CHAPTER 02 / Love-Coloured Magic
I closed the door and went back into the livingroom, and looked down at the damaged coil. As I picked it up and looked at the crack, I had a flashback of the accident. A massive explosion. Everything, destroyed in an instant. I shook my head and tried to force the memories away. Coming back to the present, I looked at the coil and wondered...where can someone get a nuclear fusion coil around here?
For now, the field generator will have to stay inoperational. The coil might still work, but I didn't want to chance an explosion if it didn't. I didn't know much else to do; I'd just ask Marisa tomorrow. It was getting late, and I hadn't slept in a couple days. I connected to the recharging station and went to sleep.
/ / / / /
I woke up and disconnected from the recharging station. I got some things from out of one of the moving boxes and put together breakfast. I looked at the clock, which was sitting on the table. I hadn't hung it up yet. 13:37. Damn, I slept in again.
The coil was sitting on the table now. I picked it up and figured I might as well pay Marisa a visit.
My hair was a mess. I had black hair that reached to my back, and it was all over the place. Setting the coil down at the sink, I looked at the mirror, into a mysterious character's crimson eyes. The mirrored image had a strange deformity in his right eye that was shaped like a three-parted circle, where each part had a small outward-going prong. The copycat in the mirror straightened his hair as I did.
Broken coil in hand, I walked out the door and locked it. I started down the trail towards the magic shop. Strangely, it started to get dark. It couldn't be that the trees were blocking out the sun that much...
I checked my internal clock. It was only a bit past 14:00; no way it could be this dark already. Then I saw something. No, someone. A girl in black and white school-like attire was floating a few feet above and in front, with her arms extended out to each side. She had blonde hair with a red ribbon tied to it.
I remembered Marisa saying something about how dangerous the forest can be. But this little girl in front of me seemed close to harmless. Sure, she was flying, but that's nothing new around here, from what I understand.
She stayed floating there, smiling at me, with this childish smile, arms outstretched. A few minutes had passed. It was getting creepy. I had to say something. "Who are you?"
The girl laughed a childlike laugh. "Who am I? I'm Rumia...who are you?"
I told her my name. She kept smiling and holding her arms out. Why the hell was she doing that?
"Is that so?"
"I'm looking for the Kirisame Magic Shop. Could you point me in its direction...?"
"I wouldn't be worried about getting there. You won't make it that far."
What did she just say to me? I was beginning to reconsider my previous opinion on how much of a threat this Rumia was.
"What are you saying?" She was still holding out her arms. It was getting annoying. "And why are you holding out your arms like that?"
"You know, not a person goes by that doesn't ask that. How is it not obvious?"
"Are you trying to pull off a crucifiction?" I was puzzled, but I tried to keep her talking while I examined my surroundings for an escape. I could defend myself, but not for long.
"Finally, someone gets it!" Rumia laughed and applauded briefly. This girl seemed more and more childish. Then she said something I had never expected a child to say... "Since you didn't give me so much grief, I'll make your death quick and painless before I eat you!"
Sure, I was 45% prosthetics, but that other 55% of me was, in fact, human. Meaty, tasty human. She started moving towards me. My sensors detected her stress and adrenaline levels. Silent alarms were pulsing my senses. I knew she was about to attack.
She came at me, arms still outstretched. God, that was getting annoying! I jumped out of the way. She missed, but recovered quickly. I was only delaying the inevitable. She came at me, going for the kill. I was on the ground. I wouldn't be able to escape this one. I held up my arms in an attempt to block and tightly closed my eyes.
"Love Sign: 'Master Spark'!"
I could feel the sudden wave of magic and overwhelming power. I opened my eyes. Marisa was standing to my left. She was firing a wide, brightly coloured beam from her palm. It was a direct hit. Rumia was gone. The light returned to the forest.
Marisa helped me up. I looked at the scorch mark that went across where Rumia was. I was wrong. If it had really been a direct hit, there surely would have been something left of her. Marisa walked up to where I was looking, and must have thought the same thing. "Hmm, got away, ze."
I looked up. "Now I see what you meant when you said it can be dangerous here."
"So I'm assuming that you decided to come to the shop, ze?"
The damaged fusion coil. I checked my pockets. Then I looked over where I had dove out of the way from Rumia's first attack. It was laying on the ground. It seemed to not have taken any more damage from the day's events. I picked it up. Examining the coil, I thought to myself, "I've got to be more careful."
Marisa observed the object I was holding. "What's that?"
"This is the reason I came this way. What do you know about nuclear power sources?"
"Not much, ze, but I know someone who does." She paused. "I'm heading to Reimu's place after awhile. We will all three go to see her afterward. In the meantime, come on over to the shop."
I had nothing better to do. Why not? I followed her to the shop.
