Notes at the beginning
Disclaimer: I do not own To Aru Majutsu No Index or To Aru Kagaku No Railgun.
Text in italics between single quote marks are internal thoughts.
A/N 11/02/21 – Changed the Liberal Arts City reference to referencing a "fine arts school in District 9" as more appropriate due to feedback received.
Begin Story
Misaka Mikoto, aka the Railgun, was in a very cheery mood. Her last class was finished for the day and she was looking forward to the rest of her day. After swinging by her dorm to drop off her books she was headed to the hospital. Now you just might be asking yourself why would a fourteen-year-old girl look forward to visiting a hospital, even the one where the Gekota doctor practiced at? It was because today she was scheduled to meet four more of her sisters. These sisters had been living overseas ever since the end of the level 6 shift project. They had just recently returned to Academy City and unfortunately, in Mikoto's view, they were only visiting. They would be headed back to the UK after their follow-up treatment and evaluations were completed. 'That's life, just need to make the most of our time together while they're here.' she thought to herself.
She immediately proceeded to Dr. Heaven Canceller's office upon arriving at the hospital.
'There is something terribly wrong with my life considering how well I know how to get around this place.' She thought to herself with a minor chuckle.
She knocked at his office door and entered when the frog faced doctor opened it.
"Welcome Misaska-san, it is good to see you again. More so since none of your acquaintances are here for treatment. In particular that male friend of yours. I appreciate how he has not had to make use of his reserved room lately.
"Yes doctor, luckily his recent misfortunes have not required hospitalizations. I would also like to thank you for arranging this meeting with my sisters today. I've been looking forward to today for the past week. "
The doctor smiled at the last comment. "Considering what all of you girls have been through, it is the right thing to do. Here is a little background on the experiment that they were involved in before we go meet them."
The smile abruptly left Mikoto's face and in a chilly voice "Experiment? What did they do to my sisters this time?"
The frog faced doctor looked at her directly with a kind look on his face. "Misaka-san, excuse my phrasing of the matter. Perhaps training would have been a better word to use, but technically it was an experiment. These girls volunteered for the program after the goals and methods were fully and accurately disclosed to them. You have my word as a doctor that I would never allow them to be subjected to those type of exploitive experiments ever again. "
Misaka fully realized that she unintentionally accused the doctor of putting her sisters in harm's way. 'What's wrong with me! Get it together Mikoto!' she internally berated herself.
"I am sorry doctor; my attitude was uncalled for. You have been the most supportive and helpful in allowing my sisters to have a chance at living full lives. It's just when I hear the word experiments associated with my sisters, my mind immediately goes to the worst possible outcome. I have been told by my councilors at school the only way I could jump to conclusions faster was if I had teleportation as a skill. Please accept my apology."
Heaven Canceller then looked at her with a small smile "I took no offense Misaka-san since it comes from your intense desire to protect your sisters. Now that we have that misunderstanding cleared up, I will explain the details now."
"Please do doctor, I am listening."
The doctor looked at his watch noting the time before continuing. "As it is nearly time to meet with them, I'll explain it during our walk there. Shall we?"
He rose from his desk and with Mikoto closing following him down the various corridors. He then continued with his explanation.
"As you are well aware, with the exception of Misaka Worst all of the sisters have that habit of speaking in the third person and verbally identifying their emotions at the end of their statements."
"Yes, I found it strange at first but it kind of grew on me and it makes my sisters even more endearing."
"The purpose of the experiment was to see if that verbal habit was hard coded in through the Testament machine or if retraining would allow them to use a normal speech pattern instead."
"As cute as they are, this would allow them to better fit into life outside of the hospitals. When I've occasionally been able to go around town with some of my sisters, they do draw some curious stares when they speak. Hopefully this will help decrease those reactions from people who do not know them." Misaka replied while considering the positives that could come from this.
"If I remember correctly from your file, you can speak and understand English. How comfortable are you with that language?
"Yes, it is one of the languages that I can speak reasonably well. Both conversationally and in certain scientific settings. Why do you ask?"
Coming to a stop in front of a door, the doctor replied, "We have arrived. The answer to that question and any others that you may have lies behind this door. As for the rest of the details regarding the experiment, you can ask them yourself."
'Coming to think of it, I have only spoken in Japanese with my sisters; even when meeting them during mine and that idiot's adventures in foreign countries.' She remembered.
The doctor knocked on the door and then opened it. Upon entering she noticed the four girls, her sisters, standing up from the chairs that they had just been sitting in. The four were dressed in the same white and grey uniforms that had frills and ruffles that had a traditional but elegant look to them. A grey ribbon was tied in a bow at the dresses collar that extended half way up the neck. Matching grey socks that ended below the knees completed the uniforms. What caused her mouth to hang open was that each of them wore their hair in different styles and some had colored it. One sister even wore a pair of glasses. Not those goggles that the sisters wore, but honest to goodness regular glasses!
Upon entering the room, a quick glance around showed that it was rectangular in shape. There were a number of comfortable looking chairs arranged to allow for casual conversation with a low coffee table in the center. Another small table was against one the walls with a vase of flowers on it. A few generic pictures of the type found in corporate settings hung on the walls. There was a large window at the end of the room offered a good view of the city. The only other items of note were the three violin and a larger cello case that were placed in one corner of the room.
'They wouldn't be my sisters without that extra "luggage".' Mikoto thought to herself. 'What's up with that large case? What's in that thing? …a bazooka?'
***All of the following conversations are spoken in English***
"Good afternoon, ladies as promised your big sister is here for your meeting." The doctor spoke as a means of introduction.
The sister, who had shoulder length black hair, returned the greeting "Thank you doctor, your kindness and efforts in this matter are highly appreciated by myself and fellow sisters." Turning to Mikoto whose jar had dropped further the sister continued. "My name is Angie Misaka and I am very pleased to meet your acquaintance older sister." The sister's hands clutched the skirt potion of the dress and placing the right foot behind the left did a short bow and curtsy.
Each of the remaining sisters did the same in turn.
"My name is Beatrice Misaka and I am very pleased to meet your acquaintance older sister" spoke the one with the chestnut hair in a short bob cut.
"My name is Charlotte Misaka and I am very pleased to meet your acquaintance older sister" spoke the one with the longer golden color hair that stopped at her mid back. She sported a pair of glasses on her face.
"Spectacles is probably how they call glasses over there." mused Mikoto.
"My name is Dorothy Misaka and I am very pleased to meet your acquaintance older sister" spoke the one with the waist length brown hair.
Mikoto just stood there flabbergasted not only by what she saw, but mainly by what she had heard. As if their different appearances were not enough of a change from normal, this was the first time she heard any of her sisters speaking in a language other than Japanese. While they still spoke in their monotone with non-expressive faces; gone was the speaking in the third person. Gone was the narrative of their emotions at the end of their sentences. And lastly, gone was their Japanese accents. They all spoke English with a very English accent! Mikoto knew that she spoke English reasonably well, but there was no denying that she spoke it with a Japanese accent.
After the initial shock wore off, Mikoto then realized that the four of them were looking at her as expecting something. Changing her opened mouth into a big smile she answered "I am Misaka Mikoto and I am VERY happy to get to meet more of my sisters."
The doctor cleared his throat to gain their attention. "I need to go on my rounds to check up on my other patients and another of your sisters is here for her evaluation. I'll leave you all here to get better acquainted." The girls expressed their' thanks to him as he was leaving the room.
"Shall we all be seated and get better acquainted as Dr Heaven Canceller suggested? I know that I had a lot of questions, even more of them after I've met you." Mikoto remarked taking the lead as their big sister.
The four sisters retook their seats and Mikoto sat in an empty one nearest them. Looking at her sisters she realized that they had arranged themselves i order. Whether this was coincidence or by design, this would make her task of identifying which sister she was speaking to easier.
"How long will you be staying in Academy City. I was told you would be returning to the UK sometime after you have completed your checkup."
"We have been here almost a fortnight for treatment and evaluations. We will return back to England tomorrow" stated Beatrice Misaka.
"That quickly? I was hoping we would have more time so that we could hang out a little more." Mikoto said in a slightly dejected tone.
"It is unfortunate that our schedule does not allow for that" Charlette Misaka responded.
Just then there was a knock on the door. "Come in" Mikoto replied in Japanese.
The door opened and a cart being pushed by two of the hospital's kitchen staff was brought into the room. They quickly set out a couple of tea pots along with some various small sandwiches, scones and cakes while the girls watched them. The four sisters with their non-descript looks and Mikoto's face had one of obvious surprise.
"If you require anything else, please dial extension 3663 and we will be happy to assist you" one of the kitchen staff explained in Japanese. With a polite bow they left the room.
"Wow, this is an unexpected treat!" Mikoto gleefully exclaimed switching back to English.
"We have become accustomed to having afternoon tea and foresaw that you might be slightly famished after a day of school. This should be a nice respite while we converse." stated Dorothy Misaka.
"Thanks guys, that was very thoughtful of you."
The four sisters then stood and waited for their older sister to serve herself and they soon followed. Settling in Mikoto thought about how it had been going so far but there was some vague feeling of unease that was seeping into her otherwise positive feelings. Something that she could not pin down the reason for. As the rest of them settled down enjoying the snacks and tea, Mikoto decided to continue learning more about the four of them.
"Are those clothes your uniforms for school?"
"Yes, we attend Queen's Mayfaire Academy which is located in the East London area of England." Angie Misaka replied.
"The school was chosen in particular due to its goal of forming girls into educated young ladies of good character and grace." Beatrice Misaka added in reply.
"Sounds like Tokiwadai Middle School." Misaka Motoko adding her contribution to the conversation.
"That is not entirely correct older sister" Charlotte Misaka stated. "Queen's Mayfaire Academy curriculum places an emphasis on language, literature, the fine arts, culture and etiquette. Your school concentrates heavily on the sciences and Esper development. There is minimal time spent on the more liberal courses and etiquette training. The reason why we were enrolled there for the experiment was due to the school's emphasis on proper use of language." Charlotte then took a sip from her tea.
"Huh?" Mikoto replied as she tried to parse that last statement while looking into Charlotte's face trying to determine the intention behind it. Was her sister being factual, or boastful or feeling that her school was superior to Tokiwadai? Without the typical facial expressions or verbal inflections, it was impossible for her to determine what her sister meant behind those words. She had occasional run in with high society girls that were really stuck up. Please not her sisters!
"Charlotte is correct. I would suggest that one of the fine art schools in District 9 would be a closer match when comparing schools to Queen's Mayfaire Academy." stated Dorothy Misaka.
"OK, that is a little clearer now." Mikoto replied happy that her near misinterpretation on that point was clarified. She finally understood what that uneasy feeling was; it was that she had no way of knowing what these four sisters were actually feeling with their new speech pattern. 'Ok, time for a different subject.' She thought.
"Of all the sisters that I have met to date, your personal appearances are strikingly different from the others. Please don't misunderstand as I think that you all look great, but I am just curious as to why?"
Angie Misaka started the reply "Initially it was to easily distinguish which of us four Misaka sisters were at school."
"We initially tried distinguishing ourselves by using different accessories, but we ran a foul with the school's strict rules regarding the uniform and accessorizing it is frowned upon." Beatrice Misaka stated.
"I can relate to that. I have to wear this uniform even off campus." Mikoto said in a 'I feel your pain' reply.
"With additional research we discovered that the rules for hair are more relaxed. Extreme styles and odd colors are prohibited." Charlotte Misaka stated.
"Charlotte, please excuse me for asking but you're the first sister that I've met that wears a pair of glasses other than those goggles that all of you use. Is your eye sight ok?" Mikoto asked with obvious concern in her voice.
"Older sister, thank you for your concern but my eye sight is not degraded. The lens consists of plain glass without further optical enhancements. This was the one accessory that could be used to further differentiate ourselves for easier identification by others." Charlotte Misaka stated.
"Charlotte originally tried using a monocle, but the school rejected it as not befitting a young lady." Dorothy Misaka stated.
"A monocle!? Pfffft!" Motoko exclaimed placing a hand in front of her mouth while trying to keep from laughing as that image formed in her head.
"Yes, and it was a sad day when I could not exhibit my individuality in that way. I felt that it made me look distinguished." stated Charlotte Misaka. The other three sisters just nodded as in agreement with her statement.
"That reminds me, you said that this was initially for other people at the school to more easily identify the four of you. Is there another reason?" Mikoto asked in a more serious manner.
"Yes, as we had determined in general what items we could change, it was each of us making an individual choice as to what that exact change would be." Dorothy Misaka stated.
"The results are the four individuals standing before you" stated Angie Misaka.
"Wow, that's a great story. I am so proud of all of you for trying your best in exerting your individuality." Mikoto replied.
"To make Angie's statement factually correct we are the four individuals sitting before you." stated Beatrice Misaka.
With Beatrice speaking that line with her non-expressive face and dead pan delivery, Mikoto could not hold her laughter in this time. 'That's right, the sisters can't lie.' Mikoto thought to herself as her laughter subsided.
"So, have you ditched the goggles? Those seem to be required accessories as far as you sisters go."
"Our EM goggles are not acceptable head gear or eye wear for proper young ladies as we were informed during enrollment at the Academy." Charlotte Misaka stated.
"Do not be concerned older sister, we still maintain them, along with our combat clothing and defensive load out kits should the need ever arise. We left them in England as they were not required here." stated Dorothy Misaka.
"Then what about those items over there?" Mikoto asked while pointing at the cases in the corner.
"We brought those to practice with as there will be a competition the day after we return. That is why we are scheduled to return to England tomorrow" Angie Misaka stated.
"Doesn't that call unwanted attention to yourselves?" Mikoto wondered while imagining the sight of them on a public firing range.
"It is our intention to do just that, to bring honor to Queens Mayfaire Academy." Beatrice Misaka stated
"Ok, I never imagined that your school would field a shooting team, but whatever." A thoroughly confused Mikoto sputtered at this apparent turn in the conversation.
"Older sister, I see the cause for your confusion. Those cases contain musical instruments and not the usual weapons that you apparently assume they contain." Charlotte Misaka stated
"Musical Instruments?" Mikoto's surprise still evident in her voice.
"Yes, two violins, a viola and a cello. Those are the normal compliment of instruments for a string quartet." Dorothy Misaka stated
"A string quartet? The four of you formed a string quartet?!" Mikoto asked excitedly.
"Yes, a string quartet. Older sister is there something odd about that?" Angie Misaka stated
"No, it's wonderful! I keep getting all of these unexpected surprises."
"We are going to a superb institution of academics and culture; it would be a waste to not make use of the opportunities as they avail themselves" Beatrice Misaka stated.
"In for a penny in for a pound as they say." Charlotte Misaka stated.
"I would really like to hear you play if possible."
The four sisters froze with their heads tilted to one side. After a moment they walked to the cases to retrieve their instruments. Angie had the viola, Beatrice and Charlotte held the two violins with Dorothy on the cello.
After setting up Beatrice informed Mikoto that they would play for her one of the music pieces that they would be using in the competition.
They then proceeded to play a piece that Mikoto, even being the muscle head that she was, instantly recognized as Pachelbel's Canon in D. She just sat there watching and listening to how they played it. She was amazed that these same four sisters who could only speak monotone or could not exhibit facial emotions were now playing with such…such. Tears started to form in her eyes when she realized that these were her sisters putting into their music what they could not normally express; their real emotions. With all that had happened this past year to all of them, their playing for some reason sparked the first ray of hope that her sisters could live separate and distinct lives. This is what they are capable of if they were only developed and not abused in some sick experiments. Sure, it won't be all unicorns and rainbows, but damn it she would continue to fight for her sisters so that this type of future would be possible for all of them.
With the last note of the piece drifting off into the ether, the room was silent except for the stifled sobs of a certain level 5 electro-master.
"I'm sorry, you must think that big sis is a baby for crying but you played it so beautifully." Mikoto said as she wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Our music teacher constantly tells us 'Music that does not move the listener is nothing more than noise, unwanted noise at that.' We are happy that our playing had such a moving effect on older sister. It means we played music and not noise." Angie Misaka stated.
"If older sister would allow, we would like to request that she play the violin for us. You may use mine if you wish, sizing should not be an issue." Beatrice Misaka stated.
"Alright, I might be a little rusty and not play as smoothly. Consider yourselves warned" Mikoto spoke with a self-deprecating smile.
"That is perfectly acceptable, just do your best as we do wish to hear you play." Charlotte Misaka stated
Mikoto ran the bow across the violin a few times to get the feel for it. She then played the same piece that she played at Tokiwadai's Midsummer festival.
As she finished playing for them, the doctor with Misaka 10032 entered the room as the sisters gave older sister applause for her playing.
***All conversations are now spoken in Japanese***
"Misaka 10032 is happy that she gets to join party with big sister and fellow sisters visiting from England speaking with a smiling face while surreptitiously looking for any left-over sweets with covetous intent."
"Misaka Angie welcomes Misaka 10032 but is suspicious of her intention to freeload off our left-over snacks from afternoon tea with big sister."
"There appear to be sufficient snacks remaining for Misaka Freeloader to partake in states Misaka Charlotte after reviewing current food inventory levels."
"Misaka Beatrice thanks Big Sister for her violin performance while wishing the return of said violin so that it may be properly secured in its case."
Shocked, Mikoto after returning the violin turned to Dr. Heaven Canceller and stammered "W-What just happened? They're all talking just like all of the other sisters now! Even their English accents are gone."
"Misaka-san, you have discovered that the goals of the experiment were not fully realized. They cannot transfer over the speech patterns learned from their school to when they return to speaking Japanese. Their language training at the Academy was uniquely tailored for them as part of the experiment. The results were that they just learned a different speech pattern in another language. Even when they speak as they were trained to, the results were not 100% as intended. You're an intelligent young lady, you probably determined what that issue is already."
"Since their other mannerisms remained the same and only their speech pattern changed eliminating the emotional narrative, one has no idea of what they are feeling. Without being able for them to learn how provide some physical emotive ques, having them speak proper sentences might actually create additional mis-understandings. This could in the end cause more harm than the simple stares they get for their verbal quirk."
"Very well said. Keep up the good work Misaka-san, you will make a great researcher one day if you decide to pursue it. Being able to perform a proper analysis of the experimental methods and its results is a critical skill to have in this field. This is a vivid example of the law of unintended consequences."
"Thank you doctor, your words are too kind. I will do my best to merit them in the future. Ugh! What are my sisters doing now?"
Turning their attention to the five, they discovered that the sisters were engaged in a no holds barred rock-paper-scissors contest for the last piece of cake.
"It's comforting to see that some things stay the same." Mikoto remarked with a grin.
The doctor could only smile and nod.
END OF STORY
Notes at the end
This story is cross posted from AO3. This my first published work on FFN. Thank you for reading. Please review if you get the chance.