Disclaimer (For the entire story): I do not own Mai Hime nor Mahou Sensei Negima. Please forgive me if there would be racial discrimination and violence happening for the later parts of this story. The plot is not totally mine for I'm trying to base it from history. I believe that is all, if not, I will follow up some more notes.
Chapter I – Turmoil in the Corner
It was the start December of 1941, two years after the Second World War started. The new Prime Minister Tojo Hideki just refused a peace feeler from the US government and Japan's fleet continued to move towards Pearl Harbor and South East Asia. Bombings, attacks, deaths and many other more were happening all around the world. Things were definitely not going good.
Ten months earlier.
It was another normal day for the soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army in the base located in Tokyo, Japan. The soldiers were either walking around the halls or training in the fields. Over tens of thousands of soldiers are trained everyday as a reserve for the war.
Contrary to the popular belief, some women were allowed to become soldiers of war. The lack of soldiers had raised the need to use other human resources. So far, the army had only recruited 7 worthy female soldiers. The Golden Seven. They were handpicked by the Prime Minister himself.
One of them was Natsuki Kruger.
At the age of eighteen she was already a ranking officer in the army. Orphaned at the age of fifteen, she started to train under the army's supervision when she was sixteen years old. Her father died during the start of the war, he was a soldier. He was sent to China and left Natsuki under the care of his friend, Yamada. Yamada was a soldier too and she was left in the care of his wife. Soon after, they found out that her father died. This made a great impact on Natsuki for her only living parent joined the other one as well. Her mother died giving birth to her. Rage built inside Natsuki as she forced Yamada to teach her how to fire a gun. A year later, her skills were recognized by the government and she, as well as six other girls, was enlisted in the military. Another year later, she gained the rank of Captain and had a platoon of her own.
Natsuki recently became part of the 16th division of the Imperial Japanese Army. She was just a reserve just as everyone else in the base. It changed when the 16th division came to battle in the second Sino-Japanese war in Nanjing, Xuzhou, and Wuhan which ended in October of 1938. Even though they had successfully suppressed the up rise of the Chinese they did lose several men. They returned to Japan to recuperate. Also, they used this time to recruit more soldiers into their division and thus, more than 2 years later, when the famous 7 had finished their training, they were enlisted in the said division.
"Natsuki, are you coming?" asked an orange haired girl.
She was Mai Tokiha, a fellow soldier of the aforementioned. She was the same age as the blunette. She was a cook from a small ramen stand before she entered the army. Some group of thugs ate in her stand and refused to pay. She forced them to with the help of her everyday customer Mikoto Minagi. She did manage to make them pay but after the fight her stand was totally ruined. It was her only way of income and she didn't have any relatives. Lucky for her, a high ranking military was passing by that day and saw them. He was amazed by their actions and knowing that the prime minister was giving an opportunity for women to be in the army he took the chance to convince them to join.
"I'm hungry Mai," her companion complained.
"Yeah, let's go, I guess Setsuna and Konoka could just follow," said Natsuki as she walked towards the two and they made their way to the canteen for breakfast.
The Setsuna that Natsuki mentioned was Setsuna Sakurazaki. She was also an orphan. Her father was a Colonel in the army and died because of a sickness. Her mother didn't take the death of her father and fell sick and died months later. She was depressed but she knew she had to move on. Her father's best friend Eishun Konoe took her in his charge. She met the General's daughter Konoka, and they became best of friends. They were inseparable. And when she knew that the other girl was to be a nurse in the military, the moment that Eishun spoke to her about joining the military as a soldier she accepted.
"I tell you Natsuki, she's head over heels for that nurse," Mai said as they walked.
"They're just best friends Mai, she told me herself," the blunette tried to defend her friend.
"Well, you're also her other best friend, why doesn't she spend that much time with you?" Mai countered.
"She's known her longer," Natsuki said. "Besides, who're we to interfere with their lives? If she likes her, then it's up to her."
"You're right, but it's just too obvious, she should just confront her feelings head on," Mai commented glancing to her other side where Mikoto was happily walking listening in on their conversation. "How 'bout you Natsuki? Ever giving a chance in love?"
"You know that I don't have time for that," came the fast reply.
"Why not? Many guys seem to be interested in you."
"They're a bunch of jerks."
"I'm sure not all of them!"
"Yeah? Tell me one that seemed not."
"Well, the guy with spiking hair, I think his name's Takeru or something."
"Takeda."
"Yeah! Him! He seems to be nice."
"He's a pervert Mai, he likes peeking into girls stuff."
"W-well, there are other guys there."
"I'm not interested Mai, I already told you a thousand times."
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"Hey pup! Mai, Mikoto," a red head greeted as they approached their usual table in the canteen.
"Hey," they greeted back placing their food in the table.
"So where's Setsuna? Thought she's with you guys," asked the red head.
"You know where she is Nao," Natsuki said. "How 'bout the others?"
"They'll be here."
And on cue some of them arrived.
"Damn that bubuzuke woman," Haruka said as she sat down followed by Yukino.
"Hey, hey, what's up? Why so grumpy early in the morning?" Nao asked.
"Well, this new nurse arrived today and all the soldiers have been fanning on her and she's loving the attention," Haruka tried to explain. "Not to mention she likes tea a lot."
"Fanning? Tea?" Mai questionned.
"Fawning," corrected Yukino. "Shizuru tried to flirt with Haruka and, well, she didn't like it."
"She flirts with every soldier she meets," Haruka added. "Even other nurses!"
"Shizuru?" this time Natsuki asked.
"Yeah, the new nurse, Shizuru Viola."
Then another person arrived.
"What're you guys talking about?" the woman with short boyish hair asked.
"The new nurse, Shizuru Viola," Nao said.
"Have you seen her?" the newcomer asked. Only Haruka and Yukino nodded while the others shook their heads. "Well you should see her. She's H-O-T!"
"Chie you always think that the female nurses are hot." Natsuki said.
"Well, this one's different, this one's really hot." Chie said.
"Don't you already have Aoi?" Mai asked.
"Don't mention it to her that I think Shizuru is really hot."
"Ara, I'm hot?" A new voice interrupted the people from their conversation.
"Yeah, you think she's hot?" Another voice said laced with jealousy. "I can't believe you Chie."
"Aoi!" The said woman was now fleeing from the canteen followed by the one who called her.
Everyone was looking at the two who fled the scene.
"Ara." The voice snapped them out of their stares.
"Ah, Oh! Hi guys, sorry for being late, we met someone new today, um, this is Shizuru, and well, she's new here," Konoka explained as everybody turned their attention towards the newcomer. Setsuna was behind her with a frown.
"Nice to meet you, and as Konoka-chan said, my name is Shizuru Viola," introduced the tawny haired woman.
'She's hot.' Everyone else agreed.
Mai noticed the change in Natsuki's attention. 'I guess this is the reason why she doesn't have any interest in guys.'
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A/N: This is my first attempt at a Shiznat fanfiction. Please bear with me. I hope to update as soon as I can but I doubt that I can update weekly,so monthly is more probable for me. This is unBeta'd so if there are any mistakes, it is all mine for not proofreading it extensively.
Hope to hear from you,
-127
