Wanted to thank everyone who's reviewed the story thus far. You guys make all this worth it in the end and each review sheds light on my dull existence lol.

Without further ado, let's get into it.

Read, review, enjoy

Disclaimer: I do not own Sekirei; if I did, the situation with certain characters would've turned out very differently and we'd have more than two seasons of the anime. It belongs solely to Sakurako Gokurakuin.

"speech"

thought

"phone call"

"Norito"

SOUND EFFECT!

"flashback"

The Sekirei Plan was not without its fail-safes. In what was essentially a city-wide battle-royale, the Chairman had come up with several procedures in the event one of the participants – that being the Sekirei themselves – fell to another. Termination of a Sekirei was handled with the highest level of readiness within MBI, prompting an armed response of the mega-corporation's finest security. High above the city, two CH-47 Chinook helicopters filled with heavily armed MBI security teams maintained a holding pattern while the commanding officer barked into his radio.

"What do you mean we're to hold off?! Our orders are to retrieve the terminated, aren't they?"

"I'm sorry sir, but orders came down from the top. You're to hold position and await further orders," the dispatch controller relayed.

The commander bared his teeth into the makings of a snarl. "What could be so damned important for us to have to stay up here?"

"Satellite feeds have confirmed Number Nine engaging a masked figure intelligence has codenamed: Yuki-onna. Initial reports suggest the unknown is a Sekirei of incredible power, one that has shown no regard for any bystanders – including MBI personnel."

"My men know what we signed up for, so tell whoever gave the order they can shove it right up their-!"

"The orders came from the Chairman, sir. He wants to see how this situation plays out and has forbid any act that could affect it."

The commander's retort died on his lips, his eyes widening behind his goggles as he gripped the radio hard enough to crack the casing. "…understood. But the second the LZ is clear, we're going in." He immediately cut the line and hurled the radio into the wall of the transport, cursing loudly.

Damn that loon! What's game here anyway? Is watching two of those freaks going at it worth something like this?

This wasn't how he expected his employment at MBI to play out, but he'd be damned if he let some cape-wearing lunatic keep him from doing his job that loon hired him for.

Keying his helmet radio, he opened a channel to their chopper's pilot. "Youkai-three, you get all that?"

"Unfortunately, sir. Seems we're stuck up here," the pilot replied sourly, his voice outlined with static.

"Maybe not," the commander said suddenly, causing a few of his men to look up at him in interest. "Can you bring us down to one of the surrounding buildings?"

"But sir, we were told to remain up here-!"

"The boss said he didn't want us to get in the bitches' way, so we won't. And all you'd be doing is getting us down so we can deploy. The rest is in our hands – think you can manage that, flyboy?"

He got no response initially which he felt was justified. They were about to break some serious protocols after all. But the moment before the crackle in his ear sounded, one of his men called out to him.

"Sir, you should see this…"

"Hold that thought el-tee," the commander cut the pilot off before he strode over to the soldier, peering through the porthole of the chopper. At first all he saw was clouds with the faint sheen of lights shining through before the city proper. But as he looked closer…

FLASH! FLASH! FLASH!

A series of jagged structures that reminded him of some icebergs he'd seen during his earlier tours in the arctic sprung up in quick succession, followed swiftly by almost tsunami-like waves crashing into them. The pattern would repeat over and over, rendered entirely mute due to the helicopter's altitude though it didn't stop a chill going down the man's spine. For a split second, he couldn't comprehend what he was seeing until it came to him.

He'd been briefed on the Sekirei, just as the others had. Everyone in MBI knew what they were: super-powered aliens that had landed on earth in a massive spaceship somewhere, the specifics of which were still classified. The reports from the battle from Kamikura Island, however, were not but still hadn't quite shown the veteran what they were capable of or if they were worth all this damned manpower.

But now... well, they said seeing was believing after all, and oh did he believe. He didn't have a choice faced with the sight of literal forces of nature waging war against one another.

"What's the call, boss?" the pilot came back on, the line crackling with static in the wake of silence.

The commander gritted his teeth so hard he nearly chipped a tooth. "…maintain altitude."

"Roger."

The line went dead, and the commander pounded a fist against the wall of the chopper with a frustrated scowl on his face.

Damn it! I've faced down nearly every lifeform of this fucking globe and kicked its teeth in, but that… what the hell are we supposed to do against fucking freaks like that?

The sea is a powerful entity. Destructive yet elegant in all its raw forms. The term unstoppable couldn't be truer for the ocean; swallowing all those who dare try to go against it with its counterpart as the only form of resistance that can withstand its onslaught since time immemorial.

This is how the Water Sekirei viewed herself; elegance and power personified. Until now nothing could stand against her – all those who dared were washed away never to rise to the challenge again. Like a mighty wave, the full might of the ocean at her beck and call, she would crash down upon all those that tried their hand at facing the unstoppable force. Until now, the "ocean" that was she had yet to meet the "land" of which she so fervently sought.

That is, until the masked Sekirei appeared before her. Now, instead of being swept away like all the others, it was this being that acted to stall her just like the land did to the ocean - to withhold its power and its grace for no other reason save that it could.

To someone like Tsukiumi, this knowledge was not only vexing – it was invigorating! A force of nature to rival her own at last! Able to match her blow for blow without so much as a hair out of place; this was nothing short of exquisite.

Truly, the only one able to match thyself before would be Kagari! Thou hast piqued thine interest, Yuki-onna! Tsukiumi thought gleefully, as she lashed out with another set of water blades, all of whom were frozen into beautiful sculptures.

If this weren't a duel, perhaps Tsukiumi might've admired them. As it was, she had an opponent to best. However, raw power alone wouldn't be enough any longer. She had to try something else.

As she evaded another set of ice stalagmites that burst from the ground, she spotted something off to the side that gave her a devious idea. It was all she could do not to smirk.

"Chilling thou may be to face as an adversary, but one I shan't shy away from!" the blonde called out, summoning a wall of water that rose high above her, concealing her from sight. Her answer came in the form of a jet of cold air that froze the wall solid, but Tsukiumi had already moved. Just as she heard the wall behind her shatter, she tucked her knees, somersaulted and retrieved her objective – the bent street sign from before. "HAH!" she cried, hurling her sign like a javelin at the Sekirei.

She never intended to hit the Sekirei nor did she expect to; her opponent was far too agile for that. Instead, what she planned on was something a bit more underhanded but would serve to prove a point.

The masked Sekirei easily avoided the object, though she couldn't help but glance past her in shock.

Something Tsukiumi didn't hesitate to capitalize on.

"Water Celebration!"

This time, the woman couldn't avoid the stream in time and was blast a good ten feet backwards, somehow managing to stay on her feet the entire time. The masked woman "looked" up, streams of water dripping from her mask for a few silent moments before they froze in place. Now the mask took on a slightly more ominous appearance, but Tsukiumi merely laughed.

"Hast winter left its mark upon thou? Tis difficult to tell when thy face is enshrouded like so."

In an instant, Tsukiumi felt more than saw the woman's irritation as a wave of cold air began to blow, billowing around the masked Sekirei with her kimono starting to flap in the wind. It was all she could do not to grin ferally.

Finally, she would be taken seriously.

"Come then," she called out, summoning two gouts of water that engulfed her hands. "Let this waltz reach its conclusion, and victor walk freely! Though perhaps in thy ashikabi's case, thou might prefer that instead!"

For the first time, an almost animalistic yell erupted from the masked Sekirei as she shot her hands forward, unleashing a gale of frosty air towards the blonde. Tsukiumi released her own battle cry, splaying her palms forward to meet the oncoming disaster with her own torrent.

The two attacks met in climactic fashion, crashing against one another in the middle, battling for dominance. At first, it was a stalemate. But gradually, her stream of water succumbed to the icy influence, slowly creeping toward her despite the power she poured into it. But it was for naught.

Even she knew ice trumped water in its basest form. That didn't mean she would allow such an eventuality to be her end, however!

Just as the icy beam nearly turned her into a living sculpture, Tsukiumi leapt backwards and let the torrent fizzle out into a few droplets. Still, she had to marvel for a moment at the sheer wall of solid ice before her, leading all the way up to her opponent… who wasn't there.

Before she could so much as gasp, she felt a presence above and saw the Sekirei, standing right above her with a javelin of her own, made of ice. Tsukiumi gritted her teeth and prepared to summon another globe of water… only to find that she couldn't. Her powers were exhausted as was she.

"It is over, Nine," the Sekirei intoned coldly before she deftly hurled the spear at her.

Tsukiumi made to dodge it, but at the last second, she lost her footing and stumbled. It was but a second, but it was a crucial one. The blow would surely end her in one fell swoop if she didn't move.

But miraculously, it never did. For in a surge of heat, the javelin flash fried into hot water that merely felt lukewarm to Tsukiumi as it splashed over her.

"Who-?!"

Her answer came in the form of tongue of flame that tore through the ice bridge the other Sekirei had been standing on, forcing the latter to leap to avoid being caught in the bedlam.

"Yo Yuki-onna, Nine."

That voice. Despite her state, Tsukiumi couldn't stop herself from directing a sour look over at the new arrival in the form of the Sekirei Guardian/rival. "Thou hast an irritating habit of showing up unexpectedly, Guardian," she grumbled.

"I'll take that as thanks, blondie," the male Sekirei remarked before he looked over at the other mask wearer. "Wanna try picking on someone your own size, Six?"

Tsukiumi's eyes flew open at that revelation. "SEVEN?! Dost thou mean she's-?"

"A single number like us? Yeah. Gotta say, you've got balls going up against someone like her, even if you never had much of a chance in the end."

Much as the blonde wanted to refute that, it was true. Deep down Tsukiumi knew that no matter how hard she fought, her defeat had been all but certain. But she'd be damned if she admitted it aloud; she had her pride to uphold, dammit! "T-then this duel hasn't concluded-!"

"Yeah, no. You're both in no shape to keep going and even if you did, someone would get terminated."

Tsukiumi snarled at the other Sekirei. "Tis not your place to meddle in the affairs of warriors, Guardian!" she spat, outraged.

"It is when neither of you are winged."

That brought the Water Sekirei up short, not so much for the obvious on her part because of her abhorrence towards ashikabi in general. But for the fact that he didn't limit that to her. Her gaze traveled to the masked Sekirei and suddenly, Tsukiumi could see how… tense she was.

All that talk earlier about how the masked Sekirei, no, #7 had railed against #9's views on ashikabi when the former didn't even have one herself. Tsukiumi might've laughed… had she the energy to do so. But the fight had left her spent of energy.

"So, what's it going to be Seven? Want to try your luck against me?" the albino Sekirei challenged, lifting a gloved fist coated in flames.

#6 said nothing, merely backing away until she made a bounding leap to the roof out of sight. It wasn't until a few tense moments passed that the other two finally allowed themselves to relax.

"Making friends, Tsukiumi?" her rival said in jest. She merely shot him a glare as she drew herself up, trying to salvage as much dignity as possible.

"Thy talent for understatement persists, it seems," the blonde grumbled, dusting herself off.

"Gotta lighten the mood somehow. Anyways, you ok?"

She huffed at him, folding her arms across her chest. "Concern for thy wellbeing is noted, but needed. I am perfectly fine."

That was, until the universe decided it would be hilarious to make her stumble on a random pebble and lose her balance. The undignified noise that escaped her throat right after didn't help her whatsoever either.

"Pfft."

The glare she shot at him then burned hotter than the surface of the sun – fitting since her face was basically the same.

"Ahem! Right, so what was all that about anyways? I picked up a few other auras in the area but only you two were left. What gives?"

Her expressions soured as she thought back to the vermin that scampered after the masked Sekirei showed up. "She was but an obstacle to the crux of my displeasure. A horde of rodents were attempting to find breaks in our defenses until I intervened."

"You mean like her?" Kagari asked, pointing ahead.

Tsukiumi followed his direction, frowning a bit at the prone form of the terminated Sekirei – Oshino, she recalled – who had somehow managed to not be caught up in the battle. That said, the puddle of water that had been left under had since frozen over due to the change in temperature. "Yes. Arrogance was her undoing as one can see."

"MBI should've came and got her already; what the hell is Minaka up to…?"

I confess curiosity as well, but it matters little what that man thinks, she thought with a toss of her hair.

"If our business is concluded, I shalt take leave. There is someone I must see to."

"Someone?" she heard her rival question, but she was already walking to the large organic all before them. "Hold on… you're not living here, are you?"

Tsukiumi stilled, turning a sharp look on the man as she prepared to attack him, if need be. "Tread lightly, Kagari-san. Long has the night been for thyself, and anything that seeks to prolong it will be dealt with most swiftly. Dost thou understand?"

Kagari wisely backed off, showing his hands as though to deter her hostility. "Alright, alright! Geez. Just trying to make sure you won't get hypothermia or something."

The blonde allowed herself to send a tiny reassuring smile as she placed a palm on the growth, releasing a bit of her power into it. Within moments, the growth slithered away, revealing a darkened tunnel that led into the center of the gigantic cocoon. "Perhaps in lieu of worrying for others, one might turn their attentions to their own affairs, lest they burn themselves out again. T'would be a shame to lose a rival to such mundane instances. Adieu."

Stepping through, she didn't catch whatever Kagari said afterwards and made her way inside, the entrance behind her sealing once more. But it was not so dark that she couldn't see; her Sekirei senses picked out all the obstacles or obstructions that could hinder her progress, allowing her to sidestep them with ease.

Still, it was a rather length walk to her destination she so allowed her thoughts to wander.

Two weeks. A fortnight had passed since she had found herself in the unlikely role of this place's guardian. Before she wouldn't have fathomed having to settle down in this place for the long haul, nor had she expected to protect it with such zeal. But compared to the outside world, this realm she now walked was peaceful and serene, a far cry from the chaos beyond its walls.

When she had been released from MBI, she fully intended on making it through the Sekirei Plan as the strongest, to finally achieve that long sought after goal. Nothing mattered but that and as for finding her destined one-

The blonde bit her lip fiercely to derail that train of thought before it could leave the station. She refused to lower herself to that level of debauchery, no matter what. It was good that she had yet to feel anything more than a tug on her senses, merely a twinge as if someone was yanking on a line. Nothing more than that thankfully though even she knew that it wouldn't last.

Much as she was loathe to admit it, her… ashikabi was out there right now. Where she didn't know, but it mattered little. They would do well to steer clear of her for the rest of their meek little lives if they planned to keep existing. Absolutely no way would she ever-

"Tsuki-nee!"

All at once, every single nasty thought lingering in her brain along with her apparent exhaustion flew away at the soft impact of a tiny form at her waist. Unbidden, a playful smirk played upon her lips as she peered down at the little lifeform clinging to her. "Child, tis past one's bedtime is it not?"

The eyes that peered up at her never failed to melt her icy heart, and the irony of that statement wasn't lost on her. "But… I wanted a story."

Good heavens. For someone with such power, #108 was still very much the child she appeared to be. Even more reason that Tsukiumi would fight to the bitter end to safeguard that innocence. "Alas, t'would appear my fate hast been sealed. Lead on."

"Yes!" the little bundle of life known as Kusano cheered, taking her hand and yanking her along.

It was all Tsukiumi could do not to chuckle at the child's eagerness. They passed by all manner of wondrous flora, some acting as the light for this dim but humid place. Some of the plants even bloomed as they passed by, as if spurned on by the joy of their mistress' favorite person returning.

Soon enough they came a sort of loft embedded in the trunk of a large tree, perhaps the only remaining tree in the park that Kusano had made into her home. There was no bed one could see, but instead a hammock made of twined plants, far too big for someone like the young Sekirei.

Letting go, the child scurried over and retrieved a book that had been hanging on the lip of the hammock, holding it high over her head like some trophy she'd won. "Here, here!"

Tsukiumi peered at the cover and sighed. "Another fairytale? Tis not healthy for a young lady's mind to read such fables always."

It was an old argument between the two that had since become custom. Tsukiumi had brought in books ranging from the legendary works of Shakespeare to even simple technical books, if only to try and educate the child. Normally she wouldn't have had to since Sekirei were conditioned with basic rudimentary concepts before being released into the city.

But to her shock and horror, Kusano hadn't. Apart from basic tuning, she had received next to no education and hardly any consideration from any of MBI save for perhaps Sahashi Takami and even that had been barebones.

Kusano was a blank slate almost, a child filled with incredible potential as the youngest of the Sekirei but one with an innocence none had. She was like a canvas, arranged in the most exquisite setting with only a few drops of painting upon the page.

It was abhorrent to someone as prideful as the Water Sekirei who valued knowledge to an almost zealous degree. MBI had indeed squandered what this child could be, and far be it from her to leave things as they were.

But, as the saying rang true: the best laid plans of mice and men.

"No!" Kusano protested, holding up the book once more. "This!"

Were this any other night, Tsukiumi would've pressed the matter but she merely sighed once more. "As you wish. But only once tonight, understand?" Rarely was that ever the case, however.

"Yay! Come on, come on!" the Sekirei of Life tugged on her hand, pulling her over to the hammock that she crawled into first… or rather, tried to. The hammock kept flip-flopping back and forth no matter what she did, causing the little girl to let out a tiny growl of frustration.

"Kusano-?"

"Kuu!" the little girl corrected her sharply, aiming what she probably thought was an intimidating glare up at her. All Tsukiumi could compare it to was the equivalent of a kitten staring up at a lion.

And much to her relenting shame, the lion backed down as always. She might've felt degraded were it not a child. "Kuu-chan," she settled for which seemed to appease the girl. "Let me." Tsukiumi easily made herself comfy inside the hammock, turning over to pick up the much smaller Sekirei and nestle her beside the blonde. "Better?"

"Mmm!" Kusano hummed in delight, holding up the book again. "Read, read!"

And so, she did, flipping open the page of a story she'd come to know intimately over the last while. In her mind's eye she could deduce the plot without having to read the words, or even look at the pictures.

Kusano snuggled closer to her, her eyes wide with wonder as if she hadn't heard the same story over and over. She hung on every word, squealed or gasped at the appropriate juncture. Truthfully such reactions were beneath her, but all the same Tsukiumi couldn't help but giggle a little at her tiny companion's antics. It was… refreshing, in a way.

"…thus, with the demonic cur felled, our noble hero took the princess's hand in matrimony, and all was well…"

Usually, the plant child would cheer at the story's conclusion, often startling the older Sekirei which resulted in a half-hearted scolding from her. Other times she would rock her head back and forth, complaining that the blonde's storytelling was hard to follow. But today there was none, leaving the Water Sekirei perturbed.

"Pray tell, little one, what troubleth you?"

Kusano was oddly quiet – for a child at least – for a few moments before she looked up at her, eyes filled with worry. "Tsuki-nee… when will Nii-san come?"

Tsukiumi stilled, her blue eyes widening. This wasn't the first time Kusano had brought this matter up and like all the other times, the blonde couldn't give her an answer. Well... one that wouldn't frighten the child into submission anyways. It was no secret as to whom the little Sekirei referred to after all.

"Who's to say?" she settled for, trying to fight the urge to scowl at the mere thought of those abhorred monkeys. The mere notion of just one of them trying to get inside here… to get anywhere near this child…

"I want Nii-san to come find us soon," Kusano declared, eyes gleaming with excitement and completely oblivious to her big sister's borderline homicidal musings.

Tsukiumi prepared herself to offer another deflection as well an attempt to get the girl to go to sleep, but then she registered the other word in that sentence. "Us...?" she parroted, blinking.

Kusano's smile up at her was filled with all the innocence this world would never deserve. "Yeah, so we can be a family. Tsuki-nee, Nii-san and Kuu! All of us!"

In some deep treacherous part of the Water Sekirei's heart, she wouldn't be against that. After all she was still a woman and more than that she was a Sekirei, one that yearned for that connection – that bond.

But, reality was cruel. It would never be… and if she had her way, it wouldn't for Kusano either. Because if she ever let one of those monkeys, those savages touch this child…

The flood Noah had bore witness to in ancient times would pale in comparison to what would come with her rage.

Tsukiumi reigned in her dark thoughts as she ran a hand over the child's forehead, trailing a finger down her nose to her lips. Kusano's eyes fluttered sleepily, a tiny yawn escaping her lips. "Time for rest, little one. Eternal beauty stems from it."

"Will… you sing to me? Like you always… do?" Kusano pleaded in between yawns.

The blonde Sekirei allowed herself a soft smile, clearing her voice delicately before she began. Her lips parted, and a soft melodious tune filled the air, gentle as a spring breeze. Kusano nestled beside her, yawning once more as her eyes slid shut, her breathing soon evening out into a steady rhythm.

Tsukiumi continued to sing long after, gently stroking the child's hair back and forth as they rocked in the hammock. Soon, the curtain of dreams began to fall upon even her but unlike the child, she let it come naturally. All the same, before she lost herself to the void, a single determined thought filtered through her mind.

As long thy breath remains, none shall ever lay a hand upon her: Sekirei… nor ashikabi…

It shouldn't have surprised him, really. Though perhaps that's because the reality hadn't quite set in yet.

But faced with reality, he couldn't deny the truth any longer.

These girls are going to eat me out of house and home, Tamotsu thought despondently as he watched Kujou scarf down her third bowl of curry.

"More please!" the pink-haired girl requested, holding her bowl out with rice-filled smile.

…make that her fourth bowl, rather. And from the looks of things, she didn't seem to be slowing down either.

I can't even blame her for it. Going days without any food like that… Sekirei really are something else I guess, Tamotsu thought as he handed scooped another helping of rice into her bowl. It's no wonder she inhaled all that earlier.

"W-wait, no!" the Sekirei in question objected suddenly.

"Kujou-chan?"

"This… is it really ok for me to be eating this much? This is your food after all."

That remark might've held more weight if she hadn't already eaten what was left from last night's dinner, but he kept his trap shut. After all she had been through a lot with Mitsuki hunting her for Kami-knows how long. So he offered her an encouraging – or what he hoped was one – smile to her instead.

"It's fine. I can always make more after all."

"R-really? You're sure?"

"I'll have another batch just like this by tomorrow evening," he boasted, hands on his hips.

Kujou's smile flared up as she dug into her next bowl. "Then I'll look forward to it! Itadakimasu!"

His thoughts careened to a halt at that remark.

Wait, what?

"Uh, Kujou-chan-!"

"Hmm?" the girl hummed inquisitively, bits of rice clinging to her cheeks.

"…don't eat so fast or you might choke, ok?"

"Hai!"

The young man sat back in his seat, withholding a sigh as he watched the girl gorge herself.

Taking her in had been a spur of the moment thing, really. Get her somewhere safe and fed, then figure the rest out later. Nobody expected him to keep her put up any longer than necessary. Even if she was a Sekirei, the idea of sending her back out there with her pursuers on the prowl didn't sit well with him. She would have to stay here tonight.

Mitsuha's not going to like that, he mused dryly at the thought of twin-tail and the pinkette. Speaking of which…

His gaze went past Kujou to the two figures that were seated across from one another on the sofa. For once, Mitsuha had her attention elsewhere while Uzume was glaring at the blonde, her arms folded across her chest.

It was rare to see someone like his Sekirei looking so uncomfortable and if it weren't for the circumstances, he might've taken a picture. But the fact that Mitsuha had known about someone as dangerous as Mitsuki… as her sister… didn't exactly paint her in a credible light right now.

He didn't blame her for it though even though part of him felt he should. But then he'd just be a hypocrite, wouldn't he?

Pushing himself up from his seat, he addressed the ravenous girl across from him. "Help yourself to whatever's in the fridge, but try not to leave a mess, ok?"

"Hai!" the girl said around a mouthful of food, barely listening as she gorged on her meal.

Letting out quiet chuckle, Tamotsu made his way past her and towards the other two women, noting that Uzume seemed to be getting more aggressive with her questioning.

"…told us!"

"I didn't see a reason to!" Mitsuha shot back defiantly, her gaze averted.

"Good decision that, really. Because of you, Tamo-chan could've-!"

"Uzume-san," Tamotsu called out gently, breaking in before they could fling themselves at each other. "It's ok."

It shouldn't have surprised him that Uzume whirled on him like that, but it did. "No, it's not! Tamo-chan do you have any idea how much danger you were in?! Mitsuki could've killed you!"

"Better her than-!"

"DON'T YOU DARE FINISH THAT SENTENCE!" Uzume AND Mitsuha shouted at him, causing Kujou to give a startled squeak where she sat nearby. The two shared a long begrudging look before sitting back down, scowling.

When it came to girls, Tamotsu knew his understanding was lacking. He'd never had a girlfriend before Mitsuha came into his life and truthfully, he was still figuring out where they stood in their relationship. But what was clear was how worried his Sekirei was, despite her standoffish front. That, above all else, was what compelled his next words: "I don't blame you Mitsuha."

Mitsuha didn't look at him, but she stilled.

"You should," Uzume retorted coldly, causing the blonde to flinch.

Clenching his fist, Tamotsu turned to the brunette with a slight glare. "Uzume-san, enough." He might as well have slapped her for how shocked she looked at that. Giving a sigh, he turned to her fully. "Look, let me talk to her a bit. It's clear she's not budging with you."

Uzume looked like she was about to fight him on it, but a quick glance between him and the blonde made her scowl deepen. "Fine. Your turn. If you need me, I'll be making sure Kujou-chan doesn't clean us out."

Before he could try to apologize, she was already past him, storming over to the kitchen and leaving him with Mitsuha. Great, now he'd gone and pissed her off. Running a hand over his face, he took the seat Uzume had vacated and faced his Sekirei, trying to find the words to say.

The first word that came to mind was: why? Why didn't she tell him she had a sister? Why had she felt the need to keep such a secret from him in the first place? He'd thought she hated secrets because of how furious she'd gotten with his bout against Junichi. His first thought after everything had settled was that she was no better than him.

That notion was killed on the spot within his psyche. That wasn't fair to her and he damn well knew it... and trying to make her feel guilty about it was nothing short of hypocrisy. And if there was one thing in their world he hated more than his past, it was those kinds of people... because there'd been plenty on his end.

"So who's older?" he asked, trying to break the ice... and to satisfy his own curiosity, of course.

Mitsuha, clearly not expecting that question, stared at him as if he was just some exotic bird that had flown in. "Eh?"

"Between the two of you, who's the older sister?"

The blonde just sat there, gaping, her mouth opening and closing like a fish's. Before long, however, that familiar irritation he'd become so familiar with came to the surface as she glared at him. But he prided himself "Of all the things you have to ask, you go with that?"

"Did I say something wrong?" the ashikabi asked, cocking his head to the side a bit.

"No. Yes! ARGH!" The blonde threw her face into her hands, growling to herself. "Why… why aren't you mad at me?"

His eyes narrowed slightly at that remark. "Do you think I should be? No, don't answer that," he cut her off with a raised hand. "Let's examine the facts. Yes, you kept your sister a secret from me; yes, I got hurt by her when I protected Kujou-chan; and yes, it probably isn't going to be the last time we're going to deal with her." Each point he made only made Mitsuha flinch, as if he were beating her with a stick. The very notion of it disgusted him so he did his best to try and reassure her by keeping calm.

Uzume meant well, but she was too hot-headed when it came to him for some reason. Granted he had gotten hurt as a result of Mitsuha's inaction, but not because of it. Her biggest crime was indecisiveness which he wasn't about to hold against her.

"S-so then," her voice trembled, more uncertain than he'd heard her before as she refused to look at him, "why aren't you mad? You should be mad!"

"Because I trust you."

This time, her head shot up with eyes wide of disbelief as she looked at him. "How… how is that fair to you though? I got angry about the same thing! My selfishness led to this!"

"So did mine, if you recall," Tamotsu pointed out with a slight chuckle. "And you got hurt too."

"That's not the point!"

"So what is the point?" he countered, frowning at her. "We both kept secrets and we both got hurt. There was no way you could've known that Mitsuki-san would come after Kujou-chan or that I'd end up like this."

"But-!"

"Mitsuha!" he snapped, causing her to jump in her seat. The startled look on her face sent a pang of guilt tearing through him like a hot knife. Sighing, he got up and walked over to her, watching as she tensed. Without a word, he sat down, wrapped an arm around her shoulder and hugged her close to him.

"T-T-Tamo-!" she squawked, face flaring up in red.

"Feel my heart," he told her calmly, taking hold of her hand to bring it towards his chest. "Feel it? What does that tell you? That I'm alive and I'm here, right?"

"H-hai…" she whispered, gripping his shirt tightly into a ball.

"Then isn't that enough?"

"…no."

Mentally he rolled his eyes and barely held back the explosive sigh that wanted to come out.

"But that just means I need to be better. I'm your wife after all."

It wasn't much, but the slight smile aimed up towards him was the most he'd gotten out of here all night. It was true that she had messed up, but he would not – could not hold it against her.

After all, he was doing the exact same thing.

The fears were there of course; he was just better at repressing them. Even so... Would his past come back to haunt him one day like hers had? Would the people closest to him end up getting hurt because of it? What would they think if they knew he'd-?

"It's me."

Her voice snapped him out of his dark musings, blinking down at her. "Eh?"

Mitsuha just shrugged. "You wanted to know; I'm the older between us, though I want it known that we're not really related. We just bonded like that."

"Oh," he drawled, allowing himself a playful smirk down at his Sekirei, "I take it she was a bit of brat then?"

The blonde huffed, rolling her eyes expressively. "You don't know the half of it. She was such a copycat it drove me insane."

He chuckled. "Is that why she was dressed-?"

"Oh shut up!" Mitsuha snapped, smacking his shoulder playfully as her face burned with embarrassment.

"Granted, I like yours better."

Mitsuha narrowed her eyes at him, skeptical. "Why? It's basically the same but with different patterns. We both wear gloves too," she held up a white-gloved hand for emphasis.

Tamotsu felt heat creep onto his neck as he averted his gaze, trying to keep his true feelings from showing too clearly. But he felt one little slip might be safe here… maybe. Taking hold of her hand once more, he squeezed it and tried to keep his own desires in check - it wasn't easy. "Yeah, but white looks best on you."

Mitsuha went quiet at that and for one second he feared he'd offended her… until a soft hand took hold of his cheek, turning his face down towards hers. Her expression made his heart skip a beat, finding her gazing up at him with a slight frown but eyes thick with emotion. "Do you mean that…?" she asked breathlessly.

Swallowing his fears, he made himself meet her gaze and replied, "I wouldn't have said it if I didn't."

In that moment, it felt as if the world faded away and left just the two of them. Mitsuha's eyes became dark and cloudy, the amethyst dulled to almost violet. Her breath came out in soft but frequent pants with a red glowing prominently on her cheeks. His own face burned dimly, his heart thundering in his chest as he stared down at her. Insane ideas filled his head, all of them having to do with the girl in his arms... and ever so slowly, he felt his head dip down towards hers... to her lips, specifically.

"Well, you two got cozy."

"Gah!" Tamotsu yelped, Mitsuha giving off a similar noise as they shot apart, finding Uzume there with Kujou just behind her.

The brunette's words were teasing but he could've swore she looked… jealous? Amused maybe? Perhaps he was just imagining things.

Kujou however wasn't as subtle.

"Don't go hogging him Thirty-eight!" the pinkette complained, glaring at Mitsuha.

Mitsuha stared, bewildered but quickly rallied - hugging Tamotsu's arm into her breast for good measure. "Excuse me but he's my ashikabi, thank you very much!"

"That doesn't mean you can just keep him to yourself! I want my turn too!" Then, she ran over and took his other arm for herself, hugging him close.

Seeing this, Mitsuha glared daggers at the pinkette who merely stuck her tongue out at the blonde. Tamotsu swore he could see sparks shooting from the two girls' eyes at each other.

"Oho? Seems you've got a bit of a rival there, Bee," Uzume drawled, a Cheshire grin now in place as she watched the coming war between the two. "Good thing too; I was getting worried I'd be in this race alone."

Tamotsu found that remark odd but before he could address it, Mitsuha clicked her tongue and sneered at the imposing Sekirei. "Well, it doesn't matter. Because we should be getting you back to your place before long anyways, forty-nine."

At that, Tamotsu stilled, a bitter smile worming its way onto his visage.

Oh, right. Almost forgot about that… I'm so dead.

"Ehe, about that…"

And thus the climactic finale of the battle - not the arc mind you. This ain't the last we're seeing of our favorite tsundere nor her little sister. Aren't they cute? The series often paints them as rivals due to their shared ashikabi but I wondered: what if Tsukiumi met Kusano before Minato? Thus, we have this scenario and trust me when I say, Minato has got his work cut out for him.

...oh yeah, Tsukiumi is still with Minato. Did you really think I'd change that? Sweet summer children. Our lovable tsundere might be a spitfire at the best of times, but she's devoted to the one who owns her heart. She just hasn't realized it yet ;)

As for that beginning sequence, don't worry too much about that right now. It may seem out of place but that particular commander will reappear later when another familiar Sekirei comes back from abroad, so stay tuned.

Tamotsu's is going to have his hands full going forward. Bad enough he's got Mitsuha and most recently Uzume to deal with, but throw someone like Kujou in there - who isn't afraid to make her displeasure known and you've got quite the volatile cocktail brewing. Rest assured that many squabbles are ahead for Mitsuha and Kujou while Uzume is still figuring out her own feelings, though she won't skip out on the action either. Kujou isn't part of the flock yet since she hasn't been winged, but it will happen. Most likely at the conclusion of this arc.

...uh, spoiler alert? XP

So the next chapter might take a bit since I just started a new job which has got my sleep schedule all sorts of fucked XD
There's also the deal with school about to start at my new college. So time's going to be a bit limited going forward but with any luck, it'll help me writing prowess. With any luck, the next chapter shouldn't take more than another month.

Of course, if you want to spur me to make more sooner... *cough cough* reviews *cough*

Till then,

Write on ! ! (weird how I can't put these marks together for some reason all of a sudden...)