The boy snorted sullenly and, whenever he swung—WHAM—he never hit anything but empty air. It didn't hurt anything, but he kept edging closer and closer to the piñata crying for help, and the piñata definitely didn't want to be in the swing zone.
-Take it from him! Lil C. shouted and sprinted for the boy. The kid, apparently guided only by sound, barely registered Lil C.'s footsteps before he started whipping his bat around like a seasoned fencer.
A defensive wall of impossible combinations formed around him—no way to slip through. No matter how Lil C. tried to get close, he kept bouncing back, learning reluctantly that this fighter was untouchable for now.
-Come back, brother. Don't charge head-on. We need something clever, Yuki cried, and he reluctantly backed away, glancing around with that sad little acceptance that this round had beaten him.
-Let's hold a council. How do we free the lovely queen—er, the piñata—and disarm the kid? Yuki asked her advisers. Mami immediately spun in a circle on her hoverboard and suggested:
-Engage him in combat—armed, naturally, with a pillow! For only the bravest warriors know there is no weapon more powerful or terrifying than a pillow stuffed with down or polyester! I can also recommend hypoallergenic variants.
-Right, the girl grimaced. -And what do you say, Pom-Pom?
-A matter of import. Pom-Pom first retrieved a comb, smoothed his little beard, pulled his cap low, and declared in a professorial tone:
-She is Mami, Mami. (a nod to the Glasses) -And I am Yummi, Yummi—. He tapped his chest. -And you are Yuki, Yuki… and your bro is not some vibe-veteran but Rookie, Rookie. Together—we are the Quartet, Four. Not fantastic. Plain folk. Callused hands. Therefore…
-Okay, I didn't understand a word of that, and you should probably bring it up with your therapist, Yuki snapped, exhaling. -So what do we do? Think, Yuki, think… she muttered to herself.
But who gives time for thought in such a twitchy, ever-shifting world? The giant heads that had been indifferent suddenly shifted from idle to active.
The boy stopped chewing cardboard and the girl ceased her blank stare. They opened their mouths and started egging him on loudly, cutting each other off:
-C'mon, little brother, hurry up! She's waiting for you to smash her! Bash all the candy out of her! Why are you such a wimp, Archie? Always excuses, always closing your eyes and turning away instead of fighting back! Crybaby! Coward!
Those words shred eardrums, and even Mami—who had no ears—listened, stunned, as the big siblings stirred Archie to lash out at the helpless piñata.
-What do we do? Yuki whispered, seeing that Archie was getting angrier and, without seeing, closing in on his target.
Pom-Pom and Lil C. decided on their own course:
-We'll get the grasshoppers! the boy cried. -Buddy, you said they've got a whole crew—can they help us stop this kid?
-Maybe. Or maybe not. First—we'll parley, then we'll see, the Muffin answered, and bolted into the bushes, followed by the brother.
-They won't get there in time! Yuki fretted. -Negotiations aren't quick, so we need to fix this right now with those who made the mess. She cupped her hands to her mouth and shouted at the top of her lungs:
-Hey you! Listen up here!
The giant heads turned their gaze on her in surprise, and those saucer-sized eyes blotted out the sky above.
-Yikes, that's creepy… okay, no panicking now. Time to act.
Shaking her shoulders once, Yuki steadied herself and spoke again:
-Let your brother go if you truly love him. He's not you, and he doesn't want to become just as bitter. So for once in your lives, stop bossing him around and accept him the way he is—for his own sake.
-Ha! Ha-ha-ha! Archie's older sister laughed. -We're teaching him to be independent and brave. Your words mean nothing, stranger. Don't meddle in family business.
-Then… Yuki looked at Mami. -Could you talk to them like a grown-up? Scold them so they'll listen. They need an authority figure to respect.
Mami froze on her board, voice cool and analytical:
-Emotional attachment, in their eyes, justifies their behavior. So it's not certain they'll listen. Their bullying of their brother is only an outlet for their own complexes. Still—I'll try.
-I know your mom from school. I could tell her how you're acting.
That single shouted phrase made the Heads' expressions shift. They trembled in the sky as if deflating, and soon the enormous balloons vanished into nothing.
The boy stood rooted, lowering his spiked bat into the lilac grass. Yuki darted over and helped him pull off the blindfold. It was soaked with tears, and Archie whispered to her:
-Thank you. I'll never forget you, girl from my dream.
Then he threw away both bat and blindfold and rushed to hug the piñata, who had gone quiet and now eyed him with wary suspicion. He squeezed her tightly and begged forgiveness.
-All right, all right… the toy muttered, pulling back. -Let's say we hooked pinkies and became besties. Usually I don't reward rebellious kids who ignore their older relatives—but this is the one exception. Better we live in peace than I call the cops on you. I've got way too much candy and can afford a better lawyer anyway!
With a soft chime she split in half, spilling out candies, pastries, and all kinds of puffy, delicious treats in bright wrappers. At the sound, Lil C. and Pom-Pom burst out of the bushes, crickets and grasshoppers perched on their shoulders, decked out in bandanas and tiny chains. The muffin twisted his cap backward with a roguish grin.
Sniffing, he asked, -Smells tasty. Real tasty. And ignoring the mountain of sweets, he stepped up to the bat and gnawed at it like a steak.
Everyone held their breath, waiting for his verdict. Stroking his beard like a judge, he declared:
-A little bitter. Not enough salt. Needs sauce.
-What sauce?! Lil C. protested. -Look at all this candy! Hurry or I'll eat it all before you do!
He dove headfirst into the pile—and surfaced kneeling on the pavement back in his own neighborhood. Yuki stood nearby with her arms crossed, Archie a little distance away.
The boy's leg was frozen mid-step. For a few tense seconds he didn't move. An unsuspecting bird hadn't noticed him and didn't know it might be in danger. Then Archie lowered his foot, untied and kicked off his sneakers, and ran off happily in just his socks—probably headed home.
-Oh no… Yuki worried. -Now he'll catch cold or step on something sharp.
-What do you mean? Socks are like bulletproof vests for your heels, Lil C. argued, sounding more reasonable than before.
-My stomach's growling. All those imaginary candies made me starving, her brother rubbed his belly. -Too bad I didn't at least grab that lemon-drop caramel…
-You're always about food! Yuki waved him off. -We've only been wandering around the subconscious for a while, but out here it's barely been any time since breakfast.