drink, smiled a big wide goofy smile. "Isn’t it a blast?“
“I guess.“ Hotaru said, not very convincingly. She was not very good with tall vertical drops. Somehow I just think it's unnatural to drop a human at that rate of speed straight down at the ground. It makes her worry about all the things that could go wrong, quickly making her her own worst enemy. With a silent sigh she whispers "Sorry if I'm a major wet blanket on your fun. You shouldn't have to hang around an old woman at your age."
"Hmph. Who’s the old one here?" ChibiUsa spat out, blushing at the way Hotaru ridiculed herself, calling herself an "old woman". "I don't think your old at all, at least not compared to me! I‘m old!"
"You’re only 1000 years old.“ Hotaru giggled, “…well, I guess that is abit old… I should be glad you like your lovers “young” then…“ (barely dodges ChibiUsa’s fist swung in mock anger) “Don’t make fun of me!“ she roars, overswinging abit and nearly stumbling into Hotaru as she swings. Recovering quickly, she remarked point blank “I don‘t think “old“ counts between us considering our histories.” drawing another long pull of her drink as they walked the park.
"You’re the youngest looking little old lady I ever fell in love with.“ Hotaru chided, gaining a most askew expression from ChibiUsa for her remark. “You’re rather snipey today.”
Hotaru turns and smiles, "I'm just glad I could spend the day with you, ChibiUsa, that‘s all."
"Really? Me?" she said, looking a bit fidgety. "That’s sweet of you.“
ChibiUsa puts her fingers under Hotaru's chin, nudging the gaze of the taller woman down towards her level, "Hotaru, there's something I need to ask you if you don‘t mind--"
Suddenly she felt ChibiUsa grasp her hand, squeezing it tightly, a bright warming smile across her face as she gave ChibiUsa a quick wink of reassurance to get her to talking about what she wanted to talk about. Suddenly a strong gust of wind whipped past the two, and snatched ChibiUsa‘s hat off of her head. "--?--" Hotaru's mind blanked, her mind going a mile a minute along with the hat as it flew away. Suddenly ChibiUsa reached up, realized it was gone, and they were off to the races after it. What was going on? They were suddenly caught up in chasing a hat when ChibiUsa so wanted to talk to her about something.
Well, she sighed, they’ll be able to talk about it soon enough… once ChibiUsa caught up with her hat that is.
To Be Continued
The ruined city was surrounded by Winterian Frigates and Destroyers.Ground troops already controlled most of the city with only the main tower remaining.
The reign of darkness was over, but even as first dawn over the once corrupted city came over it's shattered landscape, it was not yet over.
"What would you do if every time you fell in love with someone you had to say good-bye?"
As the last shuttle prepared to depart, the architect of this darkness climbed into his escape craft, surveying what was once his. "Bitches." he grumbled, "Where did they all come from?"
As the shuttle lifted free from what was once his fortress, something quick moved towards the shuttle, leaping into the air to grab the open hatchway as it closed.
("What would you do if every time you wanted someone they would never be there?")
A hand grabbed his shoulder, pulling him back into the half open hatch, her face half bloodied, half gone revealing the shiny metallic endo skeleton beneath. She was a Cyberroid trooper, but more importantly she was his Cyberroid. Built to make his fun with his "girls" he held that much more pleasant, until she grew a damnable "conscience" and became his enemy. "NO YOU DON'T!!" she screamed, pulling at him, "NOT AGAIN!! NOT AGAIN!!"
As they struggled the building behind them fell away, two other shuttles departing from lower levels exploding as fighters strafed them, knocking them back into the shattered husk of the tower.
("What would you do if for every moment you were truly happy there would be 10 moments of sadness?")
She grabbed his clothes tight, and shoved backwards, pulling himself and her into the dark void, both falling away towards the dark Earth below. Seconds later three shots ripped through the hull of the shuttle blowing it apart into a million fiery pieces.
("What would you do if your best friend died tomorrow and you never got to tell them how you felt?")
"You bitch! We're going to die!!" he screamed, but if that was to shake her up or distress her it did no such thing. She simply stared at the ground far below and muttered to herself as it slowly rose towards them.
"I should be so lucky."
("What would you do if you loved someone more than anything else and you could never have them?")
He lashed out, catching her attention. With a mighty swing she backhanded him into the side of the tower, glass shattering as he hit the fractured surface of the once smooth abomination, his body bouncing off the glass over and over again cutting him open as it did. Yet, bloodied as he was, he managed to push back towards her fists swinging.
("Some people live and some people die.")
She caught his arms and they struggled, gripped in hate for the other, as they fell silently downwards with only the tinkle of broken glass and the whoosh of the wind accompanying them down.
("But I want to tell you I love you and you are a true friend...")
The ground sped up to them, and the last thing she thought before it hit was this--
("That I will always be here for you when and if you need me...")
"I'm sorry--"she thought, eyes downwards as the darkness rushed right at them.
("If I died tomorrow, you would be in my heart forever. Would I be in yours?")
Her last thought -- "Forgive me."
Silence and darkness. That was supposed to have been her end. Yet, five years later, she was still "alive".
As Makomi carefully brushed the few hairs from Grace's sleeping face, she wondered how she came to this. She had known Grace for four years, since the day she stopped the other girl from committing suicide. She had loved her for the longest time, yet only a few weeks ago have they become this intimate. Still, how this beautiful creature could love a girl with a machine's biodrive for a heart, a wetware organic computer system for a brain, and organic steel for bones didn't make sense to her.
But she couldn't live without Grace. She was her dawn, her sunlight, and her beautiful evening respite. She was everything to her, and she couldn't imagine life without her. Her "mama", her "papa", her beloved. They were her life, and she would do anything to protect them and her friends. Anything.
As she tried to fall back to sleep, she wondered if she would ever put her past behind her.
* * * * * *
That day everyone was to meet at the Tower, to discuss the day's events. Some were going because of what happened the day before.
Some were just going because Makoto was using the Tower's extensive kitchen and cooking help to whip up a masterpiece in dining and the thought of free food appealed to some, even though they were supposed to be there for work.
When Ami-chan called Makomi to remind her, she replied in the positive but -- "Something's come up, I might be a little late. What came up? Nothing much, just an appointment I have."
As she turned off her link, she followed a Drone unit, which in turn was following four young women.
* * * * * *
Pacifica Rim Hospital
The only thing Sakura could think of saying was that Fight should think about it.
While it was true that Sakura needed to seal Fight's power, she didn't want to do it for the wrong reasons. She wanted Fight's blessings, and if it meant waiting a little while longer she was prepared to do so. So it was in this state of mind that Sakura, Tomoyo and Eve went with Fight so she could speak to her significant other and come to a decision on this.
The hospital was beautiful. The huge sprawling complex that was the Pacifica Rim Hospital had three huge buildings, which were the medical complexes and patient recovery center. In the center of the three building complex was a giant park dubbed the Starlight Gardens, where patients and visitors alike took time to recover both physically and spiritually from what ailed them.
The patient recovery center was to one side of the huge park, and that's where Fight had to go. As the four crossed through the park, admiring the beautiful shade trees and lovely pond, Fight felt something was amiss. "Something's wrong." she said, eyes glancing about
nervously, "Something's not right."
Suddenly something sped past the edge of her eyesight, barely catching her attention. Before she could spin about she felt a sharp pain as something impacted into her back sending her crashing to her knees. A second blow knocks her side over side into the ground, stunned. As Sakura and Tomoyo rush to her aid, a man in dark black armor steps out into the light and regards the group. "So that's a Clow Card human." he said, glancing at her casually, "Not impressed."
Before Sakura could utter a single word the four of them found themselves surrounded by a half a dozen armored beings, each a perfect match for the first one that confronted them. "Assassin Guilder' Drones." Eve rasped, eyes glancing back and forth at the Drones as she knelt next to Sakura/Tomoyo to protect them. "You must be Scorpion Guild."
"I guess so--" the leader remarked idly, tapping the insignia of a scorpion on the left breastplate of his armor, "I am Decauter. With Ravage "dysfunctionally deactivated" that makes me the new head of the Guild doesn't it. But, to the point, assassination is not the goal here today--" (holds up hypo) "-- simply DNA extraction." (two of the Drone units hauls Fight up onto her feet, holding her tight) "I'd be very interested in seeing the kind of tightly wound DNA you have in your body. And then I'd like to see if any of that DNA rubbed off on your boy toy in the hospital--"
"Leave him be." Fight growled, struggling against her captors, but still dazed and stunned from the first attack, "Just take what you want and leave us alone."
"I wish it were that simple, but I'm supposed to bring you back and not let you go until we figured out what makes you tick--" (taps hypo) "--even if it leaves you in a rather-- unreturnable condition. But then--"
A soft, sand music fills the air. At this a thin smile forms across Decauter's face, though no one can see it as he's wearing his armor's helmet. "About time." quickly Decauter steps back surveying the landscape. "Everybody heads up, we have a "Sailor Trooper" in our midst."
"What--?" Fight groans, eyes narrowed as her rage built, the others glancing about. Eventually their gazes fall on a young woman in blue/green. Her hair short and blue, her clothes a mix of blue and green colors from the long coat, to the shirt and pants, with only
black boots and gloves to add accentuation to her wardrobe. In her hands she held a small shiny harmonica which she slowly played. Fight couldn't help but chuckle. If only her lover was here right now, because this so reminded her of her significant other's favorite old TV
Show (except for the instrument).
"So what does the Guild want with Clow Card DNA." she slowly challenged, eyes locked firmly on Decauter as she lowered her instrument from her lips. "Well, traitor, that just so happens to be for me to know and you never to find out. Maybe we'll just take her boy toy and leave her behind." he goaded, which stokedthe already raging fire in Fight's heart.
As Tomoyo and Sakura looked on, the two combatants braced themselves for battle. The drone troopers around them tensing for the blue haired woman to make the first move.
Movement was swift on both sides.
As Decauter drew his guns to fire at her, she leaped into the air over the gunfire slamming down into the nearest Drone unit knocking it over. She then spun about whipping her leg upwards to catch the second charging unit, snapping it about and into the ground hard.
Watching her move, Decauter tried to pace her step for step, guns at the ready. Every time he fired, she would get out of the way, rolling into a Drone while she was at it and taking it down. "Idiots!" Decauter screamed, "Damn drone units are never as good as the original once
they're cloned too far down the tech-line!"
Tomoyo looks over at Eve curiously, who smirks slightly, "Drone units are only good when their wetware is copied from the original. Clones made from Prime Drones aren't as "well-bred" as the Prime Drones culled from the original Assassin. I--" it turns, and is met with a sight that causes it to pause.
Fight pulls her arm back, eyes burning with rage, before she lashes out shattering the drone unit’s arm, snapping it loose from the Drone unit. She then spins about and proceeds to decapitate another Drone unit with one kick. Her fists shatter steel and armor, cloned flesh and metal bone. Her kicks rip and shatter. Her body moving swiftly yet in a terrible rage. Each move is light and fluidic, but filled with power which matches the anger boiling in the Clow girl. As the last of the drones fall to the wayside, Decauter examines it's options and decides retreat is better than cybernetic oblivion. It falls back, and escapes amidst the chaos.
Fight, on her knees, pummels her fists into another dead Drone unit, screaming until at last Sakura and Makomi drag the distraught Clow girl off, restraining her.
It takes her five minutes to recover, and suppress her anger.
* * * * * *
Leaving the girls in capable hands, Makomi barely makes it to the meet.Everyone is waiting for her at the Tower when she arrives, last to arrive in the huge dining room which dominates the 90th floor (beneath the command area above).
They were met by Captain Jack Lazarus, who was to represent the FreeWorld Alliance, whose officers manned and maintained the Tower's command and control centers. Next to him, on one side, the Raven Goddess stood with tool alteration kit at hand. On his opposite side stood a Judgment representing the Judgment Corps and the SpellThrashers.
"Before we begin the meal, which I have been informed is the only reason some of you showed up --" (all eyes turn towards Usagi and Haruka, who both glance off in no particular direction to avoid the glances) "We need to modify your transformation tools to power them up. So if each of you would present your tools?"
First was Rei, who handed her tool over to the Goddess. A minute later she was presented with -- "A ring?" she asked, holding the ring up. "The tool is in "rest" now. When you need it just focus on the ring and command it through your will to change back into it's transformation form. Go on, give it a whirl."
Rei looked down, and focused. Seconds later the ring changed shape into a small power stick with the Mars emblem at it's top. "That's it's true form. To transform simply yell "Mars Dreaming Power, Make Up". And it's just that simple."
Next was Usagi, who gave her old tool forward rather reluctantly. In a minute she had a brand new transformation amulet that clipped onto her schoolgirl uniform rather nicely. "Moon Dreaming Power, Make Up. And that's it."
After a minute of confusion, and a swap of tools (Ami & Mako each were carrying the other's transformation pen) they were presented with their rings. "Mercury Dreaming Power, Make Up. And Jupiter Dreaming Power, Make Up."
Minako, who was the most anxious to give up her tool, looked over the Goddess' shoulder the whole time making comments on the design, shape and ring stone. Finally the Goddess turned her new ring over, though it seems the Goddess couldn't turn the ring over fast enough. "Venus Dreaming Power, Make Up -- or do you want to change the words as well."
Minako, knowing she was just pushing her luck (at long last realizing this) simply shook her head and thanked the Goddess. That's when the meal started (and when Makomi entered, looking rather worn out.)
"Hard time?" Jack asked, to which she shook her head and sat down next to Ami. Jack nodded his head, and didn't push the subject anymore. Usagi, on the other hand, was curious. "Isn't she going to have her tool redone like us?"
"Her tool is already at its peak efficiency.” the Goddess admitted, There's no more I can do for it since it's already perfect."
Usagi grunted, going back to eating. Minako looked miffed while the rest ate on silently.
Eventually the conversation turned to the situation at hand.
From the center of a table a small holoprojector rose up, showing an image of Carnage. Jack Lazarus started the lecture, drawing everyone's attention to the image. "This is, of course, the Assassin Guilder you fought yesterday. Carnage, of the Raptor Guild. Or, to be more precise, one of Carnage's Prime Drone Units." (silence as he regarded the image)
"From the remains we've determined that this particular Prime Drone was reported destroyed sometime ago."
"How did you find that out?" Michiru asked, to which he replied "It was reported to us by the Guilds. One of the agreements between the Alliance and the Guilds is that they keep us "in the loop" when one of their own (human or Prime Drone) is terminated. That way we keep count of the bodies, so to speak, and try to insure they are in fact dead and haven't gone to ground for some insidious reason -- like this Drone had apparently done so it seems." (silence) "Who has been keeping an eye on the news as of late? Watching the slow increase in Assassin Guilder attacks on seemingly random non-target/innocents? What if I was to say
that there is a pattern to the madness?"
"What?" Rei said, intently listening while mildly chewing on her food.
"All the attacks have been directed towards girls of 16-17 years of age, who all resemble these girls--" (image flashes on screen) "Clow Card females. The latest attack on her at the hospital only confirms our suspicions. They went straight for Fight, tried to capture her.
Similar incidents were reported in a kidnapping attempt on a girl that resembled Umi (Water) and Dawn (Light)."
"But that's strange, isn't it?" Ami pointed it, attention focused, "All these attacks on girls resembling Clow Card girls? Why? What's the connection?"
The Judgment next to Jack hands him a batch of files as he speaks, "If you were a SpellThrasher you'd know the connection already." he then hands out the files speaking as he does. "For awhile now the SpellThrashers have been on high alert, monitoring Clow Card females for sometime watching for anyone trying to "recruit" them."
"Recruit them for what?" (Haruka)
"Unknown. Originally we thought it would be in regard to an “incident“ codenamed “CLAMP SCHOOL“ but that incident had passed." Jack said, turning his gaze backwards out the window towards the skyline. “So now we’re just left with an interest that doesn’t seem to explain itself.”
“CLAMP School?" (Makoto)
"CLAMP School. Or, to be more precise the “world“ called CLAMP School… gone now, don‘t know why… probably something that happened in the “past“ which rewrote history. Whatever it was we‘re here with a missing CLAMP School and I bet it‘s just as well that it‘s gone.”(Jack)
"So where do we go from here?" (Makomi)
"This means we have to find out who is trying to "recruit" these girls and why." Minako concluded, confident in her answer which drew a positive nod from Jack. "She's right. Whatever is done next it has to be to uncover the architect behind this plot -- but who? We never found out who it was the first time, so we have nothing to base a theory as to who it is this time out."
Usagi, eating away, nodded her head again, without stopping. Rei sighs as she watches, "What do I ever see in you anyway--"
The Judgment, Keiko, sighs as she focuses on her own food.
* * * * * *
The Tower (Level 97-Command Level)
The huge circular command center, almost empty except for one person, hums quietly as AI systems monitor activity within and without of Tokyo city limits for any sign of Clow Card or Assassin Guilder activity. But for the person working late into the night, another task is set before them.
As Jack works on one of the terminals a familiar voice catches his attention. "Working late I see."
He turns, and regards the visitor with a slight smile on his face. "Michiru would be quite annoyed to know you like to sneak around in the dead on night for mysterious rendezvous with men."
"What are you working on?" Haruka asked, not minding his banter with her since she knew he wasn't at all serious about it. He turned and motioned towards the board, "This used to be Infinity Bank in your Earth, but here it's the Trinity Bay Project. It's called that because
of the three "sectors" of Tech-Noir construction on each corner (Tech-Noir being the term coined in relation to the construction and laying of artificial tech ground "foundation" for buildings which was perfected by the Winterians)."
"The three corners, clockwise, envelope the three "Goddesses" of Winterian folklore. The Goddess of Creation to the north, the Goddess of War to the West and the Goddess of the Heart to the East. Each "sector" bears the emblem of each goddess, with the center being the Winterian sign of the Trinity, the joining of the three goddesses as one."
As Haruka watches, Jack brings a closer view of the "city". "It's a self sustaining micro-city within a city, complete with office buildings, residential and shopping districts, a park and a school infrastructure. The center of the complex is the Trinity Sector, the center point of the three goddesses, their "joining point" as it were. This is where the Trinity Towers is, a set of four office buildings, one to each corner in conjunction to a sector, and a center one which encompasses the traits of all three. Here, let me draw a closer look at that sector, it's where we're going tomorrow."
"Why?" Haruka asked, watching the images as they narrowed and closed in on the center. "That's where the Guild has its offices. Here--" (points out the four buildings) "The North Tower is real estate, construction, GalacticWeb site building, anything which concerns with
"creation" of one type or another. The West Tower belongs to the FreeWorld Alliance and is the Alliance's equivalent of the Pentagon (one of a dozen "Pentagon" type command structures on Terra) which conforms to the Goddess of War. The East Tower deals with matters of the Heart in line with the Goddess of the East. The center is a mix of these. Here --" (points at center building as it zooms in closer) "--is a major Assassin Guild base of operations. Their central check-in point for incomings from off planet. This is where they're given assignments, and where we'll find Guild reps who'll explain why these Assassin Prime
Droids are giving us so much grief."
Haruka stifles a yawn, and turns to leave. "Rei's right, you really do talk too much."
"Hmph." Jack mutters, waving her off (knowing full well that she's just joking with him), "Go to bed before Michiru blames us for keeping you up past your bedtime -- again."
"Wouldn't want that." Haruka retorts, allowing the lift doors to close behind her.
As Jack looks over the holoimage of the central tower he can't help but think that there's more to this than meets the eye -- something more to this, but what?
* * * * * *
"One down." Holocaust sighs, leaning back in his chair in the conference area, looking over the others who came to the meeting. "We shouldn't be so hasty that it leads to premature termination without yielding any results." he remarks, turning his attention to Decauter.
"That is completely my fault that the attempt was a failure. I'll do better next time."
"Wait." Holocaust whispers, deep in thought for a few seconds before raising his voice (and hand) "Maybe we need to rethink our plan. We know who we need to keep occupied while we do our job, the Sailor Soldiers, the Judgments, and now this Trooper Mercury -- I'm giving you all new assignments."
Everyone leans forward to listen as Holocaust lays out his plan. "I want you to keep all opposing parties at bay, while the extraction teams switch from retrieval, to simple DNA collection. We'll let the cloners handle the rest once we require sufficient DNA to start making suitable "copies" for our use. Meanwhile there's still the matter of the 101."
As he turns towards the huge windows looking out over the dark oceanscape about them, he pulls his tesseract sphere out of his pocket. "So far we have only 1 of the required 101 damned souls sent and recorded paid. We need 100 more impure souls of the damned to finish the payment in full, and gain what was promised us. To this end I want you all to be on the lookout for any beings that match this "status". Even if it means departing from a pre-set mission it is vital that we gather the remaining 100 "Credits" and complete the payment as set forth in the covenant." (silence reigns for a few seconds as everyone in the room and monitoring from another part of the mobile fortress considers the possibilities) "Keep the opposition occupied, but if the chance arises then terminate the damned. 100 more dead and we'll gain what we need to continue to survive in the world that is."
As the meeting breaks up, Holocaust turns to watch the sun rise, and Tokyo slowly begin to appear in the distance as the cloaked Fortress ship arrives at it's destination.
* * * * * *
And so, the Sailor Soldiers arrive at the Trinity Towers.
However, not all of them were there.
"Makomi isn't here." Rei noted, taking a look about. "I don't see anything out of the ordinary. The buildings have no strange auras or sense of power coming from them."
"But they don't have the density of normal space either." Ami notes in turn, "The one in the center is most out of place. It's distorted in a strange way somehow."
Makoto looks about, a curious expression on her face. "The wind is too smooth. Flows too easily. Something's up."
"That's because the entire complex is made to be aerodynamically sound from what I heard."
Everyone spins about and comes face to face with an armored male, no doubt an Assassin Guilder. "The Winterians built these pre-fab tech cities with the ability to launch into the air in case the city came under attack. So this entire "micro-city" has good aerodynamics for
atmospheric maneuvering if need be. Now--" (motions to the building) "We got the call this morning that you were coming, so if you would come with me? I'll--"
Suddenly he stops, and turns back towards his rather reluctant “guests” "This isn't a trap if that's what your concerned about. The 7th Judgment arranged this so I want to assure you it's all on the up and up. I even have this--" (holds up datapad) "--to confirm that she made the arrangements. We have nothing to hide, but if your uncertain of our motives I can call for our reps to come down here and explain the situation to you."
Left with little option, they agree to a face to face meeting outside.
* * * * * *
Hotaru seemed as reluctant to ride the coasters now as a young adult as she was when she was "Little Hotaru", but with two energetic and hard to say no personalities as ChibiUsa and Cloud (her new friend she met a few days ago at the mall) staring her in the face she had no option but to go. ChibiUsa was having the time of her life. Hotaru seemed to scream a lot, but only because she was getting into the fun of coasters after a few rides. Cloud seemed to cover her eyes half the time, only to peek through them.
As they took a break, Hotaru glanced over at ChibiUsa and asked the obvious question, "You love roller coasters, don’t you?"
ChibiUsa, drinking a bit of her drink, smiled a big wide goofy smile. "Isn’t it a blast?“
“I guess.“ Hotaru said, not very convincingly. She was not very good with tall vertical drops. Somehow I just think it's unnatural to drop a human at that rate of speed straight down at the ground. It makes her worry about all the things that could go wrong, quickly making her her own worst enemy. With a silent sigh she whispers "Sorry if I'm a major wet blanket on your fun. You shouldn't have to hang around an old woman at your age."
"Hmph. Who’s the old one here?" ChibiUsa spat out, blushing at the way Hotaru ridiculed herself, calling herself an "old woman". "I don't think your old at all, at least not compared to me! I‘m old!"
"You’re only 1000 years old.“ Hotaru giggled, “…well, I guess that is abit old… I should be glad you like your lovers “young” then…“ (barely dodges ChibiUsa’s fist swung in mock anger) “Don’t make fun of me!“ she roars, overswinging abit and nearly stumbling into Hotaru as she swings. Recovering quickly, she remarked point blank “I don‘t think “old“ counts between us considering our histories.” drawing another long pull of her drink as they walked the park.
"You’re the youngest looking little old lady I ever fell in love with.“ Hotaru chided, gaining a most askew expression from ChibiUsa for her remark. “You’re rather snipey today.”
Hotaru turns and smiles, "I'm just glad I could spend the day with you, ChibiUsa, that‘s all."
"Really? Me?" she said, looking a bit fidgety. "That’s sweet of you.“
ChibiUsa puts her fingers under Hotaru's chin, nudging the gaze of the taller woman down towards her level, "Hotaru, there's something I need to ask you if you don‘t mind--"
Suddenly she felt ChibiUsa grasp her hand, squeezing it tightly, a bright warming smile across her face as she gave ChibiUsa a quick wink of reassurance to get her to talking about what she wanted to talk about. Suddenly a strong gust of wind whipped past the two, and snatched ChibiUsa‘s hat off of her head. "--?--" Hotaru's mind blanked, her mind going a mile a minute along with the hat as it flew away. Suddenly ChibiUsa reached up, realized it was gone, and they were off to the races after it. What was going on? They were suddenly caught up in chasing a hat when ChibiUsa so wanted to talk to her about something.
Well, she sighed, they’ll be able to talk about it soon enough… once ChibiUsa caught up with her hat that is.
To Be Continued
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