This one was a pain to get down, and I'm still not entirely satisfied with it. But that's neither here nor there.
read, review, enjoy
Disclaimer: I do not own Sekirei; if I did, the situation with certain characters would've turned out very differently and we'd have more than two seasons of the anime. It belongs solely to Sakurako Gokurakuin.
Hidaka Chiho.
18 years of age.
Patient #156
For the last several years, those lines had been a looping monotony for the young woman, nearly driving her to the bring of insanity.
It was the only thing the doctors ever said in regard to how she pertained to anything, other than:
How are you feeling?
Did you take your medicine?
Do you need anything?
Some of them only meant well and she knew that. But others seemed to take looking after her as but a chore and got nasty if she tried to inject even the slightest alteration to the routine.
But for the rest of the time, she was sequestered in her room and only allowed out under direct supervision. She hated it – hated being here.
But with her parents gone – and that still stung to think about – and her relatives considering her nonexistent, there was little else she could do.
Her parents at least had a will: all of their savings would go into funding her treatment until a cure – if any existed – could be found for their only child.
Such a noble resolve had soured itself over time as it seemed the doctors cared more about lining their pockets than actually doing anything for her. All they did in the way of tending to her condition was ensuring she took her meds.
Locked inside this place that had become more or less a prison to her she had all but given up on getting out, let alone getting better. Time marched on and here she on the cusp of 19 and there was still no change.
And if the whispers she'd overhead were true, she would barely live past that.
Just once she'd wish her caretakers would take some pity on her and show her something more than the confines of the hospital gardens. Her one reprieve from the dull world she inhabited had long since lost its charm while the city beckoned her with its many sights and sounds.
Each time she had been refused, citing that it was too dangerous for someone like her.
'Yet they were perfectly fine with me wheeling myself to the edge of the roof that one time,' she thought dryly. She never had any intentions to jump, but the thought had crossed her mind a few times.
If this was to her final days, then she would spend them however she wanted and damn anyone else who thought otherwise!
'I just need one chance – I'll deal with what comes afterward.'
Three days later, her chance came.
The doctors let her out to wander the gardens and tasked a particular nurse with watching her, one that seemed to despise anything to do with Chiho herself.
Shirasake Yuiko was someone who Chiho had disliked since day one and the feeling was more than mutual; the woman openly sneered down at her and even mocked her when they were in private. Whenever she wasn't mocking her, the self-absorbed woman was gabbing about her failed relationships or going off for a smoke.
For Chiho, however, there wasn't anyone more suited to fulfill her little scheme.
Shirasake came with one of the doctors that Chiho actually liked and played the role of a good nurse with skills of a famed Hollywood actress. But the second that door closed, Shirasake all but yanked her out of bed and set her in that bloody wheelchair, rolling her down to the gardens.
Being locked inside all day nearly every day the surge of light from the outside never failed to blind Chiho initially, and the next moment was always magical.
Seeing the world blossom before in a myriad of colors and displays she'd only seen in storybooks was still something precious to her, even if its essence had somewhat dulled over time.
All the same, the routine played out like usual – just like Chiho expected.
Shirasake wheeled her around, not bothering to stop for anything that Chiho might've wanted until they came to the usual bench underneath a rather old tree. The woman parked herself down and whipped out her phone, starting to text.
Chiho was planted next to her, meant to stay put until the allotted time was up. Normally the wheelchair brakes would've been applied as to keep her from rolling off.
But Shirasake seemed to be an even fouler mood than usual and didn't bother with them before she plopped her behind down to waste away her "break".
Chiho's heart began to race. Her chance at freedom was so close! All she needed to do was bide her time and if there was anything all this time wasted her taught her, it was patience.
"Shit. Taka-kun hasn't texted me back yet. The hell's his deal anyway? You'd think he'd be springing at the chance to go out with someone like me."
Chiho wisely kept her mouth shut, as the last time she dared to make a comment was when she had to explain to the doctors how she'd ended up with a rather nasty bruise on her cheek.
Shirasake explained that it was because she hadn't been buckled in properly; the truth was that Shirasake threw her out of her chair onto the ground, with a hiss of a promise to do worse if she blabbed about it.
The thing was the nurse held the cards here. Shirasake was outwardly a responsible – if a bit scatterbrained – staff member to her co-workers. If she said something against Chiho, then the doctors were more inclined to believe her instead. And all the patient would end up with for their trouble was a worse punishment later on.
Yet another reason for Chiho to carry out her plan.
Shirasake's phone rang a few times, the woman answering after the third ring with a smug grin, "Kept me waiting Taka-kun~. I've been missing you since this morning. Really rude of you to ignore my texts." Whatever she heard next seemed to trigger something within her, "What did you say to me? No, you don't talk to me like that! Listen here-"
Shirasake cut herself off, glancing at Chiho who merely gave her a wave.
Scoffing, she stood up and carried on ranting – bitching, actually – at whatever poor soul she'd sunk her claws into.
Finally.
Chiho waited until Shirasake was completely out of sight before unlatching the brakes on her wheelchair, finally allowing her freedom of movement again. Gripping the wheels with purpose, she wheeled her way across the grounds and around the building to the street.
The city welcomed her and very few people batted an eye to the girl that was rolling herself down the sidewalk at a breakneck pace a wild smile of glee on her face.
She was free!
The world seemed to flow by her as she raced through the streets, turning corners and marveling at the towering buildings arrayed around her. She felt like an ant among giants, but she relished in the sensation.
Soon enough, she rolled to a stop as she came to one place she'd wanted to visit for years.
The last time she'd come to the park had been some years ago when her parents had still been alive. She could still walk then though she had to have them both hold her hands as though she were still a child. It had been unbearably humid that day, their car was having troubles and she'd ended up having ants crawling all over her legs.
It was one of the few happy memories she had of them before they were taken from her.
Braving the threshold, she wheeled herself in before someone from the hospital took sight of her.
She didn't want her excursion to end before it could even begin, after all.
Little had changed here but there were some things she noticed. The swings her parents had pushed her one that day were long gone, replaced by a long row of vending machines and the meadow where they had their picnic had been leveled for another fountain.
Bittersweet as it was, she still took in the sights with the same wonder she'd had once viewed the hospital gardens with.
As she pushed her way through however, she felt a chill run down her body that had nothing to do with fleeting memories. This morning had been fairly balmy, but still somewhat humid for this time of year. Even leaving the hospital earlier the weather hadn't changed much…at least, not until she got to the park.
Now, each breath she exhaled came out as a puff of smoke.
There was something else there too. Whatever it was, it drew Chiho deeper in even as the temperature dropped even further Common sense screamed at her that this wasn't normal, and she agreed.
'But then, since when does anything normal apply to me anyways?' she thought somewhat wryly as she pushed in.
If anything, this just highlighted more her justification for getting out today.
Turning corner around a particularly dense gathering of foliage, she came across a sight that left her breathless – literally.
Sat upon a lone park bench was one of the most beautiful women she'd ever laid eyes on, all alone and looking pitiful.
Idly, to Chiho her appearance reminded her of that of a yuki-onna – a snow woman of folklore with pale skin and dressed entirely in white, save for the black obi wrapped about her mid-section. The hair wild and unkempt but somehow Chiho felt that only added to her beauty.
Once when she was little, her family had taken her to a resort in the mountains and her mother had told her of the snow women. It had both frightened and enthralled her as a child to hear such haunting tales but being older now she realized they were meant to warn her from going off by herself during that time.
Of course, that was the past and didn't pertain to the current moment, but Chiho still felt as though this woman wouldn't freeze her alive.
Or at least she hoped.
Swallowing a bit, she made to push her chair forward-
-and immediately stopped as a pair of expressionless ice blue eyes shot open, pinning her on the spot.
Chiho held her breath, trying not to shudder under the intensity of that gaze. It felt as though the woman was staring into the very depths of her soul, not even blinking.
"Why…have you disturbed me?"
The human girl in the wheelchair remained where she was, brown eyes wide with some emotion Akitsu didn't care to ponder. A very small part of the sekirei was curious as to why someone would even bother with her, especially considering how much her power had been leaking out.
But the one that howled with grief and misery screamed at her to get rid of this girl any way she could so she could be alone to wither away.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bother you," the girl finally answered, trying her best to appear brave.
Akitsu paused. Was she that frightening? She was nothing – what did this girl have to be scared of? "Your presence…is of little consequence," she settled on, staring blankly at the girl.
"Then…could I join you?"
Once more, that tiny part expressed surprise at the request while the other part just screamed at her to drive the girl away.
She ignored them both.
"Do as you wish."
Wonder of wonders, the girl actually took the initiative and rolled herself towards her, Akitsu watching the girl the entire way for any sign of treachery. The girl could've been playing a part to get closer to her, as a sort of lure for some others in the shadows. She kept her senses alive for anything that could spell danger.
The girl rolled herself to where she sat, maneuvering herself as though to try and put herself on the bench.
"…what are you doing?"
"Figuring out how best to get on that bench," the girl returned, albeit a bit nervously.
"That is not advised."
"I know it's possible," the girl argued, gripping the rim of the bench and her chair. "I saw it in a movie once."
Akitsu felt the phantom urge to roll her eyes.
What nonsense.
But again, this girl surprised her by managing to lift herself out of her chair and onto the bench, landing right beside her. She then turned to her and flashed a wide smile, "See, told you I could do it!"
Akitsu just blinked, staring at her.
What a strange girl.
She hugged her arms around herself and shuddered, "Brrr! What's with this weather? It was nice enough earlier."
"Are you cold, girl?"
Why was she entertaining this child? She was just a human, and humans were nothing more than li-
"A bit, yes," she answered honestly, before lifting a what Akitsu perceived annoyed eyebrow at her. "And girl? Even though we're strangers, don't you think that's a bit rude?"
"Rude?" Akitsu parroted softly. She wasn't familiar with such terms. Those of MBI hadn't taught her anything along the lines.
"Strangers or not, there's basic courtesies to uphold! For instance, my name is Chiho. How about you?"
Scrapped Number, former single digit Sekirei, a waste, nothing-
"…Akitsu."
"That's so pretty!" Chiho exclaimed, leaning in close as her eyes seemed to glitter. "And that tattoo on your head is too!"
"…get…away," Akitsu demanded, her eyes never changing from their dull aspect.
The girl – Chiho – blinked and her face seemed to change color, which Akitsu took for embarrassment, "S-sorry, I forgot myself. But why are you alone like this?"
"It is nothing to concern yourself with," Akitsu returned coldly. "This solitude…is my own choice. It is for the best."
"You don't sound so sure, Akitsu-san," Chiho retorted, looking displeased.
"What else is there for me?" Akitsu found herself saying, staring up at the sky as the sun shone down on her, feeling none of its warmth. "My life…is nothing… My existence…a waste. What else is there to live for?"
"A lot of things!" the girl shouted at her, suddenly impassioned for some reason. "Akitsu-san, there's so much you could do! You're not nothing! Look at you! You're amazing! You're a bombshell that would make men and women alike turn their heads in awe! And I may've just met you, but I think anyone that caught your eye would be damned lucky to be with you!"
Akitsu stared, her eyes widening ever so slightly as she took in the girl next to her, as if seeing her for the first time.
Silence reigned between the two with Akitsu feeling something stir within her that she refused to put stock in. It was nothing, just a fleeting glimpse. A phantom urge just like her view on this girl.
A girl who had chosen to sit by her, even after everyone else had been driven away by her presence alone.
Then, Chiho turned bright red and swiveled away, slapping her hands over her eyes, "AHHHH, what did I go and say all that for?!"
"I don't understand."
And she didn't. She didn't understand this child, this human.
Chiho let out a puff of air that blossomed into a plume of smoke from her mouth as she sat back on the bench, staring up at the sky. "I guess… I guess hearing you say you're nothing kinda ticked me off a bit."
Akitsu stared dumbfounded. "Are…you saying you were angry? At me?"
"No, no…well not you specifically. I guess I just… It's hard to explain, but I guess I saw a bit of myself in you for a second and didn't like it."
Akitsu didn't really know how – or whether – she should respond to that, of if she could. Of all things she expected to hear from this girl, that was the last one.
Part of her felt indignation at the comparison. How could this girl ever understand what it felt like for her to never be able to find that special person. How could she ever understand that unfathomable loneliness that was her existence going forward? To be branded a Scrapped Number, a fate worse than death-!
"What would you know…about me," Akitsu managed to keep her anger in check, limiting it to that.
"Nothing really, but I know what it's like to be alone and I wouldn't wish it on anyone, even total strangers like you Akitsu-san. It's a horrible feeling."
"You don't know anything about loneliness, girl!" Akitsu snapped, stunning both Chiho and herself.
Why was she letting this girl affect her so? What made it so easy for her to be riled up?
Chiho's smile then was both equal parts irritating and unnerving to Akitsu just then, "I know that I won't be able to fall in love with somebody before my time is up," the girl confessed, flooring Akitsu right then and there.
What…did she just say?
"I'm terminal. The doctors say I might not live past this year, all because they're more interested in the money they're getting for my treatments. So, while I don't know why you feel lonely Akitsu-san, I can at least say I'm in much the same boat."
Akitsu was silent, rendered speechless by this revelation.
Was she… Could it possibly be she was like her? Unable to love…unable to fall in love?
Could she-?
"HIDAKA-SAN!"
Chiho's head shot up, and Akitsu didn't miss the flash of panic on her features before it mellowed into solemn resignation.
Akitsu looked up and found at least three humans making their way towards her, two men and a woman wearing hospital garbs.
"Guess the jig is up. I'm surprised they found me so quick. This is where we say goodbye, Akitsu-san. Sorry for bothering you, but thanks for not kicking me out right away."
Now Akitsu felt panic take over her. No, no she couldn't just let her go – not yet! She had to know, she had to see-!
"It was nice while it- KYAAA!"
Instincts took over as Chiho's grip on her wheelchair faltered and she would've taken a nasty tumble to the ground, had Akitsu not reached out to catch her.
"Are…you alright?" Akitsu asked, breathlessly.
"warm…."
"What?"
"So warm…for someone so cold," Chiho murmured.
Something stirred inside Akitsu then, something she couldn't explain, something she refused to let go of.
Chiho… This girl…what was she?
"HIDAKA-SAN! Are you alright?!"
"Hey you, let her go now!"
Akitsu bristled at that tone, unconsciously preparing to freeze the interlopers who dared-!
"H-hai, I'm fine!" Chiho's voice broke in before carnage could ensue. "Um…Akitsu-san…I'm fine, you can put me down now."
"…right."
Akitsu helped Chiho back into her chair, keeping her eyes on the girl even as the adults moved in around her.
"What were you thinking worrying us all like that?!" one of the men admonished, kneeling down to scold the girl. "We thought you'd been taken!"
"Sorry, I just…wanted to get away for a bit," Chiho apologized, ducking her head so nobody could see her expression.
But Akitsu didn't miss the dare she say mischievous gleam that the girl sported. Strangely enough, she felt a small tug at her own lips as well.
"And just what were you doing with her, miss," the woman addressed her, glaring.
Akitsu glared back silently, not even deigning to respond.
"She's my friend!" Chiho spoke up on her behalf. "She was looking after me, so lay off her!"
The three adults turned wide-eyed looks on the wheelchair-bound girl, stunned.
Even Akitsu was taken aback by the fervor in the girl.
The man kneeling in front of her was the first to recover, "Ahem, well then in that case, you have my thanks miss for looking after Hidaka-san."
"Erm, yes, thank you!""
"Right, yeah."
The other two adults thanked her with varying degrees of gratitude, but the woman still eyed her with suspicion.
"And if there's nothing else, we should be getting back. Dr. Orimura was in quite the uproar about your disappearance."
"Oh, ok. Well then," Chiho turned back to Akitsu and gave a wave, smiling softly, "see you later, Akitsu-san."
The former #7 watched as the trio wheeled away the girl, keeping her expression as blank as possible until they were completely out of sight. Once they were gone though, that mask shattered like glass.
Grasping her chest with a gasp, Akitsu felt her way back down to the bench as her powers manifested around her. The air grew colder and colder with each breath she took as her emotions surged.
"What…was that? That feeling. Was it…could she be…? But they told me…I couldn't-!"
Her face came back then, and her heart shifted in a not entirely unpleasant way. Her smile, her voice – all of it was enough to make something inside Akitsu surge to life.
She dared not hope, she couldn't…but the notion remained.
'Hidaka…Chiho… My…Ashikabi?'
Could the tuners have been wrong? Was there hope for her after all?
As expected, she was scolded quite severely when they got back to the hospital and Chiho could do little more than cope with it. As a result, she was not allowed outside for the next week which did put a damper on her spirits a bit, but not by much.
As harsh as it was to say, she honestly didn't care what they thought was suitable for her and what was not. She'd gotten what she wanted and had a memorable experience with Akitsu – that was enough for her.
Even now those ice blue eyes and that almost petulant scowl came back to her, eliciting a small giggle from her.
For someone trying so hard to push everyone away, all she succeeded in was drawing someone like her in even more. It was a shame they hadn't more time to talk; Chiho had wanted to ask her so many things like where she'd gotten her dress, what her life had been like, and that strange tattoo of a bird on her fore-
"Ara, you seem to be in a good mood, Hidaka-san."
Well, she was – until a certain witch decided to make a stop on her broomstick.
Schooling her features into an unreadable mask, she turned and addressed her part-time jailer/tormentor, "Shirasake-san, ohayo."
Chiho had known this was coming. Shirasake was someone obsessed with her public appearance and how she came off to others. Anything and anyone that contradicted her being anything less than the picture of perfection was to be ruthlessly snuffed out.
So, making her look like a fool yesterday by losing a crippled patient was sure to ruffle her feathers something fierce.
"Ohayo, you little brat," the woman sneered at her, showing her true colors. "I sure hope you got whatever fun you had out of that little stunt earlier, because it won't be happening again."
Chiho remained silent, knowing that anything she said was likely to fall on deaf ears. She kept a close eye on the woman as she began to walk about the room though.
"You know, you're never getting out of here. Orimura-san says you're terminal and if everything falls into place, you won't be a problem for me anymore."
"Do you want me to die so badly, Shirsake-san?"
The woman had the gall to look affronted, playing it up as though she had actually been offended, "How rude of you to put words into my mouth, Hidaka-san! Such a naughty little girl you are…and naughty children must be punished."
"…we're on camera," Chiho reminded her calmly, but she still tensed up at the woman began to move towards her with a leer.
"OH right! The one who works in surveillance is Taka-kun's friend – he called in sick because of a hangover which left me to take over for him, so that means," the demented woman grinned, "it's just you, myself and I."
Now Chiho felt a jolt of panic go through her because the woman was staring at her in a way that frankly made her skin crawl. That calm mask faded away into wariness and distrust, inching away from the woman as she got closer and closer, "…why do you dislike me so much anyways? What have I done?"
"EVERYTHING!" the nurse screamed, lunging for the hospital bed and pinning Chiho down to it. "Orimura-san works himself to the bone trying to find out how to fix a problem that can't be, not even paying attention to the one who waits on him hand and foot. Do you have any idea how long I've been trying to get in that man's pants? All the rotten pieces of shit in this place and you have him wrapped around your finger. It's not fair."
Nervous as she was, Chiho still managed to glare back at the seething woman, "So you're jealous of me? An invalid girl? Do you have any idea how pathetic that makes you seem?"
"LITTLE BITCH-!" Shirasake hissed, eyes wild with hate, grabbing Chiho by her throat. The heart monitor she was plugged into began to beep erratically as Chiho's heart raced. "Once you're gone, then I'll be the only woman in his life. And with all that money he's been getting, my life is going to be riveting~!"
Chiho stared in horror at this woman, fighting to keep from being strangled by the deranged woman who clearly had settled on making her the enemy instead of examining her shortcomings. But against a woman who possessed most of her physical faculties, the little girl she was could barely keep her airway open as Shirasake glared down at her with a mad grin.
"Shh, just go to sleep Hidaka-san…go to sleep and NEVER wake-!"
The door exploded open, bringing a halt to the rapidly escalating situation as Chiho and Shirasake turned their attention over to the intruder.
Chiho's eyes lit up with surprise and astonishment as a familiar kimono-clad figure stepped through, a bland expression on her face like always. "Akitsu-san…!"
"Pardon the intrusion."
Akitsu crossed into the hospital room, eyeing the two figures in the corner of the room…namely the brunette who was grappling with the older woman.
Clearly something was amiss if the relieved look on the young girl's face was any indication.
The older woman however just growled at her, outrage burning brightly across her features. "Who the fuck are you? How'd you get past Security?"
Akitsu glanced briefly at Chiho then back at the woman before answering, "I believe the question you should ask…is why you are strangling a child."
"None of your business, skank! Now beat if before I call security!"
"I cannot do that," Akitsu replied calmly. "Now I will only ask once. Step away from her."
"Why don't you make me, tramp?!" Shirasake challenged, hysterically.
Akitsu paused for a moment, weighing the decision in her mind. "Very well." Walking calmly over to the pair, she took hold of the woman's arms even as she squawked indignantly and yanked them off of Chiho, allowing the girl to breathe again. "Are you alright?"
Chiho coughed a few times before managing a nod, "H-hai, I'm glad you – AKITSU-SAN WATCH OUT-!"
She needn't have bothered.
Akitsu knew what the woman was doing the moment she'd gotten her away from the girl. It did strike her as odd that the woman wouldn't have cut her losses already, but it mattered little to the Scrapped Number.
Without looking, she caught the metal chair that the deranged woman would've smashed into her, gripping it firmly and halting whatever momentum the woman had swung with.
"T-the hell are you?!"
"Beyond your capacity, human," Akitsu answered dully, injecting a bit of her power into grip causing the chair to gloss over with ice. "And it's time you learned yours."
"F-freak!" the woman shrieked, with the chair ripped from her now shaking hands. "Fucking freak!" With a cry, she lunged toward Akitsu with murder in her eyes.
The Sekirei reacted on instinct alone, releasing a blast of ice from her hands that encased the woman completely, turning her into a living sculpture.
"A…Akitsu-san," Chiho murmured behind her, her voice uneven. "Did…did you just-?"
"She lives still," Akitsu told her, turning away from the sculpture and walked back to Chiho.
The girl eyed her with fear, inching back from her slightly.
Akitsu paused, feeling something twisting in her gut but found she couldn't express it properly. "…do I frighten you?"
"I…no, it's not that."
"The look in your eyes suggests otherwise."
"Ok…maybe I am," her admission stung Akitsu more than she would ever care to admit just then, "but I know you won't hurt me."
"…and how would you know that?"
The girl finally flashed a smile at her and Akitsu felt her insides warming slightly with that phantom feeling once more, "Because if you were, you would've sent me away like all the others before."
Akitsu pursed her lips, unable to find fault with that logic. Anything else she might've said on the subject was interrupted by a cacophony of noise from nearby, followed by shouting.
"Hidaka-san! …Hidaka-san are you – good God!"
Akitsu turned her attention to the gathering of doctors and nurses that had arrived, the women starring in abject horror at the remains of their fellow. Some even ran away screaming.
"Get away from my patient!" one of the doctors demanded, despite the clear fear radiating from his form.
"Wait stop Orimura-san! She helped me!" Chiho butted in quickly before anything else could occur.
"She… Hidaka-san, did she do…?"
"Shirsake-san was going to kill me; Akitsu-san saved me from her."
The doctor didn't seem prone to believing her, casting a dubious glance at the ice sculpture of his co-worker. "Is…she alive?"
"She lives still; I have merely restrained her."
The man called Oriumura stared long and hard at her, before turning back to the sculpture, "Could…could you release her? Without harming her?"
Akitsu glanced back at the girl who'd become important to her in such a short time, waiting on her response. These humans mattered little to her, but Chiho's word mattered much more in comparison. "Is that your wish?"
Chiho ruminated on it, staring hard at the sculpture of her assailant before giving a terse nod.
Akitsu released the hold with but a wave, the woman falling forward onto her hands and knees with a sharp gasp.
"Shirsake-san, are you ok?" Orimura asked the woman.
"Ori…Orimura-san? You…," Shirsake breathed before latching onto the man with a death-grip, "I-I thought I'd never see you again!"
"It's ok, you're safe now."
"Safe? But what about-?" the woman's eyes locked onto hers and she scuttled back with a shriek of abject terror. "AHHH! She's still here! She's still here! RUN!"
"Shirasake-san, enough! She's not going to harm you!" Orimura admonished, trying in vain to keep his charge under control.
"NO! NO, NO, NO! You don't understand! That witch! She froze me solid, like an ice cube all to protect that little whore!"
"…what did you say?"
"She stopped me, she got in my way and now she's nothing more than the little bitch's guard dog-!"
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Orimura yelled at the top of his lungs, shocking all his compatriots and the belligerent woman into silence. "…I expected better from you, Yuiko-kun. Masamune-kun, Kakate-san, please take her away and keep her under guard until the police show up."
Shirsake turned an incredulous look on the man as he refused to look her in the eye, "W-wait a sec, Orimura-san, why are you-?!"
Then, the man did something that surprised both Akitsu and Chiho apparently – he bowed deeply before them, from the waist. "Hidaka-san, I cannot begin to apologize for this grievance towards you. Had I known this was going on, I would've removed Shirasake-san immediately."
"Y-You're taking HER side?! HERS?! After all I've done for you?! All I've put myself through?!"
"Get her out of here now."
"You pansy-assed; LET GO OF ME-!"
"Keep it up Yuiko-kun and we'll be dragging you away. Your choice," one of the security guards growled.
The woman kicked up quite a racket, dragging her from the room as she raised unholy hell at her treatment which eventually fell silent after a sharp scream from her.
Despite herself, Akitsu felt a nasty bit of satisfaction that the woman would finally get what was coming to her.
'I should've kept her frozen,' she found herself thinking.
Chiho finally allowed herself to calm down with Shirasake-san taken away. The woman had been a living nightmare for her for quite some time and knowing that she was finally gone brought her no end of relief. A part of her wished she could've at least talked to the woman, to maybe settle everything peacefully.
But that went out the window the second the woman's hands snaked around her neck.
If Akitsu hadn't come when she did…
'Wait,' she thought, 'why did she come here? How did she know where I was?'
Unaware of her musings, Doctor Orimura gave a deep sigh before turning back to Akitsu, narrowing his eyes at her, "I suppose I have you to thank for ensuring my patient's safety, Akitsu-san was it? I had thought to appoint some guards here for the time being, but given your…abilities, I would venture you are more than capable of looking after Hidaka-san."
Akitsu just stared at him, unblinking, which ended up unnerving the man even further.
"Actually Orimura-san, would it be too much of a stretch to ask if I could go outside for a bit? I know it's only been a few days since I ran off, but I think some fresh air would be good right now."
The Doctor all but leapt at lifeline she threw him. "Absolutely not, Hidaka-san! By all means, please do. It'll give me some time to see to all that unsavory business with Shirsake-san. But who will look after you?"
"Akitsu-san will be with me," Chiho answered confidently. "And don't worry, I can guide her along the way."
"Well… Normally I'm not supposed to let you out unless with hospital staff or a guardian and I'm still not sure what Akitsu-san qualifies as," the man stated, giving a wary glance at the deadpan woman. "Or what she does…"
"I will look after her, and my word is my bond," Akitsu declared.
Orimura still looked apprehensive but gave a sigh, "If that's the case, then it's fine. I'll take responsibility for anything that comes up. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go file a police report and one for my superiors."
With that, the man beat a hasty retreat and minutes later, both she and Akitsu were heading out to the gardens around the hospital. It did take a bit of navigating on Chiho's part, but the brunette was just happy to finally be back out in the sun – with someone other than a caretaker this time.
Still, there was one thing that Chiho couldn't get off her mind. "Akitsu-san? How exactly did you find me?"
"I followed you."
Chiho felt her face flare, shooting a startled look up at the older woman who stared right back, unflinching. "O-oh, I see. Well, I'm glad you came. I didn't think Shirsake-san would go as far as she did."
"Are…you afraid of that woman?" Akitsu asked softly. "Should I have killed her?"
"What?! No, no, no of course not! Why would you think something like that?!"
Akitsu didn't answer, only blinking down at her.
Chiho gave a sigh, "While she's far from my favorite person, I wouldn't wish death on her."
Akitsu's expression didn't change, but her head did cock to the side in a curious manner, "Why? She attempted to take your life."
"T-that's-!" Chiho started to protest but couldn't deny the facts. And speaking of which, "Akitsu-san…you're not human, are you?" The woman didn't answer her but the fact that the air around her suddenly felt a bit chillier was enough of a sign. "What you did back there to save me wasn't possible if you were."
"…does that frighten you, then?"
On some level, yes, Chiho could admit to that. Seeing someone almost casually freeze another alive wasn't something to sneeze at. And in truth, for one split second she had feared that Akitsu would do the same to her…
"It did, yes," she admitted.
"…and now?" Akitsu's voice was quiet, almost nervous to Chiho. She knew whatever she said next would forever alter their dynamic.
So Chiho turned a wide smile upon her savior and spoke from the heart. "I've never felt safer."
She didn't know what she expected out of the woman, but somehow the way Akitsu's mouth turned up slightly at the edges made Chiho's heartbeat just a bit faster.
'She's much prettier when she smiles,' she thought with a blush.
Akitsu didn't leave her side once for the rest of the week, and Chiho was more than happy to have someone she could talk to that wouldn't judge her.
Doctor Orimura had his hands full dealing with Shirasake's detainment by the police, which was further complicated by Chiho not willing to press charges against the woman. Nevertheless, he abided by her decision and relented to let Akitsu be the one to stick by her to ensure her safety.
As for the woman herself, Chiho had learned a bit more about her mysterious confidant and then some.
"You're an…alien?"
"That is what MBI classified my kind as," Akitsu affirmed as she sat beside Chiho in a chair that had been brought up. "They call us Sekirei."
"Wagtail?" Chiho questioned, finding the designation odd. "Is that what that tattoo on your head is meant to symbolize?"
To her surprise, Akitsu turned away from her as though ashamed and let out a pained sigh. "It is…a mark of misery, the sign of a scrapped number."
As a Sekirei, Akitsu had been tampered with by someone at MBI. The experiment she'd been put through – of which Akitsu still wouldn't relate to her the details of – had been a failure, and she'd been cast aside as a wasted product.
Now Chiho had never held a mean bone in her body up until this point, but after hearing all of that she really wanted to punch those guys' faces in. Since she couldn't she did the next best thing – she gave Akitsu a hug.
"Are you frightened?" Akitsu asked, bewildered.
"Forget about me for a second, Akitsu-san! I don't… I don't even know what to say right now. You've had to go through so much so quickly that I… I wish I could do something for you."
Though it was light and tenuous at best, Chiho still let out a soft gasp as she felt Akitsu awkwardly return the hug. "This…is enough for me," the woman said softly, and Chiho felt something she hadn't in quite some time.
Safe. Protected. Cared…loved-
Loved?
A blush blossomed on her cheeks at the thought, quickly dismissing it. It was way, way, way too soon to be thinking any of that! They'd only just met and besides, what kind of love would it be? Akitsu didn't feel like a mother to her. Maybe a sister? It was true she had always wanted a big sister she could turn to when things got rough…
But somehow, Akitsu felt closer to that…someone who she felt she could trust right out of the gate, strangers or not.
Whatever the feeling was, she hoped it wouldn't complicate things between them too much.
She would already have a hard enough time to explain why she couldn't stop blushing around her.
Being with Chiho was…nice, Akitsu thought.
The little girl was very lively and didn't lack enthusiasm, which served to offset Akitsu's almost lethargic tendencies. And each time Chiho smiled at her, Akitsu felt something stir within her that only grew stronger by the day.
She still refused to put much faith in the possibility, the notion of the little girl being her destined one, scrapped status or none. All of it could be a delusion on her part to desperately feel that connection.
But when Chiho had been taken back so soon after they met that day in the park, Akitsu had felt a piece of herself go with the girl. And when she had found her again, she felt whole again…or at least as close as she could feasibly get to it.
What's more, to Akitsu Chiho only grew more attractive to her as time went on. How it was possible for someone to drink water in an enticing manner as her Akitsu couldn't comprehend. All she knew after a certain amount of time had passed was that a familiar heat had begun to pool her cheeks each time Chiho and her locked eyes.
Each glance, each touch and even each sound all served to further entangle Akitsu's emotions to the point where she wanted to kiss the adorable girl senseless! She was getting to her limit.
And, if the blushes she'd caught from Chiho were any indication, then the girl was too.
This fuzzy, bubbling feeling… was this what excitement was?
If it was, she wanted more – so much more!
Today she and Chiho would be spending time out in the gardens again, and the little girl had been simply rabid with her requests to seek Akitsu use her powers. To the Sekirei, her abilities were one of the few things she took immense pride in as a Sekirei and so meeting someone who seemed to value them just as much as her…
It was enthralling.
Chiho greeted her with a smile as she always did, the smile growing even wider as she saw Akitsu in possession of her wheelchair. But as she made to unhook herself from the machine, Chiho's hands started to shake…a few coughs escaped her too.
"Chiho?"
Chiho tried to say something but another fit of coughs wracked her, the girl doubling over as she wheezed.
BEEP, BEEP, BEEP-!
The heart monitor began to trill shrilly in Akitsu's ears as she abandoned the wheelchair, racing over to Chiho's side. Her hands hovered over the girl as she coughed violently, settling on pushing the girl over to she could see her face.
Immediately, Akitsu felt as if she had been tossed into an icy lake.
Chiho's eyes were bleary and unfocused with beads of sweat starting to pour down her forehead. Her chest rose up and down in a perilous rhythm, each breath coming out more ragged than the last.
"Akit…su-san…" Chiho uttered weakly, staring through her.
"I'm here!" she assured, grasping the girl's now clammy hands with her own if only for her own sake than the girl's. Her thoughts spiraled out of control.
Why was this happening? How was it happening? Could she fix it? If so how? How? HOW?
"I'm dying."
Like a thunderbolt, Akitsu stared with mounting horror as their earliest conversation came back to haunt her. Her eyes widened to saucers, mouth falling agape as the realization slowly settled in.
Dying… Chiho was dying… Dying… dying…
This wasn't an enemy she could fight off; this was something she was powerless against.
Powerless… Powerless to save that which was important to her…
All this power…for nothing.
A waste.
She was a waste.
"…out here for now. We'll send someone to check on you in a bit," a voice was saying as she was dragged from her calamitous musings.
Akitsu just stood there, gazing at the set of doors below which a blazing red sign read: Emergency Room. The nurse turned away from her and headed back through after providing his clearance, the door sealing itself back up once more leaving Akitsu standing in the hall alone.
Silence crept in slowly, like a shadow growing underneath the waning light of day.
"Am I…useless?" she wondered aloud, staring at the doors where Chiho had been rushed through. "Is all this power…for nothing?"
What was the point of being a Sekirei if she couldn't protect what mattered to her? What was the point of living if it meant she'd never get to be happy with the one she loved? What was the point if she couldn't be with Chiho?
Akitsu steadied herself as that thought wormed its way into her head, burrowing in and making itself cozy in her mind.
She still didn't know for sure if Chiho was her Ashikabi, let alone if she could be. But the more time she spent with the girl, something nestled itself within her core that told her that the little girl was integrally important to her – almost as much as breathing.
But how did she feel about her? Her emotions were still all over the place thanks to what those MBI tuners did to her tama, but Chiho stirred things in her that no one else had ever before.
That alone was worth protecting to her last breath.
"Might I have a moment of your time?"
Akitsu spun around, finding a well-dressed man in a suit and tie standing a few feet from her. His expression was unreadable even to Akitsu but somehow the Sekirei had the feeling this human felt himself above her in some way. "…what do you want?"
"You may call me Kakizaki, and as for the purpose of this meeting I wished to extend to you a business proposal from my boss."
"I'm not interested, now go away."
Kakizaki didn't seem the slightest bit perturbed by her refusal, and merely adjusted his tie before speaking again. "Even if that offer pertains to the well-being of Hidaka-san?"
In a flash, Akitsu whirled on the man with the ferocity of a blizzard, pinning him to the wall with one icy hand. Her eyes bore into his hazel orbs as they stared unflinchingly back at her. "Speak."
"Ahem. My boss, Higa Izumi wishes to speak with on the matter of Hidaka-san's circumstances going forward. He wishes to assure you that it's well in your interest to not refuse his offer."
"Can you help Chiho?"
Kakizaki's eyes seemed to gleam at that admission, but Akitsu paid it no mind. "Not at this time, but-"
"Then you are useless to me," Akitsu said coldly, aiming to freeze the irritating man solid when she felt something stir in her body.
In shock, she stumbled back and stared at Kakizaki as she perceived a familiar aura coming from him – that of a sekirei's. He wasn't one of course, but that left only one conclusion. "You're…an ashikabi."
"Correct. Number twenty-two – Kochou is my Sekirei, however I merely represent Higa-sama's interests at large so I am not a threat to you."
Akitsu wasn't fooled by the man's act, but there was very little she could do right now. And she had another suspicion, "And this…Higa is like you as well?"
"Yes, Higa-sama is the master of not one but several other Sekirei with many others under his employment such as myself."
"This changes nothing. If you can't do anything to help her-"
"I never said we couldn't," Kakizaki cut her off, pushing his glasses up higher on his nose. "Just that we can't right now…not without your assistance at least."
Hers?
"I do not…understand," Akitsu said, narrowing her eyes at the man.
But instead of elaborating, the man turned briskly on his heel and began walking away, "The choice is yours… Scrapped Number. We'll be watching."
And then he was gone, passing through the doors, and leaving Akitsu much more conflicted than she had ever been.
Rounding the corner, Kakizaki took out his phone, punched in the number he knew by heart now and waited patiently.
"Hai?"
"Put me through, Kochou."
"Hai, Master."
A few more dial tones later and the cultured voice of his superior slithered through the line.
"Well?"
"She refused sir, as you expected."
"Of course she did – these birds are nothing if not predictable."
"What should we do now, Sir?"
"Have Kochou watch her and when she submits, bring her to me. For now, carry on as usual."
"Yes sir."
The line cut off and Kakizaki gave a sigh, leaning against the wall for a second running a hand down his face. "I hate my job sometimes."
The doctors kept Chiho overnight in the ER, leaving Akitsu to stew in her newfound turmoil for some time. Kakizaki's words rang in her head along with Chiho's, resulting in an endless loop that dragged her spirits down farther and farther.
So much so that even the girl in question noticed.
"Akitsu-san, what's wrong?"
"It's…nothing," the sekirei replied, dodging the question.
From where she sat in the older woman's lap, Chiho puffed her cheeks a bit at that, "It doesn't sound like it to me," the girl pointed out, petulantly.
The two of them were sitting together in one of the lounges on the ground floor with them being the only ones occupying the area. The doctors had insisted that Chiho remain inside the hospital for the time being just in case she had a relapse which she couldn't blame them for.
That didn't mean she had to like it, however.
And what's more, Akitsu had stuck to her like glue ever since they could be together again which she wasn't complaining about.
But there was something…desperate about the way the older woman held her now. Something had frightened her, clearly.
Anything that could frighten a woman who could quite literally freeze alive anybody that pissed her off wasn't something to take lightly.
"Are you sure you are alright?" Akitsu asked once more.
It took a concerted effort on Chiho's part not to roll her eyes at that, "I'm fine, Akitsu-san."
"…Akitsu."
"Eh?"
"Just call me Akitsu," the woman corrected her softly, but firmly.
Chiho felt her cheeks flame as a giddy smile twisted her lips, barely restraining herself from wriggling happily in her friend's embrace. "Ok, Akitsu!"
The two of them sat in silence, content to be with one another until Akitsu spoke once more.
"Chiho, do you…do you still think you won't find love in your life?"
It was all the girl could do not to flinch at being put on the spot like that. Where was this all coming from?! "Um…yeah, I think so. My condition doesn't exactly leave a lot of room for things like that."
"I was the same as you," Akitsu admitted, and Chiho leaned deeper into her friend's clutch. "After my…accident, I lost hope that I would find anybody like that. It was…a crippling notion for me. When you found me that day, I was…considering ending my life."
"Akitsu-!" Chiho exclaimed, horrified.
A chilly yet gentle hand stroked her cheek, causing the words to die in her throat as she found herself gazing into the eyes of the older woman. Her face warmed several degrees, and her heart was doing things in her chest that would've made modern-day acrobatics green with envy.
"But…then I met you," Akitsu went on, and without preamble, leaned down to capture her lips.
Chiho's eyebrows shot into orbit, her eyes widening to the size of dinner plates as she blinked rapidly. Her head spun, trying to grapple with the fact that this astoundingly beautiful woman was kissing her – kissing her!
Wait, wasn't she supposed to kiss back?
But before she could do anything, Akitsu's soft as silk lips left hers and left her staring at a softly blushing Akitsu.
'I could die right now be okay with it,' the girl thought blissfully.
"Kissing you makes me yours, Chiho," Akitsu said with a soft smile. "My ashikabi…my destined one."
Chiho's mind whirled at the implications of her friend's – no, they'd gone way past friendship by now! – actions, so all she could do was smile back and ask:
"Can we do that again?"
For the first time since she'd met her, Akitsu laughed. It was soft, barely even a giggle but it sent a chord through Chiho's heart all the same.
"You need only ask, Master."
And soon she was sent back to cloud nine, all expenses paid.
Akitsu helped tuck her young master into bed, pulling the covers up to her chin before stroking her cheek. Chiho's bashful smile warmed her to her core and her returning it.
"Will you be here when I wake up?"
"Of course," Akitsu assured, brushing aside some of the girl's hair. "Now rest."
"Only if I get a kiss."
"Very well," Akitsu replied, ignoring the girl's flustered stammering as she captured the girl's lips once more. "Now rest."
"H-hai," Chiho murmured with a goofy grin.
Akitsu sat beside the girl holding her hand until she finally drifted off, her soft snores echoing in tune with the heart monitor next to them. Sucking in a breath, she all but glided across the room and walked outside, shutting the door behind her with a soft click.
Footsteps reached her ears, but she paid them no mind keeping her eyes closed as she once more set steeled herself.
"Have you decided, Akitsu-san?"
"…I will hear what your master wishes to say."
The truth had been something she had been grappling with for most of the day, and only after seeing Chiho's loving smile was she finally ready to accept it. Chiho's life laid in the hands of others like Kakizaki and as much as she detested the idea of being subservient to anyone other than her ashikabi, her hands were tied.
Thus far they hadn't made any overt threats to Chiho. But if that changed…
"Then come with me. Higa-sama doesn't like to be kept waiting."
…she wanted to know just who to go after for having the audacity to try.
This chapter nearly killed me. Between figuring out how to exactly write Chiho and Akitsu, there was figuring out whether or not to throw in other characters (if they were going to become recurring or not) as well as figuring out how certain scenes would play out. I still think I dropped the ball a bit near the end but I'll leave that up to you guys to judge.
So...yeah, Akitsu is Chiho's sekirei. I'm not sure if this has been done before so I apologize in advance if this seems like I'm taking someone's idea. But I've only read four other sekirei stories, three of which I'm actively following - and nothing like this scenario popped up in them. So forgive my ignorance.
I do find it rather interesting though what this could develop into though. Akitsu is a Scrapped Number with no reason to live, and Chiho is a dying girl who wants to live. Put the two together, mingled in with some of that hellbent loyalty Akitsu had for Mikogami now directed towards Chiho, and you've got a rather interesting take here - at least in my eyes.
There is of course the concern with her motivation. After all, Akitsu can't bond with an ashikabi so she has no real reason to fight for Chiho; if the girl dies, Akitsu won't unlike with Uzume. Did that stop her from going with Mikogami, though? I believe that Akitsu fell in love with Mikogami because he gave a damn about her, and the same goes for Chiho only that relationship will be far more fluffy than the former.
This is also the first time I'm writing anything Yuri. Granted, I've dabbled a bit in the past but never to something like this. So that's another reason this chapter was a pain. It was different though and I ask that you all please bear with me as we follow these two.
Next chapter we'll be swinging back to Tamotsu and Mitsuha, with a surprise guest showing up at some point as well.
Spoilers: it's not Uzume. At least not next time.