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Subject: Adventures in Parodyverse: Life Education |
This is a short story I put together to take place at random during the Parody War. I will be posting one more in a couple days, and I also have a World Class. Adventures in Parodyverse - Life Education Chiaki Bushido was sitting up in a soft chair in the Library when Samantha Featherstone entered. The teenage granddaughter of Sir Mumphrey Wilton seemed to take note of how still the Psychic Samurai was sitting. Even though she appeared normal and wore a normal yellow shirt it was well known that she was bandaged and badly hurt beneath it. "I don't need a babysitter," Samantha Featherstone protested without being prompted. When she said that, she sounded as if she carried the same air of authority that Sir Mumphrey Wilton did. She wasn't happy that she had been asked to accompany the Asian Samurai until they could both be moved out of the mansion to safety. That made the Psychic Samurai smile. She was used to being the only one with a heavy dose of charisma. It was refreshing to see someone who was a little like her. "I agree," she replied calmly. Samantha snorted, sounding unconvinced. "You're just keeping me occupied and out of the way of the adults." "Perhaps I'm keeping the adults out of your way," Chiaki countered. She looked Samantha's defiant expression. "If you three are considering leaving, think about what your grandfather has to deal with at the moment. Do you really want him to worry about you going missing as well?" "What would you do?" Samantha asked finally calming down a little. "I suppose I'd be curious about what's going on, what's being planned. In fact I am quite curious." Samantha smiled. "So why not come along to Sir Mumphrey's office and see? Wouldn't you want to know how things are progressing? How your friend Liu Xi is being rescued? If we're winning or losing?" Chiaki was a little amused that Sam was so delightfully manipulative. She was very intelligent indeed. "Samantha, I'm not being left in the dark...I will get the information when it's available. And unlike perhaps many of the adults you've met, I believe in you and won't keep anything from you." At that point Samantha fell silent. Chiaki wasn't known to be someone who lied, not even to children. "I'm sorry," she finally whispered. "I just don't feel terribly useful just now." "Each night," Chiaki whispered to her, "we are each assigned to do nothing but sleep for several hours. It's not terribly useful, or productive, or entertaining. But it's necessary." "I wasn't aware Samurai were allowed to sleep," Samantha shot back. That prompted Chiaki to laugh. She knew Sam was joking. "I'll do my best to make this interesting for you, okay? You can ask me questions, and perhaps I'll bring you somewhere more entertaining than the Library." "Are you allowed to do that?" Samantha asked. Chiaki tilted her head and smiled, making it clear that she wasn't sure. "How many people have you killed?" Sam suddenly piped up, as if she was dying to ask that question all along. Her eyes were fixed on her sword. "Not many," she replied. "A few Avawarriors. One spider queen. And I regret it still." "Why? Doesn't that mean you won?" Chiaki's smile disappeared and a taint sadness cast over her. "When somebody dies by your hand, Samantha, they learn nothing and tell no one. By killing someone you only lose. If you kill to protect a life, you simply lose less than if you hadn't." "The Parody Master isn't much of a teacher, then," Samantha commented. "Indeed." Chiaki nodded in agreement. She was amused at how Samantha came to such a conclusion, one that was so perceptive and went to the root of everything. Sam's voice softened as she asked, "Do you think grandfather will survive?" Chiaki looked at Samantha, who lowered her eyes. There would be no reassuring lies with her. "I don't know," Chiaki replied softly and honestly. "However we have all taken a personal stake in making sure your family is safe." "Is that really fair?" Samantha asked. "I mean, lots of families will be losing fathers or mothers." "I suppose not," Chiaki admitted. "But we are...a symbol. As we lead the fight in this war people look to us for guidance. If we keep our extended family intact that will give people hope. It's not fair but it's...important." When Chiaki looked up again she noticed Samantha biting her lip. She reached up with her arm, the one that wasn't on her injured side, and hugged the Sam gently across the shoulders. "I know you're afraid," she said. "I am too. This war is bigger than us both. We're going to survive." "How do you know?" Sam asked weakly. Chiaki's eyes met hers, and she simply replied, "I'm the Psychic Samurai." Samantha almost laughed. But she postponed it in favor of another question. "How did you get home after killing the spider queen? Nobody told me that." "I wouldn't know first hand." Chiaki replied honestly, "I've been told, however, that after I lost consciousness there was a massacre on my behalf. I'm not too happy about it but I suppose I'm grateful to still have my life." "Massacre?" Samantha asked. Chiaki nodded and told the story as she knew it. --- "This is bad," Frankie of the Zoot Suit Gang told Akiko. At the time they had the escape portal behind them and they were simply holding off the mob of giant Z'Sox spiders until the Psychic Samurai could finish her work and give the signal to evacuate. The Z'Sox queen was dead, all right, its head rolled down, seperated, from the platform where its body collapsed. The Psychic Samurai collapsed only feet from the giant spider's body from a poisoned stab wound. "She has endured worse," Akiko Masamune said from within her pink and white battle armor. "No, hun, you don't get it." Frankie replied seriously. "Spiders're cannibals. If the queen's dead it's feedin' frenzy time. And your Samurai's passed out at the buffet." "Duly noted." Akiko powered up the pulse weapon that matched her battle suit. "Change of plans, then." "Way ahead of ya," Frankie looked at the zoot suited men standing around him and guestured to them. "Turn this place into a graveyard, boys." "I think Chiaki may object to that strategy," Akiko noted. "She aint awake to say nothin' about it," Frankie pointed out as his gang opened fire full-auto with their old tommy guns. "If she feels like it she can write up a complaint when she comes to. I got a match and an ashtray back home." Akiko frowned, and quickly ordered her people to stop fighting, retrieve her most valuable asset and friend, and evacuate. Each one of her minions was given a small injector filled with antivenom - unlike Frankie, she knew what she was getting into and took no risks. One was immediately administered to Chiaki, and she was lifted and carried to the portal as she began to regain consciousness. As Akiko was the last one out, she considered for a moment leaving Frankie and his gang behind and closing the portal. But she knew even under the circumstances Chiaki would never agree. "Let's go," Akiko said, guarding the portal long enough to make sure that Frankie's men hadn't ignored her. They ceased firing and filed through the portal quickly before it shut down. --- "It wasn't what I wanted," Chiaki explained to Samantha. "Though...I've never been trained in a war. I suppose I have to expect many more casualties around me than in urban combat." "If it counts for anything I'm happy you're alive." Samantha said. Chiaki smiled, stirring in her chair, feeling stiff from sitting too long. "It counts for a lot. Thank you." There was a long awkward pause after that when neither of them could think of what to say next. Finally, Samantha said something. "I still don't need a babysitter," she said. "But it's nice to have someone to talk to." Chiaki nodded and them smiled. "Probably the last person I can really talk to till this war's over. I've only been sent to you until someone comes to escort me to a 'safe place', grandfather calls it." "I'll tell you a secret about that," Chiaki replied. "Your grandfather is scared, Samantha. After years as a Samurai I know when a man is scared...and he's frightened almost beyond reason. He's been in a war before but this is different. It's too much for him." Sam lowered her head as she listened. "He loves that you want to be strong," Chiaki continued. "But this isn't the time to be strong for him. This is the time, quite honestly, to run and hide Samantha. Until he knows you're safe he's going to be afraid. He won't take risks, for instance with the Lair Mansion, that are necessary to win this war." "I understand that." Samantha nodded. "Good." Chiaki nodded as well. But then she smiled mischievously and added, "He didn't specify when you could return, however. When it's safe enough I'll make sure you're one of the first." "Thank you." Sam nearly laughed at that. Her smile disappeared, however, when there was a knock on the Library's open doorway. "I'm sure that's my escort out of here," she said. "It was a pleasure getting to know you." Chiaki bowed slightly, and was a little surprised that the young Samantha did the same. She glanced at the soldiers standing in the doorway, and then she painfully stood. "No need to get up, Miss, we can take it from here," one soldier said. "I will be escorting her from the mansion," Chiaki instructed in a tone which deferred any possible argument. Samantha watched as the soldier silently left. "How did you do that?" she asked. Chiaki seemed amused at that question. "People listen when you carry a sword." "I see," Samantha replied as she followed Chiaki out of the Library. She wondered when she would be allowed to return and speak tot he Psychic Samurai again. -- Story written and copyrighted (C) 2007 by Jason Froikin, and may not be -- reprinted without permission. -- Yuki Shiro designed by Jason Froikin, based on designs by Masamune Shirow -- Liu Xi Xian and the Psychic Samurai are original design by Jason Froikin -- Lara Night is an original creation by Jason Froikin |
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