A month has passed since the ultimate defeat of the God Hand.
Chikane looked ahead towards the horizon, a sense of nostalgia entering her mind.
"Onee-sama!" a voice excitedly called. Chikane momentarily stopped swinging her katana to look towards the sound of the voice, and saw in the distance, a girl running towards her, occasionally tripping over her skirt. As her half-sister, Himeko came up to her, a small chuckle escaped her lips as she pulled out a box. "I made you lunch!"
Chikane carefully put his katana back into its sheath and placed it on the floor. "Thank you, Himeko-san."
Himeko pouted. "I told you, stop being so formal around me."
Chikane looked at the girl. Despite being the younger of the two, she grew up immensely, dealing with the arguments she continuously had with her father. "I'm… sorry… Himeko."
The girl smiled. "That's a step! And now you don't have to apologize for something silly like that. Now open the box! I hope you like fish."
As Chikane sat down to open it, Himeko hovered about her, excitedly telling her about her morning. When she opened the lid, the box revealed a neat array of sushi in the shape of a husky.
"Why… a husky?" Chikane asked.
"Because you said that you liked huskies, Onee-sama!" Himeko said with a grin. "Do you like it though?"
Chikane smiled. "Yes, thank you for the lunch. I will eat this gratefully," she said, popping one into her mouth with the chopsticks that were also provided.
As she ate, Himeko idly conversed with her, and she occasionally nodded and commented back. It was a pleasant feeling, just calmly sitting under the clear blue sky with her sibling, eating.
Suddenly, Himeko stopped talking. Chikane looked towards her with concern. "What's wrong?"
"Chikane nee-san…" she started. Chikane raised an eyebrow, shocked from the sudden change of tone.
"What is it, Himeko?" she puts down the lunch box and looked at her.
"What's… going on right now in the world?"
"What do you mean?"
Himeko looked at her with worry in her eyes. "I keep hearing words about war and the Witch-hunts from Ogami-kun." At the sound of Ogami's name, her nose slightly scrunched, but her eyes remained unchanged. "Why is he talking of such things?"
Chikane hesitated. It was true that war began. Women with unnatural powers are being hunted down and incinerated at stakes or drowned in lakes. As far as Himeko was concerned, the Nippon Empire remained peaceful, but even her older sister was indirectly taking part.
"Himeko… it's nothing you need to worry about," she said hesitantly.
"Onee-sama, what do you mean? I've been watching you for the past several years, and you've been acting strange… harming Ogami-kun, even father…" Himeko said in a distant voice. "Why have you changed?"
"It's nothing… you need to worry about," she stated again. She got up. "I think you should head back, Himeko. I must continue practicing for my strength."
Instead, Himeko took her hand and looked her straight in the eye. "Chikane nee-sama… what are you doing?"
"Just what am I doing…?" she thought to herself, gripping the handle tightly.
Suddenly a voice crackled from above. "How dare you make me wait long long, you crazy bitch!"
Chikane rolled her good eye backwards, it was Gian, the fat martial artist who had forced her up the wall several times during their battles, her mortal enemy.
This time, is the final round.
Gian and Chikane decided, to settle things once and for all.
"Limpeh ta boleh tahan liao! Let's go! Final Round!"
As Gian leaped towards Chikane bracing his fists for impact, Chikane fetl a surge of energy coming through her body, her muscles and hair growing bigger, her human features growing more and more canine, and once her transformation into a werewolf is complete, she lunged forward with her fangs wide open, swiping her mighty claws against Gian's fist.
"I wonder what she's doing…" she thought to herself as she fought fiercely, jumping up into the sky as Gian followed her, changing it into a full scale air battle...
Chikane took a somber look around her room before she left for the cape where Gian and her would be fighting for the very last time. She looked towards a mysterious red stone with human facial features carved onto it, given to her by her creator Femto, before she is sent to destroy mankind and recruit Angels. Her hand reached for it, but she suddenly pulled back.
"I won't need it," she murmured, as swore that she would need the powers of Femto this time. She took one last look around the room before closing the door behind her and leaving.
As she went outside, she looked up to the sky, still as sunny as ever, as if the world were a happy place. A wave of bitterness washed over her, as she silently cursed the sun, cursed Femto, almost as if he was mocking the world from above.
It was bound to occur for Chikane to be hunted down by Gian, now that Femto has abandoned them for good, stripping them of their divinely status. Nanoha and Fate, Setsuna and Konoka, Natsuki and Shizuru, Yomi and Kagura, they are all gone. And Chikane and Himeko are next.
As she stepped out of the gate and began walking, the sudden pattering of running footsteps came from behind. She turned around to see a frantic Himeko hurdling towards her.
"CHIKANE-SAMA! WHERE ARE YOU GOING?" she shouted. She stopped walking and watched her slow, staring at her breathlessly. "Where… are you going?" she asked again.
"I'm going to war… Himeko, to settle things," he answered with indifference.
Himeko looked down, her fists clenched tighter, her teeth gritted equally hard. "Why…" Suddenly, she slapped Chikane in the face, and looked up. Tears were flowing down her face, now dirty from the dust that was kicked up by her running. "How could you?"
Chikane was taken aback by the sudden fierceness of Himeko. "Wh-What do you mean?" she stuttered.
"Just what the hell are you doing right now?" Himeko asked, her voice rising. "You've become so distant, so cold… what happened to the Onee-sama that I knew? Who are you?"
Chikane looked away. "I'm… sorry, Himeko…"
"Your apologies… are useless," she said bitterly, turning away. "Go… and 'honor' your master by dying."
"Himeko…"
"Don't even call my name anymore. You're not someone I know. My real husband... died on that night." With that, she ran away, dropping something.
Chikane slowly picked up the object that Himeko dropped, realizing that it was a letter addressed to her. As she opened the letter, in elegant handwriting, said:
"Dearest Chikane,
We've been married for over a few centuries, and since we first met, I've developed something inside me. Every time I saw you, I felt this sense of wanting to be with you, and I realized… I loved you. I love you and your peaceful ways, watching you practice, and simply talking to you. Lately though, you've changed, but I thought it was just a phase, and my heart still longed for you.
Anyways, if you truly insist on making things right for us, then I will not stop you, if I love you, this means, I must set you free.
Goodbye Chikane, and I hope that, if you come back to me, unharmed, we can continue to live together, as family.
Much love, Himeko."
Chikane gripped the piece of paper, shaking. Love? She never dealt with such a thing in a very long time, except for the love to the mortals of course… but a feeling of love, how did she forget this, of all things?
"Why…" she dropped to her knees and cupped her face in shame. "Why…"
"…haven't I realized that I still loved you?"
Himeko stared out into the sea from her backyard, the breeze ruffling the bottom of her dress. It was a nice feeling having her house near the ocean. The thought of Chikane suddenly entered her mind, which she forcefully pushed away.
"Chikane…" she murmured. It's been well over a year since she's last talked to her… last dropped the letter… God knows where, but hopefully nowhere near her.
As she sat, calmly staring at the ocean, the sudden sound of a jeep coming in threw her attention towards her house. Sure enough, two people were getting off, one walking towards her.
She stood up and brushed the dirt off her dress. She looked towards the man coming towards her, and her eyes hardened at the sight of the emblem of the World Government on the man's arm.
"May I help you?" she asked in a cool voice.
"Would this be the house of Himemiya Chikane?" the man asked.
She looked at him confused. "Excuse me?"
"Himemiya Chikane. She has addressed all her belongings and her letter to this house," the man said. "Would this be the house?"
She blinked, giving him an incredulous look. "I'm afraid you have the wrong house."
Suddenly, the other man ran towards the two, and smacked the first man in the face before he handed her a paper. "I thinks this one yours lah, double confirm with chop somemore!"
"Gian-san, this may not be Dynam-, I mean Chikane's house," the first man stated, massaging his bruised nose.
Himeko's pupil went even smaller as she looked at the fat man with the letter, he is the one Chikane is fighting all this time, if he is here then it means-
Then taking the paper out of her hands, Gian looked at the letter he then asked, "You Himeko right?"
"Yes, yes I am," she said faintly, trying hard to suppress her anger and confusion.
"Then I believe this is the right house," he said. He then looked towards the second man and ordered something him back to the jeep through eye contact before looking towards her again, handing the paper back. "I am sorry for killing your husband, but then hor, she was a true warrior to the very end. I am proud, to be able to fight somebody like her," With that, he bowed down, stood up and continued, "Now that I met her wife and fulfilled her wish, I am done. Hate me if you want, but you should read what's in there first." after finishing his sentence, he walked away.
"There is another thing your husband wants to give ya. Hope ya like it. Bye."
"Murakumo," Himeko whispered, as she gripped what she realized was a letter in her hand and walked to the road. By the time she got to the front, the men had already left, and she stood alone, listening to the sounds of the gulls crying out and the waves crashing the shores.
Murakumo was under the tree where she was just before the men came, the katana still in its sheath, but the golden rim of the handle shined brightly under the sunshine.
"Onee…sama…" she whispered. She dropped down to her knees, staring at her belongings, shaking. "Onee-sama… Onee-sama…" she repeatedly sobbed.
It suddenly struck her that she had the letter, and she gazed at it, her name neatly addressed to her.
Himeko shook uncontrollably as she read the letter:
"Himeko,
I'm guessing you have received my belongings and this letter. If you are not Himeko but are reading this letter, please do find my wife and give this to her. If you are Himeko, then I beg of you… please listen to my final words. I apologize for everything… and I'm sorry that I hurt you. I read the letter that I assume you were about to give to me before I left. And this is all I have to say:
Himeko, my love, please continue to live on and bring laughter and smile into the lives of many, like you have for me. By the time you read this, I will be gone from this world, but it was for my honor; my pride."
If there's one thing I could tell you right now, it's that your face is so much more beautiful when you're not crying. And I beg of you… don't cry, even at my death. It's not worth crying over me… as I have done nothing but wrong to you these past years. And with that, I bid you farewell…
And Himeko. I love you with all my heart. I'm sorry… that I was unable to say that to you once more, but that is all.
Yours forever, Chikane."
"Chikane!" she finally cried out. Tears continuously flowed from her face as she cried her heart out, holding the letter to her chest. "Chikane. My Chikane… how could I not cry? Even to the end, you still distance yourself… but I'm sorry… I'm sorry for not bidding you farewell properly… as my feelings overcame me…"
She slowly took the katana that was placed near the trunk and pulled it out slowly. The blade was clean, and her reflection stared back at her. She brought it slowly to her neck, only to have the words of Chikane echo in her head.
She lowered the katana, and stared up into the sky. "For you, Chikane… I'll live… and I'll continue to bring smile and laughter… just for you." She kissed the letter softly and added in a whisper, "Because I love you… and this is the most I can do to bid you farewell…"