-Disclaimer: I do not own the Air gear series.
Chapter 6
"Mikan-san… what happened here?" Tobi spoke in a flat voice as he stared into the room.
"Our idiot crow here after being infected by your insanity kept making a mess of the house in his demented training." Mikan beside him appeared pissed at Tobi when she greeted him earlier. Her smile turned into a strained scowl that was constantly growling.
"I apologize on behalf of my disciple, but ain't that too excessive" Asking the youngest sister Shiraume, Tobi received a flat reply
"The idiot would not listen to reason." Pulling back various tools into her sleeves she rubbed her tired eyes.
"I'll write a sick day note for you from a doctor so please take a day off from school." The girl looked at him in a new light. "I know a doctor and you need your beauty sleep." Smiling at the lunch box he gave her, the girl strolled back to her room.
"You're too soft on Ume, Tobi." Mikan glared at him even after she took the offered lunch box, her eyes however were not pointed at him rather who was stuck to his back.
"Wow, crow-kun sure is lively." Simca smiled blissfully and ignored the glare.
"Master you have to save me." Hung upside down from the ceiling, Ikki tried in vain to wiggle out of the iron coffin he was placed in. Only his face was visible due to an opening and numerous locks and chains were wrapped around it.
"Let's get him down first." Ringo nodded thankfully, she was happy her crush was going to be released but her eyes were tired from not getting any sleep. She would not have minded if he was stuck there the entire day.
Tobi thought that after the meeting with the lighting king he was going to have a normal day.
(Hours earlier)
"Ringo is the idiot still at it." Mikan came out of her room and stared out the window from the second floor, looking at her adopted brother who ran around the house carrying far too many weights for a normal person.
The idiot was thankfully not screaming at the top of his lungs so she didn't have to throw her weights at him before slamming him into the ground, then drag him indoors. It was midnight and if she didn't want to bother the neighbors.
"Yes, he's still training." Ringo sipped a warm cup of tea, her tired face relaxing slightly.
"You're pulling off the diligent wife who's watching over her idiot husband persona well." Shiraume piped in from behind.
"Hey!" Ringo spluttered at the acquisition but did not deny it.
"Do you really think that's enough to allow a person to fly?" They didn't even have to ask what he was training for. When Ikki crawled back home nearly dead after going to the forest.
Four hours ago Ume made a makeshift computer using spare parts and searched online for a cartoon called Samurai Jack. It was a western series so they had not seen it before, it was about a samurai who was sent to the future by a demon Aku. The series featured around the samurai's travels and him trying to get back to his time.
Having nothing better to do, the sisters grabbed some food to watch the series and even Ikki stopped training to join in.
"So this is the episode Master was talking about." Ikki watched the screen so seriously they had never seen him pay that much attention to something before. It was an episode about the samurai training in a forest to defy gravity and 'jump good'.
After the episode, many questions were going through their heads. It was frankly ridiculous and could only be possible by fictional standards. But Kilik stated that it was through fiction Tobi Kaname learned how to jump on air.
After the episode, Ikki started laughing maniacally before he started running laps around the house. Going into Rika's room he collected the older sister's weights and tied them to his back. Ringo tried to stop him but he would not listen and the other sisters were too busy to care about the idiot's antics.
He had not stopped since then Ringo watched over him. She contemplated stopping him as it was a school night but the intensity in his eyes made her relent. They had assumed he would stop after tiring himself out but that was not the case. Now here they were at midnight, watching over their house's idiot to make sure he does not kill himself.
"I don't know Ume, but if one person was able to do it maybe it's possible for others." Looking away from the window Ringo looked at her room. Where she kept her ATs. "It sounds far-fetched. I still can't come to terms with it but maybe with this. Ikki will never have to get involved with ATs like Rika nee wanted."
"It may lead to a world where we may be free." At those words the sisters looked back to their own rooms and wondered about that possibility, they were all gravity children and King class riders of the legendary team Sleeping Forest. They were born artificially and spent years perfecting their techniques and abilities.
If others could learn to fly after intensive training would there be a world where people no longer needed AT's? Would they be released from their duty?
No, there will always be those who are after the Sky Regalia it was a good fantasy to dwell on nothing more.
Ume looked back at the window and blinked. "Ikki's no longer in the backyard."
The other two sisters turned back and indeed the boy was missing."What! Where did he go?"
Soon heavy footsteps could be heard on the roof, sensing that the idiot was going to do something stupid. The sisters rushed towards it making it in time to see the idiot try to jump off the roof.
"That's when we chained him up and knocked him out, he was asleep for a while before you rang the doorbell waking him up."
"I see, sorry for disturbing your sleep."
After getting Ikki unchained, Tobi offered the sisters and his student food as a form of apology. Sitting around the dining room, Tobi tried his best to ignore Mikan's glare as he sipped his tea. Simca by his side just smiled at her and pressed her chest into Tobi's shoulder.
"Hey, Ikki hand over that salmon onigiri that's mine." Stealing the rice ball Ume was aiming for, Ikki jumped away from the table and devoured it.
"The one who strikes first achieves victory." Licking his lips the boy crashed into Mikan's fist, recoiling in pain the boy clutched his face and rolled on the floor.
"Have some fucking manners we have guests" The pink-haired girl clutched a spring hand grip and vented the rest of her frustration on the tool. "He's got enough energy to move around for someone who was almost passing out"
Ringo looked at the pained boy, she wanted to help him but decided it's best to just let him. He only learned through pain.
"Here you go." Taking one of the salmon ones, Tobi offered it to Ume.
"Thank you." Smiling the girl took her time eating it.
"You sure are good with children." Simca hummed.
"I got used to taking care of them in the orphanage." Seeing her eyeing his cup, he offered it to her. Smirking she took a sip.
A cracking sound followed by killing intent directed at him made Tobi turn his head. Sweat dripped down his head at the sight of Mikan glaring at him, steam flowing out of her mouth and the poor spring hand grip snapped in her hand.
The shadow of a large orange armored warrior holding a bizarre weapon which was the cross between a spear and sword appeared behind her. The figure's lower body was that of a cheetah. From its back were blades of winds and its tail was a sharp orange scythe.
"So what brings you two love birds to our house. Are you here to show off?" The wind whirled around her, ready to explode on her command "Come on say something, give me a reason to knock you out"
So it was not just Onigiri, anyone can manifest a stand. Sheer anger seems to be the key so far. As fascinated as Tobi was with the figure he pushed down the desire to interact with it. Maybe Simca can do something similar and he could ask her about it.
"I came to ask you for Kilik-san's number so I could apologize to him." His answer made the stand dissipate and all the sisters turned towards him. "The food was part of my apology."
"Who's Kilik?" Ikki stood up, his nose bleeding slightly.
"Simca-san's brother and a mutual friend between Mikan san and I."
"Oh, ok then." The boy went back to eating but he noticed how quiet the sisters were.
"What's wrong?"
"Don't butt in idiot crow it's our business." Mikan glared at Ikki making him relent before staring at Tobi. "Does it have to do with that swallow stuck to your arm?"
"In a way, don't worry despite how much I tried but Tobi remained stubborn to keep his promise with my brother." Simca sighed slightly before smirking. "Really I even offered him my body and it did not work"
Before Mikan summons the stand again Tobi spoke up "I was kinda hoping to talk to Kilik about Ikki as well." Everyone's attention went back to Ikki who was starting to get unnerved by the attention he was getting. "I won't get involved with ATs as promised but Ikki here asked me to teach him Geppo. So I wanted to talk about it with Kilik-san."
"Dammit." Mikan sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "You couldn't just stay a normal delivery man. Now we have to deal with this mess."
"Ringo go contact Kilik."
As they talked no one noticed that some rice balls were missing. A person that had been stuck watching this train wreck was finally getting a decent meal.
"So that's about it I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused."
Yesterday Kilik had already received the message from Onibasu about how Spitfire had found the boy which soon led to Simca chasing him into the forest which then snowballed into the current mess.
He ended up planning over the night the best way to rescue the boy into the forest if he wants it or just monitor him and predict what Sora would do. Then develop potential countermeasures for different scenarios.
The fact that it cut into his reading time was another frustrating fact. He had just reached the War of the Best arc. The abilities of White Beard was an interesting part to study, while highly destructive it could be what he needed to get an edge against the wing and jade roads.
Right now, Kilik steeled his face and beat down the desire to scream out in frustration as he looked at the screen in front of him. On it displayed a serious-faced Tobi Kaname sitting beside his sister Simca who he specifically told to stay away from.
"I see you are doing well brother, have you been eating well after Tobi's advice to not skip meals." The half-eaten nutrient bar he had in his hand was all the answer Simca needed.
It has been years since he had seen his twin and was sure the next time they met. It would be on the battlefield, she was still apprehensive of him. Evident by how her hands firmly gripped Tobi's back.
"It was good advice to heed. I see you've attached yourself to our friend." He gazed emotionlessly at the guilty-looking boy. If there was any consolation from this mess, Simca was talking to him in her cherry tone like in the past. "Did you enjoy the sky under his wings?"
"It was an amazing experience, brother." Pouting she slightly glared at him "I'm still jealous of you before you got to him he's never flown with someone before. If I had known earlier and found out first, I would have gotten his first time."
Tobi started to feel awkward at the direction this conversation was going.
"You then made him promise to not get involved with ATs and to hide his gift, were you trying to keep him all to yourself brother dear." Pressing her head against the blushing boy she took his hand and pressed it against her chest. "I won't have it, I'm going to steal him you. We are already going on a date this Friday."
"Your antics aside Simca is this why have you followed him to contact me." Kilik pulled the conversation back on track.
"Not really she was pretty scared to see you." Simca pouted at him.
"Tobi-kun this is a young maidens battle you should not intervene this is for your own safety." Both males decided not to comment on how she was the real predator.
"I was hoping to propose something." Tobi latched onto that lifeline. "Since most of the problem is people wanting to fly and most see that obtaining the sky regalia is the only way. Can't you guys study me?"
"Are you suggesting we team up?" Kilik was the first to speak up.
"Tobi-kun, that's far too naive." Simca seconded her brother's opinion.
"Well maybe not officially, all the people I've seen from both your teams aren't bad people. So I think it's possible for you to work together and learn from me how I did Geppo. You're all much smarter and talented than me, even though I did tell Ikki I train him. I have no idea what I'm doing, Onigiri san said my training method would cripple people but that's really all I know how to train people. It made me doubt that I could ever be a good teacher." His knowledge in the teaching field was close to zero.
"I know this won't fix all the problems you have, but I think it will give you all a good reason to stop fighting for wanting to fly."
Pulling his hand away from Simca, Tobi bowed at both siblings
"Please I know this plan is not as elaborate as the ones you two would make and you two just met me recently but I want to avoid you two siblings having to fight so please could you consider this plan and spread the knowledge of Geppo."
Raising his head, he gazed at them with resolute eyes. "I am willing to put my life on the line for this will you work with me."
The two siblings stared at the intense stare before slowly regarding one another. Once they were on the same side but their paths drifted apart after one incident.
Kilik saw how the power of Sky Regalia drew people to it like moths to a flame and because of that people would crush others underfoot and commit heinous crimes to obtain it. His solution was to defend the regalia and prevent anyone from reaching it so no one would suffer if the wrong sort got their hands on it. So he attacked the original Sleeping Forest members who wanted to take the Sky Regalia and founded a new one to protect it.
Simca on the other hand saw the Sky Regalia as the key that would benefit everyone. Her perspective was that of a nurturing bird wanting to spread the means for others to reach the sky. She knew the path would be bloody and yet she pursued it anyway hoping for a better future for all. In that fateful battle for her old team, she joined the others to achieve the Sky Regalia.
However, despite their opposing ideals, both siblings agreed on one matter.
That everyone had the potential to fly.
Now here they were offered an option to work together once more for a shared ideal by a naive individual. Realistically the plan was dangerous for both of them and could prove fatal if it was discovered.
Despite all that the two siblings came to an agreement.
