Mahou Hero
Chapter 3
By ManaGoddess
Disclaimer: I do not own Kamen Rider Wizard or Mahou Sentai Magirangers. Both are owned by Toei and this is a work of my own imagination. Sol and Zolda are mine though.
Author's Note: Spoilers for Magirangers as this takes place after Gokaigers. Wizard is before episode 13. In case you have forgotten characters: Yuka Yamazaki was the captain of Kai's soccer team who he had a crush on and Eriko Ikeda worked at the coffee shop that Makito fell for her (episode 10). Hikaru (MagiShine) real name is Sungel and Isamu (Wolzard) real name is Blagel.
"Happy Birthday," Houka shouted as she stepped into the kitchen of the home she had grown up in alongside her four siblings, Makito, Urara, Tsubasa, and Kai. It felt so good to be home once again that she could barely contain her excitement. The fact that it was her nephew's birthday gave her reason to be a bit more peppy than usual.
"Aunt Houka!" A little boy with golden brown hair cried out as he left his mother's side to hug Houka. She knelt down, wrapping her arms around the little boy and hugging him tight, the blue birthday bag tightly in her hand. Of course, the young boy didn't miss that for a second as he began to eye it suspiciously. The other three women in the kitchen Houka's mother, sister, and her sister-in-law, laughed as the eldest daughter of the Ozu children made her appearance.
"It's good to see you again, sis," a woman wearing a blue checkered apron said as she dried her hands on it, embracing her older sister. The women hugged for a moment, glad to see each other after being separated for so long. It was one thing to live on the other side of the country, but quite another to live in a completely different world.
"You look great Urara," Houka held her sister out at arm's length, looking at her from head to toe, even forcing her sister to turn in a circle, just so Houka could get a full picture. The older sister nodded her head approvingly causing the younger woman blushed slightly, shooing away Houka's compliment as she went back to the stove to finish cooking the birthday lunch.
"Aunt Houka, what did you get me," the little boy asked, tugging on Houka's sleeve as he tried to peek in the blue bag that was held just out of his reach. He poked his fingers in the bag, trying to move the tissue paper to get a better look. Crouching next to him again, Houka opened the bag just a little bit, letting him peek inside. Once more he tried to move the paper.
"I got you…not telling!" Houka quickly closed the bag, holding it away from as she planted a noisy kiss on his cheek. He made a face at his aunt, looking distraught as she had betrayed his tiny trust. "You will have to wait, Sol." The birthday boy stuck his tongue out at Houka, wiping away the kiss and pouting.
"No fair! It's my birthday…" Sol complained as he tried to look in the bag again, hoping to sway Houka's opinion with his charm. The other women in the kitchen giggled amongst themselves as they watched Houka's struggle. Laughing along with the others, Houka held the bag high over his head out of his reach, while wagging her finger at him.
"Nope, you will have to wait and be a good boy," Houka smiled as she messed up his hair with her hand, watching him get flustered and try to fix it. "Mother, where is a safe place to put this?" An older woman in a white dress with long brown hair smiled as she turned to her daughter.
"In the magical study if you want to make sure he doesn't get into it," Miyuki Ozu gestured towards the staircase that lead upstairs. Sticking her tongue out at Sol once more, Houka hurried towards the stairs, daring him to give chase. Of course her nephew hot on her heels as she ran, his tiny legs trying to keep up with hers. A gold M shone on the wall of the foyer as she rounded a corner, her target in sight.
"Gonna have to be faster than that," Houka teased as the M shone brightly, allowing her to pass through the wall into a secret room, the M fading behind and sealing the small portal. She laughed as she heard Sol come to a halt then hit the wall with his fist.
"Hey, that's not right! I'm not old enough to go through alone yet," Sol shouted through the barrier as Houka continued through the magical portal into a special room that she had spent much of her adult life in. Even though she wasn't very good at studying there was something oddly calming about the magical study that felt as if she belonged here.
Houka landed in a library, materializing in front of a fire place that was lit by magic. She stretched her arms above her head as she looked around the familiar room, a wave of nostalgia flooding over her. Even now she couldn't believe the home she grew up in had a secret room like this one. It warmed her to see the two men sitting at the grand desk, looking as if they had belonged there all along. Sighing happily she skipped towards them.
"Houka! Houka! Houka!" A small voice cried out her name, trying to get her attention, as a white potted plant hovered near her. The leafy green Mandrake bounced in his pot as he hovered around her, bubbling with excitement. His leaves were a nice color and his soil had been freshly changed, probably thanks to her older brother's farm no doubt.
"Nice to see you too Mandora-kun!" Houka kissed the plant's cheek, watching as he spun around the room in excitement again. Mandora had been a huge help to her brothers and her while they were learning magic and fighting to save the world. He even allowed them to go to Magitopia once. It had been quite the adventure for the small plant.
"With Houka here, we won't get any more work done, father," A young man in black robes smiled as he leaned against the desk crossing his arms over his chest, the firelight of the candles catching the red streaks in his hair. He shook his head, tsking at the sudden intrusion.
"You're right, Kai. It's good to see you Houka," an older man smiled up at his daughter as he slowly got to his feet, his body complaining from sitting so long. With a wave of the hand the books scattered across the desk marked their places and fluttered into a neat pile. Houka's heart swelled as she saw the two men who looked very much alike.
"Good to see you guys too," Houka set the gift on the round table at the top of library as she stepped down the step into the study properly, embracing her father and youngest brother. "I saw your wife in the kitchen, Kai. Is that a baby bump I see on her?" Houka elbowed Kai, who turned bright red to match the highlights in his hair. Houka never gave up a chance to tease him. It was hard now that he traveled between earth and Infershia as the ambassador to the two realms.
"We..uh..are um…you see…we…" he stammered, trying to find the proper words. It had slipped his mind that he hadn't told Houka yet about the child on the way. Thanks to Houka's cheerful disposition though, he didn't feel quite as bad as she laughed it off. Houka's father, Isamu Ozu, laughed heartedly at his son, patting him on the back proudly.
"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone," Houka held her finger over her lips, promising to keep a secret as she winked. Kai rolled his eyes as he shook his head. He knew his oldest sister better than that. He tried hard not to remember her 'match making' skills from when he was in high school. To this day his wife would tease him about it.
"Houka you are by far the worst at keeping secrets," Kai reminded his sister. She blinked in confusion before laughing. He had a point, but it wasn't proper to bring it up.
"Very true. Are Makito and Tsubasa here yet," Houka asked the two, hoping to see her older and younger brother soon. It had been too long since all of them had been together like this, not since everyone had moved away from their home. Of course, they were always welcome here, but schedules never seemed to line up properly.
"Makito and Eriko are letting Zolda play in his old garden and Tsubasa hasn't arrived yet," Kai mentioned as he walked towards the fireplace that would lead him back to the house. He laughed as he heard Sol knocking on the other side of the wall, trying to find the secret weak point that would let him in. Pulling his hood up over his head, Kai waved to his father and sister before jumping through the portal, roaring in hopes of startling his nephew.
"Even as the Ambassador to Infershia, he is still a child at heart," Isamu shook his head, chuckling as he heard Sol get startled then both boys laughing. It warmed his heart to see that even after all that had happened to his children, even with his disappearance from their childhood, they were still fun, loving people.
"I hope he never changes and keeps that innocence. He will be a good dad, I think." Houka echoed his thoughts as she walked around the desk, looking at the family pictures. It was a sweet timeline of events that had happened in the past seven years: pictures of the five Ozu siblings and their mother, some with the addition of their teacher, and future husband of Urara, Hikaru, the wedding picture from Kai and Yuka Yamazaki's ceremony in Infershia, the wedding picture of Makito and Eriko from the garden in the back yard, Tsubasa's boxing championships, a few of the modeling shoots of Houka, and finally a picture of Isamu's grandchildren Sol and Zolda. It was growing to become such a loving family and took up lots of space on his desk. Not that he minded of course.
"He will do fine," Isamu put his hand on Houka's shoulder, smiling to his daughter. "Is everything alright, you seem troubled." Worry lined the older man's face as he watched his daughter wipe away a tear brought on by all the memories displayed in front of her. It was tough realizing her younger siblings were all grown up now and no longer needed her to look after them. Shaking her head, her smile was back in place, beaming brightly to hide whatever sadness she had. Her father saw right through it though, but he wouldn't press the issue. When she was ready, she would tell her tale.
"Yup, just fine! I do want to talk to you all later though, I have some questions about Infershia and Magitopia." Her voice was serious, which was rather unusual for Houka. The attack from earlier had bugged her for a bit and the visit to the antique shop only added to her confusion about Gates and Phantoms. She hoped her family might know something either events. Nodding, Isamu understood that this was very important matter at hand.
"I can gather everyone now, if you like." Isamu offered, removing his phone from his coat pocket and flicking it into an almost identical magical wand that Houka had used earlier to transform into Magi Pink. Houka laughed, covering it with her hands.
"No, no, this is Sol's special day and we should let him enjoy it. It's not a dire emergency or anything, so we should be okay!" Houka reassured her father, linking her arm with his and guiding him towards the fireplace to join the rest of the household. She wanted to enjoy this moment, for she didn't know if it would be the last time they would be together peacefully or not.
"If you say so, I trust your judgment." Isamu patted her hand as he kissed her atop her head, the two of them stepping through the barrier into the main house, Mandora following close behind them.
-M-
"Medusa, you bitch, where are you? Medusa!" the serpent woman hissed as she limped into the abandoned warehouse, kicking over an old crate. Rage boiled within her and she wanted to find the Phantom who had assigned her to this shitty task.
"My, my, Lamia, what a temper you have," Medusa, in her human form wearing a blue dress, smiled as she sat atop one a pile of boxes, looking rather bored her foot swinging lazily. She looked down at the Serpent Woman, a smile playing on Medusa's lips. "Get into a fight did we?"
"You lied to me," Lamia hissed again, spitting poison at Medusa as she kicked over another pile of empty boxes. The other woman's form shimmered as she hopped down, changing into a Phantom, the snakes in her hair hissing softly at Lamia's attack. Medusa wasn't afraid of reminding the woman just who was in charge.
"No need to spit at me. How did I lie," Medusa asked her voice calm despite the anger in Lamia's. If there was one thing Medusa was good at, it was keeping her temper in check, even while the lower Phantoms complained about the task given to them. Didn't they know better than to question the will of Wiseman? He was their creator after all.
"You told me there was only one Magician! He used rings or something stupid like that," Lamia crossed her arms over her chest, her form shimmering as she transformed into a large Serpent. Her top half was that of a woman but her legs had fused together to become a serpent tail. Scales covered her whole body and her hands had become claws.
"There is only one, unless we are counting the White Magician, but I haven't seen him in a long time." Medusa tapped her bottom lip as she paced. Could the White Magician be acting out against them again? She had only seen him once or twice, the first from the Sabbath which had awaken Medusa and the other Phantoms. He had only cared about the girl in his arms and the one boy who hadn't shed his former life to give birth to a Phantom. Regret kicked her every time she thought about it; she had a perfect chance to get rid of the pesky Ring Wizard but had shrugged it off.
"Oh, is this a snake fight? My money's on Medusa," a male voice shouted from the rafters, catching both women's attention. Phoenix, in his human form wearing all red, hopped down, landing gracefully as he watched the two women, a cocky grin in place as he rubbed his hands together. Both serpents rolled their eyes at him, doing their best to ignore the Phantom.
"You still have to work with him?" Lamia pitied the other woman, knowing just how annoying Phoenix was from personal experience. Medusa could only shrug; she was doing what the Wiseman had told her. If only she could get Phoenix to understand that and to not run off half crazed, trying to kill anything that moved, she would be alright.
"It is the Wiseman's wish for us to work together to find more Gates to create more Phantoms. Speaking of which, how was that one woman with the large aura?" Medusa ignored Phoenix as she sat on an empty crate, her form shimmering as she reverted back to her human form, feeling a bit more comfortable in this. Lamia did the same, smoothing out her form fitting dress which was now whole again, the battle damage having mended.
"She is a Magician, like the one you warned me about, it seems. She transformed when Wizard showed up," Lamia reported, rubbing her sore shoulder. If she had known that there was going to be more than one to fight she would have approached the woman from a much different angle. Knowledge wasn't always given freely in this business, sometimes you had to force it from people.
"That can't be, she has the aura of a Gate unlike Wizard," Medusa frowned as she listened. It wasn't possible. If you had a Phantom inside you, you had an aura. If the Phantom had already awakened, Medusa would have known about it. However, if the Phantom had been destroyed, then the aura wouldn't be there at all. This made no sense.
"Oh, was the mighty Medusa wrong about something," Phoenix teased, laughing at his partner, edging on her silent anger. Medusa glared at him, her eyes sparkling as Phoenix's legs turned to stone, paralyzing him and attaching him to the floor. "Damn it, really?" He tried to move, but found he couldn't and almost fell over in the attempt.
"Shut up or I'll petrify you all the way," Medusa warned as turned her back to Phoenix, giving her full attention to Lamia. Something wasn't quite right here and she needed all the details. "The Gate has the aura, so she can still be brought to despair and her Phantom could be born. It would be one of the strongest so we must get her, regardless of what happens." Lamia sighed as she looked at her nails, pouting as one had chipped. She would need to schedule an appointment after she was finished with the Gate.
"You make it sound so easy. If you could take care of Wizard that would leave me free to focus on the Gate," Lamia smirked as she placed her hands on her hips, gazing at Medusa, daring her to argue the point. "Why not do that for me, huh?"
"Because Medusa is too weak, she can't even get a gate to go into despair properly," Phoenix laughed as he wobbled a bit, his feet still cemented to the floor. Medusa spun around; her eyes sparkling as the petrification slowly crawled up his body. "Hey, it was a joke! S-stop it! God damn it Medu-" He was cut off as his face turned to stone.
"Isn't that a bit much, Medusa," Lamia asked, crossing her arms over her chest as she stared at the strange statue. Already parts of it began to heat up and turn red as Phoenix attempted to shift into his Phantom form.
"He'll be back to normal by morning. I'll see what I can do about the Magician of the Rings. You need to focus on the Gate. I have a good feeling about this." A wicked smile played at Medusa's lips as she made her way to the petrified Phoenix, her anger and frustration simmering under the surface. "Just you wait, Wiseman will be unstoppable with this one and you will be out of a job." She laughed as she pushed the statue over, watching it shatter on the ground, the fragments bursting into flames, burning until they turned into ash. Lamia stared at the other Phantom, a shiver running down her back.
"Scary," Lamia backed away from the other woman slowly, shaking her head. She knew Medusa was a bit crazy, but killing your own partner for fun was just a bit…wrong, even if he was an annoying prick. Shrugging, Lamia turned away from the crazed scene and left to form a plan.
-M-
"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Sol. Happy birthday to you," the Ozu family sang together as they sat at the dining room table, laughing and clapping along. Sol sat in the center, a large cake in front of him with seven candles lit up on top of it, causing his face to glow even brighter with his smile. Even Mandora and Smokey the Magical Cat, sitting in his magical lamp, joined in for the birthday song. Staring in complete awe of the cake, Sol took a deep breath and blew out the candles as everyone cheered.
"Say, what did you wish for, hmm? You can tell me," Houka giggled as she leaned her ear close to her nephew. Already the cake was being pulled aside to be cut up and allow everyone to have a slice. Sol thought for a moment about his wish before leaning close to Houka's ear.
"I wished for…not telling!" Sol giggled as he saw Houka clasp her hands over her chest, a look of shock and betrayal written across her face. She pretended to be hurt, taken aback by him using her own technique against. She would show him though!
"Why you little…" Houka growled playfully as she tickled the boy, laughing maniacally as his laughter filled the room. He squirmed in his seat, siding off of it to get away as he hid behind his father, sticking his tongue out at Houka.
"Now, now, that's enough. Time to open your gifts," Hikaru said as he picked his son up and placed him on his lap, gesturing to all the presents on the table that had suddenly appeared while Houka had been distracting the boy with her tickles.
"Sphinx and Vancuria sent their gifts with me, so they are mixed in the pile too," Kai smiled as he gestured to the two black bags on the table, one with a tiny bat shaped name tag and the other with a pyramid shaped tag. It made Sol feel loved to know that the fellow leaders of Infershia had thought of him.
"We will send them special thank you cards after," Urara smiled at her son, who rolled his eyes at the thought of writing out cards. He knew it was the right thing to do, but the older-than-dirt women scared him a little and he was afraid of saying the wrong thing to them.
"It's okay, I'll help you with them," Hikaru promised as he saw the light and joy return to his son's eyes. He turned back to the pile in front of him and reached for the first bag, excited to see what new thing he had been given.
In a matter of moments, Sol had torn into his gifts, opening them as quickly as possible with a never ending amount of enthusiasm. Even if one gift was lesser than another, he never showed it, always grateful for the act. Houka smiled as she watched her nephew, proud of the young man he was already becoming, her hand gently resting on her own stomach as that familiar internal clock continued to tick.
"I want one…" Houka sighed as she watched Sol open a gift from her older brother, Makito. It was a small window garden that he would be able to use to grow Earth flowers in even though he lived in Magitopia, high above the clouds. Urara had missed Earth's flowers and every time she visited she had picked up a bouquet for herself. Now she and Sol would be able to grow their own.
"I think you would be a good mother," Tsubasa confessed as he sat next to his eldest sister, watching his other siblings with their spouses and understanding her pang of loneliness. His eyes lingered on his older brother who held his young daughter on his lap, the little girl reaching out for discarded wrapping paper and waving it around with her tiny hand. "You did a good job with the rest of us."
"Oh, that reminds me; I met a nice detective today who seemed like a good fit for you. I gave her your information," Houka smiled as she recalled her conversation with Detective Rinko. She really was a nice person, very down to earth and would probably be good at keeping Tsubasa reined in and under control. She also wouldn't back down from his fighting spirit either. Tsubasa groaned aloud, leaning forward to rest his forearms on the table and place his head on his hands. He looked sideways at Houka, sighing loudly once more.
"Really Hou-nee? You know I'm not fit for those kinds of things," Tsubasa turned his attention back to his nephew who was completely amazed by Makito's gift, explaining to his younger cousin how he promised to bring her the first flower that blossomed. Zolda giggled and reached for Sol's face, pinching his cheeks and laughing at his funny face. He stuck his tongue out at her and crossed his eyes, causing her, and the others, to laugh more. "Besides, you aren't very good at these sorts of things."
"What? I have been successful many times at setting up relationships, so don't you say that! I can't help it if you are such a bore, Tsubasa-chan," Houka pushed her brother, laughing as he almost fell from his chair. He glared back at her, unsure if he should laugh or be worried. "Oh, he is opening my gift!" Houka giggled as she scooted her chair closer to the table, nudging Tsubasa so he would watch too.
Sol opened the blue bag, removing the old leather book inside. He frowned as he turned it over in his hands, unsure of how he felt about it. "Mythology of the Western World," Sol read the title aloud before he opened the book, curious as to what it was about. His eyes grew large in amazement as he saw a picture depicting Hercules fighting the dreaded Gorgon, Medusa. "WOAH! This is awesome! Thanks Aunt Houka!" Quickly he began to flip through the pages, searching for all the pictures that were in it. Even Hikaru was interested in the book as he looked over Sol's shoulder at the pictures, trying to read the descriptions underneath before Sol turned the page. Houka had remembered that Hikaru didn't know very much about Earth's history since he was from Magitopia and figured this would be the perfect gift for both of them.
"Glad you like it, a nice old man in an Antique Shop helped me pick it out," Houka smiled triumphantly as she relaxed in her chair, proud of her ability to pick out things for her family. Urara frowned at her sister, remembering the phone call from earlier today.
"Was this after the accident with the…other idea," Urara asked carefully, trying not to hint to Sol that he originally had another gift. Houka nodded, but held her finger over her mouth in a shushing motion, her eyes darting to her family. She didn't want to worry them over something like this. It wasn't a big deal, honestly.
"Accident? Is this part of what you wanted to talk to us about," Isamu asked his daughter, sitting comfortably at the head of the table as he watched everyone. He looked around at his growing family, pride filling him as he saw their smiles and heard their laughter. It amazed him how much he had missed out while he was trapped in Infershia after sacrificing himself to seal N Ma and becoming Wolzard. Thanks to the love of his family, he was able to awaken from the darkness and be able to sit here, watching his grandson turn seven.
"Hey Sol, why don't you show Zolda some of the flowers you are planning to bring to Magitopia with you," Makito suggested as he lifted his daughter off his lap and carefully set her on her feet. She wobbled for a moment, her legs unsteady as she held onto her father to steady herself, but Sol took her by the hand and guided her outside. Already he was describing the flowers in the old garden.
"I'll go too! Come on Smoky," Madora piped up as he grabbed Smokey's Magic Lamp, dragging the cat outside with him. Smokey complained, a trail of smoke flowing from the lip of the lamp, leaving a trail to the back patio.
"I'll go keep an eye on them," Yuka smiled as she got to her feet, holding her stomach a bit as she kissed Kai on the head before following the children outside. Kai smiled as he watched his wife go, hi face beaming with pride and hope. Eriko sighed as she got to her feet, reading the unsaid emotions in the situation all too well.
"Guess I'll go make coffee for everyone and cut up this cake, I know when I'm not wanted in a conversation," Eriko teased Makito before she disappeared in the kitchen, the sounds of cabinets opening and things moving around promised she wasn't listening. Silence fell over the dining room as the seven of them sat together, a sense of calmness that was both comforting and strange.
"Isn't this nostalgic," Miyuki said gently, smiling as she sat next to her husband, her hand seeking his under the table. He found it and gave her a reassuring squeeze letting her relax as the tension drained. She was worried about her children, as any mother was.
"It's been a long time since we all sat together like this," Urara giggled a bit as she looked at her siblings, the same feeling going through each of them as memories of their youth were silently shared. Each person had a smile on their face except for Houka. It was odd. "What's wrong?"
"Have any of you ever heard of Phantoms," Houka asked her voice quiet and calm, surprising the family more than her words. The Ozu family exchanged a quick glance as they saw that Houka truly was serious about something, looking almost frightened. It was quite rare.
"I can't say I have heard anything in Magitopia," Urara frowned as she looked up at her husband, Hikaru. He leaned back in his chair, draping his arm over the back of his wife's. Eyes closed, he searched his memory for any mention of such things, but came up blank.
"Nor have I. What are they," Hikaru asked, curious as to what it could be. Judging from the seriousness in Houka, it wasn't a good thing. Then again, he didn't know as much about Earth as the rest of his adoptive family did.
"I'm not sure. I was having lunch when a woman called me a 'Gate' and then destroyed the original gift I had for Sol, demanding I to go into despair," Houka explained, gripping her skirt in her hands as she remembered the anger and hatred in the woman's eyes. For the life of her, Houka couldn't' remember ever meeting this woman, so why did she hate Houka so much? "She eventually changed into a snake and attacked me." Silence hung heavy around the table as everyone stared in disbelief.
"Why didn't you call us if a Hades Beast was attacking," Tsubasa demanded, slamming his fist on the table to draw everyone out of their initial shock. "We would have been there in a heartbeat to help you!" Tsubasa glared at Kai, angry at how he had let monsters from Infershia escape and start attacking humans again. The war had been over for a long time but most of the rogue Hades Beasts had been dealt with. Houka shook her head.
"That's just the thing; it wasn't a Hades Beast or something from Infershia. It was something different. Besides, someone was already there, another Magician." Houka explained. Again, her family stared at her in disbelief. This story was too much for even Houka to make up.
"Another Magician," Miyuki repeated, turning to her husband, the unasked question hanging in the air. Isamu was silent as he thought things over, silently placing where all the other Heavenly Saints were besides himself and Hikaru.
"I've never heard of a Phantom either, but I can ask Vancuria and Sphinx when I get back to Infershia," Kai offered, trying to sound optimistic and to clear the name of Infershia. He had been working very hard with the other two to help clear Infershia's name and allow the two factions to live in peace with one another.
"What are you thinking, Blagel," Hikaru asked as he studied Isamu, using the older man's Heavenly Saint name as the matters at hand seemed a bit more serious than Houka was letting on. It always surprised Isamu how quick Hikaru was. Living on Earth for the short time he had had done wonders for it.
"Houka, did this Magician use a Magiphone like you all do or did they shift like Sungel and I," Isamu's voice was calm and calculating as he nodded towards Hikaru, the Heavenly Saint of the Sun, using the other man's Heavenly Saint name to push his point across. Houka sat up a bit straighter as she felt all eyes on her, blushing slightly.
"No, he used rings, like this," Houka answered honestly, holding her hand up, letting the light sparkle off her Oath Ring as she placed it over her belt buckle, mimicking Haruto's transformation. She held her arm out to the side, giggling as she remembered his odd transformation. "He also had a really weird belt."
"A Ring Mage, I don't think I've heard of something like that," Miyuki shook her head as she thought it over. Something in her mind felt familiar about the reference to a belt helping someone transform, but the thought danced right out of reach. "Did he have an elemental Heavenly Saint?" Houka shook her head, thinking of how different Wizard was from the Magirangers.
"No, but a girl said that the Phantoms gave him power, so I assumed they were a bit like our Heavenly Saints of the Elements. The odd thing was that he was able to change elements." Houka frowned as she hung her head, feeling mildly useless and defeated. She just wanted to understand what was going on. She blushed slightly, giggling as her hand touched the phone in her pocket. "He said he would explain things to me on our date later tonight…"
"You asked him on a date?!" Tsubasa exclaimed, staring at his sister in disbelief. The other siblings stared at her as well while her parents could only laugh at their daughter's ability to find the good in any situation. "You can't be serious!" A light flush crept up Houka's cheeks as she tried to look anywhere but at Tsubasa.
"Leave it to our sister to find romance even during dangerous situations," Urara sighed heavily at her older sister, shaking her head to hide her smile. There was no helping Houka with her never ending quest for love.
"You're one to talk, Urara. Didn't you get MARRIED right before we destroyed N Ma," Kai countered, pointing at Urara and Hikaru. Both of them flushed brightly, making it a point to not look at each other. It was true of course, but everyone else had known the two had feelings for each other. Wel, everyone except for Urara and Hikaru, which was why they needed a little bit of help from the rest of the family.
"Well, I remember you trying to impress Yuka while she was being held captive by Meemy," Makito smirked at his youngest brother, patting him on the shoulder. Meemy, a Heavenly Saint who had betrayed Magitopia and fallen to Infershia, had kidnapped Yuka in order for her to become the bride of a Hades Beastman.
"Th-that was different." Kai crossed his arms over his chest, blushing slightly as he looked away, hoping to not be lumped in with his family's bad habit of finding love at the wrong time. Sensing his little brother was in trouble, Tsubasa leaned against the table, pointing at the eldest of the Ozu siblings.
"I remember Eriko telling you she would only go out with you if you made a cactus flower bloom, which ended up trying to eat everyone," Tsubasa teased his older brother, a smirk playing on his lips. Makito's eyes widened as he blushed. The family exchanged a look before bursting into laughter, catching the attention of the children. Sol and Zolda stood in the doorway, peeking in to see if it was safe to come back into the main house yet or not. Smokey and Mandora hovered above the children, peeking in as well.
"What's so funny," Sol asked, stepping in as Eriko entered from the kitchen, a tray full of small plates of cake and cups of coffee in her hands, her years of owning a café coming in handy as she delivered the tray to the table with expert grace. Zolda wobbled her way to her father, holding her arms up to him to be picked up. Giving in, Makito picked up Zolda and set her on his lap.
"Just stories of the past, has your mother ever told you how she and Hikaru met," Houka asked, a glint of mischief sparkling in her eyes as Yuka reclaimed her seat next to Kai after helping Eriko pass out cake and coffee. Urara pointed a fork at her older sister, murder sparking in her eyes.
"Don't you dare," Urara warned, her face turning bright red. She had never considered killing her sister, but there was a first for everything. Isamu leaned against the table, his hands together as he looked over at the others, the merriment blossoming at the table. It had been a very, very long time since the house was so full of love and joy.
"Nyao, I wanna hear it again," Smokey laughed as he hovered to the table, dancing away from Urara as she snatched at him, wanting to silence him. He stuck his tongue out at her as he hid behind Hikaru, his laughter echoing in his little lamp.
"Be careful Houka, you are strong but do not be afraid to ask for help," Isamu said softly as he watched Urara try to attack Smokey, threating him with all kinds of bad things. Sol laughed at his mother, poking fun at her red cheeks.
"I will father," Houka promised, reaching out and touching his shoulder. She knew when to ask for help and that her family would always be there for her, no matter what. Turning her attention back to the birthday boy, Houka giggled with mischief as she decided to tell the tale of how her sister had kissed a frog and it had turned into Hikaru. "Once upon a time, your father was a frog…"
"Houka!" Urara shouted but was ignored as everyone listened to Houka's tale.
-M-
Haruto paced the Antique shop as he tried to think of a simple message to send Houka. He didn't understand why it was so difficult; he had sent plenty of messages to other Gates, so this one shouldn't be any different. Still, something held him back. He blamed it on the surprise of finding out she was more than just a Gate.
"Are you still worried about this," Shunpei asked as he finished sweeping the store. It was rare to see Haruto flustered about anything, especially messaging a cute girl. "You're going to wear a path if you keep that up." Haruto stopped his pacing, feeling a bit embarrassed as he looked at the trail he had been on. Sighing he sat back down in the chair, picking out a plain sugar donut from the bag that sat on the tiny coffee table.
"I don't know what to say…" Haruto was frustrated as he set the half eaten donut on top of a napkin on the coffee table, his stomach not feeling up to the sweet sugary goodness from the Happy Donut Shop.
"Stop treating her special; she is just like any other Gate," Koyomi offered as she sat on the couch, enjoying the flower shaped donut with the strawberry filling. She knew Haruto only liked the plain sugar ones, so this was a treat indeed.
"She does have a point, Wizard-kun," Rinko teased, flipping through her small notebook to go over the information she had collected at the station. After making a few phone calls Rinko had found basic information about the Ozu family, but there was nothing in there about Houka being different or a Magician.
"S-stop that! She called you Detective-kun," Haruto countered, his face blushing slightly at the pet name Houka had given him. It made him smile every time he thought of it, but other people calling him by it ruined the specialness of it. Rinko frowned slightly at the name, not offended, just thinking it a bit odd.
"She has an interesting way of napping people," Rinko nodded her head. Over the years she had been referred to as Detective-san but never with 'kun' at the end. The other woman was a strange one that was certainly true.
"Speaking of which, she left this for you," Shunpei handed Rinko the piece of paper with Houka's brother's information on it. Rinko frowned as she read it over before flipping to a different page in her notebook to read about Tsubasa Ozu and his boxing career.
"Eh? Why is she trying to play match maker? She is a strange one," Rinko chuckled to herself as she entered the information into her phone, for research of course. She wondered what kind of person Tsubasa was if he let his sister set him up, then again, he probably didn't know she had done it in the first place.
"You are going to message them?" Haruto blinked, it was unlike Rinko to be so straight forward. He had never seen her mention anything about men or her personal life. It wasn't his place to ask, but not once had he heard even the tiniest mention of a boyfriend or even a personal interest in someone.
"I don't see why I can't. I'm doing this for research on the Gate and speaking with their relatives is a good way together Intel," Rinko giggled as she shot off a message before putting the paper in her pocket and setting the phone on the table. The others stared at her as if she had grown a second head.
"Do you think she is being possessed," Shunpei whispered loudly to Haruto, cowering behind the seated rider. Just to be safe, Haruto switched the ring on his right hand to the Driver On ring, doing his best to hide a smile. It was dangerous to push Rinko's buttons, but it was also very fun.
"Stop that! I am a woman, you know," Rinko pouted at them, snatching the bag of donuts from in front of Haruto and taking one. She bit into, chewing it in a very unladylike fashion as she maintained her glare at the two.
"Scary…" Shunpei and Haruto whispered together, trying to get away from the detective who looked as if she would rather bite their heads off than bite into the donut. Finally her angry bravado faded away.
"Mou…Hurry up and message your Gate so we can make sure she is safe," Rinko gestured at Haruto with her donut, her annoyance simmering underneath the surface, but it had truly subsided. Romance could wait until after the Gate situation was taken care of, either by destroying the Phantom attacking her or destroying the Phantom within the Gate.
"Y-yes ma'ma," Haruto smiled nervously as he fumbled with his phone, sending Houka a quick message, asking her to meet him at a small restaurant later on in the evening. He hit send and almost instantly regretted it as a million other ways he could have worded that message popped into his head at once.
"That really does sound like a date," Shunpei noted as he read the message over Haruto's shoulder. Flushing, Haruto shoved his friend away, blushing brightly. "What? Bistro La Salle is a great little place to eat and talk." Shunpei nodded his head towards Haruto's phone.
"What is with you two today! It's just a date, Gate! I said Gate!" Haruto stood up, pointing from Shunpei to Rinko, the two exchanging a knowing look as they reclined in their chairs, a smug look on both their faces. The Detective raised an eyebrow at Haruto as she finished her donut, licking the sugar off her fingers like a cat that had just gotten a bowl of cream.
"Call it whatever you want, we just need to make sure she doesn't fall into despair and create a Phantom," Koyomi complained frowning up at Haruto. She was getting tired of this silliness and just wanted things to get back to normal. The sooner this was over, the sooner they could focus properly on beating Medusa and Phoenix. The Rider nodded, sitting back down in his chair and calming down.
"You're right. From what Shunpei and I saw when the Gate was attacked, she has very powerful magic," Haruto stared at the bag of donuts, his eyes unfocused as he tried to sort out his thoughts. In truth, he was terrified of Houka going into despair since he wasn't sure he could defeat the Phantom inside her. WizarDragon was a very powerful Phantom, but Haruto didn't know how well he and WizarDragon would match up against Houka's Phantom, whatever it turned out to be. His phone buzzing brought him out of his thoughts.
"Well, what does it say?" Shunpei asked, trying to see around Haruto to get a glimpse at the message, the others in the room leaning forward to hear what Houka had said. Haruto read the message before putting his phone back in his pocket and relaxing in his chair, looking calm as ever.
"It would appear I have a date tonight," Haruto did his best to not smile.
Author's Note: It's adorable! I wanted to show the Ozu family together, being their usual silly self but worrying about Houka at the same time.
In case you are curious, Zolda is a reference to Kamen Rider Ryuki. The symbol on Kamen Ride Zolda's card deck looks a lot like Magi Green's symbol, so I decided to pay tribute to it. Thank you for reading, please review if you don't mind.