By the time Tsukiko was halfway across the room, she realized that Saya had already placed herself between the mystery woman and her niece. Tsukiko recoiled slightly at the look in Saya's eyes, anger illuminating them. Reluctantly, her stance changed, and Tsukiko took a few steps back, looking back at the woman who introduced herself as the Queen known as Farah. The woman's eyes dimmed back to a more natural color as she reached out to touch her Chevalier's shoulder.
"I told you this was not the best of ideas," he said, his accent heavy.
"So little faith in your maker," she chuckled, seemingly unfazed by the incident. "I knew that the older one would be the most reasonable. Wisdom and age and all of that."
Farah locked eyes with Tsukiko, and she didn't miss the unspoken threat or the power hidden behind that smile. This woman was ancient, and the smile told Tsukiko that she never stood a chance. A fear filled her body with a numbness that made it hard for her to move until Saya took a few steps forward that put them face to face.
"You will learn to reign in that impulsive attitude of yours," her aunt told her. "I did not spare your life just to see you throw it away on a rash decision."
Tsukiko was startled to feel tears start to form, confused by the emotional overload. Saya walked past her, and she followed, rubbing furiously at her eyes before the tears could manifest fully. Hoshi had already sat down at the rectangular table, sitting to the right of the other end of the table. Saya took her seat at the head, and Tsukiko finally fell into a seat at Saya's left.
"Your Chevalier is more than welcome to join us," Farrah said, lifting a small bell. "He would be able to do his job much better here than he would lurking in the shadows.
Tsukiko heard the creak of a vent before seeing Haji descend from the ceiling, landing gracefully before taking his place next to Tsukiko. She had the distinct feeling that she was being babysat, and she did not like it at all.
Farah tilted her wrist, the bell sounding in a few bright, clear notes before another pair of doors opened and several carts were brought out. The waiters rolled the food they carried to Farrah, forming a small caravan as she picked and choose what she wanted, a separate waiter coming around the table to offer tea.
"I am sure you are curious about why I called you out like this," she said. "I promise, I hold no ill will for any of my kind. Or theirs, for that matter."
A flare of her hand indicated she was referring to the waiters. Tsukiko's eyes widened at the casual tone and the direction of the conversation. Farrah saw the look on her face and laughed.
"Oh, dear. These are my personal wait staff. I trust them as I trust Salim."
"So, they know we are Chiropterans."
Hoshi's tone irritated Tsukiko. Her sister was adjusting to this development far too easily. Looking at her across the table, Hoshi was busy picking out pieces of bacon and fresh fruit, her attention not even on their would-be hostess.
"That they do, my dear. I have been in charge of a safe zone of sorts for those Chiropterans who see humans as more than food or foe. Those that have been hunted by one group or another."
Her disdain for Red Shield was made clear by the flat tone she took and the narrowing of her eyes. Farrah took a sip of her tea before placing the cup on the table without a sound.
"Which brings me to why I called you here. My fellow Queens, are you interested in bringing some order to this chaos and helping me with my vision?"
"Which would be?" Saya asked, ignoring the cart at her side for the moment.
"Establishing a world where humans and Chiropterans coexist, of course."
Hoshi was glad her fork hadn't made it to her lips yet. Otherwise, she would likely be in the same coughing fit as her sister. She shifted back in her seat to try to take everyone's faces into her line of sight. As Tsukiko struggled to rein in her coughing, Saya's eyes narrowed slightly and Farrah continued to eat as though she'd not said anything particularly out of the ordinary.
"Are you out of your damned mind?"
Trust Tsukiko to be the diplomat.
"Give me one good reason that such a state is not a valid option," Farrah said, her voice growing more serious.
Hoshi silently begged her sister not to take the obvious bait. Saya finally turned her attention to the pastry cart, taking several before handing over another plate to be laden with eggs, sausage, and bacon. Looking back at Farrah, Hoshi glimpsed Haji's face, wondering if he would show anything regarding what he thought of the situation. Of course he wouldn't.
"Chiropterans are monsters!"
Of course she took the bait. Hoshi hid a smile within the teacup, amused at how well she was coming to know the people around her. Farrah, however, was not.
"Then perhaps I should kill you now and help mankind, hmm?" Farrah folded her dainty hands. "Have you forgotten what you are?"
"But we…"
"Are different," Farrah said, chuckling dryly. "Indeed, you are. As are all the females of our kind. Because within us is the entirety of our race. So, my dear, as long as you exist, there is always a chance that more Chiropterans will be made."
Hoshi watched Tsukiko struggle with the simplistic analysis before looking to Saya. Their aunt seemed to be sitting this conversation out, at least for the time being. She, on the other hand, had one too many questions.
"You say the humans and Chiropterans coexist in this safe zone of yours, yes?"
Farrah nodded, returning to her meal now that the confrontation with Tsukiko was over for the moment.
"How exactly does that work? In practical terms, I mean."
"Well, I do a lot of the funding to make sure that the media is controlled and the local police are trained in methods of dealing with rogue Chiropterans. Not all believe we can live in harmony with each other, so some do wander into the area in an attempt to do away with what has become the status quo." Farrah's smile turned slightly malicious. "Few of them expect me to be pulling so many strings.
"As far as government, economy, and politics go, I try to keep out of it as much as possible. The key, you see, is for humans to not see you as a threat. Not to their lives or their livelihood. I advise and I loan money at fair interest rates, but I do not intervene with how things are run."
"So a trust has been built."
Saya's voice was heavy with thought, and Hoshi wished for a moment she could read minds. Saya was one person she could not get a clear read on.
"Over the past century or two, yes," Farrah replied. "My offspring had grown to the point where we either had to go our separate ways or begin to integrate with the humans."
"Offspring?" Saya asked.
"Oh, not actual children. I have never and will never bear children. Even if the Chevalier of my twin still existed, I could not violate my relationship with Salim. When I say my offspring, I refer to those whom I have changed, either into Chevalier or into Chiropterans."
"Wait," Tsukiko interrupted. "You two are lovers?"
Hoshi burst into laughter, drawing all eyes at the table. It took a moment as her airy giggles finally died down and she wiped the tears with a napkin.
"Of all the things to pick up on," Hoshi said, another bout of giggles threatening to erupt, "that fact is the one you cling to?"
Tsukiko blushed violently before looking at everyone, ducking her head down a little.
"It's just…I mean… that seems like a lot to give up," she mumbled.
Farrah shrugged. "Considering the fact that I can live with the man I love in harmony, it is a small price to pay. I have those that consider me a mother, both human and Chiropteran, so I have more than most could ever hope to achieve.
"Which is why I need your help to get to the bottom of this King business."
The jovial mood died down once again as Farrah's eyes glowed once more, and Saya sensed the anger radiating from her across the table.
"I am sure you are aware that is the reason we are here to begin with," Saya said once she had finished her mouthful.
"Indeed. But my request is a little more specific. I would like you to persuade him to join my cause or kill him. I genuinely do not care which so long as your Red Shield does not end up with his remains."
"But why me, when you obviously have the power to end him yourself?"
"Purely selfish reasons. The few of us who are still around do not want to be discovered. Which you two have made infinitely more difficult. Furthermore, I must remain accessible to my children and people. I can't very well go off gallivanting after some hypothetical threat. Finally, because, my dear, you are the Un-Proclaimed Queen."
She'd been dreading the day when she would hear that term again, groaning a little. Farrah chuckled at the sound.
"I do not envy you your task in all of this, my dear. However, considering that much of this mess was caused by your sister, I suppose it is only natural that it falls on your shoulders to clean up the mess."
"And I thought it was over with her death," Saya muttered.
"You underestimate what a busy queen bee she was. I have watched this saga between you two play out for some time, but I was not going to get involved until it proved to be a threat to me and mine."
"So what made you decide to interfere now?"
Farrah's tanned hands cradled the cup gently as, for the first time, her eyes looked down at the table.
"Guilt and a growing sense of responsibility as I was the one that killed your mother."
Silence filled the room, and Saya wasn't entirely sure how to feel. With the loss of many of those she had once cared about, the loss of an unnamed mother seemed like an easily forgivable thing. Still…
"Why?" she asked, her voice soft.
"Your mother and my sister had been fighting over territory when your mother bested my sister. She sent her head to me in a burlap sack." Farrah's voice sounded as though she'd eaten something rotten, and Saya knew the memory was still vivid for her. "In a fit of rage, I sought revenge. I was not the first with such a thought since all of my sister's Chevaliers also fell to your mother. She was a powerful Queen."
Farrah stopped to allow Salim to pour her another cup of tea. At least, it could have been tea. But the color was too dark, and her nose knew that metallic scent all too well.
"At any rate, I only had the upper hand because I attacked her at home, where she least suspected it. It was a long, drawn out battle, but one of her Chevaliers betrayed her in the end. Cost him his life. Still, he insisted that he bury her himself, so I allowed him to. I never thought for a moment she was pregnant. I did not add up all the details until I saw a picture of you."
Farrah finally lifted her eyes up to meet Saya's, and she was startled to see the subtle determination and sympathy there.
"I do not know if I did you a favor or cursed your existence, but things stand as they are. For whatever it may be worth, I am sorry that I was such an impulsive youth."
Saya shook her head softly. "If my mother had lived to raise my sister and I, we would have lived an entirely different life, and I am starting to find a peace where I am right now. I…I thank you for your truth and your apology. But I can't mourn what meant nothing to me."
A simple nod, and Farrah picked up her fork and returned to eating.
"So, you just came up here to tell us to keep doing what we were already doing?" Tsukiko asked, not even bothering to swallow the food she was chewing.
"I came up here to make sure that the young Queens were aware of what is at stake for our people," Farrah answered, pushing her plate aside and taking the napkin off her lap. "If this King exists, I can only presume that he would be able to mate with Queens…perhaps any queen. This King could potentially be the key to a new stage in the evolution of Chiropterans. He could be just a hoax. Whatever he is concerns all of us. And I intend to offer what resources and assistance I can to ensure that he does not fall into the wrong hands.
"A lot is riding on this mission of yours, little Queens. You may yet prove yourself to be the leader our people have needed to unite them, Saya. Heaven knows that no one else desires the job."
She chuckled to herself over the idea as she helped herself to one of the pastries on the table, nibbling at it daintily before Hoshi cleared her throat.
"I hope you won't think me too rude, but may I ask just how old you are?"
Her green eyes turned upward for a moment before she looked at them.
"I believe I will be turning 1,489 this year," she mused, as if trying to recall some random fact. "I rarely think about it these days."
Somehow, Saya found herself feeling younger than she could recall feeling since she had lost her memories and believed she was sixteen. It was extremely disconcerting.
Tsukiko felt horribly conflicted as they took their leave from the breakfast. The first thing Saya told them was the last thing she'd expected to hear from her aunt.
"No one else will know about this."
Keeping secrets from David wasn't such a big deal, but from Kai? Wrong was an understatement for how she felt. She shot a glance over Saya to see Hoshi giving away nothing. It wouldn't be a surprise to Tsukiko at all if Hoshi was fine with the situation. At the very least, she was handling it all a lot better than she was.
All her life, all she'd done was train to destroy Chiropterans. Granted, it was her choice, but the fact remained that it was deeply ingrained in her being that they were the enemy. She had something to fight, and fighting was what she was good at. Her grades were never that good during the period when she and Hoshi had to go to school. Kai had never stressed over the poor reports, always encouraging her to find something that interested her. She was a physical person, and she loved the thrill of the competition. In a lot of ways, for her, fighting was the ultimate win-lose scenario. If she no longer had a foe to battle, then what could she do?
Tsukiko sighed, understanding that it wasn't that she wanted to believe that all Chiropterans should be hunted down. What she really wanted was a purpose, and she was afraid that the changes in her life were slowly stripping both purpose and people from her.
Well, today had been quite the series of revelations. Hoshi walked away from the meeting with quite the different dilemma in her thoughts. First of all, she found herself with a solid respect for Farrah, although she was uncertain whether she liked the woman or not. Time would tell if she had any ulterior motives, but the breakfast had been pleasant enough. The Queen didn't have to go out of her way to play nice, especially considering how much power she must have lingering beneath the surface. While Hoshi still deeply appreciated and respected her aunt, the age difference between Saya and Farrah let her know that there was much they did not know of the world. The scholar in her wanted to linger in Farrah's presence and pick her mind about history and policy, but the practical side of her knew that being alone with the unknown Queen was the stupidest thing she could do.
Part of her was skeptical about the effectiveness of a Chiropteran settlement that coexisted with humans, but it was undeniably possible. She need only look to the bond existing amongst their group to know that it could work. So, the only logical conclusion is that it could work on a much larger scale…
"I don't like this," Tsukiko muttered.
"Neither do I," Saya admitted. "But I know Red Shield enough to know that this is information they cannot get. If they learn that other Queens still exist… I cannot imagine the bloodshed that would ensue."
"Why do you still work with them then?" Hoshi asked.
"Because I feel obligated to finish what I started," Saya answered. "Farrah was right about that much. I freed Diva. I failed to stop her for so many years. She is my kin, and so I am the best choice to end what began with her blood."
She sounded exhausted. It wasn't until they boarded the elevator that Hoshi started to feel it as well.
"I think I'm overdue for a treatment," Hoshi said. "I'll excuse myself from breakfast. I need to think anyway."
"I will be in touch with both of you later," Saya told them just before the elevator doors opened. "We need to decide what to do ourselves."
Saya and Haji parted ways, letting Hoshi and Tsukiko walk alone to their room. Neither spoke until the door was closed behind them.
"Could we just tell Kai?" Tsukiko asked. "Lying to him is…"
"Necessary," Hoshi said, clenching fists briefly. "I don't like it at all either, but Saya is right. For now, we have to keep this to ourselves. If there is a group of people living out there peacefully, do we want to be the reason Red Shield destroys their lives?"
Tsukiko shook her head no as she went to the fridge and pulled out one of the pints of blood kept there. She tossed it casually to Hoshi before she went back to the door, her hand resting on the handle.
"I wish things could go back to the way things were."
"I know," Hoshi replied, cradling the bag in her hands. "But we have to grow up sometime."
She offered her brown-eyed twin a gentle smile, and was glad to see Tsukiko return it. As strained as their relationship had been, it was good to know that it wasn't damaged beyond repair. They were still family first.
Hoshi fished in her bags for a moment, looking for the transfusion equipment when she stopped. Slowly, deliberately, she straightened up and turned t look at the pint where she'd placed it on the table. Curiosity had always rattled her, and she'd never thought of giving into it until now. She took the bag into the bathroom, holding out one of the glasses kept there. She shifted a nail and used the newly created tool to slice the bag open before she thought too much about what she was about to do. The contents went into the glass, and Hoshi immediately felt her senses come alive as the smell of blood filled the room. Lifting the glass, she swirled the thick liquid around for a moment before tentatively bringing the glass to her lips and tilting it back.