The sun rose bright and early the next morning. At a shinto shrine just outside of Juuban, a young, raven-haired priestess was preparing for the day.
The previous night, she had been called by a close friend of hers. When she had been told that there was to be a meeting at her shrine the next morning, and that nothing she could do would change it, she decided that the friend who had called her would get a solid whack on the head from her broom if she was even one second late.
Said friend was still asleep, even though her alarm clock had been beeping for the past hour. In her hand was clutched a picture of a man in a tuxedo, herself in a nice-looking, but not overly formal dress, and a short, pink-haired girl in a similar dress. On the picture was written "my future husband and daughter."
There was a banging at the door. A boy's voice was yelled into the room. "Stupid Usagi! Everyone in the neighborhood is awake now because of your stupid alarm clock!"
Usagi mumbled something and threw what she thought was her pillow at the door. The 'pillow' hit the door with a surprised yelp and a loud scratching. Shingo laughed. "Stupid Usagi, throwing your cat at the door."
The word 'cat' wandered across Usagi's mind, looking for something to connect to. There was another bang at the door. Luna, feline advisor to Sailor Moon, decided to try an attack from the rear.
------
Aiko blinked. She blinked again.
She had opened up her closet, expecting to find clothing hanging in it. Instead, out fell her sister's boyfriend, a girl she didn't know, and a boy she didn't know but thought she could recognize. All of them were dressed in outlandish clothes. They all fell on a pile in front of her closet door.
"Daichi" got up and looked around. "Kanro, are you sure that this is the store-room?"
Kanro looked up. This was a mistake. Aiko kicked him in the nose, then ran out of the room.
"I don't think we're in Magic Kingdom anymore, Kamilu." said Robelia simply. He helped her up, and they both watched the dazed Kanro struggle to find his face.
Out in the hall, Aiko ran into Himeko. "What's wrong, sis?" she asked.
Aiko was on the verge of uncharacteristic rage. "D-D-D-Daichi... closet... perverts..."
Himeko moved to punch the wall. "That Daichi! He was peeking at... wait." She stopped. "What? Daichi just got off the phone with me, telling me classes were cancelled for today."
Himeko ran past Aiko, stopped, ran back into her own room, then dashed past Aiko again with a strange looking makeup compact. She ran into Aiko's room and slammed the door. Aiko frowned. She had never seen Himeko wear makeup offstage...
Aiko leaned against the door to her room. This was strange. Almost first-date-with-Hasekura-strange.
What she heard was even stranger.
------
Ren plugged his ears. Like so many times during that year last year, Erika was yelling at Himeko in vain. Himeko couldn't hear her through the crystal ball, and Erika knew that. It was sort of like watching a horror film and knowing that whoever opens the door is going to be blasted by Zod - you couldn't stop yourself from saying "DON'T OPEN IT!"
Erika turned around and summoned up her great-grandfather's magic talking broom, Chappy. "Ren, I'm going to go wipe Aiko's memory."
Ren snapped his fingers, and Chappy appeared in his hand. "I'm afraid that I cannot allow you to leave the Magic Kingdom until the reason that Kamilu and company ended up in Aiko's closet is discovered, Erika-sama."
Erika just stared at him. "Is this restriction on everyone, or just me?"
The king of the Magic Kingdom appeared behind her. "It is on everyone, Erika. Please inform Himeko that the council has, in light of recent events, decided that Aiko is allowed to know about the Magic Kingdom - but only Aiko."
Erika couldn't believe her ears. "What? Why? This isn't like you! You've always taught me that rulers are rulers only so long as they uphold and obey the law!"
Her father smiled weakly. "Erika, the council decided this because of what happened to Pokota, and because of... other problems."
Erika wasn't satisfied with this. "Why Aiko? Why not Hibino?"
"There is a precedent for allowing family members to know." The king explained, blushing a little. "There is not, however, a precedent for allowing people dedicated to exposing the secret to know. In light of recent events, the council thought it would be wise to permit Aiko to know."
"Then why not Yumeko? She's come closer to learning the secret than even Hibino!"
The king turned around. "I promised that I wouldn't say anything about Hasekura." he said, hoping that this would be enough to get Erika to start investigating. Before Erika could respond, he had already left.
------
Himeko slammed the door behind her. She grinned impishly and grabbed the nearest book (a thick German book, not that it matters to the story), not knowing that Aiko was now leaning against the door. "Kamilu. Thought so. Hello, Robelia."
Robelia made a short curtsey toward her. Kamilu followed it with a stiff bow. Kanro was still trying to re-assemble his nose, which was still bleeding.
"I take it you were the unlucky sap to look up my sister's clothes?" She moved towards Kanro, ready to strike. "Looks like Aiko already punished you. Er, who are you, any way?"
"Name's Kanro."
Himeko looked at Robelia. "Have I met him?" She shook her head. Himeko sighed, gave Kanro a sharp thwack with the book, then put the it back where she found it. "Any luck finding Pokota?"
Kamilu tried to look Himeko in the eye. "We know he's not on Earth, and we would have heard from him by now if he was in the Magic Kingdom. Kanro figures we'll know by tomorrow evening where he is, as long as you keep the ribbon on. Hopefully, it'll be somewhere where his talking and moving won't lead to too many questions."
Aiko chose this moment to come in. She blinked. She blinked again. They were still there, and still conscious. In fact, Himeko had a worried face like the others did.
Before Kamilu or Robelia could stop her, the compact and words were out. "Verse, Riole! Time, backwards go!" She sprayed pink makeup dust around her, and pointed at the ceiling.
All this did was make a pink mess of things. Aiko stared at her. Kamilu and Robelia buried their foreheads in their hands. Kanro pulled a tissue out of nowhere.
Aiko blinked again, and said "Himeko, what are you doing? Why haven't you hurt these people yet?"
------
Pokota couldn't take it any more. He didn't mind Prince Bright. In fact, when he had rescued him from Fine and Rein, he decided that he liked Bright. That was before he knew that Bright approached being a prince the same way Himeko approached eating food. He also had a sneaking suspicion that Bright knew that he wasn't just a stuffed toy, even though Fine and Rein hadn't had a chance to say anything about it. Mainly, this was because every person that Bright had met between rescuing him from Fine and Rein and leaving for a meeting had been introduced to him, and he to them as "a stuffed lion that Fine and Rein brought with them". Pokota figured that either Bright was going insane, or that he wanted everyone to think he was insane. If it was the latter, it was working.
Pokota had found a small air-vent that had been left open. He entered it, and started to wander. He knew it wouldn't be long before his disappearance was discovered... he was stuck in the opening! And there was someone coming in!
"Help! I'm stuck!" he called out. Someone grabbed him roughly and started pulling.
"Don't worry, I'll get you out, just as soon as I get this cat out of the way." It was a girl's voice.
"I am not a cat, I'm a lion!"
"Whatever, I'll get you out as soon as I get this lion out of the way!"
------
Fine, Rein, Bright, and a blue-purple haired boy were sitting around the table. Their topic of discussion: Pokota.
Bright looked at the other boy. "Prince Shade, are you sure that the lion is one of the messengers in the warning?"
Shade did not look at him, but just stared ahead blankly. "It seems that this is the case. In any event, Poomo is missing, and the lion was found in his place." He then looked up and recited something that sounded like it had been memorized. "'When the messenger of the sun, the messengers of the moon, and the messenger of the stars come together, their princesses will destroy the barrier that kept them apart. Then Death Herself will awaken to rebuild it.' That's what Old Woman Erica said to me last week."
Fine and Rein looked at Shade. Fine asked "So, is this why you wanted us to come here? Because of that old woman's words?"
Shade didn't have time to nod, because a golden-haired girl came barging into the room, holding Pokota.
"Altezza!" yelped a surprised Rein. "Is there something we can help you with?"
Altezza ignored this, and shoved a struggling Pokota in Shade's face. "Here you go, he's your problem now. Stupid cat!"
"I'm NOT a CAT, I'm a LION!" shouted Pokota, "and you almost pulled my tail off!"
"It didn't mean you had to try and tear my hand apart! And after I got you unstuck, too!" snapped Altezza.
------
Himeko smiled a little. "Wherever Pokota is, I think he just blew the secret."
For the second time in as many moments, Kamilu and Robelia both buried their heads in their hands. Kanro, under the stern gaze of Aiko, reached for another tissue. They were in Himeko's room now, mainly so that Kamilu and company could make a quick getaway if it became necessary.
Aiko still couldn't believe it. There was no way that her sister was a witch, even though it explained so much. "So, Pokota can talk?"
Himeko nodded.
"And you can do magic?"
Himeko nodded again.
"And Daichi already knows this?"
Himeko nodded a third time. Her magic journal started to shake.
"Why is the book doing that?"
Himeko sighed. "Erika, the friend of mine who gave me the ribbon, also gave me that book so that we could stay in contact. She's probably on her way to wipe our memories now."
Once again, Aiko blinked. "Why?"
Kanro pointed his finger at Aiko. "Because you weren't sp'osed to find out. Heck, th' only reason Daichi still knows is b'cause th' council made an exception for 'im. C'n I wipe 'er memory now?"
Himeko was not responding.
Kanro poked her. "Oy! Am I modifyin' memories or not?" He glanced down at the book, and read what it said out loud.
'Himeko, the council has decided that Aiko - and only Aiko - may be added to the list of humans allowed to know about us. Something has happened to Hasekura, and I don't know what it is yet.'
Aiko repeated the last few words. " '...something has happened to Hasekura, and I don't know what it is yet.' "
Poomo decided that now would be a good time to not be remembered.
(Posted Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:56)
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