My Brother is a Secret Theater Kid

Tokyo was just beginning to come to life, as the sun started to rise in the city. Coating the buildings and the streets in the soft warm glow of dawn. My mother had probably been up for hours baking, I can’t imagine she slept well.

My phone was stacked with missed calls. Ringing nonstop since the president’s press conference yesterday. Most were from my mother, but also a good amount from Meika. She had left me voice-mails, I hadn’t listened to them. We were busy preparing for today.

Kawakami Chihiro and the person who put herself and other people’s faith in him, Kirigaya Asaka; were to my left. Captain Kawakami was moping; he had been persuaded to leave Marco Frederic to his own devices tonight. To my right was my Brother Kawashima Keisuke, and his best friend and research partner Kawaguchi Daichi. Kei looked at the captain of internal affairs.

“Don’t worry Chihiro, Odd-ball and Marco Frederic will be just fine.”

“Do you promise?”

“I promise.”

Chihiro made a brave face, and looked over the rooftop. The security of the association was out in full force.

We had situated ourselves a few blocks away from the MaMA, on a roof top overlooking the front entrance. There were hunters, lounging on the outside, on the few outside decks of the building and many on the observation deck at the top. There were many lights on inside the building for this time of morning. You could see the plastic looking Sphere that contained Daichi’s Sister, the real Doctor Kawaguchi, lit up by spotlights. Drones and surveillance camera’s red lights dotted the building.

The five of us wore black compression clothes, with lose brown robes over them. We had clunky jewelry on as well, bracelets, necklaces and belts made of thick beads of all different materials. The real accessory that tied everything together were the masks we all wore. Masks with puckered lips, and rosy cheeks. Big thick eyebrows and wrinkles from laughing. Keisuke’s was over the upper half of his face, with one eye just allowing a peek hole the size of a needle through. Daichi’s was over the lower half, a tongue sticking out. Captain Kawakami’s covered his whole face, as did his vice-captain's mask. Mine was just over the top half. We needed to make it clear what side we were on.

Five hunters, that was the normal amount for a monster hunter party. We had a pretty elite bunch, if I could brag a little. It was going to get crazy, but with this group I know we could pull it off.

“Is it starting soon?”

Captain Kawakami rubbed his hands together, looking down the main street that led towards the MaMA.

“We told her at the crack of dawn, just when the sun started coming over the horizon.”

“She’ll be here, she wouldn’t miss her brother’s funeral.”

There was a distance melody, as a flute sound began to play on the wind. Gently nipping at my ears, like a puppy wanting to be let out. It grew as a low drumming began to join in.

“There she is!”

Daichi settled a little bit, as the time had finally come. Understandably he was the most nervous.

“Alright Kei, you’re up. Time for your grand entrance.”

Kei nodded nervously, but my old brother had finally returned after five years away.

“I owe it to him. He once asked me if I had considered a career in comedy. I don’t want him to give me any notes on it.”

He began to chuckle, and then stopped abruptly, turning to look at Daichi.

“How was that, was that a good chuckle?”

Daichi gave him a thumbs up, smiling from beneath the mask.

The music grew louder, gentile and inviting. It began to pick up the pace, growing from inviting, to jubilant and celebratory.

“Showtime bro!”

Chihiro smacked Keisuke on the back, as my older brother nodded.

Kei closed one eye and stared through the masks other eyehole, the opening was big as a pinhole. He could teleport randomly to anywhere he could see; this would narrow it down significantly.

“POP-UP!”

He teleported, appearing in the middle of the street, a hundred feet away from the entrance of the MaMA. As he arrived, he threw down a smoke ball and tossed confetti into the air. Then jumped out of it, with a megaphone in hand.

“It is I! The ethereal herald!”

His movement low and theatrical, in time with the beat of the drums.

Keisuke’s voice rang loud and strong through the megaphone. Waking up the sleepy guards and the people of Tokyo.

“Hunters of the MaMA! You have deigned to kill the arch-clown of mirth, the jester of monsters, the trickster of magic, the fool of essence, and the essence of jokes!! You have brought upon yourself; the most magnificent funeral Tokyo will ever see!”

The guards began clumping with essence, a few wiping away sleep, others just confused at the early morning performance. The music grew louder filling the streets, now rising above the sounds of the city.

“Wait now for the arrival of the princess of laughter, the sister of good fortune! We bring to you now, a most wondrous parade, a sight for all ages, and a joy to all who witness!”

I was taken aback; Keisuke was giving a performance Hyottoko would be proud of. Like he had been practicing in secret somehow. He wanted to prove his rival wasn’t the only one capable of showmanship.

“I give you all, The Festival of Monsters!!!”

He screamed that last part with such joyous enthusiasm. He then fell back cackling, rolling on the floor laughing and writhing hugging his stomach, shuffling back into the smoke cloud behind him. A few essence attacks flying over him. From the roof I watched his head appear out the back of the cloud and then he popped out of existence.

The stage was set.

Turning the corner, the music grew loud as a large pink unicorn led the parade towards the association's building. Her rider a beautiful woman with long pink hair, wearing a mask with plump rosy cheeks and a ruddy nose. I was surprised to see Ms. Hiyori has been roped into our mess again. Behind her standing up on the horse was the flute player.

Okame had left in the middle of the night after we had come up with our plan. She had spent the time away gathering every monster she could, from low rank to elite, even a few arch monsters joining in.

She played and jigged on the back of Baby the unicorn. Her fifth spell clumping essence into her music producing jubilant celebratory tones filling the air, making all the monsters who heard it amicable and friendly. It spread drawing them in, making them dance and sing to the music. Monster crawled out of houses, and every corner of the city to join.

Even the humans who heard we’re filled laughter and joy, peeking out to witness the spectacle. Flying monsters smiling at people through their upstairs windows. This parade of monsters, large or small, a terrifying sight indeed. Never in my life had I seen such an amount. But all of the participants looked like party animals, incapable of hurting the city or it’s people.

Marco Frederic, perched on Ms. Hiyori’s shoulder blowing colored clouds of different shapes into the air. Odd ball teleported around the parade, dropping eggs and cooing along to the tunes!

I looked over at captain Kawakami, he was tearing up. All of these men were such saps.

“Look at Marco Frederic, he’s such a good boy!”

“It’s time for us to go too!”

His vice-captain always there to keep him in line.

“Right! Can’t let Keisuke show me up!”

The captain began chanting and a stepping-stone path of clouds appeared before us, leading us down from the roof. The clouds diverged; heading towards the entrance, and to the side of the building.

“Good lucks ladies!”

Daichi and Captain Kawakami, nodded to us, both had bags of Daichi’s mystery-marbles at their hips. I also had a couple stashed away.

“Please save my sister.”

I nodded to him, the three boys would cause mayhem and distract the hunters at the front while the parade surged around the building. Vice-captain Kirigaya and I would sneak through the MaMA making our way up the roof. The boys would try to meet us at the top.

I looked at Daichi and resolved myself.

“I’ll save her or I won’t be coming back.”

He looked horrified.

“That’s not what I asked at all!”

I resolved myself a little less, but I still felt guilty when I looked at him.

“You’re right, we’ll all come back!”

Chihiro cheered from in front.

“Now that’s what I’m talking about! See you ladies later, the three rivers are finally back!”

He blew Asaka a kiss, and skipped away down the clouds towards the entrance.

“God he’s such an idiot.”

Not a shred of a disappointment in her voice though.

Captain Kawakami was a talented hunter, his clouds wrapped and crisscrossed around and up the building, providing stepping stones for Keisuke and Daichi to teleport too. They would activate mystery-marbles with their essence then pop back out of existence again. Captain Kawakami would move the enormous number of clouds around, letting monsters ride on them, moving them into the security hunters’ ways. The clouds without a monster occupant would freeze or shock the guards.

The monsters now surrounding the building danced and played with the security, but doing no harm. Okame’s spell keeping them amicable and only willing to party! With the lights from the alarms, it certainly did look like a celebration for the ages! The only ones actually dealing injuries, although few, were the three masked human heralds skipping along the clouds. I’m certain the President had not, could not, prepare for this.

“Alright we’re in.”

The vice-captain and I had made our way to a side entrance, thanks to the confusion of the festival. The inside was quite barren, most people drawn to the sounds of festivity. There were a set of footsteps, approaching from the lobby. Someone who knew how to sense my essence only second to my brother.

“Why didn’t you pick up my calls.”

Gunji Meika, my best friend.