Day 188

[from Aura of Chaos]

It took Xeron and Tara three days to reach Clauston, but finally the great walls of the city loomed large before them. Clauston was the capital of the kingdom of Albion, and was home to the nation's ruler, Claus III. The city had at first been called Ravensbury, but nearly forty years ago it had been renamed in honour of King Claus I, Claus III's grandfather. It had been the scene of many important events in Albion's history, not least the attempted assassination, thirty years ago, that had led to the present ban on witchcraft.

Finally, Xeron and Tara passed through the high-arched entrance and found themselves in the main city. A small park nearby greeted those entering the city, while off to the right sat a large inn, where weary travellers could rest. Looming over the rooftops a short distance away, the pair could see the rising spire of the Church of the Divine Spirits, one of the largest churches in the world, and over on the other end of town, they could just make out the immense royal castle, towering over the rest of the city. It truly was a massive city, and now that they were within its walls, it seemed to stretch in all directions for as far as the eye could see.

Tara, who had never known life beyond Tirera until less than a week ago, was completely overwhelmed by the size of it all. "It's so… enormous!" she gasped. "How will we ever find our way to the Great Library?"

"I've been here before," said Xeron. "If I remember correctly, there are signposts throughout the city, pointing the way to various landmarks. The Great Library will surely be one of them. If we still can't find it, we can always just ask around. There's plenty of locals who'll know where it is." He gestured at the crowds of people milling around them. The city's population had to number in the many thousands, at least.

"That's a good point," admitted Tara. "Okay, so do we try looking for a signpost?"

"That would be a good idea," said Xeron. "Okay, there's gotta be one nearby…"

It only took Xeron and Tara a minute or two to locate the nearest signpost: in the centre of the park. "Ah, here it is," said Xeron. "Okay, let's see… looks like the Great Library is straight down that road." He pointed to the north, along the road through which they had entered.

"Well, that's convenient," said Tara.

"It sure is," said Xeron. "Alright, let's get going."

The pair headed off through the wide cobbled streets. The streets of Clauston were not literally paved with gold, as was rumoured in certain parts of the world, but rather with sandstone quarried from neighbouring Akeda. The sandy yellow bricks certainly gave the fleeting illusion that one was walking on gold, and gave the whole city a rich, vibrant feel. As Tara followed Xeron through the crowds, her gaze swivelled in all directions, drinking in the sights all around her.

It wasn't long before the grey stone building of the Great Library began to loom large in their sights, and as they arrived in a large square, the library itself was suddenly right before them, sitting proudly at one corner of the square and stretching upwards for at least five storeys. In the centre of the square was a large marble fountain depicting two angelic figures. A plague set into the base of the fountain revealed its purpose:

ON THIS SPOT, ON 643.4.20 TE, KING CLAUS II WAS ATTACKED BY A VILLAINOUS BLACK WITCH. THE KING ESCAPED UNHARMED, BUT AN INNOCENT WOMAN LOST HER LIFE. THE CULPRIT HAS NEVER BEEN CAUGHT. THIS TRAVESTY WILL ENDURE FOR ALL TIME.

Tara gasped, clasping her hands to her chest. "This is…"

Xeron nodded solemnly. "This is where it all started, thirty years ago," he said. "This is where the old king was attacked. In his anger, and his thirst for revenge, he made witchcraft punishable by death. Of course, not everyone agrees with the law, and there are plenty of people out there who disobey it or refuse to enforce it, but… not everyone's like that."

Tara nodded. She had still not forgotten what had happened in Tirera only a few short days ago. "Do you think that… the law will ever be repealed?" she asked.

"I don't know," said Xeron. "I hope so, though. It's not right that y- that Witches have to live their lives in fear." Xeron breathed a little sigh of relief, having just barely avoided letting slip that Tara was a Witch. Even in this crowded square, somebody might still have overheard.

Tara nodded again. "Do you think, perhaps-?" She cut herself off mid-sentence, shaking her head. "No. That's silly. It would never…"

"What would never happen?" asked Xeron.

"Well… I was thinking…" Tara shifted a little uncomfortably. "If we manage to save the kingdom from this sorceror, do you think - maybe - the king would reward us by agreeing to repeal the law?"

"Perhaps," said Xeron. "We could certainly help prove to him that not all Witches are like the ones that attacked his father."

"I hope so," said Tara.

"Well, we'll see," said Xeron. "First, we have to figure out how we can stop him." He gestured at the Great Library's double doors. "Shall we?"

Tara nodded, and the two made their way inside the Great Library in search of answers.

Day 187

[from Devastation Online]

While in Arwing City, I stock up on some supplies: healing items to replenish my health, a couple of chocolate bars in case my SP runs low, and some more ammunition for my Enforcer 9mm sub-machine gun. I've never travelled east of Arwing before - at least, not since the invasion started - so I don't know what to expect once I set out. It's best to be prepared.

As I head east, towards the city limits, I pass into the industrial area. To my right, I notice a group of Reavers salvaging sheet metal from a disused factory. Even though their stated aim is to plunder as much of Earth's wealth as possible, we can't do anything about them. The PDF top brass have determined that it's best not to waste resources fighting them, not when we have the much bigger threat of the Devastators to deal with, so we've been ordered to just let the Reavers go about the business. The fact our hands are full with the Devastators are probably why the Reavers targeted us in the first place, come to think about it; they know we're too busy fighting this war to be able to stop them.

I ignore the Reavers, as per my orders, and continue on down the road. Soon I'm outside the city limits, and into the barren wastelands to the east. Before me, looming in the distance, is a large mountain range, which I will have to cross in order to get to St. Leonard. There is a clear path through the mountains, however, so the journey will not be as arduous as it sounds.

After a few minutes, I hear an ominous buzzing sound, which can only mean one thing: an incoming Devastator drone. These smaller, flying Devastators were the first to make the hyperjump to Earth, and they've since swarmed across much of the region, scouting out the lands. They're weak in comparison to the other Devastator types, but are very fast and still highly dangerous. I quickly draw my SMG, eyes peeled for the drone's distinctive circular metal body.

A sudden burst of flame to my right catches my attention, and I turn round to find that another PDF recruit is engaging not one, but two Devastator drones. One appears to be a standard T-Class Devastator - the drones' formal designation - while the other is a TP-Class, equipped with a flamethrower. The burst of flame I saw came from the TP-Class, but it looks like the other recruit managed to dodge it just fine.

I quickly rush to the aid of my fellow soldier. It's only right that I help them out. "Are you alright?" I ask them.

The solder nods, accepting my help. "Yeah, I'm fine," he says. "Could use a little help, though."

"Happy to oblige," I say, aiming my gun. The T-Class Devastators are about two feet in diameter, with circular bodies and a single red eye. There's a small gap in the centre of their bodies, from which protrudes a four-foot-wide, five-bladed fan that spins at extremely high speed, somehow providing their propulsion. The way this system works has never quite been deciphered. The spinning blades can also be used as a deadly melee weapon, slicing through anything in the drones' way, and we'll have to be careful not to get too close.

I quickly start firing at the machines, using short quick bursts of fire in order to conserve my ammunition and minimize recoil. I can only get two or three bursts in before the T-Class charges at me, and I have to duck out of the way to avoid its deadly blades. The TP-Class fires another burst of flame at my fellow fighter, but he activates a Special and raises a magical barrier to protect himself. It seems as though he prefers battling with magic to battling with weapons, for instead of using the Defender handgun holstered at his hip, he instead unleashes a powerful lightning attack at the TP-Class, striking it directly and sending sparks flying. The machine is not disabled, however, and the fight continues.

I continue to fire at the T-Class, dodging its attempts to strike me with its blades. Finally, it resorts to laying down a smokescreen, obscuring our vision in a thick haze. I fire blindly into the darkness and, upon hearing my bullet strike metal, hastily unload my whole clip in that direction, no longer worried about accuracy. I do not stop firing until I hear a satisfying boom as one of the machines is destroyed, unable to withstand my sustained fire.

As the haze begins to subside, a burst of flame suddenly erupts through the darkness and strikes me before I can dodge it, knocking me over. It seems that the TP-Class still lives. As I get to my feet, my comrade unleashes another lightning attack in the direction that the flames had come from, and is met in turn with a hail of gunfire from the TP-Class' machine gun. He weathers the attack though, and as the haze disappears completely, we quickly team up to finish off the TP-Class. Just as I run out of bullets in my magazine, the drone explodes in a satisfying shower of sparks, its remains falling harmlessly to the floor.

"Thanks for the help, man," says my fellow comrade. "I'm not sure I could've handled that on my own."

"No problem," I say, as I load another magazine into my Defender. "You alright?"

"Nothing major," he says, rooting around in his backpack. "Just need a Potion and I'll be right as rain." Pulling one out, he quickly consumes it and tosses away the empty bottle. "Ah, that's better. Say, which way are you heading? Maybe we could team up for a bit. You're pretty good."

"I'm headed to St. Leonard, to ATRAC," I explain. "I have an important discovery to tell them about."

"Ah. Well, I'm headed back to Arwing, so I guess I'll see you around," he says.

We exchange contact details, then goodbyes, and then go our separate ways. My brother-in-arms heads back the way I had come, towards Arwing, while I continue onwards towards St. Leonard, keeping a sharp eye out for any more T-Class Devastators that might try and attack.

Day 186

[from Vanishing Point]

Mizuki watched the sun slowly sink below the horizon, its golden glow reflected in the shimmering waters of the river before her. A gentle breeze played at her shoulder-length emerald hair, and at the hem of her dress. She turned to the tall, spiky-haired man standing with her. "Beautiful, isn't it?" she said.

"It sure is," he agreed. "But not as beautiful as you."

Mizuki blushed and smiled, just as a heavy gust of wind blew her fringe over her face, obscuring it. She shook her head, sweeping her hair back into place, and the man chuckled. Mizuki herself couldn't help grinning a little.

"Mizuki," said the man suddenly, "I want you to be my girlfriend."

Mizuki seemed taken aback by the sudden suggestion. She took a step back, blushing harder. "Ehh?!"

"Well?" said the man. "How about it?"

Mizuki clasped her hands to her chest and looked away, clearly flustered. "This is… so sudden…" she said.

"Mizuki!"

Startled, Mizuki turned round to see Shinji, her plucky childhood friend, racing down the riverbank towards her, and her confusion intensified. "Huh? Shinji?"

Shinji stopped just short of Mizuki and the other man, resting his hands on his knees for a moment to catch his breath. "I'm sorry, just… give me a minute…" he said, raising a hand. The two others waited patiently, and after a moment or two, Shinji finally straightened up and addressed Mizuki with a nervous but determined expression. "Don't do it, Mizuki!" he said. "Don't become his boyfriend! Be mine instead!"

This confession shocked Mizuki even more than the first one, and she reeled back, her face turning as red as the sunset. "Ehh?!!"

Shinji nervously held out a box of chocolates, his own face swiftly reddening. "Mizuki… please accept my feelings!"

The taller man sneered at the newcomer. "Hah!" he said. "Like she'd ever pick a wimp like you over someone like me!"

Shinji held his ground. "I may be a wimp," he said, "but I've known Mizuki for far longer than you, and I know she'll choose me!"

"Oh yeah?" said the other man, amused. "Well, I guess we'll find out, won't we?" He turned to his shell-shocked beloved. "Come on, Mizuki, who's it gonna be? Me, or this pipsqueak?"

Mizuki looked from one man to the other and then back again, In addition to her shock and embarrassment from the sudden confessions, she now felt highly flustered by the pressure. "Uhh… uhh…"

"Aaand… cut!" The sharp voice of the director brought the fake scene to a close. "Alright, that's a wrap. Great job, everybody!"

The moment the director's voice rang out, the embarrassment faded entirely from Mizuki's face, replaced with a triumphant grin. "Yes!" she exclaimed, pumping her fist. "Nailed it!"

"Well, I guess that's Season 2 all wrapped up," said Shinji, or rather, the actor who'd been playing him. "Now all that's left is to celebrate."

"Leave that to me!" said Mizuki. Stepping off the fake riverbank, which was nothing more than a studio set, she started to address the various staff gathered around. "Alright, listen up, everyone! Now that we've finished filming Season 2, it's time for our big end-of-filming celebration party!" Amidst cheers from the crowd, she continued: "We're gonna need pizzas, beer, a barbecue, plenty of meat to go on it, some chocolates - some more chocolates, that is," she added, as she took the box of chocolates from her co-star's hands. "We'll need yakisoba - lotsa yakisoba - and I'll have someone from Kyūrei bring us over a whole bunch of sugar-free cola! Being their spokesperson has its perks! Oh, and if any of you want anything else, go ahead and order that too! Everything's on me!"

"Wow, really!" exclaimed one of the cameramen. "You're so generous, Mizuki!"

"I'll order the pizzas!" said the boom operator, pulling out his phone.

"Shouldn't you have organized this before now?" asked Shinji's actor. Mizuki's only response was a carefree shrug. "And are you sure you're alright paying for everything?"

"Please, I'm a billionaire!" said Mizuki. [AUTHOR NOTE: That's in yen] "If I can't splash out, who can?"

"Well, I'm gonna go get the beers in," said the other actor. "You'll pay me back, right?"

"Of course!" said Mizuki. "I said I'd pay for everything, didn't I?"

"You did, and I'm gonna hold you to that," said the other actor. "Alright, later."

As her co-star waved briefly and then headed off, Mizuki turned her attention to the heart-shaped box in her hands. "In the meantime," she said, "I've got a date with this delicious box of chocolates!"

"Uhh, Mizuki… we're gonna need that prop again when we start shooting Season 3," said Shinji's actor, as Mizuki walked off with the box.

"The chocolates will have gone off by then," said Mizuki, undoing the ribbon, "and it'll be a waste." She opened the box, tossing the lid and the ribbon aside, and took out a chocolate. "Besides, we can always just buy another box-" She popped the first chocolate into her mouth, then carried on talking through her mouthful. "-or we could just re-use the empty box. It's not like the audience are gonna know there's no chocolates in it."

"Then you'll probably be needing the lid…" said Shinji's actor.

***

A short time later, the party was starting to come together. Tables were being laid out throughout the studio, with various food and drink spread out across them. A banner reading "SEASON TWO FILMING IS OVER" had been hung over the entrance. Mizuki was perched on the edge of one of the tables, eagerly scoffing the box of chocolates, much to the chagrin of a passing assistant.

"Miss Sato? What are you doing?" the assistant exclaimed.

"Eating chocolate," said Mizuki nonchalantly, before popping another chocolate into her mouth as though the assistant was not there.

"You can't eat that whole box by yourself!" said the assistant, staring in horror at the half-empty box. "It's not healthy! You'll get fat!"

"Screw you I can't eat the whole box by myself," mumbled Mizuki through a mouthful of chocolate.

"Miss Sato," the assistant began, "I insist that-"

But Mizuki had had enough of her dietary habits being criticized. She swallowed her mouthful, and suddenly her eyes began to glow an eerie white, her pupils and irises vanishing entirely. "No," she said, her voice mysteriously layered. "I insist that you quit bugging me and do something useful, like bringing me that plate of yakisoba I already asked for."

As Mizuki spoke, the assistant's eyes glazed over, her expression turning blank and her posture relaxing. When she spoke again, it was in a robotic, monotone voice, devoid of any trace of emotion. "Yes Miss Sato," she said. "Right away Miss Sato. I apologize for the inconvenience Miss Sato."

The assistant bent forwards in a mechanical bow, then walked off. Mizuki's eyes returned back to normal, and for a moment she watched the assistant go, confused as to what had just happened, before letting out a weary sigh. "I just did the thing again, didn't I…" she muttered.

Day 185

[from Sonic the Hedgehog Returns]

A heavy storm had blown across Robotropolis and the Great Forest that night, bringing with it torrential rain and thunder. This was not the kind of weather that one would wish to be out in. However, the girl currently sprinting across the rooftops of the outskirts of Robotropolis did not have a choice. She had to get to Knothole, no matter what. Even the two SWATbots chasing after her could not stop her.

"THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE, CITIZEN." drawled one of the SWATbots, aiming its laser gun at her. "SURRENDER YOURSELF OR PREPARE TO BE ELIMINATED."

"Not a chance, rustpot," said the girl.

The two SWATbots duly opened fire, but the girl was able to nimbly dodge their fire as she ran, occasionally resorting to acrobatic jumps or flips to get out of the way. Even when faced with gaps between the rooves, or a slight rise or dip, the girl charged onwards without putting a single foot wrong, her parkour skills carrying her gracefully across the skyline.

Finally, however, she appeared to have reached a dead end. At the end of the row of buildings in front of her was a large metal billboard, facing the street below. She could not avoid it, as there was no other path onwards. However, she had a plan. She kept going, running straight at the billboard, and as she reached it, she ran up it for a brief moment before kicking off it and flying into a backflip. The closest of the two SWATbots was unable to pull off such a delicate manoeuvre and slammed straight into the billboard, knocking it over; it came to a rest at a perpendicular angle, perfectly bridging the gap to the next roof. Meanwhile, the girl manoeuvred herself through the air mid-backflip and landed right on top of the second SWATbot, slamming it down hard into the roof and destroying it. With the path ahead now clear, and her pursuers dealt with, she charged onwards through the driving rain in search of her destination.

***

At Knothole that night, Princess Sally Acorn was fast asleep in bed when she was suddenly woken by a series of slow, loud thumps on her door. Staggering bleary-eyed from her bed, she got up and went o the front door to see what was the matter. "This better not be Ant with another one of his nightmares…" she grumbled.

When Sally opened the door, she realized that it was not Antoine, nor indeed was it anyone she knew. It was a teenage fox girl, her dark-blue fur completely soaked by the rain. She was wearing a black midriff-baring tank top, black shorts, and sports shoes that were caked in mud. In spite of her athletic-looking physique, the girl was completely and utterly exhausted, panting and gasping for breath, and before she could say anything coherent, she toppled forwards and passed out.

"Oh my gosh!" exclaimed Sally, quickly moving forwards to catch the girl before she could hit the ground. Sally dragged the unconscious girl inside, water dripping from her fur onto the wooden floor, then closed the door behind her. She made up a bed for the girl out of old sheets, laid her down inside it, then collapsed back onto her own bed. She felt too tired to do anything more for the girl, so she would just have to check on her in the morning.

When Sally woke up the next morning, however, the girl had vanished from her bedroom. The pile of neatly-folded, slightly damp sheets next to Sally's bed was the only indication that she hadn't just dreamt the whole thing. Puzzled as to where the girl could have gone to, Sally changed out of her nightgown and into her daywear - a blue denim vest and shorts, navy-blue boots and white gloves - and headed through into the living room, whereupon she found the girl from the previous night casually doing star jumps , her bushy tail swishing from side to side. "64… 65…" she said to herself.

Sally was positively stunned. "What on Mobius do you think you're doing?" she exclaimed.

"My morning exercises," said the girl.

"You were passed out from exhaustion just a few hours ago!" said Sally. "You should be taking it easy!"

"Perhaps," admitted the girl, and she slowed carefully to a stop. "In any case, my lady, I should move on to the topic at hand. I bring grave news from the Freedom Fighters in Emerald Coast."

Sally was surprised, not least because the Emerald Coast Resistance was one of the strongest remaining pockets of resistance outside of Knothole, but because it was quite some distance from Knothole. "You ran all the way here from Emerald Coast?" she said. "No wonder you passed out… your fitness is truly astonishing. But please, continue. What of the Emerald Coast Resistance?"

"I'm afraid that the Emerald Coast Resistance has fallen," said the girl, a look of sorrow passing across her face. "Somebody betrayed us, and relayed our position to Robotnik. Our leader, Sgt. Nero, has been captured, and all our other members have been Roboticized… or worse." Her expression continued to grow ever darker. "Nero and I are likely the only ones left. Please… I want you and your Freedom Fighters to help find and rescue him."

"What makes you think Robotnik hasn't already Roboticized him?" Sally asked.

"The sergeant has been a thorn in Robotnik's side for years," said the girl. "Perhaps not as big a thorn as Sonic the Hedgehog, but still a powerful enemy. Now that Robotnik has him in his clutches, he'll be taking his time, and enjoying his victory. He won't Roboticize Nero just yet, but even so, we still need to hurry if we want to find him and save him."

Sally still felt rather reluctant. "I can't say I agree with Nero's methods," she said. "He's reckless, violent, and not averse to using deadly weapons." The Freedom Fighters had a strict no-guns policy, with Bunnie's built-in laser cannon being the only exception. "However," Sally continued, "I can't deny that he's a brilliant strategist, and a powerful ally in the fight against Robotnik. I'll have to discuss it with the others, but I'm sure they'll agree to help you rescue him."

"Oh, really?" exclaimed the girl. She quickly stooped into a low bow. "Thank you so much, your highness!"

"Please, there's no need to be so formal," said Sally. "Just call me Sally. And your name is?"

"Solstice," said the girl, straightening up. "Solstice the Fox. "It'll be a huge honour to work alongside you, and the great Sonic the Hedgehog."

Day 184

[from Pokémon xTreme]

As Brandon and Taylor exited the Pewter City Gym, Brandon noticed that Taylor didn't seem particularly happy, despite the Venom Badge now pinned to her lapel. "Something wrong?" he asked. "You look kinda upset."

Taylor decided to just come out and say it. "Graham told me how you got suspended," she said. "How mentoring me is part of your community service."

"He did?" said Brandon, his expression suddenly looking rather pained. "Shoulda seen that coming, shouldn't I?" he muttered to himself with a sigh. "Should have seen that coming."

"Why didn't you tell me?" asked Taylor.

"Well, to be honest, I figured you already knew about the incident," said Brandon. "It was pretty big news."

"I heard something about a trainer getting arrested and suspended, but I didn't know it was you!" said Taylor. "I mean, I could tell you were a bit of a renegade, but getting drunk and attacking someone-?"

"It was one time!" Brandon protested. "Well, the attacking part was one time - I'm not gonna pretend I didn't get wasted a lot before all this - but still-"

"If they banned you for a whole year, it must have been pretty serious, right?" said Taylor."I mean, how badly did you hurt her?"

"I can't remember, I was pissed!" said Brandon. "I think if I remember from the trial, I didn't-"

"Oh my God, she took you to court," said Taylor quietly.

"-I didn't actually hit her though," Brandon continued, "I think I just, like… grabbed her and pushed her around a bit, and then threw her outta the room. She mighta hurt herself when she landed, but… you know, like I said, I was drunk, I didn't know what I was doing. I'm not trying to justify myself, I know I fucked up badly, I'm just saying… it wasn't quite as bad as people might make it out to be.

"As for the year's suspension, they were just trying to make an example outta me. The people in charge were trying to send a message that stuff like that just wasn't acceptable. I'd ruffled enough feathers already, so they were just looking for an excuse, and I gave it to 'em on a silver platter. But still, I accepted the ruling, I know I did wrong, I apologized to the woman, and now I'm trying to straighten myself out, 'coz if I fuck up again, next time it might be a life ban, and I really don't want that. I had one last drink the night after the sentencing, and I haven't had a drink since."

Taylor nodded. She could clearly see that Brandon regretted his actions and was trying to clear up his act, and she appreciated it. She felt she could forgive him for his mistakes. However, there was one thing still bugging her. "So, what about me?" she asked. "Are you training me because you want to, or because you have to?"

Brandon pulled up and sat down at a nearby bench, motioning for Taylor to sit with him. Slipping his hands into his pockets, he let out a sigh. "I'll be honest with you," he said. "When they first told me that I'd have to do this program, I didn't really wanna do it. Having to drag some kid around and show 'em the ropes didn't really sound like my kinda fun. But then I remembered what it was like for me back when I first started out, when I was eleven.

"Back then, I didn't have all these websites full of Pokémon-raising guides, and the ones that did exist took forever to load because the Internet was shit back then. There was no Pokédex app to keep track of my captures, or tell me my Pokémon's movesets or abilities or anything like that. Almost everything I know about battling, I had to find out for myself, and it was a slow and difficult learning curve. By the time all these extra aids came around, I was already a top professional, and I didn't really need them as much as I had back when I first started.

"I think if I'd had a mentor when I started out, like you do now, I coulda reached pro status maybe two years earlier than I actually did. I coulda had two extra years at the top of the game by now. So I figured, well, if I'm gonna have to do this, I'm gonna do the best damn job that I can. I'm gonna help this person become the best damn trainer they can be. I'm still committed to that. I've seen that you've got potential, and you proved that by beating Graham. So I'm gonna help you reach that potential, not just because I have to, but because I want to."

Taylor nodded, and her smile returned. "That's all I wanted to know," she said. "Thank you, Brandon."

"No problem," said Brandon.

"So, what now?" asked Taylor. "The Cerulean City Gym is the next one up, right?"

"Yep," said Brandon. "The Gym Leader there uses Water-type Pokémon, but I think this time, with a little more training, you might be able to get through without even needing Pokémon with type advantages. You're not gonna be able to find many on the road up there, that's for sure."

"Well, I'll just have to do my best again, then, won't I?" said Taylor.

"That's the spirit," said Brandon. "Oh, hang on, just let me take this-" Brandon's phone had started to ring, and he fished it out of his pocket and answered the call. "Hello?"

Taylor couldn't make out what the person on the other end was saying, but they were clearly yelling, causing Brandon to flinch. "I don't know what you-" The person on the other end cut Brandon off, yelling at him once more, and before Brandon could get a word in edgeways, the caller hung up. "Hey, wait-" It was too late, and Brandon was left staring dumbfounded at his cellphone.

"What was that all about?" asked Taylor.

"Uhh… personal stuff," said Brandon, looking flustered. "Don't really wanna talk about it. But there's been a change of plans, we gotta head back down to Viridian for now."

"Really?" asked Taylor, as Brandon got to his feet. "You mean right now?"

"Yeah, as soon as possible," said Brandon.

"It must be serious, then," said Taylor, getting to her feet.

Brandon shook his head. "Oh, you have no idea," he said.

Day 183

[from StarLight]

"I summon the ANCIENT WARRIOR OF LIGHT, IN ATTACK MODE!"

The man with the long rose-coloured hair raised the card high above his head, and from out of it burst a heavily-muscled man in silvery armour so shiny it was almost blinding to look at. "Since I have Temple of Light in play," declared the man, in an unnecessarily-loud voice, "The Ancient Warrior of Light's attack is BOOSTED BY 500! AND HE GETS TO ATTACK YOUR LIFE FORCE DIRECTLY!"

"NOT SO FAST!" His opponent, a teenager with wild blue-and-yellow hair that pointed in all directions, held up a finger, grinning. "You just activated my Trap Card, Pit of Plot Convenience!"

"WHAAAAAAT?!!!" screamed the rose-haired man, reeling backwards in shock.

"That's right!" said the wild-haired teenager. "Pit of Plot Convenience sends any monster that attacks me into the PIT OF ETERNAL DARKNESS!"

"NOOOOO!!!" yelled the rose-haired man. "NOT THE PIT OF ETERNAL DARKNESS!"

"BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!" the teenager boomed. "Since it's a Monday, my left shoelace is untied, and I had bacon and eggs for breakfast this morning, Pit of Plot Convenience also allows me to summon THE ULTIMATE DRAGON MONSTER FROM MY DECK! AND YOU'LL ALSO RECEIVE THIS FREE TOASTER!" He held up the card in one hand, and the toaster in the other.

"NOOO!!! NOT THE ULTIMATE… wait, is that a four-slice toaster?" asked the rose-haired man.

"No," said the wild-haired teenager. "It's only a two-slice."

The rose-haired man dramatically fell to his knees and let out a loud "NOOOOOOO!!!" of despair.

***

As Amaya headed out of the school that afternoon, she, like most of the other students filtering out, couldn't help noticing the extremely loud card battle going on in the schoolyard. "Huh, so there is a card game anime going on here," she remarked.

"Apparently, the loser gets sucked into the Pit of Eternal Darkness for, uhh… eternity!" said an onlooker.

"Doesn’t that just mean they die?" asked Amaya.

"Sshh!" said the onlooker in a hushed voice. "They think 'Pit of Eternal Darkness' sounds cooler!"

"Well, I think they're losers," said Amaya, a moment before the rose-coloured man let out another scream of terror as the Ultimate Dragon reaped the last of his Life Points. "Losers with no concept of volume control," she added. That reminds me, I wonder how Sanae's getting on at the Sewing Club…

***

"Okay, first order of business," said Hitomi, adjusting a pair of red glasses she had put on. She didn't need them to see, but she thought they added to her moe appeal. "We all need official roles within the White Star Fan Club. I'll be the chairman, because this whole thing was my idea. Nagisa, you'll be the treasurer. You'll be in charge of our budget."

"What budget?" asked Nagisa. "The school isn't going to give us any funding!"

"Then we'll have to secure our own funding," said Hitomi.

"How?" asked Nagisa. "And what for?"

"You're the treasurer, you figure it out," said Hitomi, shrugging. "Mio, you're the secretary. You'll be making notes of each meeting."

Mio nodded, pulling a notepad and pen out of her bag. "Leave it to me," she said.

"Sanae, you can be vice-chairman, since you're the oldest out of all of us," said Hitomi. "Now, what could we get Hinata to do…"

"Well, I-I don't really mind," said Hinata nervously, "as long as it doesn't involve public speaking… o-or anything embarrassing…"

"Hmm…" Hitomi thought about it for a moment. "Oh! Since we're an official fan club, we should have a website, right? Are you any good at HTML coding?"

"I-I don't even know what that is…" stammered Hinata.

"Then just set up a Blagger page, and write articles on there about White Star's exploits!" said Hitomi. "I'm sure that'll do!"

"Oh, please," said Nagisa, "who even uses Blagger anymore?"

"We do!" said Hitomi.

Mio seemed to have had an idea. "Could we post fanfictions on the blog as well?" she asked.

"Why?" asked Sanae.

"Oh, no reason," said Mio, her glasses gleaming. "No reason at all."

"Sure, why not?" said Hitomi. "Just make sure they're good ones, and not just stuff you stole from F*nF*ction."

"Oh, I will," said Mio, smiling, "don't you worry about that."

"And no lewd fanfictions either!" said Sanae. "This series is rated T for Teen, and that should go for the website as well!"

"I agree," said Hitomi. "I couldn't possibly picture White Star in that way! But then, I'm guessing that's the same for all of us here, right?"

Mio's enthusiasm immediately took a sharp dive. "Uhh… yes, of course," she said. "I couldn't possibly think of White Star in such a perverted manner!"

"Okay, good!" said Hitomi. "Well, now that we've settled all of that, on to the second order of business…"

As Hitomi carried on speaking, Sanae was suddenly distracted by the arrival of Kousen, floating down through the ceiling and hovering in the centre of the table, unseen by everyone except her. "Another monster has just appeared," she said.

Are you sure that's not just the card game guy doing his card game things?, thought Sanae.

"It is not," said Kousen. "This monster has appeared downtown, in an area full of giant smoking buildings. They do not appear to be on fire, but if the monster damages them, something catastrophic might happen."

You mean the industrial area?, thought Sanae. That's not good. Okay, I'll be over there as soon as I can, I just have to get out of this meeting first.

"-senpai?" Sanae blinked as she realized Hitomi was addressing her. "What's wrong? You're spacing out."

"Uhh…" Quick, I need to think of an excuse. Bathroom? Phone call? Uhh… "I need to use the phone call. I mean, uhh, make the bathroom. I mean, uhh…" Panicking, Sanae pointed out of the window. "Look! A terrible getaway excuse!"

"Where?!!" The four underclassmen all turned to look out of the window, leaving Sanae to slip out of the room unnoticed.

"Heh, suckers," she said, as she headed down the corridor. "Alright, now that I'm finally away from those lunatics, I can get back to what this show is really about: me, beating the crap out of monsters!" Opening her bag, she took out the White Star Emblem and raised it into the air. "White Star: Transformation!"

Once more, Sanae was engulfed in a blinding white light. Her school uniform morphed into a beautiful white knee-length dress with violet lace trim. White thigh-high socks and high-heeled shoes gently enveloped her feet and legs, the straps of the shoes winding their way delicately up her shins. White gloves manifested themselves on her hands, and as the Emblem transformed into the White Star Wand, she clutched it tightly in her right hand. Finally, her hair curled itself into two neat ringlets either side of her head, and her transformation into White Star was complete.

White Star flew off through the corridors and out of the main entrance, and as she headed towards the industrial area, the White Star Fan Club - still searching for the terrible getaway excuse that Sanae had pointed at - suddenly noticed their hero flying away. "Omigosh! It's White Star!" Hitomi exclaimed. "Alright, gang, you know the drill: let's go follow her and cheer her on for victory!"

"Yeah!" cheered the other members. The four of them quickly rushed outside into the corridor, heading towards the exit.

"Hey, where did Sanae go?" asked Nagisa. "She was with us just a moment ago."

"Probably making the bathroom," said Hitomi. "What a shame… she's gonna miss out on seeing White Star battle!" 

Day 182

[from A Thousand Miles to San Francisco]

"You know, I picked up a guy in Palm Springs once - must have been about twelve years ago now - he was heading to San Francisco too, but for a completely different reason. His name was Max, he was an IT wizard or something. He used to run some kinda online business - can't remember what it was called, or what it did - but when the dot-com bubble burst back in 2000, his company was one of those that went under. Guy lost everything: his job, his house, his money, his girlfriend… he told me he had nothing left, so he was gonna throw himself off the Golden Gate Bridge and end it all."

Samantha gasped, horrified. "What? Really?" she said.

John nodded. "Yep," he said. "'Course, he only told me that after I'd let him in and set off again. I said, I'm not driving you all the way to San Francisco just so you can kill yourself when you get there, that's almost five hundred miles. He was begging me, he said, 'I know I sound crazy, but that's where I want it all to end'.

"I looked over at the guy -- looked him dead in the eyes -- and I could see that he was desperate. But more than that, he was scared. Really scared. I fought in Vietnam for four years, I know what a man looks like when he's scared, and this guy was scared out of his mind. He'd had everything he'd ever worked for taken away from him in the blink of an eye, and he just didn't know what to do with himself. I realized he was so scared, he'd stopped thinking straight, and he'd somehow decided that suicide was the only option left to him. But I knew that deep down inside, he didn't really believe that. So I looked him dead in the eyes, and I told him, 'I don't think you want to kill yourself. Not really. I can see how frightened you are. If you really wanted to kill yourself, you wouldn't have hailed my truck, you would've jumped out in front of it.'

"Max then explained to me that the reason he wanted to go to the Golden Gate Bridge to kill himself was because he'd made a suicide pact with a woman he'd met online. Her husband had left her for another woman, and taken their kid with him, and she'd decided she couldn't live without her family. However, she didn't wanna die alone, so she'd been searching on the Internet for someone to join her in San Francisco and leap off the bridge with her. They'd met on some kinda Internet chat room, and they'd agreed to meet at the bridge that night and jump off together.

"He told me I was right: he was scared. He was having second thoughts about going through with it, but he didn't know what else to do. I told him to just take some time, think about what to do next with his life. 'You got all the time in the world,' I told him, 'you're still pretty young.' Honestly, he couldn't have been older than thirty. Seeing someone that young with so little hope was pretty darn sad. I told him he still had plenty of time left to get things sorted out, and to make something of himself. Hell, he owned his own company. It might not have worked out for him, but that's a lot more than I ever accomplished.

"So finally, Max admitted that I was right. He didn't really wanna die; he just wanted a solution, a way to fix his life. He hadn't been able to find one, so he felt like his only remaining option was suicide, but he told me he now realized that he just hadn't been looking hard enough, or thinking hard enough about it. I asked if he wanted me to turn around and take him back to Palm Springs, and he said no. He still wanted me to take him to the Golden Gate Bridge, but instead of throwing himself off of it, he was gonna try and talk the woman out of jumping, just like I'd talked him out of it. He told me, 'If I'm gonna try and build a new life, then I think she should try and build a new life as well'."

Samantha found herself rather touched by the whole story, but also a little anxious about its ending. "That's so sweet," she said. "So what happened in the end? Did he manage to save her?"

John merely shrugged. "I don't know," he said. "We got to San Francisco at about ten o'clock at night, I dropped him off as close to the bridge as I could get, he thanked me for all my help, and then he disappeared into the night. Never saw him again. For all I know, he might have jumped after all. I do wonder sometimes what happened to him, and to that other woman, but I guess I'll never know."

Samantha nodded. "I guess not," she said. For a fleeting moment, she had thought about trying to track him down upon reaching San Francisco, but in a city of four million people, and with nothing to go by except his first name, it would be utterly impossible. Besides, even if she did find out, she would most likely never see John again either. Somehow, however, not knowing how the story ended made it all the more intriguing and mysterious.

[AUTHOR NOTE: Sadly for you guys, you ARE going to learn how it ends! Not today, however, since it's almost 2am and I'm exhausted. I could just put it in a paragraph-long epilogue here, but why not write a full scene about it? This scene will most likely be exclusive to Project 20:15 and won't be in the final novel, so look forward to it at some point in the future.]