Infinite Stratos: Recollections
A/N: New chapter for this one! Thank god for watching Samurai X series and playing Dynasty Warriors 8, I finally have an idea where this fic is going, well I already have the idea but this one refers to the Orimura clan's intended actions and goals, since it felt too empty that I was just spamming chapters without much thought to where they are going to.
Expect some OCs here, mostly the other members of the Orimura clan that lived before the collapse.
That's it for now!
Disclaimer: I don't own Infinite Stratos (except my OCs), it belongs to Izuru Yumizuru.
How to make him smile: part 3
6:30am.
Day two of the training of the prodigies on how to cook.
(BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM)
"This faulty oven is too bothersome!"
An angry roar coming from Chigusa echoed from inside the kitchen of the main mansion, then a flying oven broke through the wall and smashed on the wall in the corridor.
"The flame of this stove is too dim, must get more firepower!"
The sound of flames grew larger reverberated before an explosion happened. Then Saya went out of the kitchen carrying a flame thrower and then threw the incendiary weapon on the hall angrily.
(SHING)
A dozen of cutlery pierced through the walls and stabbed themselves on the floor, roof and the wall of the corridor.
Misaki with her ever expressionless face went out of the kitchen and looked at her doing.
"…."
As if losing interest or to be precise struck by laziness, she just went back inside of the kitchen without taking back the cutlery she caused to ricochet out to the corridor.
"Finally finished with the gathering…"
Fresh from the Supply warehouse is Chifuyu with a wheeled cart in tow where inside is kitchen necessities like ingredients. But if one is to look closely, some out of place things are mixed in there, like a coil of barbwire, a canister of gasoline, a jug of cyanide, blow torch, red paint.
After Chifuyu entered the kitchen, then came in Chisaya and Yuuko who are also carrying a push cart with a pile of sacks dripping blood on the floor.
"Are you sure we have the entire meat list completed?"
"Calm yourself, I'm still checking."
These two just butchered assorted species of animals and inside the sacks they are carrying are the meat of those animals they slaughtered.
"We have; Cow meat, Pig meat, Bear meat, Crocodile meat, Sheep meat, Goat meat, Buffalo meat, Kangaroo meat, Elephant meat, Anaconda meat, Tiger meat, Lion Meat, Panther Meat and lastly Shark meat. Yeah, we have all what is in the list." Chisaya folded the piece of paper and then slid it on her pocket.
As to how these two acquired these animal meats, no one knows, but clues about it started appearing in the television, most specifically news about missing zoo animals.
Minutes later…
Shiori, the aunt and current culinary teacher of the six girls "cooking" the kitchen, went for a short walk after teaching her nieces rigorously about kitchen techniques. She learned from yesterday that she should have been specific and in-depth with her teaching. So today that is what she did and after her nieces showed signs that they get it, she was confident and decided to leave them in their work.
Right now, Shiori is heading back to the kitchen, feeling really relaxed and confident.
"Now let's see what my nieces have accomplished."
Unfortunately her pleasant feelings flew off the window…
"What did you girls do to the kitchen… and what is with the butchered wild life here!"
Shiori started screaming when she saw a totally thrashed kitchen with her nieces covered in various sorts of substances. Chifuyu was covered in crude oil, Saya looked like she went through a firestorm, Chisaya and Yuuko who looked like they swam in a pool of blood, Chigusa splattered all over with cooking oil and Misaki looked like she got showered with ashes.
The attendants who are waiting by the corner just sweatdropped when they heard the exasperated screams of their mistress Shiori while she scolded her nieces.
(Scene Change)
Courtyard outside the main mansion.
After taking a bath, obviously because of their messy appearances earlier, the six prodigies sat on the grass while putting on serious contemplating faces. Their thoughts of course lingered on their failures in the kitchen. The six are really bothered by it because no matter how hard they try to understand the techniques and lesson taught to them, they somehow always mess it up.
"What faulty kitchen tools we have, that is why my cooking always turns up bad."
"Honestly, with all the wealth we have at our disposal, all we have is those defective kitchen appliances."
"Let's just have the servants order some again."
"Not just the tools but it is also the fault of the manufacturers!"
"After my mission I will pay their factories a visit and then teach their workers a lesson!"
"… I agree…"
Even worse about these six girls, is that they blame the tools for their failure.
But on another note, it seems that this three have come to an agreement with each other, they don't seem to be disagreeing with each other, an absolutely rare sight to see.
Chigusa, Chifuyu, Misaki, Yuuko, Chisaya and Saya would always use every second in their lives to insult each other whenever they have the chance. It was like these six are meant to be each other's enemies.
But now, they are in unison, agreeing with each other in the current topic they are in, which are their cooking escapades.
"How do we even prepare for the picnic if we can't even prepare one dish!?"
Chigusa screamed while scrunching her black raven hair.
"Why don't we kidnap some of the famous chef in the world and have them cook for us?" Saya said while lazily rolling on the grass.
"Negative. It would defeat the purpose we are intending to achieve here." Misaki responded with a straight rebuff.
"As much as I hate to admit it but I agree with Misaki, we can't have Ichika eating the filth those pest outside make." Yuuko responded with an absolutely disgusted look on her face. It seems that the thought really disgusts her.
"And as a rejoinder, we can't have our aunt and the servants cook the food for us…" Chisaya just added more to the problem.
With seemingly, no other options left to take, the six seemed hopeless now.
But before the thoughts of giving were nearly entertained by their minds, Chifuyu immediately stood up and declared her determination to keep going.
"If you five plan to give up, then go ahead. But I'm not one to shy away just because of failing! I will keep going until I have created a dish that Ichika will surely love."
The response however to Chifuyu's declaration were blanks faces from the five.
"If what you make is at least edible then I'll buy what you said. But with your cooking, even bacteria can't live in them; your cooking is just too deadly for any form of life." Chigusa threw her first insult of the day.
"Don't start with that, your cooking is classified as hell-level waste." Then Chifuyu made a counterattack.
"Futile, all of you have clear lack in cooking, just accept your worthless fates and crawl under a rock…" Then Misaki joined.
"You soulless prick!" Then Yuuko.
"Stupid bitch!" Then Saya.
"Fucking whores!" And then Chisaya.
The pleasantness of the prodigies being slightly friendly with each other is now over after just one jeer. Now another squabbling is bound to happen and worse another battle.
Luckily, someone arrived to put a stop to the brewing battle.
"Oh! You girls are here… what timing."
The six prodigies who were already set to battle each other froze on their steps after they heard the drowsy voice of their aunt Shizuka. Their always drowsy aunt staggered to courtyard and sat there too. Shizuka is no doubt a beauty, top to that she is pretty lazy and almost never threatens anyone unlike her two sisters Izanami and Minazuki. She more suits her little sister Shiori in terms of attitude. But that similarity is just skin deep, Shizuka is just as deadly as her sisters and that fact is well remembered by the family
"…."
"…."
"…."
"…."
"…."
"…."
The six began to shiver in fright because their aunt Shizuka began to close her eyes, threatening to fall asleep.
Shizuka falling asleep is a disaster in the making, because the moment her rest is disturbed, she goes berserk and would literally tear anyone apart that had the misfortune of being close to her….. Well save for her sisters Izanami, Shiori and Minazuki and her nephew Ichika.
Problem is the six prodigies aren't included in that exception, even her two daughters Misaki and Yuuko. In fact these two have already experienced her wrath before. Both accidentally disturbed her while they were quarreling, what happened after that is the two of them being beaten into a coma for a week.
"Oi… you six… any luck with your culinary training?"
The six nearly scampered away when Shizuka lazily turned to them and asked a question.
"…."
"…."
"…."
"…."
"…."
"…."
The six were frozen, Shizuka was not putting on any attempt to intimidate them but they are already afraid of her.
"Eh? No answer?"
Shizuka's eyes began to slowly open wide, indicating her irritation is slowly building up. If no one answered her, at best they can leave this with a few limbs intact.
"W-We are still in the process…"
Chifuyu stuttered out.
Luckily that made Shizuka's eyes closed back.
"Ehhh…. Try and do better… I really can't stand seeing my nephew so sad now…"
Shizuka listlessly said while swaying like she was about to collapse at any time.
"H-How did you know mother?" Yuuko asked while being careful with her words.
"Shiori told me… actually I think that might work because Ichika loves spending time with his family… but I don't think that'll happen because Shiori said that the cooking you six have been making were really bad."
The six felt very defeated just hearing that and what is even worse is that they heard it from Shizuka; they felt that their pride just got stained.
"Well even if you six fail in this one, you will still have your chance at making him smile later on…"
The six were suddenly curious when they heard that from Shizuka.
"What do you me-"
Saya wanted to ask but Yuuko hurriedly covered her mouth.
"MMMM!"
"Shhh… Quiet!"
Misaki shushed everyone, because Shizuka just fell asleep.
"Let's quietly sneak away from here…"
Misaki whispered as she slowly backed away while keeping a keen eye on her sleeping mother. Everyone of course followed without question and began to slowly tip-toe away from the sleeping demon.
When they got away from the vicinity of Shizuka kill-zone, on the long pathway on the main gate to the main mansion, the six began to catch their breath.
Being close to a sleeping Shizuka caused them so much panic that they nearly stopped breathing because of it. Fear was still evident on the faces of the six for a few minutes before they finally calmed down and slowly regained their composure.
"That was close." Chifuyu said while wiping the cold sweat that formed on her forehead.
"If one noise were made, we would have been beaten down to a pulp there." Yuuko said while trying to wipe out the pale expression on her face.
It took the six a few more minutes before they completely recovered and with their composure back. The six lingered back to what Shizuka mentioned earlier.
"We would have a chance later on? What does she mean by that?" Chisaya said while cupping her chin.
"Somehow I feel ominous about that." Yuuko added.
"… I'm guessing my mother had something planned again…"
Chigusa made that statement and every one of them assumed serious expression. There is no doubt about the validity of Chigusa's claim. The feeling of something this ominous can only come from the planned schemes of the matriarch of the clan… Izanami.
"You're right about that…"
Again the six felt an extremely oppressing presence constrict them to their places. They turned around and saw the person they were just talking about, the matriarch of the clan, Izanami Orimura.
"I'm guessing that Shizuka already informed you of that, saves me the trouble of trying to explain it to all of you."
Izanami walked towards the six and stopped right in front of them. Though she looked divine in her golden yukata, her beauty is heavily overshadowed by her malice.
"Since Ichika has been cooped up in here for so long now… It has been decided that… for a temporary time… he will live in the city for a change of pace."
That shocked the six girls to the fullest extent. That is something they did not expect to hear at all, from Izanami no less. But no matter how much denial they try to cover it up, it was as a clear as day what Izanami just said. She is letting Ichika; live outside the territory of the Orimura, to the wastes she considers where humans dwell.
"But… that can't be good… I'm against the idea!" Chigusa disagreed vehemently.
"I am against it as well!" Chifuyu also expressed her disagreement.
"Nothing good will come of it!"
"Out there is a pile of filth! He doesn't belong there!"
"Disagreement, it is better for him to say inside the Orimura territory."
"There is no clear benefit for Ichika in that venture!"
Yuuko, Saya, Misaki and Chisaya have the same sentiment as Chigusa and Chifuyu.
Izanami just laughed when she heard the answers she expected, she knew that they would act like this. But still even if she herself is against it, this was the only solution she got that can cure her son who has been depressed for days now.
"There is no other choice… That is the only alternative we have left. But as consolation, me and the six of you will accompany Ichika whilst he lives there and of course the guards will also come with us."
Izanami maliciously smiled when she said that.
"Besides, I already arranged a suitable place for us the stay in the city of Kyoto."
Immediately after being told of the solace of the unusual circumstance, the six found it very tempting and were forced to a quick accepting.
Already knowing what the six are thinking about, Izanami nodded and just left. But before vanishing, like she always does, Izanami left one statement that the six didn't expect again.
"Try to train harder in your culinary training… not that I'm expecting anything from you six, I just want Ichika to be happy."
The six almost thought that Izanami was encouraging them, but then again that thought is only for the extremely naïve. There was no way that a person of complete malice like Izanami would never do anything that would associate to being good. But since this involves Ichika, she has dared to venture on such foreign actions.
""""We will not disappoint you.""""
The six said at the same time while saluting.
Izanami just smirked before she left.
"You better. Because if you disappoint me… you will dearly regret it."
After leaving a threat, the matriarch has vanished like a ghost.
"Back to them kitchen." Chifuyu uttered and the five nodded.
The six then ran forward or rather back to the kitchen to once again resume their culinary training.
(Scene Change)
7:45pm. Main mansion.
Ichika had been left alone in his mother's room. Izanami was here earlier but she only came to tell her son to wait here for her, because she had to attend a meeting. She told him that some of their relatives were coming for a meeting and that she had to attend.
Ichika was so interested when his mom mentioned that some of their relatives are coming for a visit, he has never met them before.
Temporarily forgetting about his depression, Ichika decided to venture out of his mother's quarters to look for the visiting relatives.
Ichika knew exactly where to go despite the vastness of the main mansion, though he doesn't know the directions he relies on tracking his mother's presence. That method was much more convenient because Ichika can clearly sense his mother's aura even if the distance between them is great.
But today he is having trouble narrowing it down. The main mansion seems to be surrounded by other powerful auras, though not as powerful in intensity as Izanami aura, it was enough to confuse Ichika who still hasn't honed his senses yet.
"Oh? What's a little boy doing here?"
Ichika turned around when he heard a voice.
Standing behind Ichika is a large bald man, his attire is that of a Buddhist monk and was a little torn on the hems. The man had large intimidating build, standing over six feet before Ichika. This man is one of those persons that emanates a powerful aura that clouds the main mansion.
"Are you lost?"
Despite the scariness of his presence, he spoke kindly to Ichika and gently placed his large hand on Ichika's head.
"I'm looking for my mother."
"Who is she?"
"Izanami Orimura."
The man showed a brief shock when he heard Ichika's answer.
"So you are her son… Now I understand."
The man nodded knowingly before he removed his big hand on the little boy's head.
(So this is him, the miracle born from the union of Izanagi and Izanami. Though he didn't inherit much of his mother's presence, instead he has his father's power.)
This thoughts circled in the man's mind before he stretched his hand to Ichika.
"Come with me. I'll take you to her."
He offered Ichika help which he accepted question.
"Anji… hurry up were going to be late… Oh? Who's that with you?"
Behind the two, is a group of persons, all emanating tremendous aura.