Chapter 1 - Fields Of Battle
"What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal." - Albert Pine
...
The wind howled across the valley, bringing with it the sickly sweet stench of blood and death. Pennants across the battlefield snapped loudly in the stiff breeze where they remained affixed to the wooden pole of broken spears imbedded in corpses and ground alike. A steel-clad hand reached down and, grasping the broken shaft of one such spear, gave it a savage twist that shattered the skull it had been imbedded in before jerking it free of the remnants of the eye socket it had originally been thrust into. With an assured stride the bearer of the liberated spear stepped forth and thrust it into the heart of the injured solider on the ground before her, ending his life mercifully. "Rei-chan report!" she bellowed loudly as she squatted down and retrieved her dropped sword, pausing long enough to wipe its blade clean upon the cape of the solder whose life she had just ended, before standing once more and sheathing the silver blade.
A tall, lithe form quickly stepped forward and dropped to one knee amongst the carnage while bringing a clenched first to her chest in a sign of submission. "Here my Queen!" Hasekura Rei stated quickly upon removing her helmet. "We've sustained heavy losses but so has the enemy," she reported dropping her head in respect. The kneeling woman shifted her breast plate, hating the fact that the armorers always made the stylized breasts upon it overly large and hence it never fit her smaller actual breasts. While it did make her a more attractive figure upon the battlefield it also inadvertently always led to chaffing which would leave her sore and raw for days to come.
The monarch looked down upon her General with a sympathetic smile. "They still can't get the sizing right?" she inquired, well aware of the issues with the woman's armor. The kneeling woman had been with her for so long now that she had become more family than subordinate. The Queen cared for her as well as that fiery cousin of hers. "Perhaps additional padding would help," she offered.
"No, my Queen," Rei replied as she let the breast plate settle back into place, resigned to her fate. "You would think after all this time they would be able to do a better job of it," she added in a tone laced with contempt. "I've already doubled up on the padding in that area. Anymore and it will interfere with the swinging of my arm." Giving action to suit the woman swung her arm, the Nodachi's long blade slicing through the air before her with an audible humming noise. "Worse yet, it could cause the piece to shift, presenting an opening to my enemy that I could ill afford."
"I'm certain Yoshino-chan will be more than happy to apply any salve required to alleviate your discomfort," the older woman said with a smile. "I'm confident she'll be most…meticulous in her ministrations, especially considering the location of the injury," she added, her smile turning into a broad grin upon seeing Rei's cheeks turn a bright pink.
Rei felt her face burn in a blush upon hearing her Queen's words. "I…I believe that most of the fighting has moved off to the north my Queen," she said to cover her embarrassment as well as redirect the conversation away from her relationship with her cousin. While she and Yoshino never attempted to hide their affair, it was still not something brought up in normal conversation. Rei motioned for several soldiers to gather up stray horses as she regained her feet. If she wasn't related there would be no issue, the elder of the cousins mused to herself as same gender relationship had been accepted for more years than she could recall. In a short amount of time they were mounted and ready to move out.
"Right," The queen replied as she focused on the task at hand instead of teasing her General. "Let's gather those we can and join in again," she stated in an eager tone that brought smiles to the faces gathered around her. "It's time to teach these dogs just who their masters are!" The handful of woman around her cheered, gathering courage and strength from hearing the words of their Queen. In truth the woman they followed hated the bloodshed. Thousands lay dead or dying upon the battlefield under the hot mid-day sun. Wiping the sweat from her brow she glanced up at the clear blue sky. This would have been a beautiful day if not for this battle, she thought to herself. A quick mental calculation and she realized that it was the beginning of spring already. Where has the time gone? We should be planting crops in the ground rather than corpses. Resigned to her fate, she turned and started off towards the north, where the distant sounds of battle were coming from. The day was only half way over and many more would offer up their lives this day. Why, she asked herself yet again, why must so many die when we gain nothing?
"Queen Houribe-sama," Rei said suddenly as they crested a rise and looked upon the scene below them. The floor of the valley below seemed to be alive as thousands fought to survive and kill their enemy. By now there was very little organization on either side left to the attack. Brute force and sheer numbers as well as will power would determine the victor of today's battle it seemed to those watching.
It's all so useless, the monarch thought once again to herself for a moment before pushing such distractions from her mind. Miki quickly surmised that the below forces were so equally matched that neither side would win. Off to one side was a large cluster of enemy soldiers drawn up in two protective rings around a man seated upon horseback and overlooking the battle. Around this group the ground was littered with the bodies of those that had already given their lives to protect the man on horseback as well as the attackers who came close to reaching him before being cut down. "Tooru," the monarch said, spiting the name out as if it left a foul taste in her mouth. Several soldiers standing near took a cautious step back from their queen as her hand unconsciously tightened upon the hilt of her sheathed sword. "There's our target," Miki directed over her shoulder towards Rei who was sitting astride a brown mare to her right side and slightly behind. "If we capture him then we can end this here and now," Miki stated without taking her eyes off the battle below.
-oOo-
Tooru smiled to himself as the first volley of silver arrows came streaking in dropping a significant portion of his personal bodyguard in their tracks, to fall among the already littered bodies of their comrades. Reaching out the monarch plucked an arrow from the sky while swatting another away in midair as if it were a bothersome fly. Raising the arrow before his eyes he regarded the silver tip with a small smile. Cries of 'Protect the King' erupted around him as the circle of men and woman sworn to protect him closed in to fill in the gaps created by the arrow barrage.
The king of the Ogasawara clan watched intently as the leading edge of newly arrived attackers crashed into his elite bodyguards. The long braced spears wielded by the outer guards' dealt death equally to rider and mounts alike as the attackers fought to reach his position. Calm steel grey eyes followed one in particular, having taken note of the golden crown welded to the top of her helmet. This should prove interesting, he thought to himself, slightly amused as well as excited. The dying cries of horses, women and men rang out all about him yet never did his eyes leave the queen that was even now cutting a swath of destruction through his guards.
The forces, spearheaded by the queen herself, penetrated the first ring of defenders. Charging forth with their goal in sight they slammed into the inner ring of guards with an audible crunch as the attackers attempted to breech his secondary line of defense. The enemy advance staggered, pausing slightly as it was pushed backwards before everything quickly degenerated into the usual grunts and screams of the fighting and dying. Why is he just sitting there, Miki wondered idly to herself as she sidestepped a sword thrust and slammed her steel-clad fist into the face of her assailant and was rewarded by feeling cheekbones shatter and collapse. Something's not right, her senses screamed at her as the remaining bodyguards, now severely outnumbered, tightened their protective ring around the king with their attackers in hot pursuit.
Leaning backwards across the back of his mount he allowed another arrow to fly harmlessly past before sitting up once more. She's amazing, he though with appreciation upon watching his rival monarch carve a path through those between her and him. For a brief moment he caught the glint of burning eyes through the visor slits in the Queen's helmet and he couldn't help but smile as a shiver traveled down his spine. "Now!" Tooru suddenly roared loudly. The attackers were surprised completely as most of the dead bodies at their feet, some clothed in their own colors, suddenly sprang to life and surrounded them closing the jaws of the trap which had been carefully prepared. In short order the Queen and her immediate forces were disarmed and restrained. Tooru rolled the arrow he still held back and forth between his thumb and fingertips causing the silver tip to gleam brightly in the sunshine. Swinging a leg over the horse's shoulders he turned and slid off its back, landing on his feet with the gracefulness of a natural predator. At a leisurely pace he crossed the short distance that separated him from the queen while still spinning the arrow back and forth. "Release her," he said waving the arrow head at the guards restraining the queen. "Queen Houribe, how good of you to join us here today," Tooru said with a soft smile coming to a stop just out of arms reach from the furious monarch before him.
Once freed, Miki hastily removed her helmet, her long chestnut colored hair furling out behind her in the breeze. "What game is this you're playing at Tooru?" Miki's eyes flashed with anger that was barely held in check. A brief flicker of her eyes told her the distance between her and the man before her was too great for a fatal blow before the guards could intervene. "Just kill me and have done with it! I grow weary of your games."
Tooru chuckled softly and then smiled. "I think you misunderstand, my Queen." Miki's confused expression only broadened his smile as he dropped to one knee and held forth the arrow with both hands as if paying homage. "I, Ogasawara Tooru, head of the Ogasawara clan, do offer unconditional surrender onto Houribe Miki, Alpha female of the Houribe clan. As a sign of my good faith I offer myself into your hands."
-oOo-
Fukuzawa Yumi stepped off the bus she had taken from the train station and made her way across the pedestrian bridge with the other Lillian students, her school bag firmly grasped by both hands before her as she walked. Her pace, as it had been every year she had attended school, was slow and deliberate so as not to disturb the pleats of her shirt or cause her sailor collar to become ruffled in the wind. Slow and graceful, calm and demure was always the way of the proper young lady and the students of Lillian Girl's Academy.
Yumi paused once she traversed the crosswalk and allowed the other girls to move ahead of her. As soon as she was by herself she moved her school bag to one hand while with her other hand she pinched and pulled at her uniform in a fashion most unbecoming of a lady. Why did Mother insist I wear a new uniform today? The new material itched and chaffed in several places that would distract her throughout the entire day. She could already feel a raw spot on her neck where the stiff collar was abrasively moving against her skin. She was resigned to her fate. One did not argue with the clan's Alpha female after all, even if she was your own mother. The young brunette was a first year high school student and so had to set a certain example. Others of her extended family were in attendance at Lillian Girl's Academy as well. They'll no doubt look to me to set the example, Yumi lamented silently to herself as she continued on her way while making every attempt to ignore the rubbing of the new uniform. I really hate this! A quiet, high pitched whine, impossible for a regular person to make out, escaped her lips.
Yumi continued on her way passing through the main gates to Lillian and proceeding along the gingko tree lined path. As she neared the end of the paved pathway it split into two directions, left towards the school buildings and right to the administration buildings. Clasping her hands before her she paused to pray as she had done every day since she started attending school here. As with those days, her prayer was the same as well. Maria-sama please let me just get through the day as quickly as possible! This was her daily litany as all she wanted was to be free of this place. After what she felt was a respectful amount of time she took her school bag from beneath her arm and turned away towards the left pathway.
"Wait," said a commanding voice from behind her.
Yumi turned slowly with her full body towards the person who spoke to her only to freeze in place. The person that had called to her was slender, yet slightly taller than the brunette herself. Large sapphire eyes regarded her as blue-black hair swayed gently back and forth in the early morning breeze. She's so beautiful, Yumi thought to herself. Wait, I've seen her before. She's the upperclassman everyone was talking about. Yumi thought for a long moment as the older girl finished praying and then stepped in her direction. Sachiko-sama! That's her name!
"Hold this please," the second year Pine class, Ogasawara Sachiko asked, holding out her school bag to the young brunette with pigtails in her hair that she had requested to wait for her. Why did I stop her? Why am I even bothering with this? The raven haired woman's mind questioned her actions even as her body seemed to have a mind of its own and proceeded with the set course of action.
Yumi shifted her own school bag to one hand and then accepted the offered bag from the older girl. A gentle breeze blew past them carrying with it Sachiko's scent to the younger of the two girls. She smells delicious! The rich floral scent washed over her for a long intoxicating moment. Very nice! The smaller girl's sensitive nose picked up Sachiko's personal scent, buried beneath the floral smell and she, more from habit than anything, committed it to memory.
"Arigato," Sachiko said as she raised her hands and adjusted the younger girl's sailor collar. Now that she was closer to the girl, the scent of violets wafted up towards her nose, a pleasant scent she thought to herself. Sachiko would have enjoyed it more if it wasn't for the scent of blood that accompanied it. Her eyes caught the small raw mark on the girl's neck. Her uniform must have rubbed against her enough to cause it to bleed, she reasoned. "You smell delicious," Sachiko murmured under her breath ever so softly yet Yumi, her hearing far superior than most, heard each word distinctly which only served to confuse the brown eyed girl. "You should always be mindful of your appearance," Sachiko said in a more normal tone of voice as her fingers slid down along the edge of the collar and quickly untied and retied the white scarf with practiced ease. "Maria-sama is watching us always," she chastised the underclassman as she reached over and slipped her school bag from the startled girl's possession. "Gokigenyou," Sachiko said as she turned and walked away.
"G… Gokigenyou," Yumi stammered back after a long pause as she gathered her wits once more. "Arigato!" The raven haired girl turned her head to the side and smiled in acknowledgement of the thanks but didn't stop or say anything further. "What was that all about," Yumi pondered aloud as she looked down at the scarf and up again at the receding back of the older girl. Yuuki said it was tied fine this morning! Still bewildered by the events that had just transpired Yumi turned and headed in the direction of the building where her shoe locker was located at. Just wait till I get home and get ahold of him! Letting me go off to school in disarray, she fumed as she walked along the path.
-oOo-
Steel grey eyes watched the younger of the two girls walk away as a smile played at the corners of her lips. "This is going to be an interesting school year," the third year student, Satō Sei, said aloud to herself with a laugh that quickly became a cough. The years are catching up to me, she thought silently to herself not wanting to stress the younger girl next to her. My time is nearly done here. I hope she is ready.
"Onee-sama," the first year light haired girl next to Sei asked in question, concerned for her Onee-sama's wellbeing. Tōdō Shimako had noticed over the last several months that the older woman tired more easily than normal. This fact, as well as the sudden increase in the training she was receiving from her Onee-sama, worried her greatly.
"It's nothing," Sei stated laying a comforting hand upon Shimako's shoulder to reassure her. "I want you to keep a close eye on that one though." The older of the Gigantea sisters steered them from their place of concealment and out onto the walkway as they headed in the same direction that Yumi had taken.
"Fukuzawa Yumi?" The underclassman looked after the retreating girl. "She's in my class actually. Do you think she is the one?" the light haired girl asked in a doubtful tone.
"I'm certain of it, Shimako! That is why of course I made certain she was in the same class as you." Sei replied as she slipped her arm around the shoulders of her little sister. "Come, I'll walk you to class," she offered with a warm sincere smile.
Shimako felt her cheeks blush as the warmth of the older girl's arm seeped into her shoulders. "Arigato, Onee-sama. You don't have to do that though." The two of them had been working diligently for a long while now. Ever since she had accepted the older woman's rosary and became her acolyte, such displays of affection were one of the first things time constraints had forced from their interactions due to their busy schedule. Shimako was torn between concern for her Onee-sama's health and a strong desire for the affection being afforded her at the moment.
"I know but I want a closer look at her," Sei said as she started them walking. "It also gives me a good reason to walk with you held close to me, Shimako," Sei added after seeing the crestfallen look on the younger girl's face. She's still so young. She has so much more to learn and not nearly enough time to learn it in, Sei thought to herself. "I've missed holding your hand," the older woman said as she slipped her arm from Shimako's shoulder and dropped her hand to take the younger girl's, entwining their fingers. Sei took the captured hand in hers and thrust them both into her coat pocket. "So no one will see," Sei offered in way of explanation to the blushing Shimako whose hand was being warmed by the body heat of the woman the Petite Sœur loved and adored.
Author's Note:
I'm not sure exactly where the Muse is going with this one as yet. The first chapter was written some time ago. Like a cloud circumnavigating the globe, she eventually came back around to it. It should be apparent that when they are wearing armor or in fight scenes using swords they are far in the past while events taking place at Lillian are more present day. I know people get confused so I thought I would mention that.
This is obviously an AU. I will be using some canon items but mostly will just be winging it. I'm planning for weekly updates right now though work is insane at the moment so don't shoot me if the interval between slips now and then.
As always, though certainly not required, I do appreciate any and all reviews.
Kind Regards,
EJ Daniels
All characters within this story, unless otherwise stated are the sole property of Oyuki Konno the original writer of the Maria-sama ga Miteru light novel series.