A/N: I don't own Sekirei. Support the mangaka where possible.


- o 2015, MBI's private Research Department o -

As she slept, she turned about slightly, dreaming. The small girl, wearing the modified shrine maidens garb, felt ready. She dreamed of finding him. Her blessed one. Her destined one. The one she would succeed for. She would fight, and help him ascend.

She sat up a moment later in bed, smiling "His face. I think I saw his face" she whispered to herself, looking about she closed her eyes, trying to recapture what she had seen, feeling so real, as if she could reach out and touch him.

Takami stood there, at the door. watching her. The audio feed had recorded her words, the video recorded each action. "Did you now" she whispered "I wonder who.." she then placed her hand on the doorway to the sekirei she worried over. She had almost died, terminated before she could even know he was out there.

Takami followed the hallway to another room, picked up a clipboard, and looking it over, made some notes "So, how you feeling tonight Akitsu?"

The subject remained quiet, reserved. "Tired of being poked is how I feel" she answered dryly. "Tired of being made sick" she continued "Tired of being told I was a grand experiment"

Takami nodded "Well, its so we can be sure the others will survive when released. You know that, your adjuster told you that."

Akitsu nodded, "Don't mean I have to like it"

"I know, but when we are done. With some luck. Maybe. Maybe you will find your Ashikabi, and everything will be alright".

The ice user looked at her, emotionless, "I can play then?"

"I don't see why not. If anyone has earned it, you have, now, try to get some sleep. I see there are a couple more tests scheduled for the morning.". With that, Takami smiled softly, and turned, leaving the subject of many experiments behind.

"Great" Akitsu muttered "More experiments. When will it be enough.."; With that she laid back down, the hospital gown loose across her form. No blanket, no sheet covering her. "Sleep, ok. I could only hope.. " she muttered, as she then let her mind drift.. 'Is he really out there? Will they let me find him?' she found herself wondering as she slowly, inevitably drifted off to sleep.

- o The next morning o -

"Well, how's our little miracle this morning?" Takami inquired as she closed the door behind her, taking a look at a checklist, including the sekirei medical charts.

"Great! I dreamt of him last night. My ashikabi!" she grinned, her dark brown hair flowing around her shoulders.

"Calm down, you won't be able to seek him for for at least another couple years. You have a bit more adjusting, and a few more tests first."

"Can Musubi ask a question Takami-san?" the bright eyed sekirei inquired

"Sure, I can't promise an answer though, ok?"

The eager sekirei smiled and nodded "Why am I here so often. I see others coming and going. Why am I here?"

"Honestly? Your injuries long ago, when Yume saved you. I want to make sure your picture perfect for your Ashikabi" Takami smiled, barely being able to hold back a chuckle. The pure innocence was infectious.

"Can I ask another..?" the young sekirei spoke softly, finger placed to her cheek, in thought.

Takami nodded, as she prepared an needle for an injection.

"Does Takami-san have an Ashikabi?". At this question, Takami froze, turned, with the loaded syringe in her hand, and slowly walked over to the sekirei side.

"I thought I explained this before Musubi. I'm Human, Human's can't have Ashikabi's. Humans have Husbands, and wives". she explained as she prepared the tourniquet around Musubi's arm, preparing to inject the contents of the needle.

"Oh…" wondered Musubi, "I see… No, I dont.. " she continued smiling.

Takami slowly flicked her finger against the veins in Musubi's inner elbow, and then began to insert the sharp object, and emptied its contents "pump your fist for me. Lets get all the tuning goodness circulating ok?" she paused a moment then spoke again. "I really don't know how better to explain it. Maybe it will be easier to understand when you find your Ashikabi. I hope he treats you kindly" she smiled

"Its ok.. " Musubi smiled "I hope so too. He has a kind face!"

Takami couldn't do anything other than smile. "I hope so Musubi, I hope so. Now lay down, get some rest. Your tutor will be in later to keep you caught up.

As she was exiting the room, it locked behind her, each Sekirei was kept restricted when in the tower, not allowed contact with the others for security, and safety sake. It was then that the commotion occurred. Technicians, Tuners, Nurses who worked the floor rushed down the hall.

"Wait, what's going on?" she raised her voice inquiring as she felt herself start into a sprint beside one of MBI's best nurses

"Its number 7 Ma'am. There was a problem with this mornings experiment.."

Takami frowned, 'This isn't good..' she thought to herself as they both rounded on the corner, and entered the lab door, a small crowd gathered, the adjuster was frantically going over paperwork at the desk, flipping through pages of documentation. All eyes however, were on Akitsu, and the huge sekirei mark on her forehead.

The head researcher shook her head, pointed the nurse beside her to attend to the subject, and turned to the crowd. "Now, I know ALL of you have a better place to be than to gawk here. You're being paid to do a job, and I suggest.." and with that, she raised her voice louder, as she went into one of her trademarked tirades.. "YOU FUCKING WELL GO DO IT UNLESS YOU WANT TO BE FIRED!". Most of the crowd, had already started to disperse before she let loose with her anger, the couple stragglers got the message quickly and departed quickly.

The nurse was checking Akitsu's vitals, and taking blood samples. She knew the head researcher well enough to know what she would desire.

Turning, Takami moved towards one of her many junior assistants. "tell me what happened" she muttered, as she flipped her cell open, preparing to make a phone call.

His finger, laid upon the paperwork before him, various numbers and quantities. "I swear, it said.." he muttered "it said 50 cc. I swear it did, I checked it, and double checked it" he looked at Takami a moment "I checked it last night when I prepared the syringe." he half whispered "Its not my fault.."

It took a quick glance for Takami to see the actual quantity listed. "5 cc.. its only 5.. you gave her.." and then she saw the injection given, and just shook her head.

Takami's voice remained a whisper. "As of this moment, your removed from all your cases. You will be lucky if you have a job by the end of the day." she paused "I am also sure, that if Minaka has his way, you will never work in research again. Blame it on his desire for this grand game if you want.. Next, your going to explain to that poor sekirei over there, how she is now broken, and will never know what is it so be winged, to find an ashikabi".

His eyes flew up, and stared at her "Please, its not my fault. It isn't, I did everything right. I swear.."

Takami's hand came up, to silence him, she had heard enough, she also knew when someone was simply trying to offload blame for their own actions, or misactions. "You said you could handle this job, you said there would be no problems, Deal with it". She dialed her phone, and started giving a report to the other side.

"We have a problem, Number 7. Yes, Akitsu, is broken.." her voice faded from the room as she stepped into the hallway, down towards a computer workstation.

The young researcher, left behind turned, and looked at Akitsu. The nurse had finished taking blood, and checking vitals, exiting the room was writing them down. "I… I'm sorry Akitsu. You are now a discarded number. " he paused, his mind reeling, racing over what had just happened.

The light brown haired ice user, looked at her adjuster with cool eyes, emotionless "why?" she inquired

"I'm sorry. You failed. I don't know what happened. Its your fault I guess. You will never have an ashikabi now. You can't be winged." he continued, anger welling up within him, knowing it wasn't his fault.

"Your garbage. Trash to be thrown away. We might get a handful of extra tests and experiments from you but thats it, your worthless now. In fact, it would be better if you just disappeared. No one wants you. Your a mistake, I WISH YOU WOULD DISAPPEAR" the words came at her in a tirade from the former adjuster.

The words hit her deep. Just the night before she been promised she could take part in the plan, in the game, she would be allowed to find her Ashikabi when it starts. "I.. I.." she frowned, and began to withdraw. She brought her knees up to her chest, and with closed eyes, she cried inside.

She wouldn't show anyone how much they had hurt her.

- o Wakayama o -

Two children walked along the street, Yukari aged 13, Minato, aged 14. "Your such a looser Onii-san, Your hopeless. Stop letting those bullies get to you". She personally loved that he choose to walk so close with her. Safety in numbers, she also enjoyed his company. Most brothers had given up on their sisters, and would leave them behind in the blink of an eye for girlfriends, or whatever adventure they thought were worthwhile.

The raven haired boy sighed "I just wanted to study, is that so wrong?" he muttered half to himself, half to his sister.

"No, but.. Your grades are good enough. They get mad because you're too smart" Yukari chimed up, happy to have his hand in hers. She would keep him safe on the walk home. "Cheer up, make a friend, stop studying so hard"

"No, I have a friend, and schools important. One day. One day I'll go away, to a big school and show I'm good enough"

"Good enough for what?" Yukari paused.

Minato never got a chance to answer. A larger classmate rushed by, hip checking him into his sister, a hand skillfully sending all his notes flying. His class books landing in a pile of nearby fertilizer waiting to be spread on a flower garden.

"Hey LOSER. Watch where you're going smartie pants!" came the angry voice "Watch out, I'll get you when your sister ain't around!"

Minato just stood there, looking at his books, slowly he began to collect the various papers, workbooks, from the ground. Yukari started to help him. "Great, just great. Now aki-san is gonna be angry. I'll be behind tomorrow, and.."

Yukari sighed. "He wont hurt you, I'll make sure of it" she muttered

"Great. Protected by a girl, " he muttered 'worst, day, yet' he thought silently 'even if it is my sister'

"Cheer up nii-san. Two and a half more years, and you'll graduate" she joked trying to raise his spirits "It won't be long at all"

"Just an eternity" he muttered, trying his best to clean the fertilizer off his rather expensive school books.

Minato looked into the sky, "My life can't get worse can it? I mean, maybe if I move away after school, things will get better.. Avoid bullies, a simple life.."

Yukari just shook her head and taking Minato's hand in hers, the books gathered again under his one arm, "Come on, I hear mom's bringing your favorite desert home tonight, you don't want to be depressed for that right?"

"Right" as he followed along.

- o 10 minutes later o -

Minato's spirits where buoyed a bit when he and Yukari entered the house a bit later. He had gotten most of the smelly fertilizer off his books, and set them down on a chair. He wouldn't dream of upsetting his mother by setting them on the table.

"Moooom, we're HOOOME" Yukari called, fully expecting her to be there.

She realized a moment later, when their grandmother came through the living room door, that just was not going to happen. Certainly not tonight.

"I'm sorry you two. Your mother called me hours ago, to let me know she would be working late. She might be home friday. " she paused, Minato had suddenly worn a huge frown "Something came up at work" the elder lady finished.

"Oh." Yukari frowned, turning to Minato "Come, lets go play. "

"No."

"What do you mean no? I want to play"

"No, I need to study. I need to catch up and fix my notes" Minato replied.

With that Minato walked past his grandmother, taking his books to his room. Avoiding confrontation. Disappointment set in. No mom, no special dessert.

Yukari just shook her head. "gran' gran, can I go play? Please? I be careful" she declared

"Sure. But stay out of the woods, its dangerous in there. You could get lost." the old lady instructed "and be back within two hours. Dinner will be ready".

Excitedly, Yukari jumped up and down, and bounced outside. Leaving her homework, her studies behind. Still wearing her school uniform.


A/N: So, this is a grand experiment. This will be a re-write. I want to fix some small things as I go, and give some input into what I feel kicks some of it off. Let me know what you think.

I really don't know how often I will be updating this story. I have one other that keeps going, but I felt if I DID NOT get this down, and started, I never would.

Answers: Minato will have a harem, Minato will head to Tokyo, Minato will have better growth than he did in the anime or Manga. He will even have a goal or two when he gets there (Not saying anything more other then you may find SOME of it repetitive from the original manga, but you know. Butterfly effects.)