Chapter 10: Hick...
All she saw was Viola's neck.
Before she realized what had happened, it was all over. She didn't understand why the other girl would embrace her so tightly that it actually hurt, she didn't understand why there was deafening explosions all around them, she didn't understand why there wasn't even a scratch on herself.
All she knew was that the soft body in her arms had stiffened in pain, and then lost all strength.
"Vi..." Kruger wanted to call out the girl's name, but her voice refused to come out. Her knees gave and she sat down on the ground while holding dearly onto her friend's limp body. "Vi..." Viola, answer me. She shook the chestnut-haired girl a little too roughly, determined to get a response.
"Hmm..." Viola groaned and opened her tired red eyes. "Are you alright?" She asked.
Kruger was beyond furious. "BAKA!" The raven-haired girl screamed. "Why did you do that for? You scared me to death! How dare you... Am I alright? How dare you even ask me that!"
Viola smiled sweetly. "Kannin na."
The younger girl let out a controlled breath. "Try that again, and I swear I'm gonna kick your ass so hard, all the king's men won't be able to put it together in one recognizable piece." She threatened her friend with a death glare that would send normal people crying for their mother. Unfortunately, her target was Viola, so there was practically zero effect.
"Hai, hai. I won't do it again." The chestnut-haired girl said not so sincerely. "Ara, I almost forgot about the crazy girl. Is she dead?"
Kruger looked around and saw the unconscious Tomoe lying not far from them. "Nah, don't think so. I guess the force field you put up was big enough to cover her as well. What a stupid way to tire yourself out." She didn't waste this chance to scold her reckless partner.
"I was only looking out for you." Viola said innocently. "By the way, we probably should get out of here before they attack us again..."
"Yeah, about that... Wait here, I'll be right back." Kruger grinned dangerously, she could barely contain the blood boiling rage inside her chest. "I've got some business to take care of."
"Report."
"Both the Aerial Type 4 Slave and the C-type Otome were defeated."
"Did you destroy all evidences?"
"We did, Mr. Smith. But the Golden Fleet was also..."
John Smith, the new director who was assigned to oversee all Otome related matters, was not pleased. "Do you mean to tell me that not only the Slave and C-type were defeated, but our Golden Fleet, all six of the best war ships in the world, were sunk by one puny little girl?"
"Technically, there were two of them, and they are Z-type Otomes..."
"Z-Type Otomes that we have NO control over! Don't you see? What good is all that power if we can't use it ourselves?" The short blond man pushed his glasses up and smirked. "Next time, send in all C-type Otomes."
"Mr. Smith..."
"They are indeed strong, and it's a terrible waste that we can't capture them alive, but it doesn't matter. All we really need are the GEMs and nanomachines inside them." John Smith said coldly. "Corpses will do."
Youko's red sports car was hardly fit for carrying six people.
Chie's phone call warned them of Searrs' invasion, so they decided to seek refuge at Natsuki's current hiding place. Without HiME power, they were only girls. There was not much they could do against Searrs' army, let alone a 'robotic flying monster thingy' and a 'black bird-plane-superman' according to Chie.
Mai looked at the petite girl curling up in the back seat and sighed. Mikoto still wouldn't talk to her. She was planning to sit in the back seat with the girl, but Mikoto latched onto the redhead delinquent and left her all alone. With Miyu and Alyssa both in the back seat, there was no other place for her, so she had to sit in the front by herself.
I'm such an idiot. The orange-haired girl thought gloomily, and tried not to look at how HER Mikoto snuggled up against Nao. She is only upset, it'll pass. Mai told herself.
They arrived at the seaside cottage in what seemed like an eternity.
"Mai-san? Youko-sensei? Everyone! Why are you here?" Yukino opened the door and let them come in. Haruka was standing behind the mousy girl and glaring at her guests.
"I thought Natsuki and Fujino-san were here..." The orange-haired girl looked a little confused.
Yukino smiled and answered. "They are upstairs in the first bedroom."
"I'll go take a look at Natsuki-san's injuries." Said the school nurse, who then hurried off upstairs.
"Yukino-san, Suzushiro-san. Why are you two here..." Mai blinked at Haruka's unfriendly face and it dawned on her. "Could it be... Is this your house, Suzushiro-san?"
"Ya damn right it is. This is Suzushiro family's summer cottage number 1, the very first vacation house our family bought ten years ago." The former Executive Director grunted. "The nerve of you people, barging into other people's property one after another uninvited. My precious vacation plan is completely ruined!"
Mai cringed and apologized. "Sorry about that, Suzushiro-san. It was kind of an emergency..."
"Are you sure you want to explain this much to an outsider, Mai-san?" Said the redhead, who was hugging the petite feral girl in her arms, one hand playing languidly with the girl's short black hair.
Mai narrowed her purple eyes at Nao's obvious display of challenge.
"Who are you calling an outsider? This is MY house for crying out loud." Haruka was about to lecture the redhead about basic human courtesy, but her rant was cut short by a scoff.
"Hmph. Are you a HiME? How can you understand? What does it feel like to live in oblivion?" Nao smirked at the blond's blank face. "Just as I thought. Outsiders should stay out of our way."
"Nao! That was way over the line!" Mai hissed.
The redhead grinned and ruffled Mikoto's spiky hair. "Someone should keep her huge nose out of other people's business."
"Please stop it." Yukino came to Haruka's defense. "Haruka-chan was right. She may not be a HiME like us, but she is not an outsider, she has a right to know."
"I see. Then you are an idiot, Yukino." Nao chuckled and leaned forward to the mousy girl's ear and whispered something.
No one else heard what the redhead said to Yukino, but by the time Nao had finished whispering, the timid girl's cheeks had turned beet red.
"Remember what I told you, Yukino-CHAN." Nao winked at the blushing girl and looked down at the petite girl still clinging onto her arm. "Mikoto, let's go find you something to eat."
"Yup." The short girl nodded.
"I... I'll help." Surprisingly, Yukino volunteered and followed them to the kitchen without as much as looking back at her best friend. The three of them disappeared into the kitchen together as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
"Wha...What the hell was THAT?" Haruka was stunned. She turned to stare at the equally lost Mai.
"Don't ask me. I have no idea what's going on." Mai shrugged and sat down on the sofa.
"So, what's the emergency you were talking about? Why are those two here for?" Haruka pointed at the android and her young charge, who were busy setting up suspicious equipment in the living room.
Mai scratched her cheek idly, trying to think of a better way to explain the whole Searrs situation to their host.
The doorbell rang again, and it was the third time today. Haruka mumbled something under her breath and opened the door. "What?"
"Hi." Chie and Aoi greeted and entered the house. "Good day, Suzushiro-san. Ah, Mai, you are here already?" Said the grey-haired girl.
"Hello, Miyu, Alyssa-chan. Good to see you too." Aoi smiled at the duo.
The blond child and her guardian stopped working and stared at the two new comers instead.
Mai's jaw dropped. "Why are you two in THAT?"
"This? Oh. We were on the beach when we called you, and you did tell us to come here as soon as possible, so we didn't have time to change." Chie sat down beside Mai and grinned. "A lot of people were staring at us when we rode here. Guess they don't see two gorgeous babes in swimming suits riding on a scooter everyday."
"You were the one having the most fun, Chie-chan." Aoi scolded and blushed at Mai's raised eyebrow. "Ano, is there a bathroom I can use? I was in sea water earlier, and it's kinda sticky now..."
"Down the hall and on the left hand side." Haruka said dryly. "Don't hold back, treat this place like your own home. Everybody else already did."
"It looks alright, just be careful not to move around too much." Youko said and redressed the bandages on Natsuki's torso.
"Yes, sensei. I'll make sure of that." Answered a Kyoto-accented voice.
Natsuki was keenly aware of her lack of clothing, especially when Shizuru was staring at her almost naked body like that. "Shizuru, shouldn't you be looking away while Youko-sensei examining me?" She grunted.
"Why should I?" The chestnut-haired girl purred and put her hand up to touch her chin, a serene smile decorated her dreamy face. "I've seen you in less."
"Shizuru!" Natsuki whined, blushing furiously. "Sensei, didn't you say you've brought my clothes? Would you please get them for me?"
"Hmm... What a waste." Shizuru sighed softly.
The raven-haired girl gave the amused school nurse a pleading look. "Now would be good."
Youko chuckled at the pair and nodded. "Alright, I'll go get it. Besides, I'm sure your other friends would be more comfortable seeing you with your clothes on."
Shizuru hugged her new girlfriend from behind after the school nurse left the room. "You are cute when you blush." She whispered and kissed the girl's earlobe.
"You did that on purpose!" Natsuki accused, but couldn't stay angry at the former kaichou, not when the sly girl dragged her tongue down her neck and nibbled it ever so slightly. "Shi... Shizuru. Don't do this in front of other people. It's... embarrassing..." She shivered and leaned back toward the warm body pressing up from behind.
"It's just us here." The Kyoto girl cooed and nuzzled the smooth curve of Natsuki's neck, eliciting a small sigh from the young girl. Shizuru's hands rested on the girl's flat stomach and wandered a little too south until they were grabbed and stopped by Natsuki's own shaky ones. "Ikezu." Shizuru chuckled and kissed harder on the creamy skin, elated to hear a feminine moan escaping the girl's throat.
"You two having a good time?" Said a Kyoto-accented voice. Natsuki's mind was still blank when she heard it, so she didn't react at all. But Shizuru jumped.
It was unnerving for one's make-out session to be interrupted by one's own voice.
It sounded too much like a conscience.
Natsuki's scream made everyone rush into the room. But when they got there, honestly, it was difficult to tell which one was more shocking. The fact that there were two pairs of Natsuki(s?) and Shizuru(s?), or the scene of a half naked Natsuki in Shizuru's arms, completed with a still wet hickey on her neck.
"Say, do you have to scream bloody murder?" Kruger crossed her arms and stared at her double, who apparently was in shock. "What's with you? Can't you get some clothes on? Don't parade around half naked with my face."
"You little... Whose fault do you think it is!" Natsuki's cheeks were crimson red from both anger and humiliation. "Don't you ever knock? Better yet, learn to use the door you twit!"
"Now, now. Don't fight." Shizuru and Viola both said to their girls at the same time.
"She started it!" Natsuki and Kruger protested with the same dignified voice.
All the spectators sweatdropped.
"This is confusing." Mai glanced at the hickey on Natsuki's neck and quickly averted her eyes. And surprising to say the least. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I would never believe Natsuki would let kaichou-san do this to her. "Maybe we should get out of here."
Nao was grinning like a cat that just ate someone's pet bird. "This is fun. Mikoto, did you see that on Natsuki's neck? That's a hick..."
Yukino hurried to cover Mikoto's ears while blushing darkly."Yuuki-san! Don't tell Mikoto-chan that! She is still too young..."
"I'm old enough. I'm in high school already." Mikoto shook off Yukino's hands and protested defiantly. She pointed at Alyssa. "She is a kid. She is in elementary school. You should cover her ears instead."
"What's wrong with being a kid? I know what that is already. It's a hick..." Alyssa's sentence was cut short by Natsuki's frustrated groan.
"You people stop talking about... that... as if I were not here. It's not what you think! It's a BRUISE! A bruise I tell ya! I got it in an accident." Natsuki covered the 'bruise' on her neck with her hand.
"Some 'accident.' So what? Fujino accidentally fell on your neck and accidentally sucked on it repeatedly?" Nao snorted.
Miyu corrected the redhead. "Theoretically, it's entirely possible. But mathematically, the probability is too low. It's most likely a hick..."
Natsuki's face was the deepest shade of red. "IT'S A BRUISE!"
"That's weird. I don't remember that 'bruise' being there when I treated your wounds." Said Viola with feigned puzzlement, which earned her a death glare from both Natsuki and Kruger.
"You remember all her bruises? What did you do? Counted them one by one?" The young Otome crossed her arms and gave her double a dirty look.
"Ara, you did say something about counting all her cuts and bruises earlier before you left. Don't tell me you were having other things in mind when you did that." Shizuru seriously considered the possibility. Knowing herself, the scenario was entirely probable.
"I didn't do anything indecent! I just gave her a sponge bath. Besides, I thought she was you!" Viola frantically tried to explain to her fuming partner.
"I should've known. Ha! Having the same Fujino face proves to be equal to indecentness!" Haruka scoffed.
"It's indecency, Haruka-chan." Yukino reminded her best friend.
"How could you not tell her apart from me? She looks nothing like me! I don't look that ugly! And her boobs are smaller!" Kruger pointed at the injured girl and growled.
"You're the one with smaller boobs! And apparently a fatter head! Don't think I didn't know it, pervert. How dare you kissed my Shizuru!" Natsuki barked at her double, whose cheeks were starting to turn red.
"Ah... 'MY' Shizuru. It sounds good..." Shizuru's eyes sparkled.
"You kissed her?" Viola turned to stare at the guilty-looking Kruger.
"Well... I thought she was you..." The young Otome physically shrank under her partner's ruby eyes.
"I see." Viola marched toward Shizuru and pulled the unsuspecting girl into a kiss. A full-fledged French kiss.
The noisy room turned dead silent as if someone had pressed the mute button.
"This one is so going into my permanent collection." Chie murmured and zoomed in her camera phone to get a close-up of the expertly executed tongue-to-tongue action.
"I'm not arguing that." Aoi agreed.
TBC
Author's Notes:
1. This is a long chapter, I had fun writing this one, I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I did.
2. Whee! I got lots of reviews for chapter 9! (Do the guubear dance) More review please!!!