Fox:
Kicking the cover off, I move fast and catch it before it can fall to the floor. I put the cover inside the vent before crawling and dropping out.
Blowing a bubble, I reach into my backpack and pull out my glass cuter. Placing and pushing the suction cup against the display's glass, I extend the rod with the cutter and then draw a full circle. Once the full circle is drawn, I pull my glass cutter back, and a large glass circle comes with it.
"Beautiful," I say, admiring the sparking, shining glass flowers. Wiping a tear from my eyes, I place the glass circle down before reaching in through the new opening. My fingers carefully and gently wrap around a shining, glass-made lavender. Pulling the flower out, I reach into my bag again and pull out a small box. "Best not to break these."
As I reach for other flowers and put them in my bag, I hear footsteps and then a voice.
"I do not think those are for sale," the Green Emerald Ninja says, standing before me. He crouches down and reaches for one of his wooden swords on his back. "Put the flowers back now."
"Oh my god," I say, squeezing my cheeks. "Oh my god. Oh my god! You're the Green Emerald Ninja! Wait, what are you doing here?
"Uhh," the Emerald Ninjas says. He turns to his left for some reason before turning back to me. "I like museums."
"That makes sense," I say, laughing a little. "After all, you are old!"
Akio Hisashi:
"What," Nemo yells. "Did she just call me old?"
"Actually," I whisper, "I think she called me old."
"Well, yes, but it's my body you're using! My body isn't old! I mean, I'll admit, I have a few wrinkles but that's only because I stay up a lot of nights!"
"Nemo," I say, eyeing my hosuto while facing the woman. "Please. Be quiet!"
Nemo shakes his head and crosses his arms.
"I stay up a lot of nights," Nemo repeats.
I look back at the girl as she stays laughing and pointing at me. The girl doesn't look much older than Nemo. She is very tall and thin. The girl is dressed in a snow-white suit and has a small bag. Besides her clothes, the last thing I see is the girl's long orange hair.
"Give the flowers back," I demand, pulling out one of my bokken swords. The moment I speak, the girl stops laughing and pointing.
"Make me," the girl shouts. She reaches into her bag and pulls out a handful of round, black balls. I watch from a distance as the girl throws them against the floor, blanketing almost the whole exhibit in a thick black smoke.
"What in the world," I say, backing away as the smoke flies toward me. "This girl has smoke bombs."
"She has smoke bombs," Nemo says. "How? Wait, Akio! The flowers!"
"I can't do anything," I say. "Her smoke bombs have hidden her. I can't see through them. I have no idea where she is!"
I focus entirely on the thick smoke cloud, waiting for it to clear. However, since we are indoors, the smoke cloud is not clearing. Instead, it's spreading further and further.
As I wait for the smoke to clear, for anything like an opening, I hear something.
"Do you hear that," I ask.
"Yeah," Nemo answers. "What is that?"
Nemo turns around and then screams.
"Akio! Behind you!"
I turn around and see the girl with long orange hair only a short distance from me. She runs right up to me. As she does, I think about swinging with my bokken but stop.
"She isn't being controlled by a dakura tchingu," I think. "I cannot hurt her."
"Akio," Nemo shouts. "Incoming!"
The girl running toward me then jumps into the air. While in mid-air, she shoots out one of her legs. Sheathing my bokken sword, I raise my arms and quickly catch her foot in my hands. I then push her back.
The girl stumbles but manages to catch herself after a few steps. Like me, the girl raises her arms. Charging forth, she starts throwing punches. However, thank to my years of martial arts training, I can easily dodge and block them.
Blocking a roundhouse kick, the girl then lowers her legs and tries a straight punch. I catch her punch in my hands. With one hand stuck, the girl reaches into her bag. She pulls out one of the boxes with the glass flower in it.
"The glass flowers," Nemo shouts.
The girl smiles as she throws the box into the air. I look up at it as it flies through the air. Reaching up to try and grab the box before the flower can break, something happens and I fall onto my back.
"Akio," Nemo says, kneeling down beside me. "Are you okay?"
"Ahh," I moan, holding my chest. "What happened?"
Before Nemo can answer, we hear laughing and look up. There, still on her two feet, is the girl. She's smiling, laughing, and holding the box in one hand and a wooden stick in the other hand.
"It was the girl," Nemo answers. "When she threw the box, it acted as a distraction. When you turned to try and catch it, she pulled out that baton and hit you with it.
"A tricky move," I say, "But, inefficient."
Placing my hands on the floor beside my head, I kick my feet into the air. My whole body follows and, in an instant, I'm back on my feet.
"That will not work a second time," I say, bringing forth one arm and pulling back the other. Now, in a fighting stance, I expected the girl to fight me again.
"Yeah," the girl says, shaking her head left and right. "That won't work a second time too. I can't fight you. I can, however, do this!"
Without any warning, the girl runs. She turns around and runs away.
"Hey, wait!"
Lowering my arms, I kick against the floor and chase after the girl.
The girl runs through the museum's hallway. She reaches into her bag and throws down even more smoke bombs. Wanting not to lose the girl, I have no choice but to run through the smoke cloud.
Seeing the girl take a sharp turn and then go straight, I follow in her path. I keep running straight, even when the girl throws down another smoke bomb.
"Watch out," Nemo shouts, pointing at an incoming wall. Seeing the wall, I stomp my feet on the ground and manage to stop myself in time.
"The girl," Nemo says. "Where is she?"
"I do not know! This smoke is impossible to see through!"
Waving my hand in the smoke, I hope to fan it away but it's no use.
"Akio," Nemo says. "Jump!"
"What?"
I turn to Nemo and see him pointing up. I look up and see a metal pipe hanging in the air.
"Jump," Nemo says again. I nod my head and jump into the air, grabbing the pipe. Pulling myself up, I can finally see things clearly now.
"Smart thinking," I say, looking at Nemo as I climb onto the pipe. "The smoke cloud isn't this high so we should be able to see the girl."
"Yeah," Nemo says, nodding. "Now be quiet and look! If you can't see through the smoke, then the girl can't either. She has to have slowed down, otherwise, she would have run into something."
Nemo and I look around. The smoke cloud is still covering most of the hallway so it is not easy searching but I do spot the thief.
"There," I say, pointing at the girl as she leaves the smoke cloud and runs into a different exhibit.
Jumping from pipe to pipe, I land on the floor and follow the girl into the exhibit. As I enter the exhibit, I stop and look around. This exhibit features many different birds and eggs of all shapes and sizes.
"Nemo, what is this?"
"This is the Nest and Eggs exhibit," Nemo answers, flying by my side as I walk. "It showcases all the different birds of the worlds, along with their nests, their eggs, and everything else.
"Hmph," I say. I look around again and see a whole shelf of eggs. "Are these eggs real?"
"What? No. The eggs aren't real. At least, I don't think so. Why?"
"This is supposed to be a place of learning, a place where one can acquire more knowledge. Right?"
"Yes."
"Well, wouldn't a real egg be more knowledgeful than a fake egg?"
"Akio, as far as I know, the museum can't keep real bird eggs. I mean, what would happen if something happens to the real eggs?"
I open my mouth to say something but as I keep looking at the shelf, I see the girl on the other side.
"Nemo. There!"
The girl smiles when she sees me. She then places both her hands on the shelf and pushes it.
Nemo Farid:
"Akio," I yell, seeing the girl pushing the display shelf. As she pushes it, all of the eggs roll off their stands and onto the glass. "Stop it! Please!"
Akio nods and runs forward. As the display case tips over, Akio shoots out his arms and catches the whole thing. He screams as he's forced onto his knees. Despite all of that, Akio still manages to save both the display case and all the eggs. However, Akio is now stuck. If he moves in any way, the glass case, and all the eggs inside, will break.
"Sorry about having to leave you like this," the girl says, waving at Akio as she steps out from behind the shelf. Walking around the leaning shelf and a trapped Akio, she heads for the exit. "But I got places to go with some glass flowers. Hey, congrats on saving the eggs. I'm sure the museum will be very happy."
The girl then sticks out her tongue before disappearing through the exhibit's exit.
"She's heading back for the rest of the glass flowers," I say, floating toward the exit. "Akio! Come on!"
"Nemo," Akio says, struggling with shaking arms and legs. "I can't move! If I do, then these eggs will break!"
I look between Akio and the hallway leading back to the glass flowers. I try to go into the hallway but after a few more feet, I hit my head on an invisible wall. Screaming as I hold my head, I try to go further but I can't.
"The magic of the emerald dragon is keeping me bonded to Akio. I can't go too far from him."
With no other choice, I fly back to Akio.