Force of Magic
Chapter 5
By Ewen "Blackbird" Cluney
Haruko sat in the darkness in her room, with Piyo's words ringing
in her ears. He'd asked her what was wrong, kept pressing until
she answered. She couldn't take it anymore after that failure.
Oh, they'd completed the mission. In fact, the company had been
exposed as a front for the youma, and what few machines had been
shipped were recalled and destroyed.
But the price was too high. Yasuko was hurt and Yoko, the
youngest of them, might die. Too high. And it was her fault.
"Damn it, Haruko!" The intensity of her words had been
frightening. "You can't blame yourself for what some hunter did.
You didn't pull the trigger. I couldn't have planned a better
raid. And besides..." He'd become quieter, his voice tinged with
regret. "The whole thing was my idea. If anyone needs to be
blamed, it should be me."
She wanted to believe that, even if it meant hating Piyo,
but somehow she couldn't. Guilt was like that; tenacious and
immune to reason. It was all her fault and she had to make it
right. But how?
Haruko was sitting upright on her bed, looking at nothing,
but seeing Pretty Cherry lying there bleeding.
There were footsteps in the hall, and voices. Mama and Papa
were talking, probably thinking she was fast asleep. They were
talking about her, about how awful it must've been to have a
friend get shot like that, especially at age ten. They spoke of
counseling, depression, bad grades, and on and on.
She listened, cursing her own incompetence in the darkness,
the only light the pale yellow glow of a streetlight outside.
They pondered why she was at the factory. They were
suspicious of the story about a school project -- the one she'd
given to the police. Papa remarked that Haruko had been behaving
a bit oddly lately. She was acting strange. Her life was like a
snow globe that had suddenly been turned upside down; everything
that had been nicely settled spun and swirled around her.
Then Papa said, "You'd think she's become a magical girl or
something."
Haruko's mouth hung open. Did they know?
Mama gasped. "Don't _say_ that!" she cried. "Do you have any
idea how dangerous that is these days?" Haruko did now, too well
and too late. "Why, if anything happened to dear little
Haruko..."
All was silent, save for the distant sound of tired on
pavement. Yoko was so young... But only one year younger than
Haruko.
"We... *you* raised a strong girl." Papa said at last. "Even
if she were--"
"Don't SAY that!" yelled Mama. "She means *everything* to
me!"
After the terrible silence that followed, Haruko forced
herself to lie down, and curled up, in a vain effort to escape
the world. She had to stop this. Because she was only ten, and
because Mama and Papa loved her so much. Only Dean Kanzaki was
still out there, looking for more magical girls to murder. And
he'd some back for Pretty Cherry and Shining Midnight.
Revenge. The word seemed new to her. The more she thought
about Kanzaki, the more she wanted to stop him. Only he had guns.
She thought and thought, and hate overtook fear. She hoped. She'd
been angry before, but not like this, blended with burning
hatred. She wanted him to be hurt, to feel pain and agony. Even
though her own thoughts terrified her, she knew what to do.
Revenge.
She would have revenge, and then she'd retire. Piyo would
erase her memory, and Candy Rose would be no more. Haruko Hayashi
could live and be happy again.
For once, her path was clear.
She'd hoped to forget about it for a little while, but the entire
school, including Teruo and Minami were talking about it. It was
big news.
"Did you hear?" asked Minami. "They say Yoko Asakawa was
killed the other day!"
Haruko sighed heavily. "Shot. Not killed."
"Oh?"
She nodded gravely as she sat down. "She's my... friend.
She's in the hospital now."
Blank stares became looks of concern. Teruo was the first
who could bring himself to speak. "How long di-- have you known
her for?"
Haruko slowly counted on her fingers. Six.
"That long?" asked Minami.
"Days." Haruko said flatly. "Six... days." And already Yoko
was almost dead. Six days after meeting her.
Seeing her grim expression, Teruo added, "It couldn't have
been your fault."
Haruko wished she could believe that lie. She'd told herself
that enough times, but it was still her responsibility, her
burden to bear. Her fault. All of it. Her throat tightened and
tears blurred her vision.
He took her hands in hers and pleaded, "Listen to me. It's
not your fault. You didn't pull that trigger. I know she'll
forgive whatever you think you did wrong."
She fought the urge to take her hand back, to run away. Yoko
probably would forgive her -- for anything -- but she couldn't
forgive herself. She could only avenge. Only, she knew next to
nothing about the hunter. Only a name.
"His name," she said at last, "was Dean Kanzaki."
Teruo looked troubled and flipped through his binder. He
immediately grabbed the tab marked "HUNTERS", and paused on a
page with some news clippings and scribbled notes. "I thought
so." he said carefully. "He's a magical girl hunter... But he's
usually very careful about his targets."
Haruko nodded carefully. "He... he was aiming for Magical
Girl Shining Midnight."
Teruo's brows met. "She was there, huh? That would explain
what happened in the factory." He glanced at her as though to ask
something, and reconsidered. "She was responible for that
'incident' in Osaka. Three hundred people died. She was
blacklisted by the Magical Girls' Union."
There was a long silence, which was finally broken by
Minami. "Haruko, um... Were you planning to visit Yoko today?"
Haruko nodded. It was her fault. She'd visited every day. It
was the least she could do.
"Well, why don't we come along with you? I'm sure she could
use some cheering up."
She wanted to refuse, to make an excuse. Only Yoko probably
needed the company.
The hospital room didn't seem so lonely with sunlight pouring
through the windows, the afternoon light spilling across the
hospital white like a golden blanket. Yoko lay opposite Yasuko,
though Yoko was clearly worse off, still bandaged, and with an
oxygen tube in her nose. Yoko looked relieved and happy to see
Haruko -- like every day -- while Yasuko kept staring at nothing.
Haruko was quick to introduce Minami and Teruo, though
Yasuko barely acknowledged them.
"When we heard what happened," Minami explained, "we wanted
to come and cheer you up."
Yoko's bright smile was marred by a fit of sickly coughing
that made Haruko shiver. "Thank you so much!"
"It's good to meet you," replied Minami, her voice tinged by
sadness just a little, "though I wish it didn't have to be like
this."
Yoko spared a moment's glance at the oxygen tube, and
shrugged. "At least I made some new friends. And when I get
better, we can do it right."
"We'll all go get ice cream." said Teruo. "I promise."
"Well, until then these will have to do." Minami openend the
box she'd brought and offered the contents to Yoko.
"Cookies?"
Minami nodded. "I made them myself. Please, try some."
Yoko carefully selected a heart-shaped one with rainbow
sprinkled, and took a bite. "It's delicious!"
From there, the remainder of the afternoon was spent talking
and laughing, Yoko most of all. Haruko thought she heard a hint
of desperation in the laughter, a need to be happy no matter
what. Twice a nurse came in to check on the patients, the second
time giving worried glances at the vital signs monitor while
giving Yoko an injection. Yasuko scarcely said a word.
Finally, Teruo and Minami mentioned that they had to go home
soon. Minami gave Yoko a hug before going, leaving the box of
cookies. Teruo lingered by the door, and Haruko walked over to
where he stood. Following his gaze, he saw a doctor and a nurse
talking in the hallway. The nurse was holding a folder -- Yoko's
folder -- and looked pale.
"...doesn't look good." the doctor was saying. "The damage
is extensive. That was no nordinary bullet, according to my
ballistics friend from Hawaii. It's a miracle she's alive at all,
but it's looking more and more like we're just delaying the
inevitable." He hung his shoulders, looking at his hands as
though questioning their worth.
The nurse gasped. "Poor thing... And so young too."
Haruko felt her stomach tighten. Yoko couldn't die. It
wasn't fair.
Teruo rested her hands on her shoulders. She jumped a
little, but the feeling was a pleasant reassurance in her sea of
doubts. She wasn't sure whether to cry on his shoulder or run
away. "I know someone who might be able to help."
"Who?" She nearly choked on the word.
He glanced at Yoko, who was asleep already, and sighed.
"Sorry, but I can't tell you. Don't worry though... she knows
what she's doing." And with that, he left.
Haruko drifted to the chair in a daze. She barely noticed
Yasuko, who was staring at a book. She hadn't turned a page in
some time. When the sounds of footsteps faded down the hall,
Yasuko snapped her book shut, and asked, "Haruko, have you found
out anything about that bastard hunter?"
Haruko nodded slowly. Some but not enough. And too much
about Shining Midnight. "His name's Dean Kanzaki. He's supposed
to be skilled and careful."
"I suppose you're wondering why he's after me."
"Osaka." Haruko said flatly. Getting one person killed was
bad enough, but a few hundred? She had to wonder how Yasuko could
go on.
Yasuko nodded, sighing. "I was chasing after a powerful
youma, and I got mad and fired off my Final Umbra Shockwave
attack. Overkill, in a big way, since that's supposed to be a
last resort. I could make it powerful enough to wipe out a city,
only the backlash would kill me. And I fired it off in a
department store. I found myself standing in a crater."
Haruko was at a loss for words.
"Impressive, right?" Yasuko said bitterly.
Haruko gave a reluctant nod. "Maybe. But Kanzaki said he'd
be back for... for the both of you."
Yasuko glanced at Yoko and nodded. "I expected as much.
Maybe I deserve it, but that doesn't excuse all the others he's
killed." There was a dangerous glint in her eyes. "When I'm
ready, I'll go after him. Even if it kills me. We both deserve to
die."
Looking at her folded hands, Haruko said nothing. She had
already made up her mind that she would be the one to do it.
Yasuko would try to stop her if she knew. With Yoko's condition,
it was even more important now. She thought and thought and
must've fallen asleep somewhere along the line, because when she
next looked around the room it was dark, and a small figure was
moving through the shadows. A girl.
Haruko hopped to her feet. "Who's there?" she demanded.
The figure turned to face her and stepped closer.
"Mysterious Pink?"
The girl nodded, turning her wand over in her hand. "That's
me." she said simply. "A friend asked me to come, so I could use
my healing magic on this Yoko girl." Pink cast a glance at Yoko,
covered in bandages and surrounded by medical equipment. "Doctors
can do a lot these days, but injuries like this are what magical
healing was made for."
Without another word, Mysterious Pink strode over to Yoko's
bedside and held her wand just over the bandaged wound. Closing
her eyes, Pink breathed deeply and smiled just slightly. Motes of
white like flowed from the wand into Yoko. Haruko watched and
held her breath. On the monitor the vital signs began to rise,
until finally Pink removed the wand and Yoko opened her eyes.
Yoko blinked. "Wh... what did you do?" she asked quietly.
"I healed you." explained Mysterious Pink. "You'll be
better, but you need to get some rest."
She nodded, resting her head again and closing her eyes.
"Thank you. You saved me."
"It was nothing. Now get some sleep." She turned to leave
and paused, looking at Haruko The next thing Haruko knew she was
being pulled into the hallway.
"What...?"
"You're Candy Rose, aren't you?"
How? How could she have known? Candy Rose looked so
different, and the magic was supposed to prevent people from
realizing her identity besides.
"I thought so. And those two are your teammates and I'm sure
your talking pets are around here somewhere."
Haruko gaped. Was it all really so transparent?
Pink rolled her eyes. "Don't worry. I just know the signs.
Plus your voice doesn't change and neither--" she nodded towards
the spot under Yasuko's bed where Piyo lay sleeping, "--does your
bird." She folded her arms and shifted her gaze to Yasuko and
Yoko. "But that leaves the question of why Mr. Kanzaki wanted to
do her in."
"I think he was aiming for Shining Midnight."
She shook her head. "No way. I know that bastard a little
too well. He doesn't shoot anyone by accident, and never takes a
contract unless he think his target deserves what she'll get."
He had to have... shot... Pretty Cherry on purpose then. But
why? What could she have done? "Pretty Cherry?"
Mysterious Pink rubbed her temples. "Shit. Hell of a team
you've got. Cherry's not a bad apple, I'll give you that, just
irresponsible as hell. I remember seeing her accidentally blow up
a car and nearly kill a dozen people in the process. I wouldn't
trust her with a wand if my life depended on it."
Haruko took it all in and sighed. "None of that changes the
fact that he tried to kill my friends."
She studied Haruko for a moment, and nodded. "I can't change
your mind, can I?"
Haruko shook her head.
"Fine. But I'm going with you." said Pink flatly. "I'd
prefer we do this without anyone getting killed. Besides. You
could probably use my help."
That much was certain. "Alright."
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Ewen "Blackbird" Cluney blk_bird@yahoo.com
Blackbird's Domain http://www.geocities.com/tokyo/6127/
Knight Kevlar of the Immortal Frog Silver Knight of Mihoshi
"Be nice to me; I might just develop
psychokinetic powers and destroy Tokyo!"
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