Pokota wasn't sure what he was expecting Granny Erica to look like. The group of Princesses, following Prince Shade, wouldn't say anything about it. Mostly because they were talking about school. Or rather, they were talking about going to a new school.
Pokota looked at Shade. "I didn't know they had a school for princesses."
Shade smiled a little. "The school is one that just opened last year, but because of... problems, we didn't have the resources to send anyone there. Everyone's hoping that the school will help Fine and Rein avoid being called 'The Most Unprincess-like Princesses in the History of the Mysterious Star.'"
Pokota had to keep himself from laughing. "Do you think I'd be able to get Hime-chan into that school?"
Before Shade had time to answer, an old rat-woman, dressed in greenish robes and carrying an overly-large monocle, bumped into him. "Ohh, I'm so sor- Oh! Prince Shade! I am honored with-"
Fine cut her off. "Hello, Granny Erica! Can you help us?"
Erica pouted a little. "How am I supposed to... nevermind. So where is the cat I'm supposed to send home?"
Pokota scowled. "I'm not a cat, you overgrown rat, I'm a lion!"
"Right then, you're the lion Pokota?"
"Y-yes, I am."
Erica smiled mysteriously. "Very well. You know, it's a good thing Riley told me about you. I can only see for those born on the Mysterious Star."
Pokota tripped as he stepped back at that. "So then how-"
"Because Riley can see for those touched by the Magic Kingdom." Erica sighed. "Everyone, come in and pick a job. We've got a lot of work to do if you're going to be paying in advance."
Setsuna sighed. "Hello, Princess Erika. Is your father well?"
Everyone in the old house looked from Erika to Sailor Pluto. Erika buried her face in her hands. "You'd think by now I'd expect the worst possibility just on principle. Hello, Amora-sensei."
"I'm Setsuna now." Pluto unscrewed the Garnet Orb from the top of the Time Staff. "And don't worry, the talismans have already been activated."
"That's supposed to make me feel better?" Erika was terrified. "First of all, if you're here, nobody is guarding the Door of Time, and second of all the fact that the talismans have been activated means that Rhea is awake! If Earth is in that much trouble already then we're going to have to seal off again!"
"She's Hotaru now, and she's quite friendly in this life." Pluto handed the Time Staff to Erika. "Actually, I'm sort of glad I ran into you here. If our investigations didn't turn anything up, I would have shown up on your doorstep sometime this week."
"What? Why?" Erika held the Time Staff, inspecting it. No visible damage, so she handed it back to Pluto.
"I've been having a time-induced headache. Last time that happened, Usagi, formerly Serenity, had her daughter land on her head."
Erika was confused at this. "Why would something like that give you a headache?"
"Her daughter from a thousand years from now."
"Oh. OH."
"Anyhow, I was able to detect a disturbance coming from this town, so we came to investigate. That Hasekura kid was just a convenient excuse for me to come."
Erika smiled. "Well, then, that makes things both easier and harder to explain, and maybe easier to solve. Dad will want to talk to his old teacher, though, so maybe you should stop by sometime."
Nobody noticed Mercury, Tin Nyanko, Robelia, Kamilu, Kanro, or Sei leaving.
Aiko, Poomo, Himeko and Daichi, now joined by the other Magic Kindomers, and Sailors Mercury and Tin Nyanko, had all migrated from out front of the old house and were now walking to Himeko's house. They had already introduced everyone to everyone else, and now everyone was aware of the situation involving Pokota as well as what Kouichi Hasekura was dealing with.
Aiko still was having problems believing what was happening, having firmly believed that the Sailor Senshi had always been a publicity stunt by the people of Juuban, but she was more worried about Hasekura than anything else.
"... and that's our story. Pluto's here because of some sort of disturbance, and we're here to make sure that Hasekura gets home safely." concluded Ami. "I'm also half-worred that a new Senshi is going to crawl out of the woodwork, but with all the magic happenings here in Kazetachi it wouldn't surprise me."
"What about magic happenings? Why are you here with Nonohara-san, Daichi-kun? And who is that...?"
Himeko and Daichi flinched at the voice. "Hibino-san, what are you doing here?"
"I was following me." Hibino Hikaru said simply. "Wow, I never thought I'd be able to say that with a straight face. Anyhow, is this some sort of group date?"
Himeko looked at Daichi, who nodded. "Yes. Yes it is. What are you going to do about it?"
Kanro stood up. Hikaru's eyes followed him. "Who is he?"
Kanro felt the burning gaze of desire on him. "I'm th' game master, Kanro. We're all planning on playin' a tabletop game, but we were needin' t' figure out how much magic would be in th' game."
Hibino laughed at that. "Yeah right, and I'm Sailor Sun. Try feeding-"
Nyanko leapt up and started shaking both of Hikaru's hands. "You're Sailor Sun? We've been wondering if that was just a legend or something! I'm Tin Nyanko and this is Mercury! Why didn't you help in the fight with Galaxia?"
Horrified, Hibino leapt back from the crazed and fangirling Tin Nyanko. "I didn't mean... you really are playing... huh. Well, I'm Hibino Hikaru." She looked at Himeko. "She sounds like you, Nonohara-san."
Four things happened at once, though not all in the same place.
The Black Crystal Shard crashed into Youmaga's Forest, and started feeding on the negative energies that formed its power.
A Pink-Haired Girl fell out of the sky and landed on her future mother... for the third time in the latter's life.
A raven-haired priestess, doing a fire reading, saw a red-haired girl encased in black crystal, and two Sailor Plutos was defending her.
And on the other side of the story, Pokota decided to take a nap, having cleaned all the dust from under Granny Erica's furniture.
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(Posted Mon, 15 Feb 2010 15:33)
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らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
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