A Certain Magical Sunset - Act 2 - 11 - Sunset - Back to School
Sunset - Back to School
Monday, September 1, 6:30 AM Tokyo time.
Turning off the alarm, Sunset turned and smiled at Twilight. “So ready for our first day?” she asked.
Her head still on the pillow beside her, Twilight grinned back. “I’ve been ready for this since we got here,” she replied. Getting up, she took her glasses from the nightstand and placed them on. “Dibs on the shower first.”
“You got it, Sparky,” Sunset said, pushing herself up and sitting on the side of the bed. She transferred into her chair then rolled into the kitchen to start their breakfast.
Oatmeal today, she thought. She cooked two bowls of oats, which she served with two servings of yogurt with a bowl of sliced apples, brown sugar, and cream, and placed two servings of juice on the table beside them. She made a cup of coffee, sipping it as she waited for Twilight to join her. She had just finished up her coffee when Twilight emerged from the bathroom, ready for the day.
“Stunning as always, Sparky!” complemented Sunset.
Twilight rolled her eyes, smiling. “Such a flirt!” she laughed.
“Pfht! Only with you, girl!” teased Sunset back.
Twilight sat at the table, joining her for breakfast. Bowing their heads, they joined hands and thanked the Maker for their friendship and meal.
Finishing her breakfast quickly, Sunset rinsed and placed her dishes in the dishwasher, then retrieved her bag and uniform from the bedroom and took her turn in the shower. Twilight cleaned up the breakfast dishes, then sat at the table nursing her coffee and reading on her phone while she waited for her BFF to finish getting ready.
Sunset emerged a short while later dressed and ready for her day. She rolled over to Twilight.
“Okay, Sparky! Ready Freddy!” Sunset smiled. They left the apartment, the door locking behind them automatically. The elevator was waiting for them in the foyer, this time with the lobby button already selected.
“They heard you, apparently,” snarked Twilight as they entered the elevator. “Now you don’t even have to push the button. Lazy!”
“Hey, girl! That’s what tech is for,” Sunset laughed.
Together they rode down to the lobby, then bowed in greeting to the concierge. As they headed out the door, Twilight took her position as Sunset’s motor.
“Get ready for a ride, Sunny,” she laughed. She pushed her friend through the throngs of students heading to their classes.
“Whatever! I’m more than happy to let you do the work,” Sunset smirked. “Onwards, James!”
“You’re so lucky you’re cute, girl,” grinned Twilight.
“Don’t I know it!” laughed Sunset. “But I’m really lucky to have a friend like you, Sparky!” She smiled up at her BFF, who blushed slightly.
“Flatterer,” she laughed, working her way down the street towards Tokiwadai Academy. When they arrived at the school gate, they showed their IDs to the student volunteer who let them in. Rolling towards the main school building, they joined the others entering to start their day, finding their homeroom and taking adjoining desks in the back.
The bell rang and attendance was called. As they had been warned, everything was in Japanese, but with their studying and preparation they were able to keep up well enough.
After homeroom they split up. Twilight was off to her engineering class while Sunset was off to advanced psychology. With a parting hug, they went their ways, though not without a mild reprimand for public displays of affection by one of the student officers, which caused both girls to roll their eyes and laugh.
While interesting, Sunset already learned most of what the class covered through her studies in Canterlot while at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns. She had used much of it to great effect, though for very poor reasons, causing her to grimace at the memory.
Her next class was advanced visualization techniques. It was part of the Power Curriculum, taught throughout the academy to help her advance her psychic skills. She was surprised to see Misaka in class with her given that the other girl was several years behind Sunset and most of the other students. She waved in greeting as she entered and took a seat next to her.
Class started. Sunset followed the techniques being taught with great interest. She partnered with Misaka on some of the practice drills, earning them a reprimand from the teacher for a few giggles from them both.
After class, Sunset took advantage of the break to get to know Misaka a little better.
“So, how do you know Tōma and Index?” Sunset asked.
Misaka bristled. “Tōma can be a jerk sometimes,” she said with a frown. “Always calling me biri–biri and bug-zapper. He knows my name, why can’t he just use it like everyone else?”
Sunset took her hand, smiling. “He is actually quite fond of you,” smiled Sunset. Misaka blushed, pulling her hand away.
“Whatever,” she rolled her eyes. “So you’re friends with him? That’s cool I guess.”
Sunset smiled. “Sounds like you like them,” she noted.
Misaka scowled. “I know him. I’d like to teach him some respect, that's what I’d like,” she growled.
“Tōma said that every time you fight him you just get frustrated, so he just tries to avoid it,” noted Sunset.
Misaka grew more frustrated. “Level 0 my behind! He’s got something going on.”
Sunset pulled Misaka into a hug. “I’m sorry, girl,I didn’t mean to upset you. I was just teasing.” She smiled at Misaka, who calmed down and grinned back.
“Yeah, you’re right, sorry I got worked up. He's okay,” she admitted.
Sunset smiled. “Yeah, he really is.”
Shirai entered the room, looking for her friend. “Misaka, what are you….” her mouth hung open, seeing Sunset hugging her roommate. She stormed over to the two of them, grabbing Misaka’s hand and scowling at Sunset. “Come on, Misaka! We’re late for lunch!” she growled as she pulled her friend away.
Sunset laughed, smiling at Shirai. “Oh my goodness, you are so adorable!” she teased. Shirai scowled back, still pulling her friend to the door. “Don’t worry, dear. I’m not going to steal your girlfriend… yet!” laughed Sunset.
Confused, Misaka turned back to Sunset as she exited the classroom. “But I’m not her girlfriend…” she said as she was pulled out the door. Sunset just laughed harder.
Rolling into the lunchroom, she found Twilight in line to get her lunch. Joining her, they picked up their box lunches and took a seat near the far door.
“I got a chance to chat with Misaka,” laughed Sunset. “Oh, my stars, her roommate a handful! That Kuroko Shirai is one smitten kitten!”
Twilight raised an eyebrow. “And what did you do?” she asked with a smirk.
“What do you mean?” feigned Sunset.
“Yeah, that,” snarked Twilight. “Clearly in your element there. You had too much fun, it shows. I know you, Sunny. You can’t resist teasing anyone who is wound that tight.”
“Damn girl, you do have me wired,” laughed Sunset. “Yeah, guilty as charged. She walked in on me giving Misaka an apology hug, then nearly sprained something leaping to conclusions. So I told her I wasn’t going to steal her girlfriend… yet.”
Twilight burst out laughing. “Oh, man. I bet that went over well. I’m surprised she didn’t use you as a punching bag, like Tōma said.”
“I’m pretty sure she was thinking about it!” laughed Sunset. “It was so freaking adorable.”
Twilight shook her head laughing. “You’re so weird,” she laughed.
“Says you!” laughed Sunset back.
They finished their lunches just as the bell rang. Risking further ire from student officers with a mild public display of affection, they headed off to their respective classes.
After classes they met by their lockers, deciding on which clubs and activities they should try out.
“We should definitely join Judgment. Toma said that’s the club that Misaka and her friends are in. It would be a good chance to get to know them and be around if she needed protection,” suggested Twilight.
“That sounds like a plan to me,” agreed Sunset, so they headed for the room where the Judgment club was meeting.
As they rolled into the room, Shirai noticed Sunset and immediately moved to Misaka’s side, scowling at them. Twilight walked in behind her and noticed her reaction.
Laughing, Twilight came up behind Sunset, who was smirking at the girls herself, and grinned. “You’re absolutely right, Sunny! She is adorable,” Twilight agreed. She leaned over Sunset’s back, hugging her. “She’s just too cute for words!”
Seeing the Sunset and Twilight behaving so affectionately, Shirai finally put two and two together, her demeanor warming considerably. Now smiling, she took her friend's hand and led her over to the pair. “Hi Sunset, Twilight!” she grinned. “Misaka and I are girlfriends too!” she greeted them.
“I’m not her girlfriend,” said Misaka in confusion. “We’re roommates.” Shirai hugged her tightly.
Twilight nearly choked on her laughter, but a quick elbow from her BFF helped keep her mirth in check. “Hi, again Misaka!” She nodded.
“So! You and Sunset are special friends?” Shirai asked Twilight with a slight bow.
“You could say that,” agreed Twilight, grinning. “She’s my bestie! We do everything together.” This got a huge grin from Shirai, smiling widely at the two older girls.
Misaka smiled as well. “That’s awesome! I wish I had friends like that,” she grinned.
Shirai scowled. “You do, Misaka!” Shirai pouted. Twilight and Sunset both grinned while Misaka looked bewildered.
Two more girls came into the room and headed straight for Misaka and Shirai. “Hi, guys! Sorry we’re late! Is this it? Anyone else joining us?” asked the younger of the two. They were wearing the uniform of a different academy, partially explaining why they were arriving late to the meeting.
“We could wait a little longer I guess, but I don’t imagine you’ll get anyone else. I’m surprised you two are here,” Misaka said to Sunset and Twilight.
“What? And miss out on hanging out with you and your friends?” joked Sunset with a grin. “No way!”
Shirai grinned back. “Okay, let’s start with introductions. I’m Shirai, and I’m a member of Judgment. Welcome!” Still holding Misaka’s hand, she turned to her friend. “Go ahead, Misaka.”
“Okay, I’m Misaka. I’m Shirai’s roommate,” she stated, trying to pull her hand back from her friend’s grasp to no avail. “I’m not in Judgment, just here to join my friends afterward for some fun at the arcade.”
The younger of the two girls from the other academy spoke up. “Hi! I’m Uiharu Kazari! I am in Judgement with Kuroko-san.”
The taller of the two girls from the other academy spoke next. “And I’m Ruiko! Hi! And nope I’m not with Judgment either, just here for the fun afterward with my friends! I go to Sakugawa Middle School with Uiharu.”
Twilight went next. “I’m Twilight, and I’m looking to join Judgment with my friend Sunset,” she said, looking at Sunset.
“And I’m Sunset,” finished Sunset. “And as Twilight said, I’m also looking to join Judgment.”
Twilight smiled. “So what is this Judgment anyway?” she asked.
Shirai tried to launch into an explanation, still holding Misaka’s hand despite Misaka’s repeated and increasingly desperate attempts to free herself. Every time Shirai tried to get a word out she was distracted by her friend's efforts.
Twilight leaned into Sunset, whispering in her ear. “You’re right, adorable!” she giggled.
“We should just head over to the office so we can give a proper orientation,” noted Uiharu. Everyone agreed, so together they left the classroom then strolled and rolled off the campus and over to the Judgment 3 Branch office. Once there, they took seats at the desks while Uiharu and Shirai explained what Judgment was and why they did what they did.
“Judgment is a student-based disciplinary committee here in Academy City. Our job is to maintain peace and order in the school system. We patrol the academy and detain any delinquents we find abusing their powers or breaking Academy rules. We can’t actually arrest anyone, so if we call for backup if we need to have someone detained,” explained Shirai. She then launched into a description of some of the tasks they could be assigned.
“So, just the two of you are in Judgment?” asked Sunset when she finished.
“Yes, just Shirai and myself, despite my repeated pleas,” noted Uiharu.
“Yeah, we’re just here to snag our friends when this is over for a little fun time!” agreed Ruiko. “Nice to meet you both!” she greeted.
“So are you really interested in joining Judgment?” asked Uiharu.
“All kidding aside? Absolutely!” Sunset agreed as Twilight nodded her confirmation as well.
“Awesome!” smiled Uiharu. “We could use the help!”
“That’s the truth!” snarked Misaka which got her a light smack and a playful laugh from Ruiko. “So, are we done here? Time to go have some real fun?” she asked.
“Fiiine! We’re done. I can finish doing the orientation next time. Not like it’s going anywhere,” sighed Shirai.
“Yeah!” grinned Misaka. “Arcade time!”
“Wait a sec!” called out Twilight. “I made some tracking fobs for all our friends. Can you each take one so we can test them out?” She handed out necklaces with little USB fobs attached. The girls all looked at them oddly but put them on under their shirts. “Thanks!” said Twilight, putting the rest of the fobs away.
The girls left the office, heading over for the arcade in the school's shopping center. As they were entering the mall, Shirai and Uiharu got paged. “Drat! We have to go back to work for a bit. Don’t have too much fun without us!” Shirai complained after reading the text. She and Uiharu ran back to the Judgment offices while the rest of the girls continued into the mall.
“I wonder what that was all about?” mused Twilight. They walked into the arcade, where the DDR set up was at the very front..
“No one can beat me at DDR!” crowed Misaka.
“Really?” grinned Twilight. “I bet I can get you to eat those words!” She laughed at the younger girl.
“Oh, it is so on!” Misaka grinned, taking Twilight by the hand and rushing over to the game. Putting her tokens in, she took her place. “Come on, Twilight! Money where your mouth is! Bring it, or flail in shame!” she teased.
Giving her a friendly hip bump as she took the platform, Twilight took her place and dropped her tokens into the game. The music fired up and the girls got funky.
In the food court nearby, Toma and Index were arguing.
They had taken one of the apparent transfer students to lunch, in payback for Toma accidentally seeing her undressed when he walked in on Index and her changing in the girls' school locker room, his horrid luck striking again. Index was berating him soundly for his behavior towards the girl, who unsurprisingly clearly felt incredibly awkward at the moment, both from the reminder of what had happened and having her two new friends arguing in public about her.
Index turned to the new girl. “What do you think, Hyouka? Am I right or what? Toma is a scoundrel!”
“Please stop,” begged Hyouka. “Look, there’s a restaurant right there. We said we were here to eat, so let’s go eat.” She took Index by the hand, pulling her into the restaurant. School Lunch Restaurant the sign over the door said. Toma followed them in, bemused.
Index and Hyouka had already picked out their lunches and sat at a table, so Toma grabbed one of the box lunches and joined them.
“Look, Toma may be a jerk,” Index shot a dark scowl at Toma at that point, “But he would never harm anyone. He’s actually really nice, and tries to look out for everyone.”
Toma smiled at Index as he took a bite of his lunch. She scowled at him again. “Still mad at you, Toma! You should not have walked in on us! That was rude!”
Toma laughed. “No, just my bad luck,” he signed, taking another bite of his lunch.
“So, how do you feel around Toma?” Index asked Hyouka.
“It’s not so much scared, as it is more.. Hmm…. It’s like how you feel when you pick up a wool sweater with lots of static electricity. It’s tingly like you might get hurt or zapped,” noted Hyouka.
“Yeah, he has that effect on people. On girls.” Index growled out the last part.
“It’s probably because talking to Toma is my first time talking to a guy,” mused Hyouka.
Toma’s eyebrow raised. “Really?” he asked.
Index smacked him. “Be good, Toma!” she scowled. Toma laughed, finishing his lunch.
Lunch finished, they decided to wander the mall for a bit. Index spied a cosplay photo fun booth. “Oh! Let’s try that! Come on Hyouka!” She dragged her new friend into the booth with her. Toma’s phone rang. “Don’t come close, Toma! We’re changing!” Index called out through the curtain.
Just his luck, Toma didn’t hear her, as he was trying to hear whoever was on the phone. The reception was horrid, and he couldn’t make out a single word. “Just my luck. Eh, but probably not, probably just rotten reception because we’re underground.” He tucked the phone back into his pocket and stepped towards the booth, the warning from Index completely unheard.
As he reached out for the curtain while the girls were changing into their cosplay outfits, the curtain jostled and dropped to the floor, revealing two thoroughly embarrassed and charmingly cute young women dressed in cosplay character battle bikinis. Toma just hung his head. “Curse my rotten luck!”
“Toma!” yelled Index, launching into him and punishing him for his indecent behavior.
Shirai, her Judgment armband back in place and back on the job, was searching for the reported intruder. Someone had broken through the defenses of Academy City and was purportedly prowling around, and certainly up to no good.
As she neared the train station Shirai noticed her target, Sherry Cromwell, a magician for the English Church. She appeared to be looking for something.
“I’ve got you now,” growled Shirai as she pulled a flare gun from her belt and fired it into the air. Everyone around her immediately started leaving the area recognizing the signal that a battle was about to take place.
“Don’t you move!” called out Shirai, storming towards the magician.
“What’s this, some angry runt?” fumed Cromwell, taking out a piece of pastel chalk.
In a flash Shirai appeared before her. Another flash and Cromwell was pinned to the ground, spikes appearing around her and driven through her clothing into the ground, holding her firmly in place. She grinned at Shirai.
Shirai then noticed she had already written a magic code in chalk beneath her. From the corner of her eye, she sensed something coming, but before she could teleport away a golem's face bit down hard on her ankle.
Shirai screamed out in pain. “Crap! Another level 5? Where did she come from?” she gasped. Looking up, she saw a giant arm, made of many different objects all gathered together, looming over her. Shirai screamed again as the arm slammed towards her, unable to teleport away due to her intense pain.
Their DDR battle over, Misaka was celebrating her close win over her rival. Twilight grinned. “You are so going down! I want a rematch!”
Before Misaka could reply, both Twilight and Sunset flinched in pain simultaneously. “Shirai is in trouble!” called out Sunset. “Go get her!”
“On it!” responded Twilight. Seeing her about to teleport away, Misaka grabbed onto her, and they both disappeared in a magenta flash.
“Come on, let’s go,” called out Sunset, taking Ruiko by the hand. A flash of teal later, they were both gone as well.
Twilight arrived at Shirai’s current location, following her trace from the fob they had given her. About thirty meters away Misaka saw a giant arm poised over her friend, about to smash down on her.
“No!” she screamed out as she let go of Twilight. Throwing out her hands, she launched all the iron in the sand around her into a cutting attack directed at the looming arm. The sand blasted through the arm, severing it cleanly. She then launched her railgun attack at the severed arm, blowing it away and filling the surrounding area with dust and smoke. Twilight and Misaka ran over to Shirai, where Misaka gently cradled her friend. “Damn it, Shirai! Stop trying to do everything without me! You need to let me help too. You should count on me more,” she cried out to her injured friend.
“Oh sissy! I knew you really cared!” gasped Shirai, pulling herself into her friend's embrace and nuzzling her face into her breasts.
“Damn it, Shirai! Ugh, even in pain you're still a pervert!” Misaka tried to push her friend away but she was locked on tightly.
Using the dust and smoke as a cover, Cromwell ripped herself up from the ground, tearing her clothes as she freed herself and escaped quickly into the smoke.
Free from the annoying pixie esper who had been bothering her, Sherry Cromwell, magician, mage of the Church of England, resumed the search for her targets. Using the magical technique of automatic writing, she got the name of the girl who was the key to the Imaginary Number District, Kazakiri Hyouka.
She used magical chalk writing to summon dozens of mud eyes, sending them out to find the girl.
The girls were thrilled with the pictures they took after Toma had been thoroughly punished for his depravity. Toma stood by, bemused and outside the hastily repaired curtain as the girls posed and giggled.
Index handed half of the photos to Hyouka. “School life is great!” she sighed.
Toma scowled. “No, it’s not.” As he started listing all the reasons why Index was wrong, a girl from Judgment stepped up to them.
“Why are you still here? Did you not get my message?” she growled at the trio.
“Eh?” responded Toma.
“I’ve been telepathically sending out a warning to everyone in the mall,” stated the young Judgment officer. Hyouka and Index nodded while Toma still looked baffled. “Ugh! Why are you not getting it!” she growled at Toma.
“Fine, I will just have to tell you. There is a terrorist in the underground mall we are in and a red alert has been issued. The operation to detain the terrorist will start in 902 seconds with likely gunfire. At that time the separation wall to the mall will close, sealing the mall off and making all escape impossible. I am using my telepathy to inform everyone so the terrorist does not find out. You need to escape right now,” she informed him, then ran off to check on others.
Toma looked concerned. “Girls, we need to go before the wall closes.” Hyouka and Index nodded and they all headed for the exit.
A voice called out to them, taunting. Turning they were shocked to see a mud eyeball stuck on the wall.
“Found you! All here, in one place? Excellent! I will just kill you all!” stated the eye.
Index stared closely at the mud eye. “Wait. That’s a golem that’s been forced into the role of an English guardian angel,” said Index.
“The terrorist is a magician?” asked Toma. Just then, the entire underground mall filled with the sound of rumbling and the lights went out. The separation wall had closed. They were now trapped with the magician.
“Just my luck,” sighed Toma.
Shirai was in the guard-room, looking over the surveillance cameras to find where people were still trapped in the now locked down mall. Her relieved and now unaccosted roommate was with her, also examining the video feeds.
Misaka suddenly called out. “Shirai, I see Toma! And two other girls.”
“Okay, come on, let’s go get them,” nodded Shirai. She grabbed her friend and they disappeared from the room.
They could hear the sounds of the battle from where they were hiding. Toma shook his head. “Girls, I need to go help end this.”
Index looked at him like he was completely daft. “Why would you need to end this? Why wouldn’t we go help end this?” she asked. “We can be more useful than just you.”
“Index, I don’t have time for this. Take Hyouka and go hide. I don’t want either of you getting hurt,” Toma responded.
“I’m the magical expert! I should be facing the magician, not you!” responded Index.
“Uhm, I can help too! What can I do?” added Hyouka. Neither of them acted as if they could hear her. The sound of footsteps echoed around the corner.
Both Index and Toma stopped arguing and listened, hearing the steps come closer. At the same time, they both called out.
“I got this! Go hide now!” They tried to run towards the footsteps, only to get tangled up and trip over each other, landing in a heap atop each other. Their cat Sphynx, who had been resting in Index’s blouse, let out a mew.
The footsteps were now right next to them.
“You have got to be kidding me, Toma! Why are you laying there with a girl on top of you!” Misaka called out angrily. Toma looked up, seeing Misaka and Shirai.
Rolling off of Toma, Index stood up. “Toma! Who are these two classless women!” she demanded.
On hearing that, Misaka grew extremely irate and Shirai’s jaw dropped in shock.
“You know this girl?” called out both Index and Misaka at the same time, pointing to each other. “What are you doing behind my back?”
“I can explain!” Toma tried to reason, but neither of the girls were listening, both launching off in tirades against him for the slight of seeing another woman. Toma kept trying to interrupt to no avail. Shirai for her part was growing increasingly furious at the revelation that her beloved sissy somehow considered this person her boyfriend!
Watching them, Hyouko grew increasingly frightened and speechless by Shirai’s expressions as she became increasingly irate.
Misaka took a break from her tirade and shook her head. She turned to Shirai. “Seeing that this idiot is involved, I have to ask. Is this terrorist possibly related to that goth woman you fought earlier?”
Snapping out of her rage, Shirai shook her head to clear her thoughts. “Maybe? I don’t know. We got reports of two different intruders today breaking into Academy City,” she admitted. “This could be her, or the second intruder.”
“Wait, two intruders? Ugh. No, it’s probably her then,” said Toma. “I was the other intruder, I had to get back into Academy City, and I lost my papers. And my wallet.”
Both Shirai and Misaka facepalmed. “Yeah, that sounds about right,” Misaka groaned. “Classic Toma.”
Shirai groaned. “Look, I was sent here to help free the trapped civilians. We saw you three, you’re civilians, so we are here to help. Come on, let’s get out of here,” she informed them.
“No. I need to stay and stop this mage,” stated Toma.
“No, I need to stay and stop this mage!” demanded Index.
“No! Index, I have to keep you safe. I made a promise to keep you safe. You need to leave.” Toma turned to Shirai. “Kuroko-san, please take her with you, and keep her safe.”
Shirai nodded, grabbing Index and Misaka, teleporting them out.
Toma looked over to Hyouka. “I’m sorry you were left behind.”
“I don’t mind,” admitted Hyouka, moving over next to him. The battle sounds were growing louder.
“Hyouka, I am sorry, but I need you to hide, and wait here for Shirai to come back and get you. I have to go stop this magician.” Toma then ran off, leaving her alone.
Twenty Anti-Skill agents were lined up battling Sherry Cromwell in one of the mall passages. Despite their incessant machine-gun fire, they were unable to hurt her as she stayed safely behind her golem and a magical shield. The golem continued to rampage, destroying the mall as they battled.
One of the agents decided to lob a grenade at the golem, as their guns were having little effect. Seeing this, Sherry directed the golem to deflect the grenade, launching it back at the agent that tossed it, where it went off, injuring the agent and those around him.
Toma came on the scene as the golem moved off, following Cromwell and destroying everything in its path, He looked at all the destruction and injured agents. “Holy cow, a magical golem can do all this?” he cried out loud as he ran down the hall after the retreating golem.
One of the agents called out to him, recognizing him. “Hey, you’re a student of Komoe’s! You need to stop!” Toma continued running, neither hearing nor heeding the warning.
Running down the darkened halls Toma scanned for any sign of the mage. Hearing crashing and breaking glass ahead of him he redoubled his pace, rounding a corner and coming face to face with Sherry Cromwell and her golem.
“So! The Imagine Breaker delivers himself to me. Where is the Key to the Imaginary Number District then? Was she not with you? Well, no matter.” she commented. “If I kill you, I get the same result. I’m Sherry Cromwell, if we’re making introductions. I’m with the Anglican Church, and I’m here for one purpose. I want war. I want a war between Academy City and England. I want everyone to know.” She turned to the golem. “Ellis! Attack him now!”
Behind Toma, the uninjured Anti-Skill personnel who had followed him began firing on the golem. Unfortunately it still had little effect on the magical monster, their bullets doing little more than chipping away small chunks from its massive body.
Over the sound of the battle, Toma heard footsteps. Looking behind the Anti-Skill units, he saw Hyouka walking towards him. “Hyouka! Get away! You were supposed to wait for Shirai!” As he shouted, a chunk of rock from the golem flew over the firing units, and struck her squarely in the face. She fell to the floor, the side of her face clearly obliterated.
Diving behind the firing Anti-Skill units, he ran to her side. Instead of the bloody head he was expecting to see, her face was a broken shell. Inside, an amber glowing rectangular prism spun slowly, clearly animating his friend.
From her place behind her golem, Sherry watched in stunned silence as well.
Feeling her face, then looking at her hands, bathed in the amber glow, Hyouka freaked out. “What am I?!” she shouted, jumping up, stumbling and running in panic towards the golem. Seeing her chance to kill someone of interest, Sherry shouted to her golem. “Get her! Take her down!” The golem swatted the girl, slamming her into the opposite wall.
To the shock of everyone, she got back up, still alive. Screaming in terror, she ran off down the darkend hall. “Ellis! Follow her! Take her out!” screamed Sherry. The golem ran off with her following, destroying everything in its path as it pursued the terrified girl.
Toma and the Anti-Skill personnel scrambled over the downed ruble to chase after the rogue mage and the terrified girl. Toma quickly outpaced them, leaving them struggling over the rubble.
Shirai returned, ready to take Hyouka and Toma to safety, only to find them both gone. “Damn it,” she swore under her breath as she quickly looked around for signs of the two. Seeing no sign of them she sighed, then teleported back to the security office to look for others needing rescue.
A few moments after that Sunset teleported into the security office as well, wearing her new Judgment armband. “How you doing, Shirai?” she asked as she scanned the feeds for more people trapped by the lockdown.
“Hanging in there, and you?” asked Shirai as she scanned the feeds. “I see a group in the food court, hiding under the benches.”
“Same. Looks like a large group. I’ll join you.” Shirai teleported out, followed by Sunset in a flash of teal.
A moment later, Twilight appeared in a magenta flash, also wearing her newly issued Judgment armband. Seeing both Shirai and Sunset appear in the food court, surrounded by a dozen people crawling out from under tables, she disappeared in a flash of magenta to join them.
Toma had left the Anti-Skill personnel in his literal dust, but still not caught up to the mage and her golem, he noticed an antennae area as he passed it by. Thinking about the missed call, he decided to take advantage of the opportunity, and ducked into the area, calling back the last caller.
“Hello, Komoe here,” answered his teacher.
“Komoe-sensei, You called me, but I couldn’t understand a word you said,” Toma answered.
“That was Aisa, my friend. She wanted to talk to you about Kazakiri Hyouka,” replied Komoe.
“I have some questions about her,” responded Toma. “What is she?”
“She’s a magical esper AIM field made into a human form,” informed Komoe.
“I don’t think she knew,” responded Toma. “She was shocked when she was damaged, and we could all see the crystal core inside her. She ran off, screaming and crying.”
“She’s just an illusion,” continued Komoe..
“Even if she is just an illusion, that doesn’t mean she should just disappear!” stated Toma.
“Oh Toma! I am so glad to hear you say that. Clearly you were brought up the right way!” cheered Komoe.
“I’m going to save her!” stated Toma, hanging up.
Turning he saw the Anti-Skill units had caught up with them. Walking up to them, he called out. “I need you to help my friend. I think I have a plan.” Together, they worked out how to save Hyouka and defeat the golem Ellis.
Safely ahead of the golem and the mage for the moment, Hyouka paused to catch her breath. She felt her face, feeling it completely restored. Also restored was the damage she had suffered being thrown through the store front earlier. She even noted that her glasses had regenerated, and placed them back on. As she moved to get back up, Sherry and the golem came around the corner. Seeing her, the golem quickly reached out and grabbed her by the hair, dragging her towards them and grinding her body into the floor. Hyouka was damaged but quickly regenerated.
“I’m surprised that the Key to the Imaginary Number District has taken the form of a mere girl,” mused Sherry as the golem held her pinned in place.
“Why are you doing this!?” cried Hyouka. “Why are you being so cruel?!”
“Well, there’s no particular reason it has to be you, but killing you is the quickest way to get what I want.” Hyouka bowed her head, tears falling. “Hey, you’re not even human! See!” Sherry commanded the golem to rip a part of itself off, which it did. It regenerated just like Hyouka did. “See little girl? You two are exactly alike! Both monsters.” Hyouka cried in despair. “Don’t cry. It’s unseemly for a monster to cry,” Sherry told her in disdain. Turning to her golem, she instructed. “Kill her!”
As the golem prepared to finish her, Hyouka flinched. Waiting for her end, she realized she was still alive. Looking up, she saw Toma standing over her, right hand outstretched and the golem destroyed.
Growling, Sherry reconstructed the golem. She called out to Hyouka as she did. “Well, aren’t you the lucky little monster. It seems there is at least one idiot in the world who thinks you’re worth protecting.”
“I’m not alone, others think so too,” Toma said quietly to her as the Anti-Skill units took positions around them, protecting them from the golem.
“Attack!” commanded Sherry, and the golem started towards them. A barrage of bullets assailed it, the Anti-Skill units doing what they could to protect the pair, slowing the golem down. “Force your way through!” commanded Sherry, and the golem redoubled its efforts to reach them through the hail of gunfire.
“Are you going through with this, kid? No one will blame you if you chicken out,” one of the Anti-Skill units asked Toma.
“Wait! What are you going to do?” asked Hyouka in panic.
“I’m going to stop her golem,” replied Toma calmly.
“Don’t do it! It will just destroy you too!” cried Hyouka as she reached out for him.
“No! Don’t touch me, Hyouka. If you touch me, I will accidentally destroy you too! But just because we can’t touch doesn’t mean we can’t be friends. I’ll be back, and we can hang out together with Index again. Okay?” Toma moved off.
Noticing that they were planning something, Sherry waved her pastel chalk, frantically trying to get Ellis to move more quickly towards them and end them. Quite suddenly, the Anti-Skill units stopped firing, and Toma ran towards the golem. “Get him! Get him! Attack!” screamed Sherry. The golem attacked the ground Toma was on, causing him to lose his footing and scramble to stay upright. Catching his balance as the golem raised its fist again for another attack, he ducked between the legs of the giant as Anti-Skill resumed their attack. He came up directly before the mage.
She was stuck. She couldn’t move the golem to attack him here without exposing herself to the withering fire he was blocking. She smirked. “Seems we’re both trapped back here.”
“All I need is for you to sleep quietly,” answered Toma, surprising her with a punch in the face, negating her control over the golem and knocking her to the ground.
Toma turned to punch the golem and negated him as well, but noticed the mage drawing a magic circle on the ground where she fell. “Oh don’t worry, I can’t make two golems at once. But I can make a very useful effect.” She laughed as the ground under her collapsed, allowing her to escape. The ground that was under her turned into a second golem as the one before them collapsed into rubble.
“Damn it! Now where is she going!” shouted Toma in frustration. “Wait, she didn’t really care which of us she killed. Ah crud, she must be going after Index!”
Toma turned to the Anti-Skill officer. “Why hasn’t the barrier wall come down? We need it down now!”
“We have no control over that,” replied the officier.
In frustration, Toma growled and walked over to the hole in the floor where Sherry had escaped. “I need to go after her,” he stated.
“Toma, what’s going on?” asked Hyouka, coming up beside him.
“The mage is going after Index!” he said in frustration.
“We should ask Anti-Skill to help,” noted Hyouka.
“That’s only going to get Index in trouble. She’s not even supposed to be here,” replied Toma. “I need to go down this hole and chase after her. I need to stop her.
“Do you really mean that?” asked Hyouka.
“Yes, of course I do,” replied Toma.
“It’s all right. There’s another way to save her. It takes a monster to face a monster, after all. I may not be able to stop the golem. But I can be bait. I will allow her to escape. I’m fine being a monster, it’s what will allow me to save Index,” said Hyouka.
“No, Hyouka, you’re not a monster,” called out Toma in panic. Smiling, Hyouka fell back into the hole.
Hyouka blinked, realizing she was again intact and whole. She had landed so hard at the bottom of the hole she had cracked into pieces. Looking around she spied the path the golem had taken and ran off after it.
As she was chasing it, her memories started to return. She recalled where she came from, the City of Shimmers. There she was the core of the machinery, influencing the thoughts and actions of the people there. At the edge of the City of Shimmers she could see Academy City. She longed to escape the city, to no longer be the center of influence in that queer place. She eventually was finally able to walk out into Academy City. One day during one of her walks, she noticed Index, who looked troubled. She reached out to help her, somehow manifested into her world, but in the process forgetting everything about who she was and where she came from. And, somehow, almost magically, she made her first friend, even if her friend hated her once she found out she was really a monster.
Index and Misaka stood together where Shirai had dropped them off, conversing as they waited for her return with the others. Index had much to say, most of it about her roommate Toma, which piqued Misaka’s interest.
“So first he destroyed the Walking Church, that’s my robes, and they exploded off me, leaving me in a very embarrassing state, which I punished him for,” she related to Misaka, causing her to grin..
“Now he’s off with Hyouka, and I’m worried. He always seems to get hurt helping others, and now he’s off doing it again. He always comes back though. No matter how many times he leaves, he always comes back.”
Sphinx chose that moment to leap out from Index’s blouse again, scampering away after something odd his cat senses had noticed. “Darn it, Sphinx!” called out Index as she chased after him.
“I’ll just wait here, cat’s really don’t like me,” called out Misaka to Index as she chased after her cat. The ground started rumbling. “That can’t be good…”
Toma scrounged around and found a fire suppression station in the wall of the mall. He pulled out the firehose, dragged it over to the hole, then dropped the loose end in. “I’m going after them!” he announced, taking hold of the hose and sliding down into the hole.
Much further ahead of him, Sherry sent off the golem Ellis ahead of her to where her magic detected Index to be waiting. Hiding, she let Hyouka pass her by, having decided that Toma was the one she needed to destroy. As she waited for him to catch up, she prepared a trap for him.
Having reached the bottom of the hole, Toma was running hard down the dark halls in the direction the mage and golem had gone. After running for several minutes, a pillar collapsed next to him, nearly taking him out. Looking ahead, he saw the mage Sherry Cromwell laughing at him.
“Too late, child! I’ve sent my Ellis ahead to find his target. He probably already has and destroyed her. I guess you’ll have to be my opponent, too late to save your friend Index!” she taunted.
“Why are you doing this!?” yelled Toma in frustration. “What reason could you possibly have to cause a rift between science and magic?”
“What reason!?” responded Sherry, enraged. “You know how espers self destruct when they try to use magic? Guess what! My friend Ellis tried to be the first magic-esper hybrid. He didn’t make it. Magic destroyed him! So magicians need to stay on their side, and espers need to stay away on their own side. Magic and Science cannot coexist! If we don’t stay apart, more people will die, just like my friend! Twenty years ago, he died senselessly because he tried to bring magic and science together. It can’t be done!” she screamed. “We have to stay apart!”
Toma shook his head at this. “Wait, you don’t really want a war, do you. You just want us on the brink of a war, so we stay separate and apart. That’s what you really want, isn’t it?”
“I want this to stop! It takes what it takes!” screamed Sherry back at him, completely enraged now. She activated several magical circles drawn earlier as part of her ambush, and the walls of the tunnel began to collapse around him as the spell activated. Toma saw her step back into one of the circles, protecting her. Determined to stop this madness, he rushed forward. Using his Imagine Breaker, he negated her magic, leaving her exposed to the collapsing tunnel.
She immediately canceled the spell, leaving the rest of the tunnel unscathed. As she was distracted doing that, Toma hauled off and punched her in the face, knocking her to the ground.
Dazed but not out, she scrambled to her feet. “I need to create a spark for war. Your science is getting lax, security in Academy City is deplorable. And my church! They let Index Librorum Prohibitorum wander loose, and right into your hands! “
Toma grabbed her. “What did Hyouka and Index ever do to make you want to attack them!? Why are you trying to start a war you don’t even want or believe in?” he demanded.
She shook loose of his grasp. “I don’t know!” she screamed. “I hate everything! I want to kill everyone who killed my friend Ellis! I want to bury all the scientists and magicians together! I just don’t want us fighting each other. I want both, I am in conflict, and I just don’t know! It all makes perfect sense, both are completely logical. And it hurts so much. I don’t have a single belief. I have more beliefs than the stars! “
Toma paused. “You’re contradictory, but it’s clear, all your beliefs spring from one belief. You didn’t want to lose your dear friend, Ellis. Look with your own eyes! Can’t you see that Index is happy here, and that I’m happy she’s here? Do we look unhappy together? There’s no need for us to separate. We are all happy together. Don’t you get it? Don’t take away my dear friend too!”
Sherry collapsed, her hands at her side. “I can’t do it. It was all useless folly.” She looked up at Toma, a pastel chalk now in her hand, and charged towards him.
Toma quickly realized that she also wanted someone to stop her, and this was her last attempt to make that happen. Putting his right arm forward, he destroyed her pastel magic, and punched her in the face again, destroying all of her illusions as she fell to the ground. She laid there, knocked out completely finally.
Toma found cables laying nearby and used them to tie her up, then ran down the tunnel towards the golem.
Left alone, Sherry regained consciousness. “Why didn’t he kill me? Why am I not dead?” she wondered. She wriggled to test the bonds, which held tight, but a piece of pastel chalk fell out of her robes. As best she could while bound, she used it to issue one last contradictory order to her golem. “Destroy the target. Or abort the mission.”
Index caught up to Sphinx and grabbed him. “Got you, little stinker!” she exclaimed. Just then Sphinx acted strangely again, as the ground rumbled beneath them. “That can’t be good,” thought Index.
The ground tore apart, a giant arm reaching out and swatting down towards Index.
Index leaped back, avoiding the blow. But instead of running away, Index stood firm, narrowing her eyes. She used the knowledge of the 103 thousand grimoires in her head to analyze the golem, determining it's a golem based on the kabbalah, mainly used to attack and defend against enemies. The golem was created by mixing the Anglican Church’s spells in, creating a new spell, in English instead of Hebrew, and activated from a distance.
The golem attempted to attack her again, but she stood fearless having determined the best way to defend herself. Using spell intercepts, she recited codes that interfered with the golem’s remote control, hijacking the golems' commands. It worked, so she used her command of the golem to make it do damage to itself. It tried to attack again, so she used a longer code, causing it to fall once more. “To make it stop, I have to stop its regeneration,” she thought. Taking one of the pins from her clothing, she prepared for its next attack. It stood up and attacked her again. Index doged the attack, throwing her pin at the leg of the golem, which absorbed it. The leg immediately stopped working, not allowing the golem to get any closer. Index smiled, taking out another pin.
In a surprise move, the golem blew her away. She tried using the spell intercept again but was unable to complete the spell. Trying once more, she got the spell off but it no longer worked. Worried, Index concluded the golem was now off remote control so she could no longer control it using hijacked magical commands.
Rising, the golem ripped off the leg with the pin in it, allowing it to move again. It rose up, raising its arm over Index with a roar.
“Toma!” Index called out in fear.
Index heard a sickening crack. Surprised to still be alive she looked up. Not Toma but her new friend Hyouka was attacking the golem, kicking and punching it with surprisingly great force. Hyouka was injured after each attack but regenerated quickly, allowing her to keep on the offensive
“Index, I’ve got this! Run away!” called out Hyouka as she fought. During the fight the golem’s regenerative ability went berserk, causing it to grow larger and larger.
“Hyouka, get out of there! You can’t take that! It’ll kill you! Run!” screamed Index.
“Index, it’s all right! I’m a monster too! I’m not human, and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier!” called out Hyouka. The golem attacked relentlessly, causing breaks in Hyouka’s form. She couldn’t regenerate fast enough. The golem brought its other arm swinging towards her to finish her.
Hyouka flinched, knowing her end was near.
“Hyouka!” shouted Toma, stopping the blow just in time by hitting it with his right hand. The golem fell completely to pieces, the spell broken.
Hyouka smiled, then disappeared.
Shirai appeared, taking Index and Misaka away from the fight. Index was sputtering and fighting to get loose the entire time. “I need to stay with Toma!” she shouted just before being transported away.
Toma kicked the rocks, heading back to the dorms, hoping to find his friends. He passed by an abandoned building. Hearing cries coming from inside it, he looked up and saw his friend Hyouka crying on the scaffolding.
Climbing up and walking over to her, Hyouka turned to him. “I was happy to use all my strength to protect my important friends. I knew from the very beginning what happens when a monster’s true nature is revealed. I can’t do anything about being a monster, but a person I called friend was in danger. I needed to save her,” she explained.
She leaned against Toma embracing him. Toma didn't return her embrace, afraid he would harm her with his touch.
“Why do I have to lose everything I love, everything I hold dear?” cried Hyouka. “Why do I have to be afraid? I just want my friends safe, from me, from danger.” She cried into Toma’s chest while he looked on helplessly, wanting so much to hold and comfort his friend.
“I just wanted to be with my friend forever. I just knew we could become good friends. But it wasn’t possible. I couldn’t just stand by and allow her to be killed! Even if saving her meant she would know I was a monster! Even if it meant she would hate me, or be afraid of me.”
Toma,silent the entire time, listened to his friend pour her heart out. “You aren’t a monster,” he said quietly. “If you are in pain, or sad, you are not a monster. You’re human, and your illusion isn’t over yet.”
He looked down the street, and Hyouka followed his gaze. Index was approaching, looking for them. Index saw them, tears welling up in her eyes. Hyouka’s mouth fell open in disbelief as Index scrambled to get to them, pouting and crying the whole time. “You may be made different, and you may be able to do things others aren’t able to do. But that doesn’t change the fact that you’re Index’s friend,” Toma smiled as he stood back.
Finally caught up to them, Index raced over to where they were, launching herself into Hyouka’s arms and embracing her tightly.
Anti-Skill found the two wandering back towards the dorms. They took them to A Certain Hospital, where Toma was checked out by the Doctor known as Heaven Canceller.
“I am getting better at this, see! This time not a scratch on me!” Toma bragged.
His teacher Komoe and her friend Himegami Aisa were quick to scold him. “Your actions don’t show improvement! Look how you treated those girls, especially Kazakiri Hyouka! And you were brought to us in-custody of Anti-Skill? What numbskullery were you up to that they had to bring you in?”
The Doctor chimed in too. “Toma, due to your recent activities, your hand would surely have developed fractures.” That stopped Toma’s bragging.
Komoe was still suspicious. “I think this entire occurrence was extremely suspicious. Too many coincidences. Like your friend Kazakiri Hyouka appearing before you, Toma. And her being the Key to the Imaginary Number District! And how was that terrorist able to find her so quickly? That despite the fact that she just appeared. That so implicates the administrators. Way too many coincidences at the same time, and that is the most suspicious point of all!”
The Doctor looked up, turning to look out the window at the Windowless Building.
In the waiting room, Index sat with her friend Hyouka, who began to dissipate. She called out to Index. “I only have a little time left in your world! I only exist in an unstable state, because I’m a concentration of the power of all the espers gathered here.”
“Is it because of Toma?” growled Index. “It’s because of that Imagine Breaker, isn’t it?”
“No,” explained Hyouka, fading. “If it were Toma, I would have been destroyed long ago. I have to leave now. Index, I will always be with you, even if you can’t see me.”
“Will we ever meet again?” asked Index tearfully.
“I am sure of it,” agreed Hyouka. “Good bye, Index!” With that, she faded away.
In the Windowless Building, Tsuchimakado Motoharu faced the glass enclosure, reporting to Aleister Crowley as he floated upside down within it. “So, are you happy now that you’re closer to holding the key that controls the Imaginary Number District? You’re a monster, you know that? To give the Imaginary Number District consciousness, and allow that consciousness to materialize into something like that girl… you must be insane!”
“Not at all,” replied Aleister. “It’s much easier to control humans. They can be coerced, or at the very least negotiated with.”
“And what if the creature you created had been a villain? What then?” demanded Motoharu.
“Please, villains are even easier to control,” responded Aleister. “The difference is only in the methods used to handle them.”
Motoharu countered. “So, what was the meaning of this? Was this just to get the Imaginary Number District under your control? The magic side of things is not going to be easy to handle after this little fiasco with Sherry Cromwell.”
“If I had managed to get the Imaginary Number District under my control, we would no longer need to fear magicians,” responded Aleister.
Motoharu pondered this for a few moments, then his head shot up. “You are trying to create an Artificial Heaven, aren’t you? If the Anglican Church ever discovers that’s what you're up to, they will declare war for certain! They will pity Sherry Cromwell for being manipulated, knowing that she only thought she was protecting her own world!”
“Don’t be so paranoid,” soothed Aleister. “I do not intend to fight the Church. Besides, terms like Heaven and Hell are beyond me, those are clearly the business of the magic side of things.”
“Really?” responded Motoharu, insulted. “Well no one here knows more about magic than you, Aleister Crowley the magician.”
Motoharu turned to leave. Stopping for a moment, he turned back. “A bit of friendly advice. Have you ever heard the term hard luck? It simply means that no matter how many times a person with that luck meets a hellish fate, they’ll be lucky enough to overcome it safely. I have no idea what you’re planning. But if you continue to use Imagine Breaker, be prepared to not treat him half-heartedly yourself. His right hand will surely eat your illusions alive!” With that he left the room, then exited the Windowless Building.
As he left Aleiser mused to himself. “All of my illusions were destroyed a long time ago.”
Index, Toma, and the girls were gathered back at Sunset and Twilight’s apartment. They wanted to give the girls and Toma a chance to unwind after the rather intense evening they all had.
Pizza was ordered and eaten, then they relaxed and enjoyed a movie together. When the movie was over the younger girls excused themselves on the slim hope of sneaking back into their dorm before they were caught breaking curfew. This was less of an issue for Shirai and Misaka, as Shirai grabbed her roommate in a tight hug and disappeared.
Sunset laughed while Ruiko scowled. “That is so not fair,” she groused. “I wish I could just teleport back into my room, I’d never get caught!”
Twilight laughed. “I’ll help. Come here girls!” She took both Ruiko and Uiharu’s hands then they popped out with a magenta flash.
Sunset took Index and Toma in hand (his left hand), doing the same for them. They disappeared in a flash of teal.
She reappeared shortly, waiting for Twilight to return.
A short while later Twilight reappeared with a smirk. “There, that’s sorted. Had to skulk around a bit to get a clear view through their window, but got them in and settled. I haven’t had that much fun in a while,” she grinned.
“I always knew you had some bad girl in you,” teased Sunset as they cleaned up and got ready for bed.
“They’re quite the lively group of friends,” laughed Twilight. “I thought Uiharu was going to die of embarrassment when Ruiko flipped up her skirt and yelled her name out. And right in front of Toma too! He looked like he was going to turn redder than a tomato; he was so embarrassed! And then Index goes off on Toma for looking.” They both laughed at that.
Sunset giggled. “Poor kid, she was so embarrassed! She ought to just wear shorts like Misaka, then Uiharu can’t embarrass her all the time.”
“Yeah, but shorts can be awkward,” Twilight observed. “She just needs to get Ruiko back!” she laughed.
“I’m sure you could give her some pointers!” Sunset snarked.
“Living with you, oh queen of mean?” Twilight grinned. “Yes, I’ve had to learn how to give back sometimes, just to keep up with you!”
“I only tease you because I love you! Honest!” laughed Sunset.
Climbing into bed and snuggling under the covers, Twilight bopped her nose. “You tease me because you’re a dork!” she laughed. “But I love you too much to care!”
Snuggling under the covers, Sunset joined in her laughter. “I love you too, Sparky!”
Happy, they looked out over the once again peaceful city as they fell asleep.
Stop trying to feel good, and instead seek to be good; kind acts are richer by far than pleasant ones - The Celestial Teachings.
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