Ah! She'd better look around.
The others were talking to each other, introducing themselves. Even some of the pets could talk! How unfair! Quack! Oh well. Ruu-chan was being pretty quiet though. She hoped that she wouldn't think her stand-offish. But Ruu-chan was so cool, and a great dancer, she didn't think Ruu would be much of a problem. She always looked so nice beside Mute when they danced. Though Mute never smiled...
She looked around, curious. It looked a bit like a temple, really. She hopped out of Ruu's arms, and began to walk about. Spacious. Good shelter, really. She went to the door, peering out the front. There were cheery trees in the lane...just branches, though, no blossoms. Kinda spooky and gloomy, really...
Ahiru looked out the front door, and down to the gate. On the other side...
"QUACK!"
She ran back inside, wings flapping maniacally. "QUACK! Quackquackquackquack!"
One of the girls looked over at her, at then back at Ruu. "Um...Ruu was it? I think your duck wants something."
"It's not mine," Ruu stated. "I'm not sure why it's been paired with me at all, really."
Ahiru paused for a moment, glaring at Ruu. "QUACK!"
The white cat grinned at her a little, one that sent shivers down her spine a little as she saw white feline teeth. "What's that girl? Timmy's in the well?"
His owner hushed him. "Don't start, Artemis. Let's just find out what it is."
Asuka shivered, leaning against the small mecha. It was the same design as the...best not think about it. She could use the machine, even if it was only ten feet tall and not a hundred. The gold was a nice color too. She'd seen far too much red.
"Well, at least they seem to be repulsed by the red light," remarked the long, dark-haired girl with the robot. "It looks like some of the spells my older sister would create. But I wonder what it's power source is."
Asuka looked at the demon horde pushing at the air, unable to pass under the cast iron archway that was woven, quite suitably with feathers, and into the central compound that looked like it might have been a dorm or school one day past.
"Huh. Who cares, as long as it keeps running," Asuka said flippantly. "Besides, with this bad boy, I could hold them off if I had to."
"Shoot. I knew it wasn't meant for me to use as parts for Banpei. You must be Asuka Langley then," the girl looked a bit wistfully at the big machine. "I checked it out as soon as I saw it. Pretty nice. I'm Skuld by the way."
Asuka smiled a bit. "You know something about mecha, Skuld? All I know is how to use one, really. I don't know anything about repair. Perhaps if you know something about maintaining it..."
"Well, I do need allies..." Skuld said, thinking.
Asuka hmmphed, rolling her eyes with a smile. "You have no subtlety at all, you know that? You're as bad as a kid I knew."
Skuld's eyebrows narrowed. "I am not a kid!" she said. "C'mon Banpei. Maybe I don't need allies that bad. Let's find the power source."
Asuka blinked, confused as she watched the other girl stalk away, wondering just where she had gone wrong, then shrugged. "Fine. She can be that way."
Miho opened up the door to another room as she explored the temple. "Another bedroom! Y'know, Sasami, we should watch out for each other."
"Same here. That should be the last of them, though. That's eight." Sasami, closing up the door. "What do you mean, though?"
Miho smiled at the second youngest girl, a kindred spirit, for certain. "Well, I think that if we lose one of the tribe contests, especially if it's a physical battle, they'll be looking to eliminate the youngest," she meaningfully tapped her own chest, "and then the second youngest." She touched Sasami lightly on her breastbone. "Even if it isn't all that fair. I know how adults think sometimes."
Sasami sighed. "You're probably right. Friends, then? But let's just try not to lose any challenges. I don't want to vote anyone off unless I have to."
Miho laughed lightly. "Always a good idea, but you've got to be prepared. I hope Pigu and Ryo-oh-ki, was it? are getting along." She opened the next door on the right. "Bingo. This looks like the power source. Ack! The crystal's so tiny...it's vanishing!"
The red-haired girl with the pigeon...Anita was her name, was the one who noticed it first. Her bird flew in, and landed on her shoulder. Looking over at it, the bird flew to the window. Looking out, she tensed up, paper appearing in her hands like it was magic. Akane frowned. "What's wrong?" she asked, coming up to her feet into a ready stance.
Anita frowned. "The glow. It's fading."
Akane blinked. "What?" She looked outside, down to the courtyard and the iron fence beyond. "Dammit. It is, too. Quick, we better get to the gate." Scooping up P-chan in her arms, she opened a window, preparing to drop down from the second floor, and was surprised to see Anita taking the short cut with her. "You!" she called as she dropped, hitting the ground with a light ooph. "Blondie!"
The girl in the gold suit whirled around imperiously. "The name," she instructed, "is Asuka Langley."
Anita besides her seemed unimpressed. "If you don't get into that mech before the shield finishes going down, your name will be Mud."
Asuka blinked, looking up at the sky, and the sight of the demons pushing forwards, pushing slowly through the gate. "Crap! Skuld was right, there is a power source!" She hopped into the mecha, settling herself into position. She must have had a microphone in there, because her voice came booming over the speakers. "Anyone who can defend, head to the gate and the walls, those who can't, find the power source now!"
Akane rolled her eyes, setting P-Chan on the ground. "No kidding..." she muttered to herself, getting herself ready to fight off the monsters as girls and pets seemed to pour out of the building.
Read the comments on this episode
See other episodes by Will McDuff
(Posted Sun, 29 Feb 2004 06:05)
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