//------------------------------// // Arc 6.3 Chapter 59 // Story: Student 32: Sunset Shimmer // by Show Stopper //------------------------------// Sunset started the final day of the school festival as Chao Bao Zi’s first customer. Satsuki was still setting up - Chao and her allies had apparently vanished at the end of the party, and Ku Fei was nowhere to be found - and Sunset volunteered to help, if only to get her breakfast more quickly. They got to talking as they set up, and Sunset learned that Satsuki had indeed known about magic for a few years now, though she wasn’t involved in the Inner World herself. She’d also learned about the chef’s dream of opening her own restaurant someday. All in all, it had been one of Sunset’s most normal and uncomplicatedly pleasant interactions with a member of her class to date. Sunset had barely started on her breakfast when a voice stole away her focus. “A-hah! I thought I’d find you here!” Sunset stared as the seat across from her was taken by a certain half-asleep bassist. “A-Ako?” Sunset almost fumbled her meat bun as Ako gave Satsuki her order. “Wh- How are you here? You and Decopin Rocket must have been the last ones to leave the party!” “Yeah, that was pretty rough,” Ako admitted, stifling a yawn. “By the time we got all our instruments stored away, it was almost two in the morning. Then of course we helped Negi-sensei move everyone who had passed out on the roof indoors so they wouldn’t catch colds. I didn’t get back to my bed until almost four.” Sunset checked the time - almost seven. “I reiterate, how are you here?” Ako hid a massive yawn behind her hand before giggling. “Come on, Nichi-chan. You aren’t the only one who can go a day without enough sleep. I’ve spent enough nights up late practicing and cramming to know how to handle it.” She let out another yawn, though this one was smaller. “Besides, this is important.” Sunset raised an eyebrow at that assertion, but decided to take pity on the poor sleep-deprived girl and waited until Yotsuba had delivered her her breakfast. A few sips of coffee and half an egg sandwich, and Ako was looking much more awake. “Okay,” Sunset finally ventured. “What’s so important?” Ako blinked a few times before remembering her bleary-eyed assertion. “Oh! Right!” She frowned at Sunset. “Nichi-chan, have you had time to enjoy the festival at all?” Sunset blinked at the apparent non-sequitur. “Huh?” “I was thinking about it on the way home this morning. You spent most of the first day at the horror house, right? And spent a few hours advertising right after that. Then there was the Martial Arts Tournament which took you through yesterday afternoon. Then you followed me on my…” She trailed off and checked to make sure Satsuki wasn’t nearby before muttering the next few words. “... my date with Negi-sensei, followed by your tours with the Library Exploration Club and Chao’s farewell party.” Sunset stared in bafflement for a minute. That… I mean, when you put it like that, I guess I haven’t really gotten to see anything. Sunset fought to keep a stupid grin off her face as a realization struck her. Wait! She’s been paying that much attention to me? “That pretty much sums it up, yeah,” Sunset finally said. “I mean, I did get Wildfire to take me back in time with him once yesterday, but that was just so I could help out with something around the World Tree.” “I knew it!” Ako was frowning now. “While everyone else has been getting to have fun, you’ve barely been able to participate in anything.” “Hey! It’s not like I was roped into the martial arts tournament!” Sunset defended. “I was perfectly happy to compete in that.” Ako frowned. “Even though that Colonel Sanders was so much more powerful than anyone there? Nichi-chan, even with how strong you’ve told me you are, I don’t think you would have stood a chance against him.” “...okay, yeah. His involvement kinda took about half the thrill out of the tournament. But it was still worthwhile.” “Still, you’ve barely gotten to do anything. And what’s more, this is your first Mahorafest! Do you even know what you want to do for the last day?” Sunset opened her mouth to tell Ako that she did have a plan, but found herself at a loss for words - between all of the fighting exhibitions and competitions being absorbed into the Martial Arts tournament and the early afternoon of the second day spent trailing Ako, Sunset’s carefully laid plan for the last day of the festival was shot to hell. And she knew enough from her pre-festival planning efforts that the festival was far too vast and busy to make the most of it by winging it; honestly, she didn’t even know where to begin. Ako bore a triumphant smile as Sunset came to this realization. “And that’s why,” she said, finally arriving at her point, “I’m going to be showing you around the festival today!” “...eh?” Ako giggled. “Come on, Nichi-chan. It’s the least I can do to repay you for all your help yesterday and last night. Besides, Mahorafest is always more fun with a friend!” She beamed at Sunset. “What do you say?” I say that that level of cuteness should be illegal this early in the morning. Sunset sighed and offered Ako a resigned grin. “There’s no real way for me to say no to this, is there?” Not that I really want to. After all, it’ll make for a good first date. ***** By the time they finished their breakfast, Mahorafest was in full swing once again. The streets were more packed than ever, the air full of the sort of frantic desperation to have a good time that always accompanied the last day of a celebration. Ako pulled Sunset through the streets towards the edge of the school, and Sunset quickly saw what they were headed towards. “The parade?” she asked as they drew close, surprised. Mahorafest featured a three-day parade of floats, bands, and other showcases which wound its way around the edge of the festival all day and well into the night. Sunset had caught glimpses of it at a distance - mostly of the larger floats, massive balloons, and ridiculously realistic and colossal animatronics - but had had little time or interest to spare for it. She was surprised that Ako would choose something like this to show her on the last day. Hearing the incredulousness in her tone, Ako smiled over her shoulder at Sunset. “Trust me. You’re going to like this.” They finally managed to push through the crowds enough to see the parade passing by. An intricately decorated ocean-themed float was just passing them, complete with a large aquarium filled with live fish and girls dressed as mermaids. A marching drumline a couple dozen rows long followed the float, a team of cheerleaders on either side dancing a routine. Behind them was another float, too far for Sunset to make out the details. “Okay,” Sunset said, “this is pretty cool, but I still don’t see what makes this particular part of the parade so special. Don’t get me wrong, I’m always a fan of cheerleaders in tight, revealing outfits, but there’s plenty of eye-candy throughout the festival.” Ako rolled her eyes before pointing down the street a bit. Another float idled in the curve of the street, this one with an American Western theme. Sunset thought at first glance that it had broken down. “Try not to let the drummers and cheerleaders distract you,” Ako said. “Watch the floats.” Sunset raised an eyebrow, but followed Ako’s advice. The ocean float was getting further and further down the street, approaching the western float. Sunset frowned as she saw it start to drift to the side. Is it giving itself more room for the turn? That doesn’t make sense; it has plenty of space. In fact, the ocean float was giving itself less space, quickly approaching the western float. She thought for a second that they were about to crash, but the western float began to move just in time, steering into the street. What?! But there’s no way it has enough time to get up to speed! The drummers will run right into it, or they’ll have to slow down! Why are they- Sunset turned her attention back to the drumline, and her jaw dropped. The front line of drummers had halted their advance, marching in place as they played. The cheerleaders had bunched up on either side of the drumline and were performing a more complex dance now that they were relatively stationary. Each line of drummers marched forward until they were almost touching the drummer in front of them before coming to a halt themselves. The drumline was getting more and more condensed as the float in front of them pulled into the street. A quick look around showed Sunset that most of the audience was focused on the cheer routine, not even realizing that two floats were switching out just a few meters away. Finally, just as the final line of drummers approached, the western float got into place and picked up speed. As one, the drumline began marching forward again, the cheerleaders slowly spreading out as their dance continued, uninterrupted. The float behind the drumline hadn’t even needed to slow down, though it had been a near thing. Sunset was awestruck at the coordination. A quick look at the ocean float revealed the students who had manned it climbing out and preparing to dismantle it. Another group of students was approaching down a side street, their own disassembled float towed along behind them. Sunset’s jaw dropped as the realization struck; this same sort of transition was going to happen again, probably multiple times. Ako began pulling her away again as the ocean float students began to drain the aquarium. “Come on! There’s another one this way!” Sunset shook herself out of her stupor and planted her feet, pulling Ako to a halt. “I’ve got this! Just tell me where to go.” “Where to- what do you mean- Ah! Nichi-chaaaaan!” Sunset had smoothly scooped Ako into a bridal cary and leapt, easily landing on a nearby roof and dashing across the rooftops. After a few seconds, Ako got over her shock and started to direct Sunset. They reached another point along the parade route - an intersection of two major streets, and watched as two giant marching bands seamlessly swapped out for each other. Again Ako directed, and again Sunset was shown the perfect coordination of the parade. “How are they doing this?” Sunset breathed with wonder. “These swaps are perfect! Better than trained guards could manage!” Ako giggled at her shock. “They’ve put in a lot of practice. After all, no-one wants to be in the parade all day long. And no-one wants to stop the parade to switch people out. Classes and clubs that want to participate have to sign up almost half a year in advance and they practice for months before the festival. Pretty impressive, huh?” “Impressive? It’s incredible!” Sunset marveled at the coordination of these students, working together more perfectly than most militaries could probably manage. She’d thought for months that her own class was ridiculously skilled and eccentric, but she had to admit, she’d underestimated the whole school. Not just their abilities and quirks, but their dedication to their crafts. Ako beamed at her. “We’re just getting started!” For the next several hours, Ako led Sunset around Mahorafest, showing off the cooperation and coordination of the students and teachers that staffed it. From stadiums and arenas that swapped out props and events in far too little time to be believed, to supply runners in back streets who managed to provide for twenty shops with every run, to plazas and courtyards that managed to have a half-dozen acts going at once without interfering with each other. There were even a few booths and stalls that rode on wheels, moving a few feet one way or the other as the day went on to make room for activities and attractions on either side. Sunset watched in awe from atop Mahora’s clocktower as Ako pointed out dozens of examples of this seamless coordination. Even those few times when different acts or events clashed, Mahora staff was always on hand in seconds to clean up the mess or fix the issue. “I just can’t believe it,” Sunset muttered as she and Ako rested at one of Mahorafest’s many food courts, enjoying an early lunch break. “All of this… how in the world do they manage it?” “The Mahorafest Planning Committee is very good at what they do,” Ako said, between bites of salad. “They work year-round to prepare each festival. For some of the bigger events, they plan years in advance. I hear they’re meeting tonight first thing after the festival ends to start officially preparing for next year, but you’ll see them throughout the festival taking notes and interviewing people already.” Sunset sighed and leaned back in her chair, staring up at the sky. “I can’t even imagine. But I guess that would be necessary for something of this scale and precision. Heck, I know of wars that were launched, executed, and won with less planning than this.” She shook her head. “Forget our class, this whole school is insane.” “In a good way?” “Heh, yeah. In a good way.” “Good.” Ako smiled in relief. “I figured the best way to show off the whole festival would be to show you just how much effort went into it. I mean, you can see how much individual classes and clubs dedicated themselves to their own events, but to see how much everyone cares…” Sunset nodded. “Yeah, I get it. Good call.” She leaned forward and took a bite of her burger. “So, what’s next, then?” Ako grinned. ***** “ARE YOU READY TO HAVE A GOOD TIME! BECAUSE THE MAHORA CHEERLEADERS ASSOCIATION IS HERE TO GIVE YOU A SHOW!” “Nichi-chan, you’re drooling.” ***** “...okay, the deer in Nara were cute, but seeing this world’s horses is just weird.” “But you still want to ride one, don’t you?” “...yes.” ***** “AND NOW FOR THE SECOND PHASE OF THE MISS MAHORA BEAUTY CONTEST, THE SWIMSUIT COMPETITION!” “Nichi-chan, you’re drooling again.” ***** “This is the strangest life line I’ve ever seen. And you have… multiple heart lines? And your sun line is longer than your five marriage lines put together! I’ve been reading palms for years and I’ve never seen anything like this.” “Hehe, yeah. Weird.” ***** “Welcome to the Mahora Fashion Club’s Fashion Extravaganza! Our first model is wearing…” “...Nichi-chan.” “Hey! You’re the one who keeps bringing me to these events!” ***** Sunset had to admit as they left the Mahorafest Arm-Wrestling Competition - several grown men swearing vengeance behind them - that Ako’s selections of events and entertainments had been excellent. She’d been a little concerned that every event was tailored to her interests and that Ako wouldn’t be having a good time, but she’d assured Sunset that she was just happy to see Sunset enjoying herself. “I still think it was a little unfair of you to use your ki against them,” Ako said, glancing back at the scores of muscle-bound men who were openly weeping at their humiliation. “Doesn’t that give you an unfair advantage?” “Yes.” Sunset smirked as she adjusted the oversized championship belt around her waist. “But then, a tourney like that is unbalanced to begin with. No division by age, weight, height, or gender. They’re basically saying that anything goes.” She shrugged. “Besides, my last three opponents were using ki, too.” “You mean the ones you smashed through the table.” “I said they were using ki. Not that it was anywhere near enough.” Ako sighed and rolled her eyes, but there was an amused smile on her face. “Still, didn’t you revel in your victory a little too much?” “Hey, a lot of those guys were beaten out of the Martial Arts Tournament prelims, and most of them have been through my horror route. Well, ‘part-way through’ I should say. It’s not my fault they keep trying to beat me somehow.” Ako giggled. “I guess you really don’t like losing, huh?” Sunset shook her head. “It’s not that. I’m okay with losing, so long as my opponent earned his victory. Take the tournament, for example. I’m totally fine with having lost to Wildfire. He pulled out a few tricks I wasn’t expecting, and he outsmarted me in the end. There’s no shame in losing to a worthy opponent.” She grinned and clenched her fist. “That said, the next time we go at it, I’m gonna pummel him into the dust until he cries for mercy!” Ako rolled her eyes again. “Competitive, then.” They shared a giggle as they made their way towards the World Tree Plaza. “Anyway, what was it you wanted to show me over here?” Sunset delayed answering for a moment as she looked around the plaza. There. Takamichi. Considering how highly everyone thinks of him, I doubt he has backup. And I doubt he’ll suspect what I’m up to. “Have you heard the rumor about the World Tree’s abilities?” Ako frowned as she thought. “Oh! You mean that rumor about the World Tree granting wishes on the last day of the festival? Or the one about it helping with confessions?” “The latter.” They entered the plaza and Sunset and Takamichi exchanged nods before the latter returned to looking around the plaza for potential confessions. “It turns out, there’s some truth to it.” “Eh? Really?” Sunset pointed to Takamichi. “For the last few days, various mages from the students and teachers have been guarding six points around the World Tree, keeping people from confessing their feelings. For some reason, the World Tree likes to ‘help’ with these confessions and makes the target reciprocate. Apparently, Wildfire got caught up in its effects the other day with Nodoka.” She chuckled. “Shoved his tongue down Asuna’s throat for more than a minute before it wore off, apparently.” Ako eeped and blushed furiously. “That’s… um… wow.” “Heh, yeah. Awkward as hell for both of them. But it can be really dangerous if it forces false feelings of love on someone. Love is the most powerful emotion a person can feel, and any sort of power that messes with it needs to be used responsibly. Which is why we’ve been intercepting confessions these last few days.” Ako frowned. “Oh. That…” She thought for a minute. “That’s too bad. I mean, I get it, kind of, but it’s too bad that people who have worked up the courage to confess are getting interrupted.” Sunset nodded. “A lot of the mages are good at finding ways around that. Some are able to steer potential couples away before they confess. Others are so confrontational about what’s about to happen that the confession is all but given, but it isn’t voiced until the potential couple has fled the area. Some of them are just cut off, which is a shame, but it’s better than someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing getting caught up in a big mess. “Then again, to those who do know what they’re doing, it can be a great boon.” “Really? What do you-” Ako’s voice caught in her throat as she met Sunset’s gaze. The yellow and red-haired girl was staring her right in the eye, her expression intense and focused. Out the corners of their eyes, they saw the World Tree begin to glow. “I’m in love with you, Izumi Ako.”