HoHoHo…Chapter 7 is up!

I've tried to do my best, and this is the result…Please R&r…I don't mind if you give me some critiques, but, please, do not use impolite and rude words…

Thanks to all my readers. Hope you enjoy my story…

Disclaimers : I don't own Sakura Taisen and its characters, but, I do own my characters. Benji Himura belongs to my friend, Benji Himura. I've got his permission to use his character.

Endless Wings

Chapter Seven : Seniors and Juniors

Ginza, April 11, 1950

Reaching a phone booth hidden between two huge buildings, Sumire quickly picked up the phone and made a call.

"Ryouzoku Shohan, Secretarial Staff for Teikoku Kagekidan speaking.'

"Shohan," Sumire said, "this is me."

"Ma'am Sumire? Is there anything I can help?"

"Yes," Sumire answered, "there's an attack here, in front of Akakuro Café. Kanna is facing those demons alone now. Tell our Commander to prepare a mission. Oh, and please send someone to give me my naginata."

Daitekoku Gekijou, April 11, 1950

Edelweiss' Room

Rolling over her bed, Edelweiss sighed. "I guess I should give up trying to sleep now," she muttered to herself.

The young blonde sat up on her bed. She slipped her feet into her night slippers, then stood up and walked towards the door. As she passed by the mirror, she stopped and stared at it.

The beautifully-framed, full-size mirror reflected her physical image. A mix-blooded young woman, with her green eyes and long, straight platinum blonde hair, wearing a white night kimono and a pair of dark-blue slippers. Carefully examining her appearance, she tidied her kimono and reached her favorite hairpin, started twisting her hair into a simple bun.

"…another attack, isn't it?"

"Yeah, and now, Ma'am Maria and Ma'am Sakura are moving to solve it."

Hearing the two familiar names, Edelweiss started growing some attention in that conversation. Silently, she moved closer to the door and opened it a bit, leaving an enough space for her to peep at the corridor.

"Why don't they let us to go there?" Haruna asked, walking in a very quick pace along the corridor.

"We'll be needed as backups, that's what Commander said," Rin explained, walking a few steps before Haruna. She started running. "Be quick! Shohan and Micheru have already launched the Koubus, and, I'm sure we're needed now! Without Shiruku, everything will get harder!"

"Alright!" Haruna answered, running to the edge of the corridor, and disappeared suddenly there.

'How can it be?' Edelweiss thought.

With a huge desire to find out what had happened, she slowly slipped out of her room and closed the door.

Control Room

"Radio-transmitters running," Micheru stated.

"Good. Keep monitoring, in case there's a contact from them," Rin instructed.

"Alright," Micheru replied.

"Last position received," Shohan informed, "they're right on the spot now."

"That's good. Send the enemy statistics to them," Rin instructed again.

"Pictures from the Koubu-cameras received. Ma'am Sumire and Ma'am Kanna are already with them," Haruna said.

"Is there something wrong?" Rin asked.

"No," Haruna answered, "they seem alright."

'The enemy?" Rin asked again.

"Still those flying beasts," Haruna muttered, concentrating at the screen.

"Shohan, look for the in-field weapons' statistic," Rin ordered.

"Ma'am Maria has her gun with her, Ma'am Sakura has her sword, and Ma'am Sumire has been given her naginata. Everyting is OK now."

"Thanks. Prepare a quick launch for Mikasa."

"What for?" Haruna asked.

"In case of emergency situations," Rin answered.

"The signals are getting ruined up," Shohan informed, "I think we'll lost those signals in another sixty seconds."

"Run the ultra-sensitive radar," Rin ordered.

"Don't you think this is risky, Captain?" Shohan asked.

"Just do that. If something bad happens, I'll tell everyone that it is my fault," Rin insisted.

"Ryoukai!" Shohan answered, switching the normal mode to the ultra-sensitive mode.

Rin looked at Shohan for a while, then, turned to Haruna. "How are things, Haruna?" she asked.

"For one beaten, another two will come to replace," Haruna said, keep watching the battle pictured on her monitor, "one of the Koubu's cameras had just been crushed. I'm not sure whose that is, but, it most probably is Ma'am Sakura's."

"Keep watching," Rin ordered.

In all of sudden, Micheru stood up and put her headset off. She lain it on her chair and turned to face her friends. "We've lost our communication with all of them!" she claimed in panic, "the communication system failed to work!"

"Try to use the backup communication system," Rin told Micheru, "I allow you to leave this room now!"

"Ryoukai!" Micheru shouted, running towards the electric-powered door and pressed the button to open it. "I'll send you some wags when it is ready!"

"Remember to operate it quickly," Rin warned, "we must keep our contact with them."

Micheru didn't response. She had disappeared into the darkness of Daitekoku Gekijou's basement.

Rin looked at the door for a while. Then, she turned back to Shohan and Haruna, and concentrated back on the battle.

"EVERYONE!"

Rin, Shohan, and Haruna turned to the voice in surprise. "Don't be so loud, Micheru!" Rin said, still in shock, "you've made all of us shocked!"

Holding on the doorframe to support her unsteady body, Micheru tried hard to control her breath. "I…I can't believe what I've just seen," she replied.

"Tell us, then."

Ginza, April 11, 1950

"Kanna! Sumire! Watch out!" Maria cried.

Kanna and Sumire jumped to their sides, giving a way for Maria's bullets to hit some beasts next to them.

Sakura leaped into the air and slashed some beasts which had just come. "They keep coming!" she cried, "be careful!"

"Sooner or later, we'll be too exhausted to face them!" Sumire shouted, slashing some beasts.

"We must stop the new ones to come!" Kanna said, punching some beasts and kicking some others.

"I've asked the headquarter to find where they come from," Maria said, "and they haven't replied yet."

A shoot was heard, and ,within a second, a beast roared and disappeared. Not even waiting for some moments, the shooter had released some other bullets, and more beasts disappeared.

"Who's that!" Maria asked in surprise. "Do any of you shoot?"

"Not me," Kanna answered.

"Neither do I," Sumire added.

"I thought it was you, Maria," Sakura said.

Maria startled. "Be careful of that person," she warned her friends, "we know nothing about him or her. Continue our work."

"Ryoukai!"

The Hanagumi women continued fighting in the darkness of the night. Those beasts really made them busy, and, they didn't realize, someone was standing on the roof of Akakuro Café.

She observed the battle carefully, then leaped and landed on an empty zone, quite far from the Hanagumi members. Sheathed the now empty gun and took something from her waist, this mysterious girl ran towards a faraway tree, passing through the crowd of demon. Some of the nasty creatures blocked the way, and, although it was not so easy, she could get rid of them. She reached the tree, climbed to its' peak, and slashed a ripe fruit there with the thing she was holding : a Japanese sword, katana.

In such a fast pace, the tree changed into a beast and threw this girl to the ground. Sakura, who caught the moment of changing, quickly leapt and slashed the beast.

"What are you doing, Sakura?" Sumire shouted.

"Sorry! I've just slashed a beast!" Sakura answered. She leapt back to her friends and joined them. The Hanagumi women slashed, shot, kicked, and punched the beasts.

"I think they're getting fewer," Sumire blabbed, slashing here and there.

"No new ones come," Maria analyzed, shooting more and more beasts.

"This is really good!" Kanna cried happily, kicking and punching to get rid of the beasts.

"This is the last," Sakura said, slashing the last beast into two pieces.

"Enemy cleared," Maria reported to the headquarter, "we'll come back soon."

All four of them were about to leave when they heard a weak moan.

"Do you hear it?" Sakura asked her friend, making sure that she's not imagining it.

"Yes."

"I think yes."

"Surely."

They looked around, and finally, Sumire found the source of the voice.

"She's there," she said.

Daitekoku Gekijou, April 12, 1950

Edelweiss' Room

Maria, Sakura, Kanna, and Sumire watched in tension, as the doctor examined Edelweiss.

"Basically, there's nothing to worry about her," the doctor finally said, "the trauma on her head is a very mild one. She's got some bruises, but all the bones and joints are well. I think she's just exhausted, since she has used a lot of her energy."

"So," Maria said, "what can we do for her?"

"Just let her rest. I've given her a shot of mild depressant, and she'll wake up this afternoon. Now, I think we can go and leave her here. Or, maybe, Colonel Tachibana, you want to stay with your daughter?"

Maria looked at the sleeping Edelweiss. "I think it would be better for me to go," she said, "I don't want to disturb her."

Secret Chamber

"Oh…You, Oogami. Come in! Let's drink together!"

Oogami entered the chamber and closed the door carefully. "Thanks," he said, kneeling down on the tatami, "I still have lots of works to do."

"You're getting too busy recently. Don't take everything so seriously."

"How can I take everything easily?" Oogami replied. "I must make sure that everything is running properly, or, they will kick me off."

"Just let those snobs talk. They can do nothing without you, I tell you."

Oogami shook his head and smiled bitterly. "I can't let them talk. Every time they do that, they'll insult all the sacrifice my comrades have done."

"Then, prove that you can do the best. I'm sure they won't be able to boast anymore."

Oogami looked at the floor and smirked. "I think we're getting trouble with those new ladies," he admitted, "none of them have battle-backgrounds, and they slip into trouble easily."

"Well, how many boys will you use to complete them?"

"As far, one," Oogami answered, "I'm trying to keep the same format."

"Well, if at least half of those girls have excellent background in battles, one guy is enough. But, since they have zero experience, I think you must add some more guys."

Oogami wrinkled his forehead. "How many?" he asked.

"One guy for each girl. Daily, they'll be the bodyguards for the new actresses. So, you must add seven guys."

"Seven?" Oogami asked in doubt.

"Yes, seven. There will be sixteen members in the new troupe. Once the girls are ready, you can split the team into two."

Oogami thought for a while. "I will accept this idea," he finally agreed. "And, I think, those additional boys must have been military trained."

"Right. Do you know where to search?"

"I know four places where we can find what we are looking for," Oogami answered.

Oogami's Room

"Alright. Thanks," Oogami said, ending the telephone conversation he had been into.

"What did they say, Commander?" Maria asked him.

Oogami looked at his vice and stood up. "They said they could search for what we'd requested," he said, turning to the big window and looked at the clear morning sky.

Maria threw a relived smile. "I'm very glad they didn't decline our request," she told her commander, "they're our last hope, since the other three have refused to help us."

"I must thank my alma mater for this," Oogami replied, "I hope they'll find what we exactly need."

"I wish your son won't arrive here alone," Maria said, looking at the Admiral's back.

Oogami turned back to face Maria. "A boy wouldn't make it," he said, "but I think eight boys will."

Hanayashiki Theme Park, April 15,1950

"You like it?" Haruna warmly asked.

"This is greaaat!" Cattleya answered happily, looking at the giant sundae on the table.

Haruna smiled. "How about you, Delphine?" she asked the other girl.

Delphine slightly nodded.

"You like it?" Haruna asked again.

Delphine nodded again.

"When I first arrived in Tokyo, your mothers took me here too," Haruna told the girls.

"Did they buy you this too?" Cattleya asked, pointing at her sundae.

"Yes," Haruna answered, recalling the moment and threw a wide smile. "That time, I was about the same age with you both, and I loved it too," she continued.

Sitting on a bench near the ice cream café, Rin threw her glance at Haruna and the youngest girls. "I've never seen Haruna being that happy recently," she said, staring at her junior.

"Really?" Suiren asked, turning her head.

"The tense of our jobs have sent her into a light distress," Rin answered, looking back at Suiren and Edelweiss, who were sitting beside her. "Why don't you two take a ride?" she offered the Sendai girls.

"Thanks, but I think I've had enough rides," Suiren refused politely.

"I think the same," Edelweiss refused too.

"Enough?" Rin wrinkled her forehead. "So far you've only taken the ferris wheel and the carrousel," she muttered, "don't you want to ride the rollercoaster, just like your four friends?"

Suiren looked at the rollercoaster track and grinned. A cold sweat appeared on her forehead. "I…I don't think I'm tall enough to ride," she said, lying.

"You're tall enough," Rin replied, "the minimum height is one hundred and ten centimeters."

Knowing that she'd said the wrong excuse, Suiren mouthed. "But, I think…"

"Never mind," Rin cut the sentence, smiling. "I've never rode that," she admitted, "every time I get into the queue, I always get cold feet."

Edelweiss and Suiren giggled a bit. "I can imagine how it feels like," Suiren said, "I'm experiencing the same thing too."

"And you, Edelweiss?" Rin asked.

Edelweiss threw her glance to the five-amazing-threatening loops. "Actually I'm curious about that," she said, "but, my head is still aching a bit due to the accident I had on Tuesday."

"Well," Rin said, looking at some figures walking towards the ice cream café, "your friends are back."

"That was a nice ride, wasn't it?" Himawari cheerfully asked. "I'm demanding for more!"

"What's nice from it? I thought I would die in shock," Momoko disagreed. "And, you, Himawari, I know you were screaming all-ride-long."

"What a great machine! I hope I can make one someday," Meigui said in enthusiasm.

"Before that happens, I'm sure you'll explode the whole city," Kikyou stated, grinning at Meigui.

Walking behind the four girls, Shiruku and Shohan secretly threw their smiles one another. They both know, all the four girls had been screaming and closing their eyes during the ride, and even recalled one of them cried out the Hail Mary in Italian.

"Hey! You three! Why you just sit there?" Himawari greeted Rin and the Sendai girls.

"The café is too crowded," Rin answered, "and none of us want to have ice cream."

"Haa? I think ice cream is delicious," Meigui muttered in wonder. "I always have the espresso flavor with some whipped cream and cherries over it."

"Ice cream represents high tastes," Momoko lectured, "you must have it to get a qualified guy, ohohohohohoho…"

"Are you on diet?" Kikyou curiously asked. "I think you three are slender enough, and you don't need diet."

"My father is a doctor, and he never let me eat that," Rin explained, "and I never dare to cheat him, cause, every time I'm trying to do that, something bad will happen."

"I'm catching a light cold these recent days," Suiren told her reason, "I think I'll stay away from cold things until next week."

"What a pity," Himawari looked at her friend in sympathy, "what about you, Edelweiss?"

Edelweiss gasped. "J…just don't like," she said, unwilling to say more.

"Aaa…You'll never get a good husband, I tell you," Momoko boasted.

"Sssh…Motto!" Himawari scolded her cousin, calling her with her childhood nickname.

"Well," Shohan said, saving the situation, "I think we'd better just get some ice cream now. The worms inside my stomach are dancing."

"Ice cream! Here I come!" Meigui cheerfully cried, running towards the café.

The others followed her, and they disappeared into the café. At the end, there were only the three of them : Edelweiss, Suiren, and Rin.

"I…I want to go to the toilet," Edelweiss suddenly said, "excuse me."

"Do you know where it is?" Rin asked.

Edelweiss pointed the mirror house. "It's on its side," she said, "I've read the location map."

"Well, you go then," Rin said, "take care."

"Alright," Edelweiss replied, started walking. At first, her steps were slow, but, they got bigger and faster later. Finally, Edelweiss was not just walking to the toilet; she was running towards it.

Startling, Suiren stood up. "I think I'll accompany her," she told Rin, "she must be feeling dizzy from the head trauma."

"Go on," Rin said, looking worriedly to the running blonde, "she might need some help."

"Thanks," Suiren said, started running after Edelweiss. "Eddie! Wait! Wait!" she shouted, hoping her friend to turn and wait for her.

Instead of turning, Edelweiss ran faster and entered the toilet in a super-fast movement. There, she got into a cubicle and vomited. She vomited and vomited, realizing nothing but sickness and dizziness.

"Eddie!" Suiren shouted outside the cubicle, "answer me!"

Leaving nothing in her stomach, Edelweiss controlled her breaths and leaned against the ceramic wall. "I'm here!" she shouted back, reaching the flush button and flushed the water closet.

Hearing Edelweiss' voice and the noise of the flush, Suiren sighed in relieve. "Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yes," Edelweiss said, lying, "I think I've eaten something wrong."

In less than a second, Suiren battered the cubicle's door down and jumped into the narrow cubicle. "You can't lie from me, Edelweiss!" she scolded the older girl, "the matter is not that you've eaten something wrong, but there's something wrong in your mind!"

Gaining her self control back from the scold, Edelweiss didn't reply. She just took her handkerchief and started cleaning some tears from her eyes and from her entire face.

Knowing that her best friend had gained herself back, Suiren relaxed. "It scattered everywhere around the closet," she informed in a normal tone, smiling at Edelweiss.

Edelweiss turned to the closet and threw a sullen smile. "Do you have some paper napkins?" she asked Suiren.

Suiren pulled a pack of paper napkins from her pink pouch. "Just lock the door when cleaning. I'll wait outside, in case some other people come," she told Edelweiss, walking out of the cubicle and lightly closed the door.

Edelweiss locked the door and started cleaning. 'How could it come again to my mind?' she questioned herself in disappointment and annoyance. 'I mustn't have shown it so exceedingly,' she reminded herself, 'they'll ask, and it will be a shame for me.'

Finally, she threw the ninth used napkin into the garbage basket and flushed the closet once more. She opened the door and found Suiren next to the door, leaning against the wall between two cubicles' doors. Edelweiss grabbed the younger girl's shoulder, and Suiren quickly turned to her. Nodding, both of them started heading for the toilet's door, and, they were about to open it, when they heard a loud single bang, followed by hurrying footsteps and frightened screams.

Signalling Suiren not to move, Edelweiss bowed and peeped outside from the door's keyhole. Watching the running panicked people and also some fireballs thrown to the ground, the young blonde realized, another attack was happening.

She stepped backward and rose, pushing Suiren away from the door. Secretly pulling out her gun from a pocket inside her haori, she made some more steps backward, preparing herself to attack if someone opened the door.

Noticing that her friend had drawn her gun, Suiren lifted the bottom of her western-styled dress, exposing the band circling around her right thigh, on which her gun and a wakizashi were tied.

"Don't," Edelweiss whispered, "you don't need to fight. Leave all to me."

Suiren startled. "But…"

"I'll never forgive myself if something bad happens to you," Edelweiss stated, "stay away from danger."

Just as the young blonde finished her sentence, a fireball hit through the door. Edelweiss pushed Suiren aside, and, they both rolled up on the marble floor.

Before they could even stand up, another fireball had broken through the wall. It hit the toilet's mirror fiercely and broke it into pieces.

As some sharp pieces of the broken mirror flew towards them, Edelweiss closed her eyes and pulled Suiren into her embrace, protecting the younger girl with her own body, while Suiren screamed in terror.

"Eddie! No!"

To be continued…

What will happen next? The next chapter will answer it…Thanks for reading my story. I want to say my special thanks to my friend Kanna's Man, and my friend SilverBlue Dragon for their reviews. A very, very special thanks to Benji Himura, for his review, his permission, and his help. Friends, I promise you, I will never give up. Thanks to Fan and Major for their reviews. I promise I'll continue this story soon.

Oh, and about the terms. Haori is a kind of traditional jacket in Japan, usually used together with a kimono. Wakizashi is a rather short sword, and katana is a long sword. Please tell me if I've mistaken in explaining these things. I realize, I'm not an expert in Japanese heritage.

Feel free to ask and criticize me. As long as you don't use improper words to convey them, I'll receive your critiques with an opened heart. Thanks for reading, and I hope you can give a little time for reviewing…

HaruNatsu.

#Bonus Story : Diary of secretarial staffs#

Tokyo, March 24, 1950

P.S : I know I'm late, so, I'll receive your scolds with pleasure. Our name is still in process.

A Letter to My Heroes

by : Anjou Shiruku

Every time I look into your eyes

Something pierced my heart

You look though, you look strong, you're brave

But, deep in your eyes, I see sorrow

Ah, heroes in a crazy world

Never taste happiness for their own

No tears, no laughter, no show of love

Owning, but not having

I wish I could take your sorrow away

Or, at least, ease it

Giving back your smile, gaining back your happiness

Leaving all weights on your soul

Ah, my dear, dear heroes

Throwing their worlds into endless darkness

Walking through endless sadness, raising their heads

Fighting for the glory they'll never taste

Ah, heroes in this crazy world

Standing on their own in the shadow of joy

Pretending to smile, ignoring broken hearts and mad oppressiveness

Saying goodbye to all memories

Silence completes this tragedy

A new wind will blow, dash everything away

Erasing the dusts of your story…

Tokyo, March 24, 1950

11.15 PM

Dedicated for my wonderful superiors.

Ma'am, Sir, you've done something others can never do.

Tbc…