DESCENDANTS

Sci-Fi Comedy Short involving Japanese coin bracelet

	"Shiny thing!" Miko said in delight, jumping for the 
object in the grass.
	Her friend, Yuki, smacked a palm against her 
forehead.  "You know, one of these days that curiosity of 
yours is going to get you into trouble," she pointed out.
	Miko shrugged as she held up the object, a japanese 
coin on a string.  "What's the worst that can happen?" she 
inquired.
	"You could get sucked into a book and be forced to 
track down the seven seishi in order to set the universe 
right again," Yuki stated without hesitation.
	"Hey!  I'll have you know I'm nothing like my 
mother," Miko retorted, adjusting the buns of her blue 
hair.  "Anyway, this isn't a book, it's a japanese coin on 
a string.  I think it's a bracelet."
	"I guess we should track down the owner then," Yuki 
remarked.
	Miko nodded.  "I'll just slip it on for safe 
keeping."  However, the moment she did so, both girls were 
envelopped by a neon fushia glow.  When their vision 
cleared, they found that they had to duck almost 
immediately to avoid being hit by a flying hovercar.  The 
driver of the hovercar quickly pulled over and turned to 
look back at them.
	"Hey!" the driver shouted.  "What are you two idiots 
doing in the middle of the road?"
	"Road?" Yuki questionned, looking left and right 
across the barren desert plain where they appeared to be.
	"Of course road," the angry man said, exiting his 
vehicle and advancing towards them.  "The section where 
the anti-grav polarizers are placed!  What the heck were 
you thinking?"
	"Excuse me," came a new voice.  Everyone turned to 
look at the man who had spoken.  He was standing atop a 
nearby cactus, with his arms folded, and with egg on his 
face.  Or rather, the symbol of an egg on his forehead.  
"I, Tamago, will not allow these girls to be bullied by 
you!" he continued.  "Leave now and I'll be merciful."
	The driver picked up a rock and hurled it at the man 
by way of response, which caused the self-proclaimed 
Tamago to dodge, lose his footing, and fall into the 
cactus plant.  "Aiiiiie!" Tamago screamed.
	"Oh brother," Yuki sighed.  She stepped toward the 
irate driver and quickly executed a neat bit of karate 
which flipped him into the cactus next to the egg-man.  
She then whirled upon Miko.  "You and your curiosity for 
shiny things!" she said accusingly.  "Look where it's got 
us!"
	"Well, it's not like we're in ancient China," Miko 
said defensively.  "See that city on the horizon?  It's 
all shining and glittery.  And I think I see the 
polarizers that nice man was talking about."
	"Well duh," Yuki replied.  "Since it was your mother 
who went to ancient China, your fate has probably been to 
come to future China.  Why did you have to bring me along 
on this sci-fi adventure of yours anyway?"
	"But it's just a japanese coin on a string," Miko 
protested.  "How was I to know?"
	"Excuse me," Tamago said, approaching them while 
picking needles out of his skin, "But did you just say she 
is the daughter of the one who travelled to ancient 
China?"
	"What's it to you?" Yuki challenged.
	Tamago flicked a final needle back in the direction 
of the unconscious hovercar driver.  "Oh, it's just that 
if that is so, there's been a terrible mixup," he said.  
"For Miko no Miko's destiny lies in present day China - it 
is her daughter who is supposed to come here."
	"I'm going to have a daughter?" Miko said in 
surprise.
	Yuki sighed.  "Well, if we're not supposed to be 
here, how do we get back?" she questionned.
	"Simple," Tamago replied.  "Just click your heels 
together three times and repeat over and over, 'Kaijin, 
Kaijin'."
	"Great," Yuki said.  "Let's go, Miko."
	"Oh, but just one thing," Tamago added.  "If you 
could just make sure your daughter gets that japanese coin 
bracelet before she turns 16?"
	Miko blinked.  "This one?" she asked, holding up her 
arm.
	Tamago nodded and shrugged.  "Don't look at me that 
way, I didn't pick the object," he pointed out.
	"Come ON, Miko," Yuki said, tugging on her friend's 
arm.
	At Yuki's prompting, Miko finally did as requested, 
clicking her heels together while repeating the mystical 
phrase 'Kaijin'.  In no time at all, due to the time-space 
warp involved, the two girls were back in the present, 
exactly where they'd started.
	"Well then," Yuki said, brushing some dirt off of 
her blouse.  "I hope this has taught you a valuable 
lesson."
	"Yes," Miko replied, nodding sombrely.  "We're 
finally going to get cars that hover sometime in the 
future.  About time too."
	Yuki simply sighed, vowing to be near her friend the 
next time she found an object in the grass.  After all, 
who knew what more trouble Miko could get into otherwise?  
And besides, it's what her mother Yui would have done.

			FIN

				Greg Taylor