ACT 18

OoOoOoO

Night.

Sakura held the flashlight as she surveyed the halls of the Imperial Theater. She was on night patrol.

All the rooms had been checked except for one . . . the ICU room.

She placed her hands on her chest, feeling a moment's hesitation. But she knew that there should be no reason for delaying. She had to do it.

The ICU was located on the third floor of the theater. That area was usually unoccupied. Except for now.

Sakura faced the door and knocked three times before she entered. The young girl shone her flashlight over in Maria's direction and saw that the other woman's eyes were closed.

'Probably, she got tired from her visitors,' Sakura said to herself as she turned off the flashlight. She placed it down on a nearby table. Her eyes wandered over to the window and she decided to push the curtains aside so that the moon could shine in. She smiled weakly at the full moon and turned to face her sleeping angel.

"Good night, Maria-san," she whispered softly.

She picked up the flashlight and went on her way, closing the door behind her.

As the footsteps faded away from the ICU, the blond woman opened her eyes slowly. "Good night, my princess."

OoOoOoO

A week passed. Secretarial Office.

"Have you heard? Maria-san insisted on moving back into her own room," Yuri said to Kasumi.

The pony-tailed woman bundled the papers and turned to her. "Is she well enough? She fell out of her bed three days ago."

"I'm not sure. But based on my keen observation, the medicine Kohran gave her is working very well."

"Oh, I see." Kasumi resumed arranging the files. "But there is still much work to do."

"Hmm . . . I'm tempted to try that on my hair. I wonder if it works."

Kasumi sighed as she placed the files on Yuri's desk. The short-haired woman seemed startled as the stack of papers seemed to have suddenly appeared in front of her.

Tsubaki entered with a new bundle of papers. She was smiling. "Good morning."

"Oh, no. There's still more!" Yuri groaned as the young saleslady approached.

"Don't complain," Kasumi admonished.

Tsubaki looked at Yuri's face and giggled.

"What are you laughing at?" Yuri demanded.

"So what happened to your vacation?" Tsubaki asked with a huge smile. "Tell me, did you go out with him?"

"Go out with whom?" Kasumi seemed interested.

"With that weirdo, you know, that brown-haired man," Tsubaki answered.

"Kayama! What do you think of me, Tsubaki? That I'm desperate?" Yuri argued.

Kasumi wore a cheerful look. "My, my, aren't you?"

"Oh, Kasumi. You're so cruel. How could you?" Yuri said.

Kasumi ignored her and untied the bundle of papers Tsubaki just handed down. A script of 'Midsummer Night's Dream' caught her eyes.

"What's that?" Yuri asked.

"A script of Flower Division's play."

Yuri looked at them intently. "Did you hear what happened here during our little vacation?"

"Maria-san was injured in the battle. That's why that play was cancelled," Tsubaki replied. "It's been two weeks now. Everybody here knows about it."

Yuri raised her finger and shook her head slowly. "No, it's not about that incident. Haven't you heard the rumors regarding the Flower Troupe?"

"What kind of news?" Tsubaki asked curiously.

Yuri looked more serious than before and motioned the younger girl to come closer. "It's about the two leads in that play. It happened on the rehearsals for the Midsummer Night."

The salesgirl gulped. Tsubaki leaned closer as Yuri whispered to her ear.

Kasumi looked at them in a critical manner from a distance. After that she shrugged and reoccupied herself with her work.

Tsubaki's eyes widened. "You mean . . . she . . . they-"

"Shhh. . . it's just speculation. After the accident, it all became obvious," Yuri said in a low voice.

"How could you suspect something like that?"

"She goes to the third floor every night."

"What if she's just worried?"

"It could be, but there is something strange about it."

"Like what?"

"Why does she only go there in the evening?"

"Oh."

"And one more thing."

"What?"

"I heard her . . ."

"Heard her what?"

"I heard her practicing on stage last night."

"She's always practicing late at night. She's doing the lead role, remember?"

"Yes, I know that. But she's like confessing to someone who is not even there."

"Confessing?"

"Yes, a confession of love."

"To whom?"

"To Maria-san, of course!"

Yuri's revelation caught Kasumi's attention.

"And?"

Yuri and Tsubaki looked up at the older woman who was now standing beside them. The gossip queen cleared her throat as she continued her rumor. "I also heard Ayame talking to Maria-san once."

"You've been eavesdropping again, haven't you?" Kasumi asked, pointblank.

"Aw, c'mon. I was just passing by and-"

"Okay. Okay. Go on with the story," Tsubaki said.

"Maria-san told Ayame-san that she---" Yuri whispered the next word.

Tsubaki and Kasumi listened intently to her narration.

" . . . . that's what she said but it seems that Sakura-san is unaware of that," Yuri finished.

"You mean that the two are actually in love with each other?" Kasumi said in a rather loud manner.

Yuri swallowed and nodded seriously.

Kasumi placed a hand on her mouth. "Oh, my god."

"What a scoop!" the brunette salesgirl remarked. "What a headline it will make for the newspaper."

"Yes, and their reputations would be ruined," Kasumi concluded.

"Eh? And what about Ohgami-san?" Tsubaki remembered. "I thought he was the one who-"

"What, Tsubaki?" Ohgami's voice intervened as he entered the office.

Tsubaki clapped her mouth shut with both hands and laughed to herself.

"Huh?" One could easily imagine question marks flashing brightly above Ohgami's head.

The young saleslady meekly bowed down as she left the office.

Yuri busied herself from the paper on her table. "Ah, time to work!"

Kasumi sweatdropped.

Ohgami was confused and turned to Kasumi. "Were they talking about me?"

"No, they were just talking about daily news," Kasumi replied as she handed some papers to Ohgami.

OoOoOoO

Maria's room.

Ayame stood beside Maria's bed with folded arms. "Maria, I'm allowing you to stay in your room as you requested. But don't think of this as an opportunity for you to do as you please."

"You sound like a mother," Maria said in her usual tone.

"As much as I respect you as the vice captain of Flower Division, I'll instruct someone to get you monitored."

'Someone has already taken that place,' Maria mused silently, thinking about Sakura.

"Remember that your condition is still serious. I'll tell Tsubaki to keep an eye on you," Ayame said. "It's better that way so that you can recover quickly."

Maria turned her head to the window.

"Any objections?"

"None, Ayame-san," Maria said in a low voice.

"Hmm. . . I doubt that."

Maria looked at her with a grin slowly forming on her lips. 'She's reading my mind again.'

Ayame closed her eyes and shook her head. "You've attempted to leave the ICU without permission twice this week. I'm just being more careful now to make sure you don't do anything foolish like that again."

"If you tie me to my bed, maybe I wouldn't," Maria suggested dryly, forgetting herself. It was really atypical of her to be so sarcastic.

Ayame put a finger on her chin. "Hmm. . . maybe I'll try that suggestion." She looked at Maria and smiled.

"How is the play going?" Maria asked, changing the topic.

"The play? Let's see," Ayame started as she sat down on a chair. "Sumire is getting quite used to her role."

' 'Getting used to'? I wonder how she sounds like in rehearsals,' the Russian thought.

"Kanna fits the Lion's part well. But she's a little bit frustrated on eating Pyramus first before Sumire goes to the suicide scene." Ayame gave her a quiet laugh, remembering the noise and turmoil that occurs every practice. "Iris and Kohran are fine, although their costumes seem to be a lot bigger than they are."

"And Sakura?" Maria asked.

Ayame looked at Maria knowingly. "Don't get too excited. I was saving the best for the last."

The blond woman blushed at her remark.

"Sakura is very absorbed in her role. She never fails to practice every night in order to perfect herself. She has improved significantly." Ayame stood up and walked towards the door. "Ah, before I forget, the performance is tomorrow."

Ayame left, leaving Maria in wonderment. "Tomorrow?"

OoOoOoOo

OoOoOoOo

Booboos:

Liz : I'm basing this on the games, but the Teigeki's hospital (and I presume its ICU) is in the basement, on the same floor as its baths, and briefing room. Third floor of the theater has always been just the attic. The attic usually looks rather empty in the games, but in the TV series, it was used to store Yoneda's old files and journals.

Dillian : The infirmary? I know ;; I just made some alterations since I can't imagine sun rising and moon shining inside the basement.