A few hours later we reach the lively Tokunosu City. I can never get over how big it is. And the buildings defy gravity and so do the cars.
"Wow!" Kaylin gasps. I can share his enthusiasm. Its amazing! The clothes that they wear look so much fancier than ours could ever be. The old ways of Japan and the Western world merge here in a seemingly perfect blend. There's no girls though. It's the same here... Women have no place... Wait... There's a broadcast and there's a woman being interviewed. She's the govenor of this city! I stop to watch.They talk about very... I guess intelligent things. I can't tell. Their language is a strange mix of Japanese and English. Its cool though. I then see many women pass me and they, by and large, look very important.
"We should move here Katara! You'd get to be important here!"
"I don't know."
"We should!"
"No! I'm this close to getting a dragon."
"But you can have a robot servant here!" And just as he says it some couples walk by, but on most, one of them has these strange looking things coming out of where their ears should be. Those must be those Autocons I heard of before.
"I want a dragon."
"Fine..."
"When I get one I'll get you a servant."
"A robot?!"
I nod.
"COOL!"
"You just have to wait."
"Come on!" He says as he deflates. I smile at him. He means well. And he's still just a kid. He needs a bit of time with me though. Between me training and him working at night often has left no time for us to be together. But it'll be so much better when I finally get my dragon. When I get my dragon I'd be able to spend all the time I want with my brother. We can build a shrine to father and honor his sacrifice... and mother's as well...
"Katara! Look!" Kaylin pulls on my sleeve hard and look at him. He's pointing at a screen attached to a tower. The advertisement displayed a sorry excuse for a samurai with a naginata. The display says:
Steel Samurai
Defender of Neo Olde Tokyo
Saturdays @ 10:00
"No. You're not going to watch that."
"No! Not that! That!"
I look back up and the sign changes to a pair of young men facing each other, glaring. They both wear formal clothes while the one on the right wears just a dress shirt and a dark green vest On his neck is a magatama. He looks very professional even though he has a low beard. Even more inintriguing is that he looks so... American. The other man, however looks much more refined and educated. He has snow white hair that is neatly combed and tied up in the back with a small ponytail and sports a fu manchu. His glasses enhances his look and his emerald eyes scream "I'm gonna win". The board displays a trial that is going to happen not too far from here at the Fukinaga Courthouse.
"Can we go? Please!"
"Fine," I know if I say no he'll run off again. He cheers and pulls me to the courthouse and once we near it there's a fairly large crowd. Why did I agree to this? I hear some say that that the defense will lose since he's going up against Atsutane Genda, the Merciless Prosecutor. The defense is quite cute though, I'd hate to see him lose this trial. I don't get why they got an American. He seems unqualified and the people talking about him solidifies my theory. He's only been in mock trials before this, and lost each time. This is not good, but I could stare at him all day. I don't know why though! There's just something about him that I like. Stupid Katara. Why can't you stay down?
Wait, where's Kaylin?! I look around and find him talking to the American attorney at the entry to the court. I rush over. "I'm sorry if my brother is bothering you."
He looks at me and laughs. "It's alright. It's actually welcomed since I never get any kind of attention." I can't believe how fluid his Japanese is! It's almost like he was born here.
"I bet the ladies give you attention," I say. Where the hell did that come from? I'm almost flirting.
He laughs again but louder, "No, the women here don't really take an interest to me here. Mostly because everyone hates lawyers." He says finishing with a shrug. "Well, I have to go. Come in and watch the trial if you want. It's in room 5B."
"We'll be there!" Kaylin shouts. I tap his head from behind to quiet him down. "Sorry bro."
"It's okay. But you better behave during the trail. Understand?"
"Yes Katar."
"Then lets go." I say as I hold his hand and guide him to the room. He looks around like a child in a candy shop. Everything is so wondrous to him. I kinda feel the same way. Its so different to what I was used to. I'm used to court being in the middle of the square and the men shouting accusations at each other and the one on trial. This is much more civilised.
We make our way into the courtroom and everyone waits for the trial to start. The young man Kaylin was talking to is on the right and the the other man I saw on the board is on the left. Kaylin seems to know him.
"His name is Daisetsu Konae." Kaylin says.
"Is he famous?"
"Not really. He's only done practice trails and lost all of them."
"Ah."
"Let's find a seat!" He says tugging. I follow him and he plants his butt down in a seat where we can clearly see Mr. Konae's desk. Perfect. The trial starts and I finally find out what's going on. Apparently the person who plays the Steel Samurai had been charged with murdering his girlfriend. I look at the man and he looks like a jungle is growing out of his head. It's even dyed green. Eww! Moldy hair! The trial is starts and the first witness is the defendant. This is so much more civilized than back home. But it seems to damage his case. He was there on the day of the murder but everyone doesn't believe that "she wasn't home". I don't know if I do or not. I can't say that I trust or distrust him... I'm a little distracted.
Then the persecution brought on the second witness that is supposed to clinch the guilty verdict. Something is going to have to change or that man will not live for much longer. I hope the American can help.
"OBJECTION!" he thunders during the cross examination. I jump and so does Kaylin. I didn't expect that from him. He stands pointing at the witness in a posture that would make even Sensei proud. Its so strong and sturdy. And I can tell that he's in a state of complete and utter focus. Nobody seems to be breathing. Time has stopped. And the room is quiet as he steps away from his podium. "Witness, you said that the murder weapon was a clock... correct?"
"Yes. It was."
"Then why is it this," He thrusts out his arm to the middle of the room and a large hologram of a small Statue of David appears, "Is the actual murder weapon?"
I'm not the only one who's confused. Why did the witness say that it was a clock when it obivously isn't? How did he know that?
"Well witness?"
"Your honor, this statue really is a clock. all you do is twist the head and it says the time aloud. I labeled it as a simple statue because I didn't believe we needed to. Sorry about that." The porsecution says saving itself.
"Understood, but why was it not detailed? Why did you believe it was not needed?"
"Simply because I thought that it wasn't going to be brought up."
The judge sighs, "Everything must be labelled correctly."
"Terribly sorry."
"What is the relevance of this clock Mr. Konae?"
"It proves that this man is lying to us! He said himself that he never entered the room. And yet he clearly identifies this as a clock and that can only be done if he held it and twisted the head!"
That's clever. I never would have thought of that. That places him in in the room with the weapon. But does it mean that he killed that poor girl? I hope not. The witness continues and traps himself with lying about the time that he found the body. I guess that means he did it. But there's one thing that confuses me. Was the clock wrong when the murder took place? And if it was, is there any proof? Who did it? I want to know.
"Mr. Konae," The judge says, "You've answered why the witness' timeline seems off. But is there any proof that the clock was fast to begin with?"
"I do!"
We all lean forward. "This is my proof!" He holds up a small book that's dark blue. It looks like a diary.
"What is that?" The judge asks.
"It's the victim's passport! Found in her purse! She had come back from San Francisco the day before the murder at 10:00 o' clock at night! It takes an hour to get from the airport to the end of town where she lived. By that time she would have went right to sleep and didn't even bother resetting her clock! Therefore, We can piece together the last part of this mystery!"
That's clever.
"This is what I think happened. The victim returned home from her trip to the States. By the time she got home, it was the next morning in San Francisco and she didn't have a lot of sleep on the ride back. So she placed her clock back on a nightstand and went to sleep. The next day, While she's gone my client goes to see if she's home. She wasn't and the witness goes in the room. Then the witness goes in and the and the victim comes in and he hits her with the clock triggering it and the Pacific Standard Time setting on it."
I'm nodding along. The witness screams and tosses his hair at Mr. Konae and hits him in the face. That seems mean.
"Your honor, I think this proves my point." He says taking the wig off his face. How can he stay so calm? I can't see why. I wait for the verdict.
"The court finds the defendant not guilty." The judge says slamming his gavel. I watch Mr. Konae. He only smiles and nods. I have to see him again. As everyone files out I try to meet him again.
"Kaylin, we're talking to him."
"Why?"
"Because."
"You like him?"
I nod. He ooh's at me.
"Shut it."
He laughs at me. I shove him and he stumbles. I pick him up and he sticks tongue out at me. I laugh and he hugs my leg.
"What's this for?"
"I love you sis."
I look around in case anyone heard and then I hug him back. "I love you to bro."
I then see Mr. Konae about to leave. I rush over. Then I run into him. "Hi."
"Ah! We meet again." He smiles.
"Yeah. That was brilliant by the way."
"Thank you."
"I think my sister would like you."
"Sister?"
I nod, "My twin."
"Ah. I'd like to meet her."
"I think she'd like you."
"Good. Here's my card."
"I'll have her phone you."
"Good."
I nod, "Well I'll see you whenever."
"Okay."
I walk away and grin at Kaylin. He looks up and winks at me. I smile and lead him out. He won't shut up. I love him but he talks too much. "Kaylin, we need food."
"Okay."
"You gonna be quiet?"
"Yea."
"So what should I wear?"
"One of mom's old dresses?"
"Do we still have some?"
"Yea."
"And jewelry?"
"Most of it."
"Ok."
"Should we get our supplies first?"
I nod.
"Okay."
I take him to the store and we get what we need. I rush home and call him up.
"Hello?"
"Hey, its Katara."
"Katara?"
"You met my brothers earlier."
"Oh! you're Kaylin's sister right?"
"Yeah."
"Nice to meet to you... kinda."
"Kinda?"
"I mean I'm kinda meeting you. I prefer talking to people in person."
"Oh yeah me to."
"So, ah, I'm kinda celebrating after my first trial... Would you like to join me?"
"Sure."
"Okay. Should I come pick you up or...?"
"You could pick me up."
"Okay. Where do you live?"
"Taranda Village."
"Okay. What specific house?"
"The one on the hill."
"Okay. In the Southeast of town right?"
"Yeah that's the one."
"Okay. When should I come over?"
"Um, in an hour?"
"Okay."
"I'll see you then."
"Okay!"
I hang up and go to the bathroom. I take off everything and look at myself. I hate how flat I've become. I wish I was bigger. Maybe I can get surgery. I'd like that.
"Kaylin, I'm not going!" I hate how I don't look like a girl.
"What?! Why?"
"I don't feel like it."
"What?"
"I don't want to go. I have zero boobs!"
"Come on sis!"
"No!" I know I'm acting like a child but I don't care.
"Please sis!"
"Why?!" I can't even hold my boobs up to make them look bigger.
"Because you need this!"
"Do I?"
"Yes! You never smile anymore."
"Because I'm busy!"
"And you need to relax for once!"
"I can't! I don't know how to!"
"That's why you need to go!"
"Can you make me a girl?"
"You are a girl!"
"Help me Kaylin!"
"How?!"
"I don't know."
"Then just get dressed! We don't have time!"
"Fine!" I throw on the dress and fix it the best I can. I then try something out. Make up. I don't want to look ugly nor stupid. I go to mom's old room. I know where she keeps her make up But I don't like going in there. It makes me feel funny. I miss them. I need my parents.