Origin of Advent
	Bijou, twins Fuwawa and Mococo, Nerissa and Shiori have escaped The Cell. They’ve found a moment of respite in an abandoned subway station. Nerissa fussed over Bijou on a bench, requesting the little gem ensure she’s unhurt. Bijou vehemently declared she’s pristine, and boasts the guards couldn’t have hurt her, anyway. The twins playfully prod one another, ensuring they, too, were unharmed in the escape. Shiori announced her departure to the group, thanking them for their assistance. She must return to her archiving. The air soured as she walked away without another word. Bijou’s expression shifted and her very color darkened. The twin’s ears and tails droop. Nerissa reached toward Shiori, only to withdraw. All four look as if they want to call out, but hesitate as they stare at Shiori’s unwavering back. Nerissa turned to Bijou, whispering comforting words. The twins comfort one another. A few barks and whimpers resound.
	Shiori, some distance away, stops. The amalgam of a forced Bijou laugh, Nerissa’s tranquil tone and the melodic whimpers, along with a loud bark, drift into her ear. She felt a pang in her chest.
What’s this? Shiori thought. How peculiar. Could this be? She turned to the girls. She felt her chest lighten. Were I to describe this, it would match so many descriptions in my archive. Interesting. She smiled at her chest, her eyes alight with a brilliant curiosity. She returned to the girls, who could only look in confusion at the strange grin on Shiori’s lips.
“Hello, again.” Shiori giggled softly. “It appears I’ve been afflicted with something rather new to me, despite my vast archive. I believe it to be love. For all of you.” She glanced around at the other girls. Bijou looked up, her color returned. Nerissa had a gentle smile and a subtle relief. The twins’ ears perked up. “Quite amusing. It must have happened during our plans, perhaps.”
Bijou stood up, catching their attention. “Do, uhm.” She shied away, her voice falling low. “Do the rest of you…feel the same?”
“Ope!” Nerissa jumped to her feet. “I worried I wasn’t saying enough. Of course I do, Biboo!”
The twins exchanged a glance and nod as their tails swayed. “We do, right, Mocco-chan?” Fuwawa asked.
“Yeah, Fuwawa. Yeah! Of course!” The twins barked in unison.
Bijou’s luster grew. “I’m so glad!” She laughed, shining more brilliantly by the second. “I love all of you. And was so afraid we’d go our separate ways! I had so much fun working together and don’t want it to end.”
“Shiny.” The twins spoke in unison. They giggled. “We felt the same! It was so boring before!” They barked.
“We’ve been a little lost as guard dogs.” Fuwawa said. “But we know what we want to protect. Right, Mocco-chan?”
Moccoco barked. “Yeah! Your smiles.” She boasted. They barked.
“Girls.” Nerissa gave each a tender head pat. Their tails wagged as they looked at her warm smile.
	Meanwhile, Shiori leaned into the gleaming Bijou, who leaned away a bit at the sight of Shiori’s passionate eyes and devilish grin.
“What is it, Shiorin?” Bijou asked, her color in flux, followed by a nervous giggle.
“Oh, nothing. I’d just like to see inside. But, I’ll resist.” She withdrew. “Shiorin? I like that.” Bijou’s luster stabilized as she breathed a sigh of relief. Shiori glanced at the others. “Now that we’re on the same page, we’ll need a plan for how to stay together. It’d be ideal to be in the open. But we can’t risk the world turning on us again.”
“Yeah! It was so fluffing boring in there!” Moccoco declared.
Fuwawa giggled. “Right, Mocco-chan.” They barked.
“What’d you two get locked up for, again?” Shiori asked.
“It was a misunderstanding!” They spoke in unison.
Shiori giggled. “Sure. Anyway. We need something where our respective talents can shine, and we’d want to make it impawsible to imprison us again.” The twins showed clear joy at her word usage.
	Meanwhile, Nerissa had sat down and ran her fingers tenderly along her broken horn. She opened her mouth a few times to speak, only to close it.
“What’s wrong, Rissa?” Bijou asked.
Shiori looked to Nerissa. “You have something to share, Rissa. Please, do.”
“Well, you know how much I love singing…” Nerissa said. “Have you heard about idols?”
“They’re like music artists, right?” Bijou asked.
“The performers who sing? Right, Mocco-chan?” Fuwawa asked.
“Yeah. Cute girls, too?” The twins let out a melodic, harmonized whimper.
“Yes, yes!” Nerissa’s mood changed in an instant. She explained in detail her knowledge of idols. Shiori appeared unfazed, however she noticed Bijou and the twin’s eyes had glazed over.
“Okay.” Shiori interrupted Nerissa. “I think that’s enough for now. Hmm.” They sat in silence for a brief time. “Yes. This could work. Our devoted fans would be our shields against the world. They’d support our rebellion. I’d be able to stay with all of you while still archiving. My fans would provide ample opportunities.”
“Do they play games?” Bijou asked.
“Virtual ones are even known for it!” Nerissa said. Bijou’s luster shined once again.
“Perfect.” Shiori walked over to Bijou. “We needn’t worry about our little jewel stoking human avarice too much. Just enough?” She smiled at Bijou, who reciprocated along with a nod. She tapped Bijou on the nose playfully before moving to Nerissa.
“Shiorin?” Nerissa asked, meeting Shiori’s unnerving gaze.
Shiori caressed Nerissa’s cheek, resting her hand along Nerissa’s jawline. “Our darling songstress will be able to sing to her heart’s content, her power tempered.” She tenderly touched Nerissa’s broken horn, who visibly shivered a little. “Don’t worry. I know where it is. We’ll retrieve it when the time is right.”
The twins were whispering to one another as Shiori approached. “And my faithful guard dogs.” She placed a hand on each of their heads, avoiding their ears. They both looked at her. “Our incarnations of joy. You won’t just protect smiles. You’ll create them.”
“Create them?” Fuwawa looked at Moccoco. “That sounds pretty pawesome, right, Mocco-chan?”
“It does!” They giggled in unison, followed by a series of barks, startling Shiori, who withdrew her hands. “Ruffians!” They said in unison.
“Huh?” Shiori asked.
“Our fans!” They said.
“Oh. Hard workers, aren’t you?” She smiled and gave them each a head pat, to their delight. She walked a little distance away. “Great. With that settled, I have a peculiar request of you all. Humans would be embarrassed of such a thing, as I’ve archived several times.” She glanced between the girls, stopping at Moccoco. “I’d like to experience a group embrace, both for archival purposes and to celebrate us beginning life anew, as Advent.”
	Moccoco pounced onto Shiori, knocking her into Nerissa, who fell over in turn. Shiori now lay atop her, and Moccoco atop her.
“Mocco-chan!” Fuwawa chastised.
“What? Don’t give me that look. You were about to pounce, too, Fuwawa.”
Fuwawa giggled. “Okay, you caught me red-pawed.” She piled on.
“Uhm, Shiorin? Something’s poking me?” Nerissa asked, her face a little flush.
“‘Ope’, was it? It’s just some scissors I swiped on our way out.” Shiori said. “This isn’t really what I had in mind, though. Oof. It’s more of a dog pile.”
“They’re better!” The twins barked.
“Don’t worry,” Bijou boasted. “I’ve got this, Shiorin.” Bijou laughed as she stretched her arms as far as she could along the group, giggling all the while.
“Biboo.” Nerissa chuckled softly.
“I…got…this.” Bijou shined brighter and brighter, blinding the others as she tried in vain to embrace them all.