Hi, Minna-san…this is the second chapter. All Hanagumi's children will appear more clearly here. Well, there's nothing more I can say for now. Hope you'll enjoy, and please R&r…

Disclaimer : Well, even though I don't own Sakura Taisen and its' characters, I do own Edelweiss, Suiren, Delphine, Cattleya, Meigui, Kikyou, Himawari, Momoko, Bill, Tanpopo, Sayaka, Satsuki, Arisa, Shiori, and also Kurogumo. Benji Himura, mentioned here although he hasn't appeared yet, belongs to my friend, Benji Himura. I've got his permission to use his character.

Endless Wings

Chapter Two : Today and Tomorrow

Tokyo Hospital, March 20, 1950

'We should name her…Delphine'

Reni opened her eyes in sudden. Two drops of tears fell down from her eyes.

"Mrs. Hoshikane?" someone said.

Reni turned to the voice, and saw a young woman in a nurse uniform there. "Where am I?" she asked doubtfully.

"You're in Tokyo Hospital," the young woman answered, "and I'm your nurse."

'Great. I must be fainted,' Reni thought.

She sat up and looked around her bed. There were no one else, except herself and the nurse. It's a VIP room.

"Where are the others?" she asked the nurse.

"Mr. Oogami Ichirou and Mrs. Oogami Sakura went back to the theatre this morning. Mrs. Hoshikane Iris has just gone back. Mrs. Himura Maria and Mrs. Kouran Soletta are preparing themselves to go back now. The others had gone back yesterday," the nurse answered.

Reni nodded. "I think I'm ready to go back," she said, stood up and walked towards the window. Looking down to the crowded city street a few feet under her window, she thought deeply about the dream she had just dreamed.

Akakuro Café, March 20, 1950

"You look thoughtful, Reni. What had happened?" Maria asked.

Reni raised her head up. "I think I have just had a dream," she admitted.

Maria gave Reni a slight smile. "We dream almost every night, Reni. What is special from this dream?"

"I dreamed about my daughter in a strange, strange way," Reni answered.

"Well, I guess, if you want, you could tell me about it," Maria said, sipping her tea and put the cup back to the saucer.

Daitekoku Gekijou, March 22, 1950

Slowly but surely, Tanpopo gained her consciousness back.

Opening her green, beautiful eyes, she realized that she was lying on her own bed, in her own room, surrounded by tubes and pipes. She smirked.

"Well," she told herself, "at least I'm still alive."

The door opened, and Bill appeared with a bunch of dandelion and roses in his arms. He looked at Tanpopo, and, knowing that his comrade was awake, he smiled.

"Well," he commented, "finally, you're the last to wake up."

Tanpopo smirked. "How is Sayaka and Satsuki?" she asked.

"They're alright," Bill answered, "just shocked from the last attack."

"What had happened to me?" Tanpopo asked Bill.

"We can discuss it later," Bill answered, "but, I can say, your condition is worst than Satsuki, Sayaka, and me."

"Is those flowers for me?" Tanpopo asked again.

"These are for you," he said, sitting on the chair that was placed beside Tanpopo's bed.

Tanpopo received the beautiful, fresh flowers, and smell them with pleasure. "They're so nice," she said, "who gives them?"

Bill grinned. "Just read the card," he said, giving a luxurious cream-colored card to Tanpopo.

Tanpopo opened the card and read it impatiently.

'For My Lovely Cumulus

Get well soon. I miss you, I need you, I love you.

Your Hunter'

She giggled for a while. "Where is he now?" she asked Bill.

"Doing some job in Edajima, with Uncle Benji," Bill answered.

Tanpopo wrinkled her forehead. "Edajima?" she asked doubtfully.

Bill nodded. "He promised to tell you about how your brother is, if he has a chance to meet him there," he said.

"But, what send him there?" Tanpopo asked.

"I don't know," Bill answered, "it's a kind of secret job."

Daitekoku Gekijou, April 1, 1950

"So," Oogami said, "what do you think about it, Maria?"

Maria's eyes narrowed. "Do you think it's really necessary to form another team, Taichou?" she asked slowly.

Oogami stood up and walked towards the window. "There is nothing else we can do," he said, "as you know, Kurogumo and his new army nearly beat us and the Atarashii Teikoku Rikugun Taikouma Butai . Read this."

Maria received the envelope and read the address. "From Kaede and Kayama?" she asked surprisedly.

Oogami nodded. "They had finished searching for the new members," he said.

Maria pulled the letter out of the envelope, unfolded it, and began to read. "Don't you think it's too fast to announce the fixed list of the new team's members to International Kagekidan?" she wrinkled her forehead.

"We don't know what will happen these days, Maria," Oogami explained, "who knows if Kurogumo will attack again tomorrow?"

Maria nodded. "But," she said, "since Hanagumi will be the mentors of the new team, I think it will be better if we do some research about their backgrounds first."

"No research needed," Oogami said.

Maria put the letter on the desk, and looked at Oogami. For now, she could only see his back, but, her instinct said, there was something important her commander hiding from her. "Do you think we know these people, Manager?" she asked.

Oogami didn't answer. He turned back to his desk and took a big envelope from his drawer. Without any words, he gave the envelope to Maria.

Maria examined the blank envelope and reached into it. There was a white-wrapped, square, thick thing. "Photo album?" she asked doubtfully.

Oogami nodded. "You may open it," he said.

Maria tore the paper and examined the cover of the album carefully. "I think I'm the second to see this album," she said.

Oogami nodded. "I want you to know first, before telling the others," he said.

"As you wish, Manager," Maria said. She opened the first page of the album, and, in all of sudden, she started to feel frozen.

She continued with other pages, and, the more she saw, the more she felt the frozen sensation.

Hakodate, April 7, 1950

The dinner had just ended, and, just as usual, Cattleya and Delphine stood up to kiss Arisa goodnight.

"Wait," Arisa whispered softly, "sit down."

Although they were surprised, Cattleya and Delphine nodded and did what their aunt said.

"I want both of you to listen this," Arisa said, taking a long breath to control her emotion.

"What do you want to tell us, Aunt Arisa?" Cattleya asked, half curiously and half worriedly, aware of the strange signals from her aunt.

"I want both of you to remember," Arisa said, her voice trembled, "even when I'm far away, I will always love you both."

"But, where will you go, Aunt Arisa?" Delphine asked, didn't understand what her aunt meant.

"Tomorrow," she said, "both of you will move to the place where you should be."

Delphine and Cattleya looked at each other in shock. "I don't want to move, Aunt Arisa!" Cattleya suddenly cried. Tears started to fill her eyes.

"Me too," Delphine said, feeling a powerless sensation all over her body.

"You two must go," Arisa said, starting to sob, "you're needed."

Cattleya started to cry, while Delphine felt tears began to fill her eyes. "Come to me," Arisa whispers, "I want to hold you both."

They hug in tears, as raindrops began to fall outside their ranch house.

Osaka, April 7, 1950

Their last visitors left at 11 PM, and, soon, silence filled the Red Wind Café.

Humming the song of Shonnen Red, Meigui put on her apron and started to wash the cups and dishes. She worked quickly, since it had been her routines for such a long time. She was no more than ten years old when she decided to participate in café maintenance, helping her grandma and grandpa.

"Meigui," a soft voice called her.

Meigui turned and see her grandma, Carino Soletta, standing near the kitchen's door. "Yes, grandma?" she answered.

Carino smiled. "Could you please leave your dishes for a while?" she requested, "your grandpa and Kikyou are waiting."

"Yap!" Meigui answered enthusiastically. She dried her hand, took off her apron, and moved towards the living room, the place where they usually gathered.

"Sit down, Meigui," her grandpa, Ogata Seiya, said to her.

Meigui sat down at her usual place, on the armchair beside Kikyou. She clung at her cousin. Kikyou clung back at her. The quarter-Italian girl held hard on her tears, so they wouldn't flow.

Carino entered the living room, closed the cafe's connecting door carefully, locked it firmly, and finally sat beside Ogata, her husband. She looked at Meigui and Kikyou, one by one, sighing, and looked at Ogata.

"Well," Ogata said, "Meigui. Have you prepared everything for the departure tomorrow?"

Meigui nodded. The pain she had tied up tight inside her heart rose up, and her eyes quickly became warm with tears.

Although they weren't her real grandparents, Ogata and Carino had been taking care for Soletta Meigui since she was only six. During those nine years, they had showered the Italian-Chinese girl with love, treating her the same way with their own granddaughter, Hokusei Kikyou. The fact that she would soon leave them hurt Meigui's heart. She sobbed badly on her chair.

Carino rose up and walked to Meigui and Kikyou. She hugged them both, letting the fatherless girls crying.

"Sssh," she said, calming the girls, "don't be sad. You can still keep in contact with us. Now, let's celebrate this night. I've prepared all your favorite food."

She released the girls, and four of them moved together to the dining room, having their last supper at that house.

Yokohama, April 7, 1950

"You like this?" Shiori asked, half-shouting.

"Yeah!" Himawari answered, her voice mixed with the noise made by the strong wind surrounding them.

"Sailing at midnight is great, I think," Momoko said loudly.

"Well," Shiori replied, "it's really great. This is your first time, if I'm not mistaken."

"For me, of course, yes," Momoko cried.

"Me too," Himawari added enthusiastically.

"I've loved this boat since I bought it," Shiori informed, "it gives such a great pleasure after a stressful day."

"I'm glad you come back earlier this day, Uncle," Momoko said, "I think you've worked too hard these days."

"She's right. You're a real workaholic, Uncle Shiori," Himawari agreed.

Shiori grinned. "For an old single man like me, there's nothing more important than my job," he explained, "it's my life."

Momoko and Himawari wrinkled their foreheads. "I guess you should try to find a wife, Uncle," Momoko said boldly, "who will accompany you when Himawari and I are away?"

Shiori just shrugged.

Himawari punched her Uncle lightly on his shoulder. "Yeah," she said, "you're not an ugly man. And you're just forty two. I think you'll easily catch a nice babe."

"All women I know are really not my type," Shiori said lightly.

Momoko looked at Shiori. "So," she asked, "what kind of woman you want?"

Shiori looked at the dark, windy sky. "I want an innocent woman," he answered, "the one who can be herself, and not trying to impress everybody with unnatural manner."

Himawari smirked. "Then," she suggested, "you must do some research at small villages. I'm sure there are many women of that kind."

"I have no time," Shiori replied. 'And I would never have time,' he said to himself.

"Come on," Momoko urged, "tomorrow, Himawari and I won't be your responsibility anymore. You'll have more time for yourself, and more space to fill at home."

Shiori looked at his nieces. "Don't speak like that," he said, rather softly and fatherly, "I'm imagining a deserted, boring life without you both. I can't believe that tomorrow you both will be miles away."

Himawari smiled. "Well," she said, "I don't think I have a big part in this world. Missing a Himawari won't ruin your life, Uncle. Just like have a wind passing by."

Momoko bowed her head, hiding her tears. "Yeah," she said, "you must find your own life and happiness, Uncle. There're lots of things you've sacrificed for us."

Sendai, April 7, 1950

Standing next to her bed, facing the empty wardrobe, Suiren sighed loudly.

"Anything left, Suiren?" Edelweiss asked her.

Suiren shook her head and turned to Edelweiss. "I think that's all," she said.

Edelweiss pressed Suiren's clothes into the large pink suitcase, and closed the suitcase immediately. "We must be careful with this," she said, "I'm afraid your suitcase will be broken on our way."

"I wish no," Suiren replied, "there are many colorful things."

Edelweiss giggled, imagining those things flying everywhere. "I guess you should wrap them next time," she suggested, "now, it's too late, and I don't think we can repackage your things if you unpack them now."

Someone knocked the door.

Suiren stood up to open the door. "Grandma!" she said surprisedly, "it's late at night! You should be in bed now! Remember what the doctor said last month?"

Shinguji Wakana smiled at her granddaughter. "May I come in?" she asked.

Suiren opened the door wider. Wakana entered the room and sat on Suiren's empty bed.

"Close the door, Suiren," she told the young woman.

Suiren closed the door, and sat beside Edelweiss on Edelweiss' bed.

"Edelweiss," Wakana started, "and Suiren. As all of us know, you'll be leaving tomorrow. Right?"

Edelweiss and Suiren nodded, trying hard not to shed tears, not to make the old woman sad.

"I want both of you to take care of yourselves well," Wakana said, "and to respect your parents. However, they'd given your life to you."

She stopped, just to see the girls' reaction. She smiled secretly. They reacted as what she had predicted. "About me," she continued, "you don't have to worry. There's a new place for me, where I can spend my life in peace and companion."

Edajima, April 7, 1950

"Tokyo!"

Taro nodded. "Here is said like that," he showed the letter to his friends.

"I don't know if there's a vacancy in Tokyo," one of his friends said.

His other friend read the letter and shook his head. "Well," he muttered, "congratulations, Second Liutenant Oogami Taro. You'll have a good job."

"I wonder what I can do there," Taro admitted.

His friends gave him surprised glances.

"Your parents work there," one of his friends finally said, "maybe you'll be helping them."

"Or you'll be a bodyguard for Cross," the other added.

Taro sighed. "Maybe," he said, thinking about what would happen later.

Daitekoku Gekijou, April 7, 1950

Although honestly they had never wanted their children to follow their path, the Hanagumi members knew, they had no other choices.

And, although all of the four members of Atarashii Teikoku Rikugun Taikouma Butai didn't like the idea of the new troupe, and even two of them strongly disliked it, they had no better ideas.

So, they prepared everything for the new troupe, including accommodation, uniforms, training schedules, and, last but not least, koubus and weapons. As the result, nine new rooms had been rearranged and redecorated, while new uniforms had been made, an efficient schedule had been arranged, and nine koubus of the newest type had been created and adjusted.

Of course, besides fighting, the new troupe would have their own show too. So, a new concept of entertainment group had been created, and all best teachers had been hired to teach the new entertainers.

Walking side by side, General Oogami Ichirou, the commander of Hanagumi, and Bill Ueno, the commander of Atarashii Teikoku Rikugun Taikouma Butai, did their night patrol, just as what they usually did during the last ten years.

"I know you don't like this idea, Bill," Oogami said suddenly.

Bill stopped for a while. He bowed his head. "Commander," he begged, "let us face those demons by ourselves. I promise we won't fail again."

Oogami stopped walking. "I know what you feel," he said. He sighed. "But, I can't let you risk yourselves. They're so many. If you work together with the new team, I'm sure, that will be much easier."

"But, if you do that, you risk their life," Bill replied.

Oogami closed his eyes and took a deep breath, controlling his emotion. "I have no other way," he admitted.

Bill looked at his commander, and, suddenly, he kneeled down and bowed. "I beg you, Sir," he said, "to cancel this plan. They're young. They have bright futures."

Oogami looked at the bowing young man. "You also have a bright future," he said, "and so have Tanpopo, Sayaka, and Satsuki."

Bill stood up, and looked outside the big window beside him, to the dark night sky. "I'm different from Tanpopo, Sayaka, and Satsuki, "he said, "I've entered this world so far, and it's too far to go back."

"There are lots of things you haven't done in your life," Oogami said. He paused for a while. "And you still have enough time and chance to do them."

Bill looked back at Oogami. He smiled and shook his head. "I've lived enough," he replied, "and maybe your son, your little girl, and the other seven girls haven't."

Oogami didn't say anything. He just smiled.

And, from that smile, Bill knew, he'd failed in persuading Oogami to cancel the project.

Oogami continued walking, and Bill followed him. Saying nothing, Bill thought about his last conversation with Oogami Tanpopo, his comrade and also Oogami Ichirou's daughter.

'If plan A doesn't work, we should do plan B.'

Bill closed his eyes. Plan B would be bad, he thought. But it would bear good things, he continued, at least for them.

To be continued…

Well, what Bill and Tanpopo had planned? And what will happen to Delphine, Cattleya, Kikyou, Meigui, Himawari, Momoko, Suiren, Edelweiss, and Taro? We'll know it later...

I want to give a very special thanks to my friend, Benji Himura. He has let me using his character, Benji Himura, and also has given me a review that encourages me to write more. I also want to thank SilverBlue Dragon and my friend Kanna's Man, whose reviews make me sure that I'm not working for nothing.

I hope all of you like this chapter. Please R&r, and if you have any questions, you can ask me, via e-mail or via review.

HaruNatsu.