Warning: Insanely long, but will contain review replies. If you reviewed, please stick around cause we'll have replied to it, and if you haven't reviewed… well, why the hell not? (Joking. Please just skip to the story, then!)
The Very Exciting Authors Note!
Cha-Cha: Howdy! We're onto the Mountain Arc now! Woo-hoo! It feels like an age since we last updated but if you've been checking the Tumblr accounts then you'll know that quite a bit's been going on! :D For starters, there's been some opening credits made by moi, as well as a trailer that Mugi made a while ago as well. Also their icon pictures are up, and Rikuto's somehow dug up a picture of Kazue from the past… Also, if you're not following them for the roleplaying, at the very least check once in a while for any additional information added (because hopefully it'll give more insight on backstories and stuff).
Now! Onto the review replies!
Mai Sachiyuki, chapter 8: Yay! Rikuto's very grateful that he's gained a follower :3
Drake Nolsa, chapter 8: Hmm… Well, Mugi's not with me right now… She's buying one of those puffy body suits so that her ovaries will stay in place -shot- But I suppose that she wants you to see the good in the bad situation, and stuff…
And yes! We're very glad that you like the portrayal of Jack - he's a pretty funny character to write about, and we're really hoping to include him more in the future!
The Layman, chapter 8: LOL, you're right! I don't see all that many fanfics where Koizumi is genuinely cared for by the characters or the fan fiction writer, and even in the light novels he's pushed around and stuff… So thanks for the compliment! :3 We hope this chapter will not disappoint!
superstarultra, chapter 8: Haha, thanks! We're super glad that you're enjoying the fic so far. And Jack and Dango are fun to portray - we'll try and bring them back again soon :D Thanks for all the support and stuff, Super ^^ Me and Mugi reeeeally appreciate it~
Chirijiradin, chapter 8: Why hello, there! This is your first time reviewing, ne? Thanks for the brilliant OC, by the way :3 We absolutely can't wait to work with him!
We also have a brand new OC, Sayuri (who is right now lacking a surname :D). Created by us (well, Mugi), she doesn't have an OC profile in the forum yet, but hopefully we'll post one soon. We also have Haruhi and Kyon's daughter… Who we're not revealing until later for plot purposes ;) *plus we're evil like that, hehe.* Well, anyway, 'be seein' you guys later :D Sorry for the delay in chapters, and stuff… I hope that in future we won't make you wait so long *bows*
Anyway, ya know, submit Ocs and leave reviews to become a part of Silence, trololol~
Silence
"I still don't see why we need an escort," huffed Koizumi for the billionth time. Kazue shot him a look, while Joseph, our bodyguard, squirmed uncomfortably.
"Don't be so impolite, Itsuki," she scolded. "Asami said so herself, it's for our own protection." She flashed a reassuring smile at Joseph. "Just ignore him. He's still a bit upset."
"We don't need protection," he snapped, marching ahead. Kazue sighed, while Rikuto and I exchanged looks. I heard Dango and Momoka hissing at each other under their breath and tried to ignore them. I mean, I know Momoka's hard to get along with, and I wasn't sticking up for her, but Dango sure was a lot more fun when she wasn't trying to win a silent bitch-fight with the mega-bitch herself. Mikuru just stayed silent and tried to look adorable, but nobody was really that happy with her either. All together there were eight of us, but none of us would speak to each other. It was freaking creepy.
"Hey, Rikuto," I whispered, nudging him in the sides, but he just kept trudging, shivering in his thin shirt. Asami had provided us all with clothes, but I have to say they weren't exactly the height of fashion. I pulled at my itchy red winter coat and shook snow from my hair. It was pretty freaking cold in the mountains. That said, at least the view was kind of pretty. A blanket of snow covered the rocky mountain ground as far as the eye could see.
Hey, how weird is that saying? 'A blanket of snow'? I thought blankets were something that was supposed the be warm and comforting, but there was nothing comfortable about this icy weather and the feeling creeping through my snow boots was the furthest thing from warmth. I was waiting for Koizumi to stop and say something like, "Oh, here we are, a secret passageway, with central heating and free hot chocolate!", but of course, he didn't. Because that would be too freaking convenient.
"Hey Rikuto, say something!" I whined, pushing him a little, and trying to hide my laughter as he slide forward and almost fell, his arms wind milling comically. Once he composed himself, however, he shook his head.
"C-C-Can't." He forced out the words through chattered teeth, "T-Too c-c-c-cold!"
"What, really?" I laughed, sliding my feet across the icy floor. According to Koizumi, one of the faults that makes me less human than everyone else is that I can withstand extreme temperatures. Sure, I was chilly, but Rikuto looked like he could come down with hyperthermia at any minute or something. I stopped laughing as Rikuto glared at me, and realised he must be pretty uncomfortable. I know I can be a bitch sometimes, but I'm not mean.
"Koizumi, how much further?" I moaned, my eyes straining in the shining light from the endless snow. He didn't get chance to speak, however, before Kazue pointed excitedly to a large mountain peak.
"There it is!" she cried happily, almost jumping with relief.
"Where?" I craned my neck, hoping to spot some kind of sign of life, but I couldn't see anything but a snowy peak. I suppose that was a good thing, as it's supposed to be secret and everything, but still.
"Over this way guys!" Joseph called out to us, and Dango and Momoka finally halted in their whispered argument and looked up, intrigued. Joseph was waving us over towards a ditch. I frowned, confused.
"Okay guys," Joseph instructed as we all gathered in the ditch, almost dithering in anticipation. I wondered what we were going to do. Did we have to scour the rock face without a rope? Would we have to find our way through a maze of underground passageways? Or had Joseph spotted an ambush just metres away and we were about to go into combat right here and now?
I glanced around the small ditch at the side of the foot path. The was a rock protruding from the edge of the road, with a small, dark hole beneath it. It clicked in my mind before Joseph had even begun to explain.
"Listen carefully," he told us, speaking more to Momoka, Dango, Rikuto and me than anybody else, "there's a passageway over there and we're going to go through it. You have to crawl, and it's going to be very dark and very tight, so try not to panic and just keep following the person in front of you. Got it?"
"Yeah, yeah, we're not kids!" I snapped, as Koizumi slid through the opening on his hands and knees. Kazue climbed in after him, followed by Momoka, then Mikuru, then Dango and then me, Rikuto and Joseph shortly behind. And he wasn't kidding when he said it was tight. In the darkness, it felt as if the tunnel were getting smaller and smaller, until I could barely breathe, but I kept quiet, crawling along as best I could. As my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I could see Dango's trembling form in front of me.
"This isn't the best time to mention I have claustrophobia, is it?" she whispered, her voice cracking.
"What's that?" I asked her, but it was Rikuto who answered.
"Claustrophobia," Rikuto stated behind me, "is kind of like a fear of enclosed spaces, but it's not just like being scared. A phobia is a condition that affects you even more than fright. It's, er, hard to explain."
"You mean you're scared of-" I began, before getting a face full of… well, I won't say what of. Dango had frozen in her tracks, curling up into a kind of foetus position on the floor. I screwed up my eyes as Rikuto bashed straight into me and I heard him groan as Joseph barged on into him.
"What the hell are you doing?" I hissed, nudging Dango but she wouldn't budge.
"I… I can't move," Dango whispered, panic sounding in her voice, "It's… It's too dark. Too small. I'm stuck."
"Oh don't be stupid," I snapped, pushing her with all my might, which is a lot, I might add, and Dango moved forward about an inch, "This is coming from the girl who can hit a bullseye from thirty feet away. You're black belt in san ku kai for gods sake! I've seen you punch your way through fifty aliens, so don't you dare say you'll give up so easily! There's no way Dango Yowaki can be defeated by a little tunnel. This is nothing!"
I pushed her back and slowly but surely, she began to crawl again. I kept shouting at her to keep going. I think it worked. I don't really get what a phobia is, but it must have been powerful to render Dango unable to move.
"It's… It's okay, Dango," Rikuto called nervously from behind me. "Y-You can pull through this, I swear… I-I mean, you're b-brilliant and stuff, so… So you can do this! I-I believe in you, Dango!"
Ugh. Talk about cheesy.
Nonetheless, it got Dango going again; rather hesitantly, glancing back over her shoulder every now and then to make sure he was watching her, but she made it through, and at last I rose to the damn surface. A cool rush of fresh air filled my lungs and I exhaled deeply as Rikuto surfaced, rosy-cheeked with the cold. Moments later, Joseph crawled out.
"Th-That was terrifying!" Dango muttered, face white. I put an arm around her shaking shoulders, praying I wouldn't have to say anything soppy - I've always been pretty bad at that.
"Now, kids," Joseph said loudly, pulling us back towards the hole, "You have to promise me to stay calm and stand well back for a few minutes, okay? Things tend to get a little bumpy around these points."
"Okay, chief," I said dryly. "Just what exactly do you mean by bu-"
As if to answer my rather rudely cut off question, a loud rumbling noise erupted around us. Dango's mouth opened in a silent scream and she clung to Rikuto tightly (not that he was complaining, I noticed). The ground shifted and raw terror clung to me for a moment. What the hell was happening?
Then, from behind the edge of the cliff side we'd emerged from, a large black shape began to lift into the air.
"…A helicopter?" I asked, dumbfounded. Joseph nodded, beaming.
"Yep! A helicopter. Now, climb on, kids! Mind your step though! Careful not to fall, cause trust me, it's a looong way down." He picked up a frost-covered rock and tossed it down the gap between the edge of the cliff and the helicopter step. We listened out in anticipation for some kind of crash. After waiting a while, Rikuto gulped nervously.
"I-I didn't hear it land," he hissed to me. I shrugged, as if to say, And? What do you want me to do?
"Right, don't be shy!" Joseph said, gesturing towards the open door. "The pilot's gonna freeze, you know."
"Well, if you guys aren't gonna go, I will," I huffed, folding my arms. Joseph flashed a grateful smile at me as I reluctantly trudged forwards.
"Good, Hotaru! Now, mind the gap!" I ignored him and clamoured on, gripping the sides of the helicopter. I half expected for the side of the helicopter to tip up, and for me to fall to my dreaded doom like that rock Joseph had thrown down earlier… but I didn't.
"Argh, that felt weird," I gasped, finding a seat on a hard blue plastic bench facing the opposite wall of the helicopter. "Well, come on, guys! What're you waiting for?"
After a moment of prompting, Dango climbed on, still a little shaky. This coaxed Rikuto on, and his parents followed suit, having done this quite a few times over the years. Momoka and Joseph followed, leaving Mikuru to climb on last, eyes tightly shut.
"Is everybody ready to go?" A soldier I didn't recognise but I'm assuming was the pilot turned around to face us. Koizumi nodded, a small smile on his face. Well, it was a relief to know that he was feeling a little better, at least.
"Nakagawa! How've you been?" Kazue asked, eyes brightening. 'Nagakawa' grinned cheesily at her.
"Ah, Kazue Koizumi, long time no see!" He nodded towards Koizumi. "You too, Koizumi! And is that little Rikuto?" He squinted at Rikuto, who shrank back, confused. "Aw, he was only a shrimp the last time I saw him! Bless."
"Right, uh, these are great little reunions, but seriously, shouldn't we get going?" I interrupted. 'Nakagawa' slapped his forehead.
"Right, right you are kiddo. Who might this little redhead be?" he asked, flashing me a weird smile. I regarded him coldly."Hotaru Mizuki." His eyes rounded.
"Oh! So you're the Koizumi's little helper! The alien from the Sky Canopy Domain everybody's been talking about for the past few years!" He nodded towards me. "Nice to finally meet you. Nice to know that they weren't just rumours."
"Whatever," I scowled. "Just start up the damn helicopter."
XXX
"So remind me again why we couldn't have just taken a helicopter from the start?" I hissed to Joseph, who tried to stay professional, deciding to keep his mouth shut instead of answering my damn question. Koizumi turned to look at me, looking a little miffed but otherwise his usual smiley self.
"Because we couldn't take the helicopter until its course was completely concealed by the mountain over there, see?"
"Then why not drop us off in front of the entrance instead of over the other side of the mountain?" I snap, flicking snow off my shoulder into an unfortunate Rikuto's face. Kazue, who seemed slightly less understanding, muttered irritably something about it being a precaution, but I still couldn't see the point. If there were aliens around here, we'd have been attacked hours ago, right?
"Here!" Koizumi suddenly cried, pointing down to a small ledge beneath the path, "The entrance is right there!"
Without further ado, he jumped down onto the ledge, which seemed able to hold only two people, maybe three if we squashed or sat on each other's shoulders or something. He beckoned for us to follow him.
"Momoka, Hotaru, come down here a sec. Rikuto and Dango will have a pass but I'll have to sign you two in as guests."
Reluctantly, I clambered down, Momoka following shortly after, her arms crossed sternly, but her face looking a little more unsure of herself. Koizumi looked up to the rock face, which seemed as solid as, well, ice, and placed his hands on the freezing snow.
"Itsuki Koizumi, registrar number 5."
He glanced at the two of us for a second, before adding, "Two female guests, Hotaru Mizuki and Momoka Murakami."
We waited for a few moments, and at the point I was beginning to wonder whether the door was broken or something, a loud robotic, yet distinctly female voice sounded across the mountainside.
"Voice Recognition: Verified. Fingerprint Recognition: Verified. Welcome, Itsuki Koizumi and guests."
I waited a moment more, but nothing happened.
"Koizumi, where's the door?"
I sounded foolish, like a child who had been told something, but had forgotten it just a beat later. Koizumi smiled widely, and simply stepped through the snow as if it were-
"It's a hologram!" I cried, stepping cautiously through the once solid rock face, a rush of scalding air whooshing past my face as I stepped inside HQ4.
"How did it do that?" I asked incredulously, as Momoka walked into my now frozen body, but I hardly noticed. I was stunned. I imagined HQ4 pretty much like our base or Asami's base; what I didn't expect was luxurious carpeted hallways, polished oak doors and chandelier's hanging from the ceiling. I realised my mouth was open and shut it quickly, realising I must've looked like a complete idiot.
I glanced at Momoka, who had a similar expression to me - gob-smacked.
"This is a base?" she asked doubtfully. Koizumi nodded, looking pleased at our reactions.
"Yes. This is HQ4, ladies. Sayuri will probably be here to meet us soon. The others will be in shortly." He gestured towards a couch neatly tucked away behind a lampshade. "Would you two like to take a seat?"
I sat down, soaking up my surroundings with eyes I could only guess were about as wide as saucers. It seemed so much like a hotel it was unbelievable.
"Now now, Rikuto," came Kazue's laughter-filled voice, "don't get too upset. I'm sure Sayuri was just being funny with you."
"Voice not verified, though?" He sounded horrified. "I haven't been here since I was ten! She knew it was me, but just because my voice has broken she decided it would be okay to do a search of my clothing and pluck a hair from my head so she could make sure! I mean, what gives?"
Sure enough, their shapes burst through the hologram. Rikuto had his arms crossed over his chest crossly, while Kazue was trying to calm him down with a face crossed with both sympathy and amusement. Shortly after Dango, Mikuru and Joseph followed, talking amongst themselves.
"Oh my god," Dango moaned, legs wobbling. "It's so warm in here my legs are burning."
"I take it everybody got in all right?" Koizumi asked, clasping his hands together. Rikuto nodded sulkily.
"Except Sayuri was being really annoying about my voice," he grumbled. "Just because I'm not some high-pitched pipsqueak anymore…"
"Come on, now," Koizumi laughed, ruffling his hair, "You know Sayuri is a little bit-"
"Loopy? Insane? A freaking nut job?" Rikuto inputted.
"Lonely," Kazue corrected him, giving him a disapproving look. "She doesn't have people staying all that often, so it's only natural that she'd want to play a little prank."
"Mom, she's 28. A little old for playing pranks, don't you think?" He folded his arms and trudged over to me.
"Yo." I raised an eyebrow. "So, this Sayuri… Where is she?"
"Probably taking care of paperwork or something… I don't know."
As if answering our thoughts, an impossibly loud squeal vibrated around the room.
"Yoo hoo! Koizumis and guests! It's great to see you again~!" A fair-haired woman bounded over to us (which looked difficult as she was wearing a tight skirt-suit). Her eyes were twinkly and held a kind of mischief you didn't find often in people.
"Sayuri! How have you been?" Kazue cried, happiness filling her eyes.
"Better than you, I presume," 'Sayuri' replied breezily, raising an eyebrow. "I heard about the ambush from Asami… And I heard about Miss Mori, as well." Her eyes clouded over for a brief moment. "Such a shame… She was a fine soldier…"
"She still is!" Koizumi blurted out, hurt flashing in his eyes. "She still is a wonderful soldier!" Dango tugged on his sleeve, shivering uncomfortably. Sayuri shrugged.
"Perhaps. Either way, that's not what you came here for, understand?" Her eyes narrowed. "You are all here to relax, and to clear your heads of any negative feelings. Including you, Mister Itsuki." She jabbed a finger against his chest. She may have only come up to his chin height-wise, but she was feisty, and, despite Koizumi's best efforts, her boundless energy left him outnumbered. "Do as Asami says, dammit! I'm just going to say what everybody's thinking to save them the discomfort - we know that Miss Mori's injury has shocked you, and we know you've been taking the news badly. But guess what, it wasn't your fault! So get over it, okay?"
She folded her arms, nodding curtly at his dumbfounded expression. "Right, now I've gotten that off my chest… I'm sorry that I might've been a little harsh. But I'm supposing you'll all want me to show you your rooms?"
"Hang on a moment, please, Miss Sayuri," Joseph said, stepping forward nervously. "We haven't yet introduced you to first-timers here…" He motioned towards me and Momoka.
"Ah, that's right." She glanced at me and I stood my ground, although under her hawk-like gaze it was reeeally difficult.
"This here is Hotaru Mizuki… She's the experiment the SCD left behind at that lab five years ago," Joseph said, flashing me a smile that was friendly yet sooo fake. "The Koizumi family raised her since she was found and she's a strong ally." Sayuri's gaze swept over me, and she nodded with what I hoped was an approving smile.
"Excellent," she said simply. "You're welcome here, Miss Mizuki."
"Um, just Hotaru is fine," I said, bowing to be polite. She nodded.
"Hotaru, then. You are most welcome. Is there anybody else I haven't been acquainted with yet?" Her stare shifted to Momoka, who turned red under the pressure.
"A-And this is Momoka Murakami," added Joseph hurriedly. "She's a strong fighter, and is highly skilled in martial arts… Miss Koizumi recruited her a while ago, but it was only a few days ago that she officially joined our team."
She scanned Momoka, who was looking sulkier by the minute, before nodding swiftly.
"Yes, she's a tough cookie. Perfect. All right then, follow me. I'll show you to your rooms now."
Sayuri led us down a dimly lit corridor, which was a little bland, but otherwise comfortable.
"You'll be in your usual room, Mr and Mrs Koizumi," Sayuri droned monotonously, "And I guess I'll sort out your rooms later. But now that I think about it, I really can't be bothered to do this."
Sayuri turned on her heel, causing Mikuru to trip over her own feet and began to walk back to the entrance hall we'd just been in, like, ten seconds ago.
What was up with this chick? At least allow us to do something freaking useful with our time!
"I'll take you to the meeting room instead. It's called the meeting room because we hold meetings there! But we also eat there, so I guess it's a dining room. Although everybody meets there to dine, so I guess it's still a meeting room. Ah, here it is! Look for yourselves! Don't expect me to do all the hard work! You have eyes too, you know! Koizumi's, do you want a cup of tea in my office? Of course you do, that's Mr and Mrs Koizumi, not the midget… Okay, see you later kids!"
…She seriously said that all in one breath. Without pausing. It was, like, all one sentence. I'm surprised I could understand what she was saying.
The Koizumi's left the room with Sayuri, apparently unfazed, along with Joseph and Mikuru, although Sayuri hadn't asked them for a cup of tea. I just shrugged at Rikuto, who still seemed to be trying to make sense of what Sayuri had just said, and pushed open the grand, polished oak doors.
"It's about time you got here!" a voice sounded from inside the grand room, and I heard Rikuto catch his breath behind me. Dango's face broke out in an enormous smile and Momoka peered curiously at the tall, handsome stranger silhouetted at the ornate window, which simply appeared to be a wall made of glass.
"Takeo," Rikuto muttered dazedly, shaking his head as though he were hallucinating, "Long time no see."
"Guess we've got some catching up to do," Takeo Suzumiya said, gesturing to four mugs of steaming hot chocolate on a long, glass table. "Anybody fancy a hot chocolate?"
XXX
Wow! So here ends the first (of many) chapter of the Mountain Arc, yaay! :D And everybody, welcome Takeo to the plot! *claps* Anyway, yeah, um, if you want any more information, check out the blogs… you know what to do.
Review and maybe create an OC to become a part of Silence! :3