41

“Agh... I look evil...” my reflection in the mirror

said, repeating what I had said in perfect synchrony.
I look like some gaudy evil ice queen from Narnia. My
blue eyes enhanced that! Yuck! I looked at myself in
Zophia’s chrome and purple striped dojo Hedy. It was a
little tight, but the Elasticity effect with it made me two
and a half centimeters smaller around the body, something
that didn’t happen yesterday. I’m going to play some more
later.
I took one last look at my head, and Zophia’s shocking
cut, and snarled. I can assure that I’m going to be
stretching and styling it. I left for the mat and tugged my
Hedy to see if it fit right. I looked up and saw Zophia
waiting for me.
“What do we do?” I winced as I stepped up onto the mat.
I felt really heavy now, but I was manageable. She smiled,
walked toward me and spoke.
“Well Child, if you are what you say you are then—“
Quite literally, this is what happened. Zophia was talking,
and then, she was attacking me! Her entire tender new age
attitude changed, and she became a raging bull in a saint’s
body. Her method was unorthodox though… Whenever I
trained back in Missouri, we had to stretch out (normally)
and salute to each other. I wasn’t ready for her to attack me
now!
Zophia threw me over her shoulder onto the mat. I rolled
over and stood up, only to meet Zophia as she leapt and
kept on hitting me... or trying and I dodged with my
trained speed that I hadn’t seen in a little while. This went
for three minutes and I did nothing but move, she was
going too fast! Zophia then got my gut with such force; it
made me fly across the room and hit the wall. That almost

1
hurt! It was a weird pressure feeling, like bending a finger
too far back when your hand is numb.
I bounced back onto the mat and layed there. I shook my
head and got up to do a fighting stance I learned when I
was a yellow belt. Zophia walked up to me, calmly
enraged. She stopped just short of a meter, and spoke.
“Block me Kyoko. You block my attacks. Don’t just
move. Block, move and find openings.” Zophia said with a
deep growl, and reassuring smile to show that she was still
in there, not possessed by a demon from the depths of Hell.
She then attacked me without warning again. I just dodged
for a minute, and then when taking Zophia’s advice,
something happened...
I saw Zophia punch above, toward my shoulder. I ducked
under her arm and did an uppercut at her Solar plexus. That
blow, I knew, would hurt like someone’s teeth being
uprooted from falling sixty meters on a rock, if it didn’t kill
you first...
Zophia went flying to the other side of the room, and out
of the mat area. Apon impact, she bounced, acting like a
Stretch Armstrong doll being thrown on some floor tile. I
looked at Zophia and started to panic. I hurt her bad! I
started to run up and apologize when she got up, nice and
neat. She smiled and stood tall.
“If only Saiyans were Elastitions. Second best to
immortality.” she said and spit onto the mat. She then
lounged her torso at me snake-like.
“Jeez!” I blocked again and just repeated what I was
doing. In forty minutes, both Zophia and I were fighting to
the death like we were mortal enemies. She punched, I
blocked and gave a kick, she grabbed my leg, and I kicked
her chin with my other leg and flipped over once and
landed, then charged.
We fought like that for a short while longer with little
change in our structuring. Suddenly, when I punched her as
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I had before and knocked her to the ground, she didn’t get
up.
I watched her for a minute and walked up, still in a
fighting stance, ready for her attack. I knew, just knew she
was fine, and I expected a surprise attack. Again, she was
very unorthodox in her techniques. I cautiously stretched
my neck out to match my head with hers.
“Let us both lie still on the mat Child,” she said with her
new age persona in tact. I noticed that she was sweating
like nuts. Sweat can be shifted through the Hedy and put
outside, preventing water build up inside the Hedys. They
are full enough already. I lay down next to her and still
expected a surprise attack. Zophia could notice my tension.
“Do not worry any longer child, for I have what is
needed for you,” she said. Zophia stretched her arm out to
a small ‘fridge. She grabbed two water bottles with an
Indigo liquid for us. I looked outside to see nighttime; we
have been fighting forever.
Zophia handed me a bottle and I thanked her. I also
retracted my head back and sat down with her. She drank
some and I examined it. The paper brand label was
purposefully taken off. I took the cap off and sniffed it. It
smelled like orange. This same crap was given to me
constantly yesterday! Zophia almost connected a stupid IV
line!
“What is this?” I asked. She looked at me and squinted
oddly.
“A drink for Elastitions called Hot Steam.” She said. I
looked at her, then the drink. As she explained, her persona
vitiated to a database awkwardly.
“It keeps our bones working properly. In my dojo, my
senpai and fellow renshi and I legally need to have some
every day. It was made for Elastitions, and regular people
need it too, just not as much. Regular people need it to
keep hydrated, and for weightlessness, there, our immune
3
system goes down. This has ingredients to substitute fluids
our body looses.
Elastitions need Hot Steam because our body stays the
same, seconds before we take the Elotant dip. A child
would forever be a dwarf, for example. Hot Steam literally
evaporates in our stomachs causing warmness, then goes
into our blood stream, and simulates bone development.
The hypothetical dwarf Elastition would be a normal
heighten person if they drank this from the day they
converted. In addition, this brew tastes like orange. Though
even if it’s a different flavor, the color doesn’t change,” she
said. I sighed.
I knew all this junk already…
“Can I pull my hair out now?” I asked softly and took a
drink. I hated this look with a passion. I didn’t even look
like myself anymore because of my shorter hair.
“I wish to inform you of a word of advice. Do not dwell
under the hot sun or any place over thirty-two degrees
Celsius for long periods of time. Similar to our rubber band
relatives, you will deteriorate and become less of an
Elastition every day, returning to a normal Terran.” She
said, I thought about Dad in Arizona… and my visits.
“How long would it take?” I asked cautiously.
“I foresee a month’s time with never-ending exposure.”
She said.
“Child, where are you from?” she asked unexpectedly.
“Marquette Michigan. I thought I told you,” I said.
Zophia nodded and sighed loudly.
“Indeed you did. I've been on Terra for a couple years
prior, and here, but I was curious to know how Marquette
appeared from the ground.” She said. I sat up.
“Have you ever seen San Francisco, like in pictures, or
the TV?” I asked. Zophia nodded.

4
 “I had a class there. I never made it because of a meteor
shower, but I did do some research. What of it?” she asked.
I threw my head back to look at the ceiling while still
sitting, but instead, my head alone seemed to fall off and
hit the mat.
I shrieked in surprise and Zophia looked at me.
“You’re alright Child. Just put you’re had back…” she
said and helped my head back upright.
“Thank you.” I said and spoke about my current home.
“Comparing San Francisco from my minds eye,
Marquette has an architectural air about it, except that
there’s no Golden Gate, and the hills are not as steep, not
by a long shot. In fact, all the buildings are short in
comparison with only one or two floors. Marquette has
more forests too. They can be seen from the top of any
building in any direction.” I said. Zophia smiled broadly.
“It sounds marvelous Child. When I was on Terra, I lived
in Culver City for a time, and then ventured here, and I
have been happy ever since.” She sighed happily. It was
infectious, because I caught myself giggling.
“Good for you, but can I ask how come you have a new
age store connected to a dojo, a fighting one at that.” I
requested. Zophia sat up and crossed her legs.
“I do not fight personally for self defense; I fight in the
art of Zen. I train in various martial arts to achieve a state
of focus that incorporates a total togetherness of body and
mind Child.” Zophia got up.
“Aren’t you a Gnostic Christian or something?” I asked,
trying to add up some clues. Zophia smiled.
“It is all the same Child. Everyone believes in the same
god with a different mask. I choose to be spiritual, and
believe in Terrans, and bits of their gods for peace.” She
said and started to pace the mat. I felt a little bit of anger

5
bubbling from that remark, but before I could protest,
Zophia spoke in a different voice.
“Sometimes though Child, when one is flanked by two
oppositions in hostility, and you are set for peace… It
becomes arduous to hold form, and thus unleash a ferocity
unsurpassed by my Zen techniques. To achieve tranquility,
one must battle; in the shadows and mist as to not concern
the simple minded.” She said.
I was a little confused about her statement… Just so that
my anger vanished while trying to figure out what she
meant.
“Come child, I am going to present you with a directory
for your area.” She said. Zophia walked over to release the
Diclose Clemm from its area, and went into her store. I
followed and watched her work at the PC. I took a closer
look, and she smiled.
“Reel yourself in, I will give you the results
momentarily.” She said. I looked at her, a little confused.
“What?” I asked her. Zophia pointed at my body, and …I
learned that it wasn’t there… My neck had traveled to the
store counter from the mat, leaving my body behind… My
face flushed and I walked over… sort of. I didn’t even
know that I was doing that…
“Sorry…” I said. Zophia chuckled.
“It’s a beginner mistake, do not worry. Keep in mind that
you should not stretch your neck anyway, for it may catch,
and cause a knot after an attempted escape. Breathing
would become difficult, and even Elastitions require air
child.” She said. I grimaced, and then frowned with
stupidity. The neck is even more exposed and vulnerable
now then it was before...
“Here, I am going to give you a list of people in your
area who know Karate for Elastitions. They will help you

6
farther learn your training. I sensed greatness Kyoko, so it
should be a rewarding experience for you.“
Zophia looked outside. The sky was purple.
“It is getting late, and I need a meal.” she stretched her
arms above her head as if she was tired, and with no elastic
distortion, like she was a normal person.
“You should too. It’s almost my bedtime. I haven’t closed
up shop or had dinner yet.” she gave me a small data disk
containing the location data.
“Thank you.” I said and Zophia nodded as she walked
back into the gym. She went to the front door, and I
gathered my things; slipped on my dress and boots over the
Hedy Zophia gave me, and put my Hiyou Enerugiitai on.
“How come my head didn’t snake to the floor? It should
have.” I asked. Zophia was arming a real security system.
She paused in thought, and shook her head.
“Elastitions are stronger then Terrans by three times to
even out the extra weight. Added strength from martial arts
would have made you feel, well, lightheaded.” She said
while beeping the alarm.
“Interesting…” I said, and we crossed the threshold out.
We walked outside the building, and Zophia faced me
“It was fun today,” she said. I nodded in agreement.
“I agree. It was. I learned a lot too.” I said. Zophia smiled
at me.
“It was a pleasure today Kyoko.” she said and walked
off. I adjusted my Hiyou Enerugiitai to my waist and flew
off to my Nagare.
When I was out in space, 100 kilometers from Tycho,
something hit me, and caused fear to run down my chest.
Zophia was a new age priestess, apparently, meaning that
she could have told me about my dream! I blew a chance
to find out about my one plight, and I wouldn’t be allowed
7
to consider even coming back for a long time! Why would
I forget such an important part of my plans and
abnormality? I’m so stupid sometimes!
With great anger, I had cursed myself all the way back
home.