Case 2: Hocus Pocus Occultus: Part 3

Tsubaki walked through one of the worn-down districts of Tokyo. If she hadn’t known better, she could have believed that she’d been transported to a city from a different decade. It was still crowded with buildings, but far less overstimulating. There were no bright lights or electronic billboards; no buses. There were people, but they weren’t crammed shoulder to shoulder. Cars drove by occasionally and she noted that many of them were older models. “Hi, miss! Come check out our cafe!” A little girl that couldn’t be older than ten bounced up to her, wearing a wide smile and a frilly blue maid costume. The child handed her a bright flyer; some sort of family-run establishment. Tsubaki smiled and tucked the paper carefully into her pocket. “Aren’t you a cute little mascot?!" She cooed "Sorry, but I have an appointment. Maybe I’ll stop by on my way back.” “Have a nice day, miss!” The little girl called after her and gave a big wave.

‘Cute! I was just being polite, but maybe I should stop in if I have time after this. It looked good and that girl was adorable! Maybe I could get something for the doctor and nurse-San, too...’ Tsubaki didn’t have anything else to do besides investigating and it was the weekend. Yasu-Kun was busy because some company was renting out his grandparent's ramen restaurant for an employee party and he was the only person she spent time with by choice. Mr. Detective’s timing was good, though. At least she didn’t have to make up an excuse to beat off after-school invitations from her classmates.

She finally spied the blue and red sign for the clinic. Pushing open the door triggered the jingling of a bell. Tsubaki looked around the tiny front room. A small fan rustling papers as it swiveled back and forth provided the only sound and movement. Tsubaki carefully sat down on a chair that screamed under her weight. Technically, the clinic was just a front for the Doctor’s magical girl research and collaboration with the government, but he did treat locals for little to no cost. He was probably back in the official treatment with a human patient. ‘I should have brought a book or something.’ With nothing better to do, she reached for one of the old magazines piled atop a side table. ‘A girl’s fashion magazine...barf.’ Tsubaki rolled her eyes, but she didn’t put it back.

She leafed through the volume halfheartedly, praying that the Doctor would hurry up. Suddenly, she landed on a page that made her freeze. Amongst the seasonal eyeshadow guide, perfume samples and shoes with deadly-looking heals, there was a section on retro-looking accessories. A clip-on pouch shaped like a cartoon frog with wings and a tiara screamed at her from the array of childish items. She remembered that character and that pouch! If only she could forget...

                        *                                                              *                                                                *

“I’m pilot Nebula, fighter of the galaxy! In the name of the stars and justice, I will defeat you!”

Tsubaki both heard and felt the tv before she even entered the apartment. “Yeah, go pilot Nebula!” Hana bouncing on the couch while clutching a pillow was the first thing that Tsubaki saw upon opening the door. “Come on, come on! Bast him with your celestial beam!” Her older sister cheered. “You shouldn’t be having this much trouble! Just whoop the black hole alliance’s butts and move on!” Hana leaned in close before flopping onto her back and kicking her feet in the air. “Nooooo! Not a break now! C'mon!”

Tsubaki stared at her sister in momentary embarrassment. ‘I can’t believe she’s the older one...’ “Ah, welcome home, Tsu-Chan!” The girls’ stepmother poked her head in from the kitchen with a large smile. “How was school?” “Good. The same.” Tsubaki intoned as she trotted inside and took off her shoes and backpack. “Karaoke was the best part of the day! Ten of us went! Anna-Chan was able to convince three boys from class A to come with us!” Mio Moto put her hand to her mouth and giggled at her youngest daughter. “If you could just sing all day and never do any schoolwork, you’d be in heaven, Tsu-Chan!” The woman turned and went back into the kitchen. “Beef stew tonight! It’ll be at least thirty minutes, so relax a bit!”

Tsubaki sat on the floor in front of the couch, just as Hana sat back up. “I don’t know how you can stand this show, Onee-Chan.” Tsubaki rolled her eyes at the title card for Star Pilot Nebula. “Hey, Star Pilot is a classic, I’ll have you know!” Hana puffed her cheeks out. “Why do you think it keeps getting remakes and updates? There’s no one cooler than Nebula-Chan!” Tsubaki tucked her knees to her chest with a look of judgment. “When we were both in elementary school, maybe. You’re in high school now, Hana. Aren’t you embarrassed to still be into magical girl shows at your age?” “Are you embarrassed to still be into singing?” Hana shot back.

Tsubaki blushed. “That’s different!” She snapped. “It’s a hobby that can be enjoyed at any age!” “Well, adults like magical girl shows and are dedicated to doing cosplay and collecting memorabilia for them.” Hana countered. “Just because the target age is elementary school girls doesn’t mean it’s only for kids!” Tsubaki rolled her eyes and looked away. It was still unbelievable that her pretty, popular, strait-A sister was so fixated on magical girl anime! Hana would even shamelessly go to fan events and stage plays for them! Her side of the two girls’ room was a pastel wash of girly figurines and plushies of fantastic animals with gigantic eyes. She studied the title card as the show returned from it’s break.

“Seriously, what about this gets you so fired up?” Tsubaki asked. “Sure, the animation is pretty and it’s a feel-good show to lose your mind to for a little bit, but why are you so passionate about this of all things? It seems like you can do anything you try well right away, so why is this what makes you so happy that you dedicate your time to it?”

Hana untucked her feet from underneath her. “Well, it’s fun and aesthetically pleasing for one thing.” She started. “But...if I had to say...I think it’s because everyone likes the idea that they can be heroes. Not necessarily a magical girl with a wand and magical compact, but someone who can make a difference. Everyone wants to do something that matters at least once in their life. Something that will help someone else and make a mark on the world, in some small way, that will be around long after they're gone.” She stared fondly at pilot Nebula sailing through the night sky with her magical wand and frog companion. “Even though I know magic doesn’t exist, part of me still really wishes I could be a magical girl like her. Yeah, it’s a foolish dream but...well I guess I want to help people.” Hana laughed. “That’s dumb, I know! Why sit around daydreaming about fixing things with a wand when you can just put in the elbow grease yourself to fix the world yourself? Maybe these sorts of shows are just an excuse for people not to try as hard as they should. ‘Oh, I'm too weak and too busy! If only I had the kind of power and efficacy that character had!’ Those sorts of fantasies can give people excuses for not trying their best because they think they’re just normal. But...” Her eyes shined as she watched the tv. “I think we all want to believe we can do something, no matter how small we are in the universe. Like, Nebula-Chan is just a little girl who wants to laze off, enjoy life and pursue love, but she’s still able to save the whole world every week!” Hana put her hands on Tsubaki’s shoulders and smiled down at her younger sister. “I just love fantasy and cute things, but magical girls give me encouragement to work hard and do my best! It would be sooo fun to get to be a magical girl myself but...” She gave Tsubaki’s shoulders a squeeze. “I want to help kids, so I'm going to be a preschool teacher! I might be wielding books instead of a wand, but I can do something to change people's lives even if it isn't glamorous!” Tsubaki looked up into her sister’s radiant, dreaming eyes. “That’s why I have to do my best at school! It’s a step towards that goal, since a magic frog from the milky way isn’t going to come give me the knowledge and grades I need to get into college."

Tsubaki continued staring up at Hana. “You’re so cool, big sis. I wish I had some sort of big dream like you.” “Aww!” Hana leaned down and wrapped her arms around her sister’s waist, nuzzling her cheek against Tsubaki’s as she did so. “I’m so lucky to have such a cute little sister!” Tsubaki groaned, but she didn’t pull away. “But, really, Tsu.” Hana promised. “You’ll find out what you want to do one day. When that day comes, big sister will be behind you 100%!”

                 *                                                                *                                                          *

Tsubaki ran her stiff fingers over the glossy picture. ‘Pon-Chan the frog, Pilot Nebula’s companion. That was always Hana’s favorite show.’ Seeing the mascot brought a flood of memories back to Tsubaki. How many times had Hana forced her to participate in a weekend Star Pilot marathon? The show wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t the sort of series she could watch for hours on end without getting bored. Even so, she’dalways sucked it up and forced herself to watch for Hana’s sake. ‘She had this exact pouch. She won it at an arcade and would wear it everywhere outside of school. I used to tease her about how she’d ruin her outfits with that derpy-ass pouch every time she went out with her friends. But she though it was adorable and would rather wear that over a bag. What ever happened to it? ...probably ended up in a dumpster like the rest of her and Mama-Mo's stuff.’ Tsubaki’s casual mood was officially gone.

“Oh, Tsu-Chan!” Tsubaki snapped her head up. A smiling, blond woman in a white nurse dress and matching cap was looming over her. “Sorry to keep you waiting! The Doctor is finishing up a back adjustment for a patient, but he should be finished in the next ten minutes or so!” Her perky smile faltered as she took in Tsubaki’s distraught face and blank eyes. “Are you okay?”

Tsubaki could almost feel her muscles screaming like grinding metal as she forced a smile. “Yep, never better!” She lied effortlessly.