Reishi Walked down a lonely road in the middle of the city.
The shadowmancer's troublesome death had troubled reishi. Not because of what she had saw but what she had said. It seemed like the masked queen could and would use people's insecurities to manipulate them into joining the shadowmancers.
She then remembered the letter inscribed on Shima's computer.
{ Hello my darling~ I see that you've uncovered this message I left on your duel disk! Congratulations! You're smarter than I thought you were! I also am aware that you defeated my precious shadowmancer that I sent to capture you. Now normally I would be livid and send about 12 more to kill you, But since it's you I'd thought I would play another game with you! Come to the Tykers centers at 9 o clock noon at whatever night you discover this. I have something or someone you've been looking for…. I believe her name is Hatsuko…? Hattoko? - }
She clearly had some sort of charisma to her. She could probably manipulate someone fairly easily with her smooth tongue. Or at least that's what she gathered from the little information she got from that letter.
The question was then, Does she take advantage of the weak-Minded, Strugglers and desperate people? Is she such an evil hag that she would do that? The thoughts race through Reishi's head.
Reishi: (Some of this is just speculation… But maybe it gives us a better idea of who the masked queen is…?)
...
Reishi: Lè masque est plus proche que vous ne le pensez.
Reishi Repeated the phrase that the Shadowmancer said to her before disappearing. She, of course could not understand french but she was smart enough.
But all these thoughts had to stop as she approached her destination - The Kuzoyu Hospital.
The hospital was little more than a large house on a hill, indeed that is what it had been before the war. But when they had pushed the enemy back beyond their own borders they had seized this mansion for their own use and flown in the medical staff and supplies they required. Now the generous sized bedrooms and the lounge areas became wards, only the dining room and kitchens retained their original purpose.
When she entered, Reishi approached the front desk. She saw a secretary who appeared to be the one of the few people here at the time.
Reishi: H-Hello.
She said nervously.
The secretary stood up in response.
Secretary: Are you ok madam? You're clothes are ripped and you seem unnerved.
Reishi: Oh that.
Reishi had forgotten that she had not changed her clothes at all since the duel. She was too focused on her friends to care.
Reishi: I'm fine… I just fell down a couple of stairs.
Secretary: Are you sure, I can get a nurse to check you-
Reishi: Really, I'm fine! I just want to visit my friend - Hattori Nakashi.
She exclaimed.
Secretary: Well, If you say so. Follow me.
The secretary lead her to hattori's room on the third floor. The room was the furthest down the hall right beside a window which revealed the moonlight on all of it's eternity.
The nurse pulled out a keycard and slid it through the key slider which caused the door to open.
Nurse: Please be quiet around the patient she needs her rest.
The nurse uttered to reishi.
Reishi: Understood. Thank you.
She nodded.
Reishi then stepped into the room.
The hospital room is as devoid of beauty as I am of hope. Its walls are simply cream, not peeling or dirty, just cream. There is no decoration at all save the limp curtain that can separate the bed from the three others in here. It was perhaps once the kind of green that reminds people of spring-time and hope, but it's faded so much that the hue is insipid. The room as an undertone of bleach and the floor is simply grey. At the far end hattori lay in said bed which covered the edges of the room. She was hooked up to an IV bag and she had several casts and bandages around her body.
Shima was sitting at Hattori's bedside with a worried look on her face, As if all of her hopes and dreams were doting on her friend hattori.
Reishi: Shima….
Shima: Reishi!
Shima stood up anxiously.
Shima: You're Alive!
Shima rushed up and hugged her friend with all of her might. Their breasts clashed and squished as the two shared a warm embrace.
Reishi: Shima, You're squeezing me too tight!
Shima: Sorry, I was just so worried about you.
Shima said glissfully.
Reishi: You were worried about me?
Shima: I-I mean- I just wanted you to avenge hattori is all! It's not like I like or anything…
Reishi: R-Right.
Shima: But gosh… You sure do look "roughed up". The shadowmancer did a number on you, huh?
Reishi: Yeah. The duel was close but I managed to pull through, of course.
Shima: I can't tell! I mean, Look at your clothes! They're all ripped and burned up! I can practically see your full stomach!
Reishi: Huh?
Reishi looked down, to see that her stomach was fully exposed. She desperately tried to cover it up with her hands.
Reishi: G-Gosh. I knew my clothes were damaged but not that much!
Shima: Geez. And you walked all the way here? I wonder how many pervs were eyeing you up.
Reishi: Please don't say things like that.
Shima: *Sigh* You're such a dolt….
Shima handed reishi her lab coat. Reishi graciously thanked her.
Reishi: Thanks shima.
Shima: Literally don't mention it.
Shima joked. Reishi laughed too but suddenly got a Grimm look on her face as she turned to hattori.
Reishi: Is she alright…?
Shima: She's got several broken bones, A twisted ankle and a pretty nasty head wound but she'll be alright.
Reishi: Poor Hattori. She just got a pretty bad thigh wound a month ago… and now this?
Shima: It does seem pretty bad for her. But let's forget the fact she was snooping around your house!
Reishi: That doesn't matter to me, shima. "Let begones be begones" as they say.
Shima: Gosh Reishi. You're so forgiving. Too forgiving almost.
Reishi: As opposed to you, Tsundere scientist.
Shima: H-Hey! I'm not a "Tsundere". Just a-
Before shima could even say the rest of her sentence, reishi interrupted with a hard quip.
Reishi: A frightened girl?
The mood changed as reishi suddenly libeled shima. It seemed to come out of nowhere and just dampened the mood.
Shima: Gosh. What was that for?
Reishi: I was just making an observation about you.
Shima: A mean one!
Reishi: But not untrue!
Shima: W-What do you mean?
Reishi: Well. Every since that encounter with the shadowmancer you've been acting a bit…. Scared.
Reishi: Scared?
Shima: …..
Reishi looked into shima's face and saw the anguish and tyranny that were flooding through her eyes.
Reishi: You were traumatized by your experience with the shadowmancer weren't you?
Shima: …..
Shima was quiet and looked down at the hospital floor.
Shima: How'd you know….
Reishi: You've been acting pretty Submissive lately.
Shima: Submissive? Reishi...I'm not like hattori...
Shima Awkwardly laughed with sadness in her eyes.
Reishi: Yes. Submissive.
Reishi: -From letting boys harass you and Sakoshi dress you up like a rag-doll and parade you around the school. I don't think you've been acting like yourself.
Shima: You're right…. Being utterly humiliated by that shadowmancer made me feel less than what I was. It made me feel weak, Like a victim. Something I never thought I would be.
Reishi: Shima. Sometimes it's ok to feel demoralized, Sad and even scared. It's how you deal with it that matters.
Reishi: I've been feeling all of those things... But I always get back up, Don't I?
Shima slowly nodded her head.
Reishi: -And most importantly, You are not weak. You're one of the strongest people I know.
Shima heart melded as she heard reishi passionate words. All she could so was give her a glamorous hug that made the stars above them sing.
?: Ugh…
A lowly voice moaned as the cardiac monitor beeped softer than it did before. A calm waking feeling washed over the room as Hattori's eyes slowly began to open. Her eyes were pure gray unlike the Pure yellow-dandelion color they had been before.
Hattori: ….Senpai.
The girl said in a hoarse voice. Her breathing was raspy and voice sounded like she had swallowed sand paper. Although she was clearly in so much pain, she still had the veracity to smile. It was a golden smile, though lacking a few teeth still felt genuine.
Reishi: Hattori….
Shima: …
Hattori: I'm…. Sorry.
Reishi: Don't be. We're friends and nothing will ever change that. We're inseparable like the three musketeers.
The bond between Reishi and her friends was almost inseparable. It was that kind of friendship that blooms in the center of your heart - that kind of friendship that grows from the seed basking in the warm soil to a vast tree with many ups and downs, many - but not enough to disguise the enormity or the grandeur of such a tree, the sheer brilliance and beauty of it.
The three friends held hands and looked into the moonlight which was magnificently shining through windows. Looking towards the future they saw a difficult but bright one ahead.
The Bonds We forge - Musical Duet End.