After some time, it's time we get back into it with a new chapter! Anyway, enjoy!
"Remind me why we're not going to hang out at the mall again?"
Lee Lee gave a sigh as she turned towards her dark skinned friend. "I already told you girls. We need to do a little digging for Dexter."
Dee Dee and Mee Mee looked at each other before Dee Dee spoke, "I get that you have this... strange new friendship with my brother, but this is usually the day we hang out and talk about Pony Puff Princess or play jump rope... or in today's case, the mall to meet up with Pony Puff Princess!"
"I know, and I know it's going to be hard, but if we're done before they leave, we can still make it." Lee Lee sighed. "Right now, I'm sure Dexter wants some answers in regards to the family who raised that boy who beat him in the science fair."
Dee Dee couldn't help but roll her eyes. "There goes Dexter again. He can't handle someone being smarter than him without going all jelly."
Lee Lee giggled. "Yeah, tell me about it."
With the girls laughing all the way, they turned the street corner and started to head down until Lee Lee held up a hand, stopping the girls. "Well, this is the place."
Mee Mee and Dee Dee turned and looked up, before their eyes widened in shock as they did a little 'ooooo' sound effect. Right in front of the three friends laid a house with a brown roof and a nice clean yellow garage next to it. But that paled in comparison to what they really saw. For behind the house was an assortment of large mechanical devices and assorted mechanical towers, something a normal house would never have. Some of the decor was an eerie black with sharp objects sticking out, but there were also other items decorated around it, like a large grey spaceship shaped like the Death Star from Star Wars, and even a rocket ship like the ones used in NASA.
"Daaaaaaang." Mee Mee whistled. "Yeah, I can see why Dexter would be jelly of all this."
"I'm more wondering how his parents okayed this. I mean, I know that Mom and Dad would have never approved of Dexter's lab if they ever found it, or at least, that's what Dexter always tells me." Dee Dee said as the three girls started to approach the door.
"Well, since we're here, we may as well see if someone's home." Lee Lee said as the three stepped on the mat, with Lee Lee ringing the doorbell.
After about a few seconds of standing, Dee Dee looked over towards her Japanese friend. "Maybe they're not home."
All of a sudden, the doorknob turned as the door started to slowly open. All eyes turned as they looked at... nothing. The three girls blinked twice, until they heard a slight cough. They looked down and noticed a tiny girl, almost as short as Dexter, yet looking different. She had black hair with two long pigtails, a pink ballet uniform and pink ballet shoes, giving her the appearance of a dainty ballerina... except for her face, which looked to be lodged in a permanant glare and frown.
"Yeah? What?" The short girl frowned.
Dee Dee, Lee Lee and Mee Mee looked at each other in surprise before Lee Lee gave a nod. "Uh, hi. I'm Lee Lee, and these are my friends, Dee Dee and Mee Mee. We actually were wondering if this was the home of a... Mandark Astronomonov."
"Oh..." The short girl rolled her eyes. "You must be referring to my stupid brother. Why would you ever be interested in him?"
Lee Lee frowned as she narrowed her eyes at the girl. "A little rude, are we?"
"Hey, you're the strangers that came knocking at our door." The girl frowned.
Dee Dee raised an eyebrow before speaking up, "Oh, she's just here on account of my brother, who seems to be jealous of your brother's inventions."
"Huh. You have a smart brother, too, huh?" The girl asked as she raised an eyebrow. "Let me tell you something, brothers can be quite a waste of time. Mine just spends all day in his lab, never asking questions and never coming out except for when Mom or Dad want us to participate in activities."
Dee Dee looked surprised as she looked interested. "Wow, you know, that's exactly how my brother is. Do you make frequent visits to your brother's lab to annoy him?"
The girl frowned. "Now why would I want to do that? No, with him doing whatever he does in that lab of his, it gives me room to do whatever I want... although I fail to see why my parents want me to take ballet dancing."
The three girls looked at each other in confusion before Dee Dee pointed out, "But you're wearing a ballet uniform right now..."
"Only because I have to wear it for practice. I was actually in the middle of a dance when you came rapping at the door." The short girl frowned. "I'm actually transferring to the local Dance School here in town. I take it from those ballet get-ups you go to that school."
Mee Mee raised an eyebrow. "That depends, do you know the teacher there?"
"Actually met her the other day as my parents introduced me." The girl grumbled. "Miss Babcock."
Dee Dee, Mee Mee and Lee Lee's eyes widened as they each gave a shrill scream, causing the short girl to wince. As soon as they were done screeching, the short girl looked up towards the tall girls. "I take it from those shrill sounds of screaming that I am to be your classmate."
"You have no idea!" Dee Dee giggled. "Hey, what's your name?"
The girl rolled her eyes. "Well, my parents named me Olga, but I prefer to be called... Lalavava."
The three girls just blinked twice as they looked at each other. Lalavava could only stare at the girls impatiently. "What?"
"Well..." Mee Mee scratched her head. "Honestly, with Dee Dee, Lee Lee and Mee Mee, we were hoping your name would be..."
"Cee Cee? Fee Fee? Gee Gee?" Lalavava rolled her eyes. "Sorry to disappoint, but I am not falling into those conventions. Anyway, you said something about my brother?"
Lee Lee shook her head, before glaring at the short girl. "Well, Lalavava, we wanted to talk more about your brother and why and how he managed to get his smarts."
Lalavava frowned as she crossed her arms. "Beats me. Like I said, I only talk to him when I need him or when our parents need us for our usual times. If you want to know more about my brother, you'll have to take it up with Mom and Dad. If I'm right, they're currently meditating in the living room."
"Meditating?" The girls asked as they looked at each other.
"Ooooooohhhhhh..." They said as Lalavava lead them through the living room, where they saw two figures sitting down on a red mat, cross legged and holding a meditative pose peacefully. Both seemed to be wearing 60s era clothes, glasses and both of them were barefoot.
"Yeah. They're hippies." Lalavava said as she retained her frown. "Personally, I don't see how they still haven't caught on to modern times, despite them buying a house. Well, if it works for them..."
"Coooooool." Dee Dee said in interest.
Lee Lee paused as she turned to her friends. "Mind giving me a moment alone with them? I want to see what answers I can get."
"Eh, sure, Lee Lee. Take all the time you need." Dee Dee said as she and Mee Mee took Lalavava by the hands, causing the girl to raise an eyebrow in confusion.
"Wait, what are you-" Lalavava started to say, before being dragged off.
"Come on, Lalavava, we want to see you dance!" Dee Dee giggled in glee as Lalavava struggled against the girls's strong grip.
After a moment, Lee Lee found herself alone as she turned to see the meditating parents of Mandark and Lalavava in front of her. Taking a deep breath, she cautiously approached. "H-hello? I... don't mean to interrupt what you're doing, but I was wondering if I can ask you a few questio-"
The voice caught the attention of both parents as they noticed Lee Lee approaching. The two then smiled, before the woman sitting said, "Ah, good afternoon. Take a seat."
"Oh. Uh, okay." Lee Lee said as she sat down and crossed her legs.
"I am Oceanbird, and this is my husband, Windbear." Oceanbird smiled as she turned towards her husband.
"We sensed your chakra coming in, and you seem to have... a nice, peaceful chakra. A bit inquisitive, but rather open to new ideas." Windbear said.
"Heh, really?" Lee Lee giggled. "I never would have guessed..." She then paused as she looked at the two hippies in front of her. "Should I... take off my shoes?"
"If you think you feel comfortable." Oceanbird simply said.
Lee Lee gave a nod as she undid her ballet shoes and took both of them off, before laying to the side and crossing her legs once again. Lee Lee paused, before smiling. "It does feel a little more comfortable..."
"Sometimes, what you think is deemed comfortable or not, depends on what you think in your mind." Windbear said. "And we can tell by your body language that right now, you feel comforted by our presence, yet seem to be rather curious about something."
"R-right, right..." Lee Lee nodded, before looking up. "Well, actually, I came over here to ask you about what you knew about Mandark."
Windbear and Oceanbird just stared at Lee Lee with blank, confused expressions. Lee Lee paused, wondering why they were confused. "Mandark? Your son?"
The two hippies's eyes lit up as Windbear smiled, "Oh, you're referring to Susan!"
"Susan?" Lee Lee asked in surprise.
"Oh yes, Susan's been wanting us to call him by his little made-up nickname since we came here, but... he does not understand that his birth name is his true heritage." Oceanbird sighed sadly.
"Now I have to know..." Lee Lee sighed. "What can you tell me about Susan? Your son? Because, he and my friend's brother are attending the same class together and..."
"Oh ho..." Windbear smiled. "So, Susan is already making a friend! That is good!"
"Er... well... why don't you tell me about... Susan and his life and I'll see what I can say afterwards." Lee Lee said.
"Meditate with us, dear. It's quite a story to tell." Oceanbird said as she and Windbear held a meditative pose. Lee Lee followed along as she closed her eyes, listening to Windbear and Oceanbird's story...
And that's the end of this chapter! How did you guys like it? And yes, Oceanbird and Windbear and Lalavava are in the same story. Even though I know the later seasons of Dexter's Laboratory are not looked upon fondly, I want to use some elements from those seasons, so yeah. Anyway, next time, Lalavava decides to take Dee Dee and Mee Mee on a tour of Mandark's laboratory, which, if you know Dee Dee and laboratories, you know it ain't going to end well. Of course, there's a lot more, but I'll save it for next time! Anyway, read, review, criticize and suggest, everyone!