The secret of Aoi's lunacy is revealed at last! Whew! Dealing with faulty internet connections for a month sucks!
THE HAUNTING OF PRINCESS WINDBLOOM
CHAPTER 3
TRIPPING DOWN MEMORY LANE
"Why do you have to leave me again," the eight year old demanded her mother in misunderstanding. "You've just came back no too long ago! You're always so busy!"
"Now now, you know that this is a very important meeting, baby." The Queen addressed her youngest daughter, referring to a political conference with several other nations concerning the tension with the kingdom of Artai and that of her own. "Let's just hope that this one will not take as long as the last one."
Mashiro pouted cutely despite her urgent rage. "You're hardly ever at home, mama!" She remarked. "How can you be a queen when you're barely here, huh?"
Queen Tamura knelt down to her knees and patted her daughter's head. "Being a queen is a very big responsibility, little miss. Life is no fairy tale."
"So that's why you rather have Shizuru assigned as the next one?"
"I'm sorry, baby. I know how you feel." Tamura spoke in an apologetic tone. "But your sister is willing to accept the heavy burden of ruling the kingdom. She's been in training for so long she's willing to spare you from--"
"Shizuru is not my sister!" Mashiro spat, her temper flared. "She's just a piece of trash that you just so happen to have found in the slums! How could you deny my birthright mama!?"
"Now listen here--"
"I will not listen to you!" Mashiro yelled at her mother with tears in her eyes. Honestly that child need her little ass whooped. "I hate Shizuru! I... I hate you too!"
Tamura was taken aback, gasping in shock. How could someone so adorable be so full of hatred? "Mashiro!"
"Argh!" The violet haired heathen raged and sprinted down the royal hall. In her blind ire, she almost toppled over Shizuru.
Concerned, the twenty year old brunette held Mashiro's attention. "Is there something the matter, sister?"
The princess glared at her 'big sister' for a very long moment. "Grr..." After growling like an agitated mongrel at Shizuru, she bulleted herself to her room and slammed the door, knocking over a few knight armors in the process.
"Ara? What was that all about?" Shizuru wondered idly. She was wearing a royal midnight blue skirt with intricate gold trimmings on it's edges. Even though she was not big on jewelry there was a beautiful diamond bracelet on her left wrist that probably costs more than a house payment. Her hair was done in a tarigashima styled ponytail with a long cobalt ribbon in the center of it. "You two had the conversation again, Mama?"
The taller woman looks sad. "It's that obvious huh? Yeah... we did. She still refuses to accept the fact that I'm trying to save her from a lifetime of adverse leadership."
"Mama... I'm so sorry." Shizuru lamented. She agreed with Tamura's logic of protecting Mashiro from such a difficult lifestyle but she never thought that the Princess would be angry with the both of them because of it. "I was just trying to help."
"No need to apologize, Shizuru. Someday, she will understand." Tamura reassured.
Down the hall, the princess stick her head out of her room door and glared at Tamura and her foster sister. "Trash!" She cursed.
The Queen sighed. "Let's just hope that that day would be very soon."
Shizuru closed her eyes. "I see..."
Inside her room, the Princess flopped on her large bed and squealed in her pillow. "ARGH! I can't stand those two! What makes them so high and mighty? Do they hate me that much!"
The Princess sat up in her bed, contemplating. "My mother will pay. Being a queen couldn't be that hard. What does Shizuru got that I don't have? Besides the fact that she drives a lot of men and just as many women crazy about her... she has zilch on me! She's nothing-- nothing!"
The girl rolled off her bed and trotted towards the balcony. The night skies were clear and littered with countless stars. She remembered on a night just like tonight years ago that she first encountered her friend that wasn't so imaginary. When her 'friend' first appeared she knew that it was not of this world. Mashiro was angry with her mother just like tonight when it happened.
"Can you make my mother pay for hurting me like she did?" Mashiro asked her mysterious friend at the time.
"Very well. May she suffer," the enigma spoke.
"It's been two years since and there isn't any sign of her," Mashiro said to herself, gazing at the skies. "And my mother is still standing on her two feet." All of a sudden, clouds covered the night sky and a thick, ominous presence was felt. The presence could have unnerved even the most fearless of people. Mashiro gasped in shock and felt a little afraid. She hugged herself when a cold breeze suddenly filled her room.
"How nice too see you again... friend." The Princess' friend was in her presence-- in her very room. Despite the odious presence it exudes, it's voice was unnaturally beautiful and... feminine.
Mashiro smirked and turned to face the shadows of darkness in her room. "Well speak of the devil."
The melodious voice spoke again, this time in amusement. "You couldn't have chose a better term to describe me, Princess."
THE HAUNTING OF PRINCESS WINDBLOOM
"So," Akane started, boldly approaching the apparition. "Are you really the spirit of the past?" Akane couldn't believe it, the ghost is nothing more than a young woman that was mere inches taller than her. "And here I thought that you would be... well, frightening."
"Correction, I am the Spirits of Royalty Past," Haruka reintroduced herself, growing tired of the air of doubt from some of the girls. "How many times must I remind you? Second, just because I'm a ghost doesn't necessarily mean that I have to be spooky." She was a feisty one, that Haruka. It makes her all the more appealing.
"I believe you," Nina spoke up. "Heck I was the one that summoned you. Now can you go meet the Princess and do your thing?"
The nearly millennia old buxom phantom gasped at the raven haired imp's impertinence. "Why I never! The gall of children these days!" She sang. "Back in my day, your insolence would have gotten you a public walloping. You would have been totally humiliated-- humiliated, you hear me?"
Nina yawned, imperturbable. "Jeez, you are old-fashioned. You guys believed in public spankings? That hasn't been done in nearly... nine centuries."
Haruka was the ghost here, but she found herself a bit timorous of Nina's rebellious persona. "Ooh, the nerve of you! You people of this day and age are really something else. I mean, a woman as sedative as you are is virtually unheard of!"
A young brunette wearing glasses sudden appeared in the cabin through a dimensional gateway. She scared the hell out of all the mortal girls in the room. "That's seditious, Haruka-chan." She noted.
"AAAAHHHH!" Everyone in the cabin, minus Haruka and Shizuru, shrieked. However, Shizuru masked that fact that she was surprised by the sudden appearance.
Haruka widened her eyes at the much younger spirit. "Yukino, you've followed me."
Yukino prodded her chin, thinking of an explanation. "I've noticed that you were disappearing from the spirit plane. And I know you, Haruka-chan. You don't usually visit the mortal world. I had a feeling that you were being summoned."
"You're right, I was," Haruka replied and pointed an accusatory finger at Nina. "I've been summoned by the rudest woman in the known universe."
"Hey!" Nina spat.
"Excuse me," Natsuki addressed the spirit wearing glasses. "But who are you?"
"Oh, right! I'm terribly sorry for not introducing myself. My name is Yukino Chrysant. It's so nice to meet you all."
"You're the Yukino Chrysant?" Akane eyed the girl in wonder. "The third daughter of Sir Masaki Chrysant VI that saved Queen Ryoka WindBloom from an assassination attempt a little over three hundred years ago?"
Yukino couldn't help but blush. Her bold action, however, cost her very life. Fortunately, death was just an opportunity to her. She would have never met her best friend, Haruka. To her, the blonde Amazon was the closest thing to heaven. "Heh... that's me all right... the daughter of an impoverished knight of the WindBloom Army."
"That was so noble of you!" Arika piped up, stars in her eyes. All of her life, she had always admired the heroic type. "I've read all about you in the history books!"
Yukino was honored. "Thanks. The Queen was very fair to her people during that time. Something had to be done to prevent her murder." Her noise suddenly twitched because of a peculiar scent. "Hey, is there something burning in here?"
"Mai, the stew!" Erstin exclaimed, surprisingly reliable when it came to matters of hunger.
"Oh! Right!" Mai fled from her spot and was tending to the large cauldron in a flash. She took a spoonful of the consommé and tasted it. "Mm... not bad. And here I thought that it was burnt."
"Phew... the food is saved." Erstin sighed in relief.
"Hey Mai, don't forget to make a dinner bowl for Tate." Akane informed the younger girl, giggling like a elementary schoolgirl. "He's working late and I guess he's pretty hungry right about now. Go on ahead and feed your man."
Mai turned sharply on her feet, her face a glaring beet red. "Tate is not my boyfriend!" She cried, earning dubious glances from her friends. "Ah..." She fidgeted her fingers together nervously. "We're just good friends. There's nothing going on between us. You see... he's what people would call a free spirit."
Haruka scoffed, rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her rather impressive chest. "Back when I was growing up we had a name for a free spirit."
Intrigued, Mai said, "What's that?"
"A ho." Nina confirmed in a very tart tone. She was filling her fingernails.
"Exactly." Haruka nodded, finding it strange for agreeing with the rude girl. Even over the course of nine centuries, men has not changed even in the slightest bit. To her, they seem to resists changes.
Erstin gave it a thought, looking cute. "Those kind of men scare me." She opined.
"Tate is not a whore." Mai retold. She wasn't sure why she was defending him. Just because his eyes may roam her body's every curve during casual conversation like a pervert, doesn't make him a whore. So she think. "He's just... I don't know... appreciative."
Natsuki could only chuckle at the entire tirade.
"Appreciative, huh?" Akane became more dubious by the minute. "That means I must've knocked Kazu-kun's lights out a couple of times for being appreciative. To me, a man like that may be more familiar with a woman's three sizes than his own social security number."
Natsuki, Yukino, and Haruka snorted.
Mai sighed in defeat.
Shizuru sipped on a cup of tea.
Nina and Arika looked just plain bored.
Erstin was gazing inside her shirt curiously.
"Oh! You means sizes like 36-23-36?" The blonde wondered aloud. "A few knights at the castle were saying that about me."
Everyone sighed at the usually quiet and clueless girl.
"Spirit," Nina regarded Haruka again. "It's late. Could you please go to the castle and traumatize the Princess? The task at hand has been delayed long enough."
"Well... at least you were a bit nicer about it," Haruka nodded with the sigh. Just as she was about to vanish, Yukino stopped her. "What is it?"
"I've got an idea." The cool smile on her face was a sight to behold. "You're heading into the past right? Isn't there anyone here that can monitor the task?"
Natsuki had a crystal ball. "This ball here can monitor Haruka's and the Princess' movements. I used this in a spell in order to make you guys both visible and tangible." She said.
"Interesting," Yukino noted. "a craft that can decipher the actions of apparitions. But can that device allow you to actually gaze in the past?"
Natsuki thought about it. "Hmm... I'm afraid not... So?" Then, a look of curiosity was upon her. "Do you really have something that can actually do that?"
Yukino giggled, conspiratorially. "Ah, I have just the thing."
MAI OTOME
The Princess was on her throne in a much to blase posture. Her messenger was announcing some so-called important events that occurred in today's world, but it all came to her in a half audible gibberish. Hell she really didn't give a damn. She was the ruler of one of the most influential nations in existence. Whatever turmoil the neighboring kingdoms were going through was not her business. "Yeah... yeah... so Artai's still full of shit." She said indifferently. "I mean, wasn't that fact really something new?"
"Your Highness, the Duke of that nation is going to be here at tomorrow's festival." A rather sexy redhead informed, not really surprised at how blase the Princess could be. Nao was a small woman, but she can easily turn the heads of many hot-blooded men... and women... switch-hitters-- whatever, you get the point.
"What?" The Princess practically stood on her throne now. "You mean to tell me that Nagi the Dickhead is going to attend tomorrow's festivities?"
The devil-eyed filly nodded. "Yeah, didn't you know?"
Mashiro seemed thoughtful. "So that must mean..."
"... That your birthday is tomorrow as well," Nao finished.
The Princess jerked her head irritably-- Dave Chappelle style. "Shit!"
"It happens, Your Highness." Nao remarked. Yes, it's been known for centuries... shit surely does happens.
Well, at least Dickhead was the bad news to her. Moving on to the good news... "So... what other guests are we going to have on the day ahead?"
Why you!?-- I've just read ten pages of news and now your interest's piqued. "Cardair... Aries Republic... and, oh yeah, Prince John of Nottingham is going to be in for a while as a special guest." Nao announced.
"The hell-- Prince John of Nottingham, too?" Mashiro screeched, eyes wide. "Fuck! The entire animal kingdom is going to be up in here! Now I'm going to have to deal with all the fleas and horrible smells! Can't this get any worse?"
You lucky hoodlum. "That is all, Your Highness." Nao bowed.
Mashiro paced around the altar of her throne, a little out of it. Nao was staring at her and awaiting her next command. The redhead was tapping her foot impatiently. "Well?" Nao queried with a raised brow.
"Well what?" Mashiro shot back, half attentive.
Nao hated to say this, but, "I'm waiting for you to give me the next order."
"You're dismissed, Nao." Mashiro waved facetiously. It was very close to midnight. "Better yet, take a few days off and take your ass somewhere, will ya? I got a lot on my mind."
"I am honored, Your Highness." Nao replied and turned to exit the throne room. With a face, she growled a low, "Bitch."
The Princess caught what the messenger uttered. "Your mama."
Nao's eyes began twitching and the gigantic double doors slid closed behind her. Ooh, if Mashiro wasn't the ruler of the kingdom Nao would have handed her ass to her everyday of the week and thrice on Sunday. The redhead trotted down the hall with her hands in her pocket. At least she has some free time on her hands now. The Princess granted it. That little tyke must be going through a guilt trip or something? Whatever it was, Nao didn't give a flying--
Hoot... A joyous hoot rang through the royal halls. "Peace be still!" The voice full of elation cried. "Whoo! Peace is made of steel!"
Nao's interest was piqued and a smirk formed on her already infamous devilish face. Maybe some strapping young man had snuck into the castle and was now putting that work on the maid. No... no... maybe the person was on his knees and giving the girl some good hea-- the sounds of a woman crying joyfully to her deity was beyond the level of what mere male genitalia can do. Plus she didn't hear any squeaking hinges. "Aoi? What in the world is going on in there?"
Nao pressed her ear against the door to the maid's quarters.
"Ooh!... eh?" There was an uncomfortable pause in her room. "Is that you, Nao?" The sounds of ruffling and shuffling was heard and a few pitter-patter of feet a moment later the brunette opened the door. She was mildly surprised when she saw Nao before her. "You're back already?"
"Duh. You see me right?" Nao melted into the room, looking for signs and sniffing the air for any peculiar scents. Aoi was giggling. She cut right into the chase. "Where is he?" She demanded.
"There's no one here," Aoi replied.
Bullshit! Girl, it sounded like you were taking a beating . "Are you sure? It sounds like you were having a congregation up in here." Nao's eyes continued to scan the room.
"Oh that... Mashiro-sama has given a lot of her employers a little vacation. That explains why I'm in such a good mood." She pointed towards a duffle bag. "I'm getting packed right now."
Nao sighed. "Ah... whatever. Her Majesty is behaving kind of strange but-- what the hell. Do you want to hit the bar, tonight? The last couple of days been pretty lousy."
"Yea, of course." Aoi chirped happily. "Chie's probably already there. Maybe we can meet her."
"Girls' night out, huh? That's not a bad idea." The redhead acquiesced right before something in the room caught her attention. There was a book on Aoi's bed. It was a thick novel with maybe four hundred pages or more to be exact. Nothing really unusual about it. What really caught Nao's attention was the many bookmarks jutting out of it. She was immediately upon it. "Well... well... what do we have here?"
A telltale blush was stained on Aoi's face. "It's my diary." Aoi said lamely and unconvincingly. "It's personal stuff, Nao."
Nao did the test-tube baby thing and grabbed the novel anyway. "Hmm, mind if I take a peek?"
"No, that's invasion of privacy!" Aoi gave a burlesque squeal and ran towards Nao. With her free hand, Nao poked her index finger in the cleft of Aoi's bosom, stunning the older girl. "Ow!" Aoi groaned and fell on her butt. She glared at Nao with a cute face of embarrassment. That hurt like a bitch!
"Now let's see what's up with this book." Nao slowly opened the novel and suddenly felt a fierce tugging at her legs. She gazed mischievously at the maid. "Wow, you really don't want me to know your little secrets, don't cha?"
"NO!" Aoi roared and put in every last bit of her strength to knock Nao off balance.
"Ack!" Nao was flailing her arms and fell to the floor with a thud. A comical pratfall at that, which deserved laughter. The book was flipping in the air, spilling the 'bookmarks.'
"No way!! No!" Aoi whined, her secret unraveled at last. The bookmarks scattered all over the floor.
"What's this?" Nao surveyed one of them before her, turns out that they weren't bookmarks at all. They were cut outs from magazines. Her eyes widened in pure fascination. "Oh my damn! Raul the Monster? I can see why. He can creep up on me in a dark alley... so I can rob his ass blind." She snatched another one that was on her head and damn near had a stroke when she saw the next photo. "Tony Toolmaster?" Nao uttered in awe. "Damn! He's packing!"
Aoi hung her head in defeat. "Nao..."
Nao checked out yet another picture. "Lord have mercy! Look at this number right here! This guy calls himself the Easter Rabbit." Nao began snickering. "And you know what's funny? This guy doesn't even celebrate the holiday."
Aoi gazed at the ceiling and started the waterworks. For all she knew, God could be doing a standup comedy act about her.
MAI OTOME
Haruka glided through the grand halls of the castle. She was astounded that the interior of the place remained virtually the same as it was when she herself was inhabiting it centuries ago. The place was definitely kept with the times but it's good to know that the kingdom honored the past. Even the maids' quarters were where she remembered it. And speaking of maids...
One was being dragged through the halls by a red haired devil. "C'mon, cheer up Aoi. What are you so ashamed about?"
The older girl whom was being dragged throughout the halls muttered a tart, "Don't talk to me, Nao" She pouted.
"Girl, stop it. I mean, what is wrong with a woman when she wants to indulge herself in gazing at eye-candy?" Nao gasped, her eyes suddenly becoming catty and held a hand over her mouth to keep herself from erupting into raucous laughter. "Heh heh he... eye candy. Bwa ha ha ha ha ha!"
"You're mean, Nao." Aoi griped.
Haruka stared at the two mortals down the hall and decided that they were indeed a trip. She resumed her search for the royal bedchamber and gasped at what appears to be a visual screen that sudden came out of thin air. "What the heck?"
Yukino's face was on the screen. "Haruka-chan."
"Yukino, you're using that creepy thing again?"
The face on the screen pouted. "Diana is not creepy."
"Hey!" Another face appeared on the screen. "Are you haunting the Princess yet, Spirit?"
A bead of sweat appeared on Haruka's brow. "I'm getting there you little brat!"
Nina scowled. "Aw, a half-retarded quadriplegic Ninja Turtle moves faster than you do." She was suddenly pushed aside by none other than, "Erstin!"
"Hmm?" The blonde wondered with a look of amusement. "Is this cable? I wonder if I can watch Tom & Jerry classics on this."
A second screen appeared. "Ahem... as I was saying, I just want to let you know that Diana is being used to monitor you guys." Yukino stated. "That's all."
A third monitor shows up. The image of an apprehensive Akane was on it. "Yukino, are you sure that this thing doesn't bite?"
"I'm positive," The Poindexter phantom relayed.
"But anyway," Nina interrupted, "Do you smell anything peculiar? If you do, then follow that scent. It will lead you right to that Tiny Titan." She was referring to the lure that she put into the royal cake. "I kinda read up on it, ya know."
Haruka gritted her teeth. The raven haired devil may be rude and obstinate, but she was a genius when it came down to the study of the occult. "Yeah yeah... we're spiritual by nature so therefore you injected a phantasm charm in whatever she has eaten today. You've really done your homework, girly."
There was an arrogant smirk on Nina's face. "You better believe it!"
"Good for you..." Haruka remarked with just a roll of her eyes. She was just past the throne room when she began sensing something. Whatever it was, it certainly got the blonde on edge. "Goodness... something's not right about the air all of a sudden." She gazed warily at an ascending flight of stairs. "What is up these stairs?"
"It's the way to both the Queen and Mashiro's bedchambers. A very long flight of stairs at that." Nina explained. "What's wrong? I thought you knew where to go."
Haruka was skeptical. "Are you sure? There's something screwy going on. I sense a... presence." She slowly ascended the stairs."
"You must mean both the Queen and her daughter?" Akane asked.
"That's what creeping you out?" Nina wondered, bemused.
To their wonder, they noticed that Haruka was literally flying up the stairs at a hurried pace. Yukino grew even more curious when she saw that her eternal friend now seemed to be frantically searching for someone or something. Natsuki then came close to Diana, wondering what was with all the tension all of a sudden. "What's happening there?"
"I don't know." Yukino nodded. "Haruka said that she sensed something unusual."
"What does she mean by that?" The gypsy inquired.
"It's a presence... or so she says." Yukino sighed.
"It's in here!" Haruka exclaimed to the various screens monitoring her. "The presence is the strongest in here! And it's evil! Pure evil!"
"Hold on a minute," Mai was now viewing through Diana. "That's the Queen's room. Are you sure?"
"I'm positive." Haruka replied gravely.
"The Queen's very ill, though." Akane informed. "She's been bedridden for nearly a year."
"Well, whatever it is that I'm sensing it may very well be the cause of her suffering!" Haruka persisted, dying to barge into the Queen's room.
Everyone in the cabin fell deathly silent. There were masks of uncertainty on everyone's faces. Could the Amazonian spirit be wrong about what she was detecting in the royal bedchamber? Now that they thought about, it did kind of makes sense. Could Tamura's grave ailment be linked to whatever it is what Haruka felt? Is there a supernatural force at work? If so, wasn't the Princess aware of it? Or, an even better question: Did the Princess herself put a curse on her very own mother? That was the real question. "Haruka... please proceed with caution." Yukino advised.
Haruka nodded and entered the room. Inside, the room was very dark and the only source of light were the countless stars in the night sky illuminating through the window. Haruka moved about the area cautiously, as what she was instructed to do. The strong presence was still being felt but she didn't see any signs of it. She glanced at the fireplace... nothing. She took a look at the machine that was supervising the Queen's health condition... nada. She even surveyed the family portraits in the room for roaming eyes and discovered... zilch. "What is going on here?" She whispered to herself.
She hovered over the bed and gazed down, searching for any abnormalities about the slumbering Queen. Fortunately, there was a clue. The ghost gasped when she noticed it. "Guys... she... she's crying."
Now everyone (even Shizuru) was viewing all this through Diana. There was now a total of eight screens hovering around Haruka. "She's crying?" Everyone said at the same time.
Haruka slowly levitated to the ground beside the bed. Yep, there was concrete evidence and no denying it. The comatose Queen's face was stained with tears. Even more alarming was the fact that they were fresh tears. "What in the world?" Confusion etched the blonde's features.
Shizuru had the face of intense worry. "Mama..."
"She's suffering," Natsuki confirmed. "There's no doubt about it now. The Queen is under the influence of a curse."
"Poor thing..." Erstin sniffed, nearly driven to tears.
The revelation frightened everyone. "Who would do such a thing?" Akane spoke.
"No one knows." Yukino nodded sadly. She nearly forgot how truly chaotic and manic the mortal world could be. "But I bet everyone is willing to find out."
The gypsy regarded Haruka. "Spirit, is the presence still there?"
"Yea, it's still pretty strong in here. I'm pretty sure--" A movement in the darkness caught the corner of her eyes. "Wait a minute! Something is here!"
"Really?"
The blonde saw it: a silhouette of... something moving rapidly through the huge room. "Halt!" She cried and whatever it was registered her demand. A fraction of a second later, it melted into the darkness-- escaping the room. "Stop! You're not getting away from me!"
"Go Haruka-chan!"
"After it!" Natsuki the gypsy shouted. "That's the culprit!"
"What are you waiting for? Haul ass!" Nina urged.
Haruka took flight, intent on chasing the mystery but the door to the room sudden flew open. "What the heck! Who in the world are you?"
Surprise surprise! Everyone could only look on... How would the blonde handle the situation now?
Haruka gazed at the person in the doorway whom was staring at her levitating form. It was the prime suspect. "I am Haruka Armitage!" She hailed, doing her routine. "And I am the Spirit of Monarchy Past!"
Mashiro yawned. "Yeah yeah... I must have hit that hay a little to hard before I crashed." She rubbed her eyes and reached inside of the top of her pajamas to scratch herself. "I must be dreaming... yeah, that's it."
"You don't believe me?" Haruka couldn't believe the gall of this woman. "Perhaps you would like to join me to observe many vital moments of your past?" She hovered back to the ground and stood before the Princess. The look on her face defied power and authority.
On the other hand, there was a look of nonchalance and a lack of sleep on Mashiro's face. "That's bull. You can't do that." This girl can give the mulish Nina a run for her money. The Princess eyed the much taller female in question. "And not to sound gay-- because I'm not-- you're pretty stacked. You'd probably turned heads back in the day."
Haruka gasped. If a ghost could blush, she damn sure did. "What does that have to do with anything!?"
Mashiro scratched her head. "Nothing really, I was just putting out the facts." She remarked nonchalantly. "Anyway, why would you want to show me my past? I have memories you know?"
"You wanted me to prove to you that I can actually travel into the past!" Haruka seethed. "Are you coming or not?"
"Oh what the hell?" Mashiro shrugged, still thinking that this is a dream. "I can go for a laugh."
Haruka sighed and lifted the termagant into her arms. "You better hang on too" She warned. "If you fall off, then that's your own fault."
"Wow." Mashiro gave a long whistle. This broad was freakishly strong for a woman. "You may have the figure of a Teutonic goddess but you're as strong as a she-devil."
"Oh shut up already." Haruka replied in an irritable tone. A weird mass of light instantly appeared before them and the next thing they knew they were traveling down a highly out of the ordinary path through space and time. It was a very psychedelic experience. Even dreams weren't this weird. The girls back at the cabin was viewing all of this thanks to Yukino's Child. And they all realized that the blonde wasn't joking at all.
There was a glazed over look in Erstin's eyes. "Ooh... nice light show."
"Ara... fascinating. Look at all those clocks and years flying by." Shizuru admired, viewing all of this as though it was an entertaining movie.
"Whatever it was in the Queen's room can wait for later." Natsuki told the others. "Maybe now we can discover where is the root of evil."
Yukino prodded her chin in worry. "Yes, they're literally traveling down lane." She said. "There must be a link from the past."
END OF CHAPTER THREE
NEXT TIME:
Aoi: "Welcome everyone! I'm Aoi Senou!"
Chie: "What's happening? This is Chie Harada."
Aoi & Chie: "You're watching Senou and Harada's Preview Corner!"
Aoi: "Gracious! There's going to be an interesting turn of events in the next episode."
Chie: "Yea, seems like it. I wonder if Mashiro is going to be traumatized after all of this?"
Aoi: "Yes indeed, Chie-chan. In the event of things to come, something may shock you."
Chie: "It's okay. It couldn't be that bad. Whatever it is, it may not be nearly as shocking as that novel you've been reading. Heh heh heh..."
Aoi: (blushes) "Chie... That was an embarrassing moment for me."
Chie: "Don't worry, Aoi-chan. I'm still your buddy. Anyway, in the next chapter I'll make an appearance at last. I've been down south for a while so I know some of you viewers out there been looking for me."
Aoi: "Wow. You were at the beach, I bet-- soaking in the sun."
Chie: "I was getting a lot of attention too..."
Aoi: "I bet..."
Chie: "Heh... now that our beloved ruler is in the past, many visitors from other kingdoms are gathered here for the festival."
Aoi: "Yeah, so that means Duke Nagi is going to be here! Ooh-- he's going to court the Princess, I bet. Someone drew a fanart of them kissing."
Chie: "Ah... steamy! And that's not all folks... starting next episode the kingdom of WindBloom is going to have a very special guest: Prince John of Nottingham!"
Aoi: "Hold up... you mean the Lion King?"
Chie: "Actually... no. But you were close."
Aoi: "So if Prince John is here then... that must mean Robin Hood is not far behind!"
Chie: "Right. It's the vulpine prince of thieves himself. And you certainly can't forget his not so little sidekick, Little Jon!"
Aoi: "Oh boy... this picture will never be the same."
Chie: "Stay tune to see what kind of chaos we ensure in the next episode: 'Moments In History'. It's time to go wild!"
Aoi: "See you next time!"
THE HAUNTING OF PRINCESS WINDBLOOM
CHAPTER FOUR
MOMENTS IN HISTORY