Note: Sekirei belongs to Sakurako Gokurakuin and the only thing I own here is my OC.
"Brother, I am here!" Yukari just straight up walked into a room that I guess is her brother, ignoring the common curtesy of knocking. "I am surprised; I'd have thought you'd live all alone and dirty."
"Yukari?!" A male voice asked incredulously.
"Yep! You should be more careful, your door was open." She gave a light hearted laugh.
"W-why are you here?"
"…Didn't you ask me to bring clothes?" Yukari asked him, surprised. "And anyway, is this how you treat your precious little sister you haven't seen for a year?"
"I-"
"Although to be honest I am here because I got accepted into the Shinto Teito University but I kind of didn't want to rub this in your face."
"You just did!"
"Oups." Yukari laughed. "Hey, so who is this here with you?"
I knew it, I thought as I took a deep breath. Takami is going to be pissed…
"Yukari, is everything alright?" I walked in, finding Yukari standing beside fairly tall man who…wait…I've seen this guy earlier today. "You…?"
"Ah! The person I ran into this morning!" The young man exclaimed. "I am so sorry about running off before I learned your name."
"Ah, Lady Rei!" Now this voice I definitely know. "It's nice to see you again!"
"Hello, Musubi." I nodded my head slightly. "I see you found who you were looking for?"
"Yep!" Musubi grabbed her Ashikabi by the hand, the poor guy turning red as he found his hand buried deep in her cleavage.
"You two know each other?" Yukari stared in confusion between us. "Does she work for MBI too?"
"No." I silenced Musubi with a glance. "We merely met each other before, nothing more."
"Musubi you know this person?" Minato turned to his Sekirei and whispered to her, trying to be inconspicuous but failing terribly.
"Yep! Lady Rei is very strong and she helped me before and she's a very good friend of Lady Karasuba!" Excitable Musubi as always didn't bother lowering her voice. "Oh wait. Isn't this where dis-cre-tion is used…or something?"
"Erm, yes I guess." Minato tried to laugh it off even as Yukari stared at the duo suspiciously. Thankfully, he was saved by his cell phone that rang out, breaking the growing tension.
"Who is she, really?" Yukari whispered to me…as much as she could whisper anyway with me being a head and a half taller.
"She is Musubi and trust me, that is all you need to know." I silently tried to convey to her that it's best she doesn't keep digging. Her brother is already in this mess, Takami will go berserk if her daughter winds up involved too.
"Hmph. Fine." She pursed her lips together and then bounced over to Musubi. "Hi, I am Yukari, Minato's sister!"
"I am Musubi!" Musubi looked like she wanted to add more but then caught herself and laughed nervously.
"I see," Yukari narrowed her eyes at Musubi, studying her clothes even as the hapless Sekirei stood there, completely lost. I smirked beneath my mask. To think Yume's container is so helpless…it's ironic.
"We are going shopping!" Yukari suddenly called out, interrupting Minato's phone conversation and my own musing.
"Huh? Wait, then I'll come to-" Minato looked wildly over from his phone.
"Stupid brother, you can't come." Yukari grinned and suddenly was behind Musubi, groping her as the Sekirei squeaked. "There are stores only us girls can enter you know."
"Ooh…" Yukari's eyes rounded in shock even as Minato muttered to himself, not knowing what she was talking about. "What size is this, F? G? These are huge…"
"Anyway, I am borrowing Musubi for a bit, see you later brother!" And just like that we were suddenly standing on the street before a red Minato.
"Be careful, it's your first time here." The boy called to Yukari, worry in his eyes.
"Tch, I already have Rei here for that." Yukari muttered as we walked on. "It's frustrating how he treats me like a kid."
"Oh? And weren't you calling yourself his little sister just minutes ago?" I grinned, Takami's kids were funny.
"Whatever." Yukari frowned as we walked on.
"Minato is a really gentle person." Musubi smiled dreamily.
"Well…true," Yukari grumbled. "But aside from that he's got no redeeming points."
"My adjuster told me once," Musubi looked to the sky with a smile. "There is no strength or will without gentleness as being gentle is the hardest thing. I really like gentle Minato."
We were silent for a minute after that, Yukari slowly reddening while I smiled, looking into the sky. It seems like Musubi is a truly a fitting vessel for Yume, her persona…I think if Yume was to take an apprentice like me and Kara, it would be no other than Musubi.
"I…I actually like that about him too." Yukari finally whispered, more to herself than anyone else. After looking up to see us both stare at her she reddened further before stating.
"Erm, but beside that he's just a bum." She laughed, rubbing her hair in embracement. "Still, I am envious; I'd like a boyfriend too…"
"Well, there are a few male Sekirei…"
"Musubi." I interrupted her sternly.
"Ah, sorry!" She waved her hands in surrender before frowning. "This dis-cre-tion thingy is really hard…"
"…" I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed as Yukari stared at us suspiciously.
"Now I really know there's something going on!" She accused us. "What is it?"
"Yukari." I stared at her heavily causing for the small girl to flinch and take a step back. "Stop, poking into this business. If you get involved, Takami will kill you. For real."
"Ah! This also came with these clothes!" Musubi suddenly pulled out an MBI card from a pocket within her dress. "We use this to buy stuff…I think."
"An MBI member card? A gold one too?" Yukari stared at it with surprise. These cards were extremely rare; in fact there were only 107 of them in existence. "Just who are you, Musubi…"
I tilted my head to stare at Yukari who laughed nervously and rubbed her head.
"Right, never mind. Let's go!"
As we walked on I saw someone in front of me that I definitely did not expect. I sped up slightly to walk in front of Yukari and Musubi so I could defend them if need be.
"Kazehana."
"Why, if it isn't the Reaper." The woman in the provocative Chinese dress and a bottle in her hands stood before me. "Long time, no see."
"I see they even got you to come too, huh." My hands just happened to touch my swords beneath my haori.
"Whatever, I don't care." Kazehana looked at me, irritated. "Let them try and catch the wind."
"Hmm." I relaxed and turned away. "It would be for the best if they couldn't catch the wind for as long as possible. Good luck, 3rd."
"Hmph." She strode away, not bothering to look behind, her long black hair gently floating in the wind.
"Who was-" It took a single glance from me to get Yukari to shut up. "Just what is going on in this city…damn secrets all over the place!"
"So…my mother sends someone called The Reaper as my escort in the city." Yukari muttered, clutching her head in frustration as both Musubi and I looked at her, Musubi curiously while I was just plain amused. "Just who the hell is my mother?!"
"Ah, Takami is-" Finding my heavy, gloved hand on her shoulder Musubi giggled nervously. "Never mind! Shutting up now!"
"And now there's a ton of MBI helicopters in the sky too." Yukari glanced upward. "Somehow I think my mother got you to act as my handler, not my guide…so many secrets that are so far…"
I merely grinned on, this was fun.
"…" I stared at the lingerie Yukari was shoving into my face. "I don't use those."
"What?" The small woman stared at me incredulously. "You don't wear underwear?"
"I wear panties." I calmly replied. "But I have no need of this 'bra' you are offering."
"No way." She stared at me. "Are they really that small? I feel sorry for you now."
"They are roughly your size; I just never found the need to use this piece of cloth you are offering to me." I explained to her patiently. "I wear a suit that offers me all of the support I'll ever need."
"Right…" She still stared at me weirdly.
"Why are we here?" I asked her, trying to guide her back to our original purpose.
"Ah!" She spun and locked onto Musubi. "Musubi! Try this!"
"Eh?!"
"Somehow I think Minato is going to curse you tonight." I stated as we walked towards Yukari's friend's place where she will be staying tonight.
"Hehe, or maybe he'll thank me tomorrow morning, hmm?" She rubbed her hands deviously, her face dangerously red.
"Even I saw enough of your brother to know that he's not ready for that." I sighed. "And as you saw, Musubi is missing some…valuable life knowledge to initiate first contact."
"Damn. You're right." Yukari smacked her fist into her hand. "I did not think of that."
"I hope your first day here was enjoyable." I stopped at the fence of the house she was about to walk in.
"Tch, with all of these damn secrets everywhere…" Yukari growled as she turned to me on the other side of the fence. "And the worst part is I can't even go after them…"
I laughed as she hanged her head in defeat and then reached over and ruffled her hair.
"Some secrets may cost you your life little human." I reached up and removed my mask for the first time, grinning widely. "Perhaps it would be for the best if you don't look too carefully for them, mmm?"
Yukari in turn stared at my face, seeing it clearly for the first time.
"Good bye, Yukari." I waved lazily and headed off home, my grin still on my face.
"Human…" I heard her mutter, my grin stretching even wider. "Mother, what the hell did you get into…?"
"I am sorry, Rei." Beni sniffled as we both stared through a window. "I…I tried to get there as fast as I could but-"
"Enough, Beni." I turned my gaze to her and brought her to my chest causing the smaller Sekirei to squeak in surprise. "You saved Takami that is all that matters."
"B-"
"Silence." I ordered my faithful student, hugging her closer. "As I said, that is all that matters. We will find whoever did this and then we will make them pay. But for now…"
I looked at Takami's broken form, doctors dashing about with machinery doing everything they could to save her life. Even now, lying unconscious and heavily injured she caused MBI employees to run amok in panic with her sheer presence. I couldn't help but smirk, only Takami…although. I glanced at Akitsu standing beside us, who came the instant she heard the news, I bet Akitsu would be the same if she was ever on a surgery table.
While I was busy acting like a guide and bodyguard to Yukari, Takami took number 108, Kusano to the training ground in MBI Botanical Garden. However, a short while after they've arrived, someone attacked the training ground. The guards did their best but the result is 23 corpses sliced to pieces, missing Kusano and about a dozen grievously injured people left for dead, Takami included. Minaka sent reinforcements, led by Beni, the moment word of attack reached but they came too late.
In the destruction that the attackers and the defending Kusano wrought upon the Garden, no records whatsoever remained of what actually happened. The current theory is that a Sekirei with a sharp weapon or powers that caused slicing wounds attacked Kusano and everyone else just got in the way. There's no real proof of this however as practically everyone but Takami died before they could be stabilized and now the only witnesses left were Takami and a couple mangled guards in a medical coma.
At first I was raring to go on site and investigate but its currently night and I would be of absolutely no use there. However, Akitsu and I agreed to go together tomorrow afternoon after Akitsu puts all of Takami's and her own things in order. Until then though, we could do nothing but wait and look through the glass as the doctors scramble to pull Takami from the other side…in fact.
"What do you see?" Akitsu asked me softly as I shifted into Soul Form.
"I-I can see her spirit's flames." I said in a pained tone. "But it's growing faint, it seems like the doctors are winning this fight."
Indeed, I could see the blue flame of Takami's soul but no actual orb as that was still within the center of her chest. Thankfully, the flames withered and faded, the body greedily sucking them back in and I knew, that she was going to be fine now.
"We finished stabilizing her." A doctor walked out and collapsed to sit against the wall. "But god damn that was a close one."
"When will she awake?" Akitsu asked the worry for her Ashikabi practically material in her voice.
"Well, I'd say in a couple days." The doctor gave a tired laugh. "But I wouldn't be surprised if she wakes up in an hour and starts yelling at us for not doing our jobs perfectly enough."
The four of us laughed at that, the tension finally leaving us feeling weak in the knees.
"Come on Beni." I pulled my student with me. "We both need rest after shit like this."
I don't know about Beni, but I need a lot of alcohol after this. This incident scratched at the barely healed wound that was losing Yume for me. I almost lost another important person and again, I couldn't even fucking do anything about it. It frustrated me to no end and the only reason I appeared so calm on the outside is because I knew, without doubt, that heads will roll for this. I will ensure it.