"What Dreams May Bring"- A Magical Girl High School Harem Comedy

[Quiver]

A press of bodies in a station square.
A chant of voices in a temple courtyard.
Salarymen in well-pressed suits and briefcases.
Women in extravagently coloured yukata.

This is Okubiro at Summer's end. A city of two worlds co-existing at once; tradition and modernity, the present and the past.

But for the children of Okubiro High School, the only thing that really matter's is the future. Because this is the end of Summer, which mean's tomorrow, the new school year begins.

For four young girls, it's also the start of much, much more.

Spoiler: Akiko Ichigo

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It's your favorite dream.

By day, you're Akiko Ichigo, 16 years old, and about to start your Second Year at Okiburo High School. Some people say you are a delinquaint, and a tomboy, and worse besides.

But by night... by night, you are the protector of Okiburo city, guarding it from whatever threats the early morning broadcast block might throw at you! A life of adventure, courage and love!

And, sure enough, it doesn't take very long for the cry of someone in need to reach you.

Spoiler: Shirai Shimizu

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It's your favorite dream.

By day, you're Shirai Shimizu, 17 years old, and about to start your Third Year at Okiburo High School. Your day's involve a lot of preparation, whether it's the mental composure of a young mistress, or preparations for the dance team.

But by night, you are a socialite among the elite of Okiburo, your grace, poise, and form attracting the eye -and envy- of every man and woman in the expensive room.

And, sure enough, it doesn't take long until you are the sole topic of conversation.

Spoiler: Trisha Lefay

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It's your favorite dream.

By day you're Trisha Lefay, 17 years old, and about to start your Third Year at Okiburo High School. You graduate at the end of the year, so it's time to think about the future... but you already know what the future holds, don't you?

By night, you sit upon a throne atop the tallest building in the city. In the real world, it's a TV station -they air those early morning cartton shows children like- by in your dreams, it has become your court, full to the brim with everyone who is anyone, bowing in low obesciance to the Empress of Okiburo.

And, sure enough, it doesn't take very long for someone to come seeking your favor.

Spoiler: Mayaganji Miko

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It's your favorite drea- wait. No it isn't.

This isn't Mayaganji Miko's favorite dream. This isn't Mayaganji Miko's favourite anything.

You find yourself alone, a white void stretching out from you in all directions. As if being 15 years old and facing the prospect of the first day of your First Year at Okiburo High School wasn't enough of a problem!

Where are you? For that matter, why is it that -despite the fact there isn't another person, another thing anywhere- you can't help but feel like you are being watched?

[7th son of sons]

Lady Shirai Shimizu smiled warmly at her guests from atop the stairwell. They had all gathered for her party. Of course they had! No one who was anyone would miss out on an evening in her company. As she descended the staircase, every eye in the room, eventually, came to her. Her smile didn't waiver at the attention, only growing warmer with each hand she shook or cheek she kissed. They were talking about her, she was sure, but it would take more than idle gossip to ruin her mood. She had all she wanted, there was no need to worry about anything.

[Illven]

Let them in. Trisha signaled her bodyguards, as she snuggled comfortably on the throne. Power carried great responsibilities. The mortals would want to be fed and cared for, to feel safe and secure. Trisha Lefay would do so. Not out of any real love of them of course. But she understood the responsibilities, the real goal was the power, the power to move men like they were chess pieces, to shape destiny like no one ever had before.

I will hear their concern. She added imperially.

[Lentrax]

Miko looks around her, a feeling of ice running down her spine. Not liking what this looks like, Miko picks a random direction, and flies off. Anything has to better than nothing.

Right?

[The_Admiral]

Of course, someone needs saving she thought as she rushed to a rather familiar seeming square. People running around in panic as a creature that on extremely close inspection might look like it was a person in a rubber suit stood in the middle, cackling as it tossed explosions everywhere.

She rushed towards the thing, stopping some distance away from the thing as she shouted, "HENSHIN! KNIGHT OF BLADE!" drawing a card from her pocket, raising it up into the air. It glowed as it enveloped her in a red suit of armour. She drew a oversized toylike blade from somewhere, she wasn't very sure and charged the creature.

[Quiver]

Spoiler: Akiko

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Cutting the monster causes sparks -well, of course it does; what did you expect, blood?- and it falls backwards.

(For a given value where "fall" is synonymous "leaping backwards in a flip onto it's back". Of course.)

"Aargh!" It roars, a voice that sounds modulated to a mix between terrifying and comedic. The trunk-faced creature gestures towards Akiko with a dramatic fist. "You'll pay for that!"

The air shimmers like a bad effect, and a dozen plain, identical-looking monsters appear from nowhere to surround the knight.

"Footsoldiers! Attack~!"

Spoiler: Shirai

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Yes, it's a wonderful party, and a wonderful evening. As Shirai crosses the floor, her every gesture is followed by chatter and gossip and...

...laughter?

Yes, there is, unmistakably, some laughter trailing in the air, less than half a foot behind the socialite's every step..

Spoiler: Trisha

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The doors open to admit the crowd of fawning admirers...and reveals nothing. An empty corridor, stretching out before the Empress.

Well. Almost empty. Because it seem's that she has had one petitioner, at least. A man, at that, white haired, looking almost surprised to see the throne room.

He quickly hides it. "Ah," he says, a voice smooth and calm. "I think I got turned around somewhere."

Spoiler: Miko

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For a long time, you see nothing. How long g is an immaterial question; there's no sun, moon, stars; nothing to track time by. A second might be a day might be a decade.

But, eventually, the nothingness begins to receed...or maybe that's the wrong way to put it. Because rather than the whiteness stopping, things just started appearing. Buildings and cobblestones began to appear around her, like vague drawings against a canvas, half colored in and sketchy.

And, more importantly, familiar. As the city -it's a vague city, but a city nonetheless- grows around her, Miko begins to get some sense of place and purpose.

[Illven]

Sir.... This is the throne room. Trisha asked surprised at the lack of adorers.

Why?.... What were you looking for? Trisha said a rising feeling in her gut.

[7th son of sons]

Laughter? Well, surely, her part was the talk of the town, and she was the hostess known to best entertain. But the laughter only followed her, never lead to her. With a tinge of fear in her heart, Shirai turned to see the source of the laughter.

[The_Admiral]

As the disposable mooks surrounded her, the Knight of Blades attacked, her sword cutting through them, or more specifically, knocking them back with a healthy helping of sparks.

She fought the creatures for a few minutes, using a few final attacks on them, turning around as they exploded. She finally turned her attention towards the elephant monster, pointing at it as she shouted, "We're doing this one on one!" as she leapt into the air, performing a flying kick.

[Lentrax]

A city? Well it's better. But it's still empty. Not that it matters terribly. She has no home. Nothing to hold her back. Which, she supposed makes one city as good as another.

She zooms down and starts flying through the streets.

[Quiver]

Spoiler: OOC

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Apologies for the delay. My work has pretty long hours, so this was the first chance I got to do this post; sorry!

Spoiler: Akiko

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The tiger-stripped creature look's shocked as you dispatch it's enemies. In fact, frow the wild gestures and over-enunciated way it proclaims "N-no way!" it would be difficult to interpret it's words as anything else. Rubber-suited monsters sure are an expressive bunch.

Still, Akiko lands a solid kick on the monsters chest, pushing it backwards. The tiger-hided creature clutches it's chest, obviously winded by the attack.

"St-stop! I give!"

This... is a staggeringly weak monster. It almost looks like it's about to cry.

Spoiler: Shirai

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Someone must have made some changes to the grand hall, because you don't remember there being a projector streaming images against a wall.

(Actually, is it a projector? There doesn't seem to be one set-up, the clips are just appearing there...)

Even if you had set it up, however, you probably wouldn't have authorised these clips to be shown. After all, this is a party to celebrate your sophistication and social grace.

So why is everyone watching that?

Spoiler

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So... as I say, sort of like a projector. There is an image being projected on the wall... and the image in question is of Shirai's most embarrassing moment. Whether that's something real, feigned, a secret that she doesn't want anyone to know... your call.
But, obviously, this is the point where her greatest dream is turning... south.

Spoiler: Trisha

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"Throne room?"

The man blinks, as if in surprise of that fact. He turns, looking arounnd and taking the room in.

"...Of course," he says quickly. "The throne room! And you're the... queen. Empress? Queen." He corrected himself with a quick bow.

"Yes, as I said, I seem to have gotten seperated from my... companion. My pet. You didn't happen to see a... a cat running around her, have you? Your majesty?"

Spoiler: Miko

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As you fly down the city streets, things start to become more defined. Not much moe, mind you; the colors are still block and half-finished. But at least the world starts to resemble more of a watercolour than a half-finished sketch...

Or, maybe half-finished is the way to put it. The further down the street you get, the more defined everything becomes. Almost as if someone had taken a giant eraser to the city block...

And then, at once, you see something that stands out; something that very much isn't a part of any city.

A small animal crawls across the streets. Unlike the buildings and sign posts and street lamps, it seem's more... solid somehow. Better defined.

Which is bizarre, considering it looks like nothing you've ever seen before. At least, not outside of books of fairy tales and folklore.

Ever stranger, now and then it raises it's head, lifts it's trunk, and gestures as if it is eating the air around it... and a little more of the substance and the color of the world around you fades away.

[The_Admiral]

".......wait what?" she exclaimed as her armour vanished in a flash of light, the producers were getting their money's worth for actors. The rather out of charachter moment for this monsters of the week knocking her out of the flow of try to blow monster up and watch it escape or lead into stronger monster as she succeeded, she could almost hear a record scratching in the background. She just stares at the Tigerphant in surprise and confusion, waiting for if to reply.

[Illven]

Um, Sorry. No I haven't. Trisha replies clearly confused.

Guards! Find this man's cat. And put some direction in this palace to the throne room! She ordered.

[7th son of sons]

Shirai bit her lip to keep from crying out. Hard. That wasn't her on the screen, she told herself. Well... well, it was her. But it certainly wasn't the her she had grown into, and it absolutely wasn't the her that she told people about. That was a long time, in a different point of her life. She quickly looked all about the room for the source of the projections, for the jokester who had somehow acquired this footage. There was Hell to pay for this, of that she was sure.

[Lentrax]

What is that thing? And what exactly is it doing to the city?

Miko flies down to get a better look.

[Quiver]

Spoiler: Akiko

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"A-all I wanted was a little midnight snack!"

Forget 'as if'; the tigerphant started bawling openly in the middle of the street, thick tears mixed with ridiculous trumpets.

"You're supposed to give up! That's how this's supposed to work!"

Spoiler: Shirai

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It probably isn't surprising that the looks you get crossing the room are more pointed than before. Oh, no one says anything -if course they don't- but then, in the coin of the upper class, silence is it's own damnation...

But then, the important thing right now is finding the one responsible. That shouldn't be too hard. You know every guest in the room, after all. You know who would be likely to hold grudges, or do something like this.

So who would have the means and motive to humiliate you like this?

Spoiler: Trisha

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"That won't be necessary," he replied with an off-hand wave.

"If he's around here, no doubt he'll turn up soon. His tastes can run to the most..."

There is a sound echoing deep from within the power, like silver ringing.

"...Peculiar." The hawk-faced man's eyebrow quirks at the sound, but he doesn't seem to care overly much. Instead, he looks you over.

"A queen. That's a common fantasy," he notes. "Ambitious, aren't you?"

Spoiler: Niko

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When you get closer, there isn't really any mistaking it. The animal looks like some sort of tapir, but smaller; much smaller, in fact. What seemed like walking really is more of a weak crawl, dragging itself across the ground...

As you approach, it's ears perk upwards. It turns, staring up with a pair of dark, soulful eyes.

"Buu." Mode a noise than a word, but it's curiosity is obvious, it's trunk uncurling towards you.

[Illven]

Trisha scoffs at this, it isn't ambition. Ambition implies rising above one's station. Her station is queen, empress of the world would be ambitious. It is in my bloodline to rule. Trisha states simply.

[7th son of sons]

It was obvious. It was so obvious. Shirai could kick herself for not going to her immediately. She skulked past the pointed, mocking, silently judging eyes of the cultural elite she surrounded herself with. Her party could wait. Shirai could handle a lot, and did handle a lot. She could brush off a lot, and overlook even more. But such a personal, spiteful, hateful act? In front of her peers and fellows? No, no, this was something that demanded her attention.

She stomped up the stairs, slipping between the socialites and debutantes that had attended her soiree. She unlocked the door to the west wing, to the master bedroom. Of course she'd be there. She always had a flair for drama. Where else would Shirai have picked it up?

"Hello, Mother," She spat as she open the door.

[The_Admiral]

She ignored the midnight snack statement, obviously some sort of pun she didn't get as she replied, "Why would I give up? Heroes never do." even as she cautiously approached the beast, attempting to comfort it.

[Lentrax]

Miko looks down at the thing with her own sad eyes. What are you?