Day 203 (Catch-Up)

[from Electron]

While Martin trawled the connections between the two victims, looking for clues as to who the sword-wielding woman could be targeting next, Electron set about patrolling the area near where she had last been seen. Worryingly, however, she appeared to have evaded the police blockades and escaped into the wider city. He flew back and forth, investigating several potential sightings, but found nothing save a used smoke bomb.

"I think our theory was right," he told Martin. "Whoever this woman is, she's only targeting specific people, and refusing to harm anyone else. She could have violently confronted me, the police, or both, but instead she's chosen to just evade us. I think it might be possible to capture her alive." Martin did not respond. "Hello? Martin? Are you there?"

Eventually a voice responded, but it was a woman. "I'm sorry," she said, "Martin isn't at his desk right now. He's away pursuing some kind of lead. I don't know when he'll be back."

"I see," said Electron. "Well, when he gets back, could you tell him I'm going to try and catch this sword-wielding murderer alive, without a struggle?"

The woman barely stifled a chuckle. "You make it sound so easy," she said. "But then, I guess it would be for you. Alright, I'll tell him. Good luck, Electron."

"Thank you, ma'am," said Electron. "Over and out." Electron hung up and headed back into the sky, resuming his search.

By the time he heard from Martin, it was late afternoon and the sin was beginning to sink low on the sky. There was still no trace of the woman. "Electron," said Martin. "You there? You manage to track her down?"

"No, I'm afraid not," said Electron. "I don't know where she is, but I do have a feeling that-"

"Yeah, I heard about your theory," said Martin impatiently. "Listen, 'coz I got something more than theories. I know who she is, and more importantly, I know who her other targets are."

"You do?" said Electron. "That's great! Who are they, then?"

"Their names are Matt Tyler and Andy Smith," said Martin. "They were both friends with John Baxter and Kevin McAllister. Matt lives at Newport House, Room 307, while Andy lives at 156 Coolidge Avenue."

"Alright, thank you," said Electron. "Do you know why this woman is after them?"

"I do," said Martin, "but you're not gonna like it."

"Hit me with it," said Electron. "If I can understand why she's doing this, maybe I can talk her out of it."

"Alright," said Martin. "Three weeks ago, John, Kevin, Matt, and Andy allegedly beat a black man into a coma. His name was Thomas Dailly, and five days ago he passed away in hospital. His wife, Jasmine, apparently hasn't been seen since. The case was never brought to trial due to lack of evidence, despite there being at least one witness to the assault. And here's the kicker: Thomas and Jasmine are both metalworkers. She could easily have forged the swords and the armour herself."

"I see," said Electron. "So, we're trying to save a bunch of presumably racist murderers." He suddenly recalled the Confederate flag that had been hanging in Kevin's house.

"Believe me," said Martin, "I'm even less happy about it than you are. But leaving these people to die would just make us as bad as her. If they really did kill Thomas Dailly, then they deserve to face justice for it. What Jasmine's doing ain't justice."

"I agree," said Electron. "Which one of them's the closest to where Kevin was murdered?"

"That'd be Matt," said Martin. "Newport House, Room 307. It's only about a mile from your current location."

"I'll be there as fast as I can," said Electron. "Hopefully I can get to him before Jasmine does."

"Let's hope so," said Martin. "Let me know either way. Good luck, man."

"Okay, see you." Electron hung up, and immediately flew off in the direction of Newport House, an eighteen-storey apartment complex near the downtown area. The journey took barely a minute, but it seemed he was already too late, as a shocked crowd was gathered around the open door to Room 307. They turned to him with sorrowful looks as he landed outside the door.

"It happened just a few minutes ago," one of them told him. "The Iron Maiden showed up at the complex, some of us came out to try and stop her, but-"

"The Iron Maiden?" repeated Electron, bemused.

"That's what they're calling her on the Internet," said the man. "You know, that masked killer."

"I tried to stop her," said a Hispanic woman, "but she just knocked me aside and-"

Electron placed a hand on the woman's shoulder, giving her a comforting look. "It's okay," he said. "You all did your best. I appreciate your efforts. But, I'm guessing that-"

A third man nodded. "Yeah," he said. "He's dead. We're sorry."

Electron shook his head. "I'm the one who should be sorry," he said. "It's my job to save people, and I just wasn't fast enough this time. But I know where she's going to strike next, and believe me, this time I'm going to stop her. Which way did she go?"

"That direction," said the Hispanic woman. She and about three others all pointed to the west.

"Okay, thank you," said Electron. "I'll stop her this time for sure. Everybody stand back, please." The crowd duly stepped back a few paces, and Electron lifted off into the sky, racing off in the direction of Coolidge Avenue. "I was too late to save Matt," he told Martin, "he's dead. I'm on my way over to Andy, there's no way she can be at his house already. When she gets there, I'll stop her."

"This might be your last shot at catching her," said Martin, "so make it count. Good luck, man."

"Thanks, Martin," said Electron. "This city is counting on me to stop her, and I'm not gonna let them down. I'll get back to you as soon as I can. See ya."

As Electron hung up, he could see Coolidge Avenue approaching fast in the distance. Martin was right: if Jasmine succeeded in killing Andy, not only would her husband never receive justice, but she could well drop off the grid afterwards, never to be seen again. Whatever happened, he had to stop her here.

Day 202 (Catch-Up)

[from Street Racer]

In the distance, a loud rumble signalled that the race had begun. The tiny dots on the horizon swiftly grew larger and larger, and Lien leaned forward expectantly, waiting to see who would emerge from the darkness in the lead. As the shapes in the distance grew larger, Lien realized that Tristan and Bouncer were almost neck-and-neck. She was surprised at the Skyline's pace at first, then realized that it had probably been upgraded from its original performance levels. Seeing that Tristan was in with a chance of winning, Lien found herself willing him on.

As the cars rapidly approached the finish line, Lien couldn't quite tell which of them was in the lead, and as they crossed the line, she still couldn't tell. It looked as though Tristan may have had the edge, but they would have to check the cameras at the finish line to be sure. Either way, it was safe to say that the Impreza had been some way behind in third.

The three cars screeched to a halt, and as the drivers got out, both Tristan and Bouncer seemed to think they had won. "I won that, Tristan," said Bouncer, pointing a triumphant finger. "Don't pretend like you won that, 'coz you were miles behind me."

"On a one-mile drag strip?" Tristan coolly replied. "Yeah, sure. Check the tapes."

"Only to prove that I won that," said Bouncer. "Hey! Lemme see that replay!"

The girl with the finish-line camera quickly hurried over, and Tristan and Bouncer gathered behind her to watch. Lien could not see the replay, but it seemed as though Tristan had won, for Bouncer suddenly exclaimed, "Oh, c'mon, man! There's no way-"

"You saw the tapes," said Tristan with a shrug. "The tapes don't lie, Bouncer. You're out."

Bouncer shouted something Lien couldn't quite catch, and stormed off back to his Mustang, shutting himself back inside it as he contemplated his defeat. With the first heat now over, the second heat was now imminent: the remaining three cars were gathering at the start line, while the contestants from the first heat pulled over to the side, giving them space in which to come to a stop. The camera girl rushed back to her spot next to the finish line, placing the camcorder back on its low tripod. Tristan sat on his car's rear spoiler and settled down to watch the race.

As the second heat got underway, it quickly became apparent that there would be no such debate about the winner this time. Jason Diaz' orange 370Z had quickly pulled out ahead and crossed the line around two seconds ahead of his competitors. Unlike Tristan, he did not brake to a stop immediately, instead slowing and performing several victory donuts before pulling over to the side. Several of the gathered fans rushed over to congratulate Jason, while Tristan hopped off the back of his car and calmly got back in, ready for the final shoot-out.

Once the crowd around his car had dispersed, Jason headed back towards the start line along with Tristan. Jason tried to turn the mile-long trip into a miniature drag race, quickly accelerating past Tristan, who seemed to be taking a more leisurely path back, alternating between accelerating and braking in order to warm his car back up again. Eventually, both of them reached the start line and turned round, ready to begin the final race. Though Lien could barely see them, she could hear them revving loudly as they prepared for the off.

A sudden roar and screech signalled the start of the race, as the two drivers rocketed off the start line. The final, it seemed, was just as close as the first race had been, with very little to call between the 370Z and the Skyline. It seemed as though the Skyline was trying to pull out a lead but the 370Z kept pulling back.

As the two approached the finish line, it seemed to be almost a dead heat, and as they crossed the line, there was immediate confusion as to who had won. The girl with the camera quickly removed it from its tripod and rushed over to the two drivers, who seemed equally confused. "Was that a dead heat?" asked Tristan.

"Like hell it was a dead heat," said Jason. "You got lucky, man. I shoulda won that by a landslide."

Tristan shrugged nonchalantly. "Doesn't always go how you want it to," he remarked.

As the camera girl approached, Jason turned to her expectantly, ignoring Tristan. "Whatcha got for me?" he asked. "That was mine, right?"

The two drivers gathered around the girl once more. "Actually, no," said the girl, "it seems like you were just a few inches behind."

Jason tilted the camcorder so he could see the view screen face-on. "The fuck?" he said. "I thought I had that!"

"But you didn't," said the girl. "The win is Tristan's."

Jason looked incredulous at the result, while Tristan merely smiled and nodded in acknowledgement before walking away. Before long, those gathered around began to congratulate him, and Lien decided to join them. As she approached, she noticed one of the other racers handing over the prize pot. She didn't know how much it was, but it looked like a fairly large wad of bills. Tristan quickly stuffed the wad into his back pocket.

After the crowd had dispersed a little, Lien took her chance and sidled in front of the street racer. "Nice win," she said. "Looks like it pays well, too."

"That's the idea," said Tristan. Pausing for a moment, he squinted at Lien. "We've met before... before the first heat. You were the girl checking out my car."

"That was me," said Lien. "The name's Lien. Lien Wei."

"Tristan. Tristan Starr." Tristan paused again, and this time it seemed he was searching for something more to say. "Is this your first time at a street race?" he asked eventually.

"Yeah," said Lien, "how did you-"

"You have that amazed look about you," said Tristan. "Like a spectator."

Lien smiled and nodded. "My friend invited me," she said. "I'd seen the street racers around, and I have to admit, I'd been curious about the scene for a little while now, but I'd never actually been to a race before."

"What did you think?" asked Tristan.

"It's really..." Lien found herself struggling to describe what she had just seen, and she realized that she hadn't really seen that much at all. "Uhh... it's really fast," she said finally. "Fast and loud."

Tristan smiled. "That's how we like it," he remarked.

"Uhh... do you know when the next race will be?" asked Lien. "I'd really like to see more."

"Caught the bug, huh?" asked Tristan. "Sorry, but the races aren't run to a schedule. But..." He glanced at his car, then trailed off.

Lien followed his gaze, and caught an inkling of what he had in mind. "But what?" she asked.

"I could take you for a spin in my car," Tristan suggested. "Not many people can get that close to the action."

Lien smiled. "I'd love to," she said.

"Alright then," said Tristan, opening the driver door. "Get in, and buckle up."

Lien crossed over to the passenger door and got in. Both seats were racing-style bucket seats, made of carbon fibre and lightweight foam; instead of a seatbelt, there was a five-point harness. The rear seats had been ripped out completely, replaced with carbon scaffolding for extra rigidity. Lien got in and started untangling the harness, trying to figure out how to put it on.

"Wait." Lien turned to look at Tristan and saw he was looking at her with a serious, but still somehow calm expression. "Before you strap in," he said, "there's something you need to understand about what I do. This car has no airbags. Not just to save weight, but because at the kinda speeds we'll be going, airbags won't do anything for us of we crash. I've been doing this for months, and I consider myself an expert driver, but even experts make mistakes. So if you're not prepared for the possibility that you might die tonight, you should get out of the car right now."

Lien was a little shocked at Tristan's sudden bluntness, but she had to appreciate his honesty. She knew the dangers of street racing as well as anyone in Jade City. She knew the sheer foolishness of what she was about to do. But Lien didn't care, because she wanted to do this. Somehow, even just the thought of it excited her. No matter how dangerous it may be, she didn't want to back down now. "I'm ready," she said.

Tristan nodded, and gripped the steering wheel tightly, the turbocharged engine revving aggressively. "Then buckle up," he said.

Lien swiftly began putting on the racing harness. As she did so, a fresh wave of adrenaline washed over her, but also a fresh wave of nervousness, both brought on by the realisation that there truly was no turning back now. "You'll be gentle, right?" she asked suddenly, looking Tristan in the eye. "After all... it's my first time."

Tristan nodded. "First time for everything," he said. "I'll be as smooth as I can." With that, Tristan put his foot to the floor, and in a squeal of burning tires, the Skyline was gone.

Day 201 (Catch-Up)

[from Aura of Chaos]

The inside of the Great Library was immense in both size and grandeur. Towering bookshelves, elegantly carved from oak and marble, reached dozens of feet towards the gilded ceiling, and stretched almost as far as the eye could see. Stacked within their wooden frames was almost every conceivable kind of book, from epic war poetry to romance novels, as well as encyclopaedic volumes recounting the region's entire history. Almost every work of literature that Albion had ever known was contained within this vast repository, in some form or another.

Tara had never seen such a vast building in all her life. She gasped in astonishment, gazing around the library with her mouth open. "This place is... incredible..." she said.

"It really is," said Xeron. "I'd heard how vast the collection here was, but seeing it in person is really quite the sight."

"You've never been here before?" asked Tara.

"No," said Xeron. "I never felt the need to before, but now, things are different."

Tara nodded. "There has to be something in here that can help us... but what? And how will we ever find it?"

"Perhaps I can be of assistance?"

Xeron and Tara turned round to see an elderly man walking towards them. He wore a midnight blue robe, and half-moon spectacles. He gave off a definite air of wisdom and importance. "Are you the head librarian?" asked Xeron.

"I am indeed," said the man. "My name is Corwyn. I know almost everything there is to know about the contents of this library. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"We're looking for information about something called the Orb of Chaos," said Xeron. "Do you have any books that might shed some light on it?"

"The Orb of Chaos..." Corwyn repeated. "Yes, I believe I might have some information about it. Follow me."

Corwyn headed off through the maze of towering shelves, with Xeron and Tara following closely behind. Corwyn glanced over his shoulder every so often to make sure that they were still following him. "Did you travel far to get here?" he asked.

"We've come from Tirera," said Tara.

"Are you enjoying the capital so far?" asked Corwyn.

Tara nodded. "It's enormous..."

"I suppose it is," said Corwyn.

Corwyn stopped at a nearby shelf, perusing it. "Now let's see here... where would it be..." He climbed up onto a movable ladder and began to patiently browse the higher shelves. After several minutes of browsing, he produced a large, dusty volume. Brushing the dust off the cover, he peered over the top of his spectacles at the book, making sure it was the right one. "Yes, this is it," mumbled Corwyn.

"You found something?" asked Xeron.

"I believe I have," said Corwyn. Descending back down the ladder, Corwyn led the two adventurers to a nearby table and laid the book down upon it. The front cover read, "THE WORLDS BEYOND OUR OWN".

"Worlds beyond our own?" Xeron read aloud, as he and Tara sat down. "You mean, Heaven and Hell?"

"Not only those," said Corwyn. "You see, some historians have long theorised that, before the creation of our own world, there have existed other worlds." Corwyn opened the book, to a page depicting an Earth-like planet but with subtly different geometry. "Some believe they were failed attempts at creating the world we know, so-called "Precursor Worlds"; others believe them to be entirely separate, with their own deities, so-called "Parallel Worlds". Still others believe they do not exist at all."

"Do they?" asked Xeron. "And if they do, how is the Orb of Chaos connected to them?"

"Oh, these alternate worlds exist, all right." said Corwyn. "And the Orb of Chaos is the key to unlocking their secrets." Corwyn turned to another page, this one depicting a milky-white sphere with strange blue wisps swirling within it. "The various worlds are all separated by a swirling mass called Chaos, within which they all eternally drift," he explained. "The Orb of Chaos is a mythical artifact that is said to have the power to open gateways between the Chaos, linking two worlds together. It is even said that if a powerful enough Witch gains possession of it, they could perhaps open a gateway to Heaven or Hell themselves."

Xeron and Tara exchanged nervous glances. "There is a Black Witch in possession of the Orb," said Xeron. "He must have used its power to open gateways to other worlds, and summoned creatures from within them. That's where the monsters that attacked Hilston and Tirera came from."

"That would definitely explain it," said Tara. "Do you think he's trying to open a gateway to Hell?"

"Even if he is not, this is still a most disturbing development," said Corwyn. "These realms are thought to be home to monstrous creatures known as Shoukan, far more powerful than any monster found in our own world. Even if this Black Witch does not open a gate to Hell, a sufficiently powerful Shoukan would lay waste to Albion."

"Do you think that's his aim?" asked Tara. "Summon a powerful enough Shoukan, and use it to take over the world?"

"If this is his aim, then he is a fool," said Corwyn. "A Shoukan that powerful would be beyond the control of any one man. Whoever this Black Witch is, he must be stopped as soon as possible, and the Orb of Chaos destroyed."

"Why wasn't it destroyed before?" asked Xeron.

"Nobody knew where it was until now," said Corwyn. "Some even doubted its existence. How this Black Witch came to possess it is a mystery."

"Well, how he got it doesn't matter now," said Xeron. "What matters now is how we can stop him. I've fought him once before... well, it wasn't really much of a fight. He almost killed me in a single blow."

"If he is truly as powerful as you say," said Corwyn, "then only a highly powerful White Witch will be able to defeat him. Of course, finding such a person may not be easy, given the way Albion is at the moment."

Xeron and Tara exchanged knowing glances. "I wouldn't be so sure about that," said Xeron.

Corwyn seemed to catch their drift, but said nothing more than, "I see", before moving on. "Do you know where this Black Witch is now?" he asked.

"I'm afraid not," said Xeron. "He disappeared after we defeated the second Shoukan."

"You must find him and defeat him as soon as possible," said Corwyn. "The more he uses the Orb of Chaos, the stronger the summoned Shoukan will become. Soon, even he will not be able to control them."

"So, what do we do?" asked Tara. "Wait for him to open another gateway, and then attack him when he does?"

"That's the best plan available to us, I think," said Xeron. "We've got no other way of finding him, so as risky as it is, we have to wait for him to surface again." Xeron then turned to Corwyn. "What about the Orb of Chaos? I assume an artifact like that can't just be destroyed by ordinary means."

"The lava of Mt. Akron in neighbouring Akeda is powerful enough to destroy anything thrown into it," said Corwyn. "Once you obtain the Orb of Chaos, you must travel there and cast it into the heart of the volcano."

"That sounds a little far," said Tara.

"It'll be worth it, though," said Xeron. "It's not the hardest of journeys, either."

Tara nodded. "I'll trust you on that. Then, it looks like we have a plan."

"I just hope that when that Black Witch strikes next, we're close enough that we can catch him before he disappears again," said Xeron.

"Let us hope so," said Corwyn.

"Is there anything else we should know about the Orb of Chaos, or about the worlds beyond ours?" asked Xeron.

"There is one thing that might be worth mentioning," said Corwyn. "The gateways opened by the Orb of Chaos are one-way only. Once an object has passed through the gateway, it cannot travel back through it."

"I see," said Xeron. "Well, thank you for all your help, Corwyn. We had best be going. We have other preparations to make."

"Of course," said Corwyn, closing the book. "I wish you both the best of luck. The fate of the world rests in your hands."

Day 124

[from Project Sky]

As I get closer to the girl, I start to get a better look at her. She's relatively beautiful, with long mahogany-brown hair and brown eyes. Like most commoners, she wears a standard un-dyed tunic that extends down to her knees, and wooden sandals. In the olden days her tunic might have extended to her ankle, and perhaps had a hood attached to it, but in this new floating continent, materials are scarce. Though modesty still needs to be preserved, there are simply not the resources for clothes to be made any larger or fancier than they need to be. Hand-me-downs are also common; the clothes on my back were once my father's.

She looks over as I approach, looking up at me. "Hello, traveller," she says. "Can I help you with something?"

I nod, and tell her I'm looking for information about the Ruin. I want to know how to reverse it, and fix this world. Her smile fades a little; it is, after all, rather a serious subject.

"I see," says the girl. "The Ruin, you say… I have heard of it, but I don't know anything about it. Our elder might know, though. Shall I take you to him?" I nod, and the girl stands up, shaking the excess moisture off her hands. "Okay. Follow me." She makes her way back towards the road and I follow behind, my pegasus walking alongside me.

"Is this your first time in Harford?" she asks, and I nod. "I thought so. Where have you come from?" I tell her the name of my colony. "Ah. That's a few colonies over, isn't? It must have taken you a while to get here." Not really, I tell her, and she nods.

"My name is Elizabeth Coulson Liland," she says. "Liland" is the name of the country Harford would once have been part of, back before the ruin. My home colony, too, would have been part of Liland. In the wake of the Ruin, many people adopted their countries of origin as part of their name. The elder told me it was their way of holding on to their national pride, and remembering the nations they were once a part of but have now ceased to be. This tradition has now become established throughout the continent.

Elizabeth asks for my name, and I tell her. "It's nice to meet you," she says. I tell her it's nice to meet her too. We fall silent for a moment as we head up the road, making our way towards a bridge leading to another island of the colony. Looking into the distance, I notice that the shimmering blue lines I spotted on my approach seem to be emanating from a tower on the adjacent island. I decide to ask Elizabeth about them.

"Those?" she says. "Those are the Skylines. They're a magical transport system that allow you to travel to far-away colonies in the blink of an eye. Only the larger colonies are linked, though, which is why you wouldn't have seen them before. If you can't find what you're looking for here, then you may want to use the Skyline to travel to another large colony quickly. A word of advice, though: always send your pegasus through first. If you go through first, it might not follow after you. Does that make sense?" I nod. "Okay. You can get to the Skyline through that tower. It's free for anyone to use, and it's perfectly safe, so don't worry." I nod again.

Now that I'm at street level, Harford seems even bigger than it did while I was flying over it. The clock tower, positioned over on an island to my left, has to be the tallest structure I've ever seen. Even at this distance, I can clearly make out that it's 2:36pm. I can also see some heavy clouds on the horizon: it's going to rain later on. None of the colonies I've visited so far are high up enough that they actually touch the clouds, though I have heard of colonies far away that are tall enough to do so. For a moment, I can't help wondering what it would feel like to be inside a cloud, then I dismiss the thought as inane. I'm here for a reason, and I should concentrate on that.

Soon, we're crossing the stone bridge that leads to the next island. The stone feels very sturdy beneath my feet, and it's almost impossible to tell that I am actually on a bridge and not still on land. As we walk, we pass a man walking in the other direction, carrying a bundle of straw. My pegasus looks wistfully at it, as though craving it. I gently remind my pegasus that it only ate a couple of hours ago, and Elizabeth lets out a high-pitched giggle. "I guess the flight here must have made it hungry again," she says. I have to concede that she's probably right. Having to barter for pegasus food as well as my own food can be a bother at times, but if not for my pegasus, I would never have been able to reach this far. Having it is certainly worth it in the long-term.

After a few more minutes of walking, we reach a large stone house with a neatly-kept garden in front. "This is the elder's house," says Elizabeth. "Shall I look after your pegasus while you go inside and talk to him?" I agree to this, and hand over the reins before heading inside the elder's house. I've already talked to several elders who knew nothing about the Ruin, but perhaps Harford's will have more to tell me.

Day 109 [WE'RE BACK, BITCHES!]

"Eh? You're coming with me?"

Kousen, having caught up to Sanae only a few minutes later, nodded. "I decided that following you to your school would be an excellent way to continue learning about your time. Besides, I must admit that I'm curious about what your school is like, since I've never been to one."

"You've never been to school?" repeated Sanae, surprised. "Then how did you learn to do math and stuff?"

"I don't know," admitted the youkai, shrugging her shoulders. "I must have had some sort of education, but I don't remember what exactly."

"How could you not remember going to school?" asked Sanae. "It's either the worst time of your life, or the only time you'll ever be an anime protagonist! Or it could be both, I guess, depending on what anime you end up in…"

"I'm thousands of years old, remember," Kousen pointed out. "The first few hundred years of my life are all just a blur now."

"I guess immortality has its downsides, huh?" Sanae remarked, before pausing for a moment, looking suddenly pensive. "Wow, this got really deep all of a sudden. Should I go fall over or something to lighten the mood?"

"That won't be necessary," said Kousen, "although you are about to walk into a lamp-post."

"What do you mean I'm about to walk into a-" CLANG. Sanae, who had been looking at Kousen the whole time and not at where she was going, had indeed just walked head-first into a lamp-post. She staggered back, wincing and limping slightly. "Ow. Ow. My legs. Ow."

"And the universal balance is restored," remarked Kousen drily.

***

[some school stuff happens, then...]

***

"I'm home!"

Amaya's greeting fell on deaf ears, as it had every day for years now. It wasn't that there was nobody there to hear it; it was that the only other person in the house was far too preoccupied to do so. Amaya's eyes shifted from her unresponsive mother to the TV, and the console plugged into it. Her gaze grew disdainful.

"I'd tell you how my day went," Amaya continued in an annoyed tone, kicking her shoes off, "but I doubt you're even aware I'm standing here right now, are you?"

No response, only the continued tapping of the buttons on the controller, and the sounds of the game on the TV.

"Mom, please", said Amaya, in a softer, more hurt tone. "You can't just spend your whole life playing video games, and ignoring everyone and everything around you. That's why Dad walked out, because he couldn't take being ignored any more, and neither can I! You're wasting your life, just like the fat neckbeards who watch this show! Can't you see that?"

Still no response. It was no use. Amaya could run in front of the TV shouting at the top of her lungs, and her mother would simply shift positions so she could see the screen again. Nothing registered but the feedback from the monitor. Only when her bodily needs began impacting her gameplay did she finally stop to eat, rest, go to the bathroom or whatever else she needed to do, resuming gameplay as soon as she could. It had been like this for years now. Amaya knew it well, but this had been a good opportunity for an expository monologue, cluing the readers into her situation.

Amaya reluctantly trudged upstairs to her room and put her rucksack away. As she changed out of her school uniform, she reflected bitterly on her situation.

It's not fair, she thought. Everyone else's parents pay attention to them. Everyone else's parents care, but not mine. All my mom cares about are her stupid video games. Even my dad doesn't really care about me: if he did, he would've taken me with him when he walked out. The only person who really cares about me is Sanae. She sighed heavily. Sanae... her parents may be gone most of the time, but at least they actually come home when they can and spend time with her. My parents don't even do that. Amaya positioned a black beret on her head. I wish, just once, people would pay attention to me.

Now dressed for her walk, and unaware of the plot element she had just foreshadowed, Amaya left the house. Her mother continued playing, unaware that her daughter had ever entered the house at all.

***

It had become a habit for Amaya to wander the junkyard once she had come home from school and changed. There was no point in her staying at home, with nothing to do and no-one to talk to. Out in the junkyard, she almost felt more at home than at her house.

Everything here is discarded, she thought. Unwanted. Kinda like me. Amaya smiled suddenly. Damn, this is getting heavy for a story that's supposed to be a comedy. Maybe I should fall over or something. People like physical comedy.

Before Amaya could find something suitable to trip over, something dark glinted in the corner of her eye, catching her attention amid the dull rusts and peeling paints. Amaya turned back, heading towards the abnormally shiny object.

It was a black, circular object about four inches in diameter, partially embedded in the junk. It had been carved into a perfect five-pointed star, with a thin circle around the rim, enveloping the points. It seemed unnaturally shiny and new-looking for something found in a junkyard; Amaya could see her face reflected in it. Amaya wondered what it was, and how it came to be here; it looked exceedingly out of place amongst the piles of rusting machinery.

Maybe this would make a good wall decoration or something, thought Amaya. She took the object in one hand, and tried to pull it free of the junkpile. It seemed to be stuck; it wouldn't move no matter how hard she pulled. Amaya grabbed the object with both hands and pulled ferociously. "Come on, you stupid piece of-"

CLUNK. The object slid free of the junkpile, and Amaya's momentum sent her flying backwards into the opposite pile. Amaya fell to the floor, dazed.

Once her head had cleared, Amaya suddenly realized that she was no longer wearing the clothes she had been wearing when she stepped outside. Her sneakers had been morphed into black high heels whose straps wound up her shins. Her shirt and jeans had become a black minidress with white frills, exposing her pale legs; her jacket was gone. Even her hair seemed to have changed; her previously neatly-parted fringe had now been swept downwards over her right eye, partially obscuring her vision. Her beret had morphed into a witch's hat.

The strange star-shaped object was still in her hand, only now it has morphed into a long black rod-shaped object. A strange energy seemed to be flowing from the object into her body, filling her with a mysterious sensation like nothing she'd ever felt before. It was almost like magic. Could this be a…

"A magic wand?"

Startled, Amaya scrambled to her feet, looking around frantically for the source of the voice. Who said that? she thought. That wasn't the narrator. What's going on?

"I just told you, nyaa~. Magic. Or at least, that's what you'd call it, nyaa~"

Amaya jumped about six inches in the air, and found to her horror that she did not come back down again. When she finally tore her eyes away from the ground hovering beneath her feet, she finally spotted the source of the mysterious voice: perched on top of the junk pile in front of her was a strange-looking woman in a black dress. She seemed to have fangs, and... were those demon wings sticking out of her back?

"Why, yes, I suppose they are." said the strange woman, throwing a glance at her wings, as though she had just read Amaya's thoughts. "And yes, I am reading your thoughts, nyaa~. Sorry if it creeps you out, but it's a natural ability, I can't help doing it, nyaa~"

Until now Amaya had simply stared disbelievingly at the strange woman on the junkpile, but now she finally found her voice. "Wh... what are you?"

"What am I?" The question seemed to surprise the winged lady. "Why, I'm a youkai, of course. Don't tell me you've never seen a youkai before, nyaa~"

"Well... no, I haven't." replied Amaya. "I thought youkai were only a myth."

The strange winged woman - or youkai - frowned, crossing her arms. "I must have been in there longer than I thought, nyaa~. What year is this?"

"2013... I mean, 2015. Stupid writer, taking forever to write his shows… speaking of which, what the heck is going on here?" asked Amaya. "Who exactly are you? And what is this thing?" She held out the black wand-like object.

The youkai smiled, a fang poking out from between her thin lips. "Allow me to explain, nyaa~. But first, I'm starving. Could I get a bite to eat, nyaa~?"

Day 34 + Apology

[First of all, let me apologize. I hoped I wouldn't fail this early in, but a broken sleep schedule, and the fallout from the death of Monty Oum, a great inspiration of mine, conspired to stop me from posting yesterday. To make up for it, I will be making two posts today. This first one is dedicated to Oum himself.]

[from Vanishing Point]

Twelve girls, against a small army of mecha, did not seem like much of a battle to the unfortunate pilots as they closed in on the miniature blockade. What they did not know, is that these were not ordinary girls.

Standing at the front of the pack, wielding two razor-sharp katanas, was a girl in a long black dress who had to have been at least six feet tall. Her long ebony hair billowed behind her as she watched the mecha advance. Suddenly, a red-haired girl in a magical girl outfit descended from the skies, landing neatly next to her. The ebony-haired girl turned to address the new arrival as though this were a perfectly normal occurrence. "How many of them are there, Ruby?" she asked.

"A whole lot of them!" exclaimed Ruby.

"You didn't count?" said the ebony-haired girl, a little annoyed.

"I tried, but there's a lot of them!" said Ruby. "Like, fifty or something."

"Fifty," repeated the other girl quietly. "I reckon we can take fifty." She turned to the other girls, assembled in a line behind her. "What do you all think?" she addressed them. "Can we take on fifty of them?"

The answer was a resounding "Yes!", from every single girl except one, a shy-looking blonde, who quietly mumbled, "Uhh…I guess so...".

"Alright then!" said the ebony-haired girl. "Let's give these bastards hell!" She turned to a silver-haired girl wearing strange metal bracers on her arms. "Quartz, you're up first."

Quartz nodded. "Okay." With a wave of her arm, the bracers suddenly fell off, clattering to the floor. Static electricity began to spark around the girl's body, her silver hair floating upwards, raised by the static. She closed her eyes, and a large electromagnetic field burst outwards, enveloping the entire group and expanding to a diameter of at least fifty feet.

The mecha pilots at the front of the squadron, noticing the strange pulse, began to open fire, but they were seconds too late; their bullets were effortlessly and harmlessly deflected away. It was at this point that the pilots began to realize they were dealing with something more than just normal girls, but foolishly, they continued to fire.

It was not long before the clattering sounds of the mecha's guns were replaced by a chorus of clicks, as one by one they ran out of ammunition. "Crap!" exclaimed one of the front gunners. "Quickly, fall back and let th-AARGH!"

Before he could finish, the ebony-haired girl had pounced upon his mecha and thrust her katana straight through the glass canopy right into his chest. It was time for the counter-attack to begin. The girl leapt elegantly off of the mecha and back down to the ground, as the pilot slumped forward in his harness, dead. His mecha, inoperable, toppled over backwards and fell to the ground, cracking the asphalt.

Quartz was next up, firing a tremendous bolt of arc lightning from an outstretched palm. The lightning struck three of the lead mecha, frying their electronics and rendering them completely useless. Slowly, the mecha squadron's formation began to fall apart, and the girls took full advantage, splitting up themselves to take them on.

As another mecha advanced, rounding the one downed by the ebony-haired girl, another tall girl with short blue hair surged forwards. With a thunderous battle cry, she unleashed a punch that shattered the mecha's leg. Unable to balance, the crippled machine toppled to the ground face-first, trapping its pilot within. Another mecha stepped up behind it and readied its gun but Quartz swiftly set up another barrier, blocking its shots. The blue-haired girl, smirking, then simply walked up to it and demolished its leg with a sweep of her arm, sending it tumbling down on top of its damaged team-mate. Hydraulic fluid spurted from the mecha's shattered leg, pouring over the road like blood from a wound.

The katana embedded in the dead pilot's chest suddenly began to glow. It wiggled a bit, then seemingly tugged itself free, hovering in the air above the downed mecha as a few drops of blood dripped from the tip. The sword then flew across the battlefield, seemingly of its own volition, slashing at the legs of the machines and severing the exposed hydraulic pipes at the backs of their knee joints. About five mecha, crippled by the sudden loss of hydraulic pressure, crumpled inoperably to the ground, leaking yet more fluid.

"What the hell is happening?!" shrieked one terrified pilot, just before Ruby flew right in front of his cockpit, brandishing a wooden staff.

"Prepare to be vanquished, evildoer!" she declared, before banging her staff against the glass windscreen. Nothing happened, but the mere sight of a girl hovering several feet in the air was enough to freak the pilot out completely. Screaming, he backpedalled furiously away from her and straight into the mecha behind him, knocking them both over. Before he could right it, a number of thick green vines burst out of the ground around it, wrapping around its arms and pinning it to the floor. Try as it might, the mecha could not break free.

The remaining mecha began to find their mobility severely hampered by now, not just by their downed comrades that now littered the street, but also by the ever-growing puddles of hydraulic fluid across the ground. Stepping over their fallen machines where they could, and simply kicking them aside where they could not, they battled bravely on.

The katana that had been floating by itself suddenly moved in front of the shy blonde-haired girl, who until now had been hanging back behind the others. "Go on, take it," said a woman nearby in a maid outfit, whose hand glowed an identical colour to the sword. "We'll distract them, you take them out."

"Can I get the other one?" asked a brown-haired woman in an office uniform who, like the blonde-haired girl, had been hanging back.

"Ask Rei if she'll lend you it," said the maid, and with that, she turned her attention back to the fighting. Using her psychokinesis, she picked up the broken leg of what was now one of several mecha that had been downed by the tall blue-haired girl. With hardly an effort, she thrust the leg at a nearby mecha with enough force to rip straight through the cockpit; the pilot was crushed, and a split-second later the mecha exploded in a large fireball.

A green-haired girl, who had been controlling the large vines, was standing too close to the explosion and was knocked back, her eardrums shattered by the blast wave. She clutched her ears, crying out in pain as she lay on the ground. "Diamond!" called out the ebony-haired girl, addressing a white-haired girl in dirty overalls. "Jade's down!"

"On it," said Diamond, rushing over. By the time she reached the fallen Jade, blood was beginning to leak from between the girl's fingers as she continued to clutch her burst ears. "I can't hear anything!" she wailed loudly. "I can't hear anything!"

"Don't worry," said Diamond, kneeling down beside her and laying a hand on her shoulder. "I'm gonna fix you up real quick, okay?"

Diamond's hand began to glow white, a gentle healing pulse making its way into Jade. Her ears healed almost immediately, the blood disappearing and the pain fading to nothing. Jade froze in mid-wail, opening her eyes and blinking in confusion. "Huh? I can hear again?"

Diamond patted Jade kindly on the shoulder. "You're doing good, Jade," she said encouragingly. "Keep it up." Jade nodded, and picked herself up, ready to carry on the fight.

By this point, the dwindling mecha squadron had realized this was not a fight they could win. "God dammit," growled one of the remaining higher-ranked pilots. "What are these girls?!"

"Should we fall back, sir?" asked one of the lesser pilots.

"I'll tell you what you should do."

Hearing the mesmerizing voice, the pilot looked out of the front of the cockpit, and the moment his eyes met the glowing gaze of the girl standing before him, they glazed over as he fell into a deep trance. The girl grinned, pushing her half-moon spectacles up the bridge of her nose, the lenses shining dangerously.

"What you should do," she continued, her voice echoing slightly, "is turn your guns on your comrades. Kill them all."

"Yes," said the man, his voice a mesmerized monotone. "I should kill them. I should kill them all." Powerless to resist, he turned his mecha around and opened fire on his own squadron. He managed to destroy two of their machines and damage a third, before his team-mates reluctantly destroyed him.

"God dammit!" exclaimed the high-ranked pilot. "Retreat! Fall back! We can't beat them!"

"But it's just a dozen girls!" retorted one of the men. "How can they possibly be doing this?" A moment later, the back of his mecha's knees seemed to split open completely of their own volition, crippling it as so many others already had been. The blonde-haired girl, now completely invisible, had slashed the hydraulics apart with Rei's katana. After that, nobody else objected. The remaining mecha turned and began to flee, leaving their fallen comrades behind.

"Do we let them go, Rei?" asked the blue-haired girl.

Rei nodded. "Yeah. Let 'em go. They won't be coming back again."

"I guess we better start clearing up, huh?" said another blonde girl. "We made a pretty big mess of this place."

"I'll take care of it," said the maid.

"I'll help," said the blonde. Stretching her arm out to an incredible length, she began picking up the random pieces of debris strewn across the street.

"Here, let me help speed things up for you," said the office lady, handing Rei her katana back. Walking over, she took the hands of the maid and the blonde girl. "Whatever you do," she said, "don't let go." The lady closed her eyes, and gradually, the world around them slowed to a crawl. The cleanup would, to the three of them, take no more or less time than it would have done before, but to the outside world, it would now appear to take only a few minutes.

"I'll go get them some snacks and drinks," said Ruby, "they'll be tired by the time they're done. Ruby, Saviour of Tokyo, away!" With that, she flew off into the skies again.

"Does she have to do that every time she takes off?" said Diamond, rolling her eyes.

"You know what she's like," said the hypnotist girl, her eyes no longer glowing. "Let her do her thing; she's not hurting anyone."

The other blonde, who had now turned visible again, headed over to Rei to hand her katana back. "So, what now?" she asked. "Shall we leave them to it?"

"Yeah," said Rei. "Come on, let's go. Our work here is done."

The rest of the girls headed off, as the clean-up operation continued behind them at incredible pace. "Hey, how about we all head to Alexandra's maid café and grab a bite to eat to celebrate?" suggested the only girl who hadn't spoken yet, an athletic red-head whose vest top looked a little singed.

"Good idea," said the blue-haired girl, taking out her phone. "I'll text Hanako, let her know we're coming, and I'll text Alexandra as well so she knows where we've gone."

"Good idea," said the athletic girl. "Maid café, here we come!"

***

"I got the snacks!" called out Ruby as she landed, carrying a large shopping bag. "…huh? Where'd everybody go?"