Disclaimer
I don't own Angelic Layer. CLAMP does. I don't own Chobits either. CLAMP owns them too. I do own Hitomi, but who really cares?
"Can you read, Hikaru?"
Hikaru still had Athena clutched in her hands. She shook her head. "No. You teach?"
"I'll try, but I'm not a very good teacher." She shrugged. "And it's not going to be easy."
"Now?"
"No," giggled Misaki. "It's going to take a long time. We can't do it tonight." She paused. "I was just wondering...Mister Icchan told me that you don't sleep, and that you'd get bored while I sleep."
"What is sleep?" Hikaru looked puzzled.
"Humans get tired, and need to sleep to recharge," said Misaki. "You recharge just off the sun, and don't need sleep. But you're still very young, and you will be bored tonight."
Hikaru glanced over at the Layer, and carefully sat down on the edge, just as she used to. She scowled, and stood up. "Cannot dance."
"You were dancing just great with Wizard earlier."
"Here." Hikaru tapped the darkened surface of the Layer. "Cannot dance here. Cannot fight here. Cannot play here. Not...anymore?"
"No." Misaki smiled at her. "But you've got a whole new world to explore now."
"A-tena dance here?" Hikaru set the Angel on the Layer, but because it was shut down, Athena promptly toppled over. Misaki giggled, and flipped the switch.
The Layer warmed up, glowing softly, and Athena stirred, then stood up. Hikaru looked down at her. "Dance?"
Athena merely looked back at her, her expression as cool as ever. Hikaru drooped somewhat, then sat down next to the Layer.
"I'm really sorry, Hikaru. But I do need to sleep." She glanced around the room, picked up a stack of comics. "I don't know if you'll get anything out of this, but here's some comics to read." She grinned. "Your namesake is in these ones."
Hikaru took the comics, but her expression was one of confusion.
As always, Misaki was up with the sun. She stood up, stretched, and looked around the room.
"Hikaru?"
She walked out the bedroom door, and heard voices in the kitchen. Her mother, and Hikaru. She hurried out.
"Mom?"
Shuuko looked up from her wheelchair. "Good morning, sleepyhead."
Misaki sat down at the table, opposite Hikaru. "You're up very early."
"I had...difficulty sleeping." She rolled over to the counter, and picked up a platter of food. "I got up around five, and found Hikaru and Athena out in the family room." She smiled. "Hikaru was lying on the chesterfield, and had Athena on her chest. I thought she was asleep, but I guess a computer doesn't need to sleep."
"No. I'm sorry, Mom, I should have told her to stay in my room."
"She might not have been able to understand you then." Shuuko smiled. "But we've been talking for two hours. She's gotten better."
"I learn fast," said Hikaru. "Soon I speak very good."
Shuuko's smile widened. "See?" She paused. "Her voice seems really familiar."
"Her voice is based on a voice actress."
Shuuko's eyes widened. "Of course! I knew i recognized the voice." She rolled over to the family room. "I've got some anime that she was in...I think while you're at school, Hikaru and I are going to watch some videos."
"Uh...Mom? What are you going to have her watch?"
"Some Cowboy Bebop, some Evangelion, and some Ranma." Shuuko grinned. "I especially like Ranma."
"For the next unit, we will be studying the impact of the Internet on early 21st century society," said the history teacher. "If you have a portable computer, please bring it with you." The buzzer sounded for the end of the school day, and students started jumping up. The teacher was forced to raise his voice to be heard over the students. "Make sure the computer has a network port!"
"Have you got a computer, Misaki?" Kotaro glanced over at his tiny friend. "If not, I've got a spare I can loan you."
Misak shook her head. "No. We don't have any computers, except for my Angel Terminal. And I don't think that that would work."
"I don't know. We could ask Hatoko."
"Good idea."
Hatoko frowned. "I don't think you could use the Angel Terminal for this sort of work. It has a network connector, but its programming is all in read-only memory."
Misaki blinked. "Meaning you can't change anything on it?"
"That's correct."
"You know more about computers than me, Hatoko." It was a bit of an understatement; at ten years old, Hatoko was a whiz with computers. "I guess I'll need that laptop from Kotaro."
"That piece of junk?" Hatoko shuddered. "If it's the one I'm thinking of, we'd probably be further ahead trying to modify the Angel Terminal."
"It's for history class," said Misaki.
"This computer would be better suited to paeleontology, because it's a dinosaur." Hatoko considered. "Well, we might be able to upgrade it. When is he bringing it by?"
"He said tonight, after he finishes classes." Kotaro now taught martial arts at the Kobayashi dojo.
"Okay, I'll come along, and bring a bag of parts." She glanced down at Misaki's purse. "Hey, where's Hikaru?"
"Oh, I left her at home. Mom wanted to spend some time with her."
"Your mother wanted to..." Hatoko frowned. "What exactly would they do?"
"Watch television." Misaki clapped a hand to her mouth. "Oh! You don't know!"
"Know what?" Hatoko's puzzlement was growing by leaps and bounds.
"I think I'll make it a surprise," giggled Misaki. "In fact, tell Kotaro to bring Tamayo, too."
"I'm home!" Misaki stepped out of her shoes, and walked into the family room. Her mother was seated at the table, across from Hikaru, and both had cards in hand.
"About time," chuckled Shuuko. "Your little friend here plays a mean game of Rummy."
"You taught her to play cards?" Misaki giggled. "Did you teach her Canfield?"
"Yes, I did. She plays like a computer." Shuuko winked.
"And how did the television watching go?"
It was Hikaru who answered her. "I think that Asuka is a horrible person. Rei is a much nicer girl."
"She has also expressed sympathy for Faye Valentine and Ranma's female side," observed Shuuko dryly. "Her speech has progressed remarkably."
"I'm sorry, Mom, Hikaru," said Misaki. "Teaching you to speak is my job, and I wasn't here to do that."
"That's all right, Misaki. You had school, and that's important." Hikaru paused. "Perhaps I can go to school, too? I can learn lots there. Like how to read."
"I don't know about that." Misaki frowned. "I don't know how the school will react to my bringing a--" She paused. "Oh, I'm stupid sometimes!"
Shuuko and Hikaru stared at her.
"Hikaru, do you have a network connector?"
Hikaru shrugged. "I don't know. I can't read my user's manual."
"Neither could I." Misaki giggled. "We'll ask Hatoko."
"Hatoko...Suzuka's Deus?"
"Yes." Misaki nodded.
"Has Suzuka been upgraded?"
"No. As far as I know, only three Angels have been upgraded. You, Wizard, and another one that I don't know." She sat down at the table. "But if you do have a network connection, you can come to school with me tomorrow."
Hikaru clapped her hands together under her chin. "Really?"
Misaki chuckled at the computer's enthusiasm. "You've already got a uniform, after all."
There was a knock at the door. Misaki blinked. "Wonder who that is? I was expecting Kotaro, but he'd be really early."
"Shall I get it?" Hikaru's voice softened, in what Misaki was starting to recognize as her 'neutral' tone.
"Yes, Dear," answered Shuuko. "That would be nice of you."
Hikaru nodded, set her cards down, and stood. Misaki watched as she walked, noted that she was moving with all her prior grace. "Looks like she's fully adjusted to her new body."
"Yes. But if you're planning to take her to school, she's going to cause a stir."
There was a sudden shrill scream from the door. Misaki recognized the voice as Hatoko's. Hikaru came scrambling back, tripping and tumbling over the coffee table and landing in a heap in front of the futon. Misaki cleared her throat.
"Actually, Mom, I think that the stir is going to start here and now."
