(I don't own the Saint Tail characters, but I own everyone else. Enjoy!)
Case of the Double Dragon
"Look at that!" A little boy said, pulling his mom to a window. His mom looks at it. It was an antique shop window and inside, the Double Dragon.
"What was that, you stupid detective!?" Meimi shouted to long-life enemy.
"Stupid detective? At least I'm not the one with math problems."
"Whatever. Last time you'll have to tutor me. I'll make it by myself!"
"Yeah Right. You NEED me, Haneoka." Then, she did something she never thought she would do...WCCH! She slapped his face red.
"I don't need no man, especially you! Baka! I hate you!"
"Meimi, you don't mean---" Her best friend tried to interrupt.
"Yes, I do! I...I...I WISH I NEVER MET YOU!!!" Asuka's eyes went wide when she said that. Still really pissed off, she sits down. 'Oh boy.'Seira thought. 'That boy is completely clueless.' While the Sister was delivering the lesson, Meimi stays focused and catches on everything she is explaining. 'I need him...HA!' She thought.
"Would anyone like to come up to the board and answer this problem?" Meimi just gets up. "Haneoka? Are you sure?"
"What is that supposed to mean?" She yelled, still angry.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way. Please, continue." Sister replied, a little frightened.
"Thank you." She went up to the board and answered it...correctly? The whole class is absolutely shocked.
"Whoa...that is correct." The instructor said. "Well done, Haneoka. You may now sit." Asuka Jr. smiled. She payed no attention to him. He looked back at her. She's not looking at him at all.
'I really pissed her off this time...but I didn't do nothing out of the ordinary. We always fight. It's what brought us close...but now, I've never felt so far away from her.'
She goes home without seeing Seira if there were any lost lambs for Saint Tail to take care of, or Asuka Jr. just to see him. 'What he said is unforgivable! Ooh! I wanna just...strangle him!' She thought while alone, in her room. 'How did I come to be friends with such a JERK!' Then, she dozed off to sleep.
Asuka Jr. was down because of his little conversation with the orange-haired female. He went home and went to sleep.
[Daiki...Daiki...] He wakes up, hearing his first name.
"Who's there?" He asked his room. A white glowing figure appears before him. "What the--"
[Don't be afraid, Daiki...I am your conscience.]
"Why are you here and not in my head?"
[Look around you.] He looks around. He realized he's no longer in his room...but inside his mind? [Your thoughts, dreams, expectations, anything you think of, I know. We are now in your mind. Come. Let's figure this problem out.]
"What do you mean?"
[Oh, you don't know that, either? You really are clueless, you know that? Come on. All will be known in good time.] With that, the two Asukas walk inside a portal...the portal of his mind. They appeared where it all started, school. [Do you remember when you first saw her?]
"Who?"
[Haneoka.]
"Of course. How could I forget?" They look back at the scene.
[She was always mild-tempered, but somehow, through all the fighting, you two have grown to like each other. Have you noticed lately that you two don't fight as much as you did in the beginning?]
"Now that you mention it..."
[It's because she's seen something out of the hardcore person you appear to be.]
"..."
[How about this scene?] They see Meimi with the "stuffed" hedgehog.
"Yeah. The hedgehog incident."
[You suspected her of being Saint Tail...]
"Yeah. How wrong was I?"
[And this?] It goes back to the scene where he was helping Meimi with her work.
"Her and those math problems."
[Do you notice something with this scene, Daiki?] He's looking at the work, while she's just looking at him.
"No wonder why she didn't get it."
[You see now? Remember that she correctly answered the question on the board...WITHOUT your help.]
"I see. I'm distracting her. And it's messing her up."
[...Exactly. That's probably why she said to you what she said.]
"You're right."
[So, tomorrow, you know what to do.]
"Yes."
[Good luck.] He sleeps.
Meanwhile...
[Meimi, wake up.] She gets up.
"Who's there?" she said. She was shocked at who she was seeing. "That can't be..."
[Calm down, Meimi. I'm just your conscience dressed like Saint Tail. Meimi, do you know why I am here?]
"That thing I said about me never meeting Asuka Jr..."
[Bingo!]
"And I'm guessing you want me to apologize to him for saying such a thing and try to make up. Am I right?"
[Yep.]
"I'm sorry, but he's hurt me for the last time..." The conscience sits down on Meimi's bed.
[Meimi, what about me?]
"Huh?"
[Just because you're tired of him doesn't mean I am. And if I'm not tired of him, then you can't be. This is Asuka Jr. we're talking about. He does this all the time. It's how we've gotten to know him.]
"Yeah, but when he said that I needed him..."
[Meimi, look at me.] She looks at her alter-ego. [Read my lips: We DO need him.]
"What?"
[Meimi, he's the only thing that always on our mind, and you can't deny it. That's why I sent him those notes. I want to see him.]
"..."
[You know what to do, Meimi. See you tomorrow.]
"Why?"
[You'll see.] Saint Tail disappears.
Next morning...
Everyone, including Meimi and Asuka Jr. sat down in their seats. During class, Asuka Jr. gets a note. It read: "Meet me after school. We need to talk. Meimi." He turns around and Meimi pays no mind to him. She gets the letter back. He replied, "I'll be there." After class ended, they met.
"Asuka Jr., about yesterday, I'm--"
"It's Ok, Haneoka. I've realized something that I didn't know all this time..."
"Huh?"
"Haneoka, I'm sorry. I've been in your way. I've distracted you from your work, from your friends and your life."
"What? Asuka Jr. that's--"
"I never meant to, but I butted into everything and I promise that I won't do it again. I will never fight with you again, and I'll never get in your way. That's all I have to say." She's tearing up. "I did it again, didn't I? I gotta go." He left. Meimi ran home and cried on her pillow, in her dark room. 'What have I done?' she thought.
[Nothing.] A familiar voice said.
"You...how did you--"
[Magic, of course. Meimi, listen to me, because something's going to happen soon...]
"What?"
[I can't tell you. For right now, Asuka Jr. is in the same state we're in. Give him some time. And if he doesn't agree with you, make time.]
"What do you mean?"
[Think Asuka Jr. and you will know.]
"Um...Ok."
[Great.] Saint Tail left when Meimi's light flipped on.
"Meimi, are you Ok?" It was Seira.
"Seira...Asuka Jr...he---"
"No time for that. We need Saint Tail. Like, right now."
"Huh? Ok." She transformed. "What is the problem?"
"Since you left early this afternoon, I couldn't tell you about the lost lamb. It's a little boy named Ken. His mother bought him something he liked at an antique shop. The Double Dragon."
"Double Dragon?"
"Yes. It's almost like Yin and Yang. The idea that there are two sides to everyone has been recorded throughout history. Everyone has 2 sides, a good one and a bad one. Everyone is usually with the good side, but the bad side could creep out at any time. It makes us whole. Good and Bad."
"Wow. So, who has it?"
"Ken left it at his old friend's house down the street from here. When he came to get it back, the parents claimed to have not had it. As for his friend, he said nothing."
"The parents must be keeping him from saying where it is. Seira, I'm gonna need him to tell me where it is."
"Well, just this once. Let's pray."
After prayer, Saint Tail quickly went to Asuka Jr.'s place.
In his room...
[Daiki. It's me.]
"Hey."
[What's wrong?]
"I don't feel right...something feels...missing."
[Could it be Haneoka?]
"It might be."
[It IS.]
"Huh? You...you knew, too, didn't you?"
[There's my detective. You see, by taking her out of your life, even for a few hours, has made you realize that she doesn't need you...YOU NEED HER.]
"..."
[She is your best friend, Daiki. Don't lose her.]
"No. I'm in her way. I promised I wouldn't do it again. And I'm keeping my word."
[All right. Suit yourself. Oh, by the way, there's something on your bed. Later.] His conscience disappears. He gets up and looks at the item on his bed. It was a note with a pink ribbon tied to it.
"Tonight I will steal the Double Dragon from the household of the Yamasuki family. Better hurry up. St. Tail."
"WHAT!?" He quickly gets out of bed, gets dressed, calls for backup and races to the Yamasukis' house.
At the Yamasukis' house...
"She coming here? Why?"
"She's coming to steal a Double Dragon."
"But we don't have that."
"But we--" the little boy said, before his prents gave him a glare. "don't."
"Huh?"
"Don't mind him."
"Well, whether it's here or not, she's coming. Wait until she finds out there's nothing here. Then, I'll finally be able to catch her." The boy walks away from the group to a window. Suddenly, the little hears a 'psst' sound. He looks out the window. Nothing.
"Hey." a voice said. "Up here." He sticks his head out and looks up to his roof. There's Saint Tail. "Hang on. And whatever you do, don't look down. One! Two! Three!" She waves his wand at the little boy and he goes flying in the air up to the roof with her. "I need you to do me a favor."
"Huh?"
"Something tells me you know something your parents don't. Your friend, Ken..."
"Ken..."
"Yes. It seems he left his Double Dragon at your house. Do you know where it is?"
"Why should I tell you? I don't even know who you are."
"I'm Saint Tail. And if you tell me where it is, I promise you that Ken will get it back."
"You promise?"
"Cross my heart."
"Ok. It's in our basement, in the tool drawer on the right side. First door."
"Thanks, kid. Oh, and one more thing, don't tell anyone you saw me, Ok?"
"Ok."
"You promise?"
"Cross my heart."
"Good. I'm gonna take you down now." She waves her wand and he lands safely on the grass. "Thanks." With the location of the Double Dragon, she creeps into the house through a window in the kitchen. Asuka Jr. senses something and stops talking when the lights went out.
"What the?"
"A blackout?"
"Saint Tail! She's here! Do you have any flashlights?"
"Yes. In the basement...if we could find it."Asuka Jr. feels around him, tripping on a piece of wood on the floor. 'This must be the basement,' he thought. He goes down and felt the hole below the wooded surface. It's concrete. 'These must be stairs.' Trusting his instinct, he got up and started walking down. He was right. They were stairs. That led to the basement. When he gets down there, he sees a little light.
"I know that's you, Saint Tail."
"You guessed right, like usual, detective," she replied. "Well, I just came to get--"
"But there is no Double Dragon here."
"Or..." She shines the light on the Double Dragon for him to see. "Is there?"
"What the--"
"You've been deceived. Well, gotta run. See you soon, detective." The light appear back on and she's gone.
"Shimatta!" She was already gone. No sign of her balloon anywhere. That was because she decided not to take the balloon this time. So now she's running and jumping on roofs to Ken's house. Saint Tail knocks on Ken's door. She leaps up to the roof and the door is answered. Ken looks on the ground and sees his missing antique. He picks it up, and closes the door. Saint Tail, instead of heading home, made a stop to the park on top of the clock. 'Asuka Jr...I...I DO NEED YOU.' She thought, finally admitting it to herself.
[Good.] a voice said, hearing her thoughts. She looks to her right and sees Meimi sitting on the clock with her. [Glad you finally realized it. My work here is done.] She vanishes. Saint Tail goes back home.
Next morning...
Asuka Jr., despite what his conscience was telling him, keeping his word, he pays no mind to Haneoka. Meimi still a little sad, but something told her she needed to resolve this. [Think Asuka Jr...] she heard. After class ended, she escaped her friends' babbling on about nothing and went for Asuka Jr. "Junior!" she shouted. He turns around.
"Huh?" She grabs his arm and takes him outside the school to their area. "Did I do something wrong?"
"SHUT UP! I'm doing the talking! Asuka Jr., listen to me. If you even think for a second that you're distracting me, you're sadly mistaken! Second, yes, you butt into our conversations, but.." her voice goes calm. "that's because you care about our safety. And when I said that I wished I never met you..." She started to cry. "I've never been so wrong in my life." Asuka Jr. is just staring at her with shock. Meimi was never this honest before. "Asuka Jr...you were right..."
"Huh?"
"I...I DO NEED YOU!" She's down on her knees, crying. He bends down and holds her.
"Silly. No you don't...I need you."
"Huh?"
"Even if you would want me to, I could never back away from you. You mean too much to me."
"Asuka Jr...do me a favor."
"Sure."
"Don't let go."
"Huh?"
"Don't let go." He squeezes her tighter.
"Is this Ok?"
"Yes." He holds her all afternoon. 'Thank you, God.' They thought at the same time.
The End