Voices of the Present
Discovering: Part V

Best Friends Forever

Sunday, Nov 26, 2006 late evening (POV: Rokujo Miyuki)

"Miyuki, you've been a ruthless bitch these past three weeks."

Rokujo Miyuki smiled across the table at her dearest friend, Shizuma, and took a sip of her tea. The two sixth year Miator girls were sitting at a small table in the center of Miyuki's room, a table which the pair had carried with them for nearly six years. The tea service, a gift from Miyuki's first roomkeeper senpai, had likewise been part of their lives for just as long. The bonds between the two girls ran deep, and pretense was usually unnecessary. That said, when it came to what drove Shizuma, Miyuki had slowly learned discretion over the years. It had been Kaori's greatest gift, gently mentoring Miyuki by example on how to subtly manipulate Shizuma to her will without the latter even realizing it. Miyuki had never been nearly as effective at it as the dearly missed younger girl, but Miyuki had been careful and patient. Miyuki wasn't sure if the game was up, but she suspected it might be. The stakes were high, and the gamble equally so, so it wouldn't surprise me. I had to throw all my cards on the table, so it would have been hard to miss. Still, until she confirms it, it makes sense to play coy.

"Whatever do you mean, Shizuma?"

"Where did you learn to play me like that? How long have I been a puppet on your string, Miyuki? You didn't learn this from me, and I know all the arrows in your quiver. It was Chikaru, wasn't it? This is her style, and you've always been too close to the Shadow Empress for your own good."

Okay, games up. Ah well, all good things come to an end. It looks by her calmness, the fact she's here talking reasonably rather than scheming my destruction, that she recognizes my intentions and the objective I was after and, if the events at the gate are any indication, achieved. "In answer to how long, it started when Mizuho-chan and Hitomi-chan reported how you and Nagisa-chan were gelling in the greenhouse. In answer to who, no it wasn't Chikaru-san. In fact, she's been my tool, a willing and helpful accomplice."

"Can you be so confident, Miyuki? Chikaru is oh so subtle. She's the only one, at least until now, who has fooled me at Astraea Hill. Have you been played as well, perhaps?"

Her dismissal of my abilities is annoying. Time to rock her world. "I can be foolish, Shizuma, but I'm not a fool. It goes back further than even Nagisa-san's arrival here. Who else played you like a finely tuned harp?"

Shizuma looked puzzled for just an instant, then turned pale and put down her tea cup with a slightly shaking hand before looking up at Miyuki. "Kaori?"

"I gave it away choosing Kaori's instrument as the metaphor, didn't I? You weren't the only one close to her, Shizuma, although you were the center of her existence, I assure you. She worshipped you, and wanted more than anything for you to be happy. She knew from the start her greatest enemy, the thing most insistently preventing her goal, wasn't her illness...it was you. So she fought you for your own happiness, despite yourself, with all the skills at her disposal. She had a willing accomplice-apprentice, and I did my best to learn from her with the time we had. After she died, I selfishly hoped I could fill the space she left. We already have established how well that went."

"I'm sorry, Miyuki," Shizuma's eyes dropped down to her lap.

"I know. What's done is done. Anyway, only when her letter appeared to both of us out of nowhere did I realize how far off course I had gone. She was writing as much to me as she was to you, Shizuma. It was a reminder to me of my promise to her, made just hours before she died when you took a break from her hospital room to see to biology."

"Your promise?"

"To ensure you found love again. She somehow knew someone would come along, someone who, like her, would make you happy as naturally as breathing. I don't know if it was a crutch she used to face her own impending death, or if somehow in her final days she already had some connection with eternity. Either way, she made me promise I'd force you past your irrational hold on her memory and into the arms of someone who would come after her."

"I never knew," Shizuma said as she wiped away a tear.

"You weren't meant to," Miyuki likewise wiped away tears. "This was a conspiracy between two women who shared a common bond, a love for you that transcends everything else. In Kaori's case, I'd say even death itself given that letter and Nagisa's appearance. I know you're an agnostic, but after nearly six years in a Catholic school I assume you have heard something about the Catholic concept of the Intersession of the Dead. The Shinto system has some similar elements, hence why Catholicism has done so well in Japan. I personally believe I see Kaori's hand in Nagisa, although I certainly wouldn't expect you to believe that too. It's helped me accept Nagisa's role in your life and your heart...and why I would never have been able to fill that space." The last was said at barely above a whisper.

Silence ruled for a long time as the two girls just pondered the words and events finally shared. Shizuma broke the silence. "I should hate you for this, you know. Classify you as a threat and seek to destroy you."

"That would be our aristocratic breeding and training."

"Am I right that you were fully aware how you were using Suzumi-san."

Miyuki had the good grace to look guilty. "Absolutely. The Étoile election was the only trap that would have drawn you out of the depression you had buried yourself in. Tamao-san was the only partner for Nagisa, and more so, she was the only one in Miator, at least, who could challenge you eye to eye without even blinking. She's an amazing young woman, actually, and unless you completely and publically veto it, my chosen successor as Miator President. I didn't expect you to let it go as long as you did. I thought you would have dragged Nagisa off during the dance training, or at the very last during the beginning ceremony of the election. I thought for sure the plan had failed when you stormed off, hence why I called for you to come back. It never occurred to me that you'd come in at the end like you did. I set you up for it, but that flourishing yank on Tamao-san's chain at the moment of the election results announcement was all yours."

Shizuma winced. "Nagisa has lectured me about that already."

"Good. It makes me feel better about what I did. Again, call me a religious fool, but I still think Kaori's spirit is somehow caught up with that girl."

"That sounds horribly morbid, Miyuki-chan, but then again she seemed to gain two years of confidence just in the time it took us to make our way to the coastal mansion. Let me assure us both, however, that Nagisa is uniquely Nagisa. And yes, to answer your next question Miyuki, I do love her. With all my heart."

Miyuki closed her eyes for a few moments, then opened them, smiled, and sighed. "I needed to hear you say that, Shizuma. I want more than anything for you to be happy, and if Nagisa can bring you happiness, then I am happy as well."

There was nothing Shizuma could say to that, so she mercifully chose to move the discussion on. "It will be an interesting road, though. She won't give up her love for Tamao-chan, insisting she can stand by both our sides. She knows I don't share well at all, but she has asked me to trust her. And I do trust Nagisa. What do you think of Tamao-chan, should I trust her? You know our history."

Miyuki poured herself some more tea and took a sip. "That depends on how tightly you want to bind your new prize, Shizuma. I will say that I am depending on her. Apart from your status, training and upbringing, and two years, in her own way I sense Tamao-san is your equal. We saw that three years ago. I fully expect her to outshine me over the next two years. I intend over the next four months to teach her everything I can in that short period of time. I would hope to engage you in her training as well, but only if you can do it without trying also to destroy the girl." Miyuki paused to sigh and sip her tea again. "With the graduation of our rather talented class at Miator and Shion over at Spica, there is a dearth of remaining leadership in both the traditional sources for it on Astraea Hill."

"I'll admit I haven't been paying as much attention as I should have the last year. Shion is right that I wasn't the Étoile I should have been. Still, I thought Spica had a promising crop of talent coming after Shion, the ethics of Kenjō-san aside."

Miyuki put down her tea cup and rose to stand at the window, looking out into the darkness in the general direction of the schools. "The new Spica E'toile are sweet girls with good heads," Miyuki began, talking toward the window loudly enough for Shizuma to hear, "and Amane-san is certainly a talented athlete who inspires quite a following, but neither are currently leadership material as I see it. Hikari-san has potential and the time to develop it if I can convince Shion to teach her something useful before our graduation. Even so, she'll at the very least be green. Tsubomi-chan is still too young, but she's going to rule Spica in another three or four years, mark my words. I'm also intrigued by Kiyashiki-san, who looks to be Shion's new pet despite my severe misgivings about that little viper, and just as curious why Kaname-san has apparently fallen off the Spica map. Despite the reservations you mention, she was my best bet on Spica's future next year before she apparently flamed out in the tennis match with Amane-san. As much as Spica can be annoying, I do hope they sort themselves out in the next few months." Miyuki remained at the window but turned her head to face Shizuma. "Regardless, I'm depending on Tamao-san of Miator. As they say, Nature abhors a vacuum, and as much as she is my friend, I am not comfortable with Chikaru of Le Rim filling it alone."

Shizuma smiled widely. "Well said. I did teach you well. I'll add that I wouldn't write Amane-san off so easily. She isn't the rubber stamp for Shion that I expected she'd be. I may see what I can do with her." Shizuma looked thoughtful for a moment and Miyuki allowed her the time to process her next words as she turned back to look out the window. "Okay, under the general heading of keep your friends close and your enemies closer, I'll follow your lead with Tamao-chan. Just realize, if she ceases to be the wise and honorable girl who deferred to me when teaching Nagisa French and dance, I may turn without warning. I will not lose Nagisa to anyone, not ever, not even to someone as reportedly kind-hearted as Tamao-chan. I'm pretty sure Nagisa realizes this, and she really does love Tamao-chan, so I trust her to not allow her roommate to provoke me."

Miyuki turned around, leaning back against the window, facing Shizuma. "I didn't realize the definition of 'wise and honorable' is deferring to you."

"Then I have been remiss in your training."

"Need I remind you again, Shizuma, that we are of equal status? The Emperor may be your cousin, but he is mine as well by only one more generation."

"This has nothing to do with status, Miyuki."

Miyuki smiled and returned to her previous seat. "It's so good to have you back, Shizuma. The real you of all our years together. I know my role in your life is fading, but I hope you'll always remember me fondly."

"Miyuki, this is something else I'm learning from Nagisa, and that is to appreciate trust, and friends I can depend on. Nagisa has an amazing collection around her, and I envy her the unconscious ability to collect blind trust that way. Just look at how that Le Rim girl made a point of hugging Nagisa before running off to rejoin Chikaru. I have very few people I will ever trust without reservation at my back, and one of those is you. I realize it may not sound romantic, but you of all people should realize the compliment that is."

Miyuki felt the tears run down her cheeks, and trusted herself only to nod. Damn her, why is it that she can always do this to me. I feel 12 years old again.

"Miyuki, I realize after what I did to you weeks back that you may not be able to trust this is meant in the manner it is intended, but I was wondering if you would mind me sleeping with you tonight…for old times sake."

Miyuki wiped her eyes with the back of one hand. "You just want a distraction from the fact that right now Tamao-chan and Nagisa are alone together and you can't control those events down the hall."

"I would be lying if I denied that. Still, it should mean something to you that I'm still willing to be vulnerable around you, even after demonstrating you can manipulate me so well."

"Could it also be I'm the only one you don't think Nagisa would be threatened by?"

"You mean that you're safe? Nagisa would be foolish to believe that. Still, if she has Tamao-chan then I'm not above clinging to my own childhood best friend."

"I love you, Shizuma," Miyuki said as she slid over to her best friend and laid her head against Shizuma's chest in the same manner as she had 5 years previously.

"And I you, Miyuki. Thank you for being the one friend through it all that I can trust at my back. No matter what life brings us, we'll always have that."

Miyuki just clung to Shizuma and softly cried as silver hair fell into her face and she felt herself held close.