Mao Mao's Sisters

Party Preparations

Disclaimer: with Snugglemane's party getting started, I've included a few songs in the following chapters, none of which I own in any way, shape, or form.

Covered in dirt and grime from the long trek, Ashaki was nearing the end of her patience, but she finally made it, Pure Heart Valley. From where she stood, she had an excellent view over the wall that surrounded the kingdom. With a squint, her vision zoomed in on the goings-on on the other side of the wall, yet another of the numerous abilities that her contacts give her.

The denizens seemed to be setting something up in the town square. There was a large pink-maned lion standing on a makeshift dais with a megaphone shouting orders to a bunch of uniformed individuals. Ashaki already knew the lion—sort of—he had been in one of the visions she had, along with Mao Mao and some tanuki, inside one of Ashaki's barriers along with her.

Upon further inspection, there were some rather large boxes in the back. Focusing on them, Ashaki tried to stare through the boxes, much like how someone would stare through whatever was in front of them when they began to space out. As if the contacts understood what she was trying to do, she was able to see the contents of the boxes: streamers, strobe lights, and a turntable.

So the denizens were setting up for some kind of party. No matter; according to her mom, Cleo, her sisters, Minori and Violet, should already be here, if so, where?

Wrapping her cape tightly around her, Ashaki moved closer towards the wall, using the green of her cape as camouflage against the trees and grass. The wall measured to be about seventeen, maybe eighteen, feet tall. Staring up at the wall that loomed over her, Ashaki thought about the first thing her mother taught her when she was learning about the mystic arts: how to levitate.

"All living things have a life force," her mom had told her. "It has many names, varying from culture to culture, aura, energy, ki, but the most commonly used name, is chi. It flows through you, just like the blood in your veins. Imagine the feeling of those blood cells, turning and changing direction, and they've all decided to head towards the base of your spine."

Ashaki felt a sense of weightlessness as she remembered that lesson, from her point of view, it looked like the top of the wall was coming down to her, where in fact, she was going up to it. As soon as she was within arms reach of the ledge, she hoisted herself up and over.

Most people would ask her, "wouldn't it make more sense to channel your chi towards your feet, instead of the base of the spine?" In theory, yes, actually, no. The mystic arts were discovered and cultivated in a country that had already developed a system for harnessing chi, via through one of seven chakras that run along the center of a person's height. The base of the spine is where the root chakra, or Muladhara, is located.

Walking along the top of the wall, Ashaki examined the people as they rushed about the square. Was there some kind of anniversary, or maybe they're prepping for a local festival? No matter which way you slice it, this isn't what she's here for.

Ashaki cast her gaze upward, towards the spire, and the giant gem that sat at the top. Her current project lies up there. Channeling her chi back into her Muladhara, she levitated off the wall, and glided over to a rooftop, where she would continue to walk on in silence, wrapped up in her thoughts.

How coincidental that my siblings happened to find Mao Mao here of all places, Ashaki thought to herself. After she had jumped across several buildings, her focus broke as she noticed a black individual clad in red walking down the street. On second glance, Ashaki confirm that it was indeed Mao Mao himself!

Dropping onto her stomach, she rolled over so that she was on the other side of the angled roof. Wait a minute... why was she hiding? Eventually she would have to come out of the shadows anyway; the pact can't be completed otherwise. It was that damn nightmare, it's been messing with her head, giving her a sense of paranoia.