Prepare for Trouble

Double Trouble!

Babysitting duty, who would've seen it coming? But Hiro thought it would've been a nice break from the usual fighting he's been doing lately. He leaned back in his seat closing his eyes, listening to the relaxing sound of the train.

When are we getting to the amusement park?! the shouts of an angry ten year old bellowed through the train. Everyone began to stare in their direction.

You asked this five minutes ago Zack. We should be there soon. Now please be quiet, people are staring.

The child bounded up and down the aisle while his twin brother, Christopher, sat swinging his feet on the seat, most likely day dreaming. Hiro turned to look at his friend Chris, who was just relaxing on the chair. It was nice to do a job with someone else for once.

The train came to a grinding halt, as Zack immediately stopped running and looked at Hiro. Are we here now?!

Yes we are. The boy gave a shout of excitement as he began to try to pump up his brother. Hiro gave a sigh. It was going to be a long day. He turned to look at Chris. You ready?

198 words

Why did I agree to this job? The thought ran through Chris’s head as one of the twins whined for what seemed like the hundredth time. Chris tuned it out after the twentieth time. He was used to siblings, both younger and older; and he left his hometown to get away from it. How did Hiro talk him into this?

Simple, he asked. A small smile came to his lips as he remembered the request two days ago. ”Hey Chris. I have a job I was looking into, and was wondering if you’d like to help.” ”Sure, set it up.” He never even asked what the job was.

So here he was helping babysit and making sure the two boys had fun and didn’t get hurt. It wasn’t such a bad job. Christopher seemed to be a quiet boy, even if his twin was rambunctious. If they kept Zack out of trouble then the job should be a breeze. But just in case Chris had something that should help if something happened.

The train pulled to a stop and Chris actually focused on his surroundings. Zach had stopped running, to which Chris was grateful, and Hiro asked if he was ready. ”Ready as I’ll ever be.” He gave his most reassuring smile as he followed behind Christopher who was running after his brother. This was going to be a long day.

[Word Count= 231]

Hiro gave a smile back as he lifted himself from the seat. Before he even had time to react Zack bolted out the train door with Christopher giving a reluctant shrug and chasing after his brother.

Zack, Christopher. Goddamn it! Hiro forced his way through the crowd trying to keep an eye on both the children before he finally noticed them stop at the entrance. They looked up in amazement.

How many rides do you think there are? Christopher asked in amazement.

Zack looked around at what he could see. There's gotta be like fifty of them!

Actually there's a total of forty six rides and twenty two concession stands. The children looked at him in confusion at how he could know such a fact. Hiro gave an awkward smile. I'm good at memorizing certain things.


The four of them waited in line as Hiro pulled out the prepaid tickets the mother had given him. Once inside, it seemed like the noise increased tenfold. Hiro turned to ask Zack where he wanted to go and realized he wasn't there. Christopher gave a slight chuckle and pointed to the bumper cars, where Hiro could see a small child with black hair bumbling his way towards.

Not again! Hiro said as he bolted after Zack.

321 Words

Chris found himself rushing out of the train as well; hot on the heels of Hiro. He knew this was going to happen, just knew it. How he wished he had a Darkness Arm to keep Zack still. Still that might be against the request that no harm comes to the boys. Still it would have been nice.

Once outside the two boys seemed to look around in amazement. Chris couldn’t help but smile in memory. He was pretty sure he was just as excited at seeing his first amusement park. When Hiro told them how many rides and concession stands there were he was also a little impressed. Maybe they wouldn’t need a map if the man was right with his memory. Still better safe than sorry.

However before he could go to a nearby stand for a pamphlet Hiro yelped. Looking up Chris saw Zack bolting for one of the rides. It was some sort of bumper cars powered by lacrima. He looked over to see where Christopher was, and noticed the young twin also bolting through the crowd after his brother. Groaning Chris ran after them with Hiro.

When they got close Chris could hear the one taking tickets. ”No, you can not ride. I told you already, you’re too short.’ Pushing past a couple he saw Zack and Christopher in front of the ride. Zack was standing on his tippy toes as if trying to gain height. ”But see, I really am taller.” The man didn’t seem impressed. ”No means no. Now get out of here before I call security on you.”

Chris almost reached the pair when Zack seemed to deflate a little. ”Lame.” Before he could grab either of them the two bolted again. He fumbled after them, and almost plowed into a couple who gave him a dirty look. He glanced over at Hiro. ”You grab Zack, I’ll get Christopher.” Let him deal with the more troublesome one, and he ran after the two boys.

[Word Count= 332]

Hiro chuckled to himself as he could see Zack's frustration and Chris trying to catch up. As he saw Zack grumble to himself, the boy leaned over and whispered something to his brother.

Now what are you two saying? Hiro asked, half out of curiosity, half out of annoyance. The twins just gave a type of sadistic grin before immediately bolting. Chris had finally got up only to see the boys dart in opposite directions. He heard Chris yell at him to grab Zack before darting off after Christopher. Will do! Meet me back at the carousel!

Of course. Leave me to the crazier one, Hiro chuckled to himself. He weaved himself through the crowd, his agile nature and speed coming in handy. Zack turned around and his eyes widened, as he saw a quickly Hiro was gaining on him. His shock then turned into a smile as a small lacrima was pulled from his pocket. It gave a faint glow before Zack's speed almost increased by double.

Hiro gave a slight smile as he saw Zack bolt ahead. He knew that Zack underestimated him because Hiro wasn't even going his full speed. With a little more power within him, Hiro boosted his speed, this time to everything he's got. Both of them were weaving in and out of crowds when he spotted Zack push a couple out of the way and hop into a Ferris Wheel cart. Zack began laughing to himself as he went up.

Goddamn it! Hiro cussed to himself as he hopped onto the metal beams. He began climbing is way around just as Zack got to the top. He grabbed the lady's purse which still happened to be in the cart and threw it at Hiro. It his hand, bounced off, and crashed into the mechanism of the Ferris Wheel, causing it to malfunction. The entire thing came to a halt, as Hiro hung there, his grip loosening.

Well shit...

340 words

Chris bolted after Christopher without another word. He glanced over and caught an image of Hiro muttering something to himself before he was lost in the bodies. A slight smile came to Chris’s lips as he thought about what Hiro might be muttering. Of course he was going to give him the more ‘rambunctious’ child. After all it was Hiro’s job. Chris was just along for support.

Even concentrating Chris had a hard time keeping up with his charge. Christopher was smaller and able to slip between spaces more easily than Chris. However the young mage wasn’t beaten yet, and planned out a path that would bring him closer to the boy.

Making sure he correctly guessed the direction the boy was headed, Chris cut to the right and over a grass incline that had little people. Christopher ran around the thing with a small smile on his lips. Chris also smiled, as this would put him within grabbing reach of the young boy. But before he could even reach out and tag the boy, a glow came from the lad’s hand and bolted almost faster than Chris could follow.

What was that? A lacrima? The boy ran through the crowd, almost getting lost from sight. Chris poured on the speed and hurried to at least try and keep the boy from disappearing. Suddenly Chris found Christopher stopped in front of the Ferris Wheel looking up. Chris followed the boy’s line of sight and saw Hiro hanging by his fingers and Zach closer to the top. The ride seemed stopped somehow. Chris called up lightly, but there was little humor in his voice. ”Hiro, stop fooling around and grab him. He can’t be a bigger money than you.” Thank goodness Christopher didn’t seem like he was going to join his brother.

[Word Count= 301]

Working on it! Hiro shouted, just barely hearing Chris's shouting coming from the screams below. Looking around, he noticed Zack just laughing above him, relaxing in the cart. A small smile perched across Hiro's lips as a thought popped into his head. Double Team!

Double Team:

All five speed doubles appeared in front of Zack. He gave a short yelp of surprise as he began furiously swinging at the doubles. All the punches just seemed to have fazed through the bodies until he felt something grab his arm. He looked up to find the doubles gone and now Hiro angrily staring at him.

How did you- Zack tried to ask before rudely cut off.

You're not going to be running off anymore right? Hiro asked.

So what if I do? he scoffed back.

So help me I will fall off this thing right now with you on me.

You wouldn't- but before he could even finish the statement he felt himself gripped in a hug and falling off the cart. The screams of Zack and the onlooking crowd almost humored Hiro in a way. Is this really what Hiro thought would be the best course of action? It was too late to back out now. With a quick rewind, the two suddenly reappeared back on the cart.

Rewind:

Zack was still screaming before finally realizing he was on solid surface. Are you going to keep running? Zack furiously shook his head no. He smiled, Good.

After a few more minutes, the Ferris Wheel was fixed and the two returned back down. He approached Chris, he was accompanied by Christopher at this point. I don't think we'll need to worry about him running off anymore, he said, with an awkward smile and scratching the back of his head.

479 words

Chris looked up to see Hiro pulling off a few ‘magic tricks’. A slight grin came to his lips as the young mage seemed to take his ‘encouragement’ to heart and get out of the situation. He figured he would. Hiro didn’t seem like the kind of person to do something so reckless without a plan. Even Christopher seemed to watch Hiro with interest.

However Chris almost choked on his own thoughts as Hiro grabbed the boy and jumped out of the chair. As skilled at Hiro might be, Chris was sure he didn’t know any flight spells. He took several steps forward; not sure what he could do to cushion their fall. But just as sudden as the jump both of them were back in the chair.

He let out a sigh of relief, and found Christopher doing the same. Setting his hand on the boy’s shoulder he smiled. ”It’s ok. Hiro knows what he’s doing.” His smile was actually gritted teeth as they fixed the Ferris Wheel. [i]I’m going to kill him.[i] Christopher seemed to be very quiet, and Chris could see that the boy’s face was still pale.

After a few minutes the pair stepped off the ride to a crowd of onlookers. Chris was at the front. Taking his hand from Christopher’s shoulder he took two steps to Hiro. Right after Hiro spoke Chris said not a word. Instead he clocked the young magician in the side of his head. It wasn’t a hard blow, though it was more meant to get the mage’s attention. ”Are you crazy? We are supposed to keep them safe, not scare them to death.”

He looked at Zack who still seemed stunned speechless. Even his brother looked more subdued than usual, though there was more concern on his face than anything. Turning his attention back to Hiro he continued in a quieter tone. ”They are ten years old. They are supposed to act like kids. You do stuff like that when they are old enough to bounce back from it.” He knew how fragile boys were at that age from his own younger siblings.

With that he turned back to the kids who were being fussed over by various women. Mothers he guessed they were. ”It’s ok. They are ok.” He herded the mothers away and placed a hand on both boy’s shoulders. Zack didn’t seem to notice until Chris gave a slight painful squeeze on his shoulder.

It was enough to break him out of his stupor, though not enough to cause harm. ”Why don’t we get some cotton candy?” Christopher nodded emphatically, but Zack was slow to respond with a nod. ”Cool. What color? Red or blue?” Christopher was quiet for a moment, and Zack still seemed slow in responding. Chris just gave another painful squeeze. ”Ow, red. Red!” Christopher nodded as well. ”Great. Hiro, how about you grab the cotton candy while we find a place to sit down. I’ll take a blue.” With that he directed the two boys away from the Ferris Wheel and to a place where they couldn’t see the ride.

[Word Count= 518]

The blow came sudden, catching Hiro extremely off guard. As his head swung to the side, he could feel his eyes quickly flicker blue but return back to normal. His hand instinctively clutched his sword, before loosening after realizing he was in no immediate threat. He stood staring Chris in the eyes. He could see the anger and frustration in his eyes. Hiro could really only remember bits and pieces of what happened. He just remembered grabbing Zack's arm but imagining the two fell off. He didn't actually think he did it. The way he could hear Chris's tone of voice sounded like Hiro had really messed.

What did you do? Hiro angrily thought.

You know what happened. We both did it, the voice replied back.

No...no...I couldn't have. I thought that was only a vision.

Your vision...my actions. Though Oni had no face, Hiro could feel like he was giving the most smug grin.

He snapped out of his thinking, completely missing everything Chris had just said. He could hear him asking the kids for cotton candy and what flavor they wanted. When Chris told Hiro to get the candy, he gave a halfhearted nod as he watched the three walk off. He stood in disbelief at what had happened, his gaze distant.

So are you gonna get the candy or am I gonna have to take control again?

You shut up. I will not be having this conversation now. We will meditate on this later. The demonic chuckling began and soon faded from his mind. He gave a large sigh and turned to the cotton candy. The evil glares of onlookers seemed to pierce right through him. Whispers of his actions circulated around him. This was a feeling he was all too used to from that one incident years ago. He quickly purchased the cotton candy from the clerk who spoke very little to him and hurried to find Chris and the kids.

Hiro spotted them on a bench, Zack's face still almost ghostly white. He quickly distributed the candy and sat down next to Chris. No words were said as he just sat, still somewhat distant from the rest.

393 words

Glancing up at Hiro approaching, Chris knew his words hit the young mage hard. It doesn’t matter if the one berating you is younger, a good tongue lashing can sober anyone. It was for the best. He needed to learn that lesson. Taking a bite of his cotton candy he realized something. Hiro mentioned at the guild about a little ‘problem’ he had. I can’t be that, could it?

Setting his cotton candy between his knees he turned to the two boys. Luckily Zack was sitting next to Hiro. ”Hey, you two want to see a magic trick?” Christopher nodded excitedly, while Zack was also interested. Looked like he was coming out of his ordeal. That’s good. Maybe I can help them both.

He picked up the chain hanging at his waist and showed the two boys the gobblet charm hanging from the end. ”Ok, watch carefully. This is the safest magic I know.” That was to try and put off the creature inside Hiro; if that’s what happened on the Ferris Wheel. He spoke in a clear voice. ”Holy ARM, Little Angel.” The charm and the chain shatter in light and reform into larger versions of themselves. The charm turns into a more detailed and colorful version, especially the red heart.

Chris let the goblet turn slowly on the chain, letting them see it. Both the boys looked in awe at the colorful piece. With a smile he surged his magic into the goblet. The red heart glowed brightly; bathing both Zack and Hiro in the red light. Already Zack was looking better with color returning to his face. He even began to fidget a little. Smiling Chris turned his attention back to Hiro. ”Feeling better?”

[Word Count= 287]

Little Angel:

KILL HIM! KILL HIM! The constant screaming within his mind caused him great discomfort. He got an overwhelming burning sensation that he had not felt since the tavern incident. Throughout all the pain, he managed to crack a small smirk as he jerked his head back quickly. His fists began to clench extremely tight, his knuckles began to turn almost white.

I WILL END HIM MYSELF IF YOU CANNOT!

I DON'T THINK SO! Hiro fought back.

He looked back at Chris, their eyes meeting. Hiro could feel his eyes flickering back and forth between brown and and it's bright blue. Then it finally subsided. The pain gone. Whatever that thing Chris had was, it sure did work wonders.

Hiro heard Chris's question and smiled back. Most definitely. Much better than before.

Christopher and Zack looked back at him. Are you ok? You snapped your head back really fast. Zack asked, kind of concerned.

Of course. The magic trick Chris just helped me feel better. I just cracked my neck was all. He pat the child on the head, who in turn gave a small smile. Sorry about earlier kiddo. Let's just say I'm not the best at decision making.

It's ok. I'm not good at it sometimes either. And besides, I am ok after all.

Good. Now hurry and finish your candy. We still have a whole day ahead of us.

264 words

They ate their cotton candy quickly and Chris made sure the boys threw away their own trash. He then motioned them to follow as they went to explore the rest of the park. ”Alright, let’s see about getting you two on some rides.” They two seemed to perk up at the suggestion, and Chris almost grinned at their smiles. He made sure Hiro was following behind and keeping an eye on the two boys following.

They reached a caged like contraption that spun around at a good speed. Glancing at the height requirement Chris pulled the two boys to the side and had them take off their shoes. ”Let’s see about getting you on this one.” He proceeded to add a few inches to the bottom of their shoes from spare parts from his ARM experiments. It was enough to help them pass muster.

When they reached the front the person manning the ride looked down at the shoes with a slight grin. He didn’t even ask the boys to stand in front of the measuring board. Before they got on the ride however Chris pulled held the chain hanging at his waist and called for the Little Angel once more. He bathed Hiro in the light while speaking quietly under his breath. ”Just in case.”

And that’s how they spent the rest of the day. The boys had loads of fun, and with Hiro watching and Chris leading the two didn’t run off as before. At each ride Chris used the Little Angel on Hiro, and for the rest of the day there was no incident. Chris got the two some food at mid-day with Hiro’s help, and then several more rides before the day was done.

They alternated who went with the twins, and at the end of the day Chris was confident that the two had a lot of fun. On the ride home both of the kids were exhausted enough to fall asleep, and Chris let out a sigh of relief. Today was a good day.

[Word Count= 340]