It was a rather harsh ray of sunlight that decided that Mano Yohko should wake and rise early on this day. It set out, crawling up her soft, comforting bed, until it had reached the base of her neck, then slowly changed course until it have the best angle at penetrating her eyelids, forcing awareness and annoyance upon her. It was indeed effective. However, this girl, who had just put away another heavy case the previous night, would not be deterred into waking earlier, and simply rolled over, enjoying her hard-earned slumber. [Well,] the fates controlling the sun said. [If that's the way you want to play it...] "Yohko-san! Wake up, it's time for breakfast, and then Mano-sama wants us ready for more practice and training today." Young ball of energy, and apprentice to Yohko, it was Kanzaki Azusa's job to wake the girl for her day. This was a routine that had gone on since they decided that she was to stay with the Manos. It was actually more of a contest to Yohko, to see how long she could ignore the now all-too-familiar voice that would penetrate her dreams. "If you don't leave me be Azusa, I'll do something mean." Yohko threatened blearily. "Yohko-san, you would never do anything mean to me, that's not who you are! Now come on, Mano-sama's expecting us, and you don't want your breakfast to get cold do you?" Azusa continued to shake the girl into the dregs of being awake. "No want awake, want Tamahome..." Yohko continued to say in her sleep. "Leave me be, or I'll torment your underwear again." Azusa gulped. Yohko-san must have had a rough time if she threatened me like that. All of the usual 'I'll kill/gut/garrote you threats the little girl had gotten used to. But she still remembered back to that other bad night Yohko had, and the bad morning she gave Azusa, as she super starched every single pair of panties the girl owned. It wasn't comfortable, and not a pleasant memory either. "You won't get up then?" Azusa asked, a little quieter than she was last time. "......." said Yohko, back into her slumber. Azusa shook her head, and left to prepare a bath for Yohko. She also remembered what happened that morning to Yohko too, and it didn't really involve the teen laughing at Azusa's stiff walk. A few moments, and a brief discussion later, Yohko was awake, and sputtering from the cold bucket of water dumped on her. She finished shacking the shock out, and turned and glared at Mano Madoka, her 'kind' grandmother. "What'd you do that for?!" "Time to wake up Yohko, you've been slacking in certain areas, and I think it's time to pick up that slack." Yohko twitched. She would have to pick now to start on that when she was so tired. It wasn't like she wasn't trying, she had lumps from her foes to prove she was indeed fighting hard. Her grandmother, however, seemed to have a different opinion. Yohko took another look at her miniature drill instructor, and then climbed out of her bed, sore and soaked. She pulled off the soggy night shirt, and wrapped the towel that Azusa was offering her at her door around her, not even looking up to see the girl's apologetic look. Moments after her exit, Madoka looked at Azusa. "That was too easy. She usually fights and gripes a lot more than that." "Hai," Azusa agreed. "I think it's the stress, Mano-sama. We've both been up lately non-stop doing training and fighting demons for the past week or so. It's worn on me too." The young girl stifled a yawn. "Yes, but that' s happened before. She seemed less than herself." Madoka thought more on her granddaughter's behavior. It was beginning to be a pattern, Yohko arguing less and less and just taking to what the day gives her. It was indeed cause for worry. "Nevermind. Go ahead and help with breakfast, Azusa-chan." The girl nodded and walked off, leaving the small woman to her thoughts. ***************************** "So Yohko, do you want to go shopping today after you morning workout?" Yohko looked up at her mother with a glimmer of hope in her eye. Mall? Shopping? How long had it been since she'd done that? Sounded like a blast, even if it was mom she was going with. "Sure mom. I'd like that." Seyoko nodded, and continued eating, ignoring Madoka's glare. So what if she had a day's training set out? It was still her child, and a child that hadn't seen any fun lately, if she remembered correctly. Yohko in the meantime picked at her bowl idly, taking a bite every now and then. Azusa looked at her, and continued eating in slight worry. Something was different about Yohko. She wasn't one to pick at her food. She'd usually be the first one at the table that was finished. "Well Yohko, you'll have to put that trip at a later time. I have some things to show you today about using your aura." Madoka spoke up from her bowl. She looked back at her daughter coolly, expecting the rebuttal at any moment. "Can the training hold for a moment, or does it have to last all day?" Point for Seyoko, who returned Madoka's look with a calm one of her own. "Well, I'd like it to, but evil never waits around for anyone, and it's going to take the day to teach Yohko this new technique." Cool gaze set, ball returned. "Well can't my child get in a little fun time every now and then? You'd hardly know that she was a girl now the way she keeps to this regimen." Point match, and up the stakes. Azusa looked at the calm start to a usual morning argument between the two. It truly didn't matter what it was over, she just knew that Mano-san and Mano-sama had to have an argument every morning. However, this calm cool thing was a new approach, even though that last comment had Mano-sama twitching. "Well, since I'm in charge of making sure the girl is strong enough to return from her battles in one piece, I'd say that a little pleasure trip shouldn't take priority over Yohko's survival training. You'd know that if you were part of that training daughter." And it escalates, Yohko thought. They'll get around to screaming at each other after the next pass or so. That mall was looking rather juicy too. "I choose not to spend my time in such bouts of violence. They aren't healthy for you. Besides, when was the last time a demon showed up?" "There was one in the park that Yohko went after last night." Madoka said with a smirk. "Of course, you'd know that if you weren't out with Kouji." Seyoko didn't even blush, but her brow twitched. "His name is Kyouji, and I'm entitled to my dates." "So you say," Madoka chuckled. "Aren't you a little over the hill to be dating with such young men though?" Now the frown was present on Seyoko's face. "Not as much as you, so I think I shouldn't be too worried." "Excuse me." Yohko said. She then bowed to the table, having suddenly and rapidly finished her meal, and got up. "I'll be outside doing katas grandma." The argument came to a total halt as Yohko left the table. Both women stayed silent for a while, then finished their food, and helped cleared the table. "It's starting to get to her." Seyoko said finally. "So I see," Madoka said, for once agreeing with her daughter. "But I still do need to teach her that defensive technique. Still..." Madoka thought hard. There was something about this whole thing that rubbed her as wrong. Not just Yohko's behavior, or lack thereof, but the constant popups of demons and wraiths in the past weeks gone by. It was enough that even she had to help at times. Then, all of a sudden it was quiet again, and had stayed that way for three days, save for last night's conflict, which wasn't much compared to the previous days. She'd have to think about this some more, something indeed was up. And then there was Yohko. It truly had taken its toll on her, and she seemed to have taken it in stride by withdrawing and not complaining. Maybe it was time for a change... Madoka set outside, her worries still echoing in her mind. ***************************** Outside, Yohko was trying to float through a basic kata, but was failing horridly. The recent demon raging was no less on her mind, and was in fact the source of all her behavior. It had indeed left her spent to be on such constant call, and there was a pit feeling in her stomach that something wasn't right with it. There was something horridly wrong with the resent uproar. Yohko however was more concerned with a moment's rest than the demon uproar. Why was it so difficult to get a break around here? Did other heroines have it like this, to not be able to sit, relax, and enjoy life? When was the last time she even saw her friends? She was thankful for the school vacation until the next grade level; she didn't think she could decently balance school and the outbreak of demons. She sighed, she hadn't even seen her friends in so long either. Chi wasn't much fun, as she had been running back and forth across town trying to milk as much publicity and money off of that rash outbreak as she could. She was currently in her bed, taking twelve, and then another four, leaving Yohko to the footwork. She hadn't even had time to entertain the idea of improving on her love life, which was now her personal hobby. She had one boy's interest, at least until he was kidnapped and used as bait to lure her out. And then there was that fiasco over in another district. That guy had more than enough girls to deal with, and she didn't really want to deal with such a playboy. So what to do? Would she ever have the chance at relaxing, or was she doomed to this endless cycle of virginity and demon slashing? That wasn't such a pleasant thing to look forward to- "Your balance is off Yohko." Yohko looked up from her finish position, and tipped over, landing on her rump. Madoka appraised her granddaughter. That was a basic form she had been going through for a long time. It wasn't too off, but enough for her to notice, which wasn't good. "Well, if you're ready, well begin." Yohko got up and dusted herself off. "Sure grandma. Let's start then." ***************************** It was an hour later that Madoka paused the two, Azusa joining as soon as the kitchen was clean, for a break. Azusa was taking to the technique nicely, but Yohko wasn't concentrating at all, spacing off and yawning. The sad part was that Madoka could tell she was actually trying. This technique was indeed important, and very useful, but it wouldn't do that her charge wouldn't have the concentration for it. Come to think of it, Yohko's concentration was horrid, even with the recent attacks. The girl seemed to have fallen away from her edge at some point, and not gotten back there. So how to give her back her spark? Maybe... "Grandma? Are you okay?" "Mano-sama?" "You're slumping Yohko. I think I know why as well." Yohko shot her grandmother a wary look, but she didn't catch it. "You think you know grandma?" "Yes. You're focus isn't in the right areas. You've been daydreaming this whole time, and this is a really important technique. With some practice, you'll be able to sense tainted auras, but you can't do that with your mind on boys and fun, now can you?" Yohko frowned. "I have been concentrating Grandma, it's just I've been more thinking about that demon spree. It just has me tired. I'll straighten up and try harder." "No Yohko." Madoka shook her head. "That won't do you any good. It's all about your focus. Without that, the technique itself is completely useless..." Madoka thought on that. When she came across it, she was more or less in a similar position, where it was difficult to concentrate. Then Morihito showed her how to... That was it! Morihito-san! He could teach her the focus she was looking for. And Yohko looked so lonely, she was sure that a trip there would more than cheer her up, and it would also save something on the vacation budget. "Yohko, you and Azusa continue to work on that. I'm going to make a call. If it goes well, you just might have the solution we're both looking for." Madoka left the yard, leaving a bewildered Yohko and Azusa to practice. ***************************** "...So you understand, right? It helps her regain some of that focus she's lost, gives her a break, gives her something to do, and I'm sure she hasn't seen Rei in a while, so it might brighten her up?" "It does make sense, and Rei has been rather concentrated lately." Hino Morihito nodded in agreement. It would be nice to see the girl again, and Rei was becoming no fun to tease. As well as that, he had to admit that Madoka had probably taken the 'try by example' direction to teach that sensing technique. Indeed it was useful, but for more than sensing. He made a mental note to make sure that Yohko knew that. He could easily make the preparations, all they had to really do was get the girl here for the training. "It's a wonderful idea Madoka-chan, and I'd be honored to help a young fighter of the dark along her path of justice." There was a chuckle through the receiver of the phone. "That's nice, but just make sure that you don't try to make a path to her bathtime, leechboy." Morihito smiled. "I would never dream of such a thing! To spy on an innocent maiden? What would make you think of such a thing?" "Because you did it to me, you perv." Madoka replied. "I haven't forgotten your ways, no matter how watered down they may have gotten. I'll let the 'maiden' know she has full anti-pervert privileges in case you decide to think otherwise." "I'm hurt Madoka, that you would still think such things of me." Hino-san said in mock pain. "Well, you'll be hurt if you try anyway. She's sensitive about her love life you know." "The Devil Hunter's Curse gotten to her as well?" he smirked. "Unfortunately. Anyway, I'll call later to let you know of the arranged time." "Very well." Morihito said. "It's good to hear from you again, Madoka-chan. She'll have a nice time while she's here. I'll see to it." "Somehow," Madoka said dryly. "I doubt that she'll have anything but a time there." ***************************** I don't truly know how Azusa or Yohko refer to Madoka in the manga, so I'm going to stick to those prefixes for the time being (Not that they'll be showing up again, this being the prologue and all). Morihito is not Grandpa Hino's official name, and many thanks to Sharyna-chan for giving me a name when I couldn't come up with one. This has been your prologue for All Work and No Play. You may now return to your regularly scheduled lives, already in shambles. Kenji M. (KMurasaki@Hotmail.com)