Chapter 5: I'm just Gessen
Up the third flight of stairs, Shiki headed into the local Ise Sueyoshi where she met up with a group of her Gyaru friends. Wearing very puffy, high-heeled boots, a plad skirt which sat just below a long crop-top just barely revealing her stomach, Shiki felt a yank from her fur-lined jacket that was worn over a crop-top. Like lightning, she leapt around to face her grabber, suspecting a possible attacker.
"Whoa! Like, chill Sheeks. It's just me, Shizue." Shiki's eyes widened as she noticed the familiar blue-haired girl, who's face was decorated with flashy makeup and equally flashy nails. While most of Shiki's friends had grown into more of the modern, casual Gyaru, a leopard-skin tank top, thick belt with rough jeans, and a tan just a shade darker than Homura told that Shizue liked to keep it old-school.
"Ah ha. Like, whats happenin' Shizue?" Shiki tried changing the subject, smiling at her best friend.
Shizue folded her arms. "I could like ask the same of you, girlfriend. We barely see your ass around these parts anymore. And Rei was like 'OMG. Shiki is like, totally abandoning us. That is sooo not cool.' And we're all like 'fer shuh,' and then Akko be like 'It's been 3 weeks alreads. Shiki better get her ass down here or Imma drag her out here, ya dig?'. Sooo, yeah. Where ya been?"
"Ahaha. Oh, you know, Shizi, school keeps me busy." Shiki nervously scratched the back of her head.
"Oh yeah, we keep forgetting you go to one of those prestigious schools with like high standards or somethin'. I don't know how I actually feel about those type o schools, cause in one sense they're like 'Raaad' but in another way I'm like 'Ew. Grodie.' We're all busy with school, Sheeks, but like, is that really what's keeping you?"
Shiki couldn't tell if Shizue was looking at her with sarcasm or genuine concern. Possibly both. Shinobi training and missions had kept Shiki pretty busy and trying to conceal that identity among her group of friends was now getting more inconvenient. "Like totally, Shizi. You know how it is. Besides, exams around this time of year and I'm totally getting may sickness." Shiki laughed, a hint of nervousness riding on her voice. Luckily, Shizue paid it no heed.
Walking inside with Shizue, Shiki was greeted by her old group of friends whom, as far as she was concerned, were just normal girls who continued to uphold the Gyaru trend long after it fell out of style. Four other girls sat at a table. While not as outgoing in appearance as Shizue, they still had that Gyaru air of flashy makeup and wavy hair. "I couldn't help but notice how fast you jumped out there, Shiki." Mizuho commented.
"I know, it's like you jolted her with some way kuh-razy drug or somethin', Shizue." Another girl named Meg added.
"Ehahaha. Oh, Gag me. I've just been all sleepy today. School like, has me really burned out and shiz." Shiki grinned.
"Oh yeah! It almost totes slipped my mind, but where is that classmate of yer's ya said you'd introduce us to, Shiki?" Hitome asked.
"Ah, I figured we would totally go meet up with her for some shopping after catching up here a bit. But where are Rei, Yaeko, and Akko?" Shiki asked.
"Rei's family was out on business with the Akite Shinto Shrine. And Yaeko really needed to catch up on Homework." Anna sighed. "Like really, that's the best she can come up with? We finally get to see our homie Shiki and she like totally dumps out on us."
"Akko's excuse was like even more bogus." Meg pouted. "All she says is I've got some 'business' to take care of. Like, after all we've been through, ya think she could throw us a bone or some shiz?"
"Is Akko still dating that Kenshi Yamauchi guy?" Shiki asked
"You think she'd do anything else? Or anyone else fer that matter?" Hitome piped up.
"As if." Shizue responded. Shiki tried to let herself go in the moment, gossiping with her old friends over the latest trends in fashion, music, and food, sometimes talks of boys or homelife would pop up. But all the while, Shiki tried to avoid talk of school if at all possible while at the same time battling herself so as not to worry about such things. Though she had fabricated a story of school life to tell as a safeguard, she wished, just sometimes, she were not a shinobi. Her parents would still be alive and moments like these could last without fear of losing them.
After a lot of small talk, the girls headed out to meet Shiki's "classmate" for some shopping, only to find she was not where she said she'd be. I thought she'd be around the candy store somewhere. Just then Shiki's friends looked over to see a short girl with long, brown pigtails running towards them.
"Shikiiiii!" Minori called out, running up to the girls making an annoyed face at Shiki "Where were you!? You said we'd meet up half an hour ago!"
"EH!? Well, gee, like colored me dumbfounded. I musta like totally lost track of time talkin' it up with my homegals and-… wait a minute! We never agreed on a said time, Minori! Quit pullin' this shiz on me!" Shiki folded her arms.
"Ya! You did!" Minori shouted back
"Did not."
"Did too!"
"Erm. Shiki. Is this like, yer classmate?" Shizue asked. "Pardon my skepticism but you two bein' in the same class seems like totally bogus."
Minori's cheeks puffed up "That's so rude! What gives, Shiki!? We absolutely agreed to meet up, but you DON'T show up, some weird lady started chasing me, then you forget, and your friend is a meanie!"
Shizue's eyes popped out "S-sorry, sorry! I just like… couldn't believe my eyes!"
"Wait, Minori. You said some strange woman was chasing you?! Like who?" Shiki asked.
"This goofball little girl who talked like she was someone's mommy or something!" Minori whined "I think I finally lost her."
"GATHUNK, GATHUNK!" the doors to the candy store shoved open, as a girl with messy blonde hair and a pink dress adorned with skull ribbons stepped in. "If you wanna play tag, sweetie, that's fine, but you shouldn't go running off like that!"
"Ew, like gag me with a spoon. That skull ribbon does NOT go with her outfit. She is sooo not dope." Meg commented.
"It's the weirdo! Help me, Shiki!" Minori gripped tightly around Shiki, squeezing her stomach, causing Shiki to gasp.
"M-minori! Watch your own strength!"
"You there!" The blonde girl pointed. "Are you this little girl's guardian?"
"I AM NOT LITTLE!" Minori shouted, squeezing Shiki even tighter, the latter starting to choke.
"Awww, she is totes adorbs. How precious." Anna smiled at Minori.
The blonde girl continued, "Cause if you are her guardian, I must ask you to look after your child properly! There are too many things that could happen to such a vulnerable little girl at such a delicate age… although…" the girl looked down at Minori's top heavy front "She seems to be developing well for her age, so I can't say you're completely failing."
"Mi-… No-… Ri… I… Can't breathe!" Shiki muttered. Minori's eyes widened as she let go of a gasping Shiki, who fell to the floor.
"MM! I told you I can take care of myself! Stop treating me like a baby!" Minori pouted angrily, but it didn't stop the girl from continuing.
"But with an attitude like that, You are not doing enough! How will she learn any respect!? You should be ashamed of yourself!"
Shizue took a step forward "Look, I don't know who you think you are but you are way uncool. Like, we just wanna go shoppin' like the normal gals we are and you're like getting' all up in our faces and stuff with your activism. Like, way dumb am I right, girls?"
Shiki's eyes shifted away at Shizue's words of 'normal'. As if. Oh, Shizue. I wish I could tell you. The blonde girl's eyes widened as she stuttered. "Wha-?! You… don't know me?! Surely you've heard of the Abnes Channel!"
Shiki's friends began throwing out 'uh's and 'um's. "I dunno, like I think that name rings a bell." Mizuho had a perplexed finger perched on her chin.
"Oooh! Can you at least tell me where we are!?" Abnes demanded.
By now, Shiki's friends began looking at the girl oddly "Urm… Shinjuku District." Anna said slowly and awkwardly.
"Just what's a Shinjuku!? Seriously, Shinjuki Japankyo, could I get a map for the fourth time already?" Abnes shrugged to which Shiki's friends began to wonder if all foreigners were 'this geeky'.
By now Shiki had gotten up. "Well thank you for helping find Minori for us, but we totes got things from here, kay. By the way, maps will be downstairs in the terminal. And one more thing, I should be asking where your parents are, sistah. You look kinda young to be goin out all on your lonesome."
"WHAT!? Are you implying that I am a little girl?!" Abnes frowned, pissed.
Minori stuck her tongue out. "Little girl, little girl! Nanananana!"
"OOOOHHH! I hope you know that people like make great material for my Gamindustry blog site!" Abnes snarled.
"You're from the game industry!?" Meg voice oozed of delight "Oh you have to tell us what you think of the latest Sweet Squasher update! Wait, which company are you from?!"
"What the. Oh, forget it. You broads are clearly of a different caliber of intelligence! Good day to you!" Abnes began to storm out of the store when a loud crash could be heard. "WHAT WAS THAT!?" Abnes proceeded to run off in the general direction of the crash.
"Hey like wait up! It could be dangerous, so don't be such a Ditsy Daisy!" Shiki frowned, her and Minori running after Abnes in the direction of the noise. The nearby clothing store practically puked out terrified customers as glass cracked and shelves flew.
"What!? They're here too!?" Abnes shouted, Shiki then noticing a strange, rampaging two-legged, pseudo-bipedal horse like creature with wings. Among them were strange bunny-looking creatures with collars. "Hey you, stupid Horsebird! You're supposed to listen to the Sages Syndicate! Quit traumatizing all the children!" Abnes waved her arms frantically at the horsebird only to get a full clothing rack thrown at her.
Shiki quickly yanked Abnes out of the way and to the side of the store "Look here, sugar. Might wanna skedaddle while ya still have a shot. Minori! You sense that?!"
"Mm! Yoma bad!" Minori nodded.
"Alright! Shinobi Kekka-…" Shiki stopped short when she heard Shizue's voice.
"Shiki? Like, what the hell are ya doin' dudette? We need to totes skedaddle ourselves!" Shizue and the rest of her Gyaru friends seemed to send an unfriendly lump down Shiki's throat as she began scratching the back of her head.
"Ah. Well, I was like… totally making sure the little girl here was okay. She kinda ran off." Shiki began to sweatdrop, laughing nervously. Abnes protested, but Shiki's nervousness blocked out any of her shouting.
"What is happening, Sheeks, you're actin kinda strange. We need to leave, like, right now!" Hitome said.
A 'look out' from Minori and Shiki saw one of the Yoma-like rabbit creatures lunge at Shizue. Knowing her friend did not possess her level of agility, Shiki quickly summoned her scythe, throwing it like a boomerang and destroying the rabbit creature.
"Wh-what!?" Shizue's eyes popped, "What just happened? And, my god, Sheeks. Where did you get that totes cray-cray weapon?!"
Shiki gulped, "Wha-… this?" nervous laughter and stutters came from Shiki's mouth, which slowly evolved into babbling noises.
"Is there… like something you've been hiding from us?" Shizue slowly began to walk closer.
Urgh! Pull yourself together, Shiki! "There's no time! I'll explain later, let's go!" Shiki shouted to her friends before looking back at Minori and winking. The girls turned their backs to leave, but just as Shizue looked back, Shiki and Minori were nowhere to be seen.
With both girls releasing dual shinobi barrier, Shiki and Minori then gripped hands "Shinobi… Transformation!" the two spoke in sync, reappearing into their shinobi outfits. Sensing the change in atmosphere, the enraged horsebird and the other rabbit turned their full attention on the ninjas.
"MINE!" Minori shouted, ready to rush the enemy when Shiki held her back, her arm across Minori's collarbone.
"Just wait, Minori! Now, Ku Soku ZIX!" Shiki tossed up her hat, releasing a wave of bats that poured onto the monsters, dealing significant damage to them. "Okay Minori! Now!"
Minori ran up, smacking the horsebird with her bucket in one hand and a frying pan in the other. "Bad, bad winged horsey!" the rabbit monster was surprisingly agile for it's size, biting Shiki, tearing her outfit up. Shiki's eyes could barely keep up.
"Like come on! Do you know how often I have to stitch my duds?! You're really startin' to make me angry!" Shiki gripped her scythe tightly before spinning around rapidly in a circle, slashing up everything in the way, the rabbit monster vanishing in a combination of black mist and purple pixels.
Suddenly, the barrier vanished, the area of the destroyed clothing store returning to normal as Minori flew headlong into Shiki, knocking them both down. "I'm sorry, Shiki. I not strong enough for kekkai yet!" Minori's lips pouted sadly. Reassuring her, Shiki helped Minori up to face the now charging horsebird.
"One after the other, Minno!" Shiki called, then looking at the horsebird "Wanna play? Shiki Soku ZX!" Shiki charged forward in a swarm of bats, smashing the horsebird full force.
Minori followed up Shiki's attack, slamming the horsebird with her frying pan before flattening it with giant pancakes, finishing it off. "We did it, Shiki!" Minori ran up to Shiki who was holding her arm. "Shiki! Are you okay!?"
"Rgh. I shoulda known that charging right into a charging enemy really is like, bound to have some kinda totally bogus recoil!" Shiki groaned in pain.
"You need help! We go back to Gessen!" Minori began to help Shiki up by the arm when suddenly Abnes' shrill voice broke the atmosphere.
Abnes pointed "Hold it, right there! I don't know what kind of games you're playing, but making this little girl fight is beyond child abuse!"
"Hehe. We play Shinobi. It's fun." Minori smiled. Shiki nudged Minori and shook her head. Revealing their shinobi identity was forbidden, but this girl seemed like she wouldn't buy it.
"Shut it! Your vile actions as an older sister has been revealed today! Are you not ashamed of yourself!? Damn it! Where's my camera crew!?" Abnes snarled.
"Shiki!" Shizue suddenly came over and grabbed Shiki by the hand as Abnes continued to rant in the background. "Oh, you had us worried sick! The moment you vanished we went totally looking for you and, oh my god, like WHAT IS that skanky outfit you're wearing?"
"Sh-sh-shizue?! You're supposed to be leaving!" Shiki stuttered through gritted teeth, trying not to show any signs of pain.
"Like yeah, WE were supposed to be leaving! You can't just vanish on our asses and expect us to like, not wonder where you went!" Shizue began to look mad "What is up with you today, Shiki!? You are acting so whack."
"You big meanie!" Shiki looked over to hear Minori yell as she bonked Abnes on the head. Abnes began crying 'Assault! Assault!'.
"I-i-I'm alright! Look, I'mma catch up with ya later, Shizue! I gotta go now!" Shiki said very quickly before grabbing Minori by the hand. "C'mon, Minori. You know the rules! And we've already broken sev-… Ow!" Shiki clenched her right arm.
"Let me help!" Minori held onto Shiki before the two leapt over the railing of the second floor. Shizue ran over to the railing, looking down with widened eyes but Minori and Shiki had vanished. Rubbing her eyes, Shizue looked again, not believing what she just witnessed.
"I've been attacked! Call the cops! Get first aid! Give me a therapeutic puppy and put me in a safe space away from these hooligans!" Abnes cried.
Shizue sighed looking up at Abnes "You do realize that everyone else is like, gone, right?"
Murakumo walked into the Gessen Elite room. It's red velvet carpets and walls, little stone pond with a Sōzu dipping into it, and traditional wooden bridges was one of the few places in which she finally learned to be comfortable without her mask, which she removed, hanging off the side of her belt. Murakumo breathed in a breath of tranquility that she found herself unable to feel inside her mask, letting a sense of peace engulf her mind, lifting off like a feather.
She found Yozakura and Yumi sitting at the cushioned cube-couch, greeting them with a smile. Yumi turned and gave a slight bow to her. "Murakumo. How was your little restoration trip with Ikaruga and Yomi?"
"It actually went quite well. We assisted with new developments and real estate investments. Ikaruga really is something else. With her father passing, her brother Murasame disappearing, and the Houou family business falling to her, I don't know how she does it. But she took over and proceeded to invest family business into the slums. Yomi was sobbing tears of joy." Murakumo smiled.
"That's so sweet." Yozakura's eyes near began to water themselves.
Yumi smiled "I am happy for all of you. I hope the people there live prosperously. But you are back sooner than expected, Murakumo. I thought the three of you would be another two to three days."
"Yeah, about that. We heard the news that Shibuya District was attacked by strange yoma. Or at least we thought they were Yoma."
Yumi and Yozakura leaned in closer. "Go on." Yumi said.
Murakumo gulped "Well, seeing our friends and the Hebijo girls on TV we headed out towards the area to go assist them. But as we were passing by closer to Hanzo National Academy, we found a most terrifying sight. The area had been attacked and we found Daidoji trapped inside of-… inside of-…" Murakumo's eyes grew wide as she felt her heart beating faster with her heightened breath.
"Murakumo. Calm down. Here." Yozakura grabbed her mask and handed it to her. "Now tell us... What was Daidoji trapped in?"
Donning her Hanya mask, Murakumo's voice deepened after a brief throat clear. "It was… some kind of… giant, jelly-like creature. Were it not for the circumstances, it might have looked cute with it's strange puppy-like face and raccoon like ears and tail… But it had Daidoji… trapped inside of it's… G-gelatin body! It was like something out of a hentai doujinshi! I-I mean… I d-didn't say that."
Yozakura folded her arms, halfway in between seriousness and shameful disbelief. "Regardless of what you chose to read at night, the fact that you are still stuttering behind your mask is cause enough for concern."
"Indeed. And it may have something to do with what we've been hearing as well." Yumi added "Rumors of strange anomalies have been spreading slowly. Odd flashes of energy which spawn aliens of sorts. Did Daidoji make it out alive?"
Murakumo nodded "We… were able to save her, But she was pretty beat. After helping her back inside, Ikaruga stayed with her while Yomi and I met up with the rest. By the time we found them, the Hebijo girls were gone and the rest had already finished the fight. Yomi went back with Homura and I came here."
A chilling atmosphere flowed through the room, and no it wasn't Yumi farting. Even behind the mask, Murakumo could feel the anxiety crawling up her back, raising goosebumps. Yumi stood up. "Yoza, I am going to go meet with the Hanzo girls. We need to better understand what is going on here."
"Yumi. But what about the investigation mission?" Yozakura asked.
"It's too dangerous now. I can't have any one of you going off to Kyoto alone. Please wait for Shiki and Minori to return." Yumi gave the girls a cold stare that Murakumo all at once hated, feared, and respected.
"So, you're telling us not to go alone, but You're going off to meet up with Hanzo?" Yozakura's annoyed frown was written all over.
"Hanzo Academy is closer than Kyoto. Besides, until Shiki and Minori return, we can't leave Gessen unguarded. Besides, someone needs to fill each other in on the details." Yumi smiled gently, with the same sister-like eyes Murakumo always knew her for. "Don't worry, Yozakura… Murakumo. I'll be fine."
Yumi had barely left a block from Gessen Academy, deep in thought from the recent events. While her mind wanted to blame the Yoma, her heart tugged on it as if to say 'there's something more at stake.' BAM!
"Ow, hey! Might you please watch where you aim your homosapien mass?!" a mysterious voice spoke. Yumi looked up from where she had fell on the ground. A girl with long-blue hair, the length of which went down just past her back behind her white, gear plaid dress, sat in front of her. Yumi got up, helping the girl to her feet.
"I am so sorry. I was lost deep in thought and was not looking where I was going!" Yumi gave a slight bow.
The girl adjusted her red tie and her gear-decorated wizard's hat, which Yumi couldn't help but stare. "A bystander, eh? Very well then. I shall look past this mishap with no further suspicion! I had feared you were part of the organization for a moment! But alas, perhaps it is fate which brought us together! For I am but a foreigner in these strange and mystic lands! And here I have been graced with the meeting of one potential ally and partner in magic! Pray tell, do you know where I might find some Duck P?"
By now, the girl had grabbed Yumi's hand as her ramblings grew closer to Yumi's face. Yumi's eyes had grown so wide in shock, they may have fallen out of her sockets by now as she let loose a bewildered "What?" from her mouth.