I'd like to thank Miwa, Lerche, Orlean, Zack, and C. Casta�eda
all for commenting on the first chapter. They gave me the
encouragment I needed to get this chapter done. Now I can
move on to the next chapter of Kumiko. :)
***
Project Kawaii: Scramble War!
(an original magical girl fic)
By Ammadeau
Roy.Fokker@UNSpacy.org
http://www.thekeep.org/~amm/
Episode 2: A Magical Rival Appears!
***
"Ohohohohohoho!!!" rang through the air, scattering the
birds and other assorted wildlife who still loitered around the once-
abandoned factory. The laughter continued on ceaselessly, never
stopping for breath, overpowering the sounds of the river and the
hasty flight of animals. It was a horrible, bone-chilling sound that
no human in her right mind could ever produce.
Abruptly, the laughter died out, followed by a sound like a
sack of potatoes being tossed out a third story window, that is if
such a bag would curse like a sailor after hitting the ground.
The factory had been a failed experiment of Yama
Automotive to build a totally environmentally sound plant;
constructing cars wholly made of recycled parts, and powered by
the mighty river that flowed past. A failure because, while the
plant worked nearly to perfection, no one would buy the cars it
built. The exterior was worn, scattered with vines and the nests
various animals. Inside however, it shone with the gleam of new
automated machinery, which had been working twenty four hours
a day for the past five days, but now lay silent, their finally labors
completed.
The factory had two huge steel doors where the proud yet
unwanted autos had spilled forth to be distributed to dealerships all
over the world. It had been over twenty years since this colossal
portal had last been breached, but as the laughter started up once
more, these gates began to ponderously slide open.
The threshold was nearly five stories tall, yet it nearly
wasn't enough for the figure which stood beyond it, proud and
gleaming like a modern colossus. As the light beyond the doorway
fell upon it, tearing away shadow like wrapping paper, it revealed a
boxy but still imposing humanoid body whose mighty forearms
were larger than even the roomiest American auto. Its huge glassy
eyes regarded the torn up and overgrown road that lay before it
with casual disinterest.
A small, much more organic-looking form rested upon its
immense shoulder, the latter large enough to park a compact car.
This figure wore a minimalist black leather outfit that clung to her
obviously female form, with roughly the same amount of material
used for the black mask she wore. Oddly, she worn a dirty white
lab coat over this.
"Go, my steel colossus!" shouted the woman who called
herself Lady Moirana. "Go forth and destroy the city!
Ohohohohohoho!!"
Junko nearly cried in joy after reaching the place that she
had long searched for, the mecca that she had only heard of
through hushed whispers on the playground. Confronted directly,
no one was willing to admit the rumors were true and expose their
guilty secret, but by piecing together scattered clues and casual
gossip, Junko had managed to uncover its location.
The building was oddly unremarkable for such a haven of
hidden lusts. The brick exterior was crumbled and worn, only
marked by a flickering neon sign, which hung over a darkened
interior where faint and compelling sounds emerged. With a deep
breath to stir up her courage, Junko went inside.
*Now this is a real arcade,* Junko thought with joyful
satisfaction as her eyes roamed all over dimly lit room, disturbed
only by sudden flashes of multi-colored lights from the many
games there. The place only had arcade games; none of that
packachino or UFO-catcher crap here. Interior walls had been
dispensed with; the ceiling was supported by simple concrete
pillars. There wasn't even a place to eat; two old vending
machines by the far wall were the only source of nutrition and they
hadn't been restocked since before Junko was born. However, it
was upstairs that she discovered what she had truly been searching
for.
Upstairs was nearly identical to downstairs, only it was
even dimmer and didn't have the vending machines taking up
valuable game space. Here the larger arcade games ruled, like mad
crush 'em up 4-way derby and mecha action with real vibrations.
Junko regarded these with disdain; in her opinion they weren't true
arcade games.
Also among this behemoths were the smaller, older games
who squatted in darkened corners gathering dust, their electronic
pleas like the cries of beggars in a crowded market. Like an
explorer approaching the ruins of a fabled lost civilization, Junko's
eyes opened wide to behold the wonders all around her. Unlike
most, she reveled in the simple beep, rudimentary graphics, and
mindless destruction that was the hallmark of the primitive arcade
game.
There was one in particular she had been searching for half
her life. The concept of it was a magical bear who needed to
collect magical crystals for a mighty spell, and who could also
make use of a handy steam roller on enemies if he picked up one of
the special crystals. The control was a trackball so the bear could
whiz around the screen at surprising speed, fast enough to freeze
comical expressions on the other animals as he squashed them flat.
It had been one of the first arcade games Junko had ever
played, suggested by her father because it seemed cute at a casual
glance. He came to regret his hasty suggestion as his young
daughter became obsessed with the game, using the terrifying
power that little girls possess over their fathers to make him bring
her to it again and again.
Then one day Junko marched gleefully into the place, only
to be confronted by a shiny new arcade game in place of her
favorite one. Her father tried to placate her storm of tears with the
console version, but it simply wasn't the same.
It had taken agreeing to spend all Sunday with Emi to keep
most of her Saturday free in order to achieve this, but it was worth
it. Her long week of trials was finally about to be rewarded as she
reached forward to drop yen in the slot.
A sudden, powerful vibration knocked Junko off balance,
causing her coin to roll under a nearby machine. She didn't even
give a thought to what it might have been, deciding that the
structure looked safe enough to withstand an earthquake. She
shrugged, took out another coin, and tried again. That's when the
power went out.
Junko's cry of pure rage echoed throughout the now-silent
arcade.
"What have I done?" Michiko asked herself as she hung her
head in her hands. Reports of a giant robot terrorizing the city lay
scattered on her desk.
"There, there, dear. It's not your fault," Ryuji attempted to
comfort his distressed wife. "Who knows? Maybe this is all just
an odd coincidence. It could have nothing to do with us."
Michiko looked up at him with sudden hope in her eyes,
which lasted all over ten milliseconds before she sadly shook her
head. "I think two female nut cases, both with the capability of
building giant robots, in one city is a bit too much to hope for.
Besides, Dr. Yokozaki mentioned something about taking the robot
for a test run in her last call. I thought she meant pulling out a few
trees or something. I didn't think that even she was crazy enough
to try and topple buildings!"
"What's the number of her phone?" Ryuji asked hopefully.
"Perhaps we can reason with her and prevent further damage."
Michiko pointed to the phone on her desk, which he
suddenly realized had been dialing over and over for some time
now. "I've tried calling her since the first report came in. She's not
answering. The only upside to this is she's so obviously insane that
even if she implicated us, no one would believe her. Let's face it,
I've failed horribly."
Ryuji began to knead his wife's shoulders, massaging out
the knots of tension he could feel gathering there. "No, your idea
was sound. If anyone goofed up, it was me for suggesting Dr.
Yokozaki in the first place. I should have realized that she was
much too unstable for this project.
"So our little experiment failed. In a week, it'll all be
behind us. Then we'll just come up with a better way for Emi-chan
to become queen of the world."
"I was thinking empress would be a better title, actually,"
Michiko replied as her tension gave way under the skilled hands of
her husband. "You're right, honey, I should be looking at the
bright side. At least we know that no matter how much of the city
that mad doctor wrecks, our precious daughter will be safe."
"Sugoi! A giant robot!!" Emi exclaimed loudly, doing a
little dance of excitement as she watched the gleaming metal
automaton march into the city, wrecking anything in its path.
Emi had been in her room planning out a fun-filled day to
spend with her best friend tomorrow, when the entire room had
shook with something like an earthquake, only coming at regular
intervals. The curious girl had rushed to the roof in order to see
what was causing it.
"Is everything all right, Emi-san?" Yoji asked as he slowly
ascended the stairs to the roof. Emi had been acting strangely ever
since meeting that... girl Junko, and as one of her sworn protectors,
he was worried for the incredibly cute and perfect girl who he did
his best to serve. Only to be squashed flat as the girl in question
raced down the stairs at high speed, not even acknowledging him
as she ran over his face.
A quick stop off to her room to pick up Usagi-kun and a
pink megaphone, Emi sprinted down the long hallway and was out
the door in pursuit of the enormous shiny thing, still vocalizing her
excitement to the world.
Junko ran to one of the windows, snapping back the black
shade. She was forced to shield her eyes from the sudden influx of
natural light as she ignored the complaints of the other patrons.
The window looked as if it hadn't been opened for a decade or two,
but the young girl managed to shove it open aided by the strength
of her rage.
Sticking out her head, and hardly noticing the heavy wind
that tousled her short hair, Junko quickly scanned the city for the
source of the evil thing which would deny a sweet girl like herself
the right to a game she had been waiting half her life to play again.
She almost passed right over it, as if her brain simply refused to
believe that there could be a giant robot trashing everything in
sight, and had edited out of her memory.
*That's got to be it,* Junko thought with a frown. In
anime, it was always the big shiny robots that caused all the
trouble before the other shiny robot, piloted by the hero, would fly
in to save the day. She hadn't thought that they had huge robots in
real life, but then she was pretty sure that it wasn't some sort of
hallucination either. Her theory was proven as the ground heaved
when the giant took another step.
Junko pouted. She wanted get her revenge at that metal
monster for being denied the one joyful outlet for her anger, but
she knew there was nothing an ordinary little girl like her could do
against a huge machine like that. As she considered her options,
Junko absently scratched at her right arm, feeling a sudden itch,
only to blink in surprise when her fingers struck metal. The
armband that her uncle had given her; she had gotten so used
wearing it night and day that she had almost forgotten all about it.
"Heh, heh, heh," Junko slowly laughed to herself with an
evil glint in her eye. She wasn't sure if her magical girl form was
powerful enough to destroy the robot entirely, but smashing it up a
bit would allow her some much needed venting. Now if she only
knew how to transform. She had tried many times to activate the
armband after the incident on Monday, but with no success. She
knew there had to be some trick to it, but even her uncle didn't
know what it was.
Junko pouted once more. It just wasn't fair; here she had
the means to get her desired revenge, and incidentally save the city
from destruction, but she didn't know to use it. Unlike in anime,
she didn't have a fuzzy animal companion to explain all the ins and
outs of her new abilities, not that Junko would ever admit to
watching that kind of show.
The only thing that was different between her one
successful transformation and all those failures was anger. She
had been truly mad at her uncle when he had so calmly informed
her that she'd be wearing the armband for a long time to come. But
that couldn't be it since she was at least as furious now, if not more
so. She threw a punch in the direction of the distant automaton,
but still nothing happened.
*If I have to be mad to make this stupid thing work, why
isn't it working?!* Junko thought, seething at the armband almost
as much as the metal beast that had stolen her moment of glory.
*I am unable to function in the presence of other sentient
life forms who do not share similar DNA patterns to the current
host,* a calm male voice replied in her head, sounding like
someone around her father's age.
"Who said that?" Junko asked in confusion as she
frantically glanced around the room. It sounded very close, but the
only other people there were a few teenagers who sat before their
games, waiting for them to turn on again.
*I am the artificial intelligence which operates the power
enhancement device you are currently wearing. I exist in order to
maintain its functionality under every possible scenario, and as a
guide to its current host,* the voice explained with a slight note of
pride in its voice.
"You mean you're the armband?" Junko asked in surprise.
"Then why didn't you say anything before now?"
*Because up until this point I was unaware you required
my services. I am connected to your senses, but I am only able to
read those thoughts which you send to me. You see, while I may
sound sentient, in fact I am just a extremely complex program and
thusly more limited than I appear. While my vocal patterns may
sound like that of a thinking being, they were simply copied by the
very man who constructed the power enhancement device that you
refer to as an 'armband.' You see, he was a genius inventor who
fell in love with your ancestor and built me as a present...*
"Shut up already. Mou," Junko said in irritation, shaking
her head as if trying to rid herself of the dry, boring voice droning
on and on about things she didn't care anything about. "Just tell
me what I need to do to transform."
*Certainly,* the AI replied, not sounding the least bit
insulted by the interruption of its monologue. *Simply find
someplace private and indicate your willingness to transform; the
latter is normally done via a deep negative emotion such as fear or
anger.*
"Can't I just tell you?" Junko thought with a small frown as
she headed for the stairs. It sounded silly and unnecessarily
complicated to her.
*I'm afraid not,* the AI explained, sounding a bit
apologetic. *It's not part of my programming to receive the
command that way, though I suppose I could change it, but that
would take some time. While I was left with a certain ability to
reprogram, it's tricky to avoid...*
"Shut up!" Junko yelled, not caring how the others in the
arcade stared at her. As she ducked into the washroom, Junko
didn't think she would have any problem getting angry.
"Ohohohoho!!" Lady Moirana continued to laugh, only
stopping occasionally for breath, as her beautiful creation wrecked
the foul city all around them, slowly making its way in the
direction of city hall. She no longer cared about getting revenge
on all the petty injustices people had made against her, or even
proving her genius to the doubtful world; it was fun to smash
things. She was having a blast.
Suddenly, her magnificent work jerked to a halt, nearly
throwing her of its enormous shoulder once again. "Why did you
stop?!" she growled at it from behind her black leather mask.
Luckily, she had remembered to cut a mouth hole this time.
The robot's large yellow eyes remained indifferent as they
continued to stare straight ahead, but a gauntlet fist pointed in the
direction of the ground. Lady Moirana blinked and looked where
it was indicating, only to see a little blonde girl standing close to
the feet of the giant robot, staring up at her.
Strange, someone must have tampered with her robot to
make sure it didn't hurt people. There had be a saboteur lurking
around her secret lair. Lady Moirana made a mental note to
increase security, but there was really nothing she could do about it
now. She hadn't noticed the problem before because everyone else
had fled in terror. With the use of binoculars, Lady Moirana could
tell that not only was this girl unafraid, she was actually smiling.
"You there!" Lady Moirana shouted, using the audio
systems of her magnificent automaton to magnify her voice.
"Move out of the way! I'm trying to destroy this city!"
Emi whipped out her pink megaphone and replied, "Wai!
Is this cool robot yours, obasan?"
"I'm only twenty eight! That's not old!" Lady Moirana
shouted back in irritation, but felt pleased to hear her creation
praised after the long hours that she had put into building it; going
whole days without sleep or nourishment, living only on the
thoughts of glory as she would smash this wicked city to bits. "I
am the Lady Moirana, Dark Mistress of Robotics. And yes, it is
mine. Now go away!"
"Does mecha-chan have a name? Such a big cool robot
should have a big cool name!" Emi said with her arms spread out
to indicate its bigness, either not understanding or not caring that
the woman wanted her to go away.
"Yes, it does!" Lady Moirana declared, not feeling quite as
eager to continue her rampage through the city at the moment.
There was no way even the SSDF could stop her wonderful
invention so she had ample time in which to answer the questions
of a fan. "This glorious machine, which I and I alone have
designed and built, is none other than the paragon of robotics,
Nayodantor X!"
"Sugoi...," Emi said slowly, sounding very much impressed
as she looked up at the shiny metal behemoth with even wider eyes
than usual. "It's so huge and shiny and neat! I bet its got all kinds
of cool special powers and stuff, right?"
"Well, of course," Lady Moirana replied hauntly. "I mean,
anyone can just build a giant robot. Only a genius like myself
could manage to include so many special features into one amazing
package! Ohohohoho!!"
"Wai! Wai!" Emi enthused via her megaphone while
hopping up and down in excitement. "So what can it do?"
"Do you really want to know?" Lady Moirana asked with a
wide smile. It seemed like her whole life had been spent in toil of
revolutionary inventions that everyone put down as too dangerous
or impossible, but that's exactly what a genius did; risk the
dangerous, brave the impossible! And finally, she had found
someone who could appreciate all of her hard work and dedication,
even if it was a little girl.
Emi nodded with a cute grin, which was filled with such
innocence and childish joy that Lady Moirana had to resist the
sudden urge to squash her flat. Instead, she straightened out her
lab coat, cleared her throat, and explained in a scholarly tone:
"Nayodantor X is, of course, equipped with all the
standards for giant robots such as eye beams, self-propelled fists,
and an energy sword. It also possesses and extremely advanced AI
with the ability to determine just the right places to strike a
building in order to collapse or the weak points of any enemy
vehicle. Its legs are capable of leaping over tall buildings in a
single bound and are also capable of causing minor earthquakes,
especially when landing from such a leap. The outer casing is
impervious to all weapons known to man, including firearms,
lasers, bombs, and even nuclear devices. Though the use of
satilities, it can be commanded from any place on the planet. It is
simply the most perfect robot... no, the single most important
invention in the entire history of humankind! Ohohohohohoho!!!!"
"And it's also really cute!" Emi added enthusiastically, but
then frowned. "Well, it would be if you weren't wearing such an
ugly outfit."
"Ugly?!" Lady Moirana repeated, gritting her teeth in rage.
She had stayed up all night sewing this costume together; her
fingers were covered in band-aids from the effort, especially when
she had accidentally stitched it to her hand. Black leather was the
perfect material; it looked cool and caught the attention of others.
Not to mention her design was made to perfectly accentuate her
beautiful form. The little underdeveloped brat was just jealous.
Emi nodded seriously. "Everyone knows that a cute outfit
is made with nice light colors and pretty frills. The only woman
who would wear an outfit like that is an old maid who is desperate
to catch a husband, at least that's what my mommy says."
Lady Moirana stuttered in anger, so it was several minutes
before she was able to speak coherently. When she did, her voice
rang out without the need of amplification. "Robot, crush her!!"
Nayodantor X bleeped and buzzed a few times, but made
no move to carry out its creator's commands.
"I don't care about your prime directive!" Lady Moirana
shouted back at it. "Just follow my orders or reprogram you with a
chainsaw!"
The mighty robot shrugged its massive shoulders, at least
as best as it was unable with its limited mobility, released an
electronic sigh, and raised up one great fist in order to crush the
small girl who still looked up at it with wide, innocent eyes.
Atusko loitered in a nearby alley as she kept a close eye on
Emi, not at all impressed by the giant robot that cast its shadow
over everything in sight. The thing looked so unbalanced that she
was surprised it was able to stand at all. With a few well-placed
kicks, she could have sent it tumbling to the ground, but it wasn't
her responsibility. Besides, it would be too much like showing off,
which was against what being a ninja was all about.
Even as a giant metallic hand rose up to crush Emi, Atsuko
still made no move to leave her spot. She was sure that one of her
parents or her grandfather would rescue the little brat from her own
stupidity. They never made any attempt to hide how much they
loved that blonde pain in the butt, or how much they wished that
Atsuko was more like her. As Emi continued to stand under the
rapidly descending fist, however, she became less and less certain,
and perhaps even a bit worried.
Atsuko blurred as she snatched up Emi, carrying her a
block away to safety while protecting her from harm with her own
body. Calling on her training, She willed herself to stop shaking
and her breath to return to a normal rate. It wasn't easy; that was
the first time she had ever come so close to failing her duty.
"Oneechan!" Emi exclaimed in joy, hugging the older girl
tightly, and with no sign she was aware of how close to death she
had just been. Atsuko wasn't surprised; she thought that Emi
would greet a shark with a cheerful smile.
*Is this some kind of loyalty test?* Atsuko wondered as she
did her best to ignore Emi's sickeningly cute affection. She had
made no secret about how she felt about the girl she was sworn to
protect, but her pride as a ninja would never let her ignore her
duty, no matter what her personal feelings may be. In the end,
though, she was sure it had to be something else. Even if they
wanted to conduct such a test, her elders would never risk Emi.
"And where did that stupid robot come from... anyway?"
Atsuko started to think out loud, turning back to stare at the metal
giant.
Now she could see why no one else had tried to save Emi;
because someone already had. A strange-looking little girl with
fiery hair and golden skin had caught the huge fist in mid-air. She
wore stylized armor with a short white skirt, along with long red
boots and gloves. Atsuko didn't know which to be more envious
of; the girl's enormous strength or her ability to fly. She blinked in
surprise as with a mighty heave, the magical girl knocked the robot
backwards, sending it crashing to the ground.
"Who's that?" Emi asked as she stared up at the girl floating
in the air, "She's so... so... so cute!"
"Heheheh, that'll teach you never to get between a girl and
her video game again, big and ugly!" Junko taunted gleefully after
landing the metal monster on its backside, wiping her gloved hands
with a smug grin.
Seeing Emi there had been a bit of surprise. Junko had
almost expected the girl to transform into a magical girl herself and
steal away Junko's moment of glory. Instead, Junko had been
forced to come to her rescue. Emi might be pushy, annoying, and
disgustingly cute, but she wasn't really a bad person. She might
not be perfect, but she was the only friend Junko had, and she
wasn't about to let some crazy woman hurt her.
*You should avoid becoming too confident,* the armband's
AI lectured her. *Overconfidence by underestimating one's
opponent often leads to carelessness.*
"Shut up!" Junko told it for the nth time. Ever since she
had enabled the thing's programming, it had been making inane
comments every five minutes, spoiling her good mood. Even
worse, there didn't seem to be any way to turn it back off again.
"With my super strength and flying powers, what do I--"
Junko's words were cut off as, distracted by the AI's words,
she was caught unawares by a large metal fist that backhanded her
right into the pavement. Nayodantor X beeped in satisfaction
before trying to locate its mistress.
Crawling unsteadily out of the impact crater, Junko
clutched her head in an effort to keep the world from spinning.
She tried not to think that if it wasn't for the incredibly high
endurance given to her by the armband, she'd be a human pancake
right now. Instead, she only had a few bumps and a massive
headache. Her outfit seemed completely unscathed, however,
without even a spec of dust to mar its pristine appearance.
*I tried to tell you,* the AI informed her with the tone of a
teacher dealing with a hopeless student.
"It's your fault for distracting me--," Junko started to say,
but cut herself off and looked around quickly, expecting more
metal hands accelerating towards her. Luckily, the robot seemed
to be ignoring her now as it picked something up and placed it on
its shoulder.
Nayoko rubbed her head in mild puzzlement as she sat
upon the ruins of what once had been an office building. She
glanced around as she rummaged through her lab coat pockets in
search of a cigarette.
*Where the heck am I?* she wondered. The last thing she
remembered was putting the finishing touches on N34512-X at the
factory in the forest. Then she had probably blacked out from lack
of sleep, but that didn't explain why she was wherever she was, or
why she was dressed in a skimpy black leather outfit. Nayoko
didn't have a high sense of modesty, but she preferred the smooth
touch of silk to the clingy feel of leather.
*Damn, my pockets are empty.* Nayoko stood to get a
better view of her surroundings. Through shattered windows she
could see the city, though it looked like a bomb had hit it. Luck
was with her though as she also spotted a cigarette machine,
smashed open to spill out its carcinogenic bounty.
Nayoko stuffed her pockets with random brands, then
ripped one open to pop a cigarette in her mouth. There, she
already felt ten times better. If she could find a light and figure out
how to take this stupid leather mask off, life would be almost
perfect. She dropped the cigarette in surprise when she was picked
up from behind and hauled high in the air.
"What the hell?" Nayoko shouted, looking around to find
she was now on the shoulder of N34512-X, her prototype robot,
though it seemed that someone else had added a few stylistic
finishing touches which she disapproved of. She might get most of
her ideas from anime, but she didn't want it to look like a mecha
straight out of one.
Nayoko realized that someone must have found out about
her project and had kidnapped her along with her creation.
Someone with perverted tastes to dress her up in black leather; not
that she minded, but would have much rather been an active
participant. Besides, it was a waste of effort to build a robot, only
to let it loose to mindlessly trash the city; and her slight concern
had nothing to do with what her father might think, at least that's
what she told herself.
Nayoko's thoughts were interrupted as a red-faced, golden-
bodied young girl flew up to stare at her straight in the eye. *Is she
some sort of android?* Nayoko thought with uncharacteristic
fascination. She had once thought that such a life-like machine
was impossible to build, but with her improved skills and the
advanced machinery she now had access to, it might just be
feasible.
"Grrr, I don't know who you are, old lady, but you're going
to pay for that!" Junko shouted between clenched teeth, trying to
ignore her pounding headache.
*What did they use to make her face?* Nayoko thought in
awe, barely noticing the words it spoke. *It resembles metal, but it
moves just like real skin. It even looks as if a vein is pumping on
her forehead. To create such a believable simulation of anger... I
simply must attempt to build one myself. But how to go about it?
Hmm...*
Junko felt her anger increase into unknown levels as this
woman, who seemed to have gone out of her way to ruin her life
that day, was now completely ignoring her. *Hey... you, armband.
Do you have any weapons strong enough to wreck that tin can?*
*Against steel automatons?* The AI mused out loud.
*Well, there is one... but it is a bit experimental. My creator never
actually tested it and none of my previous hosts had reason to risk
using it... so I would advise against employing it now. I'm sure
that we can come to a peaceful resolution to this situation.*
*After all that I've been through?* Junko replied with a
shake of her head. *No, she took my game away from me, so now
I'm going to take her toy away from her. How does this ultimate
weapon work?*
*Well, it is fairly simple. All you really need to do is stick
your hands out before you and shout 'mega-blast', but I should
warn you that if you are truly serious about using it you should...*
With a evil grin, Junko cupped her hands before her, aimed
for the torso of the metal monster, and shouted on the top of her
amplified lungs, "Mega-blast!"
Junko wasn't able to tell right away what effect her attack
had as it hurled her backwards, to knock her painfully into the side
of a building, leaving a little girl-shaped depression behind.
*... brace yourself first because the mega-blast should have
a powerful recoil,* the AI continued unnecessarily.
Junko groaned in reply.
Lady Moirana shook her head to clear it, stifling a groan of
pain. Her head ached so much that it was difficult to think, while
he body was covered with bruises. She silently vowed that her
next mighty tool of vengeance would have a comfortable place to
sit.
Looking around to find where her current creation had
gotten to, she gasped in surprise to see its head at her feet, and
some distance away, what was left of its body.
"Who did this to you, my precious darling?" Lady Moirana
asked she stroked the huge forehead while pressing her body
against its cold steel. "Tell me so I know who I must punish!"
What remained of Nayodantor X beeped feebly as its
reserve power started to dry up.
"I see. So it was that little blonde girl from before. I knew
there was something suspicious about her when she called a young
and devastatingly attractive woman like myself old," Lady
Moirana stated firmly. "She must have had some powerful secret
weapon that even my genius hadn't accounted for. No matter, my
next robotic triumph will be ten times greater. Then I really will
stomp her flat! Ohohohohohohoho!!"
Nayodantor X frantically attempted to clarify its earlier
statement before its battery ran out, but it couldn't be heard over
the laughter of its mistress.
"So why didn't you tell me?" Michiko coyly asked her
husband as they watched the news broadcast, where the giant
beserk robot had been defeated by what looked to be a golden little
girl. The media had dubbed her 'Hime Star-chan', mysterious
princess from another planet.
Ryuji blinked in surprise. He was still a bit stunned by the
a girl that looked to be about their daughter's age taking on a robot
that was about fifty times her size. "Tell you what, dear?"
"This 'Hime Star-chan' is obviously an android to be able to
do all that," Michiko pointed out. "So why don't you admit that
you thought my plan was a little flaky and had one of our scientists
build this android just in case. You can confess now, I'm not
mad."
"I honestly had nothing to do with this," he told her plainly.
"I'm just as surprised as you are."
"Oh come now, IMI is the only company in Japan with the
resources to build such an advanced machine. If we didn't build it,
where did it come from?"
Ryuji shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe she really is a star
princess."
"That's not funny, dear."
"Are you okay, Emi?" Atsuko asked tentatively. Some
time had passed since the giant robot had been destroyed by a
sudden flash of light, but the little blonde girl still clung to her,
burying her face in Atsuko's chest, and saying nothing. For a few
moments, she even thought she had heard the sound of muffled
sobs, from a girl who had not shed a tear her entire life.
"I'm fine, I'm fine!" Emi insisted quickly, smiling widely as
she stared up at her 'big sister,' her eyes slightly red.
"You sure?" Atsuko asked with one raised eyebrow; not
that she was concerned or anything for the little brat.
Emi vigorously nodded her head in reply, the motion
causing Usagi-kun to shake his head side to side.
"Then you can let go of me now," Atusko pointed out in a
flat tone. The little girl still clutched her tightly in a special bear
hug that the older girl wished her grandfather had never taught
their mutual charge.
"Umm... but I like you so much, oneechan!" Emi
exclaimed, feeling extremely reluctant to let go just yet. Though
she was trying her best to hide it, the blonde girl was shaken up
after realizing she had almost been killed. No one had ever come
that close to harming her before, and it frightened her badly.
Atsuko saw right through Emi's cheerful facade, down to
the scared little girl who had just had her first taste of mortality.
She wanted to tease and taunt this self-centered child who had
made the majority of her life hell, but in the end she simply didn't
have the heart for it. Maybe she was too soft to be a true ninja
after all.
"How about I give you a piggy-back ride back home,
then?" Atsuko asked with a smile.
"Umm!" Emi replied with a genuine grin as she quickly
made herself comfortable on the other girl's back. "I love you,
Atsuko."
"Yeah, whatever kid," the ninja girl replied with an
embarrassed frown before standing up and jogging her way in the
direction of the Ishiyama estate.
Secure in the warmth of Atsuko's body and lulled by the
rhythm of her jog, Emi could almost manage to smile and forget
the terrible thing which had nearly happened to her, but her
confidence had been shaken too badly for it to work.
At an intellectual level, Emi knew that with her five ninja
guardians around, she had never been in any real danger.
However, it was not enough to slow the rapid beating of her heart,
wipe away the cold sweat of fear that clung to her, to banish the
woman's glare of pure hatred from her mind.
Emi had always done her best to be liked by everyone she
met, though there were a few cases that no matter what she said or
did, the person would dislike her. Her mother had told her that
some people were just impossible to please, and Emi had
reluctantly accepted that. To be hated, to be despised like she had
caused someone real pain however, was something altogether new
to the little girl, and she didn't like it at all. It made her doubt
everything in her life that she had been working so hard for. Was
she really cute after all?
*Well, that woman may dislike me, but there are plenty of
people in this city who love me!* Emi thought with a tentative
smile. She opened her eyes to find they were now passing all the
little shops and boutiques where Emi purchased most of her cute
clothes, though her really special clothes were made by Tamiko.
"Hello, Matsubayashi-san!" Emi shouted to one of the store
owners, who was out on the sidewalk gossiping with her neighbor.
The woman waved without looking up as Emi passed,
listening attentively to the story of some mysterious magical girl
who had destroyed the giant robot.
"I haven't seen the pictures yet, but they say that she was
very, very cute!" the other woman informed her with a smile. "I
wonder who designed the armor she was wearing."
"Oh, to design clothes for a magical girl, it would be like a
dream come true!" Miss Matsubayashi enthused. "I've never had
such a worth subject before. I'd give it my best effort ever!"
Emi sighed and closed her eyes, trying to locate her earlier
comfort once again. She did her best to block out the sounds of
people talking over and over about the magical girl known as Hime
Star-chan, about who anything and everything was the absolute
cutest thing that they had ever seen. It was as if everyone had
forgotten that poor Emi had even existed.
Atsuko broke up the little girl's brooding by depositing her
on her large, soft bed with a small bounce, before turning and
fading into the shadows.
*Hmph!* Emi thought in uncharacteristic irritation. *I had
no idea everyone in this city was so fickle. At least my parents
think only of me.*
Emi was in desperate need of comforting, but thankfully
her parents were experts in this. Sometimes she felt a bit
embarrassed by their excessive affection, but at the moment it was
exactly what she needed.
She located both of them in the study. It was a room that
had remained mostly untouched from the previous owners; its high
bookshelves crammed with untouched, yet dust-free, volumes.
She could just see her father's head sticking out from the back of
the high-backed chair, while her mother's dark purple hair
cascaded down the arm. Neither seemed to have noticed her
presence yet. Emi giggled to herself as she inched closer to them,
planning to surprise them like she had done when only a few years
old.
"Now that our current plan seems to have failed," her
mother said so softly that Emi was only just able to make out the
words. "I believe I have an alternative plan."
"Oh?" her father prompted, causing Emi to smile warmly as
she remembered all the times he had sat patiently, listening to all
the things she had to tell him, not matter what they were. Emi had
stopped when she realized she was wasting her father's valuable
time, but now found herself wishing she had been a little more
self-centered about that.
"If only our daughter could be like this Hime Star-chan,"
her mother said with a sigh. Emi stopped dead in her tracks,
hoping that she had simply misheard.
"It would make things much easier," her father agreed, "but
we know that's impossible. I think we'll just have to settle for the
plan we've got."
*Settle?* Were they really that disappointed in her? She
had tried to do everything she could to please them, and had
thought she had, but perhaps they had only been humoring her all
this time. Smothering her in affection to hide their lack of
sincerity.
"But she's insane!" her mother raged suddenly, fire
replacing her usual cool demeanor. "I mean, I'm not even sure I
can deal with her anymore. Trying to smile in that... place of hers.
It disgusted me, but not as much as herself!"
Emi simply fled.
"I'm home!" Junko announced as she came through the
door and started to take off her shoes.
Kozo immediately rushed over to the door, locked it, pulled
down the shade, picked up his niece, and ran up into the attic.
"Is something wrong?" Junko asked sarcastically as her
uncle moved a heavy box over the trap door. The man was
shaking badly as he frantically glanced around in every direction,
as if one loud noise would be enough to give him a heart attack.
Junko wasn't worried that he was going to try some sick lolita
thing on her, not when she had her armband of power.
"Something wrong?" Kozo repeated as he took a seat
across from her, though his eyes kept looking about. "In less than
a week, the niece who I promised my brother I'd take care of,
exposes her alien heritage to the world and nearly gets killed in the
process. What could possibly be wrong?"
Junko looked down at her socks, suddenly feeling ashamed
of herself. She had been treating the whole thing like another
video game, not considering the real world consequences. "I guess
you're mad at me."
"Mad?" Kozo parroted once again. "Of course not, I'm still
too worried sick and scared half to death to be mad. That armband
is only supposed to be used in the most extreme emergency. Not
to battle the forces of evil like a character in a magical girl anime!"
"Well... that robot was smashing up the whole city and
somebody had to stop it!" Junko shouted back, her short fuse
becoming lit once again. Sure, her motives hadn't been exactly
pure, but she knew the result had been good. "You should be
thanking me! If I hadn't been there, your precious Emi would have
been hurt!"
"... Emi-chan was there?" Kozo asked in surprise. "The
news didn't say anything about that."
Junko crossed her arms with a smug smile of victory. "If I
hadn't used my new powers, her and probably a lot of other people
would have gotten injured. Besides, I only got hit because I was
careless. I'm sure I'll do a lot better next time."
"Next time?" Kozo asked with a confused blink.
Junko nodded, smiling. "That old lady with bad taste isn't
going to be satisfied with her one failed attempt. I'm sure she's got
a whole bunch of robots stashed somewhere and someone is going
to have to stop them, keeping the city safe from danger and all
that."
Of course, Junko wanted to do it for the thrills of actually
living one of her video games instead of just playing one; the wind
whipping through her hair as she glided along like a bird, the rush
of mass destruction, and if the city happened to be saved in the
process, so much the better.
"Surely the military or someone else...," Kozo argued,
sounding weak even to his own ears.
"Oh, I'm sure the SSDF's special giant robot squad just got
held up in traffic today," Junko said sarcastically, knowing she had
won this verbal battle. "Besides, I thought you'd be thrilled now
that you have two cute underage girls to drool over."
"I told you it's not like that!" Kozo insisted immediately,
then hung his head in embarrassment. "Actually, I've already
started a small Hime Star-chan collection from the various press
reports."
"Hime Star-chan?" Junko asked in confusion.
"Don't you know? It's the name the press are all calling
your alter ego. It's soo cute!" Kozo enthused like a little boy.
Junko frowned; both at the name and her uncle's shameless
display. "I think it stinks. Why couldn't they have picked a cool-
sounding name like Blaze or Phoenix?"
"That's not important right now," Kozo told her, adopting a
more serious tone. "If you really are determined to become a
magical girl, there are some things which you must do. You'll
have to be careful to keep your secret identity and only use your
powers for good, and not for selfish gain. I just happen to be a bit
of an expert on the subject and I..."
Junko sat and nodded occasionally to her uncle's droning,
not paying it the least attention. Instead, she was wondering when
that crazy woman would attack again. During math class might be
nice, but hopefully not too soon. She wanted to get in a little
training first, to avoid some of the problems she had today.
Emi knew of only one place where her ninja guardians
couldn't follow. There was a small Buddhist shrine in the
basement, something left by the house's previous owners that her
parents had chosen to leave undisturbed. Emi, forever curious, had
stumbled open this room years ago, when she had been younger
and more foolish.
It was an almost claustrophobic room, made to look even
smaller by the low ceiling, large columns that lined the walls, and a
shrine which dominated the room. It had been musty with dust and
incense burned away long ago. Water had also seeped in, making
the air feel slightly cold and damp. It also had rotted away one of
the pillars, which had fell over to bonk Emi on the head as she
passed.
Emi had blinked in surprise as she rubbed the bump now
developing on her head. That had been the first time she had ever
been hurt in her life. Always before, one of the ninja would rush
out to prevent even the smallest injury, but for some reason they
hadn't this time. Later tests proved that this wasn't a simple fluke,
though Emi had been careful to avoid additional bruises.
Afterwards, Ichiro-sensei had asked her to never go there again,
but refused to explain why. He would not prevent her, however.
"Yoji-kun!" Emi called out, standing in her room before the
two bags she had just packed. She took several deep breaths; she
had to seem like her normal happy self if this was going to work.
"Yes, Emi-san?" Yoji replied, appearing on his knees
before her. He was still dressed in his school uniform; not that he
hadn't had the chance to change, since for a ninja this took less
than a second, but because Emi had once off-handedly remarked
that it looked cute on him.
"Can you carry those two bags for me, please?" Emi asked,
batting her eyelashes at the boy. It was not a technique she had
used before, but it was something her mother always did whenever
she wanted something from her father.
"Hai!" Yoji quickly replied. He bowed to her and gently
took a bag in either hand, being especially careful not to wrinkle
his clothes. "Where would you like me to take them?"
"Just follow me," Emi told him with a wide smile. "I've got
a fun, fun game for just the two of us!"
*... just the two of us?* Yoji thought in stunned
amazement, only to realize that Emi was half way down the hall
already. Violently shaking his head to clear it of unnecessary
thoughts, Yoji quickly caught up.
Emi lead him down the back way into the basement, in
order to avoid a chance encounter with her parents. She was doing
her best to appear cheerful, but was sure her act would crumble
before the two people who she loved most in the world, and had
been such a disappointment to. At least they could be truly happy
again once she was gone.
"I don't think we're supposed to go in there, Emi-san," Yoji
spoke up when they stopped before the door to the small shrine.
His grandfather had told him quite specifically to never step foot in
any Buddist temple or Shinto shrine, for reasons he guessed had
something to do with their families past, which they had always
avoided telling him about.
"It's okay, I've been here dozens of times before," Emi
reassured him. "And it'll only take a minute. Please, Yoji-kun..."
Yoji mentally debated which should he be more loyal to,
his grandfather's order or the request of the person he was sworn to
obey. The fevered debate ended abruptly when Emi put her hand
on his shoulder. With a blush on his cheeks and a glazed look in
his eyes, he allowed her to lead him inside.
"So... what do you want me to do?" Yoji asked nervously
as Emi collected the two bags from him and set them on the floor
some distance away, near to the wooden Buddha whose empty
gaze made him edgy. He tried to distract himself from his
nervousness by studying the room, which was not nearly as
menacing as he had expected. In fact, it looked as if someone had
cleaned it recently.
"First, you need to turn around because it's a surprise!" Emi
told him gleefully, smiling one of her cutest smiles for him. He
had it well documented all the various smiles that Emi was capable
of and examples of their uses... in order to serve her better, of
course.
"O... okay," Yoji managed to stutter out as he turned to
faced the closed oak double doors, carved with symbols too dark to
be made out in the dim light cast by the room's small windows.
"Now I need you to take off your uniform and push it over
to me without looking," Emi instructed, her audience failing to
notice how her cheerful tone had begun to waver.
Yoji failed to notice her tone as her words had left him
completely stunned. "Huh? You mean that you want me to *gulp*
get undressed?"
"Please, Yoji-kun," Emi begged him. "Didn't you say
before that you'd do anything I asked?"
Yoji nodded. He remembered the moment well, even
thought they had only been five at the time. He'd been resentful of
the way his sister was always watching out for Emi, leaving him
with nothing to do. So he had made this pledge to her, that he
would do anything Emi asked for. Only this was the last request
he'd been expecting.
Swallowing a lump in his throat, he slipped off his jacket
and tried to unbutton his shirt, only to find his hands weren't
cooperating. What kind of ninja could he be if he let himself get
this nervous? Then he realized training was the answer.
"Ninja quick change!" Yoji exclaimed, spinning quickly
around to reappear in his black ninja outfit, with his school clothes
lying at his feet. With renewed confidence, he tossed these over
his shoulder without glancing back, knowing that they would land
right before Emi.
"Good, Yoji-kun!" Emi enthused, and then added. "Just
give me a minute to get ready."
Yoji listened with renewed nervousness to the rustle of
cloth, doing his best not to think of the implications of that. *No,
it couldn't be... that, could it? Here we are in a dark place where
no one else would go, but she still wouldn't... not Emi-san.*
"Okay, you can turn around now!" Emi told him gleefully.
Yoji slowly turned around, looking up almost fearfully,
only to see Emi now dressed in his school uniform, complete with
a matching cap to hide her golden hair. He suddenly wished that
he hadn't forgotten the camcorder upstairs.
"So, what do you think?" Emi asked as she tucked down
the bill of the hat and began to pace around the room with an
exaggerated boyish walk, her shoulders slumped with her hands in
her pockets.
"You look very cute, Emi-san," Yoji managed to stay, still
feeling very confused, like he was in the middle of a bizarre dream.
Oddly enough, for once Emi seemed disappointed by that
compliment. She frowned and said, "Well, I guess you'll just have
to be extra convincing!"
"Me?" Yoji asked, blinking several times.
Emi nodded as she took out a new dress from the bag that
was identical to the one she had worn, though looked a bit bigger
in size. "This is for you. I've even got a blonde wig to go with it!"
Yoji's mouth hung open while his mind worked through the
difficult process of comprehending this information. "... you want
me to dress up as you?"
"Yep!" Emi confirmed with a giggle. "Now quickly put
this on. We're going to play a little joke on your family today.
You'll go out on the city dressed as me and they'll follow you
because you'll think you're me! It's going to be so much fun that I
can hardly wait!"
"But who will protect you then?"
"Remember, I'll no longer be Emi, daughter the wealthy
Ishiyama family. I'll just be a normal boy that no one would
bother. Besides, I'll still have Usagi-kun to protect me!"
"Emi-san, I don't think this is a good idea..."
Emi sniffed as if near tears. "Does that mean you won't do
it? When you promised to do anything for me, was that just a lie?"
"Of course not!" Yoji shouted back immediately. "I just
think..." Looking into Emi's wide blue eyes so close to tears, her
lips trembling with suppressed despair, he simply couldn't say no.
"I think we should hurry before the others catch on."
"Wai! Now hurry up and get dressed. We both need to be
gone before it gets dark out."
*I really don't think I'm cut out to be a ninja,* Yoji thought
with a frown as he slipped on the cute dress. *And Atsuko will
never let me hear the end of this when she finds out.*
Kozo sat before his big screen TV in search of solace from
concern over his niece in the numbness of mindless entertainment.
It was some moments before he realized that he hadn't even turned
the TV on yet. He couldn't help it, there were just too many things
to worry about.
First of all, there was the deal that the aliens of his planet
had with the Japanese government. They would be allowed to
stay, and occasionally be done favors like getting Junko enrolled in
that exclusive private school, in exchange for aid in their races
more advanced areas, like medicine. This was all under the
condition that the aliens all kept a low profile. 'Hime Star-chan'
blew that, but hopefully the government wouldn't make the
connection.
Even if Junko could somehow keep her alternate identity a
secret from everyone, she was still much too nonchalant about the
great power she possessed. She knocked out a giant robot with one
blast; one small slip-up there could have meant the deaths of
innocent people. Not to mention that Junko herself was taking an
enormous risk, even with the protection the armband gave her.
The ringing of the doorbell distracted Kozo from his
troubled thoughts, though this only caused him to worry more. It
could be the government, who having made the connection after
all, were ready to deport him or worse, or someone from the
mayor's office with a bill for the damages the fight had cost. He
knew that even if IMI's construction wing gave the city a cut rate,
the level of devastation would still be costly to repair.
Kozo peered through around the window shade, only to
sigh in relief to see it was just a boy at the door. Probably trying to
sell something. Buoyed up by his ease, Kozo smiled as he opened
the door and said, "Hello there, what can I do for you?"
"Hello. Is Junko at home, sir?" asked a familiar-sounding
voice. The 'boy' took off his cap and shook out her golden curls,
revealing even to someone who wasn't a raving fanboy of hers that
it was Emi Ishiyama.
Emi peered up at Junko's uncle curiously as he stood there,
staring at her with is mouth hanging open, like a strange statue. He
looked vaguely familiar, one of her parent's employees she
guessed, though didn't know what his job was. "Is this the right
house? Does Junko Kitaue live here?"
Not yet able to speak, Kozo nevertheless managed a nod.
"May I see her?"
With an extreme effort of will, Kozo not only managed to
nod, but to step back inside and indicate that Emi could enter.
"Thank you, sir!" Emi told him with a small curtsey as she
ran past him, in search of her best friend.
After several minutes had passed, when his brain began
working again, Kozo's first though was: *I've got to find my
camcorder!*
*So what else can you do, Akito?* Junko asked the
armband, trying to get into the habit of thinking her conversations
with it. She didn't wanting people thinking that she was the kind
of magical girl who heard voices.
She had named it Akito simply for convenience sake; it still
annoyed her, but she had to call it _something_, and that was just
the first name that had popped in her head.
*I provide a variety of services. A list of them would be
quite exhaustive. I also have limited abilities to acquire new
functions. So whatever you may need me to do, I already possess
or could learn,* Akito replied almost smugly.
Junko rolled on new her bed to stare up at her new ceiling.
It was pink. She hated it already. *So... do you have any other
special attacks like the mega-blast? All decent video game
characters have at least three specials and one super, if not more.*
*I'm not sure what you mean by 'special attacks' exactly, I
was designed specifically as a defensive measure,* Akito told her
with a trace of confusion. *However, many hosts have added to
my abilities, altering my primary function to more of a household
tool.*
Junko sighed. She was just a student; she didn't need
anything like that. Besides, using this special device handed down
in her family for generations just to cook breakfast sounded so...
wrong to her. Relaxed on her bed, Junko started to drift off into
sleep. She guessed being a magical girl had taken more out of her
than she thought.
*You seem to have a visitor, Junko,* Akito informed her
after a few minutes had passed in silence. *She does not appear to
be hostile.*
*She?* Junko thought as she sat up, blinking sleep from
her eyes, only to see Emi standing in her doorway, dressed in a
boy's school uniform of all things.
"Ju-chan!!" Emi wailed as she dropped her bag and leapt
across the room, securing Junko into a super-glomp that squeezed
the breath right out of her and knocked them both to the floor.
*Correction, intruder is hostile, though its attack is too
weak to harm current host. No action required,* Akito said dryly.
Feeling like her ribs were about to break, Junko had a few
scathing thoughts about Akito's diagnosis of the current situation,
but her mind froze when her ears were filled with the sounds of
Emi's heavy sobs. Miss congeniality was actually crying? Maybe
nearly getting flattened by that giant robot had effected her after
all.
"Hey, what's wrong, Emi... chan?" Junko asked, not really
sure how to comfort someone. No one had ever come to her with
their problems before, and she had never had any real need of
consolation when she was growing up. People asking what's
wrong usually just annoyed her.
Emi sniffed cutely as she managed to halt her flow of tears,
wiping the last of them away from her now red-rimmed eyes.
"Everyone is being mean to me! Ever since that magical girl
appeared, everyone has been going on and on about how cute she
is, and not noticing me if I walk right by them!"
*Serves you right,* Junko thought smugly. Emi was a
spoiled brat who everyone once bowed down to, and getting
people to bend over backwards to serve her wants. It was about
time she found out that the rest of the world doesn't have things so
easy.
"Even my own parents said they wished I was that magical
girl... that they were disgusted with me..." Emi trailed off as tears
spilled from her eyes once again, this time falling in silence as the
girl made no move to wipe them away. Usgai-kun's now damp
ears drooped mournfully.
Junko could only stare back at her in shock. It was one
thing for casual acquaintances to latch onto the new fad, but for her
own parents to say such things... Junko's temperature began to rise
as she considered 'Hime Star-chan' paying a little social call on the
Ishiyama household. She didn't care how rich and powerful they
were, that didn't give them the right to treat their own daughter like
that.
"That's why I've decided to run away from home," Emi
stated firmly, wiping away her tears once again as she sat up
straight, her eyes hard in determination.
Noticing the bag that Emi had dropped for the first time,
Junko suddenly developed a sinking feeling in the pit of her
stomach as she asked, "So where do you plan on staying?"
"With you, of course!" Emi replied with almost her normal
level of cheerfulness. "In my time of need, where else can I turn
but to my best friend Ju-chan?"
Junko felt bad about accidentally being the solvent that
dissolved Emi's happy life, but if it really was so weak and hollow
to begin with, maybe she was better off finding out now when she
was young and able to make changes easily. Besides, Junko had
enough problems enduring Emi's friendship in school, she didn't
want to think what it would be like to live under the same roof with
her, especially with an Emi-obsessed uncle lurking around. "I
don't think my uncle..."
"... could possibly refuse to let his niece's friend sleep
over," Kozo completed from the doorway, camcorder in hand,
already trained on Emi. "You're welcome to stay as long as you
like."
"Thank you, sir!" Emi exclaimed, before turning back to
face her best friend, latching onto her with a super-glomp once
again. "This is going to be the best slumber party ever!"
In the iron grip of Emi, all Junko could do was groan.