DISCLAIMER: Mai Otome and its characters are Sunrise property.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Once again, any reference to the Hanagumi or either of its' sister troupe's or their voice actresses is purely in homage.
Our Legacy ch42
Future, Somewhere between Aswad territory and devastated Windbloom,
Nao had sent the girls out over an hour ago and Megumi Tokiha was starting to wish she was back in the bunker. Most of the Aswad territory could have been classified as desert terrain. Of course, if you headed back in the other direction you would see that Windbloom was not any better. The ruins were so sickening that the girls hated heading back that way. Luckily they were searching for signs of Kruger's or Midori's groups headed towards them and not for that accursed ring.
Megumi hated that stupid ring now because she'd been having trouble sleeping since Kaede and Shiori left. Sure Megumi seemed fine to the others, but Nadia would keep her secret out of blind respect for their love. Many nights Megumi would try to keep herself up until her body was completely exhausted in order to avoid the dreams.
Megumi may have been tall and lean, but when the dreams hit she would act like a frightened child scampering for her parents during a thunderstorm. Megumi had Mai's hair and quite a bit of her height and musculature, everything else belonged to Mikoto. Megumi could outrun most of the girls without even trying. When Megumi would drop to all fours lord help the fool in her path. Megumi's natural agility seemed boundless.
Right now Megumi was hunkered down taking in deep breaths and hating the cold. It wasn't so bad right now, but once she was airborne the wind would smack her with a brutal chill. Out here alone, Megumi had too much free time to think about her dreams. Some nights Megumi would dream of being a Coral again, only to have it turn into some hellish nightmare of her friends all dying around the ring. These most recent nights though, the dreams had involved her talks with Kaede or watching Kaede and Shiori die while she was helpless to stop it.
These were very disturbing because she loved them all dearly, most especially Kaede. As Corals they were roommates and of everyone they knew Kaede was the only one to allow Megumi to attack without warning. Usually it was in good fun, but Megumi had her much needed moments of unrestrained release. Kaede understood this because she too would get this way. More often than not, Megumi would try to pounce on Kaede from behind, but being so big Kaede would barely even flinch until Megumi would hit her. Megumi thought of how they first meet up with each other their Coral year at Garderobe.
Flashback,
Though they had been around each other off and on growing up, they never had enough time to truly become friends. It had been nearly five years since the last time and both had grown quite a bit since then. Megumi had been running around Garderobe in mad dashes, climbing trees and dodging around groups of girls when she saw the transport stop. She barely had time to stop her momentum when the door opened and Chie Hallard stepped out.
"Two fights in less than twenty minutes; I should just bring you back and lock you up until you grow up ," Chie said as she stepped aside to allow her two charges out of the transport. Kaede Armitage stepped out and into Megumi's path.
"Can't stop look out," Megumi said as she tried to jump up and over Kaede in order to avoid impact. Kaede though turned around and caught Megumi's legs dropping her to the ground safely. Megumi looked up to thank the girl with the long dark brown hair only to realize who it was.
"Megumi Tokiha haven't you been told to behave. Kaede is not a tree and you should be on the main grounds with the rest of the girls. 'Tsuko get your lazy butt out here already," Chie replied looking down at Megumi. Megumi looked as if she was stunned speechless.
"You haven't changed much, still traveling at light speed I see," Kaede replied as she felt a push against her back.
"You could have moved two more steps, Kaede. Blocking the door isn't going to keep me from beating you up those stairs," Mitsuko Hallard said as she jumped onto Kaede's back.
"The only way you'll beat me up those stairs Mitsuko is with a head shot," Kaede said as she brought her head back and connected with Mitsuko's head sharply.
"That's head start, Kaede, although she'd have an even better chance with the head shot," Chie said as she pulled Mitsuko off of Kaede's back. Kaede was a lot like Haruka when she was determined.
Mitsuko was still rubbing her forehead as Chie held her steady, "Why do you always do that… you know how much it hurts?"
Megumi really had been lost in thought because nearly twenty five minutes had passed and she needed to get moving again. This memory like her dreams was a muted feeling lacking in clarity. As Megumi stood up she stretched and looked in all directions. Nao would kill her if she was late getting back. Megumi knew she had to press on because Nao would know if she lied about completing her search. Nao always knew…
Megumi had barely stepped off the ground as she spotted something black sticking out of the snow. How had she missed it before? The black stone plaque was not even five feet away from her. Megumi dropped to the stone and started to uncover it.
IN MEMORIUM OF TWELVE OF EARL'S MOST BELOVED
TO MY SISTERS WHEREVER YOU MAY BE
THANK YOU FOR ANSWSERING THE CALL
SACRIFICING THEIR ALL FOR THE SAKE OF OTHERS
IN THE LINE OF DUTY
IN THE NAME OF LOVE
FOREVER OUR PROTECTORS
GARDEROBE'S TWELVE
Megumi read their names below the last line and fell back into the snow. This just could not be real, how could this be here for her to see. Megumi thought of her words with Kaede as she read their names again. Megumi turned away and threw up whatever little food was left in her stomach. These girls never had normal days, but this was far beyond the weird they'd grown accustomed to. Megumi got closer to the stone again and tried to remove more snow in order to read the last line.
QUEEN KANNA YUMEMIYA AND PRESIDENT AYAME ARIMTAGE
THIS STONE LAIN THIS DAY IN …
Megumi could read no more as the dates and the last of the wording seemed to be chipped away. This just wasn't possible as neither of these people was alive and Ayame had never made more than a year old. Megumi turned back towards the transport feeling queasy every time she tried to fly too high or too fast. Megumi really didn't want to come back this way; she knew the others would insist though.
Florence,
Tomoe couldn't believe that both she and Chisa had been selected for parts in the play. Chisa actually earned the coveted Otome part as Subaru Koji and Tomoe would play the Queen's lady in waiting, Hanabi. This made Tomoe laugh because she would be the understudy for the part of Queen Lachette Altair. Chisa had been so excited that she never bothered to ask Tomoe about the little briefcase she'd brought into the apartment with her clothing. Truthfully, Chisa didn't actually care. Right now she had the two things she wanted. Tomoe (Michie to Chisa) as a slave to her incessant sexual needs and a part that would offer her more opportunistic girls to play with.
Tomoe was still yet to get over the fact that Chisa was keeping her around as a toy. They were both cold and calculating in their own ways. It wouldn't matter to her what Chisa wanted or did if the voices were gone. Tomoe could think without distraction except for the occasional closet trips to fulfill some of Chisa's untamed urges, no matter where they were at the time. Tomoe would lie awake wondering what had brought these two predators together.
Tomorrow they would receive their scripts and their schedules for rehearsals, though Tomoe expected it would only add more fuel to Chisa's fire. Coming here had been a stroke of pure genius, a place to hide without actually hiding at all. Time would provide her the opportunity she wanted so desperately so until it was necessary to disregard it, Tomoe could keep her new mask and fiendishly forceful new lover.
Founder Base Transport number four,
When Megumi had come back earlier than the others Nao wanted to hit the girl. As Megumi struggled to explain to Nao what she had seen, Nao started rubbing her temples wishing Irina was with her to do it instead. Nao finally told Megumi to go lie down and await the others return. Nao went back to the transport's main systems and tried to make herself comfortable away from Megumi.
"This shit never ends. I'm supposed to be retired…Kruger better move her ass along," Nao said as she tried to get comfortable again.
Two and a half hours later,
"Oh just shut up already and take your seats. Now I know you three are tired and we are all hungry, so we are heading back to base," Nao said as the rest of the girls came into the transport complaining, "Let Megumi sleep because I'm not dealing with another headache right now. Katsumi, up front with me and the two of you can do whatever it is you kids do when you're bored."
"Why was Megumi back so early?" Katsumi asked as she followed Nao.
"That's something we'll discuss at the base so drop it right there," Nao said not looking at her daughter, "Knock that look off your face, Katsumi, I'm not in the mood. Between you and Kimiko, I don't know which one of you reminds me of Midori more."
"You say that like it is a bad joke," Katsumi said sitting in the second driver's chair next to her mother.
"I wish it was considering it took the two of us to… what…?" Nao never finished her thought because she caught Katsumi staring at her.
"Took the two of you?" Katsumi asked trying to think around that statement and her childhood memories.
"I'm not discussing that situation with you, ever," Nao said wishing she was already in the confines of the base.
"Well then maybe you shouldn't have said it out loud," Katsumi said returning her focus to the barren road ahead.
Nao let go of the steering controls and got out of her seat as the transport started to slow and drift. Nao slapped Katsumi in the back of the head and departed the cabin saying, "You drive now smart mouth…"
As she walked by Cara and Chiyako, Nao glared at them both before a word could be said. Chiyako just threw her hands in the air and shook her head. Cara decided to go fill the empty chair up front. Cara would be glad to get away from Chiyako and Nao for different reasons.
"Katsumi, I've got a question for you," Cara said as she dropped into Nao's vacated seat.
"Should I let you drive or just leave because people don't usually like my answers and theirs' usually give me a headache?" Katsumi asked as Cara reached up for the steering controls. Cara was trying to show support even though she wasn't sure why it was necessary.
"Megumi was back early enough to hit a sound enough sleep without Nadia here," Cara said watching the road ahead even though it wasn't necessary.
"Yeah I noticed, I also noticed that the topic is closed for discussion until we're back to the base," Katsumi replied putting her hands up behind her head and sighing.
"So whatever it is involves all of us? I guess that curiosity will have to wait. So what did you do that pissed off your mother?" Cara asked smiling in spite of her frustration.
"I was looking for an answer to something Kimi and I have already known for awhile now. My mother loves her little secret, but as her daughter or should I say daughters Kimi and I aren't exactly clueless," Katsumi replied being vague.
"Is this about the whole Aswad thing? Kimiko likes to talk seriously when she's abandoned her tougher pretenses," Cara said turning her gaze finally upon Katsumi. The resemblance between sisters was most noticeable when they were in their unguarded moments.
"They've got this odd open relationship. You could say we have three parents. At Garderobe, it would be Youko and my mom taking care of us and sometimes each other. On those occasions when we would be amongst the Aswad, it would vary between Midori and whichever one brought us, under the same circumstances," Katsumi said as she drew in a heavy breath and then slowly exhaled as if fighting off some rising tension.
"Kimi already told me this. Does it disturb you to know that they co-exist this way?" Cara asked focus returning to the road.
"Secrets disturb me, Cara. They don't have to hide the fact that they love us or each other. I don't fully get how they could live this way, but it was what shaped us, I would hope for the better. My mother and Youko never acted liked they were 'in' love, though they never showed hate or resentment either," Katsumi said repeating the process of breathing heavily again.
"If you want to be angry, then be angry? If you want answers then go get them and stop sitting here. Tell her what you told me and give her no room edge wise to evade the answer. I told Kimiko the same thing, one of you should listen to me," Cara said nodding towards the cabin door, "Send Chiyako up here if you have to. I'll make her drive and I'll take a nap."
"Maybe I should just punch her lights out and get my point across. Mitsuko will understand," Katsumi said as she got up and left the cabin.
Cara heard some movement and then the sound of something hitting the deck in the next compartment. Chiyako would have a headache when she woke, but it had the effect Katsumi was looking for. The ride back to the bunker just got longer for Nao as the yelling started and for Cara because she couldn't block it out.
Cat God Mountain Park,
Mai watched Mikoto walking around holding Megumi carefully perched on her shoulders. It was becoming a daily ritual since Chie and Aoi had come by with Mitsuko. Chie had been carrying Mitsuko in this same manner, talking to her daughter and smiling faces were plastered on both. Mai figured that Mitsuko's was more about the different view then it was about real happiness. Mai knew from her own experience that for Chie it was about being a parent. They were the youngest of the new parents and they were having a ball. Aoi's eyes were always glued to them and she was smiling quite more than usual.
Mikoto walked around to the trees and explained them to her daughter. She would lie in the grass with Megumi and the cats. The feline guardians watched 'til they fell asleep on so many occasions. Mai was so happy to see this side of her longtime companion that she had even on occasion joined them just to listen to Mikoto talk to their daughter. Miyu had stopped in during one of Chie and Aoi's visits and had both children in her arms at one point. Mai nearly had a laughing fit as Miyu looked upon the two smiling babies and introduced herself to them as 'Auntie Miyu'.
Miyu had been watching over the generations of Alyssa's family and in these children she thought that maybe she would find some of the other people she had left to dust many hundreds of years ago. Mikoto would be gone with them some day and this child with Mikoto's eyes would be her legacy. Miyu would continue to look in Megumi on Mikoto's place. They were family after all.
Miyu saw something in these children that no one else would be able to now that Mikoto was mortal. There were connections that shaped them, surrounded them, and would eventually lead them. Miyu would eventually see all of the new children. These children would become something more than their parents now or her long lost friends had been back then. They held a potential for power that Miyu had not seen in a very long time. It was present in the many generations to come from Alyssa and was growing here as well.
"I will be around again soon, I must be going though. Take great care of these children for they will shape this world just by existing. Who they are meant to become? Who they do become? This will be because of your guidance," Miyu said as she disappeared once again.
Mikoto looked a little sad as she watched Miyu go. Soon enough Miyu would be alone with only memories of those she had the occasion to call friend. In terms of time that could be decades away, but for Miyu that in itself was like a blink.
Mai and Mikoto were walking by the water the next day not talking just enjoying their life together. Mikoto looked at Megumi in Mai's arms and wanted to know so much more than she could see with her limited vision now. Miyu could see something and Mikoto would have to hope that she and Mai would live long enough to see just what it was Miyu referred to.
"What are you thinking about Mikoto?" Mai asked though not expecting an answer.
"Just what the future holds for our daughter and the other children," Mikoto answered looking at her reflection in the water.
Suddenly Mai's reflection was besides her own smiling softly. Mai touched the growing patch of grey hair with her free hand and then kissed Mikoto before walking away. Just as Megumi's reflection hit the water Mikoto thought she saw something surrounding the child. In that same moment though, it was gone and Mikoto just sighed. Mai would say it was the light reflecting on the water casting the image, but Mikoto had lived long enough to see things even now that other's could not.
"Hey, Mikoto, what would you say if I wanted to give Megumi someone to play with other than the cats?" Mai asked turning to head back to their home.
Mai had no problems so far regaining her shape since giving birth to Megumi. Mikoto wasn't too eager to see it go away again anytime soon, but would go with whatever Mai wanted. Mikoto watched her walking slightly ahead of her and answered with a broad smile, "As Miyu had once said 'I would not be averse to the idea'."
Garderobe,
Erstin had been saying good night to Nina when she saw the two new young Meisters running quickly across the grounds. Nina and Erstin had discussed things that would soon come to shape their future. As Nina was finally out of sight, Erstin let curiosity get the better of her and followed in the direction the Meisters had gone. It became pretty clear where they were as she heard their voices coming from the swimming pool area.
"Oh. Come on Kaede, you know you want to join me," Shiori said as she jumped into the water without a stitch of clothing on.
"Actually tonight I'll just enjoy the view," Kaede said as Shiori splashed water her way.
"Fine, I'll just do some laps and then we can go take a nice hot bath together," Shiori said although a little upset Kaede wouldn't join her. Kaede smiled and nodded her head waiting for Shiori to start her laps.
Once she was sure Shiori wasn't paying attention to her Kaede grabbed Shiori's clothes and took off back towards their room. Kaede passed by Erstin and quickly replied, "Good Evening to you Meister Ho."
It was a slip that Kaede hadn't caught but Erstin sure did. Erstin was stunned momentarily and then realized that she was now alone with the other Meister. Erstin didn't realize that Kaede had Shiori's clothes or she would have avoided the pool. Erstin watched as the naked form glided through the water as if she were one with it.
"Good Evening, Miss Ho. I would take this to mean that Meister Wang is taking the liberty of using the pool," Miss Maria said from behind Erstin causing her to jump.
"Miss Maria… Good Evening to you as well. That's not Nina down there. I was just going down to see who it was," Erstin replied thankful that she and Nina had not been caught kissing again or worse.
"You can head back to the dorm, Miss Ho, I will handle this," Miss Maria said forgetting about reprimanding the girl for her earlier display when she realized that the person in the pool was naked.
Miss Maria stood by the edge of the pool as she waited to find out just who she was about to make her next example out of. Shiori came up just off to the side of where Miss Maria was standing and immediately dropped back into the water. As Shiori came back up she realized Kaede and her clothes were gone. Kaede had set her up…
"I guess under all of the refinement you are as bad as your partner, Miss Kruger," Miss Maria said looking into the girls' blushing angry features.
"It's really not what it looks like Miss Maria," Shiori answered weakly as she cursed Kaede in her mind.
"Since you are out here naked, in the pool, I would say it is exactly what it looks like," Miss Maria said trying now not to laugh, "Okay dear up and out. I'm sure that the Headmistress will love the explanation behind this one."
Shiori really didn't want to move right now because she was naked and because she remembered how sore Kaede's ear was even now.
"If you'd rather I could have her come down here and resolve this. Your choices… get at least a towel before her office or having her here as you are now," Miss Maria said thinking of how badly Kaede Armitage must have wanted for this to happen.
"KAEDE IS SO GOING TO REGRET THIS," Shiori said turning a few shades of red as she climbed out of the water. Miss Maria saved her the ear pinch. Instead she laughed the entire way to Natsuki's office as she recognized the blush of one of her favorite students passed on to her daughter. Even though she would put her mask back on momentarily in the Headmistress' office Miss Maria would drop it again as she left both standing there in deepening shades of crimson.
Shizuru had just put Little Shiori into her crib again as Miss Maria knocked on the door. Shizuru stepped out to say something as she found Natsuki standing there scowling, in full blush and Shiori, dressed in a small towel, looking clearly as frustrated as Natsuki, blush and all.
"So where did Miss Maria find you like this?" Shizuru asked not bothering to hide her smile.
"In the pool, where Kaede was supposed to be with me," Shiori said thinking of just what she wanted to do to Kaede.
"Well at least we know you will pass your exhibitionism down to our daughter now. See I told you it would happen," Natsuki said looking back and forth between them.
There was a knock on the door and Shizuru went to answer it in order to have a moment to fix her mask. Kaede stood there smiling broadly as she handed a night robe to Shizuru. Kaede winked as she walked away and started whistling to herself, her job halfway done.
"Well at least now I understand what you see in Kaede," Shizuru said as she closed the door and handed Shiori the robe, "Such a charming young brute."
Shizuru walked back to the bedroom, whistling the exact same tune as Kaede, leaving Natsuki and Shiori to their talk.
"Never again…."Shiori mumbled under her breath incapable of looking at Natsuki now.
"Never say never, just go to your room and whatever the two of you do…Stay out of Miss Maria's way," Natsuki said as she went to her room whistling that same little tune. As she entered the bedroom, Natsuki laughed at herself and Shiori.
"Easier said than done…" Shiori said as she left the room to find Kaede awaiting her in the hallway.
"Care to join me in a nice hot bath?" Kaede said standing there in just a night robe also.
"Aren't you satisfied with my embarrassment?" Shiori asked walking over to Kaede looking like she wanted to slap her.
Kaede grabbed Shiori closer and loosened the sash of her robe letting the ends fall loosely. Shiori stood there still glaring as Kaede undid her own and pulled Shiori into a tight embrace and passionate kiss. As Kaede broke their kiss she smiled and said, "Not really because this part is always so much more fun."
As if on cue, the door to Miss Maria's room opened up just then and she stood in the hall.
"…"
Nights at Garderobe are definitely not going to be boring as long as those two are around, Miss Maria thought as she walked back into her room, leaving the girls in the hall laughing.