PREFACE: Hey again! I'm back to the River City Girls franchise for another dive into this crazy, colourful world. I plan on rejoining Kyoko, but having her interact with Yamada this time, instead. Ever wonder what would happen if you gave these two another chance to interact? Read and find out!
Befriending the Dark Arts
A River City Girls Story
Kyoko sank her teeth into her Merv Double, happily falling back against her seat at the table. If there was something she would ever give Godai props for, it was his taste. She'd sworn off fast food for life after watching him devour a Merv Double of his own like a pig, but she just couldn't resist coming back for some. How could she when Merv's was just so good! Not to mention that food was what she needed after a tedious day of school. At least that's what she told herself knowing she didn't want to slave away on the ten-page essay she'd been given.
The last bite froze on its way to her mouth at the sound of a jackhammer cutting through the comfortable inside atmosphere. It came from just left of Merv's Burgers, where the construction crew had been trying to wear out their equipment by the sounds of it. They'd start and stop, use some other piece of equipment for just as long of a time that would end up making Kyoko want to bang her head against the table.
Most irritatingly of all, she'd been indirectly to blame. With Sabuko gone, Mayor Titus Tōdō got the idea to put the Sanwakai Family's dirty money to good use. All of it had immediately gone towards renovating every part of River City. Rebuilding roads, funding hospitals and schools, anything. If it would have helped the city thrive, Sabuko's stolen riches were going to pay for it.
All of which was incredibly good news. Crosstown wasn't hanging on by a thread like Downtown was, but there were a few things around her painfully average-looking hometown that could have gone for a bit of sprucing up. At least if you asked her.
But did the construction crew have to be so obnoxious about it?!
Kyoko dropped the last of her burger, plugging her ears.
Kyoko could only guess that the reason it took so long was because they'd switched projects midway through the job. They'd gone from building an ordinary hotel complex to what would be a grand, luxurious five-star hotel far nicer than anything that had been built in Crosstown. She'd already heard more of her fellow classmates than she could have counted plotting to sneak into the place and turn it into an indoor playground.
Misako was no exception, and as it turned out, neither was she. But in Kyoko's defense, that was entirely thanks to Misako's promises of what the two of them would be able to do. Have diving contests in the hotel pool, race on the luggage carts, use beds as trampolines, and cause trays of the place's gourmet cooking to go "missing" once they'd gotten hungry.
Kyoko joyfully kicked her legs, squealing to herself at the thought of it. She supposed that it helped that Misako volunteered to beat down hotel security herself if they got caught. Kyoko may have been fine with bending some rules, but she tried her best not to actually harm anyone unless she absolutely had to. Or if they dared to mistreat her Riki-poo in any way.
She supposed Yamada would have to find another rooftop to spend his days on top of.
Kyoko's thoughts began to linger on Yamada. As ghoulish as he looked, he'd actually had a pretty rough childhood as far as she could gather. Misako had cut him clean off in the middle of it, and at the time, Kyoko understood. Neither of them knew where their sweethearts were, and needed any clue they could've found. But with that whole fiasco over and done with, Kyoko found herself facing the fact that he was incredibly easy to get lost in thought over.
Kyoko propped her chin onto her palm, thoughtfully tapping her fingers on the table.
Without another word, she grabbed what was left of her Merv Shake and headed out of the door.
Kyoko shielded her eyes against the beating sun. She crossed her fingers, hoping to see if the construction crew looked to be wrapping up for the day. The noise had stopped, maybe that was a sign?
She turned around, only to see that the crew was still there, working tirelessly. The odd silence looked to be the cause of them wanting to swap machines to continue their work.
Her heart sank at what she saw. When they'd gone to look for their boyfriends, she and Misako were lucky enough to sneak onto the construction site when the workers were on break, but what was she supposed to do now?!
Kyoko apprehensively eyed the scene. The crew consisted of bear-sized men, and those that weren't looking to operate large, deadly machines were practically lining up to pick up sledgehammers, pickaxes, and buzz saws.
Why did she feel like this was going to be difficult?
Nevertheless, Kyoko started toward the construction site. Right at the striped tape, she spotted a construction worker who appeared to be using two cinderblocks as a pair of makeshift dumbbells.
"Excuse me, mister!" Kyoko innocently chirped. "Can I ask you something?"
The man turned around with a big, friendly smile. He tossed the cinderblocks aside about as casually as one would have thrown a pillow. He tipped his hard hat to her like a Stetson.
"Afternoon, little lady!" He greeted with a heavy Southern accent. "What can Ah do ya for?"
Kyoko smiled at his attitude. Maybe this wouldn't be so hard after all. She curiously spotted the name "Jessie" scrawled onto his worker's vest. Was that his name?
"I was kinda wondering if I could check out the hotel," Kyoko gave a cutesy swing of her leg. "It's unfinished and all, but. . ."
"Missy, Ah can guarantee you ain't gonna like it, way it is right now," Jessie gave a fatherly chuckle, shaking his head. "Just hold those horses 'till we're good 'n finished."
Kyoko saw him wander over to a small brick wall. He picked up a steel bar with cinderblocks shoved into the ends, before lying down flat on a bed of bricks and bench-pressing it.
"Trust me," Jessie promised, briefly flexing a muscle. "With these babies, you won't be waitin' 'till you're my age."
Jesse continued bench-pressing his makeshift weight. His arms bulged with muscle that Kyoko had to admit was impressive for someone who looked to be around fifty years old.
"Ain't that wight, you big beawtiful mussews?" Jessie cooed, looking a moment shy of planting a kiss on his own arm.
"But it's really urgent," Kyoko gingerly begged. "I need to see someone up there!"
"You talkin' about Magic Boy?" Jessie questioned, giving Kyoko a sideways look.
" Yeah! Yamada!" Kyoko nodded rapidly.
"Listen, sweetheart," Jessie smiled earnestly. "Why don'cha just run along? Ah'd hate to see somethin' in this site gettin' you hurt. 'Specially that freak that won't come down from the roof."
"Freak?" Kyoko blinked. "That's pretty rude. I mean, Yamada doesn't really look or behave all that natural, but. . ."
Kyoko's reply died in her throat. She had an idea.
"Oh my gosh!" Kyoko cried, fearfully pointing off to her side. "It's Sabu! He's out of prison!"
"W-whuh?" Jessie spluttered, wide-eyed.
Jessie flailed as he lost his balance and crashed onto the ground. He hunkered down behind the bricks, trembling in fear.
"Where is he?" Jessie whimpered, nervously peeking over the top of his cover. "Where? Where?!"
Kyoko sprang into action, hopping the construction tape and dashing straight toward the unfinished hotel.
"Hey!" Jessie cried out.
Kyoko winced, fighting the urge to look back. It was such a long way, and there were so many workers here! How was she supposed to pull this off without getting caught?
"There's a teenage girl headed for the hotel!" Jessie shouted to the workers. "One o' y'all grab 'er!"
Kyoko saw the other workers immediately set their sights on her. She urged her legs to run faster, closing in on a group of them that had been standing off ahead. They were now charging straight for her.
"C'mere, kid!" One growled.
"Time to send you home!" Another one threatened in a raspy voice.
They all lunged for her at once. Kyoko tucked and rolled, passing right underneath where the group of workers would have landed. She was just able to make out the sound of their pained groans as she left them in the dust.
She didn't make it three more steps before she'd gotten the attention of another one across the area.
"Where do you think you're going?" He snarled.
Just as his co-workers had done, he threw his body at Kyoko, aiming right for her side. Not only did Kyoko avoid him, but she'd managed to use his hard hat as a platform, propelling herself off the ground. She surprised even herself with the extra height she achieved, flailing her arms and legs as she sailed through the air.
Kyoko crashed down into a roll that sent her skipping across the ground until, to her horror, she no longer felt that ground. She threw her hands up, managing to wrap her fingers around something metal. She looked up and saw a giant steel pillar connecting two ends of a large ditch.
"Hey look! There she is!" A voice called.
She looked down to see two more construction workers at the bottom of the ditch. They'd swiped and grabbed at her legs, attempting to pull her down.
"Cut it out, you jerks!" Kyoko snapped, swinging her legs out of their reach.
"We're doin' our jobs!" The other one replied. "You aren't supposed to be here!"
Kyoko shimmied herself across the scaffolding as fast as she could, yanking her legs up to avoid their big, hairy arms. And that wasn't even all of them! The wort part was not being able to see above ground. She just hoped the others hadn't caught up yet. . .
"She's getting away! What now?" One of the workers asked.
"I dunno! Throw something at her!" The other replied.
Kyoko's eyes widened. She looked down at them just in time to swing her legs out of the way of a monkey wrench. A screwdriver came next, right for her face. Kyoko whipped her head to the side, narrowly dodging the flying tool. With a sense of urgency, she inched her way over, nervously glancing down and seeing the men digging through their belts for something else.
Kyoko saw that she had a bit more of the way to go. She was almost there!
But then she got an idea.
She realized she could clear the remaining distance in one more move.
Kyoko took a breath. This was a moment of truth. It was time to find out herself if those girls on her school's cheer squad were being mean by rejecting her, or if she'd been cut out for the team after all.
Keeping a firm hold on the bar, she swung her body like a pendulum. . .back, fourth, back. . .
Just as Kyoko saw the worker pull out a hammer, she gave a final swing, flinging her body tool gave a loud clang as it hit the underside of the bar, harmlessly bouncing back onto the ditch.
Kyoko's feet touched the sandy ground. She shut her eyes and beamed, Instinctively sticking her arms out and assuming a gymnast's finishing pose.
"You can't throw worth a goddamn!" One of the workers yelled. "Jessie's gonna take it out of our hides for lettin' her get away!"
"He's not gonna takin' anything outta anyone's hide," The other worker replied. "Big Bertha'll catch her."
Big Bertha? Who was that?
Kyoko heard a rumbling sound, the sound of machinery. Her eyes snapped open to the sight of an excavator chugging its way towards her.
"Say hello to Big Bertha!" The worker at the wheel grinned. "This old girl'll haul you right on outta here!"
Kyoko took a breath. 'Big Bertha' was the last obstacle that stood in her path. And lucky for her, this thing was a slow-moving construction vehicle. Unlike a whole construction crew, she could outmaneuver this thing without even trying.
Without wasting another second, she ran forward toward the lumbering machine. Bertha groaned as its arm swung down. Kyoko did a cartwheel mid-run, avoiding the bucket. She jumped onto the top of Bertha's cab, doing a handstand and pushing herself off into a front flip.
Kyoko made a neat landing, looking back at Bertha.
"That rotten kid!" Big Bertha's driver yelled, clearly audible despite sounding muffled from the inside.
"Sorry!" Kyoko apologized. "I promise I'll be quick!"
Kyoko ran into the elevator lift, closing the door and locking it behind her. With a fist, she slammed the button that would take her all the way up to the top of the building.
As the lift carried her up, Kyoko sank to the floor, catching her breath. Just getting inside of this stupid thing had been an ordeal on its own, just as she feared.
The lift reached its apex, giving a loud lurch.
"How many times do I have to tell you construction goons," Yamada snapped, his back turned to her. "I don't feel like coming down today!"
"I'm not a construction worker," Kyoko said. "It's me, Yamada!"
Yamada turned around, looking at her.
"Oh, it's you." Yamada muttered, fixing her with a nasty gaze.
"Yeah!" Kyoko beamed, unlocking the cage and stepping out. "I was the girl who was looking for Riki! I just thought I'd—"
"Stop!" Yamada barked, holding a hand out toward her. "Don't come any closer."
"Huh?" Kyoko blinked. "What do you mean? I wanted to—"
"No need to finish that sentence," Yamada interrupted. "I know exactly what you want."
"You do?" Kyoko asked, surprised.
"You came here to gloat," Yamada said. "Call me a loser and tell me how worthless I am."
"What?!" Kyoko's eyes widened. "No! That's not why I came here!"
"I see," Yamada nodded threateningly. "You just wanna skip straight to the part where you start a fight with me."
"I'm like, so confused right now. . ." Kyoko bringing a hand to her forehead.
"Then let me clear things up for you. . ." Yamada snarled, snapping his fingers.
Yamada snapped his fingers, causing violet bursts of magic to create swords—tons of them—of various sizes and types that all pointed at her, hovering just shy of making contact with her skin.
"Eep!" Kyoko squeaked, her eyes going wide.
Kyoko hunkered down in a fetal position, whimpering as the swords inched closer.
"Your move, girl." Yamada spat, glaring at her.
"I don't wanna fight!" Kyoko yelled. "Why would I?!"
Yamada stared at her for a second, before he willed the swords to back away from her; and disappear altogether in a flash of magic.
"You know," Yamada began, not taking his steely gaze off of her. "I thought all girls were the same. . .but that's mostly true. You're different."
"I-I mean. . ." Kyoko stammered, getting to her feet. "Yeah. . .at least I think so."
"I see lots of things," Yamada replied. "Like you, going toe-to-toe with some pretty threatening people. You actually ran into the Enforcers and the Executioners. And lived. Not many people have that in them."
"How do you even know. . ." Kyoko began, furrowing her eyebrows.
Kyoko remembered what she'd heard. Yamada had told her and Misako that he was something of a lurker.
"You followed me after we first met, didn't you?" Kyoko asked with a deadpan tone.
"Trust me," Yamada said bitterly. "It's not like I wanted to. I just heard the crew down there talking about two high school girls who'd apparently given Linda Lash and Trash Scum's flunkies a pounding. I figured it might be you and that other girl, so I 'ported over just in time to see you fighting with them."
"I don't get where you're going with this. . ." Kyoko replied, scratching her head.
"You're willing to fight some tough folks," Yamada pointed out. "You fought me once. Why wouldn't you wanna do it again now?"
"I only fought you because I really needed to find my Riki!" Kyoko said defensively.
"What about that other girl you were with?" Yamada asked. "She wouldn't quit insulting me. Bet you'd mess with me if she wanted."
"That's not true!" Kyoko insisted, rapidly shaking her head. "We were looking for Kunio too, remember? Misako wanted to find Kunio just as bad!"
"So she had to treat me like garbage?" Yamada demanded, clenching his fists.
"She treats everyone like garbage!" Kyoko said. "Okay, maybe not me or Kunio, but like, everyone else. It wasn't anything personal! I swear!"
Yamada narrowed his eyes, once again turning his back to Kyoko.
"Just get lost," Yamada coldly muttered. "I've got things to do."
"Things to do?" Kyoko repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Like what?"
"Things like being alone for the rest of my life." Yamada snapped.
"Why would you want that?" Kyoko asked, gesturing out to her sides. "You don't have to be alone. I'm right here."
"You can't be serious," Yamada dismissed with a scowl. "No one wants to be around me. People hate me."
"I am serious, Yamada," Kyoko sincerely replied. "I'm really sorry that it's so hard to trust, and I get that you don't exactly trust me, but being alone really isn't good for you. And if you wanna change that. . ."
Kyoko gave a small smile.
"I'm right here." Kyoko finished.
Yamada was silent.
"You. . .mean that?" Yamada asked in an apprehensive whisper, turning back around.
"Absolutely," Kyoko's smile grew. "I came up here to get to know you."
"R-really. . ?" Yamada repeated, his eyes widening slightly with shock.
"Yes really," Kyoko gave a nod. "I don't wanna fight. I just wanna talk. . .if that's okay with you."
"I. . ." Yamada lightly ran a hand through his hair, nearly at a loss for words. "I haven't had anyone to talk to in forever, actually. . ."
"I figured," Kyoko responded, gesturing out with a hand. "But everyone should have someone to talk to."
"Yeah, well. . .most people would disagree," Yamada hung his head, his shoulders slumping. "They only ever call me names. . ."
Yamada walked over to the edge of the building and sat down, studying his lap.
"And they're right." Yamada sighed.
"Huh?!" Kyoko gasped. "How can you say that about yourself, Yamada?"
"Because it's true," Yamada grumbled. "No matter how much I hate it. Everybody sees me as some weird creep."
Kyoko thought back to what Godai had said when he'd first told her and Misako about him.
"Don't you go to Reiho High?" Kyoko asked, coming to sit next to him.
"I used to," Yamada replied. "But by then I'd known the Dark Arts, and everyone treated me like a monster. I couldn't take it anymore, so I dropped out."
"Wow. . ." Kyoko sadly muttered, gazing downward herself.
"Guess it didn't help that I kept to myself," Yamada lamented. "I always wonder if they would've been so afraid of me if I could've been more social. . ."
"How they treated you wasn't your fault," Kyoko reassured, placing a hand on his shoulder. "If it's not too much to ask, what was it like?"
"Every day I'd just go about minding my business," Yamada said. "But every time I'd pass by anyone, they'd point and whisper. They'd throw food at me, stick notes on my back, and of course, they'd pick fights with me."
"Yamada. . ." Kyoko said. "I'm so sorry. . . "
"I. . .I appreciate it," Yamada gratefully replied. "It's just. . ."
"Just what?" Kyoko gently urged.
"It's not fair!" Yamada bitterly finished. "Why can't I be like Kunio?!"
"You want to be like Kunio?" Kyoko asked, slowly raising an eyebrow. "I thought you thought he was a loser?"
"That's. . .only what I tell other people," Yamada admitted. "I do it hoping it'll make me feel cool about myself, but it just never does."
"Oh. . ." Kyoko replied. "I see. . ."
"He was the best at sports," Yamada continued. "Everyone loved him at school. . .especially all the girls. . .Hasebe. . ."
"Ugh!" Kyoko made a disgusted face, sticking her tounge out. "Yamada, I want you to know that Misako was telling the truth when we fought. Hasebe is not a good person. Believe me."
"How could I believe that?" Yamada defensively asked, looking at her. "Hasebe is an angel."
"How would you know?" Kyoko countered. "You said that you never talked to her."
"So?" Yamada asked. "It's like I said back before we fought, true love needs no introduction. Or interaction."
"It's like I said back before we fought," Kyoko insisted. "That isn't how love works. Take it from someone who's made that mistake before. I thought I was in love with Riki before I actually met him."
"So then why were you after him?" Yamada asked with a curious frown.
"Turns out, all I had was a crush on him." Kyoko admitted.
"So. . .you didn't care about him?" Yamada asked.
"No!" Kyoko said, shaking her head, waving her hands. "I did, even before I knew him. It's just that, back before we became a couple, my feelings were. . .really shallow. I thought he was hot, and cool for being one of the big heroes of River City."
"I don't get it," Yamada frowned, lightly clutching his head. "Isn't that enough?"
"Heck no!" Kyoko smiled. "Love needs an actual connection. You need to actually have conversations, actually do things with each other and prove that you'll always stick by one another."
"And. . .that's how it is between you guys now?" Yamada asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Totally!" Kyoko chirped, clutching her heart. "I love Riki with all my heart, and he loves me right back."
"Man. . ." Yamada sadly gazed down. "To think I thought dating Hasebe would be anywhere near as nice as your relationship sounds. . .what happened to you, Hasebe?"
"Hasebe was always a mean person," Kyoko's smile faded. "She only pretends to be nice. I've known her since I was a little girl. She'd always tease me."
"W-what?" Yamada whispered, his eyes going wide.
"Yeah," Kyoko gazed ahead, sadly kicking her feet. "I'd run home from school in tears from the things she'd say to me."
"I. . .I can't believe this," Yamada muttered, wide-eyed. "She acted like the nicest girl in class. . .especially to Kunio. . ."
"She does that," Kyoko bitterly said. "Everything she'd ever told Kunio were lies just to get him to like her."
"God," Yamada angrily sighed, shaking his head. "And to think, I let her come between me and Kunio."
"I'm sure Kunio feels the same way. . ." Kyoko said. "Considering what she did to him. . ."
"What?" Yamada gasped. "What do you mean? What did she do to Kunio?"
"You know how I said couples are supposed to be there for each other?" Kyoko asked. "Emotionally connect, and all that stuff?"
"Yeah?" Yamada frowned, raising an eyebrow.
"Well Hasebe didn't want to," Kyoko said. "Anytime Kunio would try to open up to her, she'd say how she shouldn't have to listen to what's bothering him. He's River City's hero, and she used to be his girlfriend. So she thought she was all important and too good to listen to him."
"That's. . ." Yamada's eye twitched, so did his fingers. "What was bothering Kunio?"
"Everything!" Kyoko exclaimed, throwing her hands up. "Saving this city used to really stress him out. He's gotten better since, but he used to be really hard on himself about keeping people safe."
"And you're telling me that Hasebe couldn't have cared less?" Yamada questioned, his voice dropping dangerously low. "That Kunio was giving everything to make sure the people here were safe?!"
"That's. . ." Kyoko gave a slow nod. "Yeah, you get it, Yamada. All Hasebe ever wanted with Kunio was to prance around with one of River City's heroes on her arm."
"That's messed up!" Yamada shouted, clenching his fists as they burst aflame with magic. "Kunio's not some kind of accessory!"
"He was to Hasebe." Kyoko bitterly replied, narrowing her eyes.
"He deserves better than that," Yamada said, the flames growing in size. "Even if the city does praise him all the time, I can't imagine what he has to put up with from this city."
"Don't worry," Kyoko said, placing a hand on his knee. "He's with Misako now. And she treats him right!"
There was a short silence as Yamada processed the words.
"That's. . .good. . ." Yamada finally muttered, cutting his flames.
"Y'know," Kyoko smiled. "It's really sweet that you still care about him, even though you haven't spoken in years."
"What can I say?" Yamada gave a tiny smirk. "I've always wanted to be him."
"I wouldn't sell yourself so short!" Kyoko winked.
"What do you mean?" Yamada asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You, putting yourself down," Kyoko explained, gesturing out at Yamada. "Comparing yourself to Kunio. That's not healthy."
"Oh, that." Yamada deadpanned.
"Yeah, that!" Kyoko happily repeated.
"But it's true," Yamada said, giving a sad shrug. "I mean, I'm nowhere near as cool as Kunio."
"Oh, I beg to differ!" Kyoko shut her eyes, holding up a finger.
"Y-you do?" Yamada asked.
"Kunio's great, don't get me wrong," Kyoko said. "But he doesn't have magic powers! Even if they are kinda. . .evil."
"That's a misconception, actually." Yamada corrected.
"What do you mean?" Kyoko asked.
"The Dark Arts aren't actually evil powers." Yamada said.
"With a name like The Dark Arts?" Kyoko questioned, tilting her head.
"They're just really old magic techniques that've been used by bad people in the past," Yamada explained. "Shady people use them in the present day, because of that, so the stereotype's still around."
"Whoa!" Kyoko went wide eyed. "For real?"
"Yeah," Yamada nodded, creating a small purple flame in his palm. "That's the story behind this stuff."
"I guess that does explain the name!" Kyoko said. "Like they say, the more you know!"
"Evil magic does exist though," Yamada said. "Oni Spirits are evil magic, one of the worst kinds, too."
"Spirits?" Kyoko's eyes went wide, her knees coming up to her chest. "Like. . .ghosts?"
"Yeah," Yamada nodded. "The spirits of oni, creatures that may as well live to pillage and fight."
"That sounds like the people in my school," Kyoko replied. "And Misako's school."
"Not even close," Yamada shook his head. "Oni are demons with great power. All they do is eat, sleep, and fight. If you could even call it that. Commiting slaughter was more like it."
"W-what?" Kyoko trembled, covering her mouth.
"They also feed on us humans," Yamada added. "Sometimes they don't even wait until we're dead first."
"And you say these things can possess people?" Kyoko exclaimed, going white as a sheet.
"Their spirits can, yeah," Yamada said. When oni die, their spirits linger on the metaphysical plane of existence. If you call out to one by performing a ritual, It'll take your body as a host."
"How would you get one of those things out of you?!" Kyoko asked.
"Depends on the oni spirit that's got ahold of you," Yamada said. "To a certain point, oni have all kinds of different personalities like people do, so how they treat their hosts is different from one of them to the next. Some are more merciful, others will refuse to leave their host until they die."
"This is all so crazy!" Kyoko said, her mouth hanging agape. "How do you find out about this stuff, Yamada?"
"I study up on all kinds of magic," Yamada gave a small smile. "I wanted to be cool, so I first tried my hand at learning the Dark Arts. I caught on pretty quick, so I started researching other kinds of magic. See what else was out there, y'know? And then I kept going and going with it. . ."
"And look where it got you!" Kyoko said, gesturing at Yamada with both arms. "You can shoot awesome purple flames now!"
"Oh that?" Yamada gave a small chuckle. "That's rookie stuff."
"Huh?" Kyoko was taken aback. "What about when you make random stuff appear out of nowhere? And make them levitate? Or when you teleport?"
"That's a little harder to do, sure," Yamada smiled. "But it's still not the hardest thing for a Dark Arts practitioner."
"What is, then?" Kyoko asked, her eyes going wide.
"It's not the hardest," Yamada said. "But I did something pretty advanced during our fight. You know when I made everything go dark?"
"How could I not?" Kyoko shuddered. "That was super spooky!"
"S-sorry about that. . ." Yamada gave a nervous chuckle. "But anyway, that trick was actually me blocking out the sun's rays."
"Say what?!" Kyoko gasped, recoiling in shock. "You can just turn off the sun?!"
"No, no, no," Yamada laughed. "I can't do anything like that, but I can take away the light that the sun gives off. Which covers the whole planet in darkness."
"That's incredible!" Kyoko exclaimed. "And you're jealous of Kunio? Just look at you!"
"I mean. . ." Yamada blushed. "I guess part of it has to do with the fact that I haven't had anyone to share any of this with."
"I get that," Kyoko smiled, placing a hand on his shoulder. "But you really oughta have some more self-confidence!"
"It really means alot that you think so," Yamada smiled back. "I mean, you didn't even think my powers were real when we first fought!"
"Trust me," Kyoko said. "That was only Misako. I did believe in your powers!"
"You actually believed that my magic was real?" Yamada asked.
"I totes did!" Kyoko nodded. "Misako just didn't want you to know that you freaked her out. She told me on our way Uptown!"
"She really said that?" Yamada asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Yep!" Kyoko smiled, placing a finger to her lips. "Our little secret, 'kay?"
"Oh!" Yamada gave a jolt of surprise, tracing an 'X' across his chest. "Sure thing! Cross my heart, and all that."
"Do you see now?" Kyoko said, grasping both his shoulders. "You can't be so hard on yourself!"
"I guess," Yamada said with a bashful smile. "Thanks. Really."
"Of course!" Kyoko replied.
"Hey, uh. . ." Yamada awkwardly began. "I don't think I ever got your name."
"Kyoko!" Kyoko beamed.
"Huh. . ." Yamada mused. "So that's your name."
"Uh-huh!" Kyoko placed a hand on her hip.
"Well Kyoko," Yamada said, his gaze lowering in shame. "Sorry for terrorizing you with my magic before. And earlier today."
"Oh, don't worry about it!" Kyoko dismissed with a little wave.
Rather than cheer up, Yamada sighed.
"Hey," Yamada began, finally looking back up at Kyoko. "Can I ask you something?"
"What's up?" Kyoko asked, eagerly placing her hands on her knees.
"What's it like?" Yamada asked. "Being in love?"
"Oh, it's one of the most beautiful feelings in the world!" Kyoko dreamily said, interlocking her hands as bright red hearts sprouted up around her.
Yamada groaned, his head miserably falling back down.
"B-but you don't need romance!" Kyoko hurriedly added, her eyes going wide.
"You don't?" Yamada asked, looking up at her.
"No, of course not!" Kyoko said, placing a hand on Yamada's shoulder. "It's what I've wanted, but it's not for everyone. Sometimes, you just need a friend."
"Is. . .that what we are?" Yamada glanced at her hand, and then at her. "Friends?"
"I hope so, Yamada." Kyoko smiled.
"Then. . ." Yamada smiled back. "That's exactly what we are."
"Great!" Kyoko grinned, clenching her fists excitedly.
"Am I allowed to, uh. . ." Yamada nervously began, standing up on the roof. "Hug you? O-or do girls not do that to guys unless they're dating them?"
"Of course we can hug!" Kyoko got to her feet, grinning devilishly. "In fact, you may wanna step back!"
"O-okay. . ." Yamada said, taking a few steps back. "Why, exactly?"
"Attack Hug!" Kyoko cried out, throwing herself at Yamada, wrapping her arms around him.
"W-whoa!" Yamada laughed, hugging her back. "That's a serious hug!"
"It's how I hug all of my friends," Kyoko smiled. "Especially the ones I've just made!"
"Then I'm glad we're friends," Yamada said. "That felt. . .nice."
"As your friend," Kyoko said. "I'm kinda curious about something."
"What's up?" Yamada asked.
"What do you do up here all day by yourself?" Kyoko asked, giving a tilt of her head. "No offense, but this is just an empty rooftop."
"I mean," Yamada said, putting his hands in his pockets. "Aside from streaming movies and TV shows, and practicing magic, not much."
"Oh," Kyoko muttered, glancing around. "I guess that makes sense. Nothing wrong with that! But how'd you pick a rooftop as a place to hang out?"
"Just look," Yamada smiled, facing the edge of the building. "You can't get this view in most other places."
Kyoko gazed out into the city from where she stood. She almost seemed so much bigger, gazing at everything from such a height. She noticed that she stood on equal height with the other tall buildings. She peeked down, finding the citizens below to be more like ants.
"I mean," Kyoko smiled, placing a hand on her hip. "You're not wrong."
"Also," Yamada added. "An unfinished rooftop's got plenty of empty space. Great for an introvert like me."
"I can see that." Kyoko nodded, cupping her chin.
"I have learned how to get kinda artsy with my magic flames," Yamada offered. "If you're up for it, I could show you what I can do."
"I mean," Kyoko happily shrugged. "Sure! What's the harm in it?"
"You should know that it involves blocking out the sun," Yamada tentatively warned. "Sorry, but I'm gonna need a dark sky for you to see it clearly. Purple on blue just isn't the best for this kind of thing."
Kyoko looked up at the clear, cloudless sky. It was a gorgeous day, but apparently that would get in the way of what Yamada wanted to show her.
"S-sure. . ." Kyoko gulped, anxiously biting her nails. "Just make it quick, 'kay?"
"You got it," Yamada smiled. "Watch this!"
Yamada threw his hands out, assuming a wide stance. Purple particles of magic appeared in the air one after another.
"Magic. . ." Yamada yelled. "Bury the light!"
Everything around Kyoko became darker and darker, until her surroundings were no longer visible at all.
Yamada had used this during their fight, and it had scared Kyoko out of her wits. She had a crippling fear of the dark, and the fact that she'd been forced to confront it in the middle of a fight had nearly given her a panic attack. She hadn't gotten over that fear of the dark one bit since that day, but she was willing to soldier through it for the sake of looking at whatever Yamada wanted to show her.
Yamada was briefly illuminated as purple flames flew from his glowing hands and into the air. One after another, each flame violently burst into a letter of his name.
"Eep!" Kyoko screamed, jumping into the air.
The flames dispersed as everything became visible again. Kyoko's head darted from one side to the next as she began trembling.
"Shit. . ." Yamada muttered, reaching out to steady her. "Sorry, Kyoko. . ."
"I-It's nice. . ." Kyoko whimpered. "J-just a little. . .scary, the way you made the flames explode like that. . ."
"That's it?" Yamada asked, his voice rising hopefully. "I can make it less. . .scary looking. I'll even spell out something different."
"W-what are you gonna spell?" Kyoko asked warily.
"It'd be a surprise," Yamada replied. "But I'd make it as non-frightening as I possibly knew how to. Do you trust me?"
Kyoko thought for a moment. She gave a shaky sigh.
I trust you, Yamada. . ." Kyoko finally said.
"Great," Yamada gave a small smile. "Now, let's try again."
"O-okay. . ." Kyoko said, looking up at the sky again.
Yamada assumed his stance again, causing magical particles to materialize.
Kyoko immediately covered her face with her hands, peeking through her fingers.
"Magic. . ." Yamada called. "Let there be darkness!"
When the world went dark for the second time, Yamada's flames flew up above. This time, rather than harshly bursting apart, they carefully unravelled into thinner flames that daintily spelled out. . .
Her name.
And in cursive!
Kyoko beamed, clutching her heart.
Once the flames dissolved and light came back, she saw Yamada smiling nervously, blushing.
"How was that?" Yamada asked, scratching his neck. "I don't usually make things that are so. . .pretty."
"You should!" Kyoko replied. "Yamada, that looked beautiful! Thank you!"
"No problem!" Yamada's smile grew. "I'm glad you aren't afraid anymore!"
"Well. . ." Kyoko shut her eyes, blushing. "I'm still afraid of the dark. Like super afraid of it, but having your art to look at made it way less creepy!"
"That means so much!" Yamada said. "I've been pr—"
"Hey idiot," Jessie angrily called from below. "Quit turnin' off the sun! We can't see what we're doing!"
"Shut up!" Yamada yelled back. "Half you goons barely even do any work!"
Yamada sighed, tiredly running a hand over his face.
"I have a question, actually." Kyoko asked.
"Yeah?" Yamada replied, raising an eyebrow.
"You know how you said those things before you blocked out the sun?" Kyoko asked. "Do you, like, have to do it for your magic to work?"
"Actually. . ." Yamada chuckled, gaining a light blush. "No, not at all, really. I just like to think of cool-sounding stuff to say when I cast my spells. Makes me feel like a badass."
"I totally get it!" Kyoko giggled.
"It's one of the best parts about doing magic." Yamada smiled.
Yamada's smile vanished. He jerked his thumb behind him.
"Unlike some people," Yamada finished irately. "It's a miracle I'm even half as good as I am with those jerks and their construction noize. It's so hard to concentrate."
"About that," Kyoko said. "Do you think that the construction crew ever get a little spooked out by your magic tricks? It can be kinda. . .spooky when it wants to be. Magic, I mean."
"Pretty sure it used to scare them," Yamada gave a shrug. "But by this point, I'm pretty sure those guys are more annoyed than afraid of the things I do. But magic can be scary, for sure."
"Tell me about it!" Kyoko gave a nervous chuckle. "I may not know much about this stuff, but I do know that vampires are, like, supernatural creatures! There's this vampire guy who keeps stalking Kunio and Riki! Creepy much?"
"Demitri," Yamada angrily sighed. "Yeah."
"Hm?" Kyoko asked. "Who's Demitri?"
"That's his name," Yamada replied. "The vampire who's always bothering Kunio. Demitri Dimitrescu."
"That's his real name?" Kyoko asked, curiously raising an eyebrow. "Sounds. . .fancy."
"Maybe he lived Uptown before he was bitten," Yamada replied. "Who knows? All I really know about his life is his name. Or at least that's what he used to go by before he was bitten. Now he calls himself Plaid The Impaler."
"That's the guy!" Kyoko exclaimed, eagerly pointing at Yamada. "You know him?"
"Oh no," Yamada shook his head. "When I first encountered him, we fought for a bit, and he said I was strong. I asked him if he thought he could take me regardless."
"What'd he say?" Kyoko asked.
"He told me he was sure he could overpower me," Yamada said. "So I made a bet with him."
"You made a bet with a vampire?" Kyoko asked. "What on?"
"During our fight, he said that he was gonna live up to his new name and skewer me with those talons of his before he fed on me," Yamada said. "So I told him that when I beat him instead, he had to tell me what his old name was. His real name."
"What interested you?" Kyoko asked. "Did you wanna become his friend?"
"Not particularly," Yamada gave a tiny frown. "The guy's a real creep."
"Yeah," Kyoko shuddered, hugging herself. "He sure sounds like it, from what Kunio told me."
"I just needed some kind of an answer," Yamada said. "I'm interested in who these people were before they became mystical beings. It's all apart of loving magic. At least to me."
"So you beat him," Kyoko said, leaning forward lightly. "He told you what his real name is. . .then what?"
"Then he just. . .ran away," Yamada replied. "He comes back every so often for a rematch. And it always ends the same. Minus me getting to learn about him. That was only a one-time thing."
"Plaid—or Demitri, has some kind of weird obsession with Kunio, Riki and you?" Kyoko's eyes widened. "Yikes!"
"Guy sees Kunio and Riki as tough nuts to crack," Yamada said. "A special type of challenge, especially since they're the city's heroes. I'm the same deal in his eyes, so that's why I'm one of his favorite people to come after, too. He's also pissy at me, y'know, for getting his real name, and everything."
"Mega yikes!" Kyoko exclaimed, bringing her hands up to her face.
"Ah, don't worry yourself about me," Yamada assured. "I can take him, and so can Kunio. It's most other people that aren't us you should be scared for, honestly. Demitri sees himself as some sort of huntsman. He likes to use every trick in the book to track you down, and once he does, he'll bite you, which'll rip your soul right out of you."
"M-my soul?!" Kyoko's eyes went wide, clutching herself all over in a panic. "I didn't know vampires could do that! I don't even know where my soul even is! I mean, in my body, duh—but I don't know where!"
"Your soul isn't a part of your body," Yamada said, pointing to Kyoko's chest. "It's. . .you, Kyoko."
"Me?" Kyoko asked, scratching her head. "As in, my whole body?"
"No," Yamada chuckled. "I mean it's what makes you human in the first place. Without a soul, there'd be no potential for goodness inside of you."
"Ohh. . ." Kyoko nodded slowly, smiling back. "I think I understand now."
"Being soulless isn't just a figure of speech," Yamada continued, pointing at Kyoko's chest again. "Vampires don't have souls, which is why they like to steal the souls of humans."
"That's super sad!" Kyoko sniffled. "No wonder they always take souls so bad! They probably miss being human!"
"You've got it all wrong," Yamada said. "Once you've been bitten by a vampire, you're one of them for good. Vampires come after us because each soul they take makes them stronger. And because they just like the taste of our blood."
"Do vampires all go nuts if they smell blood?" Kyoko's eyes widened. "Kunio and Riki told me that Demitri does. It sounds like the most terrifying thing ever!"
"He does do that," Yamada said. "But that's not something I've only seen another vampire do. Safe to say it's only something that happens with him."
"What about the whole. . ." Kyoko continued, making an uneasy face. "Huntsman thing?"
"Nah," Yamada shook his head. "That's another Demitri thing. Other vampires wouldn't bother with trying to prove they're stronger than me or Kunio before trying to take our souls."
"You think Demitri's tried going after Billy and Jimmy Lee?" Kyoko asked, raising her eyebrows. "They're like, the strongest guys ever!"
"Which is why Demitri would never fight either of them," Yamada gave a small smirk. "It'd be suicide. Dimitri can't feed on anyone if he's dead."
"I guess that makes sense. . ." Kyoko muttered. "This guy still sounds like a total bozo, though. Could you really kill him with garlic like in the movies?"
"Garlic's more of a repellant," Yamada said. "They can't stand the smell. You wanna hurt one, you use a wooden stake, religious items, ki-based attacks if you've got 'em. . ."
"Or fire!" Kyoko added, holding up a finger.
"Well," Yamada chuckled, crossing his arms. "Looks like you do know a thing or two."
"Trust me," Kyoko smiled. "It's only 'cause Kunio and Riki tell me about how they're always fighting Demitri off. They say he's got super strength, too?"
"That's right," Yamada gave a nod. "Another trait of his species."
"And that's just vampires!" Kyoko shuddered. "I probably don't know the half of what the other supernatural creatures out there can do!"
"Oh trust me," Yamada said. "All of the supernatural creatures out there that exist are nothing if you wanna talk about power."
"What do you mean?" Kyoko asked, leaning forward.
"There are these four little gemstones," Yamada said. "They're called the Rosetta Stones."
"Pretty name!" Kyoko beamed. "What do they do?"
"Anything." Yamada smiled.
"What?" Kyoko gasped, cupping her cheeks. "Anything?! Are you for real?!"
"Sure am," Yamada said. "It could be wealth, giving yourself a harem, achieving world domination. If you can dream it, you can have it. All you need are those four stones."
"No way!" Kyoko exclaimed. "How can something like that even exist?!"
"It's magic," Yamada chuckled. "It's always sorta been around."
"Could you tell me where to find these things?" Kyoko asked, eagerly locking her hands in front of her chest. "I wanna bring all of the cutesy designs in my sketchbook to life! I'm like, an aspiring fashion designer."
"Well," Yamada frowned. "I'm not sure where they are exactly. They could be anywhere in the world."
"Couldn't you do some telepathy thing and find 'em all that way?" Kyoko desperately asked, her face strained with anxiety.
"Nope," Yamada shook his head. "Magic doesn't work that way."
"Aw phooey!" Kyoko moped, her head slumping down. "And that was only the first thing on my list of things I would've wished for. . ."
"Sorry Kyoko," Yamada smiled. "For what it's worth, I don't think you'll need the Rosetta Stones to make your dream come true. I'm sure you've got the talent to do it on your own."
"Yamada. . ." Kyoko grinned, clutching her heart. "That's so sweet of you!"
"I mean. . ." Yamada began, blushing. "We're friends. And if there's anything relating to magic you wanna know, then I'm your guy!"
"Cool!" Kyoko eagerly clenching her fists. "You probably know everything about this stuff!"
"Not exactly," Yamada chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. "There's. . . probably a whole bunch of stuff I don't know."
"Even if there is," Kyoko happily shrugged. "So what? You know so much now! It's wicked cool!"
"Thanks. . ." Yamada replied gratefully.
"And I thought you weren't gonna put yourself down anymore." Kyoko reminded with a smile.
"Yeah. . ." Yamada nodded, gazing at his feet. "I did promise that. It's just. . .something that's gonna take some practice, I guess."
Kyoko stuck out her pinky toward him.
"What's this?" Yamada asks.
"My pinky!" Kyoko cheerfully replied.
"I mean," Yamada said. "Why are you sticking it out?"
"Because I want you to pinky swear that you'll be nicer to yourself," Kyoko answered. "It may take practice, I get it. But pinky promise me you'll never stop trying."
"Don't you wanna shake on it instead?" Yamada asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Nope!" Kyoko shook her head. "Because you can't break a pinky promise!"
Yamada smiled. He stuck out his own pinky, locking it with Kyoko's and shaking.
"Okay," Yamada said. "I promise."
"Good!" Kyoko brightly replied, giving a short bounce on her heels.
"So, uh. . ." Yamada awkwardly began. "Can I ask you something?"
"Anything!" Kyoko said.
"You said that you're friends with Kunio these days," Yamada said. "Does he ever talk about me?"
"Not really," Kyoko said. "I think it's mostly because you guys have been out of contact for so long."
"I guess that makes sense. . ." Yamada sighed, sadly gazing down.
"I should mention one thing, though." Kyoko continued.
Yamada perked up, looking up at her with wide eyes.
"Huh?" Yamada asked. "What is it?"
"He got pretty nostalgic when I mentioned you at dinner the night Misako and I met him and Riki for the first time." Kyoko smiled.
"W-what?" Yamada blinked. "Nostalgic? You mean he doesn't hate me?"
"Of course not!" Kyoko said. "It was a long time since you two had that falling out, remember?"
"This might be crazy to ask," Yamada began tenitavely. "But do you think Kunio would actually be my friend again?"
"Of course, Yamada!" Kyoko said.
"Oh man, that's. . .this is great!" Yamada happily stammered. "I said that I learned these powers to impress girls, but. . .that was only part of it."
"It was?" Kyoko asked, raising an eyebrow. "Did you wanna impress Kunio instead? I know you said you felt like he was cooler than you. . ."
"Not really," Yamada said. "I thought our chances of ever being friends again were shot, so learning the Dark Arts was more me trying to fill the hole in my heart. It. . .wasn't successful as successful as I hoped."
"That's heartbreaking!" Kyoko exclaimed, digging out her phone. "Here, I'll call him for you right now!"
"N-no!" Yamada cried, reaching out to stop her. "Please, don't!"
"What?" Kyoko fixed him with a puzzled look. "You don't want me to call him? I thought—"
"I. . .don't think I can face him right this moment," Yamada explained, his face strung with anxiety. "Can we make it tomorrow instead?"
"I mean, sure!" Kyoko smiled, shrugging. "What's one day to shake the jitterbugs out, right?"
"You're the best for understanding, Kyoko," Yamada gave a sigh of relief. "I know exactly what I can do with the extra time, too."
"What?" Kyoko asked, raising her eyebrows. "You gonna show me more magic?"
"I was actually hoping the two of us could do something together." Yamada smiled.
"Good idea!" Kyoko said, giving a bounce on her heels. "But what, though?"
"I. . .uh. . ." Yamada muttered, nervously rubbing his arm. "I don't really know if you'd be down for this, but. . ."
"Hit me!" Kyoko grinned, placing a hand on her hip.
"Would you wanna. . ." Yamada slowly asked. "Play video games? At the arcade?"
"Sure!" Kyoko exclaimed, clenching her fists.
"Really?" Yamada asked, his eyes widening slightly. "Girls actually play video games too?"
"Well," Kyoko said, rubbing the back of her neck. "Not me personally. But who gives? It could be fun!"
"Great!" Yamada smiled. "The place I like to go to has been closed for the week. They're getting new arcade machines installed, and I've been sneaking in after hours to play."
"Sounds exciting!" Kyoko gave a clap of her hands. "Can you teleport us over there?"
"You bet!" Yamada said.
Yamada extended his two index fingers as his hands glowed. He crossed his arms out front of himself, causing a beam of magical energy to engulf them.
Everything in Kyoko's line of sight was bathed in bright magenta as they were warped away from the rooftop in a shallow humming sound.
Kyoko blinked, stumbling back as she heard the same little hum of Yamada's magic. They were no longer on the rooftop, now in an arcade packed with people.
"Here we—" Yamada began. "A-are?"
"Is this the place?" Kyoko asked, walking back over to Yamada's side.
Yamada was unresponsive, his eyes darting this way, and that, as if expecting trouble.
"Yamada," Kyoko grabbed his arm. "What's wrong?"
Kyoko then noticed that every pair of eyes in the arcade was staring in horror at Yamada.
"M-monster!" One child shrieked, pointing at Yamada.
"That's a demon!" A high-school aged kid screamed. "I'm outta here!"
"N-no, wait!" Kyoko cried, reaching out. "He's not a monster or a demon. He's—"
It was to no avail. Everyone inside made a beeline for the door, some tripping over each other just to get out of the arcade.
And what for? Someone who just wanted to have fun? Just like them?
Kyoko looked at Yamada.
"Are. . ." Kyoko gingerly asked. "Are you okay, Yamada?"
"B-but. . ." Yamada stammered, clutching his hair as he ran a few paces. "They were installing new arcade machines! They wasn't supposed to be anyone here! Unless they finished. . ."
"I. . .didn't think that would be an issue," Kyoko awkwardly said. "People here at the arcade. . ."
"People hate the sight of me," Yamada snapped. "Didn't you listen back on the rooftop?"
Kyoko winced at the sharpness of Yamada's words.
Yamada took a deep breath, hanging his head.
"I'm sorry," Yamada quickly apologized, turning to face Kyoko. "Really, I am. I'm just. . .really upset. I didn't think there would be anyone here."
"I totally get it," Kyoko offered a small smile. "It was. . .my fault for saying something so dumb."
"It really wasn't," Yamada insisted, frowning. "I only told you about how the other kids in school hated me. I didn't exactly mention how the rest of society hates me just as much."
"People can be jerks," Kyoko smirked. "But they're all gone now. How about we start having fun?"
"What's fun about this?" Yamada shoved his hands in his pockets. "I just scared everyone away."
"What about me?" Kyoko pointed out, pointing to herself. "I'm still here."
Yamada's eyes widened.
"Holy crap," Yamada gasped. "You're right, Kyoko! I haven't scared you away!"
"Because there's nothing in this arcade to be afraid of!" Kyoko grinned. "Where. . .are we exactly?"
"We're still in Crosstown," Yamada said. "We're in the MEGA Arcade."
"I've seen this place!" Kyoko said. "I pass by it all the time!"
"I used to live here as a kid!" Yamada smiled. "I can't even tell you how many allowances I spent at this place!"
"So then what next?" Kyoko asked. "See any game you wanna start with?"
"Oh!" Yamada's eyes narrowed, as he swivelled his head around the room. "Right! Let's see. . ."
"Is. . .this gonna take long?" Kyoko teased, placing a hand on her hip.
"W-what?" Yamada laughed, blushing as he jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "No! I just wanna find the newest machine that the maintenance guys installed. I'll only be a sec!"
Yamada began his short search, cupping his chin as he surveyed the arcade machines lined up down the isles. Kyoko had to giggle to herself at how endearing he looked.
"Whoa!" Yamada exclaimed. "You've gotta be kidding me!"
"What is it?" Kyoko called, jogging toward the sound of his voice. "Did you find it?"
"Yeah!" Yamada said. "Look! Here it is!"
Kyoko came to a stop next to Yamada who stood next to a dual-cabinet motorcycle game.
"Renegade. . ." Kyoko read the name's title aloud. "You like this game?"
"I loved this game!" Yamada beamed, his eyes glued to the Attract Mode screen. "I'd play it all the time with Kunio! We were so bummed when it first got taken outta the arcade."
"What are the odds it got put back in?" Kyoko smiled.
"I know, right?!" Yamada chuckled.
"Now," Kyoko warned with a giggle. "I can't promise that I'll be any good at this. . ."
"Then allow me to show you the ways of the road, madame." Yamada grinned, taking a gentlemanly bow.
"Why thank you, o' Renegade master!" Kyoko giggled, covering her mouth with a hand.
"Before we can play," Yamada said, holding up a finger. "We'll need tokens."
"Uh," Kyoko scratched her head. "Okay. . .finding tokens shouldn't be too hard. Those other people left in a hurry, maybe they left some of theirs behind?"
"We won't be needing their tokens," Yamada chuckled, reaching behind her ear. "Let me just. . ."
Yamada pulled his hand back, revealing two shiny arcade tokens.
"Bravo!" Kyoko clapped. "However does Yamada The Great do it?"
"A magician never reveals his secrets." Yamada teased.
Kyoko took one of the tokens from Yamada and sat on the arcade cabinet's motorcycle seat.
"Here," Yamada said, sitting down at the console next to her. "I'll teach you how to play. It can get tricky."
"I'm not worried anymore!" Kyoko said. "I've got a good teacher!"
"You sure do!" Yamada grinned.
Yamada popped his token into his machines, making it come to life.
Kyoko slid her token into hers, changing the game's screen to the vehicle selection menu.
She was interested in learning how to play the game, but Kyoko knew that she wasn't going to beat Yamada at it, not as someone who almost never played video games, anyway.
But it wasn't about winning. She just wanted to have fun with her newest friend.
As long as he could conjure up as many tokens as they needed, there would be lots of fun had.
Author's Notes: And that's all I've got, guys! Was that good? I hope so. Because I know that this was alot.
River City Girls gave us a way less "realistic" take on the Nekketsu franchise's world, complete with all kinds of crazy powers, cyborgs, and lastly, magic—Yamada's hobby. It's not just his, either, as the game hints at several other characters such as Hibari knowing some type of magic, as well as a whole bunch of supernatural creatures being implied, through things like the various store, bios for certain enemies, and even some of the bosses. I decided since, my River City Girls stories are already somewhat different from canon, why not expand on this, and explain some of the different supernatural parts of this world?
The things that got the most coverage were vampires and oni. Both of these are featured in River City Girls, vampires through Plaid The Impaler, and oni through one of the bios of the yakuza enemy variants. I did some research on both oni and vampires just to make sure I knew my stuff, and I implemented bits of mythology from what I read to describe how these creatures work in my RCG universe.
I want to quickly address Plaid's real name—or at least what it is in my series. According to a video detailing all of the references present in River City Girls, Plaid's name is actually Demitri. However, I've decided to give him the surname of Dimitrescu, which many of you readers may recognize from Resident Evil Village. Yes, I've decided to give him that surname in order to reference that game's already popular female villain, due to the fact that like her, Plaid happens to be a vampire. Plus, her being the breakout villain of Village also kind of matches up what I've done with Plaid. in River City Girls, he was just another random shopkeep, but I've fallen in love with him to the point where I'd just had to make him a significant recurring villain in his own right for my RCG series. It just fit too well, I think.
And finally in regards to magic, there were the Rosetta Stones. These objects originate in Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stones, and function similarly to how I've described them here. I figured they were a must-include, since RCG includes elements not just from Nekketsu, but from other Technos Japan franchises as well.
Now onto Yamada himself. Few of the bosses in River City Girls are actually evil, and that includes Yamada in spite of how scary his powers may seem. The game itself makes him out to be a huge loser and kind of a creep, but I thought I could highlight some of his behaviors and give some insight as to why you'd get those impressions from a person who's not very socially literate. I also figured he'd had to have been bullied during his childhood due to how the cast treat him as "creepy" in-game, so I felt compelled to give him a rough history as far as social relationships went, with Kunio—and now Kyoko—as the only bright spots.
And now, to step away from the mystical elements for a moment, I feel like I should touch upon what Yamada mentioned about the Downtown area. In my RCG universe, Linda Lash and Trash—who I've given the surname Scum from his variants—both run small-time street gangs in the slums Downtown. Linda is in charge of the Enforcers, and Trash the Executioners. Both of these names come from The Combatribes, being the pre-and post translation names that Swastika/Master Blaster dubbed his troops. I thought this was pretty fitting since Trash was a boss in The Combatribes, and Linda is a quite prominent villain of the Double Dragon franchise. I mentioned Kyoko and Misako having faced off with both of these groups in their search for Kunio and Riki. Obviously while this was never the case in game, I plan to do an adaptation of the events of River City Girls someday that will cover all of this and several other new things.
And finally, the game that Kyoko and Yamada are seen playing at the end, Renegade, is a reference to Renegade itself. The NES port of the game had a brief motorcycle themed stage, where you fought enemies on bike, rather than on foot. That was what inspired the decision to make it a motorcycle-based game in my story. I feel it's fitting homage; given that Renegade was my introduction to the Nekketsu franchise as a whole.
Keep on the lookout for all of my other River City Girls stories of mine that you may see appear. I'm in the process of re-organizing and re-uploading my whole series—which every River City Girls story of mine will be a part of.
And stay tuned for this story, because the next chapter's gonna feature Yamada's reunion with Kunio!
Is this story off to a good start? Leave a review and let me know!