DISCLAIMER: Mai Otome and its characters are Sunrise property.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: All reviews are welcome as I have no ego or shame for that matter. Hell, even if you would like to say 'howdy' drop a line.
Our Legacy ch4
As the sun slowly set on the water's horizon in Aries, Haruka and Yukino sat together thinking about everything they had recently discussed. Haruka started to imagine life at home and work with a baby in tow. Her first random thought was one of her materialized with the baby in a sling attached to her chest. Not fighting, of course, just taking the tyke for an after midnight flight because she could not sleep.
Haruka would look down on the large toddler with spiky brown hair and large grey eyes. This image slowly became an angry Yukino, awaiting their return with an extremely large boulder attached to a crane. With this sudden image firmly in place, Haruka laughed and looked at Yukino, who was lost in her own world.
"If this becomes a possibility, I will give her anything she wants," Haruka thought, staring at Yukino and seeing their daughter etched into Yukino's mind. There was no sign of recognition from Yukino, so Haruka just turned back to the now almost set sun and firmly grasped her lover's hand covering it with her other.
Yukino noticed vaguely what Haruka was doing, but was busy imagining two children in her office. One child asleep on Haruka's chest, with her little fist nearly rammed up her momma's nose, while the other was sitting in the middle of the floor, with papers and toys spread everywhere, and Yukino on the floor beside her.
This child though not vocal had fire in her eyes and determination in her features. The child was of an average build with short spiky blonde hair. The child noticed no one paying attention, even poor Yukino was asleep, so the child tried to pound on mom to get a reaction. When mom did not move the tyke let her head back and let out with a screeching 'DDDAAAAA'.
"Ayame, oh dear me, I fell asleep too?" dream Yukino thought as Yukino said this out loud catching Haruka's attention.
"Ayame, huh, seems like someone already has a name picked out," Haruka said facing the now blushing Yukino.
"Two actually, Ayame and Kaede, what do you think?" Yukino asked admitting that this was becoming more than just a simple wish for her.
Natsuki admitted to Shizuru, that yes she did want a child, but that she was not ready for either woman to have to retire. Shizuru understood as she too was not really ready yet. The thought of a little Natsuki running around Garderobe, driving everyone mad, made her giggle. Natsuki had her own moment earlier as she imagined a little Shizuru, drinking tea with Miss Maria and the old Otome actually smiling. This actually sent icy chills through Natsuki, who instead of laughing nearly jumped out of her skin.
Shizuru laughed when Natsuki explained blushing madly. The older woman commanded much respect and when materialized caused a few nosebleeds. Most of her former students had to double take upon seeing this, as they had never seen pictures or even tried to imagine such a sight.
"Will Natsuki be able to sleep or should I comfort my little puppy again?" Shizuru asked trailing her fingers across Natsuki's back lightly scratching her.
"I think I am going to need a lot of comforting to make it through the night," Natsuki replied with a low growl leaning into Shizuru's neck.
The two Otome spent many wee morning moments between fierce lovemaking and quiet contemplation. 'The school morning would be too soon in arriving' was the last thought from either woman before contented sleep claimed both.
Miss Maria was dressed and ready to patrol the morning cleaning of the grounds as she quietly left her room. A last quick glance over her shoulder at the sleeping woman in her bed gave her a moment's pause. It would not matter either way for her if Youko's discovery panned out.
Maria had enjoyed her night with the younger Otome, but even more so she truly enjoyed their closeness, without words or even deeds. Instead of leaving, Maria walked back to the bed and brushed the hair from Yukariko's sleeping face. Could she take mornings having to leave this sleeping angel? With a sigh, she then composed herself and left her room. The young Corals would never understand why Miss Maria seemed distracted most of the day.
As the door closed Yukariko rolled over, she wanted to drape her arm across the woman who was no longer there. Instead she grabbed the empty pillow and pulled it to her. As a young Pearl, Yukariko had entertained her thoughts of moments such as this, but never expected them to come to pass. The whole experience from the first kiss, behind closed doors, to the last kiss, before sleep, made her bury her head in the pillow searching for the woman's scent.
She never imagined things to be as opposing as they carefully explored their limits. Soft brushes of lips and warm hands entwined, leading to hungry, impatient exploration that ended in a rather loud outcry from Yukariko. There was something to be said about the older woman's stamina and knowledge. How easily she read Yukariko and how slowly she prolonged that blissful moment. Yukariko blushed at this thought; she went to take a quick shower before going to her room to get ready for morning meal and classes.
After her shower, Yukariko left Miss Maria's room without a second glance down the halls. Just before she entered her own room, Yukariko turned to look back at the room she just left and saw Nao standing there smiling, almost wickedly. Yukariko went a deep crimson shade as Nao drew closer.
"It seems Hallard had been right. Too bad she couldn't be here to see this. You should be more careful when you depart another's room, if you don't want to be caught in the act…" Nao said teasing as she headed for her own room to get some sleep.
"Oh Blessed Lady, of all people… Maria is going to kill her if this girl gets too smart," Yukariko said as she closed the door to her room.
Yukariko then envisioned Maria materializing and taking the Fourth Column down a peg or two, the simple thought making her blush as she imagined peeling that robe off her. During breakfast, neither said a word, though they smiled more often in passing throughout their day.
Aoi asked one of the other maids to assist Queen Mashiro last night so that she could sleep in with Chie. Together they had spent most of their night talking about the future holding one another close. Their lovemaking had been slow and encompassed all five of both of their senses. Aoi held Chie close as the normally confident woman cried in her bosom afterwards. The love Chie felt had overwhelmed her completely and exhausted her entirely. Watching her sleep now Aoi couldn't stop her own tears as she understood just what it was Chie must have felt.
Out in the hall, the usual sounds of Mashiro, still groggy from sleep, and Arika, well adjusted to early hours thanks to Garderobe, could be heard as they headed for breakfast. Aoi smiled through her tears at the thought of two young women she was now watching over. Arika may be Windbloom's Meister Otome, but she was still just a young girl herself. Aoi buried her face into Chie's lean muscular back and held her tightly willing herself to get a few more moments rest.
"Hopefully Mashiro doesn't kill Arika before I actually get up," Aoi thought as she closed her eyes.
Mai stood at the window of her bedroom, looking out on the morning, wondering what brought about last night's conversation with Mikoto. Once everyone was gone and they headed for their nightly bath, Mikoto looked pensively at Mai. It was as if she were trying to get into her thoughts. Mai had never thought of her relationship with Mikoto as one of a sexual nature before. It wasn't like she hadn't experienced sexual relations with another woman before. Garderobe had a surprising number of student relations, since they were just starting to experience these needs and emotions during their training to become Meisters.
Since she came to Mikoto though, there was so much more learning of each other, in different ways. Mai never really thought about such matters. With the mountain closed off for so long, it was not like she could just go find a partner of her own choosing. Now that she could though, Mai didn't seem to feel the need. Their bond had become more than any relationship she could ever hope to have with anyone else.
Last night, Mikoto had taken to her bed as usual, but she didn't sleep. Mikoto took Mai's face into her hands and spoke softly about what she felt from Mai earlier. Mai composed her thoughts slowly, because she was enjoying the soft comfort she felt from Mikoto's small but strong hands.
"I could feel need from you, Mai," Mikoto said almost in a whisper, "A need to see me."
"I did need to see you. I needed more than that as well… You have never tried anything with me past what we openly share and yet," Mai said swallowing hard as Mikoto's eyes seemed to take away the last words.
"To be here has been more than enough. Besides, I had been alone so long before you that it was nice to finally have someone just to be around and talk to besides the occasional visit from Miyu. If you had needed something more I would have or should I say, I will do anything Mai wants," Mikoto said as she smiled and lightly kissed Mai's lips, she seemed so different.
"I don't know what to say Mikoto as our relationship still seems to be growing all these years later," Mai replied as she felt the electricity ride through her from even just a simple kiss.
"Mai is not ready and Mikoto is very patient for her. Take a walk through the city tomorrow and then we will talk again. For tonight though, sleep well and I will guard your dreams," Mikoto said lying softly against Mai in contemplation.
Youko and Drue had never gone to sleep, though Moira passed out earlier, stating that she was 'too old for late night gab fests'. Breakfast had been brought to them, when none of the women appeared for morning meal. Natsuki also sent word that they had to get sleep or she would force them by sending Miss Maria to them. Drue laughed even harder at this after Youko explained the daunting presence the Otome had. While enjoying their coffee, Moira came back to them after being rousted by the smell of the food.
"You two are simply insane and in another ten years will understand what good sleep truly means," Moira said, kissing Drue and sitting down to eat some food.
"After seeing how close you and I have been to making this discovery on our own, I couldn't stop," Drue replied finishing off her coffee.
"I just can't believe you two had recently progressed so far with DNA. Drue told me about the work with surrogates you had been doing. How these women would carry for women who could not at risk of their own health. The process seems simple enough in early stages, but that is with the male/female host donations being coerced in a lab setting," Youko said trying to clear her mind from the long night's events.
"As a young student first starting in university, a professor once told me that when an ideas time had come, it would not be stopped. He said that it would come to someone in Artai and Aries and other places almost at the same time. He said they may take different roads to get there at different times, but all would come to the same conclusion," Moira said taking up a bowl of rice.
"That is understandable and reasonable as we have all seen it with simple inventions. Necessity at its most simple application," Youko replied thinking about how far reaching countries could come up with the same simple weapons though never once sharing the first thought of such weapons.
"Well, these files are pretty long winded, but the principle is there. Using the DNA to create the necessary basics and then coercing them in the lab to join. It is all in the briefs, though it does say that the hosts are not guaranteed to be compatible. You know the religious groups will not like this... if we start practical application. Test subjects will be needed and they could be targeted by indifference," Drue said scratching her head and neck.
"Therein lays the rub, I think I could round up more than a few participants, but it would mean a lot of anonymity. I can understand people thinking we are trying to play God, but it is not of their choosing to decide for someone else. If these people choose to help with this they would and could keep their own peace. Most of these women would never have the choice any other way. But if we could do this, just maybe we could help to create healthy organs for the sick or direct the process towards the application of curing disease, instead of curing it's after effects," Youko said thinking of her people the Aswad once again.
"Right now I think the two of you should sleep and leave this to me. You are both brilliant, but lack of sleep will cloud your reasoning and judgment. There is plenty here to keep me busy after you escort us to our quarters, to sleep and shower as necessary. I will then return and pour myself into the source material and the info you have provided on your nanomachines," Moira said urging them both up and out of the room following right behind.
"Okay mother," Drue said being overly sarcastic.
"Don't give me any ideas, Drue, since you are the age appropriate candidate," Moira replied watching the woman visibly stiffen, but quietly moving on.
"Just as I thought…"