Soldier's Forge Chapter 12, a sakura wars fanfic

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Soldier's Forge, Chapter 12:

It was cold, but she never seemed to notice it until now. She was dimly aware of herself, as if watching from afar, but the vision was a familiar one that had haunted her forever. It was the urban battlefield where she spent a sizable portion of her life entrenched deeply behind whatever was suitable for cover, hiding in the snow. Others surrounded her, but they were indistinct, and unimportant. They were but a flitting memory.

The familiar sulfurous smells of gunpowder, the reek of rotting corpses, and the smell of a dying city assaulted her senses, but it did not bother her. She felt tense, anxious. She breathed quickly, nervously, watching as it condensed in front of her. There was the shrieking of the wind, gusts that chilled her to the bone, but it remained unimportant. Nothing was important except for the raw feelings of fear that clutched at her heart. And for some reason, she never remembered it as being so strong, but the thought was gone as fast as it was there, and it was forgotten.

And then it happened. The men and women around her began running out of the trenches. She could not see their faces, but she heard the screams of the dying and wounded. Her feelings became those of grim determination, her fighting spirit manifesting in her anger. Nothing could stop her as she began firing her rifle. She did not remember when she picked it up, but it felt natural that she held it; it was always natural that she carried a gun of some kind.

She saw him running in front. She knew he was important somehow, but was caught up in the moment and was gunning down everything around her. He turned, and suddenly she remembered. Her captain, running as she was, was too a flurry of action. The moment she saw his face Maria remembered—and screamed in despair as she watched the scene replay once again—the surprise, the hesitation, and the unforgettable gunshot that seemed to play over all the other sounds.

She watched again as she ran to him, somehow aware of herself even as she did not see her own being. Feelings of desperation, anger, and grief—all were too familiar, too real. She turned him over and screamed in despair, over and over again, for she saw the face of Ichirou Oogami lying dead in her hands.

And then she woke, breathing heavily and covered in cold sweat. The images still replaying in her mind, she sat until she could recall where she was. It had been a long time since she had the nightmares, but they had returned in full force. They were never as painful as they were now; she could still taste the fear, and remember the horror. So vivid…

She felt dampness on her cheeks. Bringing her hand to her face, she touched the tears she had unwittingly shed. Sighing, she held her hands to her head, trying to ward off the effects, knowing that she would not sleep easily again.

The dark, unfurnished room they were in did not help in that regard either. The bare wooden floor was no comfort to those who slept on it, and the worn walls were not a sight to look at, but it was all they could find—an unoccupied house in a decrepit neighborhood. There was the chirping of crickets, and the occasional bark of a dog, but aside from that silence blanketed the area.

Maria recalled briefly how harrowing their escape from the theater was, and how they drove in the night with nowhere to go when they saw the soldiers and the tanks. They knew they could not keep it up for long so they were forced to abandon the van and run to wherever they could, hiding in the shadows along the way. Their journey eventually led them to this part of Teito, where by luck they had found one of many houses to be abandoned. Carrying only rudimentary supplies, they were forced to sleep on the floor, weary and exhausted. Even Orihime could not complain—being alive was all that they were thankful for at this point.

The light sounds of footsteps alerted Maria. Pulling her gun, she pointed it at the door.

"It's me," whispered Kanna as she stepped carefully over the sleeping Orihime and Kohran. "I could hear you screaming. Is it the nightmares again?"

Maria nodded. Kanna was the only one she really confided in, aside from the squad leader.

"Do you want me to take your watch?" offered Kanna.

"No, thanks. I probably can't sleep again anyways," she replied. Getting up, she moved to the adjoining entrance. Kanna, stepping gracefully for a person her size, moved over to a corner where she sat with her back to the wall. She began to doze almost immediately.

Settling herself at the window, Maria prepared for her vigil. As she sat thinking, she realized that for her, it was time to put away her past; if she could not do so, then there would certainly be no future.

The sunlight of a new day lent its warmth unfalteringly once again to the inhabitants of Teito, but those that usually paid homage to its glory were not there. Gone were the bustling streets of the commuters; the joggers and the businessmen and the wives that bought goods in the market—without them, one could not help but feel something was remiss.

And that was what the new day heralded. Instead, the silent, steel face of the many tanks took their place; the footsteps of troops moving in unison replaced the light conversation of neighbors.

Kohran soon woke to the caress of the morning light on her face. She blinked several times, feeling bruises and cuts from yesterday's ordeal. Sleeping at such a late hour certainly did not improve her disposition either. Orihime and Kanna were sprawled next to her, each looking just as awful as she was, and even in their last throes of sleep the uncertainty marked their faces. She moved to the entrance, which was the only real room in the small house anyways, to find Maria awake, gazing outside.

"Maria? You didn't wake me," said Kohran guiltily.

"It was almost dawn anyways. Wake the others. We need to keep moving," she ordered. When the others were awake, she moved to address them.

"We cannot stay here for long. Eventually they will start searching for us."

"What are we going to do, Maria?" asked Kohran.

"This is the way it looks to me. We're in considerable danger—from what I gather Army Intelligence is out to kill us, and they have the resources of the armed forces. The theater is occupied, but the armor has been moved to safe areas. They won't find them easily. Sakura and the others may have arrived there—I pray they got away safely. And Vice-General Yoneda and squad leader are—" she paused for a second, choking on the last bit, "—are either captured, or dead. There is no easy way for me to put it."

No one had wanted to say it, but it was obvious that was the only logical explanation.

"Hey now, everyone cheer up," said Kanna. "There's no way the old man and squad leader would fall to them. They're tougher than that! Have faith in them."

"You're right, Kanna," said Maria after a few moments of silence. "We have to keep believing in them, but for now, we're on our own."

"Where are we going to go? What are we going to do? We have no place to return to, everyone we know is missing…" trailed Orihime.

"The only thing we can do for now is to stay hidden. We need to find a safe place we can stay low in for a couple of days. In addition, we need to find out where the armor is—I did not receive that information, and I don't think squad leader had it either. Finally, we need some way of finding out who is behind this and why, and we need to figure how to stop them."

"Is there anyone we know that can help us?" suggested Kohran.

"It has to be someone we trust. I have no ideas, however if we can accrue enough evidence of whatever's been happening, I can try to contact Count Hanakoji. Last I heard he was in America, though, so I cannot guarantee that he will be able to do much."

"Why don't we go to my father's? He might be able to help us," suggested Orihime.

"It's not safe. We need someplace that isn't accessible by public record. They'll know who he is, and they'll be waiting there certainly."

"I know a place. It's out of the way, and I'm pretty sure they don't know about it," suggested Kanna. "It's a old shrine near the outskirts of town in the hills. It hasn't been used for several years, and I've gone there occasionally training. My dad was the only that knew about it, except for his old friends. It's got everything we need."

"That sounds good. How far out is it?" asked Maria.

"I'd say about three hours on foot. Add some to that for getting off the road, which we'll have to do."

"Alright. If no one has any better suggestions, then that's where we're going."

"Are we hiking up a mountain again?" whined Orihime.

"It's not that steep. Are you up to it?" replied Kanna. Orihime groaned.

"The current problem now," continued Maria, "is getting out of town unnoticed. They should be circulating our likenesses throughout the Army. We need to change our appearances."

"I spotted a small clothing shop close by. I can pick up some wardrobes more suited for traveling," volunteered Kohran.

"Good idea. Why don't you borrow my trench coat—it'll make you look more inconspicuous."

"It wouldn't fit," remarked Kohran.

"That's ok, I'll just fold it in over here, and roll it here. Kohran, do you have something I could use to pin it?"

"Probably. Let me check." Kohran rummaged through her light bag and procured a tube of adhesive.

"This will work. Ok." Slipping the large Russian's coat over her, she began to fold up the long sleeves and the leg area where the excess cloth threatened to trip her.

"Let down your hair, Kohran. Can you do without your glasses?" suggested Orihime.

"Nope, I can't see without them. They'll have to stay." Kohran undid her braids and let her hair fall down to her shoulders.

"Wow, you look really pretty with your hair down," commented Orihime. "Why do you keep it up like that?"

"Practicality really. I don't want it getting in my way when I'm working," she modestly replied. Indeed, she looked as if she were a different person; her hair flowed softly down her back in waves, and accentuated a hidden beauty she rarely displayed.

"We'll do something about that when we get back to the theater," asserted Maria. "As for now, this will do just fine. Do you need some cash? We can't leave a paper trail behind."

"I've got it. I'll pick up anything else we might need. Should be back in an hour."

"If you run into trouble, get out of the way and hide. No heroics, got that?" said Kanna.

"Got it." Kohran looked out the window to see several people milling outside. "It looks like they ended the curfew—it's business as usual now. Time for me to go."

"Good luck," Maria told Kohran as she left the old building.

* * *

Old memories of childhood are often brought out by events that have only superficial relationships to them. Akin to looking at something indirectly, a familiar smell, a trinket from the past, or forgotten sounds can serve much the same purpose. For Kaede, she relished in the memories of being rocked to sleep by her mother; it was not the images she recalled, but rather the sense of security, the belonging—the warmth—that she remembered. Not wanting to wake from her dream, but knowing that she had to as she swam her way to consciousness, she slowly opened her eyes.

She was lying down in a small cabin, covered in warm, silk blankets. The furnishing was sparse, but only because the room was fairly small. Tracing the light that warmed her face, she saw it came from a porthole. A ship of some sort, she mused. Looking down at herself, she saw a few bandages over her chest. She was also changed into a loose fitting, comfortable blue garment.

The door inched opened while she was still trying to piece together her memories. Glancing up in alarm, she relaxed when she saw Kayama peek his head through.

"Oh, you're awake. Sorry for intruding—I just wanted to check on you," apologized Kayama.

"Not at all," she replied. Kayama entered the room and pulled up a chair next to her while she sat up.

"What happened? Last I remember, we were trying to get out of the theater when everything blacked out…" she began.

"It's a long story. Here," said Kayama as he handed her a glass of water. She eagerly accepted it. "When we were trying to escape, I got caught in a large blast. It knocked you out, and tossed me around. We were lucky we survived. I somehow managed to get you and jumped down into the underground tunnels exposed by the explosion." Kaede took note of the small cuts and bruises that Kayama had on him. "Afterwards, I trudged down there for a while before meeting up with some of my agents, and we took you here. This—" Kayama gestured around him, "—is my home away from home, if you will. It's a small boat house that I keep around the docks for kicks."

"I see," she replied. She looked down at herself and felt a small pain in her ribs.

"Don't worry, I had one of my female agents take care of you. It's nothing major, just some cracked ribs."

"What happened to the others? Did they make it?" she asked. Kayama's expression turned grim.

"We're not sure. We think that Sakura and the others that made it on the train are safe at the old city. It's just a matter of getting in contact with them. As for everyone else…we haven't heard anything. I have everyone I can spare out looking for them. Hopefully they've escaped and found a safe place to hole up in; if they do their job well, my people will have trouble finding them also."

"Yoneda…and Oogami…what of them?"

"I wish I knew. They're either captured—or worse. My people are working as fast as possible to find out. I had hoped I could tell you more than that," said Kayama solemnly.

"We need to get to them. Tell Sakura that—" Kaede stopped and winced in pain as she was getting up.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of things from here. You, on the other hand, need to rest for a couple of days. I'll have people bring you a fresh change of clothes and some food."

Kaede slumped back down in exhaustion. "Thanks, Kayama."

"No problem, just doing my duty. Rest well, Commander," he replied as she laid her head back and closed her eyes.

* * *

Maria sat idly by next to the window watching for any sign of Kohran. She was doodling on the floor with the barrel of her gun, much to the nervousness of Orihime and Kanna. Spotting Kohran walking down the street about an hour later, she quickly went to the door and admitted her.

"How'd it go?" she asked.

"Nothing out of the ordinary. I passed by some Army guys on the way, but they didn't notice. I was also in a crowd, so that helped. They weren't too attentive."

"That's good. Let's hope we're that lucky when we try to get out," said Maria.

"Ok, I got something for everybody. Don't worry, it's on me—call it an early present or something." Kohran dropped the bag and unzipped it. "Orihime, this is for you." She handed Orihime a comfortable, white blouse and a pair of brown trousers. Looking puzzled, Orihime went to an adjoining room to change. "Kanna, this is for you. Sorry, but I could only find men's clothing that big."

"No problem, I'm used to it," replied Kanna as she took a pair of slacks and a button up cotton shirt, complete with vest.

"Oh, and this goes with that," added Kohran as she tossed a cap her way. Kanna puzzled over this as she went to the back room right as Orihime walked out.

"This feels…adventurous?" pondered Orihime. The outfit matched well with her figure; she looked like a verifiable archeologist.

"Don't forget this," said Kohran as she dug out a fedora and tossed it her way. "There you go. Comfortable enough for you?"

"Mmm…it's a different look, but I think I like it," responded Orihime.

"That's good. I got these for everybody." Kohran pulled out a pair of hiking boots and handed them to Orihime.

"This is all very interesting, Kohran, but I'm almost afraid to ask what you got me," said Maria.

"You were kind of a problem. See, there aren't many platinum blonds in Japan, so I got something for that." Pulling out a bottle, she dropped it into a bewildered Maria. "Hair coloring. Just add and rinse. I saw a water pump and a bucket in the back."

"Brunette?" said Maria incredulously.

"Couldn't find anything else. Besides, you might like it. Don't worry, it'll wash out in a couple of days…I think."

"Brunette?" repeated Maria. Kohran further dumped some dark pants, a white T-shirt, a light, black jacket and a handkerchief into Maria's arms.

"There are yours. Tie up the handkerchief around your head—you know, like those housewives?"

"Brunette…" muttered Maria as she exited towards the back. Just then, Kanna entered looking like a respectable citizen of Teito, albeit a male one.

"I feel like…a cab driver," she commented. Orihime was off in the corner playing with an imaginary whip.

"I suppose I'll go change into my garments. Be right back." Kohran plucked out the remaining items and headed for the room.

"Looking stylish," said Kanna to Orihime.

"You betcha. Hows about we goes lookin' for that treasure?" grinned Orihime. Kanna chucked for a bit and then stopped to adjust her cap. A few moments were spent tidying up and trying on the boots before Kohran returned.

"How do you like it?" she asked. She wore something very similar to her battle uniform; instead of white pants, she wore tight, black, knee-length shorts. Like her uniform, she sported an embroidered vest, but set in dark blue hues with gold trimmings. Aside from that, however, was the fact that she continued to wear her hair loose, which gave her a regal, academic look.

"Wow, that really suits you, Kohran," complimented Kanna. Orihime agreed emphatically.

"Thanks. You guys look great too." At that moment Maria returned into the room.

"M-Maria?" stammered Kanna.

"Ah…I don't want to hear it," she replied. Maria's wardrobe gave her the appearance of an American dressed for the street, however that was not the reason for the dead silence. She was now officially brunette, her once blonde hair now a dark shade of brown.

Kanna tried to suppress it, but finally could not contain herself.

"Y-you're a…brunette!" she laughed while clutching her stomach. The others continued to stare at Maria dumbfounded while Kanna collapsed to the floor.

"I-I can't believe it," she said amid giggles. "Wait till the others…see this!" Orihime caught on and started to chuckle as well. Kohran simply grinned.

"Last time you're doing the shopping, Kohran," threatened Maria while Kohran handed a pair of boots to her.

"Ah, I went through a lot of hard work to pick that one out for you too," sighed Kohran sarcastically. Kanna finally got a hold of herself and sat quietly on the floor.

"What now, squad leader?" asked Kanna. Maria looked at Kanna in surprise. "What, don't tell me you haven't figured it out. Squad leader's out right now, so that means you're it until then."

"I see," replied Maria quietly.

"I'm not writing him off. Just letting you know that I—we all look up to you." The others nodded in agreement.

"Thanks. I'll try my best," said a heartfelt Maria. She turned quickly to business. "It's better if we travel during the evening, near sunset. Even though we're in disguise, I think our chances are better. Besides, I'm not sure if we're any less conspicuous than before. Kanna, can you get us there in the dark?"

"Hmm…I'm pretty sure. All I need is the moonlight, and then I can pick up the trail."

"Alright, until then, everybody get some rest. We'll move out in a couple of hours."

"Understood, squad leader."

Several hours passed by uneventfully. Maria had sent Kohran out to get some food, and after a quick meal they spent the afternoon quietly resting. Before long, Maria shook the shoulder of Kanna's sleeping form.

"Wake up, Kanna. Quietly," she whispered.

"Is it time yet?" replied Kanna as she rapidly became alert.

"It's early, but I want you to take a look at this." Gesturing towards the window, she pointed at the street.

"See that van? They arrived about two hours ago, presumably to work on those lines. I haven't seen them do anything except sit there."

"Spies?"

"That's what I thought. There's probably more of them staked out around here."

"This is bad. Can we make it past them?" inquired Kanna thoughtfully.

"I think so. They rotate every forty-five minutes, with about a five-minute window. They're probably reporting to someone out there or taking a break." Maria glanced at her watch. "It's almost evening. That leaves us with about fifteen minutes to get ready to go. Wake the others."

"Right," affirmed Maria as she went to Kohran and Orihime. Gathering their supplies, they assembled at the window, watching nervously while Kanna explained the situation.

"Alright, they left. Time to move," she reported after a few minutes. Piling out the door, they started walking in a direction outwards of the city. The scene was awash with the reddish colors of the evening, and few of the city's patrons were around.

"Where's Kohran?" asked Maria suddenly. Searching, she spotted the small Chinese working the lock on the back of the parked van.

"I'll get her," said Kanna as she ran back quickly.

"Orihime, back here," stated Maria as she ducked behind a building. "What was she thinking?"

Kohran had managed to undo the lock. Inside the van, she found a bewildering array of communication devices, listening equipment, and weapons. She started to rummage around, looking for anything that could shed some light on their enemies.

"Kohran, what are you doing?" asked Kanna as she caught up with her. "We have to get going."

"Hold on, this is an opportunity to get what information we can about our enemies. It'll only take a few minutes."

"Hurry up, they'll be back soon."

Kohran came upon a small drawer locked with a latch combination lock. Peering intently, she began to fiddle with the mechanism while keeping her ear close to it. Kanna stayed behind her, looking around intently.

Maria and Orihime were looking from afar when two figures in jumpsuits popped into view, rounding the corner.

"Damn it," muttered Maria.

"Kohran, almost ready?" hurried Kanna. Kohran still hadn't managed to pop the lock. Getting up with a frown, she took a pair of pliers from the table and whacked the lock squarely from the top. To the surprise of Kanna, the lock popped open. Quickly tossing it aside, Kohran opened the drawer and removed the only contents, a small data disk.

"Alright, let's go," reported Kohran. Kanna turned around, and then suddenly pulled inside, shutting the doors.

"We've got company," she whispered.

The two operators, who just bought dinner, reached the front the van and started their way towards the back, commenting on trivial topics.

"Don't know why they stuck us out here. They're probably dead or long gone."

"Who knows. All I know is we get to patrol the ass end of Teito."

"You've been saying that for the past two hours."

"It's true, isn't it? You know, I think it was our supervisor that shafted us on this one, after we pulled that stunt on him—hey, what's with the lock?" he commented while standing in front of the back door.

Without warning, the door flung open to smack him squarely in the face, knocking him to the ground unconscious. The second operator gasped in surprise and tried to bring out a pistol, but not before Kanna grabbed his wrist, snapped it, and pull him into a headlock. The man struggled briefly before losing consciousness. Pulling both bodies inside, she hopped out with Kohran and shut the door behind her.

"Why don't we take the van?" asked Kanna as she picked up the bag holding their dinner. Pulling out a steamed bun, she began to munch on it.

"No can do—they're tracking it," replied Kohran. The pair walked briskly to where Maria and Orihime were hiding.

"That was too close," said Maria. "As for you, I'm sure you have an explanation, but I'll hear it later. Right now we have to get moving."

The four oddly dressed women disappeared into the darkening night, walking away from the very city that they protected; the capital they once defended now hunted them.

* * *

The quiet breathing of Sakura blended into the sounds of dripping water and an occasional flight of a bat. The five girls slept in the main room of old house, shrouded in near total darkness. The dim, green tint of a fluorescent glow stick provided the only beacon in an otherwise desolated and dead city.

Images tumbled through Sakura's mind, one quickly after the other, without sense or order. She saw her mother, father, friends, and places. She felt confused, but that was forgotten when she encountered happier memories. She nearly died from anguish when she saw loved ones die, the only evidence left behind being a dull ache in her heart.

Amidst the confusion, Sakura was suddenly thrust into darkness. Devoid of images, Sakura could only grope in the dark. Something was amiss—she could feel a lucidity that wasn't present a short while ago.

After what seemed like ages, she felt terror manifesting behind her. Trusting her sixth sense, she turned to see the horrid, withered form of the Kouma. It had the same evil visage of the others, yet it seemed much more than that. The rows of fangs and the distinct elongated head were there, but they were decaying, almost as if its flesh would tear off from a mere touch. Sakura backed away quickly in shock and reached for her sword, only to discover it was not there.

She ran, away from the horror, yet it seemed to keep up with her. Her legs seemed to be failing, as if moving through molasses. She desperately screamed out silently as it came closer and closer. Tripping, she fell to the floor while the monster loomed over her slowly.

Pushing back with her feet while still on her back, Sakura reached around for anything that would ward this threat. Brushing up against something warm, she turned to see the form of Oogami lying next to her. She felt relief, only to be replaced by horror a second later when she realized he was lying in a pool of blood, his eyes vacant and staring upwards. Letting loose a scream, she saw herself also bleeding; thousands of wounds poured the crimson liquid of life from her body, mingling with his stagnant blood.

She pulled a glowing dagger from herself, its blade absorbing droplets of red into itself. Her vision faded as she laid her pain-wracked body next to Oogami's, tears of crimson pooling around her. The only thing she could do now was to scream, and to die.

Sakura bolted upright from her blankets, screaming. Bathed in cold sweat, she stayed still, breathing heavily for several minutes.

Apparently, her nightmares woke more than herself up. Sumire grunted irritatingly before getting up to confront Sakura.

"Do you have to make that much noise when you sleep?" she asked irately. Sakura had no answer to give; she continued to stare in front of her, tears running down her cheeks.

Sumire stared thoughtfully at her for a few minutes, declining to further redress the situation. After a few moments, she stood up and rolled up her blankets.

"I'm sorry, I just can't sleep here. I'll be on the train," she declared. Iris and Tsubaki had just risen, and were glancing about confused.

"Wait, Sumire—" called Tsubaki as she stormed out of the house.

"What about Sumire?" asked Iris. Tsubaki looked around indecisively, and then lay back down.

"Don't worry, Iris. She'll be fine—go back to sleep." Iris stared at the doorway for several moments before returning to sleep.

Sakura continued to stare at the walls long after both of them fell back asleep. Trembling before the unforgettable images, she raised her left hand, which she just realized was still balled into a fist. When she opened it, she saw a small, bleeding wound from her palm—and it was eerily similar to one like the nick of a small blade.

* * *

A small, covered car drove up to an area surrounded by several Army vehicles and troops. As soon as it stopped, a soldier opened the door and saluted. Exiting briskly, Major Amakasa took stock of the situation before him.

Accompanied by a few loyal aides, he made his way to the van where it was reported that a large woman dressed as a man accosted two of his agents. He had no doubt as to whom that was; they were alive, and were out there somewhere.

Amakasa approached the two men. One was massaging a bandaged wound on his wrist while the other held his arm over a nasty cut to his head.

"Why were they not captured?" he demanded. The two looked to each other in fear, and then the one with the wrist injury turned to address the Major.

"Forgive us, we were on our way back when they somehow managed to get into the van. They surprised us—"

"They got into the van. Did they take anything?" interrupted the Major.

"Um—they got the encrypted disk, the one with the orders and the—"

"I know what's on it. It seems like your incompetence has caused them to escape. A price must now be exacted, fool." The man's eyes widened when the Major pulled his pistol and promptly shot him in the head. The other man stood in shock, trembling and silent.

"Clean up this mess," he ordered. The man quickly complied. Turning to one of his lieutenants, Amakasa addressed him.

"Expand the search around this area. Put roadblocks at all exiting paths, and make sure no one gets out. Send a squad out to search on foot. I want them found."

The lieutenant saluted, and left to carry out his assignment. The Major stood silent, glaring at the decrepit buildings and the run-down surroundings with contempt. He hated this place, for it was the abode of the weak of Teito. He would have ordered its destruction without hesitation if not for the fact that it was not his assignment. Frowning, he stalked back towards his escort.

"Soon…very soon," he silently promised to his enemies. Unbeknownst to him, however, was that the enemy was already watching his every move. Kayama recorded his actions silently, hidden on the roof of a nearby building.

Author's notes:

This section will be a little more extensive than the last one, but I will probably remove them all and add them to an addendum when I complete this, if I do.

Several points:

Regarding translations: Since I did specify I was writing this in English, all text is translated, with the exception of proper names, things that have been referenced somewhere in text, or plot-critical devices. I do this more out of personal preference mostly—is something written partly in Romanji and partly in English really English? I simply do not wish to alienate those who are not as intimate with the language as others. Admittedly, some of the translations may seem rough, i.e. Iris' 'brother', but according to ADV's translation, and cross-referenced with my copy of Sakura Wars TV, which references the exact same phrase as '哥哥' (chinese subtitles), that is the closest I could come up with for a concept that doesn't quite exist in English. I may go back and retranslate some items in a later revision.

As to where this story is going: I have plenty more things planned for it, all which will eventually be revealed soon. One of the things I found so difficult in writing this is partly due to the sheer number of characters Sakura Wars has. Trying to adequately develop nine plus characters reasonably is no easy task; in addition, one must take into account the myriad of relationships each has with another, the effects of the situations they are in, and how it changes them over time—all while keeping within reasonable confines of their characters. In short—I am trying to develop the characters believably, and hope that by the end of it they will have learned something about themselves or each other.

Finally, I ask that the reader please bear with me, as I have not written anything substantial in the past three years other than lab reports and that ilk. If you have any revision critiques, ideas, or whatnot, I would be happy to hear them.

Until a later update, of which I offer no guarantees as to when.