Minna…HaruNatsu is back! …

Actually, now, I don't have much time to write. All those science studies piss me off …Phoaaa…I hope I've chosen other studies, so I don't have to do all those homework…But, anyway, it had happened, and, I'll manage my time so I have enough time to write and to update…

After doing some joint fics with Benji Himura under the name 'Korigumi', I'm considering starting a new fic of my own. It's a kind of 'Junior Hanagumi' stories. There're already a lot of 'Junior Hanagumi' stories, as we've known. I can't promise this story will be better than the others, but, I'm trying to do my best, after all.

To all of my readers, thanks for your attention. Hope you'll enjoy this story.

Disclaimers : I don't own Sakura Taisen, but I do own my original characters.

Endless Wings

Chapter One : The Past and The Present

Daitekoku Gekijou, March 15, 1950.

Oogami Ichirou, that time a General of Japanese Navy, sighed as he glanced at the reddish sunset sky outside his window.

"What are you thinking of, Manager?" asked his vice, Colonel Maria Tachibana.

"Not an important thing," he answered, tying himself back on the pile of paper upon his desk. Started reading the next document he had to check, he told himself to forget all his thought and worry. They'll be fine, he calmed himself.

However, as a parent, Maria knew, he must be thinking of his own children.

"Thinking about your brats again, Taichou?" she asked him gently.

Oogami smiled to the address 'Taichou'. Suddenly, he felt he was a young man again, commanding a troupe of young ladies.

"As you know it, Maria-kun," he answered honestly.

Maria smiled back at him. "Although I've convinced myself for many, many times that my child will be alright, I can't make myself sure of that," she said, stop picking the important and unimportant documents, looking at the evening sky.

"I'm thinking about my little princess," Oogami admitted, half-smiling and half-sighing. "I'm wondering if she's still the same little girl I left back at home ten years ago," he murmured.

Maria chuckled. "Maybe not, I think," she said, "maybe she'd grown into a pretty young lady, with lots of admirers and a faithful boyfriend waiting for your blessing to marry her."

"It can't be," Oogami said in a low tone, "my daughter is just seventeen. She's not mature enough."

"Taichou, that's Sendai. Seventeen is a legal age to get married," Maria reminded the jealous, afraid Oogami.

"But…I'm not ready to lose her," Oogami said, shaking his head. "I can't lose her now. It's too early. I haven't spent much time with her."

"I haven't spent much time with my daughter, either," Maria said, smiling bitterly. "I don't know what she likes now."

Someone knocked the door.

"Come in," Oogami said.

A beautiful, middle-aged Japanese woman wearing a pink blazer and a white skirt with pink high-heels entered the Manager's office. "I'm sorry, but, I think I must remind both of you not to work so hard like this," she said softly. "I don't want both of you to ruin your health."

"Thanks, Sakura," Oogami answered as he warmly looked at his wife. "But I think there are still lots of works to do," he informed her, "right, Maria?"

"He's right, Sakura," Maria gently answered. "Tokyo had been brought back to its' normal life," she said slowly, "people demand more and more entertainment, and this is our job to give them what they want."

"Why don't both of you relax for a while?" Sakura offered. "I and others will do those works for you," she continued.

"Thanks, but I know you and the others have works to do too," Oogami refused gently.

"That's nothing compared to yours," Sakura said, smiling.

"You think all those secretarial jobs you do is less important than this?" Oogami asked, looking into Sakura's eyes. "In fact, without your work, I practically do nothing," he continued, "right, Maria?"

"I agree with our Manager," Maria agreed.

"Maybe I can just ask Kouran to type those documents," Sakura suggested.

"But how about the household maintenance job she's doing?" Oogami asked softly. "You know, we all have things to do. Sumire will be busy on accounting. Kanna, as we know, will be busy on properties. Orihime, she's already on promotion. Reni and Iris must manage all our shows and schedules. We'll be ruined off if someone left her job to do mine."

Sakura sighed. She knew, she just couldn't stop those two workaholic people. "Alright. Just remember, tomorrow will be a day off for all of us," she said, walking out of the room and closing the door.

Oogami and Maria looked at each other. Both of them sighed. "I guess we can just skip this day off," Maria said, "there are plenty lots of things to do."

Sendai, March 15, 1950.

"Hurry up! Form our first display picture!" a rather tall, blonde young lady shouted to the members of the Marching Band corps.

The sound of footsteps was heard, and, soon, the first picture was formed.

The young lady nodded. "Good," she said, "just wait for a moment!" She turned back and ran upstairs to the balcony of the second floor. She looked at the form.

"Trumpet player T-19!" she shouted. "You're mistaken! You should be two steps backward from your now position!"

The little girl jumped back in fright. "Good," the young lady said. "And, bass drums! Look at your distance from others! You're all too close!"

The bass drum players adjusted their distance, and, after all, the insignificant mess was finished. "Alright!" the young lady shouted, "start the show now!"

The Marching Band show began, and, soon, the sad love song "Itoshii Hito Yo" was heard. The young lady smiled, as she nodded, signaling her satisfaction. Good, she thought,if they keep doing like this, I'm pretty sure we'll be the champion this year.

"What are you thinking of?" someone suddenly asked her.

The young lady turned to see her questioner. "I'm thinking over a possibility for us to be a champion this year," she answered.

"Put your trust on them, Edelweiss," the questioner suggests, "however, we've trained them so hard."

"I wish I could," Edelweiss replied, "Suiren. But, as you know, some of them are below qualification."

Suiren smiled at Edelweiss. "Don't be such a perfectsionist, " she said, clinging at the moving display formed by the Marching Band members.

"But, to be a champion, you must do it perfect," Edelweiss reminded, "I don't want them to miss even a single count."

"They'll learn how to do it best," Suiren calmed Edelweiss down, "just like us when we were younger."

"I wish they will," Edelweiss replied, her eyes focused on the bread-formed display as her instinct said that there was a mistake there. "Look. The tubas behind. One of them has a different step from others."

Suiren sighed. "We can't let it be," she said, "we must fix it."

"So," Edelweiss said, grinning, "who's the perfectsionist?"

"Both of us," Suiren answered, running downstairs to tell the wrong player how to walk.

Yokohama, March 15, 1950.

"Don't you think this is great?" a tanned, rather tall, short-haired girl asked.

"What is great, you senseless?" the person who was being asked, a brunette girl about four inches shorter, replied.

"The display picture I made for the corps!" the tanned girl cried happily.

"Not at all," the brunette countered, "it's more of standard. You must make other forms for them."

"Don't you think it's difficult, you Cactus?" the tanned countered back.

"Well…you O-Mawari-San, can you just keep quiet? I want to savor this bath well," the brunette said, turning back and laid against the wall of the pool.

"As you say," the tanned grumbled.

"Excuse me, Miss Himawari and Miss Momoko. There was a phone call from Mr. Shiori, " a maid said politely.

"What did he say?" Momoko asked, turning back and facing the maid.

"He'll be late for this dinner," the maid informed, "so he think you two better have dinner by yourselves."

"Thanks," Momoko said, "you may go."

The maid turned back and walked away from the pool, questioning herself why and how all her mistresses be so dense and weird.

"What's for dinner today?" Himawari suddenly asked.

"Maybe just like yesterday," Momoko answered.

"Don't you feel bored?" Himawari asked Momoko. "I think today we can get something from the restaurant," she continued.

"Not a bad idea," Momoko said, pulling herself out of the pool, reaching her towel, and walked into the shower room.

Osaka, March 15, 1950

Carino Soletta rushed out of her house. "Meigui! Meigui! Where are you?" she shouted.

"Here on roof!" a purple-haired girl with glasses and freckles looked down from the roof.

Carino clapped her hands once. "Why don't you go down right now?" she asked.

Meigui smiled. "I just want to know if there's any shooting star today," she said.

Carino looked at the girl carefully. "Do you still have that dream to be true?" she asked gently.

Meigui shook her head and grinned bitterly. "Well," she stated, "according to the last observation I had, there will be a shooting star in a week. I just want to prove that it's true."

Sadly, Carino looked at the girl. "She does love you, Meigui. Just like all of us," she tried to convince Meigui.

"But…why can't she come to my last show?" Meigui asked slowly. Tears appeared on her face.

"Well…," Carino tried to explain. "She was working. Maybe there are lots of jobs and she couldn't go back. "

"And give me no explanation?" Meigui countered in tears. She leaped from the roof and landed successfully in front of Carino.

"She's right! Our mothers never care!" another girl shouted.

"Kikyou!" Carino scolded the girl, "don't speak like that!"

Kikyou looked at her grandmother with her angry, green eyes. "Well," she started, "first, they left us when we were six. Second, they'd never gone back. Third, they even didn't attend our biggest show. And that's mothers, is that correct?"

"Both of you, listen," Carino said. She looked at both Meigui and Kikyou. "I love you both. And I'm sure your mothers do. They're working for both of you. To gain something to keep both of you live," she whispered gently.

"I'm much happier when my Papa is alive!" Kikyou screamed.

"I know that," Carino said, calming the tanned, tiny girl. "But we can't turn back the time. Just let your life flowing, I tell you to do. Now, let's get into the dinner. I'm sure you both are hungry."

Hakodate, March 15, 1950.

"Do you still want something to eat?" a beautiful lady on her twenties asked her nieces.

Both preteens shook their heads, signaling that they were full and satisfied enough.

"Then I think you two should go to your room. It's almost bedtime," the aunt continued.

"But, Aunt Arisa, we are…," one of the nieces blabbed.

"I've said, Cattleya, that you both are not allowed to stay awake late," Arisa scolded the girl.

"But, Vinni and I…," Cattleya tried to add.

"Cattleya, Delphine, you both must go to bed now," Arisa cut suddenly.

The girls got up from their chairs, greeted their aunt goodnight, and went to the room where they sleep together. Changing their clothes with cute, childish pajamas, they silently moved to their bed and hide themselves under the blanket.

"Vinni?" Cattleya whispered to her cousin.

"Mmm?" Delphine murmured.

"I can't wait to be a Junior High School student!" Cattleya said excitedly.

"What do you think that is cool from that?" Delphine smiled and asked the blonde.

"Emm…wearing that skirt, with the blazer, the hat, the ribbon, and many more," Cattleya answered.

Delphine giggled secretly. "All you have to do is waiting," she said, "I'm sure you'll get into it."

"But, Vinni…I just can't wait," Cattleya countered.

"Just wait," Delphine said, slowly sat up and looked everywhere to make sure that there was no one except them both.

"Do you think it's time to go?" Cattleya suddenly whispered.

Delphine nodded. "Change your pajamas and take your flag. We must attend that practice, " she said.

Tokyo, March 15, 1950.

The alarm rung inside the Imperial Theatre.

All Hanagumi members froze for a while. "What's that, Maria?" Oogami asked his vice.

"Let me check," Maria answered, pressing a hidden button under her desk. A map of Tokyo appeared on the wall. There was a big red spot on it.

"I can't believe this," Oogami said, shaking his head, looking at the map.

"Me too," Maria murmured. "What do you think we should do?" she turned and asked Oogami.

"Call the kids," Oogami commanded.

"All four of them?" Maria asked.

"Yes. I think now," Oogami said, "I'll wait for them at strategy room."

"The most important thing is : make sure they won't hurt civilians," Oogami said, looking at the four young people in front of him.

"Well," asked the only man on that group, "what are they actually?"

"We still don't know," Oogami answered, "Bill. All members of Hanagumi are working hard to find it out now."

"But they haven't appeared yet," a girl of the group, the smallest of all, said.

"Yes, Satsuki. They haven't, but they sure will," Oogami warned. "Any questions? Tanpopo? Sayaka?"

"No," the other two girls answered in unison.

The door opened, and Maria entered the room. "A new enemy," she said, "they had different energy patterns from the formers. They are stronger."

"Do you think it is necessary for us to go with the kids?" Oogami asked.

"I guess yes," the vice commander answered.

"Is it that bad?" Satsuki asked.

Maria stared at the girl. "Well," she said, "Satsuki. We'll make it."

"Are you sure?" the little girl asked back.

"Ask the Commander if it's right," Maria answered, clinging at Oogami.

"The vice commander is right, Satsuki," Oogami said, "you must believe in yourself. Nothing else."

"B…but…," Satsuki wanted to continue.

"I think we must leave now," Maria cut the girl's words.

"Alright," Oogami said. "Bill, you and your people may leave now. I and the others will catch you up there."

"Ryoukai!" Bill answered. "Atarashii Teikoku Rikugun Taikouma Butai…Sanjou!"

"Ryoukai!" the girls yelled. All the young people, all four of them, walked towards the opened door, walking out of the room and heading towards the hangar.

"Good luck, kids!" Kouran, in her mechanic costume, shouted, as Bill, Tanpopo, Sayaka, and Satsuki jumped into their plane-like machines.

"Well," Tanpopo answered in behave of the others, "have a nice time too, Aunt Kouran!"

Before the mechanic could reply, the youngsters had left the hangar, soaring up high into the sky.

Kouran sighed. "Well," she said to herself, "kids. You don't know what's waiting outside there."

"Head mechanic Li Kouran, please go to the strategy room. The commander is waiting for you," a voice heard from the speaker up above.

The Chinese wrinkled her forehead. "What's honestly happened here?" she murmured, wondering why the commander called her. Suddenly, she clicked her fingers. "I guess I must go. There, I will find the answer," she said.

The four aircrafts landed successfully on the opened ground. The cockpits were opened, and all the pilots jumped out and stood there on their uniforms.

"Good," Sayaka speaked first. "Now, what you think we should do? Sitting here, burning the dried leaves, and baking some potatoes there?"

"Sssh," Bill shut her off. "We must be careful. They're everywhere underground. That's what the superiors had said to us. You're under my command by now. Just keep quiet and move slowly. You understand?"

"Guess yeah," Sayaka answered, slapping her straight, long, light brown hair backward so it wouldn't disturb her.

"Good girl," Bill replied, even without glancing at the easy-going girl. "Watch out!" he cried, jumping to the side, as he saw something moving on the ground.

"God!" Sayaka and Satsuki yelled at the same time, while Tanpopo spontaneously released her handgun and pointed it to the creature.

It ended in a single shoot. Tanpopo had shoot it right on its' brain.

Suddenly, other creatures, all same with the previous one, surrounded the four young people.

"Shit! They're too many!" Sayaka said.

"Get back into our Koubus!" Bill commanded the girls. He shoot the nearest creature to him and ran towards his aircraft.

"God we can't!" Satsuki yelled, "they're surrounding us!"

Bill turned back, and saw the sea of creatures that surrounded his teammates. "Damn! Alright, girls, you may release your armors now!" he cried to the girls, running back to the field, help facing the creatures by shooting and stabbing them.

I hope they'll arrive soon, Bill prayed inside his heart, otherwise this is the end!

The Hanagumi members were inside their Koubus. Moving slowly to the battlefield, somehow, each of them had a very odd feeling.

"Why I feel like this?" Oogami said to himself.

"Excuse me?" Maria asked from her Koubu.

"Nothing," Oogami answered

"Come on. You did say something. All of us hear," Sumire blabbed.

"Just a very odd feeling," Oogami said, moving forward without even stopped to wait for the others.

"Captain! Watch out!" Reni suddenly cried. She moved forward and slashed the demon beside Oogami's koubu.

All other Hanagumi members moved their koubus into a battle position. "What is it, Reni?" Maria asked.

Reni didn't give any answers. Staring at the dead body of the demon, she shook her head. "It…it…it…can't be," she muttered.

"Reni? What is it?" Maria repeated her question. Somehow, she started to shiver.

Reni picked a broken pendant from the demon's neck. "Kurogumo's sign," she said, almost whispering.

For a while, all other Hanagumi members froze in shock.

"Damn," Oogami said, "they're coming back!"

"Watch your back!" Kouran suddenly cried.

All other members turned backwards, and all they could see was a big colony of demons moving towards them in high speed.

"Be careful," Oogami warns his comrades, before moving to attack the demons, "for me, your lifes are more important than everything else!"

Soon, the war between Hanagumi and the demons began.

Kanna punched a demon and threw another one by a kick. "Damn. They're so heavy," she grumbled, as she gave another punch to another demon.

Sumire slashed a demon, and quickly turned backward to slash another one. Still rushed from slashing, she turned again, slashing two demons in once. 'No good. They're so fast,' she thought, while turning again to slash another demon.

Sakura and Oogami, standing back-to-back, slashed and stabbed the so-many-demons surrounding them. "Do you know how many are them?" Oogami said, half-shouting, among the cries of the demons.

"I think over two hundreds!" Maria shouted back, raising her weapon and gave another shoot to the demons. A spot of cold sweat appeared on her forehead. She knew, sooner or later, her bullet supply would exhaust.

"It's exactly two hundred forty four and nine," Kouran said, looking at the numbers appearing on her monitor. She released another micro-robots, as she glanced at the broken ones spreading on the ground. The demons had broken them, and, more than just that, they had finished all Kouran's bullets. Biting her lips, Kouran tried to concentrate on the battle, ignoring the fact that she, sooner or later, will be out of weapons.

Iris and Orihime, running out of breath, moved their koubus everywhere, jumping and attacking, avoiding and killing the demons. However, the more they killed, more headed towards them. "They are so anooying!" Orihime cried, as she moved backward.

Meanwhile, Reni was being surrounded by the demons. 'They're waiting for me to move,' she thought. Observing the pattern of their attack, she managed herself and her koubu to stay quiet. 'They use different patterns in every attack,' she thought, 'it will be a difficult battle.'

Suddenly, her grip loosened, and her body fell limb upon her monitor. She felt her koubu falling down to the ground. Before her mind totally entered the dark world of unconsciousness, Reni could see, all her comrades are experiencing the same thing.

To be continued…

Well, a long chapter after all. Thanks a lot for reading. Should you have any questions, you could ask me. I'm waiting for your reviews…

HaruNatsu.