Afternoon and Evening, June 15th, 1999--???

[happyhalloween]

[After Maria had shown up with Minako that morning for school as if it had been any other day, Mr Policeman had decided that instead of going to classes, Maria should spend the morning talking to him about Mamma. She'd told him that Mamma had been in a bad mood that evening and that she usually tried to sneak out when Mamma was in bad moods like that and go to visit Maya or Osaka or Minako those nights, because they'd let her sleep in her room and not tell any grown-ups that would try to take her home.

She thought Mr Policeman believed her. All that stuff she'd said was true, she'd just said it in a way that made him think she wasn't there when Space Witch Venus saved her from the Black Witch.

But after such a long time of boring questions, that had gone quite past the lunch break, Maria knew she had to go somewhere else than the school, if only for a little while. And Hiroshi still needed to be given lunch. That was it. She'd go to the convenience store and buy food for Hiroshi and feed him and talk to him while the others were in afternoon classes. Maybe she could tell him more about the Moon Princess. It didn't seem like he remembered much about her, not like Venus did, but Maria thought he'd be happy to know she was probably Maya.

Maria was, anyway.

--

After her talk with Hiroshi, Maria spends the rest of the afternoon in the clubroom, putting the finishing touches on her Apprentice Witch Chibi-Venus cloak and thinking about everything he'd said to her when she visited. Eventually, just before everyone files in to gloomily discuss what to do next, Maria makes a decision.

Next time Venus leaves her alone with Hiroshi, she's going to help him.]

Comments

[all_onis_are_true]

Hiroshi freezes. Alice... and Minako? That sick feeling in the pit of his stomach swirls and roils. "Ah... you need to dial the number first, then press it," he mumbles, suddenly fearing for Alice's safety. "But perhaps we should wait until we are in a different location before calling, yes?" Fears of the worst run through his head.

[happyhalloween]

"Right," Maria says, shoving the phone into her pocket. "We'll call when we're in the woods." She rummages in her pocket for a moment, then passes down a tiny spool of red thread. "Tie this around your wrist. And, uh, hm." Maria already had her own little magatama, of course. She'd got it the first night she'd stayed over at Maya-oneesan's house. But she didn't think Venus had given one to Hiroshi.

Oh wait, there was one there on the wall. It was kind of big... but Maria thought she had a solution for that. She starts unwinding Hiroshi's scarf from his neck, shifting around on his shoulders to make it easier.

"Give Maria the magatama and then we leave, okay? Maria's gonna make you a protective amulet."

[all_onis_are_true]

"Ah..." A part of him sighs internally. For the time being, he is playing by Maria's rules. And if he thinks about it, at this point almost nothing could be more unbelievable than what has already come to pass. Nodding, he takes the string and ties it around his wrist as requested before snagging the requested magatama. He has a vague feeling he knows what she's intending, but right now is not the time to question it.

"I trust you, Maria. Do what you think is necessary."

[happyhalloween]

"Good," Maria says. "Hiroshi should have trusted Maria from the beginning that magic was real... but Maria should have trusted Hiroshi too, maybe." Once Hiroshi's scarf is about half unwound, she slips the scarf through the hole in the magatama, then knots it so it'll stay there. Then she starts winding the scarf back around his neck. It's a little awkward staying on his shoulders while winding the scarf back around now that he's moving, but she manages to stay on.

Once Hiroshi makes his way out of the Secret Fey Clan Building in the woods, Maria fishes out the phone. "Maria will call Osaka first," she tells him. This is strategic thinking and has nothing to do with the fact that Osaka's number is the only one besides Maya and Minako's that Maria has memorized.

[ohmygah]

Sleep is something that isn't really coming to Osaka as often as it usually does. Maybe its because of all the recent less-than-fun shenanigans. Maybe its the fact she has to actively force herself to sleep, rather than just letting the natural exhaustion she normally feels to overcome her.

So she's fairly quick to the phone.

"Heya, Maria... what's goin' on...?"

[happyhalloween]

"Osaka!" Maria's voice sounds kind of jostled, almost like she's riding on someone's shoulders as she's talking. (This is because she is riding on someone's shoulders.)

"Osaka, we're gonna spring Maya-oneesan from jail! Minako turned into Space Witch Venus and now Shigetsuna-sama's bear's eaten her up from the inside, so she's doing bad things! Maya didn't do any of the bad things Mr Policeman thinks she did, it was all Venus and the bear! Maria unlocked Hiroshi from Venus' prison and we're coming back from the woods! Osaka has to meet Maria and Hiroshi outside the jail, okay?"

[all_onis_are_true]

Yes, she would explain it like that, wouldn't she? Hiroshi hopes that makes more sense to Osaka than it does to him. Still...

"Maria, you keep saying we're breaking Maya out of jail, but would it not simply be easier for me to tell the police what I saw? I am uncertain what she is accused of, but I am a witness to one of the deaths," he says, frowning.

[ohmygah]

what

Did. Did she get to sleep after all? Is that what's happening here?

"...Hiroshi's from space and Maya's in the woods?"

[happyhalloween]

"No, Hiroshi's the Prince of Earth! Minako's from space and-- excuse me--" Osaka should still be able to hear Maria's voice, however feint, as she holds the phone away so she can lean down to tell Hiroshi, "No! We can't tell anyone outside the club! That's how Minako got possessed, because we let Souji know we were gonna do the ritual!"

A few seconds later and, "Sorry, Osaka! Hiroshi is being silly! Listen, Minako did all the bad stuff because she's possessed. Maya was framed! We have to break her out of jail. Get whatever you need and go hide out next to the jail. You have to, okay? Osaka is Maria's apprentice, so she has to follow her orders."

[ohmygah]

Okay then. This was now happening. Osaka, being the intelligent, reasonable, and logical person she is, responds appropriately.

She salutes. "Ya got it, boss-chan! What should Ah get?"

[happyhalloween]

Maria takes a second to consider this. "Ooh, um, rope! And a flashlight! And bandages! And maybe something to cut the bandages with. And-- and a boombox with some loud music in it!"

Because they might need a distraction for Mr Policeman.

"Also, a net if you have one."

[all_onis_are_true]

Hiroshi legit has no idea where the hell any of this is going. All he hopes is that when this is all over, they don't get TOO much jail time for this. Especially if Maria isn't going to let him provide testimony. "Dare I ask what this plan entails?" he asks hesitantly.

[ohmygah]

"Ah'm on it! Ah'll meet ya there!"

And then she asks her mom to help gather some materials and then drive her to the jail. Which her mom helps with, because Osaka's mom is chill.

[happyhalloween]

Once Osaka hangs up, Maria leans down to talk to Hiroshi more. "We're gonna distract Mr Policeman, jump him, tie him up, and steal his keys," Maria explains, as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "Now, what's the President's phone number?"

[all_onis_are_true]

"...Should be saved in the autodial under her name," he replies, suppressing a sigh. "If you hold that button between the red and the green one, you can find a menu for it." Hiroshi really has no control over this situation. And frankly, he has sort of stopped caring at this point whether he does or not.

He wonders what the plan afterwards is, though.

[happyhalloween]

"Ooooh," says Maria. "Hiroshi's so smart about phones." She plays around with the autodial, until she finds the Chiyoko's name. "Ah! Here it is."

She's just gonna go dial it now!

[kaicho]

[ the second ring barely has time to fade out before Chiyoko snatches up her phone and of course it slips through her fingers. she does a mad grabbing dance through the air with her phone, grabbing it a instant before it clatters to the ground and answers, panic evident in her voice. ]

H--hey, Maria-chan! What's goin' on?! What's happenin'? You went off with a policeman this mornin' yeah?! What happened?

[happyhalloween]

Oh, that was because of Mama. Space Witch Venus defeated the Black Witch while the Black Witch was possessing Mama.

[Maria, you don't have to say it so casually.]

That's not so important, though! Maria didn't tell Mr Policeman about Space Witch Venus, because she was trying to protect her, but Hiroshi helped Maria realize that Shigetsuna-sama's bear ate Venus up from the inside and now it's making her do bad things! [There's a slight pause and then she adds:] Space Witch Venus used to be Minako.

[kaicho]

[ she has a million and one questions for Maria and there's a scolding on the tip of her tongue, for going off on one of her magic rambles right now when Chiyoko's so worried

but then she says Minako and suddenly everything comes horribly and sharply into focus. ]

W--wait, Minako-- y--you're sayin' Minako's the one this time? She's the one killin' everyone?!

[happyhalloween]

[Maria nods before she realizes that the President can't see her nodding.]

She became Space Witch Venus to help awaken the Moon Princess. That's Maya. She and Hiroshi are gonna get married later, because he's the Earth Prince. But we broke one of Shigetsuna-sama's rules when we let Souji know about the ritual, so instead of the offering not getting their wish and having to do lots of hard work, she sent her bear to eat the offering up!

[This sounds weird, but we promise it makes perfect sense to Maria.]

[kaicho]

[ okay. okay from what she remembers last time, osaka... split, right down the middle. ayumu and osaka, two different people. from the sounds of it this is... something similar. minako's delusions are different, more over the top, but no less dangerous for it.

maria's been running around with her. just what's the poor kid seen minako do? how many times has she been in danger?

she takes in a big breath, holds it to try and calm herself, but her exhale and her voice are both still shaky ]

Maria-chan, listen to me. No matter what Minako says, she ain't safe right now -- you gotta promise me you ain't gonna go near her again, okay? We gotta go to the police and tell 'em everythin', before anyone else gets hurt!

[happyhalloween]

No! We can't tell the police! This happened because Souji knew about things! If the police find out, more bad things will happen!

[Maria says this with all the conviction in her little nine-year-old body.]

Maria knows Venus isn't safe anymore. That's why Maria sent Tomosuke with Venus on a secret mission alone together, so she could break Hiroshi out from the Secret Chamber!

[kaicho]

Wait-- you-- Hiroshi's with you?

[ just give her a second to drag her hand down her face because this conversation is going places she is not prepared to handle right now ]

You found Hiroshi? Is he with you right now? Is he okay?!

[happyhalloween]

Of course! Hiroshi's been in the Secret Chamber since yesterday! Venus locked him up with her Love-Me Chain! And Maria brought him lunch today because she thought Space Witch Venus would forget to!

[Maria bought it all by herself at the convenience store! Of course, she's had a lot of practice doing that on nights when Mama hadn't been home, before she had her club members to take care of her.]

Hiroshi is okay. He's giving Maria a lift on his shoulders to the town. And he let Maria borrow his cell phone! But he might need a few bandages, but Maria told Osaka to bring them when we meet up to break Maya-oneesan out of jail.

[kaicho]

[ EVERY TIME SHE THINKS SHE'S CATCHING UP TO THE CONVERSATION, SOMETHING COMES OUT NOWHERE AND JUST BLINDSIDES HER

There's a good ten seconds of spluttering before she finally manages to make herself coherant and yells into the phone ]

YOU'RE DOING WHAT?!

THAT'S BREAKIN' THE LAW! LIKE, EVERY LAW! EVERY SINGLE LAW!