Starlight Dream

Chapter 41

"Do you want some more fruit?" Seina asked again for the fourth time. "We have plenty!"

"No, I'm fine," Emiyo said, her tone terse. Already, tonight had proven torturous, the other magical girl insisting on being the best host possible. The constant condolences for Miko's passing made the sleepover almost intolerable. The only relief was that Takako declined Seina's invitation, citing a disinterest in hanging out with her former boss.

"How about another movie? What about..." Aiko paused, searching through her stack of random DVDs. "Ringu?"

"No!" Seina said in automatic protest.

"Please! We still haven't finished it yet!" Aiko replied in a huff.

"I said no!" Seina said, putting her foot down even harder. Was Seina easily scared?

"..."

"I agree with Chō. I want to watch it too." Emiyo added, a sly smile on her lips.

"Don't worry!" Seina's blasphemous partner said. "I'll hold your hand during the scary parts."

"Fine," Seina said, giving a reluctant nod. "But I'm blaming you, Aiko, if I get nightmares again!"

Both Emiyo and Ch grinned, amused by Seina's antics. This girl was just too easy.

"Seven days." A voice rasped through an old-style phone, and Seina shrieked in fright.

"You idiot! Why'd you watch that stupid cursed tape!" Seina hid her face with a pillow. The girl continued to shriek whenever anything remotely spooky happened.

"..."

In response, Emiyo nodded in agreement. Had she ever been that young? Unexpected envy washed over her, missing a lost childhood. It hadn't been a great one, her parents more interested in cultivating a genius prodigy than raising her. To them, movies only represented a distraction from studies. Compared to getting into a prestigious college, fun was tertiary. Emiyo had never regretted running away from home.

It's so dumb. Why am I getting jealous about this? Wasn't Seina raised in a hellhole ruled by monsters? "Hey, Seina. What were your parents like? Did the vampires kill them?" While a tactless question, Emiyo was curious.

The other magical girl's face turned in a scowl, the plight of the horror movie momentarily forgotten. Aiko grabbed her friend's hand while Colten gave a tight hug.

"They're still alive as far as I know, and I don't care either way!" Seina said, with surprising venom. Emiyo stared in shock, surprised by this side of the overbearingly chipper magical girl.

"They were horrible!" Aiko said, snarling.

"Yeah! Those jerks left Seina for dead to save their own necks!" Colten added.

"What?" Emiyo's voice caught in her throat. Even Chō seemed shocked by this news. Both of their fairies' eyes widened to saucers.

"It's a long story. But the short version is, when given a choice between them and me, my parents choose themselves without hesitation," Seina said, her words almost a whisper.

"Oh." Emiyo said, lost for words. She'd never suspected that Seina had just a dark event lingering in her past. She felt a sudden sympathy for the girl, relating to her situation.

"..." For once, Chō had nothing to say.

After an awkward silence, Emiyo coughed. "How about a different movie? Maybe a Disney film this time?"

This made Seina perk up. "I'd like that."

"Again we don't get to finish Ringu!" Aiko said, annoyed.

As colorful animals appeared on the screen, Seina's eyes lit up like she'd never seen such a sight before. But then Emiyo remembered she hadn't. The vampires had ruined her world, almost making it a barren husk.