Author's Note: I apologize for how long I've left you all hanging. I put my all into finishing our Star Wars/Familiar of Zero story. After that I've had a lot of personal and professional problems that needed to be resolved and I didn't have the time or energy to put much work into my fictions.
Now that life is starting to settle back into a somewhat normal flow I'm back to work on this story which is my solo project, and Gundam Imperium which I work on with my team. There are also other unannounced team projects in the works as well with differents lead writers so it won't eat into my time too much beyond brainstorming, reading, and editing.
As always, the support for this story is overwhelming and deeply appreciated! Your reviews, messages, favorites and follows always touch me. I thank you all!
Let's start our date!
Chapter Eighteen
Origami lightly knocked on the slightly open door of Kurumi's room. There was only a very soft light emanating from inside the room, by the angle she judged it to come from the bedside. The raven haired magus was playing a game on her handheld console. The thought of it momentarily infuriated her, but she quickly crushed that emotion under ten metric tons worth of reason and logic. Kurumi had no idea what was going on with her sister right now, from her perspective, all was relatively well and there was no need to be concerned or alarmed at this moment.
When there was no response to her knocking, she gave another slightly louder knock. When there was no response to that she simply walked in and found Kurumi laying with her back on the bed, mercifully fully clothed, with her face glued to the screen of her handheld game console and headphones blocking her hearing. It appeared that Kurumi had, for the second time since coming to this mansion, fully dropped her guard. Or at least it was the second time that Origami had caught her with her guard down. Once was a fluke. Twice was a dangerous pattern which needed to be corrected.
But as she drew closer, Origami was brutally reminded that nothing was ever what it seemed. Especially when it came to Kurumi Emiya. When she was in a position to look upon her face, she saw that tears were streaming down out of her crimsoned eye. Her white eyepatch, while not leaking, was unmistakably soaking wet from the tears. She wasn't sure, but it didn't seem healthy to keep the eye patch on and let it soak like that. An empty eye socket could get infected. She made a note to take Kurumi to a place where they could fit her with a prosthetic. It couldn't have been healthy to just leave it like that.
She gently seated herself down on the side of the bed and just watched Kurumi play whatever she was playing. She couldn't see what was on the screen, but she could see the look of pain on her face.
It was only a few minutes later when she put the console down and took the buds out of her ears. A deep breath indicated she was about to speak, but no words came out. Prompting Origami to ask first. But just before she was going to speak, Kurumi beat her to it.
"How can I help them. When I can't even help my own sister?"
Origami was about to answer when Kurumi spoke up again.
"How can I help anyone when my very existence has become a testament to my failures?"
Origami shook her head, "That isn't true. If anything, your existence is a testament to your tenacity."
"Or my masochism…" she droned out with a snort.
"I gather by your current state, that you overheard my talk with Kotori?"
A small nod of the head was the only answer given.
This is insufferable…
With that thought firmly in mind Origami stood up and stepped over to the door where she shut and locked it before turning around to face Kurumi again. Now even more thoroughly displeased to find the former spirit staring up at the ceiling in an almost catatonic state.
It's time to start taking action.
"You are going to tell me. Right here. Right now," she stated forcefully while walking back over towards the bed, "Why won't you tell her the truth?" she added once she was standing directly over Kurumi. "From where I'm standing, you're doing more harm than good to her!"
"When she was little, she clung to me. She loved our mother very much. So very much. But she clung to me all the time. I was like a security blanket for her. She was shy, timid, utterly harmless, and so completely adorable. The Kotori you know, only came out when we gave her a lollipop as a treat for when it was time to start working on her magecraft. That's how she came to associate them with her mage persona and it became her trigger."
"So the Kotori I know, is not the same one who was your little sister? Is that why you put up the barrier between you?"
"Yes. But not for the reason you're probably thinking. Back then, she was weak. Brave, but weak. She needed us to protect her. But without my influence in her life, she grew up strong. You say I'm doing more harm than good from where you're standing. But from where I'm standing, keeping my distance allows her to be strong and independant. Traits she needs to have. I won't always be here to protect her. If she gets attached to me again like she was before, then all I'll do is cause her more pain. This is better by far. No matter how much it hurts me to stay away, it's best her for her if I do."
I can't imagine Kotori being shy and timid… But what a cowardly thing to allow yourself to believe! And what about me?! How can you be such a selfish hypocrite?!
"Kurumi… Have you ever seen her playing Date A Live?" she asked calmly in spite of her growing anger.
The only response she received was a raised eyebrow from the magus so she continued.
"I have. It's a dating sim where you can create these very realistic characters to play with. It's primarily a dating sim, but you can assign the characters various personality archetypes."
"I know what it is. I know she plays it. But what's your point?"
"...She was playing all the time. Tapping away on her mobile phone, constantly asking my opinion… I'd pretend to be interested... But the point is. The character she created resembled you. Or at least, it was as close to you as the game could get. She wore gothic styled cloths, had black hair, blue eyes, and had a yandere personality which was so demented that I was afraid Kotori might start trying to emulate her. She called her Onee-sama."
Kurumi covered her mouth and visibly trembled. Origami was worried that she had perhaps set her off into another fit of sobbing. But when she heard the unmistakable sound of laughter being stifled by her hands, she was partially relieved.
After a long moment, Kurumi pulled herself up until she was sitting on the side of her bed.
"I take you realized what it means?" she asked.
"Yes… Yes I have. Hehe. She used to call me that. It was so adorable! Yes. Yes. You pointed out the void in our home. My father had the full family tea set, and Kotori… She replaced with me with a dating sim. I'm a little flattered by that considering that I was the one who was always playing games, and she was reading manga all the time."
Origami took a seat on the bed beside her. "What did you like to do together?"
"A lot of things. Most of the time though, when it was just the two of us, we studied Magecraft together. When we weren't feeling up to it we'd just read manga or watch anime together. Even though I found both to be boring, I liked how into it she got. It was fun to watch her enjoying herself," she answered with a particularly bright smile, yet with a somewhat distant look in her eye as she recalled the good times she spent with her adoptive sister.
"She still needs you. Maybe she doesn't need to hide behind you anymore, but she still needs you. She needs to know she's not alone. Spend time with her, bond with her, and then tell her the truth. She deserves to know."
"I'll consider it," she said while standing up. "Now if you'll excuse me. I should go make myself presentable for dinner. Can't have the Tohnos, or my little sister seeing me like this. It's bad for my public image."
"Yes. We can't have anyone know you aren't actually half as scary as you make yourself out to be."
"Ffeh! You should have met my mother. She could make my father and all these people tremble in abject terror with just a little smile!"
Origami shook her head, "Somehow, I have a feeling that might be something genetic. Even your father showed fear at the look on your face back at the train station."
Kurumi flashed a toothy grin at her girlfriend, "Heh. You always know just what to say to cheer me up!"
Origami was slightly taken aback by that remark, "You're actually proud of that?"
"Dad used to tell me that I was too much like my mother sometimes. It's good to know I've still got it! Go on ahead to dinner. I'll get cleaned up and then I'll go check on Kotori and bring her to the table."
Origami let out a small smile at the words she heard, "Good. I approve. Start spending more quality time with her. Let things happen naturally."
Following Origami's advice, the next day Kurumi had brought Kotori to a more secluded part of the Tohno family property to spend some time with her. Ostensibly to practice her magecraft. But it was really just to cheer her up and get her mind off other things.
Even in seclusion, the risks of her Spirit powers being noticed by someone in the household was great. Never mind the risk of her spirit powers being detected by DEM. So this practice session would focus entirely on magecraft.
Kurumi had no problem setting up a bounded field sufficient to guard against being observed by any outsiders. But she was not confident enough in her ability to draw a field capable to blocking out her spirit powers. Kotori would soon be able to do that on her own. But there were other lessons she would need to learn before she could achieve that.
"It isn't hard. The principle is the same no matter what magic you use. So go ahead and try it."
Kotori nodded and threw the flame at the ground in front of her creating a wall of fire which she then directed to completely surround her.
Kurumi cocked her pistol and took a shot at the wall, aiming carefully so as not to even risk hitting Kotori should the wall fail. The shot indeed passed through the wall as she had feared.
The twin tailed girl looked up at where the shot passed through her wall with a curious look in her eye.
The other one threw me off a damn bridge three times to teach me something. But she won't even risk me getting hit with her shadow bullets. Are they just that strong or is it something else?
"You need to turn up the intensity. You want to literally vaporize anything that penetrates. Don't go overboard with it, but don't hesitate with it either," explained Kurumi.
Kotori nodded again and closed her eyes. Kurumi felt the mana surge and recocked her pistol before firing again. This time the shadowy projectile was dissolved by the wall before passing through.
"Excellent! That was absolutely perfect!"
Kotori dropped the fire wall and then smiled proudly to herself while Kurumi walked up to her.
"Where did you get the idea for a spell like this? It never would have occurred to me to use fire as a defensive wall."
"It was just something I picked up along the way. One of my teachers was very formidable with fire magic."
Our grandfather… Tokiomi Tohsaka. Back when I was the one trying to teach you magecraft I researched everything mom had about him, it helped a lot to teach her to use her fire magic. Much as I want to tell her that, I just can't… Not yet at least.
"How do you feel? Any overpowering desires to go destroy something?"
"Yes. But not from that. I don't think a defensive use of my power triggers it."
"Then what's bothering you Kotori-chan?" Kurumi asked with a concerned look as she approached.
Kotori sighed, "Can I trust you Kurumi?"
The mono-eyed magus had a look on her face Kotori had never seen on her before and she suddenly looked away from her full of shame. "I'm sorry…" she quickly apologized in a low voice.
She looks so hurt… I guess that was a stupid question after all she's done for me. Way to go Kotori… Now you're asking stupid questions like pops does. Hah. More proof that I'm an Emiya instead of… whomever the hell those people were.
"Kotori…" she started in a serious voice that instantly snapped the younger girl's attention back onto her. "What do I have to do? Tell me what I have to do to earn your trust."
Kotori was lost for words for a long moment before she stepped up to close the distance again and warmly hugged Kurumi. "Nothing. It was a stupid question to ask. I hate that you keep so many secrets from me. But I do trust you. I'm so sorry that I was so insensitive just now."
Kurumi hugged her back, tightly. "Something happened. Forget about this and just tell me what it is. Or even better, just tell me whom I have to kill for making you feel so bad."
Kotori knew she had to choose her words carefully. She didn't doubt that Kurumi would actually do it. "My father had a visit the other day. Two people who told him they were…" she paused for a moment and clenched her teeth, very tightly and spoke her next words through them. "I don't even want to say the words…"
"Your biological parents?" Kurumi guessed.
"Has this happened before?" she asked after a breath to relax herself. "If it has. Please. I need to know."
Kurumi held her more tightly and nodded her head against the top of Kotori's, "Yes. This has happened before. It goes differently every time though. But the motivation is always the same. DEM uses them to get to you."
"So they're only being used to get to me? But why? They don't know about my powers, or do they?"
"No. They couldn't possibly. I suspect they're after you because I was protecting you and they want to know why you're so valuable to me."
"I just want to know why. Why is this happening to us Kurumi? Everything was so perfect! It isn't fair… We didn't do anything to deserve any of this!"
The raven haired girl quickly took her sister into another tight embrace. It was an irresistible impulse. Pure instinct. Her logical mind knew it was the wrong thing to do. But her instinct to hold and protect her sister was simply too powerful to resist.
I will protect you. No matter what it takes. From our enemies, and even from yourself.
"I know you can't tell me everything… But please. Just tell me why. Why is this happening?" asked Kotori while hugging her tighter.
Kurumi took a deep breath, "Because they want what we have. Our powers. They use our crystals to build their machines. They use science to subvert magic. I don't know what their ultimate goal is. I never got a chance to find out. My goal was always to stop all of this from ever happening at all. But I failed. Over and over I failed. Now my only goal is to protect you and Origami from them. I just don't give a damn about anything else anymore."
"If it'll make them leave us alone, they can take my damned crystal!"
"I wish it worked like that Kotori-chan. I really do."
"What would happen if I were to get rid of my crystal? Would I just become a normal girl?"
"I don't know. Everyone has a different relationship with their Angels. Some only exist because of their crystals. Like myself and the Yamai sisters. In your particular case. Your crystal gives you all your powers, including your magecraft. I don't know what would happen to you without it. And I honestly never want to find out. I couldn't take that risk. Or let you take that risk."
"Do you know how I became a Spirit? If you do, would you please tell me?"
Kurumi took a breath as she considered the question, "I do."
"Will you tell me?"
Kurumi took a very deep breath. "It happened to you the same way it happened to me. It's part of why I do what I do. Please don't ask me to elaborate… these aren't good memories."
She looked deep into Kurumi's crimson eye as she mustered up her resolve, "I understand, but, I still want to know. I can't make you tell me. But I want to know."
"Kotori…" started Kurumi with a long sigh before seating herself down on the grass. "Alright. I'll tell you."
"I appreciate it. I really do."
"You won't after I tell you… Many years ago. Well. Many years ago from my perspective. Tohka wasn't the first spirit we met. In my original timeline, the first spirit we met appeared not too far from our school. We were all having a lunch I made for us when I sensed the spacial quake was coming, you sensed it too, a few moments after I did."
She used to make our lunches?! We must have all been pretty close. Not even Pops makes me lunches for school. And why could I only sense the quake coming after her? That's bullshit!
Kotori nodded that she was paying close attention.
"Anyway. When the alarm actually went off, Origami took off running out of the school. Naturally I freaked out and was about to go after her, but you stopped me. Then you started telling me about your locator app and how you could track Origami. I didn't understand anything and you started bitching about how I was worse than your mother with technology. Anyway. You found her, and we started gawking at how fast she was moving. Then you told me she was going to be right in the middle of the quake so I bolted for it after making you promise you'd get to shelter."
"That sounds like me… But how could I have had Origami on the app? It's suppose to only work for family members?"
Kurumi shrugged, "Don't ask me. I really am worse than your mother with any technology that isn't gaming related. So after that…"
The raven haired girl turned her crimson eye up to the sky where she stared wistfully as she began to retell the events of that day…
I panted for air as I ran down the deserted street, adrenaline, magical energy, and desperation were all that kept me going. The world around me spun completely out of control but I still kept running forward until the force of an explosion blew me back along the asphalt, a blackness overcame me and when I opened my eye again I had no idea what had just happened.
Then I felt my phone vibrating before I heard it ringing to the tune of your favorite dubstep music.
"Hello, you've reached Kurumi... I'm not available to take your call right now because my head is spinning too fast. Please leave a message after I pass out again."
"If you can still joke around I'm going to assume you're alright!" you furiously yelled at me.
"Somehow… Yes. I think. Lemmie just check. I know one arm is using the phone, other arm is still here though. Hmm. Both legs are sore, but attached. I seem to have lost my eye though… Oh wait. No. It's here on the ground, staring at me in a disapproving manner."
Yes. My glass eye was really knocked out of my head. It really was there on the ground and staring at me.
"It's not the only one who disapproves!" you yelled at me.
You really never had any appreciation for my dark and witty sense of humor.
I looked around at the destruction around me, and I have to admit, I was really impressed by it.
"Wow. Seeing this kind of thing on TV is nothing compared to real life. One should certainly have respect for the damage these things can do," I said to you.
"Gee, ya think?!"
"Can you tell me how close am I to Origami?"
"No. I lost her signal when the quake happened. I'm only getting yours-"
"Alright stop. I call bullshit! How could I have had Origami and you on the family locator app?! I'm not a genius hacker like that! You'd both have to actually be family for the company to enable that for us!" yelled Kotori.
"You're really asking the wrong person here. When it comes to technology, I rely on you and Origami. Hell I can't even connect my Playstation to the TV without help from either of you! I can just use the damn thing! Can I go on with the story now?"
"Yeah. Whatever. Still calling bullshit… but go on."
I started freaking out at what it could mean that you couldn't find her on your app. "I'm going to find her. Just stay where you are!"
"...she could have been-"
"Don't say it! She's fine! I know she is!" I yelled before hanging up the phone.
I looked towards the epicentre of the devastation and started moving again. From there I'd create a few familiars to search the area for Origami. But when I got there I saw her in her very sexy wiring suit… Ahem. Anyway. She was fighting some kind of something. I had no idea what to make of it. It was a vaguely humanoid figure surrounded by something I could only define as noise. If noise was something you could see instead of hear, this was it.
Origami was suddenly blasted back by some kind of power I couldn't define anymore than the Spirit's appearance.
I screamed at the top of my lungs before throwing all the magical energy I could safely muster into my legs to leap out into the battle, I landed halfway between Origami and the entity she was fighting against.
"What is this? Another one to stand in my way?"
The thing spoke without a voice. I don't know how to explain it. It was sound. But I didn't perceive it as sound. It was… I don't know how to explain it and I won't waste time trying… Anyway. Rather than allow myself to try and figure out what was going on like a proper magus should, I only had one objective in that moment, to protect Origami.
With that thought firmly mind I ignited my magic circuits and gathered from my shadow two… Err, how to describe this? Darkness! Yes. Darkness into my hands which I used as my weapons. This was before I got my mystic codes, so I had to fling my shadows around in pretty much anyway that could get the job done in the moment.
"If you want to harm her, you'll have to go through me!" I defiantly yelled.
"A magus? How interesting. I haven't seen one of your kind for a while now. And with darkness of all things as her element? How very interesting! Let us put your power to the test."
What else could I do when challenged like that? I went for it. But it was just playing with me. The Spirit dodged everyone one of my attacks.
"Kurumi! No! Get away from here!" Origami yelled as she tried to get up but fell back down in pain. She was out of it. This was between me and the Spirit now. Nothing hurts the people I love and lives to tell the tale!
"You should listen to your friend little magus. I won't hold back forever."
Me being me, well, I was so full of myself... Heh, even to this day I don't know when to back down from a fight.
"I promise you this, you'll be sorry you ever decided to mess with me!"
I chanted the aria for the most powerful mystery I had at the time and from my shadow erupted a horde of flying wasp like familiars which went straight to swarm the entity. But in that same instant a surge of power erupted from it which destroyed all the familiars and blew me back until I landed beside Origami… And you have no idea how much pain I was in. That rough landing cut up my back so badly...
Origami screamed for me in despair as she quickly covered me with her own body before a cloud of dust and debris began to envelop us. Under other circumstances, I'd probably have been very turned on by that… Meh, who am I kidding? I was turned on by that. But I still had the presence of mind to keep her from pointlessly self sacrificing over something I was perfectly capable of protecting us both from. I wrapped an arm around Origami's waist, held her tightly, and put up a bubble of darkness around us that served the same function as that fire wall I was teaching you. Nothing could penetrate it.
A short while later when the dust settled, Origami lifted her head. Both of her own azure eyes met with my eye and we gazed deeply at each other for a long moment before Origami broke the silence to ask if I was alright.
"I could ask you that. We both got our asses kicked. But I think I killed it."
Origami slowly nodded her head while I released the protective bubble from around us. We slowly helped each other to our feet while surveying our surroundings. Both of us were stunned when we were confronted by the sight of the Spirit just standing there as if it were staring at us through the obscuring noise it was surrounded by.
That was when you showed up… You never did listen to me when I told you to do something for your own good… and nothing's changed about that.
"Is that how Origami found out you were a magus?"
Kurumi shook her head, "No. It was only the first time she saw me seriously use my mysteries. She knew I was a magus long before that. I never kept any secrets from her. But she had one from me, which was a little hurtful to tell you the truth. But, no. That's not true at all. I also had a big secret from her as well, which makes me a hypocrite for feeling that way… But that's between me and her."
"Interesting… We'll come back to that one. So what happened with the Spirit after I showed up?" asked Kotori with wide eyes of anticipation.
"It knew who you were. It was there the day of the fire. But before it could explain further, Origami and I may have completely lost our shit and attacked it again. But it got away before we could finish it off. After that we sort of assumed that was the spirit which caused the fire, and we made it our mission to find it again and kill it."
So it was that Spirit who started the fire and not me? Or is there more to this story she isn't telling me? I can feel her holding back important details… But how to get them out of her?
"Origami, I understand. She wants revenge for what happened that day. But what was your motivation for getting involved?"
Kurumi narrowed her eye, "You seriously need to ask me that? It hurt you, and it hurt the love of my life! There was no way I wasn't going to pay it back tenfold! We called it 'Phantom' and we searched high and low for it. I really thought like Origami did. That all the Spirits were a menace that needed to be wiped out. You didn't think that was the case. Neither did your father. That was when you found Tohka, and she started helping us. You and Tohka changed our minds about the Spirits. Then we met Yoshino and that made it official. Absolutely nothing was as simple as we thought it was."
So she didn't know I was a spirit at the time? I guess that means I didn't trust her enough to tell her. But did Origami know I was a mage too? So many questions...
"Yeah. Yoshino is a special girl isn't she?"
"Yes. She is. She was like a baby sister to all of us. The first time around, it was Ryouko and Origami who took her in. But anyway. When we finally found Phantom again. She told us that she wasn't the one who started the fire back then. As we fought her, she told us that she made you into a Spirit. She offered to do it for both of us as well if we wanted the power to fight our real enemies. We outright refused and kicked her ass! Just to prove we didn't need whatever she could offer us."
So that's how she found out then… But that means!
"Who were your other enemies? DEM? And what about Origami? Wouldn't she have thought that I, the fire spirit, started the fire instead?!"
Kurumi nodded, "Yes. She did think that. But I managed to bury her anger under a metric ton of reason and logic. The only source for that information was something we couldn't trust. Something that had an interest in lying to us to save its own skin by tearing us all apart. Anyway. By this time, there were so many spirits appearing in Japan that DEM sent Origami's former team members there to start capturing spirits. We didn't know why so many were appearing here and we never found out the reason. But what I do know is that they particularly wanted to get Tohka. We wouldn't allow that. Your father was particularly adamant about it. He was also afraid that whatever was causing the Spirits to appear in one general area so much was going to invite a Counter Guardian. So, time was very much against us and we had to really step up our game."
"He does really adore Tohka."
"More than that. Back then, it was her that he was in love with. She's such a bumbling idiot most of the time, but when she's serious, there's nobody more dependable in a fight. That woman will go to hell and back for Kinako bread, but when someone screws around with her family she'll go to extremes I never imagined possible. I love her alot, and when she was with your father I couldn't help but gush like a schoolgirl over them!"
"You are a schoolgirl! But… If Ryouko wasn't with him now… I can see that being what would have happened. But how did pops not get with Ryouko? The way they were on their first date was like love at first sight. And if all of us were friends, I probably would have tried to get them together the same way Origami and I did this time. That doesn't make sense…"
"You're forgetting a critical factor in your calculation there. Me. I'm the wildcard. Without me in the mix, things go differently for you. In my timeline, they were just friends. Yes, they were attracted to each other, it was obvious. But you didn't set them up on a date. Nothing ended up happening between them because of Tohka."
I call bullshit! What aren't you telling me?!
"I see…" she said with narrowed eyes. "Before I probe into that some more… did you happen to find out why Phantom made me into a spirit?"
"No. I couldn't get that answer out of her. No matter how hard I beat her. Eventually. Things got so bad that I reconsidered what Phantom was offering me. Then she gave me the crystal with Zafkiel in it. But. Just like what happened with you. When I became a Spirit, I lost all my memories of everything from before that moment."
"But you obviously got them back?"
Kurumi nodded slowly as tears started to stream down from her eye, "Yes… I did. Though I wish your father would have just killed me instead. That was what I deserved for what I did during that time… I won't go into the specifics. So yes… That's how we both became spirits."
The raven-haired magus seemed to be fighting with everything she had not to break down and sob hysterically at what she was remembering. Kotori felt her heart shatter at the expression on her face.
Crap… Pops was right. Nothing good will come of this conversation. I'd better change course and ease her out of this.
"And that's why you're trying so hard to fix everything? To make amends for whatever it was you did while you lost your memories?"
D'oh! That wasn't the question I wanted to ask! Why'd I just blurt that out?!
"No. Well. Partly. I'm still responsible for that as well. But what I'm trying to fix, is still coming."
"If I may ask… What ended up happening to Phantom?"
Violence seems to be her comfort zone. Let's try steering her back to that...
"After I got my memories back, I killed her…" she spoke through clenched teeth. "It's the first thing I do in every time loop. I find her and kill her! That's why you haven't met her, and never will! She'll never get a chance to play around with anyone else ever again!"
And another fail… A career as a councilor is clearly not in my future...
Kotori leapt from her place on the ground and onto Kurumi where she hugged her tightly. Kurumi was too surprised by the suddenness of it to respond.
"I'm sorry I made you tell me all of that. I can't imagine how painful this all must have been for you."
Kurumi snapped herself out of her state of shock and hugged Kotori back tightly. "This is why I don't want you to know more than you need to. This is my burden to bear. My choices that I made. My consequences to live with."
"You're not alone Kurumi. Origami and I are both here for you. Whatever you need. We will help you."
Kurumi reached up to her face and wiped away her tears. "Alright. If you really want to help me, then let's get back to our practice. The best way you can help me is to get stronger… You're the heir to your mother's legacy. Never forget it."
What does my mom have to do with anything? Why did I just almost hear her say that in pop's voice? And how does she know so much about mom anyway? She was a magus in Fuyuki... could she have been an apprentice of her's? That might make sense. But it doesn't answer all the questions, it just raises more...
"I couldn't inherit her magic crest. I remember the other you told me your family crest was destroyed before you could inherit it, but I couldn't get it anyway because I wasn't compatible. Mom tested to see if I could. So how can I be the heir to her legacy now?"
The two helped each other to their feet where Kurumi gave her younger sister a very hard stare into her cherry red eye. "Are you or are you not her daughter?"
"No, I'm her adopted dau-" she started trying to say before Kurumi's hand slapped her across the face with a sharp stinging pain.
SHE HIT ME?! MOM NEVER HIT ME! POPS NEVER HIT ME! THIS BITCH ACTUALLY HIT ME!
Kurumi's eye narrowed while Kotori stared up her with a wide eyes of shock. "You hit me?!"
"Yes," she answered coldly enough to put out whatever fire was left in the twin tailed girl. "To your family it makes no difference. Biological or adopted daughter. They love you more than anything in the world. I never want to hear you diminish it by appending that title as if it makes a difference to anyone who matters. I won't stand here and allow you to belittle the sacrifices they made for you," she stated in the most icy cold tone Kotori had ever heard in her life.
And she's right… I did deserve that...
"You're right… I'm sorry…" she answered timidly while feeling the unnatural chill in the air match Kurumi's tone of voice.
"Good. Now. Let's pull ourselves together and practice with that fire wall. We need to get you to a level where you can put it up in the time it takes me to fire a shot," she imperiously commanded as she turned to put some distance between them. "It's not difficult. You should be able to do it right before our time here is up."
"Sure… Whatever you say... Onee-sama."
Kurumi froze in her tracks. Even though she knew Kotori didn't mean it as anything other than a dig at how she was being treated, it had been far too long since she heard it from her mouth. "Are you ready?" she asked while her pistol appeared in her hand and her thumb moved to cock the hammer.
"Bring it on!"
Fuyuki
It had been two days since the funeral. Two days since he had been visited by the people claiming to be his daughter's biological parents. Though he had heard nothing from them since, Shirou was on edge. Ryouko could sense his unease, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't keep his mind out the turmoil it was in.
All she could do, was try to keep him busy. There was nothing else which could be done about the situation at the present time, and everyone knew it. But that didn't help Shirou overcome it. She decided the best thing to do, was put his mind to work. The parts they had ordered for the old Mercedes had arrived, and they spent the morning assembling the parts and installing them into the car. It wouldn't be long before they would go on the offensive again and having an extra car to make a fast escape would be invaluable.
"Please cheer up Shirou. Everything will be alright. We won't let anything happen to Kotori," said Tohka as she set out a fresh pitcher of ice water on the work table they were using to assemble the components.
Shirou nodded, "I'm trying Tohka. But it isn't easy," he said before taking the part he'd just put together to the car and then lay down to slide himself under the car to install it.
Tohka sighed and looked at Ryouko who looked at Tohka with a similar mournful expression. The violet haired woman stepped closer so she could speak discreetly to the ex-army officer.
"What can I do for him? He always makes my worries go away so easily, but I can't do it for him..."
Ryouko put a hand on Tohka's shoulder, "If you had children of your own, you'd understand. There's nothing anyone can do for him right now. Kotori is his whole world. Until these problems are all resolved, and he can know that she's safe. He won't stop being worried. It's the same for me with Origami. I just worry less because nobody is knocking on my door trying to take her away from me. But even still, every part of me is always screaming to leave everything here and go to her, so I can see that she's safe and happy with my own eyes. So I can hold her in my arms and let her know that I will keep her safe no matter what. Shirou is feeling that same feeling right now. He needs to be with her, he needs to be able to hold her, and let her feel safe."
"But she is safe where she is now. Isn't she?"
"Yes. But... I don't know how else to explain it. When you're a parent, that isn't enough."
"I love Kotori a whole lot as well. I also want to go protect her."
"But you're not her mother. It would be different if you were. You'd understand what he's feeling right now if you were. Being responsible for a life that would be helpless without you, is a beautiful and rewarding experience. But it's also the hardest thing anyone can ever do."
"But you're Origami's guardian. Not her mother?"
Ryouko sighed and rolled her eyes. "I know you didn't mean to offend me with that. But you did."
"I'm sorry. I really didn't mean-"
"I know you didn't. So relax. I'm not holding it against you. My relationship with Origami is a little complicated. But. I want to adopt her. I want us to be closer than we are. But the nature of our work made that difficult. Now that I'm not in the army anymore. I decided that the next time I see her, I'm going to offer to adopt her. I want to show her that I love her more than anything. That I want her to be my daughter, and that I want to be her mother. I've been that in all but name anyway."
"I'm still learning about what it means to have a family, or friends. Before Kotori came to me that day, I never knew anything but a life of just endlessly fighting people like you. But may I ask. What about your relationship with Origami is complicated?"
Ryouko sighed, "That's a very long story. If you don't mind, I'd rather not talk about it right now."
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't pry. That's probably very bad of me to do…" she said demurely.
Ryouko quickly shook her head and put a hand on Tohka's shoulder, "It's not that. I don't mind you asking questions like that. I just mean that I'm really not up to talking about it right now. But later."
Tohka nodded, took a deep breath, and mustered a small smile, "I'm sorry. I just make a lot of mistakes. Especially like these. I offended you, and then I asked a personal question."
Ryouko chuckled softly at her, "It's alright Tohka. It's perfectly alright to make mistakes. Never be afraid of making mistakes. Just learn from them when you do. And more importantly, pay attention to other people's mistakes and learn from those as well. It's how we all learn what we know."
Tohka smiled with renewed enthusiasm, "Right! I'll remember that. Thank you so much!"
Meanwhile, at the DEM dormitories in New City, Shido, Mana, Cecile, and Tonomachi were seated in front of the TV watching a football match.
"Are you sure you're alright with this Cecile? I mean, the commentator doesn't describe what's happening nearly enough for you, does he?" wondered Shido while holding her hand between them on the couch.
"It's perfectly fine Shido. I know you and Mana well enough by now. If you don't watch the footie you'll never be able to concentrate on your thaumaturgy. Besides. To tell the truth I get more enjoyment from how you and Mana get into it than I do from the actual game."
"What's wrong with the actual game?" asked Mana with narrowed eyes at the Irish girl.
"Well… I'm not sure where to even start. The players are all prima donnas who care more about their modeling careers than they do about their athletic careers. They take the smallest tumble and cry for their mothers. But somehow, millions upon millions of people still enjoy this so called sport."
Shido and Mana both glared at her with wide eyes as if she could see them.
"What sport do you enjoy? If any?" asked Tonomachi from the seat beside Mana.
"Gaelic Football of course! It's like a mixture of football, basketball, handball, and rugby. It's a rough game which only the strongest and bravest can play and survive!"
"Sounds fun…" remarked Tonomachi. "Is it alright if I ask? You teach them both about magic right?"
"Magecraft," she corrected. "Thaumaturgy and Magic are different things. To put it in simple terms, magecraft brings about what is possible through science using supernatural means. A DEM Wizard will do the opposite. Using science to recreate mysteries. Though, a wizard also relies on the supernatural to power the equipment they use."
"I don't think I understand…"
"It's alright Hiroto. You don't need to. What's important to know is that we can, and will protect you."
Shido and Mana both suddenly leapt up off the couch and gave each other a double high five while screaming and cheering loudly as their team scored the first goal.
"They really do get into it don't they?" remarked Tonomachi with a bright smile.
"They do. It's fun to hear them get excited like this," answered a smiling Cecile.
"It really is. So what is magic then? Is it even a thing?"
"Very much so. It's just not something we humans are generally capable of," Cecile started to explain while leaning back in the couch and taking a hold of Shido's hand again once he'd sat back down.
"I'm not sure how to explain it in a way you could understand. Something which is magic, is something which is otherwise impossible in a given age. For example, if I were to use my Thaumaturgy to create something capable to allowing me to communicate with someone across a vast distance in real time, that would be magic, if the phone hasn't yet been invented. Does that make sense?"
"So magic is anything that science hasn't yet achieved?"
"Yes and no. It's much more complicated than I'm making it sound. But, for a rudimentary understanding of the concept, that is a sufficient enough explanation."
"So, what kind of magecraft do you all work with?"
Cecile shook her head, "Generally speaking, a magus shouldn't reveal their mysteries to outsiders. But… I suppose you're not an outsider anymore. I have four elemental alignments. I mostly practice with Runes, since I'm blind I can still work with them to get things done. Aside from that, Curses and Alchemy. But my strong point, is Counter Magic. Which means disrupting another's Magic Circuits to nullify their magecraft. I taught it to Ellen. I try to teach these two, but…" she explained and then trailed off while gesturing to the television.
Mana took a hold of Tonomachi's hand, she grinned in amusement at how he blushed at the gesture, "Shido and I both only have one elemental affinity. Water. But we also have the unique ability to synchronize with each other. But only with each other. We can't do it with anyone else."
Just relax man… She grew up in England, not Japan. She doesn't know better. Just go with it. You don't wanna offend her or make her self conscious or anything.
"Nor have we have we tried…" remarked Shido.
Cecile burst into laughter at the siblings.
"What's funny?" asked the black haired boy.
"It's funny because when they told me about that ability of theirs I was shocked and a little revolted. I almost wanted to not be friends with them anymore."
"Do I even want to know?" he asked with an eyebrow raised.
Mana and Shido both started to look disgusted at the conversation.
Shido then spoke up quickly in an angry voice, "Because generally speaking, people with a similarly named ability have to have sex to make it work. But that's not the kind of synchronization we do, and we do it with an aria, and nothing else!"
"Gross thoughts being mercilessly shoved aside…" started Mana. "What we do is something entirely mental. We fight as two people, but we strategize and execute our attacks as if we're one person. I'm not sure how else to explain it. We don't know why we can do it, we just discovered that we can after we started training to become Wizards."
"I figure it has something to do with why our parents wanted to separate us as children. I really don't care how or why we can do what we do. Just as long as-" Shido shook his head when his phone started to ring. "Excuse me everyone…" he muttered while reaching into his pocket to get it out.
Cecile tried to let go of his hand to let him up but he squeezed her hand tighter to let her know he wasn't actually going anywhere.
"This is Adeptus Two..." he said into the phone and then simply listened to the speaker. "I understand. Has Adeptus One been notified?" Shido slowly nodded his head while his features visibly soured at what he was hearing. "Understood. I have Adeptus Three and Five with me. I'll let them know," he said before hanging up the phone with a long sigh.
Mana looked on with growing concern, "What is it big brother?"
"They're coming for us, we have to get ready,"
"Who's they?" asked Tonomachi.
"Sorry Tonomachi. You don't need to get involved in this. It's our fight," explained Mana as she stood up from the couch.
"A fight? If you're all getting into a fight then I'll help you!"
What the fuck am I saying?! What's gotten into me?
Mana shook her head, "You don't mean that. You said yourself you wanted nothing to do with the Moonlit World. That's what's coming for us. I intend to protect you from it. So please. Go somewhere safe."
Tonomachi balled his fists, "Yes. But… How can I just let you fight for me? I'm not a pathetic coward! How could you want to have a weakling like that for a boyfriend?! Someone who turns tail and runs when the things he cares about are in danger?"
Mana's eyes widened at the passion in his voice.
"He's got you there Mana. But let me ask you something Hiroto. You said yourself your Mystic Eyes weren't all that powerful. So what can you do that we can't?" asked Cecil while Shido helped her into her wheelchair.
Tonomachi reached around behind his back and pulled out a small polished silver metallic object which he stared at for a long moment. Then with a quick motion of his finger he revealed the object to be a Higonokami blade, albeit, one which was slightly larger than the norm, but still easy to conceal.
"I don't know exactly. But I need to find out today if everything my mother and I endured from my father can be made into anything positive. Or I'll die trying. Otherwise, how could I ever hope to be worthy of any of your friendships?"
Cecile nodded her head, "Well… I suppose I can accept that. I'm only here now for a similar reason. What do you think Shido?"
"I think he's an idiot! But he's got guts. I respect that. It's his decision. I'll support it if he means it. Mana. It's up to you now. You have the final word."
Mana closed her eyes tightly, "I respect it too. But you don't have to risk your life like this to impress me or my big brother Tonomachi. That shouldn't factor into your equation here. If you do this. Do it for yourself. Not for me. Not for us. But for you, and only you!"
Tonomachi firmly nodded his head while folding away his knife, "I won't lie. I am a male, and my masculinity would be hopelessly compromised if I didn't go out there and fight beside you," he said with a hearty chuckle. "But all kidding aside. I need to do this. I need to do something good with this curse I've been given or I may never be free of it."
Mana turned around to look at her big brother and Cecile. "Could you two go on ahead of us? I'd like to try talking some sense into him, alone."
"Sure Mana. You know where we'll be," answered Cecile before Shido could protest.
The blue haired boy instantly gave Tonomachi the stink eye before turning the wheelchair towards the doorway.
Once they were gone, Mana turned a pair of angry brown eyes on him. "Let me explain a few things about what you're asking to fight against…"
"What?! Who authorized this?!" demanded Shirou.
Waver shook his head, "I don't know. All I know is the Association and the Holy Church are going to conduct a joint assault on the DEM facilities here in Fuyuki. There will also be a simultaneous assault in Tokyo."
Shirou's head slammed into the table as he growled in frustration.
"I take it this means the conflict is escalating?" asked Ryouko.
Waver nodded to her. "Yes. That's exactly what it means. So what do you want to do Shirou?"
All eyes at the table were suddenly upon him as he lifted up his head.
I wish you were here Rin… I'm no leader. I don't know what to do here. What would you do in this situation?
"We need options to consider. Let's throw down on the table and see what cards we have to play," he said before taking a deep breath. "Option one is to join the battle against DEM. But that means Tohka has to sit this one out. We risk making another enemy if they find out about her."
Waver crossed his fingers and rested his chin on them in deep thought, "I'm inclined to agree with that assessment as well. Not even I could prevent her from gaining a Sealing Designation if they found out about her spirit powers. The rest of us would be in just as much danger as a result. With that in mind, I think the risks to ourselves from getting involved far outweigh the benefits. Not committing our full strength is the same as not doing anything at all. We'd simply trade one enemy for another if we did fully commit."
"Agreed. Ryouko? Any suggestions?"
"Yes. This battle provides us with a unique opportunity and we shouldn't let it pass us by. They'll have to commit their best to the battle, which means there will be less opposition if we want to break in and gather intelligence."
"That's worth looking at. But we should count on them expecting something like this."
"We also have no idea where to start looking… We don't know the layout of the facility, we also don't have an expert in computer hacking. We can't count on them having physical records for us to look though," added the hooded girl beside Waver.
I didn't realize it until now, but her voice… She sounds just like Saber.
Waver slowly nodded his head again, "Gray makes a very good point as well. To gather intelligence, we'd need to first gather intelligence on where to gather intelligence. I am personally disinclined from attempting such a mission when there are so many variables we cannot control."
"However…" stated Gray which drew all eyes to her. "I believe that, as Mr. Emiya has said, our enemies will expect such an attempt. They would seek to secure themselves. We should assume they will not make any mistakes in this."
"Yes. But what is your point?" asked Waver with some impatience.
"My point is that everything they will want to keep safe should be relocated based on the assumption that they will lose this battle. The Association Enforces have had little success against them in combat, but the Holy Church have not yet lost an engagement."
"I see what you're saying Gray. They'll move anything valuable from their facility to another location. We just have to find and intercept their shipments. Anything we hit is a potential gold mine of information."
"Yes Mr. Emiya. That is precisely what I am saying."
"It's a good idea, and we have experience with hijacking convoys," added a smirking Ryouko.
Waver nodded his agreement, "I think it would also be wise of us to observe this battle. So we can try and understand why the Enforcers are losing so badly to the DEM soldiers and why the Holy Church are so successful against them. It could help us to appropriately adjust our own tactics in the future."
Shirou firmly nodded, "I'm with you on that one. As for Gray's plan, we'll go with that as well. Our primary objective will be to gather intelligence by observing them in combat. If any targets of opportunity appear, we'll move on them."
Tonomachi fell down onto the couch with a tired huff. "I understand. I have no idea what they're all capable of. I've never fought a magus, or an executor before. But…"
Seriously… What the hell am I doing?
"...my mind's made up. I need to do this."
"Why? What's really motivating you?"
"I just need to do this Takamiya. I need everything I've been through to be worth something."
Mana shook her head, "When I fight. I only care about protecting my brother. It's the same for him. People say you need to have ideals, things worth fighting for. But I don't think that's true at all. Like some fight to protect the world. But the world hasn't done anything for me, or my brother. We just got ourselves out of one kind of misery only to endure a different kind, and just when we thought we'd finally reached the end of our misery, we just found more of it. All we do is fight. All we're good for is fighting. In the end, all I have is my big brother, and I'm all he has. That's why we fight. Because it's all we can do."
"Takamiya…"
The ponytailed bluenette seated herself beside him and took a tight hold of his hand, "Please Tonomachi. Listen to me. Don't put yourself in the same situation we're in. Don't get blood on your hands if you don't have to. There's no going back from it. There's no washing it off. I don't want that for you. If I can go out there and fight to keep you from ever having to do it yourself, then I'll gladly do that. But I don't want you to be like us! I want you to be the normal boy who had the courage to ask me out in spite of the knowledge that my big brother would have beaten you up for it. That's why I like you Tonomachi. That's who I want you to be."
Damn it all… How can I say no to her now?
He slowly nodded his head while his dark eyes locked in on her browns, "Alright. So what do you want to eat when you get back? I'll make anything you want. Anything at all."
"You really cook? Emiya said that-"
"I had to learn so I could cook for myself and my mother. So. What do you want me to prepare for you for when you get back safely?"
Mana put one hand on her chin while still holding onto his hand with her other hand. She gave his hand a light squeeze which made his cheeks redden.
Just relax man. She probably just doesn't know better. People in the west aren't as reserved with these kinds of things…
"Surprise me," was her answer.
Tonomachi blinked at her, "No offense, but, I thought you were a picky eater, I mean, I just don't want to make anything you don't like."
"If we're going to be dating. I should at least try some of the things you like to eat. So make whatever you think is your best dish. I promise I'll eat it," she said with a smile before leaning in towards him and placing a soft kiss on his cheek which consequently ignited his face in a burning blush.
"Be safe Takamiya."
She squeezed his hand again in response, "Call me Mana. Hiroto."
"Umm… Alright. As you wish, Mana."
Misaki
Kurumi and Origami walked up a busy street on their way to meet up with Kotori and the Yamai twins who were waiting for them while they went out to purchase a few items they would all need for the day's planned activities. Including some experimentation the raven haired magus intended to perform on the twins.
"How were things with Kotori today?"
The crimson eyed girl shook her head in response, "I really don't know. We practiced some Thaumaturgy this morning. But our interactions have been a little mixed. I'm not exactly sure how to describe it. One moment we're being affectionate with each other, and the next… She said something I slapped her for..."
Origami leveled a seemingly inscrutable stare upon her. Inscrutable to anyone but Kurumi that is. She simply knew every one of her expressions, and she knew Origami was constantly testing how well she actually knew her. This look meant, 'elaborate or else' and didn't take no for an answer.
"We were talking about how she was the heir to our mother's legacy. She asked how she could be since she couldn't inherit her crest. I reminded her that she is her daughter. She then tried to correct me by saying she was adopted. I couldn't control myself, I just smacked her across the face on reflex."
"Because even though she isn't your sister by blood, in your eye, and in the eyes of your parents, it doesn't make any difference. Is that correct?"
"Exactly correct. You know, I read that in this situation, the biological child often feels jealous of how much attention the adopted child gets from their parents. I never experienced that. Not once. Not even a little. If anything, I think my parents were jealous of how much I monopolized Kotori's time. I was always playing with her, doting on her, spoiling her rotten. Heh, even you thought I was far too protective of her. Yet somehow, she didn't emulate any of my bad habits. Much to our parent's relief. She was tidy, organized, polite… Did I do wrong?"
"Hitting her was indeed the wrong thing to do, but you didn't do it out of malice. You did it to correct her. Perhaps next time you might consider trying words instead. She tried to confide a feeling of inadequacy to you, your response was to harshly crush that feeling of her's. While not necessarily wrong, the way you chose to do it was absolutely wrong."
"Everything would have been simpler if she knew the truth…"
"Yes. That's why you need to tell her. Perhaps that was why you hit her? That conversation could only have lead to a discussion about how you know so much about her mother. As it stands, you have a poorly defined relationship with her. She doesn't know how to treat you. Her instincts tells her one thing, while her heart tells her another, and her head another still. I suspect that if you hadn't told me the truth about us, that I too would be feeling the same way she is feeling. That our relationship should be more than what it otherwise would have been."
"To be perfectly honest, when it comes to you, the difference between you knowing the truth and not knowing, is the difference between you trying to penetrate me with your fingers or your bullets. One is simply far preferable to the other," she stated in the sauciest and most salacious tone Origami had ever heard anyone take, ever.
"You are shameless…"
And it excites me… No! This is not the time… I need to focus on problem solving… Damn it. I see what she's doing. She's deflecting from the issue at hand. I won't let her.
Kurumi grinned devilishly, "No more so than you my love. Don't tell me it hasn't occurred to you yet that you'd be giving your virginity to someone who's already claimed it before! Admit it. The idea of being with someone for the first time who already knows... Every. Single. Little. Thing. Which you don't yet know you like the most... All the things which ignite your most burning passions and satisfies your deepest and most guarded carnal desires, excites you beyond all measure and reason."
Kurumi grinned at the deep blush on Origami's face, "If it hasn't yet occurred to you… I wonder how long you'll be able to keep that sinful thought to yourself before you snap and act on it!"
Not long Kurumi… Not long at all… Well played. But two can play this game.
"Settle things with your sister… And I will appropriately reward you thus," answered Origami with a lustful grin she couldn't keep off no matter how hard she tried to maintain her signature poker face.
And don't make me wait!
Before their conversation could continue, the city wide siren began to blare, followed by an announcement of an impending spacial quake.
"We need to move to a shelter," calmly remarked Origami after shaking away her previous thoughts.
"No!" yelled Kurumi while grabbing onto her arm. She then leaned in closer to her as people started running to clear the streets, "I didn't sense anything. If a quake were really about to happen, I'd feel the mana disruption a spacequake causes long before the alarm went off."
"What are you saying?"
Kurumi discarded everything she was carrying and flooded her magic circuits, "This isn't the first time this has happened. Just like it was back in New City that time. DEM triggers a false alarm when they want to remove witnesses from an area they're about to operate in," she explained while picking Origami up into a bridal carry. "So I'm saying we need to get the girls and get back to the Tohno estate before we get caught up in an orgy of violence!"
"Kurumi, you can't run that distance while holding me like this! Put me down and I'll meet you back at the mansion!"
"There are only two people I will never leave behind! You and my sister! Now shut up and watch me!"
Fuyuki
In the locker room of the DEM branch, Shido finished putting on the last of his gear before going over towards Cecile who had finished putting on her wiring suit while his back was turned. "Are you ready?"
"Yes…" she said after some hesitation.
"There's no need to be nervous Cecile. Mana and I are going to protect you."
Cecile shook her head, "It's not that… It's just that, I've never seen your face before. This will be the first time…"
"Is that all you're nervous about?" asked Shido with a light chuckle as he took a hold of her hand.
Mana couldn't help gushing over their display, but she kept quiet and smiled so hard her cheeks started to ache.
"Don't be a stook Shido!" she said with a raised voice and a red face. "I fell in love with you without ever having had a chance to actually see you. Now I get to see you for the first time and fight alongside you for the first time… What's not to be nervous about?"
"If I'm to be perfectly honest. And I try to be. I'm scared too. I think you're radiantly beautiful and the fact you fell in love with me frankly amazes me. You're so far out of my league that I'm scared to death of you. Especially right now. You're about to see me for the first time. This is a big moment and I'm honestly just as nervous as you are. I don't know what you'll think of me. I don't know what I think of myself! I just hope it doesn't... You know. Put you off..."
"It doesn't matter what you look like. It's who you are that I fell in love with. So let's do this. Can you help me into my CR Unit?"
"Alright Cecile. Here, put your arms around my shoulders here," he said while bending down to wrap his arms under her's while she wrapped her's around her neck and shoulders.
Shido then carefully lifted her up to an alcove in the wall which contained her CR Unit. He carefully positioned her so her backpack would connect to the hardware.
"I still have no idea what you could possibly love about me Cecile. But I feel very lucky."
Once he felt the equipment lock in he slowly released her weight onto the CR unit which in turn was suspended in the alcove.
"Jabberwock. Initialize," she said softly to herself while keeping her eyes tightly closed.
Why did I fall in love with you? What a muppet you can be sometimes Shido...
London, England
Two years ago
I'd been shoved out of my wheelchair by a group of orphans in the DEM training facility. I remember laying helpless on the floor with my magic circuits ignited but I just couldn't hit anyone with my mystery. No matter how hard I tried to hit the sounds, I just couldn't replace sight with sound in my mind's eye.
"Blind, crippled, and ginger! Damn you really got the short end of the stick!"
"What do you think you can do around here? Why don't you stop wasting everyone's time and die!"
"Filthy witch! Look at her trying to use that magic! Why don't we burn her?"
"Yeah! Burn the ginger witch!"
"Hey what the hell?!"
I heard sounds coming from all around that I just couldn't figure out, at least until I started hearing the unmistakable screams of pain, suffering, and agony which told me there was a hell of an epic beat down going on around me. But who here would bother helping me?
"What's with all of you? I thought you were strong! I thought you wanted to have a fight! But look at you sorry wankers now! Bleeding all over the floor! How pathetic can you be?! Get up and fight me! Or are you only strong when the person you're picking on can't fight back? How stupid is that?! I said get up and fight!"
I heard the sounds of bones breaking, the ear shattering screams of boys and girls as they begged and pleaded for mercy from the person beating them. But it seemed that mercy wasn't quite in his vocabulary.
A few moments later, I heard his voice speaking directly to me, it had none of the aggression he gave to the others, he sounded so incredibly kind in stark contrast to who he was a moment ago.
"Are you alright? May I help you back into your chair?"
May I help you back into your chair… Even my minder, who is conspicuously absent right now, never asks my permission to move me around.
"As much as I would like to do it on my own, I'm afraid I don't quite know where it is," I said while feeling around me for the chair.
"Just a moment then," he said while walking around me. I heard the sounds of my chair being put upright and then he brought it over towards me. "May I take your hands and show you where it is?" he asked me again.
I felt my cheeks heat up. I knew I was blushing profusely but I couldn't help myself, this boy sounded so kind and sincere.
"Yes. You may," I said while offering out my hands. I felt him take a hold of me, his hands were so warm, so gentle, nothing at all like what I imagined the hands of someone so violent would feel like.
He brought my hands up to the armrests of the wheelchair and told me what they were. "I also put the brakes on the wheels, so it won't roll away from you."
With every bit of my own strength, and some self reinforcement, I pulled myself up into the chair. The boy who saved me didn't offer any additional help, but he did say that he would if I asked him for it. He said all he'd do is hold the chair in place for me just incase it tried to get away from me again. Nobody ever gave me this much respect before now.
"Why are you helping me like this?" I asked of him once I was properly seated in my chair.
"I don't like bullies. They're the lowest form of life on Earth," he answered.
"How can I ever repay you for this?"
"You don't have to. I beat up tossers like these for fun. But if you really want to do something… Hmm… you're Cecile O'Brien right?"
"I am, yes."
"Great! I heard you're even smarter than Origami Tobiichi. You've got the top grades in like everything! If you want to do something for me, could you help me tutor my sister? She's way behind in math. I was just on my way to her now if you want to meet her."
I couldn't help laughing. "I'd be happy to!"
"You know Shido… It annoys me that you have to ask. But. I suppose I could tell you," she said with her eyes still tightly closed.
Shido took a step back and looked at her face with a curious expression.
"I wouldn't be here now, if it weren't for you. Being smart wasn't enough to survive. I also had to be strong. Strong like you. I didn't want to have to rely on anyone to protect me. I wanted to be able to protect others the way you protected me. That was the only way I could prove to myself that I was capable of anything I set my mind to. You inspired me to do that. That's why I love you. Because you make me want to be as strong as you are. You never look down on me for my disadvantages. You inspire me to work harder to overcome them."
"Deploy territory…" she said softly while Shido was too stunned to speak. After that she opened her eyes and smiled brightly at him while stepping out of the alcove using her territory to control her limbs. "Because of you Shido, I can see, because of you I can walk. Because of you I can fly. Because of you, I can fight."
Shido was still speechless as she used her territory to manipulate her legs into walking up to him. It was also at this moment that Shido realized she was actually taller than he was. Not by much though, the top of her head was only just above his.
It fits. She should stand taller than me.
"That's why I love you Shido. I'm better and stronger because of you. Because you protected me. Because you and Mana gave me the opportunity to become as I am now."
Cecile wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in to kiss him on the lips while Mana watched with eyes full of happy tears as he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her back.
When they finally pulled apart, Shido found his words again, "I guess this means you don't think I'm ugly?"
"No, you have a face like a blind cobbler's thumb and a bucket of snots! But I still love you," she then turned her head towards Mana, "Your sister won the genetic lottery though. You're more beautiful than I imagined you'd be Mana!"
"Aww. Thank you so much!" she said while running up to Cecile to hug her. The top of Mana's head only went up to her chin though but she found it to be a very comfortable hug.
Definitely the kind of hug I should get from a big sister!
A moment later the city wide siren began to blare and all three looked up.
"It's time," they all said in unison.