Waiting for Minako
by DDFA (Mark A Page)
Part Nineteen - The Strange
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The award for the silliest piece of correspondance for this chapter
of WfM, goes to....
EbonyMoons@aol.com
"you, sir, have no life...
Thank you,
The Mangement"
Is that "Mangement" as in mange?
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Scene: A restaurant in Hades. Usagi is sitting at her table,
looking green around the gills after consuming a bowl of black
jellybeans in soy sauce. Sitting opposite her is Mokona, a small,
white thing that vaguely resembles a rabbit. They are staring at
each other.
Usagi: .....
Mokona: .....
Usagi: .....
Mokona: .....
Usagi: .....
Mokona: .....
Usagi: .....
Mokona: .....
Usagi: .....
Mokona: .....
Usagi: .....
Mokona: .....
Usagi: .....
Mokona: Pu!
Usagi: Easy for you to say.
Meanwhile, in the gardens surrounding a large private hospital,
patients are wandering with dazed expressions, dressed in plain,
white hospital garb, and are either alone or accompanied by what
appear to be guardians or relatives. Near one of the hospital's
large open windows, Ami is sitting with the same dazed expression in
a soft and comfortable chair, covered with a large blanket. She
looks up into the sky as the sun appears from behind the clouds.
Ami: Sora....
Ami lifts a hand from underneath the blanket and reaches up for the
sky, but is momentarily disturbed by a young sorceress who happened
to be wandering by.
Lina: Excuse me.... You don't happen to know where I can find
this elusive "Inverse Layer", do you? I'd like to sock
the little hentai from arsehole to breakfast time.
Ami: .....
Lina: If you wouldn't mind.... I mean, I've been asking
around, but nobody here seems willing to say anything,
other than give me funny little hand gestures and tell
me that they'll be seeing me.... Is there some sort of
conspiracy going on, or what?
Ami: .....
Lina: I mean, honestly.... Just because I sound like
Hayashibara Megumi is no reason to roll your eyes and
walk away. It's not THAT nasal a tone, is it?
Ami: .....
Lina: I mean, what is it with this place? Everyone around
here have glassy, red eyes that remind me of that jerk,
Shabra.... something or other. Can't remember, now.
When you've busted the balls of as many villains I have,
they all start to look the same....
Ami: Sora....
Lina: Hmm? What's that you say?
Ami: Aoi sora.
Lina looks up at the sky, following Ami's example.
Lina: No shit, Sherlock.... I never noticed that before.
Lina shrugs, looking back down at Ami.
Lina: You wouldn't happen to know someplace where I can grab a
bite to eat? I'm starving.
Ami: Kitchen....
Lina: Ah good. Where?
Ami: Third door....
Lina waits for a long time as Ami's face twists, fighting to recount
the information she is seeking.
Lina: Yes.... third door.... You can say it....
Ami: On....
Lina: On? On what? On the roof? On TV?
Ami: On the....
Lina: Cathcart Towers Hotel? Come on, you can say it....
Ami: On the....
Lina: Knew I should have brought a packed lunch, today. Damn
that Naga.... Spent so much time trying to get away
from her....
Ami: On the....
At that point, three men, one wearing a dark suit, with light hair,
one wearing a brown tweed suit, with sideburns and glasses, and a
short, plump one with long dark hair, a beard, dressed in a white
shirt with vest and jeans, dance past, making strange physical
gestures and singing.
Men: Ooh ooh ooh, The Funky Gibbon....
Ami: On the....
Lina watches the three men as the disappear around the corner of the
hospital building, then turns back to Ami.
Lina: Must be Tuesday.
Ami: On the....
Lina: Yes, you've said that, before.
Ami: ....on the left.... Then.... straight ahead.... You
can't.... miss it....
Lina: Thanks. Oh, and I wouldn't bother looking up any more.
The sky doesn't change colour.
Lina flicks Ami's nose and wanders off. Ami doesn't seem to notice
and continues looking at the sky.
Ami: Sora....
The world starts to wobble and shake, and Ami dissipates into a
gratuitous flashback sequence. Mercury is in the river, being
washed out to sea. She is waving frantically at Jupiter, who is
crossing the river via a nondescript bridge. Jupiter stops when
she realises what is happening.
Mercury: Jupiter! Tasukete!
Jupiter: Mercury.... Don't tell me you really CAN'T swim.
Mercury: Not against the frigging current, I can't.
Jupiter: Don't worry.... I'll be there in a second.
With a dramatic double overhead triple pike, Jupiter dives into the
raging waters of the river. Mercury waits for about thirty seconds,
but Jupiter has not risen.
Mercury: Oh great.... The dumb bitch has drowned herself.
Jupiter: Mercury!
Mercury turns to her left. She can see Jupiter, splashing
ineffectually on the other side of the river.
Mercury: What the hell did you do that for? Now we'll both
drown!
Jupiter: Well what would you rather I do? Use my powers?
Mercury: It might have been more intelligent.
Jupiter: And what was I likely to do, using my powers, other
than electrocute you?
Mercury: .....
Jupiter: Precisely.
Mercury: You could have discovered an amazing new power that we
astoundingly seem to do at moments of crisis.
Jupiter: You're kidding me, right?
Mercury: Well we have to do something.... We're getting washed
in different directions....
Jupiter: Try and swim towards me.... I'll do the same.
Mercury: Okay.
The pair start to paddle through the wash, towards each other.
Suddenly, the water between them explodes, and a giant robot rises
from the waters between them.
Voice: GEKIGANGER 3!
Jupiter: What the fu....
Voice: GEKIGAN PUNCH!
The robot's fist rockets from the arm, thumping Jupiter into the
middle distance, then returns. The robot turns towards Mercury.
Voice: GEKIGAN FLARE!
A beam of energy strikes Mercury, blowing her out to sea with a cry.
The robot poses to the strains of maniacal laughter. We return to
Ami, sitting in the chair.
Ami: Sora.
Nurse: Ms Mizuno....
Ami: .....
Nurse: You have a visitor, Ms Mizuno.
Ami turns to the nurse, who is standing next to her.
Ami: Mi... nako?
Nurse: No.... It's a Ms Kino.
The nurse gestures behind her, where Ami can see Makoto standing,
wearing a long dress, jacket and shades. She is staring around,
nervously.
Nurse: I'll leave you two together, then.
The nurse walks away, and Makoto sidles up to Ami.
Makoto: I have the place cased out.... I don't know what is
going on around here, but I'm pretty sure this isn't a
hospital.
Ami: .....
Makoto: What are you staring at?
Ami: .....
Makoto: Oh, fer chrissakes, you aren't sick, now snap out of it.
Ami: Sora....
Makoto: And don't give me the cheesy Evangelion lines. I'm not
in the mood.
Ami: Who....
Makoto: What is that?
Ami: Who are.... you?
Makoto: You don't remember, Number Six?
Ami: .....
Makoto: .....
Ami: .....
Makoto: .....
Ami: .....
Makoto: I meant Ami. Sorry.
Ami: Who.... is Ami?
Makoto: .....
Ami: .....
Makoto: Damn! Another fake. Will I ever find the REAL Ami.
Makoto wanders off. Ami watches her and notices that all the other
patients look exactly like her.
Ami: Must.... be Tuesday.
END OF PART 19
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Will Minako ever arrive? Does Minako even exist? Is Ami the real
Ami, or is she a figment of Ami's imagination? Is it really
Tuesday? Is Makoto dreaming? Is Makoto for real? Is Mokona really
sitting on the other side of the table from Usagi? For no answers
to these questions, read the next chapter of "Waiting for Minako".
Who will put da fishy on da little dishy who will put da fishy when
da boat comes in..... ^_^
_________
/ @ \ DDFA (The Right Dishonourable Mark A Page)
/ / ^ ^ \ \ ayanami@merlin.net.au
/</ w \>\ Chief Propoganda Officer, Keeper of
\/ \/ the Tapes and Co-Founder of the Saitou-chan
\___________/ Appreciation Society - Adelaide Japanese
/_/ \_\ PU Animation Society
Aversion 1.0 - Tuesday, 15th December 1998 (Yep, it's Tuesday,
alright)