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A little diversion from Ohgami&Reni :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Sakura Taisen. If I did, ST4 would be much much longer. I wish they will remake it in the PS2 version.

Reni sat on her stool in the bathhouse under the Teigeki, sighing to herself as Iris and Orihime fussed over her, insisting that they help her wash and not soak her newly bandaged side. However, they both kept bickering over who should wash where and they ended up soaking it worse than if she just bathed by herself. The duo did not realize what fate they had condemned the wunderkind into.

An hour ago, Kaede had just changed her bandage and she didn't look forward to another session with the vice-commander. The brunette had teased Reni every second she was with her, causing the silver-haired teen to keep blushing uncontrollably and pleading uselessly for Kaede to stop. Kaede had threatened many times to announce their relationship, leaving the helpless German almost in tears begging her not to torment her anymore. If Reni had ever respected the vice-commander, that respect had now vaporized. Now Reni could only visualize Kaede as a sadomasochistic tyrant with flashing lightning bolts and poisonous green gas looming behind her back. She could already imagine the whips cracking on her back with Kaede laughing like Sumire or some S&M queen. Reni shivered a bit when she thought of the oncoming verbal torture Kaede was going to inflict on her when she visits her for another bandage dressing.

Reni was brought back to reality when the slightly tanned Italian's face blocked her entire view.

"Re-e-ni-i-chan," the Italian sang mischievously. Orihime had never called Reni like that and she could only give the black-haired pianist a blank look.

Orihime grinned evilly, her two rows of perfect white teeth shining in the light. "It's time to wash the front part now."

"Eh? I can do it my-"

"Don't say that Reni. Let's see how much you've grown."

"O-Orihime? S-stop! Ahhhhhh!"

Reni fell backwards as her stool toppled at Orihime's advance and the Italian pinned the German under her. Orihime had a strange maniacal look on her and the sixteen-year-old suddenly felt fearful.

"You definitely look more womanly now, Reni." Orihime whistled as she inspected the naked German with her fingers.

"I-Iris! Help me!" Reni twisted her head to look for the blond French but found the young girl unconscious nearby.

"Nobody can help you now my pretty." Orihime mimicked some villain in some cartoon she was so keen on watching.

Reni could have easily thrown the Italian off her but she couldn't do it to her close friend and lay helplessly as the pianist groped and fondled her.

The sound of a bucket hitting the ground made Orihime stop and screech in horror at the person at the exit.

Standing at the doorway was a stunned Yuri with her hand to her mouth. She was still puzzling over Reni's actions the day before as the Kazegumi could not reach a definite conclusion before work started. Now she was faced with another strange event involving the naked German.

The image in front of her was a classic rape scene. Reni pinned down below looking tearful and afraid (Yuri's modified view of the scene) and Orihime with a hungry (that is how Yuri saw it) expression and clutching one of Reni's breasts.

Orihime was even more shocked at seeing Yuri. Of all the people in the Teigeki, it had to be Yuri seeing her weird behavior. Orihime could see all the obscene and twisted headlines Yuri was going to make up in the next few seconds. Worst of all, everyone would soon mistake her for a pervert.

"W-wait Yuri. It's not what you think!" Orihime scrambled up hastily and moved towards Yuri.

In Yuri's eye view combined with her overactive imagination, the scene was different. She saw Orihime getting up slowly and smiling at her. Orihime spoke, "Yuri! It's exactly what you think. Now I'll just have to add you into my list."

"Noooooo! Get away from me you pervert!" Yuri screamed as she ran out of the bathhouse, images of Orihime chasing her with lustful eyes haunting her all the way.

"Wait! Yuri! Stop! I was just playing with Reni!" The Italian grabbed a towel and pursued the gossip queen in hopes that she would be able to shut her up in time.

Reni lay on the cold tiled floor, stunned and relieved at the same time. The wet floor had completely soaked her bandage and she felt the stinging pain at her side as soap mixed with water started to lick at her wound. She winced at the sting at her side but she got up nevertheless and covered herself with her wet towel. She moved to the unconscious Iris and silently scolded Orihime for using 'the pinch' she had taught her on Iris.

After drying and dressing herself and Iris, Reni carried the blonde back to her room. The trip there was uneventful but when she exited exhaustedly from the French's room, she bumped into Maria and almost fell backwards. Maria caught her quickly and helped the weak teen balance herself.

"Reni, what are you doing up here? You should be resting." Maria said sternly.

After hearing Reni's simple but slightly amusing explanation of Orihime pinching Iris' nerve and making her unconcious, Maria's features softened.

"Very well. I'll have a talk with Orihime about this 'excessive use of force' later on, now let me take you to the ward." Reni only nodded and followed the tall Russian.

They did not talk throughout the way, making Reni feeling a bit uneasy. Usually Maria's silence made her most at ease but ever since she thought that Maria had a relationship with Ohgami, Reni couldn't help but feel a bit guilty for 'stealing' Ohgami from her.

Maria, however, was unaware of the teen's thoughts and she just intended to get Reni back to the ward. Reni had always felt like a younger sister, no, a reflected image of her younger self, so it was natural for her to show some compassion for the still-naïve German.

They still didn't say anything when Maria tucked Reni in, an uncharacteristic move but Reni did not notice. She was still wondering whether she should ask Maria if she had anything with Ohgami and apologize if she did. She really didn't want to offend her senior for going out with Ohgami behind her back. She sucked in a breath and readied herself.

"Maria?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you... um... Taicho... Is Taicho in trouble?" Reni reprimanded herself mentally for lacking the courage to ask that simple question.

Maria smiled. "Nothing serious. Manager Yoneda is still yelling at him. I guess Taicho will have heavier chores to do around here starting from today."

"Oh..." Reni silently apologized to Ohgami.

"I'd better go now. I'll call Kaede-san to change your bandage."

At the mention of Kaede, Reni noticeably paled, worrying Maria.

"Reni, are you ok? You suddenly look so pale."

"N-nothing." Reni stammered as images of Kaede whipping her with her whip-like tongue filled her head.

Maria shrugged and was starting to move away when Reni caught her arm.

"M-Maria? Can you change the bandage for me?"

"What? Why?"

"I don't want to um... disturb Kaede-san. She said she had lots of reports to do."

Maria frowned at the lie. She had just been playing billiards with Kaede and she looked like she had nothing to do for the whole day. Nevertheless, Maria ignored it, guessing Reni probably had some unknown issues with the vice-commander. The vice-commander did look a bit mentally unstable, constantly giggling and talking to herself while they played.

Reni obviously relaxed when Maria nodded, causing the blonde to look questioningly at the silver-haired girl.

After Reni removed her shirt, Maria looked disapprovingly at the wet bandage. She removed the bandage expertly but Reni still winced a bit as the bandage was pulled off. Maria dried the area around the wound, applied some medication onto the large gash and bandaged Reni's side again. Maria paused a bit when she pinned the bandage and she started to press Reni's firm abdomen, causing the wunderkind to stiffen at her touch.

"Reni, you sure are thin." Maria remarked as she observed her body.

Maria's unexpected comment made her flush in embarrassment. She started to feel a bit ashamed of her body.

"R-really? Is that bad?" She said, a trace of self-pity in her voice.

"No, no. Any girl would dream to be as slender as you."

That came as a surprise for Reni. She was the one who kept envying the figures that the older members of the Hanagumi had and she didn't expect anyone to compliment any part of her physical appearance.

"Truly? I always thought Maria have the best figure around here."

"You think so? I think I'm gaining weight. Don't you think my face is getting wider?" The Russian patted her cheeks.

Reni smiled. "Actually you look much more attractive that way."

"You're not just saying that?"

Reni shook her head emphatically. "It's the truth!"

"Thanks Reni." Maria then glanced at the teen's exposed breasts. "You know? You should start wearing a bra."

"A bra?"

"Yeah. It will make your breasts look much nicer."

Reni's cheek became scarlet at that comment. She was still unused to this kind of talk.

"Will I ever become as attractive as you?"

"You don't have to become like me Reni. You're attractive in your own way. Besides, you're still growing. Who knows? You might even outgrow Kanna." The Russian made a rare joke.

This made the girl redden even more. "I-I think those would be too heavy for me to hold on to." She held out her hands and held two imaginary breasts in front of her chest. It looked like she was trying to hold a watermelon in each hand.

This made Maria burst out laughing, stunning and pleasing the German for accomplishing this feat.

It took her a few moments to contain her uncharacteristic outburst but she managed to reduce the laugh into a wide smile, another unusual expression.

"Oh God, Reni, you can really be quite funny."

"T-thank you."

"But seriously, you should start taking note of your body. I'm sure you'll look good with some help."

After some internal tug-of-war considering Maria's advice, Reni whispered timidly. "C-can you teach me?"

Maria smiled warmly. "Sure Reni."

The blonde sat next to the inquisitive girl and they spent the whole afternoon talking about lingerie, make-up, clothes and various girl stuff. Reni absorbed everything word for word and Maria rather enjoyed talking to the quiet and attentive wunderkind who would always ask a few strange questions, forcing the normally serious Russian to grin uncontrollably if she was not laughing. To a bystander, they truly looked like sisters if one ignored their different hair color.

Meanwhile, in the attic way above the two normally silent members of the Hanagumi, Orihime backed Yuri into a corner and the Japanese looked frantically for a way to escape the 'pervert'.

In Yuri's eyes, Orihime looked like a sex-hungry maniac drooling all over her face and preparing to pounce at her. In reality, Orihime was almost dying from exhaustion; sweat was dripping down all over her face. Running around the Teigeki was no small feat and to the Italian who lacked stamina, it was like a nightmare marathon.

"Get away from me you Italian rapist!" Yuri was screaming hysterically.

"How many times to I have to tell you! I was just playing with Reni!" The frustrated Italian screamed back.

"You don't have to keep reminding me! You played with her body and now you want mine!"

"Aiiiiieeee!!! What's wrong with you! Why do you keep twisting my words?"

"It's the truth and you know it! You're just a wolf under that Mediterranean sheep skin of yours!"

"I'm not! I'm not! I'm not!"

"You are! You are! You are!"

The two of them exchange screams like that for hours, driving everyone within earshot mad until Kasumi came up and dragged them both out of the attic, taping their mouths with a roll of sticky tape each.

To be continued...

Sumire/Kanna/Sakura/Kohran: Author-saaaaan

Me: Ya?

SKSK: Why aren't we appearing yet?

Me: Eh?

SKSK: Don't tell us that you've forgotten US???

Me: Don't worry. You'll appear in another chapter I guess.

SKSK: How long would that be?

Me: An eternity or so I reckon.

SKSK: Sanity-san BAKA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Next would be some sisterly bonding between Maria and Reni. Ohgami's dreadful ordeal with Yoneda should be revealed in the following chapter also.

R&R please. Omegai!