this is sort of like railgun fanfic. normal considerations about spoilers apply; you should be ok if you're through the third volume of the manga which is equivalent to the first half of the first season of the anime.
you might get something out of it even if you don't know anything about railgun. but obviously don't read it if drug use offends you.
***
EPISODE 14
her fingers in the sand. a kitten purrs.
the air in her breath is warm and salty.
her eyes can't make out anything for the sun. slowly, she sits up to see the cat. sand slides from her shoulders, massaging her legs.
the cat rolls down her chest and smacks her legs. it was purring, but now it's pissed, turning to its feet again and yelling in a shrill male voice:
ALICE! YOU MUST CEASE DESTRUCTION OF NEUROMUTE PROPERTY IMMEDIATELY.
the cat talked!!
... wait, alice?
YOU MUST KNOW YOUR OWN NAME.
saten ruiko knows her own name, and it's not alice.
this beach is beautiful, though. the waves working just out of sight are quiet. the sand is fine and clean. there's no one else around.
just this cat. it won't stop moving. it's got orange stripes. it's like the sand.
um ... cat?
YOU MUST KNOW THAT I AM CALLED KAGAMI. YOU MUST DEFEND THE NETWORK FROM WINTERMANCER.
wha?? kagami? you're called kagami? i have to defend what? why am i on this beach all of a sudden? i thought i was -
YOU MUST DEFEND THE NETWORK FROM WINTERMANCER.
what network? why me? i don't have any esper powers. at least, not any more. i'm just a level 0 -
YOU MUST TRANSFORM.
the cat bats an ear, turns, and licks its fur.
saten slowly reaches for the cat on her lap. it looks just like a normal cat. it's got sandy orange stripes and a small head and a tongue to lick itself and a usb tail ...
she gasps and follows the cat's back down to its tail, a pure white plastic cable with a usb plug on the end, complete with the little logo. is this really attached? she pulls the plastic tail a bit and the whine returns, warning:
YOU MUST CEASE DESTRUCTION OF NEUROMUTE PROPERTY IMMEDIATELY.
its mouth doesn't move. is that voice really coming from the cat? saten tries pulling the tail again and -
YOU MUST CEASE DESTRUCTION OF NEUROMUTE PROPERTY IMMEDIATELY.
yes, yes, i can make it talk like this -
YOU MUST CEASE DESTRUCTION OF NEUROMUTE PROPERTY IMMEDIATELY.
this is fun! but where am i?
saten foists the usb cat from her legs to the beach and rises to look about. the waves slipping in and out and the cat grooming up and down are the only movement. it's all beach in three directions.
hey! is anyone there??
...
anyone?
after looking around again, saten sits and sighs. cat?
YOU MUST KNOW THAT I AM CALLED KAGAMI.
... kagami?
nothing.
kagami, where am i?
YOU MUST KNOW THAT THIS IS THE DOMAIN OF NEUROMUTE.
who is that? neuromute ...
YOU MUST KNOW THAT NEUROMUTE IS THE LORD OF THIS DOMAIN.
the usb cat pauses a moment to peer at saten quizzically. the situation has her in stitches.
okay, okay, now what does neuromute want me to do? i'm just a level 0, this has got to be a mistake -
YOU MUST DEFEND THE NETWORK FROM WINTERMANCER.
what network? do you mean the internet?
YOU MUST KNOW THAT THE AIM NETWORK IS NOT CURRENTLY CONNECTED WITH THE INTERNET.
the aim network ... uiharu said something about that. but that's over now. i mean, i don't have any powers. that's all over.
two steps to saten's leg and the cat takes a whiff.
what? why is it smelling me?
YOU MUST BE MISTAKEN. YOU MUST KNOW THAT YOU ARE LOCATED ON THE AIM NETWORK.
what?
YOU MUST KNOW THAT YOU ARE LOCATED ON THE AIM NETWORK.
that's where i am right now?
YOU MUST KNOW THAT THIS IS THE DOMAIN OF NEUROMUTE.
who's neuromute?
YOU MUST KNOW THAT NEUROMUTE IS THE LORD OF THIS DOMAIN.
saten grabs the cat in frustration.
YOU MUST CEASE DESTRUCTION OF NEUROMUTE PROPERTY IMMEDIATELY.
shut up! stupid cat. tell me how to get out of here!
YOU MUST DEFEND THE NETWORK FROM WINTERMANCER.
she throws the cat, ignoring its automated message about destruction of some douchebag's property.
a chill grows in her chest. she backs away and then begins to run.
she expects to hear from the cat, but there's nothing to hear but her own steps in the sand.
she doesn't notice the sky. as she runs, clouds draw in. the sun, low, is soon gone, and a cold breeze touches her skin.
this isn't good. i only have my bathing suit on. i have to find shelter.
but all she sees is beach. a strong wave breaks, and cold water drills pain into her.
she starts running away from the water but she feels sick. the clouds are turning dark and churning down to the horizon. the wind is constant.
the clouds drop below the horizon and she looks down and she sees the beach shooting away, the water and the sand two panes in a stained glass window, turning faster and faster and then the usb cat is right in her face.
she starts to scream but the cat is blocking her mouth. she can feel its warmth on her cheeks. the rest of her body is shaking from the cold.
what is going on?? help!!
YOU MUST DEFEND THE NETWORK FROM WINTERMANCER.
is wintermancer doing this?? i don't have any powers any more even if i'm still on the network after all. i know, trust me, i don't have any powers, so please get me out of here!
she pulls the cat away from her face and:
YOU MUST TRANSFORM.
lightning flashes from all sides. a snowflake wanders by.
transform??
YOU MUST OPEN YOUR THIRD EYE.
what??
YOU MUST OPEN YOUR THIRD -
sudden thunder and the cat is swept away. she can see it spinning far below her.
how do i do that??
YOU MUST TRANSFORM.
you piece of shit!
she's floating and helpless in the cold wind. more and more snow accumulates on her skin.
pain reaches out from her lungs. she stops breathing for an instant, but the wind forces her mouth open.
snow catches on her eyelashes and she blinks and it digs into her eyes. but she can tell there is something moving in the snow.
is it just her imagination?
she claws her eyes free of snow with her shuddering hands and she sees the shadow moving behind the snow.
who is it? who's there?
she reaches out weakly with her hand, but it disappears into the shadow. after a moment, before she can feel the pain, she spins back and back and back and ...
... there is something warm on her face. she starts and grabs at it. it's the usb cat.
she is shaking too hard to talk. she can't think. she tries to move her jaw to speak: help.
YOU MUST TRANSFORM.
she's not one to give up, but she doesn't know how to "transform." she doesn't even know which esper power that's supposed to be. she should have paid more attention in class.
but even if she knew which power it was, what would it matter?
... third eye?
she reaches up to her forehead because there is something cold up there, something she didn't know she was wearing.
she fingers it but she feels nothing. she squeezes the cat trying to warm her fingers.
she feels the cat's cold wire tail.
she passes the end of it.
she understands.
saten spins in the wind, snow driving into her body, her mouth quaking, her skin all numb, her vision gone, her world black.
she plugs the cat into her forehead and screams:
open my third eye!
***
now there is nothing.
it's much quieter than falling asleep. there's nothing at all to see, not even what she usually sees when she closes her eyes and sees something different, something only she can see.
she closes her eyes and sees something different, something only she can see. she opens her eyes and there is less, only black.
there is no snow now, no wind. she is still floating, but she feels nothing from her frozen body.
she reaches up and finds the usb cable extending from her forehead. she feels down the cable in the dark and finds the cat floating right before her. it's warm and soft. it's the same as it has always been.
hello?
the cat does not respond. it's purring, though. the waves working out of sight are quiet. can she hear them?
letting go of the cat, she's sure she can hear them. the purrs are louder and louder.
as the warm waves break on her sandy skin, she doesn't know what to do. she feels them coming from the cat. they're tickling her skin under her bathing suit.
the noise is definitely affecting her. a new shiver begins and ends and she hears her backbone popping. but it's still popping.
louder and louder, higher and higher.
the usb cat is in her face again, shaking. it's making the popping noise that's also coming from her own body. she tries to bat it away, but she's held in place against a wall. she's stuck up against the cat. someone is zipping them up together. zipping faster and faster.
the cat is growing. its fur is around her neck. the sound is all around her head. it is the cat screaming.
she can't move her arms. she is going to gasp but then it explodes.
it is a supernova in her face. her head is a gong. the universe grows and her bathing suit is stretched and torn from her body. light pierces a crack in the black and passes through millions of fragments of the sandy cat on its way to her three eyes. she is dazzled. and then she hears all of them.
each kind of rock sounds different. she knows them all by name. one is a jig from america in the 1920s. and another is a conga. sometimes she downloads stuff just for the hell of it.
this one's a slow waltz. this one's a much faster waltz.
and this one's ... in 17/8. do people even dance to that?
she can hear them all at once.
the faster rocks slow to match the others, but the slow ones have already sped up. and some are adding beats and some are losing them. which ones are adding and which ones are subtracting?
the sand is lonely.
light is passing through, but she can't tell by looking at them which rocks need to pass in front of the others. she can hear them, though.
she turns her head.
it's a sideways 8, each rock its own racecar. she realizes they will eventually pass the center at the same time.
she hears millions of them at once. the light is brighter and brighter, passing through them and showing her what they look like together. one by one, they are checked off, but she doesn't think of them one by one.
all at once, she thinks of them. the sideways 8 is on her face around her first two eyes. her third eye hears them.
they are joining one another. tiny geometric shapes shine lights on the black. there are more different shapes than there are stars in the night sky in the countryside. they are all mirrors, reflecting the light from her face back into her three eyes. they are louder and louder.
her eyes change and she sees a thousand eyes looking back at her in the tiny mirrors. some are in 5/4 but lose a beat and then there are a million more mirrors. more mirrors and more eyes and more eyes and more mirrors and more eyes. faster and faster, more and more and more and more and more. they are splitting and joining one another. they are all eyes.
they are the green eyes of the cat, hunting. in a blink, they are her eyes.
she sees her own body from everywhere at once. the black shell around her is cracking open with light from her eyes.
the mirrors with her eyes in them are shimmering with the mirage of a billion more eyes. she sees them melting. she sees everything at once. she sees that the entire universe is her body.
the eye drops fall like rain on her face, over her three closed eyes and down her cheeks and into her mouth and down her throat and down her chest and down her stomach and down her legs and around her feet and back up her legs and butt and back and neck. her tears have eyes. they are hot in her skin. her hair sees her eyes fall against her back.
they are slowing as they dry. she can see them circling her like a suit of armor, a trillion tiny mirrors, each an eye, a flower opening down her chest and waist, her legs extending like stamens, her whole universe visible in her body.
her three closed eyes can see through millions of eyes at the bottoms of her earlobes through trillions of eyes, some extending from her shoulders, some following her arms down to her wrists, some in her fingernails, some extending from her waist, some following her legs down to her feet, some in her toenails, some beneath her feet pointed down at the top of her head through to her three eyes which open now and she sees every eye in every eye.
there is no more black. she is everything.
from inside her body, she hears her name:
KNIGHT OF NEUROMUTE: MIRROR SHADE!
She smiles.
***
So I'm supposed to defeat that Winter thing?
YOU MUST DEFEND THE NETWORK FROM WINTERMANCER.
She smiles again. She sees the shadow moving behind the snow. She sees inside of it and from inside of it. She is everywhere.
She sees tape passing through its mouth from a single reel before returning there.
IT MUST BE A MERE TURING MACHINE.
The cat also sees everything that she sees.
She lifts Wintermancer into her arms and holds it against her chest, warming it. Its snow is the water her mother sprayed at her playing in the garden as a child.
She loves it. It is one with her.
The sky is blue again. She steps into the sand and it marches up her legs to meet her. The waves wash her silicon legs. She is the beach. She can see the salt reflected in the sand.
She can see herself sleeping on the beach, the USB cat on her chest, purring.
She feels the waves working.
She reaches out to wake herself.
her fingers in the sand.
***
(preview for next time)
YOU MUST DEFEND THE NETWORK FROM NEUROMUTE.
okay -
wait. from neuromute? i thought i was supposed to transform and defend it against wintermancer.
YOU MUST KNOW THAT THIS IS THE DOMAIN OF WINTERMANCER.
a snowflake drifts through.
YOU MUST DEFEND THE NETWORK FROM NEUROMUTE.
it lands on her nose.
***
This program was brought to you by:
mizuki nana as hanasaki tsubomi in heartcatch precure
shpongle: nothing lasts ... but nothing is lost
you might get something out of it even if you don't know anything about railgun. but obviously don't read it if drug use offends you.
***
EPISODE 14
her fingers in the sand. a kitten purrs.
the air in her breath is warm and salty.
her eyes can't make out anything for the sun. slowly, she sits up to see the cat. sand slides from her shoulders, massaging her legs.
the cat rolls down her chest and smacks her legs. it was purring, but now it's pissed, turning to its feet again and yelling in a shrill male voice:
ALICE! YOU MUST CEASE DESTRUCTION OF NEUROMUTE PROPERTY IMMEDIATELY.
the cat talked!!
... wait, alice?
YOU MUST KNOW YOUR OWN NAME.
saten ruiko knows her own name, and it's not alice.
this beach is beautiful, though. the waves working just out of sight are quiet. the sand is fine and clean. there's no one else around.
just this cat. it won't stop moving. it's got orange stripes. it's like the sand.
um ... cat?
YOU MUST KNOW THAT I AM CALLED KAGAMI. YOU MUST DEFEND THE NETWORK FROM WINTERMANCER.
wha?? kagami? you're called kagami? i have to defend what? why am i on this beach all of a sudden? i thought i was -
YOU MUST DEFEND THE NETWORK FROM WINTERMANCER.
what network? why me? i don't have any esper powers. at least, not any more. i'm just a level 0 -
YOU MUST TRANSFORM.
the cat bats an ear, turns, and licks its fur.
saten slowly reaches for the cat on her lap. it looks just like a normal cat. it's got sandy orange stripes and a small head and a tongue to lick itself and a usb tail ...
she gasps and follows the cat's back down to its tail, a pure white plastic cable with a usb plug on the end, complete with the little logo. is this really attached? she pulls the plastic tail a bit and the whine returns, warning:
YOU MUST CEASE DESTRUCTION OF NEUROMUTE PROPERTY IMMEDIATELY.
its mouth doesn't move. is that voice really coming from the cat? saten tries pulling the tail again and -
YOU MUST CEASE DESTRUCTION OF NEUROMUTE PROPERTY IMMEDIATELY.
yes, yes, i can make it talk like this -
YOU MUST CEASE DESTRUCTION OF NEUROMUTE PROPERTY IMMEDIATELY.
this is fun! but where am i?
saten foists the usb cat from her legs to the beach and rises to look about. the waves slipping in and out and the cat grooming up and down are the only movement. it's all beach in three directions.
hey! is anyone there??
...
anyone?
after looking around again, saten sits and sighs. cat?
YOU MUST KNOW THAT I AM CALLED KAGAMI.
... kagami?
nothing.
kagami, where am i?
YOU MUST KNOW THAT THIS IS THE DOMAIN OF NEUROMUTE.
who is that? neuromute ...
YOU MUST KNOW THAT NEUROMUTE IS THE LORD OF THIS DOMAIN.
the usb cat pauses a moment to peer at saten quizzically. the situation has her in stitches.
okay, okay, now what does neuromute want me to do? i'm just a level 0, this has got to be a mistake -
YOU MUST DEFEND THE NETWORK FROM WINTERMANCER.
what network? do you mean the internet?
YOU MUST KNOW THAT THE AIM NETWORK IS NOT CURRENTLY CONNECTED WITH THE INTERNET.
the aim network ... uiharu said something about that. but that's over now. i mean, i don't have any powers. that's all over.
two steps to saten's leg and the cat takes a whiff.
what? why is it smelling me?
YOU MUST BE MISTAKEN. YOU MUST KNOW THAT YOU ARE LOCATED ON THE AIM NETWORK.
what?
YOU MUST KNOW THAT YOU ARE LOCATED ON THE AIM NETWORK.
that's where i am right now?
YOU MUST KNOW THAT THIS IS THE DOMAIN OF NEUROMUTE.
who's neuromute?
YOU MUST KNOW THAT NEUROMUTE IS THE LORD OF THIS DOMAIN.
saten grabs the cat in frustration.
YOU MUST CEASE DESTRUCTION OF NEUROMUTE PROPERTY IMMEDIATELY.
shut up! stupid cat. tell me how to get out of here!
YOU MUST DEFEND THE NETWORK FROM WINTERMANCER.
she throws the cat, ignoring its automated message about destruction of some douchebag's property.
a chill grows in her chest. she backs away and then begins to run.
she expects to hear from the cat, but there's nothing to hear but her own steps in the sand.
she doesn't notice the sky. as she runs, clouds draw in. the sun, low, is soon gone, and a cold breeze touches her skin.
this isn't good. i only have my bathing suit on. i have to find shelter.
but all she sees is beach. a strong wave breaks, and cold water drills pain into her.
she starts running away from the water but she feels sick. the clouds are turning dark and churning down to the horizon. the wind is constant.
the clouds drop below the horizon and she looks down and she sees the beach shooting away, the water and the sand two panes in a stained glass window, turning faster and faster and then the usb cat is right in her face.
she starts to scream but the cat is blocking her mouth. she can feel its warmth on her cheeks. the rest of her body is shaking from the cold.
what is going on?? help!!
YOU MUST DEFEND THE NETWORK FROM WINTERMANCER.
is wintermancer doing this?? i don't have any powers any more even if i'm still on the network after all. i know, trust me, i don't have any powers, so please get me out of here!
she pulls the cat away from her face and:
YOU MUST TRANSFORM.
lightning flashes from all sides. a snowflake wanders by.
transform??
YOU MUST OPEN YOUR THIRD EYE.
what??
YOU MUST OPEN YOUR THIRD -
sudden thunder and the cat is swept away. she can see it spinning far below her.
how do i do that??
YOU MUST TRANSFORM.
you piece of shit!
she's floating and helpless in the cold wind. more and more snow accumulates on her skin.
pain reaches out from her lungs. she stops breathing for an instant, but the wind forces her mouth open.
snow catches on her eyelashes and she blinks and it digs into her eyes. but she can tell there is something moving in the snow.
is it just her imagination?
she claws her eyes free of snow with her shuddering hands and she sees the shadow moving behind the snow.
who is it? who's there?
she reaches out weakly with her hand, but it disappears into the shadow. after a moment, before she can feel the pain, she spins back and back and back and ...
... there is something warm on her face. she starts and grabs at it. it's the usb cat.
she is shaking too hard to talk. she can't think. she tries to move her jaw to speak: help.
YOU MUST TRANSFORM.
she's not one to give up, but she doesn't know how to "transform." she doesn't even know which esper power that's supposed to be. she should have paid more attention in class.
but even if she knew which power it was, what would it matter?
... third eye?
she reaches up to her forehead because there is something cold up there, something she didn't know she was wearing.
she fingers it but she feels nothing. she squeezes the cat trying to warm her fingers.
she feels the cat's cold wire tail.
she passes the end of it.
she understands.
saten spins in the wind, snow driving into her body, her mouth quaking, her skin all numb, her vision gone, her world black.
she plugs the cat into her forehead and screams:
open my third eye!
***
now there is nothing.
it's much quieter than falling asleep. there's nothing at all to see, not even what she usually sees when she closes her eyes and sees something different, something only she can see.
she closes her eyes and sees something different, something only she can see. she opens her eyes and there is less, only black.
there is no snow now, no wind. she is still floating, but she feels nothing from her frozen body.
she reaches up and finds the usb cable extending from her forehead. she feels down the cable in the dark and finds the cat floating right before her. it's warm and soft. it's the same as it has always been.
hello?
the cat does not respond. it's purring, though. the waves working out of sight are quiet. can she hear them?
letting go of the cat, she's sure she can hear them. the purrs are louder and louder.
as the warm waves break on her sandy skin, she doesn't know what to do. she feels them coming from the cat. they're tickling her skin under her bathing suit.
the noise is definitely affecting her. a new shiver begins and ends and she hears her backbone popping. but it's still popping.
louder and louder, higher and higher.
the usb cat is in her face again, shaking. it's making the popping noise that's also coming from her own body. she tries to bat it away, but she's held in place against a wall. she's stuck up against the cat. someone is zipping them up together. zipping faster and faster.
the cat is growing. its fur is around her neck. the sound is all around her head. it is the cat screaming.
she can't move her arms. she is going to gasp but then it explodes.
it is a supernova in her face. her head is a gong. the universe grows and her bathing suit is stretched and torn from her body. light pierces a crack in the black and passes through millions of fragments of the sandy cat on its way to her three eyes. she is dazzled. and then she hears all of them.
each kind of rock sounds different. she knows them all by name. one is a jig from america in the 1920s. and another is a conga. sometimes she downloads stuff just for the hell of it.
this one's a slow waltz. this one's a much faster waltz.
and this one's ... in 17/8. do people even dance to that?
she can hear them all at once.
the faster rocks slow to match the others, but the slow ones have already sped up. and some are adding beats and some are losing them. which ones are adding and which ones are subtracting?
the sand is lonely.
light is passing through, but she can't tell by looking at them which rocks need to pass in front of the others. she can hear them, though.
she turns her head.
it's a sideways 8, each rock its own racecar. she realizes they will eventually pass the center at the same time.
she hears millions of them at once. the light is brighter and brighter, passing through them and showing her what they look like together. one by one, they are checked off, but she doesn't think of them one by one.
all at once, she thinks of them. the sideways 8 is on her face around her first two eyes. her third eye hears them.
they are joining one another. tiny geometric shapes shine lights on the black. there are more different shapes than there are stars in the night sky in the countryside. they are all mirrors, reflecting the light from her face back into her three eyes. they are louder and louder.
her eyes change and she sees a thousand eyes looking back at her in the tiny mirrors. some are in 5/4 but lose a beat and then there are a million more mirrors. more mirrors and more eyes and more eyes and more mirrors and more eyes. faster and faster, more and more and more and more and more. they are splitting and joining one another. they are all eyes.
they are the green eyes of the cat, hunting. in a blink, they are her eyes.
she sees her own body from everywhere at once. the black shell around her is cracking open with light from her eyes.
the mirrors with her eyes in them are shimmering with the mirage of a billion more eyes. she sees them melting. she sees everything at once. she sees that the entire universe is her body.
the eye drops fall like rain on her face, over her three closed eyes and down her cheeks and into her mouth and down her throat and down her chest and down her stomach and down her legs and around her feet and back up her legs and butt and back and neck. her tears have eyes. they are hot in her skin. her hair sees her eyes fall against her back.
they are slowing as they dry. she can see them circling her like a suit of armor, a trillion tiny mirrors, each an eye, a flower opening down her chest and waist, her legs extending like stamens, her whole universe visible in her body.
her three closed eyes can see through millions of eyes at the bottoms of her earlobes through trillions of eyes, some extending from her shoulders, some following her arms down to her wrists, some in her fingernails, some extending from her waist, some following her legs down to her feet, some in her toenails, some beneath her feet pointed down at the top of her head through to her three eyes which open now and she sees every eye in every eye.
there is no more black. she is everything.
from inside her body, she hears her name:
KNIGHT OF NEUROMUTE: MIRROR SHADE!
She smiles.
***
So I'm supposed to defeat that Winter thing?
YOU MUST DEFEND THE NETWORK FROM WINTERMANCER.
She smiles again. She sees the shadow moving behind the snow. She sees inside of it and from inside of it. She is everywhere.
She sees tape passing through its mouth from a single reel before returning there.
IT MUST BE A MERE TURING MACHINE.
The cat also sees everything that she sees.
She lifts Wintermancer into her arms and holds it against her chest, warming it. Its snow is the water her mother sprayed at her playing in the garden as a child.
She loves it. It is one with her.
The sky is blue again. She steps into the sand and it marches up her legs to meet her. The waves wash her silicon legs. She is the beach. She can see the salt reflected in the sand.
She can see herself sleeping on the beach, the USB cat on her chest, purring.
She feels the waves working.
She reaches out to wake herself.
her fingers in the sand.
***
(preview for next time)
YOU MUST DEFEND THE NETWORK FROM NEUROMUTE.
okay -
wait. from neuromute? i thought i was supposed to transform and defend it against wintermancer.
YOU MUST KNOW THAT THIS IS THE DOMAIN OF WINTERMANCER.
a snowflake drifts through.
YOU MUST DEFEND THE NETWORK FROM NEUROMUTE.
it lands on her nose.
***
This program was brought to you by:
mizuki nana as hanasaki tsubomi in heartcatch precure
shpongle: nothing lasts ... but nothing is lost
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