The first time being summoned in quite a while, she had been looking forward to a relaxing time of it, but now she had a mission to accomplish-- and it involved posing as a high schooler, no less. Sometimes she didn’t understand quite what her lord was thinking.

“It’s not my job to question,” she reproved herself as she quietly made her way into the city.

Although she didn’t know it, her day was about to get worse.

* * *

It was a cold autumn morning. Class was in full swing at Kyande Gakko, but nobody’s heart was in it.

“And can anybody tell me what the square root is?” A young teacher looked hopefully out into the listless class, eyes searching. “Nobody? How about you, Lexi?”

The blonde girl appeared startled. “It’s Flower.”

“The square root?” The teacher was confused.

“No, my name. It’s not Lexi. It’s Flower. Dig.” Flower smiled peacefully. The teacher was apprehensive.

Kit piped up from the back of the room. “She’s new, Toyoko-Sensei!”

“Oh,” the troubled young woman nodded. “Well, can you tell me the answer, Kit?”

Kit slouched down in her seat. “Uhhh....”

“Never mind,” Toyoko rubbed her temples. “Let’s move on.”

“Good idea,” concurred Tenchi. “Who can concentrate on math with all this weird stuff going on?”

Toyoko looked confused again. “Weird stuff? Just the weather....and that will clear up soon enough. Does anybody have any ideas about--”

“Toyoko-san!” shrieked Cleo, who had just skidded into the room. She tripped on her four-inch heels and regained her balance quickly. “Sorry to interrupt, loves, but something weird’s going on!”

A brown-haired girl chose this moment to speak up. “Hey, I know you! You do the news report, don’t you?”

Cleo nodded primly and bowed. “Glad to be of service.”

“Never mind, Cleo, what’s going on?” Kit yelled impatiently.

“There’s a big TIGER outside the school, and some kids are trapped out there!!” Cleo gestured vaguely but urgently.

“Ohmy-- Students, stay in your seats!” Toyoko panicked. “I’m going out!”

Cleo and Toyoko ran down the hallway. Kit jumped onto her desk.

“Where are they going? I’m not going to let them go alone!” She scampered off after them. “Who KNOWS what could happen!!”

Kit bowled over a tall dark-haired girl in the hallway. “Oh, I’m sorry....I wasn’t looking where I was going...” Kit helped the girl to her feet, out of breath. The girl stared directly into Kit’s eyes, and she started. “Uhhh...”

The mind-numbing effect of the eyes was shattered all at once. The girl spoke slowly. “No, I’m sorry. I’m new here.” She looked around, eyes half closed. “My name is Fushigi Kaeru....I’ll let you get back to what you were doing...”

“Thanks! There’s a TIGER outside the school!” Kit waved and took off down the hall again. She couldn’t see Kaeru as she walked away, smiling slightly.

* * *

Shorty Blackwell crouched nervously in the jungle gym. “HAAAAALP!!” she screeched. Nikko shrank nervously back against the bars.

“Well, at least we’re the only two trapped out here,” Nikko said in a weak optimistic tone. “Are you new?”

Shorty blinked. “To what?”

“The school, of course.” Nikko smiled.

“Oh... Err, yes.... Didn’t quite catch your name...” Shorty pulled her hair out of her face, only to have it fall immediately back over her eyes.

“It’s Kosen Nikko. Yours?”

“Shorty Blackwell.”

“That’s a strange name. What does it mean?”

“’The Fish Eat My Furniture’. It’s Tseldonaeic.”

“Oh,” Nikko pursed her lips and pondered this.

The tiger roared.

The girls screamed their fool heads off.