Westernization
Chapter 2:
The middling detective and the perverted shutterbug find themselves in a quandary; high school girls are attacked by dissimulators; iniquity is pushed to the spotlight; and the seiyu discovers a meganekko.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, except the plot…and this long chapter title. If you're expecting a boring disclaimer, there's one at the end of the chapter.
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August 19- 4:45 P.M.
A lone figure sat in an oversized chair at the Kyoto Animation studio in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. They observed several shows displayed on the monitors; thirteen, in fact. Of those thirteen, two made their blood boil. K-On, an anime which had aired recently, was the first one. To be fair, not too much damage had been done. Sure, it may have amassed a fanbase which would steal fans of their series, but what show wouldn't do that.
However, the other anime, the target, had become so popular that the figure's series had been forced into the shadows. After these next few days, though, that would no longer be a problem. That dreadful anime would crumble, along with any other series that got involved.
Another figure entered the room. They were holding a clipboard full of many important papers. "I have just received news that some seiyu has found her, and that the dead man called Grandpa Seth has misinformed 'Joseph.' He then launched his body into a pool, had his corpse 'drown,' and journeyed back to Hell… Where do you find these people?"
The sitting figure smirked. "Well, the mission is going well. What about those two 'fanfiction police' you told me about?"
"They're still in their universe. Sometime during these next three days, they will journey back to the website. Do you really want me to alter their course?"
"Yes; they are a vital component of this plan."
"May I ask why?"
"If I answer, our agreement would be off. You don't want that, do you?"
"NO! No, I don't. Um, what should I do now."
"Extract more American knowledge from the subject. In order for this plan to work, those 'schoolgirls' must continue to turn as stereotypically American as possible."
"O…kay. Why those schoolgirls, though?"
"Don't ask questions." With that, the sitting figure sent their assistant out of the room. They then returned to the anime displayed on the monitors...
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August 22- 10:30 A.M.
Sojiro and Richard/ Kogoro hailed a cab and journeyed to the Hiiragi residence. Upon reaching their destination, they paid the driver, and slowly approached the front door.
"So, do you think Konata will be at this house right now? It sure would be helpful if I could meet her." Richard said.
"I have a feeling that she's here. She usually always is. If not, we just get permission to search the house for clues." Sojiro proclaimed.
Richard began stroking his chin in thought. "You know, Sojiro, your daughter's friend may be behind all this. If it's something serious, I won't hesitate to have her apprehended."
"I know, but I just don't believe that a schoolgirl could be behind all this confusion."
"Speaking of this confusion, you still haven't told me all of the details of your predicament."
"I'll tell you once we're done here." With that, both men reached the door and knocked.
Inside, Luxord and Xaldin turned their heads at the sound of knocking.
"Crap, someone's here. Hide!" Luxord whispered. The knocking continued for a moment, and a man began speaking.
"Hello! It's me, Izumi Sojiro. I came to pick up my daughter."
Xaldin glanced at Luxord. "Could his daughter be the source of the yuri we're sensing?"
"What does it matter? We don't know him, and this isn't our house. I suggest we head back to our portal."
"No; we still need to check upstairs. There is yuri in this house, damn it!"
"Fine, but we must make it quick. A spare key to this house is probably outside, waiting for that man to find it. It always happens in fanfictions."
Xaldin and Luxord tiptoed up the stairs and came to a closed door. "Ah ha! We've found the yuri!" Xaldin cried. He pushed open the door, but was disappointed at what he saw. One girl, who had black hair and wore glasses, was sleeping on a bed. A notebook was open and rested next to her.
"What the!? This isn't yuri. It's a sleeping girl!" Xaldin moaned.
"And an underage girl, at that…" Luxord drawled. "Maybe there's something in this notebook."
Luxord grabbed the notebook and flicked through all of the pages. His nose immediately began to bleed.
"Holy crap! Look at this!" Inside the pages were numerous drawings, ranging from girls with long hair making out to short-haired girls hugging each other.
"Well, these drawings are good, but they're not the yuri we're looking for." Xaldin proclaimed. "I guess we better head back to our portal and find the whereabouts of the rip-offs in this universe." With that, both men left the room, leaving the sleeping girl behind.
Outside, Sojiro and Richard found a spare key to the house.
"You do know that we can't enter someone's house if they're not home. That's illegal…" said Richard.
"Listen, my daughter's life may be in danger; yours too. This house may give us clues. If anything, we might be able to find the Saeki House's location."
"We either need to wait for the owners to return, or get a valid permit to search the house. This could be considered breaking and entering, and I don't…" Richard began, but Sojiro unlocked the door and walked inside.
Richard sighed, looked around to make sure no one saw what was happening, and walked in as well. The first floor of the house was empty, but several items had been moved.
"Has… someone been searching around here?" Sojiro asked, worried.
"Probably just the owners. Maybe they lost their car keys, or something."
"Maybe…how about we try upstairs? There's nothing else down here."
"Fine." Both men walked upstairs and came to the room with the sleeping girl.
"Is this Hiiragi?" Richard asked. Sojiro looked and gasped.
"No! That's one of Yutaka's friends!"
"Wait, who's Yutaka?"
"She's my niece. Stay there; I need to check if she's okay." Sojiro explained as he ran towards the young girl. She stirred and muttered in her sleep.
"So, where is your niece?" Richard asked.
"She went on a trip with her other friend, Minami. She shouldn't return for another week." The blue-haired man explained.
The black-haired girl slowly opened her eyes after another few moments.
"Huh…where am I?" She asked groggily. Her eyes slowly took in her surroundings, and finally came to the face of a strange smiling man.
"AH!" She screamed. She punched Sojiro in the face and sat up. She noticed who the man was, though, and blushed as she rubbed the back of her head. "Sorry, Izumi-san."
"N…No problem, Hiyori. But, you seriously don't know where you are?"
Hiyori thought for a moment, but frowned. "No idea. You know where we are, right?"
"Yeah; we're in the Hiiragi household."
"What? How the hell did I get here?"
Richard closed his eyes in thought. Finally, he asked what he thought was the most obvious question. "I didn't catch your full name. What is it?"
"I'm Tamura Hiyori."
"Great. Now, what is the last thing you remember?"
"Um, Izumi-san? Who is this?" Hiyori whispered. Sojiro explained who Richard was, and what they were investigating.
"Do you know where Konata is?" she asked.
"Not exactly, but I'm confident she's with Kagami somewhere."
"Tamura, if it wouldn't be much trouble, could you tell me everything you remember? We may get a lead from all of this." Richard said. Hiyori nodded.
"Okay, I'll try. Yesterday, Patricia-chan and I went to the arcade as usual. It was just us two, but she acted strange, as if someone was stalking her or something. She claimed that she was fine, though, so I thought nothing of it."
"Patricia? That must be a foreign name, right?" Richard interrupted.
"Yep. Patricia-chan is from America." Hiyori explained. Something clicked in Richard's brain, but he didn't notice.
"Hm. So, what happened next?"
"Well, I was really tired last night, so I slept over at Patricia-chan's house. I can't remember much, but I do know that the end of the Obon Festival was being shown on the television."
Richard and Sojiro gasped. "Wait, this happened last night?" they asked loudly. Hiyori blinked.
"Yeah. It usually always ends on the 16th." She stated.
Richard grew a perplexed look and Sojiro looked around uncomfortably. "Um, today is the 22nd. There's no way that could have been last night." Richard said with concern audible in his voice. Hiyori's face went pale.
"It's…been over… five days…" she stated blankly in shock. Richard put his hand on her shoulder.
"Listen, everything's going to be all right. I'm gonna sort this predicament out." Richard said quietly. Hiyori started crying.
"How will everything be all right? Someone brought me over to this house for some reason. Patricia-chan could be tied up somewhere; all alone in some dark, cold basement. Hell, I don't even know if she's alive. Some pervert could've had his way with her and tossed her into the river. PATRICIA!" she sobbed. Sojiro hugged her, trying to think of something comforting to say.
Richard turned his head and realized that the situation had most likely escalated. This girl didn't seem to be making up any of her story. Someone had brought her into the Hiiragi residence, and her American friend was nowhere in sight. She couldn't remember anything between the 16th and the 22nd. Could this be some high-school prank, set up by the Hiiragis' or even Patricia?
No, that couldn't be it. Ran had been acting strange, as well. That spiky-haired man at the diner had warned of forthcoming danger. Perhaps something serious was going on, and their daughters were the targets of some cult or serial killer. Richard shivered at that thought. He realized that Sojiro wasn't enough help. He needed to call Inspector Megure…
In the basement, Xaldin and Luxord found themselves to be trapped. They couldn't leave through the way they had arrived. Was this an accident, or some planned scheme? Either way, they would have to go back upstairs.
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August 20- 6:00 P.M.
A girl carrying a large bag ran into a small forest. The sky was gray and nothing made a sound. The forest seemed to have been forgotten by the world, left to die in its own self-pity. The girl walked to the eighth tree on the right. She knocked three times and a small hatch in the ground opened. She carefully slid in, holding the bag over her head. Upon landing safely, she casually strolled forward.
"I'm back with the food, guys." She said. Immediately, three other girls came running out from behind broken-down furniture and surrounded the bag. Inside were three cups of ramen; splintered pieces of wood; cabbage; and other assorted items.
"Wow, Kagamin, where did you find these?" Konata Izumi asked.
"I managed to take them from an abandoned market. It was pretty eerie. I saw absolutely no one on the way there. But that market is pretty much useless, now. The rest of the food is spoiled and unhealthy, and getting sick now would leave us open." said Kagami Hiiragi.
"I hope everyone's safe." said Tsukasa Hiiragi quietly. She was referring to hers' and Kagami's family, who had been separated from them on the 18th. That was when the 'imposters' halted their normal lives.
"I'm certain they're all right, Tsukasa-chan." said Miyuki Takara kindly.
"Yeah, they're alright, I bet. They're probably on vacation right now. With 'us.'" Konata said, anger evident in her voice.
"Speaking of that, did any of you spot 'us' somewhere outside lately? You know, since the time we fought them?" Kagami asked. Everyone shook their heads.
"No, those cowards refuse to show themselves again. You'd think after stealing our identities that they'd at least kill us quickly. Instead, they force us to hide underground in fear that we will be found. Even if they do capture us, though, they'll probably torture us slowly and painfully. Finally, they'll have their ways with us and toss our leftovers in some river." Konata ranted. Everyone stared blankly at her, and Tsukasa started crying.
"Um, Kona-chan, perhaps we should look at this situation in a brighter light. A little hope never hurt anybody." Miyuki said innocently. Konata looked at Miyuki and Tsukasa, and then nodded.
"Sorry, Yuki-chan. It's just that the thought of that imposter putting her grubby little fingers all over my manga gets me infuriated beyond belief." Konata said with her fist clenched in front of her face. Kagami smiled.
"You do know that you called your own fingers grubby, right? Just pointing that out." She said in a joking tone.
"Ah, there's classic Kagamin; always coming up with retorts, even in the face of Armageddon." Konata said in mock-admiration.
"What do they want with us, though?" Tsukasa asked. Konata spoke up quickly.
"It's fairly obvious. Some creep stalker at our school probably made clones of us so he wouldn't feel so lonely. However, those clones lacked some key traits of our characters, thus causing the creator to banish them. Those clones now plan to kill us, thus forcing him to be satisfied with the next-best thing. However, we are higher levels than they are. Killing us will take time." She said casually.
Kagami groaned and shook her head in disbelief. "Only you would think of something like that."
"I think you're jealous, Kagamin. You don't have a better explanation for this ordeal."
"Shut up! Why would I be jealous of you, especially at a time like this?"
"I'm not sure, Kagamin. Maybe you secretly adore everything I have to say, and just wish deep down that you could be me, if only for a day.
Kagami blushed and lowered her head. "Sh…shut up!"
A blast sounded above. "That sounded like a gunshot." Kagami whispered. Konata sprung into action.
"You guys stay here. I'll go investigate. It may be one of those creeps." She said.
"No!...I'm coming with you." Kagami said. Konata frowned, but nodded. There was no use trying to stop her.
"Okay, fine. You two, stay hidden down here, no matter what. If we don't return by midnight, hide in the shadows and head to the next town." Konata said to Miyuki and Tsukasa. With terrified expressions, they both nodded. Kagami and Konata then climbed out of the hideout.
Konata motioned for Kagami to stay behind her as she hid by a tree. Two figures were walking along, one holding a gun towards the ground. They seemed to be talking to each other.
"Okay, Kagamin. We need to rush them. I'll take the one on the left. You get the one on the right. Bonk them over the head, and this should all go smoothly."
"But, how do we know that they're searching for us? They could just be survivors like us. That gun is probably for protection."
"Can't take chances, Kagamin. All of our lives could be in danger if they continue to wander about."
"Okay. You haven't let me down yet." With that, both girls ran towards to two figures. That slammed down on their heads, and the figures fell without a sound.
"We got 'em!" Kagami cried. Konata looked closely at the figures, and realized what was happening. The figures were just puppets, and one of their strings led to a tree in the distance.
"Get down, Kagamin!" she shouted as she pounced on Kagami. Three arrows darted over the girls, and became lodged in a tree.
"Wha…what was that?" Kagami asked, looking up at Konata. Their eyes met, and Kagami saw something flash in the other girl's eyes; uncertainty and fear.
Konata quickly pulled Kagami up and dragged her back to the hideout. Upon opening the door, though, she came face to face with a Model 37 Ithaca Defense Gun. Miyuki was holding the Ithaca, and Tsukasa was in the back holding a Ruger Standard .22 caliber pistol.
"Y…Yuki-chan?" Konata said, out of breath. Miyuki shook her head and pushed the gun closer.
"You guys… were clones all along. Where's the real Miyuki, and where's my sister?!" Kagami cried. Tsukasa stood beside Miyuki and raised her gun. Kagami felt fully defeated.
"We have yet to find those two, but don't worry; we'll find them soon enough. Maybe they'll make it out better than you guys." 'Miyuki' said. She placed her finger around the trigger. "Oh, and don't feel bad. You never had a chance, anyway. Our reinforcements are scattered throughout this forest. If we didn't catch you, they would have."
"Close your eyes, Kagamin." Konata said, gritting her teeth as the gun pushed on her forehead.
"Please, let Konata go! I don't know what you want from us, but if one of us has to die, take me. Just leave her alone!" Kagami cried. 'Miyuki' smiled and motioned for 'Tsukasa' to fire as well. A gun was pressed to Kagami's head. Both girls closed their eyes.
A gunshot sounded throughout the forest…
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August 19- 3:45 P.M.
"What's the body's name?" Inspector Megure asked Officer Takagi.
"Well, the only information we could get is that his name is Seth. His daughter is named Diana, who was married to a man named Michael Waits. Together, they had two children. Sadly, though, we could not make any contact with them."
"Hm, is that all?"
"Well, no, actually. If you hadn't already guessed, he was American. I found this note in his pockets. It was wrapped up in saran wrap, and was written in Kanji. It listed the info I just told you. I had some officers run a quick search through an American database, and we found some startling information."
"Well, what is it?"
"Seth has been dead for about 17 years; maybe more."
"Wha…How the hell is that possible?"
"I just assume they found the wrong name. Of course, they did mention that the database seemed different from before. It seemed to have been set to display this man's information with minor struggle."
"Well, run the search again. I have more pressing matters to attend to."
"Another case, sir?"
"No, I'm going to find the boy Seth claimed to have seen fall out of a window. Maybe he'll turn out to be a vampire, or something."
"Would you like some officers to help in the search?"
"No, I'll be fine. You guys wrap up this case." With that, Megure entered his vehicle and drove on, hoping to get some answers.
Meanwhile…
A clicking noise sounded throughout the room, and the next thing Minoru knew, he was all alone in a dark and dirty bathroom. He rose from the ground and looked into a mirror. He could barely see anything; even himself. A low guttural moan droned into his ears. It was emanating from the bathtub. He slowly looked inside…
In the tub was a girl, about the age of seventeen. She had brown hair, and brown eyes under a pair of glasses. She seemed to be unconscious. Her hand clutched the drain, which was now unplugged. The water made the guttural moan as it gurgled down the rusted pipes.
"Hey, are you alright?" Minoru asked as he shook the girl awake. Her eyes slowly opened.
"Huh. Where am I?" she asked.
"I'm not too sure, but I think were in some old, eerie house."
"Hm, that's strange." The girl took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes. "So, what's your name?" she asked.
"I'm Shiraishi Minoru. What's yours?"
"I'm Mizuhara Koyomi. Are…you here to rescue me?"
Minoru smiled. "Um, sure. Did someone trap you here?"
Yomi looked up at the ceiling. "Yes, a terrible man took me from my home. He tied me up, and the rest is all a blur."
"What was this man's name?"
"His name was… Richard Moore."
"Okay. I'll find this Richard Moore and make him pay for what he has done to you."
"You'd really do that for me?"
"Of course. Odds are, he's probably the reason I was brought here."
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it. Now, let's get out of here." Minoru lifted Yomi out of the tub, and escorted her to the door. It was unlocked, so they managed to escape. The front door also turned out to be unlocked, which was odd, as it had been locked when Minoru was attacked by the strange old man.
Outside, the sun was out, and there was no sign of the girls that were previously out there. Seeing how the coast was clear, Minoru and Yomi ran off. Minoru hoped to return to the four-story building he had been tossed out of, so he followed the same path surrounded by trees. If anything, he needed to apologize to Akira for speaking his own opinion. Maybe she would help him out with this predicament and search for Richard; no, that was a futile thought.
The two arrived at the pool, but found that it was surrounded by police. "Um, is something wrong, sir?" Minoru asked a nearby officer. It was Officer Takagi.
"Well, yes. A man reported that a boy had been kicked out of a window and ran off. The man who called us then drowned himself. Why do you need to know? Do you live here?"
Minoru thought for a moment. If he revealed that he was the 'boy' who fell out of the building, then he would have to be questioned, which would disrupt his upcoming search. Also, Akira would be questioned and possibly arrested. He didn't want to think of the consequences of that event.
"No, sir; Just curious by nature. Good day, officer."
"Well, uh, good day to you, too." They then ran off. Yomi, who hadn't said a word in a while, suddenly spoke up.
"Hang on; I need to go make a phone call. I'll be right back." She said. She took out a few coins, and ran back to the pool.
"Wha…wait!" Minoru shouted back. He didn't follow her, though. He just assumed she was going to use a payphone around the building.
Three minutes passed before she returned.
"Sorry about that. Let's go now." She said with an innocent smile on her face. Minoru gave a fake smile back.
"Well, uh, do you have any idea where to start searching?"
"Not entirely sure, but there is someone I want to check up on. I met her yesterday, and she was with me just a few minutes before I met Richard. We should visit her house."
"Okay. You know how to get there?"
"Yep. Follow my lead." Minoru followed Yomi, oblivious to what he was getting himself into.
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August 22- 5:30 A.M.
A man wearing a spiky-haired wig that seemed to defy gravity entered the Kyoto Animation studio. A girl was behind the receptionist's desk.
"Hey, the head of this place wanted to see me?" He asked. He wore a long, black cloak.
"Oh, uh, right. This way sir." She said shyly. She escorted the man to the monitor room, where the ringleader was sitting in their oversized chair. The girl bowed before the cosplayer and left quickly.
The man in the wig waited for a response from the figure, but none came. He decided to say the first word.
"Um, so, I heard you wanted me today. If you can't see in this light, I purchased the outfit you wanted. Who's Axel, by the way?"
The figure in the chair looked up. "Axel is who you shall become." They said. "You have purchased a Halloween costume of a character from a videogame franchise. This costume shall now become your identity."
"What do you mean?" The man, now Axel, asked.
The figure in the chair stood up and walked over to Axel. "I need you to deliver a message to two men in a bar in Tokyo. If you do that, I'll ensure that you never have to work a day for the rest of your life. Of course, you need to be as convincing as humanly possible. Can you handle it?" They whispered.
Axel grinned. "Of course I can handle it. So, what's the message?"
The figure spent the next moments explaining that Axel's targets were a man with blue hair and the man he was talking to. He needed to bring up the Westernization theory to the men, mention the American adaptation of Ju-On, and make up a story that Namine, also from his series, wandered into the Saeki House. Finally, to ensure the men listened, he needed to threaten their daughters. This would set up the final moves of this game.
"So, I have to be there by 9:00 A.M?" Axel asked. The figure nodded. "Understood. You know, to be completely honest, I expected you to be some overweight man in the mafia when I first heard of you. I wasn't prepared to meet someone like you." Axel said playfully. The figure laughed.
"Yeah, I get that a lot. Anyways, I'm flattered…I think. Well, I'll be anticipating your return." Axel bowed before the leader, and exited the building.
The figure sat back down on their chair and phoned the secretary. "He should return by 11 o'clock. Ensure that everything is set up by then. It's time to test out the new prototype."
"O…okay." The secretary said. She hung up the phone and sighed. So much was going to be destroyed, all for no reason. Her leader had seemingly gone insane. Their sights were set on far more than that anime show. It had expanded beyond that.
She tried to look on the bright side. Once this was all over, she could live the life she always wanted, with the person she wanted by her side.
Anyways, who could say that her life was less important than those about to die?
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Next Haruhi's Hint: "Amnesia"
Well, that's chapter two for you. Seems a lot darker than the first chapter. Well, that's fiction for you.
And, in case anyone is doubtful, I just want to say that I know exactly how this plot will turn out. I am not making it up as I go along.
Read and review, please. Of course, by now, you may be wishing for this author's note to end. Well, it's almost done. Remember, if you review, these disclaimers will become shorter, and may disappear completely! As M. Bison would say, "YES! YES!!"
Some featured characters/ proper nouns not from Lucky Star and Case Closed:
Axel, Luxord, Xaldin= Kingdom Hearts
Koyomi Mizuhara= Azumanga Daioh
Seth= Troll 2
Saeki House= Ju-on/ The Grudge