Here is chapter three of five, from episode 21, "The Destruction of The Loved Ones" of The Adventures of Mythical Super Hero Anne.
3.
Matthewsan and Diannakiro were
sitting on the edge of the luxury futon sofa, looking at Malirra, who was not
moving, so deep in thought was she.
Mythical Super Hero Anne, still disguised as Toshomiko, a mild mannered
fourteen year old Japanese girl, was pacing the floor, behind the futon.
"Malirra," said
Matthewsan, with urgency in his voice, "can you tell me where Mythical
Super Hero Anne can be found?"
Malirra looked at Matthewsan, then
to Diannakiro. They both looked so
worried. Finally her gaze fixed upon
Toshomiko, who stopped pacing, eager to hear Malirra's answer to Matthewsan's
question. "Malirra say, 'Mythical
Super Hero Anne is very close to me.
Both in my heart and in who I see.'"
Toshomiko gasped, and began to pace
again. Malirra knows my identity, thought Mythical Super Hero Anne. Why
hasn't she said anything before now? She
truly is wise, for she must have kept silent knowing all would be lost if my
identity were to be publicized.
Toshomiko looked at Malirra, who was still staring at her, and smiled.
Matthewsan was confused. "I do not understand," he
said. "What can that mean,
Diannakiro?"
Diannakiro quickly looked at
Toshomiko, with a look that asked what she should do. Toshomiko/Mythical Super Hero Anne shook her
head at Diannakiro, as if to say not to tell.
"Diannakiro," asked
Matthewsan, "do you know what the riddle means?"
Diannakiro turned her attention to
Mattewsan and said, "I am afraid I am unable to help you with that riddle,
Matthewsan." She felt bad for being
misleading to an elder, but at least it wasn't an out and out lie. She really couldn't tell Matthewsan what she
knew for his own good and safety.
Matthewsan looked at Malirra. "Is that the only clue you can give me,
Malirra?"
"Malirra say, 'Diannakiro says
she can't help so, but maybe her friend does the answer know.'"
Matthewsan looked puzzled
again. He never was good at figuring out
Malirra's puzzles. But if ever there was
a time to put all his effort into solving one, it was now, for all of Tokyo was
depending on Mythical Super Hero Anne to save them from Gilzilla. To do so,
Mythical Super Hero Anne must be found. Diannakiro says she can't help so, but maybe
her friend does the answer know? "Well," he mused, "who is
Diannakiro's friend?" Matthewsan
thought hard for a moment, and then looked up in surprise, a little angry at
himself for not seeing the obviousness of the riddle right away. "Why it is Toshomiko! She is the one!"
At that moment, Mythical Super Hero
Anne thought her secret was out, that Matthewsan had figured out that she was
the super hero girl. "Toshomiko is Diannakiro's friend," said
Matthewsan. "Toshomiko, do you know
what Malirra's riddle means? 'Mythical Super Hero Anne is very close to me,
both in my heart and in who I see'?"
Toshomiko looked at Matthewsan. He is
so kind to me, she thought, he really
should know, and he will likely figure it out anyway in a short while. After all, Diannakiro knows, as does
Malirra. So telling one more loved one
can't hurt. Toshomiko took in a deep
breath and said "It means that I am Mythical Super Hero Anne!"
Matthewsan could not believe what he
was hearing. "You?!" he
said. "You, such a mild mannered
fourteen year old Japanese girl can make such a claim: that you are Mythical
Super Hero Anne, the mythical Japanese super hero?"
"Yes."
"Toshomi-- Mythical Super Hero
Anne, why did you tell him?" asked Diannakiro.
"I told him because I knew he
would soon figure out adopted father-sister's riddle." Toshomiko/Mythical Super Hero Anne walked to
behind Malirra and put her hands on the wise, old one's shoulders. "You see, according to Malirra's riddle,
Mythical Super Hero Anne is someone who is both near and dear to her, both as a
loved one, and as a physical presence in this living-square. The only two people in this living-square
whom Malirra loves so much are myself and Matthewsan. And Matthewsan knows he is not Mythical Super
Hero Anne--"
Matthewsan laughed, still in
shock. "How could I be such a
hero? I am but an old man."
"--therefore I am the
one," continued the super hero, walking towards Matthewsan. "I am very close to her, both
physically, and in her heart. I am no
more than two metres from her physically, and in her heart I am loved as one of
her own offspring."
"You are Mythical Super Hero
Anne," said Matthewsan, rising from the luxury futon sofa and touched the
girl’s shoulder. "But why didn't
you tell me sooner?" He turned back
to the futon, and looked to where Diannakiro was sitting. "And you knew this as well,
Diannakiro?"
"Yes," said Diannakiro,
proudly. "I've known it since we
first met."
Toshomiko/Mythical Super Hero Anne
took Matthewsan’s hands in her own, and looked into his eyes. "I could not tell you," said
Toshomiko, "like I could not tell anyone. I was afraid, and still am, that
if you knew, you might let my secret out.
But I weighed that danger against the danger of you finding out on your
own. I feared it might break your heart
to know that I kept a secret from you.
So I told you myself, even at the risk of putting your life in
danger."
"It is true," said
Matthewsan. "The sting of
discovering this truth was lessened by your telling me yourself. If I had discovered the truth, for instance,
tonight, alone on my futon bed, the shock might have been too great for my old,
weak heart. Toshomiko...” Matthewsan again put his hand on the girl’s
shoulder, smiling with great pride, as he realized who he was speaking to. “Mythical Super Hero Anne, by telling me this
secret, you may have put my life in jeopardy, but you also saved it at the same
time. Thank you."
Toshomiko/Mythical Super Hero Anne
hugged Matthewsan tightly, surprising him with the grand gesture of physical
contact. Then she looked at everyone in
the living square. "It is vital
that no one but you three know my true identity. It must be a secret to the public." She looked back at Matthewsan. "Now that you know, you cannot tell
anyone, Matthewsan."
"Of course," said
Matthewsan, standing proudly erect and at attention. "It is an ancient Japanese tradition to
keep secrets forever. And I am a man who
lives and dies by ancient Japanese traditions.
I will not tell a soul."
Diannakiro took Toshomiko by the arm
and pulled her aside. "But what about Malirra?" she asked. "She
knows now. Won't she tell?"
That was a worry to Mythical Super
Hero Anne. While Malirra wasn't known as
a gossip, she did have numerous friends and acquaintances in the community who
were very gossipy. It was possible that
they could pull the secret out of Malirra's brain. Mythical Super Hero Anne was just about to
warn her, when Malirra spoke.
"Malirra say, 'I am much too
wise to tell this secret, but right now it is Gilzilla that Mythical Super Hero
Anne must get."
Matthewsan put his hand on
Toshomiko/Mythical Super Hero Anne's shoulder.
"Malirra is right," he said.
"Mythical Super Hero Anne, I am proud to have you as my adopted
daughter, but now you must destroy Gilzilla, the evil monster from the
sea."
"But before I destroy
him," said Toshomiko/Mythical Super Hero Anne, reaching into her backpack
which was leaning against the front of the luxury futon, "I must first put
on my Mythical Super Hero Anne outfit."
She pulled out a straw hat that had bright orange braids hanging down
from both sides, and put it on her head. The transformation was immediate and
total. And at that moment, Diannakiro, Matthewsan and Malirra were the first
humans to witness the transformation of Toshomiko, from mild mannered, polite
female Japanese worker to all powerful Mythical Super Hero Anne.
"And now I must find
Gilzilla," said Mythical Super Hero Anne.
At that moment, there was a
commotion in the hall outside Matthewsan's apartment, and then the door crashed
open, splintering into a million shreds!
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