Chapter 41: A Teammate
Hey, what are you guys doing? Er... I guess you're kinda reading my story soooo... That was kind of a stupid question, eh? Anyway, reviews! Nafo, I accept your premise, but reject your conclusion. Then again, maybe I know something you don't. Probably, considering I know most of what's going to happen in this story. Sucks waiting for updates, doesn't it? But don't worry man, your dislikes may or may not be answered by the time this story finishes (In what? Twenty years? Lol...) Riku! Glad to see I met expectations, I was hoping for as much :D And yes, every story need fights! Big fights! The kind of fights that can turn CATACLYSMIC! Will it? Stay tuned! You know Universal Lizard, if you added the story to your Story Alerts, it would automatically inform you of new chapters... Just putting that out there... Don't worry, I don't intend on leaving you guys hanging! Holyriot, your review made me so happy, thank you for the vote of confidence. So far she likes it! And think, if everything went smoothly, that would make for boring literature, wouldn't it? The course of true love never did run smooth... RU771AN, I know someone in the Spetsnaz as well! By the way, the guys called me a something like "Puchemuchka" or something like that. Mind helping me out here, my Russian (I'm assuming it's Russian) is a little worse than my Klingon. I know a lot of people... I'll see if I can find a store to sell me some broomsticks, but it might be easier just to buy the whole broom... Yay, Stealthmomo reviewed again! I hope I continue improving with each new chapter, but if that's the case I may very well BE a writing god by the end of this story. I don't remember if I've said this, but I have gotten a couple more ideas for various arcs. To that end, the length of the story has been extended since I said it was half over. Because of that, there's going to be a LOT of chapters. I may outnumber the Lucky Trilogy (Lucky Summer, Lucky Future, and Lucky Music) in chapter number as well. However, one author has given me a bit of competition that I've only recently picked up on. While I haven't read them, the Lucky Dare Trilogy is now a close second for word length. As of chapter 11 of the third season, it's 298,900 words exactly. Of course, I'm pretty sure that Zokusho isn't going to start pounding out 10-20K chapters any time soon, so I think I'll be okay. And I might end up taking you up on that offer, just in case you know something I don't ;) And Konami, I'm definitely continuing, you have no need worry about that! Yes Sqweebs, you will have to wait and see.
POV Tsukasa
Tsukasa and Kagami were walking home, the former in tears, the latter trying to comfort her. As the two walked, Tsukasa seemed to be taking a more aggressive stance, getting angrier and angrier.
"Tsukasa, don't worry about it, he isn't worth it." Kagami rubbed her twin's back.
"Stupid Kan-kun... Stupid Kan-kun..." Tsukasa said, getting more forceful each time. "Stupid Kan-kun!" She shouted, swinging her arms in such violent motions, the contents of the bag she's holding almost get out. Once again, Kagami found herself wondering what Tsukasa had bought that she didn't even want her twin to see. She knew asking right now was fruitless and so she returned to comforting Tsukasa.
"Tsukasa, don't let him get to you!" Kagami said.
"How could he flirt with another girl right in front of me?" Tsukasa asked. "Do I mean that little to him? Is everything he said a lie?" She asked no one in particular. She just about kicked open the door to their house. Miki, Tadao, and their sisters bolted into the hall to see what was happening, but were pushed out of the way as Tsukasa ran to her room. She stopped half way once she got to the door to the living room and looked through the door. She ran in, through the door to the kitchen, and threw the bag she had in the trash can. She sniffed as tears poured down her face, pausing for a moment to look at the bag.
"Tsukasa?" Matsuri poked her head in. This snapped Tsukasa out of her daze.
"Stupid Kan-kun!" She shouted and ran past her family and into her room. Kagami paused in the hall as Tsukasa slammed the door of her room.
"Kagami? What's going on?" Tadao asked. Kagami sighed.
"Tony was spending more time with another girl he met than with Tsukasa." She said. "She said they were flirting with each other." Kagami said.
"Were they?" Matsuri asked, anger in her voice and aura.
"I... don't know. Me and Konata fell asleep." Kagami said. "But of course I'm going to believe Tsukasa over Tony. From what I saw, he even named a new attack after this girl." Kagami said.
"Well, did he explain himself?" Matsuri asked, putting her hands on her hips. Kagami thought back.
"Well, he denied that he was flirting. I wonder what he said to her earlier though, what ever it was, it had some impact on her..." Kagami said. Matsuri sighed. Kagami walked over to the trash can and looked in. She saw the bag that Tsukasa had thrown in and took it out. This was probably meant for Tony, whatever it is. Kagami thought to herself. She opened it and was slightly confused at its contents. I'll have to ask Tsukasa about this later. She decided. Before anything more could be thought, Matsuri sighed again. This time was different however. This time, the sigh was decisive, as if the girl had answered a problem that had plagued her mind.
"Alright." She said, walking towards the door. Kagami got alarmed and turned around.
"Matsuri, where are you going?" She asked. Matsuri got to the door, opened it, and walked through.
"Paying little Kan-chan a visit." She said, closing the door. Kagami gasped a bit and shot towards the door, her family in pursuit.
"Matsuri!" Kagami shouted, as she threw the door open. It was to no avail, however, as she drove away in the family car. "Dad, you have to catch up with her!" Kagami turned to her father. He sighed.
"I used most of the remaining gas in my car when I was coming home from work today. I was planning on leaving early tomorrow so I could fill up the tank again." He said. Kagami grabbed her twintails and pulled.
"ARG!" She shouted as she leaped out of her house and onto her bike. "I'm gonna see if I can get there quick!" She said. And with that, she was off, hoping to get to her sister before Tony's bad mood got the better of him. She hoped he had more discipline, but who knew, right? Right?
POV Tony
Tony walked down the sidewalk, hoping to any god that would listen that he hadn't just lost any chance at being happy. In his depression, he stopped paying much attention to his surroundings, let alone where he was going. He bumped into someone's shoulder.
"Watch it asshole!" The man he bumped into turned and shouted. Tony froze violently as Tsukasa's voice echoed in his head. The first time Tony had ever heard his... the airhead curse and it had been at him. To insult him. Fury began to bubble in his blood as he turned around.
"What?" He said.
"I told you to watch it, asshole!" The man said again. Tony balled his hand into a fist, his anger giving him strength. Still, he kept his cool.
"That's not a good thing to call someone." Tony said.
"Asshole." The man repeated.
"It isn't my name." Tony said again. The man laughed.
"You sure asshole?" The man asked. Tony almost growled.
"Don't call me that." He said, letting his anger start to get the better of him.
"Asshole." The man repeated once again. Tony gritted his teeth and walked up to the man.
"Call me an asshole one more time." Tony said. The man chuckled and leaned forward. In Tony's ear, he whispered.
"Assho-"
"TEREYA!" Tony shouted, having formed the attack.
"GAH!" The man shouted, being sent back. Tony sighed as the man hit the ground hard, but not very far away.
I need to work on that. He sighed. That will need a lot more time and energy to perfect. Tony decided. Two of the man's friends walked up.
"Hey, what the hell?" One of them asked.
"Go away!" Tony shouted, extremely irritated. When the two didn't, he got angrier. "You got a problem thickness?" He asked the bigger one. "Goggles?" He turned to the other.
"Yeah, maybe we do." The bigger one cracked his knuckles. Tony leaned forward.
"Look. I'm going to level with you." He said. "I've had a bad day. And if you two don't get out of my face, your head-" He pointed to the smaller. "-is going up his ass." Tony pointed to the bigger one. He readdressed the bigger one. "And you man, you got the short end of the stick, because your head is going up his ass." Tony pointed to the fallen man. Konata began to walk up as the two men snickered. Tony sighed. "You really want to ride this train today boys?" Tony asked.
"Choo choo assho-" The smaller one started. Konata gasped in horror as Tony grabbed the smaller man. There were two tears of cloth and the same number of shrieks of pain as Tony made good on his threat. Tony smacked his hands on each other to dust them off.
"Kan-kan, did you just..." Konata walked up, trailing off as she beheld the literal punishment her brother had put to these men. "Did you just stick a man's head up another man's ass?" She asked. Tony looked up and nodded.
"You here to call me an asshole too?" He asked, sighing in exasperation.
"No, I agree with you. Tsukasa overreacted, if you say that you weren't flirting then I believe you." Konata said. Tony smiled.
"Thanks. You have no idea how much I appreciate hearing that..." He sighed as relief washed over him. "I'm tired though. I think I'm going to go to my house and go to bed." Tony said.
"That sounds like a good idea." Konata nodded in assent. The two started to walk home with a sluggish pace.
"I did learn something from Tereya though." Tony said.
"That the girl?" Konata asked.
"Yeah." Tony said.
"What is it?" Konata asked with a sigh.
"There's another tournament coming up." Tony said.
"Oh really? Good luck." Konata said.
"Actually, I'd like to ask you a favor." Tony said. "She said that it was going to be team matches. Three to a team." Tony said.
"And..." Konata smiled.
"I'd like you to be on my team." Tony smiled to his sister. She smiled wider to show that she appreciated the offer.
"That's all well and good, but who's going to be the third member?" Konata asked. Tony thought for a moment.
"Hmmm. Maybe JC would want to come." Tony said. Konata hummed.
"Cool, but how would we find him?" She asked.
"Aniki could probably find out. He's very good about that." Tony smiled. "I've just gotta find a time when he isn't working." Tony said.
"What about we stop by his work and see? He told me where he worked." Konata smiled.
"Sounds like a plan." Tony smiled. A firm goal set, the two began walking to the construction zone that Tony's brother worked at.
"Hang on..." Konata said.
"What's up Kon-kon?" Tony asked.
"Why don't we just get Masutā to enter?" Konata asked.
"Hm... That's an interesting idea." Tony smiled.
"Yeah! Does he have any sort of martial arts under his belt?" Konata asked.
"I don't think he's up near your level. Even then though, he's got more than physical training going for him. In the forces, what he excelled at was strategy. I remember the time he's most proud of." Tony smiled.
"What happened?" Konata asked. Tony chuckled.
"I should probably leave it to him to explain. He would probably do it so much better than me." Tony said. They walked for a moment without words being exchanged. It was Tony who broke the silence. "Kon-kon." He sighed.
"What is it?" Konata asked.
"Did I make a horrible decision?" Tony asked.
"With Tsukasa?" Konata asked. Tony sighed.
"Mhm." He confirmed. Konata sighed.
"I can't tell you that Kan-kan." She said. "Like I said, I agree with you. Tsukasa overreacted. I think you might have been able to handle it better, but still. You could have avoided the fight." Konata said. Tony sighed again.
"I suppose." He said. "She knows I love her though."
"She should, yeah." Konata said.
"Hey, I kind of lost track of where we are, are we close to Aniki's work place?" Tony asked.
"Not very. It's getting kind of dark too..." Konata looked up. Tony did as well.
"Man, it's going to be too dark for him to be at work by the time we get there." Tony sighed.
"We could run?" Konata said. Tony looked pensive for a moment, but shook his head.
"Honestly, I really, really don't feel like running right now." He said. Konata sighed.
"Well, I can't think of any other way to get there." She said. They began brainstorming, but their thoughts were interrupted by a car horn. They looked back on the road to see the Hiiragi car. It pulled up next to them as they stopped. Matsuri opened the door and gestured to them.
"Hop in you two." She said. Tony and Konata looked at each other. Matsuri sighed. "Come on, I'll give you a ride. Besides, I just want to talk." She said. Tony and Konata shrugged and got in. "Where you two headed?" Matsuri asked. Konata told her the address of the construction site.
"It's where my brother works." Tony said.
"Ah." Matsuri said. "So, what's the deal with Tsukasa?" Matsuri asked.
Right to the point. I can respect that. Tony thought. "I met a girl on the subway. We talked for a long time." Tony said.
"What did you say?" Matsuri asked.
"Well, the girl, Tereya, asked for my autograph. I gave it to her." Tony began recalling the events. "She informed me of another tournament the day after tomorrow. Then I invented a new move and..." Tony sighed. "I did name it after Tereya." He said. Matsuri stiffened.
"Do you realize how incredibly inappropriate that is to do in front of Tsukasa?" Matsuri asked. Tony sighed. "You better have a damn good explanation for it." She said. Tony nodded.
"The attack isn't good enough to deserve the name Tsukasa." Tony said. "It isn't... perfect enough. Not anywhere close." Tony said. Matsuri hummed.
"Did you tell her that?" She asked.
"I shouldn't need to." Tony responded.
"I'll take that as a no?" Matsuri asked.
"That's right, I didn't." Tony said. They arrived at their destination.
"Here you are, but I wish I could talk about this more with you." Matsuri put the car in park. Konata started to scoot towards the door, but bumped into Tony. It was then that both Matsuri and Konata realized that Tony had never moved to exit the vehicle.
"Aniki can wait a few minutes." Tony said. "I'd like to get your opinion."
"Well, to tell you the truth, I don't know what to think. You sound sincere, but how do I know you're not leaving something out?" Matsuri asked.
"How about this. The only thing you need to watch out for is that it's going to feel really weird." Tony said.
"How about what?" Matsuri asked.
"If I link myself to your mind, then recall the memory, it should be as if you experienced it through my eyes." Tony said. "Not my opinion, my eyes." He clarified. Matsuri sighed.
"Okay then. Hit me with your best shot." Matsuri said. Tony breathed. It was weird to share one of his memories. It felt like an extremely intimate gesture in any sense of the word. He was suddenly very uncertain about this. "Well?" Matsuri asked. Konata looked up at her brother and could almost sense his discomfort. She put a hand on his shoulder reassuringly. He looked down at her to see her smiling and nodding. Tony breathed again.
"Okay... Here goes..." He said. He reached out and brushed Matsuri's mind. There was a panicked response, but no more than Tony had already expected. He pried into her mind and began to recall the events of the subway station. As he watched them himself, he noticed something odd. Tereya had kept her right hand hidden behind her back or in some other form throughout the entire encounter. He kept the thought from carrying over as Matsuri saw exactly what he had seen. After the memory was finished, Tony withdrew into his own mind and shuddered. The experience of doing such a thing with Matsuri was... haunting to understate it. It almost felt as if he had cheated on Tsukasa. Assuming we're still together... He thought with a tone of melancholy. Matsuri shuddered herself and cleared her throat.
"Well... Okay..." She shook herself a little to shake the sensation of sharing a mind off of her. "Okay." She repeated, regaining her composure. "I understand. I think." Matsuri commented. "Whether you flirted or not, that wasn't your intention." She said. "I don't think you did, but it's not really up to me, is it?" Matsuri turned and asked Tony. Tony smiled and sighed.
"I'm glad you see it from my point of view." Tony smiled.
"M'not finished." Matsuri said. Tony nodded.
"Go on." He said.
"You handled the situation afterwards wrong. You should have simply explained yourself to Tsukasa. It would have been easier." Matsuri said. Tony sighed.
"Sorry, but I was annoyed by the fact that she could get angry with me for having a female friend. And then she was basically trying to tar and feather me. I don't know about you, but when people try to tar and feather me, I tend to get a little ruffled." Tony said. "I stand by what I said. I shouldn't need to explain myself for having a friend." Matsuri sighed again.
"I guess I get where you're coming from. I'm... going to try and talk some sense into Tsukasa." Matsuri said. She shuddered again. "After a little break..." Matsuri turned the car off and put her seat back. Tony looked at Konata, and the two left the vehicle.
"What's with the break?" Konata asked Tony once they were out.
"That was... extremely uncomfortable." Tony commented. "It felt like something intimate. Something I don't want to experience with very many people at all." He said. "Maybe we should wait out here for Aniki. It might be dangerous in there." Tony said, leaning against a wall surrounding the construction site. Konata shrugged.
"Yeah." She followed suit. They stayed that way for a while, the exhaustion from the day catching up with Tony. He closed his eyes for a moment to get some respite. He heard a giggle that, while he didn't recognize it, sounded very familiar. He opened his eyes and looked over at where he heard.
"Whatcha guys doing?" A girl asked. Tony's heart skipped a beat as he observed the girl, who looked to be in her teens. She had short purple hair reminiscent of Tsukasa. To that effect, her body was as such as well. Her eyes were a light brown, however. While Tony calmed a bit, the likeness was crazy. Completing the image, there was a yellow band around her neck. Around her waist was a white cloth band with an almost extreme attention to intricate details. By looking at it, Tony could tell it took someone an extremely long time to make. It didn't even look like it was all one type of cloth. He followed all the eccentricities of the pattern that followed through the band when he heard the girl giggle. "Hey hot-shot, eyes up here." She said, hands on her hips. Tony felt blood rushing to his face as he jumped a bit.
"Er- No, I was looking at your belt there. It looks extremely well crafted." Tony said. The girl had a half smile on.
"Well thank you." She smiled. "But you never answered my question." She cocked her head to the side. "And you better tell me! Or else..." She said menacingly. Tony sighed.
"You're not here to kill me, are you?" He asked. The girl looked confused.
"I don't think so." She said. Tony took a turn getting confused.
"Then what if I don't tell you?" He asked. The girl smiled.
"Then..." She smiled, cocking her head. "If you refuse, I'd have to pout. And you'd have to live with being the guy that made me pout. And you don't want THAT on your conscience, do you?" She asked. As if to demonstrate, the girl began to pout. It was one of the most adorable, heart-wrenching things Tony had ever witnessed. It was less than half a minute before Tony broke.
"Okay okay! I'll tell you, just don't do... that! I feel like I just hit a puppy!" Tony started pulling his hair. The girl giggled in triumph as the facade was dropped. "At least tell me your name." Tony said.
"My name? Tsuki." Tsuki smiled. "So, whatcha doing, whatcha doing, whatcha doing?" She practically jumped up and down.
"I'm waiting for my brother, you seem... very excited..." Tony commented.
"I'm excited to meet you." Tsuki said. Tony chuckled.
"Are you a fan?" He asked. Tsuki got confused again.
"A fan?" She asked. She remembered before Tony could say anything. "Oh right, you did that tournament thing!" She snapped her fingers. It sounded almost as loud as a gun shot, so much so that people around them jumped and ducked. Tony couldn't help but wonder how she hadn't hurt her knuckles from the force of the snap. "No, it's an entirely different reason!" Tsuki waved a hand dismissively in front of her face. Tony raised an eyebrow.
"And what reason might that be?" Tony asked. Tsuki waved her hand a bit more violently.
"Never mind that, why are you waiting for your brother?" Tsuki asked.
"You're very nosy." Konata said.
"You're very interesting." Tsuki responded without hesitation.
"How would you know?" Konata asked. Tsuki seemed caught off guard. She put a finger to her lip, looked upward, and squinted, as if any of these actions would help her to form coherent thought.
"Well... Call it intuition!" Tsuki said excitedly. Tony crossed his arms.
"That's hardly an answer." He said.
"But it's still one, right? So it doesn't matter." Tsuki waved her hand in front of her face again.
"See you bright and early in a couple days boss!" Masuta shouted, waving behind him. He turned forward to see the trio outside his work place. "Hey Ototo, Tsukasa, Konata, what's going on?" He asked. Tsuki giggled.
"My name is Tsuki." She said. Masuta started a bit. He could hear the difference between Tsuki and Tsukasa's voice almost instantly.
"Oh, well nice to meet you. I'm sorry, you look like someone I know." Masuta said.
"I get that a lot." Tsuki rubbed the back of her head. "I think your brother here needs to talk to you about something." Tsuki gestured to Tony. Masuta turned to Tony.
"Ototo?" Masuta asked.
"I was wondering if you'd like to participate in a tournament with me the day after tomorrow? Me and Kon-kon are entering and you need a team of three. To be honest, I think you'd probably be the best addition." Tony said. "Between your strength and your intelligence, I think you'd be invaluable." Masuta chuckled.
"Thanks Ototo. I'd love to, really, but I can't. The next few days are going to be me moving into the Takara house and getting set up." Masuta smiled widely. Tony cheered.
"Good for you!" He shouted. Konata's jaw dropped.
"You're moving in with Miyuki? I didn't even realize you two were dating yet!" Konata shouted.
"We're not, but she said that since I'm paying for most of the house, I can go ahead and move in with her." Masuta said. He blinked. "Wait, "yet"?" He shouted, but was ultimately ignored.
"Well hot damn..." Konata mumbled. "Why didn't I think of that?" She laughed.
"Hey!" Tsuki said, getting the attention of everyone.
"Yes?" Tony asked.
"Couldn't help but notice you needed a third for your team. Mind if I come?" Tsuki asked.
"Well, you could come out and support the team, yeah." Tony said. "I'd appreciate that a lo-"
"No no no!" Tsuki shook her head and held her arms in an X shape as if to say "denied". "I mean to fight! I love to fight!" Tsuki said. Tony raised an eyebrow.
"Oh really?" He smiled. "And by what qualifications do you take such a position?" Tony asked.
"Well, I've been training in fighting since I was a little girl, my Dad and Aunt got me into fighting when I was young! Dad is a little too busy these days, but Aunt still gives me lessons!" Tsuki shouted. Tony and Konata looked at each other, raising an eyebrow.
"Kon-kon?" Tony asked.
"Hmm..." Konata thought. "Let's see whatcha got!" She decided. She took a basic stance. Tsuki giggled.
"Alright!" She cheered. Konata smiled as Tsuki seemed to think. A moment went by.
"Well?" Konata asked.
"Just a minute! I'm trying to decide what stance I should use..." Tsuki said. She thought another moment and nodded, seeming to have decided. She took it. Inching up to Konata, she kicked. Konata wrapped her arm under Tsuki's leg and shifted forward, throwing the girl off balance. "Ouch..." She mumbled as she fell on her rear. Tony chuckled.
"Thanks for the offer, but if that's all..." He said. Tsuki got up and charged in front of Tony.
"That's not it, her reflexes are just a lot better than mine!" She shouted. "You got anything you don't mind losing?" She asked, getting a little in Tony's face. He hummed, backing up.
"Your face got a little close there." He mumbled. He dug around in his pocket. He soon produced his broken knife. "Will this do?" He asked. Tsuki looked down at it.
"No, it's gotta be bigger!" She said, throwing her arms to her side to demonstrate.
"Um..." Tony thought. "I have training dummies at my house." He shrugged.
"That works, but..." Tsuki trailed off.
"But what?" Tony asked.
"Only known me about twenty minutes and already trying to get me in your home? I'm a little flattered." Tsuki giggled. Tony blushed.
"That's not- I mean-..." Tony sighed. "You seriously remind me of someone I know." Tony sighed.
"I get that a lot." Tsuki reiterated, giggling. "Come on, let's go! I wanna show you guys what I can do!" She said excitedly.
"Alright, alright." Tony chuckled. They heard sirens suddenly. All of them looked back to see a police car chasing a another car. There was someone hanging out of the car being chased and shooting a small handgun at them. Tony sighed.
"Got 'em." He said, crouching down. A hand stopped him.
"No. Me." Tsuki smiled. She pointed at the car that was escaping with her thumb up and her right index finger at the car. She began to concentrate. Imagine the trigger in my mind and... She twitched her thumb down to simulate a hammer on a gun. Pull it tight! She remembered. A beam of energy shot out and blew the car about ten yards, effectively disabling it. Every else's jaw dropped.
"Tsuki, did you just..." Konata muttered. Tsuki turned around triumphantly, blowing on her index finger for the effect of it.
"Spirit gun. My Aunt taught it to me." She smiled. "I'm not even right handed!" She giggled. Tony cracked his neck to snap himself out of his stupor.
"Well I'll be damned. I thought you had to die to be able to do stuff like that." He shrugged.
"Well it isn't a real Spirit Gun, I just use energy to replicate it, ya know?" Tsuki shrugged. Tony paid close attention to this, Manten's words echoing in his mind.
"These people are descendants of yours."
Hmm... I could see a resemblance. Is she from the future maybe? Tony thought. He turned to Konata. "What do you think Kon-kon?" Tony asked in a whisper. She seemed to think.
"Well... I think if you're okay with it, I'm fine with her being on our team!" Konata whispered back excitedly. Tony smiled and nodded.
"That's what I hoped for." He whispered before returning to a normal volume. "Hey Tsuki, what's your last name?" He asked. Tsuki looked at him and crossed her arms.
"Why do you wanna know?" She asked.
"Just curious about our new teammate." Tony smirked. Tsuki smiled and jumped up and down, clapping.
"Yay! I get to fight in the tournament!" She cheered.
"If you tell me your last name that is." Tony pressed. Tsuki calmed down, crossed her arms, and glared at him.
"Mou! My last name is Senninriki, happy now?" She asked impatiently. Tony was confused, but pushed the feeling aside.
Well then. I suppose since I have these powers, it's entirely plausible that there are other people who have them as well. Tony thought, nodding to himself. He shrugged. "Yeah." Tony smirked. "In any case, I'm tired." He turned to Konata and Masuta. "Are you guys ready to go home?"
"Hey, I'm new around here. Got somewhere I can crash for the night?" Tsuki asked. Tony turned.
"Ye-ow!" He started to accept, but was cut off as a sharp elbow from Konata caught him in his ribs. He looked down at her. "Not good?" He asked.
"Bit not good, yeah." Konata said as if she was speaking to a child. She turned to Tsuki. "If you don't mind a futon, you're welcome to stay at my house."
"Thanks, I don't mind at all! Beats sleeping on a bench." Tsuki chuckled as the group started home.
"Is that where you've been sleeping?" Konata asked, a bit concerned. Tsuki looked at her for a moment, then waved a hand in front of her face.
"Oh no, but that's where I would have if I hadn't met you guys!" Tsuki smiled.
It's so weird... She just looks too much like Tsukasa. Tony sighed.
"I'm surprised you're not with your girlfriend, honestly." Masuta chuckled. Tony sighed again.
"We had a fight." He said. Masuta raised an eyebrow.
"Really? You two?" Masuta chuckled. "What about?"
"I don't really wanna talk about it." Tony said. "I'll tell you later. Right now, I'm just tired." He sighed.
"Oh, by the way Ototo, that reminds me! I did get home during my lunch break and make a large pot full of dengen." Masuta smiled.
"Awesome, that'll come in great handy during the tournament." Tony smiled. "How much do I owe you for it?" Tony asked.
"It's on me, don't worry about it." Masuta smiled.
"Thanks a lot..." Tony smiled.
"It's no problem. My thanks for giving me a place to live for so long." Masuta smiled. "Honestly, I was planning on staying for a week, maybe two..." Masuta commented. "Seeing how you were doing. Your growth... Then going on with whatever I was told was my next assignment whenever it came." Masuta sighed. "But now... Ototo, you've grown so much. Konata..." He addressed the Otaku, who looked up at him. "You and your friends have truly been a blessing for him. Before he met you, I would have never thought he'd really associate with a lot of people of his own volition." Masuta commented. "Look at you Tsuki." He said. The aforementioned girl perked up a bit at the sound of her name. "You're proof of how far he's come. You caught him off guard and still he responded with a level head. Sneak up on my little brother a year ago and it would have been YOUR head." Masuta chuckled. Tony was quickly getting embarrassed. "I guess what I'm saying is... Thank you for being Ototo's friend, Konata." Masuta smiled. Konata smiled warmly.
"It's my pleasure." She said. Masuta laughed.
"Another thing I never thought I'd hear from someone who saw Ototo every day!" He said cheerfully. Tony crossed his arms and pouted.
"Hey!" He protested. Masuta restrained himself to chuckles.
"You gotta admit Ototo, you used to be kind of a prick." Masuta said. Tony's jaw dropped.
"I- Well- You!... I know..." He conceded defeat. "How was I supposed to know how to act though!" Tony protested. "I'd never been around people for the most part!"
"I know, I know." Masuta chuckled. He sighed contently. "You know what though?" He said.
"What's that?" Tony asked.
"I think... I think I'm done with all the forces and all that." Masuta said. Konata raised an eyebrow.
"Can you just do that?" She asked.
"Unless there's some kind of global threat, I'm just gonna not worry about it." Masuta smiled.
"That's the spirit Aniki, if they have anything they want to try and force on you, tell them they can come to me and I'll explain every conceivably possible way they can shove it up their ass." Tony hit himself on the chest proudly. "I'll beat every last one of 'em!" He said confidently.
"They have an army." Masuta chuckled.
"I have a god." Tony replied quickly. Masuta laughed along with Konata and Tsuki. "You guys laugh, I'm serious. Me against a million people? Sounds like one hell of a fight! One I'm sure Hachiman wouldn't want to miss!" Tony chuckled. Masuta calmed down.
"Yeah Ototo... You've grown so much and I'm so proud of you. You have a sister." He looked at Konata. "You've found someone to truly love." He sighed. "You have people who love and care about you other than me. That's something special."
"I really do have a Luckier Star than most I'd say." Tony smiled. "So Aniki, you said you originally planned on staying for a week or two, but it's been over a month. How long do you plan on staying?" Tony asked. Masuta chuckled.
"Let me put it this way. As long as Miyuki is here and willing to let me live with her, I'm staying permanently." Masuta smiled. "I think I'm just gonna settle down. Work this job until it's finished and collect what I can for all the jobs I did for the forces. Hell, I just did one..." Masuta thought for a moment. "Let's see... It's June, my last mission was at the start of May..." Masuta figured. "So it was just last month that I did my last one. I've had all the money that they give to me for these go into a separate savings account that I vowed never to touch until I decided to settle down." Masuta said. "I have no idea how much money is in there though." Masuta chuckled.
"None whatsoever?" Tony asked.
"Nope. For all I know, it could be enough to buy Miyuki's house and then some, or it could be enough to buy a choco coronet." Masuta chuckled again. Tony crossed his arms.
"Oh no, they'd be hearing from me. You've risked your life how many times? You better have a hell of a lot in that account." He said.
"I wish I could say defending my country was enough, but it wasn't even really my country." Masuta chuckled.
"Exactly!" Tony said. "But they wanted the best." Tony chuckled as they all arrived home. It was relatively late by this time.
"Well, I'm going to go home. I'll see you guys tomorrow!" Konata waved. "If I don't decide to sleep the entire day." She giggled.
"Same same Kon-kon!" Tony waved as Tsuki followed Konata. Tony and Masuta entered his house. They proceeded to fall on to the chair and couch respectively. Tony sighed.
"What's on your mind Ototo?" Masuta asked.
"Aniki..." Tony sighed. "What was Dad like?" He asked. "Truthfully, I only really remember that he was nice to me. But look at us." Tony commented. "I have super powers and you're ridiculously perfect." Masuta laughed.
"How do you figure that Ototo?" He asked.
"Well, how you're not only in all of these special forces groups, but at the top of all of them! That's crazy!" Tony said. Masuta chuckled.
"Someone has to be the best, right? Might as well be me as it is anyone else." Masuta shrugged.
"But how?" Tony asked. "I already know that Mom was amazing, but was Dad just that legendary as well?" Tony asked. Masuta shrugged again.
"Honestly, I was away for a long time. I couldn't tell you much about Dad. Honestly, I probably couldn't even tell you what he looked like." Masuta said. "I kinda had to flush a lot of stuff to learn how to be the best. His appearance must have inadvertently been one of those things."
"There's nothing you can tell me about him?" Tony asked. Masuta sighed and thought hard. He thought as the two sat in silence for ten minutes, the older brother desperately trying to recall anything that might satisfy his younger sibling. Finally, he realized he could really remember only one thing.
"He was bald." Masuta chuckled. Tony yawned. "You should rest Ototo." Masuta said.
"I think I'll do that. You hitting the sack too?" Tony asked. Masuta smiled.
"Not quite yet. I've still got some things I've gotta take care of before I sleep." He said. Tony got up and stretched.
"What kinda stuff?" He asked.
"Promises to keep. Miles to go before I sleep. That kind of stuff." Masuta said.
"Ha ha. Good night Aniki." Tony walked to his room.
"'Night Ototo!" Masuta shouted as Tony closed his door. He walked over and fell onto his bed. Despite his fight with Tsukasa, he felt surprisingly okay. He had made two new friends and his brother had told him he was proud of him. His day had actually turned out pretty good in the end. Now, he just had to wait out the dreaded period and hope Tsukasa came to her senses.
Maybe I should bring her some chocolates or something. That would probably help her... Tony thought before falling asleep.
POV Konata
Konata walked into her house with Tsuki following close behind.
"You live here? Nice." Tsuki smiled.
"Yeah. So then, why did you hold back?" Konata asked.
"Hold back? What do you mean?" Tsuki smiled.
"Before when you were trying out to be on the team. You held back a lot when you physically attacked me." Konata said. Tsuki chuckled nervously.
"Was it that obvious?" She asked.
"Well I think you fooled Kan-kan." Konata said. "Wasn't that hard to figure out though." Konata turned and smirked.
"Well, I think you're still a lot more skilled than I am." Tsuki said.
"Yeah, but you've got the ability to use energy like Kan-kan can. I dunno, you stand a decent chance." Konata smiled.
"True. I've got a couple techniques my Aunt explained to me." Tsuki smiled.
"Maybe we can have a real fight. We've got a day to recover, after all." Konata smiled. Tsuki looked around.
"Sure, but not in here. Outside would be better." Tsuki said. Konata shrugged and the two reversed their trail and walked back outside. The two got outside and stood about ten meters apart. Konata put her hand in her fist and bowed.
"Please." She said. Tsuki returned the gesture.
"Please." Tsuki smiled. "Ready?" She asked.
"Ready." Konata said. Tsuki started running towards Konata, who kept calm. She jumped into a punch. Konata stepped forward and spun her hand around. She tapped Tsuki's fist on the top and pushed it down. Tsuki's hands hit the ground as she put her momentum into a kick at Konata's head. Konata leaned to the side and swept Tsuki's hands out from under her with a sweeping kick. Tsuki hit the ground and rolled away. Konata turned to face her. "I see you like anime as well." Konata smiled. Tsuki got up and smiled at her.
"My Aunt got me into it. Now it's time to teach you a lesson!" Tsuki said, actually taking a stance.
"I look forward to it." Konata said. Tsuki ran over again and threw her weight into a flip that landed her on the other side of Konata. She threw a punch, which Konata knocked off. Konata threw a punch, but Tsuki blocked. Tsuki roundhouse kicked while Konata ducked under it. Tsuki landed, her back to Konata, who took advantage of the situation and let loose several punches to her back. Konata spun in turn with Tsuki and kicked backwards, throwing Tsuki back. Konata spun again and took her stance. Tsuki cracked her neck.
"Time for a little something my Aunt taught me. Took me a few years to get down." Tsuki smiled. She inhaled and exhaled energy. It took the form of Tsuki herself. "Clone!" She cheered. "Let's go!" She shouted as she and her clone ran towards Konata. Konata growled.
What the hell! How much energy does she have? What is she? Konata shouted in her head as Tsuki and her clone neared. Tsuki punched, but Konata let it slide on her wrist, bending her arm in to deliver an elbow to Tsuki's chest. She was sent back as Tsuki's clone disappeared and the real one delivered a punch to her cheek. Konata growled again. She cracked her neck. Anyone who knew Konata would know she had just rolled up the proverbial sleeves. Tsuki created another clone. They ran at Konata. The clone kicked at Konata's chest, but Konata blocked it with both arms. Tsuki side kicked at Konata, but the Otaku deflected it with her own foot. She brought her foot over and kicked the clone off. Tsuki ran up and punched, but Konata sidestepped and grabbed Tsuki's wrist. She forced Tsuki down as her clone ran up and punched at Konata. She moved her other hand and tapped the clone of the wrist, dissipating the energy from the blow. Konata kicked Tsuki back upright and kicked her in the stomach, sending her into her clone. As the two recovered, Konata came in with kicks to the both of their heads. The clone disappeared as Tsuki hit the ground, rolling on her shoulder until she was upright once again.
"Clone!" She shouted, creating another one. It ran over and roundhouse kicked into the air. Konata easily ducked under it as the momentum carried the clone to her other side.
Not good! Konata thought as she observed the situation. Now she had enemies on both sides. The clone swept at one of Konata's legs, but she lifted her foot over the kick. She spun, catching Tsuki's punch by the wrist and sending her elbow into Tsuki's, redirecting it and Tsuki to the ground. Konata spun again and matched the clone's swing, noticing it didn't have much power behind it. She sent a power punch to the clone's midsection, sending it to the ground and to disappear. She spun and saw Tsuki again. Konata took her by the wrist and caught the back of her head. She twisted by the waist and flipped Tsuki into the air, but the girl landed. She punched at Konata to have it blocked. Konata punched to have it stopped. However, Konata followed up and struck Tsuki's face. Dazing the girl, she hit her stomach, chest, and hit both her stomach and chest with both her fists, sending Tsuki to the ground. Tsuki got up and growled. She punched at Konata and found her fist sliding along Konata's back. She spun, punched, failed, rolled across Konata's back and struck again, but failed again.
"Clone!" She shouted as she rolled again. This time, due to the distraction of creating a clone, Konata kicked her in the stomach. The clone came to punch, but Konata chopped at its elbow, raising a foot and kicking Tsuki in the stomach again. Her arm still outstretched from the chop, the clone grabbed her arm. Konata pulled back her hand to punch the clone off, but Tsuki grabbed her other arm. The clone hit Konata in the stomach with a knee. Konata growled and rose her leg up, kicking the clone in the chin, sending it stumbling back. Her arm now free, she send a power punch at Tsuki's face, getting the same result.
Again! Konata growled, having an opponent of both sides. The clone roundhouse kicked, but Konata blocked it with both her arms to soften the blow. Konata turned to see Tsuki was front kicking. Konata sent a chop down and hit her in the ankle, sending the leg back down. She turned and jumped into a kick at the clone, which was blocked. Konata landed and her instinct caused her to duck down as she spun. She saw it was a good thing because Tsuki was roundhouse kicking over Konata's head. Konata used the momentum from her spin into a kick targeting the clone. The clone leaned back, causing the momentum to carry Konata through her spin even further. She bent her knee, dragging her kick through the dirt. Tsuki, however, raised her foot like Konata had, making sure Konata missed. Konata growled.
"Can't get me!" Tsuki taunted. Konata let her momentum raise her in the air and make her spin in the air.
"Konata Senpū!" Konata shouted, hitting the clone on the top of the head with the kick she brought while in the air. Tsuki started another punch. "Not done yet!" Konata shouted. "Konata Diasenpū!" She shouted, kicking again. This time, it was only on the ground and Konata missed. Tsuki ran up again. Konata raised her knee to hit the girl in the stomach, but Tsuki stepped off her knee and flipped above her.
"Clone!" Tsuki shouted, sounding off. She landed and grabbed Konata behind her head. Konata put her arms in triangles at Tsuki's neck and started kicking at her feet. Tsuki stepped back, dodging her kicks. It was a moment before Tsuki had to disengage to grab her breath. The clone came up, but Konata spun, grabbed her by the wrist, and spun again. She threw the clone at Tsuki, who stumbled back onto her rear as her clone vanished. Tsuki got up slowly, rubbing her back end. "Ow..." She sighed. She breathed. That then, huh? She smiled. "You're gonna love this." Tsuki commented.
"If it's anything like what you've done so far, I'm going to be very, VERY tired by the end of it." Konata said. Her muscles burned with exhaustion, her stomach and arms especially hurting from the abuse they had been taking. Tsuki smiled exhaustedly.
"Clones!" She said, creating two clones.
She can create so many because she barely puts any energy into them. That's why they're so easy to beat. Konata smiled. She punched one in the face and spun into a kick with the other, causing it to disappear. Two more began rushing to take their predecessors places. Konata looked past them to see Tsuki had her left hand out, palm faced up, and her right hand over it, as if to make a dome. Konata's eyes widened. Crap! She shouted in her head.
Rotate... Tsuki concentrated on the increasing energy in her hand. Keep it going while adding energy... She growled in effort. Konata ran forward, hitting both clones in the stomach with enough force that they vanished. Keep it contained and maintained... She kept running. And you have... Tsuki smiled. Konata got close. "Rasengan!" Tsuki shouted as she swung her arm to catch Konata. Konata caught the attack by the arm with both her hands, keeping the attack several inches from her chest. The sheer energy coming off of her attack caused Konata's hair to fly around chaotically. Konata's arms seared in protest of the exertion, both her and Tsuki trembling from the effort. Konata started panting heavily. She surprised Tsuki by kicking her leg out from under her, redirecting the attack downward. The ball of energy hit the ground and caused a small crater to form under it. A small explosion sent the both of them stumbling back, Tsuki on her rear, Konata staying vertical. Konata took her stance, but Tsuki rubbed her rear and moved her arm in a way that told Konata to take it easy. Konata got out of her stance. "That's enough! I'm tired." Tsuki groaned. "You win." Tsuki said. She got up, but stumbled a bit. Konata would have moved to catch her, but the effort seemed too much for her at the moment. Tsuki righted herself and rubbed her head. "I hate using clones, they give me a migraine..." Tsuki said. Konata groaned.
"Then why did you use them? They make me hurt too." Konata whined.
"I wanted to finally beat you." Tsuki said, still rubbing her head fiercely in a vain attempt to relieve the pain.
"What do you mean 'finally'? This is the first time we've fought." Konata said, her best attempt at confusion at the moment.
"Meh, details, details..." Tsuki waved her hand dismissively, but soon returned it to its previous position on her head.
"If it hurts so much, you probably shouldn't use it in the tournament. You won't have a full day to rest like you will tomorrow." Konata said.
"If you think it's best... It would make the fights that much easier though." Tsuki said.
"Don't forget, we have Kan-kan too. We'll be fine without it." Konata smiled.
"If you say so..." Tsuki sighed.
"Let's go to bed." Konata said.
"Someone's gonna have to explain that crater in the road though." Tsuki giggled.
"I'm sure Kan-kan can do something about it..." Konata sighed. "Let's go get washed up and go to bed." Konata said. With a nod from Tsuki, the two headed in. "So did your Aunt teach you all of that?" Konata asked.
"Her and my Dad teamed up and taught them to me." Tsuki said. "They're very smart, my Aunt can't even use energy!" Tsuki said.
"Go on in that door." Konata pointed. Sojiro poked his head out of the living room.
"Who's she Konata?" He asked.
"A new friend of mine, she's going to be helping me and Kan-kan in the tournament the day after tomorrow." Konata said.
"Ah, that's cool. Welcome to my home." Sojiro said. "High School girls are welcome in my house any time!" Tsuki put her hands on her hips.
"I'm not in High School! I'll have you know I'm married!" Tsuki said. Konata and Sojiro's jaws dropped simultaneously.
"You're MARRIED?" Konata asked. Tsuki turned to her.
"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked.
"You seemed so young! I thought you were younger than I am!" Konata said.
"How do you know I'm not?" Tsuki smirked.
"How old are you?" Konata asked.
"Never ask a girl her age." Tsuki giggled as she walked into the bathroom. Konata sighed.
"She's a bit frustrating sometimes..." Konata crossed her arms.
"What's she gonna change into?" Sojiro asked. Konata, already having her arms crossed, hummed in thought.
"Well, I have something I was planning on Kagami wearing, but I suppose I can wash it." Konata said, taking pause to shake off a melancholy feeling at the mention of Kagami's name. She went to prepare. After about twenty minutes, Tsuki walked out in nothing but a bra and panties. She walked into Konata's room, still drying her hair.
"Hey, hate to intrude, but do you have anything I can wear for the day?" Tsuki asked. "Kinda forgot to pack extra clothes." Tsuki stuck out her tongue and knocked herself on the head in a "Silly Me" gesture. Konata was stunned as she saw her friend's almost naked body, almost as stunned by the fact that she was even comfortable presenting herself in such a manner. Especially if she was indeed married... Konata turned away quickly before her nose started to bleed, throwing the outfit she had prepared at the girl.
"Here here." Konata shooed the clothes at Tsuki. Tsuki giggled and put them on.
"Miku Hatsune, eh?" She smiled. "That's cool." She giggled. "Got a futon?" She asked. Konata risked a look back and saw her friend was now clothed.
"Yeah, here it is..." Konata slid out a fully prepared futon from under her bed, where she had put it from the last time it had been used.
"Awesome! Thank you so much, I really can't thank you enough for all of this." Tsuki said.
"No problem!" Konata smiled. "I'm gonna go catch a bath really quickly, but you can go to sleep if you want." Konata said as she opened her door to leave.
"Alright. Thanks." Tsuki smiled as she clicked the light off and got in the futon. "'Night... Konata."
"'Night Tsuki." Konata smiled as she closed the door. She sighed and got in the bath. After about thirty minutes, Konata having taken a good twenty minutes to simply soak and allow the stress and exhaustion from the fight wash away, she emerged, squeaky clean. She was dressed in sleep wear, shorts and an undershirt. She opened her room and stepped lightly over the sleeping Tsuki. She climbed into bed and fell asleep quickly, her aching muscles praising the divine for the so desired repose.
POV Inori
Inori sighed as she looked out the window again, trying to see if her little sister had returned triumphant. She finally saw Kagami cycling back, looking tired. Inori had spent the last twenty minutes trying to come up with a way to help her younger sisters. Their parents had tried to get Tsukasa to come out of her room, but they had failed in their attempts. Inori had decided to concentrate her efforts on Kagami. She had put in a video she was sure would get Kagami's mind off of the troubles she was going through. If only Tsukasa would come out, she was sure it would help her too. Her thoughts were interrupted as Kagami opened the door. She quickly started the video.
"Did you get her?" Inori asked. Kagami trudged into the living room.
"No. There was no one home." Kagami sighed. "I rode all that way that fast for nothing." Kagami grumbled to herself.
"Wh-what was that?" Kagami heard Konata say.
What is she doing here? Kagami thought as she walked into the living room. She looked around, but found no Otaku.
"Poison? A dirty trick!" She heard someone that she didn't recognize shout. She walked over and realized that what she heard was on the television. She sat down and watched as Konata was punched onto her back.
"Kona! What are you watching?" Kagami asked. Inori smiled.
"Isn't it obvious? I'm watching the tournament she and Tony took part in." She looked over. Her plan was succeeding, Kagami was getting concerned for Konata.
"Why didn't she dodge that? She's much faster than this..." Kagami commented.
"Didn't you hear? She got poisoned by her opponent." Inori said.
"That's cheating!" Kagami shouted.
"Well, Konata's still fighting. You should watch." Inori said, pointing to the television. Kagami sighed and looked to see Konata with her butterfly knives as Gorgaga's neck.
"Gotcha." The televised Konata said. The crowd started cheering for her as Gorgaga said something briefly before running out of the arena. Kagami sighed in relief as Konata was announced victor. Tony ran out onto the screen, which had shifted to the very side of the arena so as to see in the place the fighters were at, and grabbed Konata. Kagami was still annoyed at Tony, but her rage weakened a bit when she assumed he was healing her. The next fight was Tony against what looked to be a medieval knight. They circled each other and, after trading blows, Tony cut through the sword and armor of the other man. Kagami and Inori's respective jaw dropped.
"How can he DO that?" Inori asked.
"I think it has something to do with what his sword is made of..." Kagami commented as she looked back at the screen. Konata and a VERY large man were in the arena. Kagami gulped. She watched as Konata ineffectively took a swing at the man, and continued watching in horror as the man hit the Otaku with his mace. Konata rolled back onto her feet and took a stance. Kagami's eyes were glued to the screen as Konata jumped over the man's mace. "You can do it..." Kagami mumbled to herself, as if she were actually encouraging Konata. A pit formed in Kagami's stomach as Konata was yanked up by her hair, but it disappeared as Konata broke the man's knee and started to decimate the man's head with a flurry of punches. The man fell unconscious. Konata winked at the camera. Kagami cheered before she could catch herself. "Woohoo Kona!" She smiled. Kagami caught herself and sat back down.
"What's the problem?" Inori smiled. Kagami sighed.
"Kona sided with Tony." She said sadly. Inori sighed.
"Kagami, you love her. Are you sure this has to come between you?" Inori asked. Kagami sighed again.
"Inori, she sided against me..." Kagami mumbled.
"That's what happens in a healthy relationship." Inori said. Kagami opened her mouth to protest, but couldn't before Konata walked out onto the screen. She and an old man were going to fight. Kagami sighed. She knew that Konata was going to destroy this person. He didn't even have a weapon. Then, Kagami smiled because she saw Konata give up her knives in order to fight fairly with the old man. Suddenly, the two exploded into movement that Kagami could barely follow. She gazed in wonder as the man and Konata matched each other almost perfectly. The two began punching at each other, but neither connecting. Neither gave any ground. Kagami gasped as there were after images of the two fighter's arms. It got to the point where Kagami couldn't even tell the difference between their arms because they were moving so fast. After what Kagami knew could have only been a minute, though it had felt like hours of watching the two fight, the old man spun around and backhanded Konata. Kagami's eyes widened in terror.
Kona... Her heart almost stopped. It was as if everything slowed down as she saw that the man was going in for the final punch. She could almost count her heartbeats. She's gonna lose... Kagami felt like crying to see her Kona in as much pain as she knew the little loli must have been in. Suddenly, Konata rose her foot, catching the man across the chin. Kagami smiled as almost indescribable relief washed over her. Kagami exhaled, having her breath held for so long, she was now breathing heavily. Then, a feeling of dread came over her. I came so close to losing Kona... Kagami started shaking a bit.
"Kagami? You okay?" Inori smiled, pausing the video. She had a feeling that her plan had worked perfectly.
"I... I don't know..." Kagami said. "I'm supposed to be angry with Kona. I was so concerned though..."
"She sided with Tony." Inori said.
"Still..." Kagami sighed. "Kona really didn't want to choose sides... Her and Tony really have gotten close." Kagami said.
"That just speaks to how much she likes you though. Even though she felt that Tony was right, she still didn't want to pick sides against either of you." Inori said, putting an arm around her younger sister.
"And she only did because I made her..." Kagami said. Finally, she broke. Tears began rolling down her cheeks. "Inori... am I a bad person?" She asked her sister desperately. Inori smiled and sighed.
"I don't believe so Kagami. You were just defending Tsukasa and felt that Konata might pose a threat. Being the older, you can get pretty protective over Tsukasa sometimes. It's a trait that defines you, and I'm sure Konata will forgive you. In fact, I'm willing to bet she wouldn't have you any other way." Inori smiled, rubbing her little sister's shoulder comfortingly. Kagami cried more for a small amount of time in silence.
"What about Tony? I was kind of a jerk to him, too." Kagami said. Inori thought for a moment.
"Him too I bet. I'm sure that after he thinks a bit, he'll realize that he's glad you're the way you are. It means Tsukasa will always be protected if something happens to him." Inori said. Kagami did her best to gain control over herself, but ultimately failed. She felt horrible.
"Whether Tony was right or wrong, Kona didn't want to take sides. She didn't do anything wrong, I've gotta apologize to her." Kagami said. She looked up at the clock to see it was very late. She knew that her Kona must be asleep by now. "I'm going to go tomorrow. It's too late for today." She got up and walked into her room. Inori looked at the paused video. Konata and Tony were facing each other. She shrugged and took the video out.
Mission accomplished. Inori smiled. She noticed something. Where's Matsuri? She wondered, looking around.
POV Matsuri
Matsuri woke up and looked around. She remembered where she was and turned the car on to see the clock. It read in the A.M. Matsuri sighed.
"Man. I really slept." She commented. She began driving. "So, Kan-chan was telling the truth..." She commented to herself. She arrived at home after driving in silence for a while. She turned the car off and coasted home silently. She got out of the car and walked in. Everything was understandably dark. She crept to her room, adamant about telling Tsukasa what she had learned in the morning. Suddenly the light turned on.
"Where have you been?" Inori asked. Matsuri jumped.
"Wah- whe-..." She panted a bit, her heart having skipped a beat or two. "Where are Mom and Dad?" Matsuri asked. Inori put her hands on her hips.
"They went to bed hours ago after they failed to get Tsukasa out of her room. Kagami went after you, but didn't find you. Where were you?" Inori asked. Matsuri sighed.
"Tony showed me what happened with a very... weird method. It made me very tired so I took a nap in the car." Matsuri said.
"How did he show you?" Inori asked, now very confused.
"I'm not sure, he kind of... just showed me the memory... It felt really weird." Matsuri said.
"Alright. I believe you." Inori said. "Go to bed Matsuri."
"On it." Matsuri yawned and walked into her room. Inori sighed.
"Now to bed with me..." She walked into her own room. The two let sleep take them.
Luckier Channel
"Luckier~! Channel~!" Akira shouted. "Hiya Luckies~! I'm Akira Kogami, your navigator!"
"And I'm Minoru Shiriashi, the assistant!"
"Minoru, the fight isn't getting any better!" Akira complained.
"Well Kagami seems to be switching sides..." Minoru commented.
"Not really, she's just sorry about Konata!" Akira said.
"And who's this Tsuki girl?" Minoru asked.
"No idea..." Akira said. Minoru looked confusedly at her.
"Didn't you read ahead?" Minoru asked.
"Yeah, but it didn't mention her! It was really more plot points, or specific events than the actual story..." Akira mumbled. "I haven't seen anything about her, and AC locked the files up behind something called an "Eternity Code"..." Akira complained.
"Hm... There wasn't anything about her?" Minoru asked.
"Well, there was-"
*Music Tone*
"Oh, I guess that's all the time we have for today. I'll see you all next time! Bye nii~!"
"..."
"Minoru, do you really wanna know?"
"Yeah, what's her deal?"
"Well..." *Whisper whisper whisper*
"...WHAT?"
*End*
Aftersection
Finished that one pretty quick compared to the last one, eh? Of course, it was quite shorter than the last one, but I still count this as a win! So let me know what you guys think! Review or I'll have Tsuki pout. By the way, she probably isn't staying for very long. Of course, that's what I said about Masuta, but meh... Trust me on this one! A big thanks to Flygon Master, this master helps me out in ways like you wouldn't BELIEVE! *Points finger at nothing in particular* And thanks for reading!