Where did it go this time? Gah! Buggersome! grr So, I think I need to find a copy of vim for my mac so I can write things without losing them to unexpected power-events. ^_^ found it! Not too buggersome, but annoying none the less. - `I'm worried.' `Why?' `About Minako-chan. I haven't seen her in days, and neither have Usagi-chan-tachi.' `Have you tried contacting her with your communicator?' Kasumi always has good ideas, and having lived with her for this long, I can anticipate them. `Yep. Artemis answered. He hasn't seen her in almost a week, and is frantic with worry.' `Ara! How about Ami-chan and the others?' `Ami-chan, Haruka-san, and Michiru-san don't know anything, but Setsuna-san told me she'd be back soon, and need our support. Then she looked, strange, I guess, and did her inscrutable person who never says anything schtick.' `Have you talked to Belldandy-sempai?' `No. Thanks!' Of course, I'm not yet good enough to anticipate all of Kasumi's good ideas, which is a good thing, or this would be a real mess. + `Belldandy-sensei?' `Mako-chan! To what do I owe the pleasure of your call?' `My friend Minako has disappeared, and I can't think of anywhere that she might have gone that I wouldn't be able to feel her presence in the Force, but I can't. I'm really worried about her.' `I think you are right to be worried. Go to the Diet library, room 210. It is labeled private, but you'll be able to get in easily. I cannot tell you any more, other than that it will be bad, both for Minako and her friend.' I suddenly have one of the rare precongnitive events Belldandy-sensei is always telling me to pay attention to, of Minako-chan's friend Yui-chan crying, her arms about Minako-chan, who has a shattered expression on her face. `Iya!' I don't realize I'd spoken aloud until Belldandy-sensei answers, `Un, Taihen na koto.' And with that I realize it will be a very bad thing, for Belldandy-sensei can take an assult by Happosai with a barely batted eyelash, let alone something so normal as one of us getting beaten badly by yet another group of monsters. `Shitsureishimasu.' `Ja ne, Makoto-chan. Go help your friend.' She hangs up the phone, and I set out for the library, pulling my communicator out as I go. - `Usagi-chan?' She makes an affirmative noise to show that she is listening, `I just got off the phone with Belldandy-sensei. She says to go to the Diet library, room 210, and we'll find out what is going on with Minako-chan.' `We'll be there. Do you want me to contact Ami-chan for you?' `Please.' I start running towards the Diet building, along the ground for about a block before taking to the roofs, drawing on the Force to make sure that I don't accidentally put my foot through one of them. Arriving I pause for a moment to compose myself, then jump to the ground. The few people around pay little attention as I enter, and head towards the stair that I know is the one I want, for there is the ever so faint hint of their presence, dulled by the passage of days. The door, while marked private, is unlocked, and I enter, almost drawn to the book on the floor. The ancient Chinese dialect is difficult, but Hiibaachan pounded enough of it into me the last time I saw her to allow me to read it slowly. `Book of Four Gods, Earth, and Sky. Fuck!' I'm still not sure what the English word means, but it expresses my feelings well, even if I did pick it up from Urd. I've heard of this book, this cycle, from Hiibaachan. Every so often it would appear, snag a person or two, draw them in with the promise of a wish come true, and then psychicly maul them, sometimes kill them, and dissappear again. Of the six times that Hiibaachan knew it had appeared, only once had the protagonist come out of the situation without permanent psychic damage. I frob the "all" button on my communicator, `Ami-chan, Usagi-chan, Rei-chan, this is bad.' I fill them in, then sit back to wait for them to arrive, carefull not to read the book, for time only passes when someone is reading. At this moment I am very glad of that, for it gives us time to plan. The three pile into the room, and I look up from my hands. `Hiibaachan is in China; I've the feeling that Belldandy-sensei cannot help us with this, and the Outer Senshi are no better condition to deal with this than we are. I have no idea what to do.' `How are we going to get there?' Ami asks, slightly worried. She is right to be, but I don't know if this is the thing to be worried about. Getting there will be relatively easy; getting back will be more difficult. `All that I've heard about this says that getting there will not be much of a problem, but getting back will be really difficult difficult.' I glance down, then up again, `I need to call home. Back in a few minutes.' + When I return, everyone is gathered about the book, staring at its cover. `They'll be here in about four minutes. We should get ready.' - `Tamahome, I need you,' I look up at the taller boy, `Without you . . . I don't know if I can protect Yui-chan.' - `Yui! down!' a voice calls, followed quickly by three quick, flat, loud, *Blam* noises, and the thump of a falling body. `Chichiri! Get us out of here!' `What? Mina-chan!' The faint sssh of a straw hat falling into water. - `No. No, Chiriko, why?' `My name is Amiboshi. I'm one of Seiryuu's shichisei.' A tearing melody rips through the air again. There are a few muffled cries and thumps as Suzaku's shichisei collapse towards the ground. `NO! Not her!' a voice cries, followed by a quick rustle of cloth, then a sudden flat *Blam*, cutting off the melody. A body falls to the ground with a thump. With a faint clatter a metallic object is placed on the ground. `Yui-chan?' another rustle of cloth, then the sound of a girl sobbing. - `So, we need to go and steal a magic item from the northern kingdom to call Suzaku now, and the remaining sei of Kutou may well be after it as well, despite our having Seiryuu's miko.' A faint rustle, as of someone being held a little tighter. `Exactly.' `So, who is going on this little expidition, Hotohori?' `Suzaku's miko. The other six sei, and Yui-chan.' `Thank you,' says a muffled voice, `How is Amiboshi?' `Amiboshi may live. The miko's weapon is powerful, but you only `shot' him once, and missed any really vital organs, luckily.' `Good,' says the muffled voice, a faint trace of tears in it. `Shh, it will be OK, Yui-chan. You did what you felt you had to,' a rustle of cloth, someone shifting their grip, `I don't think I'd be here if you hadn't.' `Don't say that, please, Minako.' The voice from earlier, not muffled this time. - --- log: started: When I first had my Duo. Fall 1998/Spring 1999. log added: November 24, 2002. I don't know if I'll keep this, pitch it, what. It may or may not closely resemble what happened to FA-verse Minako.