Chapter 7

Last time, we took the high speed rail—The Esmiric Rail Authority—from Capo to Shelette. The ten hour train ride was eventful; Rhizel diagrammed a cricket, Rika got some sick ass Flamin Wheelies from the Mallorie's Gashapon, and nearly everyone developed a crush on a GILF. It was a good time.

A fake Rika Arabella was on the stage, singing her opening number: Big Mistake.

Fitting, thought the Real Rika, just like the one you're making up there.

Rika wasn't going to let this imposter sing her set. No matter how good of a show she was putting on. No matter how many of her fans were watching, and having a great time. She wasn't going to let them be lied to like this. Let Freida be lied to like this.

By the time she made it up to the stage, the rest of the group had gotten into the auditorium as well, and were confused about how Rika had gotten onstage so fast, had changed so fast. But they didn't wonder for long, because the music stuttered to a stop when a grappling hook was launched into the lights above the stage, and their Rika, garden scythe and all, was lifted onto the stage as she retracted her grappling hook. The Other Rika locked eyes with her during her slow ascent.

Rika was seized by security guards immediately, and her weapons taken. Thad told the rest of the party they should try to look unaffiliated with either Rika, in case she was arrested. They tailed behind covertly as Rika was dragged from the stage.

In the hallway, Rika begged for them to believe her, that she really was the real Rika, and began rattling off facts about herself. "Didn't you talk about that in your last interview?" one of them asked.

It mattered little what she said to them, she realized. Anything that they would know, anyone would probably know.

"Freida," Rika said, in realization, as they made it back into the lobby, where Rika's tour manager met them, having heard of the commotion. "Let me talk to Freida. She'll tell you I'm the real deal!"

"You're not talking to anyone, except the Kantuk when they get here."

She locked eyes with her tour manager. "That's not me in there, that's a fake!"

"Rika, you have to understand, an imposter would be saying the exact same thing," he told her.

Meanwhile, the rest of Rika's group was in the corridor outside the lobby. Komi and Spickle listened at the door, Komi taking notes as Spickle relayed what was happening inside to the rest of the group.

"How many security guards did you say was in there?"

"Four, I think," Komi told him.

"So, we need to come up with some kind of distraction and get rid of some of them. In case things go bad."

"Do you think things are going to go bad?" Imari asked.

Komi listened in again, and caught Rika's voice, shrill, saying, "I'm not going to let her get away with this! I'm not! I am the real Rika Arabella!"

"Yeah, maybe," Komi said.

"So, what are you thinking?" Rhizel asked.

"Well, we're at a concert," Thad began. "There are probably drugs all over the place, right? So what if one of us OD'd?"

"I volunteer!" Imari's hand shot up.

"I don't mean for real," Thad said, eying Imari with a glint of what was either judgement or concern; no one can be sure.

"Yeah," Imari's face flushed. "Obviously not for real, that's what I was volunteering for, fake OD'ing."

"Or I could just do it," Thad said. "I don't mind."

"I could do it."

"Well, or me, you don't have to."

"Someone just OD," Rhizel said.

"Do you want to OD, or do I need to OD?" Imari asked.

"So, I'm gonna OD," Thad said, casting minor illusion and causing it to look like he had a handful of pills. "You guys just act like you don't know me and try to help Rika out of here, and we'll all meet back outside."

Just then, the door opened, and one of them hissed "act natural" to the rest as two security guards came through. Thad hid the illusory pills behind his back. The two guards passed by, eying the five of them for a moment, but then carrying on.

"Do you still need to OD?" Rhizel asked through the corner of his mouth.

"We'll save it," Thad said back. "Maybe since there's only two left, we could take 'em."

As it turned out, though, Rika had finally persuaded her tour manager to let her speak with Freida, as Thad and the rest discovered when the security guards came back around the corner on either side of Freida Gelsey---Freida Gelsey, in the flesh. Thad and Komi both tried to stay casual as she briefly made eye contact with them and smiled.

Freida's smile was merely for the benefit of fans, though; she dropped it the moment she entered the room and found Rika Arabella in tears. "Freida, I am so sorry this is happening," Rika told her, "but I am begging you to hear me out."

Rika cited several events from their time as child actors, bringing up the SunshineMe commercials, the singing competitions, the little cameos they made on the same film sets, events from long before their tour today. Freida didn't meet her eyes when she said, "The other Rika has said things like that, too, since she got back."

This had been Rika's best chance. Her heart sank.

Freida, unable to handle the stress of the situation anymore, said, "I'm sorry, but I still have to go on, and I need to clear my mind before I do."

"I understand," Rika said.

Freida went back to her dressing room, this time just escorted by one guard. Neither of them even noticed Thad and company on their way out, as Frieda told the guard not to escort her all the way into her dressing room, that she needed time alone to think.

Finally, the Other Rika arrived in the room, and complimented Rika on her cosplay, saying it'd been a while since she saw one that intricate.

"That's because it's not a cosplay!"

"You're so in character, too, it's impressive."

"I could say the same thing about you."

"I just don't understand why you would go to so much effort to stop my show if you're such a big fan. Unless you're jealous."

The banter continued on, as the rest of the group waited outside the lobby, and Freida Gelsey's concert began in the auditorium.

"So," Thad began out in the hallway, "with just the two guards, do you guys think I could just... take them out?"

"Yeah, I really don't think so," Imari said.

"Okay, then back to plan A!" He righted his posture, opened his palm, and recast the illusory pills.

The argument between the Rikas became physical when the Other Rika laced an insult with the Viscious Mockery spell, and the Real Rika retaliated likewise.

"I think I get it now, I understand," the Other Rika began. "You're just jealous. Because I'm the pride of my family." She cast Starry Wisp. "And I'll bet your parents change the subject when you come up."

The Real Rika scoffed, and "Cantrips all you got?"

"Oh, you're not worth using a real spell on."

"Auggghhhhh," came a long, deep groan from outside the room. "I really don't feel too good..."

"Holy shit," came another loud voice from outside, "what is wrong with you, random guy?"

"I'm feeling really weird...."

"Look," came yet another loud voice, "he has all of these random unlabeled pills!"

"Ughhhhhhh, the drugs are doing drug things!"

"Oh, no, do you think he is ODing?"

"Auughhhhh..."

"That may indeed be!"

One of the guards broke away to see what the commotion in the hallway was. He opened the door and looked inside to find Thad on the ground, with illusioned red in his eyes, staring up at the ceiling with his mouth hung ajar. Down the hall, he could see the backs of a group fleeing through a side door.

"Okay, what's going on here?"

"God?" Thad reached toward the guard's face. "Is that you?"

"What'd you take, son?"

"I... drugs... I took drugs."

He shone a flashlight in his eyes. "You're fine, son."

"No, no, I'm not... the drugs..."

"I'm gonna give you five seconds to get your ass up and go enjoy the show or go home."

Thad looked the man up and down, and wondered if he could take him out. It was just one guy. He thought he maybe could. Thad did what the guard said---got to his feet---but as he righted his posture, he swung at the guard.

He completely missed. The guard grabbed his punching arm and held Thad against the wall. "What the hell was that?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry---"

"What the hell were you thinking?"

"It was... it was just the drugs, man, I'm just not thinking right, I'm sorry."

"Yeah, you're about to be even more sorry."

"Bruh! I'm the crazy drug guy! You can't hit me!"

"I'm not going to hit you, I'm going to take you in."

"Wait, wait, no, no, please, please don't arrest me, I can't get arrested," Thad focused his mind to retain concentration on his illusion. "I'm leaving, okay? I'm leaving, I'll just go."

The guard considered for a moment.

"It's all that paperwork, right?" Thad went on. "A lot of paperwork, arresting someone. I get that. I know about paperwork. I hate paperwork. I'll save you all that paperwork. I'll just go home. Right? I'm leaving, I'm going."

"Okay," the person who had waved Rika into the auditorium before took a step between them, and turned to the Real Rika. "You've said your piece, but no more, especially if you're going to be violent about it."

"You guys aren't hearing me," Rika said. "I am the real Rika, and you idiots are taking the side of this phony!"

"Picking a fight with the guards?" the Other Rika began. "Well, at least if the mind flayers ever come back, you'll be safe."

"Enough," said the tour manager, and both Rikas stowed their insults. "We're putting a pin in this for tonight, and we're taking you both to get your magical imprint tested tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Rika asked, thinking of the mission Denali had set for them. "But tomorrow, I have to---"

"Oh, is there something more important to you that you have to get to?"

Rika didn't even know what to say to that.

"I'll set up your appointment for the next day," he said, "Just make sure you get there, 'K?"

Rika nodded, and then he left. She sat alone in the lobby for a few minutes, collecting herself, and then went out to meet her friends, who were playing tic tac toe in the dirt outside while they waited for her. The different groups caught each other up, and accepted the fact that they were going to have to spend an extra day in town. Tomorrow, they would empty the locker, and the next day, they would settle who the Real Rika Arabella was, once and for all. They left for the night, and went to the hotel that her touring company had booked for her.

It looked like this trip was going to take longer than expected, after all.