A/N: In the previous chapter, our two favorite Elite Guard sweethearts were attacked by a mysterious figure, who bears an ominous resemblance to a certain Toji. Also, we have Chocolate-Mint-Chan giving into Tagitsuhime's control. What could this mean for all our favorite characters? Here's Chapter 11!
Chapter 11:
"Ugh..."
Maki let out a pained moan, as she weakly opened her eyes. She squinted trying to clear her vision, before she realized that she was swathed in bandages. Plastic tubes connected to beeping machines slowly pumped drugs into her arm. Maki tried to sit up, but the only thing she could really do was wince in agony. Her stomach that had been brutally injured was still raw with pain.
"Maki-san."
Maki turned her head to see Suzuka in a hospital bed, right next to her. She frowned, seeing the white bandages that covered most of her girlfriend's head. The only parts left uncovered were Suzuka's right eye and her mouth.
"That fiend really got me, huh?" Suzuka weakly laughed.
"Suzuka..."
A few seconds later, the door to their hospital room slid open, and Sayaka and Kaoru stepped in. Judging by how grim their faces were, it was easy for Maki to guess that things didn't go well with finding Hiyori.
"Sayaka-san, Kaoru-san, you're back," Suzuka said.
"Yeah," Kaoru replied. "We've actually got back about a day ago."
Maki dared to ask, "Juujou Hiyori is...?"
Sayaka and Kaoru fell into contemplative silence with disappointment etched into their faces. Kaoru rubbed the back of her neck before replying.
"She's made her choice very clear," she answered, simply.
Suzuka knew better than to pry, so she paused before asking, "And what happened while we were out cold?"
"You were found at the Origami family mansion just yesterday," Sayaka explained. "Director Maniwa was worried when you two didn't report back to the bureau and sent a search team."
"Care to explain about what happened to you two?" Kaoru asked.
Maki only frowned, staring hard at the floor.
The two Origami sisters stared at the Heijou Toji in front of them. Hiyori was trying her best to soothe Kagari in her arms by rocking her back and forth, humming a tune that her mother used to sing to her when she was a baby herself. While Akane gazed at the two of them with affectionate and amused eyes, Yukari looked dubious. In her mind, the older Origami sister wondered how the same girl, who would fly into rages during her "aradama training", could be so motherly. Yukari's eyes narrowed when she took note of how blue Hiyori's hair had turned, along with the new hickeys on her neck.
"Juujou."
Hiyori turned towards Yukari with a vacant look. It was a different look than the one Yukari was used to seeing. It was the expression of a Toji who had once been determined and had a strong sense of duty. Now, the girl before her was just a tormented sufferer whose aura projected hopelessness and sorrow.
"How long do you intend to go along with this?" Yukari asked.
"As long as it takes," Hiyori mumbled. "If it diverts Tagitsuhime's attention from her plans of destruction, I'll do it."
Akane was astonished at how little Hiyori seemed to care. Her face set itself into a sorrowful frown, as she wondered whether the young Toji still had some emotion within her.
"Hiyori-san, don't you realize what that means?" she asked.
"Yes, I do," Hiyori shot back, harsher than she intended to. "I've already given Tagitsuhime my word."
"No, Juujou, it's not just your word that she wants!" Yukari said. "Even though you've practically surrendered your body to her and given her a daughter, you'll be hers from here on out. Her perfect, little, obedient mate. Do you really think Tagitsuhime just wants one child? Why else do you think she wants to destroy all humanity? Do you not get it?"
The full impact of what Yukari was saying finally hit Hiyori. Everything started to come together. Tagitsuhime gave her Ichikishimahime's powers for a reason. She made sure that Kagari would be born half-aradama, half-Toji. She had clear plans to annihilate all mankind. And now the aradama princess wanted a family of her own. Then, that meant...
"Well, do you get it or not?" Yukari demanded.
Hiyori nodded, realization dawning upon her. Tagitsuhime intended to replace mankind with a new aradama civilization.
Hiyori snorted, "Then, I'll just have to destroy her, won't I?"
"Juujou Hiyori, although destroying Tagitsuhime may seem like the best idea, you can't do it in your condition right now. You must not lose control," Yukari warned. "You've already let Ichikishimahime and your anger take over you too much."
"So what?!" Hiyori spat.
Her voice broke, as she trembled, "Anger was all that ever fueled me! It gave me a purpose, no matter how dark that goal was. When I've spent practically a lifetime being angry, do you really expect it to be easy to go back to a normal one?"
Akane struggled against the chains around her arms and feet, trying her best to reach Hiyori as far as she could. Her gentle aqua eyes mirrored the intensity in her voice.
"Hiyori-san, have hope. You can be happy with your friends. With Kanami-san. As long as you put aside the past and your fears, you won't need your anger."
Hiyori shook her head with pained eyes. She wasn't meant for such things. And she didn't need to worry about Kanami. Kanami already had loving friends and family. The image of Ayumu and Kanami kissing reminded Hiyori that she was unnecessary now.
"No. I'm weak without it," she argued.
Yukari had enough.
"This is about your mother again, isn't it?" she snapped.
Hiyori refused to answer.
"Come on, Juujou Hiyori!" Yukari yelled. "We both know that holding a grudge will only cause you to become the very monster you fear of turning into."
"Nee-sama!" Akane rebuked, a stern look crossing her face.
Her older sister ignored her, continuing, "Why don't you just give up this obsession of yours? You know that it'll never help anyone. Especially Etou Kanami. Are you really willing to hurt the feelings of the one you love the most, just to achieve your goals?"
Hiyori stopped rocking Kagari and slowly turned her head towards Yukari. Her blue eye simmered with energy, as she clenched her teeth.
"Tagitsuhime wants to slaughter everyone. You want vengeance. So, what makes you think that you'll get what you want?" Yukari interrogated. "This is exactly what Tagitsuhime is aiming for—to make you bent on revenge, so she can have a powerful, destructive family. You mustn't let your anger control you. Because as long as it does...so does Tagitsuhime!"
Hiyori's flowing hair slowly started to die down, as a pang of heartbreak pierced her already broken heart. She lowered her head and stared at the ground. The blood in her ears pounded loudly, as Yukari's words sank into her mind with deep candor.
Suddenly, the doors to the Origami sisters' prison burst open and Tagitsuhime strode in. Her usually glowing eyes were now dark and bleak.
"It's time," Tagitsuhime announced.
"Time for what?" Hiyori fought to keep her voice steady.
"Our first step to becoming a family," the aradama princess answered, before lifting up her two arms. "Here. Give her to me."
"Never," Hiyori scowled, hugging Kagari tighter to her chest.
"You're not actually considering taking our little chick with you, are you?" Tagitsuhime snorted.
A smug smile crept up Hiyori's face, as she replied, "Of course not."
She turned to Yukari with the same grin and asked, "Origami Yukari, how are you with kids?"
Yukari stared.
"Huh?"
"I'm sorry, Ayumu-chan," Kanami said. "But, I can't."
On the other side of her phone, the disappointment in her kouhai's voice was clear, as Ayumu replied, "I understand, Etou-san. I'm sorry about how I kissed you at the matsuri. It was selfish and impulsive of me."
"It's okay, Ayumu-chan! I'm willing to just remain as friends," Kanami replied. "If that's okay with you..."
Ayumu remained silent for a long time, which made Kanami think that she had hung up. However, the younger girl's soft voice was heard moments later.
"Etou-san, the one you love is Juujou-san, isn't it?"
Kanami pulled herself up, nervously laughing, "What are you talking about?"
"You've seemed very close to her. Even your friends agree, along with some of my classmates—and they've only caught rare glimpses of you two," Ayumu said. "And almost every Toji has been talking about the two of you dating."
Kanami didn't quite know what to say. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment at the thought of Hiyori as her girlfriend.
"But, we're not," Kanami said, as a certain painful memory hit her. "She already has someone."
"Oh. Well, goodbye then, Etou-san," Ayumu said.
"Goodbye, Ayumu-chan," Kanami replied, before hanging up.
She stared at her phone screen, which had a picture of her and Hiyori together. In the photo, Kanami had given Hiyori a surprise kiss on the cheek. The blush and surprise on her friend's face were plain to see. Tears rolled down Kanami's cheeks and she furiously wiped them with her uniform sleeve.
"Kanami-chan, are you okay?" Mai's voice from behind her pulled Kanami out of her thoughts.
Kanami made sure her eyes and cheeks were dry, before turning around and laughing, "Yep. I'm fine, Mai-chan!"
Her purple-haired friend stared at her with concern from her hospital bed. Ever since Kanami had come back, she seemed more forlorn than ever.
Before Mai could say anything, Sayaka and Kaoru came into the room. Ellen, who was sitting beside Mai, jumped from her chair, facing the two.
"We have something important to tell you all," Sayaka said.
"We talked with Shidou Maki and Konohana Suzuka. They said that they were attacked by a mysterious person who appeared to be Hiyori," Kaoru said.
Kanami's eyes grew round. That didn't make sense! Hiyori was at the Onryō Shrine when the Elite Guards were attacked! Was she? Could she possibly have darted back to Kamakura City and took them out? Kanami refused to believe that her friend would do such a thing, but the memory of Hiyori's cruel grin before she kissed Tagitsuhime made her question this. The Minoseki Toji's eyebrows scrunched up together, as she made her conclusion.
"No! Hiyori-chan wouldn't hurt Shidou-san or Konohana-san!" Kanami cried.
Her four friends stared at her, as they tried to make up their own minds. The fact that Hiyori was now with Tagitsuhime made their hearts feel heavy. Ellen took a deep breath and drew herself up a bit.
"We abandoned Hiyoyon when she needed us the most. As long as she's happy, we should be happy for her," Ellen decided.
She then added, with a more downcast look, "Even if she wants to be with Tagitsuhime."
Slowly, the five Tojis looked at each other. Although none of them could read each other's minds, they were all thinking of the same thing. Of that moment in Hiyori's cell, when they had all held hands as a circle of friends. A group of six—now incomplete forever.
Hiyori smashed open the wooden butsudan, before confiscating the small container of noro inside. Mission accomplished. She stared at the desolation around her. The walls and floors were splattered with blood. There had been about ten soldiers inside the building at the time, protecting the noro, and all of them had fallen victim to either Hiyori's okatana or her powers. All, but one.
"Freeze!" a soldier yelled, as he pointed his gun at her.
Hiyori rolled her eyes, until she heard the bang. The pain that followed was agonizing.
"Auuugh!" Hiyori screamed.
Slowly, she turned to see the blood soaking through the side of her uniform. Assessing the wound, she deemed it as non-fatal. Her eye glowed with energy, as she raised her hand at the soldier, who backed away from fright. One second later, his body incinerated to ashes. Hiyori looked at the remains that used to be the soldier with a deadpan look, until she heard clapping from behind her.
"Well done, Hiyori-chan. You've finally accepted who you really are."
That voice... Hiyori's hair flew high into the air, expanding into long tendrils, almost like Yukari's when she was possessed by Tagitsuhime. Lightning flashed all around her as she glowered with rage at Konoka, who was standing at the entrance. Without a second thought, Hiyori let out a yell, shooting a deadly bolt of lightning at her aunt. Konoka blocked it, however, with her own powers.
The ambassador shook her head saying, "Have you forgotten that I'm half-aradama myself? I've had these powers for years. Do you really think I don't know how to protect myself with them?"
Hiyori snarled, "If you're going to kill me, then why don't you just try?"
"Why would I do that?" Konoka purred. "Death is too merciful for you."
"What do you mean by that?" Hiyori growled.
"Patience, Hiyori-chan. Good things come to those who wait..."
A/N: Whew! Another chapter done! Hope you all enjoyed that, my fellow readers! So...now Hiyori is stealing noro for Tagitsuhime. What could this mean? And it also seems that our favorite chocolate-mint lover is starting to become more ruthless and unforgiving. Hmm... What do you think about all this? Again, reviews and opinions are greatly appreciated.