Persona BLEACHED 4: Chapter 37

Chapter 37: The Chill Before 2
December 25, 2031
"I think someone got a little excited." Rin commented.
It was the middle of the day, and Shizuka was already asleep on the couch, numerous plush toys of bugs around her. Her shirt was black, with Kat's pink cat emblem emblazoned on it.
"Your protégé knows how to spoil her. Along with the rest of the family." Rose replied.
"And we still need to go by Mom's cabin. That nap is going to need to be brief."
"Hm. She isn't the only one who made out."
"Oh, definitely not." Rin waved a paper around. "Hard to top the all-expenses-paid spa day."
"Whoever got that for you must be some kind of angel." Rose sipped her tea.
"An angel who's already enjoying her new exotic tea blends. How's the taste?"
"Exotic," Rose began, "and a little spicy. Not in a bad way, mind you. As for your gift, I assumed that if anyone needed a day of pampering and relaxing, it was you."
"It's *heavily* appreciated. I can't remember the last time I had a massage. Heaven knows I need one. The one thing that could make it better is if a certain someone fond of maid wear was the one giving it to me."
Rose flinched. "Please don't make me choke on this tea."
"Sorry, sorry."
Shizuka soon roused from her slumber. "Is it still Christmas...?"
"Yes, it is, lovebug. And I just heard that Santa left you some more presents at Grandma Hana's house. You want to go see?" Rin asked.
"Uh-huh."
"Great, go get your shoes and we'll head on over."
"Okay!" Shizuka went off to her room.
"I'm interested to see how she likes Ms. Hana's gift. I think it's something she can latch onto." Rose said.
"I think so, too. I'd love for her to broaden her horizons a bit more. It'll help break that shell open." Rin replied.
"She's already made good progress on that front. She might always be shy and uncomfortable around crowds, but it always helps to have a hobby. I hope she takes to it."
"Guess we'll find out. Time to haul some gifts up a mountain."
---
"Oh my gosh, Kirumi, this is so pretty!" Rin held up a pink blouse with a sakura pattern.
"I thought of you as soon as I saw it. I'm always seeing you in either red or green. A cute pink would absolutely bring out that striking hair of yours." Kirumi replied.
"Well, I *was* born under a sakura tree. Just about a minute's walk from here, actually. Mom can tell the story better than I can."
"Really? I've told it so many times, I'd think you could recite it by heart." Hana sat at the counter with Rose, holding a tea mug.
"Hey, Dad?" Uri asked, garbed in a stylized Ultraman shirt, a gift from Max.
"What's up, kiddo?" Tan responded.
"Who's that in the pictures?"
The boy pointed to a set of three framed photographs surrounded by lit candles. One was of a younger Kaito Kubo; one of Tohru Kubo as a child; and one of Sumiko Sakaki.
"Ah, this right here is my dad. A real looker, even when he was younger."
"My handsome college boy." Hana wistfully said.
"And this charming lad is my younger brother Tohru. Hard to believe he used to be cute once."
"Oh, I remember this picture. This was right after he put gum in my hair. You can tell from that smirk on his face. It's the only time he'd ever smile." Rin commented.
"My, filled with contempt even at that young age." Kirumi said.
"'Contempt' is certainly one way to put it." Rose chimed in.
"Tohru had a bone to pick with everyone and everything, but *especially* with Rinnie. They're barely a year apart in age, and he was always super jealous. Sucks since he was such a smart kid." Tan explained.
"He could've been anything he wanted. I think about where he'd be right now pretty often." Rin added.
"It comes across my mind too, blossom. Maybe he would have settled down as he got older. It's a tragedy that we'll never know." Hana said.
"And as for this lass here, this is..." Tan continued.
"Big Sis." Shizuka uttered.
"You have a big sister, Shizuka?" Uri asked.
"Mmhmm."
"She looks quite a few years older than Shizuka in that picture." Kirumi commented.
"There's a twenty-year age difference between them. Miko was a dear friend of mine. She's a large part of my motivation for being a teacher. And she helped bring Shizuka into my life. Even after she was already gone." Rin explained.
"So Shizuka never met her sister?"
"No. Miko had passed away shortly before Shizuka was born. Their home life was extremely neglectful. Shizuka was so thin and malnourished when we found her. But Miko had left a card behind with the flower shop's picture and address. When Shizuka ran away, she used that picture to find her way here."
"We found her hiding underneath a blanket in front of the shop. She'd spent the night sleeping there." Rose added.
"I remember that morning. Had to scramble to find her a meal. That girl hit the lottery as far as where she ended up." Tan stated.
"I felt the connection almost immediately. Now I can't imagine life without my lovebug." Rin said, putting Shizuka up on her lap.
"It's been the ultimate blessing in our lives. No position I could ever have would be more important than being her mother." Rose agreed.
"I have the exact same thought every single day. Not even you two being adults changes that." Hana affirmed.
"Sheesh, Ma..." Tan scratched his head.
"On that note, I do believe that I have some gifts from Santa lying around. Let me go fetch them." Hana got off her chair.
"Ooh, more presents!" Uri exclaimed.
"Need any help bringing them in, Ma?" Tan asked.
"I can handle it. I may be a granny, but I'm no *old* granny."
"I can get used to Christmas being so warm and welcoming." Kirumi said.
"Was it not that way for you growing up?" Rin asked.
"Not at all. Everything for us was so sterile and regulated. It's only recently that I've actually been able to appreciate these things. Even so, I wish my family could--"
Kirumi's phone began ringing. "Ah, excuse me for one moment." She stepped outside to take the call. 
"Here's your gift, little bug." Hana handed Shizuka a rectangular box.
"Ooh, wonder what this might be." Rin replied.
Shizuka opened the box, and inside of it was a small, purple string instrument. 
"Oh, it's a shamisen! Just like the one Grandma plays." Rin said.
"I guess Santa saw how much you enjoy it when I'm playing and thought it would be fun if I could teach you." Hana winked. "Do you like it?"
"Uh-huh! I love it! I wanna play it now!" Shizuka exclaimed.
"Music to my ears~! Let me teach you the tune that brought me your grandfather..."
"Ah, Rin...can you step outside for a minute?" Kirumi poked her head back in.
"Oh, sure. I'll be right back, lovebug. Have fun with Grandma." Rin got up.
"Okay." the girl replied.
Rin stepped outside. "Something wrong?"
Kirumi handed her the phone. "He wants to talk to you."
"'He'?" Rin took the phone. "This is Ringo Kubo speaking. Who is this?"
"Hello, Ringo Kubo. It's Ichiban Kawagami. I'm Kirumi's younger brother." replied the voice on the other end. His slurred speech denoted that he had been drinking.
"You're...what do you want?"
"I'd like to say I wanted to wish my sister a Merry Christmas, but I've got something a lot more serious to talk about."
"Well, what is it?"
"January 9th."
"Pardon?"
"My brother and the wolf man are planning their attack for January 9th."
"...! You're positive about that?"
"My brothers have boasted about it loudly enough. Their arsenal is going to be fully prepared in a matter of a couple of weeks. After that, they'll be marching on Tokyo alongside those demons."
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Maybe it's the beer, maybe it's the old holiday spirit, but I can't bloody take it anymore. Masayoshi is so obsessed with you and your clan that he's willing to topple an entire major city to get to you. I've had to live under his thumb for my entire life, but I'm not sticking my hand in this. I'm a marketing director, not a warmonger! And those wolf people...that leader of theirs is a demon unlike anything I've seen. I won't be party to this scheme of theirs any longer. If I could do one good thing to make up for it, it's letting you know when this madness was going to start."
"I don't know what to say. Is it safe for you to be telling me all of this?"
"I'm using a disposable phone. I'm chucking it as soon as we're done. After this, I'm in the wind. I already know that two of my sisters agree with me. Nue is a restaurateur. Chizuru is an academy headmistress. They're already settling their affairs and taking their families into hiding. We all know what happened with Heiwa. And we aren't sitting around waiting for these demons to come to our doorstep."
"I assume the rest of your siblings are going along with the plan?"
"Genji has always been Masayoshi's yes-man. Fukushū sounds rather excited to take part in a pitched battle. And Heikō's company is supplying vehicles for the whole affair. Those two have always bent the knee to Masayoshi. They've made their beds. Whatever happens is on them."
"I'm sorry you had to be put in this position."
"Don't be. I could've kept my mouth shut, but it's so inhuman that my conscience won't allow it. I'm aware of the consequences for telling you this and I accept them all. If good people survive this, I'll take it as a win."
"I can respect your bravery. Thank you. You may have just saved more lives than you could ever know."
"Thank me when you win. Can I talk to my sister?"
"Of course." Rin handed Kirumi the phone.
"Ichiban." she said.
"I may have just signed my own death certificate, sister." Ichiban slurred.
"Don't say that so casually. If Masayoshi or Genji find out--"
"I'm okay with that."
"How can you say that? Do you have any idea how it would break my heart if you died from this? I'm not asking you to be a martyr!"
"I'm not asking your permission, Kiki. I'm doing this because I want you and the others to have some kind of happiness once this is over. Our brother has ensured that the Kawagami 'dynasty' dies after this. Heh, what a wonderful reality he's crafted for us. Our family history isn't based in conquest and power. It's *embarrassment*. And he's so obsessed with changing it that he's sold his soul--what passes for one, anyway--to devils. I don't want that to be the future your son inherits, or any of the children. I need you to promise me something, Kiki."
Kirumi tried to dry her tears. "What?"
"Survive and be happy. That goes for Heiwa, too. I've already told Nue and Chizuru much the same. And, to you in particular...thanks for treating me as something other than a pawn to be moved. If you hadn't, well, I might not be making this call. I'd be preparing for war with our misguided siblings. Thank you for that."
"You're making it sound like this is goodbye."
"Might be, might not be. Good luck, Kiki. And Merry Christmas." Ichiban hung up.
"Ichi, wait you--!" Kirumi was stunned. "...what are we supposed to do now?"
Rin rubbed her shoulder. "We go back inside and keep up our holiday. We'll tell the others later. But for right now we go back to Christmas. For the kids."
"Yes, of course. They didn't ask for this. This is for them."
The women returned to the cabin.
---
Ichiban put down his phone.
"...you going to step out or stand there like a ghost?"
Yellow eyes shone out from the darkness. The sound of a cane clacking on the ground echoed. Out stepped Masayoshi. "You shouldn't have done that, brother."
"Your eyes...so. You've sworn loyalty to the wolf man after all. It's not surprising. It's in our nature to bend the knee to someone stronger than us."
"This is what we need to prevail over that woman and her ilk. My loyalties have only ever been to our clan."
"Oh, just SHUT UP, will you? It's not 1597! Conquest, power, loyalties, this isn't the feudal age anymore! You sold your soul to those demons and damned us all! And for what, sinking us lower than we already were? History won't look upon you kindly."
"Assuming we don't win."
"You won't be there to see it. He'll throw you all out to get massacred, I guarantee it. You'd sacrifice everything you've built just to slay Ringo Kubo?"
"This is about more than power now, brother. Maintaining our image has always been my utmost priority. I will see that city razed to the ground so long as it means we survive."
"You really have gone insane." Ichiban took a swig of beer. "Well, go on and get it over with. I'll at least have a decent seat to watch you fall."
Shadows emerged from beneath Masayoshi's suit, coating his hands. They extended out from one hand, forming a spike that pierced Ichiban through the chest. He looked up at his brother, and smirked.
"I'll save a nice bubbling pit for you in Hell."
Masayoshi retracted the spike, and Ichiban fell limply back into his chair.
"Wowzer. No mercy at all. I like it." Johnny appeared atop the desk, staring at Ichiban. "Brothers, man. More trouble than they're worth. Sisters, too. You got any rugrats, Yoshi?"
"Several."
"Woof, that's rough. Pawned off on the hired help, I'm assuming. I've got enough headaches from just the one. Loudmouth pain in the ass, just like her mom. I get pissed just thinking about 'em."
"It would seem our schedule may need to be moved up."
"Eh, don't worry about it too much. Having time to prepare is gonna make it extra fun to crush them to bits. Don't change a thing. Don't wanna crunch and have everything fall to shit after."
"Hrm. So what should we do about him?"
"So cold, Yoshi! Don't fret. I've got *just* the thing in mind for this blabbermouth..."
---
"I think you hit the nail on the head with her gift." Ibuki peered over her shoulder. Kanae was hugging a giant, pink, plush cupcake.
"SO SQUISHY AND FLUFFY!" the girl exclaimed.
"It was one of those things, as soon as I saw it I thought 'the cupcake needs a cupcake'." Max replied.
"I hope she doesn't try to take a bite out of it." Kaede signed.
"Alright, bubblegum, let's get this put in your room." Ibuki got up and picked up the plush.
"SQUISHY AND FLUFFY!" Kanae remained dangling from the cupcake.
Max snickered. "Kid has a strong grip." he signed.
"Must get it from her aunt." Kaede responded.
"Hey, so--"
Kaede raised a hand. "I know what you're going to say. So I'll say it first. I still can't forget what you did."
"I assumed as much."
"That being said, it's obvious that you aren't the same person now. Unless you're playing some kind of long con, you haven't given me any reason to believe that you're up to no good. You've been good to my daughter and, most importantly, to my sister. I saw how sad she was while you were gone. That wasn't you weaving a spell. That was real. And the longer I keep doubting you, the sadder it's going to make Ibuki. That's the last thing I want. So as long as Ibuki is happy, I can put everything else to the side."
"That means a lot, really. Her happiness is all I want, too. Us being on good terms would go a long way towards that. She deserves as much after everything."
A sneeze could be heard from the next room. "Ugh, excuse me. Must be something in the air." Ibuki reentered. "Hey, sis, you want to give us a minute?"
"Of course. I'll go make sure she isn't chewing on her pillow." Kaede got up.
"The kid's like the Energizer bunny. I don't know where she gets all that energy." Max said.
"I'd say it's the sugar, but I haven't seen her eat one sweet thing all day. Just how she is." Ibuki replied. "Sooooo."
"You look like you're expecting something."
"It's the day for it, after all." She picked up a box. "Little something-something."
"Oh boy." Max opened it. "Oh BOY." 
It was a box of model kits. Three of them, all different versions of Ultraman.
"Only box they had left. I snatched it while you were hunting down that cupcake. Told them to hold onto it for me."
"Oh, I know what I'm gonna be doing for the next few days. Oh, these aren't the ones I need glue for, are they?"
"Think the box says they just snap on, so nope."
"That makes it a lot easier. Man, this is awesome. Thanks a ton."
"Anything for my favorite geek~."
"So, guess I'd better drop the ignorant act, huh?" Max got up.
"Uh-oooooh."
Max picked up a small bag from under the tree. 
"Oh, it's tiny, it's gotta be a shiny--!" Ibuki uttered.
"I'll admit, I got help from a certain gem enthusiast we both know. She's got a much better eye for it."
Ibuki took out the paper from the bag. "Okay, it's a long box. You had my heart skipping beats for a second there."
"You've said it yourself that it'd be way too soon for that. But I still wanted you to know how much you mean to me."
She opened the box and nearly gasped. It was a pendant, with a red gemstone shaped into a heart. "Oh...oh, Maxie. Is that..."
"It's ruby. I had Care check it to make absolutely sure. Her mom literally wrote the book on gemstones. So I can say with 100% certainty that it's real."
"Maxie, I...oh, oh wow. I don't know what to...please tell me you didn't break the bank for me."
"Cost wasn't an issue. I wanted my best girl to know that she means everything to me. *You* mean everything to me. And I'm sorry for everything I've put you through. Past and present. I wanted to make sure you knew that before things get difficult."
"Oh, Maxie, you..."
"GIVE HIM A SMOOCH, AUNTIE!" Kanae suddenly appeared, still gripping onto the cupcake.
"How long have you been there?!" Max questioned.
"YES, MA'AM!" Ibuki obliged her niece's request, kissing Max passionately, staggering him afterwards. "Thank you times infinity, Maxie! I love it and I love YOU! I'm gonna go put this on right now!" She got up and seemed to glide out of the room.
"I think you got it right, Uncle Maxie." Kanae cheekily said, face pressed against her closed hand on the stuffy. "So when are you two getting married?"
"W-what's with this all of a sudden?!" Max frantically replied.
"C'mon, I know you wanna. Don't you wanna be my real Uncle Maxie?"
"L-listen cupcake, I don't want you to get it twisted. I love your aunt, I really do, but I'm not even 20 years old yet! I still want to finish school, get a good job, get everything in order before I make that sort of decision."
"Sooo you don't wanna."
"Don't put words in my mouth, please. I'm still your Uncle Maxie, no matter what. Hold up...has your aunt been saying anything about wanting to...you know?"
"Mmmm. I dunno. I know she *really* wants to move in to that apartment with you, so...is that kinda the same thing?"
"Word of advice, cupcake. Don't develop a teasing habit."
"Ta-daaaa~! How's it look? Don't hold back the compliments, please." Ibuki re-entered, the pendant now dangling from her neck.
"Wow! It looks so pretty, Auntie!" Kanae exclaimed.
"I'll say it does. A jewel fit for a queen." Max added with a regal-sounding voice.
"Maxie, please, I'm the one who should be firing arrows. Hey, little bag of sugar, go get yourself ready. We've got lunch with the Keebie clan in a little bit." Ibuki said.
"Can I bring my cupcake?!" Kanae asked.
"Probably not a good idea. You don't know if someone might try to eat it."
"Awww. Okay..." The girl carried her stuffy back to her room.
"That's gonna be a real mish-mash in that house. Between Keeb's family and our families. Hopefully Mama's holding her own with Keeb's mom. She can be...overwhelming." Max said.
"Kyoko-sama only has the one mode. But Ms. Annie's a tough cookie. I'm sure she's fine." Ibuki replied.
"I hope you're right. Say, I just remembered...Keeb's brother is gonna be there too, right? The one that just got out of prison?"
"Oh, the one that used to bully Rin. Yeah, she's not gonna be near there so he might come out of his cave."
"I remember the last time I saw him, it didn't go so well. Mainly because he freaked out at seeing Uri. And the time before *that* was when he broke out of prison. He was hiding in their old apartment. Eating pineapple pizza."
"Bleh, gross. Here's hoping that's not on the lunch menu today."
"If it is, we might be seeing our cupcake melting at the sight of it."
---
The Ishimaru residence, near Akihabara. On the inside was a rather large collection of rock and metal music memorabilia, along with vintage collectibles from Kyoko's wrestling days.
"Oh, my goodness, that's a beautiful pendant you have there, Ibuki." Annette commented.
"I'm so glad you think so, Ms. Annie. Your boy knows how to flatter a lady." Ibuki replied.
"That definitely bodes well for any future gifts. You've set the bar high already, little bro." Barbara added.
"It's one challenge I'm glad to accept." Max affirmed. "So, where's your knight hiding?"
Kibō, as it turned out, was in another room, staring down at a large box with Christmas wrapping around it. "...I know you're under there."
"Pay no attention to the man hiding beneath the box." Kyohei responded.
"You know it's rude to hide away while guests are around, right?"
"I've never been one for socializing. I prefer to be as a ghost."
"Could you at least TRY to act like a normal, sensible human being for once? It's not like there's a Kubo around for you to tremble at the sight of."
"You lie. I just know that entire clan is going to be waiting outside to exact their revenge. Probably dug the brother out from the grave for added effect!"
"Alright, what's all the noise about?" Kyoko entered. "Oh for--Kyo, get out from there!" She yanked the box up.
"Gah, the light--!" 
"Oh, spare me, you're not a vampire! There's nothing to be afraid of. No one's out to get you. Don't go embarrassing me in front of our guests. Or do I have to drag you out there myself?"
"I'd listen to your mom if I was you, son." Kabu, standing in the doorway, took a sip from his coffee mug.
"Grr...fine. But I'm immediately returning to the darkness to brood afterwards." Kyohei relented.
"Just be pleasant with my girlfriend and her family for longer than five minutes. It's really not that difficult." Kibō requested.
"I'll put up the front for a little while. But if I see even a single hint of Kubo sprout up, I'm making a hasty retreat."
"Keep your manners, Kyo. I know *I* didn't raise you to be rude." Kyoko replied.
"What's that supposed to imply?" Kabu asked.
Moments later, Kyoko went to the living room. "Sorry about the wait, folks. Bathroom issues."
"I don't know whether to say 'too much information' or 'too little' to that, Kyoko." Annette replied.
"Sorry, just had to clean out the gutter really quick." Kibō entered.
"The laundry was backed up. My fault." Kabu followed suit.
"Kinda weird to have that all happen at once, but alrighty." Ibuki stated.
"Oh, and here comes Excuse Number 4." Max said.
Kyohei appeared with a paper bag over his head. "Good day."
"Um...Keeb?" Barbara spoke up.
"Don't ask." Kibō plainly replied.
Kyoko groaned. "This joker with the grocery bag for a head is my oldest." She whispered to him. "I told you not to embarrass me, Kyo!"
"Apologies. I have a rather large speck of acne on my forehead. I am very self-conscious." Kyohei replied.
"Oh, don't worry about that, Kyohei. Everybody has to deal with pimples at some point." Max replied using Rin's voice.
"GAH! That voice! You said that woman wasn't anywhere near here!"
Kibō snickered.
"Why the panic, Kyohei? Could there be more than one pimple you won't tell us about?" Max questioned in Rose's voice.
"AAAH, and the pale woman, too?!" Kyohei panicked.
"Don't be mean, Starbolt." Annette chastised.
"Oh no please, this is actually hilarious." Kibō retorted.
"It might be mean, but those impressions are uncanny." Kabu commented.
Kyohei took the bag off of his head. "Gaah, fooled by a stage play trick."
"You bought it, and that's what matters." Max replied with Tenko's voice.
Ibuki jabbed him on the side. "Oh my God, STOP." she said with a chuckle.
"I'm going to retrieve my box." Kyohei started walking away.
Kyoko grabbed his collar. "You're gonna sit in the open and get a nice tan while you're at it."
"I'll sit in the corner and pretend I'm under my box."
"What's with him?" Kaede signed.
"That's Kyoko-sama's oldest. He's got a winner's personality, if you couldn't tell." Ibuki responded.
"Fireball, you wanna ask your sis if she needs anything?" Kyoko asked.
"Sure thing." Ibuki obliged. "She's good, Kyoko-sama."
"You have to teach me some Japanese sign, hon. I know plenty from having a few patients with hearing disabilities, but I don't want to say anything wrong by accident." Annette requested.
"I can teach you, Mama. I've been learning it myself, and I think I'm pretty good at it now." Max replied.
"I think I'll ask the judge." Ibuki said. "How's his sign language?" she signed.
"Still a few kinks to work out, but I'd say pretty good." Kaede responded. "I appreciate the effort, all the same."
"Say, where's the little one off to?" Annette asked.
Kyohei sat in the corner, away from everyone.
"Hiya!"
He looked up to see a smiling Kanae.
"My name's Kanae! What's yours?"
"Mud." Kyohei deadpanned.
Moments later...
"Auntie." a dower voice peeped.
"What's up, bubble...gum." Ibuki turned to see shadows around Kanae's eyes.
"I need a cupcake. Maybe then I'll feel happy."
"My God, Keeb. Your brother's done the unthinkable. He turned her smile into a frown." Max said.
"That's kind of his thing." Kibō replied.
"Hang on, I got this in case of emergencies." Ibuki pulled a wrapped-up cookie out of her purse.
Kanae took one bite out of it, and her cheery demeanor instantly returned. "Yay! I feel all fuzzy again!"
"Works every time. Kids, am I right?" 
"Never a dull moment. Just wait until you've got one of your own." Annette replied.
"Mamaaaaa." Max uttered.
"No pressure, Starbolt. Enjoy your youth while you have it."
"Translation: don't make me a granny yet." Barbara chimed in.
"Heeeeelp." Max groaned.
---
Later on that night at the Hinotama house, Kanae had finally ran out of energy, and had fallen asleep, large cupcake in her grasp. Kaede was beside her in her bed, watching over her daughter.
Ibuki, meanwhile, was in her room, mostly barren now with many things already packed into boxes. She stared at her pendant with an aura of warm contentment.
"(He could've gotten me anything. Could've been something on the cheap, and I would've been fine with it. Every man I've met's given me the same. Cheap and gaudy. And here he is giving me something really special. I'm expecting to wake up any minute now. It's too good to be real...)"
A light flashed outside. "What the--?"
Ibuki went out to investigate. "Alright, if you wanna get started early, I've got an arrow with your--"
"Hiya! Merry Christmas!" It was Cindy, gleefully waving.
"Oh, cinnamon roll. Wasn't expecting you to pop in."
"I wanted to come by and give Maxie his gift. Is he here?"
"Ah, you just missed him. Him and Barbie took their ma to go see the mountain nearby. Might not be back for a couple of hours."
"Aww, shoot. Sorry about the little scare, then. I can come back in a little bit--"
"Why the rush? You can hang around here until he comes back."
"You sure? I don't wanna interrupt any family time."
"My fam's all tuckered out from the day. Plus I've been wanting to have a chat with you, girl-to-girl."
"Lady Cynthia, we probably shouldn't stay too long. The others might start to worry." Hugo, perched on Cindy's shoulder, advised.
"I've gone on long treks before. Besides, Daddy and Emmy are too busy to even notice I'm gone." Cindy replied.
"Come on in, then. Don't need you catching a cold." Ibuki said.
The two went into Ibuki's room. "Sorry about the mess. Maxie and me are moving into a new apartment once all this is done and dusted. The move out's been on the slower side."
"Nah, I get it. I'm not too good at staying organized, either. Even with a flying butler." Cindy replied.
"How disingenuous! You would be featured on a hoarding intervention program if not for me!" Hugo retorted.
"Okay, I've just gotta ask. Why give the robo-bird a personality? Wouldn't it be less like you've got a nagging nanny if he was like, a normal pigeon?" Ibuki asked.
"What about me is even *remotely* pigeon-like?!"
"It's beside the point, Hugo." Cindy replied. "I gave him a personality since, well..." She hesitated.
"Hey, it's okay. I want us to be friends since you've taken such good care of Maxie for me. I'll tell you my secrets first if you're curious." Ibuki said.
"You sure it's okay? I don't wanna pry too much if it's not comfortable. I can already tell from your physique."
"From my...physique?"
"That's not the kind of muscle you just get from going to the gym. It's more natural. The kind you get from a really tough life."
"Heh. Smart girl. You'd be right. I'm not like the others. Didn't have the kind of support system that would let me be successful. I had an uphill climb from the moment I was born."
"If you don't wanna talk about it, it's fine..."
"No. I don't hide from where I came from. It made me who I am now. And if my tale of woe can help another little girl realize that she can do anything no matter where she came from, then it's worth it." Ibuki sat on her bed, beckoning Cindy to join her.
"Okay. I'm all ears."
"Like I said, I was set back from the start. Both of my parents were addicted to painkillers. They'd gotten into an accident before me or my sister were born. The pharmacist who gave them the prescription had spiked it since, wouldn't you know it, he was the other party in the accident. That started the downward spiral. I'm 100% positive that my sister is deaf because of those drugs."
"Oh, my gosh. I'm so sorry."
"The hits didn't stop there. My mom OD'd when I was little. We went to go live with our grandparents since my dad was so unfit to raise us. He died a few years later. After our grandparents passed, too, we had no one left. It became a life of jumping from place to place. Then when the money dried up, we had to..." Ibuki stopped for a moment. "We had to sell ourselves."
"Sell yourselves, as in...?"
"Prostitution. There's no sugarcoating it. It was the worst, most degrading thing imaginable. The bastard that got our parents addicted came back into the picture. He's the one that..." Ibuki looked outside to make sure Kanae wasn't within earshot. "...got my sister pregnant."
"Are you KIDDING ME?! That's so evil!"
"Tell me about it. He tried to poison my sister after that. When that didn't work, he kicked us out onto the street."
"What a mass of inhuman garbage. I hope the hammer of justice eventually found him?" Hugo questioned.
"Hell yes it did. We made damn sure that it did. He's sitting in a jail cell right this moment. He'll be paying for my niece's upkeep for decades."
"At least there's that." Cindy said.
"The next few years after that were even rougher. I kept falling in with all sorts of bad guys. One of them got too handsy with my sister, so I punched him. Got stabbed in the leg for my trouble. The lowest point came when I got taken in by a cop. I thought, stupidly, that he would be my security blanket. I ended up being his sex slave and punching bag. I..."
Tears began to show in Ibuki's eyes. Cindy took her hand. Her eyes began to water, too.
"There were so many times where I just wanted to die. I felt so worthless. Like unlovable garbage. I never thought I'd end up having a happy ending. That sort of thing was for people who didn't have to degrade themselves on a nightly basis just to afford baby food. Then something crazy happened. I got a chance in the ring. I'd always looked up to lady wrestlers cuz of how strong and confident they were. One day, out of nowhere, my popularity exploded. People were lining up by the hundreds to see me fight. I couldn't believe it. It was like a dream. I finally had a way out of the streets. But...you know how they say that if it's too good to be true, it probably is? Well...little did I know that this was all happening cuz someone was trying to 'save' me. He changed my personality to be someone I wasn't."
"You're talking about Maxie, aren't you?" Cindy asked.
"Yep. I wouldn't find out until a while after, but it was him and his pals that snapped me out of it. A whole lot happened where I got these powers. Took a few side jobs to stay afloat. Ended up getting this house from a friend. Things really were looking up. Then...Maxie's secret came out. I wanted to tear him to pieces. All those years of men using me, and here it is, happening again. Only this time, it was one I was already getting feelings for. That burned me like nothing else."
"And yet you forgave him. Fell even deeper for him. Why?" Hugo asked.
"The heart's a funny thing. I hated what he'd done to me. But the more we dug into it, the more it felt like he was being used, too. Someone else was taking advantage of how much he hated the world. It wasn't an excuse for it, but I understood why he was the way he was. He was broken, too. Even more after we'd beaten him. I didn't see him for over a year after that. All that time...living in the new house, getting a new job, finally putting things together...my anger just disappeared. All I wanted was to help him understand why what he did was so wrong, and that it didn't mean he was a bad guy. Especially after we found him again. So broken and lost. I honestly couldn't muster any anger. What would be the point when he was already so angry with himself and everything else?"
"So you decided to help him instead. Two hurting people trying to help each other through their pain, falling in love through it all. It's...incredible." Cindy stated.
"Wasn't how I envisioned my fairy tale going, but I wouldn't have it any different. The Max that's here now is the most caring, big-hearted guy I've ever met. When this fighting's all done, I wanna spend the rest of my life making him as happy as he makes me. I thought for so long that I couldn't be loved. He makes me feel like a queen. And as much as I wanna jump into it, if he wants to take it slow, I'm okay with that. The slower the build, the happier we'll be. Oh jeez, I must sound so mushy talking like this."
"No, it's the sweetest thing ever! I totally know that he feels the same way! He's always talking about wanting to get back to you! And FYI, I love mushy stuff like that! Everyone should have that kind of warm and sugary relationship!"
"I'm glad you think so. Not everyone was so happy about it at first. It's taken my sister a while to warm up to him. It helps a lot that my niece adores him. Didn't take much time at all for her to start calling him 'Uncle Maxie'."
"Awww. I can just picture it and it's the cutest thing." Cindy paused. "So...guess it's my turn, huh?"
"It really that rough?"
"Not as rough as what you went through, but it was hard for me from Day One, too. When I was born, there was so much wrong with me. Doctors said I would be lucky if I made it past one week. My mom worked her tail off--right after giving birth--on a special chip that would act as a substitute for the malfunctioning parts of my brain. Thanks to that, I can process my thoughts at a much faster rate than everyone else. The big drawback is that I can't use magic like everyone else."
"I take it other kids weren't so nice to you for that."
"It wasn't them that really hurt me. They all knew I was the Commander's kid, so they knew to leave me alone. As much as I wanted people around, they mostly pretended I didn't exist."
"I've got a hard time picturing it. A sweet ball of happiness like you having a hard time making friends?"
"It was a combo of not having any magic and them knowing who my dad was. They thought if they said or did the wrong thing, I'd tattle on them to my dad. But nothing they did made me feel as lonely as what was going on with my sister."
"The witch lady with the red streaks, right? You looked like you were getting along well to me."
"It wasn't always that way. Emmy was bitter for a long time that my parents got together. She thought he'd forgotten all about her mother. And the looks she'd give me...she was wishing all that time that I would just disappear. She hated me. I know she did. She was so effortlessly cool and amazing at magic and I wanted to be just like her. I thought it was the only way to get other people to like me."
"Oh, you poor girl. I couldn't have survived this long without my sister, so I can't imagine a world where she couldn't stand the sight of me."
"It got better as I grew up, but it wasn't until Maxie gave her a talking-to that she started to see me as her sister. But I don't remember there being any time when I was mad at her about it. I always thought it was something I was doing wrong. I always felt so lonely all the time. I had my cousins, and my friends from Japan, but they were always away for long stretches. It wasn't until a few years ago when I started doing VTubing that people finally started to come around."
"You've definitely got that bubbly personality for it."
"But even after all that, all I really wanted was that one, real friend I could hang out with as much as I could. And then Maxie came along. It's been so much fun having someone that I can be myself around, that doesn't see me as 'Cindy-O the VTuber' or 'The Weirdo With No Magic'. I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong idea the other day, but really, I only see him as a friend."
"What, that? I was just teasing. I'm happy that he's made you happy. I'm not the jealous sort."
"The thing I'm worried about now is...that after the fighting's done, he's gonna come back here for good and I won't get to hang out with you guys anymore. I'll just go back to being all alone most of the time."
"Now you're on the crazy talk, cinnamon roll. You came here easy peasy, right? Once those wolf freaks are finished, y'all are gonna have a ton of time on your hands. Nothing keeping you from stopping by whenever you like. And even if you can't, you're on good ground with your sis now, right? You'll be fine. Our door's always gonna be open for you."
"...can I have a hug, pretty please?"
"Yes you absolutely can, little lady."
The two embraced.
"Alright, no more of the sad stuff. It's still holly jolly season. You said before you've got a boyfriend, yeah? What's he like?" Ibuki asked.
"Ohh, my Dai. He's noble and cool. Not like his dweeb of a brother that tries to act like he's cool. Our dads have known each other for a long time, so that's how we met. Problem is, they're stationed out of Tokyo, so I don't get to see him a lot. Guess that's why the internet exists, huh? That and fast planes." Cindy replied.
---
Hours later, Max returned home after dropping his mother and sister off at their hotel room. "Sorry for the wait. Hope you didn't start dinner without--uh."
Ibuki was on the couch, with Cindy asleep on her lap. "Surprise."
Cindy let out a yawn, then opened her eyes. "Oh, hi Maxie!" She leapt up and gave him a hug.
"Um, hi. I wasn't expecting you to come over." Max replied.
"Surprises are the spice of life, y'know! And I got to have a nice long chat with your leading lady! She's just as cool as you're always saying she is!"
"Maxie has a thing for adorable girls, clearly." Ibuki winked. "Hey. You've got that serious look on your face. What's up?"
"I just got a call from Professor Kubo. She knows when the attack is coming." Max replied.
"Wait, for real? When?"
"January 9th."
"That soon?! That's barely two weeks to finish preparing! How'd she find out?" Cindy asked.
"Ms. Kirumi got a call from one of her brothers who told them everything. His conscience got the better of him, it sounded like."
"Craziness. So we've got just a couple weeks till the moment of truth, huh? Guess that means we've gotta kick our training into high gear. Did she say when we've gotta start putting people to sleep?" Ibuki asked.
"Nothing definitive yet. We'll probably need a few days at minimum to move people into the Metaverse. And at least now we've got a definitive timeline for expecting our 'guests'."
"She's probably already let my dad and everyone else know, too. It's really that close, huh? I should probably head back soon..." Cindy said.
"No need to rush. We've got plenty of time. And besides, it's still Christmas. You wanted to spend a little more time here, didn't you?" 
"Sure you don't want a little more quality time with your main lady?"
"You came here to see him, honey. I've still got some packing to take care of if you two want to be nerds for a bit." Ibuki suggested.
"How about we all find something to do? I'm sure Cindy wants to see a bit more of the city." Max said.
"Well...okay! Only cuz you asked, Maxie." Cindy replied.
"Guess I'll go get my boots, then. No cuddling up to him while you wait, hear?" Ibuki stated.
"Wha--no, I wouldn't--!"
"I'm teasing again, cutie. Give me a couple minutes to freshen up." Ibuki walked away.
"Wait here, Cind. I'm gonna get changed real quick, too." Max said.
"Okie-dokie!" Cindy saluted.
Max went to his room, also in a disheveled state due to all the packing supplies scattered about.
He let out a sigh.
"Almost that time."
He pictured in his mind every enemy he was expecting to arrive. Johnny chief among them.
"(I know who I'm fighting.)"
He pictured his friends. From his world and the other.
Cindy.
Kat.
His mother and sister.
Ibuki.
"(I know who I'm fighting for.)"
He looked in the mirror. His armor was in the reflection.
"(And I know...who I am.)"
"(I'm gonna treasure every second I have from now until then.)"
"(In two weeks it starts, and it ends.)"
"(One way or the other.)"
"(Time to see what I'm made of.)"