"So this is Tokyo," Rylie said with a smile as she walked off the place. "It looks like so much fun."
"We're not here for pleasure," Canaan said as she followed her friend.
"Well, you can be all business," Rylie said with a dirty smirk, "but I'm definitely fitting in some time for pleasure."
"Shut up and help me find a phone book," Canaan said as she led her friend through the airport.
The two walked side by side to the nearest set of phone booths. Canaan reached into her pocket for the piece of paper and began to look through the phone book. After a detailed search, she realized that it was nowhere to be found.
"An unlisted address?" Rylie asked, already knowing the answer.
Canaan nodded her head and the two continued walking until they excited the airport. The two stood there, staring at all the people passing them by.
"Well get a cab to an internet café or something," Rylie said as she nudged her friend. "My Japanese is horrible."
Canaan hailed a cab and the two jumped into the back seat. The car ride to the closest internet access was surprisingly a long drive. The jumped out of the cab, deep in the middle of the city, and Canaan paid the cab driver as Rylie checked out her surroundings. The two women walked into the building and sat down at the nearest computer.
"I'll race you for the answer," Rylie said with a smirk as she adjusted herself to the nearest computer.
"You're on," Canaan said as he senses began to heighten.
The two young women searched the internet for the address. They swam through the information with their minds as fast as they could. As soon as Canaan found what she was looking for, she faintly heard her friend scream.
"Beat your ass!" Rylie shouted as she slapped Canaan's shoulder.
"I was right there too," Canaan said with a sigh as she stood up from her seat.
"It's technically not in Tokyo," Rylie continued as they walked out of the building to hail another cab.
"How do you know that?" Canaan asked as they got into another cab, impressed by her friend's accuracy.
"I was done so fast that I had time to look it up on a map," Rylie said with a cheeky grin.
Maria awoke the sun shining brightly in her face through her window. She covered her eyes as she stretched, yawning in the process. She forced herself up from the bed and began to undress. As she lazily took her clothes of, she looked over at the clock on her night stand.
"Ten am," She said to herself, "I'm impressed I slept in."
She slowly made her way down the hall and into the bathroom. She turned the shower on and turned around to look at herself in the mirror. Her hair was a bit longer and her breasts were a bit bigger, but other than that, she looked the same. She looked down at the scar on her stomach and began to trace it with her fingers. Again she sighed before hopping into the shower.
Once she was clean and dressed, Maria made her way down stairs and into her kitchen. She turned the coffee pot on and began to make herself some eggs and bacon. She sat down at her table with her finished meal and sipped on her coffee with happiness.
"When did I become so dependent on caffeine?" She asked herself with a worried look.
A knock on her door broke her thoughts and she got up to go great her visitor. She smiled as she looked through the glass and saw a happy Minoru. She unlocked her door and opened it, letting Minoru and his small daughter into her house.
"Hello Osawa," Minoru greeted. "How was your gallery last night?"
"Good, thank you," Maria said as she closed her front door. "And how are you this morning little one?" Maria asked the little girl with a big smile.
"Awesome!" The little girl shouted excitedly.
"Thank you for teaching her that word by the way," Minoru said with sarcasm. "She says it all the time now."
"You're welcome," Maria said with a laugh.
"It wasn't enough to give her your name, was it?" Minoru said as he sat down at the kitchen table. "You just had to give her your mannerisms too."
"Well, if it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck," Maria said as she picked her niece up and laughed harder.
"Quack! Quack!" the little girl said with enthusiasm.
"Where's Yun Yun?" Maria asked as she joined Minoru at the kitchen table, her niece in her lap.
"She's at home with Junior," Minoru said as he tried to steal Maria's coffee.
"It wasn't enough to name him after you, was it?" Maria said, mocking her friend as she grabbed her coffee with her free hand. "You had to give him all the same dependencies as you?"
"Very funny," Minoru said with a mocking smile. "Listen, I was wondering if you could watch the little one while I run into town to grab some groceries?"
"Of course, I love my little Marry!" Maria said as she lightly squeezed the child in her lap.
"Thank you," Minoru said as he got up, "She's been begging to come over here all week."
"It's not a problem," Maria said as she put her niece down to let her play with the toys she had been carrying. "Will you grab me some more coffee and some energy drinks?"
"You and your caffeine," Minoru said with a laugh. "Yes, I can. I have to drive into the city too to take care of some business. So I'll be gone almost all day."
"That's fine," Maria said as she drank some more of her coffee.
"Okay, well I'll see you lovely ladies late," Minoru said as he knelt down. "Come give daddy a kiss."
Marry ran over to her father and kissed him happily. She then ran back over to her toys and sat down on the wooden floor. Minoru stood up and waved before exciting the house. As he made his way to his car, he noticed a cab approaching from down the road.
"I wonder who took a cab all the way out here?" Minoru asked himself as he hoped into his car and drove away.
The cab stopped in front of the wooden cabin and Rylie and Canaan looked around curiously. The two young women stepped out of the cab and once again, Canaan paid the cab drive. The two looked at the house on front of them for a moment in silence.
"It can't be," Canaan said lowly as she noticed the color all around the property.
"What?" Rylie asked.
"It's…" Canaan trailed off as she looked through the window of the house.
There she was, her light, Maria, in all her glory. Canaan stood in shock as she watched her now distant friend smiling and playing happily with a little brown haired girl.
"Do you know her?" Rylie asked as she eyed the woman.
"It seems you got my message," A voice said from behind the women, causing them to quickly turn.
In front of them stood Alphard, with an ominous smirk on her face. She walked closer to the two and stopped in front of Rylie.
"I'm glad to see this American Borner isn't completely useless," Alphard said as she eyes Rylie up and down.
"Hey sweet heart, I'll show you how useful I am if you dare," Rylie said with a scowl.
"Why did you drag us out here?" Canaan asked coldly.
"Because, unfortunately, you and I now have a common enemy," Alphard said. "And as much as it pains me to say it, I need your help."
"No," Canaan said, "Why did you bring me to Maria?"
"Because you idiot," Alphard said as she walked pass the two women, "she's in danger. And I'm certainly not risking my ass to save her life."
