Yui: In Character
Akarin!
Akari: Hey! Yuru Yuri: Amusement Club Forever is about to start!
Sakurako: And I'm here today!
Akari: Hello, Sakurako!
Sakurako: Hi, Akari-chan.
Akari: Ready for the chapter?
Sakurako: You bet! It's Yui-senpai's turn, right?
Akari: That's right!
Sakurako: Great! Then I can go and take a break. I'm beat.
Akari: Wait! You're in the chapter too, so you'll need to stick around.
Sakurako: What?! I don't feel like it.
Akari: Not much choice, Sakurako-chan. Everyone else is in the chapter too.
Sakurako: Oh yeah? Well, you'll have to catch me first and make me work!
Sakurako runs off, laughing. Akari sighs.
Akari: Hopefully, this won't cause any issues in the chapter.
Yui sat on the front step of the beach house. One lonely street light illuminated the place. She could only barely make out the ocean in the dark, but she could still hear it clearly enough. The sound of the waves was a soothing background to her sojourn away from the din of the day's activities. She knew that the next day would be just as lively, so she wanted to take some time to enjoy the peace and quiet before she went to bed.
I feel almost disconnected, she thought, closing her eyes. And far away. Technically speaking, I am far away, but all my friends are right there in the house behind me, so I shouldn't feel like that, right?
"None of that makes any sense," she said to herself, opening her eyes. "I'm starting to sound like Kyouko. Maybe I'm just tired."
Yui heard the front door of the house creek open. Looking up, she saw Haruka stepping outside.
"Hi, Yui."
"Hello, Haruka."
"Can't sleep?"
"No, not really," Yui shook her head. "You?"
"Nope, which is weird considering how much traveling and work we did today."
"You also seem to sleep during the day usually, though not this day, of course."
"That's probably it. Sometimes if I don't sleep enough during the day, I can't sleep well at night." Haruka smiled.
That's a bit strange, but whatever. "Please, sit down," Yui said, moving over on the front step to make room for her.
Haruka sat down next to her. "Are you still angry at Kyouko?"
"No, not any longer," Yui answered. "Just extremely annoyed."
"You seem annoyed at her a lot lately."
Yui chuckled. "With the exception of today, not any more than usual."
Haruka smiled at her. "I see."
"You've been hanging around with us long enough to see what she can be like sometimes. And like today, she's pulled stunts that are crazy even for her before. Often on trips, come to think of it."
"The way you casually talk about it makes me think you're used to it."
"I guess I've got a lot of experience with that now. She's good at thinking up all sorts of antics to pull, and I almost always get dragged along."
"You don't sound entirely unhappy about it though."
"I don't know. She's my best friend, and I wouldn't change that for the world, but she can still get on my nerves sometimes."
"Those closest to us can also irritate us the most. It's far more personal."
Huh. You're not as scatterbrained as you occasionally seem, Haruka.
"That's true," Yui said. "And I'm excited to be here, really. I'm grateful that she found this place for us to stay at, even with the hiccups we've had so far. I can't wait to see what we'll do tomorrow."
"Play on the beach all day?" Haruka yawned.
"I hope everyone brought enough sunscreen," Yui said. "We could have a nice picnic for all of us on the beach. There's not really enough room in that little house. And there'll be fireworks in the evening, I guess. Additionally, there's got to be some local things to see, right? What do you think, Haruka?"
"Disasterific," Haruka mumbled in reply.
"What? That's not even a word." Yui looked over at Haruka. She had slumped forward a little, and her eyes were closed.
"Haruka, wake up," Yui said, reaching over and shaking her. People shaking her awake must be a constant in this girl's life.
"Huh?" Haruka looked over at her sleepily. "Oh, sorry, Yui. I'm a little tired now."
"Understandable," Yui said. "I think it's time for both of us to go inside and go to bed."
"Right, right."
Yui followed Haruka back into the beach house, making sure that she made it to her own bed in the main room safely. All the other girls were fast asleep. She stepped into the side bedroom and saw that Chinatsu, Sakurako, and Himawari were asleep too.
Good. We all need some rest. I'm feeling that myself now.
Yui lied down next to Chinatsu and closed her eyes. She was asleep almost immediately.
Yui stood by herself in her base, getting ready. She had on her dark green vest and sturdy combat boots under her body armor. She looked briefly in a mirror and adjusted the STARS beret on her head. Nodding at her reflection, she began checking her guns to make sure they were fully loaded. She didn't want to be caught unaware. She strapped her pistols into her belt and tapped the hilt of the large knife she always carried. Given her experience with bioterrorism and what-not, she expected this mission would be a simple one. However, it was best to prepare thoroughly. She still remembered an entire city going up in smoke.
"I have everything I need," she said. "Now I just need my teammates. I guess they're running late again."
At that moment, Sakurako came running into the room.
"Sorry, I'm running late again!" she cried.
"Of course you are," Yui replied. "I wish you'd all hurry up. We need to get the wheels of justice moving. Are you-huh?"
She looked at Sakurako. The girl couldn't have been more inappropriately dressed for a dangerous combat mission. She was wearing a long pink dress that came down to her ankles and matching pink heels. To top off this look, a little golden crown sat on top of her head.
"Sakurako," Yui frowned. "You can't go on this mission dressed like that."
"I'm fine!" Sakurako said. "Look, I brought mushrooms!"
She held out a little red-and-white speckled mushroom.
"Want to try one, Yui?"
"No thanks. Alright, just…try not to get in the way, I guess."
"Our enemies are going to regret encountering me! I'm pretty sure I can throw fireballs too!"
"No! Don't start doing that. We don't want burn the building we're infiltrating."
"Akari's set for infiltrating!" Akari said happily as she walked into the room.
Yui looked over at Akari. Her red-headed friend was wearing a blue qipao with gold accents and a pair of white boots on her legs. Her two hair buns had been covered with a pair of white silk brocades and matching ribbons.
"Akari," Yui frowned. "You don't quite look set for our mission either. I think you might stand out a bit in that. And you've no protection."
"But Akari is fast!" Akari kicked her leg into the air, moving so fast it became a blur. "See?"
"Wow, that's amazing, Akari-chan!" Sakurako cried. "How long have you been able to do that?"
"Since just now."
"Alright, alright," Yui said. "At least you seem like you can fight. And we're bound to encounter trouble."
"Hooray!"
Yui sighed. "I hope Ayano and Haruka come prepared at least."
At that moment, Haruka walked in. Yui was a bit annoyed that she too was wearing a silly-looking costume. She had on a long blue skirt, and a white camisole top that left her shoulders bare. Tied around her waist was a bright yellow sash. In her right hand she carried a large wooden staff.
"Haruka," Yui asked. "What in the world is that outfit supposed to be?"
"It's my summoner getup!" she answered happily. "Don't I look cute?"
"You look more like you should be serving at a shrine," Sakurako laughed.
"Oh? Well, you look like a giant piece of grapefruit wearing a crown."
"Huh? Hey, I do! Who wants breakfast?"
Haruka giggled. "I'm all set, Yui! I don't think I can summon any aeons, but I should be able to bonk enemies with my staff!" She waved it around a bit to demonstrate.
"So, you're dressed like a summoner, but you can't actually summon anything?" Yui asked flatly.
"Pretty much. Hey, I'll still be useful!"
Yui sighed. Hopefully Ayano would be more set for the mission than the other three so far.
"Where's Ayano?" she asked.
"Still getting ready," Sakurako answered. "I think she was having trouble with her suit."
"Suit?"
At that moment, the door crashed opened. A person wearing a bright yellow metal body suit with a red helmet came tumbling through. The suit shook its head and then nimbly sprang to its feet.
"Okay!" said Ayano's voice from beneath the red helmet. "I think I've got the hang of this now."
"Ayano?"
"Yes, it's me!" She removed the large red helmet and held it as best she could; Yui could see that her right arm ended in a hand canon. "I should be able to fight pretty well in this suit! It's got loads of power! Missiles, and bombs, and different kinds of beams it can fire!"
So, this is my team, Yui thought to herself. Okay, I've had more difficult missions, like the Valentine one. I can still do this.
"Okay, we're all here," Yui said. "So, let me run down what we're doing. There's an old bank building in the city that's supposedly abandoned, but we have word that a group of terrorists is there and up to no good. We'll have to fight our way in, take them out, and escape with any intelligence we find."
"I've got intelligence!" Sakurako said, pointing at her own head.
"Right…" Yui said. "Okay, let's be off everyone. I'll drive, because…well, yeah."
They five of them crowded into a car. Haruka, Sakurako, and Akari ended up having to sit in the back seat; Ayano's giant suit simply took up too much room.
When they reached the abandoned bank building, they moved together through the dark hallways. It seemed as though they were alone in it. This concerned Yui. Spotting a high-security door, she tested it and found it was open. But when she stepped through it, slammed shut behind her and locked.
"Hey!" she cried, pounding on the door. "Get this back open!"
"We're trying!" Ayano called from the other side. "It's a really strong door."
"I'll hit it with my staff!" Haruka suggested.
"That won't work!" Sakurako said. "We need fireballs!"
"No fireballs!" Yui called back. "I'm going to go and scout a little further in. Your four keep working on that door."
She continued down the dark hallway until she found herself in a large, empty room with several other doors on the opposite the way she had come in and on the side walls. In the center of the room, there was a single chair, with a body sitting in it.
"Hello?" Yui asked tentatively. No answer.
Yui stepped forward to examine the body in the chair. It was a girl wearing a dark grey long coat and a black tri-corner hat. It was the sort of coat someone might have worn a hundred years ago or more. Yui wondered if this girl was one of the terrorists they were seeking. She peered even closer. The face looked familiar.
"Is that…Chitose?" she said to herself.
She reached forward to touch Chitose's arm, as if to confirm that the body was actually real. As she did, Chitose's hand suddenly shot up and grabbed her wrist.
"AH!" Yui yelled. She shook her wrist free and stepped back. She quickly drew her gun and pointed it at her foe.
"Now, now, Yui," said Chitose in a kindly voice. "You should leave corpses alone, no matter how much you want their secrets. That's really unsanitary."
Chitose looked up. She was grinning manically.
"Chitose…what are you doing here?"
"I'm here to liberate you from your curiosity, not to mention anything else that's come up."
"Is that so? It's strange to see you on the opposing side," Yui commented.
Chitose shrugged, standing up from the chair. "It's just how these things work. I'm also here to cure you."
"Cure me?"
"Yes, only death can cure you."
Yui kept her gun raised. "Thanks, but I'm fine the way I am."
"You aren't fine though, Yui!" a voice merrily called from one of the side doors. Yui immediately recognized it as Kyouko's. "You wouldn't be here if you were!"
Shortly thereafter, Kyouko strode into the room. She was dressed completely in black and red leather, both the pants and corset she was wearing. Her face was painted entirely white, except around her eyes, which were painted black. Her blond hair had been put into twin tails that reminded Yui a bit of how Chinatsu's hair looked.
Yui burst out laughing at the sight of her. "You look absolutely ridiculous, Kyouko."
"Boo!"
"And yet, that costume suits you perfectly. You're just missing a jester's cap with bells."
"What, and cover up the fantastic job I did with my hair?" She held up the purple-dyed tip of her one of her twin tails.
Yui laughed again. "Even as a villain, you're hopeless, Kyouko. It's hard to take you seriously while you're wearing that."
"Humph!" Kyouko sulked. "Always so mean, Yui! And you're laughing pretty hard for someone who's outnumbered two to one."
"Make that three to one," a new voice called as Chinatsu strode in through the door opposite to where Kyouko had come through. She no longer had any legs; rather the lower half of her body was a giant snake tail. Additional, her pink hair was now a wild, moving tangle of snakes. Yui felt repulsed by the sight of her.
"Hello, Yui-senpai!" Chinatsu said, waving with hand that now had extremely long and sharp nails on its fingers. "Do you want to switch sides and join us now? It's lots of fun!"
"Sorry Chinatsu," Yui replied. "But I'll never join you three."
"You may change your mind soon," Chizuru said, walking in the door that was behind her sister. She wore a long black robe, and a matching headpiece with two twisted horns adorned her head. She carried a large black staff that she tapped on the floor as she peered evilly at Yui.
"Unlikely," Yui replied. This was bad. Now there was four of them and just one of her. Where was the rest of her team?
"There's darkness in your heart, and it waits to be awakened. I'm going to ring your heart's alarm clock and do just that," Chizuru threatened.
Yui drew her other gun in her left hand. She wasn't sure she could survive, but she intended to go down fighting all the same. As she aimed her guns at her enemies, she heard hurried footsteps behind.
"Yui!" Ayano called. "We're coming to help!"
Finally, Yui thought.
Her four allies charged into the room behind her.
"T-Toshino Kyouko?!" Ayano stammered from behind her helmet.
"Oh, is that Ayano in the banana suit?" Kyouko asked. "Hi, Ayano! Don't you like my outfit?"
"It-it's…." Ayano's voice trailed off.
"Ah…" Chitose said, standing next to Kyouko. Her nose was bleeding again.
"Look Chizuru!" Haruka called. "We both have staffs!" She waved hers around.
"I see that, Haruka," Chizuru called. "So, why don't you come and join our side?"
"Oh, can I, Yui?" Haruka asked, sounding hopeful.
"NO!" Yui shouted.
"Sorry, Chizuru!" Haruka called back.
"Akari-chan, you look really cute in your outfit!" Chinatsu said.
"Eheheheh." Akari replied. "And your hair snakes look very…um…lively!"
"Cut it out, all of you." Yui ordered. "So, Chitose. Your group is now outnumbered. Ready to surrender, or are we doing this hard way?"
"How are we outnumbered?" Chitose asked, turning to Chizuru. "Where's Furutani?"
"Oh, Himawari must still be asleep," Chinatsu said.
"HIMAWARI, GET IN HERE!" Kyouko screamed.
Himawari came walking in slowly from the side door. She was wearing a dark red dress, and her long hair was pushed over her face.
"They can't hide," Himawari said coldly and quietly. "I see them all."
"Was it really a good idea to have her with us?" Chizuru asked. Chitose shrugged in response to her sister's question.
"Hi Himawari!" Sakurako called. "My dress is much prettier than yours! Yours is plain, and it doesn't fit you well, especially in the chest."
Himawari didn't reply, but she glared at Sakurako. Her eyes suddenly glowed red. Sakurako fell to her knees choking.
"Hey, stop that!" Haruka yelled. "We haven't started the fight yet."
"You're wrong there," Chitose replied. "It started as soon as you set yourself against us."
"Much as we hate giving thought to such inconsequential creatures, it was necessary when your entered our base," Chizuru added.
Kyouko giggled, but didn't say anything. Chinatsu hissed at them.
"Kill them all!" Himawari shrieked.
Weapons drawn, the two groups ran at each other, their clash imminent.
Yui awoke with a start. She looked around. The sun was starting to come up, but the other three girls in the side bedroom were still asleep.
I think I just had a really strange dream. But, I can't seem to remember it. I think Kyouko was there and Akari and Chinatsu and everyone else too. I wonder if that means anything. Maybe I just had it because we're all here together in this house.
Deciding it was time for her to get out of bed, she got up and dressed quietly, taking care not to wake anyone else.
"Time to see what the day holds," she said to herself.