Chapter 15. On what the moon has to do with everything

I release her.

"So... you were the one who was dealing with the items?"

"Yes. I used the copy paper to make stuff. Water, clothes, medicine. Then I sold everything and that made me have a small fortune. I used all of it to pay for any items in hope someone would give me something I could use to save you. The first item I got was a mask that made you unrecognizable by others. Then I got a plastic dinosaur that made you teleport to multiple places. After that, nothing else useful came. I had cans of soup that never got cold, a coin that always landed tails, some random flowers..."

"What about the impossible tasks?"

"You can also copy forbidden items, but they lose their properties when doing so. Just like I did with those. This girl came to me and offered me three rare items that do extremely incredible stuff. The begging stone bowl from the Buddha, or a lotto ticket that always wins; A jeweled branch from a tree in Hourai island, or a map with circled train stations where there will always be a hidden jewel; A cowrie shell born from a swallow, or a bunch of sand that controls time when poured; A colored jewel from a dragon's neck, or a piece of holographic paper that makes you harness light. There was only one item left, one that could have helped me."

"The fire rat robe."

"That's right. I don't even know what that is, but I know it appeared a couple times here in Setagaya. It only appeared a couple of times, and for what I could gather, the effects it had were...almost random. Anyways, I noticed the girl that supplied those items for me was very suspicious. Having things so powerful just delivered to me seems wrong. Before I got the dragon's scale, I decided to spy on the girl. Then I tracked her to my old house, your house. And I saw that monster getting slayed. You left, but then I came in. I checked the carcass and I realized-"

"That wasn't your clone"

"Indeed. That thing managed to mask something like herself."

That's why she acted strange that night.

"And the item that thing used is in your pocket"

"The brush. Your brush."

"Bingo"

She hugs me and kisses me.

"You're so smart! I'm so proud of you!"

"Mom, don't act weird. Even less while looking like a girl my age"

She steps back a little.

"Sorry"

"So, your bad clone got the brush and masked herself as Hikari? No wonder she was acting like that."

"Seems like it. And she's about to reach her goal so-"

"What goal?"

"You see. I have the theory that she was giving me the items to safeguard them, and that in the last one, she was going to do something to me. I think also that having those items together can have some kind of effect with the moon. Forbidden items draw energy from the moon, which means that probably she wants to power something up, or to generate more items. Either way and regardless of her reasons, we can't let that happen."

Crossing my legs, I rub my chin.

"Well, there's only one thing I'm kind of worried about. Given that items vibrate whenever you check them, I believe it’s pretty obvious Hikari will notice"

"Sort of. Consider that if this is indeed a clone of mine, it probably has an entirely different way to be than the real one."

"Sure, you're right, then again, Hikari is the most analytical person I've known. They even call her Sherlock at school. She can notice everything from a few details, one time, she even realized my mo- I mean, your clone had slammed me into the door."

She covers her mouth in shock.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry about that. I swear I'll do something to that thing whenever we get to it"

She hugs me again, but I continue.

"Anyways, she can get a lot of information just from a single thing. And of course, she probably knows already that we set her up."

Mom taps her knee. Something that I haven't seen in years.

"Well, your assumption is that this clone is able to use Hikari's skills for deduction. If so is the case, then I believe you're wrong."

"Why? I mean, she has been like that like, forever. It's literally the most outstanding thing she does. Kind of like, her thing, you know!"

"True, but that's Hikari's thing, not my clone's."

She gets a notebook out of her purse, in it, a bunch of notes that I can barely see. But from the words 'She got up at 7', 'Doesn't like chocolate', 'Goes to school at 5', I assume it's a log of her clone's activities.

Flipping through the notes, she stops at one and shows it to me.

"Fourth copy - Doesn't like commands. Doesn't like interacting with the others. Copy 2 once interacted with her and resulted in violence. Attempted to seclude copy 4. Attempts were unsuccessful. Attempted luring copy 4 with common likes (Chocolate, Okonomiyaki, Social psychology books), attempts were unsuccessful"

"So... we're dealing with an extremely boring version of you? Well, I agree with the violence. But why is she doing this? I mean, you weren't that bad when I was little."

"Well... sort of?"

She starts smiling awkwardly and rubbing the back of her head.

"You see... mommy had a little thing, minuscule with beer. Of course, I drank responsibly but when I could I didn't hold myself. I did so while you were safe so I didn't disturb you, actually, that's pretty much the reason why I met your fa-"

"Wait...that's it. It copied your love."

"...what?"

"Yeah, If you think about it, you always protected me and showed no restraint, but you never overdid it. Besides, you showed restrain for alcohol which you liked a lot, but you knew if you overdid it, it would get very bad."

"You mean, hitting you showed how much that loved you?"

"In the most horrible and incorrect way, yes"

"Well...It makes sense"

"Maybe the fact she loved me wanted me to be stronger and that's why she also did what she did. That would also explain why Cuddly was so obsessed with me and wanted to take a shape I loved. It thought of Uzuki first for avoiding any suspicions I suppose but then it took your shape to have better control on stuff."

"Huh..."

"Then the best way to lure her is with something she loves doing something she doesn't want."

"So, she wants control!"

"And that's why she is going after the moon, because if she controls energy..."

"She controls everything"

Mom hugs me

"Ai, you're so smart! Mommy is super proud of you!"

"Stop mom! Stop!"

She is squeezing me, but I enjoy it.

After she releases me, she looks at me.

"Now, we have to know how much Hikari knows about you and this. And also, if she knows about me being...well, me. So! When was the real Hikari replaced?"

When, huh? That's a hard one. How was Hikari like...?

"Say, can you help me? I just discovered the brush can also recreate scenarios."

"Really? Never discovered that when I used it."

I turn her into Houraiji.

"Okay, sit there and don't say anything. I guess you both think similarly so it shouldn't be that hard. I don't know how this works but let's try."

So, when I met her...

I grab her book and toss it to the floor. She jumps on surprise.

The scene changes to a classroom.