A little in-between, before we dive into the next volume. I needed a break from Plot, if that makes sense. Care to tell me what you think?
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Little Wing It
Interlude
Kara Draken's Ordinary Day
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I
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"Good Morning!"
The moment I opened my eyes, the first thing that came to view was the cheerfully smiling face of my partner, Emilia Percival.
Her head blocked the light, creating an effect as if she was shining brightly, slightly blinding my newly awakened eyes.
If I ignore it, maybe it'll go away.
"Hey, get up, you've been sleeping long enough!"
Still no luck.
The pillow I feebly used to cover my face was abruptly taken away, leaving me with no means to defend myself from the onslaught of a slow morning. What time did I even sleep...?
Huh. Come to think of it, I don't remember going to bed. After we brought Emilia back, I found her in here, and we had a little bit of a talk.
And after that...
Well... I have no idea. No use to trying to figure it out right now. I started sitting up.
"Well, it's about time you got up! It's a lot of work getting you there, I don't want to carry you out too!"
Come again? Getting me here? Where? To bed?
What?
Against my better judgement, I asked my partner if she had any knowledge about the situation.
"... what happened last night?"
"Oh, uh..."
Emilia started fidgeting as soon as I asked, a crimson tint washing her face.
Wait, don't tell me...
"Remember when I was, um... hugging you? Well, you kinda passed out. And I had to place you on the bed."
"... and that's all that happened?"
"Um, that's right. Why?"
"Oh, thank the stars."
I let out a sigh of relief. Now, I don't even know what I was panicking for. There was no way the situation would have developed into something like that.
Although as soon as I said my thanks, Emilia's blush morphed into a displeased look.
"What do you mean by 'thank the stars'? Was there something you were worried I'd do?"
"I'm beginning to realize the ridiculousness of the idea just now."
"Well, good! Because just so you know, I couldn't eat your food this time because you're all out."
Her reaction further enforced the impossibility of such a situation occuring. Whew. Guess I dodged a bullet there.
Even if we just ended up sleeping on the same bed, who knows how the whole gang would have reacted? Better yet, who knows how Kraz would have reacted? I would have been thrown out of an airlock for sure.
That is, if he doesn't just shoot me on the spot.
While I was busy being glad, I then noticed something else Emilia said.
"Wait, this time? It was you who was emptying out my stock before?!"
"Um... H-hey, I know! I'll cook something up!"
Emilia hurriedly changed the topic and rushed towards the mini-kitchen I rarely use.
All this time, she was ravaging through my food supply, and I didn't even notice? I assumed she was bringing her own snacks, but I thought what she was munching on at times looked familiar!
My relief turned into exasperation, but I just sighed it out. I'm not going to get anywhere getting angry at her. In fact, I should have expected this and just kept a closer eye.
I was then brought out of my thoughts by a horrible crashing sound. I quickly got out of bed.
"Um, I can fix this?"
"Oi..."
I can't believe a headache was starting to form this early.
There was Emilia, with a bunch of cooking appliances scrambled on the ground. Good thing there wasn't any glass there, but it was still a mess.
"Don't worry! I'll uh... I'll handle this, just..."
"Hold on, before we get into that, can you even cook?"
"Hm? Of course I can. Have you forgotten who my roommate is?"
Oh, that's right, she was rooming with Kraz.
She mentioned before that she does all the chores, so I guess she knows how to cook, huh? Color me surprised.
Well, she can clean this up then. I'm sure she can do that much if she's in charge of room keeping. I guess I can also hang back and see what she can cook up.
Only there's a little problem.
"Alright, but I got no ingredients there."
"Oh, I can just grab some stuff from my room. I haven't been there in a while, but I'm sure I can find something!"
Wait, haven't been there in a while? Then she really did sleep here?
"You didn't go back last night?"
"Nope. Carrying you was really tiring, so I just slept on your couch!"
This girl. What am I gonna do with her? I can only imagine how much longer I have before I start losing hair.
But looking at her now, happily humming while cleaning up the mess she created with her clumsiness...
Well, I've seen her cry, really cry, up close, and I much prefer this. Oh whatever, I guess I can let it slide, despite the minor migraine she was causing me.
She is going to cook for me, after all.
She did say she handles all the cleaning and cooking, so I think eating whatever she concocts shouldn't hurt, or at least it wouldn't kill me instantly.
"So, what would you like? Salted fruit stew? Some chocolate fish fillet? I'm an expert on exotic cuisine, y'know?"
"...! H-hey, just a thought, does Kraz eat your cooking?"
"Hmmm, I think he did once, at dinner. But after that, he just gets back super late and goes straight to bed so I don't know."
I take it back, whatever she makes is gonna be absolutely lethal. Gotta hand it to Kraz, he's got good survival instincts.
"I-I think I'm in the mood for some coffee, actually! Why don't we just go the cafe for now?"
"You sure? It won't take long, I can just dash to my room and back real quickly."
"No, no, no, I insist. My treat, think of it as your welcome back gift!"
"Well, okay... I'll cook for you next time!"
For the sake of my health, please don't go to any trouble on my account.
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II
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Thankfully, it looks like I managed to escape certain death through taste bud murder by the skin of my teeth. After a bit of persuasion, Emilia agreed to just eat at the cafe, which brought great relief to my soul.
We ordered some food and drinks, and then got to eating in peace.
"Hey, you might wanna slow down..."
"Sorry."
I caught myself from eating too ravenously. I hadn't realized how hungry I was, what with how busy yesterday was. Through sheer exhaustion, I involuntarily skipped dinner and I was paying the price now.
That said, though, the food in here was top notch. And they serve great coffee too.
"Oh, by the way, I'm supposed to be keeping an eye on you, so..."
"Hmm? Don't worry about that. I'm not planning on leaving your side ever again!"
Emilia answered with a bright smile, perhaps too bright that I almost had to look away for a second.
Also, the way she worded her response was a bit... weird. For both of our sakes, I hope she was just messing with me.
That being said though, I do need to watch over her in case Shizuru tries anything funny. To this day, it's still a mystery why exactly he wants her. Only thing we know is that it's almost assuredly because of Mika.
Hmm. Now that I think about it, I haven't yet heard anything from Mika since we rescued Emilia. I know she's safe with her, but I can't help but be a little worried knowing that she's a target.
"Hey, Emilia, how's Mika?"
I appreciate your concern but fear not, I was simply laying dormant.
"Woah, was that you, Mika?"
Emilia blurted out in surprise, which told me that she heard Mika's telepathic response too.
Which was a bit strange, by the way. Whenever Mika needed to talk to us, she appears in person, or at least borrows Emilia's body.
Yes. It is a great strain for me to appear outside, so I figured this would be a suitable compromise.
"Ah. That's cool. I guess only Kara and I can hear you like this?"
That is correct. As my host, you are the easiest person for me to communicate with. Kara is a close second, with the link he and I share.
Ah, right. Reviving me in the relic site with her power created a link of sorts between us, which enabled a non-spiritually inclined person such as myself to see and hear her.
And that link proved to be incredibly helpful in helping us find Emilia within Rykros. Even now, I still couldn't shake the image of that horrible place off my mind.
"Hmm..."
"What's up?"
"I was just thinking... we've known Mika for a while now, but we don't actually know anything about her."
About me? What is there to know?
"That's just it! I don't know! What did you used to do? Did you have a job?"
A job, you say? People now are little changed from the people of my age. Much of the work we did remains the same even now. I do not know if you would call this a 'job' per se, but I was a student of psycho-engineering.
"What's psycho-engineering?"
Emilia asked immediately as soon as Mika finished speaking. I gotta say, I'm a bit curious as well about the subject.
Mika's always been with us since this whole mess started, but Emilia was right, we didn't know much about her.
Basically, I researched technologies dealing with people's hearts, consciousness, and spirits, in order to increase creativity. The heart's power is without limit, and free. We use it most when we create something.
Power of the heart, huh?
I'm not really following much of what Mika was saying, but I do understand how powerful such a thing would be if used right.
Maybe that's how she managed to get us to trust her so quickly. I don't think she manipulated us, rather, she managed to touch our hearts, or something like that. I'll be the first to admit that I'm no expert at such matters, though.
Yet the fruits of our research were used for other ends: brainwashing, and the transfer of consciousness to automated weapons.
That sounds more like the doing of the Ancient possessing Shizuru. And seeing as he's their ruler, I'd guess many of his people followed suit.
Which makes me think that kind-hearted Ancients like Mika are the exceptions rather than the norm. She did say that almost all of them were on board with Project Renaissance.
Many of the Ancients abandoned the realms of the mind for wholly materialistic lives. I do not fault them entirely, for there is such a thing as wellbeing which comes from the material. Yet true wealth can only come from the heart. True, and boundless.
"Boundless? Like, a whole lot?"
More than a while lot, yes. As much as the heart can imagine, which is everything.
"Huh. That does sound like a lot."
I'm pretty sure we can use better words than that to describe boundless, Emilia.
Yet, Mika answered her question with an air of great wisdom, even without physically appearing. I've never been one to pay much attention to lectures, but there's something about how Mika speaks that just makes me want to listen.
It's really amazing. She speaks with such warmth and affection that I didn't even think possible. I guess she really lives up to the title of our great ancestor.
The hearts of men are so full of life. They change, shift, create more and more within themselves. The ideas that spring from the heart find shape in words, and so spread to others. This exchange with words enables the heart to grow even more. It is this rich and fertile state that I love.
"Sounds almost religious."
Yes.
"Well, wow. I don't have anything like that. I mean, I just have this job. Don't get me wrong, I love this job now, especially with everyone around, but..."
Say no more, Emilia. If something I said echoes within you, then take it, and use it to make change in your own heart. It is not what you receive, but what you make. Think about your own faith, your own aspirations.
"My aspirations..."
Emilia wondered, Mika's words having made their mark on her. And to be honest, it made their mark on me as well.
I've been a mercenary for as long as I can remember, that I never really thought about what I wanted to do, too caught up in the struggle to survive in this harsh world.
But now I have a stable lifestyle, and good people around me. Maybe it's time I try to find something I can do on the side after all of this Ancients stuff boils over.
That is, if we live through it. But, as Mika said, maybe we just need to think about having faith.
There is no rush. You're still young. I am sure you can find something you love down the line.
"Heehee. Thanks, Mika. I guess I'm still a young 17 year old girl, huh?"
"... oh yeah, you were 16 when we met, right? Kinda hard to believe."
"And just what do you mean by that, Kara?"
"Nothing, nothing. It's just, you look younger than 17."
"Oh, is that so? Heehee, thanks!"
Whew, she bought it. Nice save, Kara.
But it's true that I regularly forget she's 17 now, just one year younger than me and the same age as Red. Teenagers are unpredictable, I should know, but she rarely gives off the feeling of a 17 year old person, you know?
Emilia's cheerful smile then suddenly changed into a pondering look, as if remembering something.
"But you know, I was an orphan. So I'm not entirely sure. It's hard to say how old you are when you don't know your own birthday!"
She laughed awkwardly after that, but a little bit of sadness sneaked past her cheerful exterior. I guess I should be glad that we met, if only because it paved the way to her gaining a family.
Heh. That's it, I've officially become full sap. I'd be appalled if I didn't think it wasn't such a bad thought.
Emilia...
"I mean, it might just be 17 on the books. Maybe I'm one or two years younger. I guess I'm just a special case."
"You don't say."
"Anyway, what does it even matter? What about you, Mika? How old are you?"
Me...? Well, how long ago was the time of the Ancients...?
Emilia suddenly turned the discussion to Mika. She answered with a bit of confusion in her voice, before hesitantly asking back.
My partner shook her head at that, and continued her investigation on Mika's age.
"That's not what I mean. I know you're really umpteen-thoudand years old, but how long did you, well, live?"
Well, before I became as I am now, I saw the season of my birth twenty seven times.
Twenty seven? That's...
"So you're twenty seven? That's a lot younger than I thought."
She took the words right out of my mouth.
But wait, no, a lot younger? I was going to say a little younger, but she, with a straight face, says that Mika looks a lot older than 27. Wow, I mean, wow.
To our surprise, Mika then appeared before us, a strange look on her face.
"Younger? Do I seem old to your eyes?"
"Ack, er, no! That's not what I meant! It's just, you're always so calm and collected... and, and you talk so smooth!"
"I see. So, if I spoke more like you, that would make me seventeen?"
Mika asked with a hopeful and happy expression. I'm not sure how the talk of hearts and aspirations came to this, but here we are. I don't know how Emilia's gonna get us out of this one.
She tried by going along for now, which might not have been the best of decisions, but I can't seriously fault her for it too much.
"No, it doesn't work that way. Though you might seem a little younger."
"Then I'll give it a try! Ahem!"
Mika cleared her throat as she gathered herself, looking as cheerful as I've ever seen her. Meanwhile, a dark, foreboding feeling was welling up from the pits of my gut.
Which was strange, since this usually happens because of Emilia, and sometimes Red, Yut, or all of them.
And then it all became clear, for better or for worse, don't ask me.
"Yo! Morning, Emilia! I'm, uh, Mika! Let's do it! Rah rah!"
"..."
"..."
"... well? How was it?"
I have to admit, her image of how Emilia speaks is rather amusing.
That said though, amusing as it may be, it wasn't really working. As much of a chance this whole silly idea would have worked anyway.
Emilia glanced to me with a look of pleading, completely lost for words. Wait, why me?!
"Uh... you look just like Emilia?"
The person in question immediately turned to me with an affronted look, but quickly returned her attention to Mika, awkwardly smiling.
Well... I can't say I didn't try.
"I admit it's flattering to hear you say that, but your reactions give it away, I'm afraid. It's all right. I know there is little I can do at my considerably advanced age."
And with that, Mika was gone, a miserable expression painted on her face as her physical manifestation disappeared.
Great, now I feel bad, and right after she gave us one of the most inspiring lectures I'd ever listened to too.
"Hey, w-wait! Mika! Mika? Come back!"
Emilia called out, but there was absolutely no response from the missing Mika. Today, I not only learned that she had a fun side to her, with her interpretation of Emilia, but she also seemed to be sensitive about her age.
Getting no answer, Emilia rounded on me with a displeased face.
"Look, when a woman asks you if she looks young, you're supposed to lie. Get it? Now you've hurt her feelings!"
Lie? Is that so?
"Urk! I th-thought you were gone! Y-you couldn't hear me, right?"
I knew it. I look old.
So it turned out Mika was still listening to us. Nice job breaking it, Emilia. Who hurt her feelings now, huh?
"No, wait! That's not true at all! Mika! Mika!!!"
"Uh oh. She's gone now for sure. I wonder if that was a thing with her when she was alive. People calling her old and stuff?"
"Stop that! No more age talk, okay?!"
Hey, you were the one who started it.
As Emilia looked about to cry as she repeatedly called out for Mika, I just resumed sipping on my coffee. People were starting to give her strange looks, but they're not saying anything so I'm sure it was fine.
Probably.
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III
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I stepped out of the way of a fast spear thrust, the force of the attack sending a small gust of wind that ruffled my clothes.
I then leapt out of range of a follow-up swipe, completely evading the assault of my opponent.
Tightening my grip on both sabers, I dashed forward and unleashed an upward slash with the right saber, which was blocked by a quick spin of the spear.
I pivoted, and thrust with the left saber. In a normal situation, I would have at least grazed the one who I was attacking, but with my left arm still rusty from being in a cast for so long, I was too slow and my attack was easily evaded.
My opponent pushed off to gain some breathing room, an adrenaline-filled grin plastered on his sweat-drenched face.
"Good dodge, Yut. Looks like I still need some more time to get my arm back in order."
"Thanks! Okay, let's continue!"
I quickly nodded before leaping back to avoid Yut's charge. Having created enough space, I parried his still ongoing attack with my right saber, brining him off balance.
Yut swiftly regained his footing by pushing off the ground for a leaping fadeaway slash, which I countered by crossing my sabers to block.
Even falling, Yut managed to overpower me, owing to his great physical prowess and my own left arm still struggling to exert much force. I slid back a couple of inches and Yut took the chance, thrusting forward with great speed.
Thankfully, he aimed high, and I was able to dodge by ducking, opening me up for a cross slash to his midsection. All it did was zap him a little, with our weapons set to the lowest level of stun, but it was still a point for me.
Yut grunted in pain in response to the hit but, perhaps unsurprisingly, he toughed it out, spinning his spear into position for a point-blank thrust.
With no time to dodge, I hastily dismissed my sabers and summoned a new shield, blocking his attack. That didn't stop the power behind the thrust from pushing me away a fair distance, though. I slid for a few seconds before I skidded to a stop, my arms aching and my chest burning.
"Whew... let's take a break, Yut."
"Aww. Well, okay. We'll rest for a while!"
To my slight surprise, Yut agreed with the call for a break, dismissing his spear while wiping his sweaty forehead.
I, in turn, dismissed my shield, which I bought a few days ago but never really got the chance to use because of my injured arm. It was a pretty fancy model, but it was also much tougher than my last one. Not to mention much more expensive, but with an enemy like Shizuru, I couldn't afford to be cheap with my equipment.
That also means I can't skimp out on training, hence why I was sparring with Yut. I really need to get my arm back to full capacity as soon as I can. This time off won't last long.
"That was intense! You guys really aren't messing around."
As Yut and I caught our breath, someone, namely my partner, suddenly spoke up, reminding us of her presence.
I would like to remind her that she should be training too, but I think I can let her off today. Just today. After that, we're back to our regular training schedule.
"Emilia! Would you like to spar with me?"
"Err, no thanks, I'm not really good with sparring."
"That's too bad... Oh! Can you teach me technics instead, then?"
"Techs? Did you get a tech weapon somewhere?"
Oh right, Yut did get that wand from Maya. So far, all I've seen him cast was Resta, but I'm sure with a little guidance, he can turn out to be a serviceable tech user.
That is, if Emilia actually can teach technics. If it's anything like her cooking... know what, maybe it's best if we just have Lumia teach him the next time she's around. She can definitely turn him into a good caster, especially with his Newman traits.
Which was a fact that I regularly forget, owing to his class type and battle style being completely opposite of what Newmans typically are.
"Hey, Yut, you're a Newman, right?"
"I'm both Newman and Beast."
Well, that's something I knew before but still had a hard time believing. I figured he was just a particularly energetic Newman, but that physical ability had to come from somewhere after all.
Well, its good for her to know, I guess. I was mildly surprised when I learned about it but Emilia reacted with mostly confusion to Yut's reveal.
"Huh? You mean, like, you're of mixed race?"
"My dad was a Beast, and my mom was a Newman. Though people say I'm a lot more like my mom."
"Oh, I see. I thought you were a little hale and hearty for a Newman!"
It's true. At first glance, Yut looked like your average Newman, albeit with strange clothing. And his more beastial traits, like his fang or his slightly slitted pupils, could just be attributed to his Kasch heritage.
But once you see him in action, you wouldn't think he's a Newman at all. So if he took after his mom when it comes to appearance, pointy ears and all, I'd guess he took more after his dad when it comes to the fighting side of things.
"Hmm. I have a hard time imagining what your parents are like... It'd be nice to meet them someday!"
"Err, that might be difficult..."
Yut reacted with a bit of sadness to Emilia's statement.
Could it be...?
"What? You don't get along?"
"No, just, they're both gone."
"Gone...?"
"When evil fell from the sky, they fought it. They died protecting me and my brother."
Evil from the sky... The Seed.
So he's one of the children those cursed things orphaned. I had hoped that wasn't the case, but I guess we don't always get what we want, huh? And then he lost his brother as well. This kid's had it rough.
Still, he's an orphan too, huh? Just like Emilia. And come to think of it, maybe me as well. I have no memory of my parents, absolutely none. In fact, I can't even remember most of my childhood. What kind of life was I living then?
"I'm sorry, Yut... I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories."
"It's okay. I have my people now. All the Kasch are like my family!"
Yut declared with a proud voice, seemingly coping well with the loss of his blood family. He's a tough kid, in more ways than one.
"But they're not actually your family, are they? You're not all blood related, right?"
"No, not blood, but family all the same. The whole tribe raises its children and protects it's elders. They all protected me as much as my own father and mother. That's why I'm gonna be a great warrior! I'll protect them like they protected me!"
"Huh. Nice to have a purpose like that. A connection to people."
So his devotion to getting stronger wasn't just stemming from his mission to take back the Codex, after all. He's got something he's willing to fight for till the very end.
Family. It's getting really ridiculous how much I've said that word since joining this merry band of misfits. But there's nothing else more fitting.
"You're my family now, too, Emilia."
"Huh? Me?"
"Yeah! Kara, Red, Kraz, all of the Little Wings are! I'll protect you too!"
"Heehee. I'll hold you to that, Yut."
As Yut proudly declared his intent to protect us all, the training room's doors opened suddenly, revealing a certain redheaded midget walking in.
"Did someone say my name?"
"I did. I'll protect you, Red!"
"... o-kay, you do you, pal."
Red seemed a little wierded out but she nonetheless continued casually strolling towards us, hands in her jacket's pockets, a lazy look in her eyes, the usual.
In a surprising show of character development, Emilia's face didn't immediately turn into a laser focused glare. Instead, she was the one to greet the self-proclaimed Crimson Hunter.
"Hey, it's Red. What's up?"
"... bolthead? That you?"
"Haha, here you go again with your jokes. How are you? We haven't talked much since I got back, have we?"
Red blinked a few times before she gingerly scooted over behind me, an unnerved expression adorning her face.
"What's wrong with her? She's being friendly towards me... I-I'm scared."
I can't tell if she's joking around or that she's genuinely spooked out but Emilia remained oblivious to her troubles, still cheerfully smiling her way.
Now this makes me think that Emilia's the one messing with her. Talk about a turn of events.
In any case, I still have no idea what she was doing here in the first place, so I should ask, if only to satisfy my curiosity.
"Quit it with the nonsense. What brings you here?"
"What, can't I hang out with my team?"
"... I suppose that's fair."
"Also, I heard some noises over here and hey, good day for a bit of a workout, with this little vacation we have and all."
"It's not a vacation, it's... nevermind. If you wanted to train, you should have just said so from the start."
In response, Red just shrugged her shoulders while grinning, like she always does. Great, now I get the feeling that she's messing with me.
That aside though, training with us wasn't actually a bad idea on her part. I doubt she'd bother mingling with any other Little Wingers besides us.
Heh. Beneath all that mischievous lies a socially awkward and lonely girl.
"You wish to train? Great! Let's spar!"
"You're on, jungle boy. Hey, I know, why don't I take on both you and coffee lover over here at the same time?"
You arrogant little shit.
And the worst part is, I know she absolutely can take us two-on-one. Yut has great instincts but Red's just that good. And my own dull arm isn't going to help matters any.
It's still gonna be a good sparring session though, which was the point. Doesn't make it any less irritating though.
"Wait, before you get into that. I don't mean to be rude, but you're pretty grimy, Yut. You do bathe, don't you?"
"Huh? What do you mean, 'bathe'?"
Wait. He doesn't know what bathe means?
Yut's reaction towards Emilia's rude question, a confused tilt of the head, all but confirms that he does indeed not know what bathe means.
Oi. Now that I look closer, he does look very unclean. There were even dirt spots in his body that I've seen yesterday! Doesn't his room have a bathroom?
I'm sure Kraz gave him one too, a smaller and less fancy one, I would guess. But only now do I wonder what that room would look like now. If his personal hygiene is any indication, it can't be any good.
Ugh... And to think I was tussling with him just a few minutes ago.
Emilia's eyes widened, looking personally attacked by Yut's unsanitary state.
"Bathe! It's, well, it's washing yourself. With water, you know?"
Yut's face brightened in recognition. Ah, maybe he does know how to clean himself. I'd wager that without any rivers or ponds like in the wilderness where he lived, he didn't really know where to wash.
That brings to light the question of where he does his... business, but I would rather leave that unanswered for now.
"I would like to wash with water! Can you do that around here? How? We could wash together, Emilia!"
"To-together?! Not likely!"
"Why not? Washing with water feels great!"
"Yeah, join him, Boltie! It'll be fun!
"You shut up, why don't you join him, huh?!"
"Good idea! Let's wash together, Red! We can bring Kara too!"
"...?! N-not likely!"
"Don't drag me into this."
I don't know how this conversation devolved into this, but I don't want any part of it.
Emilia sighed in exasperation, choosing to drop the topic for now. For once, I agree with her decision.
"You know what, nevermind. You can clean yourself once you're done here."
"Aren't you going to tell me where I can wash? I can show you how we Kasch wash!"
"Gah! I already said no!"
But Yut still looked eager to continue this particular subject. Maybe I should get out of here while I can.
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IV
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In the end, Red still beat us pretty handily. It would have been fine if she wasn't so smug about it but alas, that wasn't how things played out.
Yut took it pretty well though. I think it motivated him even more, actually, to have a level of skill to strive for, a wall to overcome. But if that was the case, then I have no idea why he still insists on having me train him. Could be because of the touching-death incident or whatever but it's too late to talk him out of it now.
With our training over for the day, or so Emilia decided, at least, she sent us to go shower or at least clean up. I have a feeling she mostly meant Yut, though.
Once that was over with, she asked us to come with her. Or perhaps it was more accurate to say that she dragged us with her. I had no problem with it, and so did the others since we were supposed to be keeping watch over her anyway.
The problem lies in where she wanted to go.
"Hey, do you think this pin looks good on me? Ooh, what about..."
Yeah, shopping.
The moment Yut found out where our destination was, he vanished faster than I've ever seen him before. Heh. I guess Emilia took him shopping once before and he's learned from the experience.
Thing is, I have no complaints about him running off, except that Emilia tightened her watch on Red and I once he slipped away, so yeah, screw you too, you traitor.
"Well, she's certainly enjoying herself."
"No kidding. Too bad I can't say the same for us."
Red only shrugged, not really concerned that we're just standing around here waiting. And if Emilia's shopping spree back when we got our bonuses was to be any indication, we're gonna be here for a long time.
Funnily enough though, she didn't look particularly bored or anything. In fact, she actually approached Emilia and sorted through the displays herself.
Wait, so I'm actually the only one here who's gonna suffer?
"Why don't you try these on?"
"Red? Huh, I didn't think you'd actually pick something that wouldn't make me a laughingstock."
"Trust me, you don't need my help for that. C'mon, try it."
"Well, okay..."
Red urged Emilia on as she handed her what looked to be a scarlet butterfly shaped hair clip. She put it on her hair by her ear, and she smiled excitedly as she looked over at the mirror.
"Huh! You're right! It does look good!"
"What'd I tell ya? Look, here's some others that I found."
"Oohh, gimme, gimme!"
They're actually getting along like a pair of normal people! I-I never thought I'd see the day!
That aside though, I'm no expert at fashion whatsoever, but the accessory did look good on Emilia. The color of the butterfly complemented her hair color very well, but it was subtle enough that it wasn't overly flashy.
Strange. I never took Red for someone who'd be interested in fashion, but you learn something new everyday, it seems. Still, it really caught me off guard.
"Ah, right, Red's a girl too, after all..."
"I heard that! If you have something to say to me, why don't you come over here and say it to my face?!"
Oops, my thoughts must have slipped out. So sorry.
Truth be told, I didn't actually forget she was a girl, but she's far from what I would consider to be a woman. If you ask me, a woman is someone more along the likes of...
"Mademoiselle Red reminds me a little of Madame Boss, no?"
Speak of the devil.
"Chelsea? On break?"
"Oui, oui! I happen to have spotted you from the atrium, so ooh la la! I must see what you're up to!"
Well, okay then.
It's a bit of a surprise, though. Chelsea rarely takes breaks. I once asked her about it and she told me that she only requires a daily 40-minute maintenance and she's good to go. Perks of being a CAST, I guess.
But even with CASTs, that's a little bit extreme. Emilia also told me that besides her receptionist and accountant duties, she also works at the Resort Area's bar at night, which was just plain ridiculous.
Chelsea's unreal work ethic aside, she just said something that caught my interest.
"Red, of all people, reminds you of Ursula? I'm not seeing it."
"You have met Madame Boss, oui?"
"Yeah. Pretty intense, I would say."
"Ah, not so scary, I think! Watch out for the sucker punch, if you are le sucker."
I will keep that in mind, thank you very much.
Still, now that we were talking about Ursula, I couldn't help but be a little curious. All I know is that she's Clad 6's captain, and that she's apparently pretty famous around here.
She also seemed to have some history with Kraz, but I'm not about to dive down that hole. But she seemed to be pretty close with Chelsea as well, so I asked her to tell me some things.
Couldn't hurt, it didn't look like Red and Emilia were anywhere near done, anyway.
"You wish to know about Madame Boss? She is a very accomplished business lady, you know! She was on the front cover of the Gurhal Times just the other month. They always come to her for the interviews."
Gurhal Times, huh? I'm not one to read magazines, but I know at least that making it to the front's kinda a big deal.
So, she's a business lady. Maybe I've caught her making some calls a few times but she does look like the busy type. Makes you wonder what she's even doing here in Little Wing. Not that I don't appreciate the help, but it's a bit weird.
"I see. So where does that tie in to Little Wing, then?"
"I believe she began as secretary to the CEO of Skyclad! She helped expand the business."
"Huh, that sounds important."
"Very important, I think! This space resort? Her idea! Then they made her captain of Clad 6! Apres that, she starts Little Wing, and the rest you know, oui?"
Well, that's me impressed. Turns out she was actually the brains behind everything in this colony. I guess that explains why she's working with us.
"She's also quite famous as a designer of fashion, no less! Magnifique! She started the Skyclad fashion division too, you know? Tres impressive!"
In Ursula's own words, I'll take your tres and raise you a totally.
So, in addition to business lady and captain, she's also a fashion designer. I guess that was why Chelsea said Red reminded her of Ursula.
Make no mistake, Red's no fashionista, but Chelsea may have meant that she had an eye for it. Perhaps if properly groomed, she can turn out to be as successful as our 'Madame Boss'.
Of course, that only applies to the fashion part. I can safely say that Red has no chance in the business lady department. No, sir, nil, nada.
"Well, I've learned a lot today. Ursula's pretty up there, huh?"
"She is truly a woman who can do anything! Well... except find a good man, but you did not hear that from moi."
Wait, what was that?
I think I just stumbled upon something very interesting.
"I beg your pardon?"
"Really, you didn't hear it. Not even a little bit! Please don't tell her!"
"Okay, I won't...?"
Judging by Chelsea's suddenly pale face, I'm guessing that that's all I'm getting out of her about this topic. Such a shame, I'm actually a little intrigued.
As Chelsea sighed out of relief, Red and Emilia approached us, carrying a scary amount of paper bags.
"We're back! Hm? Chelsea? What a surprise!"
"Ah, madamoiselle Emilia! Moi was on break but I must be getting back now. Au revoir!"
"Okay, bye? That's weird."
Chelsea was off immediately, leaving a very confused Emilia behind.
After a few seconds, Emilia turned her attention back to me.
"Okay, Kara, here you go!"
"Wait, what do you mean 'here you go'?"
"Well, duh! You're carrying these for us!"
"That's right, bandit, with jungle boy having escaped, you're our pack-mule today!"
What pack-mule? Is this why Yut bolted? That traitor!
Thankfully, Emilia stopped shoving the bags on me halfway upon hearing Red's words.
"Bandit? Did Kara steal something?"
"I didn't."
"Oh, yes, he did. He stole... my heart..."
"Huh?! Wh-wh-wha...?!"
"Don't listen to her lies!"
Red faked a blush to great effect, instantly causing the already gullible Emilia to believe her, going red-faced so much that her luminescent blush almost seemed to glow.
After a moment of emotionally closing her eyes and holding her hand to her non-existent chest, the midget started laughing at Emilia's actually pretty funny reaction.
"Ahahaha! I should have caught your face on camera!"
"Ugh... I should have known..."
Emilia deflated comically after that revelation, dumping the rest of her stuff on my arms. Damn it, now I almost regret taking off that cast.
As the embarrassed Emilia walked away with a huff, Red then moved to give me her bags as well. I didn't even know she bought stuff too!
It wasn't as much as Emilia's but her stash was still pretty heavy!
"Give me a break, how much did you buy?!"
"Ah, stop whining. Wasn't bolthead's face earlier payment enough?"
"Sigh. You don't get tired of joking around, do you?"
"Hmm? You think I was joking?"
"Stop it. You're not fooling me."
"Heehee. I wonder?"
To my great surprise, Red flashed a sweet and bright smile, catching me off guard so much that my heart almost skipped a beat.
Almost. But I didn't let it. I refuse to feel the tiniest bit charmed by this insufferable prankster!
"Whatever. Hurry up, Emilia's leaving us behind."
ooo000ooo
V
ooo000ooo
"Mika? Remember what you were saying about keys before? How if all of them were brought together, everything would change? What's that all about?"
Emilia asked as she sat down on my bed, having remembered something from quite a while ago.
After the shopping spree, Red collected her stuff and took off, presumably to take the things she bought back to her room. That left me with just Emilia, since Yut was still nowhere to be found.
Emilia then decided to just go back with me to my room without even asking me permission, but when did that ever stop her? She had me place her stash on my table, which I'm sure she'll just leave there but at this point, I'm mostly just glad to relieve my arms of the weight.
After a few seconds of waiting, Mika reappeared. Looks like she got over what went down earlier, seeing as she's sporting the patient and caring smile she always has.
"Subspaces are phantom worlds, illusions. And their number is uncountable. Of their infinite number, only one contains the sleeping consciousness of the Ancients: Maghara."
As Mika said, there are an infinite amount of subspaces, and that there's basically no chance that the subspace project accidentally stumbles into the sleeping Ancients.
Of course, that's not taking into account the keys that she mentioned before and was now being brought up by Emilia.
"In order to connect that subspace with our real space, it is necessary to align the two using data from each to bridge the gap."
"Oh, I see! That information is contained in the Codices!"
"That is correct."
That's what the Ancient possessing Shizuru is after. The Codices. To our knowledge, he already has one of them, which was the Codex that contained the AI that the Kasch called their Land-Mother. It was the reason why Yut's so determined to beat the man in black.
"As I have said before, the Codices are a high-density storage medium. They can easily hold subspace data. The data recorded on the Codices opens the way to Maghara."
"So that's why Shizuru collects them?"
"Yes. And yet, not all the keys have been found, or the way would already be open."
"But if he does get them all... Yipes."
I'm not sure if 'Yipes' is the proper way to describe that. We're only just losing our bodies to a race that's supposed to be long gone, no biggie.
Of course, we'll do our best to prevent that from happening. I'm no hero, but Mika asked me to help, so what else can I do? She did bring me back from the dead, after all, so if nothing else, I'm just paying off a debt.
And also, I kinda don't want to lose my body.
"Well, we'll just have to make sure he doesn't."
"... you're right! Don't worry about a thing, Mika!"
"Heehee. Thank you, you two."
I feel like we've had this conversation before, but it doesn't hurt to reaffirm what we needed to do. I'd say it's a bit of a motivational thing to do by now.
Still, it's going to be an uphill battle to stop the man in black. Last time we fought, well, it didn't go so well. And now with the investigation on Inhelt coming up, it's inevitable that sooner or later, we're going to encounter him again.
I'd like to believe that in the time since our last meeting, we've improved substantially. But I still can't get the feeling that we can best him. Maybe I'm just a natural pessimist, but whatever I do, I just can't picture the four of us beating him.
I can only be glad that the Guardians and the AMF, along with Little Wing, are helping us. With them on our side, we might just have a chance. Strength in numbers, as some would say.
"Hey, Mika, I was wondering. When you're not out here, where are you?"
Emilia asked, a complete tone shift from the previous conversation. I can't begrudge her for it, as I infinitely prefer just talking about mundane things instead of the potential end of life as we know it.
I know it's important that we keep it in mind and that we plan accordingly, but we should also pay attention to our mental state. In the end, Emilia, Red, Yut, and I were still, in the grand scheme of things, basically children despite us being mercenaries. It'll do us no good stressing over Project Renaissance all day everyday.
So while we wait for the go-ahead on the investigation, we should use this down time to kick back and enjoy the relative peacefulness while it lasts.
Speaking of mundane things though, I am quite a bit curious about the topic as well.
"Since you accepted me, Emilia, I share your five senses. I can see what you see, hear what you hear, and so on."
"So you know everything I'm doing...?"
Hmm, that does raise some interesting questions. So when Emilia eats, Mika gets a taste as well? I know that she doesn't technically need sustenance, but it'd be pretty horrible to not be able to taste good food forever.
"No, no. As I've said earlier, it is a great strain to appear like this. You might think of me as 'sleeping' when I am not actually talking to you."
Sleeping? So she can pick when she shares Emilia's senses? That's... well, I don't know how to describe it.
So if Mika wishes it, she can only get a taste of the delicious things Emilia eats and not the bad ones?
I internally let out a small chuckle at the thoughts I'm having. Hey, I did say to enjoy the mundane things.
"Oooh, sleeping, gotcha."
"I hope I am not intruding upon your privacy? Just say the word, and I shall go back inside."
"No, no you're not, don't worry. I was just thinking, it'd be weird if you know everything"
If Kraz's words were to be believed, then before we met, Emilia spent most of the day in bed doing absolutely nothing. If that was the case, if Mika didn't have the ability to 'sleep', then I'd feel sorry for her.
Staring at the ceiling all day will get incredibly dull really quickly, after all.
"Though I guess if you're really sleeping in there, then that's not a problem."
"Not to worry, my child. Even if I saw something I was not supposed to, I would keep it to myself."
I wonder just what it is Mika isn't supposed to see. Come to think of it, I have no idea what Emilia gets up to when I'm not with her.
Just then, as Mika spoke, a mischievous look suddenly appeared on her face. It was subtle, but it was there.
"And I promise never to tell anyone what you write in your diary."
"Mika! You're not exactly putting me at ease here!"
"Hee hee! I know, I know. Sorry, I'll be leaving now!"
And with that, Mika disappeared, leaving me alone with a slightly flustered Emilia. Huh, I guess Mika really does have a fun side to her.
So this is her way of getting back at Emilia for starting that age talk earlier? Which was weird, since I was part of that conversation, but I guess she just wanted to ruffle Emilia a little bit.
It's a shame that Red can't see or hear her. I have this feeling that they'll get along, in a strange way.
"So, you keep a diary, huh?"
"F-forget about that part!"
No can do, Ms. Percival. As your punishment for trying to ditch us, I'm entitled to make your life harder in the pettiest of ways.
After a while, things quieted down, and Emilia giggled happily as a bright smile appeared on her face.
"You know, I never knew the feeling of having a mom. But Mika's just like one, wouldn't you say?"
"A mom, huh? Well, I guess you're not far off. Not that I'd know, but..."
"I know just what you mean!"
It's strange, really. Mika once said that she was the base from which humanity was modeled after. It's a very, very, long line, but we're all connected to her.
But even discounting that, I still just feel so at ease with Mika. It's really difficult to explain, but if this is what having a mother is like, then I can only be glad for it.
As we spoke, Emilia suddenly yawned, the day having taken its toll on her. It wasn't as hectic as the previous days, but with the training, shopping, and everything in between, it was still a pretty exhausting day.
Much to my surprise though, Emilia didn't bother getting off my bed, lying down like she owned the place and getting herself comfortable.
"Well... I'm tired... I'll see you tomorrow, Kara..."
"What the- hey! That's my bed! Sleep in your own room!"
"Nighty night..."
Without even registering my complaints, Emilia fell into a deep slumber, snoring peacefully with a satisfied smile.
I can't believe this. Not only did she stuff her things in here, she stole my bed as well. Well, character development or not, I guess some things never change, huh?
In fact this reminds me of my first day here in Little Wing. She stole this very same bed then too.
Heh. Why am I reminiscing about having my place to sleep plundered? This mismatched dysfunctional family has made me weird beyond belief.
Oh well, I guess it's the couch for me tonight.