Authors' Note: Just a little idea that I thought of parodying the Nickolodian show 'Drake and Josh'. This should be an ongoing series with each chapter being an 'episode', so to speak, updating every so often as ideas come to me. Now, I'm not so unoriginal to essentially copy word for word every episode of D&J, but (hopefully) these will have a similar feel to D&J, yet staying true to the characters of Mami and Kyoko as well as having plotlines that, while original, are inspired by the show. Now, I've rambled long enough! Let's get to it!
Kyoko Sakura lazily lounged in a low branch of the single cherry blossom tree in her family's backyard. Taking a bite out of her apple, she smirked as she shifted her attention to the camera, "Yo. Name's Kyoko Sakura."
Sitting quietly in the Sakura family dining room, Mami Tomoe gently sipped her steaming mug of tea with her eyes closed. Giving a contented sigh, she opened her eyes at smiled at the camera set up at the other end of the table, "Oh, hello! My name is Mami Tomoe," She chuckled, "Please, don't mind me; I just thought a cup of tea would be rather refreshing!"
The red-ponytailed girl took another bite of her apple and continued with her mouth full of the fruit, "Yeah, just sittin' here eating an apple and all that. Ain't much to tell about me, honestly. Just a Preacher's daughter living in Mitakihara City, doin' what girls my age do, I guess. Hangin' out in trees, avoidin' doin' my homework, killin' embodiments of sorrow called witches and stuff. Y'know, the usual. Did I mention I was a Magical Girl?"
She paused for a moment, before scowling coldly into the camera, "Don't you DARE go tellin' my folks about that last part!" She chuckled, "Man, they would completely flip if they found out…"
The blonde girl took another sip from her tea as her smile faded slightly. However, she still continued politely, "I feel you should know, I'm not exactly the most normal girl my age… My parents died in a car accident about three years ago, making me an orphan…" She paused gulped a lump in her throat, "…It's not an easy time to think about, even now…" She pleaded at the camera with her eyes, "I'd rather not go into detail, honestly, if you don't mind…"
Clearing her throat, she smiled and continued, all the while spinning her teacup with her fingers, "Although, two fairly important circumstances happened to me because of that. Firstly, I became a Magical Girl, a girl who fights embodiments of sorrow called Witches for the betterment of mankind!"
Kyoko spun the partially eaten apple around in her hands and examined it closely, "Yeah, other than that last bit of info, my life's pretty normal, I guess. We kinda fell on hard times recently, but Mama, Papa, Momo—that's my little sis, by the way—and I, we pulled through and now we're doin' alright," she shrugged her shoulders, "Got back in school—think they called me a second-year?"
She shook her head, "I dunno. Didn't really care enough to pay attention. Kinda sucks, though… The school I mean. Everything else seems pretty alright," She paused, then scowled and sighed, "…Except one thing. Last year, just as we were getting back on our feet, my Pops, the man o' God he is, up and decides to adopt this orphan girl about my age. Dumb papers were finalized just last week…"
Mami stared almost forlornly into her tea, "The second thing that happened was that, just last week, I was adopted. The orphanage that I was in treated me fairly and well… they made sure I was fed, clothed and attended school regularly. Even so, after three years of being alone, a fear festered in my heart that no one would want me, given my age…"
She smiled gently at the camera, "So when a Preacher family called the Sakuras said they would like to adopt me, it felt like one of the first times I had felt true happiness since my parents passed. I was so overcome with joy that…" she choked a little as a small tear appeared in the corner of her eye, "…I was just beside myself! Better yet, they even had a daughter my age!"
The red-head irritably rolled her eyes and took a ferocious bite from her apple, "And wouldn't you believe it? The chick goes to the same school as me..." She growled slightly, "That girl…"
The blonde beamed, "She even goes to Mitakihara Middle School with me! Her name is…"
"Mami Tomoe…"
"Kyoko Sakura!"
Kyoko gazed at the clear, cloudless sky as she casually twisted the apple in her wrist in a circular motion and sighed, "See, it's not that this Mami chick is bad or nothin' like that. It's just that she's one o' those preppy types, the ones who are always polite 'bout every little thing. Just that kind of personality kinda pisses me off sometimes."
Now stirring her tea with her finger, Mami glowed with excitement as she continued, "The Sakuras are just the nicest of people! Pastor Sakura has done everything he can to be as hospitable to me as possible, and Mrs. Sakura has to be one of the most kind and patient women I've ever seen! Their little daughter, Momo, is just the cutest thing! And Kyoko just emanates what they call 'coolness'. I was never any good at displaying that sort of thing…"
She sighed as she stared into her now-swirling beverage, "There is always an air of easygoingness and relaxation about her that I just wish I could attain…"
"We don't exactly have much of anything in common…" The girls said in unison.
Mami smiled at the camera, "But, I'm sure it'll all work out and we'll get along just fine!"
Kyoko stared at the barren apple core she spun between her fingers by the stem, "I think I'm gonna need a therapist after the first week, 'cause we ain't gonna get along…" With an irritated sigh and a shake of her head, she chucked the apple core as far away from their yard as she could.
Mami couldn't help bounce her legs in nervous anticipation as she stared out the window of the car at the city passing by on the way to her new home. She could hardly believe it. After three years, she'd finally been adopted! Although, excited as she was, apprehension set in her stomach as the car drew closer.
What if I don't adjust well? What if Kyoko doesn't like me? What if-
"You're awfully quiet back there," Pastor Sakura's deep voice commented from the driver's seat, "What's on your mind, Mami?"
The girl in the back seat relaxed slightly at her new stepfather's calming voice. She smiled slightly. It was just as smooth and caring as she expected a preacher's voice to be. She chuckled nervously, "Oh no, it's nothing!" she stared at her lap and fiddled her fingers, "I'm just a little nervous, you know, finally having a place I can call home again after the accident…"
"Ah, yes. My condolences for that terrible circumstance… May God Almighty's everlasting mercies and peace rest with your parents' souls."
Smile fading from her face, Mami stopped fiddling with her fingers and stopped bouncing her legs as she remembered the accident.
Pastor Sakura gasped, "O-Oh, I'm sorry. I did not mean to cause painful memories to resurface. I apologize," he cleared his throat, "Anyway, please don't worry about getting along with my daughter, Kyoko. She may seem cold to you at first, but give it time. She's really a sweet girl where it matters."
Mami remained silent and stared out the car's window again.
The man smiled gently, "And, Mami, you're a part of our family now, so if you need anything, just let us know. You can talk to us."
She returned the smile and nodded, "…Thank you. It… It means a lot..."
"Anytime," he stated. Then, he exclaimed as he turned into the driveway of a modest-looking house, "Well, Ms. Tomoe, welcome to your new home!"
After he stopped the car and put it in park, Mami detached her seatbelt. Gathering her suitcase, backpack, and purse together, she grabbed her belongings and stepped out of the car. Brushing one of her large, blonde, drill-like curls aside, she marveled at the overlooking view the Sakuras had of Mitakihara City. She guessed that they lived just on the line between Mitakihara and Kazamino City.
As she continued to stare at the pristine skyline of the Mitakihara, she felt a strong hand on her shoulder. She looked up and saw Pastor Sakura's bearded face smiling down on her, "It's quite the view, isn't it?"
Smiling back, she nodded, "Mm-hm!"
Chuckling slightly, he nodded toward the front door, "Come. Let's go meet your new family."
With another nod, the two walked across the front lawn towards the entrance. Stepping over the front porch stoop, Mami gulped nervously when they stopped just before the door.
As the man fished for his keys under his black, pastoral robes, he asked, "You ready?"
Straightening her yellow jacket and brushing off her jeans to look at least mildly presentable, the girl took a deep breath, and clenched her backpack straps and the handle of her suitcase tightly, "…Yes."
He smiled gently and turned the doorknob.
As the door creaked open, Pastor Sakura motioned for Mami to enter. Gulping down another lump in her throat, she hesitantly stepped across the threshold into the surprisingly modern home. She firstly noticed a kitchen immediately to her left, and a stairwell to her right.
She stopped walking when she noticed Mrs. Sakura and her two daughters standing just ahead at the entrance to the family's living room. The mother smiled as she approached and hugged Mami, "Hello, Mami. Welcome home!"
The girl returned the hug, "Thank you, Mrs. Sakura! I'm glad to see that you are doing well!"
The mother stood up, smiled and motioned to the girls still standing awkwardly in the living room, "Come on! Let me introduce you to your new sisters!"
Mami nodded as she walked over and stopped in front of the girls in question. She first glanced at the older girl with a long crimson ponytail held in a black bow wearing a green jacket and short, denim shorts and smiled at her while bowing slightly, "Hello, Kyoko! It's good to see you again!"
With her hands stuffed into her jacket's pockets, she glared at the blonde girl, "…Tomoe."
"Kyoko…" Her father chastised as he approached from behind Mami, "Be nice."
The girl mumbled something inaudible and averted her gaze to her feet.
After an awkward moment of silence, Mami cleared her throat and knelt down to meet the younger daughter eye to eye. She exclaimed and rubbed the top of her head, "And you must Momo! Aw, you are just so cute! I have something just for you!" Mami quickly reached into the purse hanging from her elbow and pulled out a large, multicolored, swirled lollipop. She handed the sweet to the girl and smiled, "Here you go! I hope you enjoy it!"
After taking the candy, unwrapping it and sticking it in her mouth, Momo leaned in close and whispered, "Don't patronize me."
Mami's eyes grew wide in shock and she gasped, "…Wh-what?"
The eight-year old girl continued sinisterly, "Do you know how much suffering I can put you through, Mami Tomoe? I can cause you a lot of pain, Mami. A lot. Of pain."
With eyes wide and jaw agape, Mami stared up at Kyoko, who merely shrugged.
Mrs. Sakura exclaimed as she placed her hands on her hips, "Oh, isn't that nice! Momo, what do you say?"
In an instant, the child smiled childishly and cheered, "YAY! CANDY!" before happily hopping away.
Still shocked, Mami watched as she bounded up the stairs behind them. She glanced at Mrs. Sakura, shaking her head at the young girl in disappointment. Shooing away her dumbfounded expression to not cause any undue trouble with her new family, Mami stood up and commented as she reached back into her purse, "Oh Kyoko, I have something for you as well."
"Hmm?" The redhead tilted her head in skepticism.
"I see you eating these in school all the time, so..." Fishing out a red box of Pocky, she grinned as she offered Kyoko the box of chocolate covered wafer candy, "I just figured you would appreciate them."
The redhead's glare narrowed before immediately snatching the box out of Mami's hand and shoving it into her pocket.
"Kyoko…" Mrs. Sakura glared and crossed her arms, "Be. Nice."
Kyoko sighed in irritation. Mami didn't seem to notice and simply outstretched her arms. The former raised her eyebrow, "...What?"
"It's a hug!" The blonde smiled, "That is what sisters do, is it not?"
Staring for just a moment, Kyoko then laughed and scoffed as she passed by Mami towards the stairwell, "Pfft. Screw that."
Slowly dropping her arms, Mami stood rather awkwardly for a good while as her happy expression faded to a shocked and mildly hurt one. Feeling the same strong hand on her shoulder as from outside, she slowly gazed up at her stepfather's caring face.
He smiled gently as he consoled her, "Remember that I said our Kyoko can be just a tad bit cold. Just give it time," he scratched his brown hair and chuckled, "Although, I suppose I should've warned you that she hasn't wanted hugs of any kind for a quite a while now!"
Mami crossed her arms and pouted slightly, "Well, that certainly would've been useful information…"
He sighed as he gazed at the stairs, "I'm sure she'll warm up to you eventually. She'll have to;" he turned and smiled at the blonde girl, "You two are roommates!"
Mami covered her mouth with her hand and questioned, "Are you sure she'll be okay with that?"
"Probably not," Mrs. Sakura chimed in with a chuckle as she brushed aside a lock of her short, maroon hair, "But we simply just don't have anywhere else to let you sleep, and we feel it will be good for Kyoko."
Mami sighed, "O-Okay. If you say so…"
"Now," the step-mother smiled as she casually placed her hands on her hips, "we don't exactly have a bed for you yet, but I'll bring down our spare futon from the attic. You just go make yourself at home in your room, okay? It'll be the first door on the right"
The girl nodded and grabbed her suitcase handle, "Alright."
She smiled at Pastor Sakura as she wheeled past him towards the stairs. Grabbing the suitcase handle with both hands, she grunted every time she hauled her suitcase up a step. About halfway up, she noticed Momo peeking her head out of a room on the left up ahead. Mami paused, smiled and tried to wave to her, but the girl quickly retreated into the room and shut the door.
With a sigh, she resumed her advance up the stairs. Just as she nearly reached the top, the suitcase's wheel slipped off the bottom. Throwing her off balance, Mami tripped and let go of her baggage to catch herself on the next step, landing with a thud. She listened in dismay as she heard her suitcase tumble all the way back down to the bottom. Looking back and moaning at the lost luggage, she noted the lonely wheel laying forsaken on the closest step.
Picking it up the wheel, she examined it and puzzled, "The suitcase was just fine when I arrived… Perhaps," Remembering Momo's threat, she turned a suspecting glare to the girl's room, then laughed away the notion and shook her head, "Oh no, she couldn't have possibly…"
"Everything okay, Mami?" Pastor Sakura called from the lower level.
She called back, "Oh yes, everything is quite alright! Just tripped over my own feet is all!"
"Okay!" He returned, "Just be careful, alright."
"Yes sir!" She nodded. With a determined exhale, she placed her purse and backpack at the top of the stairs and swiftly flew back down to retrieve her baggage. Grabbing it with both hands, she heaved it over top her fairly well-developed chest and slowly started climbing back up the stairs, grunting with every step.
As she reached the top, she thought she saw Momo's door quickly yet quietly close. Stepping over the last step, her gaze narrowed as she gently set her suitcase on the floor. Shaking her head to shoo away her suspicions, she retrieved her backpack and purse. Turning to the right, she found the door Mrs. Sakura told her about.
She took a deep breath. This was it. This was her new home.
She took a hold of the knob and slowly opened the door. Standing in the doorway, she walked inside and explored the room that she'd be sharing with Kyoko.
Surprised at how spacious it was, she was equally shocked at how barren the room had been, given its size. Much simpler then her room in her parents' house, a plain red-sheeted bed—obviously Kyoko's—sat just in front of a mini-fridge, which rested diagonally under the room's only window against the east wall. On the side perpendicular to that wall sat a desk with an idle computer and some lightly used textbooks.
A few feet to the left of the desk sat a television, in front of which faced a small, one-person armchair, currently being occupied by Kyoko herself, oblivious to Mami's presence due her headphones and gaming session on her Pintendo 3GS.
The last thing of note were a few gaming and music posters, dressers and a shelf with a music player docking station that doubled as a stereo system. Mami frowned at the mess that veritably covered the room's carpet, or if there even was carpet after all. Too much clothing, comic books, and other things strewn across the ground made her unsure of what the actual flooring was.
"Can I help you?" Kyoko's voice irritably spoke.
Mami gasped slightly at the girl now glaring at her from the chair. She hadn't realized that the red-head stopped playing her game. She stuttered, "Oh, um…"
"Yes, Kyoko," Mrs. Sakura grunted from the door as she lugged in a large black futon into the room, "You can clear some of this mess so Mami has a place to sleep."
"...WHAT?!" Kyoko shouted as she shot to her feet, throwing her gaming device aside, "NO. Mom, this is MY room!"
Allow the bedding to rest on the wall, the mother took a moment to catch her breath, "Which you will be sharing with Mami from now on."
The red-head's face twisted in disbelief, "MOM!"
Crossing her arms, Mrs. Sakura shook her head and glared the most sinister glare that a mother's eyes can glare, "Don't 'Mom' me, young lady. You know we don't have the funds to make additions to the house. In addition, your Father and I have decided that your Christian walk has been rather lacking recently, and that you need to learn a bit of selflessness and hospitality."
"That's a load a' bull!" The girl resentfully retorted, "She's in our house, ain't she? Can't she just—I dunno—sleep on the couch downstairs or somethin'?"
"Would you like to sleep on the couch downstairs for an undetermined amount of time?" Her mother challenged, her glare unwavering.
Kyoko scratched the back of her head, "Well, no… but…" she crossed her arms, "I already live here, so—"
"And so does Mami. She's has just as much a part of this family as you," Mrs. Sakura chastised, "Now, I don't want to hear anymore about this, okay? You are sharing a room with her and that's final."
Kyoko stared at her mother slack-jawed for a short moment before viciously baring her teeth at Mami and storming out of the room.
Mami anxiously covered her mouth with her hand, "…Have I upset her somehow?"
Her step-mother sighed and shook her head, "Well, yes and no," she motioned towards the futon as she continued, "Come, I'll explain while we clear a space for you to sleep."
"Okay," the blonde girl nodded as she walked over and grabbed the opposite end of the futon.
They both grunted as they hauled the the bedding into their arms. Mrs. Sakura spoke again, "You see, Kyoko was never happy about the idea of having another person added to our family through non-blood relations-Oh, Mami, where would you like your bed?"
"Hmm…" Mami puzzled as she examined the room, looking for a place where she be as little of a nuisance as possible, with her eyes stopping on the wall with the stereo shelf, "I supposed under the shelf with the music system should be fine."
"Gotcha," the stepmother nodded. Heaving the futon up and carrying it over to the west side of the room, Mrs. Sakura huffed as she rested the bedding against the wall, "A part of the reason Kyoko is frustrated with this situation is that our family had fallen upon hard times about a year before adopting you.
She chuckled, "Do not fret about that though! God has pulled us through that terrible storm, and I don't wish to worry you about it for the time being. If you're still curious once you've settled in, I'll be happy to explain what happened."
Mami pursed her lips and squinted slightly, keeping her face towards the wall, "...I will definitely keep that in mind, thank you," neutralizing her expression, she asked as the two knelt down to clear various manga and clothing from the soon-to-be bed space, "So, it's not because of me personally, just the idea of another family member in general?"
With the various litter thrust aside, Mrs. Sakura stood up and grabbed the far end of the futon, "Precisely," she nodded at the bedding, "Ready?"
"Mm-hm," Mami affirmed as she held the closer end. Throwing the futon into place, the girl sat on her 'new' bed and asked, "Is there anything I could do to change the way she feels about me?"
"Hmm…" Mrs. Sakura rubbed her chin and sat next to her. She gasped, snapped her fingers, and smiled as her stepdaughter, "...YYYes. You see Mami, Kyoko likes anything she deems as fun. As of the moment, Kyoko sees you as an, and I quote, 'uppity, boring goody-two-shoes'."
Slightly hurt by her words, Mami gasped and grabbed her upper arm, averting her gaze to her lap, "Wow. Talk about breaking it gently…" she cleared her throat and turned back to her stepmother, "Mrs. Sakura, what can I do about that?"
The woman shrugged, "Personally, I wouldn't tell you to change anything," she smiled at the girl, "Being morally upstanding and polite are wonderful qualities, Mami. Don't ever forget that," she rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath, "I wish Kyoko had some of those qualities, honestly…"
Blushing slightly, Mami fiddled with and stared at her fingers in her lap, "Oh, thank you… My parents always taught me to be that way. They told me it was the proper way for a lady to act."
Mrs. Sakura placed her hand on the blonde's back and smiled gently, "Your parents were good people, Mami. I know they'd be proud of you," she winked, "My Mother's Intuition says so."
Mami returned the smile, "Thank you… That's means a lot…" she then furrowed her brow, "...But what can I do about Kyoko?"
"Well," Mrs. Sakura slapped her hands to her thighs, stood up, and walked to the door, "I'll talk to her again. After that, try being just a little goofy or take her somewhere fun. Show her that you're not as boring as she thinks you are."
Mami scratched her chin and nodded, "Okay, I think I understand…"
As she passed just beyond the door, Mrs. Sakura paused and smiled, "And, who knows? Perhaps I can get Pastor Sakura to give you some cash to help you out! Does twelve thousand yen sound alright?"
Mami gasped and covered her mouth, "Oh my! Mrs. Sakura, that's a little… I couldn't possibly…"
The stepmother waved away the girl's apprehension and chuckled, "Don't worry about it! Remember, we want you two to get along just as much as you do," she tilted her head to the left, "And, Mami, you're welcome to call me 'Mom'."
The blonde's expression immediately died, "I don't…. really…"
Slightly blushing, Mrs. Sakura threw her hands up defensively, "Or Mrs. Sakura's good too. Didn't mean to impose... I'll just be taking my leave now..."
Just as the woman started descending the stairs, Mami stopped her, "Wait!"
"Hmm?" Mrs. Sakura's head peaked back into the room and she blinked.
Mami smiled at her, "Thank you for talking with me. I appreciate it."
The stepmother returned with a gentle grin and nodded, "Anytime."
As the adult resumed her descent to the lower floor, Mami scratched her chin and thought aloud, "...Goofy, huh?"
Mami approached the door to her room, ready to impress Kyoko. She examined herself to make sure she was prepared.
Multicolored, fabric poncho? Check.
She shook the wooden items in her hands, causing a rattling sound. Maracas? Check.
She ran a free finger across her lip. Fake, curly mustache? Check.
She smiled. She was ready.
She swiftly opened the door and readied her percussion instruments, "Kyoko!"
The red-head in question gasped from her chair and turned towards the door in shock, "WHA-" Her expression immediately soured when she saw the blonde, "What the heck do ya think you're-"
Mami interrupted Kyoko with a shake of her maracas. Stepping towards her irritated stepsister, the blonde started singing, "Feliz Navidad! Feliz Navidad! Próspero, año, y felicidad!"
Kyoko growled as she stood up and glared, "It ain't Christmas."
Still shaking her maracas, Mami furrowed her brow, "So? Can't we celebrate good cheer year-round?"
The red-head scowled, "Just stop."
Mami's shoulders slumped and halted her percussion as she sighed in disappointment. She exited the room. After about five minutes, she reentered wearing a crimson baseball cap covered by the yellow hood of her jacket and an orange bandana around her neck.
Kyoko's eyes narrowed further as she crossed her arms, "What now?"
Mami brought her hand to her mouth, widened her stance and called out, "Let's go! Don't waste your life, yo!"
The red-head dropped her head in disbelief, "AND you're tryin' to rap…"
"I know a lot of people out there scared they're going to die; A couple of them thinking they'll be living in the sky. But while I'm here living, I must ask why," Mami brought her arms up into a shrug, "what am here for? I have to figure it out. Waste my life? No, I have to make it count; If Christ is real, then what am I gonna do about," she moved her fingers in front of her as if she were pointing in a book, "Everything in Luke 12:15 down to 21?" She pointed straight as Kyoko and grinned, "You really should go and check it out!"
As Mami continued her attempt at rapping, she didn't notice the red-head irritably stomping towards her.
"Betterthanprettywomenandsinningandlivingtogetaminuteofany-" Kyoko shoved her hand over Mami's mouth to halt her sick rhymes, "wmnndmnthtrgilw!"
The Kyoko hissed, "White girls can't rap."
When her stepsister removed her hand from her face, Mami moaned and slumped again. And once again, she exited the room. After about seven minutes or so, she reentered for a third time, this time wearing a gray, fake beard, blue overalls and a straw hat.
Kyoko shamefully covered her face with her palm, "Dear lord…"
Swinging her arms to and fro, Mami began skipping around the room while singing the best bluegrass she could muster, "I wanna ready! I wanna be ready! I wanna be ready, Lord, to walk Jerusalem just like John!" She repeated as she made multiple rounds across the furniture, "I wanna be ready! I wanna be read-" Unfortunately, she slipped on a stray manga, falling headfirst over the back Kyoko's crimson gaming chair, "ORF!"
"Ya done?" The red-head deadpanned.
The pseudo-crazy farmer girl gasped and immediately shot to her feet. As she resumed her arm-swaying, so did she resume her singing, "To walk in Jerusalem just like John!"
Kyoko groaned, "Apparently not."
As Mami skipped over to her stepsister, the sister in question deadpanned again, "Please don't."
The blonde didn't listen, and instead, grabbed the red-head's hands and swayed them back and forth, all the while kicking her legs left and right like a frantic farmer doing a jig, "John, oh John, oh what did you say?~ Walking in Jerusalem, just like John!~ I'll meet you there on the Crowning Day!~ Walking in Jerusalem, just like John!~"
Kyoko glared, "Please be done."
Rather then doing that, Mami interlocked her elbow with Kyoko's and began dosey do-ing, with the latter standing irritably in place.
"AND YA AIN'T DONE," The latter complained, "Shoulda seen this comin'..."
The former belted out, "YODEL-LEY-HE-HEEEE!~ YE-HE-HEEEE-EEEE!~"
Completely fed up and shaking in anger, Kyoko growled, "Mami."
"Yes?" The blonde replied in almost a chuckle.
"It ain't working," the red-head deapanned.
Obeying immediately, Mami stopped spinning and let her arms dangle limply as she replied glumly, "Okay…"
With an irritated sigh, Kyoko crossed her arms and scowled, "Ya got any other crap I should know about?"
"Well, " The blonde's voice trailed as she began gently stroking her beard, "I didn't want to resort to this, but…"
The red-head rolled her eyes and growled, "Would ya stop stroking that fake beard?! It's pissin' me off."
Mami froze as her expression soured for a moment, "...WELL THEN." Shaking away her sour expression, she crossed her arms behind her back and continued, "As I was saying, your parents had given me some money to take you to do something fun. Well, there's this place that hosts Laser Tag in Mitakihara, and I was thinking-"
"Just shut up," Kyoko scowled as her fingers balled tightly into a fist.
Mami furrowed her brow and gasped, "W-What?"
With an icy glare as sharp as daggers, Kyoko fumed, "I get what you're tryin' to do. I understand. Lemme tell ya this: It. Ain't. Working."
Now rubbing her upper arm, Mami nervously stuttered, "W-Well, you see, we're sisters now, a-and I just wanted us to get along-"
"No, we're roommates. Don't get any other ideas about our situation. I'm gonna say this once, so listen good:" Kyoko shoved her index into Mami chest, "You may be technically a part of the Sakura Family, but ya ain't my sister. You will never be my sister. Got that?"
Eyes widened, Mami gasped again, "But… Kyoko…"
"Good," the red-head hissed as she stomped towards the door, "I'm goin' out to get a Mountain Fizz. Don't follow me."
As Kyoko slammed the door behind her, Mami slowly removed her straw hat and beard and dismally casted her gaze to the ground, emotionally crushed by Kyoko's proclamation. She choked, "...Mr. Sakura said she'd be cold, but…" she sniffed, "that was just cruel…"
She stood in silence. That is, until a silver ring on her right hand started vibrating with a gold light. Wiping away a tear from her eye with her left hand, she held out her right, and the ring glowed snow white, transforming into egg-shaped topaz wrapped in ornate, golden casing.
Staring into her newly materialized, pulsating Soul Gem, she moaned, "...Really? A Witch? Now?" she gripped her gem, sighed in a mixture of sorrow and irritation, "Sure. Why not. Just add salt to the open wounds, why don't you?"
Taking a deep breath, she shook her head and closed her eyes. Her yellow jacket quickly metamorphosed into a white, woolen, puffy-shouldered shirt with white arm warmers and a little yellow bow around the neck, followed by a cocoa-colored corset squeezing her waist. Her overall jeans slowly disintegrated from the bottom up, quickly replaced by a relatively short, golden skirt with a brown trim flaring out from under the corset.
Brown, fingerless gloves wrapped around her hands with similar brown-and-yellow steampunk boots appearing on her feet along with chocolate, pinstripe stockings stretching up to her thighs. Fastening her Soul Gem into a flower barrette above her right hair curl, she dragged out a snow white feather with her magic. A small, brown beret appeared atop her golden hair to complete the ensemble.
Scowling, she materialized an ornate, ivory musket and rested it on her shoulder, "Let's go."
She stepped towards the door and grasped the handle, but she stopped herself and mumbled, "...The Sakuras probably aren't aware about the existence of Magical Girls. Perhaps I should refrain from telling them for just a little while…"
She shook her head and walked towards the room's only window. Sliding it open, she threw one leg over and paused. Blushing slightly, she closed her eyes and prayed silently, "Dear God, please don't let there be anyone below me…"
Mami landed in the sandy center of the Witch's labyrinth with a boom. She clapped her hands and spread out her arms wide, summoning six muskets in front of her. With a scowl, she gazed all around the poorly painted Savannah Village with raggedy drawn huts and images that could only be classified as less-than-detailed Acacia trees, trying to locate the Witch. Slowly prowling through the village with her weapons ready to fire, her glare narrowed as she muttered irritably, "...Where are you?"
A monstrous, guttural growl resonated from an ethereal entity of fire in the shape of a tiger perched atop one of the huts.
With an almost dead expression, Mami snapped her fingers and red ribbons sprang up from the hut's roof and entangled the beast's hind legs. Leaping on a nearby roof, she commented as she slowly stomped towards the blazing beast, "You've pick a terrible day to show yourself, Frieghald, because, frankly," the muskets in front of her began exploding violently, viciously tearing through their target, "I am in an absolutely horrid mood. Let's finish this quickly, okay?"
As Friehald staggered from the barrage, Mami pursed her lips and channeled an incredible amount of magic in her hands. Within moments, a humongous, ivory cannon appeared in front of her, aiming directly at the flaming tiger. She scowled, "Tiro-"
"...WHAT THE CRAP IS THAT."
Mami furrowed her brow. She recognized that voice. Turning her glance to the sandy terrain below the hut, she gasped as she discovered girl with a long, crimson ponytail gawking at her cannon, "...Kyoko?!"
Leaving her cannon suspended in the air, the blonde jumped down and landed front of her stepsister. Kyoko simply stared wide-eyed, loosening her grasp on a long spear she held her right hand, "...Mami?"
With her mouth agape, Mami blinked as she noted Kyoko's crimson, sleeveless dress with white frills bordering the bottom trim. Speechless, she continued examining her sister's Magical Girl attire: A small, oval ruby-most likely her Soul Gem-rested in a small, circular opening just below the neck of the dress. The dress itself split at the stomach, revealing a cocoa corset and a short, striped, pink skirt. Scarlet boots and brown stockings stretched up to her thighs. Similarly, brown cuffs and snow-white arm-warmers covered her arms from the wrists to her biceps.
The red-head muttered and slowly pointed her index finger at Mami in shock, "You're a…"
The blonde copied the motion and finished her sentence, "...Magical Girl?"
They both gasped and shouted at each other, each straightening their pointing arms in accusation, "DON'T TELL MOM AND DAD!"
Mami furrowed her brow in confusion, "Wait, they don't know? You haven't told them?"
Glaring, Kyoko threw her arms out in front of her to explain, her spear making a clanging noise due the movement, "Like heck I'd tell them! They'd completely flip!" her eyes softened as she shook her head and chuckled, "And, man, if they ever found out what I wished for, they'd probably go berserk," she renewed her scowl and asked irritably, "Anyway, what are ya doin' here? I told you not to follow me."
Without taking her eyes off of Kyoko, Mami pursed her lips and her expression deadpanned. She lifted her arm and motioned open-handed to the flaming lion still struggling within her red ribbon trap.
"But-I mean-" Kyoko scratched the back of her head nervously. She growled and shook her head, "Ah, shut up…"
"And what about you?" Mami crossed her arms in challenge, "You said you were going to get a Mountain Fizz, if I recall."
Pointing to a small green can resting on the stoop of a nearby hut, the red-head stated matter-of-factly, "I did."
"Oh. So you did," Mami chuckled as she noted the can. Glancing up slightly, her eyes grew wide and she gasped as she tackled Kyoko to the ground, "GET DOWN!"
She felt the heat of a fireblast soar above her back and splash into the same hut where Kyoko's Mountain Fizz sat.
Kicking and squirming under Mami's weight, Kyoko hissed, "WHADDYA THINK YOU'RE-" Her eyes widened and she gasped when she saw the hut being devoured by the fire, as well as her soda along with it. Desperately casting her arm out for her can, she cried in anguish, "MY MOUNTAIN FIIIIZZZZZ!" Turning a fierce glare back to Mami, she shoved the blonde away and shouted, "Get the crap offa me!"
Bouncing up and teetering on her toes before catching her balance, Mami huffed as she brushed the sand off of her front and backside, "That's no way to speak to the girl who saved you from becoming a human s'more…"
Kyoko indignantly shot to her feet and shouted, "S'MORES ARE AWESOME!"
Mami glared and screamed back with the same amount of ire, "NOT WHEN THEY'RE HUMAN!"
The crimson Magical Girl brought her finger to her mouth and muttered as she thoughtfully stared at the ground, "Ya got a point, actually," she then glanced at Mami and scowled again.
Furrowing her brow, the golden Magical Girl raised her hands quizzically and questioned, "...What now?"
"Y'know, I didn't really notice before but…" Kyoko pointed at the blonde's chest, "Your boobs are huge."
Mami blinked as her arms fell limp in shock, "...Wait, what."
"Seriously," the red-head scowled, "They're, like, three times bigger than mine. What size are they?"
Mami's eye twitched, "Really? Must we do this now? Is this REALLY necessary?"
"They're D's, ain't they?" Kyoko threw her hands in the air and complained, staring down at her own comparatively smaller chest, "AGH! This just ain't even fair!"
"KYOKO!" Mami hissed as she stomped her foot. Glaring at her stepsister, she motioned her her hand towards the ethereal tiger still trapped in her red ribbons, "There is a Witch that is BREATHING FIRE AT US. I HIGHLY DOUBT that the size of my bust compared to yours is actually of any importance at the moment!"
Kyoko growled and shook her head as she walked to stand beside Mami. Turning to face Frieghald, she readied her spear, "Agh. Whatever," she paused, blinked, and then pointed at the blonde, "...We ain't done with this, though."
Rubbing her right temple with her forefingers, Mami sighed in irritation, "...Fine. Sure. Why not," materializing a white musket and resting on her shoulder, a smirk spread across her lips as she teased slightly, "...They are D's, though."
Kyoko's jaw dropped in disgust as she watched her stepsister leap back to the roof with her levitating cannon. Clenching her spear, the red-head growled, "...Oh, you son of a motherless goat," before following closely behind.
Kyoko slowly and entered her room with Mami close behind. Without a word, the latter gently shut the door, then both sat solemnly on the blonde's futon.
They remained silent for a good amount of time until Kyoko finally spoke up, staring up at the ceiling, "...A Magical Girl, huh?"
Gazing into the lap of her jeans, Mami nodded, "Mm-hm…"
"Ah…" the red-head bit her lip and awkwardly inquired, "So… What'd ya wish for?"
Mami hesitated, "...You're aware that my parents died in a car accident, right?"
Kyoko blinked at her, an oblivious look on her face, "Yeah, it's why you're livin' with us, ain't it?"
The blonde glared at her slightly and commented, "Rude."
Kyoko merely shrugged, "Meh. Sorry."
The blonde sighed, shook her head and continued as she stared back into her lap, "...I was in that crash as well. I should've died with my parents but…" she choked as tears started forming in her eyes, "Kyubey… Offered me a chance to live… But I… I didn't…"
"Stop," Kyoko commanded while dropping her gaze to the ground without making eye contact, "I got the gist of it…"
Mami sniffed, "Thank you..." drying her eyes, she cleared her throat and asked, "What about you?"
Kyoko leaned back on her arms, took a deep breath, and stared at the ceiling, "...You know my Dad's a pastor, right?"
"Mm-hm," the blonde nodded, "he's a very kind man."
The red-head continued, "Well, see, thing is, he started preachin' stuff that went against the teachings in the Bible,"
"Like what?" Mami tilted her head and asked.
She shrugged, "Like, doin' good works can get ya into heaven, and the better the works, the better your place in heaven'll be, plus lots of different interesting stuff."
The blonde furrowed her brow, "Is that okay? Can he do things like that? I'm still new to this whole 'Christian' thing, so I don't really know if that's a thing or not…"
"Nah," Kyoko shook her head, "in fact, because he changed what he preached, people started leavin' the church. They made him look foolish, and they even excommunicated him…"
"Excommunicated?"
"Kicked him out."
"Oh."
The red-head grimaced at her memories, "There were a lotta times where we just didn't even have any money for food, and a lotta times, we went days without eating. And that's when I made my wish: I wanted people to actually sit and listen to what my Dad had to say. They did. The next Sunday, our church was flooded with people, ready to hear my Dad preach. Every since then, we got back on our feet, our church is doin' solid and I've been fighting Witches full-time."
"...Do you believe what he preaches," Mami asked, "the things that contradict the doctrines of the Bible, I mean?"
Kyoko shrugged, "...I dunno. I mean, my Pops believes 'em, and I wished for others to do the same, but…" she sighed, "the old doctrines teach that heaven's free. Ya don't gotta do nothing for it. But if it's all about works…" she paused and lowered her gaze to her lap, "Let's just say, if heaven ain't a gift, then I ain't gettin' in…"
Silence dropped on the two again. Neither really knew what to say next, both awkwardly avoiding each other's field of vision.
Kyoko cleared her throat and nervously scratched the back of her head, "...Hey, I'm sorry for how I treated ya earlier. I said some real nasty crap and ya didn't do anything to deserve it. I was just… I just didn't want a repeat of our past, y'know?"
"It's fine, I understand…" Mami smiled gently. She looked at the red-head expectantly, "...Does this mean we're friends, now?"
"Pfft!" Kyoko scoffed as she threw her arms behind her head, "Riight. Friends. Screw that."
Mami's shoulders disappointedly slumped, "O-Oh…"
Kyoko chuckled and lightly punched her stepsister in the arm, "Nah, we're sisters, ya doofus."
Mami gasped as her face lit up like a Christmas tree. Feeling warmth within her chest, a grin grew from ear to ear as she outstretched her arms, then quickly retracted them and averted her gaze.
The red-head rolled her eyes and sighed, "Fine, just this once, but make it quick."
Mami gasped again and shouted, "Hug me, sister!"
Kyoko froze and clenched her muscles as the blonde wrapped her arms around her tightly. She grunted sarcastically, "Jeez, you squeezing tight enough? Because I'm still breathing," she glanced down and scowled at her sister's chest pressing against her own, "Not to mention, your boobs are stealin' what little oxygen I have."
Mami pulled away and she chuckled, "Someone sounds jealous."
The red-head crossed her arms and turned away, "And why would I be jealous of a bimbo like you?"
"What size are you, anyway?" Mami blonde teased in torment, "Since you asked me back in the Labyrinth, isn't it only fair that I return the question?"
Kyoko's eyes grew wide as she pursed her lips. She sighed hesitantly, "...A," irritated, she squeezed her eyes shut and growled, "Shut up."
Mami waved her hand and giggled, "I've already dropped the conversation. I suppose I've gotten on your nerves too many times today already."
"Ya think?" The red-head retorted. A grin cracked through her scowl as she look back at Mami, "Hey, uh, you still got that beard?"
The blonde nodded, "I do. Do you want to wear it?"
"So badly!" Kyoko pleaded.
"Alright, alright," Mami chuckled and stood up, "I'll go get it."
She walked over to her backpack and reached into her bag. She whelped searing pain shoot through her finger, "OUCH!" Quickly bringing her hand back out, she stared-jaw agape-at the metal contraption clamped and dangling from her middle finger, "Is this…" she questioned, "a tiny bear trap?"
Shooting a questioning look at Kyoko, the red-head merely shrugged, "Probably Momo. She likes to pull pranks."
"Ah," Mami nodded and removed the clamp. She reached back into the back-much more carefully this time-and pulled the beard out when she found it. Smiling, she tossed the faux facial hair to her sister.
"YESSSS," Kyoko muttered as she caught it and slipped it on her face.
Mami chuckled. She reached back into her bag, retrieved her false mustache, and attached it to her upper lip.
The sisters merely glanced at each other for a moment before breaking into hysterical laughter.
Once they calmed down enough, Kyoko asked as she stroked her beard, "Hey, is that offer for Laser Tag still open?"
Mami beamed under her mustache, "Absolutely! Maybe we could even get some MgRonalds afterwards."
"Sounds cool," Kyoko stood up, "I could go for a Big Mig."
"And who knows," The blonde grinned as she walked towards the door. She teased, "Maybe eating something OTHER than candy all the time will help you 'develop', as it were."
As the two exited the room, Kyoko rolled her eyes and complained, "Whatever happened to droppin' that conversation?"
"Oh, come on!" Mami giggled as they exited and closed the door, "I just had to make another one! The option was just too easy!"
Immediately reentering and tearing off their facial hair, Kyoko commented and threw her beard on her sister's backpack, "We should probably leave this here."
"Agreed," Mami nodded and tossed her mustache.
"Just keep going, Kyoko," Mami called down the stairs as she walked back into her room, "I forgot the money. I'll catch up with you."
Closing the door behind her, the blonde cautiously glanced all around the room to make sure she was alone. Deciding the room was empty, a huge grin stretched across her face as she dashed to her backpack and extracted her red baseball cap.
Throwing the cap on her head, she ran to the speaker system, plugged her phone into the docking station and pressed 'Play' on her music.
Pulling up her yellow hood, she smiled as she bolted to the center of the room and readied herself for the oncoming song.
Taking a deep breath, her head bounced with the beat of her music and she began to rap into an imaginary microphone, "We've been given a call; Been forgiven, risen, we're livin' to give Him our all. Rise up from your past," She pointed directly in front of her then to the floor, "It's holding you down! This moment is all that matters, the future is now!
She raised her arms in a shrug, "How will the people know if we don't tell 'em? If we fail 'em… They're stumbling in the dark," she courageously raised a victorious fist to the sky, "But the light is what we carry, yeah!" She pointed back to the front, this time with both hands, "You don't have to wonder your purpose, or what you here for," she shifted her pointing fingers to the ceiling, "Reflect his image, and show the world what He cares for!
"And I know it's" she shuffled to the left, "al-right, right, right; and you know, and you know it's your" she shuffled to the right, "life, life, life! And we know, and we know that-"
Just then, Kyoko slammed the door open and stomped towards the blonde rapper. She yanked Mami's hood-effectively halting the rhymes once again-and growled as she dragged her sister by said hood towards the door, "WHITE GIRLS. CAN'T. RAP."
As she was dragged out the exit, Mami gasped as she reached for her phone still playing music, "But-But-My phone!"
