STRIKE WITCHES: HEROS' RETURN: LYNETTE'S STORY

Chapter Three

Lynne's parents stood before them, tall and proud. "Who are you?" Drake asked.

"I am Sir William Bishop, and this is my wife, Minnie. We come to offer what we can to your endeavor through funding," Lynne's father said. Drake looked genuinely surprised.

"Bishop? As in the parents of Lynette Bishop?"

"The very same," Sir William said, then noticing his daughter. "Hello Lynette. I hope you have been doing well."

"Yes sir, I have," Lynne said quietly. Yoshika looked at her with concern. She seemed scared.

"Would you care to explain what kind of help you are offering, exactly?" Drake asked, drawing attention away from the unsettled witch.

"We would like to donate thirty-thousand pounds to the 501st, at least to start," Sir William replied. Drake's eyes widened.

"That's mighty generous of you. We could make good use of such money. However, I sense that is not the only reason you are here," he said. Lynne's father chuckled.

"You certainly live up to your reputation, Marshal. Your perception is remarkable. Yes, I do have other business here. However that is not for your ears, I'm afraid. My apologies." Drake's eyes narrowed.

"Very well, Sir William. Bear in mind however that your actions while on this base will be monitored day and night. I do not accuse you of any malicious intents, nor do I suspect you of such intents. However if you prove me wrong, I will have to ask you to leave," Drake warned. Sir William nodded. "So noted. You have nothing to fear Marshal."

"Good. Wait outside, someone will be with you shortly. I have pressing matters still to attend to with your daughter and Sergeant Miyafuji here, and they must be done in private. We will meet again soon," Drake said, dismissing Lynne's parents.

"Did you know they were coming?" Drake asked, after the door closed. Lynne shook her head, clearly disturbed. Yoshika held her close to comfort her.

"You needn't be too concerned Lynne, there are strict protocols for what civilians can do at a military base. Even ones as rich and powerful as your parents. I'll make sure they don't cause much of a disturbance," Drake said. Lynne nodded, still too shaken up to speak. After about five minutes of trying to get back to the texts, Drake realized it was not worth it. Lynne was too distressed and Yoshika was paying all her attention to Lynne.

"Go take a walk outside or something. You need to relax Lynne," Drake said gently. Lynne nodded and stood to leave.

"I'll be right with you," Yoshika told her, kissing her on the cheek. When Lynne left, Yoshika turned to Drake. "What was that all about?" she asked.

"Lynne's reaction? I have no idea. I can read minds, but not memories. Lynne was very afraid about something when her parents walked in. Particularly with her father. What it was I couldn't tell, her thoughts were too scattered. As for Mr. Bishop, he must know I can read minds. He kept his thoughts well under control, and wouldn't think about what he was hiding. I don't suspect him of doing anything malicious here, but I do think there is some friction between him and Lynne. Keep an eye on her, will you?" Drake said.

"Will do. I will protect her," Yoshika replied fiercely. Drake laughed.

"That's good. Lynne's lucky to have you. Now go, she's waiting for you."


Yoshika joined Lynne outside, and together they took a walk around the gardens, where they would be alone. Lynne was withdrawn, scared even.

"What's wrong Lynne?" Yoshika asked gently.

"I-I'm fine. It's nothing," Lynne said, failing at hiding her lie.

"You can tell me anything, I would never be mad at you," Yoshika said, stopping Lynne by standing in front of her. They locked eyes, Lynne's blue to Yoshika's brown. The blue eyes began to tear up. Suddenly, Lynne burst out crying, collapsing in Yoshika's arms. They sank slowly to the ground, and Yoshika held Lynne in her arms, rocking her gently. She cried for several minutes, until the tears would not come. Sniffling, she looked up at her partner. Love and concern burned in Yoshika's eyes, but so did strength.

"I'm... I'm afraid. I'm afraid of what my father will think when he discovers that we're together," Lynne said, choking back more sobs.

"What do you mean?"

"He... he wants me to marry a man. Someone from my class," Lynne replied. Yoshika tilted her head in confusion. "Class?"

"My family comes from a long line of Britannian nobles. My father has a lot of prestige and reputation, and would rather see me with a high-class lawyer or doctor than someone like you."

"Someone like me?" Yoshika repeated, furrowing her brow.

"Don't take that the wrong way! I love you, no matter what your social status is. That doesn't matter to me. But it does matter to my father. He would never give us his blessing," Lynne said, falling once more into tears. Yoshika held her tight.

"It'll be okay Lynne, don't you worry. I'll protect you, and no one will be able to separate us," she said. There they fell asleep together among the flowers and under the night sky.


The next morning found Yoshika and Lynne fast asleep, until the morning horn blared. Having no walls to protect their ears, it was particularly jarring that morning. The two stayed together in each other's arms for several more moments, enjoying the sweet peace together, until they knew it was time to get moving. They rushed through the halls, only to bump into Lynne's parents.

"Good morning Lynette. Did you sleep well?" her father asked.

"Yes sir, I did," Lynne said shyly. Her father then turned to Yoshika. "And who's this?"

"I am Yoshika Miyafuji, Lynne's best friend," Yoshika said, offering her hand. Sir William shook it.

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Miyafuji. We've heard a lot about you from Lynette. All good, I assure you," Sir William said.

"Is it true your father was Dr. Miyafuji, who invented the striker units you witches use?" Minnie asked. Yoshika nodded.

"So you come from a family of scientists?" Sir William asked.

"Doctors. My mama and grandma run a clinic. I plan to take over the clinic when I graduate and the war is over," Yoshika replied.

"Impressive. You must have quite the education then."

"Uh... sort of," Yoshika said. Suddenly they heard someone clear their throat behind them. It was Drake.

"I understand if you want to become acquainted with your daughter's friend, however they have a tight schedule to run, and they cannot be distracted. I thought I made that clear last night," Drake said pointedly.

"It's okay Marshal, we were just about done here," Sir William said. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Yoshika," he said. Then he and his wife walked away.

"Thank you," Lynne said to Drake.

"No problem. Now as I said, you have a tight schedule to run, and you're already running late. Chop chop!"


Their morning drill was a mock battle, with Yoshika, Emily, Perrine, and Lynne against four recruits: Ashley, Katie, Margaret, and Susie. All four of them were fresh recruits.

"Take it easy on them, but don't be too soft. Build their confidence, but also remind them to take this seriously," Drake told Perrine and her group.

"Yes sir!" they said. Taking off, the eight of them climbed to five thousand feet before beginning. Their earpieces came to life.

"Alright, first off we'll have Perrine's group on the defensive, and Ashley's on offense. Begin!"

"This is the Thatch Weave, ladies," Perrine said. She paired up with Lynne, while Emily paired up with Yoshika. The two pairs then veered towards each other, as if they were going to crash. But they did not, passing by each other harmlessly.

The eight of them continued their mock battle, each flight switching roles between offense and defense. The recruits gave it their all, but in the end, Perrine's group was victorious.


"Yay! We won!" Yoshika said, hugging and kissing Lynne in midair.

"Congratulations girls, you won by-" Drake said. Suddenly he was cut off, and voices could be heard in the background. After a few minutes, they heard Drake's voice again.

"Lynette, Yoshika, return to base now," he said, his voice neutral. Yoshika and Lynne looked at each other in confusion, but did as they were told. They returned to the hangar and dismounted their strikers, to find Drake, Sakamoto, Minna, and Lynne's parents engaged in an argument.

"You cannot just whisk her away without proper reason!" Drake was saying.

"And you cannot tell me what I can or cannot do for my daughter!" Sir William yelled back.

"Saying that you disapprove of Lynne's relationship with Yoshika is not proper reason. She stays with the Strike Witches," Minna said, just as angry as Drake.

"Lynette is going to marry a man, a wealthy noble. Not some naive and crude country girl!" Sir William said. Yoshika bristled at that last comment. Emily was behind them, she burst her way through and stormed in front of Sir William, getting in his face. "You will not talk about my friend like that! Yoshika is a much better choice for Lynne than any stuck up and prissy little bastard you found!" she shouted.

"Emily, stand down," Drake said, though his expression told that he agreed wholeheartedly.

"This conversation isn't for little girls, missy. This does not concern you," Sir William said cooly. Before Emily could retort, Drake pulled her back protectively.

"What's going on here!?" Yoshika asked. Lynne was afraid she already knew the answer.

"What's going on here, you ask? You should know, being the cause of all this!" Sir William said.

"What?"

"I will not allow my daughter to be with you anymore. She should not have been with someone like you in the first place. Say your goodbyes, you will never see her again!" Yoshika's face paled. Lynne stepped forward. "Father, please-"

"Enough! We will discuss this on the way home. Pack up your things, NOW." Lynne stood stock still for a moment. "Yes, sir," she said, then she rushed out of the hangar, crying. Yoshika tried to follow her, but Sir William blocked her.

"Sir, you cannot do that. You can't just pull a soldier out of the military like that," Drake said. Sir William turned to him.

"Who said I was pulling her out? She'll go back to her home squad, where she belongs," he snapped. Drake said nothing in reply, his face etched with resignation.

"Why didn't you stop him?!" Yoshika yelled at Drake, as Lynne's parents left.

"I'm sorry, but there is nothing more I can do. I cannot force Lynne to stay. Although she doesn't want to leave, she's not going to disobey her father. I'm so sorry Yoshika. My hands are tied," Drake said, leaving for his office. Yoshika collapsed on the floor in tears. Emily held her, crying herself.


The next morning was a mournful one. A transport plane had arrived to take Lynne and her parents away to Britannia. Drake insisted that some rations from the base were boarded for the trip. Yoshika stood at the end of the runway, as Lynne was reluctantly boarding the plane. She looked back for a split moment, before she was corralled into the plane by her mother, who seemed no more happy about it than her daughter was. "Lynne..." Yoshika whispered, tears trickling down her face.

Yoshika... Lynne thought, the plane door shutting with a clang that shook her.

"I thank you for your hospitality while we were here, Marshal," Sir William said.

"Anytime, Sir William. You're flight will take you to Central Liberion, where the Neuroi do not pose a threat. From there you'll make a direct route to Britannia," Drake said through clenched teeth. Sir William boarded the plane, and it began to take off. As it was halfway down the runway, Yoshika dashed after it. "LYNNE!" she yelled desperately, sprinting as fast as she could. Lynne pressed herself against the back window of the plane. However the distance between the two lovers grew, and when the plane took off Yoshika fell, crying out more in loss than pain.

"Poor Yoshika," Emily said sadly. Drake walked slowly over to Yoshika and helped her up, comforting her. But nothing would soothe her. "No... NO!" Yoshika said. She then wrenched herself from Drake's hold, dashing for the hangar. "Yoshika, wait!" Drake said, running after her. Emily beat him to it, halting Yoshika in mid-stride.

"It'll be okay," Emily said, using her magic to calm her friend. Yoshika sobbed into Emily's shoulder. The tears eventually stopped, and the sobs turned into sniffles. "Why?" Yoshika wailed, gazing longingly at the tiny speck that was Lynne's plane. Emily was at a loss for words. There were none to be spoken.


The rest of the day went by at a painfully slow pace for everyone. Everyone was subdued at the loss of their comrade, but none were as hurt as Yoshika. She was normally the life and soul of the 501st, always looking at the bright side and having a positive attitude. Without Lynne however, she became withdrawn and depressed. Her performance in training suffered horribly, and during her private sessions with Drake, she payed little to no attention. She would often cry silently to herself, to the point where Drake knew it was no use trying any further.

"I truly am sorry Yoshika. I wish I could do something, but this is completely out of my jurisdiction. If it helps, I can relate. Losing April felt a lot like this," Drake said.

"I don't blame you," Yoshika whispered. "I blame myself. Lynne told me she was afraid of what would happen if her father found out, and I should have taken that as a warning. But I was careless. Now, she's gone forever," she continued, now shaking.

"I never assumed you blamed me. You are not at fault either. You should never have to hide your love for someone. The only person at fault here is Sir William. We can't do anything about that. However, maybe Lynne can."


Several days had passed since Lynne and her parents left Hawaii. They arrived at Panama, where the country connected the two great continents of North and South Liberion. They stopped at a local harbor to refuel and restock. Lynne was not allowed to leave her father's sight.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Lynne asked, tears running down her face. Her father's own expression was hard as stone, and unreadable.

"This is for your own good Lynette. That Miyafuji girl is a bad influence on you."

"How?! It's because of her I've grown as a witch! I'm more confident in myself, I'm happier! Don't you get it? She makes me happy!" Lynne shouted.

"None of that matters! A civilized lady such as yourself cannot be associated with a country bumpkin like her," her father said.

"She is NOT a country bumpkin!" Lynne snapped, her face flushed red.

"Do not raise your voice at me, young lady," her father warned. However Lynne had reached her breaking point.

"NO! I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS!" she shouted. "I love Yoshika, and I'll be bloody damned if you keep her away from me! I don't want whatever stupid man you have arranged for me to marry, I won't do it. All my life you've taught me to mind my manners, to be a good little lady, and care for the family. But you never taught me how to be happy! I want to live life my way. I still love you and Mother and all my brothers and sisters. But I love Yoshika too. She was my first true friend, and the first person to truly believe in me! She is the reason why I can be happy! She is the reason I can believe in myself. And she will be the person I live my life with. I don't care what you think anymore. Punish me, disown me, I don't care! But I'm staying with Yoshika, and THAT'S FINAL!" Lynne shouted, her voice rising with each word.

"Lynette Bishop! You go too far. Get in the plane, NOW. You will not leave your seat until we are home in Britannia," her father growled. Lynne stood her ground.

"Make me."


In the end, Lynne could not overpower her father, and was forced into the cargo hold, where she was locked in. She banged on the door, but to no avail. The doors remained firmly shut. She sank against the door and cried, cursing herself for not acting soon enough. "Yoshika... I'm sorry..." she said. Soon after they were refueled, and they took off, flying over the Atlantic.


"Yoshika, can you help me with this? I'll give you a boost," Emily asked her friend. She was working on her strikers at Drake's orders, and could not reach the part she needed on a high shelf. "Sure," Yoshika said glumly, shuffling over. Emily put her on her shoulders and lifted her up. Yoshika gripped the fuse Emily was reaching for, and took it off the shelf. In doing so however, the two of them lost balance, and fell in a heap.

"Sorry," Yoshika said, her voice hollow.

"It's okay, it was an accident," Emily said, rubbing the part of her back she fell on.

The next several days saw similar instances happen. Drake was worried.

Then, one night, Yoshika awoke from a nightmare. She was in a cold sweat, and was scared. "I have to find her!" she said. Moving quietly, she snuck her way to the hangar, and strapping on her gun, mounted her striker. She then took off into the night sky, determined to find her Lynne. The next morning, Drake called Sakamoto and Minna to his office

"Yoshika is gone, and so is her striker. She must be off to find Lynne," he said.

"She may be reckless at times, but I doubt even she would do such a thing," Minna said. Sakamoto nodded in agreement. Then there came a knock on the door. It was Emily. "I found this on Yoshika's bed," she said in distress, handing a note to Drake.

Dear Emily,

I'm going away. I have to find Lynne. Please, don't show this to anyone, I don't want to be followed. This is something I must do alone. Goodbye, I hope we meet again.

Sincerely,

Yoshika.

"This is really bad," Drake said.

"What do we do?"

"There is nothing we can do. She's probably halfway there by now. We'll send a warning to Sir William, tell him he has a guest. Frankly, I'd rather not: I know how poor Yoshika feels," Drake said, reaching for the intercom. Before he could touch it, it crackled to life.

"Marshal, we just received a telegram from Cape Canaveral: Neuroi have been spotted offshore. They seem to be chasing something. The only thing that could be in range is the transport the Bishop family is on. Should we patch you through to the Cape, to contact the Bishops?"

"Do so at once."


"Do you think we're being a bit too harsh on her?" Minnie said to her husband, as the flew across the ocean.

"No. She will understand in time that this is what's best for her," Sir William said. Suddenly, the radio crackled to life.

"This is Marshal Drake Holt to Transport. I repeat: this is Marshal Drake Holt to Transport. Do you read me?"

"We read you loud and clear Marshal," the co-pilot said.

"Turn back now! A group of Neuroi has been reported heading in your direction! A flight of witches has been dispatched to your position, but you need to turn back now," Drake said over the radio.

"How do we know you're not just trying to stop us?" Sir William said, coming up behind the co-pilot. He could hear Drake growl in frustration.

"If I was going to stop you, I would have done so at the start. Turn back now!" The pilots began to turn the plane, but Sir William stopped them.

"Maintain present course," he said, shutting off the radio.

"But sir-"

"Maintain present course," Sir William repeated, his voice stone cold.

"Ye-yes sir," the pilots said reluctantly. Sir William returned to his seat.

"What if the Marshal is right?" Minnie asked.

"He's just trying to help his star witch. We are not in danger." Lynne scowled from her seat, but said nothing.

However, Sir William was wrong.