14. Secrets
Rating: PG
Characters: Conrad, Murata, Yuuri, Wolfram
"Okay, here it is," Murata said, twirling the combination lock back and forth a few times and pushing open the last door.
"Good, let's get out of this hallway," Yuuri skittered inside, pushing Wolfram, who was lighting the way with a small fireball, in ahead of him. "It's giving me the creeps!"
"You wimp," Wolfram grumbled, then turned to say something to Conrad and came face to face with a snarling gargoyle. "YAH!"
"It's only a sculpture," Yuuri said derisively, tapping the gargoyle, which was holding an unlit torch, for emphasis. "You wimp."
"What is this weapon, Murata?" Conrad asked, stepping in front of Wolfram before he used their only light source to incinerate the Maou.
"Uh…well…" Murata scratched his head. "I don't really remember."
"You don't remember!" Yuuri exclaimed. "Aren't you the one who built it?"
"Yes," Murata shrugged, "but that was hundreds of years ago."
"And you didn't leave directions or anything?" Yuuri demanded. Wolfram used his fireball to light one of the torches, and pulled it out of the wall. He and Conrad set about inspecting the weapon.
"It was a secret weapon," Murata pointed out.
"But you remembered how to get in here!" Yuuri flailed his arms in frustration. "We went through like ten doors and a million creepy tunnels and you knew all the combinations on all the locks!"
"I always make the combinations to things like that my birthday," Murata reported. "So I don't forget."
"But you forgot what the weapon DOES!" Yuuri howled. "You're the Great Sage, you're supposed to know everything! How could you forget how to work something YOU built!"
"Shibuya," Murata looked Yuuri calmly in the eye, "what did you have for breakfast yesterday morning?"
"Yesterday?" Yuuri blinked. "I…uh…eggs? No, I…yesterday…"
Shaking his head, Murata turned to Conrad and Wolfram, who were standing in front of the machine with furrowed brows. The machine itself resembled nothing so much as a giant orange post office box.
"It might blow things up?" Wolfram offered.
"It might fold socks," Conrad replied. "Murata, you really don't have any idea?"
Murata gave a little laugh and shook his head.
"Looks like it's a mystery for the ages, then," Conrad shrugged.
"Pancakes!" Yuuri exclaimed in triumph. "No, wait, that was Thursday…"
