Chapter 4: Pomp and Circumstance

Yukari noted the dining hall of the Nishizumi estate, while sparsely decorated, felt just as elegant, while maybe not as pretty, as one of Miss Izuso's flower arrangements. It radiated power and wealth while somehow not coming across as too pretentious. This certainly didn't help Yukari's current anxiety as she looked for a distraction, any distraction to calm herself. It was hard not to stare as she looked around the table at the sat individuals. All of the most influential Sensha-do heads sat around her, Nishizumi, Shimada, Kodama, Akeno, and Machiko, minus the empty seat next to her for what she assumed was where Miho would sit. While seeing the home of one of them was enough to cause her to vibrate, being in the presence of such legends was almost too much for her to bear. The polite silence didn't help matters either, as she feared it would be taboo for her to break it amongst such people. Fortunately, she didn't have to stew in this climate for much longer as, without any warning, the doors to the great room opened.

Kikuyo entered and bowed to the guests. "Mistress and esteemed guests, may I present the guest of honor, Potential Master Boko."

Yukari's confusion was almost overridden by her indignation. How dare Kikuyo and these heads of Sensha-do play a joke at her expense! It was seemingly un-necessarily cruel, and regardless of her own, non-existent, standing in the Sensha-do world, she wouldn't stand for it. After all, Miho was a kind, wonderful, and thoughtful person who embodied sportsmanship. This was just wrong!

However, before Yukari could rise to unleash her righteous fury at these individuals, she felt a hand on her shoulder from the very girl she was about to defend. Seeing the slight smile and kind eyes of Miho instantly defused the bomb about to go off, namely Yukari. A small nod for Miho caused Yukari to blush and hold her tongue for now, but she was not sure if she could continue to tolerate such disrespect if it happened again.

No time was wasted once Miho was sat as Shiho raised.

"Thank you, esteemed guests, for attending this auspicious occasion. Please enjoy your meals."

Once these words were uttered, the doors once more opened as the courses were ushered in by the household staff. The overall meal was splendid, while conversation remained painfully subdued but polite and friendly, despite most everyone at the table being rivals. Yukari reverted to being in speechless awe by these people while Miho quietly ate her meal, bouncing between looking confidant and unsure.

It seemed in no time at all that dessert was served and completed, and the evening was drawing to a close. Finally, Yukari could get some answers from her new girlfriend. However, once the final plate was cleared, Shio rose again. "I trust everyone enjoyed their meal. Now that we are fed, shall we adjourn?"

Standing the heads of the Sensha-do families all agreed.

Miho, sensing Yukari buzzing with questions, simply leaned over and, in a whisper, promised to reveal what was going on later tonight when they could be alone.

"Potential Master Boko, if you would"

Once more, Yukari's anger was rising. But when Miho stood, smiling once more at Yukari to alleviate her, she stood to join Miho.

Following the other heads towards a door adjacent to the dining room, Yukari was stopped by Kikuyo. "Miss Akiyama…"

"It's okay, Yukarin. I'll see you later tonight. Wait up for me?" Yukari wanted to insist she be included, but the once more reassuring smile from her commander and girlfriend and the stern look from Kikuyo told her it was both going to be okay and once more a private matter she would not be privy.

Giving Miho's hand a squeeze, let go and watched as she entered the room and the door close behind her.

"Miss Akiyama, this way, please."

If stillness and quiet that enveloped the room made the subdued conversation at dinner seem like a Sensha-do match by comparison to Miho as she took in the faces around her. The room was bare save for a single circular table that sat in the middle. What did catch her eye, however, was her Sensha-do notebook at the center.

This time it wasn't her mother that took charge but Chiyo Shimada. Gracefully indicating the book on the table "Potential Mater Boko, is this your works on Sensha-do?"

"Y-Yes, it is."

"And you are aware that your Sensha-do is being considered for the honor and title of a formal style, awarding you mastery status and a seat on this council."

"Uhh… Ye, Yes I am."

"Very well. We ask that you wait in the adjacent chamber while we review your work. Understand, we are here to judge it and swear upon the names and honor of our styles and households that any information gleaned would not be used to your disadvantage. Would this be satisfactory to you?"

The implication that her work, which she poured her heart and soul into, would be judged by some of the greatest Sensha-do minds the world knew caused her to lose her voice. A simple nod of her head was the only consent she could muster. Promptly turning to leave before her legs and balance also failed her.

Yukari followed Kikuyo back into her room, head swimming with questions about what in the world was going on with Miho. It had only been a few days since they officially started dating. While Miho occupied her mind more often than not, even overriding her thoughts on tanks, the events going on around her were a mixture of both threatening to send her into a Miho/tank overload that she wasn't sure she could handle. So lost in her thoughts, she missed the question Miss Idegami asked.

"Umm... I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"

Chuckling Kikuyo repeated, "Certainly, Miss Akiyama, You've been invited to use the family baths. Once you are ready, I shall escort you there."

"I… I think I'll wait for Miho to return. She shouldn't be too long, right?"

"The Miss will potentially be in her meeting for several hours if you wish to wait, that is okay, but the invitation stands."

Sighing, Yukari relents, "Okay, I'll be out in just a few minutes."

Kikuyo deposited Yukari at the baths entrance and was told that she could find whatever she needed inside to complete her ablutions, and once finished, she could follow the same route they took back to her room. Kikuyo, not sure if she remembered from her earlier briefing, reminded Yukari that if she needed anything else throughout the night, there was a cord on the wall she could pull and a porter would be along to tend to her needs, but that she would be indisposed of for the rest of the evening.

Taking a deep, relaxing breathing, finally feeling like she could decompress from the day's events, Yukari slid open the door and entered the baths.

Looking around the luxurious bathroom, she mused it was pretty lavish for guests until her gaze landed on a lone figure lounging in a hot spring. Maho Nishizumi, the feared commander of Kuromorimine. It struck her suddenly what Kikuyo said. She had been invited to the FAMILY baths, not the guest. Of course, Maho could potentially be here.

"S-Sorry for the intrusion." Yukari blurted out, alerting Maho to her presence already retreating towards the door.

"Don't."

"I-I'm sorry… Don't what?"

"Don't retreat. It's unbecoming of a Sensha-do practitioner. Besides, were you not invited?"

Demurely Yukari blurted out the only reply she could think logical, "It… It must have been a mistake. I don't want to intrude."

"And who do you think sent you this invitation?"

Realization dawned on Yukari, as Maho added, "please, enjoy the hot spring with me."

Timidly, Yukari placed her towel neatly on the bench and entered the hot spring allowing the hot water to soothe her nerves as she relaxed into a lounging position opposite of Maho, almost forgetting her presence in the relaxingly hot water.

"Why are you here."

The question shocked Yukari out of her relaxed state. Blushing furiously, she realized she had been tricked. Of course, someone as plain and simple as her wouldn't be allowed to use the family baths at the Nishizumi estate. Rising to leave, embarrassment written all over her face Maho once more indicated for her to sit.

"Not in here. We've already established I invited you, and I do not mean to be a poor host. The question, however, stands. why are you here?"

Now jumping to an entirely different conclusion Yukari got defensive, "Because…Because Miho… She asked me to join her… Because I'm her friend!"

"No, you're not."

The dinner, and now the confusing nature of this invitation was too much, and Yukari finally had enough, regardless of being in the presence of the Nishizumi heir, in their family bath, on their estate, she wasn't about to be pushed around or handled any longer

"HOW WOULD YOU KNOW! WE ARE FRIENDS! HOW DARE YOU!"

Rising to leave a warm smile from a Nishizumi once more disarmed her, one Maho rarely sported nowadays.

"That's not what I meant."

"Then what DID you mean?"

"That you're not just friends with my sister. I was hoping she would tell me first, but you're here, and she's… indisposed. Admittedly the question did seem loaded and could have come across as rude. For that, I apologize."

Now, thoroughly disarmed, Yukari had to re-think what she knew of Maho. Sure, she was a fearless commander with multiple Tournament titles to her name, Heir apparent of the Nishizumi style, and Sensha-do prodigy in her own right. But all that was things she had gleaned from the televised events or though very brief interactions on the field and even shorter, almost non-existent comments from Miho. But in this situation, she was just a concerned sister who missed out on the last year-plus of her sister's life.

"We… I… Its… I'm not sure it's my place to say without consulting her first."

"I see."

Smirking, Maho rose to leave. Having already been there before Yukari, she gathered her towel and headed towards the showers. Before opening the door, she turned once more to Yukari.

"Miss Akiyama… If you hurt her…" Maho leaving the implied threat hanging in the air,

Not realizing the slip, Yukari blurted out, "I won't."

Nodding, once more sporing a smirk having gotten the confirmation, she desired turned to exit the room leaving a blushing Yukari to finish her bath.

Close to midnight, Miho was finally summoned back into the chamber. The stark difference in lighting made it hard to see. The lighting was lowered so low it made it almost impossible to see. Once her eyes adjusted, she took in her surroundings. All the Sensha-do heads now sported Katana's, and in front of each was a book varying in size, color, age, and materials.

Chiyo Shimada once more broke the silence and led the discussion.

"Potential Master Boko, please have a seat."

Finding the only chair in the room, Miho complied without a word.

"On behalf of the way of the tank, I ask you. Potential Master Boko is your Sensha-do style completed?"

Quietly, Miho replied, "No."

"When then, Will it be completed?"

"I don't know."

"Will it ever be completed?"

Repeating the answer she gave her mother earlier, but feeling, if only slightly more confident, replied, "I don't know if it ever will be. It… runs somewhat counter to what I have and am trying to create."

"I see. Thank you for that clarification and candor. Are there any additional members who wish to ask a question?" after waiting several seconds for an interjection, she continued. "Okay then, Masters, Shall we?"

In almost perfect unison, each head of a style lowered a bandana over the eyes. After several seconds passed, Miho watched as her mother, slowing and silently unsheathed her Katana taking caution and being deliberate in her blindfolded state, as she placed her hilt atop the Nishizumi tome and slowly dipping the sword towards her own Boko style book. Shimada was next, followed by the other heads. Once all the blades were placed, connecting all the books via Katana, it was several more minutes before, once again, in unison, the blindfolds were removed.

For the first time since these proceedings started, Shiho finally spoke

"Welcome to the order, Master Boko."

After such an awkward yet relaxing bath in the luxurious family suites, Yukari was having difficulty staying awake. Miho said she would find her tonight, and she wanted to be ready to answer the door once Miho came to call. A little after midnight, she heard Miho's door across the hall slide open and closed. With a renewed jolt of energy, she was out of bed and across the hall in seconds, barging into Miho's room without a thought in the world.

However, upon seeing Miho, she froze in her tracks. There she was, her beautiful girlfriend, radiating pride and exhaustion and sporting a brand new Katana on her hip.

Miho raised a finger to her lips in a shushing motion, slowly turned, took the Katana off, and place it on the shelf next to her most prized boko's, a fitting home, for now, she thought. Turning back around, she took the two steps towards Yukari, grabbed her face, and kissed her soundly.

After several seconds, Miho pulled away.

"What… What happened?"

"I… I can't say too much, at least not yet, not here, not now. But soon, Yukari-chan. For now, I just want to sleep."

Looking dejected, and rejected Yukari turned to leave. Trying her best to understand what was going on with no information.

"Wait!" Miho whispered urgently. "I didn't say I wanted you to leave." Almost losing her confidence, she continued, "Stay. Sleep with me tonight. Just sleep."

Yukari felt like a hundred billion yen. Nodding silently, she followed Miho to her bed, where they wrapped each other in their arms, kissed once more, and drifted off to sleep.

A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in years. School and life got in the way, but it was never my intention to abandon this story. I've been making new chapter notes and writing as much as possible, so expect some fresh updates over the next week or two. Not sure how much more there is, but… we'll all see.

Next Chapter: Busted, Business, and Forgiveness.