Author's Note: Not much to say this week, other than I plan on focusing on more exciting action filled bits next week. In the mean time, Read, Review, Favorite and enjoy!


Chapter 29: Magical Rehabilitation: In case of Relapsing

Klaud successfully shot her twelfth clay pigeon out of the air using her magical rifle, clearly fine tuning the C.A.D Implants were a good call. Now that Klaud wasn't being sent flying every time she fired off her weapon she could focus on getting a handle on getting back to normal.

"The four of you seem to be getting along nicely." The four women looked over to see a fifth, their mother Sakura fresh out of bed based on the fact that she was still in her evening wear. "Oh I'm so happy to see my girls getting along again after so long!" Saying that, Sakura abruptly pulled her four daughters into a hug. "So how are you doing Klaud?"

"Well, I'm not getting sent flying every time fire this gun off anymore, and I've managed to spend a whole day with my sisters without feeling the overwhelming need to run off and hide in the cupboard." Klaud replied, deliberately trying to avoid the topic at hand.

"Oh that bad eh? Well it's nice to see the four of you getting along." Sakura reiterated patting Klaud on her head. "But what's this about her being sent flying by that gun she's holding?"

To this question, Maylin and Madison looked at Rebecca whom they knew as the guilty party.

"Normally, part of a magician's development is that they grow into their power as they mature. But Klaud, she got it all at once, and at a very young age, and that screwed with her psion control. So we tried bottle necking that, and now we're trying to take the bottle neck out of the equation. Thus far she's already grasped basic psion control, but I suspect we'll have to work on the rest." Rebecca stated as she scratched her chin debating on what to do next.

"Then for the time being, Klaud isn't the only one who needs to heal." Saying that Sakura presented a rather ominous object, the Book of Klaud as the title at the bottom read. "You know what this is Klaud don't you?"

"It's a book, my book. The resting place of all of my cards when I'm not using them." Klaud stated in a sad tone resting her hand on the surface. "The book I stole from my own father when I murdered him."

A loud clap echoed through the area, Klaud's cheek was now red and sore from where Sakura had hit her. Looking up Klaud saw her mother with a deep set fury in her eyes that sent a chill down her spine.

"Understand something Klaud, loud and clear, you are not the one who killed your fathers. And you stole absolutely nothing from them! Am. I. Under. Stood?" Sakura asked in a deep and unforgiving tone of voice that carried not one single ounce of mercy in it.

To this end, Klaud could only nod her head.

"Good now have the four of you had breakfast yet?" A motherly tone that sharply contradicted the one used to scold Klaud a moment earlier asked.

"Uh-Uh..." Klaud tried to reply, but clearly she was still stunned.

"I can't speak for these two but me and Klaud had some eggs earlier, I had red wine and she had cranberry juice." Maylin stated indicating both herself and Klaud.

"Well that's fine, as much as I would wish for Klaud to have little bit of alone time with the cards I think having a little bit of supervision is in order as well." Saying that, Sakura led both Madison and Rebecca inside the mansion.

"Klaud, are you gonna be okay?" Klaud collapsed onto her knees and started hyperventilating. "Breath." Maylin stated handing Klaud a bag which she promptly began rapidly blowing up and sucking flat giving Maylin the chance she needed to sit her up right. "Now repeat after me three, nine, four, eight, five, two, one, six, seven."

"Wha?" A confused and still slightly panicking Klaud asked.

"Just do it Klaud." Maylin stated trying to sound gentle.

"Three, nine, four, eight, five..." Klaud visibly started to calm down none being more surprised than she was. "Two, One, Six, Seven. How'd you do that?"

"You can't freak out and count numbers in the wrong order at the same time Klaud. Little trick my C.O taught me the first time I went into battle. Are you okay?" The elder sister asked sitting down next to Klaud.

"I-I've never seen her like that before..." Klaud stated, folding up into a ball.

"I have, when I told her I joined the military, after dad moved back to Hong Kong, when Rebecca joined the magical institute, when those Russian jerks invaded the town oh that was a bad one..." While Maylin listed off all time that she remembered her getting angry Klaud was busy fending off another mini-panic attack.

"Three, nine, four, eight, five, two, one, six, seven." The younger sister muttered.

"Are you good now?" Maylin asked realizing just Klaud was in the middle of, to which the younger girl nodded her head. "Okay. Well we probably should get to doing the thing that she wanted us to do now." Maylin stated, picking up the book that Sakura had left behind.

The two went over to a bench together, and Klaud was looking down at her book with a ominous feeling of dread upon her.

"Are you gonna be okay Klaud?" Maylin asked for what felt like the umpteenth time that morning.

"Sorry it's just... I'm not sure if I can face them after everything that happened." Klaud stated a sad look on her face as she looked down at the book that bore her name.

"Imagine how they feel for moment would yah? Unlike you they weren't traumatized so badly that they forgot what happened all that time ago. Which means that in spite of knowing that, they still choose to serve you and done so loyally. The only problem here, are the ones that you're creating for yourself." Maylin stated leaning her cheek on her fist.

Letting out a defeated tired sigh, Klaud proceeded to open up her book, and immediately one of it's cards flew out and took form in front of her.

"So you're aware of what happened now are you?" Klaud froze up when she heard the voice.

This was understandable, on account of the fact that the owner of that voice was one that Klaud never thought she would ever meet in person. Turning around, the two girls were met by one of Klaud's father and Maylin's brother Tori. Immediately Klaud started to panic again only this time much more severely dropping on all fours and crawling away backwards fearfully.

"Real nice, traumatizing her like that." Maylin stated noting that Klaud had already ran off. "So I take it now that you know that she knows about what you know?"

"You mean that she's aware of the fact that she killed her fathers? Yes, Return told us." The Mirror duplicate explained turning to face Maylin. "This might not have been the face that she wanted to see, but it is a face that she needed to see. Or one of them that is."

"Try telling her that after we dig her out of the closet." Maylin stated using a magic sword to seal the Mirror card away before locking it inside of Klaud's book.


As Sakura, Rebecca and Madison finished eating breakfast they suddenly heard some rampage through the house and run into the closet before locking it. Immediately the three older women looked at each other before going to investigate the closet.

"Klaud are you in there?" Sakura asked pressing her ear to the door.

If Sakura's memory served her the closet was Klaud's hiding place of choice whenever she was thrown into a panic attack, towards this end Sakura had a lock placed inside of it to help her feel safe, and gave her daughters strict instructions that this closet was strictly off limits. So if Klaud had reverted this much, then it must have been something bad. From the other side of the door Sakura could hear Klaud crying and hyperventilating confirming her fears.

"Sweetie are you okay!?" Sakura asked again, sounding a little bit fearful.

"What the bleeding hell did Maylin do to her!?" Rebecca snapped, sounding particularly displeased.

"Go find out Rebecca. Now!" At Sakura's marching orders Rebecca exited the mansion to go looking for Maylin. Left with few choices Sakura began singing a lullaby, hoping to calm Klaud down. Eventually she heard the latch come undone. "Madison, I believe that Klaud's friends and or teachers should be calling soon. Would you please tell them that she's not available right now?" Sakura asked looking at Madison, whom nodded in response.

With that done Sakura opened the closet. Since Klaud took the closet as her sanctuary Sakura had numerous cushions moved inside. Although it seemed that they had grown rather dusty, she'd have to have them cleaned if this was to become a common occurrence.

"Klaud listen to the sound of my voice." Sakura produced her sleep card. "When I use this card on you, you will be put into a deep dreamless sleep, and when you awaken you will feel refreshed and calm. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Klaud quickly nodded her head, prompting Sakura to release the small fairy like spirit, whom sprinkled something like dust over Klaud causing her to fall asleep. Sakura pulled her daughter into a hug and held her like that for a few minuets. Then she stood up and started going for the stairs.

"Madison. If anyone needs us, we're not available." Saying that, Sakura carried Klaud up the stairs and into her room, where the two of them laid down on Klaud's bed.


"So you mean to tell me that Mirror copied Tori's appearance?" Rebecca asked looking at Maylin suspiciously.

"It claimed that it was the face that Klaud needed to see." Maylin stated shrugging her shoulders.

"Well she's not wrong." Rebecca stated picking up Klaud's mirror card. "But there is such a thing as READING THE BLEEDING ATMOSPHERE YOU MISERABLE GLORIFIED MIRROR!" Before promptly shouting at it.

"You're one to talk about reading the atmosphere drunkard." Maylin scolded.

"And what would a meat witted thug like you know about reading the atmosphere?" Rebecca countered her hands on her hips.

"This is the reason why we never hang out when Klaud is around." Maylin replied her hand on her face. "The three of us always break down into pity insults."

"Well you started it! Come on, mom probably needs help dragging Klaud out of the closet again." Rebecca stated shoving Klaud's book into Maylin's arms before walking off in a harrumph.

When the two of them entered the mansion the smell of something good and the sound of food cooking greeted them. The two went into the kitchen and saw Madison at the stove cooking hot dogs. They also saw that the closet was empty.

"Where's Klaud and Mom?" Maylin asked not seeing either party around.

"Not available." Madison stated getting suspicious looks from her sister. "Mom's words not mine. If yah want something to do she said she wanted those washed." Madison stated pointing to the closet that had dusty pillows inside.

"Lovely." Rebecca stated as she threw the bubble card at the pile of pillows immediately causing the closet to be turned into a suds volcano. "So are we suppose to just sit here until she calms down?" Rebecca asked looking at Madison suspiciously.

"In a word yes. Unless you two would rather help me cook lunch?" Madison stated gesturing to the hot dogs she was grilling.


Upstairs in her room, Klaud was slowly rousing herself awake and looked to see that her mother was laying next to her.

"So Klaud, are you ready to talk about what happened?" Sakura asked a look of deep affection on her features.

"I saw dad today." Klaud explained sounding bitter before falling backwards. "I don't mean dad-dad, I mean..."

"One of the ones that got incinerated?" Sakura asked prompting Klaud to nod her head.

"I mean I know it wasn't dad, I just opened the book and he just popped out and... look I know it's stupid, being traumatized like this just because of something I can't remember."

"You've got that backwards Klaud." Sakura stated in a voice that was both strict and kind as she hugged Klaud into herself. "You're not traumatized because you can't remember, you can't remember because you're traumatized." The two grabbed hold of each other as they cried into one another over their mutual loss. "Did... Did I push you too hard?" Sakura asked letting Klaud pull away from her.

"Mom, I can think of a lot of things that you've done over the years. But pushing me was never one of them. I was the one who tried to contact the cards again even though I knew I wasn't ready yet." Klaud stated her hand on her chest. "I'll... I'll just have to lock them up again. I know it's not fair to them, but I'm... I'm not ready to face them yet." The young magician stated sounding extremely sad.


In the mean time, Rebecca had turned the living room into a miniature work shop. In one hand was a cell phone that she had just completed stenciling a magic circle onto the back of, and she had already used her shrink card to reduce Klaud's book to the size of a quarter.

"Alright I'll bite, Rebecca what are you doing to Klaud's stuff?" Maylin asked as she set the dining table for five.

"The same thing I did to mine." Rebecca stated pulling out own phone, which currently looked skinned in her own magical book. "Normally, Klaud carries her cards with her in a pouch in case she needs them because the book is too buiky. But by the time I'm through with it, that will not be the case."

"Rebecca, can you A check with Klaud to make sure that learning magic is still even on the table before you go and screw with her stuff, and B get her permission before you do said screwing?" Maylin asked un-amused. To this, Rebecca breathed a heavy sigh and put the cell phone down before she removed the shrink spell from the book.


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