Vividred Operation

[lirillith]

Title: Vivid Pink
Fandom: Vividred Operation
Characters: Momo, Akane, brief appearances by others.
Word count: ~3700 words
Rating: PG
Warnings: Spoilers
Summary: The threat of the Alone was dealt with for good, so the monster that just appeared in the sky has to be something else... but Akane and Momo don't really have time to wait around and find out what it is.
Notes: My main Rarewomen gift, for Measured, who wanted to see protagonist Akane's little sister Momo joining the magical girl team.

****

You couldn't miss it, even if you sort of wished you could; even if you just wanted to never have seen it, close your eyes and hope it'd go away. At this distance, it was just a shape, a hemisphere or a turtle shell, and you couldn't see what it was made of. Momo had never been close enough to one to see what they were made of. They looked a little like metal, in the pictures, and so did this one, but some of them had seemed to be organic, making cocoons or shells, covered in scales or jellyfish flesh. She'd always read the papers after Grandpa was done and pored over the pictures, anxious to know what her big sister and her friends were fighting.

"It can't be an Alone," Akane said. "That's not possible — we passed the test, it's all over now!" She pulled out her cell phone, like there'd be some message about it from the higher powers she and Grandpa had described. Or the military.

"If it's not an Alone, what is it? It's... moving. It looks solid." And Akane was the only one here. Aoi was in Tokyo, with her parents, while Wakaba and Himawari were on one of the further-afield Sunday outings.

"Whatever it is, I'm going to go check it out," Akane said. Her transformation was just a column of light, like always, and then Akane turned around to face her, wearing the palette suit Momo knew so well. "Take my phone!" She tossed it, so Momo didn't really have a choice about that. "If things look bad, call Wakaba-chan or Himawari-chan—"

"No!" Akane nearly fell over, just as she'd been about to take off running. "What about me? Why can't I generate a key and help you fight? I'm sick of hiding and worrying about you and everyone. I want to fight with you!"

The sight of an idea getting through Akane's head and taking root was familiar, and right then, it was really comforting. A smile spread out over her face, a big, goofy grin. "Of course you can!"

She'd seen it happen once before, but this time Momo's heart was in her throat for a different reason as the key formed itself out of light, floating out from Akane's chest. She cupped her hands around it. It was pink. It was hers. She was going to fight alongside Akane, and eventually all the others. She swallowed hard, wetting her throat, and then she closed her hand around it, held it up, and exclaimed, "Ignition!"

It wasn't just a column of light now. Now she was floating in space, with pink lights everywhere, and there was a door, a lock her key would open. It was all mental, it had to be, but it was more real than if she'd really said "Texture on!" and turned the key in the lock. She found herself in a futuristic vault, where her clothes melted away and the palette suit molded itself to her body, where machines attached her equipment to her arms, her legs, and snapped her belt around her waist. It felt physical. When the pink lights faded, she could see the sky and the grass and the distant, ominous shape, and there she was, floating a few feet above the ground, wearing a pink version of the uniforms that Akane and Aoi and the others had worn to save the world from the Alone, and Akane, still on the ground, was beaming up at her.

"It worked!" Momo exclaimed. She did a little twirl in mid-air, just because she could, and felt the jacket and braids of her uniform bell out from her body.

"Of course it worked!" Akane said. "Who's closer to me than you?"

"But..." But all the others were Akane's classmates. Her friends, girls her own age, not her little sister. Why was that?

"Pull up the screens, and you—" Momo was already on it, and Akane cut herself off as the screens came up. Momo could see through them that Akane had flown up to join her. She hadn't known the information she saw now, but she'd known how to bring up the documentation screens, with absurdly detailed diagrams of her weapon — honestly, Grandpa, when was she supposed to have time to read all those notes? It was so strange, like she'd been reminded of something she already knew. In a way, she had been, even if she didn't quite know how she'd opened the documents. She'd seen the others do this, after all. "Operation..." she began, with a giddy thrill, lifting her hands above her head, "Naked Lance!" She watched the light come out of nowhere as her weapon formed in her hands, a solid presence out of nothing. A lance with a triangular, pink, double-edged head and a long shaft, with a pink-lit counterweight at the far end.

"Yay Momo!" Akane was grinning from ear to ear. "Now let's go check that thing out!"

---

Flying was so easy, so simple, Momo almost couldn't believe she'd never been able to do it before. Then Grandpa's voice came in from... somewhere, though it didn't feel like she was wearing anything in her ear. "Akane, Momo, you're already on your way?"

"Yeppers!"

"Grandpa, how'd you know it was me?"

"The biological signature is so close to Akane's there are only two people it could be, and your mother's here with me."

"Be careful, girls," Mom said, sounding a little more distant.

"You got it!" Akane said.

"We will be," Momo added, so Mom would know at least one of them would take it seriously. When had anyone even told Mom the truth about the palette suits and the Vivid System? She must have taken it pretty well. Of course, Grandpa probably hadn't mentioned the time Akane got hurt.

"Is it an Alone, Grandpa?" Akane asked.

"Not exactly," Grandpa said. "We still don't have a complete analysis. It's similar, but it's not identical to the Alone, and it's already fired on the UDF planes sent to intercept it. And it is heading straight for Blue Island."

"So it might as well be an Alone," Akane said. "We're gonna go take it down!"

"The UDF knew about it?" Momo asked. "And didn't call Akane?"

"They probably figured it couldn't be an Alone at first, just like I did."

"And we're in touch here," Grandpa said. "There was no need. I knew you two had transformed. Though you did make my life a little more difficult, Momo."

"I did?"

"I've been developing the Vivid System further, just in case, and I was going to set it up so that any two users could dock if their friendship was strong enough. You just added another variable to the system."

"He's just complaining. Don't pay him any mind," Mom said, again sounding like she was further away than Grandpa. Probably working at her own computer terminal, Momo thought, but her mind was on what Grandpa had said. Docking. With Wakaba, maybe, or Himawari? She'd been spending time with them both, lately... But of course they were Akane's friends, really. Momo had friends of her own, but no one she was as close with as Akane's friends were with each other. Akane's friends would all risk their lives for each other. Momo didn't know if she and her friends would do that. You couldn't really know until you were tested, could you?

But now Momo was going to be tested. She might not be as brave as Akane, but she could at least try to come close, and if there was anyone she'd lay down her life for, it was her big sister, and the rest of her family.

They were close to the Alone-or-something now, closer than Momo had ever been to one, even that time at the beach. It really did look like metal, a giant robot, with no ragged edges or joints where you could attack it easily. "Oneechan," Momo asked, softly, like that'd keep Grandpa from hearing. "How come I never had a key before?"

"Well...."

"That was my doing," Grandpa said. "You're younger, Momo. I wanted to keep you out of the fight at the start."

Mom made some kind of scoffing noise. "If it's about that, they're both young—"

"Mashiro—"

That line went silent for a second, and then Grandpa came back. "And potential relationship energy is a very powerful force! But so is trust, so don't worry, you two will have all the firepower you need!"

"You bet we do!" Akane agreed. Momo hadn't been worried, until then. Different types of friendship gave different amounts of power? "Let's get up above it, Momo!" Akane added, then shot upward without waiting. Momo followed, feeling the heat from Akane's... foot-rockets? on her face. It made sense to see if there'd be a weak point you couldn't see from any other angle, but once they were up high, it didn't really help. The monster just looked like a smooth dome, though one with four fin-like protrusions that hadn't been as easy to make out when they were level with it. They didn't look like weak points to Momo, but of course that didn't stop Akane.

"Operation!" Akane shouted. "Naked Rang!" Her boomerang had barely appeared in her hand before she was throwing it at one of the fins, and then moving away, hand extended to catch it; Momo pushed back as well, which was the right idea, because the fin with the glowing slash rolled up, and the beam it shot came so close to her she could feel the heat from it, too, harsher and much, much hotter than Akane's rockets or the heat of the armor as it had wrapped around her arms. "Momo!" Akane yelled.

"I'm fine!" Momo called back. "The fins are its weapons!"

"So we need to take those off!" Akane didn't wait for Momo to respond, just flung her boomerang again, and Momo dove in closer to it, weaving and finally settling on kind of a spiral, in case one of them started firing at her. She hovered, slashing with her lance's blade at the fin opposite Akane's target, but her lance wasn't a sword, and while she hacked at the front fin, the one in the rear lifted, rolled up, and fired at her.

Everything seemed to slow down; Akane was yelling something, and barreling towards her, and the beam was coming her way, all at once, and then suddenly she was looking up at the monster and her shoulders stung where Akane had slammed into her. "Sorry," Momo said weakly, feeling terrible. All she was doing was slowing Akane down. Akane needed Wakaba, to slice off the fins with her, or Aoi, to smash that shell.

"Are you okay?"

Not really, but that wasn't the way Akane meant it. "I don't think the fins are the way to go," Momo said instead of answering. "I wish it'd poke its head out of its shell."

"I bet we can make it do that," Akane said. "I'll worry about the fins. You just attack it anyway you can."

Annoy it into taking a really big shot? Momo wasn't sure it'd work, but then again, if anyone knew how powerful annoyance could be it was a pair of sisters. Momo's lance had vanished when Akane saved her, so she called it again, and charged at the lower edge of the shell, lance in both hands, yelling like it'd make her attack stronger somehow. Maybe it worked, because she felt the tip of the spear catch something and sink in, and as she kept going, driving it in further, she felt a sort of shudder along the shaft like the monster was reacting. She changed direction, driving the spear further along the edge she'd found without withdrawing it — a pinprick turning into a tear. Or maybe something bigger than a pinprick, because there was a kind of mechanical roaring noise, and the fin she could see in front of her, rather than readying to fire, retracted inside.

"That's the opposite of what we want!" she scolded it.

"There it is!" Akane called out, and Momo turned to look; sure enough, something had emerged from the shell. When she flew ahead, she could see that it was an iris-like metal portal, like a camera lens, that had opened to let out a spherical shape with lights all over it — a lot like that first Alone Akane and Aoi had fought. Sure enough, it lit up, no doubt charging, and Momo shot away from it, weaving as she flew; she wasn't even scared, she realized, even though any one of the beams it would shoot could hit her so fast she'd never see it coming. She felt like she was invincible, even though she knew she wasn't. "Momo!" Akane called, and Momo glanced at her sister, then flew to join her, keeping her eyes on the sphere the whole time.

"Grandpa, how long does it take it to charge?"

"Eight point three seconds," Grandpa answered. "You girls had better dock, and fast."

The screens opened up in front of her — was Grandpa doing that? — and Momo skimmed them hurriedly. Akane was the one who did most of the work, it looked like, which was good, since Akane knew what she was doing. And since Akane was never really anyone's idea of patient, she shouted out "Operation!" before Momo had finished reading. But she knew the next step, so she finished the cry with "Vivid Pink!"

Was it mental again, or real, her big sister hugging her hard enough to lift her off the ground (if they hadn't been flying) and swinging her around, and Momo kissing her on the forehead? Maybe both? She could feel Akane's mind around her, wrapping her up like a blanket. Akane thought this was the best, her baby sister all grown up, helping her fight the Alone-or-whatever, joining her friends — all of Akane's favorite people in the world now part of the same mission. They were going to be unstoppable! It was impossible for Momo to hang onto any kind of worry as they merged. They were sisters. They could do anything together.

"Vivid Lance," they said, together, in the same voice, "Safety off!"

It was charging, slowly, slowly enough to make her worry, but at the same time, Momo could feel it gaining power. She wasn't athletic, not like Akane or Wakaba, and she wasn't used to feeling herself in charge of power or strength like this. They were holding the lance, controlling it as it jumped and vibrated with the charge, and she could feel the effort and also their own strength. Maybe she should ask Wakaba about naginata lessons. This was amazing, she thought, and she felt Akane's amusement and pride at her reaction, along with Akane's own excitement — this was sheer forward power, with possibilities none of the other weapons had.

"Final.... Operation!" they shouted, together, driving the charged-up lance into the nearest of the glowing energy-spots. Light exploded outward from it from every one of the , somehow not blinding even though they were staring right at it, and as the explosion spread, Momo could see the creature disintegrating, as if in slow-motion.

We did it! she exulted, and Akane grinned. "Told you so."

Momo hadn't had a chance to find out how they'd undock, so she didn't know how long she had, but she took a quick look down at their unified form. Vivid Pink was wearing a short, loose dress — pink, of course — with ruffles down the front, and short, puffed sleeves. A lot like the dress Wakaba had given her for her birthday last summer, in fact. Somehow, Grandpa's Vivid System had found a way to make a pair of Mary Jane shoes look like bulky but sleek computerized pink armor, and she was wearing thigh-high stockings that came up almost to the bottom of the skirt. Her hair was in long double pigtails, much longer than their real hair. "We need a mirror," Akane said, well aware of Momo's interest, and Momo would probably have blushed if she'd had her own body to do it in. Akane didn't think it was silly, though; Akane knew exactly what this was about.

---

After they'd undocked, and flown back to land, and walked home, Momo felt like she was about to fall asleep on her feet. The groceries they'd gone to buy would have to wait until tomorrow. At home, they found a note from Mom, weighed down by the stuffed animal that used to be Grandpa; she and Grandpa had to run off to an emergency meeting, about the maybe-an-Alone, Momo figured. Mom had been in the hospital since Momo was little, so it was hard to remember that she'd been Grandpa's assistant before that, along with Dad, and that you could be a scientist without holing up in your lab all day and spending way too much money on fancy equipment you didn't even unpack right away.

"No Mom-food," Akane said mournfully, still holding the note.

"I'll cook something," Momo said. That was why they'd gone shopping in the first place — to get something for dinner. She sighed. "I'm sure we have something in the fridge." Now that there was room because they didn't need to keep Grandpa's body fresh. Sometimes it hit Momo how very, very weird their lives were, but mostly, she took it for granted.

"We can just go to the convenience store," Akane said. "You seem really tired."

"No, it's okay. How does curry rice sound? We have curry mix." And some potatoes, which were getting old and needed to be used up. They had a couple of carrots, too; small ones, but they'd probably be enough. And she knew they had onions.

"If you're sure..."

"How tired are you?"

"Me? I could keep going all night! I could run a marathon! I should have carried you home!"

"So you'll have plenty of energy to pick some peas and shell them for me," Momo said, smiling, and Akane grinned and bounded off. "Some okra, too!" Momo added. Akane's cheerful agreement was indistinct, but the meaning was clear enough.

Chopping up vegetables wasn't really work; it was more like meditation. That was probably how Wakaba felt about kendo, Momo thought, and Himawari and Grandpa and Mom about science. Okay, maybe not science... but kendo. With one part of her mind focused on the task at hand, the rest of her mind could wander, or rest.

Akane hadn't said it, but Momo knew, now, that Akane had wanted to keep her safe from the fighting, just like Grandpa had. But at the same time, Akane was thrilled to have her on the team, equal and even with her friends from school. And Akane would know the things Momo never mentioned, too; the way Momo wanted friends as close as Akane's friends, or maybe just wanted to share Akane's friends, but didn't want to be the tagalong little sister.

Akane's phone rang, out in the garden, and Momo heard her answer. It was time for the onion, which was just as well, because crying, even kick-started by an onion, seemed like it might be a relief. Not because she was sad, or happy, but just because. Even running it under water wasn't enough; these onions were strong. Momo was glad this was the last of them. Would all of Akane's friends be happy to have her on the team, too? Now that it was a team again? She'd gotten close enough to Wakaba and Himawari that she could call them that, now, and Aoi had been like a second big sister ever since she and Akane got to be friends. So that was probably a yes.

The meat— they were out of meat. She'd known something was missing. She was supposed to be the organized one, the one who kept everything running smoothly, but it was Akane, her impulsive, absent-minded sister, who came up to the house, right on time, with a bowl full of peas and okra all mixed together, and said, "That was Wakaba-chan. She and Himawari-chan are already on the island, and they're going to pick up some chicken for the curry on their way over."

"You knew we were out?" Momo said, dismayed. "Onee-chan, why didn't you—"

"It just hit me out in the garden," Akane said. She was expertly and swiftly sorting out okra from peas. "So I picked some extra, since they're gonna stay for dinner. That's okay, right?"

"Of course!" Better than okay, but Akane probably knew that, now, too.

Momo went back to work, chopping up the other half of the onion; Akane came to the sink after a while to wash up, then returned to her work. Momo listened to Akane's little song about shelling peas, smiling to herself. The onions were sizzling in the pan when Akane's phone rang again, and Momo lowered the heat and took the bowls of vegetables from the floor, where Akane had been working on them, to pick up where Akane had left off.

The peas were done, and would be ready to stew with the other vegetables, when Momo heard the sound of Akane letting her friends in. Perfect timing. She was wiping her hands off on a dish towel when Wakaba burst in, Himawari somewhere behind her. "Wakaba-san, Himawari-san," she greeted them, as Himawari peeked under Wakaba's arm. "How much did you hear?"

"Not enough!" Wakaba said, eyes shining. "Tell me everything! I bet Vividpink was so cute!"

"That's a lot more important than new Alone attacking," Himawari said, slipping past Wakaba to hand over the grocery bag.

"That too," Wakaba agreed.

That was the secret Akane would have learned when they docked. Momo had only seen her sister and the others fight in person only once, when Wakaba joined them, and she'd never forgotten the sight of Vividgreen, brightly colored, larger-than-life — maybe literally, Momo couldn't tell — and beautiful. Momo, just like her sister, didn't really care about clothes, but she knew Wakaba did, and she knew Wakaba would want to know how Vividpink had looked.

She smiled a little, shyly, but proud of herself for being right. "I didn't have a mirror..." she began.