Thanks to Orlean for commenting on this chapter,
and E.L. Toh and Zachary Seaholm for commenting
on the previous one.
This is probably the last chapter of this I'll be
sending to the FFML since the list really isn't meant
for original fiction and I've abused it for far
too long already. New chapters will still be
posted on my webpage though.
***
Project Kawaii: Scramble War!
(an original magical girl fic)
By Ammadeau
Roy.Fokker@UNSpacy.org
http://www.thekeep.org/~amm/
Episode 6: Clash of the Magical Girls
***
Magical Mecha Princess Ami grinned in delight as, with the
aid of her visual enhancement visor, she spotted the giant robot
slowly lumbering its way to the outskirts of the city.
It was even bigger and shinier than the last one, with two
giant pylons that jutted up from its shoulders for no particular
purpose, and mismatched fists that looked vaguely like old
battleships, only at a much smaller scale. All the detail still looked
impressive, even if there didn't seem to be any point to it.
After a few minor calculations, with the help of the satellite
feed built into her helmet, the solar-powered magical girl had
plotted the mechanical monstrosity's most likely course through the
city, which she studied intently for several moments.
"Perfect!" Ami thought out loud, and with another grin,
dashed towards the thing she had been searching for.
*Where is she?!* Hime Star-chan thought in irritation as
she scanned the sky, which she was currently floating in, for signs
of an annoying pink technological girl.
Finding a quiet place to get really angry so she could
transform hadn't been easy in a high security area like the IHI R&D
facility. Saying that she was lost to one of the army of security
guards, whose only purpose seemed to be making her life difficult,
was sure to get her stuck with an escort. Junko had been forced to
resort to the old bathroom excuse once more.
Ms. Magical Mecha Princess had to be somewhere nearby
with the giant robot on the horizon, the latter currently clearing a
path towards the city by idly knocking down power lines. It looked
even more ridiculous than the last one, Hime had no idea they
could make capes that big, meaning that old lady with the bad
fashion sense from before was probably at the helm.
Hime Star-chan could try finishing the robot off before her
pink highness showed up, it didn't look that tough, but she was sure
that ignoring Emi would guarantee her showing up at the worst
possible moment. Better to deal with her first, then take that
hulking automaton out at her leisure later.
*There!* A sudden flash of light reflecting off pink metal
wings coming from a nearby rooftop, surprisingly nearby. She
would have expected that after her little speech, 'Ami' would have
been a bit closer to the action. Instead, she stood on top of a tall
building near the center of the city.
"... take that, evil doer! No, that's not right. Hmm... have at
thee knave! Nope, not that either. Eat red hot justice, naughty
robot! Better...," Magical Mecha Princess Ami muttered to herself
as she mentally searched for the just the right speech, along with
the appropriate pose to accompany it.
Everything had to be perfect for her big premiere as a
magical girl. She had the suit and the powers, but she still needed
the all so important gestures and clever catch phrases. A few days
of practicing still hadn't been enough to prepare herself for such a
critical moment. In some way or another, all of her prepared
material seemed inadequate to her now.
"What the heck are you doing?" Hime Star-chan raged at
the magical girl upstart as she set herself gently down on the
rooftop. At Akito's heavy-handed suggestion, she had been
practicing on being less destructive, at least to things that didn't
deserve it. Thus, she only made a small dent as she planted her
high-booted feet.
"In case you hadn't noticed, the giant robot you're supposed
to be fighting is now poised to destroy the city a kilometer in that
direction," the half-alien girl added, trying to ignore the fact that it
sounded a bit hypocritical of her. Though at least she had never
claimed to be the protector of the city.
Ami blinked in surprise to find that she wasn't alone, or
rather wasn't alone with a voice she didn't recognize. Then she saw
who it was and her eyes narrowed. Hime Star-chan, the one person
who had been able to take everything that ever mattered away from
her in an instant. *She's not so cute!*
"Unlike some people, Magical Mecha Princess Ami knows
the value of a really good entrance, in order to dazzle her foe with
her beauty and grace!" Ami snapped at the usurper to her kawaii
throne, frowning in a way that was not at all cute.
"But it's wrecking the city _now_," Hime Star-chan pointed
out, wondering if her overwhelmingly self-centered 'best friend'
realized that this wasn't some sort of live-action sentai show. Not
that those corny lines sounded sensible in that context either to
Junko, but in real life the crazy old hag wasn't going to stand idly
by just so miss mecha could make her little speech.
Ami only stared at her blankly for a few moments before
she finally said, "I'm sure that everyone has already been evacuated
to their designated shelters. That's what the air raid sirens are for."
They were still blaring, though even people living in
concrete bunkers, where they would be safe anyway, must have
heard them by now. The half-alien magical girl, with the help of
Akito, had simply tuned them out.
"How about the buildings it's trashing?" Hime Star-chan
stubbornly persisted in what she was starting to feel was the
hopeless cause of driving some sense into that kawaii-shaped skull.
"Do you think they can just retract the buildings into the ground or
something?"
"That's a good idea!" Ami suddenly enthused. "Why don't
they do that? I would make it much harder for a giant robot to
wreck things, and much easier to fight besides!"
Hime Star-chan massaged her forehead with a gloved hand,
knowing that despite his supposedly near limitless multi-
functionality, Akito couldn't manage a simple headache remedy.
As she readied her next probably futile argument, the girl formerly
known as Junko was sure that this was going to be the longest day
of her life yet.
This heated argument did no go unobserved. While the
news crews were still shouting for their camera operators and
racing to their helicopters, one person had been prepared from the
moment Magical Mecha Princess Ami had been introduced to the
world. He was now perched on the edge of nearby building, armed
with camcorder with long range zoom and plenty of dvd-rs.
"Butterfly watching, bro?" questioned Atsuko, who had
appeared with a smile on the ledge next to him. She kicked her
feet over the edge, as if they were sitting on a park bench instead of
a few dozen stories off the ground. "Isn't that a bit too feminine for
a dress-wearing macho man like yourself?"
"Leave me alone, sis. I'm working," Yoji replied between
clenched teeth, focusing all of his will on keeping the camcorder
perfectly still and not letting his anger disrupt the documenting of
such a historical event. "Unlike some people, I take my oath
seriously."
"And how does your obsessed stalker impersonation protect
your precious Emi from harm?" Atsuko asked casually, not really
caring what answer he gave. It was sure to give her the opportunity
for further teasing.
While she knew it was cruel of her, the teenage ninja
couldn't help it. She was bored and more than a bit upset at the
moment. Even though the suit little miss cute was wearing would
protect her from everything short of an atomic blast, Atsuko still
had to waste her time watching out for her. The most desirable guy
in her class had actually asked her to do something after class with
him, but she had to turn him down because being a ninja
apparently meant having absolutely no social life.
"That's Ami," Yoji corrected, stressing the slight difference
between the two names for emphasis.
"Excuse me?" Atsuko prompted, blinking at her brother in
confusion.
"As her faithful ninja, it is our duty to preserve Emi-san's
secret identity," Yoji explained loftily. "When she is in the midst
of righting wrongs, defeating evil, and defending the innocent, we
must refer to her as Magical Mecha Princess Ami."
Atsuko laughed loudly, doubling over with almost enough
mirth to send her tumbling off the edge, but still managed to
maintain her perfect balance as she wiped away half-formed tears
from her eyes. In a voice still punctuated by chuckles, the ninja-
girl told her brother, "That's the stupidest thing I've heard in a long
time. We couldn't call ourselves ninja if we let someone overhear
us, so what's the point of being so needlessly confusing?"
"Because that's what Emi... I mean, Ami-san, wants to be
called when she's like this!" Yoji raged at his sister, accidentally
shaking the camcorder a bit, much to his dismay. If there was one
thing he loathed most in the world, it was being made fun of.
Perhaps because it seemed to happen so often.
Atsuko laughed once again, but when she saw how serious
her brother's expression was, she gave in. She may enjoy teasing
him, but she didn't want him to really suffer. Except when he
deserved it. "Okay, okay, I give. Sound almost the same to me
anyway. So how does all this protect _Ami_ from harm?"
Yoji smiled to have won a very small victory, and calmly
explained, "While Ami-san's suit protects her from most normal
forms of harm, there are still abnormal sources we must keep
vigilant watch for, like that... ugly brute Hime Star-chan."
Atsuko stood and narrowed her eyes, for the first time
noticing that Emi, or rather Ami, wasn't alone on that rooftop.
There was another girl there with her, one whose outfit matched
the girl who had so effortlessly halted the descent of the first
robot's fist, later destroying it with a sudden flash of energy.
Atsuko had been trained to be the best ninja in the world from
birth, but even she was a little awed by so much raw power.
"Maybe I can understand brute, the girl definitely could
have used more finesse and less power in her last fight, but ugly? I
guess all of your intense study of Em... Ami makes you the expert,
but Hime Star-chan looks pretty cute to me," Atsuko said with an
indifferent shrug, then grinned as a thought occurred to her.
"Maybe it's because the new girl is even cuter than your precious
Princess Ami."
"That is the most absurd thing^�," Yoji nearly screeched,
stuttering with pure rage. "That is most definitely and assuredly
not at all true in the least!! How can you even compare the most
perfect Ami-san to that... that... wannabe?!"
Atsuko chuckled, ignoring her brother as she pulled out a
pair of binoculars for a closer look. It seemed that the two magical
girls didn't get along either as Hime Star-chan shouted... The
teenage ninja frowned suddenly as she realized there was
something oddly familiar about this mysterious magical girl, but
she just couldn't place it.
The dread Lady Morgana, future ruler of the universe,
saving the bits she doesn't like and would therefore annihilate,
stretched out with a wide smile in her now spacious cockpit. There
was plenty of room for a single pilot to destroy cities in complete
comfort and safety, just as she had designed it to be. She was, after
all, a genius.
Despite being a large and complex machine of mass
destruction, her latest and greatest creation was mere child's play to
operate. One joystick controlled movement, while another for
targeting. All one had to do was walk up to thing one wanted to
destroy, align the crosshairs on the view screen, and push one of
the color-coded buttons for various ingenious attacks. Only one
minor design flaw had emerged during this trial run, but of course
someone of her genius had no trouble finding a handy remedy for
that, solving two problems at once.
As her magnificent invention casually strolled past the city
limits, the towering buildings now in reach of its powerful
forearms, Lady Morgana was surprised, and a touch disappointed,
by the total lack of resistance thus far. It was all well and good for
the populace to realize that they had no hope of rivaling her
intellect, but how was she supposed to test out the full range of her
mechanical marvel's abilities if no foolhardy soul was willing to
risk their lives in challenging her?
Lady Morgana opened the cockpit and shouted out, "Do
you see anything, my lookouts?"
"Nothing, sempai!" Rei-Rei shouted back, the wind nearly
snatching away their voices.
The dark mistress of science nodded and secured the hatch
once again, to return to the warmth and comfort of idly smashing
the city that lay before her. So comfortable to just lean back in
relax. And the robot was so easy to operate; all she had to do was
keep her foot on the joystick and she could take a little nap.
The design flaw that Lady Morgana had only noticed when
the city was already in sight was this: While the huge pylons that
jutted from the robot's shoulders like gigantic spikes were both
practical and aesthetically pleasing, they did block a great deal of
the robot's field of vision. Lady Morgana wouldn't even consider a
cowardly retreat to amend such a minor problem, so instead she
had done her best to compensate; not to mention giving herself the
leg room and blissful quiet she had so desired.
"This is all your fault for tagging along where you're not
wanted, human!" Doe-Rei shouted while she struggled against her
bonds. Not to escape; she just liked the way the rough cable felt
digging into her sensitive yet durable outer casing.
"Sempai forced us out after you stuck your filthy tongue in
her ear!" Rei shouted back, having not struggled even when her
sempai had roughly secured her to her present location. This
wasn't the first time she had been tied up, but usually her sempai
was a bit more... attentive.
The two Reis were currently strapped to the two pylons by
thick and heavy cable tightly securing their bodies, making them
appear like the modern equivalent of maidens offered up for
sacrifice. The human Rei was freezing as she wind whipped by
her, despite the long dress she wore. The android Rei, however,
didn't seem to mind the cold at all, though she only had a thin lab
coat and a few straps of leather to protect her from the elements.
"My 'tongue,' as you so crudely put it, is a highly
sophisticated appendage, which is far cleaner and more flexible
than the primitive human equivalent. I was merely checking
sempai for possible illness," Doe-Rei replied smugly, and would
have crossed her arms if she could have.
"So you needed to grab her chest and her behind to check
for illness too?!" Rei raged back, though her cheeks were red with
embarrassment.
"No, that was just for fun," Doe-Rei replied with a giggle
and a leer.
"You disgust me!" Rei growled, tempted to do some
unladylike spitting if it wouldn't just get blown back in her face.
"Pervert!"
"Ice queen!" Doe-Rei countered with a huff.
"Silicone princess!" Rei returned with a sudden burst of
creativity. She was never particularly clever, but it was hard to be
around sempai without overhearing things she wouldn't normally
repeat.
"What was that!?" Doe-Rei shouted back with inhuman
volume, her voice filled with indignation.
"I called you a silicone princess!" Rei yelled, her voice
growing hoarse, but she couldn't seem to care. Her anger had
burned away any thoughts of cold or discomfort. "Because you're
just a machine with disgustingly big--"
"No, after that!" Doe-Rei clarified. It was hard to get mad
at being called that. She was in fact made of silicon and was more
pleased at being called a princess than anything else.
Rei blinked in confusion, then shivered as the feeling of
cold suddenly fell upon her like an avalanche. She managed to
stutter out through chattering teeth, "I didn't... say anything after
that!"
Doe-Rei didn't like even the implication that she was
malfunctioning, so was indignant as she replied, "Well, I'm certain
I heard someone say--"
"You might not look as stupid as that mechanical monster,
but you still look really silly!" came a voice from a nearby rooftop.
"Well you might not be as ugly as that big robot, but you're
still not at all cute!" replied a second voice from the same source.
Both Reis looked around in surprise, suddenly realizing that
they both had been so caught up in putting the other down that they
hadn't noticed how far they were into the city already. Several
buildings already lay smashed behind them.
"How dare they insult sempai's wonderful creation!" Rei-
Rei thought out loud, quickly scanning the area for the sources of
those terrible and untrue insults. The human Rei normally thought
everyone should try and get along, but just couldn't stand people
who were unable to appreciate her sempai's genius. The android
Rei just like seeing people suffer.
"Turn clockwise twenty five degrees, sempai!" Rei-Rei
shouted, then glared at the other for imitating her.
Nayoko blinked, awoken from what she had thought had
been a short nap by sudden cries, whose voices were oddly
familiar, but she couldn't quite place them at the moment.
She was back in bondage gear, much to her dismay, though
at least no tight fitting mask this time. Spying a lab coat hanging
on the edge of the seat, she slipped it on with a slight smile, which
turned to a slight frown as its pockets were bereft of cigarettes.
Only then did Nayoko realize she was in the cockpit of her
newest robot, the revolutionary GGN-1. Apparently, someone,
perhaps her, had actually finished the thing, though she did seem to
recall something about assistants. Whatever; it couldn't have been
too important.
Idly twirling the movement joystick, and ignoring the odd
gear whirring that sounded almost like yelling, the view screen was
suddenly filled with the sight of two oddly dressed little girls in
some sort of an argument. One, Nayoko recognized almost
immediately, was the life-like android that had attacked her
original robot for no good reason. Perhaps now was a good time to
find out why.
Junko had been forced to endure more than the average
share of troubles in her short life. Parents forcing her to be cute
who turned out to be aliens, at least her father, and that had to go
back to the home planet. They had left her in the care of a possibly
lolita uncle who had given her an armband that wouldn't come off
until after the birth of her first child. An armband, that while
granting her incredible powers, also turned her into a sickeningly
cute magical girl that came with a very annoying AI.
She had once thought that being forced to be the best friend
of the cutest girl in school was a minor annoyance when compared
to all that, especially after said girl had shown that she wasn't as
perfect as she had first seemed and actually possessed the ability to
be something other than cheerful twenty four hours a day. The
current argument she had suddenly found herself embroiled in,
however, was sorely tempting her to rethink the whole matter.
"Of course all magical girls have to be extremely cute!"
Mecha Princess Ami insisted, an accusing finger only centimeters
away from her rival's nose. "Have you ever seen an ugly magical
girl? Of course not!"
"I haven't, but that doesn't mean they _have_ to be cute,"
Hime replied in irritation, having completely forgotten the point of
this whole tangled argument. "That's like saying... I haven't seen a
walrus, so they must not exist!"
"Exactly!" Ami agreed with a grin.
Hime Star-chan groaned. "Now look here..."
*I suggest you admit defeat,* Akito spoke in her mind, and
interrupted her fragile train of thought. *While the girl's
conclusions are highly suspect, she can weave chains of logic with
far more dexterity than a more... how should I put this... direct
mind such as yours will be able to follow, much less counter.*
"Shut up!" Hime Star-chan suddenly shouted, her face red
with rage, though even she couldn't be sure who she was yelling at.
"Anger is very uncute," Ami pointed out with a somewhat
smug smile. "Everyone knows that magical girls have to be
cheerful and always smiling, as their goal is to fill the world with
love and peace!"
Both girls blinked in surprise as Ami's last three words
echoed oddly, as if being shouted by an insane man some distance
away. Then they both shrugged, deciding that the tall buildings
were simply twisting the echo like a auditory pretzel.
"It doesn't matter if I'm cute or not!" Hime Star-chan
shouted, not caring if she was angry since she'd much rather not be
cute anyway. "That's not the point! The only thing you need to be
a magical girl is _magic_. Something you don't have!"
Emi flinched at her rival's last argument, having just had
the one minor problem with her whole image of a magical girl
pointed out so bluntly. She sniffed back her tears and said, "You
don't have to be so mean. I don't think you seem to realize that not
all of us were born with magical powers like your were. That we
frail mortals might also want to fight for justice in cute outfits."
Hime Star-chan just stared in absolute bewilderment at this
drooping mechanical butterfly. For her of all people to make a
speech like that... she was too stunned to even finish her thought.
"Look," Hime Star-chan stated firmly as she stood up
straight and stared down at the Mecha Princess, who now looked
up at her with half-formed tears in her eyes. "This isn't a very large
city. It doesn't need more than one magical girl, and I was here
first. So I suggest you hang up your helmet."
Ami frowned as she slowly got back on her feet and stood
up straight, looking back at her rival with a glare of defiance in her
bright blue eyes. Her whole life, she had been encouraged to try
anything that caught her interest, no matter what it might have
been, and to always try her best even if she didn't succeed. No one
had ever told her to just give up before, and she didn't like it one
bit.
"No, I'm not going to give up!" Magical Mecha Princess
Ami declared as she stomped her foot in defiance. "I'm a hundred
times the magical girl you are, even without any real magic, and I
can prove it too!"
"Oh, really?" Hime Star-chan replied as she adopted the
classic gunslinger stance, seen in countless westerns she had
watched with her father.
While the pink armored suit looked ridiculous, Hime Star-
chan was sure that with Emi's obsessive parents, it must be able to
take a hell of a beating. A bit of cruelty might just be the only
thing that would make her friend give up on her silly notion of
being a magical girl. She might even end up a better person for it.
"Really," Ami echoed with a small nod as she mirrored the
stance of her rival. It was obvious that this crude, violent girl
wasn't at all interested in peace, or even willing to listen to reason.
It had come down to a showdown, mana a mecha, with the
privilege of being the true magical girl of the city going to the one
left standing.
Magical Mecha Princess Ami and Hime Star-chan's eyes
were locked as they stood unmoving, hardly breathing, waiting for
the other to make the first move. A dreadful silence fell over the
rooftop, broken only by the roar of the wind and the distant blare of
police and fire sirens. That was when the latter girl felt a rather
large and persistent tap on her shoulder.
"Leave me alone! I'm busy!" Hime Star-chan shouted
without turning around, knocking the hand off with the force she
had been gathering for her first attack.
This sent the ungainly giant robot careening off-balance,
only to have its fall broken by a nearby building with a thunderous
crash that definitely caught her attention.
If Kozo Kitaue and Gen-ji Yokozaki had one thing in
common, it was the determination to never cry in public. Both of
them had had moments in their lives where, much as they hated to
think about it, tears had definitely been required. So if it had to be
done, the preferable place was locked in a sound proof room with
no windows and the lights off, in the middle of the night.
The two grown men were currently on their knees, weeping
like men usually do when their girlfriends or wives had left them
for someone better, especially if it was for another woman. Their
reasons for this sudden outpouring of unmanly emotion was off in
the distance, though still painfully visible even to the naked eye.
"The robot just sat on the GEN building," Sakuya reported,
staring at the distant explosions with the aid of binoculars. The
mayor's secretary had taken over lookout duty when the mayor
himself was too busy blubbering to manage it. She seemed to take
an almost perverse glee in relating the bad news. "Knocked the top
of the tower right off. It fell onto the OM building, but the extra
support that was added there seemed to have help repel most of the
major damage."
"I think that's enough, Ms. Maekami," Gen-ji told her in a
choked whisper from where he still knelt on the roof. The fact that
he could no longer see the destruction being wrought somehow did
not help to ease his mind one bit, especially with her constant
status updates.
"Just doing my job," Sakuya said with a smile as she tapped
the binoculars against a well-curved hip. A small flicker of
disapproval appeared on her face as she stared down at the pathetic
men, but it was gone before either of them noticed. "It's only a few
buildings. You don't have to get so... emotional about it."
"But... but...," Kozo stuttered out as he looked up at her,
tears still sliding down his cheeks. "I worked so hard to get the city
repaired so I could go back to doing nothing... and now I have to
do it all over again!"
"I hear you, man," Gen-ji told him, patting him on the
shoulder in a comforting way, even though he was still weeping
himself. "All the toil and effort that had gone into rebuilding the
city, not to mention all the complaints from the citizens I had to
respond to. I mean, I had just finished today and was looking
forward to playing a few rounds of golf this afternoon, but now...
now I'll have to work all night just answering reporters. By the
time I get to play golf again, my caddie won't even remember my
name!"
Sakuya sighed as the two men attempted to console one
another, looking away to watch the sight of mass destruction again,
which she found a lot easier to accept. *Maybe taking this job
wasn't such a hot idea after all.*
Doe-Rei slowly opened her eyes, flinching against the
radiation cast by the enormous ball of hydrogen floating in space,
which primitive humans had labeled the sun. The sudden collision
had put her system into sleep mode to prevent any additional
damage normally caused by power surges or corrupted software.
Luckily, she seemed to be fully functional, but coming back on-line
she found her sensitivity calibration was completely out of whack.
Optical adjustment was easy with such an obvious point of
reference. Auditory was a bit trickier, but she was able to calculate
the relative distance of falling debris she was hearing with accuracy
well within a margin of error. *Now for tactile...*
Doe-Rei blinked when something immediately registered,
significantly more dense than the clothes she was wearing. She
looked down, expecting a small chunk of debris lying on her torso,
only to find a boy looking up at her from the space between her
front shock absorbers. His skin pigmentation reddened suddenly as
he leapt away with unexpected agility, perching on the top of a
naked support beam just behind him.
"I'm... so sorry, miss," Yoji said nervously to the oddly
dressed woman, trying to forget all about the softness of her skin,
or the way her eyes had shone when she had slowly opened them.
"I was distracted for a moment by... something, and so didn't react
in time. I beg you to forgive me."
Doe-Rei, being less than a day old, wasn't surprised when
after running the boy's incomprehensible words and actions though
her logic processing program, it came back as 'insufficient data.' In
times like these, she always fell back on the instructions imputed
by her sempai. It took her only a few milliseconds to locate the
one that best fit her current circumstances.
"No," Doe-Rei stated firmly. Mistress Morgana had
instructed that forgiveness was something to be forced out of other
people; it should never be given as it was the loss of an advantage.
Doe-Rei had no idea what this boy wished to be forgiven for, but
knew that withholding that forgiveness gave her power over him.
Power over one that seemed to move beyond human limits should
prove useful. "You have wronged me and now you must perform
restitution equal to your crime before I will forgive you."
"That... sounds fair," Yoji replied slowly. He was supposed
to be devoted to serving Emi-san and no other, but it was his own
failing as a ninja which had scarred this woman. It was the only
honorable thing to do. "How may I serve you, miss...?"
"You shall call me Mistress Rei. I shall call you Inu," Doe-
Rei told him in a commanding voice, imitating the tone of her
sempai while keeping it in her own voice. "From this moment
forth, you are my personal servant; to be called upon whenever and
for whatever purpose I desire. Serve me well and I may even
reward you with something besides the forgiveness you seek."
"But how will I know when you need me, miss... Mistress
Rei?" Yoji asked, feeling very much like the monkey who had
followed the trail of bananas, only to be captured and shot into
space. *How did I ever get into this mess?*
Doe-Rei snorted, as she knew her sempai would have done.
"That is your problem, Inu. Now leave. I have no need of your
services at the moment."
"Shouldn't I untie you at least?" Yoji asked, just now
realizing that thick steel cables secured his new mistress to the
large metal pylon. Normally, his keen ninja senses would have
noticed something like that immediately, but he was still feeling
very much off balance. He needed at least an hour with his special
video collection before he'd feel completely at peace again.
"Of course not!" Doe-Rei shouted in anger. How dare he
even consider undoing the work so lovingly performed at the hands
of her sempai? After she had taken such care to make sure that her
precious android didn't accidentally fall off her latest creation.
"Now go!"
Yoji bowed and vanished.
Lady Morgana awoke in horror to find a sizable bump on
her otherwise perfect head. What cruel fiend could have been so
monstrous as to mar her beauty while she was simply resting her
eyes? Whoever they were, they would suffer and suffer greatly for
this injustice.
The dark mistress of robotics slipped back into her
comfortable pilot's seat, while making the mental note that her next
glorious invention would have both a seat belt and airbags. And
definitely a cup holder; she could use a good drink to ease her pain,
to numb the bumps and bruises to her delicate frame.
On the view screen, two oddly dressed girls stared with
wide eyes from a nearby rooftop. No doubt they were in awe of
her wonderful creation, not that she could blame them.
One of those girls had to be the wicked child who had
destroyed her previous less perfect but still impressive invention.
Her instincts screamed that this was so and they were never wrong.
There were only times when the imperfect world could not hope to
match her perfect instincts.
There was the sudden thought that she was forgetting
something, something mildly important, but she was much too self-
assured to let a little thing like that bother her.
"Ohohohoho!!!" the laughter rang out from the massive
speakers built securely into the chest of the giant robot. "It seems
that we meet again, and you've even brought a little friend with
you. It will do you no good! You caught me by surprise before,
preying upon my kind heart and generous nature, but this time I am
well prepared for your tricks! Prepare to suffer one hundred fold
for the crimes you have committed against me!"
The human Rei screamed as the decibel levels nearly made
her eardrums burst, not to mention the vibrations shaking her like
the time that her sempai had greatly increased the power of her
pager. The android Rei only frowned slightly as she was forced to
readjust her audio levels once more.
*I knew I had forgotten something,* Lady Morgana thought
after she had opened up the cockpit and located the source of the
screaming. However, she was much too busy at the moment in
wreaking her revenge to untie her lowly subordinates.
Lady Morgana raised up her magnificent creation to its full
height, letting the metal shine under the afternoon sun in an
appropriately dramatic way. Then with a sneer curling her full lips,
it charged forward with massive fist upraised, glowing a faint blue.
Magical Mecha Princess Ami had blinked in surprise when
a gigantic metal hand had come down to tap her rival on the
shoulder, and felt a touch fearful about the ease with which the
upstart magical girl had brushed it off. This was not someone to be
taken lightly, but Ami was sure that if she gave it everything she
had and more, she could win against her.
After all, being a magical girl was so much more than just
brute force. Otherwise, they would just join the army, or become
professional wrestlers. Whatever Hime Star-chan may think, Ami
knew from her extensive research on the subject that all magical
girls were confident, poised, professional, artistic, and above all,
cute. How powerful one was didn't matter as long as they could
still get the job done while upholding this image.
Now Magical Mecha Princess Ami had the chance to prove
it. She had recognized the voice of the old woman from before, the
one who had perched on top of the other giant robot and had been
so mean and nasty. Somehow the evil villianess had seen through
her disguise and was out to finish the job of squashing her flat.
Little did the woman realize what a great heroine of justice she
now faced.
"Evil Obasan!" Ami shouted as she posed dramatically on
the edge of the roof, outstretched finger pointing accusingly at the
gleaming metal automaton that was only now getting back on its
feet. "For wrecking the homes and businesses of the hard-working
people of this city, I must teach you a lesson. Prepare to be
punished!"
Magical Mecha Princess Ami began to float a bit off the
ground while her armor started to glow a faint pink, preparing her
first devastating attack.
Hime Star-chan's eyes widened as she was nearly thrown
off her feet by a sudden rumbling, while her ears were filled with
the sounds of splintering glass and tearing metal. She turned
around almost sheepishly to realize that she had just knocked the
giant robot menace into a nearby building, causing the damage she
was supposed to be preventing.
Her argument with miss pink and perfect had made Hime
Star-chan realize that she really wanted the job of being magical
girl over the city. In order to hold that position, she would need to
take a few responsibilities, like trying to keep the city in one piece.
It would be a small price to pay for the visceral thrills it provided
her, not to mention the opportunity to put 'Ami' in her place.
*Just like I thought,* Hime Star-chan thought with a smirk
as she listened to the corny, and obviously hypocritical, dialogue
blaring out from the giant robot's huge front speakers. Even if she
hadn't been able to identify the speaker by her voice alone, her bad
taste was enough to give her away.
It seemed that the old lady was still sore about Hime Star-
chan dismantling her previous invention and was now out for
revenge. Maybe after her precious robot got knocked down a few
more times, then she'd realize she was the only one who was going
to suffer. There was a brief thought about how this would drop it
on that building once again, but then it was already wrecked. They
had to fix it anyway, so it shouldn't matter if it got a bit more
damaged.
Hime Star-chan took a few steps away from the roof's edge,
planting her feet firmly as she prepared to launch the mother of
flying uppercuts, her body radiating a golden glow.
When their precious daughter had taken to the air in order
to begin what was sure to be a long and glorious career as a
magical girl, Michiko and Ryuji had only hesitated for a moment
before hopping in their private helicopter speeding their way home
before the battle could get fully underway.
While they had been uncertain about Emi's suddenly calling
at first, being the supportive parents that they were, Michiko and
Ryuji had thrown their entire company behind her. The little press
conference had only been the tip of the iceberg; Magical Mecha
Princess Ami promotions and other merchandise were already
rolling off the production lines, and would line the shelves of their
stores before the week was through.
Another sign of this commitment was the complete
renovation to one of the unused rooms of their mansion. Inside
was mostly empty at the moment. A wide screen TV built into the
far wall before a comfortable couch that folded out into a bed.
Smaller versions of the MMPA banner that still hung in the R&D
facility were to either side of it. There were also lighted display
cases, and while most were empty, a few displayed the prototypes
of MMPA merchandise. The talking Magical Mecha Princess Ami
doll glowed pinkly in the dim light.
"Screen on," Ryuji stated firmly as he strode into the room.
Arm in arm with his wife, who added with a grin, "And bed out."
At their commands, the television slowly brightened while
the plush couch extended out into a bed. Emi's parents made
themselves conformable on the latter, and in each other's arms,
while positioning themselves for full view of the big screen TV
before them.
"Hmm, this doesn't seem to be working," Ryuji thought out
loud as the television displayed only solid grey, while a low hum
from hidden speakers filled the room. "I thought we tested this
already."
"It's not quite that automatic, dear," Michiko told him with
a amused smile. Her husband was more businessman that scientist
so sometimes took technology for granted. She tended to avoid
making him feel too inadequate over it, since some of the more
complicated business matters were beyond her grasp. "Spy drones,
launch!"
With the whirring of motors, the screen was filled with blue
skies and gently floating clouds. One had the feeling of rising
upward, only to slow and stop. The image remained steady as it
rotated, putting the city in view below.
"Commands for the television have to be proceeded by
'screen' and ones for the drones have to be proceeded by 'spy
drones.' Both are equipped with the latest in fuzzy logic
programming so it should be able to grasp the meaning of any
commands you provide it," Michiko instructed with a finger
gesturing only an inch or so away from her husband's nose. Her
grin ruined the effect, however.
"Yes, sensei," Ryuji replied with a tone that was half
respect and half teasing. Then he turned to face the TV and
commanded, "Screen, display all drones. Spy drones, find Magical
Mecha Princess Ami."
The image on the television suddenly split into four
different views of the city, each following along the path of
destruction until they caught a flash of pink and zoomed in.
Suddenly, there was a huge explosion of light and sound
that poured from the television, shaking the banners off the wall
and leaving spots before their eyes. One drone now showed
nothing but static, while the remaining three fought wildly to
regain their balance.
Michiko and Ryuji eyes met with their mouths still hanging
open in shock. Neither knew what to say, not having a clue what
had just happened. All they could do was ignore their feelings of
dread as the drones slowly regained their focus.
*Now this is familiar,* Hime Star-chan thought with a
groan and she slowly sat up, wiping broken glass, bits of wood, and
assorted chunks of plaster off of herself. Materials she had
gathered from her rather abrupt and speedy journey though two
office buildings, including assorted walls and office furniture in-
between. *But what the heck did I do wrong this time?*
*Uh, it appears that this instance was my fault,* Akito told
her rather sheepishly. *As some of the adjustments you requested
earlier could only be done while you are transformed, I had
assumed that the midst of your argument would be a proper time to
begin them. So when you began your attack, I'm afraid I was too
focused on my work to realize.*
Hime Star-chan had noticed that her AI advisor had been
oddly quiet since she had transformed, but she had just assumed
that it was the first bit of good luck she had had all day. She
should have known better.
*Well now that you're awake, can you please tell me what
just happened?* Hime Star-chan thought to her supposed aid
bitterly. It had no pain programming or anything, so it couldn't
know how sore she was feeling right now as she stood. She felt
worse than that misjudged mega-blast, though like before she
seemed to have escaped serious injury. She idly wondered just
how much abuse her magical alter ego could take before deciding
she really didn't want to find out. *It almost felt like something hit
me from the side...*
*That is correct,* Akito agreed, his voice having regained
his normal neutral tone. *As you were about to strike the charging
robot with your 'Osaka Special Golden Fist of Death,' as you so
quaintly refer to it, a large glowing pink object struck you on the
right, causing your trajectory to be altered radically.*
*Pink?* Hime Star-chan thought as a golden glow seemed
to seep out of her clenched fist and narrowed eyes, making her
appear more like a vengeful goddess than a little girl. *Emi!*
In an instant, Hime Star-chan burst forth from the office
building traveling at tremendous speeds, the floor of the building
collapsing in her wake like a unsteady house of cards.
*Perhaps I should have started with the... less explosive
adjustments first,* Akito commented, seemingly to itself.
Hime Star-chan ignored the unreliable AI. She had a rival
to find and teach a very painful lesson.
Having just been spun like a top by an unexpected
collision, instead of the one she had expected, Magical Mecha
Princess Ami decided she should have a short rest on the empty
bed she found herself on. It was a surprisingly lucky coincidence,
especially considering the window that had seemed to open by
herself, but things like that happened to her all the time and she
had ceased to worry about them.
She hadn't escaped the whole incident unscathed, but the
power suit she wore had taken the brunt of the damage as it had
been designed to do, leaving her with no more than a unpleasant
feeling of nausea. She willed it away, however, knowing that
getting sick wasn't at all cute.
While her body rested, Ami's mind blurred with activity,
trying to discover what had interfered with her perfectly executed
attack. Just before she had struck, there had been a bright flash of
golden light that had crossed her path, that had naturally been
impossible to avoid at the speed she had achieved. Her suit did
have an impact avoidance alarm, but it seemed that it was limited
to subsonic velocities. Another improvement to add to her list.
*Gold?* Ami thought as she sat up, forcing the lingering
remaining threads of dizziness away with her righteous fury. She
knew only one other person capable of that sort of speed, whose
skin was the color of precious metal. Though that was certainly the
only thing precious about her. "Hime Star-chan! You must learn
not to interfere with a magical girl's premiere attack!"
*Where am I?* was normally Nayoko's thought upon
regaining consciousness, because often the answer surprised and
confused her. This time, however, she found herself still in the
cockpit of the GGN-1, her latest giant robotic creation.
Apparently, the golden-skinned android had taken offense
to being tapped on the shoulder and showed surprising strength in
being able to easily toss her robot into a nearby building. Nayoko
bumping her head and blacking out was only a natural and obvious
consequence of that, making the scientist consider the application
of seat belts in her next design, or at least padded walls.
Nayoko crawled up to the view screen, which made her
realize that the robot must be currently reclining on its back. She
was surprised and pleased to find that everything was more or less
still in working order. There was some minor damage here and
there, but only to be expected considering the force of the impact.
Her previous robot had just been a wild experiment, but this one
was built to last.
Slowly directing the metal automaton back upright, Nayoko
kept turning the torso to scan the surrounding area. She stopped,
blinking in surprise, when she found a great swathe of destruction
cut before her. This was obviously the path her invention had
taken after android had worked out its irritation; it had to be much
more powerful than it looked.
Still, it did provide Nayoko an amply clear path to follow
back to the robotic marvel in question. Though it may be
dangerous, she needed to study it further in order to improve on her
own designs. There wasn't anything she wasn't willing to risk for
science.
Large blurs of gold and pink nearly collided once again,
only to veer away at the last second, slowing as their forms became
distinguishable as Hime Star-chan and Magical Mecha Princess
Ami. Both regarded the other with a stern expression and
narrowed eyes as they slowly turned around. Neither seemed to
notice the devastation of the city block that they were currently
hovering over.
"You messed up my attack!" they both shouted suddenly, to
pause and blink in surprise when they realized they had both said
the exact same thing. This confusion lasted only for a few
moments, however, before they added, "Stop getting in my way!"
"Stop repeating everything I say!" they shouted in fury, red-
faced and hands balled into fists. On top of everything else that
had happened to them ever since their historic first meeting, this
seemed the worst insult of them all. Neither knew it was possible
to be so angry. "Quit it!"
Hime and Ami each took deep breaths as they began to
slowly circle each other. Then they quickly opened their mouths,
thinking they could catch the other off guard, only to pause when it
looked like the other was also about to say something.
*She must be an evil witch or an alien from another
demension!* Ami thought as her eyes were locked on the 'not in
the least bit cute' magical girl that hovered before her, the flame-
colored wardrobe making her look more like a demon from hell
than a defender of justice. *I bet the first time she saved the city
was just to trick everyone into believing she was sweet and
innocent. How devious.*
*You... you spoiled brat!* Hime Star-chan resisted the urge
to blurt out as she glared at the petite princess hovering like a man-
made mockery of a butterfly before her. The truly magical girl
wished that Akito was able to create a giant fly swatter.
Emi was already queen of the school, but she couldn't be
satisfied with only that. She had to invade Junko's newly
established turf of saving the city from giant robots. Hime wasn't
about to let the greedy girl take it away from her, however.
"Excuse me," Nayoko said, interrupting the staring contest
as she finally reached the site of the original incident. It wasn't
hard to find since it was mostly in ruins. However, she was
surprised to find not only an android, but what appeared to be a girl
in a power suit. Though she thought of power suits as no better
than expensive toys, Nayoko thought it prudent, in the light of her
recent accident, to be polite. "I've got something to ask you."
"No!" both girls shouted loudly, pouring out their pent-up
anger at a new source, their outstretched hands already beginning
to glow. "Leave us alone! We're busy!"
Pink and golden beams struck the torso of the robot,
knocking it back once again.
Sakuya was lounging against one of the skylights,
stretching out to let the sun warm her body, and straining the
already strained fabric of her current outfit. She didn't mind
though as it would be going in the trash in just a few hours. She
never wore the same clothes twice, except for a few special outfits.
The boys had since stopped weeping over one another in a
clumsy attempt at mutual comforting, and were now engaged in a
whispered conversation, their expressions brightening bit by bit as
they voices grew more and more excited. Sakuya couldn't be
bothered to listen in on their mutterings, because she knew they'd
both come running to her to explain their brilliant scheme once it
was complete, just like little boys seeking the approval of their
mother.
It wasn't that Sakuya disliked Gen-ji or Kozo. Quite the
opposite, actually; she was fond of both of them in a way she didn't
quite fully understand. Their antics always amused her so much
that it was hard for her to be irritated with either of them for long.
If they only weren't so... immature. They behaved like such
children, and it was hard for her to think that either of them would
ever grow up and become men.
"Miss Maekami, we have the most amazing idea to save the
city from the next robot attack!" the mayor announced with boyish
glee as they both raced over to her.
Sakuya smiled as she sat up to await their 'brilliant' plan,
idly wondering if she would be quite so tolerant of them if she
hadn't been an only child. While having a few siblings might have
made her life easier, she could tell by the examples of others that
sometimes they could cause more harm than good. But that was a
thought for another time.
"We were thinking that we could... umm...," Kozo started to
say excitedly, only to fall into blushed mutterings. It might have
something to do with the fact that Sakuya had leaned closer to him
with a smile on her lips, her arms framing what now dominated his
field of vision, forcing him to look away. "You tell her!"
"Well, it's really quite simple," Gen-ji said in a false show
of humility. "The goal of the giant robot attacks seems to always
be the destruction of the city, so all we need to do is build a cheap
replica of the entire city and fool this evil woman into believing
that is the real city, which she may wreck at her leisure."
"Yeah, that's it!" Kozo nodded to the mayor in enthusiasm,
only to return to embarrassment when he turned to look back at
Sakuya. "So, what do you think?"
With the two boys looking up at her with wide, expectant
eyes, awaiting her approval of their silly scheme, Sakuya couldn't
help burst out laughing.
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Kozo asked as an
aside to the mayor while the man's secretary continued to laugh
until tears of amusement filled her eyes.
"With her, it is sometimes hard to tell the difference," Gen-
ji admitted as he walked to the end of the roof and rested his
elbows on the upraised edge. A large, dark cloud of smoke
obscured most of the city's damage from his eyes, for which he was
thankful. He knew that Kozo's boys would fix all the damage just
like last time, so no one could tell there had ever been a giant robot
attack caused by some insane woman. The voice they had heard
though, it had sounded strangely familiar...
"It'll be okay," Kozo told the old guy with a friendly pat on
the shoulder. He had really seemed like a pitbull at first, but now
that he had gotten to know him, he really wasn't so bad. It didn't
change the fact that he'd be ecstatic if he never had to see him
again. "After we put our plan in motion, we'll never have a
problem like this again."
"You're right," Gen-ji replied firmly, nearly laughing as he
felt a leaden weight being eased from his shoulders. As long as he
didn't see the destruction with his own eyes, it wouldn't bother him,
no matter how many letters of complaint he got. Because he knew
this would be the last time.
The two men were so busy congratulating each other that
they failed to notice the giant robot set hurtling in their direction, at
least until it slammed into the building like an out of control
mountain.
*There has to be some way the two of you can settle your
differences without resorting to excessive violence,* Akito lectured
to his young charge.
Though he was only an AI designed from the brain patterns
of a man long since deceased, Akito couldn't help finding Junko's
savage behavior more than a bit disconcerting. In all his centuries
of faithful service, he had never been possessed by a host such as
her before, and as much as he was capable, he feared for his own
safety. *Might I dare suggest that you pool your resources and
work together to protect this city from harm?*
*Shut up!* Hime Star-chan thought back, which was
quickly become a reflex for whenever the annoying AI spoke. It
did have one good point though. All of their effort had gotten them
nothing but headaches and wounded pride. They needed some way
to settle who should be the magical girl of the city once and for all.
*She's planning something sneaky and underhanded. I just
know it!* Magical Mecha Princess Ami thought firmly as she
carefully studied the face of her enemy. Reading people's
expressions was one of the many things her ninja sensei had taught
her before her parents had told him to restrict his lectures to non-
ninja activities. *I bet she's going to suggest some contest to prove
who is the true magical girl, then cheat in order to tighten her evil
hold on the city.*
"This isn't getting us anywhere," Hime Star-chan said with
a sigh to her rival. "Why don't we have a contest to prove who's
the real magical girl here?"
"What sort of contest?" Ami countered suspiciously, while
thinking, *Ah ha! It's just like I suspected. Evil people are really
easy to predict after watching all of those magical girl anime. But
now what do I do about it? I can't refuse the challenge. It would
be too much like admitting defeat. And I can't let her win, even
though I know she'll cheat. I also can't sink to her level or I'll be
just as bad...*
The ground shook violently all of the sudden. It was much
stronger than the footsteps of a giant robot, which the two girls had
become so accustomed to that they hardly noticed at all. This was
like the impact of a meteor, or perhaps a poorly aimed rocket.
It came again, this time some distance to the right, while
the other seemed to have come from the left. Though it was hard
for either of them to judge in their still frazzled state. The eerie
calm that followed did nothing to put them at ease.
The calm was abruptly shattered as the sound of mad
laughter echoing all around them, sounding as if a chorus of
gigantic demon women were closing in from all sides, the sound
growing louder and louder. If they hadn't been hovering in the air
at the time, it would have easily knocked them off their feet.
Magical Mecha Princess Ami and Hime Star-chan circled
the sky back to back, frantically looking out among the partially
ruined buildings for a single source of the insane laughter that
seemed to be coming from everywhere at once.
As such, they failed to hear the charging footsteps of the
giant robot bearing down on them, or see its glowing fist until it
had already knocked them right out of the sky.
"Ohohohoho!!" Lady Morgana continued to laugh in her
comfortable cockpit as she practically tore off her lab coat and
tossed it in the corner. She stretched her arms high over her head
with a wide smile on her lips, while still keeping a close eye on the
video screen. Her instincts assured her that those magical brats
couldn't be done in by a simple punch.
Evil as she was, the dark mistress of science could have
used one of the more advanced and deadly weapons that her lovely
creation was equipped, but it would have been all too quick and
easy. After finding yet more bruises on her delicate skin, she
wanted her enemies to suffer slowly. So she could squeeze every
last drop of enjoyment from them.
The shoulder-mounted speaker missiles had been an
inspired idea; yet another product of her magnificent genius. Not
only did they make sure that her voice could not be ignored, they
also managed to cause quite a bit of destruction without any loss in
sound quality. She couldn't blame her adversaries for being
overcome. Lady Morgana had nearly swooned herself at the echo
of her own exquisite utterance.
There was the nagging thought that there was something
about her speaker missiles that she had forgotten about, a reason
why she shouldn't have launched them. She shrugged. A genius
like herself couldn't be expected to bother remembering every
minor detail about everything. That's what assistants were for...
"Oh darn."
*What should I do?* Yoji wondered for the dozenth time.
He was still fulfilling his duty of keeping the camcorder trained on
Ami-san at all times, but for once she wasn't enough to occupy his
attention. The young ninja had a problem and he just couldn't
think of a solution.
Even at his age, he was already a highly trained ninja with
the ability to wait unseen in the shadows for the command of his
mistress, that was as long as he only had one mistress to answer to.
Because of his own... clumsiness, he had been shamed into
accepting a second. As a ninja, his word was his bond so he could
not simply choose between them. He had to serve both to the best
of his abilities, but how could he possibly be in two places at once?
Maybe if IHI had some sort of cloning vat...
Yoji blinked as giant metallic fist thrust its way into the
camera shot like a runaway express train, knocking his precious
Ami-san out of the sky, and that other tomboyish magical girl as
well, before he had the chance to react. He could still break her
fall if he acted swiftly, however, with his own body if need be.
His mad leap from the high building was halted by a gentle
yet firm hand on his shoulder. Yoji knew who it was even before
he started to turn around, looking into the smiling face of his
mother. He doubted there was anyone in the world that could rival
her grip. Dreading the response, he hesitantly asked, "What is it,
mother?"
"Ooh, does my little man have a crush on an older woman
now?" Tamiko asked, her eyes shining with delight. "That's so
cute!"
"It's... it's not like that at all!" Yoji insisted, realizing that
his mother had witnessed his little scene with his new mistress and
completely misinterpreted things. How could she think that he
would dare betray Ami-san?
"You don't have to be so shy with your mother, 'Inu,'"
Tamiko grinned as she carefully pronounced the pet name her son's
new girlfriend had given them. She seemed like such a nice girl,
not wrapped up in being self-conscious or demure. Just the sort of
person her shy son needed. "I even have this adorable puppy
costume for you to wear on your first date!"
Yoji could only stare in wide-eyed horror as his mother
pulled out a brown dog costume, complete with floppy ears and a
fake nose. As a ninja, this left him with only one alternative; he
fled.
Atsuko chuckled as she observed all this from a nearby
building, as any closer may make her mother think that she was in
need of a costume as well. The ninja girl had endured enough of
that when she was younger. As far as she was concerned, it was
Yoji's turn to deal with their mother's little fetish.
Turing away from the mad chase from rooftop to rooftop,
and knowing that their mother could catch Yoji at any time if she
truly wanted to, Atsuko peered at the dust cloud marking the spot
where the two magical girls had hit. She knew that neither of them
would have been hurt by such a punch, which is why she hadn't
raced to the rescue.
Even though it wasn't her duty, Atsuko would have
protected Hime Star-chan from harm. She wasn't sure why; it was
just an instinct that she had. Maybe there was the fact that she
seemed the only one capable, or even willing, of getting Emi to
give up on her latest obsession.
*Maybe if I helped her out in secret, taught her a few tricks,
ways of dealing with the petite highness...*
Atsuko reluctantly shook her head. Even if it wasn't a clear
conflict of interest to the oath she had made, there was no way she
could do it without her family finding out, and they were sure to
put a stop to it.
On the other hand, maybe there was a way she could help
out without being quite so obvious about it...
Dust settled around a crater which had been a average city
street in a past life. It revealed the fallen and dusty forms of two
cute magical girls. Each groaned, shaking their heads to clear them
from the aftereffects of their sudden collision with several tons of
giant robotic fist. Neither seemed to have suffered any real harm,
however, though their outfits could both use a quick trip to the
cleaners, or in Ami's case, a speedy flight through a car wash.
"You okay, E..Ami?" Hime Star-chan asked, looking across
at her non-magical girl companion. A bit nervously since Emi's
obsession with cute only concealed the clever mind buried under
all that fluff. If Junko let it slip that she knew who she really was,
'Ami' was likely to figure out her own identity as well.
"I think so," Ami replied without her usual outpouring of
confidence, not in any condition to notice her rival's small verbal
slip.
This was the second time she had been caught off guard by
a sudden attack. Being a magical girl was turning out to be much
harder than she originally thought, but that made her only want to
succeed even more. The whole challenge made it seem like a
much more worthwhile goal. Maybe having a rival wasn't such a
bad thing after all. "Are you all right, Hime Star-chan?"
Hime blinked. Ami's tone had almost sounded respectful
there for a moment. *Nah, must have imagined it.*
"Yeah, I'm fine," the true magical girl replied, then after a
moment of though, added, "Well, more or less. I would be better
now if you hadn't been distracting me earlier. Then I would have
never fallen for such a lame attack."
"No, it's your fault for distracting me!" Ami insisted firmly.
She was trying to be nice to a girl who was probably pure evil, and
this is what she gets for it? Blame?
On second thought, that was exactly the response she
should have expected. Hime Star-chan was evil, after all.
Probably had herself get knocked out by her own minions as part of
her clever scheme. Ami knew that evil people would do anything
to succeed in their wicked plans. "Then I would have realized that
the laughter had come from that direction!"
Hime Star-chan frowned as her rival/friend stood and posed
dramatically as she gestured one way down the street. She knew
Emi wasn't stupid, and all that high tech gear probably greatly
improved her hearing, so how could she be so wrong? The fiery
magical girl was sure the origin of the insane laughter had come
from the exact opposite direction. "You're way off. It came from
this way."
Magical Mecha Princess Ami watched her rival point in the
opposite direction and had to quickly hide a smile. Hime Star-chan
was trying to protect her evil minion by leading the true heroine of
the city away from her. Ami knew better than to fall for such a
transparent ploy. "You can search vainly in that direction then,
while I head in this direction and save the city from the robotic
menace!"
"Fine!" Hime Star-chan shouted in reply, accepting the
unspoken challenge. "You go your way and I'll go mine. Then
we'll see who's the real magical girl in this town!"
Both girls nodded firmly before flying off in their own
direction, eager to put the other in her place once and for all
"Ohohohoho!! I have you now...," Lady Morgana declared
as the giant robot reached the spot where the two magical girls had
crashed landed, only to find the impact crater empty. "Where did
they go?"