Chapter 13 - Maki's Imaginary Friend

Tokyo - Deparment Complex

Chizuru Kagura, the manager of the Band of Fighters is seen cleaning her department

—Huh? —Chizuru realizes alot of objects were left in different positions, including one of her slipers being under a couch

—What is going? —For the surprise of the Manager, when she opens the refrigerator, she realizes alot of the food is missing

—How can the refrigerator be so empty, if we filled it with food two days ago? —Thought Chizuru grabing her chin

—Normally I would throw the blame at Iori but not even he is such beast to eat like this and Maki, she is in her development but I doubt it was her. Must be some kind of thief that is entering in our department. —Chizuru

—Hahahaha -In that moment Chizuru hears a laugh seeing her little sister Maki entering laughing, returning after a school day

—What's so funny Maki? —Questions Chizuru curious

—Oh nothing sister, i was just laughing at one of the jokes of my friend Yusa —Maki

—Friend? Oh you invited a friend? That's nice —Chizuru

Chizuru starts looking everywhere for that friend Yusa, even looking at the corridors of the deparment complex to see where is she

—So where's this Yusa girl? —Chizuru is confused

—Sister, Yusa is right here at my side —Points Maki at her left side

Chizuru is confused putting a blank face

—Is this some sort of joke, Maki? —Chizuru

—No silly! Yusa is right here with me —Maki smiles pointing at her left side again but there's nothing there

—Maki, are you sure you weren't sniffing glue again? —Chizuru touches the forehead of Maki worried

—Sister, Yusa is my imaginary friend! —Answers Maki angry

—Oh, so that's your imaginary friend? —Chizuru

—Yusa says that because you don't have any imagination, you can't see her —Maki

—Tell Yusa to shut her mouth then —Chizuru crosses her arms playing a little with her sister

—She says you are very dense —Maki

—Stop fooling around and go to your room, I have to prepare the dinner —Chizuru

—Fine, lets get out of here Yusa, no need to talk with Ms. Grumpy there —Maki

In that moment Chizuru grabs a notebook

—Reminder, take Maki to therapy again —Writes Chizuru in one of the blank pages

The Next Day - Tokyo Recording Studio

—Good morning guys —Chizuru enters using the elevator alongside Iori and Maki with her bringing the instruments of the band for today's practice

—Good morning —Athena, Terry, Kyo and Nakoruru greet her, Iori and Maki

—Today we need to continue practicing the last song we composed, I'm going to be giving you guys your instruments and-WHAT? —For the shock of Chizuru, removing the sheet covering the instruments make her and the band shock as they see the instruments messed up, with the guitars having had all their cords cut, the battery missing parts, the piano having lost all its keys and Athena's microphone being broken in half

—I don't understand, how did this happen? —Chizuru

—Chizuru, is this some kind of joke? —Athena

—No, it isn't —Chizuru

—Is just like the stuff with the fridge and the department, something or someone is breaking my stuff —Chizuru is baffled

The next day Kagura is in the department when she heards some giggles coming from Maki's room

—Hehehe, you have a five? —Asks Maki as Chizuru stands in the door of Maki's room with her overhearing the conversation Maki is having with someone

—Oh yes, that was kind of funny —Maki

In that moment Chizuru heards someone else's giggling that wasn't Maki's

Having her curiosity picked and being worried, Chizuru opens the door invading Maki's privacy

—Maki! —Chizuru sees Maki playing a board game alone

—Who are you talking to? Is there someone under the bed? —Chizuru is confused as she looks everywhere to find if someone was here

—Yusa... I was talking to Yusa —Maki

—You mean your imaginary friend? But there was some other giggling unless you made it all yourself? —Chizuru looks at Maki detailed

—What? —Maki

—How does your supposed imaginary friend look anyway? —Asks Chizuru curious

—She is small, looks like a pink cartoon rabbit, has big ears, a round white face, red ruby eyes, big feet. Oh and she loves to dance! —Maki
Chizuru raises an eyebrow after hearing that description

—Wait where you're taking me! —Screams Maki being pulled by her hand by her sister, who with a doubtful stare decides to take Maki somewhere out of the building
Psychologist Office - Some moments later

—Well Ms. Kagura, I did a evaluation to Maki's mental health, she told me alot and I'm happy to report that she is thankfully not crazy as you think. You have nothing to worry about Ms. Kagura —Says the psychologist to Chizuru

—What? Are you sure, Doctor? Not even a tiny trauma? —Chizuru

—Well she has one but is totally different than what you think —Psychologist

The psychologist whispers something to Chizuru

—Oh that... I remember that —Chizuru opens her eyes widely remembering

Chizuru is seem with a box approaching her sister who is playing with her neo geo pocket

—Maki, I need you to do me a favour —Chizuru

—What is it? —Maki

—Bring this package to Athena's apartment —Chizuru

—Yeah, sure why not —Maki leaves with an desinterested tone taking the box

Some moments later

A traumatized Maki is seem lying on the floor of the recording studio sucking her finger with a shocked expression moving holding her knees

—You two idiotic horn dogs! Look what you did to my sister! You have traumatized her forever! —Chizuru is visibly angry with Kyo and Athena

—We didn't know you were going to return my hair dryer that day and we were bored so —Athena

—I doubt Maki understands even what was happening, for her we were just "Playing" right? —Kyo

—Shut up! Both of you! —Chizuru

In that moment Maki removes her finger from her mouth

—So that's how babies are made? —Maki returns to suck her finger shivering all scared

—But don't worry, eventually she will forget about it, trust me Ms. Kagura, having an imaginary friend at the age of Maki isn't unnatural —Psychologist

—Thanks doctor —Chizuru goes for her sister who was seem laughing... Alone

—So you and Yusa are ready to return home? —Chizuru

—Yusa says she likes this place alone, it reminds her of her home. She told me she will be staying here for today —Says Maki getting up

Despite having resolved the problem with Maki and accepting of her sister's wide "Imagination" Chizuru and the band keep experimenting problems as all their equipment and replacement instruments keeps being destroyed as if something or someone had a vendetta against them

—Are you sure this is going to work? —Athena, Terry and Kyo are seen helping Chizuru to install some cameras around the garage where their instruments are stored

—After having spend alot of money in new instruments each week only for them to be destroyed too, I'm feed with this! I'm going to discover who is the damn prankster who keeps destroying our instruments —Chizuru

—Cameras are all set! —Chizuru

Chizuru is seem watching over the cameras that night with her starting to become tired of not seeing anything enter in the room to tear apart the instruments

—Maybe I should just go to sleep with Iori, I don't think whoever is doing this will show up —Chizuru yawns as she doesn't see anything when suddenly

—Huh? —Chizuru sees how coming from a ventilation duct, a strange humanoid looking creature makes his way to where the instruments are, the strange creature looks like some sort of cartoony pink rabbit plushie. The strange being removes the sheets of the instruments with her bringing a big cartoon hammer to smash each of them for the shock and horror of Chizuru

—What the hell! —Chizuru gets up quickly to where the room is

—You! What the hell are you! —Chizuru kicks off the door of the room where the instruments are, with her finding the strange creature already gone and all the instruments broken to pieces

Kagura feels almost as if she was about to faint with her eyes wide open

—She is small, looks like a pink cartoon rabbit, has big ears, a round white face, red ruby eyes, big feet. Oh and she loves to dance! —Maki's words from weeks ago return to Chizuru's mind in that moment, making her open her mouth almost falling to the ground

—Could it be? —Chizuru feels as if she was about to go insane, having nothing to lost she returns inside to sleep now after having a clear image of the prankster

—What's wrong sister? —Asks Maki as Chizuru calls her to talk with her at the next day

—Look, I'll go straight to the point. I know I made fun of you when you told me about your imaginary friend but you see. I need you to ask you something —Chizuru takes her sister to the monitor room

Chizurus plays the moment where the strange rabbit appears only to see nothing appear with the instruments looking normal

—So what did you wanted to show me? —Asks Maki confused

—Wait what?! Where's that thing? The last night, the cameras capted the appearence of a strange being entering the room to break the instruments, Maki you have to believe me —Chizuru

—What kind of being? —Maki

—small, looks like a pink cartoon rabbit, has big ears, a round white face, red ruby eyes, big feet —Chizuru

—What? You're implying my dear friend Yusa would do something like break the instruments? —Maki

—Shut up and listen —Chizuru grabs Maki from the neck of her vest

—I need you to teach me how you talk with that thing! —Chizuru

—I told you already! You don't have enough imagination to see it —Maki

—Stop saying that stupid nonsense and tell me how you talk to that vermin! —Chizuru

—just get someone with more imagination that your grumpy brain and you will see her! —Screams Maki angry

—A dumb kid eh? —Chizuru thinks

—I don't know Ms. Kagura, you think this will work? —Nakoruru is seen having been brought here to sit with Maki to play

—Yes! Maki says she won't appear because I don't have imagination but you're almost of the same age as her —Chizuru

—Actually, I'm hundreds of years old by now. —Nakoruru

—Yes, yes. I know! The glaciar. But you fell into that lake when you had the same age as Maki, so maybe you will have more luck than me! —Chizuru

Nakoruru enters in the room finding Maki watching TV

—Hey Maki! —Nakoruru

—Oh is you Nakoruru, what are you doing here? —Maki

—I was wondering if you wanted to play a game of King of Monster - monster mash up with me? —Says Nakoruru with a nervous smile bringing this pack of cards
—Wait what? Wow! Nakoruru, how did you get this? —Nakoruru

—Is the game that makes every kid of your age go nuts isn't it? So I assumed you would like it —Nakoruru

—Sure let's play —Maki

As the two girls play the card game, Chizuru and the rest of the band are seen monitoring the cameras hidden on the room for the appearence of Yusa

—When that little vermin shows up, we will trap her! —Chizuru

—And then what? —Athena

—I-I —Chizuru

—You don't know what you will done after that, isn't it? —Kyo

—One step at the time guys! —Chizuru

—I hope that you don't mind Yusa joining us to play, Nakoruru? She loves card games too —Maki

—Oh not at all —Nakoruru smiles only to become shocked when she sees a strange creature appearing in front of them, not other than the infamous rabbit now holding a pair of cards too in her hands

—Ms. Kagura wasn't kidding! By kamui! What kind of beast is this? —Thinks Nakoruru staring at the strange Yusa

—What the hell is that thing?! —Asks Athena beyond shocked seeing that being as the rest of the band can't understand what they were seeing

—See what I told you all? I wasn't crazy, that thing has been destroying our instruments! —Chizuru

—So do you have any Atomic Guys in your deck, granny? —The infamous Yusa turns to look at Nakoruru

—No but I have something better —Nakoruru

—What is it? —Maki and Yusa

—This! —Using a bag, Nakoruru manages to capture Yusa, taking her away from Maki running upstairs

—Wait Nakoruru! What are you doing?! —Maki

—Ms. Kagura! I have it! —Nakoruru enters in the room putting the bag on the bed of Chizuru, as Kagura and the rest of the band close the door and the windows

—We have that little pest! Now is time to see it, the vermin who has been-huh? —Chizuru and the band are surprised to see Nakoruru's bag was empty now, as if Yusa had disappeared

—What? -Chizuru screams as if something or someone was there, she is put the bag on her head with Kagura falling backwards trying to remove the bag
Suddenly one by one, the members of the band are hit either by something invisible or having an object of the room being throw at them like Kyo who barely manages to dodge a decoration flower of the room, while Athena and Iori are hit. Nakoruru is grabed by her long hair to fall as well as Terry

—What the hell?! —Chizuru manages to remove the bag

—Is what I was trying to tell you. When she gets angry, things get uglier —Maki enters with the infamous rabbit appearing standing in the bed

—Hahahaha! Wow that was such a show, isn't it? —The Infamous Yusa speak deciding to appear in front of the band

—You! —Chizuru

—I'll give you guys some credit, you did well in managing to catch me, however I believe things are just starting to heat up, fun is just starting —Yusa

—What are you? And what do you want with my sister? What do you want with us? —Asks Chizuru

—My name is Yusa D. Rabbit, I come from a place beyond the barrier, the sixth dimension to be precise... Cool Cool Toon —Says Yusa as she opens a small hole in reality to make the band take a look at her home

The band is shocked by seeing the cartonny realm from where Yusa comes from with them wondering if all of this is even real, a place full of strange cartoony and psychodelic beings

—Are you sure you don't come from hell? —Nakoruru

—Anyway Yusa, whatever the hell you are, why have you been pranking us by breaking our instruments and stuff? —Chizuru

—Oh Chizuru, my dear mediocre witch. You're always the same not matter the earth, a brainless woman who apparents to be smart —Yusa

—Isn't obvious? —Yusa

—No! What do you want with us? —Chizuru

—Listen you guys, don't take this bad but you should be doing something else rather than being a band. I mean, what is even this world in first place? —Yusa

—You guys should be doing something else rather than wasting your time with music, where's the fights? The drama? The generic looking alien or demon enemies

threatening earth and so on? —Asks Yusa as Kyo stares at Chizuru confused only for her to raise her arms shrug it off confused

—I don't get what are you talking about —Chizuru

—You know what, a image speaks louder than millon words. Let me check... Here, this is for you, you and you three! —Yusa gives Kyo a strange sword, Iori gets a strange jewel, while Athena, Terry and Nakoruru get different orbs of power, a purple, red and white one respectively

—What is this? —Kyo sees how the swords enters in his body with him realizing he can now use fire as his eyes become giant and Kyo can't help but smile happy

—Flame powers? —Iori is confused

—Mine are more like psychic powers! —Says Athena using her powers to read the minds of her partners, while Terry and Nakoruru also testt their powers

—As for you-Oh this is awkward, normally there's only one Kagura sister alive —Says Yusa staring at the Kagura sisters

—What? - Chizuru and Maki

—Spoilers! Oh oh, I know it —Yusa turns to do something

—Here, one for you —Yusa gives Chizuru a strange artifact that looks like a mirror in half with Chizuru feeling dizzy when touching it seeing it enter in her body

—And this one for you —Yusa gives the other half of the mirror to Maki

Both sisters are shocked as Chizuru sees how she had just made three copies of her appearing behind her, Maki gets freaked up seeing more fingers coming from her hand

—Normally you all have this powers, cool isn't it? —Yusa

—Oh I can read what everyone is thinking! Ugh! Yagami and Nakoruru! —Athena

—Sorry Athena —Nakoruru

—Nobody told you to look in my mind Asamiya. —Iori

—If you want to keep this powers —Yusa snaps her fingers to take the power away from the group

—You would need first to firm a contract giving up your music careers for it —Says Yusa bringing this contract

—Forget it! Sure power is nice, but we literally live out of our music. We are not firming that —Chizuru

—Don't you realize you can't make music if you don't have instruments? And I don't plan to leave anytime soon boys! Any new equiptment you have, will be destroyed by me and you all will end up in the street, with no powers, no music and nothing! —Says Yusa with a threatening voice

—How about no! Take her down guys! —Chizuru and the band angry tries to hit Yusa only for Yusa to disappear

The band becomes confused with Yusa appearing next to Maki

—You want to act like dumb animals guys! Well why didn't you said it so first? —Yusa snaps her finger

For the shock of Maki, her sister and the band end up being transformed into animals, Terry appears looking like a wolf, Nakoruru as a hawk, Athena as a rabbit, Kyo as a cat, Iori as snake and finally Chizuru appears transformed as big panda bear looking confused

The band look at each other confused, with the rabbit Athena starting to punch Cat Kyo when this one purs next to her, the panda Chizuru grabs the snake Yagami to give him a loving hug only for the snake of red hair to hiss at her angry, the panda roars angry at the snake now with both struggling with each other

—Wait guys! Stop! Don't attack each other! —Maki sees her sister and the band attacking each other now nothing more than wild animals

—Hahahahaha! This is very funny! Look at your sister and Yagami murdering each other! Hahahahaha! And Athena punching Kyo with her little rabbit legs!

HAHAHAHAHA! —Yusa laughs on the ground grabing her stomach

—Enough! Return them back to normal, you bag of fur! —Maki

Yusa snaps her fingers again turning Maki into a little baby crane

As Yusa keeps laughing, Nakoruru now turned into a hawk like her pet, decides to team up with Wolf Terry to bother Yusa

—Ah! —Yusa is attacked by Nakoruru's beak while Terry growls at her hitting her

—Stop you two! —Annoyed by the two animals, Yusa turns them back into humans with Athena appearing biting Kyo, And Iori appearing around Chizuru's neck with everyone becoming confused

—What just happened? We are back to normal? And why do I feel like biting some bamboo stick? —Chizuru

—Mmh bamboo sticks —Chizuru feels hungry

—I feel I could use a carrot —Athena

—You're back to normal but this changes nothing! I'll stay to ruin your career forever! —Yusa

—No you wont! —Chizuru gets up from the ground

—What are you going to try to do, trap me in a bag? Step on me? Chizuru, we both know you're not that bright —Yusa crosses her arms confidently

—How about a bet? You will have to beat the six of us in different competitions, if you win more than us. You stay, if we win. You will have to return back to whatever hell you came from —Chizuru

—I like challenges, so bring it out! I'll make you all regret having dare to mess up with Yusa D. Rabbit! —And so on the competition is started

—First off, Chizuru vs Yusa! —Yusa

—What's your challenge, you demonic furball! —Chizuru

—Hmmm... How about russian roulette! —Yusa gives a devilish smile

—Excuse me? What? —Chizuru and the band are frozen hearing that

—What's wrong, Dumbass Kagura? —Yusa's head transforms in the head of Elisabeth Blanctorche

—Are you afraid? Hahahahaha! —Yusa laughs

—Shut up! Let's get this over with! —Chizuru exclaims as Yusa makes a revolver appear in front of them

—My turn! My turn! —Yusa grabs the revolver, spins the barrel putting one bullet inside, she aims the gun at her head smiling

*Blamm* - Yusa blows her own head with the Band of Fighters becoming horrorized to see the cartoon rabbit without most of her head only having her tongue and low part of her jaw hanging out

—Blarghblarhg —The horrible looking Yusa gives the gun to Chizuru

—You turn! *Translation*

—Let's just do this! —Chizuru puts the bullet in the barrel spinning it, she points the gun at her head with alot of sweat coming from her as she pushes the trigger

*Click* But no bullet comes out

—Blarghblarhg —Yusa

—You win! How lucky! *Translation*

And so the competition keeps going

Yusa is seem playing a fighting game against Terry

—Come on Terry! You can do it! —Scream both Kagura sisters cheering for Bogard

—Terry! Beat that pest! —Kyo

—Come on Terry, you have this game dominated —Athena

For the annoyance of Yusa, Terry manages to beat her winning a score of 3/2

—This is why Guilty Gear is more popular than King Of Fighters these days —Yusa stares at the viewer

In the competence of cooking, Kyo ends up defeting Yusa for this one's surprise deciding to take a bite out of her pie, only for her to be disgusted by her own food
Athena manages to beat Yusa on the dance competition, Yusa's pupils become larger and filled with flames unable to believe an Athena with no psychic powers and high libido just beated her in her own forte

—Rock! Paper! Scissors! —Yusa

—Rock! Paper! Scissors! —Iori

—Rock! Paper! Scissors! —Yusa

—Rock! Paper! Scissors! —Iori

Iori beats Yusa's paper with scissors

The score is 0 to Yusa against five points for the BOF

Only Nakoruru is left to compete against Yusa

—Well Nakoruru, this is going to be a simple competition look at this candy machine filled with chewing gum, can you calculate the number of gum inside of it? -Yusa

—There's no way she can win! Only I know the answer of this riddle and this will be a point for me! —Thought Yusa seeing Nakoruru thinking

—Mhmm no no wait! Mhmm... —Nakoruru

Nakoruru keeps looking at the machine and the chewing gums

—What's wrong? Do you give up? I wouldn't blame you, none of you could be able to deduce the number, I guess it was about time for me to get a victory —Yusa smiles with confidence

—Oh I got the answer! The total number of gums is 11833! —Nakoruru

Hearing that makes Yusa's smile disappear with her eyes twitching and shivering realizing she was totally outmatched by the band of fighters

—By the way, what is a chewing gum? —Nakoruru

—Well I guess that means we won, and remember Yusa. We had a contract! —Chizuru

—Ah yes, the contract. I think I should comply with my-Nah! —Two lasers come from Yusa's eyes burning the contract, Yusa gritting her teeth looks at the band of fighters

—I don't know how any of you clowns did this but I won't leave just like that, I have had enough of you for a day! I have decided I'll simply eat all of you! —For the shock of the band, Yusa starts transforming into a eldritch abomination of a creature sporting sharp teeth, bloody red eyes, big claws and a monstrous appearence with six arms growing from her back

—I should had know that damn rabbit wasn't going to comply with her own rules! —Kyo

—Ahhh! —The band screams as all of them are hold by Yusa's arms with only Maki managing to sneak away shivering of seeing what her imaginary friend was about to do, to eat her sister and friends

—You six have no idea how much I'm going to enjoy to taste your flesh! I'm going to take my time with every single bite! —Yusa

—Yusa! Stop this madness! You lost! Accept it and move out! Return back to where you came, we had an agreement and you lost! Get that already you backstabbing piece of pink shit! —A furious Maki stands in front of Yusa

—Hahahaha! And what are you going to do if I refuse, pipsqueak? You think I'm afraid of the little Kagura brat? You certainly have a sharp tongue compared to your pathetic sister here but you're nothing! —Yusa uses one of her arms to snap Maki away

—Maki! —Chizuru

—And now to chew on Chizuru's head —Yusa is about to bite the head of Chizuru

—Arghh! —Maki falls on top of a table that had a jar full with water, the jar is sent flying as Maki breaks the table with the water splashing Yusa

Yusa realizes she is wet as the water falls on her with her looking at how her skin is burning

—AHHHH! No! It can't be! My biggest weakness —Yusa starts melting droping the band members on the ground

Chizuru and the rest go to hug Maki, they take a look at the burning melting mess that Yusa is becoming

—Have a nice trip back to cool cool toon, Yusa! —Chizuru

But before leaving Yusa's arm moves snapping her finger before totally melting on the ground

Maki falls on the ground surrounded by her sister and the band turned again into animals

—Well this is awkward —Says Maki to her sister transformed into a panda again

Some days later

Circus of Tokyo

—Ladies and gentleman, we want you to give a strong applause for today's main attraction, Maki Kagura and her band of animals! —Says the announcer

Maki appears dressed as a ringmaster with her sister still turned into a panda, while the lights fall on her group, the band of fighters still turned into animals in front of their instruments

—Alright guys, like we practice back home, one! Two! Three! —Says Maki directing the band now who despite being animals still can play their instruments

—Look at that snake playing the guitar, is so cute! —Says a woman from the crowd

—Aww the little rabbit is singing —Says another person at Rabbit Athena making random rabbit sounds like purring and clucking as if she was singing

The crowd is marveled by the band of animals

—Don't worry sister, one day I'll find a way to turn you guys normal again —Whispers Maki winking at her sister who is eating a bamboo

—Rooargh! - Chizuru roars looking a the reader

—I hate my life! *Translation*

The End