he streets seemed to gleam in the dark moonlight that night. The hustling people of Tokyo paid little mind to anything around them other than what was immediately in front of them.

Not that this was anything peculiar, on the contrary, mankind seemed good at doing this for centuries. And it didn't look like it was about to change anytime soon. The only things changed was the look of the landscape, and the weariness of Mother Earth, which of course, could be said to have been hand in hand with one another. What was once rich, lush forests of ocean green and spotted with a myriad of other rainbow colours was now just a sea of dark grey white-washed with occasional steel white…The white and grey gave the look of age and tiredness….perhaps sub-consciousnessly reflecting the Mother's feelings.

Here, rabbits and foxes once ran their gambit…..no fences to hold them, no bars to keep them on display. Animals still roamed here, but these were creatures of steel and iron, their breathe exhaling air that was less than hospital to their host. Their feet would have crushed the tender grass and folliage, if it was already not all but nullified by the cement tarp that now covered the ground. Humans were the King of the Wild here, or so they wanted to believe….

A large super-bus ran up to it's station, beneath the cement, probably in the same area where some animals once kept their burrows . More people dismounted, still going in their own directions in their singly-directed visions…. Dragging themselves to whatever seemed aptly important at the time.

Umiko dismounted amid this dreary dance macabre. Taking her small sachel with her and slinging it over her small shoulder, the faded blue almost being covered up by her large fluffy mat of pink hair. Looking around, Umiko sighed. Not a friendly face in sight. None of the joyous bravo that used to fill stations like this in decades. Indeed, even the children, the dreamers, seemed to gaze at the world with dead eyes. Doldrum seemed to be getting them earlier and earlier.

Slowly she passed through the checkouts and mounted the escalator to travel up the surface world. After a few minutes she appeared on the surface and began to walk slowly towards the park. The Tokyo park would still be there…of that she was sure.

She headed directly down Nariba street, hitting the main business roads. A sake yatai maintainer smiled at her as walked by….not in a sales type of smile, but more out of a paternal sort of sympathy. No…there was not much chance of her being a customer in the condition her body was. Maybe that was good…..girls in her positions would make a bad impression showing up at a Rehab Centre. There was many times Umiko could have easily slipped into that dependance. Especially after fifty years on the job. Doldrum was nipping at her heels and she could feel it more and more through her boots.

She stopped to look at some of the brightly lighted store windows, one of the t.v. s was showing recent footage of a fight between some weird creatures and the mysterious crime fighter, Sailor Moon. Umiko chuckled to herself, she carried herself as the same age as she actually was, 17; but she still moved like a rhino on flamingo legs. It was hard to believe that she represented the end and the beginning….and that she was the end of Umiko's journey. 50 years, only to fall short to a over-active day-dreamer, then again…that was the way of Majoko…How Umiko lasted as long as she did, she'd never know….Some inner force just seemed to be able to keep enough of the dreams inside of her to keep dundrum at bay. But how long would her faerie energy protect her….How long?

It took Umiko about 56 minutes to walk through the business district to the residential section. She paused at a bridge overpassing a river to rest and enjoy the view. The water looked as if it could almost be clean. Umiko gazed in tiredly at the water, trying to convince herself that the water held mermaids and jumping koi, but deep inside she knew that if there were, they would be belly up in seconds. It was getting harder and harder for her to vision any other view.

However the one thing did not change was the reflection in the water. The same damn reflection, the same yellow ribbon on the same pink hair that swung out from her head like angels' wings. And she looked the same age as when her parents sent her down here originally to pick up from her predecessor, who had finished her journey quite prematurely. The same wand, the same outfit….the only thing missing were her friends of long ago, and her magic. Her three guardians had been gone for 30 years now, more like a vague dream actually, she could hardly remember their faces let alone their voices. One morning she woke up and they weren't there. She searched for them ofcourse, knowing the inevitable conclusion all along. They were gone, and they weren't coming back. She was on her own.

Not too long after that her magic began to ebb away. She thought at first this was a test, to see if she could adapt and work without any magical assistance, but eventually it became obvious, she was lost to the land of dreams, her, the princess of Marinanassa. No magic, no allies, she went into the cold world alone.
To say she had no help was unfair, her purse never seemed to empty amazingly, and she never seemed to be wanting for warmth and shelter. And there were all the other majoko's she had met……

She spun around as she felt a hand clasp her shoulder.

"Do you like making those faces or is this just testing for the doopy competition?"

"Mami!!!!"

"That's what they say my name is….don't scream it, or you'll wear it out!" Mami smirked, her long curly green hair spreading off of her head in a fan shape. Her figure looked the same as it always did, but as in old times as well, she carried herself in very vampy airs. Where was her REAL form though?

Rumours among the other mahou onna hinted that she done IT with several boys, and, in an odd way, that would most not shock Umiko, who knew her friend for 35 years now, and her antsy behaviour. But she also knew that Mami put on more airs than any other girls, but in the end, was one of the more down to earth Majokos around when it came down to brass tacks. And Umiko also knew that so many of the majokos loved to engage in gossip, and the tales could get taller and taller, and very unrealistic at times, even for majokos. And anything involving Majokos and physical intimacy could almost always be considered a "tall tale".

Umiko put on her best smile and grasped her old friend and hugged her "Oh…it's so good to see you! What brings you here!"

Mami laughed condescendingly, lightly hugging back, then pulling back.

"Oh please now, girl, don't dally with me. First, I'm here for the same reason that you and every other mahou onna is headed here for right now. Secondly, don't do your sugar sweet KAWAII trick on me, you had all the look of a Budo with no one to grunt at and beat up."

Umiko grimaced at that. "Mami! Quit it. For starters this place is climbing with those people, and I don't need one jumping us because you annoyed them…"

Mami chuckled evilly "There's a couple here I wouldn't mind jumping…."

Umiko gasped again, never seeming to be ready for some of the shocking things Mami said, "Mami!"

Mami broke out guffaing, "You're still the same! HA! Stop pretending you've never longed for it. You're the same as the rest of us, deep down. "

Umiko broke her off before she could continue, "Anyway!!!!! I don't want trouble , especially with Omikami's grandson awakening soon… So let's drop back on the Budo jokes."

Mami put her hands up defensively, "Okay..okay…Sorry..didn't mean anything by it… Hey, pardner, what say we wrassle up some vittles and get us some place to rest our sorry doggies…"

Umiko retorted "In Japan, we say let's get something to eat and relax…But yes..let's go…."

Mami laughed and put her arm around Umiko, hugging her warmly and leading her off to some confectionary stalls. "Ya know…for a faerie, you're a real tightwad…."

Umiko mumbled "And for a magical girl, you're a real tramp!"

Mami laughed "That's me! Magical Girl Pretty Trampy!"

"Hey! I heard that Creamy Brain!" A familiar voice called as it walked by them, a familiar rabbit-cat combination trailing behind her.

Mami stuck her tongue out at the disappearing figure, "Ya! Whatever, get a decent outfit, Babe! That one's soooooooo retro!"

Umiko giggled "You're talking, Mami?"

Mami spun around and replied playfully "Watch it angel-head or you're next.." and winked.

Umiko just laughed and started off towards the stalls.

********************************************************

Umiko was laughing again.

It was nice to feel the joy of laughter in her again. It had been a while. But then again, was there ever a time Mami couldn't bring laughter into her soul. Mami seemed to have that gift of laughter, that very few senior Majokos had.

Only one girl could light up her soul more, but Umiko was sure that by now she must have surrendered to doldrum. She more than anyone was able to be manipulated by todays' society. She was probably picked up by some big name anime company, her thinking it was heaven, only to be plopped in a small room with 30 other kids like her and forced to draw what THEY told her to. By the time she'd realize how cramped her creativity was it would be too late. She'd have to stay. The Bills don't wait for people to change careers or change their minds. Death of another dreamer. Umiko felt a part of her die.

"Hey! Angel head! WAKE UP!"

An empty juice can bounced off of Umiko's head….rousing her from her ponderings.

"Hey what was that for Dork!?!?!"

"For getting all depressed again while I'm here tryin ' ta cheer ya up, that's what!"

"I'm not depressed, Mami, I'm just thinking about what my next move from here is.."

Mami bit into another sakura-mochi, "Yeah…right…." She said between bites…"You're not depressed, and Tail-chan didn't have an affection for black clothing. And we're alone now, you can call me by my Mahou-true-name."

Umiko sighed."Sorry Akemi…Just tired."

Mami/Akemi smiled warmly "I know you are..we all get that way sometimes. And I know you have tons more reason than the rest of to be that way than the rest of us….. Is there anything in particular or just this thing called life.."

Umiko smiled nervously "It's just that…well …."

Akemi smirked , "Hard to believe….the great Minky Momo at a loss for words…."

"Please….don't use that name….I hate it coming like that…."

"Minky? Is that you?" A soft voice echoed from behind them.

The two girls spun around towards the voice. Behind them stood a lovely girl with orangish-brown hair, capped at the back by a large yellow ribbon that flowed out almost shadowing the long pigtail that jutted out from just underneath it. She wore a large billowly pink sweater, and a very short, white mini-skirt, that was just long enough to keep a sense of modesty. Her soft flushing face head the hot-tempered tom-boy that lay inside the soft, lady-like exterior. Her figure had filled out slightly, just becoming full enough to display a bust line, and allow her hips to be more shapely.

Akemi chuckled "Yumi-chan….we were just gossiping about you! How's it going?"

Umiko jerked at this…."Stop that Mami! We were not!"

Akemi retorted "Don't call me Mami bone-head….she knows who I am…"

Yumi chuckled lightly, and sat down beside them, sitting closer to Umiko, not shocking Akemi in the slightest.

"I guess there's more of us left than I thought," Yumi said happily. Her wand still affixed to her side, looking like a colt ready to be shot at a challenging gun-fighter.

Umiko gulped and nodded, "Atsui-chan…you're still…with us…."

Yumi nodded "Ofcourse I am Umiko…you can't keep a good artist down…"

Akemi exclaimed "Well...what happened with Shogagukan animation studios…I read that you were one the one's picked for their intern-training course! Don't tell me you're able to keep your head in a place like that?"

Yumi/Atsui giggled and said "I don't know…I was so happy to win it..It's just when it came time to go, something didn't feel right, like I had obligations elsewhere…"

Atsui trailed off at that, and looked towards Umiko, who sat silent at her words.

Akemi giggled a bit, and stood up, "Well I'm done my food, and there are bishounens to flirt with. Im off girls!"

"Akemi!" Umiko exclaimed a bit too quickly, her voice betraying her nervousness, "We haven't even had a chance to fully talk…"

Akemi grinned wolfishly and said "Oh…I think you two have things to discuss, and besides we can meet tomorrow morning, same cabbit channel …same cabbit place….be here at 9:00 am, or I'll eat all the good pork buns…."

With that, she ran before Umiko could protest anymore.

Atsui smiled at Umiko "The time has come to talk of many things....."

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