Chapter 6: What's On Their Minds
The second semester found Erika doing better and better, but she still wasn't at par with the other students. Evan, on the other hand, was thriving to the point at which he had become well-known. Even the other Knights began to show him respect. Erika was genuinely happy for him and longed for the day she would also prove herself.
On this specific day, the Mews and Knights were learning to battle with a 17-armed diclonius. They had to stay in the room with it for 4 minutes. The trick, she had been told in class, was to concentrate on the changes in the air. That would teach them how to duck the attacks, and also teach them fight in the dark.
Evan and the others seemed to take to the task relatively easily. In fact, some used blindfolds.
The one that impressed Erika the most was the fight of the Mirai no Yellow Night. He was one of the ones without a blindfold. Actually, though he was worlds away from Erika's level, he was considered the weakest of the Mews and Knights. This wasn't his fault, however as he was the newest, other than Evan, to be added to the Knights. Still, he was already a member of the school, so he was picking things up at a faster level.
He enters the practice room, the diclonius on one side and himself on the other. The diclonius doesn't move a muscle, but The Mirai no Yellow Knight jumps. A loud slap resounds from the floor right where he was. But, immediately, he groans as he feels a cut in his leg. It was obvious from the amount of blood that it was deep. Still, he stood up again as if there was no pain at all.
Erika looks over at The Mirai no Purin and catches a small reaction, which she quickly squelches.
Erika turns back to the fight. She watches as he jumps, dodges, and speeds around like there is no problem, even as he tracks blood all over the floor. It seemed to take forever before the 4 minute bell rang. Erika watches as a box-like contraption emerges from the floor and ceiling enclosing the diclonius.
The Mirai no Yellow Knight turns toward the control room and gives a deep bow. Only then does he let himself collapse from the injury. A team quickly enters, cleaning off the floor and taking him to urgent care.
Erika sees The Mirai no Purin trying not to fidget. It was obvious she wanted to go to him.
Erika places a hand on her shoulder, and she looks up at her. "Why don't you go with him?" Erika asks her.
The girl says nothing.
"Go." Erika tries, hoping her ties to the Ichigo line would let her give such an order.
The Mirai no Purin gives a short bow and runs out toward the ambulance.
"Why did you do that?" The Mirai no Minto asks.
"Let her see him? It was obvious she wanted to." Erika responds.
The Mirai no Minto clenches her hands, "If we went with our Knights every time they got injured, we'd never be on the field."
Erika looks around and finds all the others staring back at her. Some were shaking their heads.
"I'm sorry." Wait, why was she apologizing? Weren't the Knights people these girls loved?
"It's your turn," the teacher motions to Erika.
"Feel the wind... Feel the wind... Feel the..." she enters the room and panics as she sees the enclosure containing the diclonius. "I'm not ready for this!"
"You'll never be "ready" for what you find in the field. All we can do is make you ready for what we can think of," was the teachers' response.
The enclosure opens revealing the diclonius.
Almost immediately, Erika feels wind near her head, she ducks and feels something pass over it.
Side!
She jumps to the left, barely missing the impact.
Up!
She ducks.
Down!
She leaps.
Again and again, like instinct, she moves.
Feeling confident, she starts to get loose, but the moment she does, she feels a pain worse than anything she had ever felt before in her arm. She looks at it and sees a deep cut drawing blood. She falls to the ground, holding it.
"Oh no!" The Mirai no Zakuro says, "She isn't concentrating! She's a sitting duck!"
They all race downstairs, but Evan was already prepared. He races in, grabbing her hand. Panicking, it doesn't take much to access the Sword of the Red Knight again. He easily defends them until the enclosure is placed around the diclonius again.
"Evan, I'm so sor-"
He grasps her to him tightly.
She places her good arm on his back, "Evan..."
The paramedics enter, placing her on a stretcher and treating her arm.
The Mirai no Minto walks quickly toward her. Once she is right in front of her, she slaps her hard, stunning her. Evan grabs her arm.
"Let me go! I don't need to hit her again."
Evan obliges.
Erika looks at her, face red. The others gather behind her.
"You imbecile!" she starts, "You have no respect whatsoever for you job here, do you? I saw you! Getting comfortable with the scenario. You cannot do that on the field! One mistake here won't cost you your life, but one there will!"
"I learned my lesson! What more do you want?" Erika snaps back.
"No, you don't get it! It's the same thing! You don't think!"
"Instead of always degrading me, why don't you try explaining for once? Ya know, you all have been hard on me since I got here! I know I wasn't raised like a military brat like you all were, but I am doing the very best I can. And I get nothing for it!"
"You want something? You don't deserve anything! That's your problem! You want our approval? Your issue is that you don't understand your place!"
"Well, what is my place? Enlighten me oh blue-feathered one."
It took all of the Mirai no Minto's strength not to punch Erika, "You're job is to lead us. We depend on you to come up with our plans. There are no attacks, no strikes, no wins without you."
"Isn't that because you all are too stupid? For all your high-minded talk, you still need ME, don't you? I would leave if I could!"
"YEAH! We do need you! We've all tried to take the classic Mew Ichigo leadership this-that-and-the-other, but we've failed. Every last scenario any of us, even your sister, has come up with has burned up in smoke. You're right. We need you. No, we need a better version of you. We need you to shape up into something we can look up to."
"Then why won't you help me?"
"Because you make us sick looking at you! Would you just think? While you are having your pity parties about how harsh we are with you, did you ever think about the fact we are about to give our lives to achieve your plans? You are our leader! From the moment you were born, you were our leader! And the way you are now could kill us. We can't stand you because we can't trust you."
"That is not my fault!"
She clenches her fists again. "Whether it is your fault or not doesn't matter. A parent often gives a child their good with their bad. But, it is the child's choice to keep that bad or get rid of it."
"Look, I just want a little patience. Is that really too much to ask? I am working really hard here." Erika tries.
"Mew Ichigo is out there right now fighting. Every day she's out there risking her life. Every day is a day she may not come back. We don't have time. We need you now." The Mirai no Minto sighs. "We're afraid too."
Erika stares at her, for the first time seeing the girl for who she was.
The Mirai no Retasu steps up, "We didn't choose this life either, but there is no one else who can do what we do. So, we've lived ready to give up our lives enacting the plans of the Ichigo in order to save the world. It is what we were born to do. But, what do we do without an Ichigo? Where does that put us?"
"I get it, but... I'm also afraid. I was just a normal girl half a year ago. Suddenly, I'm told I have this huge destiny. Then this. I'm a bit overwhelmed," Erika says.
"We've all felt like that," the Mirai no Retasu responds, "But the world needs our resolve. Fear makes us weaker. So, you have to squelch that feeling."
"And... why is it you are so harsh with your knights?" Erika ventures since they are already talking. "Aren't they your boyfriends or fiances or something?"
The Mirai no Zakuro looks at her boyfriend. She grabs his hand. "I love him," she starts. "But we both understand we have a duty. He protects me, I support you. Together, we save the world. Our love cannot be bigger than the world's safety. Our love is simply the only way we will be able to transform into our angelic forms."
The Mirai no Purple Knight responds, "We knew what we were getting into when we decided to marry these women. But, we love them. We can't bear the thought of them fighting alone, so we accept these conditions. Plus, there is no greater honor for a man than dying as a Knight."
"That's so sad." Erika says.
"You have a Knight too." The Mirai no Minto adds.
Erika looks up at Evan. He smiles at her, knowingly.
Erika turns away from him. It won't be long. You'll be free soon, Evan. Then you won't have to worry about any of this. She turns back to the group. "Thank you for telling me all of this. I understand a bit better now. I will work hard not to betray your expectations."
"We really are sorry we have to put so much on you so fast. It's just that we don't know when our time of taking classes like this will end. The third generation Ichigo had to take control at 13 after all." The Mirai no Retasu adds. "Rest assured we are also working hard. You will always have us in battle to support you."
Erika nods as the paramedic puts the finishing touches on her bandage.