A/N - I don't own these characters.
Chapter 12
Taking tight hold of Yumi's hand, Sachiko led the way to a hidden alcove, tucked behind a marble statue a little farther into the maze. When they first approached, the alcove couldn't be seen. It wasn't until Sachiko had released her hand and stepped behind the statue that Yumi realized they had arrived at her hiding place. Following Sachiko's example, Yumi slid behind the marble statue, stepping through an almost imperceptible opening in the hedges. A moment later she stepped into the alcove behind her grand soeur.
Feeling a sense of urgency building in her chest, Yumi led Sachiko to the furthest corner of the alcove and crouched low, drawing the taller girl down by her side. "Alright, they shouldn't be able to find you here. Stay low and try to make as little sound as possible until someone comes for you."
Despite the darkness, Yumi saw the look of confusion on her lover's face. "Yumi, you speak as though you're going somewhere."
With a look that broached no argument, Yumi nodded. "You have to trust me. Stay put." She moved as if to leave, but Sachiko's hand was holding her wrist in a death grip. "Please, Onee-sama, I have to go." Yumi whispered urgently, knowing that her chance to act on Candace's plan would soon disappear.
"No, please," Moonlight reflected in Sachiko's eyes as she looked up at Yumi. Tears made silent trails down her cheeks and her hands trembled against Yumi's skin. "Stay."
Feeling a stab in her heart for causing Sachiko pain, Yumi knelt back down beside her and captured her lips once more. It wasn't the intimate passion of just a few minutes before. No, fear was the catalyst of this passionate display. Wanting to hold her in place, Sachiko wrapped her arms around her neck and tried to pull her closer.
Yumi, though, resisted the urge to give in and fall into her arms. After a few moments, she leaned back and pulled Sachiko's arms free of her neck. "Sachiko," Hearing her name spoken by her lover, helped to pull her from her panic for just a moment. But it was long enough. Taking Sachiko's face in her hands, Yumi studied her by moonlight. Her black hair seemed to meld into the surrounding darkness, making the delicate paleness of her skin seem to glow by comparison. She was absolutely breathtaking and it took everything in Yumi to part with her. "Sachiko," She repeated, "I need to go and it's imperative that you stay right here. Someone will come find you. Until then, don't make a sound and don't leave this area." Knowing Sachiko would need additional incentive to stay, she added, "If you step out there and they find you, they will not hesitate to kill me."
Terror lit Sachiko's eyes as she held firm to Yumi's forearms. "Then don't go out there! Stay here with me where it's safe!"
"Listen to me!" Yumi hissed, covering Sachiko's mouth and worrying that the older girl had already made too much noise and drawn attention to the maze. "They will keep coming, Sachiko. Don't you get it? They are determined to use you as a bargaining chip. I'm not going to let that happen! We have a plan, but I don't have time to explain. Suffice it to say, one way or another, this is going to end." Still seeing the terror in her eyes, Yumi leaned her forehead against Sachiko's and whispered the only words of comfort she had. "Trust me, Sachiko, my love. I will always return to you." When Sachiko's grip didn't loosen, she had no choice but to pull away. "You have to let me go, my love."
Trying to hold in her sobs, Sachiko finally released her and whispered a hoarse response. "You'll return to me?" Yumi nodded. "When you come back we'll lay beneath the stars again."
Yumi smiled at the thought. "Sounds like a plan to me." Extending a hand she asked, "Before I leave, may I borrow your cell phone?"
Though slightly confused, Sachiko pulled the phone from her pocket and handed it over. Flipping the phone open, she punched in a message and then quickly closed the phone once more. Placing the phone back in Sachiko's hand, Yumi took a moment to caress her cheek and study her eyes. She was swiftly running out of time, but it was taking all her willpower to go through with this plan. "Promise me that you'll stay here and not make a sound. Please, love, promise me."
Yumi could see the reluctance in her eyes, but to her credit, Sachiko did not fight it. "I promise."
With one last quick peck on the lips, Yumi turned and walked out of sight, leaving Sachiko with an emptiness in her heart she couldn't deny. Maria-sama, bring her back safely to me. I really do.. I really do love her.
After leaving a sign for Rei, Yumi swiftly made her way to the opposite side of the maze. She was far from the exit, but she hadn't planned on using a traditional means of leaving the maze anyway. Grimacing at the thought of what critters and creepy crawlies would be in the hedges, Yumi lowered herself to the ground and crawled through a narrow gap at the base of two of the plants.
It was a struggle and she got caught up on the rough limbs of the hedges multiple times, but before long she had made it to the other side. After making sure the coast was clear, she stood and caught her breath. Panic would not be helpful. She had to try and remain calm. Taking a centering breath, she looked back at the maze one last time. Who knew if she were going to see this place again or the angel waiting within? It was for that angel's sake that she was doing this. If things went as planned then things would change for the best. Yumi did wonder though how resolving the current conflict would impact her and Sachiko's newly discovered affection.
Reaching into her pocket, she withdrew the small device Mei had given her. Dropping the box in the hedge, she grimaced as she pushed the tracker into place on her lower left molar. It felt a bit unnatural, but there was nothing she could do about that. Pushing her discomfort to the back of her mind, Yumi took up a jogging pace and ran along the outer edge of the maze.
It took a few minutes, but she soon rounded the corner that led to the stone patio where three men with guns waited. In an instant, their flashlights were aimed directly at her.
"Halt!" One cried, advancing toward her at a quick pace.
Pasting a look of surprise on her face, Yumi raised her hands above her head. "Huh! Wait - What?! What is this? Who are you?"
"Enough questions! Who are you? Where is Ogasawara Sachiko?" The lead man yelled, lifting his gun high to aim more for her head.
"Sachiko-sama?" When the man growled and tensed, Yumi flinched back and covered her head with her hands. "No! Don't shoot! I'll answer your questions! The family, including Sachiko-sama, went out for the evening. I'm Yumi." She looked up, tears she had summoned glistening in her scared eyes. "Ogasawara Yumi."
The lead man closest to Yumi seemed to study her for a moment before relaxing his weapon against his shoulder. "You aren't the one I was hoping for, but I guess you'll do." Stepping forward he gripped Yumi by her slender forearm and jerked her toward him.
"But boss," One of the other guys tried to argue, but their leader quickly asserted himself.
"No buts! We are outta time! The Ogasawara Security Force will be here any minute and we need to be gone before then. The princess will have to wait. For now, this little damsel will have to do." He jerked Yumi around roughly while he spoke, causing her to wince at his grip on her arm.
It took all of Yumi's restraint to resist the urge to lay the man out right then and there. No, I'm just a weak little girl right now. Stick to the plan.
The man leaned in then and whispered harshly in her ear. "You listen and listen well, girl. You stay quiet and don't give me any shit. You do as you're told and you'll get out of this in one piece. However, if you're a pain in my ass, I'll make your life a fuckin' nightmare. You understand?"
In a true moment of terror, Yumi felt her blood go cold and she could only nod. She couldn't have faked the tremors that overtook her in that moment. Maria-sama, please… I know this is all I could do, but… I pray this wasn't a mistake.
She had only just turned off her lamp and settled down into bed when her cell chimed from the side of her bed. Groaning softly, Rei reached for the small flip phone and raised a curious eyebrow at seeing it was a message from Sachiko. Opening the phone, she let her eyes focus on the words, reading it twice before realization struck.
Ogasawara Manor, Garden Maze, behind statue with a piece of me in its hand. Come quickly. And thank you. - Y
Throwing her covers back, Rei reached for her discarded jeans while she dialed Yoshino. She was already mostly clothed by the time her cousin picked up. "Yoshino, get dressed!"
They arrived on the heels of the Ogasawara company security team. They moved silently through the manor and grounds, gathering the wounded and questioning the staff. It didn't take much effort for Rei and Yoshino to discover that many of the staff members were receiving treatment after being drugged with some kind of tranquilizer.
At the first opportunity, Rei grabbed Yoshino's hand and dashed for the garden maze. Passing an extra flashlight to Yoshino, they started their search for the statue. It took some time, but Rei finally spotted it. A statue standing tall, stark white against the darkness of the surrounding hedges. In its hand, folded almost reverently, was a red ribbon. It was one of Yumi's hair ribbons.
Yoshino, confused by the night's events, questioned the find, but Rei didn't take the time to answer right away. Instead, she pocketed the ribbon and stepped around the statue. She could hear Yoshino's surprised gasp when she suddenly disappeared and then a moment later the sound of her following.
Stepping past the hedges, Rei's eyes instantly fell on the hunkered down form of Sachiko. Rushing to her side, Rei placed a hand on her shoulder and shook her slightly. "Sachiko-chan?"
"What? What is Sachiko-sama doing in a place like this?" Yoshino asked from behind her, a note of frustration in her voice as she tried to figure out what her Onee-sama was up to.
Stirring slowly, Sachiko shifted where she sat and then looked up. Thanks to the light from her flashlight, Rei could see Sachiko's red eyes and streaks on her face, clear evidence of many tears. "Sachiko-chan, what happened?" Directing the light around the small area she looked for Yumi, despite knowing she wouldn't be there.
Sachiko opened her mouth to respond, but the trembling of her lower lip made speaking difficult. "I - Yu-Yumi - She left me."
"Yumi left you?" Yoshino asked, her confusion continuing to mount.
"What do you mean?" Rei asked, motioning for Yoshino to wait. "Where is Yumi?"
"She - She - She let them take her!" Breaking down into tears once more, Sachiko buried her face into her own lap, trying to hide from reality.
"Sachiko-chan, what do you mean? She let who take her? And why?" Rei was getting frustrated now. She could understand Sachiko's emotions, but there was nothing she could do if the girl gave her no answers. However, she knew showing her own frustration would only panic Sachiko all the more. Keeping in mind what Yumi had told her, she took a deep breath to center herself before wrapping her arms around Sachiko's shoulders and pulling her into her chest. "Shhhh. It's okay. We'll figure all of this out, okay? Just breathe, Sachiko-chan. Just breathe."
It took a few minutes for Sachiko to calm down enough to explain what had happened. In the end, Yoshino was pissed and cursing up a storm while Rei knelt in silent contemplation.
"Is she a complete idiot?!" Yoshino raged, throwing her hands into the air and pacing erratically back and forth in the narrow space. "What possessed her to do this?!"
Sachiko shook her head and wiped at the last of the tears on her cheeks. "All she said was that they had a plan. I didn't know she was just going to give herself up though! If this alcove wasn't near the patio I wouldn't have even known what had happened. I heard her…" A confused look overtook her then as she stared at the hedge, beyond which was the patio.
"What? You heard her what?" Rei asked, motioning for the still mumbling Yoshino to quiet down.
"When they asked for her name she didn't give her real name." When they looked at her with questions in their eyes she answered. "She said her name was Ogasawara Yumi."
"Ogasawara?" Both Rei and Yoshino voiced at once, eyeing each other curiously.
Sachiko nodded. "Then a voice said that she wasn't the one he wanted but that she would do." Burying her face in her hands again, she groaned in frustration. "I just don't understand what's going on!"
"Is there anyone we can talk to who would?" Rei asked calmly, pointing toward the house. "I mean, your family security force is right out there."
"That's it!" Sachiko reached for her phone, flipped it open, and quickly found the contact she was looking for. Pushing the dial button, she didn't bother to explain to her friends.
After four eternally long rings, a groggy Scottish accent greeted her. "The bloody world better be on fire, whoever you are."
"It will be if you don't have a good explanation for what happened tonight!" Sachiko growled into the line, standing from her place on the ground as if the action would strengthen her words.
"Sachiko-sama?" Confusion was evident in Candace's voice. "Explanation? What do you mean? What happened tonight that I might need to-" There was a pause on the line followed by the rapid rustling of sheets. "They came for her didn't they?"
"They came for me, but they took her! So you did expect this?!"
"I told you I was expecting them to strike soon. I honestly didn't think they would strike before me though." There was more rustling on Candace's line as if she were pressing the phone to her shoulder with her cheek. "What a fine mess this has turned into."
"Candace-san!" Sachiko spoke forcefully, her hands shaking, but her resolve only strengthening. "You will explain this to me right now!"
She could feel Candace's stillness across the line as if it were tangible. Finally, after what felt like an hour, she spoke. "It was a plan I put into place with the approval of both your grandfather and father. The syndicate was desperate to get their hands on you merely because of the leverage it would give their position. The longer we waited the more opportunities they were going to have to hurt you, the family, and the business. Using you, the only daughter of the Ogasawara family, as bait to catch and eradicate the local sect of this organization was out of the question. So… we chose a substitute to speed things along." She sounded tired as she began to explain, obviously hesitant to let Sachiko in on the details.
Sachiko stayed silent as she listened intently to every word Candace spoke. Things were starting to fall into place in her mind, but still, she remained quiet as she waited for the full story.
"You see, the syndicate's presence in Tokyo is relatively small compared to the other crime syndicates in the area. However, as long as they have a foothold here, they will continue to cause problems for your family. We all decided that the best course of action was to first deal with their local presence before turning our attention to the Caribbean. At that point, I have a plan to keep those bastards busy in the Caribbean. Far too busy to rebuild their organization and contacts here in Tokyo."
"Okay," Sachiko finally spoke. "You explain the reasoning behind your plan, but you still haven't explained what you mean by a substitute and what Yumi had to do with-" Suddenly it all clicked. The reason why Yumi had given her name as Ogasawara and why the intruders hadn't seemed shocked by her existence. "Candace-san, tell me you didn't throw Yumi to the wolves!"
There was a pause on the line, long enough for Sachiko to get the underlying message. I can't answer the way you want, Sachiko-sama.
"Damn you! Damn my father! And damn my grandfather most of all!" Sachiko yelled into the phone. She clutched it so firmly that her knuckles were white and she could feel the casing beginning to give way under the pressure of her hand.
"Calm down, Sachiko-sama!" Candace barked over the line. "I have a plan! I'll have to step it up, but I have no intention of losing Yumi-sama to those bastards!"
Breathing heavily from anger, Sachiko calmed enough to ask, "What's the plan then?"
"The whole point of using Yumi-sama as a substitute was so that she could lead us to their base of operations in Tokyo. I had my contacts spread a rumor about a young girl being adopted into the Ogasawara household for the purpose of an advantageous connection through marriage to the son of a CEO in the medical industry. The idea was to make it tempting to go for the Ogasawara that was less protected." Candace was desperately trying to make Sachiko understand the logic behind their plan, but no amount of logic or planning would ever make this right.
Yumi promised me… She promised me that we would be together. She paused, remembering the details of the conversation, and grimaced. Yumi was very deliberate with her words. The younger girl had specifically stated they'd be together after it was all over. It was Sachiko who hadn't known the details behind that statement. If I didn't love her, I'd strangle- Sachiko closed her eyes, cutting off the thought and gripping her slender hand into a tight fist. "I've heard enough of this plan and your excuses for why you would put the most important person in my life in such peril. All I want to know now is how you plan on getting her back!"
The line was quiet for a moment before Candace finally spoke, this time with a slight growl to her words. "I'll tell you, but I'll first say something that I think you need to take a moment to remember. You are also the most important person in YUMI-SAMA'S life." She stressed Yumi's name as she spoke. "Is it not true that you would do everything within your capabilities to help her? Well, it just so happens that our wee little Yumi-sama has a set of skills that you do not. So, forgive my language when I say, stop throwing shite all over Yumi-sama's efforts to protect you! Just be grateful and do something useful for a change!"
"What exactly do you suggest?" Sachiko yelled in response, shaking from the anger that now boiled within her.
"You and Yumi-sama share a faith, do you not?" Her voice softened then, real compassion coming through her words, despite the previously displayed ire. "Go say a prayer or light a candle. Whatever it is that you or she might do during trying times."
Opening her mouth for a harsh rebuttal, Sachiko forced herself to stop. No matter how tactless Candace's comments might have been, Sachiko had to admit that the woman wasn't wrong. Yumi was doing this for her because of her desire to protect her. She couldn't deny that she would do the exact same thing if she had the capability to do so. It wasn't right of her to constantly demean Yumi's contributions to her safety, no matter how much she hated the danger Yumi exposed herself to.
Sighing in reluctant surrender, Sachiko finally spoke. "Fine. But in return, Candace-san, I will extract a vow from you."
"What vow is that, Sachiko-sama?"
"That you will bring my Yumi back to me safely, no matter what."
She could hear the smile in her voice as Candace responded, "You have my solemn vow, Sachiko-sama. I will bring your love back to your waiting arms."
She hadn't said the words out loud yet, but she also didn't deny it as Candace called Yumi her love. Yes, she realized at that moment. It doesn't matter. None of this matters if Yumi isn't by my side. Even as Sachiko thought through the revelation of her heart, Candace spoke again.
"Now, Sachiko-sama, forgive me, but I must go. Plans have changed now and I need to jump into the action."
"Of course." Sachiko hesitated only a moment before she added. "Stay safe yourself, Candace-san. These kids back here need you, too."
The sky was beginning to brighten when Rei was finally able to coax Sachiko into leaving the estate. After leaving a message for her parents with the security team, Sachiko lifted the single bag of clothes and necessities that she had packed and followed Rei and Yoshino to the bus stop. It was only Yoshino who thought to question Rei on where they were going, as Sachiko had entered a trance-like state ever since getting off the phone with Candace.
"Onee-sama, where are we going now?" When noticing Sachiko lagging slightly behind them, Yoshino retreated a step to grasp her hand. Yumi would never forgive them if anything happened to her onee-sama on their watch. "I mean, are we just going to take her home with us?"
Turning back, Rei studied her friend who appeared lost. Her eyes were glazed and downcast. When she had gotten off the phone she had refused to share the details of Candace's responses with them, saying repeatedly that it wasn't safe. They had finally given up trying to garner the details from her and instead decided to focus on Sachiko's safety.
Where to take her though? Rei thought about their situation. If this syndicate was worth anything they would know about Sachiko's school life and most likely the council as well. Heck, they could possibly have known about each of the council members on top of it all. Now that they have Yumi-chan, will they still try to find Sachiko-chan? Rei considered this and once again heard Yumi's words in her head saying that she trusted her to keep Sachiko alive and safe. Shaking her head as if to clear away her doubts, Rei knew what they needed to do. "I know where we can go."
The sun was just beginning to crest the horizon when Rei opened the worn wooden door and welcomed her cousin and Sachiko into the small apartment. It was simple but clean. It held a full-size bed nestled in the corner opposite a small kitchenette. At the far end of the room was a doorway to a modest bathroom and the area closest to the door contained a few plush couches that looked to have seen better days. Again, clean, but definitely well worn.
Other than the bare essentials, the room seemed relatively empty. However, Rei felt quite at home, as evident by the smile on her face as she motioned to the room. "Welcome to my hideout."
"Whu?!" Yoshino exclaimed, leading Sachiko further into the room. "Rei-chan! Why didn't you tell me about this place?!"
Rei merely smiled and laughed as she closed the door behind them. "You may not have noticed, Yoshino, but just beyond that hedge is the family dojo. My grandparents own this small building. Years ago they had an instructor who lived here, but when he left grandfather allowed me to use it on days I visited."
"Oh, you mean because he didn't want a girl in his precious dojo, right?" Yoshino grumbled, still eyeing the room curiously.
Sachiko, however, merely glanced around without a word. It was obvious her mind was elsewhere.
Rei shrugged in response to Yoshino's comment. "You could say that. I never had occasion to bring you here though, Yoshino, since you never came to the dojo."
"Oh, right! Curse this weak heart of mine!" Yoshino ground out, instantly angered by the thought of Rei having a part of her life she knew nothing about.
"Don't say something like that!" Rei exclaimed, tugging on Yoshino's braids as she walked by her to set the bag of groceries on the small counter.
Absently nodding, Sachiko added, "That's inviting misfortune, Yoshino-chan."
Seeing Sachiko's distracted look, Yoshino once more took her hands and led her to the couch. "Sachiko-sama, come and sit. What you need is a good cup of tea."
Sachiko complied, carelessly falling back into the folds of the plush couch. If she had been in her Lillian uniform it would have been quite indecent.
Leaving her there, Yoshino turned and approached her Onee-sama who was preparing the electric kettle across the room. Stepping to her side, Yoshino took the kettle and jerked her head back toward Sachiko. "I'll take care of these things. You need to talk some sense back into Sachiko-sama."
With an abrupt, encouraging shove toward Sachiko, courtesy of Yoshino, Rei approached her friend while having no idea what to say to her. It wasn't as if she knew the details or had even had any time to prepare for this outcome. Yumi had merely told her the bare minimum of details and made her promise to protect Sachiko. That was it! How was she supposed to even begin this conversation?
She needn't have worried though, because as soon as she sat across from Sachiko on the opposite couch her dark-haired friend began to speak. "You know what keeps going through my mind, Rei-chan?"
"Wh-What?"
"As she was preparing to leave me there in that garden Yumi called me her love. She expressed her love to me so many times tonight, yet…" Her voice cracked as she tried to force the words to form on her lips. "Yet, still, even as she walked out of that garden to sacrifice herself for me, I didn't say it." Her words came in soft sobs as she buried her face in her hands again.
"Didn't say what?" Rei asked though she suspected what it would be.
"I didn't say I loved her." Trying to choke back her sobs, Sachiko looked up to meet Rei's pitying gaze. "Even when faced with losing her I am too cowardly!"
"Sachiko-chan, you're too hard on yourself. You've held back saying those words for a reason. That reason didn't suddenly change, did it?" Rei tried to point out in between Sachiko's sobs.
Scoffing slightly with a bitter smile on her lips, Sachiko wiped roughly at her tears. "Right, no, my reason didn't change. I am still afraid to stand up to my father and grandfather in order to be with Yumi. While Yumi is jumping headlong into actual danger to protect me, with no promise that'll I'll actually be with her in the end." Falling to her side on the couch, Sachiko clenched her eyes shut and groaned. "I don't deserve Yumi's love."
"No, you don't." Yoshino spoke up from the kitchenette.
"Yoshino!" Rei gaped at her cousin from across the room.
From her place leaning against the counter with her arms crossed, Yoshino shrugged. "Well, it's the truth. Think about it! Who actually deserves love? What could anyone ever do to deserve such a sacrificial love as what Yumi-chan has for Sachiko-sama?" She paused, letting her words sink in. "I mean, do you really believe love is something you can earn?"
Eyes now focusing on Sachiko, Rei found herself pondering Yoshino's words and nodding in agreement. "Yoshino is right. After all, love isn't like trust. If it's true love then it's not something that is earned. It's something that is freely given."
"It's a gift." Sachiko voiced softly, eyes staring at her hands as if she could see Yumi's hand still clutched in her own.
"I mean, what do I know?" Yoshino turned back to the kettle now beginning to whistle under the pressure of the building steam. "It's not like I'm running out and sacrificing myself for my love, but yeah, I'd describe it as a gift." Placing the kettle on the tray with the teapot and cups, she crossed the room to take a seat by Rei.
It was only then that Sachiko looked up, narrowing her eyes toward the younger girl. "What do you mean, Yoshino-chan?"
Placing the tray on the coffee table, Yoshino cocked her head to the side in confusion. "Huh? You'll have to be more specific."
"You say you don't know, but of all the people I know, you have displayed the most obvious example of sacrificial love." Sachiko spoke seriously, her eyes never straying for Yoshino's.
"Sachiko-sama is right." Rei nodded her agreement, her eyes focused on the tray before them.
Looking between the two older girls, Yoshino was obviously still confused.
"Yoshino-chan, last year you subjected yourself to open-heart surgery." Reaching out, Rei took Yoshino's hand in hers while Sachiko continued to explain. "You didn't do that for yourself alone. You did that so that you could stand by Rei-chan's side. You put your life on the line for the potential of a life lived with her shoulder to shoulder, as equals."
Squeezing Yoshino's hand, Rei drew her attention back to her. "She's right, Yoshino." Tears stung her eyes, threatening to fall as she looked at her petite soeur, her best friend in the world, the one she had once been close to losing and whom she still feared being without one day. Imagining going through with Yoshino what Sachiko was enduring with Yumi sent a spear of agony through her gut. "She's right," Rei repeated, this time drawing Yoshino's hand to her lips in a grateful kiss.
Yoshino blushed softly as she began to understand what they were saying. Her response though set them both back a mental step. "That's honestly not how I see it and I guarantee it's not how it looks for Yumi-chan either." When the two looked at her curiously, Yoshino tried to explain. "Well, yes, I made the choice so that I could stand side by side with Rei-chan, but that was out of my selfish desire more than anything else."
"What do you mean?" Truly wanting to understand, Sachiko pressed for more details.
Slightly embarrassed that the topic of conversation had turned to her, Yoshino flushed and had a difficult time meeting Sachiko's gaze. "While I wanted to stand strong with Rei-chan, it was partially my desire to throw off that weak image I had that inspired me to act. In that, I can understand why Yumi-chan has done what she's done. She wouldn't have been able to live with herself if she had remained safe while Sachiko was in danger. I'm sure she would be in total agreement with me if she were here with us right now."
"It's it possible for love to be both sacrificial and selfish?" Rei asked, eyeing the two. "I mean, love is a give and take, after all."
Yoshino nodded her head in agreement. "I'd have to agree with you, Onee-sama. I guess a lot of it has to do with perspective."
"It doesn't change the fact…" Sachiko spoke softly at first, her voice cracking once more as she tried to gather herself to speak. "It doesn't change the fact that I've done nothing to prove my own love for Yumi. I've made no sacrifices! There has been no give and take from me. Only taking!"
Finally feeling her frustration with Sachiko reach its peak, Rei finally cried out in annoyance. "Then do something, damn it!" Seeing Sachiko's shocked face, Rei had to push through her sudden feeling of guilt in order to continue saying what needed to be said. "To hell with your family's expectations! Fuck it all! Follow your heart!" Remembering Yumi's words to her that day in the dojo, she repeated them. "Follow your dream!"
Standing from the couch, Rei stepped to Sachiko's side and pulled her up roughly by the arm. Firmly gripping her friend's shoulders, Rei narrowed her eyes and stared at her seriously. "Now tell me, Sachiko-chan, what is your dream?"
"My dream?" Sachiko voiced, only needing a moment to gather her thoughts and respond. "It's to be with Yumi by her side."
"Then make it happen!" Rei bellowed, shaking her slightly. "Stop feeling sorry for yourself and shake off the coward."
"Rei-chan is right!" Yoshino chimed in enthusiastically. "Shake off the coward and shrug on the courage that only Yumi can give you!"
Feeling her friends' support, love, and encouragement brought a genuine smile to Sachiko's face despite the tears in her eyes. She knew they were right and for the first time she felt as though Yumi and she would not be alone should their families reject them. They would have their friends. They would have each other and their friends from the council. Even without family, that could be enough.
"Thank you." The tears on her cheeks then were not once of sadness, but rather joy. While Yumi wasn't by her side at that moment, she did feel hope and she wasn't alone either. Placing her hand over her chest, closed her eyes, and spoke to Yumi from her heart. Yumi, wherever you are, come back to me safely. When you do, it'll be my turn to prove my love for you.
The room spun even behind her closed eyelids. Yumi groaned as she tried to move and her muscles protested strongly. How long have I been out? She wondered to herself, still not opening her eyes for fear of the spinning making her nauseous. A memory of someone shoving a sweet-smelling cloth under her nose made a hazy appearance in her mind. That's right. We were still at the manor and they drugged me.
Yumi fumed at the thought. She hated the idea of anyone having carried her unconscious body around. Who knew what kind of creeps were involved with this syndicate, after all?
She was just trying to open her eyes and sit up when a curious sound drifted to her. Is that… Seagulls? It was only then that she noticed the gentle sway of the floor beneath her feet.
Eyes flying open, Yumi looked around frantically, trying her best to push her dizziness away. There above her near the bed was a porthole, a blue sky clearly visible beyond the glass.
Standing unsteadily to her feet, she rushed to the porthole to confirm what she had already guessed. Beyond the porthole, as far as the horizon, was water. They were at sea. Resting her head against the warm glass of the porthole, Yumi groaned and mumbled to herself, "Well, shit, this is unexpected."
A/N - I have experienced a few different kinds of love in my life. It has amazed me how love can be seen from many different perspectives, yet can retain its purity regardless. In this one, I love how Yoshino and Rei were able to get on Sachiko's level. What do you think? This was a difficult week with work, so I do hope you enjoy how the story is going. It would make my weekend to know this story is being enjoyed by others!