Mao Mao's Sisters

The Third Sister

"I know exactly what this is."

"You do?" Tanya exclaimed in surprise. "Then what is it?"

"Can you give me a knife?" Ignoring Tanya's question, he stepped up to the glowing green sphere.

Tanya, using one of her leaf talismans—because going through Violet's hat once was enough, created a three inch knife. Handing it to Mao Mao, she looked on in confusion and curiosity.

Mao Mao held the knife in one hand, brought the other to his mouth and bit down on the tips of his fingers. Mao Mao pulled his hand out of the glove, which now hung from his teeth. Pressing the knife to the palm of his hand, in one swift and sharp motion, Mao Mao cut a gash into the pad in the center of his hand.

Tanya's eyes widened. "What are you doing?!"

Mao Mao, trapped in his own world, paid her no attention. He pressed his bloody palm to the sphere's surface, and spoke in another language.

Judging by some of the sounds he was making, Tanya surmised that it was Sanskrit. As far as she was aware, Mao Mao didn't know Sanskrit. Or at least she thought he didn't. Maybe he just didn't bring it up? Tanya herself spoke several languages, but Sanskrit wasn't one of them.

Mao Mao finished what he had been saying, and pulled his hand away, his palm was now perfectly healed, no scar or any indication that he had cut himself at all. Stepping back, Mao Mao picked his glove off the ground, which had dropped during his speaking of Sanskrit, and placed it back on his hand.

The emerald green sphere, in response to Mao Mao's incantation, began to open up, starting from a small dot that began to widen until a third of the sphere was gone. This revealed that the sphere was hollow on the inside, and inside was...

"Oh thank heavens!" screeched a high pitched voice, as a pink maned lion barreled out of the sphere and gripped Mao Mao in a bear hug, lifting him off the cold tiles.

Mao Mao's face contorted in confusion, Snugglemane was the last person he'd expect to be in the sphere. "You're grace?" Mao Mao gasped, as the king's arms had much more muscle mass than his huggable appearance implied.

Snugglemane lowered Mao Mao to the ground, looking upon the sheriff in relief. "Thank goodness you finally made it, that cold hearted witch is so rude, I thought I'd never see another friendly face again!"

"I'm going to assume he doesn't mean me," Tanya spoke out, her hands on her hips.

"No," Mao Mao assured her, "I believe he's talking about her." Mao Mao pointer to the two thirds of the sphere that remained.

Tanya creeped around the sphere, gazing into the open portion of it. Between all the shadows and the green light, the individual blended in perfectly with their surroundings, the only exception was their golden glaring eyes.

"Oh you're joking," Tanya said, immediately realizing that the woman in front of her was yet another member of Mao Mao's family. "Ashaki, right?"

Ashaki scanned Tanya over quizzically, her expression never changing, similar to Violet, but this felt colder. "You're well versed," her voice wasn't monotone like Violet's, it felt more analytical.

"I've seen pictures," Tanya said back, sitting down on the cold floor for a rest.

"What are you doing here Ashaki?" Mao Mao asked. First it was Minori, then Violet, now Ashaki? This was just becoming too coincidental. Though a part of him kind of wanted his sisters to come to Pure Heart, maybe Hinata would come! But she's been missing for ten years, why wouldn't she come out sooner if that was the case.