Chapter Eighteen - Ayakarimono
As Sam had a look around the cafeteria she saw Haruka sitting alone on a table in the far corner; she had her head dropped and looked really unhappy. So Sam decided to walk over to her, trying to cheer her up.
"I this seat taken?"
Haruka looked up for a second, then turned her gaze away again, "No", she said quietly.
"Any problem when I keep you company?" Sam asked carefully.
She shook her head.
"Looks as if you need some consolation just now", she went on after an instant of thought.
"Major, I don't think this is necessary..." Haruka contradicted, trying to be polite.
"Sam. Call me Sam", she said, "And you should at least try to talk about it. Setsuna once told me how hard you find just that."
"Has she sent you?"
"Well, no. I was about to have some dinner, so I came here...", Sam took a breath, "and found you, withdrawn in this corner. So what happened?"
Reluctantly Haruka began to talk, "It's about Princess Akahoshi. She is furious with me and expects a formal apology for the argument I've started in the gate room."
"And why don't you do it?"
"Because the argument concerned her well-being in the first place and I don't see her right to forbid me my emotion, especially when it concerns being protective over her."
"What if she doesn't like your protectiveness any more?" Sam was confused.
Haruka groaned, "That's the one thing; but if she dislikes, it she could tell me right away, without burdening me with the humiliation of a formal apology."
"In case it's too much of a humiliation for you, you couldn't tell her, or?"
"Well, no. She's still my superior."
"And she isn't used to making reasonable orders", Sam noted.
Haruka's eyes widened into a confused stare, "What do you mean?"
"She has just learnt to control her powers and now she slowly forgets her craving for vengeance and realizes what reason is. This is why she needs somebody to guide her way, making clear to her that decisions like these make no sense."
"You're the first one who sees it like this. The others have all blamed me for not following Akahoshi's orders", she was astonished.
"Because they're afraid to disobey her. I know how it is myself, for normally I'm not the one who contradicts orders when they're given, either."
"And what shall we do now?"
"Talk to Hotaru I'd say", Sam pondered, "she's the one Akahoshi might listen to, now that she hasn't even reacted on Setsuna's tries..."
"That's great", Haruka's face lit up, "Thank you, Sam."
"No problem", she rose, "I think I'll grab something to eat now..."
She turned around almost bumping into Colonel O'Neill who came walking toward her.
xxxxx
Jack smirked as Sam nearly ran into him.
"Not so fast, Carter", he folded his arms, "Plus: I don't think you'll need food, now."
"Sir?" she cross-eyed him, "What do you mean?"
"We're planning something for Akahoshi tonight, so you don't need to eat now", he explained.
"I see", Sam bit her lower lip.
He turned around again showing her to follow him, "Come on, I need your help."
After a short while Haruka stood up asking, "May I help as well?"
"Course", Jack called from halfway out of the door, "but speed up a bit, will ya?"
xxxxx
"Akahoshi?"
The princess looked up and saw Hotaru standing in the doorway of her room. "Ho-chan", she smiled.
"I think we have to talk", her friend went on.
"Go ahead", Akahoshi sighed knowing what she would say next.
"We want you to reconsider your decision concerning Haruka", she said slowly.
"For what reason?"
Hotaru held on for a moment then told her, "Well, Haruka has just come to me and requested me to ask you if you could forget about the formal excuse. With the reason that she fully understands that you don't want her to be protective like this over you anymore..."
"...and that she doesn't want to be humiliated because of it", the princess finished knowingly, "I need time to think about this", she concluded.
"Of course", her friend nodded slowly, "But promise me to be at the mess hall in half an hour. I don't feel like having dinner alone, tonight", she added with a twinkle.
"I'll be there", Akahoshi grinned.
xxxxx
In the mess everybody was waiting eagerly for Akahoshi to arrive and slowly Jack was becoming increasingly nervous.
"Could you put some candles over there as well?" he asked Michiru, "I fear it'll be getting too dark in here..."
"And, Teal'C could you please get a plate for these donuts? I mean how does that look...", he went on.
That moment Hotaru came storming into the room, "She's coming."
"Good", Jack clapped his hands, "Lights out and candles on."
Within moments the entire mess hall changed into a sea of romantic candlelight and everybody waited expectantly for Akahoshi's arrival.
As the princess finally entered she was sort of baffled, "What the...? Don't say you did that all for me?"
"Oh, no we've just decided to have a romantic night", Jack retorted, "Of course we did that for you."
She gave him a hug, "Thank you, it's beautiful."
"I knew you'd say that", Setsuna stated receiving a hug as well.
"That wouldn't have been necessary", Akahoshi smiled brightly as she strode on through the room.
"We needed to do something to celebrate the beginning of your new life", Janet said.
"And I really like it, that's for sure", she turned to Teal'C, "Oh, are these donuts? How'd you know I like the pink ones so much?"
"You should wait with them till after dinner", Hotaru advised her.
"Right", she gave Teal'C a kiss onto his cheek, "Thank you a lot", then she walked on to thank the others.
"All right", Jack cleared his throat after she was finished, "I'd say the buffet has opened."
So everybody turned their attention to the food and a merry chatter broke out among them.
"Well, I'd say we really owe this", Sam sighed.
"Yeah", Hotaru smiled contently, "but tell that Akahoshi. She hasn't eaten for... How long?" she turned to the princess.
"About a week", she returned with a smirk.
After awhile the internal phone rang. Jack walked over and picked it up, "O'Neill. ... Yes, Sir, we're all here. ... Of course, Sir. It's nice you'll be joining us", he hung up again.
"And?" Sam asked as he had returned to them.
"Hammond is coming down. He's got something important to say", he replied.
A moment later the General arrived and everybody turned their attention to him.
"Sir", Sam couldn't help but stand to attention.
"At ease, Major", he then turned to Akahoshi and went on, "Princess, I've got something to tell you."
"Yes, General?" she smiled at him warmly.
"I've just received a call. It's confirmed that you can join Air Force Academy."
Akahoshi's jaw dropped a little as she got the news, "Really? That's...", she stammered with astonishment, "absolutely great. May I hug you, General?"
He shrugged, "If you want."
So she did it at once and after it she gave Jack a kiss. "Thank you, thank you all so much. For everything", she was endlessly happy.
Hotaru, Michiru and Setsuna exchanged a bewildered look, "And this is what you've always dreamt of?" Michiru exquired with a slight grin.
"Oh yes", it is the princess confirmed knowing that this all came as a surprise for her friends.
The party went on for another while until Haruka finally found the courage to walk over to Akahoshi. She remarked her approach at once and turned around speaking to her quietly:
"I might forgive you, Uranus."
"You might, Princess?"
"All right, I do forgive you your outbreak", she sighed in a way even seeming relieved, "So, now today we're both ayakarimono and so we're made sisters. We really are."
Both Haruka and Akahoshi laughed loudly.
Haruka then whispered into her ear, "Welcome home, sister."
"Thank you so much, Ha-chan. I've never been this happy before", Akahoshi said. She turned back to the others while in her head she heard the voice of her cousin Serenity,
"The day you'll forget revenge and begin a new life will be the day you'll be ayakarimono, as you should've always been, for the first time in your life."
xx Fin xx
AN: Ayakarimono means something like 'Lucky person'.
I hope y'all liked the story so far. Epilogue yet to follow.
