Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Third Labor (Forward to the past) ❯ Clockwork Apple ( Chapter 4 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Third Labor, fourth chapter (prologue)
"Clockwork Apple?"

The following chapter includes bits and pieces from a number of series.

WHAT'S HAPPENED: Attempting to enter his Third Labor (fixing a pair of Demonic
Interventions in a non-anime timeline), Grey has been sidetracked by a Gate malfunction (caused
by most of his fiancees trying to sneak along and Son Usagi's power fluctuation during the
transport process). Due to Eris' (Greek goddess of discord and misery, Ares' sister) secret plan,
his attempt to find the scattered fiancees is falling apart from several sources. The latest of which
is a discordance in the Binding (a spell placed on Grey by an Elder god of mischief) which now
has the boy reincarnating through time and space, but as Duty is a major facet of his existence-
still trying to safely gather the fiancees.

This is still the prologue because they're still trying to get to the mission.

---------

a timeline that is NOT usually connected to SM or RN:

Mamoru Tengoku thrashed in his sleep, consumed by odd dreams as he had for years, though
there seemed to be an urgency in them tonight.

In one dream he was a warrior associated with a minor House, related vaguely to some golden
haired girl! There he became the consort of the Queen, which was much like being her personal
slave in many ways. There he was eventually dumped by the Queen, as she viewed an emotional
attachment to a single man to be a weakness. In that dream he was approached by a ponytailed
girl in a green dress, and then by a girl with long green hair. Eventually the ponytailed girl went
off after another who more fit her ideals, only to return and find that the girl with a staff had
consolidated her hold over him. Then the staff-wielder was called away to a long duty, and he was
alone again. The dream ended in nightmare as the Kingdom fell, beneath the force of something
called the Invincible Shadow.

In the second dream he was a metal man, working alongside the reincarnated princess he had been
related to in the first dream. That dream ended happier, with the enemy vanquished and the
princess engaged to the hero, and as for himself- he walked off citing Duty.

The third dream had elements of the first two. Many of the same faces, yet subtly different.
Instead of being related to the blonde girl, he was her cat and then changed to her "boyfriend" in
human form. The same girls were now friends and comrades-in-battle and if some seemed to want
something more from him, he wasn't quite sure what that something was. There were broken
flashes of this dream, and he ended up with a profound feeling of loss.

Mamoru slowly picked himself up, wondering what his subconscious was trying to tell himself.

"Mamoru-kuuuunnn!" Kyusu twirled as he entered. "Good morning! How are you, my love!"

"Put a sock in it, Kyusu." Mamoru groaned, feeling like he'd just been pounded by a unskilled
masseause. "Ain't your love, never have been, never will be. Just give it up."

"Ah, eventually you will change your fickle heart, and realize that we are meant to be together.
Forget your obsession with Otaru's marionettes and realize that only two men can find"
*WHAM!*

The book (a heavy tome on marionette engineering) hung for a moment against Kyusu's face
before the two fell.

"This is MY workshop, Kyusu. YOU are merely my annoying neighbor who clings to the old
ways. What about Doctor Lorelei's clones and the rebirth of the woman?" Mamoru grunted and
dragged Kyusu out. No WAY was he going to change out of his pajamas with THAT hentai
watching.

All in all, it was shaping up to be a typical day, and Mamoru Tengoku was heartily tired of typical
days.

Kyusu proved that he could recover quickly. "Mamoruuu-kun!" *GLOMP!*

Mamoru frowned, slammed his elbow into Kyusu's nose, and then threw the offending person
through the window. As it was just a split cloth covering, it was not as dramatic as it could have
been.

Allowing that he wouldn't be able to get any work done today, as Kyusu was getting entirely too
annoying, the repairman/inventor decided to make housecalls and do research. He was just barely
sixteen, after all, and there was much to learn.

Mamoru smiled, thinking that this would work out. Maybe he'd even have a chance to see Otaru's
marionettes again! They were fascinating, their special circuit giving them emotions and
independence that a regular marionette didn't have. Mamoru would allow Kyusu one thing, a
marionette without a "virgin circuit" was just a mechanical doll. However, Mamoru was one of
those like his sempai Gennai or Otaru himself whose opinion varied from those like Kyusu in what
happened *with* the addition of that circuit. In their opinion, a marionette with the circuit ceased
being a doll and became a person...

"Mamoru? I have tickets for the festival!"

Yep, sounded like a good day to be conducting business away from the shop.

-----------

Akane Tendo faced Akane Saotome, the rain coming through the open hole in the wall of the dojo
making the floor slick between them.

"Why do you look like me, anyway?" The sixteen year old demanded of the supermodel version of
herself. It was easier to face this older woman than the mess she'd made in the back yard by
decapitating a boy named Ranma.

"I see no resemblance," said the twenty year old. "You're stupid, needlessly violent, pushy,
arrogant, and lacking in discipline. You're a brawler, not a martial artist."

"I was good enough to..." Akane Tendo bit that comment back, turning pale.

"Good enough to kill Ranma?" The evolved version finished for her. "Let's see how good you are
then. Or was it just luck?"

Nabiki looked back and forth between the two, seeing the resemblence but not understanding any
more than Akane. "Begin..."

Akane T started across the floor at a run.

Akane S seemed to blur and appear behind the teenager. "Too slow," she said, tapping a spot in
the back of her younger self's head.

Akane T swung around and tried a Stonebreaker Punch.

Akane S swiveled her hips slightly, moving effortlessly out of the way. "Too clumsy," she said,
tapping the other's elbow as it passed by. "I know an old Chinese woman who could chew you up
and spit you out like bad rice."

Akane T launched another attack, going for an all out axe kick.

Akane S swept the leg up with enough force to flip Akane T in the air, tapping her neck, back,
and left knee during the "hang time." As Akane T picked herself off the floor, Akane S went back
to her corner. "Didn't retract quickly enough, overextended yourself, and got fancy when you
should be concentrating on the basics."

"SHUT UP!" Akane T launched herself at this infuriating imposter. She knew what was going on
now, this person was trying to replace her!

Akane S weaved around the flurry of punches. "Anger rarely serves its wielder. A true martial
artist seeks control: of her environment, of her battle, and of herself." Another lightning fast jab
landed on the younger girl.

"Fight me for REAL! Stop playing (gasp) around!" Akane T started forward again only to have
her fist caught in the other girl's palm.

"Okay," said Akane S, "so you want me to go all out?"

Akane T tugged her hand free. She was especially good at counterattacks. The training from the
idiot squad at Furinkan's gates every morning saw to that. "That would make me ecstatic."

Akane S dodged another attack, but smiled. A little sadly it seemed. She really didn't like to hurt
anyone, given the choice, but some lessons could only be learned the hard way. "Lesson five: be
careful what you wish for. You might get it."

Nabiki blinked as the older Akane suddenly went "all out."

----------

Elseworld:

Mamoru sighed. The Japonesse Historical Museum was just one of the places that he knew Kyusu
would avoid normally given any choice. It was...

Mamoru's train of thought derailed as he stared. He wasn't even aware he'd walked forward until
he was in front of the marionette.

"APPLE! APPLE!" The man whose marionette this apparently was growled at the frozen figure.
"Damn, if I could find anyone stupid enough to buy this useless..."

"How much?" Mamoru blinked as he realized he'd spoken.

"Who? Tengoku? Gennai's pupil, aren't you?" The fellow, Mamoru recognized him as Safiel, one
of the volunteer caretakers. "Are you sure? This marionette keeps malfunctioning, and I doubt
even Gennai could keep it running."

Mamoru rose to the challenge. "Hey, if i don't try to do difficult things, i'll never learn as much as i
could!"

Safiel frowned as he realized that Apple had frozen except that it's eyes continued to stare at the
tinkerer. A suspicion formed and he remembered the rest of his instructions. "Well, I've got to get
a new one, so how about sixty four hundred?"

"C'mon, Safiel, i'm just a fixit man. There's rent and food, parts, and all the rest. Besides, she's a
defective unit and used. Twelve hundred."

Safiel considered and admitted that this kid probably couldn't afford much more than that, and he
had his orders. "Twelve hundred then. I can get a rebuilt unit at a junk shop for less than that."

"C'mon Apple..." Mamoru didn't understand it, but he HAD to fix this unit. And there was
something just unbearably sad about the dull lifeless green eyes as if SOMETHING should be
there. Maybe he could get that prototype Virgin Circuit to work...

Safiel waited until the two were out of sight before using a shortrange radio. "This is Safiel. Apple
is prepared."

---------

Akane Tendo hit. She hit the ceiling, the floor, the walls, the ground outside the dojo, the koi
pond, the compound wall...

The problem was that she was hitting them in the manner of a projectile and not in the manner of
a martial artist.

"And this is a manuever known as the Rising Dragon Uppercut..." Akane Saotome demonstrated,
still adopting the manner of a teacher. *WHAM!*

"Oh!" Soun gushed. "The Splitting Cat Hairs, the Chestnut Fist, the Breaking Point, the Dragon
Sky Ascension, the Roaring Tiger Backflip, the Deadly Tarantula Palmgrip, the Mantis Scissors
Grip, the Blind Man's Bluff, the Rising Dragon Uppercut! To think that I would live so long as to
witness them!"

"Ahem," Nabiki interjected, "she's actually showing them to Akane and even I can tell she's still
not using full force."

"Huh?" Soun blinked. "Oh, right."

Genma stared at the floor. "I'm dead. I am SO dead. No, No-chan is going to find something
worse than seppuku for THIS." Everyone ignored him, he'd been repeating variants of this for
some time.

Akane S finally put her counterpart over one knee and hit a paralysis point. "Maybe I ought to
change my name. Oh, by the way, Akane. This is called... the Xi Fang Gao shiatsu technique!"

Soun blinked again. "Amazing!"

Nabiki nodded, impressed. "I'll say. She washed Akane's hair and dried it in less than five seconds.
What it's supposed to do, I don't know..."

Akane addressed her native father and sister. "Oh, by the way. I also consider the blame here for
not reigning in Miss Tendo to fall on other shoulders..."

Nabiki gulped. Soun sweated. The two turned to flee.

---------

Elseworld:

"...so anyway in that Kingdom place, i called you Jupiter, which is kinda funny 'cause you don't
look like i'd expect Zeus to look like," Mamoru continued to talk to the android as he worked on
her. He had her back open and little connectors leading from the opening to various diagnostic
scanners and equipment. "However in that one where you're chasing after that guy with the
flaming hair, he calls you 'Lita' - short for Lightning i'd assume. Then there's that fragmented one,
but you're there and smiling and i got the name 'Makochan' out of *that* so i'm not sure which is
correct."

The android, of course, didn't reply. Merely sat there staring blankly at the wall. Only by reading
displays would one be able to tell that she was listening.

"Okay," Mamoru said and pressed a switch, "bringing up systems. Designation of unit?"

"Apple," said the marionette in a thick voice.

"Hmmm, need to make an adjustment to the voice circuit... OK. Try now. Give unit parameters."

The marionette seemed to stir slightly. "Unit designate Apple. Primary function: Domestic.
Classification: Sabre Marionette Special. Manufacture: Classified. Status: Unfinished."

Mamoru frowned. "Manufacture is classified? By whom?"

The marionette's voice was flat and emotionless, though less mechanical sounding. "Data
classified."

Mamoru considered that but realized he likely wouldn't be able to get the data without
information from another source, or ripping out the memory circuits. "Never mind, for now. What
remains unfinished on status?"

"Construction of unit was interrupted. Data classified. Passcode required for full activation."

Apple had remained emotionless in voice, but Mamoru noted something that nearly made his heart
stop. "Apple, why are your tear ducts operating?"

"Malfunction noted. Correcting."

Mamoru *knew* something was up. Why did this marionette look like one of the females in his
dreams? Except for the blank expression, eyes, and that thing she had her in hair. And the
malfunction? It had looked as if she was crying! Maybe if he approached from an oblique angle.
"Apple. List primary skill packages."

Apple nodded. "Gardening, Basic. Cooking, Basic. Maintenence, Basic. Basic Domestic."

Mamoru frowned, no clue there. He suspected Safiel wasn't the first owner at the very least.
Hmmm. "Apple, prepare to shut down for maintenence cycle. i'm going to check and see if i can
repair your movement coordinator."

Apple complied, slumping forward slightly.

---------

Another universe entirely:

Nabiki's hands shook as she approached the school. A month had gone by since Akane Saotome
had struck with a single shiatsu attack. The effect had long faded, as Doctor Tofu had said, but
the damage was done.

"The Babble Point" she'd called it. Any time, any question, and Nabiki would answer truthfully
and completely without hesitation.

At first it had been HELL for Nabiki. She had suddenly had no secrets. Just Goemon asking
"how's it going?" had opened a floodgate. Every and any aspect of her existence had become a
matter of public scrutiny. Her pride and reputation had been destroyed within hours.

Then the questions slowed, and stopped. A few continued for a time, enjoying the sight of the
cold mercenary witch Nabiki Tendo squirming helplessly. Someone had intervened, and the
reason had nearly destroyed Nabiki all over again. Pity. Four days later, she discovered that the
effect had stopped and she could answer or not, back to normal again.

Except that her empire had been destroyed, her careful use of blackmail and tricks had been
uncovered and defused, and that she was still the subject of Pity among other things. As she'd
been the victim of something horrible, people still tried to befriend her and look out for her.
People still tried to protect the Ice Queen...

Nabiki had been devastated, broken, driven to the ground, but the Tendo family were samurai in
ancestry and had a core of iron. She survived. As Akane Saotome had abruptly disappeared
(speculation was that as Genma had run off during the seppuku required of him, she was out there
somewhere still chasing after him) revenge against the fighter was something Nabiki could
entertain herself with planning but couldn't commit. At the moment.

Instead, Nabiki smiled, ducked her head, and was greeted by some of her new friends. She could
eventually rebuild her empire, but that might just get knocked down around her head again. Her
eyes caught her sister's form and shuddered.

Akane had come to school the morning after the fight, not suspecting a thing. Then she'd started
stumbling. Every time she'd tried to punch or kick, she'd gotten pounded. She'd ended up going
out with most of the boys in her class, most of whom had turned out to not have enough nerve to
try anything. Those that HAD tried something had found out that Akane was still strong enough
to break groping fingers.

Akane had ended up going out with Kuno the first night but apparently Miss Saotome had kept an
eye on the proceedings. When Kuno had attempted to take liberties, well, Nabiki had never heard
of a "Ice Cold Libido" shiatsu spot before but apparently it worked. Kuno had since dropped
pursuing Akane or even any female companionship. That was prior to Akane Saotome's
disappearance at least. Who knew what would happen if *that* wore off.

And her father... Nabiki twitched a little. Apparently Miss Saotome had spent a lot of time around
the Amazons. Her father was now undergoing "bridal training" from some "girl" named Dowel.

As for Kasumi... Nabiki twitched again. The last she'd seen of Kasumi, she'd been recruited by
some Amazon Healers and taken on a training trip.

Nabiki noticed one of her new "friends" had just asked her something. Unsure of how to act with
people actually concerned about her well-being, Nabiki just tried to smile back and muddle
through. First that Akane Saotome had vanished, now from the sound of it, so had that Rei Hino
girl. So if the other two vanished...

-----------

SMJ Timeline:

"Mamoru-kunnnnnn, it's such a lovely day outside, how can you...?!"

Mamoru noted that Apple had already done something useful. Kyusu had shut up.

Kyusu's eyes were bugged a little. "That marionette, she looks like..."

"One of the girls in my sketches, yes." Mamoru had been sketching the girls from his dreams since
Middle School. He'd gotten fairly good at it and had actually sold some. "Uncanny, isn't it?"

"Oh, someone saw one of your sketches and recreated a marionette based on it?" Kyusu grabbed
the most likely explanation. "And now you get to fix it? Well, Japonesse is fairly small."

Mamoru *wanted* to tell Kyusu to just go away. It had never worked in the past though. Hmmm.
There were several circuits and systems he wasn't familiar with. One actually looked like a virgin
circuit, though that was likely wishful thinking. "Stay out of the way, Kyusu. I'm not interested.
Apple, bring primary systems up to 50%."

The marionette straightened from her slump as she brought herself out of 'Standby'.

"Ah, Mamoru-kun, it's such a nice day out today, the plasma percentage is low. Let's go to that
festival and leave your stuffy work behind!"

"Apple, bring systems up at 5% increments until at 100%. Start." Mamoru turned towards the
displays. "Let's see if replacing the gyro-balancer worked..."

"Mamoru-kun, you talk to your dolls. Ah, but that sentimental streak is why I care for you so
much!"

"Systems at 100%," Apple said, "thank you, sempai."

Mamoru froze. Kyusu looked puzzled.

"Apple, explain use of term 'sempai'?"

"Sempai, used for a social superior or upperclassman or mentor that one is not related to. It can
also be used to denote a boyfriend though koibito or kareshi are more commonly used." Apple's
voice wasn't mechanical anymore, though her phrasing was.

"Pfeh, Mamoru-kun, this unit is still defective. Let the customer wait and let us take our pleasure
at the fair."

Mamoru continued to check displays with a puzzled expression. "Spending time with you hardly
counts as a pleasure. Besides, this isn't a customer's marionette. She's mine now."

Kyusu turned an angry glance towards the android. "'She?!' Mamoru you forget. This is just a
wind up toy. A marionette, a thing made of nanotechnology and metal and plastic. What are you
going to do next, kiss it? And how could you purchase some defective marionette? Didn't you tell
me you had no money?"

Mamoru stopped, pulled the cables, and closed the back of the unit. This *would* scandalize
Kyusu. "Apple, stand up."

The marionette did so, and Mamoru looked her over. Looked a lot like one of the girls in his
dreams. The one who'd picked him up after that silver-haired Queen had dumped him. Except that
this one was wearing a very nice kimono instead of that strange outfit. Tall, just under six feet in
height, brown hair, green eyes, quite shapely in form. "Apple, respond appropriately." Mamoru
moved in and kissed the marionette's lifeless lips.

"Ahhhhhhhh! Mamoru you hentai! How could you, and in front of me?!"

-Program 1-
-Apple-
-activate-

Mamoru began to smirk at Kyusu's discomfort when he felt a tremor go through the marionette
and her arms locked around him. She was kissing him BACK! Mamoru had never been kissed
before, and there was a hunger and intensity in the experience he hadn't expected. It took him a
moment to break free, and he was only partially aware of Kyusu standing nearby with his jaw
hanging open.

Those green eyes, formerly dead, now danced with liquid life and the marionette was... smiling?!
"Sempai!"

"Huh?!" Mamoru's brain had shut down from the shock, but he was trying to rally. "Apple?"

"Hmmmm!" Apple smiled even more, nodding and making a happy sound. "Sempai, I'm *so* glad
you awakened me!"

Mamoru, confronted with something he'd wanted ever since he had heard of Otaru Mamiya and
his three virgin circuit enhanced marionettes, did shut down at that point - fainting.

--------

Another timeline:

"It's been two years since our lives were impacted by Akane Saotome..." Nabiki said to her elder
sister as the two sat at the kitchen table and sipped tea, "the Amazons took you and made you...
this."

"Not completely," answered Kasumi. "There was more to it than that. What has happened here?"

"Father got married, to Mrs Saotome oddly enough. Thereby uniting the two Houses and getting
him out of marriage to that Amazon Dowel. They'd planned it that way, didn't they?"

Kasumi nodded. "Dowel didn't actually want to marry him, too much crying."

Nabiki shuddered at the thought of what would have happened if Dowel had chosen instead to
cure her Father of the emotional outbursts. "Genma Saotome is still missing, of course. Akane
Saotome vanished shortly after she started insisting people call her 'Scarlet' instead. Rei Hino
apparently went into a closet to pick up some spare futons for a slumber party with her friends
and never came out. When her friends checked, the closet was barely big enough for someone to
fit in and there was no trace of her."

"Yes, I heard about that," Kasumi said with a nod, looking into her tea.

"Akane, our sister not that demon, regained her ability to fight six months later when Doctor Tofu
finally got all the rare extracts he needed to put together a bottle of cure for the Xi Fang Gao
technique. By then though, well, she had pretty much resolved the whole 'beat Akane to date her'
routine. She had taken it as a challenge and found nonviolent methods of resolving conflicts, and
she's now engaged to marry some guy named Hikaru. Me? I'm working part-time at a restaurant
named Akie's and going to college after a Business Admin degree. Your turn."

"Well, I came back to Japan last year." Kasumi looked off into the distance. "I started working at
the Hino shrine after Rei's disappearance. Makoto was devastated by Rei's disappearance, but Rei
hadn't been too happy since Ranma's death. With both Rei and Ranma gone, plus their Akane,
Makoto and Ukyo have gotten to the point where they're almost like sisters. They tend to pursue
the same guy a lot, despite their age difference, and they visit the shrine frequently with their
friends." Kasumi returned her attention to her sister. "They're thinking of becoming ghost
sweepers, that way maybe they can find out what happened to Rei."

"Guess Juuban is as weird as Nerima," said Nabiki. "You happy?"

"Relatively," Kasumi said with a secretive smile, "I'm still getting tutored in a number of subjects
by the Amazons but they've given up on ever making a warrior out of me. I feel I'm appreciated
and useful where I am, so that's not too bad. Ukyo and Makoto talk to me a lot. They've never
forgiven our sister Akane, and they suspect their own Akane was hunted down and killed in
retaliation for what was done that evening, but have no evidence of such a thing."

Nabiki snorted. "Akane? No, she was ready to join a nunnery when she finally came to realize that
she had killed and in anger over some petty issues. I talked her out of it, but she's gotten rather
anti-violence since then. Overcompensation, I guess."

Kasumi nodded, and declined to tell Nabiki about exactly *how* weird her new friends and life in
Juuban had gotten.

---------

The SMJ timeline:

"Kasumi! You're not a fighter! Get back in your PokeBall!"

"I don't want you to be turned into a doll, Master Ash. Sabrina, I challenge you!"

"Oh? A half-Eva with some psychic talent? How... interesting. The frilly apron doesn't quite work,
though..."

"Go Kasumi! Kick that wench's backside! Never underestimate the power of a Japonesse
housewife!" Apple's voice cried enthusiastically from nearby.

Mamoru groaned inwardly, he'd fainted in front of Kyusu. That could be bad. Hmmm. That was
that odd anime program they showed in the wee hours of the morning from the sound of it. He
blearily cracked an eye open to see Apple sitting in front of the set, raptly cheering on the furry
little homemaker as she defended her Master from the evil Sabrina.

"Uhm..." He'd never been fond of that particular series, though he had to admit that it wasn't as
bad as some of the other hentai/sentai series out there. "Excuse me."

"SEMPAI!" The tall marionette was kneeling at his side in a heartbeat. "Apple was so worried
about you! You function OK?"

"Urk!"

"Sempai? Do you need something? Some food maybe? Maybe some fresh cloths for your
forehead? I kept that strange man away from you!"

"Unnnnn!"

"Sempai? What is it? Whatever you want, Apple can get!" Apple made a muscle gesture.

"...please... Apple..."

"Yes, Sempai!" Apple leaned closer, eager to be of help.

"...your knee's on my chest... heavy..."

Apple looked down. "ooops."

-----------

Elsewhere:

The 'Dewclaw' had seen better days.

Vena walked out of a shower cubicle, drying her hair and complaining about the chemical smell of
the water, when she noticed someone in her room. As it was not anyone she knew, she ran
through a short list of responses. Ah, that one seems appropriate.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

"Rigid like an iron shard,
Paralyze you long and hard!"

Edema nodded at the result of her 'Hold Person' spell, patting the paralyzed Minako analogue on
the cheek as she inspected her. "Tsk, look girl, I'm here to fix a few things and then go. In about
twelve standard hours your time, there'll be a new operative here who can help you get into your
new roles." Edema took a thin bandage-like device out at put on the girl's forehead. "This is
mnemonic teacher, set for basic repairs using the sort of tech stuff you've got here. Now be a
good girl and just stand there until it's done."

Edema went out into the corridor, disliking all this high tech mumbo-jumbo, but what can you do?

"Hey you, what are you doing?"

"View me now as trusted friend,
my buddy until spell doth end."

Julie stumbled to a halt. Why was she attacking? This was her good friend... what was her name
again?

"Hi, I'm Edema." The darkskinned woman shook Julie's hand. "I'm here to help you."

Julie nodded happily. How nice. Her friend Edema had dropped by to help her out.

Edema led Julie into Vena's room, and both Vena and Julie began learning mechanical skills.
Within a few minutes, Edema had added Meria to the group- learning piloting skills.

Edema waited until the three were done, put the few items away that she'd used and decided to
make the group comfortable.

"Into Morpheus' quiet grip,
Speedily you now shall slip."

The drow archmage smiled at the results. One third level spell, and three first level spells. Nothing
major but running an ice cream parlor, she had thought she might be getting a bit rusty. Nice to
know she still had the touch. "One mess down."

-------

Mamoru watched as the busy little marionette happily hummed some odd music and went about
her self-appointed task of tidying up his home/workshop. This was... nice. Strange, but nice.

He'd found Kyusu locked in a closet, and let him out. Apple not only kept Kyusu from
interrupting his work, but was proving useful. Rather like Otaru's marionette Cherry. A relief to
Mamoru, as her speech patterns sounded more like Lime's and a superpowered child in his
workshop was not something to contemplate.

She also had tried to help him a couple of times but was quickly proven to be mechanically... all
thumbs? There was also continuing trouble with her SRO (servo-reflexive overseer) module,
indicating that it possibly needed replaced. (Translation: she tended to overreact and smash
things.)

Still having a cheerful, helpful, marionette around was definitely odd. Mamoru had spent most of
his life living alone. He'd learned to take care of himself by the time he was six, when he was ten
he had met Gennai ojiisan. The old man didn't see HIM that often, but Mamoru had practically
lived in or around the dump. Whenever the old man was out (such as that picnic with Otaru after
Lime's virgin circuit had been retrieved) Mamoru would keep an eye on his shop.

It hadn't been a happy life. The kids had teased him about "Big Name, Little Destiny" and how
because he was "street trash" he wouldn't amount to anything. He'd fought and starved and
struggled most of his life. Then he'd started fixing things around Japonesse and things had
changed. The opinion of him was slow to change, and many still looked down on him. Including
Kyusu, who insisted that Mamoru was incapable of looking after himself. Pfeh!

Mamoru was doing fairly well by himself. He'd made a fair amount of money, was in a business of
his own, had a home of his very own, had resources accumulated for years, and practically
Gennai's heir, and now he had a marionette of his own. Which reminded him. "Apple?"

"Hai, sempai!" Apple gave a sloppy but cute salute, grinning at her Master.

"We'll go visit *my* sempai, Gennai-ojisan. i think he's going to be very interested in meeting
you."

"Hai, sempai!" Apple grinned again. Her Master was smiling. It made her circuits feel all warm
inside to have a Master who actually cared about her.

---------

"Oh, Mamoru-kunnnnn," whined Kyusu. "Now I know how cousin Hanagata feels!"

"Hmmmph, to feel affection for a doll. Not right, not right at all. A perversion against nature!"
The older man next to Kyusu grumped, almost to himself.

"That's right. It is aberrant behavior and should be corrected. For the good of the society, of
course." Another older man adjusted his glasses. "Unfortunately, *legally* I can't do anything
about it. Such a shame."

"Come now, Doctor," said the first old man, "you are one of the leading psychologists in
Japonesse today. Surely such a bizarre fixation could be moved against. Obviously with that
Mamiya fellow being such a popular hero, any action against HIM would be stirring a hornet's
nest. But this is a gutter-rat who repairs marionettes. Few would protest his disappearance for a
few days while you remove such afflictions from his psyche."

"Nein," the Professor said, showing his Geltland heritage for a moment. "As I am not his
physician, and he has done no wrong doing in the eyes of the law, correcting his delusions and
restructuring his mind into a correct frame cannot be done legally."

"You mean there is a way Mamoru-kun can be cured? That he will accept my love?" Kyusu leapt
for the chance. "Do it! Money is no object!"

"Well then," said the Professor. "It just *may* be possible."

--------

"So, Gennai-san?" Mamoru smiled and sat back as his mentor examined the marionette.

"What? Oh, hmmm. Very interesting, and the unit just has one of your emulated circuits?" Gennai
turned back to continue his examination only to find two green eyes blinking back at him. "Apple,
if you'd sit back on the table again?"

"Boring." Apple started sulking but got up on the table anyway.

"It couldn't be my Ishi Kairo," Mamoru said wryly, "the design was never intended to do this
much. i don't completely understand how a Virgin Circuit works, only that it has something to do
with engram emulation and feedback learning loops. Basic self-awareness and the ability to learn
and act on their own. No more than that. At best, some basic emotions and development of a
rudimentry personality."

"Eh?" Apple looked up, curious.

"Rather more than rudimentry," Gennai agreed. "Do you know why she looks like one of those
girls you've sketched? The gardener, I think."

"She's the twin of one of the girls in my dream. i don't understand it at all." Mamoru watched
Apple buff the top of Gennai's head.

"Sempai, what's a dream?" Apple asked, turning her attention from the current task.

"Uhm, well. When you sleep, it's like seeing and hearing and feeling and smelling but you're really
asleep. It's sort of..." Mamoru broke off, not sure how to explain this.

Gennai rescued his pupil. "Apple, you've only been active for a few hours. I understand Otaru's
marionettes dream, especially Cherry, maybe tonight you'll dream."

Apple enthusiastically shook her head, sending her ponytail bobbing around. "Unnnn! Apple hope
so!"

----------

"You understand your orders?" Professor Weissman adopted a professorial manner before the
Japonesse Wrecking Crue. As they were simply a youth gang with pretensions of being organized
feared criminals, and as their collective operative intelligence was roughly on the level of a
refrigerator's temperature there was a distinct possibility of them not getting this right. But one
works with the tools one has, true?

"Yeah, yeah, we does a snatch-n-grab on this repairguy," Hammer (the leader) said, making a
dismissing gesture. "If we cans we wreck-a this guy's marionette while he's watchin' we do that
too. No problem-o."

Chisel smiled, even more idiotically than his compatriots, and held out a double handful of edged
blades. "We take good care of it, yeah! Chop chop kill kill Nyuk nyuk nyuk."

"Good. I take it the first half of the payment was... satisfactory." Professor Weissman nodded.
They had the right idea, of course he had to keep it as simple as possible. And of course, he hadn't
used his correct name. Why give these rejects any clue?

"If it wasn't, did you think you'd be leaving here except in a pine box?" Hammer snorted. "Don't
you worry, Professor Dingle. We'll get that guy for ya by noon tomorrow!"

----------

Eyecatch #9

A framed picture of the Pheonix Mage. Click/flip: the picture is of Jared Saotome, Devilhunter.
Click/flip: Skysaber, the superspy adventurer. Click/flip: the Veritech pilot Jared. Click/flip: buried
under a horde of fiancees...

Eyecatch #10

A framed picture of Akane Tendo chasing Ranma with a large hammer. With a click it flips to
reveal Akane as Inferna. Click/flip: the fireball throwing Akane from "A Very Scary Bet".
Click/flip: the heroic Sailor Red from "Featherbrite's Tale". Click/flip: the Shinto priestess from
"Saint Akane." Click/flip: Akane Saotome. Click/flip: a Klingon warrior Akane...

----------

Apple smiled contentedly. If she reached out, she'd be able to reach her sleeping Sempai who
looked so cute like that. Tomorrow was a big day, however. She'd be spending time with Sempai
and HIS sempai and go to see *their* sempai - some girl named Lorelei. So she needed to get
some sleep despite being all wound up from the excitement. How she'd... (yawn) get some sleep
when it was all so new and...

Apple slept, and she dreamed.

----------

"Jupiter? What are you doing here?" A green haired girl wearing pajamas opened the door and
stretched sleepily.

"GAH?! Pluto?! What are YOU doing here?"

Pluto smirked, apparently amused at the way Jupiter's ponytail was sticking straight up. "I *was*
trying to sleep. Again, what are you doing here? Didn't you dump Nebula for that fellow, what
was his name? Oh yes, Narcissus."

"He's just soooo handsome!" Jupiter momentarily gushed, then deflated. "But he also can't hold a
conversation that doesn't involve how good he looks, and all he ever does is look in that mirror of
his. So, I'm back to pick up where I left off!"

"Tsk," Pluto made a dismissing gesture, leaning in the doorframe and "accidently" blocking
Jupiter's progress. "Do you have any idea how crushed he was? First the Queen dismisses him as a
consort (like she does all her consorts when she starts developing feelings for them) then, after
*you* manage to pick him up, you go chasing after every new pretty boy to join the court."

"Not *every*... only three..." Jupiter winced. Okay, maybe she just had a *little* problem in that
regard. But Narcissus was *so* fine, and Nebula was okay and a nice guy, but he wasn't a *hunk*
like Pheonix or Hermes. But Bennu the Pheonix was interested solely in research and Hermes
already had an entourage.

"So, you knew I was interested but you decided to dump him, then when your pursuit of
Narcissus didn't work out, you thought you'd just come back a week later and pick up where you
left off?" Pluto flicked an errant strand of hair back, managing somehow to look more tousled
than when she'd opened the door.

"Well... yeah..." Jupiter's hair wasn't toinging any more but she was still in shock.

"When you passed him in the Queen's Market, hanging on that guy's arm, how do you think he
felt?" Pluto seemed to inspect her nails as if the answer was of no consequence to her. At Jupiter's
silence, she continued. "He was devastated, you know. Twice now he's given his heart freely and
without restraint. He has a great capacity for love, though the doors have begun to close for that.
The Queen's got that personal rule about not letting any consort get too much inside her heart.
*You* took him for granted."

"Well... I..." Jupiter fidgeted. If only Narcissus hadn't been *so* cute!

"Well, I've got a meeting with the Queen tomorrow. Some new job she wants me to do." Pluto
straightened and inclined her head. "Sorry, but if *I* were to betray his trust and leave him to
*you*, I honestly doubt he would ever be able to love again at this point. Much less trust you."

Jupiter stood there, helplessly staring as Pluto slid the door shut. She could barely hear the words
that followed, though it penetrated enough to bring Pluto's hold over the Knight Of Duty clear.

"Who was that at this hour?" Nebula's voice, sounding sleepy.

"Oh, just someone lost and asking for directions. Thanks for letting me stay here while they
fumigate my apartment." Pluto's voice conveyed her smile.

"No problem, Pu-chan. Ohhh, that couch isn't good on my back." Jupiter felt a measure of hope as
Nebula said this.

"We could share the bed," Pluto indicated, dashing Jupiter's moment.

"Wouldn't be proper, Pu-chan."

Jupiter walked away, hearing Pluto's throaty chuckle and knowing exactly how Nebula would be
reacting - and that she'd lost. Next time, next time for sure! She'd be faithful, her name would be a
testament to faithful! If there was a next time.

Unfortunately, she'd later learned that Pluto had been assigned to the Time Gate, Nebula had been
abandoned again and he'd quietly withdrawn from society. And then the conflict between Earth
and the Moon Kingdom had escalated and Beryl's Invincible Shadow...

--------

Apple awoke. What a strange thing. So that was what a dream was like? It had been like she had
been there! Except she had a funny name.

Mamoru-sempai was still sleeping, so maybe she should get some sleep. Apple considered the boy
sleeping nearby with a proud smile. No matter what that dream self said, SHE wouldn't abandon
her Sempai!

No... she'd... just catch a little more sleep.

--------

The three members of the Japonesse Wrecking Crue followed their prey with every bit of stealth
available to them. (Translation: they following about fifty feet behind and ducking behind every
available statue and bit of cover they could.)

"Sempai..." Apple said hesitantly to her Master.

"I don't know, Apple." Mamoru had a bit of trouble admitting ignorance, he was used to taking
pride in being self-reliant and admitting *any* weakness wasn't that easy. Still, those three were
perplexing. And it might be weird, but he felt comfortable around apple as if he'd known her for
years. "Don't stare at 'em though, you might encourage them."

"But..." Apple glanced back as one of the three tripped over a potted plant. "Okay, Sempai..."

"Besides, we'll meet Gennai-san at the castle gate. There's no way those three will follow us into
the Imperial Castle, right?" Mamoru thought of those three trying to sneak into the palace and
winced in sympathy. "Be ready if it looks like they're going to try and catch us before we reach
the gate."

Apple blinked. "They're getting closer."

"They've got some sort of weapons," Mamoru noted, studying their reflection in a window. "That
might be a length of pipe, or it might be some kind of cobbled weapon. Best if we can avoid them
using that if its ranged."

"oh..." Apple noted the three men sneaking closer. A hammer, a pipe that might not be a pipe, and
whatever was in that fat fellow's sack. She stumbled, her SRO not completely working still.

Mamoru noticed. "We'll try that abandoned building over there. We may be able to go through it
and out the other side."

"Unnnn," Apple agreed. Close range combat was her specialty.

-----------

The two targets went into a rickety-looking building.

"Hey, Hammer, what're we gonna do?" The fat one fingered his buzzcut. "They couldst be layin'
an ambush like..."

Hammer stopped and regarded his rotund companion for a moment. "You know, numbskull, you
might actually have something there!" Hammer waited until Chisel looked proud before slapping
him in the noggin. Then waving his hand around in mid-air as that had really hurt him worse than
Chisel. "Listen up, knucklehead. You go around back and make sure they don't get out."

"GRrrrrrrr... Okay, I'm going, I'm going! Yeeeshhhh."

"Drill," said Hammer motioning the third member of their party forward. "You got the stuff?"

"Yeah, but I don't see what we're gonna do with this. Didn't the boss say he wanted that guy
delivered to him?"

Hammer got Drill's attention by pinching his nose hard, then slapping with the other hand. "Who's
getting paid to be the brains here? The boss wanted this guy 'dealt with' right? Just a little 'snatch
and grab' right? Well, we're gonna put a few of these babies in the windows, then when they go
off, the guy'll come out and we grabs him, see?"

"Ohhhhhhh!" Drill nodded and grabbed and lit a bundle of dynamite, tossing it in the window.
"You think that's enough?"

Hammer considered briefly. "I don't know. Some of dese old houses can be pretty sturdy."

"Good point," agreed Drill, throwing three more bundles into the house.

"HEY, didn't you save any for me?" Hammer glared at his sidekick.

"Sorry, Hammer," Drill handed his boss a bundle of dynamite, thoughtfully lighting it for him.

"Thanks." Hammer blinked, watching the little sputtering fuse at the end. "Hmmmm?
AAAAAAA!" He threw the bundle into the house just in time.

BOOOM BOOM BOOM BOOOOMMM!

Staring at the now-collapsed pile of burning rubble, Hammer did what supervisors have done for
centuries when their plans fail to work out. He blamed his subordinates.

------

Mamoru dragged his marionette down the stairs into the cellar, coughing as smoke began to seep
down into the closed area. "Apple. Run self diagnostic."

Apple's eyes glowed slightly. "Damage to right knee joint. Mobility decreased by 45%. Damage to
right shoulder cable. Apple will be unable to use right arm until repairs are made."

Mamoru groaned. Just wonderful. "Stay here. Let me see if I can find anything that can help us
escape..." Mamoru's voice broke off as he stared. There were marionettes down here. Four of
them in display tubes.

There were also a lot of empty display tubes. Mamoru stared, trembling, long enough for Apple to
get curious and look herself. She gasped.

There was one that was immediately recognizable to both, an image out of dreams.

Mamoru coughed, a little weaker as the smoke began infiltrating the air of the cellar. If he could
just awaken this one...

Glassy eyes opened as power was reconnected. Then, because it had been what had worked on
Apple, Mamoru kissed the marionette.

---Program 2---
-->Blueberry<--
-----START-----

=============== =====