Heya, Shadow here, so I completely forgot that I was going to be going out on Thursday, which means I won't be releasing the new chapter on Thursday. But that's okay, you get to read it two days early, so without further ado, the disclaimer and the chapter. Also Ch1: Beginning has been revised, thanks to my friend who helped point out the numerous mistakes I ended up making.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own BRS, the OVA, Anime, etc. That's all owned by Studio Ordet, Huke, and Ryo.
Edit-9/11/15: Corrected grammar, added more detail, and only had 2 hrs of sleep because of hw...but here it is. There's around an additional 300 words now because of edits. On a further note, remember everyone that died in the tragedy that was 9/11 and all that stuff...well for those in America at least.
~Realworld~
The paramedics arrived, sirens blaring, and rushed Mato to the hospital. Saya notified her parents and told Yomi, Yuu, and Kagari where Mato was. The instant the bell rang, they all rushed to the hospital room where Mato was staying, concerned for their friend. In there they found her mom and a doctor explaining what happened to Mato. They burst in the door, and the doctor paused, looking up at them, "You must be her friends, right?" The doctor said. They all nodded. He continued, "Well, she has a high fever, but other than that she seems fine." With that said, the doctor left.
Her mom smiled at them and said, "You probably want some time alone with Mato. I'll be going back home and picking up Hiro." Mato's mom left, leaving them alone.
Yomi went up to Mato and grasped her hand, looking down on her. Yuu drew the others by a corner and whispered, "Saya, what happened?"
"We were talking about the Otherworld, and then I was going to ask Mato to warn Rock about something Gold might be planning. Right when I was about to ask her, she collapsed. Afterwards I checked her forehead and she was burning up, so I called the paramedics."
"Think it has something to do with the Otherworld?" asked Kagari.
"Yes, considering Gold is shutting me out a lot lately and blocking me from reading her thoughts or fully merging with her." replied Saya.
"Whenever I talk to Strength, she's been telling me of how weird Rock's been acting. Rock's been searching for something or someone, and is entirely focused on that or it."
"Yeah." Kagari agreed, "Let's keep an eye on things. Tonight, I'll merge up with Chariot and have a look around I guess."
"I'll do the same with Strength."
Yomi called them over, "Mato's waking up!"
"Ugh, what happened? Why am I in the hospital?" Mato groaned, coming to.
"You collapsed in my office as we were talking." Saya said.
"The doctor said it was from stress which made you collapse. You also got a slight fever and went into a coma from it." Kagari said.
"You feeling better?" Yuu said with a worried tone.
"Yep." Mato said with a smile.
"We better call in the doctor to check if you're okay," Yomi said rang up the doctor. The doctor reached the room pretty quickly and began to check Mato. Once he finished his tests he concluded that Mato was fine except for a slight fever that still hasn't broke.
"I would like to keep you in the hospital for two more days, if your fever breaks around then, then I would like to keep you in the hospital for one more night in case you have a relapse. I will be informing your mother of this." The doctor said, writing down his findings on the chart at the foot of Mato's hospital bed. Mato nodded and slowly sat up. "Don't worry, you'll be up and running before we know it." The doctor smiled gently and left, closing the door behind him.
"We'll be taking our leave now, better let you rest." Saya said.
"You guys go, I'll stay behind with Mato to keep her company." Yomi said, slight images of what she wished would happen with Mato flooding her head. She had been living with those same thoughts for the past three years, not telling Mato about them for the fear of rejection. No matter how much she would try to deny it, it had always been there staring her in the face, the cold true fact. She loved Mato. Had loved her from the start when Mato came up to her and started to talk to her back in middle school when she was going through a trying time with Kagari. Yomi was always willing to go the extra mile and more for Mato...except confessing to her...Mato would probably think it was dirty and wrong anyways...especially since love between two girls were so discouraged… Yomi's thoughts trailed off as Saya, Kagari, and Yuu left.
As they left Yuu said, "Call us if you need anything." Yuu closed the door, latch clicking back into place lightly. Mato nodded and fell back on her hospital bed, exhausted.
"This fever is really taking a lot out of me. Heh, worse time ever to get a fever, right? Since, basketball tryouts are soon."
"Yeah, but I'm sure you'll get your strength up in time. After all you are the first-year Ace." Yomi teased.
"Hey! That was only one time in middle school. We're in high school now, I wouldn't bet on the same thing happening again."
"We'll see. And when I'm right, I reserve bragging rights."
"Sure, through, I highly doubt it. Are you going to join any new clubs this year?"
"I haven't really thought about it. I was thinking about joining a sports club or something through."
"How about you join basketball team? You're so tall, it'd be easy."
"Mato, you know I have a bit of a complex about that."
"Yeah, but I still wish I could be taller like you are." They fell silent each wrapped up in their own thoughts. A nurse came by and announced the arrival of Mato's mom and brother. "Hello, Yomi. Thanks for keeping Mato company while I ran some errands and picked up Hiro."
"No problem. I best be going now before my parents worry. I'll see you tomorrow Mato." Yomi left.
~Otherworld~
Rock woke up. She pulled herself into a sitting position and checked her body for any serious injuries, finding a half-healed stitched up wound on one of her sides, still blood and in need of a bandage. Well, at least she was still alive. She slowly got up and stood, then scanned the cavern for her Black Blade. She discovered it in a dark corner of the cavern, sunken into the ground up to its hilt. She pulled it out and continued on through the cavern. Once she reached the exit, she stopped something was off, that feeling inside her that guided her was gone. She frowned slightly, something was up, either that or Mato might have gotten hurt somehow and it was interfering with her sense of Mato's desires. She shook it off, if Mato was killed, then she wouldn't feel that guidance, nor would she still be here alive. She continued on this time to a hideout she had stocked with fresh clothes and more medical supplies.
~Realworld~
Yomi walked back home worried about Mato and thinking back to when she first met Mato. They first met due to a shared love of that children's book, Li'l Bird Li'l Bird Colorful Colors. And then had a little trouble, but that eventually got sorted out. Around then Yomi finally realized why she was so jealous of others around Mato in the first place, the reason being that she was in love with her. It took a while, sorting out her feelings, a bit of denial at some points, but she finally managed to get to the point where she understood why she always felt much better with Mato. She checked the time on her cell and picked up the pace, it was almost six! Her parents were probably worried out of their minds. She picked up the pace and hurried along back home.
A week passed, Mato returned to school in perfect health and caught up on the material she missed while out sick. The deadline for choosing a club was at the end of the week and Yomi was no closer to picking a sports club…
"Class! It's time for lunch. The usual rules apply, you may go anywhere and do anything as long as you keep to the school campus and rules. Dismissed!" said the teacher, breaking the silence of students working. Yomi pulled out her bento, the sooner she was finished eating, the sooner she could go and talk with Mato. She quickly finished and put her emptied lunch box back into her bag then got up. She passed through several hallways and knocked on the door to classroom 4B. The door opened up to Mato who instantly gave her a giant bear hug and said, "Welcome to classroom 4B!"
Yomi smiled slightly, "Thanks." And she walked in, checking out the classroom. It looked exactly the same as her classroom, bare of anything but a large window, numerous desks, and a giant chalkboard spanning the length of one wall.
Mato led Yomi to her seat and said, "Have a seat." Yomi smiled and sat, just glad to be with Mato for a bit, thinking of how courteous Mato was. Mato sat on the desk, "So what's up? Seems like we haven't had much time to talk alone lately. Have you thought about which sports club to join yet?"
"Aah, not much. I've kinda been busy all week with a project, homework, and visiting you in the hospital."
"Hmm, then what about watching me at the basketball tryouts after school? Maybe that might help you pick a sport even if you don't pick basketball. Please?" Mato begged.
Yomi thought about it, if she goes then maybe it will help and if it doesn't she might catch the team calling Mato the first year Ace again... Mato seeing the pause stopped begging and started to tickle her, attempting to get an answer out of her. "Okay, okay, I'll go. Heh, who knows, maybe while I'm there somebody might call you the first year Ace." Yomi giggled, trying to stop Mato from tickling her further.
Mato stopped tickling her, "Yomi…"
"Yeah?"
"I really am rubbing off of you. A few years ago you wouldn't even bother with teasing."
"Huh, true. " Yuu walked in and joined the conversation, the three continuing to talk, Yuu and Mato talking animately about basketball while Yomi looked on understanding the overall gist of the talk. Soon the warning bell rang for next period and Yomi had to leave.
"See you after school!" Mato yelled.
Yomi smiled and said, "Yes." Then she left, smiling the entire way back to her classroom.
Later that day she hung in the gym after school and watched the first day of basketball tryouts. She stared at Mato fondly, sure that no matter what Mato would make the team. She was that good. Her eyes started to wander about and she saw the volleyball team on the other side of the gym. Basketball could be a little conscious about height and she hated drawing attention to her tall height, especially since she was ostracized for her height in the numerous schools she went to before she met Mato... But volleyball? Nobody cared about height as long as you could hit the ball and serve it well...not to mention she did say that she would join a sport this year. This way she could always spend a little time with Mato, abet from the other side of the net that divided the large gym.
An hour passed and practice finished, Mato had made the team, the captain and other team members calling her out by her nickname...again. Yomi came by from the corner of the gym she was standing at and congratulated Mato, then teased her mercilessly on the nickname in revenge for the tickling. They left school soon afterwards, walking home together, laughing along the way.
The next day, Yomi signed up for the volleyball club. If she passed tryouts and received a spot on the team then she could at least have P.E. with Mato…
At lunch she got up to go to Mato's classroom but was surprised when Mato showed up in the doorway of her classroom instead.
"Hey, Yomi! What's up? Thought I would come to your classroom instead of making you come to my classroom all the time." said Mato, grinning.
"Oh, it's okay. I don't mind."
"You sure?"
"Yes."
" 'Kay."
Yomi remembered where she was again and led Mato to her seat, "Your turn to have a seat."
"It's okay, I'll sit on the desk, besides, where's Kagari? Doesn't she usually hang out with you?" She sat down on Yomi's table, leaving the chair for Yomi.
"Eh, not really...usually she hangs out with her other friends while I go and talk to you."
"Ah, well she doesn't know what she's missing out on!" Mato said with a giant grin.
"What about Yuu?"
"Told her I was going to your classroom to talk to you and save you the effort of making the trip to my classroom." Mato fell silent and the two sat there in comfortable silence.
Yomi broke it some time later, remembering that thing she needed to tell Mato, "I forgot to tell you, but I've finally joined a sports club. It's not basketball, but close enough to it."
"Really? Ooh, what's the club?"
Yomi smiled at Mato's child-like enthusiasm, "You'll see."
"Yomiiiiii…." Mato said with a pout, cheeks puffing up.
Yomi just smiled in response, thinking of how cute Mato looked with she pouted. All of a sudden, the bell rang, breaking through Yomi's wistful thoughts.
"Eh? That fast?" Mato jumped up in alarm, "Gotta go, Yomi! See you after school!" She dashed out the door back to class. Yomi watched Mato leave fondly and for the rest of class her thoughts were filled with Mato and her cute pout, barely able to focus on the lesson taught. Minutes, then hours ticked by until it was finally time to go to practice. She walked to the locker rooms, changed into a white tee with blue shorts for volleyball, then walked into the gym and signed in with the captain. She accepted a volleyball and tested it to see if it was flat.
Across the gym Mato stared across the net at Yomi, the comments that Yomi had made during lunch making sense. Yomi finished testing the ball and looked at the other side of the gym, scanning until she saw Mato, the two's eyes meeting. She smiled and Mato grinned back, until a call from the basketball captain destroyed the moment. The two broke eye contact and quickly got back to their respective sports, promising to each other silently that they would have a talk after they finish practice.
After school the two met up to walk home, Yomi revealed that she had made the volleyball team right then and there. Her first tournament was scheduled to be in several weeks. Mato revealed that during then the basketball team had an away game and it had just been announced today. She was probably going to be gone for a week or so depending on how far their team get in the playoffs. The two walked back in comfortable silence, on of the rare moments they got together alone, Kagari having to stay after for Cooking Club and Yuu off on an mysterious errand.
Heh, Mato can be so cute sometimes. Anyhow starting this chapter, I'll include one fact about the making of this chapter for no apparent reason beyond your enjoyment. Maybe it can help you understand this better, maybe it makes your understanding worse, but hey you could always skip this section.
Fact #1: This is actually the last scene that I wrote before stringing the OVA arc together. When I first started I worked on all the OVA scenes out of order, starting with the end and then typing up the beginning and parts of the middle.
Until next time,
~Shadow