Truth Be Told: Untold Short Stories

Okay guys, just as the title says, these are short stories of Truth Be Told. Kinda of like specials of an anime of the news animes of this year.

Actually I wrote this short 4 months ago already and somehow almost completely forgot about it when I happen to stumble on it when I was busy fixing my computer. Men I'm just so stressed today, even though it is Christmas season I stuck on various duties in the house. T-T

But such is life XD

Anyway, this story will be composed with a collection of shorts and random stories which of course relating to the characters of TbT. That's the long short explanation of it.

AND ALSO… MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! :D

Disclaimer: I don't own Infinite Stratos (except my plot and OCs), it belongs to Izuru Yumizuru.

Short Story# 1: Memories of the Forgotten Christmas

Christmas wasn't an existing thing in the Orimura clan, while the whole Japan is celebrating the most joyful time of the year; the Orimura clan however chose to remain ignorant to what they consider a waste of time.

The atmosphere in the whole territory of the clan was in its usual state, stale and terrifying because of its overwhelming abundance of killing intent, courtesy of the inhabitants. Servants merely go on to do their own chores and duties just like in the normal days.

Even the masters of the clan, they don't seem to feel the need to at least enjoy the season.

Shizuka merely slept on her quarters, she hasn't been out of it since yesterday. The cold season is like a hibernation period for the sleepy one among the matriarchs.

Minazuki locked herself in her library, spending the rest of the day researching to further her diabolical research.

However the eldest, Izanami, seem to have taken a different approach today. The eldest of the sisters leading the clan, has some small attachment to this time of the year.

This leads back to the time when the clan, for the first time, tried embracing this human tradition that is Christmas. It was the time when Izanami's son, Ichika, is still in the family. The only son did the impossible which is to rouse everyone in his family to celebrate Christmas.

During that time, the Orimura had their first taste of Christmas. They didn't know why but they somehow found enjoyment in celebrating it, especially since Ichika was there to dispel the usual darkness that is a constant to every Orimura.

But without the presence of the boy, it just wasn't possible anymore for that moment to be repeated. The clan or just the matriarchs and the prodigies didn't feel like trying to celebrate it again.

However in Izanami, she still has a sliver of desire to relive such a moment. Right now, Izanami is standing outside under the falling snow. Normally, Izanami wouldn't even waste a minute of her time in doing this act, such as standing outside in the middle of a winter. But in this exact situation in the past is where she and her young son Ichika would play.

Izanami could still clearly remember those moments, Ichika would run around and the snow and then would proceed to roll on it and create funny shapes and forms on it by shaking his arms and legs. Then he would try and make his mom help him create a snowman which Ichika would always shape in the perfect image of Izanami.

Izanami would of course praise her son and cuddle him under the falling snow.

And right after it was time to go back inside or rather when Ichika starts sneezing; Izanami would take him to her own mansion and then spend the night cuddling on the bed with warm blankets over them.

It's in times like this that Izanami couldn't stop herself from reminiscing the memories of her and Ichika during this winter season.

(Mom playing in the snow was so much fun! I want to play with you again tomorrow. This time I want to make statues of everyone out of snow!)

(Okay Ichika… but I'm a bit worried that you might catch a cold?)

(Don't worry mom, I'm very strong. I won't get sick from snow… *Sneeze*…)

(Oh Ichika… you never ever fail to make your mother happy…)

Remembering the pleasant memory the night before Ichika suggested they try and celebrate Christmas, Izanami cracked a small smile on her stone-cold face. The cold weather today just made her body want to experience to warmth of her son's body, a longing to hold her son again blossomed in the heart of the matriarch.

Izanami remembered something.

She had in her possession a stash of letters Ichika wrote during their first celebration of Christmas. Apparently Ichika was told by Miko of a tradition in Christmas that children should write down their wishes so that it will come true, although that information was a little modified, Ichika still believed Miko and secretly wrote a stash of letters where his wishes for everyone in his family where written.

For years the stash of letter remained hidden in Ichika's room until it was recently uncovered by the servants tasked in maintain his old room. It was passed to Izanami by the servants right after it was found.

Izanami wanted to read those letters which Ichika wrote, they were one for each other family members. Shizuka, Minazuki and Shiori had one, the prodigies even Madoka had as well, Nobume and Miko had theirs also, even for the deceased members of the Orimura as well, they also have letters there that Ichika wrote for them.

Ichika also wrote wish wishes for his father also.

But no matter how intrigued Izanami was, she didn't touch any of those letters. She respected her son's wishes, the only one she took is the letter intended for her.

Izanami kept that said letter in between her chest, now she took it out of there and decided now is a good time to read it.

Izanami opened the white envelope and took out the folded paper inside it.

She was surprised to see that Ichika wrote quite a letter for her.

Dear Mom;

I really wish you to be truly happy today and forever. You always give me a lot of love and make me very happy every day. Now I want to be the one to make you happy everyday. I will start by making you breakfast everyday, I will also give you massage every afternoon and I'll take a bath with you every night. I'll also make mom his dinner everyday.

I also promise that I won't go wandering in the places I am not allowed. I don't want to make me mom worry too much about me since she already has a lot of things to worry about.

But I think this wishes are a bit stupid, I know that this won't really make mom happy. I know that mom is sad because she can't be with dad, just like Aunt Minazuki , Aunt Shizuka and Aunt Shiori. So for that, I wish dad would get well so that he can be with us and that mom won't be sad anymore.

And these are my wishes for mom, I really hope that all of them will come true and you happen to read this mom, I want to great you Merry Christmas.

-Ichika.

Izanami unconsciously smiled after she read the letter from her son.

The letter was rather simple and written in a way a child would write, but the feelings shot through Izanami's heart, making her, the person even her fellow Orimura consider to be a demon, feel happy. Izanami placed the letter right on her chest.

Suddenly, Izanami jumped up to the highest roof of the mansion. Only one bound was needed for her to get to the highest point of the mansion which was hundreds of feet high.

There Izanami looked towards the direction of Tokyo.

No matter the distance, her eyes never failed to perceive her son's figure.

In the IS academy.

"Huh?"

Ichika who is helping in the preparation for the Christmas party of the entire 1st years in the academy, briefly stopped when he heard a distant sound.

The boy walked towards the open window that was facing south west.

Ichika didn't know why but he could see someone in the distance looking at him. The boy didn't know why but he just raised his right hand and waved.

Though there wasn't really anyone there and the fact that he wasn't even sure of his feeling that there is someone in the distance, he felt like waving still. Deep in his heart he knew that someone was expect him to do so.

Back in Kyoto, Izanami's expression melted into a smile when she saw her son waving right at her.

He may not see her or remember her, but Izanami was contended that his heart didn't forget her.

"Merry Christmas Ichika…"

Izanami never thought of uttering this stupid line, not even once in her life. But now it seemed a miracle has occurred because Izanami's lips muttered that line with a sincere smile on her face.