Dodo is Gonna Get Done Did

“The dodo is still on the roof’s it’s going north.”

Sachio my trusty baseball had just landed back into my glove. I had activated him to help track.

“Alright I’m going to send you back up.”

Ms. Hiyori and I had been following it for the last 30 minutes.

“It’s now heading west.”

The dodo was teleporting sporadically, it would go one way and then suddenly appear a few hundred feet in the other direction. On a rood, inside a store, pecking at a bird-feeder.

“I didn’t know your brother was raising birds.”

“He isn’t.”

“Is he going outside to gather monsters.”

“He isn’t.”

“Does he like it more than snowcones.”

“Ms Hiyori, I think Keisuke can answer all your questions himself, once we get this dang dodo.”

Sachio landed back in my hands.

“Rei I think I’ve made an observation.”

“Hey you’re all we’ve got, lay it on me player.”

“I think the dodo is teleporting in the direction it’s looking.”

Ms. Hiyori nodded along to the baseball. People were usually perplexed by my essence she readily accepted it. A little too easily.

“Hmmm so if it’s spell is reliant on sight, we just need to put a bag over it’s head.”

She seemed carefree, but she wasn’t just full of questions.

“We just need to follow it until it goes somewhere dark or it runs out of magic. Since it’s probably only a great rank monster, and it’s teleported around thirty-six times. It probably has fifteen more left in it max, but I would guess around ten.”

“Ms Hiyori that’s brilliant! I guess you really were a hunter.”

She blushed at the compliment.

“A lady never lies. And I’ll have you know I used to be known as the Serene Maiden. I used to be a part of a pretty talented hunting group. But you kids have done so much more than we did when magical essence first started clumping.”

As she said it magical essence began clumping around herself.

“Since you’ve complimented me so, shall I show you my Essence. I’ve about had enough of chasing on foot.”

Her spell was long, and she did it while walking. Even I had to stand still and concentrate for the most part. She released the chant name with a little flourish.

“UNI-QUEEN!”

A large sparkle of magic appeared in front of her, and in front of us was a very large warhorse with a two-foot-long spiral horn protruding from above its eyes. The color was a dusty pink dappled with black and silver. The look in it’s eyes was fierce and it’s hooves seemed quite dangerous.

“Baby! Hi Baby!”

She went up and the horse nuzzled against her. She had a creature summon type essence like Meika’s Shadow-Cat. The first spell was a summons and the other spells were related to the creature. She leapt up, riding the horse side saddle and reached down to give me a lift up.

“Come now, we’ve got to get you daft brother’s dodo.”

-

On foot we were slow but with the help of Hiyori’s steed we could catch up to it every time it teleported away. Sachio was correct, it moved in the direction it looked. The only problem was now that we were moving by horseback, we had to stop to throw him up there.

I was waiting to get a good glimpse at him to petrify him but I had to see my target for it to work. The spell was taking too long, and the dodo perched in places I couldn’t reach. It was definitely my brother's bird because I didn’t know if it was crafty or dumb. We were slowly losing ground on it. Meika was usually in charge of transport, i'd have to thank her.

“Ms. Hiyori, I hate to ask for more help but you don’t have any other spells that could help do you?”

We were moving into more crowded areas, and we were quite far from Keisuke’s house already.

“No, I’ve only had three epiphanies, the other two are a support spell, and a healing spell.”

“My other one is granting object’s arms and legs, making a golem.”

The golem spell I had realized last year on a hunt against a large number of monsters. It would give the object the ability to not just talk to me and have memories, but make it able to move. It would allow Sachio to roll around, buildings to shake, cars could drive themselves, certain objects could even run. It was good for crowd control and distraction but the dodo would quickly outmaneuver it.

“I really need to catch that dodo, if I don’t Keisuke may shut himself in for another month. I really really need to him to talk.”

I could feel a cry coming on.

“I’ll pick up the speed.”

“You’re doing great Ms. Hiyori. I just need to think.”

If I couldn’t get this dodo, this stupid dodo, he would shut himself in. Where would he even get it, he never leaves that shabby house, maybe it broke in. If he’s had it all along; I think I would kill him. What a stupid thing to keep secret.

If only I had a way to talk to objects without using animate on them. It took so long to get to know an object to get information, and many things didn’t speak Japanese.

“Rei, steady your breathing. Whatever you were thinking of, keep thinking.”

“What, What are you talking about.”

“Your essence is clumping. Just shh, keep thinking.”

Ms. Hiyori’s voice was very steady as she spoke, like she couldn’t be clearer. How was she knowing what I was thinking. Though she said a lady never lies. I was thinking about a way to talk to inanimate objects, something that could track the dodo without having to throw Sachio.

“There you go.”

Ms. Hiyori slowed the horse.

“Close your eyes, you’re close.”

I leaned against Ms. Hiyori closing my eyes. My brother needed this dodo, and I could do it. Teleports were hard to track but not impossible. I could do this. The essence gathered around me, and there it was.

My Fourth Epiphany.

“Come, come, come and play, talk to all, show me the way.”

I opened my eyes, holding out the palms of my hands.

“SUGAR PLUM FAERIES!”

In my hand appeared two small pink floating puff balls.

“You did it Rei!”

Ms. Hiyori wrapped her arms around me!

“You got your fourth spell, you’re an elite mage now!”

“Hehehe thanks. Let’s see what these two can do.”

The two puff balls floated around the two us, nuzzling and chirping at our excitement.

“Alright I’ll call you Foam, and you Cream.”

The two puffballs shook with excitement.

“I need you both to ask the houses and the light posts if they’ve seen a large blue bird.”

The two sugar plums floated around the area. They could only ask yes or no questions, but as they got close to certain objects information would pop into my head.

“They’re doing it, they can talk to everything even the roads!”

Roads were much too big for me to animate and give life. If the fairies could talk to things like buildings, or hills, tracking things would be a breeze. Now we wouldn’t have to stop and start so often.

“Sachio, thank you for your hard work.”

“Your welcome Rei. Good luck Champ!”

I dispelled Sachio and put him into my bag.

“That way Ms. Hiyori! Then take a left.”

-

The dodo was finally out of magic, now across the street from us pecking around.

“Doo-ah, Doo-ah!”

It squawked leaving another multi-colored mystery egg and then waddled into a larger alleyway filled with stores.

“Dance partner! I didn’t know you were into ornithology!”

Behind me was a voice melodic and bursting with mirth.

“Hyottoko, I really don’t have the time!”

I turned around and perched along the roof was the masked jokester. Upon his shoulders was the small masked girl from before, soap bubbles floated out of her ears. She gripped the Hyottoko’s hair like a bike handle.

“I’m sorry there was just more of that tasty essence, and then I saw this beautiful horse. And who should be riding it but my sister’s savior! We simply had to come say thank you!”

“I didn’t save anybody, and monsters don’t have sisters!”

The little girl on his shoulders started crying.

“Oh well now you’re just being rude.”

“Are these friends of yours Rei?”

Ms. Hiyori looked quite confused, as we both answered at the same time.

“YES!” “Absolutely not.”

Hyottoko jumped down.

“See you made Okame cry, big meanie Rei!”

“Don’t say my name. Hiyori let’s go! We’re losing the bird.”

“Oh the bird, is that what you’re after? I’m on it! It’s that same tasty essence I sensed from you the other day.”

“No!”

The Arch-rank monster was fast though, it quickly leapt like a cow over a fence, across the street and into the alleyway after the dodo.

“Please Hiyori, we have to get it before he does. He steals monster relics!”

We crossed the street and into the shop courtyard, with boutiques and cafés. There was a large fountain with Okame swimming in it, and seated on top of it was a wet Hyottoko. In it’s hands an equally wet, worn-out dodo.

“SHOOT”

The Hyottoko ducked its head into it's body as a projectile zoomed past, making a hole in the building behind him. 

I turned to look to the right as me and Hiyori emerged from the alleyway.

With his hand held out into a finger gun was the Thousand Spell Hunter, President Sukimoto. Dressed casually, expensive polo-shirt and slacks. What's more was that seated across from him was Dr. Kawaguchi. Wearing a cute sun-dress, and her hair done up. Compared to her doctor’s coat, She looked nice. She looked at me, I looked at her.

We all looked surprised.

Even more so when President Sukimoto said:

“Hiyori?”