A/N: Some movements at work, makes me too busy to update. And I'm sorry I haven't had a chance to reply to all my reviewers. Will do so throughout the week :)
Meanwhile, enjoy the new update, and review please. Have a joyous weekend, everyone!
Sunlight glinted off the polished hood of the dark sedan, as it meandered around curves on the winding road. Hands resting in her lap, Mai sat up straight and alert in the leather interior of the car. While her violet eyes were fixed on the passing greenery outside, her mind was filled with thoughts that she could not voice out. She chanced a quick glance at the driver, the elderly gentleman with greying hair, before looking away. Since entering American soil, she had no certainty who was friend or foe. Coupled with the language barrier, it was like fighting a boxing match without gloves. All grit, with no substantial power or backing.
But when she thought about Natsuki, she felt that she could push herself a bit further. If not for her best friend and savior, she would not have the courage to face the unknown by herself. Her heart twisted with a pang, but she swallowed down the emotions with decisiveness. Yes, she missed her friends, and her family back home. Mikoto, Takumi, the familiar culture and environment…
Natsuki needs me here, she reminded herself firmly, and not for the first time. It's what best friends do.
She hadn't told Natsuki, but that night as she stood in her room looking out of her window, it dawned on her that Natsuki wasn't telling the whole truth about her accident. The three of them - Nao, Natsuki and herself; they were discussing the terms of Natsuki's art scholarship, and about her mother's improving condition. Staring out the same window that Natsuki had claimed to have seen her, Mai had known without a trace of doubt. There was no way that Natsuki could have seen the junction where the accident occurred. No way that she could have seen the truck coming down too fast. No way that she could have reacted fast enough to reach Mai before she walked into certain death.
Mai concluded that whatever had happened that day, it had more to do with Natsuki than a blessing of chance and luck. It was an indisputable fact that Natsuki had saved her life back then, and that was the only thing that Mai needed to know. No matter what Natsuki did, or how she knew, she would always stand by her friend. And she also intended to do everything in her power to return the favour, to help her friend out when she suspected her to be in trouble.
The thing about Natsuki, Mai mused, was that the dark haired girl kept everything to herself. This attribute of hers had stubbornly persisted since the first day they had met. While Natsuki quietly got involved with helping others, she had seldom shared her personal problems with her friends. She could readily give up her personal time to help out at Mai's ramen shop, but Mai doubted that she would call out for help even if she was on the brink of drowning in an open ocean.
The violet eyes blinked back into the present, when a warm hand encompassed her own. She looked up to see Saeko smiling at her in a motherly fashion.
"I think we've reached our destination, Mai-chan. Have you gone on a journey without us?"
Mai blushed as she hurriedly got out of the vehicle from her side. "Sorry Saeko-san. Please wait, I'll assist you in a while."
She joined Joseph as he was opening up the trunk of the car, maneuvering the wheelchair out. Between the both of them, they soon got Saeko settled in, and Mai was wheeling her up the pebbled path.
A few days had passed since their meeting at the hotel restaurant. Upon Saeko's last request, Joseph had been very still and silent. He had carefully weighed the earnestness behind Saeko's plea, and had then suggested that perhaps, they should make the trip down to see for themselves.
Meanwhile, Mai was completely clueless to what Saeko had meant by "giving her daughter back". She thought that it was something related to Natsuki and the past that she had forgotten. Perhaps something here would jog the memory of her friend or explain the cause of her amnesia?
But looking up at the whitewashed, fortified walls, and the ominous presence of guard towers surrounding this unmarked building, Mai began to fear for both Natsuki and Saeko. Something was not right. Unless Natsuki's past involved something bigger, something more sinister, something that required the use of heavy weaponry and barbed wires.
Is this place trying to keep the world out? Mai wondered to herself. Or trying to contain something within?
"Are we at the right place, Saeko-san? Should we turn back?" Mai asked the older woman, while eyeing Joseph suspiciously again.
Saeko too, had her brows furrowed thoughtfully. "Joseph," she called out. "Before we go any further, does this have anything to do with my daughter?"
The older man was a little way ahead of them, already signaling to one of the guards to open the gate.
"My dear Saeko," he answered, bidding them forward. "This has everything to do with your daughter. It was built for her, under the Searrs Foundation name."
The two women exchanged worried glances. Saeko took a moment to collect herself, before nodding for them to proceed. The trio was ushered by black suited guards through a side door. Fluorescent tubes overhead lit up the long corridor, a vacuum of emptiness encompassing them as their footsteps echoed on the cold linoleum floor. Mai spied several security cameras trained on them, with their red LED lights glowing like silent sentinels.
"This place is heavily guarded," she commented casually. "Where exactly are we?"
Joseph gave her a reassuring look. "Relax, my dear." He said as he ambled forward to punch in a set of numbers in a side panel. A heavy set of steel doors slid open at the end of the corridor. "The security is a necessary evil, to preserve the sanctity of this research facility."
As they stepped through the door, they found themselves in a glass dome that was lush with greenery. Vines hung tastefully off the walls, while tropical trees and flowers filled the dome with a welcomed, earthy scent. The air was cool and moist, an indicator that the entire ecosystem must have been expertly controlled by advanced technology, as such an environment could not have existed indoors.
"Welcome to Garderobe Life, the research arm of the Searrs Foundation." Joseph introduced.
Mai and Saeko marveled at the spectacle before them. The research facility must have spanned several acres of land. There were linkways and corridors leading to other areas, and several other structures beyond the dome that they could discern. In contrast to the empty, high security corridor they had passed, the dome was bustling with activity. People in white coats mingled about in a central open area. A few buggies sped past with deliveries. The overhead announcement system called for a certain personnel to report for duty.
Just as they were wondering where they were headed to, a young woman with cropped blue hair approached and greeted Joseph. Her dressing stood out from the white coats; she wore a sleeveless shirt, exposing her lithe, pale arms, pairing it off with casual slacks and suspenders.
"Doctor Searrs." She acknowledged.
"Miyu," Joseph nodded. "These are our guests. They are here to see Alyssa."
A flash of hostility crossed the pale features of the girl, before she turned towards them.
"You must be Saeko Kruger, and Tokiha Mai." There was no expression in that voice. Neither was there an inflection in her tone to indicate that it was a question. Her stance was less than welcoming. Instinctively, Mai strode forward and placed herself in front of Saeko.
Joseph rested a gentle hand on the blue haired girl's shoulder and shook his head. "Miyu." He cautioned. Turning back to the two women, he explained, "I apologize for the brusque behavior of this child. She is just over-protective of Alyssa."
"Apology accepted." Mai answered, even as she crossed her arms and tilted her chin up challengingly at the newcomer.
Joseph shook his head once more, this time in a more amused manner. "Come, let us proceed. Miyu, child, please lead the way."
Miyu nodded curtly, sparing Mai a glance before marching towards a passageway that led to another part of the building. Joseph fell into step with the two women as they made their way across. Despite her frosty attitude, Miyu moderated her pace to suit her guests, maintaining a comfortable distance away.
"Miyu Greer is my adopted daughter. She is a good kid, just… not very good with social skills."
"You got that right." Mai muttered under her breath. Joseph chuckled, "Her bark can be worse than her bite. She means you no harm."
Saeko was silent the rest of the way. Joseph paused to look at her worriedly from time to time, but she would just smile to indicate she was fine.
They rode up an elevator, which took them to the top of a tower-like structure. The floor expanded out in a disc-like fashion. It was jarring when the lift doors opened, and they stepped into what was obviously the living quarters of somebody, which spanned the entire floor. Windows surrounded the circular room, with a panoramic view of the greenery outside.
There was an excited bark, as a huge bundle of fur streaked towards the two women. Mai was taken aback when a wolf-dog reared up high, and placed his paws on Saeko's shoulders. It gave another happy bark and Mai was ready to snatch Saeko away from under the large animal.
"Duran? !" To Mai's surprise, Saeko laughed and hugged the furry animal. The dog gave an answering bark and proceeded to lick Saeko's face enthusiastically. "Oh my goodness, look how you've grown!" Joseph looked on with fondness at the reunion. "Alyssa preferred to call it Artemis, or Arty for short."
"Artemis? Is that your name now?" Saeko continued cooing. "Natsuki would love to see you again."
At the sound of Natsuki's name, the dog shook off Saeko, and bounded about on the floor, thumping its tail excitedly, as if expecting the dark haired girl to show.
"Natsuki is not here, darling." Saeko commented sadly. "Perhaps another time."
"Natsuki onee-sama?" An angelic voice rang out. The adults all turned their heads towards the voice.
There stood a young, petite girl in a dark blue frock laced with a white collar. Her blond fringe was pulled back by a black ribbon. As she surveyed her guests, her light blue eyes shone with anticipation.
"A-Alyssa…" Saeko breathed. "My baby…"
Mai almost sprained her neck muscles as she whipped her head back and forth between the blond hair girl and Saeko.
Natsuki has a sister she doesn't know about? She thought incredulously.
Alyssa walked hesitantly towards Saeko, a tiny frown on her face. Miyu was about to step forward to intercept, with her arms outstretched.
"Alyssa…" Miyu shook her head, conveying her anxiety in that single word.
"It's alright Miyu." She reassured with a child-like innocence, a smile at the edge of her lips. "I know this person. She's my mother."
"Alyssa!" Saeko called again, and wept when the young girl stepped willingly into her embrace. "I thought I'll never see you again. Oh, my poor baby. I'm so sorry… so sorry…" She sobbed into the girl's blond hair.
"It's okay, okaa-san." Alyssa stated matter-of-factly, as she gently pat her mother's back. "Papa Joseph told me all about it. Bad people were after you and Natsuki onee-sama, that's why you had to leave in a hurry."
"Alyssa has always been matured beyond her age," Joseph commented affectionately. "She accepts the ways of the world easier than most adults."
Mai looked on, jaw slack from disbelief. "How?" She finally burst out asking.
Joseph looked at her sadly. "They have been separated for ten years, since Alyssa was still a few weeks old baby. Saeko couldn't take her and run, not with Natsuki already. So she entrusted Alyssa in my care."
"But, I don't understand… Natsuki never mentioned having a sister?"
"Natsuki lost her memories." Saeko explained, as she wiped the tears from her eyes. Alyssa smiled at Mai, then reached over to hug her huge pet dog, which gave a bark of contentment. "I only told her that there was a car accident, and her father died. I'm not sure how much she remembers. But I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't recall she had a sister. She hardly saw her, before I took her out of the country."
"Who were you running from?" Mai asked, concern etched deeply in her furrowed brows. "And why?"
Saeko and Joseph shared a look. "We have a good idea of who. It's the why part that we are trying to solve now."
Joseph took a seat in a nearby chair, looking a little weary.
"Richard, who is Natsuki's and Alyssa's father. We suspect that he must have stumbled across something that he should not have." Joseph rubbed a hand tiredly across his face. "His death was concluded by the authorities as a case of misadventure, although they also didn't rule out suicide."
"Richard valued life above everything else," Saeko asserted vehemently. "He would never have taken his own life."
"I would have been in the dark today, if I didn't come across a seemingly unrelated event many years ago." Joseph continued, "And if Saeko and Natsuki hadn't returned now, to put all the clues together so that it finally made sense."
Joseph's POV
It was a few years after Richard's untimely death. Alyssa couldn't have been more than five or six. The Searrs Foundation was growing strong in its medical business. Maria Graceburt and I continue to run arts events, charity events, and the like. I recalled that Richard and I had become acquainted at an art event. It was one of our common passion, the arts scene.
I hadn't heard from Saeko and her daughter since the night Saeko had shown up at my house and begged me to take care of her baby Alyssa. All those years, there were rumours that both of them had died in the same accident. While I was certain that they had left the country, I worried about the fate of Alyssa's remaining family. It was unlike Saeko not to contact me, especially since Alyssa was still in my care. Hence, I had sent Yamada and John Smith to Japan, to try and locate Saeko and her daughter. It was later on that I found out Saeko had not been well.
Alyssa – she really is my pride and joy. I hadn't known what's missing in my life until she came along. I didn't feel lonely at all, with her around to keep me , most times I felt guilty, that she had to spend so much time with an old man like me. I had hoped she could find a friend of her age once she becomes old enough to go to school. She is always so cheerful and full of innocence. She likes to sing all the time.
Even at a young age, Alyssa had the uncanny ability to differentiate people with kind intentions and the people who might do us harm. She would tell me, in her child-like ways, whom she liked because they were very nice, and who were "the bad people" to stay away from.
I love Alyssa as I would, my own daughter. She is very special to me. But I think, Saeko, even you wouldn't have known how special she truly is.
I was taking Alyssa and Artemis for a walk in Central Park. It wasn't unusual to run into shady characters in the park, and we try to avoid staying out too late. Having Artemis around was often handy in deterring unwanted attention. That day, while walking through a secluded path, we came across a young girl lying curled up and trembling on the park bench. Her long hair was in a mess, and covered her face. She was dirty and in ragged clothes. I immediately took her for a junkie and told Alyssa to stay away. I wanted to steer them on to another path.
But Alyssa, strangely, refused to budge. She tugged my sleeves and told me to stop.
"Papa, we have to help her," she had said. "She's dying."
I took a look at the girl on the bench again. I tried to explain to my little girl. "Alyssa dear, the girl is probably addicted to drugs. There are many people who waste their lives away like that. It's a very bad thing." I pointed to the girl's body. "See the way she shakes? It's called withdrawal syndrome. She needs her fix, but she's not going to die. I will call someone later to help her, alright?"
Alyssa had stood her ground. For some reason, she started to cry. She kept telling me we had to help the girl, the girl was dying. Artemis, who would usually bark at threats, was also sniffing quietly around the girl.
Since Alyssa had begged me to stay and help, that was what I did, with great reluctance. I took the arm of the girl, intending to carry her to a hospital or clinic nearby. To my greatest curiosity, there were marks across her arm, like dark scars in starburst patterns. It didn't look like the typical needle scars from drug users.
The girl was mumbling incoherently at that point, something like a chant.
"… and we are all flowers. We go with the wind. Where it takes us, we go. To vanquish our enemies."
True to Alyssa's prediction, the girl stopped breathing after that. I shouted for help, about to carry her away. But Alyssa stopped me. And then she did something unbelievable.
She took the girl's hands in her tiny ones and began to sing. It was the tune of her favourite song. Her sweet voice was so haunting in the stillness. An unknown wind began to sweep around us.
And then, her blond hair started to glow. I fell backwards onto the ground in shock. I couldn't believe my eyes. My little girl, she looked truly like an angel, surrounded by a halo of light.
As she sang, even the dead girl started to glow as well. And in the next instance, after Alyssa had finished her song, she fell to the floor unconscious. The long haired girl was no longer dead. She stood up from the park bench and carried my daughter up like she didn't weigh a thing. And Artemis let her, instead of springing to Alyssa's rescue, like I thought he would.
She told me her name was Miyu. Miyu Greer.
The marks on her arm were gone. She said that she didn't know what happened. She wasn't a drug addict. She was an orphan, who was trying to make ends meet. She had volunteered to take part in an experimental drug, in exchange for cash. The medicine was supposed to increase the strength and speed of humans, it was meant for military usage. If it had worked, she wouldn't have to worry about her livelihood ever again. I had heard of no such thing, nor of the company who was running the clandestine program and providing her with the dosage.
Alyssa was unconscious for days, and Miyu never left her side. In time, more and more people like Miyu turned up in the news. Most of them died. The media had called it an epidemic. I wasn't so sure.
When Alyssa was well again, I set up a new research facility. I wanted to know what was behind the so-called epidemic. I recruited more scientists and researchers, doctors and caretakers. I took in some of the people with those symptoms. I am a doctor too, and I took part in the research myself. The subjects, they all behaved like they had lost their minds. The same chants. The same signs of drug addiction. We tried to treat them, care for them. They didn't last very long.
Then weeks later, it had all came to a sudden stop. There were no more new cases. It was as if whoever was behind it went underground.
What information we had, was very little. Miyu continued to display attributes of inhuman strength and speed, but even that waned over the years. I diversified my research into other areas, into pharmaceuticals and cures for diseases.
But Alyssa. Alyssa is a mystery. But I have no desire to probe. That was the one and only time she had displayed that inexplicable phenomenon. Up till now, I don't know if it has any lingering side effects, even though she seemed well.
I only knew I had to protect her from the world. If anyone else knew what she could do, she will be exploited. Miyu would protect her. I kept my research facility, expanded it and increased its security. I feel like a terrible father for imprisoning his daughter within man-made walls.
Saeko could you please tell me, why Alyssa is the way she is?
I hadn't think that this event had anything to do with Richard or his death. Until recently. When Saeko told me what Natsuki had found. When Miyu told me the mysterious drug had a street name. It was called…
"… Windbloom." Natsuki pondered aloud. That was the last missing piece of the puzzle.
When she had dialed the number of Garderobe Security Services, she hadn't known what to ask.
"… hello, how may I assist you?" The voice repeated, with a tinge of annoyance.
"That depends," Natsuki fibbed. "What kind of services do you offer?"
"Look, lady. If you didn't have such a sweet voice and all, I would have pegged you as a dirty old man and hung up the phone."
"No, no! That's not what I meant!" Natsuki added, flustered. Shizuru and Nao watched with amusement as their friend frantically waved her arm around in rebuttal. "You see, I was given this number, by my… uh, a friend. He might have left something for me."
"Sorry, kiddo. We don't do lost and found." The voice on the other line deadpanned. Natsuki felt her disappointment mounting. "However, if you are interested in bodyguards, private investigators, things you want to safeguard…"
"Yes, yes! Things I want to safeguard! Do you have one of those?"
"Yeeeesss…." The voice was hesitant with skepticism. "Do you have an account with us, ma'am?"
"Um, try Richard Kruger."
There was a pause, with the typing of keys in the background.
"I'm sorry, we don't have such a client in our database."
Natsuki was ready to pull out her hair in frustration. "Natalia Kruger!"
"Please wait a moment." The sound of more typing. "Ah, yes. Thank you, Ms Kruger. For security reasons, please provide your birth date and social security number."
Natsuki rattled off the information, excited that the lead was finally going somewhere.
"Alright, Ms Kruger. Please make an appointment with us to view your safe deposit box. Look for me, Chie Hallard. That's C-H-I-E, Chie."
"Thank you, Ms Hallard. How about this Saturday."
"You're welcome, Ms Kruger. This Saturday's fine, so that's a date!" The voice on the other line became much warmer. "Oh, and it is standard procedure that I remind you. You would need a password and key to enter your vault. Please remember to bring the key."
"Uh… yeah, sure. Thanks. See you then."
Before they had left Nao's apartment, Shizuru had suggested that Natsuki bunk in with her for the time being, since somebody was obviously tailing her. Natsuki had refused at first, until Nao pointed out that Shizuru had a point. She couldn't go back to her apartment now.
"Besides," Nao had whispered as she pulled the stubborn Natsuki aside. "You need a friend to help you, pup. Seeing as how I'm out of action for the time being, and Mai is doing God knows what. Just take it that you're helping to watch over each other's backs, alright?"
Natsuki had finally relented, after much consideration. She didn't want to go back to her apartment, and neither was she willing to leave Shizuru's side. She had the irrational fear that Shizuru would end up being the next target like Nao. Truth be told, she also needed an extra person to figure this out together. That couldn't be so bad, right?
"Will you stop pacing already, you're making me dizzy." Shizuru complained from the living room couch.
Or not. Natsuki sighed.
"… Windbloom." Natsuki repeated. "Some kind of flower? Blossom, blossom…"
"Awesome possum." Shizuru finished.
Natsuki ignored her, as she resumed her train of thought. "Blossom, blossom…"
"Awesome bosom."
"Wha-?" Natsuki spluttered, turning red. "Shizuru! You make a terrible poet. A dirty minded one at that."
"What?" Shizuru shrugged innocently. "It rhymes."
"Well, at least help me out here. What am I going to do at the vault later, if I don't have the key or password?"
"Repeating the word Windbloom, is not going to make the password miraculously appear before your eyes, Natsuki." It was Shizuru's turn to heave a sigh, as she got up from the couch. She reached out to cradle Natsuki's face firmly, keeping her ruby eyes on her.
"You have a key, the one Saeko left for you to open the box." Natsuki nodded mutely. "And for all you know. Windbloom is the final password. That's all you got. That's all you can do. So. Stop. Freaking. Out."
"Will they arrest me if I got it wrong?" Natsuki asked, her mouth quirking up in a smile. She knew Shizuru was right. There was nothing else she could do, but try and wing it. Even after asking her mother about the strange text, Saeko had been just as clueless, but had promised to find out more. It was just that Natsuki wanted to see what her Dad left behind. So badly.
"No, they will just turn you away. Then we would need to hire some cat burglar to get you what you want." Shizuru supplied helpfully. "Come on, it's time. Grab your coat, we gotta go."