As always, your comments are most welcome.
Disclaimer: I do not own MSGM or its characters. All such honors belong to Oyuki Konno.
"Start," called the head referee.
Nana immediately went on the attack with a strike to her opponent's left wrist. "Kote!" she yelled as her shinai struck home with a blistering crack as her lead foot simultaneously hit the floor. All three referees raised their white flags to indicate the acceptance of Nana's strike against her opponent and the match stopped. Nana stepped back into the starting position to await the next command to begin. She performed her sonkyo and bowed noticing that her opponent was already breathing heavily, either with fatigue from the previous matches or from frustration at being scored on so quickly. Nana wasn't sure which.
The Lillian contingent of supporters was screaming her name in enthusiastic response to the scored strike.
The match referee looked at each of the swordsmen to make sure that they were ready. Nana gave a brief nod to indicate her readiness while her opponent did the same.
"Start."
The two traded quick strikes against each other's shinais for a few seconds before Nana recognized her opponent's positioning. Her body was telegraphing her intent to go for a throat thrust. Although the strike is not specifically banned in high school competitions, most coaches would not allow their players to perform such a strike because of the high level of danger of injury to the opponent's throat. Nana's opponent didn't seem to care about the danger, so her earlier heavy breathing had probably been from frustration.
All of this flashed through Nana's mind in the split second before she slid a quarter-step to her right to avoid the straight-armed shinai that was streaking towards her throat protector. She quickly stepped forward, executed her fumikomi-ashi, and screamed out her strike as she brought her shinai across her body to the left and it crashed against her opponent's left side. "Dō!"
Her movement carried her beyond her opponent but she saw two raised flags in her peripheral vision and heard the head referee call the strike. If this were any other tournament, the match would be over. But this was the regional tournament and emotions were high. Nana heard the whistling of her opponent's shinai as it cut through the air behind her. She desperately threw her own shinai over her shoulder and held it straight down her back while praying desperately to Hachiman.
The blow to her back was strong enough to send her flying through the air to land in a crumpled heap on the mat. Her shinai had taken the brunt of the blow, but burning pain seared down her back from where her shinai had been forced into the area where the padding of her body armor was almost non-existent.
She could hear the referees wrestling to restrain the girl that had just struck her down. She could hear the screams from the crowd of onlookers. She could hear her own rough whimpers of pain as they tumbled from her throat. And finally, much sooner than she ever expected, she heard the soothing voice of her onee-sama as she crouched down by her side and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"You'll be alright Nana-chan," Yoshino said quietly. "Don't move. The medical personnel are on their way. I'll stay with you as long as they let me."
Nana reached her left hand up and clutched at her dear onee-sama. She thought she could feel the warmth of Yoshino's hands even through the thick padding of her gauntlets. "O-o-onee-sama . . . it-it hurts, onee-sama," she whimpered.
"I know love, I know. I promise I'll take care of you," Yoshino replied gently. Nana saw a few drops of water hit the mat beside her and knew that they were the tears of her dear onee-sama.
The medical personnel arrived and quickly untied the back of her body armor before slowly and gently rolling her over and strapping her onto a backboard, leaving her helmet in place until they could get her back to the infirmary. Yoshino walked beside her the entire trip, holding her hand and speaking to her in a calming voice. She was wondering if this really was her onee-sama based on the way Yoshino was acting; but she knew that Yoshino was trying to remain calm for her.
When they were getting close to the entrance to the infirmary Yoshino was told that she would not be allowed to enter the area until after Nana had been examined by the physician.
"Onee-sama," Nana spoke quietly.
"Yes Nana-chan?"
"Please don't kill anybody," she whispered with a soft smile.
"You know I don't make promises I can't keep Nana-chan," Yoshino said with a feral grin.
"I love you onee-sama," Nana whispered.
"I love you too Nana", Yoshino replied with another tear in her eye, "I'll see you shortly. You have another match coming up and I expect you to be ready for it."
"Yes onee-sama," Nana grinned through the pain.
Nana was carried through the door to the infirmary, her eyes never leaving Yoshino's face until the swinging doors closed between them blocking her sight. Yoshino may have had tears in her eyes, but she had a smile on her face that told Nana that she was expected to be brave, to be strong, and to return to the side of her onee-sama as soon as possible. She intended to meet all of those challenges.
-oo-
"Yoshino!" she heard her name being called as she re-entered the arena. The captain of the kendo club came running up to her. "I need you to come with me," she said.
"How's Nana-chan?" the captain asked as the two walked back towards the scoring tables and beyond, into the depths of the arena's administrative offices.
"She's strong," Yoshino replied as they moved through the halls. "She hurt's now of course but I expect that unless the doctor's say she can't, she will be back for the next round. Where are we going?"
"I've been called to the Tournament Director's office. I assume it has to do with the assault on Nana-chan and I want you there," she explained.
Yoshino just nodded. It was killing her to remain so calm when all she really wanted to do was scream and go on a violent rampage herself. How dare someone attack her petite soeur! And in such a cowardly way. It was unthinkable! She wanted to pound that girl's face into the mats until . . . She had to take more deep breaths to try to stay calm.
Yoshino had started moving even before the girl had turned to start her swing at Nana's unprotected back. She had seen the brief insanity in the girl's eyes from across the room, even through the grill of the helmet's faceguard, and it had pulled her to her feet and started her running toward her petite soeur before she was conscious of what she was doing. She had screamed her denials as she watched the girl swing around and use her entire body's weight in her strike against Nana. How Nana had known the blow was coming, let alone gotten her shinai into a position to even partially block the blow aimed towards her back, Yoshino had no idea. If Nana hadn't somehow protected herself she most likely would have been crippled.
The referees had moved quickly to restrain the girl and wrest the shinai from her grip but not nearly fast enough in Yoshino's eyes. By the time Yoshino knelt beside the whimpering, crumpled body of her petite soeur the girl must have finally come to her senses and realized what she had done because she collapsed to her knees and started bawling her desperate apologies. Yoshino was so angry she couldn't see straight, but she knew she had to be calm for Nana's sake. It would do the poor girl no good to have her onee-sama raving over her body.
Nana's opponent had been dragged from the floor by one of the referees and another tournament official that had arrived on the scene. It was that man that now approached Yoshino and her captain outside the closed door of an office.
"Thank you for coming ladies," the short, fat, balding man said while wringing his hands. He reminded Yoshino of a typical 'sniveling weasel' character from some of the more cheesy dramas. She hoped the disgust she was feeling did not show on her face. "I deeply regret the incident and promise that I will let you know as soon as I hear anything from the doctors regarding Arima-san's condition. Before you go in, I wanted to let both of you know that Arima-san's opponent and her captain are inside with the Tournament Director. I know you must be upset, but please do not do anything that would bring shame to your own club."
"It is the tournament and its officials that should be concerned with their own reputation, sir," Yoshino struck back with a chill in her voice that could have frozen time. "To allow a young lady to be so injured during what is supposed to be a friendly competition among equals? If you do not take decisive and proper actions in this matter it will be to your own shame, sir!"
"Ah, but the girl's team . . ."
"Is that coward's team so important, so politically well connected that it can withstand the wrath of Lillian's Maria-sama? I assume you are aware of Nana-san's affiliation with both the Hasekura and Arima dojos. Is your precious committee and that girl's team up to the task of taking on all three of us?" She saw the man wince at the naming of the two most respected and prestigious dojos in Tokyo and realized that he wasn't worth her anger. He was beneath contempt. "Stand aside dog," she said as she pushed past him and opened the door to the office. Her captain simply watched with a small smile on her lips. It was wonderful to see Yoshino-san in all her glory.
When Yoshino and her captain entered the small, temporary office of the Tournament Director she found herself being scrutinized by three pairs of eyes. The eyes of Nana-chan's opponent were pure misery as she immediately dropped to her knees and put her forehead against the thin, industrial carpeting. Yoshino thought the girl would have prostrated herself if she could have in the small space. The other team captain's eyes were properly sorrowful so she knew that this girl at least knew the situation. The eyes of the Tournament Director showed nothing. He was going to be the problem.
Although Lillian's captain should have been the one addressed, the Director turned to Yoshino instead. "Shimazu-san," he began with patently false humbleness, "I deeply regret the incident that has occurred and wanted to express my sincere apologies and promise that proper disciplinary action will be taken."
"And what, exactly, will be the form of such 'proper disciplinary action'?" Yoshino asked as she crossed her arms over her chest. A glance at the other team captain showed that she had bowed her head, probably expecting the worst.
"The committee will convene after the completion of the tournament to decide such measures Shimazu-san," the Director responded.
"How interesting," Yoshino said in a calm voice while staring directly into the man's eyes, "when the rules specifically state that the offending swordsman is to be immediately banned from all future competitions and the team suspended for a period of not less than three years."
"Um, yes, well, we will certainly give such matters appropriate thought . . ."
Yoshino turned and looked at the other team captain.
"We will, of course, abide by the written rules of the tournament and the federation," she said without hesitation and bowed low from her waist, "honor demands no less."
"B-b-but . . . ," the Director sputtered in fear.
"As I said," the captain repeated harshly giving the Director a hard glare, "honor demands no less."
"Yes Yamaoka-sama, I understand," he capitulated with a bow.
Yoshino bowed deeply to the other team captain acknowledging the strength of her convictions and her own honor. She had just banned her own school's team from all competitions for at least three years. It had to have been a terrible blow, but a relatively simple decision by anyone with a shred of honor. Properly acknowledging the woman behind that decision was the least Yoshino could do.
"We will leave the rest in your hands then, Yamaoka-sama. I must check on the condition of my petite soeur," Yoshino said and turned to leave.
"Shimazu-sama," Yamaoka-san said, causing Yoshino to stop with her hand on the doorknob and glance over her shoulder, "please let me know how Arima-san is doing and if there is anything I can do to help."
Yoshino turned back and nodded her head. "Thank you Yamaoka-sama. I appreciate your concern and I will make sure you hear any news as soon as I do." With that she turned and left the room, her own team captain following in her wake. She headed directly back towards the infirmary and her precious petite soeur. She knew where she needed to be.
"I'll send someone to let you know when Nana-chan's next match is," the Lillian captain told her. "Please give her my best and let her know we expect her to be ready when the time comes."
"Don't worry," Yoshino smiled, "she will be. She's a lot stronger than I am."
"Somehow I doubt that Rosa Foetida," the captain said with a smile.
-oo-
Yumi stifled another yawn as the joint meeting of the Hanadera and Lillian student councils droned on. They were holding today's meeting at the Rose Mansion since the previous meeting had been held at Hanadera. They had already agreed with the idea of a fancy dress ball and they were now arguing about the type of band that would be hired.
"Are you alright, onee-sama," Touko asked in a whisper as she leaned closer to Yumi.
"I am fine Touko-chan, thank you, just a little tired today," Yumi replied with a gentle smile for her petite soeur. She looked down at her wrist where her new charm bracelet glittered in the afternoon light streaming through the windows of the meeting room. Touko had presented it to her just a month ago and she still smiled whenever she saw it. That her petite soeur had thought to give her a present, and had asked Yuuki for help in finding it, still filled her with a gratifying warmth. Sachiko had appropriately "oohed" and "aahed" over it when she had showed it to her a couple of weeks ago at their last dinner date.
She was looking forward to the summer break in a couple more weeks. Hiromi-san had once again invited them to join him and Tsutako at his family's beach house and she could not wait to be able to spend some quality time with her lover. Touko-chan and Yuuki would be heading out to her country home near the Matsudaira family hospital. Touko wanted to introduce Yuuki to her grandfather and Yuuki wanted to speak to him about what it was like to run the hospital. She gave thanks to Maria-sama once again that she had not told either of them about the similarity of their dreams. Finding out for themselves that they both wanted the same thing for their futures was much more satisfying.
"Yumi-san . . . Yumi-san," Yoshino called her breaking her out of her reverie. She stifled another yawn before apologizing to the group.
"I am sorry everyone, I just do not seem to have my usual energy today," she said with a shy smile, "could you please repeat the question?"
"How do you feel about a catered dinner, Rosa Chinensis?" Alice, the secretary for the Hanadera council asked her.
"Oh, I don't think we need to go that far. Half of the fun of a date is the dinner before the party after all," she giggled, remembering some of her dinners with Sachiko. Almost everyone agreed with her so the catered dinner banquet was voted down. Masamune-kun, the treasurer for Hanadera was especially happy with the voting results she noticed. He was wiping a drop of sweat from his brow as the vote was concluded. She wondered just how much money her simple comment had saved them.
That was the last item for today's agenda and she sighed with relief as the meeting broke up. It was surprising how much they could accomplish together with both her and Yuuki heading up their respective councils. Not having to go through the school administrations had been a godsend. When they had presented Hanadera's proposal to the student body in the form of a survey it turned out that Shimako's original estimate was right on the money. Just around seventy percent of the Lillian students had said they would attend the affair if provided the opportunity. A group of teachers and administrators from each school, including Kaori-sensei, had already agreed to act as chaperones, so there was no need for any parent involvement the evening of the party. Having both councils approach the school administration as a single, unified group had definitely been one of Yuuki's better ideas.
Yukiko had also been a wonder of administration. With the tiny Miko joining the Yamayurikai she felt much better that it would be run efficiently once she and, being totally honest, Hiromi-san graduated.
"Yumi," her brother called to her as he stood up, "did you want to ride home together?"
"Ah, thank you Yuuki," she replied with a grin, "but onee-sama is picking me up and we are going out to Mama Cho's for dinner. You and Touko-chan are welcome to join us if you would like."
"Actually, onee-sama," Touko-chan interjected, "Yuuki-san and I will be going out for dinner a bit later after we have a chance to change. Nothing fancy," she grinned at Yuuki who had the grace to blush a bit at his continual lack of funds, "but I have been promised that at least the company will be excellent."
"I'll agree with you on that, Touko-chan," Yumi giggled, "Yuuki can certainly be entertaining. Just be sure to tie his hands behind his back after he finishes eating. You never can tell with those Hanadera boys," she laughed.
"Hey!" Yuuki complained with a grin.
Personally she was very happy that her brother and petite soeur had seemed to hit it off so well. She could not think of anything better than for two of the people she loved most in this world to find happiness together.
She finished putting her book bag together and thanked everyone again for attending before bidding them all a good day. Instead of heading toward the path that led between Lillian Academy and Lillian University, she turned towards the old greenhouse where she had promised to meet Sachiko. Opening the door she was greeted with the fragrant aromas of dozens of different types of flowering plants, over half of them roses. She took a deep breath and savored the familiar smells before she walked around the central garden to see Sachiko already sitting in her usual spot on the short, brick retaining wall that enclosed some of the plants.
"Good day, Sachiko," she chirped with happiness at seeing the love of her life.
"Good day, Yumi," Sachiko replied as she stood up and went to her petite soeur. Yumi was quickly gathered up in Sachiko's warm arms and she rested her head briefly on her lover's breast before lifting her face for a soft kiss. Sachiko was happy to oblige.
"Did you have a good day, onee-sama," Yumi asked as she once again rested her head on Sachiko's breast as the two continued to hold one another.
Sachiko rested her chin on the top of Yumi's head as she replied with a chuckle, "Of course. I get a chance to be with you. It is therefore, by definition, a good day Yumi." She placed another kiss on the top of Yumi's head as the shorter girl sighed in the comfort of her embrace. "You seem tired though. Would you rather have dinner another day? I can drive you home and you can try to get some rest. I know how draining those meetings can sometimes be."
"Absolutely not, Sachiko!" Yumi exclaimed looking up into her onee-sama's deep blue eyes. "I've been looking forward to this dinner all week; and you promised that we could spend this weekend together," she whined, "I'm not letting you weasel out of this. Sayako-okaasama also promised to make me some of her wonderful mille-feuille as well."
"Alright, alright Yumi," Sachiko laughed, "I promise, no changes in the plans; just promise me that you will get some rest this weekend. No late nights studying or reading."
"I promise Sachiko," Yumi grinned, "no late night studying or reading, but I won't promise not to find some other kind of distraction," she teased, giving Sachiko's neck a brief lick.
"You vixen," Sachiko laughed again, "don't start something you aren't prepared to finish young lady."
"Oh, I'm ready to finish it. That's another promise I can give you," Yumi growled as she nuzzled Sachiko's ear that her taller partner had obligingly given her access to.
"Later love," Sachiko sighed with pleasure, "later. Right now I'm hungry for food. This weekend, however, I fully expect to be treated to dessert," she groaned her frustration.
Yumi laughed at Sachiko's responses, and fully agreed with her frustration at the delay, but complied nonetheless. They left the greenhouse hand-in-hand looking forward to an evening of dim sum and jasmine tea and a weekend full of a lot more.
Thanks for reading and take care.