Chapter 4
The Songbird without Wings
"Remind me why we're doing this again," Gee muttered to Mimi one very hot day.
"We're doing this so that we could go to school together," Mimi answered primly, "Gatekeepers always have to stick together."
"Right," Gee raising her eyebrow and adjusting her cap, 'Why don't you just admit you have a crush on the guy?"
"I do not!" Mimi protested as she started to bite her fingernails again, "Those are the rules, Gee."
"Well, Shun Ukiya and Ruriko Ikusawa did end up together," Gee figured, "And that's disgusting, Mimi-chan."
"So?" Mimi countered, "It doesn't have anything to do with me and Kiko. We're protecting our world and that's what we have to do at all costs. Sorry about my nails. Damn, I'm going to gross the whole English nation with my bloody cuticles if I don't stop this until my entrée this November."
"Huh! Royalty, why the hell do they always have to suck big time?" Gee threw up her hands in exasperation, "Don't worry, I will make you spit it out, Your Highness. I will make you admit!"
"Just try," Mimi exclaimed, still biting her nails, "You'll need your luck for there isn't anything to admit!"
By this time, Kiko had come out of his house and had joined Gee and Mimi. He was as fresh as a tulip today, humming tunelessly as he walked.
"You look like you're in a good mood today," Gee teased, "Did Mimi finally 'fess up to you?"
"Gee!" Mimi threw her an acid look.
"I'm just as happy as you are," Kiko breathed the fresh Tokyo air heavily.
"That means he's been up all night playing Ragnarök," Mimi sighed, "Don't you ever get tired of playing that crap?"
Before Kiko could answer, a blaring drone was heard from the school speakers, it was a stupid song about dental hygiene that most students couldn't take.
"That's the signal, we have to go report in," Mimi whispered.
Quickly, they followed Mimi into the nearest trash can. Unfortunately for them, Jira was there, still armed with her poisonous tongue. She was only beginning to jeer Mimi when Kiko came to her rescue.
"It's better to be a Duchess' daughter and be able to top Algebra than a slut that just happens to fail Physics," Kiko shot mercilessly at Jira, "And if you would just be as whorish enough to let us pass, me and my friends are just going to head into class now."
Jira stood tongue-tied with her equally cruel posse as the three Gatekeepers make their way to the PE Storeroom with triumphant faces. The Chief was absent but Miss Tiffa Kitakami, assistant commander, was there to take his place.
"Good morning Gatekeepers," Miss Kitakami began, "I hope you're all feeling tipsy today for the mission I have for you wouldn't be as exciting as the previous missions. I'll almost be sorry to send you through this one."
"What is it Miss Kitakami?" Kiko asked politely.
"I have been informed by a brand-new Gatekeeper you three have to see," Miss Kitakami showed them the picture of a beautiful brown-haired girl on the computer monitor. She was playing the violin. Her eyes were tantalizing in a shade of emerald green.
"She's-"Kiko couldn't help but smile, "Pretty."
"Yes, she is," Miss Kitakami smiled at him, "She's Japan's finest violin virtuoso, Miss Jing Megumi Yoshida. Word is, at Miss Yoshida's concerts, the audience feels things... no... sees things as though they were in an illusion. And in her concerts, Invader activity seems to stop abruptly. Gatekeepers, I want you to interview Miss Yoshida in her home. To help you with your mission, I asked Mr. Megane to soup up a car for all of you, driven by Mr. Sakuraba of course, since he's the most experienced driver."
"You're kidding!" Kiko exclaimed as Miss Kitakami showed him to the garage.
"Just don't do anything wild and I may just give up the car to you."
Miss Kitakami had spoken too soon. No sooner had Eric given Kiko the keys when he got on the car with Mimi and Gee and started to blaze down onto the road. They were driving as fast as Kiko could take them. He "wa- hooed!" and Mimi pleaded for him to stop. Gee just hang on the back, crossing her arms and laughing. Then, a flash of red lights was seen. A cop! Kiko showed him his Team BLITZ ID and the cop stood there motionless. Kiko snickered as the cop let them off the hook.
"Here we are," Kiko told his two passengers in the back seats, "Yoshida Mansion. Are you two ok?"
"I think I'm going to be sick," Mimi was really a bit green in the face but Kiko ignored her and knocked on the front door.
A butler opened the door for them and they went in, Gee supporting Mimi's shoulders. The huge hall was enough to snap Mimi off her nausea. Everywhere, there was a glimmer of gold, silver and ivory.
"I will take it from here," a prudish and grim Governess snapped at the butler, "What so you want?"
"We're here to interview the world-famous Jing Megumi Yoshida," Mimi invented, "For our-er-music class. If we would be permitted to see her..."
"Of course, but I warn you, Miss Yoshida is very shy at accepting visitors," the Governess told them, "Follow me."
The three followed the Governess, exchanging looks of some people who had seen the world's greatest fashion victim. From the feel of the house, it's more of a prison than a home. The Governess presented them a timid- looking girl that was actually very pretty. Kiko took one look at her and felt his head spinning.
"Please, take your seats," the Governess told them, "Miss Yoshida..."
Miss Yoshida bowed at them silently. The three exchanged looks of question.
"Er-yes... well, Miss Yoshida, since what age did you start to play the violin?" Mimi asked.
"Age three," the Governess answered promptly, not allowing Miss Yoshida answer Mimi, "And since then she used to be very masterful for a novice."
"I was talking to Miss Yoshida, ma'am, not you," Mimi blurted out, she felt heat rise up to her face in anger, "Will you kindly answer the question, Miss?"
"Rudeness will not be tolerated in this house!" the Governess, sensing Mimi's natural hotheadedness, exclaimed.
"I-I've been p-playing i-instruments since I was t-two," Miss Yoshida finally stuttered in a very sweet singing voice, "I played the v-violin when I-I was th-three, and I was v-very g-good at it."
"Miss Yoshida!" the Governess exclaimed in surprise, "It's the first time-"
"I trust them, Auntie" Miss Yoshida smiled at the three, making Kiko melt on the spot, "You are all invited to my concert tonight. I wish you could all come. Thank you."
She winked at Mimi and they were ushered out the house. As soon as they got out of the cold house, they looked at each other urgently. Shouts can be heard inside, a signal that the Governess had gone ballistic. Gee was the first to speak.
"Poor girl," she said, "I couldn't say anything to her back there, I wish I had!"
"Yeah," Kiko said, remembering Miss Yoshida's sad smile, "She was pretty too."
Mimi couldn't say anything, her face was still burning and she wanted to kill that Governess who had snapped at her.
"Are we going?" Kiko asked and the girls smiled in reply.
Later that evening, the three met up at the lobby of the Tokyo Concert Hall. It was a formal event yet Gee wore her jacket and cargo pants. Mimi was throwing nasty looks at her the whole time they were finding their seats.
"Why the hell did you wear that?" Mimi nudged her. She was in a semi- formal dress herself, her usually messy hair fixed up in two ponytails. It made her look like a grown-up schoolgirl.
"How should I know this was supposed to be formal?" Gee snapped, "Besides, I don't want to wear a girly-girly dress that you can't even breathe in!"
"Right," Kiko said, not listening to the girls' bickering, he was in elegant attire himself, "It's starting! You guys better stop it or I'll wring your necks."
"I'll see him try!" Gee scowled.
Miss Yoshida took her seat at the center of the stage and started to play her violin. The people around them "oh"-ed and "ah"-ed and they clearly saw why. The entire concert hall had been transformed into a large mountainside with the greenest grass and the freshest pine trees. Eagles soared overhead and birds chirped to their hearts' content. Her music was the most beautiful thing the three Gatekeepers have ever heard. No, to them, it was more than beautiful. Pink spirals suddenly appeared in front of the stage, whirling and whirling.
Suddenly, Mimi's communicator beeped frantically. The people around her threw her spiteful looks.
"Miss Kitakami?" Mimi whispered, "We've confirmed Miss Yoshida as a Gatekeeper."
"I'm afraid something your way comes, Mimi," Miss Kitakami warned her, "Our sensors spotted Invaders inside the concert hall! They somehow managed to plug their ears with something!"
Mimi turned around on her seat and saw dozens of people wearing black suits and sunglasses marching towards them, carrying big guns. Mimi motioned to Kiko and Gee and showed them the sickening sight. Suddenly, (Miss Yoshida was still playing, mind you) the Invaders started to fire their guns. The people took a cue and started to create a mass pandemonium. The weird thing was, Miss Yoshida didn't even budge.
"Let's go, Team BLITZ!" Kiko yelled.
"GATE OPEN!" they all chorused.
"Aim for the ears!" Mimi told them.
"Vacuum Missile!" Kiko got out his Kendo stick and produced dozens of projectiles.
"Neko-Ken Attack!" Gee turned both her hands paw-like and scratched on the Invaders ears with her great strength and speed.
As soon as the Invaders' "ear plugs" were removed, they succumbed to Miss Yoshida's music and soon nothing was left inside the hall but green crystals and the Gatekeepers. At this time, Miss Yoshida had come to her senses.
"Did I miss anything?"
The Songbird without Wings
"Remind me why we're doing this again," Gee muttered to Mimi one very hot day.
"We're doing this so that we could go to school together," Mimi answered primly, "Gatekeepers always have to stick together."
"Right," Gee raising her eyebrow and adjusting her cap, 'Why don't you just admit you have a crush on the guy?"
"I do not!" Mimi protested as she started to bite her fingernails again, "Those are the rules, Gee."
"Well, Shun Ukiya and Ruriko Ikusawa did end up together," Gee figured, "And that's disgusting, Mimi-chan."
"So?" Mimi countered, "It doesn't have anything to do with me and Kiko. We're protecting our world and that's what we have to do at all costs. Sorry about my nails. Damn, I'm going to gross the whole English nation with my bloody cuticles if I don't stop this until my entrée this November."
"Huh! Royalty, why the hell do they always have to suck big time?" Gee threw up her hands in exasperation, "Don't worry, I will make you spit it out, Your Highness. I will make you admit!"
"Just try," Mimi exclaimed, still biting her nails, "You'll need your luck for there isn't anything to admit!"
By this time, Kiko had come out of his house and had joined Gee and Mimi. He was as fresh as a tulip today, humming tunelessly as he walked.
"You look like you're in a good mood today," Gee teased, "Did Mimi finally 'fess up to you?"
"Gee!" Mimi threw her an acid look.
"I'm just as happy as you are," Kiko breathed the fresh Tokyo air heavily.
"That means he's been up all night playing Ragnarök," Mimi sighed, "Don't you ever get tired of playing that crap?"
Before Kiko could answer, a blaring drone was heard from the school speakers, it was a stupid song about dental hygiene that most students couldn't take.
"That's the signal, we have to go report in," Mimi whispered.
Quickly, they followed Mimi into the nearest trash can. Unfortunately for them, Jira was there, still armed with her poisonous tongue. She was only beginning to jeer Mimi when Kiko came to her rescue.
"It's better to be a Duchess' daughter and be able to top Algebra than a slut that just happens to fail Physics," Kiko shot mercilessly at Jira, "And if you would just be as whorish enough to let us pass, me and my friends are just going to head into class now."
Jira stood tongue-tied with her equally cruel posse as the three Gatekeepers make their way to the PE Storeroom with triumphant faces. The Chief was absent but Miss Tiffa Kitakami, assistant commander, was there to take his place.
"Good morning Gatekeepers," Miss Kitakami began, "I hope you're all feeling tipsy today for the mission I have for you wouldn't be as exciting as the previous missions. I'll almost be sorry to send you through this one."
"What is it Miss Kitakami?" Kiko asked politely.
"I have been informed by a brand-new Gatekeeper you three have to see," Miss Kitakami showed them the picture of a beautiful brown-haired girl on the computer monitor. She was playing the violin. Her eyes were tantalizing in a shade of emerald green.
"She's-"Kiko couldn't help but smile, "Pretty."
"Yes, she is," Miss Kitakami smiled at him, "She's Japan's finest violin virtuoso, Miss Jing Megumi Yoshida. Word is, at Miss Yoshida's concerts, the audience feels things... no... sees things as though they were in an illusion. And in her concerts, Invader activity seems to stop abruptly. Gatekeepers, I want you to interview Miss Yoshida in her home. To help you with your mission, I asked Mr. Megane to soup up a car for all of you, driven by Mr. Sakuraba of course, since he's the most experienced driver."
"You're kidding!" Kiko exclaimed as Miss Kitakami showed him to the garage.
"Just don't do anything wild and I may just give up the car to you."
Miss Kitakami had spoken too soon. No sooner had Eric given Kiko the keys when he got on the car with Mimi and Gee and started to blaze down onto the road. They were driving as fast as Kiko could take them. He "wa- hooed!" and Mimi pleaded for him to stop. Gee just hang on the back, crossing her arms and laughing. Then, a flash of red lights was seen. A cop! Kiko showed him his Team BLITZ ID and the cop stood there motionless. Kiko snickered as the cop let them off the hook.
"Here we are," Kiko told his two passengers in the back seats, "Yoshida Mansion. Are you two ok?"
"I think I'm going to be sick," Mimi was really a bit green in the face but Kiko ignored her and knocked on the front door.
A butler opened the door for them and they went in, Gee supporting Mimi's shoulders. The huge hall was enough to snap Mimi off her nausea. Everywhere, there was a glimmer of gold, silver and ivory.
"I will take it from here," a prudish and grim Governess snapped at the butler, "What so you want?"
"We're here to interview the world-famous Jing Megumi Yoshida," Mimi invented, "For our-er-music class. If we would be permitted to see her..."
"Of course, but I warn you, Miss Yoshida is very shy at accepting visitors," the Governess told them, "Follow me."
The three followed the Governess, exchanging looks of some people who had seen the world's greatest fashion victim. From the feel of the house, it's more of a prison than a home. The Governess presented them a timid- looking girl that was actually very pretty. Kiko took one look at her and felt his head spinning.
"Please, take your seats," the Governess told them, "Miss Yoshida..."
Miss Yoshida bowed at them silently. The three exchanged looks of question.
"Er-yes... well, Miss Yoshida, since what age did you start to play the violin?" Mimi asked.
"Age three," the Governess answered promptly, not allowing Miss Yoshida answer Mimi, "And since then she used to be very masterful for a novice."
"I was talking to Miss Yoshida, ma'am, not you," Mimi blurted out, she felt heat rise up to her face in anger, "Will you kindly answer the question, Miss?"
"Rudeness will not be tolerated in this house!" the Governess, sensing Mimi's natural hotheadedness, exclaimed.
"I-I've been p-playing i-instruments since I was t-two," Miss Yoshida finally stuttered in a very sweet singing voice, "I played the v-violin when I-I was th-three, and I was v-very g-good at it."
"Miss Yoshida!" the Governess exclaimed in surprise, "It's the first time-"
"I trust them, Auntie" Miss Yoshida smiled at the three, making Kiko melt on the spot, "You are all invited to my concert tonight. I wish you could all come. Thank you."
She winked at Mimi and they were ushered out the house. As soon as they got out of the cold house, they looked at each other urgently. Shouts can be heard inside, a signal that the Governess had gone ballistic. Gee was the first to speak.
"Poor girl," she said, "I couldn't say anything to her back there, I wish I had!"
"Yeah," Kiko said, remembering Miss Yoshida's sad smile, "She was pretty too."
Mimi couldn't say anything, her face was still burning and she wanted to kill that Governess who had snapped at her.
"Are we going?" Kiko asked and the girls smiled in reply.
Later that evening, the three met up at the lobby of the Tokyo Concert Hall. It was a formal event yet Gee wore her jacket and cargo pants. Mimi was throwing nasty looks at her the whole time they were finding their seats.
"Why the hell did you wear that?" Mimi nudged her. She was in a semi- formal dress herself, her usually messy hair fixed up in two ponytails. It made her look like a grown-up schoolgirl.
"How should I know this was supposed to be formal?" Gee snapped, "Besides, I don't want to wear a girly-girly dress that you can't even breathe in!"
"Right," Kiko said, not listening to the girls' bickering, he was in elegant attire himself, "It's starting! You guys better stop it or I'll wring your necks."
"I'll see him try!" Gee scowled.
Miss Yoshida took her seat at the center of the stage and started to play her violin. The people around them "oh"-ed and "ah"-ed and they clearly saw why. The entire concert hall had been transformed into a large mountainside with the greenest grass and the freshest pine trees. Eagles soared overhead and birds chirped to their hearts' content. Her music was the most beautiful thing the three Gatekeepers have ever heard. No, to them, it was more than beautiful. Pink spirals suddenly appeared in front of the stage, whirling and whirling.
Suddenly, Mimi's communicator beeped frantically. The people around her threw her spiteful looks.
"Miss Kitakami?" Mimi whispered, "We've confirmed Miss Yoshida as a Gatekeeper."
"I'm afraid something your way comes, Mimi," Miss Kitakami warned her, "Our sensors spotted Invaders inside the concert hall! They somehow managed to plug their ears with something!"
Mimi turned around on her seat and saw dozens of people wearing black suits and sunglasses marching towards them, carrying big guns. Mimi motioned to Kiko and Gee and showed them the sickening sight. Suddenly, (Miss Yoshida was still playing, mind you) the Invaders started to fire their guns. The people took a cue and started to create a mass pandemonium. The weird thing was, Miss Yoshida didn't even budge.
"Let's go, Team BLITZ!" Kiko yelled.
"GATE OPEN!" they all chorused.
"Aim for the ears!" Mimi told them.
"Vacuum Missile!" Kiko got out his Kendo stick and produced dozens of projectiles.
"Neko-Ken Attack!" Gee turned both her hands paw-like and scratched on the Invaders ears with her great strength and speed.
As soon as the Invaders' "ear plugs" were removed, they succumbed to Miss Yoshida's music and soon nothing was left inside the hall but green crystals and the Gatekeepers. At this time, Miss Yoshida had come to her senses.
"Did I miss anything?"