Meanwhile, what Nina was SUPPOSED to be watching (Sakura's class)
Sakura blushed when she thought about Tomoyo's delicate hands gently
cutting her hair.
"Tomoyo cut my hair. And then we watched movies--- sigh."
"Yeah, it was fun." Keiko noted from her seat at the front of the class
(she was just bored so she stopped in and let her fake teacher ID do the
talking for her to get her access to Sakura's class) "We watched movies
together and--- hey, isn't today badminton in gym?"
Tomoyo nods her head, "We're playing badminton in gym today! That's
right!"
Keiko - "Hey loser!" (towards Rebecca who was sitting in the back of the
class as she always did during study period when she didn't have any
classes to teach) "Why don't you two settle this on the court? Woman to
Crazed Psychobitch?"
Rebecca sneered at the thought, "Badmintion?!? Do I look hopelessly
British to you?"
Yama - "Don't you know?"
"Know what?" Rebecca asks, spinning about at the sound of his voice.
Yama - "Badmintion is a proper dueling sport that dates back to ancient
Rome. The person who loses would have had to forfeit his life for
losing!"
Rebecca looks around, gauging reactions as she watches. "Say what..."
Sakura - "Is that---"
As Sakura's eyes spanned about she regarded her friends and loved one one
by one.
Chiharu - "He's lying!" (But secretly she's thinking 'what if---')
Naoko - She couldn't care less because it looks like there's going to be
a good show coming and she's hyped about being there to watch it! (She
still remembers the last time badminton was used to settle a grudge and
that was years ago!)
Sakura - She couldn't look at herself but there was about a 50/50 odds
she might be a believer, even now.
Rika - She thinks he's joking (again).
Rebecca - She can't fathom it, but it seems plausible (she wasn't around
for the last incident so what did she know of it).
Tomoyo - She thinks it would be great if only it were true.
Keiko - "---not again."
In a book she just opened on alternate universe history she's now reading
about the great Badmintion duel between Hamilton & Burr.
On the net she also finds an alternate universe theatrical poster for
Russell Crowe's Badmintoner. (Reviewed by Ebert to be "The Best Roman
Badmintion Combat Movie to date!") ("This book keeps getting heavier
every time he opens his yap" Keiko remarks as she puts the book back
where she finds it, entitled "Alternate Universes and their Quirks" (a
work in progress by Yama the Liar)).
Keiko - "Everytime he opens his mouth he creates an alternate universe
with every idea of his and it continues to clutter up the space/time
continuum archives." (curses silently to herself) "It should be a crime
against temporal nature for him to be alive."
* * * * * *
"Analysis complete. Subject found."
"Damn---" Nina groans as she leans back in her chair, "Show me."
The footage plays out as what seems to be Mirra casually strolls up to
the toys (in full view of the camera) and shoves them over, she then
skates off leaving the girl from school (who talked to Mirra) confused in
the incident's wake.
Nina - "How many other people has accessed this file?"
"None. The file has been sealed by request. However, your clearance
permits you access."
Nina - "Sealed? Who locked this file?"
"Misho NamoCatCat."
"That's strange," Eliza remarks as she looks at the video again, "why is
Misho covering this up? Considering how much Sakura inconvienced her that
last time you'd think she'd have a burr up her tail end about Sakura
anything, let alone her child."
"ALERT! Incoming realtime signal! Source - NamoCatCat Corp. HQ, TOKYO"
"Ask her yourself, we have company---" (switches to link) "---speak of
the Neko. What can I do for you today, Neko."
Misho went right to the point, "Skip the pleasantries, you know exactly
why I'm calling you."
Nina - "Then that'd be the topic of Mirra. Or, to be more precise, the
thing that you don't know about that's impersonating Mirra."
Eliza - "Mimic?"
"The one and the same." Nina finishes for Eliza. "She's baaaaaa-ck."
* * * * * *
Gym class. Keiko's running it today.
"Alrighty then! You all know the drill? Oh-kay, so who wants to---"
(Rebecca snaps her arm to attention raised high over her head)
"---figures. Your not even a student and you shouldn't be in this class,
but who am I to argue with a grown woman who wore her guns to gym class?
(Shouldn't this Dream Tokyo have the same anti-gun laws as the real
Tokyo?)" (huffs breath) "Now (as if I didn't already know) who---" (snaps
her other arm at Sakura) "---oh bother."
As the two face off, Rebecca scowls. "Just because your kissing Keiko's
fancy butt doesn't mean your better than me. Fly should be mine already
and you know it."
"I don't have a fancy butt!" Keiko remarks from the sidelines. "Mind your
own arse, you arse!"
Sakura - "She's a friend, that's all. She has a right to visit."
Somehow, from the look on Rebecca's face that said "I'm going to kill you
now and bury the corpse where you drop" look on her face, Rebecca wasn't
buying it for a second. Sakura swallowed hard, and braced herself.
"Sakura! Don't let the teacher intimidate you!!" Tomoyo yells out.
With that Rebecca moves and in a flash she sets and serves with a
lightning quick accuracy that neatly causes Sakura's shirt to flutter
from the backwash of gust as it shoots past her mere inches from hitting
her.
"That's a pinpoint accurate shot! Can you boast that kind of control and
accuracy?" Rebecca points out, "If I wanted to I could have crippled your
good arm without even trying, but I didn't! Can you be that confident in
your shooting abilities?"
"Sakura!" Tomoyo wants to move, but Keiko holds her back. "She'll be
fine. Don't worry."
"If she hurt Sakura---" Tomoyo gasps, watching now with abit of concern.
Everyone gasps at the power. Sakura, teeth clenched (but not visibly so)
grips her racket tight. 'She can't do that in front of Tomoyo! I won't
lose to her!'
She watches Rebecca moving slowly, watching for her shot. As seconds pass
Sakura watches Rebecca's motions and remembers them as the same motions
she uses when she's wielding her guns to bring them to bear. With one
quick motion she takes her hit and sends it across and right into the
handle of Rebecca's racket as she reacts, snapping the racket from her
grip (catching Rebecca off guard as she lets her grip slip in shock)
sending it skidding across the floor.
"What the---?!?" she gasps, her eyes turning to watch her racket come
skidding to a halt a few feet behind her. "No way."
"Yeah, Sakura!" Tomoyo cheers, as Keiko looks on. "You going to stand
there looking like a deer caught in someone's headlights or are you going
to pick that up?"
"Lucky shot, Keiko, that's all that was." Rebecca grouses, stalking over
and quickly snagging the racket back into her hand, "Not happening
again."
Keiko - "We'll see about that, this game has only just started."
"Give me a break, Yamanaka." Rebecca spits out as she returns to her
position, "It's over right now!"
Both combatants glare at each other, faces determined and their focus
locked on the game.
As the game resumes Keiko nudges Tomoyo to catch her attention, "Looks
like they're going to be at it for awhile."
Tomoyo - "Their rivalry really brings out their competitive spirit."
Keiko - "Uh-huh---" (sighs) "---they're not finishing anytime soon. Might
as well get comfortable and do any studying you have to, looks like we
got ANOTHER free period on our hands."
Everyone sits down to watch the game, as Keiko takes her own PSP out and
starts playing with it again. "Good thing I brought Valkryie Profile with
me or I'd be bored to tears."
"I HEARD THAT!!" Rebecca screams as she intercepts another volley from
Sakura.
"Yeah, yeah, I know---" (sighs) "---no wonder nobody made Mario
Badmintion yet even for the Wii..."
* * * * * *
After gym class Tomoyo helps carry Sakura's stuff back to class (because
Sakura stressed her arm out playing).
Later, after school, Tomoyo takes Sakura to a beautiful little dessert
shop for ice cream.
As Sakura nips at her ice cream, she sighs as Tomoyo's fingers work into
her shoulders to ease the pain. "How does that feel, Sakura? Your arm
feeling better yet?"
Sakura - "Abit, thanks."
As Tomoyo sits back down, she smiles at Sakura, "That was wonderful! You
played so well."
Sakura - "But it never really ended. The bell had to ring before we
finally gave up on the match." (whines softly) "That was brutal!"
Tomoyo - "You just kept rallying, Sakura!"
Sakura frowned at the thought, "Rebecca was scary the whole game! I
thought she was going to kill somebody when the bell rang."
Suddenly Tomoyo leans closer, "Sakura, let me trim your hair next time."
Sakura - "You already did, rem---"
Tomoyo - "I meant in an intimate way, Sakura."
It takes two whole minutes for the idea to fully sink in, which is filled
with Sakura laughing nervously and looking utterly confused. As
realization sets in, along with a full body blush, something catches her
eye. From one side of her vision she sees Mirra-chan, yet NOT
Mirra-chan, ghost past her. For a second it's Mirra-chan. Then it's
herself.
As her "twin" passes, she raises a hand as if holding a gun and points it
at Sakura, deftly motioning and whispering the word "Bang" as she passes
them by. Tomoyo manages to look just as the other Sakura rolls off.
"Wh-what was---?"
Two of Mirra-chan's classmates run up to the two. "What's wrong? You two
seem panicked."
"Mirra's acting funny!" one girl yelps, "She kicked sand into some little
kid's faces!"
"She also pushed over a vase outside of a restaurant!"
"Mirra-chan didn't do it!!" Sakura yells, "It's a mistake!"
Tomoyo - "She couldn't have done it."
All turn towards the voice, which is a tall male dressed in a waiter's
uniform. "Your drinks." (hands off the drinks) "I'm familiar with the
girl in question and she's been in here the past 15 minutes. Come, take a
look."
Inside, at one of the booths, is Mirra/Hikaru. Both sitting contently
nuzzled close waiting for another large drink. As the new drink arrives
they each take their straws and share the drink, occasionally stealing
kisses when they think nobody's looking.
Male - "They've been cuddled up like that for awhile now, so it couldn't
have been her."
While that killed the argument that Mirra was guilty, it sparked worry in
Sakura.
If it wasn't Mirra, then it could only be one other card---
As the two girls go their way, and Sakura/Tomoyo start to talk, the
waiter returns inside where he walks into the kitchen and into the
owner's office where Misho NamoCatCat is waiting.
Misho - "You did it?"
"Of course." Jack remarks casually, shifting his clothes back to his
Captain's uniform, "Mirra's off the hook for now, but that doesn't change
the fact that Mimic has an agenda to destroy Mirra's rep in full swing
and she's not slowing for anything."
Misho shakes her head distainfully at the thought, "There's more to Mimic
that meets the eye. From what I read of Nina's report from the first
incident it's against Mimic's ego ridden
personality to sudden shift gears like this--- unless Mirra's someone she
hates just as much as she hates the new Master of the cards (Sakura). But
why?"
Jack - "Only Mimic knows that one."
"Maybe for now--- but not for long." Misho reaches into her desk and
draws out a cell phone, "Not for long."
* * * * * *
A short while later, the five meet in Sakura and Tomoyo's bedroom.
"So we're all in agreement from the evidence that Mimic is back, right?"
Nina asks.
Kero motions to the Clow book, "Then let's find out what she's up to."
(as the book opens and the cards come out Nina notes something) "There's
more cards than I remember, Kero."
"Your on the ball today, Nina. I had a few new cards crafted with the
help of a friend." Kero noted, "They're replacements for the six that
were lost when their original forms became human. Windy, Woods, Water,
Mirror, Light & Dark. Add to that the cards Sakura caught and we have a
nice tidy deck for a easy divination spell."
"What friend?" Sakura asks.
"I'll introduce you one day to my friend. But for now let's go--- you
remember, right?"
"I know. First I shuffle the cards---" (she stops without even touching
the cards) "---wait, Kero."
Kero - "What? Do you sense something amiss? What's wrong, Sakura? Is it
Mimic?"
Sakura - "Tomoyo has to get her camera."
Kero faints.
A minute later Tomoyo has her camera rolling and Sakura begins.
Sakura goes through the motions slowly, as much for her own benefit as
Tomoyo's so she didn't get it wrong after not doing this for the longest
time. "Shuffle the cards--- split them into four piles with my left
hand--- return them with my left hand--- and now chant---" (closes eyes)
"Ancient Cards of Clow, give me vision now. Show me if you may, who is
standing in our way."
Energy gathers, swirls, and touches the cards as Sakura opens her eyes
and reaches out.
Sakura grasps the card almost knowingly, "The first card should be
Windy."
It's Dark.
Sakura - "What? What's wrong? I thought---"
Kero - "That was before, Sakura. This is different--- but, Dark?"
"There's a dark nemesis behind the scenes of all this." Eliza notes.
"Darkness in the SpellThrashing incantation "Foresight" often stands for
a greater evil behind one being faced at the present."
Tomoyo - "Then that means..."
Eliza - "There's a greater force behind Mimic and the re-release of the
cards."
Silence reigns for a few seconds as the implications set in.
"That makes sense though." Nina notes, "Remember Sword? Sword didn't go
after Sakura first, it took me out and cleared a path to Sakura. If it
was just testing Sakura it would have found a way to get to her around
us, not through us as it did by having Eliza attack me first. That makes
this "dark nemesis" theory quite plausible in my opinion."
Sakura - "What about Shadow? That wasn't after me!"
"Shadow's eccentric, remember? It probably wanted you to come after it."
Kero again notes, "It's weird that way. Anyway, let's find out what Sword
& Shadow were up to. Flip that card next."
It's Sword.
"That---" Kero begins, "---means a Challenge or a Test."
Eliza - "I'd say Challenge. If the first card indicates a darker nemesis,
he might be challenging Sakura. This might be it's way of telling Sakura
it's coming after her."
Nina - "It might also be testing her skills and finding weak points to
exploit later. Hence a test of her abilities."
Kero - "Shadow is still eccentric. It probably let Fear talk it into
attacking when it probably just wanted to stay out of Sakura's way, or
even return to Sakura. Shadow was always abit of an odd card."
"Alright, Kero, we got all that---" Nina looks at the cards turned over
with a slight scowl on her face, "---but what is this thing we're going
up against anyway?"
Kero - "Let's find out. Flip over those three cards and see what they say
about our enemy?"
Thunder, Illusion, Shadow.
Sakura - "What a strange combination. What could it mean? Could this
nemesis use these three cards?"
"Or powers similar to it." Eliza points out, looking at the cards. "It's
likely these three cards are a representation of the power behind Mimic."
Sakura's hand grip tensely, her body shivering as she tries to come to
grip with what's going on. Suddenly she feels Tomoyo's strong warmth grip
her as the dark haired young woman wraps her arms around Sakura to keep
the chill of the moment at bay.
"Last card." Kero points to the next card, "Let's see what Mimic is
gunning for now."
Mirror, upside down.
Sakura - "Mimic's after Mirra-chan?!"
"Wait, Sakura, look---" (Eliza points at the card) "---it's in reverse.
That means Mimic is after the opposite of Mirror. But---"
Kero - "Or maybe Mirror's polar opposite, or her opposite. But what is
Mirror's opposite?"
Silence. Everyone looks up, but the silence is quickly broken by a
yell---
"HIKARU-CHAN!!!"
All eyes turn to the door, where Mirra was spying on them, as she dashes
downstairs to the door in a blind panic.
"Oh no." Tomoyo whispers, "Is she going to go after Hikaru?!?"
"She wants to hurt Mirra." Eliza slowly whispers, "But she's going to
hurt her by using the person she treasures the most to inflict pain on
her--- she's going to hurt Hikaru to get at Mirra."
Everyone quickly dashes out the door after Mirra-chan.
* * * * * *
She was barely down the street before something exploded in her head.
Mirra screams as she clutches her skull, reeling under the painful blast
of pain. Seconds pass as she wobbles and spins disoriented under the
assault before she is able to clear her head. But the point was clear. In
her mind's eye she saw a quiet grassy spot in a large set of trees. She
was waiting for them at Hikaru's favorite spot in the small wooded area
called Vision Park. Mimic wasn't even attempting to hide her location,
she wanted Mirra there to see her hurt Hikaru! Mirra was quickly running
again, headed to New King Penguin Park, head still
slightly reeling from the burst of pain. "I'm coming, Hikaru! I'm coming!
Hold on!"
* * * * * *
A minute behind her was Sakura and the others.
As they left the house Sakura stumbles in pain, her blades sliding from
beneath her and dropping her into Tomoyo's arms. "Sakura what's wrong?!?
Are you alright? Sakura!!"
For a few seconds Sakura grips her head in pain, but finally the pain
subsides leaving Sakura with a curious expression on her face. To
everyone's bewilderment she quickly gets back on her feet and starts
madly running again, with everyone behind Sakura following her because
they didn't know where she (let alone Mirra) was headed.
"SAKURA WAIT!" Nina yelled out as they ran, "How the hell do you know
where she's going?!"
"I feel her! She was in pain a minute ago! She's going to Vision Park!"
Nina - "And you know this because---"
Sakura - "I JUST DO!! TRUST ME!!"
A few minutes later they arrive, climbing the stairs to the top, but
Sakura stops. "What's wrong?"
"I can't feel them any---" (Sakura grips Tomoyo tight, shivering in her
arms) "I can't feel her."
"What?!?" Nina chokes, "You had it a minute ago!!"
Sakura looks about in a panic, "There's--- oh god--- so many in here."
"So many---" Eliza puts her hands together and begins chanting a spell.
Nina - "What do you feel?"
Eliza - "It feels like there's a lot of people---" (Tomoyo holds Sakura
tight as she shakes in her arms) "But I don't see anyone. It feels like
there's something dark here too--- this place is supposed to be haunted."
"It's not." (everyone looks at Eliza as she speaks) "This is Glass
Space."
Everyone - "What?"
Nina - "I heard that word before--- it's a theory isn't it?"
"It's also a fact in the mystical world. Nina." Eliza said softly.
"Wait, wait, what are you two talking about?" (Tomoyo)
Nina - "Glass Space. It's where the dimensional barriers between two
points in the same physical space are the weakest and anyone with a high
degree of sensitivity can pick up what's going on on the other side of
the dimensional "glass"." Eliza motions to their surroundings. "Sakura's
right, there IS a large gathering of people around us from
what my spell could gather--- at least, there is in Normal space."
Sakura - "Normal space?"
Eliza - "The waking world, Sakura. We're in fact surrounded by people in
the physical counterpart of this park in the waking world. Probably some
sort of event or maybe they're filming something here. The sense of
darkness though probably means the presence of a Darkling around here."
"So the people in the waking world is covering Mimic's presence."
"Essentially that is correct, Kero." Eliza finishes with a nod of the
head.
"But what about the Darkling, Eliza? Isn't it dangerous?"
"That's nothing, Tomoyo. Darklings tend to hang near glass space. They
try to find "cracks" in the "glass" to slip into the waking world, but
they never get very far with that idea."
"But we have to find the girls!" Kero spits out, looking about for them
in the mass of trees.
* * * * * *
Mimic smiles, holding Mirra down as Hikaru watches helplessly (bound as
she was). Mimic reached one hand to Mirra's neck, the other down to her
rear. "Now, are you going to change back or should I snap your neck?"
For long seconds Mirra does not, but finally she changes back to her
original form, a tear slides down her face as she reveals her true self.
"See? That wasn't hard---" (holds Mirra's head up to show Hikaru)
"---isn't that precious? Your little lover isn't all she's cracked up to
be--- the liar she is."
"I DIDN'T LIE!!" (Mirra gasps, another tear flowing down her cheek) "I
love you--- please---"
Hikaru nods her head, "---I love you too--- I knew you were different---
it didn't matter---
I still fell in love with you---" Hikaru rasps before Mimic tightens her
grip on Mirra's neck, slamming her hard into the ground.
Hikaru - "STOP THAT! LET HER GO!"
"I don't want to!!" (Mimic throws Mirra face first in front of Hikaru)
"It's your fault I'm stuck like this!" Mimic screamed, walking over to
the two. "What are you---"
"SHE DID THIS TO ME!!" Mimic screams, "CLOW REED MADE ME TO BE HIS
MISTRESS!! HE ONLY MADE YOU SO I COULD HAVE MORE TIME TO BE WITH HIM,
BUT YOU TRIED TO STEAL HIM FROM ME!! YOU KNOW HOW MANY TIMES I CHANGED
FORM AGAIN AND AGAIN, EACH TIME LOSING A SHARD OF SELF TO ERASE THE
DAMAGE YOUR PROMISCUITY CAUSED? TO GET BACK WHAT WAS RIGHTFULLY
MINE?? YOU DID THIS TO ME!!"
Mirra - "I didn't--- he was like--- a father--- to me----"
"YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT A FATHER IS!!" (kicks Mirra hard in the gut) "YOU
DON'T KNOW WHAT LOVE IS DO YOU???" (kneels before Hikaru, her hand
reaching beneath her skirt as she pushes her towards Mirra)
"What are you---" (Mimic pulls her hand back with something in it) "---oh
god---"
"I want to see you do her! TAKE HER!! LIKE THE EVIL THING YOU ARE!!
THAT'S ALL YOU GIVE A DAMN ABOUT SO GO ON!!" (shoves Mirra's head beneath
Hikaru's skirt) "DO IT!!!"
Mirra shut her eyes, but so close to Hikaru's intimate private spot she
couldn't help but shiver in shame.
Deep inside she felt something yearning to do what Mimic wanted her to.
No matter what, Mirra resolved, she wouldn't harm Hikaru in any way.
She made a promise to her. She wouldn't do this to her now, even to save
herself.
No matter what she had to protect Hikaru. No matter the cost.
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