Intro: Cyntia - Run to the future

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"Aah!" Ryuko exclaimed as she walked to the local grocery store in a simple jeans and a red T-shirt. "Why couldn't Satsuki ask Soroi to get the sugar for her tea? I was just watching my favorite anime."

Suddenly a heavy object hit her in the back, sending her hurling forward until she came to rest inside a large dark-green upturned waste container on the side of a small parking lot between two shops.

"Agh! What's with this dirt?! I smell like I'm in Honouji's slums all over again!" The young woman exclaimed in disdain.

"Oooow! That landing was not good at all. Diana was right after all. I need more practice."

"Hey, you weirdo! What's the big deal kicking people in the back?!"

"Ah. I'm sorry." Akko said while getting back on her feet. "I didn't kick you in the back though. I just had trouble making my landing."

"What are you talking about?! And what's with that ridiculous broom? Are you the janitor here or something?!" Ryuko laughed.

The next second Akko got nose to nose with her.

"This is my witches broom! I learned to fly it in Luna Nova Academia. the most prestigious magic school in the world! And I won't stand for it being ridiculed!" The girl in the sleeveless suspender jeans-dress and loose cream-colored shirt snapped.

Ryuko raised an eyebrow.

"Magic?"

"Yes. Magic," The brunette answered with a proud, glowing smile. "I am Atsuko Kagari. A second-year student in Luna Nova Academia for witchcraft."

"I see," Ryuko scratched her hair. Her lips trembled. Gradually it seemed more and more as if she had just eaten something incredibly sour, until finally:
"Hahahaha! You are even more incomprehensible than you look! Magic! I've never heard of something so ridiculous!"

Akko ground her teeth in anger at the sight of the girl with the red streak in her hair holding her own belly and pointing at her.
But she didn't take this insolence quietly for long.

"Metamorphie Faciesse!"

"Hahaha! To think someone would still believe in magic in this day and age!
Euh!" Ryuko touched the large appendages she suddenly felt hanging from the sides of her head. "Are these... rabbit ears?"
"What the hell is this?!" Ryuko pulled at the ears. "They won't come off!" She screamed. "What the hell did you do to me?!"

"It's magic," Akko grinned. "Don't you like it?"

Ryuko collared the smug-looking brunette and shook her good.
"Change them back, you dumb witch!"

"You'll believe in magic now won't you!" The younger girl yelled in the face of her assailant.

"I don't believe you Akko! First I have to look all over for you after you suddenly took of like that, and now I find you are already in a fight with what I can only hope is a relative of yours and not a total stranger!" A beautiful platinum-blonde young witch riding her broom in a purple cardigan over a short-skirted orange summer dress lamented.

"She started it!"

Both girls were now collaring each other with fists raised, ready to start fighting in earnest.

"That might be true," Suci deadpanned, leaning on her broom. "But she's the one wearing rabbit ears. I bet you already proudly presented yourself as a student of Luna Nova Academia. I don't think I have to tell you what would happen if she complained to the Principal?"

"Listen to me you bunch of weirdo's! If someone doesn't change my ears back to normal this instant you're all going to be in a world of pain!" Ryuko roared.

"For future reference, it might do you good to remember that threats of violence are frowned upon in civilized society. But I humbly apologize for the inconvenience my friend caused you." Diana commented on her way down. "Metamorphie Faciesse!"

Ryuko glared at her ears in the mirror Lotte held up to her as they turned back to normal. Checking manually to make sure she wasn't being tricked.

"Now apologize, Akko!"

"What?! But she..."

"Apologize!" Diana glared as she sternly crossed her arms.

"Ugh!" Akko grumbled. "I humbly apologize for having inconvenienced you."

"What's that? I didn't hear you."

The brunette threw a dirty look at the smugly smiling Ryuko.

"I said: I humbly apologize for having inconvenienced you," She hissed.

"Hahaha. I see your friend there has got you whipped. Hasn't she? Poor you!" The blackette laughed.

"Matoi!"

Ryuko swallowed and stiffened at the sound of the familiar voice shouting her name.
She saw her sister's bodyguard walk up to her over the pedestrian crossing and walk past a parked orange scooter next to a ramen shop in his spotless white tuxedo.

"Lady Satsuki sent me to check on your progress with the sugar!" Ira Gamagoori looked down at her. "What is the meaning of you lounging about with these girls?!"

"Unlike you, I'm not a ShelteR employee, Gamagoori!" Ryuko swayed sassily while she stretched her hands behind her head. "And I have a day off, so I can do what I want! If Satsuki wanted sugar in her tea she should have made sure Soroi bought enough when he did the grocery shopping in the first place!"

"How insensitive of you Ryuko Matoi. Satsuki still secretly adds sugar in her tea because she thinks Soroi makes it too bitter. I expect you would have your sister break poor Soroi's heart by admitting to this?!" The giant man scolded while folding his shades and sliding them inside the left breast pocket of his light-blue shirt.

"I would, yes! It would be a damn bit more honest and I wouldn't have gotten into this mess!"

"You wouldn't have gotten into this mess if you had brought her the sugar immediatly as you were asked instead of idling about!"

"I think we might as well go to your parents' house," Suci suggested to a nodding Akko.

"I wasn't idling about, you idiot! I was being attacked by a bunch of crazy witches!" Ryuko exitedly argued with the enormous blonde man.

"That is the saddest excuse I have ever heard! You do not seem to have a care in the world about Lady Satsuki having to go without sugar in her tea!
So if you deny having been idling about, I would like to know where Lady Satsuki's sugar may be?!" The large brute shouted in the face of the uncaring Ryuko.

"Heeeeeeeeeeeeeerrre!"

Catching his prize by the collar of her white T-shirt between pointer finger and thumb, Ira Gamagoori looked a small sligthly chubby brunette sternly in the eyes as she bounced to and fro.

"Mako! How many times do I have to tell you to stop introducing yourself like that! You endanger yourself and you endanger the people you jump into!
I'm not going to be there to catch you every time you act recklessly!" He reprimanded while he gently lowered the girl in the beige short pants and black stockings onto the asphalted floor.

"Can someone tell me who is singing that hymn?" A suddenly surprised Diana look around with a questioning look.

"Ira Gamagoori! You are always far too strikt with Mako's best friend!" The leisurely dressed chubby brunette next to the big man pranced around.
"You should know by now that Ryuko doesn't idle about. Ryuko is a heroine! She is always resolved to bring any task to a good end. But you should also be aware by now that whenever Ryuko doesn't go looking for trouble, trouble will find Ryuko! That is when Ryuko needs her friends. And just like we can always count on Ryuko when we are in trouble, Ryuko can always count on Mako when she is in trouble!" Mako concluded, posing with a firm expression as a large bag of sugar landed in her outstretched arms.

Sucy, standing next to Akko and Ryuko in a frilled lavender dress and her broom leaning against her left shoulder, looked genuinely impressed, giving the performance a slow clap, while Akko just stood frozen and slack-jawed in her short suspender jeans dress.

"Thanks, Mako," Ryuko winked. "Now I can finally go back to idling about."

"And we can go and meet your parents Akko," Diana added, standing next to Lotte.

"Yes, Mako. Thank you. I know I can always count on you at least," Ira flirtingly smiled at his girlfriend.

"Geez. Are you going to kiss in public, Mr former Disciplinary committee chair?" Ryuko teased and girlishly danced around while she pulled on the collar of her red T-shirt.

"Why don't you mind your own business! Matoi!" The large man shouted in her face.

Diana and her companions were about to continue their journey, but Ira had other plans.
"Excuse me, Miss," The towering giant bowed before the platinum-blonde young witch who had managed to pique his interest as soon as she spoke. "Might you be the renowned witch Diana Cavendish of the celebrated Cavendish family?"

"Yes, I am," Diana confirmed in a surprised, but not impolite tone. "May I ask who you are?"

"I am Ira Gamagoori. Personal bodyguard of the CEO of ShelteR Inc. and former disciplinary committee chair of Honnoji academy student council. I am honored to meet you, Lady Cavendish."
Mako was quietly fondling her boyfriend's thumb between her fingers while he addressed the girl in the orange summer dress.

"Even in Japan she has fanboys," Sucy whispered to Lotte who was standing next to Diana in a light-blue sleeveless blouse and polka-dotted yellow skirt.

"The honor of the aquantaince is mine Mr. Gamagoori. I am surprised to be recognized here in Japan," Diana humbly stated.

"Not at all miss Cavendish. My grandmother was a witch you see. And I always had an eye for good breeding."
He gave Ryuko a side long leer and teasingly added: "I knew from the start Matoi was of bad stock."

"Aren't you conveniently forgetting Satsuki and I are sisters?" Ryuko sighed.

"Nevertheless Lady Diana. I must insist you join my Lady Satsuki for tea. It's not every day she has the chance to meet with such distinguished company," The white-clad bodyguard pleaded, conveniently ignoring his friend's remark.

While Ira sang the praises of the Cavendish family, hoping to secure the visit to Satsuki, Sucy nimbly plucked something from Ryuko's neck.

"What have you got there Sucy?" Akko asked the lecherously looking Filipino.

"Ophiocodyceps Matsutake! One of my holiest of grales! I can't believe this pointless trip turned out so lucky for me!"

"What do you mean, pointless?!" The jeans-clad brunette bristled.

"Oh! I meant, this interesting trip," Sucy absently sussed.

"Oh. Is it rare?" Akko innocently inquired.

"It's not so much that it's one of the rarest poisonous mushrooms with the most vivid colors, but the things I'll be able to do with it defy your wildest dreams." Sucy grinned while she locked her treasure safely away in a small basket.

"Okay."

"Miss Kagari?" Ira suddenly called.

"Huh?"

"I understand you are here to visit your family. I would like to borrow your time and invite you and your friends to spend the day with my dear Lady Satsuki," The blonde man politely queried.

"I apologize Akko. He just wants to introduce me to his employer. I told him he had to ask you, since I came here on your invitation," Diana gently stated, slightly embarrassed to be derailing their journey.

"Well we can go for tea, I guess," Akko muttered. She really liked how Diana looked in that short orange dress. There wasn't much occasion to see the elegant platinum-blonde young woman in this kind of everyday clothing. Akko couldn't help smiling every time her eyes landed on her friend. "My parents aren't really expecting us untill this evening anyway

"Thank you very much Miss Kagari," Gamagoori boisterously shook her hand as well as the girl attached to it.

"I guess we'll go visit the Empress of Japan then," Sucy grinned.

"Are any of you afraid of heights? Because we could take you all on our brooms," Diana asked their three new acquaintances.

"Why thank you, Miss Cavendish. It would be an honour," Ira bowed in his white tuxedo.

Mako quickly hopped onto the broom of a suspiciously frowning Sucy, while Ira Gamagoori carefully balanced himself on Diana and Lotte's brooms.

"What are you all looking at me for?" Ryuko sullenly raised an eyebrow. "I'm not letting her fly me home."

"Well then you can go on foot," Akko grinned, tapping her foot in annoyance as she held her broom in one hand.

"Hurry up Matoi! You have kept Lady Satsuki waiting long enough as it is," Ira grumbled.

"She a danger in the sky. I'll go on foot like she suggested."

"Come on Ryuko! It'll be fun! When will you get another chance to fly on a broom?" Mako excitedly called out.

"I've already flown on fiber-power. I think I'll pass on this," The girl with the red streak in her hair waved as she set off towards the house she shared with her sister and the Mankanshoku family.

"Get on that broom Matoi!"

"It's not like you'll get hurt if Miss Kagari does cause a crash," Mako pluckily pleaded.

"Yes," Gamagoori grinned. "Rather, you would be like a life jacket to her."

"I told you to stop making jokes like that!" Ryuko shouted.

"Why is everyone assuming I'll cause us to crash?" Akko steamed.

"Please humor us Miss Matoi! Akko has really become adept at flying the broom. She only crashed now because she was nervous about bringing us to meet her parents," Diana kindly pleaded.

"Come on! Join us Ryuko! It'll be fun!"

Sucy glared at the girl behind her hopping up and down on her broom.
"If you keep doing that when we're flying I'll shake you off without regret," She threatened.

"Alright! Alright! I'll get on her broom," Ryuko finally gave in and turned on her heel with a sigh.

"Don't make it sound like you're doing me any favors!" Her jeans-clad driver grumbled.

"You will say please, Matoi! Miss Kagari and her friends are doing us a favor!" Ira scolded.

"Really, Ira?! She's doing US a favor?!" Ryuko protested before eyeing the smugly grinning Akko.

"Please Ryuko!" Mako bounced so high she could have launched into Gamagoori's nostrils.

"Ugh. Alright then. Can you please fly me home Miss Kagari?"

"Of course I can. I am an excellent driver."

"She drives slow on the lee-lines," Sucy grinned.

Ryuko moodily took her seat behind Akko and put her arm around her perky driver as they all flew up and away.


Notes: It was a bit of a struggle to find a worthy act to follow in the footsteps of Garnidlia and Yurika, but I'm very happy I found Cyntia to give me a great intro.


End credits: Misia - Ai no katachi

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