It's been a while!
I guess I have a somewhat right to say that but at the same time I want to thank those that have stuck with me all the same. Seeing your support, it makes me smile whenever I end up writing these sorts of things. So when it comes down to it, being able to meet these sorts of requests is something I enjoy.
Because we are back with the requests, baby!
This one comes from Chuck Chin who asked:
I haven't read your new chapter but will do so later, so pardon me. But a Meigo Arisa chapter is a must read so I would do so. Sorry for the sudden I would like a request for a CENDRILLON chapter on this series soon.
And my response? Of course! Cendrillon is one of those characters you just get a feel for because of her relative unknown nature and skills beyond what we have seen so just like Kamachi said in the NT 6 afterword, I hope you can see how Cendrillon can be used in a lot of interesting ways!
Before we begin though there are the usual thanks and the Q & A:
Sergio644: I think having Index here provided Touma with a reason for last chapter to even exit, so in her own way, she was pretty vital for last chapter. I realise that there was a heap of things I could do with last chapter but I wanted to avoid it if only because of the fact that then it would become a monster chapter when these are (supposedly?) one-shots. You have to remember that the theme of last chapter was 'working' rather than 'flirting' so that was why it ended up like it did.
Guest: Well Touma x Aiho isn't going to be appearing for a while… As for Touma last chapter, it wasn't as bad as it usually is, so rejoice!
whwsms: Glad you liked it! there was much trolling and teasing last chapter that I felt was a must have given the two being involved so I'm just glad that you managed to enjoy it for all it was worth! There definitely was a chill down the spines of others when everything that happened took place… As for a sequel, this idea is getting one and it's already been written. I hope you enjoy swimsuits…
Anon: Again, there is a sequel for this idea so I hope you enjoy swimsuits…
Guest (another one): ESPECIALLY when it comes to food can Touma never catch a break. I love the small structure that Index-san had and how each chapter was fluffy as hell; I'm sad that it was cancelled although I'm not entirely sure why it was the case. I remember that one as well: seeing Tsuchimikado's reactions to it were hilarious!
Handsomistic1: Glad you reacted in the same way as everyone else probably did! I was thinking that last chapter was going to have a lot more to it but at the same time I wanted to prevent too many things happening. The small look of what you had was just a small part and I wanted to keep it at that while letting you guys imagine a whole bunch of other things! However, I think that there will be nothing that will ever replace having Tsuchimikado, Aogami and Touma in one room.
Bluejack222: I don't believe so; he's said it a bunch of times to Index, Birdway and Otohime in ACUL0.
wildarms13: Glad you liked last chapter, even though there was not much 'story'. I felt as though having someone we knew make an appearance was part of the charm of it instead of someone entirely ridiculous if you know what I mean. Index would look gorgeous in a maid outfit: it's so rare that it has an appeal in itself. Stiyl would just collapse on the spot! You mean that Touma had sparkles coming from him the entire time?! I TRY to make sure that I release weekly but you know how things are… No problem and hopefully this chapter can make you laugh in the same way!
naruhinasakufan1: Well I'm just glad that you enjoyed the small Misaki and Seria moments as they appeared. It definitely was fun having them both banter as they were! I think that the release of your one is on the way; the only thing that I have to get around to doing is the actual posting of the thing so hopefully you can enjoy what does eventually come out!
ArmoredCoreNineBall: Is there any other way it could have ended? I think the point of last chapter was really to imagine the ways that the situation could go wrong and having only a small glimpse at what eventually did happen. Seria and Misaki was just a drop in the ocean of the possibilities that could have been used there but I'm glad to see that you are thinking creatively and how it could apply to others!
FreakFactor: Seeing them both working side to side makes me smile in a weird way too… Well the second one of this has already been written but in terms of release that is far in the future… Too bad about Index-san though; each chapter made me grin like an idiot! As for rubix22, I have read them and sometimes they get ideas swirling but there is always that ONE idea that pops into my head that I get the energy to write: usually when reading other fanfics on this site, I tend to limit what I can and can't do as someone else has already done it if you know what I mean. Bwahahaha; imagine the line if those words were used together!
Kami: I sort of have an Evil Touma idea coming up but what you think of it is up to you. I hope that you keep an eye on ACUL0 and the themes that are going to be popping up there when it comes to clashes between good and evil. Well, a guy CAN dream, but imagining Touma breakdancing just fills my head with misfortune possibilities. Futures Kaleidoscope currently has plans for two more chapters but none of them have been written yet…which is surprising given how I can go to town with those ideas but just are not doing so. But the harem situation in that has been depth charged by him… You're probably not the only one you came up with the nicknames though. Touma did get a BIT of a break this time! You'll have to see for next chapter and potentially romance options! I do think that I try and do things fresh: romance isn't the main point of the things I do but I hope to use BTL to have more 'friends gathering' stuff. Although taking the misfortune out of Touma is…not exactly a Touma chapter is it? I agree that he does need to be happy however. He needs a break… Doesn't Touma have heaps of hidden talents though!? If Touma went nuts for a day that would definitely be a dark day…
fencer29: Bwahahaha! Imagine that! The entire restaurant filed with Sisters pressing the little button for the waiter endlessly while Touma is running around like a mad chicken! Bwahahahahahaha!
Agent Nine: Not getting paid but putting the work in is a terrible thing. It makes me have the greatest respect for volunteers if you know what I mean who does things for free. I think that maybe this idea isn't used because while there are heaps of possibilities where they can go, having an entire story or chapter based on the same thing of Touma working might get stale despite everyone wanting to see how everyone else would react and how his misfortune would play out. I think with the Railgang, things might get out of hand in their own way…so I hope you can look forward to Part II of this! I know what you mean about Index! I think it might have something to do with the anime giving her that 'she is pointless wrap' (even if this happens in the LN) but Index can seriously do a lot and be helpful sometimes. Given that she is a nun-in-training who lives to help others, I did think that she would have to have people skills, even if she doesn't have Touma skills. As for why the roe of employee suits Touma, employees are basically those who serve you and try to make you happy…which suits Touma to a T!
pop2ww: Index-san really is the true BTL isn't it!? Each chapter not filed with chaos, just craziness and I loved each and every one. Although the common theme for the shiritori was just food! Don't get me started about Maid Touma. Given what lies beneath his right hand and his potential skills of being a maid, I think we would have our true Dragon Maid! Good grief, the ideas you are giving me right now are making me cry tears of blood at why they are not a thing. I'm glad you noticed the small moment where Index takes the lead! I think that her not wearing her habit gives her a lot of charm: for some reason it's when she is wearing anything BUT it that I can look at her and think that she's pretty cute. I can imagine that his interview would constantly be interrupted or he would be late, his CV would get burned or he would just say the wrong thing at the wrong time… Can Touma even survive in the normal course of things?! To be honest, depending on the customer base of a restaurant, I would hire Touma as well, although you would have to consider the clientele. WHY ARE YOU GIVING ME THESE IDEAS!? Index in a way definitely has some cat like qualities to her although the only thing that that really applies to is food. I think Touma could write a book on there being a universal law when it comes down to things he gets up to! I'm glad that you felt that the interaction between the three of them was really natural: despite being something filled with misfortune for Touma, I hope you got the feeling that the conversations that were had were just relaxing and not thinking about chaos or saving anyone, just focusing on the conversation between three friends (?) and nothing more. That sort of 'feel' was something I was aiming for and I'm glad you felt I nailed that. Why would Seria get flustered?! What is this impossible request!? Good grief, that reminds me of the Mach Boob scene from that show… WOULD THAT WORK!? A proposal from Touma would definitely depth charge her mind into the stratosphere and beyond. I'm glad you liked it! I think my own personal liking to these chapters is why BTL is still on-going although I do have to make sure I keep the sadism in check… Is the fact that your favourite chapters are those ones reflective of your own personality of how good they were written? I'm not even sure what would make me terrified more but like you said, we're all sort of sadists here.
Markoz89: ¡Dar una buena acogida! Siempre es bueno verte y estoy feliz de que, aunque no tengas que hacerlo, te encuentres leyendo esto otra vez. Por eso, te agradezco desde el fondo de mi corazón. Oh, creo que hacer una serie basada en las "incógnitas" que son Seiri y Seria sería difícil de lograr si sabes a lo que me refiero, pero solo espero que cuando el capítulo esté cargado lo disfrutes al máximo; fue difícil escribir, ¡pero espero haber hecho un buen trabajo! Sé lo que quieres decir: los residentes del dormitorio Kamijou son definitivamente inseparables a su manera, ¿verdad? ¡Espero que disfrutes de Three Days, sin embargo! Lo que sea que pienses de ello, danos tus pensamientos y espero que vengas a disfrutarlo en cualquier caso. Estoy de acuerdo con lo que dices: los tres espers 'mentales' son los que tienen las mentes más fuertes dado que se ven obligados a distanciarse de Touma debido a sus propias circunstancias, pero al mismo tiempo, siento que la melancolía es lo que los separa y nos permite verlos a la luz que hacen. Sin esa tragedia, no creo que Shokuhou se haya vuelto tan popular como ella haya dado cómo puede agarrar todo con sus propias manos, así que tener algo que no puede comprender le da una mayor profundidad y también forma ese aura melancólica a su alrededor como notó . Si bien queremos hacerla feliz, quitarle esa melancolía, aunque sea algo bueno, también puede dar lugar a otra cosa y quitarle a ella quién es ella como personaje, así que espero que si alguna vez logro hacerlo, te encuentres disfrutando de cómo Abordo a Misaki y su reacción allí. En cierto modo, estaba en la valla sobre el capítulo en el que Misaki rompe su regla personal: es realmente un gran problema y la razón por la cual la sección al principio es bastante larga porque quería dedicarle un tiempo a racionalizar la difícil elección que ella hace. En cuanto a la posibilidad de que Misaki se rompa, creo que tal vez reaccionó en gran medida a Stiyl siendo desgarrada, pero la total falta de lógica detrás de una escena así y cómo nunca ha visto algo así sucediendo frente a ella, incluso si ella estuvo expuesta al lado oscuro, fue lo que la hizo ceder. Pero tienes razón, si alguna vez golpea NT 9, eso sería todo. ¡Me alegra que te guste! Quién sabe, tal vez el futuro del índice hará que Touma sirva a alguien !? ¡Espero que puedan esperar más rebanadas de vida! En cuanto a los detalles dentro de las novelas, me doy cuenta de lo que quieres decir. De varias maneras, OT se usó para construir el mundo, pero NT lo supera completamente, dado que tiene el mundo establecido y se enfoca mucho más en el lado detallado de las cosas que permite que NT se convierta en lo que tiene. ¡Me alegra que hayas disfrutado esto, pero no te preocupes! ¡Seria es una diosa en sí misma!
First, to me beta reader PokeRescue18. Without you man, I have a feeling that things would never have lifted off the ground as they did and looking back on the time we've spent doing this, I'm sure you both have regrets and joyful memories of you asking to be my beta. Didn't think it would reach this stage did you?
And to you, the reader. For some of you, you've known me for a bit yet you still manage to come and read. For that I thank you and I hope once more you can look at this and enjoy nonetheless.
So, enough with this!
Enjoy.
Mr Question Mark.
Frustration of Something No One Thought Of. Familiarity_Found_In_Strange_Places.
If there was anything the girl, or the magician depending on how you looked at it, Cendrillon could say about being turned into a human table by the Dvergr Marian Slingeneyer, it would have to be that her appreciation for household furniture increased immensely.
No, that was rather limited.
It wasn't just household furniture.
But rather all furniture.
It was frustrating to say the least.
Cendrillon rarely looked back on the experience of having her body remade into a table by Marian, however, there was hardly a time when she felt as though the experiences she had had as a table were not something that could be applied in real life. After all, the experience had somewhat changed her in both a physical and mental aspect.
Sure, she had been saved by the right hand of Kamijou Touma as well as by Ollerus so the physical changes she had undergone had not lasted. But even then, the mental changes she had undergone as a table she could not easily get rid of.
The appreciation for anything that could be considered as furniture stemmed from the experience itself and it had deeply changed Cendrillon at her core. Currently, while she now had the ability to reconstruct herself, her current form was stuck into that of a small girl due to one Mugino Shizuri getting the recipe Cendrillon had given her to remake her body wrong.
As such, while Cendrillon was struggling to get used to her new form, the clothes she wore were just as abnormal as ever. She wore a dress that was primarily a wetsuit and clear material covered it such that it looked like a ballroom dress, however, given the apparent physical age of the girl wearing it, it actually looked more like cosplay than a proper dress.
However, the location where she was in was Academy City, the City of Science and weird was the standard. No one looked at her strangely for long even though she got some glances and the people around her seemed to only register the girl in their minds for a moment before heading off and doing their own thing. It truly was strange to see such a strange girl wearing strange clothes so easily passed off as 'normal' but Cendrillon had no overwhelming thoughts on the matter itself.
Instead, the mental changes that had occurred when she had been turned into a table were taking full hold now as she stared at the object in front of her, her blonde hair waving in the wind slightly.
It was November.
And the atrocity in front of the French girl made her stare in shock and whisper under her breath.
"What… What horror is this?!"
Cendrillon's eyes were on the verge of crying as she slowly reached out and touched the object in front of her.
There is no easy way to put this…but it was a vending machine.
A single vending machine was sitting in a park, the brick ground covering where she stood, however, the only thing Cendrillon had noticed when she had passed by the park on a whim was that the vending machine, perfect in form, shape and size had a single distortion on the side of it.
Namely, a large dent that looked as though it had been repeatedly kicked in the side for some horrendous, oppressive and unfair reason.
Currently, while the Ichihanaransai had been only yesterday, it seemed the chaos surrounding the girl known as Fräulein Kreutune had yet to entirely die. Being somewhat at the centre of that incident that had almost destroyed an overpass in District 7, the girl known as Cendrillon had taken advantage of the chaos and had moved towards escaping the City altogether. While she was stuck in the form of a small girl, by no means was she going to stay in the heart of enemy territory when she was a magician.
It went against everything she knew when it came to tactics and she had moved silently through District 7 in order to escape, however, only on a whim, when she had passed the vending machine and saw the dent in its side, there was no way she was going to pass this up and leave things alone.
It was entirely stupid but there was one thing Cendrillon had gained after having been turned into a human table.
And that was not only appreciation for furniture but also a heartfelt sympathy she could not get rid of.
She knew it was stupid and no matter how much she tried to get rid of it, the trauma of being turned into furniture returned to her fully and hammered into her being so hard she felt she would break. Marian Slingeneyer had been a twisted human being and Cendrillon wanted nothing to do with GREMLIN anymore but even so, just looking at furniture was enough to hammer into her heart and feel nothing but sympathy.
No one knew and no one understood.
After all, how did anyone know the feelings of a table!?
The feeling of having food placed on oneself, people putting their feet up on you, getting crapped on by practically everything under the sun, having things spilled on you only for someone to not clean it up, being in the sun all day without any shade, people kicking you because you were wobbly… How did anyone understand the struggles and the feelings of being a table?!
But as Cendrillon reflected on those horrors that came with being a table, it only extended further and further when she thought about it.
The life of a table…was it truly nothing but suffering?
What about chairs? They lived their lives being sat on and never once did anyone thank them for the service they provided! People leaned back in them, they provide beds for the homeless and a rest place for the busy, and they were the place where people who were friends could gather and be merry… Yet did anyone realise the value chairs had on society!?
It was oppressive.
What about beds? Oh, the life of a bed was surely the epitome of a lack of gratitude. People complained endlessly about them, kids jumped on them, people had sex on them, they were rarely cleaned and as such had to deal with bed bugs underneath the covers, sheets were taken away yet the bed itself was left to sit there and never be dried…. Did anyone, truly did anyone ever once appreciate the life and the services a bed performed?! Did they get thanks?! Did they get gratitude for their services?!
It was truly, truly oppressive.
But no!
It wasn't just limited to such! It was extended to any and every piece of furniture! Human society was living a life filled to the brim with a lack of a gratitude and knowledge about the silent services furniture did for them and how were they treated for it!?
When they get old, they were scrapped. They were put in shop windows and people pointed and talked in front of them without even once thinking they were heard by the silent ears furniture held. They were ignored, never once treated with respect and they were a part of the silent behind the scenes cast no one ever thought to worry about or think about in the course of life.
In action movies, it was the staple people died.
Yet what about the furniture!? What about that IKEA model ripped to shreds by bullets?! It had had a good life, yet it was taken away by the bad guys. Truly, they deserved to die for it, but did anyone ever think about that casualty and the value the IKEA model had made?
They were the silent deaths and lives people took for granted and no one once ever thanked them for it.
Cendrillon had once been like that. She had once lived a life without a care and treated furniture and other objects as things merely 'there' and did not think much about it. But now she had been turned into a table and learned of the tough life that came with such, she realised there was so much more to the silent companion's furniture was.
And she had come to love them for it.
She had come to loves beds, chairs, tables; anything and everything under the sun silently doing its best for the sake of the world around it without ever once being thanked. They were the silent heroes and if anything, she knew that just one person giving thanks was something that would make their lives worth it before they were ruthlessly scrapped.
But even during their lives, it was a harsh life.
Such was seen in the fact that this vending machine in front of her had a dent in it that looked like it had been kicked repeatedly by the same person.
Cendrillon did the only thing she could think as she opened her mouth in shock after looking at the sight in front of her. She opened her arms and embraced the vending machine, rubbing her cheek against the dented metallic form.
"Unbelievable… To think that someone would harm such a gentle creature…such an honest being that has never once hurt a fly! This world is too cruel to allow this sort of atrocity and yet it continues day in and day out! How…How is this fair!?"
There was of course no answer.
Instead the people passing by only saw the sight of a single girl wearing strange clothes crying out at the top of her lungs as she hugged a vending machine. Naturally, even to them this was strange, and they carefully and slowly backed away in order to not get caught in her line of sight and thus were dragged into something they did not want to be a part of.
Cendrillon knew there would be no answer. There never was.
But just because one did not cry did not mean they were not being hurt. The feelings not noticed by anyone as the vending machine silently did its duty would continue to be unheard but if anything, if there was one thing Cendrillon could do it was that she had to ensure this vending machine knew its life was not something everyone just ignored and passed off as nothing but just a machine.
It was itself and it added value.
This sort of scene had happened a lot after Cendrillon had turned into a table. The mental changes within her and the appreciation and respect she had for furniture had meant many a person had been attacked when they had jumped on a bed, farted on a chair, spilled or knocked over a table, etc. She had turned into a rather dangerous person in more ways than one and while she insisted she wasn't crazy, the one thing she felt sorrow for was for the lives of the furniture that went unrewarded and unappreciated for everything they did.
It couldn't last and it couldn't continue on anymore. That was what she felt at the bottom of her heart and she lightly stroked the side of the vending machine in a soothing way, as if she were a mother stroking a child's wounds.
"There, there. You're not alone. I…I understand your pain and I understand the things you have been through. So, even if it is just me saying this, please work hard and continue to make the lives of everyone in this City even the slightest bit better. Because if anything, I know. I know the work you are doing and the value you create. So thank you for everything you have done for everyone."
Cendrillon said those heartfelt words and with a single tear running down her eye as she lamented on the battle wound the vending machine had incurred in the line of duty. She placed her hand on the dent and struggled to not let out any more tears. There was nothing she could do for this wound and it only represented the harsh struggle furniture had in the line of duty but even so, there had to be something she could do!
It hit Cendrillon almost immediately as she wasted no time, leaning in and kissing the metal form without any hesitation.
It was strange.
But it was the mark of the appreciation, respect and the admiration she had for the vending machine that continued to add value to the lives of the people of this City despite being treated in this way.
She felt her lips against the cold metal and the feeling of slight bits of dirt on her lips that had likely come from the shoe of whoever had kicked it. But as she embraced and kissed the vending machine as if it were a lover to heal the wound unfairly given to it Cendrillon knew this was the only thing she could to do heal the wound given to this fine piece of working machinery.
She was not embarrassed or disgusted, that would be an insult to the vending machine. In anything, she was proud to be in the presence of such a fine worker and proud to be in the presence of vending machine royalty.
And it was only when she had taken that action and performed the kiss itself that a voice rang through the air near where she was.
"Now that…takes a lot of guts."
Cendrillon did not pause or pull away fast, such would mean she was ashamed of such an action and by no means was she. In fact, she was glad she at the very least understood that the life of a vending machine was a tough one and she had taken the chance to heal this vending machine for the wounds it had endured over the course of its duty.
So she slowly pulled away, stroked the vending machine one last time and stood up. She turned around to where the voice had come from and saw in her vision a single boy.
His black hair was waving in the wind as was the headband on his forehead. He wore a white jacket, however, not over his body; it was draped over his clothes and his shirt had the symbol of the Rising Sun on it, giving the impression the boy was proud to be Japanese. He was grinning and had his arms folded but even so there was the hint of a tear in the boy's eye as he looked at Cendrillon and her kissing the vending machine to heal it from its wounds.
The boy reminded Cendrillon of another spiky haired boy yet this one seemed more outspoken and energetic. He walked up to the girl and roughly placed his hand on her shoulder. If anything, Cendrillon was alert, however, the shine in the boy's eyes made it seem like he cared not for what she thought nor anyone else for that matter.
And his mouth opened again for him to speak.
"Girl, I may not know who you are but there is one thing I can say. For you to understand the value of the life of a vending machine that works despite the damage it has gained and to truly feel sorrow for it, I can only have the utmost respect for you. In fact, I am ashamed at my own guts that I lack the ability to have the same guts as you, you who have healed the wounds of this vending machine with your fine actions. It truly...truly is a touching and heart-warming expression of guts."
The bot sniffled and wiped his nose with his sleeve before nodding once at the girl and slapping her again on the shoulder. He shoved a finger at his own chest and grinned fiercely, standing before the girl without a care in the world.
"And such means I am more than honoured to introduce myself to you! Sogiita Gunha, currently standing in the position of the seventh Level 5 of this City! But even then, in the face of what you have demonstrated before me, I can only say that you stand even above me in terms of the guts you have!" The boy, Sogiita as he called himself made that announcement and Cendrillon froze on the spot.
She managed a stiff smile but the cold sweat formed on her body immediately made her think she was in danger and not going to escape it anytime soon. After all, the boy in front of her, from what he had said, was one of the seven Level 5s in Academy City, currently taking up the position of #7! And through some means, he had taken an interest in the heart of Cendrillon who had merely been doing what anyone else should have: giving healing to the lives of the machines endlessly slaving away for the heartless humans.
Panic settled into her mind as she desperately tried to think of something, anything to say in order to escape from the boy and run away as fast as she could away from him. Her life was at risk, that much was certain yet the way his eyes sparkled as he looked at her gave her the impression that coming up with an excuse would be hard.
The impression she got of Sogiita Gunha was that of a dog that had seen its first cat and was desperately trying to determine what to do with it and why it felt the interest it did for the cat itself. Cendrillon, in the face of such childish eagerness and anticipation only gulped and turned her head to the side.
"P-Pleased to meet you, Sogiita-san. I-It's an honour to meet one of the great Level 5s of this City in such a place." Cendrillon said although tried averting her gaze to look away from him.
Sogiita on the other hand only shook his head and waved a finger in front of his face.
"No, the true one honoured is myself! To think this vending machine that has braved the battles of life and abuse, that has never once complained about anything has a friend such as you. I have respect for this vending machine but never in my life did I ever think I would take the same steps you did to show my respect. Truly, the admiration for your guts will never fade no matter what light I see you in now, girl." Sogiita clenched a fist and said that passionately, leaving Cendrillon staring at the boy with a gaze that suggested she could not believe what she was hearing.
"You…" she started before she eventually found her voice. "You respect the vending machine?" She asked her question with her eyes wide. Sogiita nodded furiously.
"Of course! How can I not do so?! The friendship that exists between me and this vending machine goes beyond just the time-space continuum. It exists beyond the nature of animate and inanimate beings and there is nothing more than I would like than to have a conversation with this vending machine right here. But even then, we don't need words to be friends do we?! The only thing I need to see are guts and the perseverance and the drive of this vending machine is filled with nothing but! Of course I have respect!" Sogiita yelled into the air as Cendrillon's eyes did the one thing she did not think she would ever do with another person given the topic of conversation at hand.
They sparkled like the night stars as she suddenly grabbed the boy's hands and pressed herself closer to the boy with eagerness plastered all over her face.
"Indeed! You…You understand! Why is it that no one else sees the lives vending machines live are things that go unrewarded no matter the time and place? The dent in its side…how can people treat such fine creations in such a way? And why does no one do anything about it? Has the City lost their minds?!"
All threat and nervousness she felt about the situation was entirely lost as Cendrillon made that exclamation in the air. She forgot about the boy in front of her being one of the strongest espers in the City and only focused on the one thing she had felt no one would have noticed without her telling them.
Namely that vending machines and other objects such as these did not deserve to be treated in this way! They had their own lives so why they were subject to this pain when they did nothing wrong, said nothing and never did anyone any harm?
It was entirely unfair and for this alone, Cendrillon felt it was the world that was odd for not realising that everything created was created for a purpose and had to be treated with kindness to reflect that. Yet here was someone who understood that unfairness, felt respect for the machine and felt it was only natural it had to be treated with respect.
She was not alone!
She was not alone in the things she felt!
"How can the people of this City think that treating the machines in this way is the way to go!? How is this fair?" Cendrillon asked as she pointed at the dent in the vending machine. "You think the same way I do so as you look at this battle wound, do you not think we should hunt down the criminal that has committed such an atrocity?"
"Why…Why haven't I thought of this?! I truly respect this vending machine for everything it has done yet even now, when I look at the horrors committed, my own inactions are suddenly thrust before me!? …It only goes to show I have yet to refine my guts." Sogiita said that and Cendrillon ignored the fact that the repeated use of 'guts' was getting annoying, but even so, the bonds she had with the boy right now she could not afford to lose in the heart of the moment.
They had acquired something, something one only found through much time, deliberation and battles that refined that something after so long.
And that was true connection.
Never before had Cendrillon felt this way about anyone, even in GREMLIN and the #7 in front of her was the one she truly felt that for. However, even though that was the case and she truly felt the feelings within her rising up now she had found it, there was something else that she had to do and someone else she had to save for the purposes of allowing them to live their life in the peaceful way they deserved.
"We need to punish the coward that harmed this vending machine. Sogiita Gunha was it? I ask for your assistance in this matter. This vending machine deserves the best and it deserves the life it is owed, one where we can thank it for its hard work, appreciate the things it has done for us and give it the treatment it rightfully is owed. For this alone, we cannot sit back and do nothing in the face of this horror."
Sogiita nodded. "…This is true. I owe this vending machine my life and there is nothing I would rather do than die for it in the line of fire. However, what do you think we need to do to catch this criminal who lacks guts?"
"Look at the wound incurred. It pains me to say this but…" Cendrillon turned away and clenched a fist, fighting down tears as she looked at the bodily injury on the vending machine. "It appears this vending machine has been kicked multiple times."
Sogiita gasped in shock, however, as he looked closely saw it was indeed the case: the wound looked fresh, at least a day or so meaning the killer had only committed the heinous act within the last day or so.
"Yesterday was the Ichihanaransai, a cultural festival spread across the entirety of Academy City. Each and every school out there had their own festival yet even though that was the case, this vending machine was still damaged. Meaning that despite the drinks and the food on sale at numerous schools, the culprit still decided to come to this vending machine." Cendrillon explained as Sogiita folded his arms and rubbed his hands against the vending machine in comfort.
"Meaning… they specifically came here to harm this great warrior who was working!?" Sogiita exclaimed.
"Precisely," spat out Cendrillon as she hung her head. "Even though it was a day of celebration and happiness, in the end it was this vending machine that still suffered. But see, that means one thing. It means our nefarious culprit has turned trips and abuse on this vending machine into habit."
"Habit?"
"Yes. I'm sure you know of the saying? The criminal always…"
"Has the least amount of guts. I knew it."
"What? No, my comrade. The criminal always returns to the scene of the crime."
"And has the least amount of guts!"
"Wh – How is that relevant?!"
"Because only criminals with a lack of guts would do things such as this!"
Cendrillon wanted to sigh, however, she found herself agreeing in response to Sogiita's statement.
"Yes…only those without guts would truly perform such an act. It will only be time and we might have to wait the entire day but I can't let this pass. I can't let the criminal who has harmed this hard working vending machine get away. Sogiita Gunha…can I have your assistance to save the life of this vending machine?"
The #7 Level 5 esper in Academy City grinned as he held out his hand.
"You don't need to ask twice. Let's show these guys just how their guts have faltered as we protect what needs to be protected."
Cendrillon took his hand and shook it.
The alliance to save the life of this one vending machine had been formed.
And while it was only going to be for a short time and a short bonding between two people who wanted the same thing, there was true connection there between both of them as they shook hands and grinned at each other.
It might have been foolish and it might have been pointless in the eyes of others.
But even so, it meant something to them.
And for that alone, they would fight to protect that which mattered to them.
"Ah…I'm so thirsty."
A lot had happened yesterday and that was the only thing Misaka Mikoto had to say as she slowly trudged along the path on the way back to her dorm from Tokiwadai Middle School. While the chaos of yesterday and the Ichihanaransai had left her confused and groped without realising it, she had to come to terms with the fact that it was all over and that she had a life to get back to.
The switch she made was so easy in her mind she felt somewhat stunned and it was only when she compared the incidents she had gotten into over the past few months and how easily she had adjusted to them that she came to realise how easy the switch between chaos and normal was for her. It was somewhat scary when she looked at the things she had done and had gotten into and now she reflected on it today, she suddenly found herself in an odd position.
Was she supposed to be nervous and was the transition between the chaotic and the normal parts of her life supposed to be easy? Or was she supposed to face hesitation as she got used to her normal life after all the chaos she had faced?
Questions like those had filled her head for the entire day even though she knew they were pointless: she was living her normal life now without any chaos and that in itself should have told her the answers she wanted. Namely, the way she was acting now was the 'right' answer and how she dealt with the chaos and the normality was something she was already doing.
Overthinking what her state of life was like now seemed unlike her but maybe as she reflected on what had happened to her over the past few months she had come to realise how strange her life really was when looking from the outside. Then again, as a Level 5, dealing with strangeness came with the job.
Still, believing her life was weird and she was strange was a hard thing to do as she constantly looked at herself and the things she had done in her life and the power she had. Even so, as school had ended, she made her way home without Kuroko by her side and, without realising it, she had made her way into the park she usually went through when she went home.
Her mind must have made her take the route she was most familiar with without realising it. She turned her gaze to her right, seeing the ever-familiar vending machine located there. It was November so it was rather chilly so she was in the mood for a hot drink, however, unlike in the sweltering summer, a cold drink to match the weather would be just as fine.
"Hmm? Which one should I choose today?" Mikoto asked under her breath as she looked at the vending machine despite knowing it was pointless: it never chose the drink she wanted whenever she put money in and only ate it. Somehow, the pointlessness of the question hit her hard and she came to realise how pointless the other questions she had asked herself during the day were as well.
How did she switch between her normal life and her chaotic one? They were merely things a part of living and things that made her who she was. There was no real 'switch'; it was just a part of her life she had to accept.
If she had asked that idiot how he managed to cope with everything he had been through, he would have said something like "Huh? Everything's over now so it doesn't matter how I switch between them. It's what I do in the here and now that matters and moving between normal and chaos isn't something I consider when I act. I only want to return back to the normal from the chaos so that's all I really want" and be overly honest and answer the question in a way that would make Mikoto wonder why she was wondering such things about herself when the answer seemed so obvious to that boy.
Whatever the case, she needed a drink.
Realising she had spent the whole day asking questions she already knew the answer to had weighed down on her mind and now, annoyed with herself that she had hardly learnt anything today, put down her school bag. She looked at the vending machine in front of her and jumped in front of it, warming herself up for the daily ritual she had even done yesterday.
And, with a spin of her feet and a kick of her leg, she slammed her leg into the vending machine's side, striking where she had yesterday perfectly as well.
"Chaser!"
There was a clang of metal on both the side of the machine and the bottom as a can of cold juice sprang out from the loose springs. Mikoto, not really disappointed but having expected something else, bent down to pick up the juice.
However, she never even got that far.
"Stop right there, you villain!"
A voice came from nearby bushes and she looked up, seeing two faces she knew.
The one of the left was a person she had seen only yesterday, although much to her surprise. The girl known as Cendrillon had (supposedly) reconstructed her body but some of the ingredients left to reconstruct her body had not been used meaning that she had turned into the small girl in front of her. Mikoto was unsure how much of that was true but that idiot seemed to accept the girl was in fact Cendrillon so there was not that much she could do about that.
The one of the right though was someone Mikoto was more familiar with. Sogiita Gunha was someone she was partially indebted to because of him stopping her during the Daihaseisai but given both of their statuses as Level 5s she rarely got the chance to actually talk to him without causing a fuss. She knew him by face, however, and that was how she identified him now.
But the expressions they were making, despite the familiarity that she had with them, were strange.
They looked…angry? That was the way Mikoto would have put it but only confusion filled her head as she looked at them.
"Huh? Are you talking to me?" asked Mikoto as she pointed to herself and turned around, looking behind her for anyone else Cendrillon could have been talking to.
"Yes, you! You villain!" Cendrillon said as she leaped out of the bushes, Sogiita by her side. They both crossed their arms in a pose that suggested intimidation.
"Villain?"
"Have you no shame? Have you no shame in treating the vending machine like the way you just did? After everything it has done for you, after giving you that drink, do you think that the correct way to treat it is to constantly kick its majestic form?" Cendrillon shouted at Mikoto, all the while the Level 5 merely blinking and looking at the small girl having a fit without realising what she was talking about.
She turned to the person she knew better and pointed at Cendrillon.
"Oi. Can you translate what in the world she's saying to me?" Mikoto asked Sogiita, however, the boy huffed out his chest and cast his gaze down on Mikoto as if he disapproved of something she was doing.
He gave a magnificent cry into the air that surely sounded like a battle cry before the start of a war.
"You lack guts!"
"…"
Mikoto wanted to face palm as she realised she needed a translation of the translation. She knew this type of situation was not going to end well for her nor did she want any trouble so she merely raised both hands and left the free juice in the vending machine.
"I don't really want any trouble so I'll just leave alright. Can you two just leave it at that?"
"No!"
"Didn't think so…" Mikoto said as Cendrillon replied, the small girl pointing at the vending machine with a look of rage on her face.
"Can you explain your actions here today!?"
"What actions?!"
"Why did you kick that vending machine? Did you ever think that maybe, just maybe, that vending machine didn't ask to be treated like that? Sure, they might not say anything on the matter, but did you think vending machines were just there to be the punching bag for whatever stress you are feeling? Even then, there is no excuse for what you are doing and there is evidence you have been doing it for a long time! Well?! What do you have to say for yourself?"
Cendrillon chained together words to make sentences but even then, their meaning was lost on Mikoto. She stared at the girl and slowly put everything together, her mind catching up and managing to extract meaning from what was being said. She paused, unsure of what she was hearing was right, however, went with it: the girl in front of her had done some weird things and this was probably one of them.
"Are you…" started Mikoto. "Angry that I kicked the vending machine because….it doesn't deserve to be treated like that?"
"I'm glad you have admitted your crime, you heinous villain! Well?! What do you have to say for yourself?!"
Mikoto said nothing, turning with a twisted face to look at Sogiita who seemed to have more sense but now that Mikoto was looking at him, it seemed Sogiita took the time to say what he wanted to now.
"I am ashamed. Ashamed to think I share the same breathing space as someone with a lack of guts such as you. Well? That vending machine works hard day in and day out and what does it get for its trouble?! Abuse! And do you have nothing to say yourself? Do you think picking on defenceless vending machines is the way to truly live your life?! What happened to your guts?!" Sogiita yelled into the air as Mikoto reassessed what she thought of the boy's sense.
Still, the accusations being thrown at her made her uncomfortable. She frowned and crossed her arms.
"Hang on there. You can't just accuse me of things as you like!"
"We saw you kick that vending machine! And there is evidence that someone with your rough shoe size has been doing that for quite some time. And yet, even in the face of two witnesses you think you can get away with your crime?! You disgust me." Cendrillon made a face that one might to a bug and Mikoto felt as though she had been insulted in the worst possible way. She twitched and her gaze narrowed, the anger she was feeling getting to her head.
"Wait just a minute. I disgust you…because I kicked a vending machine?"
"More than that! Where is your pride as a person? Your sense of self? Your guts?! That vending machine is a hard worker, contributing to society and adding value through spreading happiness in the form in aluminium cans that hold dreams and love! And yet, the treatment you give it after giving those dreams to someone else for the meagre price of 150 Yen is a kick!? How gutless is that?" Sogiita announced in the air, this time getting more on Mikoto's nerves. She straightened her back more to puff out her (meagre) chest.
"You're starting to annoy me. Who cares if I kick a vending machine or two? It's not like you guys are Judgment and like it's a proper offence or anything."
"So, we need to be officers of the law in order to stop what is clearly property damage? It's because of people like you that other vending machines and furniture are hurt in the face of injustice!"
"Indeed! What about your guts?!"
"Injustice? Guts? Come to think of it, I never once settled the score with you two; you in Hawaii," Mikoto said to Cendrillon. "And you when we met here before." Mikoto cracked her knuckles and sparks came from her bangs as she narrowed her eyes. [1]
"You must think you guys are pretty hot stuff if you can mouth off like that to someone without even knowing them. Maybe I should give you guys a lesson in respecting your elders or respecting someone stronger than you!?" Mikoto clearly did not think she had done anything wrong and felt the way she was being treated was unfair.
Given that was the case, the insults and the way she was being treated didn't sit right with her when she kicked that vending machine every day and because of that she felt as though it was only right for her to defend her position. Sparks flew from her bangs and that put the other two on edge in more ways than one.
This villain clearly did not see her crime. She did not view (which was normal) vending machines as animate beings nor did she think vending machines had thoughts or feelings of pain. Thus, she felt it was entirely OK to hit them and treat them with disrespect and for that alone, for those two warriors of justice this was not something they could overlook.
And for that alone, it gave them a reason to fight.
There was a vending machine they had to save from this villain because of the treatment she had given it.
And for that alone, they stood up.
Cendrillon didn't have time to even move as Sogiita grinned and clenched a fist.
"Now this is what I'm talking about! We never did settle things here did we?! Not to mention I can't leave some villain alone when there are vending machines that need saving! So come! Let's see just whose guts are stronger!"
"I have no idea what you said but you're on!" Bluish-white sparks flew in all directions as Mikoto knelt down, anger at how she was being treated on her face and more than ready to fight for the sake of clearing her name for something she felt she did not really do and ready to show just who was boss.
However, the one that got in the first move was not her.
It was the #7, Sogiita Gunha.
And he did so with a clenched fist.
"Amazing Punch!"
He threw it forward despite Mikoto not being directly in front of him, however, it didn't matter whatsoever to the #7.
The first extended forward blew a massive gust of wind directly in front of him, something that kicked up the clothes of Cendrillon as she kept her gaze forward and looked at Mikoto who had already taken action. Using her power of magnetism, she had already thrown herself to the side and rolled, forming an iron sand sword within her hands in an instant and staring at the boy in front of her.
However, even then, the damage caused by the attack could not be ignored.
Despite not even being remotely close to Sogiita, the staircase that led upwards in the park in front of the boy by a few metres blew apart in a mess of rubble and stone. It flew in all directions and when the dust cleared, the crater caused by his power was made visible to all, Cendrillon going somewhat white in the face as she realised the full extent of the #7's power and how much damage one punch could do if it had directly hit head on.
No…this was what was needed in order to face the girl they were now.
The villain in front of them was the #3 Railgun and one of the 7 strongest espers in Academy City. To fight a monster, you needed a monster of your own and thus if Cendrillon wanted to make the girl realise just how much damage she had done to the vending machine and the nature of the crime she had committed, she needed to, at the very least, use this type of power.
The vending machine that had been the victim in all of this had not asked to be born a vending machine. It was a life chosen for it and despite it all, it lived it without complaining and without ever once making a sound to show how much it was hurting. Even though it was surely hurting.
After all, when it had done so much for others by giving them drinks, was that how it was to be treated?! It wasn't fair, it wasn't right and it wasn't something Cendrillon was going to accept.
So she would stand.
She would fight.
She would live for the sake of the vending machine that had truly wanted nothing but to spread smiles to those who took its drinks!
"Ah."
Misaka Mikoto, ready with her iron sand sword and more than ready to strike the others went wide eyed as she looked past both Cendrillon and Sogiita Gunha. She raised her hand and, with a trembling finger, pointed at something right behind the two of them.
Or something that should have been there.
"The vending machine."
Both heroes went wide eyed as they turned and went agape at the sight that greeted them. Or rather the lack of a sight.
After all, the vending machine was no longer where it had once been.
Instead, it was flying through the air some distance away in a parabolic arc clearly caused by some major force. But what would have caused that in the first place?! There was nothing Cendrillon could think of that would have caused something as heavy as a vending machine to lift through the air!
Wait a minute.
What had Sogiita called it?
Amazing…Punch?
"T-The vending machiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiineeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"
The culprit in Sogiita Gunha clenched a fist and looked as though he was on the verge of crying.
"I…I truly do lack guts."
"That's not the issue here! Isn't that thing going to fall and hit someone!?"
Misaka Mikoto said out loud in surprise as all three of the people went wide eyed and stared at each other. There was no need for words whatsoever when it came to the current situation. Instead there only understood as the group knew what they had to do, who they had to do it for and how fast they had to as well.
They had to put aside their differences for now and focus on the larger issue. And it was because they all knew that that they wasted no time in leaping into the air to chase after the one that had never wanted anything to do with this.
It was all because of that one heroic vending machine who just wanted to spread smiles using the drinks it could provide.
[1] Refers to the short story Toaru Jihanki no Fanfare in which Mikoto meets and fights Sogiita. It's not written by Kamachi but it is largely considered as canon because of its first official use of cyborgs.
So?
What did you think?
If you felt as though the entire premise of this story was crack and that if you need a lie down for the sake of gathering your thoughts together I'd say that that is the right answer. This had no real 'plot' and was fairly long but at the same time I hope you had fun and that for whatever you felt for this project you ended up really having a good time.
As this idea was just for fun for the most part and had nothing that really could be termed as 'plot' I think there's very little for me to say here when it comes to it. The only thing I really have to note is that Cendrillon and Gunha in this story was really fun to put in and that I've never really done either of them before. While we can usually say that putting Gunha in character just means saying "guts" a lot there is perhaps a bit more to it than that and because of such, I really hope you guys felt I did this character and the chapter justice.
I did this in one day but I hope that for the most part you were saying "WTF?" during this entire thing and did not take it too seriously. After all, the moment you saw 'one-shot' and 'Gunha' in the same tag you should have realised you were in for a long and fun ride.
Hopefully the Cendrillon bits felt right to you to but I was dealing with an entirely new Cendrillon here in the sense that she was messing around/being entirely serious so I hope you guys felt she was in character too.
There is a small bit after this, but it's just a short Omake with nothing really being added to it either way.
And as always,
Review if you please.
And I'll see you when I see you and I won't if I don't.
Remember: Vending Machines Lives Matter.
Kamijou Touma –
"Wait a minute! Why is my name here!? It's utterly pointless! I have no role in this whatsoever so putting me in here makes no sense! It's for the misfortune isn't it!? Well I'm not playing this game so whatever you throw at me, I'm not going to fall for it!"
"Touma, Touma! Isn't that that device that spreads happiness in the form in aluminium cans that hold dreams and love flying through the air!?"
"Don't be ridiculous, Index! There's no way that vending machines can fly in this day and age… Wait, you were serious?! A-And isn't that Misaka there as well!? I see some familiar faces there too and I can't help but feel I'm not going to like the progression of the events that is going to happen!"
[All I wanted to do was spread happiness in the form in aluminium cans that hold dreams and love.]
"And who in the world said that oddly long and overly weird explanation of what are just drinks!? It sounded oddly mechanical so was it the vending machine all along? And how come so much dialogue can fit in when the vending machine is flying in a parabolic arc? Don't tell me we can suddenly change causality and that the vending machine is actually a transforming robot to fight kaiju?"
"The one-shot has already ended so don't think too much of this bit."
"Who are you even saying that to Inde – I-It's transforming! It's actually transforming into a…girl?"
There was an odd silence as the vending machine/girl now landed on the ground gracefully but even so, what was to follow was going to be nothing but trouble so there was no need to really focus on this whatsoever.
Kanzaki Kaori at the same time in London, however, was only looking for people that could understand that having a friendship with a washing machine in this world of magic and science was completely normal.
It's REALLY weird for me that a vending machine gets treated better than Touma in my stories. Better change that! Although I did include him, a robot girl and Kanzaki so I think my work is done.
