Chapter 9: ACT 1 – Beginning (Part 9)

Jackie took a deep breath and focused her energy into channeling Luna’s form. This was how Sumire and Katherine had taught her to do it. Having assumed the form of her kinkind, Jackie went to exit the tatami room to go find Katherine and ask her to teach her how to fly a broom.

“Hold on,” Sumire exclaimed, “when you were fighting that Kuro follower last night…” the witch walked over to Jackie, “where did he go after you defeated him?”

Jackie paused, “He… went into a black hole thingy, not unalike your vortexes,” she said.

“Interesting…” Sumire muttered, rubbing her chin like a sleuth might, “Have fun with Katherine and try not to fall off your broom!” she winked, opening another portal and hopping inside before disappearing along with it.

Jackie entered Sumire’s main hall. No sign of Katherine anywhere. Jackie looked around. Left. Right. Left. Right. Even up and down. All she could see was Kitty dusting shelves.

“Hey, Kitty,” Jackie said, “do you know where Katherine went?”

“In there!” Kitty beamed, pointing towards a door.

“Thanks!” Jackie smiled, walking over to the door and knocking.

“Come in!”

Jackie did as instructed and opened the door, entering Katherine’s room. But Katherine was nowhere to be found. Instead, a young man with long cream-colored hair, a red t-shirt, black flame-printed shorts and a black and red baseball cap stood before the tengu.

 

A purple vortex opened up outside Vladimir’s guard station, which Sumire hopped out of. Vladimir looked up from his cup of coffee and stepped out of the station to reluctantly greet Sumire.

“Vlad, I’ve got great news!” the woman beamed.

Vladimir raised his eyebrow.

“Really?” he asked, “Let’s hear it, then.”

“It turns out that watching this border was completely useless!” Sumire grinned.

Vladimir gritted his teeth. “Was she serious?” he thought. All those weeks he’d spent watching the border when he could’ve been out in the field catching crooks were all for nothing?

“Why’d you ask me to watch this stupid border, then?” he angrily growled.

“Well, I thought that humans from the human realm were crossing over and Kuro was turning them into kinkind warriors…” Sumire stated, “but it seems that isn’t the case.”

“Why’s that?” Vladimir asked, “Where else could she be getting her familiars from?”

“She’s teleporting them here.” Sumire stated matter-of-factly.

“Impossible,” Vladimir exclaimed, “Teleportation is your ability!” Vladimir put his face in his palm. “Two unrelated demons having the same kind of magic is unheard of.”

“Well, I’m not claiming to know how she’s doing it!” Sumire moaned. “Maybe she figured out how to make a teleportation device?”

 

Back in Katherine’s chambers, Jackie stared at the man standing before her.

“Oh, uh…” she stammered, “Kitty said this was Katherine’s room, sorry…”

“That is correct,” the man said, “this is Katherine’s room.”

“Oh? Where is she?”

“Katherine’s my kinkind,” the man explained, “I am known as Jun.”

“I, uh, didn’t realize Katherine was a kinkind,” Jackie said.

“That’s alright,” Jun smiled, “Miss Sumire’s the only other person who knows.” Jun paused. “…Can I ask you a personal question, Jackie?”

“Uh… Sure, hit me,” Jackie shrugged.

“Do you have a family?” Jun asked, with a blank expression.

“Yeah, I have a twin sister,” Jackie smiled. “Why do you ask?”

“And you left her?” Jun frowned.

“I’ll see her again after I’ve saved Phantasia, right?”

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“That’s what she said,” Jun remarked, lowering his head.

“Excuse me?!” Jackie said, raising Luna’s eyebrow.

“Kitty,” Jun said, “Kitty used to be just like us. …Why are you here, Jackie?”

“Uh, Miss Shakespeare told me to ask you about learning magic, remember?”

“Not that,” Jun frowned, looking Jackie in Luna’s eyes, “Why are you still in Phantasia?”

“To… save people?”

“And why do you want to save people? Is it because you care about life, or because you crave glory?”

“I care about justice,” Jackie exclaimed without a second thought, “and I won’t stand-by when innocents are in danger!”

Jun smiled. Suddenly Luna’s body began to flicker again and Jackie felt herself losing conscious.

“Although…” Luna slyly smiled, “a little glory never hurt anyone.”

“Alright, Luna,” Jun growled, “you’re worse than I thought! We’ll have to get you under control!”

“I’d like to see you try, Jun.”

Luna’s body once again faded in and out of being, as Jackie’s mind returned to the tengu’s form.

“Jun, I am SO sorry!” Jackie apologized, “I don’t know what came over me!”

“I understand,” Jun sighed. “It’s a… side effect of channeling your kinkind.”

“You asked about my family,” Jackie said, “may I ask about yours?”

“I’m an orphan. If I had a family, I would’ve never agreed to become a kinkind.”

“Jun, I’m sorry, I didn’t…” Jackie paused. “Wait, why wouldn’t you have agreed to be a kinkind warrior?”

“You… don’t want to know… and Miss Sumire would probably kill me, if I told you.”

 

Vladimir folded his arms, “Does this mean I can go back to patrolling Old King Hamlet with Marissa?”

“Knock yourself out, Vlad,” Sumire smiled, before hopping back into her vortex. “Laters!”

As Sumire disappeared into the ether, Vladimir bent down to take a closer look at the borderline. Maybe Kuro really had invented a teleporter? It would certainly explain the lack of footprints or other such evidence of humans crossing into Phantasia. Vladimir whistled as he walked back into his booth. “Kuro doesn’t stand a chance against me,” he thought.

 

Still assuming Luna’s form, Jackie weaved in between the trees on her broom in a very inexperienced way.

“Are you afraid of heights?” Katherine asked.

Jackie looked over at Katherine with fear in her eyes. “I’m absolutely terrified of them!” she screamed.

Katherine’s eyes widened. “Jackie,” she called out, “keep your eyes on the trees!” She shut her eyes in anticipation. “Don’t look behind your back when you’re flying, or-”

SMACK! Jackie crashed her broom right into an oncoming tree. Katherine’s face turned bright red.

“Katherine can see…” the maid blushed, “your, um… that is to say, ‘Luna’s…’” Katherine pointed towards Luna’s legs.

Jackie stared down (or perhaps “up” would be the more appropriate word, seeing as she was dangling upside down in the tree by her ankle, which was stuck between two branches) at her kinkind’s exposed black underpants with their star and moon-print clearly visible under her pantyhose as her face assumed the same shade of red as Katherine’s. Jackie quickly pushed her kinkind’s dress and skirt over her panties as quickly as she could, before promptly falling out of the tree with a loud crash. Katherine flew down on her own broom to where Jackie was lying and offered her a hand.

“Are you alright?” Katherine asked.

“Just a little embarrassed, that’s all…” Jackie groaned.

“There’s no need to be embarrassed!” Katherine reassured Jackie. “Those are Luna’s undergarments, not yours. …And besides, Katherine thinks they’re pretty cute!” she teased. After she stopped giggling, a frown appeared on the maid’s face, as she really started to take in the image of Sumire’s “brave hero” blushing while lying ass-up in the dirt. “Look, Jackie… Katherine doesn’t think you’re cut out to be our savior…”

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