"Sir, what do we do about this survivor?"
"She lead the Banshees, she must have defeated a good number of our men before she was subdued."
"So do we kill her?"
"... No."
"Sir, shouldn't we nip the problem in the bud?"
"Erase her memories prior to today's events, then toss her into the wormhole."
"... As you wish, sir…"
"I await for your return, Sonoda Umi."
"My body aches…
It's cold…"
Umi slowly opened her eyes to witness herself hurdling towards the ground. Her throat was too dry to release a scream. The cold air of the night blew against her face and stiffened it to the point where she could feel her facial muscles tensing on sheer impulse. It was hard to keep her eyes open but she had to keep focus if she was going to survive the fall.
Umi released a groan when she attempted to bring her arm forward. Her entire body ached as if she had gotten beaten to a pulp like the last time she was interrogated. It took a couple of seconds and absolute determination for her to extend her hand outward. She was seconds away from becoming a mangled body on the ground and if she timed it right, she might be able to survive with only a few broken bones.
As soon as her fingertips made contact with the solid dirt walkway, it instantly dissolved and turned into a soft dirt landing zone to reduce Umi's impact to a bare minimum. The landing was rough and Umi could feel and hear her right forearm cracking from the pressure. Despite the pain, she knew that this was the only way for her to survive. If she was unable to use her powers in time, she could have walked away with more than just a broken arm. Or perhaps she wouldn't have been able to walk at all.
She struggled to get onto her feet, but fell backwards instead. The pain in her arm pulsated and burned throughout her entire arm. Even though it was only her forearm, the pain radiated down to the tips of her fingers and ran up to the side of her neck. Her legs were weak and she struggled to stand up, but she had to move away from the dirt crater she made to avoid suspicion.
Through some miracle, Umi was able to limp herself to a nearby park and take a seat on an empty bench. It was dark and quiet, the only sources of light were the moon and occasional lamp posts to keep the walkway lit up for civilians out on a nightly stroll. The pain in Umi's arm thrashed at her brain, her pain receptors were on high alert and she felt as if she could faint at any moment. Unfortunately, as soon as she hung her head down to relax, she wisped into unconsciousness.
Snow started to fall, Kotori first noticed it when she finally took her eyes off her cell phone. In her other hand she held a bag of groceries that looked overloaded and on the verge of tearing. It was to be her groceries for the upcoming month since she overspent on the flash sale 30 minutes ago.
Despite how much she loved the snow, the chilliness and difficulties of the weather were overpowering. Kotori enjoyed the sight of snow; however, she disliked being in it now that she was an adult. When she was younger she loved the snow, but now that she had matured, she had come to realize the negative side of the spectrum.
Thankfully, Kotori had a shortcut plan already routed out since she would prefer to avoid walking more than she needed to. Her apartment was at most a 20 block walk, but a shortcut through the park would prove to shorten it to a 10 block walk.
Kotori gave herself a small pep talk before reinforcing her grip on the groceries and stuffing her cell phone into her jacket pocket. She challenged herself to get back home as quickly as possible and she was keen on fulfilling the challenge.
Kotori powered through the park walkway, there was no one in sight, at least not yet anyway. The snow was starting to fall a little heavier now, she could see that the park walkway was starting to become one single white sheet just waiting to be stepped on by her designer boots she saved up on.
The walkway was dimly lit so Kotori could only make out what could be seen only in the lights, she passed by a particular bench which seemed to have a lot more snow covering it than it should.
"Just keep moving, Kotori. There is no need to stay in this weather any longer than you already have…" she grumbled to herself.
The thought of that strange bench nagged at her brain until curiosity got the best of her. She stormed back to the bench, almost slipping on her own tracks that were already covered from the heavy snowfall. She pulled her sleeve enough so that she wouldn't have to make direct contact with the snow and slapped at the suspicious mound of snow.
She felt something different from snow, a much more sturdy yet flexible substance. Upon realization, Kotori quickly started patting away the snow to reveal a pale and shivering young woman with a broken arm. Kotori almost fell back but regained her balance to pull out her cell phone to call for help.
"Hello?! There's someone badly injured in the park by the Nishikino Marketplace! Please send an ambulance immediately!"
Kotori almost hung up the phone if it wasn't for the dry groan of the helpless woman in front of her. The girl's eyes fluttered weakly like a butterfly about to reach the end of it's lifetime.
"H-Hey! Stay awake with me!" Kotori pleaded.
The girl slowly shut her eyes, completely ignoring the demands from Kotori. She cursed under her breath and brought the phone back up to her ear again to await further instructions from the operator. Kotori did as she was told and removed her own jacket to wrap around the feeble and practically frozen woman.
The paramedics arrived five minutes later and rushed over to the two women sitting on the bench. Kotori backed away quickly and watched as they brought a stretcher out for the girl. She felt a tug on her arm and turned to see a paramedic signalling her to follow. She was questioned by the paramedic until they decided that Kotori had absolutely no relation to the girl in trouble.
She watched as the ambulance sped off and was left alone with nothing but the heavy snowfall and her groceries. Kotori let a heavy sigh escape her lips and made her way back to her apartment.
Umi could feel herself being gently tossed around. Something like a strap kept her in place, yet she couldn't open her eyes yet. Even the slightest peek would cause the light source above her to shine her to near blindness. Her forearm didn't hurt as much as it did before, it seemed like something had numbed it while she was constantly drifting in and out of consciousness.
She felt herself come to a stop and a group of voices surrounded her as she felt herself crash against something soft before feeling a constant vibration as the voices grew louder. She quickly noticed that her low body temperature started to rise, probably because she was in a warm environment now. Whoever was moving her was taking care of her.
She felt a slight pressure around her nose and mouth before a gas was released. Unable to resist, she breathed in the gas until she was once again unconscious.
Her eyelids split open and the morning sun glared against her vision. It took a few moments for her eyes to adjust but as soon as they did she was met with an unfamiliar environment. It looked a lot like the medical bay she was familiar with but it had a different feel to it.
"Where am I?" she asked herself quietly.
She glanced outside of the window to see a white wonderland from the other side. What is this place? She had never seen a world so white and pure before. It was clear that this wasn't her homeworld.
"How did I end up here? I was on my way to a council meeting whe-"
Her monologue was instantly interrupted by an intense straining on her brain. It felt as if someone had clobbered her over the head with something much harder than a fist. After several seconds the pain receded and left Umi in a heavy breathing mess. After analyzing her environment, she looked down to inspect herself. She noticed her left arm in a sling and moved it around only to be overcome with an unbearable pain.
"Oh right, it's broken…" she sighed.
But what was this sling mechanism? It was something unfamiliar with her, all she knew was that she wanted the pain gone. It was excruciating but it wouldn't last for long. After taking a few deep breaths, her arm began to dematerialize. Shortly after, it was reformed and looked as if it were never damaged in the first place. She flexed and squeezed her hand to get a feel for her self reconstruction.
A smile widened across her face as relief took her by storm. Umi laid back onto the bed and slowly dematerialized until she was no longer present. After a few short moments she reappeared, one body part at a time until she was completely rebuilt.
"As much as I hate to say it, I'm thankful that I was born a Banshee…"
She hated the title she was given since she was a child. When the society learned of her powers she was shunned away and taken away by the ruling government to be their personal plaything and hitman for dirty work. Banshee was a title given to certain individuals who inherited powers for unknown reasons. They were seen as bad omens which is why the government would intervene before something catastrophic were to happen.
They were identified by their distinguishable white garbs and a silver comb that would either be worn in hair or visibly showing from a pocket. Some Banshees even enjoyed turning their combs into decorative pins.
It wasn't all too bad, it was rough when she was growing up. Umi was kept away from society because of the government's fear; however, she wasn't the only one. She had friends who were faced with the same fate, they were all turned away from society for being different.
Things didn't changed until she became a young adult. The government had been reformed and the new leader in charge sympathized with the Banshees. She felt that Banshees deserved to be free like everybody else. Despite her effort to bring liberation and equality to Banshees, the best she could do was allow for them to be government workers with surveillance.
Because of their powers, Banshees were spread out across all positions in government employment. Most of them were placed into the police force or placed into the army. Special cases like Umi would be placed into the SBS, the Sovereign Banshee Sector. This branch was a Banshee specific program for powerful Banshees to act as agents or personal security for higher government officials.
Despite the discrimination she faced from the general public, she was always seen as an equal when her leader was present.
"Master Ayase…" she whispered.
Her train of thought was broken when the door to her room sprung open.
Kotori sprung awake the next morning when her cell phone started blaring. After rubbing her eyes she reached over to the nightstand and answered it.
"Hello?"
It was a call from the hospital.
"No, I have no relation to that woman."
They wanted her to come in and sign papers for the woman's dismissal. Apparently they weren't able to find out exactly who she was. Because of that, no family members could be reached. She had to admit that she felt a little bad for the woman. What if she was someone homeless? Or maybe she ran away from home?
Now that she thought about it, wasn't it strange for someone to be passed out on a park bench in that condition? What if she escaped some sort of abusive relationship, or what if she was a part of something much more violent? These questions continued to plague Kotori's mind.
"Ahh! Yes I'm still here."
She had almost forgotten that she was on the phone. They were really pushy on getting someone to sign papers for the woman.
"Fine, I'll come down and sign the papers…"
Kotori ended the call and let out a long sigh. It was too early in the morning for her to be up and around. She slid out of her bed and began preparing herself for the day to come.
Soon enough she arrived in front of the hospital and took a step inside. The woman attending the front desk asked for the reason behind her visit and Kotori described it in good detail.
"I'm here to sign papers for a young woman, long navy blue hair, broken arm, maybe hypothermia?"
The front desk attendant frowned. Apparently the woman Kotori was describing was already out of the hospital. The papers were signed by someone else.
A woman in uniform walked through the door and stood with her back straight at the foot of Umi's hospital bed. She seemed to have a firm and almost hostile look on her face.
"You are under arrest."
What? Why was she under arrest?
"After extensive research from our end, we are unable to identify who you are. No documentation, no place of origin, and no name. Who are you and what are you doing here in Japan?"
Japan? That's a strange name. Before she could offer any form of protest a team of other men who were dressed like the woman invaded the room and lifted her to her feet. They were rough, but it wasn't anything she wasn't used to.
Umi was escorted out of the building and pushed into some vehicle that took her to what she assumed was their headquarters. Once she was escorted inside, a pair of handcuffs were placed around her wrists and they sat her down in a solitary room.
After several minutes, the same woman from earlier this morning walked in with a clipboard and what seemed like blank pages.
"Let's start off with who you are, exactly…"
Umi blinked a few times before answering, "Sonoda Umi."
"Where were you born?"
"Chivarcelli."
"Where?"
"Chivarcelli."
"Where is that located? I am unaware of any city by that name."
"It is the capital of the kingdom, Plumagrias."
"Listen, lady. Now is not the time to play jokes, do you think this is some sort of game?"
"I speak the truth."
"What about your arm?"
"What about it?"
"These medical reports say that you broke your forearm, and yet here you are with your arm still in tact."
"I fixed it myself."
"How?"
"By using my powers."
The officer let out a sigh, "What is your age and occupation?"
"23, Banshee."
"Excuse me?"
"Age: 23, Occupation: Banshee."
"Banshee?! Look, lady! I don't know what you're trying to do here, but you are not a Banshee!"
"Why the suspicions? I have my silver comb to prove it."
"Banshees are not real."
"Do you want me to prove it further then?"
Without a reply from the officer, Umi held up her hands and the handcuffs dissolved into thin air. It quickly reformed into the shape of a knife and the officer quickly stood from her seat.
"Put the weapon down!"
"It's only a knife."
"I said to put it down!"
The officer paced backwards and hovered her hand above her holster. Umi stared at the policewoman before standing up.
"I have a few questions of my own that I would like to have answered."
"I'm warning you, if you take one step closer I will be forced to subdue you."
"Where am I?"
"I'm the one asking questions here!"
"Please don't make a decision you'll regret and answer my questions. Where am I?"
"Tokyo, Japan. How do you not know that?"
"I've never heard of this, Japan."
"Have you been living under a rock?"
"How did I end up here?"
"A woman found you unconscious and injured in a park and called for help."
"What is her name?"
"I can't disclose that information."
Umi took a step forward and only had a second to react after seeing the determination in the officer's eyes. She quickly slammed her hands onto the table to quickly make it disappear and reappear as a shield, large enough to protect her from the incoming fire. Once the firing stop, Umi took the chance to quickly dematerialize herself and disappeared from sight.
Once she was out of reach, Umi rematerialized herself at a nearby park. This had to be the park that the officer was talking about, but where would she go from here. She was not on her homeworld any longer and she had no way of transport to return home.
A sound came from behind her and she quickly turned around to see a filled plastic bag on the ground. Next to it was a woman who looked as if she saw a ghost.
"Y-You're the woman from the bench."
"Excuse me?"
"B-But how did? Wha?"
"You said I was from a bench, does that mean you're the one who helped me?"
The girl nodded unwillingly.
"There's nothing to be afraid of, I won't hurt you."
It seemed like her words were able to get through to the woman, but she still seemed uneasy.
"What is your name?"
"M-Minami Kotori…"
"I'm pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss. Minami. My name is Sonoda Umi, a Banshee."
"Banshee? Like those spirits that signal death by screaming?"
"Not exactly, we don't screech."
"So, does that mean I'm going to die soon?"
"I'm not an actual banshee, it's just a title."
"But you just appeared out of nowhere just now. And how is your arm all fixed? It was broken when I called for help."
Umi sighed under her breath.
"Can we go somewhere a little more private? I can explain everything once we get there."
Kotori hesitated to take a step forward.
"Do you have a home we could go to?"
"Y-Yes I do but…"
"But you don't trust me?"
Kotori nodded
"I promise I won't bring you any harm."
"What if you're just saying that so you can kill me later?"
"I have no reason or orders to kill you."
"Orders? So you are some sort of killer then?"
"I told you I will explain once we are safe."
"Safe from what?"
"The police."
"I don't want any trouble! Please leave me alone."
Kotori quickly snatched the bag she dropped and ran past Umi as swiftly as she could. She didn't want to get involved with whatever Umi was or was dealing with. She just appeared out of thin air like a ghost, there was no way she was going to get involved with something like that. Perhaps she could just pretend like it never happened and go on living her normal life like she had been doing up until now.
"Yeah, I'll just pretend that I saw nothing! I was just walking home and felt a little dizzy."
She let out a dry giggle, she knew that she would be unable to forget something that supernatural. Or perhaps extraterrestrial? Her thoughts conflicted on which one the woman was. She said she was a banshee like the spirits but also said that it was only a title. If it was only a title then she would be something with powers?
Kotori shook her head and hastily reached into her pocket to grab her keys to the apartment. Once she stepped inside, she tossed the bag towards the side of her bed and took off her jacket.
"This is a nice and cozy little home you have."
Kotori screeched and could swear she felt her heart stop. She quickly turned around and slipped onto the floor in front of the same woman she was running from before.
"H-How did you get in my apartment?!"
"I followed you."
"Don't say it so casually!"
"But it's what I did?"
Kotori scrambled to her feet and sprinted into her bathroom, using her whole body to keep the door shut.
"Miss Minami, I just have some questions to ask."
"No! Leave me alone!"
The pressure she felt against her back was suddenly lifted away and she found herself staring at the ceiling. Her door was gone.
"My door!"
"Miss Minami, please just co-operate with me for a few more minutes."
"My door is gone! How?!"
"If you would just allow me to explain."
Kotori sat up and curled herself into a ball. There was no way she would ever be able to get away from this woman. It must be a curse.
"Fine… What do you need?"
"I have to find a way back to my homeworld to attend a meeting."
"Homeworld? You mean to tell me that you're not from Earth?"
"Earth? Is that the name of this planet?"
"I… Where are you from?"
"The city of Chivarvelli in the Kingdom of Plumagrias. Planet Aroh."
"That sounds like some fantasy land, where are you really from?"
"It's the truth, and I need to secure transportation back home."
"If what you're saying is the truth, then there's no way I can help you back home. We can barely make it to Mars…"
"Your planet lacks space manipulation technology?"
"We can barely get good reception on our phones most of the time…"
"This is bad… I'm needed at the council meeting."
Umi offered her hand to help Kotori up and the two sat at Kotori's table. Umi explained all that she could and Kotori sat there nodding at the information that was fed to her.
Kotori stared blankly out the window at the night sky. It was clear, the stars twinkled and the moon illuminated the night. It was hard for her to sleep tonight, after all the events and thorough questioning, her mind couldn't stop buzzing.
She flipped over onto her other side and glanced down at the foot of her bed where another woman laid asleep. Despite it going against her every wish, she was too afraid to do anything that would cause Umi to bring her harm. Once the questions slowed down, Kotori offered a temporary place to stay. At least for one night. Kotori sighed deeply and flipped over again to look out the window.
"Are you having trouble with sleeping?"
Kotori almost fell off her bed and screamed if it hadn't been for the fact that she could be kicked out for being so loud this late at night. She turned around to see Umi standing at the side of her bed and she nodded in response.
"Y-Yeah, I'm just a little shaken up."
Umi nodded back and Kotori quickly turned away to avoid further conversation. Suddenly, she felt something climb onto her bed and a pair of arms hugging her from behind.
"W-What're you doing, Umi?!"
There was no response, only a tighter grip around her waist and a gentle pat on her head. She tried to turn but Umi wouldn't allow her to. It was strangely calming.
"Focus on your breathing and relax all of your muscles…"
Kotori did as she was told and instantly began to feel a little drowsy.
"...Why are you doing this?"
"This was something Master Ayase would do for me when I was younger."
"This Master Ayase… Must be special to you."
"When I was younger, being a Banshee was practically social suicide without a chance. I would constantly hate myself for being born the way I was… Master Ayase… She would do this to me every night when I couldn't sleep."
"She sounds like a good person."
"It was like her warm and gentle embrace melted away the bad memories and replaced them with something I never understood. She taught me compassion and empathy. She gave me a reason to love myself."
Umi looked down to see the girl in her arms quietly ease into slumber and followed soon after.
Kotori awoke the next morning feeling refreshed despite last night's events.
"You're awake."
Kotori screamed after hearing the voice next to her ear and escaped the grasp around her.
"Are you okay, Miss Minami?"
"I-I'm fine!"
Kotori quickly scrambled off her bed and towards her drawer for a change of clothes.
"Where are you going?"
"I have work."
"Oh, before you go, do you have any idea where I should look for a way home?"
Kotori struggled and hopped on one foot while trying to get her pants on, "Umm I don't know, you can try the planetarium maybe?"
"I guess I can start there."
Kotori rushed into the bathroom and grabbed a silver comb from the counter to fix up her hair.
"Wait, this isn't mine."
"Ahh, that's my banshee comb."
"Oh my god, am I going to become a banshee now?"
Umi giggled, "No, fortunately it doesn't work like that. Silver combs are like our emblems. We also use them to straighten our hair."
"Huh? I was wondering how my bed head wasn't putting up a fight… By the way, are you sure you should head out?"
"What do you mean?"
"I know I suggested somewhere to look, but the police are looking for you too aren't they?"
"I suppose you're right? I can just use my powers to avoid them."
"Please try your best to not flaunt your powers. I read Supergirl and the second they find out you have powers, our government will be all over you."
"I promise I won't be a burden to your hospitality."
"Good, I'll be home later tonight. Be careful."
The front door closed gently and Umi looked around the apartment curiously. There was a bookcase full of what seemed to be a combination of textbooks and books for leisure.
"She mentioned a planetarium. Does she have a map anywhere?"
Umi dug through the books until she found a traveller's guidebook with the map of the city plastered on the back. The planetarium was on the other side of the city.
"It shouldn't take too long getting there."
Umi set the map down and looked around Kotori's apartment once again.
"Maybe I should put on a disguise or something?"
Umi walked into the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. Using her silver comb she was able to change the way her hair looked completely.
"There! I kind of look like Miss Minami now, don't I?"
Umi looked down at her clothes, they were the only pair she had.
"I hope Miss Minami doesn't mind me borrowing some clothes…"
Umi cautiously reached into Kotori's dresser and pulled out a large zip up hoodie and a pair of jeans. They quickly dematerialized and reformed around her body.
She took a step into the bathroom again to get a good look at herself.
"Hmm… maybe I should put my hair up like Master Ayase."
She grabbed her comb again and fashioned the back portion of her hair to resemble Eli's. After a quick spin around, Umi nodded at her disguise.
"Off to the Planetarium!"
Kotori unlocked her front door and tossed her groceries for the night onto the counter. After flipping on the lights she set down the rest of her belongings and began work on her dinner.
It took several seconds for Kotori to realize, "... Umi? Are you here?"
There was no response.
"Is she really still out?"
She walked further into her apartment and flipped on the lights to see everything nearly untouched. Umi was nowhere to be seen.
"Hmm… Maybe I should wait for her before starting dinner? She should be back soon, right?"
Kotori shrugged and turned on her TV before plopping herself on her bed.
A few hours passed and Kotori paced around the kitchen cautiously.
"Where is she? She's supposed to be back by now!"
Kotori set down the food she was about to prepare and grabbed a jacket before leaving her home. She jogged lightly up and down several roads towards the Planetarium in search of the girl.
"Why am I trying so hard to find her?" She kept asking herself.
"Umiii! Where are you?"
Kotori called out every few minutes hoping to get a response. She was worried if something bad had happened to the girl. What if she was caught by the police, or what if the government is running experiments on her right this second?
"Umi!"
Kotori reached the Planetarium and bent over to catch her breath. Despite how much activity the Planetarium received at night, Kotori was unable to find the girl she was searching for.
"Excuse us, little lady. We couldn't help but notice that you seem to be under some stress."
Kotori turned around to see a group of men standing behind her.
"Umm… Yeah I'm just… Looking for my dog."
"We happened to see one a little while back, let us show you where it went."
This was obviously a trap.
"Did I say dog? I meant rabbit."
"Aww why the lies, hon?"
"Please leave me alone, I just want to find my rabbit."
"By all means, let us help you."
"No I'm fine."
"Come on, babe."
Two of the guys reached out to grab Kotori's hands but were slapped away by another much smaller hand.
"She said that she doesn't need your help."
Kotori looked up to see a woman with long blue hair step in between her and the men.
"If you wish to wake up tomorrow, I suggest you leave immediately."
"Huh?! What is a small girl like you going to do to us?"
Umi turned her head towards Kotori, "Are all humans like this?"
"Don't hurt them, Umi," she begged.
Umi turned back to face the men, "The little lady requests that I don't hurt you lot, we're going to leave here peacefully."
Umi turned around again and grabbed Kotori's hand, "Let's return home quickly."
"Hey we aren't done here!" one of the guys yelled.
Umi took that as a signal and bolted off with Kotori, almost causing her to trip over the sudden burst of speed. She could hear numerous footsteps from behind her and constant yelling. After turning the corner, Umi pulled Kotori in for a tight hug and the two of them disappeared from sight instantly.
The two reappeared and landed back inside the familiarity of Kotori's apartment, "Welcome home, Miss Minami."
The two separated from each other quickly, "Welcome home? I should be the one saying that!"
"What's wrong, Miss Minami?"
"Why did you stay out so late?!" her voice reached it's peak and banged against Umi's ear drums.
"Miss… Minami?"
"Do you have any idea how hard it was to find you?!"
"I said I would be at the plane-"
"What if you were caught by the police?! What if you got lost?!"
Umi let out a short breath and approached Kotori slowly.
"You should have been home before me! You had me so worried!"
Umi hugged onto the yelling girl and gently pat her head, "I'm sorry, Miss Minami. I didn't know that you wanted me back at a certain time."
Kotori calmed down slowly, "You're getting a curfew now…"
"I don't really think that's necessa-"
"My house, my rules! You can no longer stay out past 8pm, got it?!"
Umi let out a sigh, "Yes, ma'am…"
Kotori pushed the two of them apart, "Because of you, we're having dinner late."
"I'm sorry."
"Just sit over there and watch TV while I get it ready…"
Kotori shuffled over to the counter and grabbed the food that was left out a few hours before. She sighed and began preparing a dinner for the two of them.
"Miss Minami?"
"What is it?"
"Would you like some help with the cooking?"
"No, I'm fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Oh... " Umi looked down and back at the TV, "I couldn't find anything useful at the Planetarium."
She waited for a response that never came, "Your planet's telescopes aren't powerful enough to even see my home planet."
There was still no commentary. Umi glanced over at Kotori's back, her shoulder would bob up and down in sync with the sound of the knife hitting a cutting board. She suddenly flinched in pain and Umi scrambled to her feet immediately.
"Are you okay, Miss Minami?"
"Yeah, I just cut myself on accident."
"Let me fix it."
"Cleaning it and putting a band-aid over it should be en-"
Kotori felt a pair of soft yet firm hands grasp around her finger. It quickly disappeared and reappeared with no signs of a cut present, Kotori was shocked. Was that what it felt like to have Umi's power? It was as if her hand became weightless even if it only lasted for a second.
"Is this how you fixed your arm?"
Umi nodded and grabbed the knife from Kotori's other hand. She quickly began working on the food without Kotori's permission.
"... Thank you."
Umi paused for a second before clearing her throat, "It's the least I could do…"
A few weeks passed by and nothing turned up on Umi's end. She quickly went from her calm demeanor into something of an adolescent behavior. She cursed under her breath every time she hit a dead end, her normally straight hair was messy and fringed and the piles of paper around her for research were scattered about all over the floor.
"Umi, can you at least clean up a little?"
"I'm sorry, Kotori. I just can't find a single way to return home."
"Well having a messy workspace won't speed anything up."
Umi remained focus on various documents that she may or may not have stolen from high places. They were all schematics to create some sort of spaceship, but as far as her knowledge brings her, these models wouldn't be able to reach even half the distance of her travel without malfunction.
She sighed and tossed the papers willingly towards the floor. Kotori watched with annoyance plastered over her face as the leaflets of paper descended onto the floor.
"Please clean up, Umi."
"Once I look through the rest of the information I gathered."
"No. Clean it now."
"... Fine."
Kotori kept her eyes fixed on Umi until the girl sat up and started gathering the sheets of paper on the ground. By using her powers she was able to quickly clean the floor and create a neat stack by the corner of Kotori's apartment.
"Does that satisfy you?"
"Yes, now if you'll excuse me, I must leave to go shopping for new clothes and I might go catch a movie while I'm out."
"Okay, have fun," Umi waved her hand while she kept her eyes peeled on the remaining stack of papers she had.
Kotori puffed her cheeks in response and put on her coat. She made it halfway through the door before looking back at Umi who sat alone by the giant stacks of paper. It was almost depressing how much the girl spent her time inside after gathering all the information she could.
"Hey Umi?"
"Yeah?"
"Would… Would you like to accompany me?"
"There's still more work to be done."
"But don't you want to take a break?"
"I can once I return home."
Kotori frowned, she didn't think it would be this hard to convince Umi to go out with her, she might have to resort to force.
"Come on, Umi. We can buy you some new clothes and watch a movie together."
"I do not require any new clothes, and a movie is a waste of my time."
"But the movie is about space, maybe you can learn something."
That seemed to have piqued Umi's interest, upon hearing the words space she finally looked up at Kotori.
"Well… Maybe I can take a small break…"
"That's the spirit!"
Kotori hopped in place before rushing over to Umi and tugging on her arm, "Hurry hurry! We don't have all the time in the world before the movie!"
The two arrived at the shopping district a few blocks away from Kotori's home and began looking through clothing shops. Kotori kept her arm wrapped around Umi's so that she couldn't get away, besides, she was also warm.
"Umi, why don't you try this dress on?"
"I don't think dresses look good on me."
"Aww, why not?"
"I'm a trained agent and bodyguard for the kingdom of Plumagria, I don't have time to be frivolous with my attire."
"But you're in no danger here, at least try one on, come on pleeeeeeease?"
Umi glanced over at Kotori's pleading face and gave in, "Fine… Just one."
Kotori smiled and pushed Umi into one of the dressing rooms, "Kotori, I can change on my own."
"Oh, yeah that's right. Here's the dress."
Umi grabbed the dress out of Kotori's hands, "... No peeking."
Kotori turned away from the dressing room to avoid any desire to take a peek through the curtains. After a few moments, Umi slid the curtain open to reveal herself in a cream colored dress with black embroidery across the shoulders.
"Well…? I look silly don't I?"
"What?! No way! The dress looks so super cute on you, just look at how the dress wraps around your body and shows your natural curves!"
Umi blushed and pulled the dress down a little further, "It's a little too short, isn't it?"
Kotori giggled, "So even you worry about small things like that?"
"I-It's a big deal! Showing skin is a combat disadvantage, that's all!"
"Mhmm… Suuuuure, come on, let's try on some more clothes!"
Kotori waited until Umi changed out of the dress before dragging her around other stores. The two would try on different clothing in a more comedic tone. Kotori put on the cheesiest space themed clothing which made Umi laugh a little.
"Shouldn't we be getting to the movie?"
"Oh right! I almost forgot with how much fun we're having together, let's get to the theater quickly before the movie is sold out!"
Kotori grabbed Umi's hand and tugged her in the direction towards the theatre. After 10 minutes, the duo arrived in the main lobby and waited in line to get their tickets, "Hey Kotori? What movie are we watching?"
"The only space movie that's out right now of course! Galaxy Wars!"
"Galaxy Wars? That almost sounds like a rip off to Star Wa-"
"It'll be good, I promise!"
The duo arrived in front of the line and Kotori spoke up for the two of them, "Can we get two tickets to Galaxy Wars?"
"I'm sorry miss, Galaxy Wars has been sold out for weeks now."
"Whaaat?! But can't you like, make an exception for us?"
"I'm sorry miss, I can't do that without risking my job."
"Aww…"
"Would you like to watch something else?"
"I guess… We can watch the singing racoons…"
Kotori handed the cashier her money and in return she got two tickets, "I'm sorry, Umi…"
"It's oka-"
"No its not, I should have gotten the tickets when the movie was first announced."
"Hey don't beat yourself up over it, at least we can watch something together."
Kotori sighed, "...I guess you're right."
The two took their seats in the theatre and surprisingly, they both enjoyed the movie. By the time they walked out of the theatre, Kotori's bad mood had vanished, "So where to next?" Umi asked.
"Hmm how about we get some dinner?" Umi nodded and allowed Kotori to lead the way once again.
"Grape Garden?" Umi asked curiously.
Kotori nodded eagerly, "This restaurant has the best pasta here, come on. I'm starving."
Kotori tugged on Umi's arm and they were able to get a table quickly. The two ordered their dinners and waited until they arrived.
"So it's almost been a month now, care to tell me a little more about yourself?" Kotori picked up a breadstick and began snacking on it.
"What do you wish to know?" Umi asked in return, mimicking Kotori with her own breadstick.
"Like… Tell me about your life or something."
"That's quite a long story…" Umi replied.
"We have a lot of time until our food comes, and I want to know more about you."
"Alright… Well… I had 2 parents when I grew up."
"Had?"
Umi nodded lightly, "Once my powers developed, they tried to hide me away. Plumagrias wasn't always a free kingdom."
"Oh…"
"Once word got out that my parents were harboring a Banshee, the government came to our home like clockwork and took me away from them."
"Why would they do that?"
"We Banshees were seen as bad omens, not everyone in Plumagrias had powers. Only a select few of us did. So the government wanted to control and exploit us."
"That's… That's terrible!"
Umi continued, "For several years, they used us as their own playthings. Just expendables to do the government's dirty work. The ones who refused were locked away and kept under control with silver intake."
"Silver intake?"
"If silver were to enter our bodies, it renders our powers useless. I don't understand the basis around it myself, but I've read that the mythical banshees were weak to it."
"Oh…"
"Everything changed when Master Ayase became our ruler. She changed the entire government system and gave us Banshees a chance at a normal life."
"That's so great of her!"
Umi smiled a little, "She was a great mentor… Anyways, despite her efforts, we Banshees still get discriminated against."
"Sheesh… People are terrible."
"Most of us went to the police force or army because that was the only form of occupation that we were familiar with. Some went on to live more peaceful lives. I personally joined the SBS which is like a secret service for Master Ayase."
"Ooo, so you're like a secret agent or bodyguard like James Bond?"
"If this Bond person kills to protect his kingdom and Queen, then yes, I guess so."
Kotori stared at Umi intently.
"What is it?"
"Bond always wore suits… I'm imagining you in one…"
"It feels like you're undressing me with your eyes..."
A waiter appeared shortly after with their dinner and the two began to eat, "So tell me about yourself, Kotori."
"Eh? Me?"
"It's only fair."
"Well… My story isn't as eventful as yours. I just grew up with my mother, graduated high school and am currently in college for fashion."
"Is that so? There has to be more."
"Ehhh? Why would you think that?"
"Because you're such a nice woman."
Kotori blushed, "W-What do you mean by that?"
"Well to have your sort of empathy, you must have gone through something to had made you this way."
"Nothing significant happened, really. My mom just taught me to be this way."
"Ahh, I see. Your mother must be a wonderful woman as well."
"You flatter too much, Umi," Kotori rubbed the back of her head and smiled awkwardly.
"Hey, how about we visit an arcade really quickly?" Kotori suggested.
"An arcade?"
"It's a place where you can go and have fun with people and play a bunch of games!" Kotori explained.
"I suppose we can go, isn't it getting a little late though?"
"We'll be fine, just a few games and we'll be out!"
The pair made their way to the nearest arcade and got themselves enough credits to play around for an hour or two.
"Come on…. Almost got you…. AHHH dang it!" Kotori stormed away from the crane machine before stepping back up to it, "Just let me have that alpaca, stupid machine!"
Umi watched silently at the raging Kotori until she was pulled away in a different direction, "Come on, we can play a bunch of other games!"
After an hour, Kotori found herself on all fours staring at the ground in disbelief, "How is this possible?!"
"Is something wrong, Kotori?"
"How did you beat me at every game?!"
"What? I just did what it told me to."
"But everything! Skee ball, basketball, air hockey, even the fighting games!"
"I'm sorry for winning," Umi replied.
Kotori took a deep breath, "No, it's fine, I was just surprised that you were so good at these without knowing what they were."
Umi rubbed the back of her head and smiled, "Beginner's luck, I guess… Hey I'm going to go to the bathroom, do you mind waiting for me here?"
Kotori saluted, "Aye aye, Captain!"
Kotori waited about 10 minutes for Umi. She walked around the area and played around with a few games herself before she sighed, "What's taking her so long?"
Kotori made her way to the bathroom and called out, "Umi? Are you still in here?"
There was no response.
Kotori immediately began to panic and started briskly speed walking around the arcade in search of her.
Her feet came to a stop when she spotted the familiar blue hair standing in front of the alpaca crane machine. Next to her were numerous stuffed alpacas.
"Umi?" Kotori called out.
"K-Kotori?! I thought I told you to wait!" Umi replied cautiously.
"It's been 10 minutes, I was worried about you… What are you doing?"
"Well… It really looked like you wanted these alpacas earlier, so I thought that I would get you one."
"Umi…" Kotori looked down at the pile of stuffed alpacas next to Umi's feet, "There are so many…"
"They're all for you, I wanted to make sure that you always have one even if one rips."
"Umi… I…"
Umi backed away from the machine and scooped the numerous alpaca plushies into her arms before presenting them to Kotori, "Take them," she said with a smile.
Kotori grabbed two of them from Umi and smiled back, "If I get to have one… Then I'll give you this one so we can match!"
"Oh you don't have t-"
"I want to."
Kotori stepped in closer to Umi and the both of them began to blush profusely, "Umi…?"
She let out a small gasp and dropped the pile of alpacas, "Oh geez!"
Umi knelt down to pick them up one by one until Kotori knelt down and did the same, their hands brushed and sent mixed signals into each other's brains.
Umi glanced up to see Kotori's face closer to hers than it ever was before, "Umi, thank you for the alpaca."
Kotori leaned in a pressed her lips against Umi's, causing her to drop the alpacas again. It was a short kiss, but it felt much longer for the both of them.
Their lips parted from each other and the two stared into each other's amber colored eyes. Umi's cheeks were flushed with red and Kotori's were just about the same color.
Umi cleared her throat and began picking up the alpacas once again, "W-We should get back home."
She stood up quickly and began walking without waiting for Kotori. The girl on her knees sighed and followed after.
Once they arrived home, Umi dumped all of the alpaca plushies on top of the table and went to the bathroom to change into something more comfortable.
Kotori locked the door behind her and put her jacket away. The walk home was quiet and awkward, every time she sped up to get to Umi's side, Umi would speed up. Every time she tried to reach for her hand, Umi pulled away quickly.
Kotori sighed and moved to her dresser to change into looser clothing before turning around and grabbing one of the stuffed alpacas. She brought it up to her cheek and rubbed against it to feel the softness of the plushie.
She glanced at the bathroom door which remained unmoved before hopping into her bed. It was late and she was tired, not to mention the awkward atmosphere was starting to weigh down on her.
Kotori reached over to turn off the lights before getting cozy on the bed. After several minutes, the door to the bathroom creaked open and Kotori could hear Umi's light footsteps approaching the bed.
The bed became uneven, causing Kotori to roll towards the direction that was pushed down. She was stopped almost immediately by another warm body that began wrapping itself around her.
"Kotori? Are you… still awake?"
Kotori turned around in Umi's arms and looked up to see the usually pale cheeks tinted red, "Yeah, what is it?"
"About… earlier…"
"You mean… the kiss?"
"Yeah…"
"You can forget about it, I was just… It was just in the heat of the moment."
"Is that what it's like for humans when they're in the heat of the moment?"
"Well… sometimes, yeah."
"Then… Does that make me human too?"
"What?"
"The desire to… To become closer with another, does that make me human?"
Kotori smiled gently and brought her hand up to Umi's cheek, "It doesn't make you human, Umi. It's called… Love."
"Love?"
Kotori nodded, "The desire to become close to someone significant to you."
"Then, how come it feels different with you compared to Master Ayase?"
"There are different kinds of love. The kind you show to your family and friends, and the other you show to the one you want to spend the rest of your life with."
"So this feeling… Is from my love for you?"
Kotori blushed and nodded.
"Then…" Umi gulped and inched her face closer to Kotori's, "This is how you show it?"
The two looked at each other, they were mere inches apart and could feel the heat from their cheeks. Their breaths collided and their lips quivered in anticipation.
Umi leaned in closer until her lips gently pressed against Kotori's. The subtle softness and elasticity of her lips were something she noticed this time. It felt different, it felt better.
Unlike at the arcade, this kiss was much longer. The two of them thoroughly explored each other's lips, enjoying the taste, enjoying the sensation. The two would only part just to catch a breath before locking lips again.
Kotori was the first to push away, their breaths were heavy and saliva rolled from the corner of their mouths, "Umi… I-"
"I think I've fallen in love with you, Kotori…" Umi interrupted.
"Do you mean it?" Kotori asked nervously.
"I've always been a proud warrior who followed her heart. And now my heart tells me to follow you," Umi replied.
"Umi…" Kotori pressed her lips against Umi's once again, "Then… If you're okay with me, then I guess we're girlfriends now."
"Girlfriends?"
"It's a title we humans give to our lovers."
"Girlfriend… Kotori's my girlfriend now," Umi repeated to herself.
Kotori smiled and hugged Umi a little tighter, "Mhmm! And there are many things we can do from here on out."
Umi nodded but shortly after, Kotori's smile began to fade, "What's wrong, Kotori?"
"... Does this mean that you still want to return home?" Kotori asked reluctantly.
"Home…? Maybe…"
"What will happen to us when you leave?"
"I will return. I promise you."
"How long will you take? Long distance relationships don't exactly last…"
"... I must talk about it with Master Ayase…"
Kotori rested her head against Umi's chest and closed her eyes, "I don't want you to go back."
Umi pet the girl's head gently, "I have to… My kingdom needs me…"
"Then… Let's at least make our relationship last while it can."
Umi nodded and brought Kotori's face up for another kiss.
"Have we located the last member of the SBS?"
"Yes, Commander. She is located on a planet called Earth."
"Earth… Interesting. Prepare the space manipulation module and set a course for that planet."
"You'll never get away with this, Umi will make you wish you never betrayed Plumagrias."
"Oh your words are so harsh, Your Majesty. If your own SBS team was unable to protect you, how do expect one survivor to take down my entire army?"
"You'll get what's coming to you…"
Kotori awoke the next morning to a loud banging on her door. She rubbed her eyes and gently removed herself from Umi's grasp to answer the door.
"Who is it…?"
Kotori looked through the peephole to see several men standing within viewing distance. Their attire was strange, it resembled the clothing of an officer but she could pick out certain discrepancies thanks to her eye in fashion.
"We've received an anonymous tip that you're harboring an undocumented individual."
Undocumented? And an anonymous tip? That's impossible. Kotori had been making sure to keep Umi a secret from any neighbors.
"I'm sorry, I think you have the wrong address."
"Ma'am, please open the door. We have reason to suspect that the subject is inside your home. Open up now or we will enter by force."
"You can't do that without a search warrant."
"We have one already prepared, open the door, ma'am."
Kotori reached down for her handle and hesitated for a moment. This was way too fishy.
"Just give me one second, I woke up just now and need to put on clothes."
Kotori told a quick lie and quietly sprinted over to Umi, shaking her until she awoke.
"Kotori? What's the matter?"
"There are people here looking for you. They say they're with the police but… I don't believe them."
"Let me take a look."
Umi slid out of the bed and walked briskly towards the door. As soon as she glanced through the peephole she recognized one of the faces and smiled.
"They're from my home planet! They must have come to pick me up."
Umi opened the door, completely disregarding Kotori's previous worries.
"Commander! Thank the Majesty that you found me-"
"Seize her quickly!"
Kotori watched as the group of several men lunged forward at Umi and quickly detained her.
"What's the meaning of this, Commander!"
"The Kingdom of Plumagrias orders for your arrest for failure to protect Queen Ayase."
"Master Ayase was attacked?!"
"Yes, and without you to lead the SBS, the throne was taken."
"What of Her Majesty?! Is she okay?!"
"Her Majesty is now a prisoner of war, and it is all your fault as her personal guard."
Umi stopped her struggle and stared at the ground in disbelief.
"Don't listen to his lies! He was the one who betrayed us! Umi you have to escape now!"
All eyes turned towards the unattended girl by the counter who quickly shut her mouth.
"Get rid of that woman quickly!"
"No, don't touch her! She's done nothing wrong!"
Umi struggled again the moment the rest of the guards approached the girl cowering in fear.
"It's me you want! Leave her alone!"
"Kill her."
"No!"
Upon hearing the orders, a guard pulled out a pistol and fired it into Kotori's gut.
"Kotori!"