"Alright! Ready? No? Too bad! The next official meeting of the Rika Cheering Brigade is about to begin!"
Mion spoke with all the energy that should be expected of a Mion with a club. Rika and Satoko were very curious to see where this was headed. After all, Mion is still Mion right? So parallel universe or not, this "club meeting" though being made to fight monsters, would certainly be interesting.
Everyone but the two magical girls were in their Cheering Brigade uniforms. Blue blazers for Irie, Keiichi and Satoshi and red vests for Mion, Rena, and Shion.
"First order of buisness, " Spoke Dr. Irie, "We will discuss the matter of whether Satoko is a summer or a winter because I can't decide on the new color scheme for this outfit I'm designing. Next, we must discuss our strategy for Tokyo Magica's next strike. Also adressed will be plans to fortify our defenses should another incident like yesterday's repeat itself."
"Define 'incident like yesterday's'." Said Shion
"Yeah,"Said Mion " Do you mean we gotta decide what we're going to do if a member of the group is replaced by a doppelganger from another dimention, what we're gonna do if we have to go fetch something amidst zombified villagers, what we're gonna do if a member betrays us, what we're gonna do if the teacher tries to boil us in curry, what we're gonna do if a giant ritual tool devil goes all gundam on us, what to do if one of us is turned into a magical girl, or what to do if ..."
"Okay, Mion that's enough. How about we interrogate the doppelgangers." Said Irie.
"Mii?" Questioned Rika.
Irie looked at Rika straight in the eyes. He didn't look at her with his usual pedophilic cheerfulness. No. This was not a dirty look you get from somebody who offers candy and car rides and free check ups. It was a dirty look you get from the Bad Cop during an interrogation.
"I doubt Tokyo Magica is powerful enough to cross over to other dimentions but we don't know what they are capable of either. I can't help but wonder if you are actually one of their creations sent here to destroy us."
Keiichi jumped up in shock. "Dr. Irie! That can't be true! Those two didn't get affected by the mist so they're obviously different but Rika was Oyashiro Rika! Only Rika can be Oyashiro Rika!"
"Yeah, Doc. Kei-chan's got a point. They could have just left us for dead as zombies but they saved us and blew that crazy bitch into next year! How could they possibly be evil!" Mion protested.
"There is no way Dr. Irie. I won't believe for a second that Satoko or Rika are evil." Said Satoshi.
"Ditto to that! Hanyuu even said they were from another world! Are you saying that Hanyuu can't be trusted either!" Spoke up Shion.
"Well... It was only a suggestion." Said Irie in shame. "I've just made it a policy to not trust everything I hear."
"If you can't trust the ones that saved us all, then who can you trust?" Responded Keiichi.
With this, Irie headed towerds the door.
"Where are you going, Dr. Irie?" asked Rika.
Irie forced a smile and turned to Rika. "I need some air." He walked out the door and slid it shut.
They all stared at the door in silence.
"I think we were a little harsh. Hanyuu ."
They all snapped their attention to the fairy girl. The bad thing about being the one to break an awkward silence is that all attention is focused on you afterwards. For poor, shy Hanyuu, this wasn't such a smart move.
"A-after all... Tokyo Magica betrayed him. Hanyuu."
Every single hung their heads in shame. Even Rika and Satoko.
They should have realized sooner; this world loosely mirrors their own. If Irie had been involved in Tokyo in their world, he had probably been involved with Tokyo Magica in this world too.
"Well... New topic! " Shouted Mion. "We need to show Rika and Satoko how stuff works around here!"
"Oh... Right! We haven't taught them The Rika Cheering Brigade's brand of orginization!" Said Keiichi.
"Organization?" Asked Rika and Satoko.
"Yup. As you know, the whole village is trapped in Tokyo Magica's evil. But only the Brigade is aware of Rika's powers."
"The police can't get to us and the whole town is pretty much cut off from the rest of the world right? Nope. Wrong."
"See, the whole village is required to stay indoors at all times unless it's for something important like work or school or to get home. That was the policy that Mayor Kimiyoshi set for the village."
"But how do people go for groceries or medicine?" Asked Satoko.
"That is where we come in. The police and government won't lift a finger to help us so...We just help ourselves." Said Keiichi
Yeah. See, when this all started, the three leaders had a private meeting. All three of them. Mayor Kimiyoshi, Grandmother, and Rika. Together, the came up with a system. Mayor Kimiyoshi made it so that everybody stays on strict curfew but he intentionaly put in the loopholes that make it so you can go out for work related purposes. Then Grandmother made Kasai the mailman." Said Shion
"Late at night, Kasai delivers newspapers and messages from the Mayor to all the villagers to keep them aware of what's going on. And the villagers put what they need in letters to the Mayor. Then The Sonozaki just use their connections to have the supplies smuggled into Hinamizawa and Kasai delivers them to the Furude house. Kasai is a great mailman. And he can drive as fast as he wants and carry a ton of guns and nobody can stop him. It's not like the police are gonna try anything." Said Satoshi
"And when the supplies are at Rika's, The Cheering Brigade delivers them to the ones who need them!" Said Mion proudly
"Yeah. Everyone knows we carry weapons around and stuff but they think it's only for self defence because of our delivery service. They have no idea we actually put our selves out in the open as a challenge to Tokyo Magica. And it gives us freedom to find the Watanagashi Fragments!" Said Keiichi.
"The... what?" Asked Rika.
"The Watanagashi Fragments. See, we have a tradition. Every year, we have a festival where Rika cuts a magical futon and we take pieces of cotton and send it away so that our sadness and sins are cleansed. The cottons carry all those sins and then the similar ones become one then disapear somewhere. All the cottons give off a negative energy that allow the ritual tools to become monsters." Explained Shion.
"They are spread all around the village. Each one carries a different sin or regret." Said Mion
"We've only succeeded in seeing one once. And it told us about all the others. Then it escaped and Tokyo Magica got it." Said Satoshi sadly.
"This is getting...really ..." Said Rika
"Complicated?" Said Satoko, trying to help her friend.
"I was going to say convoluted." Commented Rika silently.
"Well if we destroy them all then the ritual tools will lose the ability to become monsters, making them easier to destroy." Said Mion.
"Then Tokyo Magica will not be a threat anymore." Finished Satoshi.
"Hey? Rena, are you okay?" Asked Mion, finally noticing that Rena had not said a single word all meeting.
Rena was looking out the window and didn't seem to be aware that they were in an important meeting. She didn't even notice Mion had just talked to her.
"Rena!" Mion shouted, walking over to Rena.
"Huh? Oh. What is it Mi-chan?"
"Are you okay? You seem a bit lost."
"Yup. I'm fine."
"You sure?"
"I'm sure."
Everyone was looking at Rena now. She really did look a bit pale.
Satoshi spoke up. "Okay. I think that's enough for the day. Let's go home. "
"Okay. Bye everyone!" Rena wasted no time. She was out the door before anybody could say anything else. She needed to get home. She needed to make sure her father was okay. If he wasn't okay, stove or not, something was gonna get it.
"Hey, Hanyuu?" Mion looked at the fairy girl. "Tonight, make sure you tell Rika and Satoko everything you can about the situation. Can I trust you to do that?"
"Leave it to me! Hanyuu!" Said Hanyuu.
"Alright. Thank you."
The remaining members of the group walked out together and didn't split up until they had to.
Rika and Satoko lived on the opposite side of the village from the rest of them. They were the first to split from the rest with Hanyuu riding Rika's shoulder.
Then the twins and the boys split up.
That sunset would have been so pretty if they were completely certain that that wasn't the last sunset they'd ever see. But when you live in a world of magic, who knows?
Yeah. I put in a slow setting right now. Sigh. Ima throw this whole thing into hell right now, I hope you realize that, kind reader.
Teppei Houjou and Tetsuro Okonogi stood atop a hill. Looking down over the village. At sunset, only those annoying brats could be seen walking about.
Houjou and Okonogi had set everything up in the span of time those kids had been in school. They used their government connections to dig up some dirt about each and every single one of those brats. Three of them in particular had some nasty skeletons in their closets.
The plan was to exploit those skeletons. Give them flesh and form. Then watch as the dominoes topple over. The domino that is pushed down never fails to take down all the ones close to it.
They started with the one with the obvious weak spot. The one who is the most poorly defended. After that one has served its purpose, they will destroy whoever is left standing with the next weakest one. Either of those are no threat to Tokyo Magica but could probably wipe out the pests. All they would need is a little push.
"All of the preperations have been made." Said Okonogi. "My units are in place. The message will be clear enough. Though if you'd like, I can look the other way if you'd like a family reunion" Okonogi, said this smiling evily. To a guy like this, bullying kids not even half his age gives a warm fuzzy feeling inside.
"Heh. Shut your face hole Okonogi. I'll do what I like. You're just the back-up right now. I'm the real master of this game."
"Your piece is already on the board, I presume."
"Yeah. I found the sparkly cottonball in the junkyard. I stuck it into one of my favorite devils. Now it's in the house, waiting for the right moment."
"Nothing to do now but wait."
"Yeah."
"..."
"..."
"Wanna...?"
"I'll get Monopoly!"
Rika and Satoko were already in full view of their house when the first sign of the coming attack made itself known. The long night was heralded by a simple "thump" in the distance.
thump
"Did you hear that?" Satoko was on instant alert. Her fingers curled around her mallet.
"Yes. What do you think it was?" Rika was already holding her staff, ready for whatever may come.
"I don't know. It sounded close. Hanyuu"
Rika turned around. Satoko kept looking in front.
Then they heard it. A chorus of beastial howls dug into the darkness and tore through the night. And footsteps. Fast ones. They were closing in fast. And Rika and Satoko were surrounded.
"Rika! Satoko! NOW!Hanyuu!"
"Right. Oyashiro Nipah Nipah Power!
"Roar! Oyashiro Nipah Nipah Power!
"CRYSTAL MAKE UP!" They shouted together, holding up their magical staffs as bright light surrounded them and their clothes got replaced by for Rika, yellow for Satoko. Satoko got yellow ribbons in her hair that thankfully didn't resemble pieces of candy. Rika got neko ears- Thank Oyashiro that she didn't get a tail cause we'd all be doomed.
After this took a totaly long time, they took up fighting stances as their enemies showed themselves to them.
Dogs? People?
The creatures in front of them were standing on four legs. They had tails and furry faces. They looked like bulldogs. Except that they were huge and each one had on a gray jumpsuit and a gray hat.
"What are these things?" Asked Rika in horror.
"I sense that they were once human. Hanyuu."
"Can we fix them then?" Asked Satoko.
"No. I think they chose to be like this. You can't fix people that don't want to be fixed. Hanyuu."
"Who would actualy want to be this way?"
A single howl was heard. Then the rest joined in. They charged as they howled their battle cry.
"Let's go!" Rika waved her staff at the dogs, shooting blue lightning at them. She was not about to die. She could feel bad for these dogs later. Thinking about it now would only give her a head ache.
-Now, Scene transition to Rena's house.-
"Dad!"
Okay. Deja Vu.
Rena was standing outside the house but couldn't get in. Her dad wasn't listening to her knocking or her shouts.
Rena was getting desperate. There was no other option. She raised her cleaver high above her head. If it meant saving her father, the door wouldn't hold a grudge.
She started to swing the cleaver down just as the door opened.
Rena halted her chop. The tip of her cleaver stopped a scant inch from the bridge of the door opener's nose.
Later, Rena would regret this. Rena would look back at this moment sometime in the near future and wish with all her being that she hadn't stopped the cleaver from splitting the head of the strange woman who had opened the door.
"Uhm... Hello. You must be Reina."
Rena lowered her weapon away from the woman's face.
"I'm sorry about that, ma'am. Where's my father?"
"He's sleeping upstairs. But... Please, you may want to come in and sit down first."
Rena felt a bit apprehensive about this woman. She was the spitting image of the person in her dream. And having to be invited into her own house made Rena grip her cleaver harder. She walked into the living room and sat down on the sofa, not once taking her eyes off the stranger.
"Reina. Your father was injured today. I managed to bring him here but the clinic wouldn't answer my calls."
Rena sprang up from her seat and tried to bolt up the stairs before the stranger stopped her.
"Don't. I know you're worried about him but he'll be just fine. He just needs to rest. Please don't disturb him. I already treated his injuries so he isn't in any danger."
"Okay..." Rena stepped down and bowed her head out of politeness if nothing else. "Thank you very much for all you've done for him, Miss."
"My name is Rina. Rina Mamiya. This is probably not the best time to tell you but your father and I have been dating for about a week now."