I am happy to see the number of views as well as followers and favorites growing for this story. I appreciate the interest you all take in this story that I try my best to make as entertaining as possible for all of you. So without further ado, I present you chapter 10! :D Also feel free to leave a review as I always value your opinions on what I could improve on, or if you just want to say you like it (always a good motivational support).
Chapter 10: Pain of Separation
Rin slowly opened her eyes as she awoke from her nightly slumber. Her entire body felt as numb as a rock while she tried to yawn and stretch. She smacked her lips together as the horrible taste of morning breath flew around her. When she noticed no sound of the shower going though, she got out of bed and sulked over to Tina's bed half-awake so she could throw herself onto it. "H-Hey Tina, time to wake up," she said with a weak smile, though she quickly perked up when she felt no presence or body on the bed itself, "Huh? Maybe she got up earlier and I didn't notice... Oh well, shower all to myself!" she leaped up as she hurried in.
I'm sure today will be good as ever! Now that everyone knows he chose me... I get to rub it in all their faces while he isn't looking... she thought to herself with a devilish grin. After a few minutes of the water dousing her though, she felt a slight tug at her heart, but it was one of the kind that brought a sincere smile to her face. That's right... out of everyone... he chose me. Her face turned bright red as she leaned back against the wall of the shower. I wonder though, W-Will I be able to... make him like me for sure? She thought while putting her hands against her chest. No... I will wow him for sure! I'll make him see what a mature and fun person I truly am! Then surely after the date, he'll want me to be his one and only! Rin started jabbing the air with a confident grin as if someone was there, until she heard her room's door creak open alongside footsteps that sounded as if the person was merely sliding across the ground.
Rin quickly turned off the shower before covering herself in a towel so she could sneak a peak at her 'invader'. She slowly opened the door while she tiptoed over to the corner. What she saw however, was an exhausted Tina groaning into her pillow with a really depressing aura around her. I know Tina's my friend and all... but I'm really wondering whether this is the time to ask what's wrong or not She pondered with a glum look on her face.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid..." she kept hearing Tina mutter like a broken record. Maybe later... Rin convinced herself.
"H-Hey Tina, you want to take a shower right now?"
"No Rin, I'm fine. You just... go on and do your thing." Tina blankly replied while waving her away with one hand.
"W-Well okay then... do you need anything?"
"Just peace, quiet, and lots of sleep..." she said with a slurred voice until all Rin could hear was her silent breathing.
Yup... she's not getting out of here today.
Charlotte kept looking into the bathroom mirror as she practiced her usual smile that she believed always kept Ichika partial towards her. A new day, A new adventure! She thought gleefully. I wonder what we all might get to do today? She pondered to herself, but was interrupted by Laura banging on the door.
"Excuse me! I do believe a bath should not take one so long!"
"One moment, please!" Charlotte happily responded. She quickly finished getting herself ready as she opened the door slightly embarrassed to an agitated Laura.
"One must wonder what it is you do in there sometimes to take so long..."
"Oh, um... I was just... brushing my teeth is all," Charlotte replied nervously.
"A likely story," Laura scoffed as she walked in and slammed the door shut behind her.
Charlotte flinched at the loud slam, but knew it was only Laura trying to pretend to be her old self. It's kind of adorable actually, but at least she's starting to learn a few tricks she giggled to herself before yet another knock rung through her ears, this time at the dorm door however. Hm, quite the busy morning I see... I wonder who it could be? When she finally turned the knob and pulled it open though, she felt her legs tense up as well as her chest start to shake nervously. "I-I-Ichika?!"
"Hey Charl, what's up?" he asked casually, but looked at her puzzlingly when he noticed her shaking. "Is something wrong? Or is this just a bad time?"
"N-No, not at all! Come in if you wish!" she stuttered while holding a welcoming hand open.
"Well, actually... I wanted you to walk with me to breakfast. See, there was something I wanted to talk to you about," he replied while scratching his head shyly.
"Y-You... want to walk with...me?" she asked shockingly while she felt her heartbeat skyrocket. Oh my gosh, I don't believe it! H-He wants to walk with me out of everyone else! she thought with a sense of joy. Oh, it's just so exciting... wait... maybe he'll even decide to take me on the date instead! Her eyes sparkled with intense delight as the thought crossed her mind.
"W-Well yea, I figured you would be the person to go to for this... certain matter."
"O-Oh, well if you insist, I guess I should," she stuttered for a moment before slipping on her shoes then knocking on the bathroom door. "Laura! Hey I'm going ahead to breakfast now, don't take too long okay?"
"I heard another voice out there! Do we have an intruder?!"
Charlotte turned slowly to look at Ichika who was puzzled by Laura's quick reply. "N-No don't worry Laura, it's just me, Ichika."
"What?!" Laura yelled at the top of her lungs. Almost like clockwork they heard the shower turn off instantly, followed by a quick swing of the door to where a naked Laura leaped at Ichika. "So, you were planning on taking my bride alone with you, were you Charlotte? You're far more clever than I thought," she observed with a clever smirk while putting a choke-hold around Ichika, who yelped slightly in pain from her iron grip, "But you must remember that I am relentless, and I shall not yield my bride to anyone!"
"No Laura, y-you misunderstand! He was just asking me to-"
"What do you all think you're doing?" a familiar, serious voice echoed through their ears as they slowly peered around to the opened room door. Chifuyu stood there with her usual overwhelming presence that even made Laura back down like a frightened kitten.
"I-I-Instructor, h-how are you this... morning?" Laura chuckled nervously as she tried to hide the shaking in her legs.
"Bodewig..." she muttered irritatingly with her normal scowl, "What do you think you're doing... on a male student without clothes on?"
"I-I-It's not entirely what you think Instructor! I swear!"
"Oh really?" Chifuyu replied while crossing her arms.
"Y-Yes, Miss Orimura!" Charlotte timidly interrupted with a nervous smile, "You see uh... Laura is still slowly adjusting to civilian life, which I'm trying to help get done as quickly as possible..."
"Go on..." Chifuyu said with an intrigued grin.
"May I still remind everyone this girl is choking the life out of me!" Ichika cried out, but to no avail since Chifuyu's presence had both the girls in it's grip.
Poor Ichika... Charlotte thought with a sigh. You wouldn't be in this position if you would've just kept quiet. You of all people here should know how Laura gets around you...
"W-well anyways, even though she's adjusting well... these kind of outbursts might be... expected, yes?"
"So what you're saying, is that I should hold you responsible for her actions, Dunois?"
That felt like a bullet through the heart as Charlotte had a blank smile while she looked from Chifuyu to Laura then back again.
Charlotte decided then to peel the clinging Laura off of Ichika so she could help her get dressed. "Charlotte, you traitor! What do you think you are doing?!"
"If you'll both excuse the two of us for a moment... we need to finish getting ready," she said with an awkward chuckle before pushing Ichika out the door.
"Charl?"
"Looks like from now on... if you want one of us to go, apparently we're now a packaged deal," she winked while slowly shutting the door. Phew... that was so tense I thought I was going to die... she sighed deeply as she leaned against the door and slipped gently to the floor. When she raised her head though, an annoyed Laura stared back in her direction. Charlotte was partially scared, but knew she couldn't let Laura know that so they could finish getting ready as soon as possible. "Alright, Laura could you please go get dressed?"
"Tell me why I should indulge in your request..."
"Well... we need to go to breakfast, go to class, you know the kind of things we do everyday," she replied while trying to stay as calm as possible.
Laura narrowed her eyes at her, until finally it seemed she gave in as she walked over to her closet beside her bed. "You win this round, Charlotte."
"Thank you." Charlotte said with a bright smile. Thank heavens that's over... now, I wonder what it is Ichika wanted?
Ichika kept waiting outside with a bored look across his face. Luckily, his older sister Chifuyu had already left saying she had to make sure the other freshman students weren't slacking as well. He kept tapping his shoes against the other to pass the time while he could hear Charlotte and Laura making noises within the room, though none seemed to be of real concern. I really hope Charl will know the answer... maybe I did something to Arthur that pissed him off, yet I can't think of anything of the sort. He figured with a sigh as he scratched his head agitatedly.
"You seem bored. Is there a particular reason you're waiting outside this room?" he heard a voice down the hallway mutter.
"Oh, good morning Houki. Nice to see you," he replied with a happy smile and a wave.
"Likewise," she plainly responded, "So I heard you got into an accident yesterday. How bad was it?"
Uh-oh... he thought to himself in despair. "Uhhh, yea it... wasn't anything bad really. Nothing to worry about, alright?"
"Tch. From what I heard you got beaten down in less than 10 seconds. Ichika, that's just pitiful," she scowled while maintaining the overwhelming presence of a teacher. "Just because of that, I'm going to make sure your kendo training today makes you suffer, so you'll learn to not let yourself get surprised so easily."
"Aw, come on Houki, the guy caught me by surprise!"
"Exactly!" she yelled while pointing her finger close to his face, "There's no excuse why you should've let that happen!"
"Well then maybe you should try facing a deranged friend of yours," he muttered silently while looking away.
"What was that?!"
"Uh, n-nothing! Nothing at all!" he chuckled nervously. Houki was at the breaking point of where she was about to hit him until the room's door swung open.
"We're ready!" Charlotte declared with that same sparkling smile of hers. Yet when she looked at the two of them, she seemed confused, but also sort of disappointed.
"Oh, um, Miss Houki... are we interrupting something?" she asked while Laura slowly creeped over her shoulder like a cautious kitten.
"Hmph. No, just Ichika being his usual self," she grumbled before strolling off on her own.
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!" he yelled at her while she kept walking further away. Great job Ichika... now she'll be worse this afternoon during training he thought to himself with a cold shiver running down his back from the image of it all.
"Um, Ichika?" Charlotte's nervous- sounding voice broke him out of his trance while he turned back to see her trying to ease Laura off of her, though it didn't seem to be working. "You...wanted me to walk with you, right?" she asked while blushing and nervously looking away.
"Well... really I wanted to talk to you about something important," he said which apparently made Charlotte perk right back up in an excited fashion. Though this new-found mood of hers was slightly broken when Laura made sure her presence was known to the two of them.
"Then I should be able to hear it as well considering I am your groom, correct?" she interjected as she popped her head over Charlotte.
"Laura, why are you hiding? You should be more sociable," Charlotte scolded her before quickly switching her around to be in-between both of them.
Good to see Charlotte's still adjusting well with her new roommate... Ichika smiled to himself as they walked down the hallway together. I have to admit I was really worried about her when I heard the news. I'm sure though if anyone could help protect her, it's Laura for sure.
"Anyways, you had something to talk to me about, Ichika?" Charlotte asked out of the blue while she cutely leaned forward with her usual smile.
"Oh, right I almost forgot," he chuckled to himself while scratching his nose, "Well, you see... I think I may have upset Arthur somehow."
"Like it matters," Laura coldly added. "That boy is a dangerous fool and nothing more. Someone like him is a joke of an IS pilot," she said with a huff as she increased her pace.
Yikes... looks like that's a touchy subject for Laura.
"You can't blame her for thinking that Ichika," Charlotte whispered in his ear, "After all he did try to harm you yesterday without hesitation."
"Well yea, but you and I both know he didn't mean it. It was an accident, right?" he whispered back.
"I agree, but you need to look at it from her perspective."
"Well, Laura's kind of a hard person to put myself as."
Charlotte only sighed in response whilst shaking her head, "You're so hopeless sometimes."
"What? What'd I say?"
"Nothing," she waved off with a flick of her hand, "Just explain what happened."
"Well I mean... he just kinda came into the room late last night, and I found it kind of strange so I asked if he was alright. He seemed agitated whenever I asked and then I questioned him over this small cut that had suddenly appeared on his cheek with dried blood."
"A... cut?"
"Yea, like something from a blade, not just some random item."
"I guess that is sort of strange... what happened next?"
"Well he packed his stuff into a bag and told me he would be gone for a couple of weeks, then just left."
"Gone? You mean like back to America?"
"I don't know. The thing that troubled me though was how hostile he was during the whole thing. I think something happened or maybe I pissed him off somehow, I'm not too sure."
"He is probably just feeling guilty."
"Why would he be hostile if he was feeling guilty though? Doesn't guilt usually make people, I don't know, apologize?"
"How exactly would you expect him to apologize for something like that? You need to see it from his perspective as well."
"H-He's so different from me though..."
"Ugh..." Charlotte sighed as she shook her head with a frown, "Let me give you something of an idea."
"A-Alright."
"Say if you had almost fatally wounded let's say... Miss Houki. You would be very upset about that, no?"
Ichika felt a slight pain in his chest at the thought of him hurting Houki like that. She was his first childhood friend after all, and he considered her highly important to him. "I-I guess... when you put it that way."
"So you see he can't just walk up to you and say 'Hey I'm sorry I almost killed you, anyways let's go practice' or something along those lines."
"You make it sound like all he does is train," Ichika chuckled as they finally rounded the last corner to the cafeteria. Looks like we couldn't beat the rush... Ichika frowned as he looked at the long line of people in front of him. Guess that's what I get for staying behind to wait he figured as he stomach rumbled.
"This will not do," Laura huffed.
"Now, now Laura don't make a scene," Charlotte urged carefully.
"We are hungry though, no?"
"Yes, but so is everyone else. So we need to wait our turn."
"Hmph. Fine, I'll accept your terms for now Charlotte."
Never thought I'd see Laura give in to someone else's demands. Wonder what Charlotte did to put her under control like this? Ichika pondered as the line started to slowly shrink. "Charlotte's right Laura, we should be able to get our food in about 5-10 minutes tops from the looks of things."
"W-well, if you insist that that is the case..." Laura stuttered while continually pressing two fingers together, "I-I guess I can... wait a while."
Never seen Laura so nervous before... I wonder what brought that on all of a sudden.
Ugh... my arms hurt like hell Arthur thought to himself as he laid his head down on the table. Pulled an all-nighter, yet I'm still not even a tiny bit closer to understanding the defect here. He let out a silent groan while he folded his arms together to try and keep the lights in the room from piercing his eyes. Just... 5 minutes of sleep. 5 minutes and it'll all be over...
"H-Hey Arthur, is everything alright?" a cheery, yet concerning voice asked him.
Heh... I must be getting close to dreaming now... someone's wonderful voice is already beckoning to me he thought with a wide grin. When he heard 3 trays hit the table followed by the same amount of thuds, he figured someone had actually come to his table. Damn... I wonder who that could b- he stopped thinking as his raised eyes met with Charlotte, Ichika, and Laura's. As usual Laura didn't seem to either pay him any mind or whenever she did, would look at him with a disapproving frown. Ichika's on the other hand, easily created a tense atmosphere at the table as he apparently found himself dumbfounded on what to say, while Charlotte retained her trademark smile.
"Oh my my, you have rings under your eyes. Were you up all night or something?" Charlotte asked with the same concerned tone.
Nice to have Charlotte keeping an eye on me I suppose. Maybe she's just worried over yesterday he thought on a positive note.
"Hmph. He's probably just tired from staying up an extra hour or so. Not very disciplined if you ask me," Laura grunted.
Aaaaaaannnndddd I've clearly gone full circle in this table of different people now he continued while his head slumped back down onto the table.
"L-Laura! That was very rude!" he could hear Charlotte whine, "Apologize this instant!"
"You sure do like looking down on other people don't ya?" Arthur replied with a snicker.
"Only on those who are not worthy of the things they receive."
"Heh... so you think I don't deserve anything, do ya?" he asked as he raised his head back up to directly meet her gaze with his own.
"H-Hey now guys, why don't we all just calm down and enjoy a nice breakfast, alright?" Ichika suggested to try and mellow the mood.
"I agree," Charlotte added in haste, "I-It is just a rough morning is all, I'm sure we'll all be in much better spirits later, yes?"
"If you may excuse me then, I have research to get to," Arthur frowned as he got up to go, but stopped when he felt Charlotte tug on his sleeve.
"H-Hey... everything is okay, alright? We know you didn't mean to do any of that."
Arthur sighed while he peered back her way. "You know they say you can't let your past weigh you down, and if you do you're a lost cause."
"It is the past that gives us the strength to move forward though, no?"
Arthur chuckled while he touched her arm with his hand she was holding. "I really do wish someone like you could've been my childhood friend," he said with a weak smile. He could tell she grew surprised and embarrassed while the other two looked on in shock. "Maybe if someone like you could've influenced me... I wouldn't be this way," he finished as he let go of her arm, then started walking off to class, leaving all three of them with puzzled faces.
Tina found herself sitting on a rooftop of a familiar place to her in the middle of what felt like a cool spring night. This weather... is so nice she thought to herself with a soft smile as she stared up at the full moon above her in the sky overlooking the sand dunes around the buildings. Wait a minute she figured with a raised brow Haven't I... seen this before? She looked at her surroundings to see she was at the old base in the US her and Arthur had been stationed at. She had apparently been on top of one of the barracks for the troops as the section she was in had several of them, while an office building sat in the background of the place behind them all, with 5 modified aircraft hangars meant to house IS units with roads leading to a single massive airstrip in front of them on the other side of the barracks. How did I get here? And if I'm here, then where is...?
"H-Hey there, why are you up here all alone?" a voice she knew all too well beckoned to her. She quickly stood up as she cupped her hands together near her chest to see Arthur crawling up on the roof of the barracks. Arthur? B-But how are you-
"None of your business," she heard someone with her voice reply in a hostile tone. She turned herself around to see another her in normal US Army fatigues with a small black string tied around a lock of her hair in a ribbon shape staring at the moon like she had been only moments ago. W-What the? How is this possible? I'm right here, aren't I?
"When you say it like that, it's hard for anyone to want to come help you," Arthur replied as he walked over to sit next to this new Tina that had appeared.
"I've told you before already, I don't need anyone's help. Especially not yours," The other her responded as she looked the other way with a huff. Why are they acting... as if I'm not here at all? When Tina tried to lay a hand on Arthur, she was surprised to see it go right through him, as if she was a ghost. She gasped and pulled her hand back immediately as she took a few steps back. The fact she couldn't even touch Arthur made her look back to the ground in despair. That's right... I remember now. He doesn't want me near him, doesn't he? Tina started to sniffle while small tears began to form, until she heard what this Arthur said next.
"Well like it or not, everyone needs help Hamilton. It's something you can't escape," he said in a nagging tone.
"You're one to talk," the other her scoffed, "Aren't you the one who's had to do everything on his own here?"
"Heh, believe it or not, that's really not all that true. I had lots of help to get me where I am today."
"Is that so?" she replied weakly as she curled up into a ball, "You're lucky then you know."
"Hm? How is that exactly?"
"To have all these people at your side, ready and willing to help because they legitimately worry about you. I mean think about it," she said as she brought her fingers up to count, "You've got Kelley, that new AI of yours, Colonel Robertson, and even those other two girls that have been hanging around you lately. I'm sure you don't even know what it's like... to not have those kind of things." After she had finished, the other her started to cry softly to herself.
"That's where you're wrong," he chuckled softly before he put his hand next to hers. The other Tina gasped silently with a slightly red face as she tried to ease her hand away from his.
Wait... I remember this night. This is the night where...
"I tell ya what," Arthur started as he scooted next to her, "If you ever need a friend or someone to lean on, I'll be there okay?"
"Why... Why would you do that?" she asked nervously, her head dipping near her lap as it turned more red by the second while she tried to wipe her tears.
"Because I'd hate to see a pretty girl like you be sad," he replied as he put his arm around her, "So from now on, we're friends, okay?"
The other her was obviously shaking very nervously at all that was going on to the point where Tina was surprised steam wasn't coming out of her ears. "You- You're sure that I'm worth your time?"
"Of course you are," he laughed with a warm smile, "I've got your back, as long as you've got mine alright?"
Small sniffles filled the air around the two of them until the other Tina reluctantly laid her head on his shoulder. "So... you'll protect me? You'll stand by me whenever I need someone?"
"I don't see why not," Arthur laxly replied with that same smile as he patted her shoulder. The other her then suddenly pressed her lips up against his own as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"H-Hamilton?"
"It's Tina," she smiled with tears of joy, "My name is Tina. You can call me by that instead of my last name."
"Uh, a-alright... T-Tina," Arthur nervously stuttered with a blushed face.
She let out a deep sigh of relief before laying her head against his chest, "Sorry, it's just that... no one's ever told me that before. They always just got close to me because of what family I'm from, or they would take advantage of the fact my older sister was popular with everyone so they used me to get close to her. In all those years though, not even one has said to me what you have just said."
"I-I'm sorry to hear that," he frowned as he started stroking his hand through her hair, "If it makes you feel any better, I didn't really have any friends before I came here as well."
"Really?" she looked up at him curiously, "Considering how you get along casually with everyone here, I find that hard to believe."
"Well, you might as well believe it," he answered back while he put his arms around her, "So that's already one thing we have in common." The other her's hands slipped down to his chest as he held her close. "So for the sake of never letting that happen to anyone else, I'll protect you as much as I can."
"Y-You promise?" she asked while she closed her eyes.
"Of course I do," he replied while he laid his head next to hers.
The night when he let me in where no one else could be... Tina figured as she felt her heartbeat quicken at the memory of the scene in front of her. Everyone needs help huh... Then why won't he ever let me help him? Is it really so hard for him to follow his own words?
"Then, I'll give you something to remember it by," she replied while her hands went to untying the black string around her hair, "My mother gave me this... before she passed away."
"I'm sorry to hear she's gone. Is it because of that, you find it hard to be close to others or some kind of similar experience?"
She nodded as she slipped it around his hand then tied it in a knot at the wrist. "Her mother, my grandma, gave her this same thing when she was little," she said with a sincere smile, "She told her to keep it tied around a piece of her hair... then to give it to the one she thinks she can trust the most. My father ended up being that person..."
Arthur seemed setback slightly by the gesture as he kept staring nervously at her. "A-Are you sure that you want to give it to me though? I-I mean after all... it's something left by your mother."
"I don't mind," she happily replied, "I always felt you and I would... eventually have a conversation like this anyway."
"Huh? Why's that?"
"W-Well... I-I've been keeping an eye on you in a way for a certain someone," she muttered nervously until she suddenly perked back up, "B-But, if it makes up for it at all... I've only said good things about you!"
"Heh, I'm touched," he replied after a few awkwardly silent moments.
"E-Eh?"
"Well, I mean," he chuckled while scratching his head, "To have the best pilot in our contender exam class say good things about me while also looking my way quite often... I have to say I'm honored, hehe."
"H-Honored?" she questioned while her face blushed intensely, "I-I'm not all that great..."
Arthur only patted her head with his hand with a sigh. "I think you're wrong on that part," he said then hugged her tightly, "You're much more amazing than you realize."
"L-Lieutenant Stone..."
"It's Arthur."
"Huh?"
"Since I'll be calling you Tina, you can just call me Arthur, alright?"
"A-Alright," she stuttered as she hugged him back.
"From now on, I'll do my best to make sure you can keep that beautiful smile of yours, okay?"
"O-Okay..." she responded as she seemed to melt into his embrace.
But I want you to be able to smile too... You used to let me help you all the time. What did they to you in that month which changed you so much?
/Maybe he was forced to change/ A mysterious voice echoed from behind her.
W-What? She thought as the scene before her started to fade away. N-No... No, don't take that away from me! Tina broke into a sprint towards the image in front of her, until she suddenly tripped on an invisible floor. The last thing she saw was the two of them kissing under the stars, then finally disappearing altogether.
No... she slammed her hands on the ground while all that surrounded her suddenly turned white.
/It's alright/ the voice from before echoed again.
Tina turned around to see a bright, glowing orb descend from above to her level. "Wh-Who... What are you?"
/I am that which can become your shield, yet I can also become your sword./
"What... do you mean by that?"
/I mean exactly as I say. Now for the current matter... Why do you torture yourself over such things?/
"Y-You mean... my relationship with Arthur?"
/Yes. I do not understand your interest in the boy. Would it not be better to let go, so that you can move on with your mission?/
"Heh, maybe you're right," she answered while folding her arms with a soft smirk to the ground, "However... I just don't think I could bring myself to do that."
/And why is that?/
"B-Because I believe he needs my help as much as I need his." The orb only responded by fluttering around her as if it was observing everything about her. Curious little thing aren't you...
/So you intend to bring harm to yourself... even when you don't know the conclusion of said choice?/
"That's what happens when you're in love," she replied as she put her hand to her chest, "You take risks for that other person you normally wouldn't for anyone else."
/Then I believe it is time you make a decision./
Huh? Tina wondered as everything around her started fading away.
/As I cannot fully understand, I will just have to support any action you take... Master./
M-M-Master?! She gasped until everything suddenly disappeared.
"I demand to know the meaning of this!" Cecilia shouted as she slammed her hand on the desk.
"I told you... it's a personal matter," Arthur replied in an annoyed tone as he kept typing on the holo-keyboard for his desk's built-in computer.
"Do you know how much I had to go through to secure this reservation for this date?!"
Cecilia watched as he stopped for a moment then returned her anger with a confused look. "You're telling me that YOU personally went to make it?"
"Well, Y-Yes of course."
"Not your servants? Or a business employee? You yourself went to make them is what you're telling me right now?"
W-Well... not exactly she thought to herself embarrassingly. "I...I-I um..."
"That point aside, all it means is that Ichika can invite another person to tag along." Immediately everyone turned back their way once his words met their ears.
"Another chance...?"
"To go on a date w-with Orimura?"
"Am I dreaming?!"
"I-Ichika!" Charlotte suddenly yelled out, though not before Houki and Laura had instantly descended upon him as well.
"Who would you l-like to choose?!" the three of them shouted in unison.
Ichika himself could barely utter a word as the three girls faces etched ever closer to his. He showed them a half-baked smile while they only became more serious, until...
"Take your seats, all of you!" Chifuyu bellowed as all followed her order immediately, the tension in the room climbing higher and higher, until Ms. Yamada made her way to her stand at the front of the room.
"Now everyone, Miss Orimura has an announcement to make," she said while motioning over to Chifuyu who made her way up to the stand next.
"Ahem. Since all of you passed your mid-terms and have actually become the freshman class with the highest grade average... we have decided to reward you in a way."
"R-Reward?" several girls let out while Cecilia herself gasped. Miss Orimura... is being nice to us? She could tell from the others faces as well they were just as shocked, though Arthur remained fixated on whatever he was looking for on the computer.
"We've decided to let you out early to get lunch, after you've gotten whatever you need bring it along to the third arena. We'll have a surprise for you then," she smirked as she started to walk away, but stopped for a second, "And Stone."
"Yes ma'am?" he asked with a perked up head.
"Come with me for a moment."
"A-Alright," he agreed and exited the room with her.
Hmph. What is so special about him that he gets her full attention? She pouted while the girls all got into their social groups before darting for the cafeteria.
"I wonder what the surprise is..." Ichika muttered curiously.
"Yes, I am quite intrigued myself," Charlotte added.
"I would have never expected that from the Instructor," Laura added as well.
"Either way, we may as well go see what it is they have to show us," Houki muttered as she headed for the cafeteria.
"Is there something important you need to tell me, Miss Orimura?" Chifuyu could hear Arthur ask her while they continued walking down the hallway.
"Yes, you seem... groggy and tired. How late were you up last night practicing in that thing?"
"Y-You knew I was practicing?"
"Yea, you know it's kinda hard to not notice the many drag marks in the arena left by you."
"Yea... I suppose so," he chuckled nervously while scratching his head, "Well I couldn't sleep at all. I'm sure you noticed me trying to figure out more about the PIC on the computer as well."
"Yes, I did," she sighed, "Anyways, after class I'll have Maya take you to your new temporary quarters, alright?"
"So that's how we're doing it? Sounds good to me. By the way, where are we going?"
Chifuyu then turned to open a door to a room full of office desks. "The teacher's lounge. Here, I can talk to you in privacy."
"Hm? You have something else to talk to me about?"
"Is that a problem?" she turned to him, which she could tell the scowl she put on sent a cold shiver down his spine.
"N-No... not at all," he answered as they both walked in.
Tina leaned back on the shower wall as the hot, warm water sprinkled all over her. Aaaahhhh... that feels so much better she relaxed with a smile while she wrapped her arms around her chest. What was with that dream though? She wondered while it kept playing back through her head in a looped fashion. Was I supposed to learn something from it... or just remember better times...
Tina's head sunk while a small frown covered her face as the water dripped down it into the drain. I.. can't do what he said. I can't forget about him. She started giggling to herself, though she was confused as to where this sudden silliness had come from. Just look at me... here I was supposed to just observe him... and yet I let him get this close to me. I have to admit I was surprised though at how fast daddy and him got along with each other. The memories of when he went with her to visit her family brought a warm feeling to her heart. That was also when he was first revealed to the entire world...
She remembered how her father had brought the two of them up on stage in front of the White House after the government had finally decided it was time to show the world their newest "toy." I still re-call how nervous we both were in front of all those people and cameras she smiled while her hand rested on her chest. Tina herself could still remember how Arthur had a cold shiver that day, or how funny it was to watch him try to get in a tuxedo... or how tightly they both held each others hand while they were up on stage. She let out a deep sigh as she decided to start covering herself with soap. Maybe I should just try to distract myself for awhile... If I do nothing but think about him, I'll never be able to keep my sanity she pondered until an idea popped in her head. Maybe Rin can think of something for us both to do today! She reassured herself as she slapped her hands together.
"All right then! I'll meet up with her after class and see what we can do!," she shouted with a confident smile. After all... Rin's finally getting to go on a date with Ichika. I should try to support her as much as I can!
Tabane trudged up the road as she kept looking at all the country homes on both sides. You know I'd feel at peace here... if it wasn't so hot! She groaned to herself as she felt the beads of sweat drip down her face. Even at night, there's barely a cool breeze... what I wouldn't do for some A/C right now. Her feet still ached from the two mile long trek she had to make to wherever it is Arthur had sent her. That kid better have deep pockets she growled to herself because he owes me a new rocket pod!
She finally came across a mailbox with the right number she was looking for, which made her heart leap full of joy. Ugh... finally I've made it here. When she saw the rock road that led from the steel pipe front gate all the way up a hill to a barn on the top, her head hung down in exhaustion. "Seriously, what is with this place and the long walks?!" she complained as loud as she could. When no obvious response came, she started to continue walking her aching legs up the road. I hope whoever lives here has a nice bath or pool to soak in she giggled to herself excitedly. And a looooooot of soda! With her good mood restored, she instantly took off up the road at zipping speeds.
Ichika managed to somehow keep his lunch from falling off it's tray as he sat down at a spot on the arena's stands. As soon as he did however, he found the 5 usual girls who stuck around him trying to sit as close to him as possible. Of course as to his expectations as well, the moment he tried to go after his food, each one offered a piece of their own as if on cue. Seriously guys, I get being friendly... but this is getting ridiculous... Ichika sighed as they all stared to him awaiting his response. He knew he couldn't stomach to hurt their feelings, so he took a bite from each of them, leaving them all with caring smiles.
While they tried to talk to him, he found himself looking over to Arthur who had come back with the class later and decided to sit on his own away from everyone else. Is he really going to beat himself up over this forever? He thought as he felt a frown come to his face. I feel sorry for the guy... he's probably beating himself up pretty badly over it, if what Charlotte said was true.
Ichika was about to get up, but saw Charlotte herself had already started her way over to Arthur to see if he was okay. At least when she sat down near him, he seemed to perk up a bit, which brought some relief to Ichika.
"Huh, Charlotte seems to be getting along with him quite nicely," he could hear Houki mutter as she looked over to the two of them.
"Yes, I agree... though I cannot understand why she puts herself near that boy," Laura growled as she took a bite out of an apple.
"I seriously don't understand what it is you have against him," Ichika said as he turned to her.
"It's because that boy has proven to be nothing but trouble," Cecilia added out of the blue, "Yesterday was just another thing to add to the list of reasons why I don't personally like him either."
"Y-You too, Cecilia?" Ichika asked surprisingly.
"But of course... to go to all the trouble of getting that thing set up, then for him to just back out like that. It's incredibly rude and inconsiderate."
"Right, because you are just brimming with consideration and empathy for others," Houki added sarcastically.
Cecilia scowled towards Houki, who quickly returned the favor, until Chifuyu's voice interrupted everyone's conversations.
"Alright! Today we've decided to treat you to watch a battle between representatives! The only thing is we'll let you all vote over who should fight in a two on two battle!"
"So consider your choices carefully!" Miss Yamada added with a smile.
Ichika suddenly felt a couple of dark auras around him send a shiver down his spine as Laura and Cecilia quickly raised their hands. "We'll both fight Ma'am!" Cecilia shouted then pointed her finger over towards Arthur, "As long as HE is our opponent!"
Ichika could tell Arthur was very agitated by the remark as he continued chewing on a french fry. "Sorry, but I don't think that'll be possible," he said as he swallowed.
"Nonsense," Chifuyu interrupted with a smirk, "That shall be determined by your classmates. What do you all think?!"
Many of the girls in the stands cheered until he saw Honne pop up with Yuzu as well. "Why don't we let Miss Dunois be his partner as well?! She's already right there!" they both said with deceptive grins.
"M-M-Me?!" Charlotte stuttered with a ruby red face as she looked around frantically.
"I guess I've got no choice..." Arthur sighed after a while as he got up then offered a polite hand to Charlotte, who willingly accepted after a couple seconds. Before they walked off towards the locker room though, Arthur glared back at Cecilia and Laura with a scowl that made Ichika's spine shiver yet again.
"Why is it you both want to fight me so badly?"
They both smirked as they walked off to the other end of the arena to get to their launch bay. Arthur narrowed his eyes before shaking his head and followed after Charlotte. This... probably isn't going to end well Ichika figured with a sigh as Houki put a hand on his shoulder.
"You know it's probably better that everything gets settled now, wouldn't you agree?"
"Yea..." he agreed, "I guess it is."
Charlotte finished slipping into her flight uniform as she heard Arthur slam his locker shut on the other side of the row.
"I'm sorry you had to get caught up in this Charlotte... I'm sure you would rather not fight Laura," she could hear him say in a depressing tone.
"N-No no, you do not need to be... after all, it is just a practice match, yes?"
"Yea, I guess so," he sighed, "It looks like I'll probably be the center of their attention. At least that way you won't be targeted as much."
"You're saying to use you as a decoy?" she replied surprised.
"I don't see why not. That way you can work your magic," he chuckled as he came around the lockers to see her. She blushed slightly when he stopped and his eyes seemed to gaze at her in her skin-tight suit.
"Y-You... can stop staring now," she said nervously as she cradled her chest with her hands.
"Y-Yea... sorry," he blushed while looking away.
"You're a pervert, you know..." she muttered while she turned around.
"Heh, the way I see it that's better than saying you're ugly or something like that."
"That's... true I suppose," Charlotte answered as she felt her face blush intensely.
"W-Well, I guess we should get going to the launch bay," he said after a few seconds of awkward silence between the two. As he walked past her though, she felt a question burning within her that needed to be said as she grabbed his hand quickly.
"Charlotte? Everything alright?" he asked with a puzzled face when he looked back her way.
"Well... what you said earlier..."
"Hm? Earlier? You mean about our battle strategy?"
"N-No... about me being your... childhood friend," she said as her face looked up to his with a nervous frown.
"What about it?"
"Did... Did you mean what you said?"
The tension had skyrocketed over the next couple of seconds between the two before Arthur let out a deep sigh. "Yea... I meant every word of it."
The bluntness of his reply made her gasp slightly while she let go of his hand. "O-Oh... well um... thank you, I suppose."
Arthur merely made a slight laugh as his eyes stared into her own. "Well, consider the fact that you're a peacekeeper, which is a rare find."
"A... peacekeeper? How is that?"
"Well I mean just look at how you handle things. When I see you along with Ichika and the others, you always seem to be the one to calm the situation down. That's not a talent many have... you should consider that," he said with a sincere smile.
So... you think I am special? She thought to herself joyfully. "You should stay like this you know," she uttered as he stared at her puzzled.
"What do you mean by that exactly?"
"This... nicer side of you. Everyone can get along with you when you're like this. So why don't you stay like that?"
"I wish I could," he chuckled as he started walking off ahead of her.
What does he mean by that? She wondered with a sigh. It's really such a shame... He's a lot like Ichika in a way, yet... he's also very different.
Arthur finally made his way to the middle of the launch bay then let out a deep breath of fresh air. We're really gonna be at a huge disadvantage with this being my IS of choice... with it's condition I'd probably be better off piloting a mass production Revive model from the school. At least then I'd be able to give Charlotte some fire support...
"U-Um Arthur, is everything alright?" Charlotte pondered out of the blue.
"Huh? O-Oh yea... everything's fine," he stuttered while he looked around the launch bay. "Damn," he muttered under his breath.
"Is there... something you need in here?"
"Sweet relief is more like it," he said with a deep sigh as he shook his head. Seriously, what the hell's Chifuyu thinking putting me against these two?! Especially with no weapons on this thing!
"Looking for something?" Chifuyu's voice echoed from out of nowhere. They both turned in surprise to see her with Miss Yamada on a screen above them.
"Well yea, I'm kind of wondering how exactly I'm supposed to fight back," he answered back puzzled.
"What do you mean by that, Arthur?" Charlotte asked with a raised brow, "Your Gabriel has enough weapons to fight back, right?"
"Problem is," he shrugged, "I don't exactly have the Gabriel on-hand."
"... Eh?" she gasped in disbelief as one of her eyes twitched, "W-What... does that mean?"
Here I thought we'd be keeping it a secret for a while, but I guess not he frowned to himself as he materialized his new IS around him.
"W-When did you get a new IS?!" Charlotte asked in astonishment as she gazed at it from top to bottom. He could tell her eyes had some degree of worry in them, but paid it no mind.
"Only recently... unfortunately this thing doesn't have any weapons, and the ignition boost won't work with the experimental PIC. So a decoy is really the best I'm gonna be able to do for you."
"I-I-If that's all you had... why did you accept their request in the first place?!" she spat out while hitting her face with her palm.
"Don't worry, Dunois. I wasn't planning on letting him fly that machine in the battle. It wouldn't be on equal terms," Chifuyu interrupted as a segment of the bay's wall opened up to reveal Arthur's Striker in a deactivated form. "We've also reloaded all of it's weapons as well. As a student of the IS Academy, you are allowed the usage of our ammo stockpiles within the armory to keep your weapons at maximum efficiency."
"Huh, you don't say," Arthur considered with a satisfactory smirk, "Even the spares?"
"Of course."
"Ohohoho, this is gonna be fun," he chuckled sinisterly as he slapped his hands together.
"A-Arthur, are you going to be okay?" Charlotte nervously giggled.
"Oh, I think I'll be just fine," he replied in a sinister tone and hopped out of his new IS, "Just need to switch the cores back and we should be good to go." Immediately he went to typing on the holo-keyboard to open up the spot where the core lay inside. "By the way, if you could keep this IS as our little secret, I'd really appreciate it," he said with a wink.
"Y-Yea, sure..." Charlotte answered as she materialized her own customized Revive.
Arthur found himself pausing his typing as he looked over at Charlotte in her rather ornate orange-colored Revive. She actually... looks kind of cute in that thing he thought as he suddenly tried to clear his throat, "That's... quite a nice machine you've got there. It looks better in person than in the images I saw."
"Images? What do you mean?"
"C'mon, you really don't think we sent Tina here first just because we finished her IS before mine, did you?" he smiled while getting back to transferring the core.
"Y-You mean she spied on us?!"
"The way you say it, you make it sound like every other country doesn't do the same thing here. I merely wanted to see what the competition was in case I got pulled into any fights, such as now."
"Well... who has she gathered data on so far?"
"Only the ones who make their fights well known... basically Ichika and you five."
"I... guess we did garner a lot of attention didn't we..." she scratched her head rather embarrassingly.
"If it makes you feel any better, out of all the observed people, I found you to be the one who would probably be the strongest."
"M-M-M-Me?! A-Are you sure you don't mean Laura perhaps?"
"Non-sense. She may have her AIC, but out of all the others you by far have the most capability to adapt to any situation, while also being cunning enough to make your enemies think you harmless via your charm."
"My... charm?" she questioned while blushing slightly. "Y-You think I have a... charm?"
"You know this would be really touching if everyone wasn't waiting on you two to get ready to launch," Chifuyu growled over the intercom which made Arthur and Charlotte both freeze still.
Guess I kinda forgot she was there huh... he figured as the center chest piece finally opened to reveal the shining IS core within. "Alright alright, just gimme a second and I'll have this all ready," he said as he slipped the core back into his Gabriel, and watched the machine hum back to life. He then laid his hand on a segment of it's leg armor as the armor itself changed to his personal dark blue color. "That's right partner, you recognize me don't ya?"
"Why is the armor shifting colors? I've never seen an IS do that before."
"Just a program I put in myself. It doesn't exactly change it's parameters or anything, I just thought it looked cool."
"I...If you say so," she seemed to say sarcastically.
"Now," he started while he climbed up into the Gabriel and the armor grafted itself to him, "Time for one last bout, old buddy."
"Now that you have that, what do you think our strategy should be for those two?"
"Hmmmm... considering her AIC and cannon... along with Alcott's sniping ability from all sides, I'd say there's only one thing we can do really."
"Oh? What do you suggest?"
Arthur only smirked as he walked up to the center of the launch bay where he could clearly see across the arena Laura and Cecilia eagerly waiting outside their own. "We do what we do best," he snickered as he materialized two Jormungand bazookas on his shoulders, "We run n' gun."