The Star Warriors Read online

  Nathan let out a long sigh. The thing in his chest clanged, and he could hear its rumbles echoing up his spinal column. As much as he wanted to be out of the room, the creature inside him also wanted out. Because of that, he had to stay put.

  That didn’t stop him from haggling.

  “Klein, Jessie, and Paul too,” he said.

  “Just your family,” said Bravo firmly.

  “Then a video chat with my mates too,” blurted Nathan. He slowly added, “Please.”

  Bravo eventually agreed. His eyes turned to the TV, and he said, “Haven’t played this in a while. Think Jessie’s online?”

  “I’d message him if you gave me a phone,” said Nathan. He offered Bravo one of the controllers.

  They were partway through setting up a game, with Nathan as Cloud Strife and Bravo playing as Kirby, his favourite character. Bravo’s phone buzzed, the calling number he clearly recognised. He took the call by the door. Nathan waited patiently, while Astrid sat down beside him.

  “Wanna play too?” asked Nathan.

  “No, thanks,” said Astrid. She patted him on the shoulder, sensing he still missed his friends. The cabin fever was clearly getting to him. She recalled the contents of the paper bag, and showed it to him. “Ariadne sent me this,” she explained. “She said it was from her and your parents.”

  Curious, Nathan reached into the bag and pulled out a shirt made of light fabric, not unlike a gym shirt. The shirt was predominantly green, with gold stripes running diagonally upward. The stripes met at a central point on the chest, where there was a gold, five-pointed star. The design made him laugh.

  “What’s this? My superhero costume?” he chuckled.

  “Don’t be mean,” chided Astrid. “Ariadne designed that herself.”

  “I’d look like Captain America,” said Nathan.

  “Well, more like Captain Australia,” replied Astrid.

  Nathan checked the bag, and found another shirt. He pulled it out, revealing a dark blue design, with similarly oriented stripes of silver and white. On the chest, instead of a star, there was a crucifix. The more slender shape indicated it was for a woman.

  “Looks like you’ve got one too,” he chimed. He held it over her chest and chuckled, “You’ll look like Bible Man.”

  “Hey, don’t diss that show,” said Astrid. She held up the shirt and couldn’t help but smile. It had the same colour scheme as her Newton’s Apple uniform, which Ariadne had clearly remembered. She gazed into the bag and said, “There’s something else in there from me.” Nathan looked into the bag and found a folded length of red cloth. He unravelled it, revealing a long scarf in the same colour as the sash that had once hung from his Arms Alchemy.

  “Oooh, nice,” he chirped.

  “I figured it really suited you,” said Astrid. “Back when we were fighting the L.X.E. at Warrawul, you looked cool with that sash wrapped around your neck.”

  Nathan beamed, “Thanks, Astrid.”

  “Don’t try to kiss me,” warned the battle-scarred girl.

  Nathan poked his tongue out facetiously. He then turned to the door, wondering if Bravo was finished with his call. He saw the man, hunched against the doorframe, pale faced and panting heavily. Nathan stood nervously and approached the man.

  “Bravo, what happened?” asked the boy.

  Astrid drew near. “Commander, what’s wrong?”

  Bravo finally noticed they were looking at him. His eyes shifted and he fidgeted. He blurted, “There’s been an emergency. I have to go.”

  Nathan grabbed him, and Bravo found himself unable to move out of the boy’s grip.

  “What’s going on? You look freaked out,” said the boy.

  Bravo huffed irately and said, “Moonface attacked a Regiment facility at Cunnamulla. And it looks like he had help from a Witch.” His eyes darted between the pair, before falling on Astrid. “Warrior Rachelle, I need you to come with me. You’re the only one who fought with the L.X.E. who isn’t being held in custody.”

  “And what, I stay here?” exclaimed Nathan. “I can help catch him. Especially if he’s still working with Victor, or knows where he is.”

  Bravo pulled out of Nathan’s grip and thrust his finger in the boy’s face. “You’re staying here! Got it?” Nathan stepped back from the man’s advance. Bravo’s eyes were roaring for his obedience, which he gave out of respect. Astrid gave him an apologetic glance as she left, leaving Nathan alone in that cursed observation room.

  He plopped on the bed with a sigh. His hand brushed against the shirt his sister sent. Not caring that people were watching from behind the one-way mirror, he pulled off his hospital shirt and donned the new one. It fit to his well-built form, showing off the six-pack bestowed upon him by the Kakugane in his chest. The golden star, an insignia of his heroic epithet, glistened in the cold hospital light.

  He couldn’t wait to wear it in public.

  Chapter 3: An Unexpected Prize

  A girl with mid-neck-length chestnut hair strode out of a convenience store in Tokyo. Her school uniform was well kept, despite the time being well into the afternoon. She fumbled a little with the wrapper on the popsicle she just bought, just in time for a few passers-by to notice her.

  “Excuse me,” said the blonde. The girl looked at her and assumed she was an American tourist. She held up a camera and said, “You’re that Cardcaptor girl from YouTube, right?”

  The girl beamed, “Yep. Sakura’s my name.”

  “Oh, you speak English too,” exclaimed the blonde’s black friend. She pointed to the rest of their group and said, “Any chance you could do a selfie with us?”

  “Sure,” Sakura chirped. She held her popsicle behind her back and stood in the middle of the group. The girls were delighted with the photo.

  One of them stepped forward and asked, “There’s rumours going around that you can do real magic. Is it true?”

  Sakura just giggled, “Unfortunately, no. Would be really cool if I could, right?” The girls clicked their tongues with disappointment. They thanked her for the selfie and moved on down the street.

  Sakura gave a contented sigh, and went back to her popsicle. She was in an especially good mood, hence the decision to spoil herself. The reason for her mood: her boyfriend in Hong Kong was going to call her tonight, and she couldn’t wait. They’d been doing long distance for two months, and it had been a week since they’d spoken. Even though it was so she could study for a test, the break in their contact was driving her crazy. But the exam was finished, so she could talk with her beloved Xiaolang.

  To augment her good mood, Sakura donned her earphones and hit play on her phone. The song streamed through her ears, and she danced her way down the street. She drew the attention of many onlookers. Some of them frowned and their discomfort spurred them away. Others joined in with the dance, infecting bystanders with laughter and merriment.

  God, I love having this power, thought Sakura.

  Just as the song finished, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned and saw a dark-haired girl that made her smile.

  “Tomoyo!” she exclaimed. “You got out of choir practice early.”

  “I never went,” said Tomoyo. She brandished her camera. “I simply had to record you on the eve of your call with Mister Lee. I think I’ll call this ‘Sakura dances to Owl City.’ Sounds wonderful, right?”

  Sakura face-palmed with dismay. “Seriously, Tomoyo! I’m sure your girlfriend doesn't appreciate you obsessing over me.”

  Tomoyo’s gleaming eyes went to the sky and she proclaimed, “My partner appreciates the true amazingness that is Sakura! As does everyone else here!” She held her arms wide to encompass all the onlookers. Most of them had been dancing along to Sakura’s beat, and still wore smiles from it. “Ah, Sakura is the source of all joy. Why would my beloved partner stop me from showing the world your amazingness?”

  Sakura put her fists on her hips and sassily jibed, “Well then, why won’t she introduce herself to me? I want to meet the on
e who has stolen my best friend’s heart.”

  Tomoyo smirked, and hooked her arm around Sakura.

  “Sakura,” she began slowly. “My partner is still trying to sort things out with her family. It’s important to me that she comes out on her own terms. Like I did, remember?”

  Sakura pursed her lips, recalling the awkward moment. She pondered how moment that nearly wrecked her relationship with her best friend, among many other things. If it were that bad for her, she could only imagine how it would be if Tomoyo’s partner’s family was less understanding. She patted Tomoyo’s arm and said, “Well, I understand that. And I hope that her family is understanding too.”

  Tomoyo nodded and smiled with relief. She then said, “Enough about me. What about Lee?”

  Sakura immediately chuckled and her heart fluttered at the image of her boyfriend. She recalled the moment when they kissed for the first time, at the airport before he left for Hong Kong. Blood filled her face and her body shook with excitement. She clamped down on her popsicle to cool herself, lest she appear a little too excited in public.

  Beside her, Tomoyo just giggled. She looked over and saw a raffle being held in the middle of a nearby mall. Excitedly, she dragged Sakura over to the line-up.

  “Tomoyo, I can’t use magic in public,” Sakura whispered in her friend’s ear. “I can’t rig the raffle, and I won’t.”

  “I don’t mean that,” said Tomoyo. “I was joking that one time. But maybe you can win a nice prize.” She pointed at the prize list. The top prize was a Tesla Model X. But it was third on the list that caught Tomoyo’s eye. “Third prize is a trip to Hong Kong.”

  Sakura’s eyes brightened at the prospect. She quickly got in line, and procured some coins to participate in the prize draw. It was soon her turn, though it felt like a lifetime’s worth of waiting. She paid the two-hundred-yen fee, and turned the crank on the ball box. Out popped a dull yellow ball.

  Every eye bugged out in amazement. Taken aback, Sakura looked to the board, and saw the prize that corresponded to yellow. Her jaw dropped in shock.

  * * *

  “Ya won!?” exclaimed the living teddy bear with a Kansai accent. He sprayed a hail of cookie crumbs from his mouth, almost covering the prize packet in Sakura’s hands.

  “Kero, that’s gross,” moaned Sakura.

  Kero, whose full name was Kerberus, swallowed his cookie mouthful. He then floated into the air and studied the prize more closely. “Five days and four nights in Hong Kong.” He pointed a stubby hand at Sakura and yelled, “Take me too! Take me! Take me! Take me!”

  Sakura backed away and exclaimed, “Okay, hold your horses. Of course, I’ll take you.” She looked a bit closer at the ticket. “It’s only for two, so I’ll have to pick someone to go with.”

  “Go with me!” screamed Kero.

  “You can disguise yourself as a plush toy,” replied Sakura. Kero returned to his plate of cookies with a harrumph. Sakura meanwhile counted all the people she could invite. “Tomoyo would be first to invite … but she may be busy with her girlfriend. Maybe Yukito could come.” She thought a bit. “He mightn’t want to come without Big Brother. Plus …” She recalled the moment when Yukito reluctantly broke her heart. She decided it might be a bit awkward if they went on an overseas trip alone together. “Who else?” she thought aloud.

  A familiar tone blared from her open laptop. She sat down at the desk and saw the incoming call.

  “Xiaolang’s calling!” she exclaimed. “He’s gonna be so excited when I tell him!” She clicked the answer widget and the face of her beloved Hong Kong boyfriend appeared on the screen. His eyes lit up and he waved.

  “Nǐ hǎo!” he chirped. He shook his head and blurted, “Sorry! Hello, I mean!”

  Sakura chuckled, “Been too long speaking Cantonese?”

  “Switching languages is hard,” said Xiaolang.

  “I hear you there,” said Sakura, her grin widening despite her effort to stay nonchalant. “Last time I got back from England, it took me a day to switch back to Japanese.”

  Xiaolang giggled. His smile softened with longing and he said, “I miss you.”

  Sakura’s grin burst into full blown laughter. Xiaolang looked almost hurt, but didn’t have a chance to protest before Sakura bellowed, “Guess what? I got into a raffle today, and won the third prize. You know what it is?”

  “No, what?” asked Xiaolang. Sakura held up the prize pack to the camera. Xiaolang frowned. “I can’t read it.”

  “It’s a trip to Hong Kong!” exclaimed Sakura.

  “No way!” yelled Xiaolang. “You’re coming to Hong Kong? What’re the odds?”

  “I don’t care!” retorted Sakura. “I finally get to see you again.”

  Xiaolang laughed with joy and he gripped his camera. “When are you coming?”

  Sakura checked the prize pack information.

  “Next Saturday,” she said. “I’ve got a week to decide who’s coming with me.”

  “I’ll inform my parents,” said Xiaolang. “They’ll be really excited to meet you. Especially, my mother. She’s wanted to meet you ever since she predicted you’d become Master of the Clow.”

  “Master of the Stars, now,” said Sakura, touching the Star Key hanging from her neck.

  “I’m gonna be seeing stars when I see you in Hong Kong,” chortled Xiaolang, winking flirtatiously.

  Sakura’s heart raced again, and she bit her lower lip. She could almost feel his lips on hers, and longed to feel his presence again.

  “I can’t wait,” she said.

  Kero butted in to chide her for being too flirty, and then left the lovers alone to play video games. Sakura and Xiaolang talked a while longer, listing all the things to visit in Hong Kong. Sakura noted them down excitedly. Then, they chatted a little more about home life, and Sakura’s father’s long absence on work. They ended the call when Sakura heard her older brother call her down for dinner.

  Sakura invited Kero to come down, but he was too enthralled in his game.

  “I just love kickin’ this Aussie’s butt,” growled Kero as he knocked the blonde swordsman out of the park. “Wahoo! Suck it, Grant734!” Sakura just rolled her eyes and trotted down stairs. A pale-skinned, light-brown haired boy set the table for four places, while another darker haired boy sharing some of Sakura’s features stirred the spaghetti sauce.

  “Hi, Sakura,” said the pale boy with a kind face.

  “Yukito!” chirped Sakura warmly.

  Yukito glanced around her and asked, “Is Kerberus not joining us?”

  “Nope, he’s too busy bullying kids in games,” chuckled Sakura.

  “Tell that Kansai puppet he’s a butt-head,” snarled the other boy at the stove.

  “Big Brother!” chided Sakura.

  “That’s not nice, Touya,” said Yukito.

  “Facts are facts,” retorted Touya. He glanced over his shoulder at Sakura. “Ain’t you got some good news, Kaiju?”

  Sakura almost burst a blood vessel. She raised her dukes in a show of vehement retribution and bellowed, “I am not a kaiju!”

  Yukito tried to chide Touya further. And yet he couldn’t help but laugh at Sakura’s over-the-top reaction. He took a seat at the table and motioned for her to do the same.

  “What’s this announcement then?” he asked.

  “Oh, I won the third prize in a raffle,” Sakura announced. “I won a trip for two to Hong Kong!”

  “Wow! How lucky!” replied Yukito. “So will it be you and Daidouji, then?”

  “I don’t know,” said Sakura. “She said she might have prior engagements she can’t get out of. She said she’d talk to her mother about it tonight.”

  Yukito grinned facetiously.

  “Well, Miss Sakura, you know how I’m like, totally, your bestest bestie in the whole wide world?”

  Sakura gave a bewildered chortle at his brown-nosing. Of course, she knew it was a joke, and that made it all the more hilarious.

  The chef put the pot of sp
aghetti sauce and a bowl of pasta on the table. The trio sat down and said the customary Japanese phrase, “Itadakimasu3,” before tucking in. Yukito took the biggest helping by far, and dug in quickly. Sakura took a more modest mouthful and said, “Delicious, Big Brother.”

  Touya looked right at her and droned, “You got sauce on your nose.” That earned him a nudge from Yukito, which was much less than the kick Sakura would have given him.

  “Meanie,” snorted Sakura.

  “Careful, Sakura,” said Yukito. “You might have to get him to come with you to Hong Kong.”

  Touya cut them both off. “No can do. I’ve got two college exams week after next.” He looked at Yukito. “You should go, Yuki. At least so the other guy’s got her back.”

  Sakura pursed her lips as she thought of Yue, Yukito’s alter ego and the counterpart of Kero. They were both her guardians in magic, and they always looked after her. Yukito gazed downward at nothing in particular, and remained that way a while, before he said, “Yue would be fine to go. He says, ‘If it’s to protect the master.’” He made a faux impression of the stern man’s voice that was so unlike the real Yue it was comical. It even made Touya chuckle.

  “Well, Kero’s coming too, in my backpack, of course,” said Sakura.

  “But I’ll only go if Miss Daidouji isn’t,” said Yukito. “She’s your best friend, so she should go.”

  Touya nudged him. “I wanted you to go so that creep doesn’t try anything.”

  “He’s not a creep,” snapped Sakura. “And he’s my boyfriend now, so you need to be nice, Big Brother.”

  It was then that Kero floated into the kitchen, drawn by the scent of Touya’s Bolognese sauce. Drool trickled from the edge of his mouth as he approached the table in a hypnotic state.