"The day is almost here, Mamoru." Number 66 looks away from the hanging punching bag to the source of the voice. A woman that stands almost a full head shorter than he with medium length red hair enters the gym room of the compound that he has been staying for the past 16 years. She wears a short, black skirt that stop just below the curve of her toned, muscular ass. She wears specialized battle boots that have a hard, plastic protector plate that reach from the top of her feet to her knees. The knife belt extends from the where her skirt stops a couple inches down her legs and hold three rows of 20 centimeter long kunai layered on top of each other. Her top is a simple, loose-fitting tank-top with a grey vest over it which has special pockets sown in to hold an untold number of shuriken. Finally, she sports a pair of gloves with hard padding across the knuckles for her close-quarters combat. She dressed like he did: for function, not fashion. Her body is well-formed and strong. Her torso is thin and her stomach flat and hard. Her breasts have a good size to them without being too large for her body. Everything about her is muscular and strong. They have sparred so much over the years and there has almost never been a distinct victor. In fact, from an objective point of view she would have been the decided winner of the majority of their contests to date. He certainly had size and a longer reach but her speed was like nothing he had ever encountered before or since. He was rarely able to land firm punches. Even using his staff she was hard to attack. In the few times they used their respective weapons in battle he could never completely dodge her kunai. He would end up with minor cuts along his arms and legs. She was vicious in battle, especially with him. She always seemed to need to prove herself with him but outside of battle she was affectionate and caring to him. She was always distant to the adjusters and didn't seem to trust anyone else but him.

"Next week and we can leave. How are you feeling, 67?" She steps up to him and punches him hard but playfully in the arm.

"You know I hate it when you refer to me by my number. Call me by name or sister, big brother." A smile plays across his lips. Despite appearing the age of a fifteen-year-old girl that has fully developed she still acted like she did when she was 12. She never did really grow up but Mamoru finds it endearing in a way.

"Very well, Nerine. Have you decided where you're going when they open that door for you?"

"Well, I have some ideas but…" she slips off her vest and unsnaps her knife belts that are attached to her legs, a sign that she is preparing for a sparring session. Mamoru instinctively unclasps the sheath strapped across his chest and slides it across the floor. They slowly step to the large mat in the center of the gym.

"Alright then. One more time, for old time's sake." They take positions about six feet from each other. Each takes their respective starting positions and stares intensely at each other. When they step into this ring everything came second. They are very competitive, physical, and violent beings. Neither has ever held back in any fight. They hold their position for what seems like an eternity daring each other to make the first move with their eyes.

Nerine is the first to move. She dashes across the gap separating them with blinding speed. Before Mamoru can react and step away she is inches from him swinging her leg in a wide horizontal arc at torso level. Mamoru drops his arm and absorbs the impact with his elbow rather than take the brunt of the blow to his ribs. The kick throws off his balance. He allows himself to tip over, pushes off with his feet, does a handspring to widen the gap again, and lands squarely on his feet. His arm throbs from the blow but nothing is broken. He sets his feet for the next blow. Nerine is on him in an instant this time leaping into the air before bringing her heel to impact his skull. Mamoru drops to one knee to give himself a split-second longer, raises his hands, and grabs her by the ankle with both hands. He takes one hand, places it on the inside of her thigh, and uses her momentum to throw her to the other side of the ring. She twists through the air gracefully and lands on one foot as if she was never out of control. She had always been one for style. To her, fighting was like an intricate, adapting dance rather than a conflict that often turned bloody. That was her weakness: she liked to show off. Mamoru takes advantage of the extra moments it took for her to land to mount his own attack. He steps in tight to where she can't use her vicious kicks and jabs at her chest with his elbow. The blow lands but she able to make just enough distance between them for it to be effectively useless. He steps in tight to her body again, brings an arm up to block a wild punch from her, and jabs with his other fist. She moves her head slightly and dodges the entire blow. She takes hold of his arm, punches his the inside of his elbow forcing it to bend, spins behind is back, and forces his arm up into his back. She loops her arm around his neck and pulls tight. Mamoru wastes no time reaching back, grabbing her by the back of her shirt, kneeling, and pulling her forward off his back. She is light and it is easy to pull her off without much effort but there is almost no weight in his hand at all. He looks down and sees and empty shirt in his hand. His eyes travel and he sees Nerine standing in front of him topless. She stands with her legs crossed and her hands behind her head and her chest thrust out with a playful smile on her face.

"Oh, so you just wanted to take my shirt off, did you, big brother?" He had seen her before without clothes on but always from the back and it was after the exams by the adjusters. He never let his eyes linger on her; it wasn't proper. This is no different. He drops his eyes and instantly feels an explosion of pain travel through his jaw. He feels himself fly through the air and land on his back. Before he can register what has happened Nerine is on top of him pinning his arms down above his head. He opens his eyes to Nerine staring down at him and her breasts in view.

"That's pretty dirty of you, big brother. But you should never take your eyes off your opponent. You should know better." She seems to be blushing as she stares down at him but he assumes it's just the blow to the head he's taken. "I don't blame you for looking away but, truth is, I don't mind you looking." He can't tell if this is a joke or not but he's not going to lose to her in this last fight. In a flash he brings his knee up to her stomach and flings her off him. He leaps to his feet and dashes at her as she gains her balance again. When he is just steps away from her he flings the shirt still in his hand at her. She moves one arm up to knock it away leaving herself open for an attack. He connects a vicious uppercut that sends her flying up and back. He leaps into the air and brings both hands down like a club into her stomach. She bounces into the ground, flips back to her feet and tries to prepare for the next attack.

Mamoru is on her again in a flash. He throws punch after punch that she dodges haphazardly. He forces her into a position to where she can't block the occasional knee or punch. The fight has become more of a game of chess for him: sacrifice a blow here and there for the final shot down the road. After what feels like an eternity of this he gives her one final elbow to the chest that knocks her back to the ground where she stays gasping for breath. He retrieves her shirt, kneels next to her, and places it across her exposed body.

"I guess this one is mine." He blinks and she is behind him again. He doesn't bother making a move to stop her or attack her; he knows she's too weak to continue fighting. Then, he feels the cold blade against his neck. He is hit with a wave of frustration, not really anger, washing over him. She just can't let him win, can she?

"You realize that's cheating. We weren't using weapons."

"We never actually said that, now did we?" Her voice is still playful despite the frustration in his voice. "Trust me, big brother; always have an ace in the hole. In fact, you can have this one." She leans in to him so that her exposed breasts are against his back and her mouth is right behind his neck. She can feel her warm breath wash over his exposed skin and his body goes rigid. She drops the kunai and the tip of the blade sticks into the mat in front of him. She lingers for a second before finally standing, putting her shirt back on and walking away to the showers that are adjoined to the gym. He watches her walk away no understanding this last exchange. Just before she walks through the door she turns and looks at him with the same playful smile on her face.

"Oh, to answer your question from before: I'm thinking of joining the Discipline Squad. Mr. Minaka told me that we could both be in it and that we were sort of adjusted to be in it. So, I wanted to extend the offer to you." Her smile fades ever so slightly and she looks down at the floor. "They told me…we could be together if we both joined." A deep silence engulfs the gym for an eternity before she turns to walk into the shower room. She lifts a hand to wave to him. "Give it some thought, okay?"

Mamoru stands, stunned, alone in the middle of the ring. He had suspected of something like this was going on for a while now, in all honesty. She had been getting closer and closer to him in a physical sense. Not that she'd made an outright move on him; they were all subtle gestures and comments but recently they had become more and more obvious. This last one was a clear declaration: she no longer sees him as a brother but as some to be her lover.

He shakes his head, retrieves the kunai from the floor and heads towards the male showers. It's not natural, these feelings she has for him. They're siblings; they're not meant to be together in that sense. But that hasn't deterred, though. And now there's this invitation? It would be easier, certainly, but everyone has told him repeatedly that there was someone special out there that he was destined to be with. Someone that will make him happy, that will complete him. He wants that, desperately, but is it just because he was told by his adjuster all the time he wanted to? His head is cloudy, he needs a cold shower.

Days pass with these thoughts stirring his head. He has done his best to avoid Nerine but it hasn't been that hard. She knows what game she's playing and she's playing it well. She issued her offer and now she's keeping her distance to let them stew in his mind and decide if he could be without her. He asks his adjuster about the ashikabi and the Discipline Squad but none of his questions garner satisfactory answers. The whole idea of the ashikabi seems arbitrary but, as the adjuster often reminded him, that there is no way for him to describe it fully because he would never feel it. His adjuster kept telling him that it is something that Mamoru would have to experience on his own.

Finally, the day arrives for him and his sister to leave. They stand side-by-side in front of the door that would lead out into the city. For reason, Mamoru imagined the infamous door that was something akin to legend in the compound as some ornate portal to a mystic realm covered in symbols he didn't understand. In reality, it was just a plain, steel door in a barren, concrete room in some corner of the building he had never been before. Nothing special, nothing unique. It's almost frustrating him that this is all that he was working towards but immediately remembers that there is, in fact, a completely alien world waiting for him once he exits. The realization must have shown on his face because he feels a playful nudge on him arm from his sister. He looks down and smile plays across her lips.

"Nervous?"

"Never." A lie but Mamoru is still in the mindset that he should never show weakness. Which is where this conflict that has plagued his mind comes into play. So, sekirei are meant to find their "one", their ashikabi. They are meant to be bound to this person and fight for them. That is their purpose. There was something resembling school in this place where basics, predominantly reading and how to interact in a social environment, were taught but there was some reading material that was given outside their "studies". Mamoru's adjustment had been painful. There were weeks that he was confined to a bed while the adjusters worked their magic and all he had done was read. Somewhere in his reading the concept of slavery had arisen. His knowledge was limited but that's what this relationship sounded like it might end up being. He had voiced this concern to his personal adjuster and all she said that was that he didn't fully understand. Nothing more, nothing less. He thought about this quick exchange long and hard. Three nights ago he had been trying to go to sleep. He had come to the decision that he would join in the Disciplinary Squad with Nerine before he fell into an unrestful and fitful sleep but he was visited by a dream. It was abstract but simple. There was an outline, an amorphous shape. It speaks but without actual words. All he knew, instinctively, was that this was his ashikabi. It was clear in his mind and completely unshakeable. There was nothing particularly provocative or profound about it but he woke the next morning knowing that he was meant to leave. He didn't Nerine. He didn't discuss it with anyone but he felt a sort of calm clarity that he hadn't felt in forever. He would leave and find his ashikabi and give himself to that person.

Mr. Minaka entered the room in as grand a fashion as one could in the stark room. His long, white jacket flowed behind him and the wide smile he always sported was plastered across his face. He spread his arms wide as he stepped in front of the pair.

"Numbers 66 and 67! What a pleasure to see you on this momentous occasion. My, how you have two have grown. It is time for you to venture out into the world and find your destined one. But, you two have a rare opportunity being offered to you. Number 4 is looking to add some new members to the Disciplinary squad, as I'm sure you've heard. You would help regulate the game that is the Sekirei Plan. You will be winged by Mr. Natsuo Ichinomiya and join Karasuba to ensure the game continues and the rules strictly enforced. You two are a pair of my top combat-type sekirei. You've been groomed to assume such a mantle. Of course, this is still your choice as to whether you wish to take part. Number 67, I already have your answer but I've not heard from 66. What do you say, Mamoru?"

Mamoru looks to Minaka, then to Nerine. She still sports the smile from earlier while she looks at him. He knows what she expects him to say. He looks back to Minaka who still beams at Mamoru, also awaiting what Mamoru judges to be an expected answer.

"Mr. Minaka," Mamoru begins, "thank you for your offer. I have a question or two regarding it."

"Go right ahead." Minaka's smile never falters.

"We sekirei are destined to find one person in particular. That is who we are bound to and they are meant to wing us. This is our destiny, yes?"

"You are correct."

"So, you're asking me to either give myself over to someone you have chosen or go out into the city and find my person on my own. I've done some reading while I've been here and what you're suggesting has this ring of slavery to it." Minaka's smile twitches ever so slightly. "I'm sorry, sir, but if I'm meant to devote my very existence to one person, I think it should be of my choosing. Besides, as I understand it, winging is performed by a kiss and I'm not too keen on doing that with another man. Blame it on a general instinct, but I plan to walk through that door and into the world." Mamoru turns to face Nerine whose playful smile has been replaced by a look of complete shock. "I'm sorry, sis, but I need to go out there and make my own way." He feels there is more that he needs to say to her but she abruptly turns from him to end a conversation that never really started. There is a brief pause as Mamoru stares at Nerine's back before he turns back to the director of MBI whose smile, while unchanged physically, no longer beams at Mamoru so much as sneers at him for his answer. "Again, I thank you for all you've done for us and the offer but I want to leave."

Minaka doesn't answer for a long moment before nodding. "Very well, then." He digs into his pocket and produces a black credit card with MBI printed on it. "Take this. Use it for whatever you need until you find your ashikabi. I wish you all the luck in the world and I'm sure our paths will cross at some point down the road." With that last disingenuous statement, Minaka turned on his heel and returned to the door from which he entered and disappeared through it. Mamoru turns to his sister but her back is still to him.

"Nerine, come on. I couldn't stay. I have to go out there. I don't know how to explain it other than that I have to." Nerine didn't budge and Mamoru started to feel the slightest pang of guilt start to seep into his mind. He reaches his hand out and the moment his fingers brush her shoulders Nerine turns with blinding speed, snatching Mamoru by the wrist, and stepping into his body until her mouth is right next to his ear. Mamoru freezes in that instant as her breath splashes across his face and neck. Her breathing is heavy and hot with anger. Moments pass with them frozen still as statues.

"I'll never forgive you," Nerine whispers at last and releases him. She storms off to the door that Minaka had just vanished into. The guilt began to crawl back into his mind as he watched her go. As much as they sparred and how frustrating Nerine could be at times, he did care for her. They had grown up together, often adjusted at the same time. There were evenings that Mamoru would hear Nerine in the darkness of their shared room sobbing, her body racked with pain from the adjustments. She would cry into her pillow gripping herself tightly under the sheets quietly crying and it was all Mamoru could do not to fall in sync with her and give way to the pain himself. He started finding ways to mentally block his pain more and more. It was still there, make no mistake. He could still feel the throbbing in his joints with pain pounding out in every direction like there were small explosions within them threatening to blow them apart. Finally he worked to being able to speak at nights to help calm her. At first, she wasn't able to respond but her sobs would dissolve into quiet whimpers.

One night after an especially difficult time with the adjusters, Nerine couldn't be consoled by Mamoru's normal tactic didn't do anything to assuage her. It took about an hour of excruciating effort but Mamoru managd to push himself up, climb out of his own bed, and join Nerine in her's. Almost immediately the violent sobs devolved into whimpers into quiet shaking into, finally, actual sleep. When Nerine had finally nodded off, Mamoru felt his own aches begin to seep slowly out his body with Nerine's each breath. He discovered that early that he was a kind soul and that, regardless of how the relationship between sekirei really worked, that he loved this young girl curled up next to him and sleeping soundly. In fact, it was the first real sleep either of them had gotten in what felt like ages. Looking back, that was probably where this growing obsession Nerine had with Mamoru began. She interpreted his actions one way and he meant it another.

The guilt began to feel worse and all Mamoru knows is that he can't leave things the way they are about to end. "Nerine," he calls out once more, almost leading to her. She snaps around to face him and instead of anger or sadness on her face like there was earlier, there is a look of hatred in her eyes.

"Best not get in any trouble, big brother." She says it with enough venom to kill a building full of people. "Because, as of right now, I'm not allowed to show you the mercy I've been so kind as to give you in our other matches."

And, with that, she leaves Mamoru alone in the stark room. A chill passes over him intense enough to make him shiver. The logical part of him mind tells him that she is just saying stuff to throw him off his game but the primal, overly-instinctual part of his mind warns him that there is a truth to those words. Mamoru stares at the door for a moment after Nerine disappeared through it before his attention is snapped back to the door as it slowly creaks open in a fashion that is a touch overly dramatic. Natural light begins to flood the room along with a slight gust of wind follows it. Once the door is fully open, Mamoru takes a tentative step out the door and onto a sidewalk. The breeze kisses his skin, a multitude of smells he's never experienced invade his nose, the din of city life rife with cars and people and birds and other sounds pleasantly drum in his ears. The sights and sensations are almost overwhelming and Mamoru feels imbued with a new since of purpose. He turns to his left and begins walking down the street. Day number one in the real world and it's off to a great start.