"Ugh..." Eli groans. Her head was pounding. She didn't understand why it hurt so much. Just what the hell was she doing before this?
Wait a second...
Eli slowly sits up. She finds herself alone in an empty bedroom. Eli rubs her eyes and holds her hand against her head. She winces as her head pounds faster. She groans once more and lays back down. Once the headache settles, she tries again. Now sitting up, Eli scans the room. Her uniform jacket was hanging on the closet door and her boots were placed at the edge of the bed. She scoots over to put on her boots. At the corner of her eye, Eli notices the glass of water on the desk. She downs the glass of water like nothing, "Phew." She breaths out. Placing the glass back down, Eli notices a note.
"Please eat something when you wake up. - Princess Nozomi."
The dining hall wasn't busy at all, she might've come after breakfast. She didn't care about eating alone. She just wanted to fill her empty stomach and get rid of the headache.
As she eats, she tries to recall the events of the night before. "Kotori is engaged. Umi's sad but won't be honest about it. Nico encouraged both of us to get drunk. I met Nozomi's parents-" Eli spits out her drink, alerting the few Knights that were in the dining hall. "I met Nozomi's parents while I was drunk?!"
Eli's stomach drops. How disgraceful. She should just jump off the tallest tower instead of living anymore. How embarrassing to both her and her father. Her chance at a good impression is long gone now. "Way to go Elichika..." Eli angrily bites the bread that was in her hand. "Wait a second." She stops chewing. "Elichika...? Why did that pop in my head?" Eli rubs the sides of her head.
Elichika was a nickname given to her by her late grandmother. Since then, Eli has shut it out of her mind.
"Oh how I've missed you, Elichika."
Eli drops her piece of bread. Her eyes widen. "What the hell was that?" She assumes its got something to do with her hangover, so Eli decides to let it go. She shakes her head. She's already wasted enough time by sleeping in and taking her time eating. Hangover or not, she has a duty.
Eli wanders around the Castle. Queen Minami nor Kotori weren't in their rooms. She couldn't find her father or Umi either. Not even Nozomi. Anyone she asked had no idea where they were. Eli stops walking and leans against the nearest wall. She sighs, "Where is everyone?" The Grand Summit was very new to Eli. She had no idea where anything was.
"I wonder how Alisa is doing..." The Minami Castle was quite overwhelming to Eli at first, so she could imagine Alisa feeling the same. But she was alone this time, because Eli had Umi to wander around with. "Come to think of it...I don't know if Alisa has powers either...I hope she'll be alright." Eli rubs the sides of her head in worry. Hopefully Alisa didn't get anything as complicated as her's or Umi's powers. Being away from home during all this doesn't feel right to Eli.
"Ah, Captain Ayase. There you are." A voice calls out to her. Eli turns her head to spot Kazuno waving at her. Finally someone familiar.
"Commander Kazuno." Eli bows her head.
"Good to see you out and about. We were worried you weren't going to get up today. Come with me, we already started training."
"We?" Eli raises an eyebrow.
"As of right now, it's Nico, Erena, and Umi. You're an elemental, you should stay and train with us for awhile."
"Oh yeah, Nico did mention something like that..." Eli thinks back. "Okay. I'll come."
"Good." Kazuno motions for Eli to follow her. "It took a lot to convince Toshinori to let you stay."
"You spoke to my father?"
"Yeah. He's a stubborn bastard, but I know how to painstakingly get through to him."
A light bulb switches on in Eli's mind. "Oh!" Eli digs her hands into her jacket pockets. She pulls out the letter from Nakamura. "I'm supposed to deliver this to you."
"Oh? From who?" Kazuno scratches the side of her head in confusion.
"My father's old friend. Nakamura Yumi-san." Eli holds out the letter for Kazuno to take but she only stares at it. Eli waits a couple seconds, but Kazuno never reaches for it. The expression on Kazuno's face makes Eli worried. She could see how the letter made her stressed. She wouldn't grab it. "C-Commander?"
"Oh...I'll take it." She hesitantly takes the letter. She lets out a deep breath. Just what does that letter contain and why is she so freaked out?
"Uh...I'm not sure what's written in there but it seemed very important to Nakamura-san. Please read it." Eli bows to Kazuno. "I owe her so much yet this was the only thing she asked me to do for her. Please."
There's a long pause, but Eli keeps her head bowed. "Wait." Kazuno speaks up. "You said Nakamura. She's not married..?" Eli raises her head.
"No she is not."
More confusion spreads across Kazuno's face but she shakes her head. "Alright. I'll read it when I have some time." She tucks the letter safely in her uniform jacket. She fixes her cap before clearing her throat. "Let's go."
Eli follows Kazuno outside the Castle walls. Eli was taken to what she assumes is the training grounds. It was snowing, but Eli didn't feel too bothered. Eli could tell Kazuno was shivering under her cape but Eli was just fine even with her cape on.
As they approached the training grounds, Eli could see a circle where snow must've been melted. Four figures could be seen inside the circle. Now outside the circle, Eli could see Nico meditating. It was a controlled ring of fire formed by the smaller girl. Erena and Umi could be seen sparring. And the last person was just sitting there on one of the tree stumps. They appeared to be wearing a commander uniform. Perhaps maybe a commander from another kingdom?
"Open a path for them, Nico." The unknown commander yells. A small path opens for Eli and Kazuno to walk through. The commander jumps off the tree stump and approaches Eli and Kazuno. "There you are." The commander lifts their head up, revealing them self to be a smirking Kazuno.
"Eh?" Eli jumps back and lands on her butt. She stares as the Kazuno she arrived with, walks over to stand next to the other one. They were completely identical. "Two Commanders?! Does Commander Kazuno have a twin..?"
"We said the same thing." Erena stands above Eli and offers a hand. Eli grabs it and Erena helps her up. Umi walks over and pats Eli's shoulder.
"They're both Kazuno-san." Umi speaks up.
"Huh...I don't get it." Eli holds her head. "Am I still drunk? Seeing double?"
Both Kazunos laugh. The first Kazuno grabs the letter from her jacket and hands it to the other Kazuno. "Oh a letter? Thanks." The first Kazuno nods and suddenly vanishes, leaving behind a small cloud.
"EHHHH?" Eli yells.
"That's my power." Kazuno laughs. "I have the ability to create clones of myself. I call it, Multiply. So far, I can only make about two perfect clones. It's still pretty difficult." She lets out a deep breath.
"What the..." Eli mutters. "That's so cool..."
"Right?" Kazuno reaches her arms into the air to stretch. "But now's not the time for chitchat. I brought you here to train."
"Oh right."
"For now, I'm thinking you all might need to extend the amount of time you can use your abilities. Or maybe control them better? I'm not sure about you guys but it's what I've observed from Nico."
"Screw you!" Nico yells.
"Quiet. Keep concentrating." Kazuno jumps back onto the tree stump. "I'm just here to supervise. Do what you need to, just don't kill each other."
Nico and Eli decided to train together, since their powers are opposites. Eli decided to work on making ice faster and much stronger than before. Nico wanted to work on controlling the heat levels of her fire. First, Eli works on creating stronger ice walls. Once she gets the hang of making them stronger, she can work on speed. As Eli creates ice walls, Nico will melt them as fast as she can, while keeping the fire under control, as to keep Eli and the others safe from burns.
As for Umi and Erena, Erena had trouble controlling her ability. It wasn't like the other elemental abilities, where they could just create from their body. She had to use her surroundings. Umi suggested taking rocks from the ground and manipulating small stuff until she could better control it. For Umi, she wanted to see if she could enhance her attack power evenly distributing lightning throughout her body. Umi insisted that Erena throw whatever she could at Umi, so she could destroy what came her way. Umi believes it'll help her maintain energy at certain points in her body until she can store energy throughout her entire body.
And as for Kazuno, she quietly practiced creating clones. Eli could see the failed creation of a third clone. The third clone looked pale in color and much more fragile looking than the first two. After awhile, she just meditated while having the other two clones spar with each other.
Eventually, Maki joined the group. She took Nico's old place and tried to perfect her ring of fire. It kept everyone warm but sometimes her power would waver and it would get too hot or too cold. Since Nico was the only one who could really help Maki, they often took breaks to check on her. "I don't get it!" Maki yells, while angrily running her hands through her hair.
"You've got to relax more. Yelling won't make it easier." Nico lays a hand on her shoulder. Maki instantly smacks her hand away and turns away from Nico.
"Don't tell me what to do." Maki walks away and walks over to one of the equipment shacks. She was having issues controlling her power. She didn't have any prior training due to her being Royalty, which makes this more difficult for her. Princesses don't normally get trained to fight so Eli could kind of understand her frustration.
"Jeez." Nico crosses her arms.
"Should've kept your mouth shut." Eli turns around to find Kazuno yawning.
"Not now, Yuu." Nico clenches her fist.
Eli realized that Nico and Kazuno were definitely close. They had a sibling bond and that usually meant being overly mean to each other. But these two were different. They constantly talked down on each other and threaten to beat each other up. And right now Eli had this bad feeling in her gut. Kazuno was literally about to add to the fire and Eli was too close for comfort.
Sensing the hostility between each other, Eli slowly backs away to safety, nearing the two voices of reason. "Just let her cool off." Was the last thing she heard from Kazuno.
Umi and Erena were taking a break as well. They sat together outside the equipment shack. Eli didn't know Erena very well, they barely interacted but Umi seemed to get along with her well. Eli noticed they both were kind of the same, but maybe Erena was a bit more confident in herself when it came to social events and girls. "Hello, Captain Ayase." Erena pats the spot next to her. Eli takes the offer and sits down beside Erena.
"There's no need to address me so formally, Captain Todo." Eli chuckles.
"Alright. Let's leave out the formalities shall we, Eli?"
"Indeed, Erena."
"How is training on your end?" Umi asks.
"It's going fine. I'm a little tired but I'm getting stronger, little by little. How about you guys?"
"I can only focus my strength at one limb at a time." Umi looks down at her hands.
"I have to concentrate more. My thoughts keep getting the best of me and it's ruining my training." Erena sighs.
Eli sensed some sadness behind her words. "We'll be here for you." Is all Eli can think to say.
Erena's expression softens. "Thank you. I'm looking forward to working with you these next few weeks." She stands up and brushes off the snow that landed on her shoulders. "I'm going to meditate."
"Okay." Eli and Umi reply. She walks away, leaving the sisters alone.
Eli clears her throat. "Umi." She knows that if Eli bothers her too much, Umi won't want to talk. The support is there for Umi, Eli just needs to make sure she knows that.
"Eli." Umi replies.
"You doing okay?" Eli stares at the snowy land in front of them.
"I'm alright."
"I'll always be here for you too, Umi. When you feel ready to talk, I'll be waiting. Until then, let's work hard to get stronger." Eli stands up and puts her hand on Umi's head. She gives Umi and noogie, messing up her hair. Her cap fell off, so Eli grabbed it and sloppily placed it on Umi's head before walking away.
Kazuno decided to wrap up training a little after lunch. Maki and Nico were annoyed at each other, so they couldn't focus. Erena also couldn't focus enough. And Umi. After watching them all struggle that much, Kazuno couldn't bear to watch them anymore, "We'll pick it up again tomorrow. Go get some rest and think about what you want to work on next." Kazuno dismissed everyone.
Before leaving, Nico whispered to Eli, "Let's practice in the courtyard tonight." Eli gave her a nod of approval.
The walk back to the castle was quiet. Maki and Kazuno were walking together in the far back. Umi and Erena were walking together in the middle, leaving Nico and Eli in the front. How awkward.
Once the girls returned to the Castle, Umi had left with Erena, to help Princess Tsubasa with some research. Kazuno accompanied Maki to her to the Conference Chambers, leaving Eli and Nico together once more. "I suppose we should patrol together. The Royalty seem to be meeting again, but we're not needed again, aren't we?" Eli asks.
"I guess not. Patrol it is." Nico tugs on her cape, to make it look nicer.
As Eli accompanied Nico around the Castle, she could tell that something was bothering her. She had this look of worry across her face every few moments before her expression shifted into fierce Captain mode, and Eli didn't want to ignore it. "Hey, Nico..."
"Huh?" Nico replies, keeping her face forward.
"Well...It looks like you're bothered by something. Did you uh..." Eli scratches her cheek, "Would you like to talk to me about it?"
"...Heh." Nico stops in her tracks. "I guess I'm no good at keeping a straight face sometimes." She sighs. "It's just about Maki."
"Oh, Princess Maki." Eli nods. "About the stuff you said earlier?"
"Yeah a little I guess." Nico sighs once more and lets herself fall on her back, into the cold snow. "I'm just stressed you know."
Knowing the cold wouldn't bother her, Eli falls beside Nico. "Yeah?"
"Yeah." There's a short pause before Nico starts again. "Have you taken the time to just think about what the hell happened to us? We actually could've been dead."
"Yeah..." Eli was reminded many times by Nozomi. If it weren't for Umi, Eli would've been frozen in ice. The girls were honestly all lucky to have survived what they were put through. "I still can't believe such a thing happened."
"I know we're Captains and all but...We're still kids."
"And it's only going to get harder from here. But we're strong. That's why we're called Captains. The world is going through a drastic change but lets use this opportunity to advance ourselves...So we can protect our loved ones." Eli clenches her fist. "Nozomi..."
"Right." Nico nods in agreement. "I've got to do my job as the Captain of the Maki-chan Defense Squad." She smirks. "Thanks, Eli."
"We're the future. Whatever we do now with these powers, set the laws for the future. Let's do something great." Eli clenches her fist and smirks at Nico. She crosses her arms and snickers.
"Dummy. Of course."
"Elichi!" Nozomi yells from afar. Eli turns and spots the purple haired girl running towards her. She jumps into Eli's arms.
"Nozomi!" Eli wraps her arms around the purple haired girl. "I was looking for you this morning." Nozomi kisses Eli's cheek, causing both girls to blush.
"I'm sorry, I had Princess duties." Nozomi cups Eli's cheek.
"Whoa...Nozomi we shouldn't be touchy out in the open..." Eli scratches at her cheek.
"I wanted to be touchy last night..." Nozomi whispers in Eli's ear, making the blonde shiver.
"N-Nozomi!"
Nico clears her throat, reminding both girls of her presence. "O-Oh! Nico..." Eli laughs awkwardly and Nozomi steps back and smirks at Nico.
"Ah, Nicochi. Glad to see you're doing fine." Nozomi smiles. Eli slightly tilts her head in confusion, "Nicochi..?"
"Whatever, Nozomi." Nico crosses her arms. "I thought you were going to be careful around here. Because of your parents."
"They're still in the meeting. But the other Princesses and I got to leave early." She gives Nico a playful wink and turns back to Eli. "Shall we get something to eat?"
"Y-Yeah." Eli replies. She spots the twin-tailed girl walking away with her hands in her pocket. "Nico? Are you going to join us?"
"Nah. I'm gonna do a little research." She waves her hand and continues walking.
"Bye, Nicochi!" Nozomi waves her hands. She looks at Eli once more, "Let's go, I'm hungry!"
"Right." Eli walks together with Nozomi towards the Castle entrance. She takes off her uniform jacket and places it on Nozomi's shoulders. "Cold?"
"Thanks, Elichi." She tugs on the jacket and smiles.
"So...Nicochi?"
"Maki-chan and I are very close. So we played a lot together as kids and naturally, Nicochi was around and she became my friend too."
"Ah. I see." Eli nods. The knights at the entrance opened the door for Eli and Nozomi. Inside, Nozomi handed Eli back her jacket and they made their way to the Great Hall.
Kotori was seen sitting together with Prince Tatsuya. Maki was at another table, along with Hanayo and Rin. Honoka, Tsubasa, and Anju were spotted walking over to Maki's table, joining them. "Elichi, lets go sit with them." Nozomi tugs at Eli's sleeve. But looking at Kotori, she looked bored and tired.
"Sure. But I must check in with Kotori-chan." Eli clears her throat. Nozomi nods and joins the other girls. "Okay...Don't be weird." As Eli approaches Kotori and her fiance, she could see her Princess light up at the sight of her Captain.
"Eli-chan!" Kotori stands from her seat.
"My lady." Eli bows. Tatsuya stands as well.
"A-Ah. I haven't introduced you yet. This is Captain Ayase Eli. She's one of my personal Knights and close friends." Kotori motions at Eli and she bows once more.
"I see. Good to meet you, Captain Ayase." Tatsuya replies. "So how long have you been a Knight?"
"Since I was 14."
"They allowed a 14 year old to become a Knight in your Kingdom?" He tilts his head.
"Eli-chan's father is Commander Ayase. So naturally she was trained since she was very little and they made an exception for her and...Umi-chan." Kotori gets quiet at the mention of Umi.
"Uh- Princess." Eli clears her throat again, "I was wondering if I could have a moment with you in private."
"Ah, yes. Excuse me, Tatsuya-kun." Kotori nods to Eli and they exit the Great Hall.
Once outside, Kotori lets out a breath of relief. "So what was it that you needed to talk to me about?"
"Nothing. You looked like you needed a break." Eli dusts off her jacket sleeve.
"R-Really?!" Kotori groans. "Oh no, I hope it wasn't obvious..."
"Don't worry, Kotori-chan. I've known you for so long that I just know when you're tired." Eli pats her troubled Princess's head. Kotori keeps her head down.
"...Is Umi-chan okay...?" Kotori says in a low voice.
"...Umi will be fine. I'm going to take care of her." Eli replies.
"That's...good." Eli can hear Kotori's voice crack. Kotori grabs the front of Eli's jacket and brings her head to Eli's chest. Eli puts her hand on the back of Kotori's head and uses her other hand to hold onto Kotori's shoulder. Small sniffles can be heard.
"So there's nothing you can do..?" Eli quietly asks.
"No...I have to marry him." She begins to sob quietly. Hearing Kotori cry makes Eli's heart ache. It hurt to know how much both her and Umi were feeling about each other.
"...I'm going to take care of you too, Kotori-chan." Eli listens as her Princess silently sobs to herself.
This whole situation was messed up to Eli. She knew how much they loved each other. If anyone actually took the time to know them personally, its so obvious how in love they are. But unfortunately, that isn't an option for those girls because of expectations. No one can stand in the way of power. That's the whole reason why a Princess marries a Prince. To keep their family wealthy and powerful. And deep down Eli knew she would have to face the same situation with Nozomi. Maybe even sooner, considering that she's close to turning 18. That wasn't a thought Eli needed to think about. She had to comfort Kotori and be a good friend.
Kotori tightens her grip on Eli's jacket and Eli lightly rubs her back. For once, she had no idea what to say. Saying "It will be okay" doesn't sound like the right thing to say, especially when she's not engaged to the person she truly loves. "I..." Kotori starts. "Th-Thank you, Eli-chan..." Kotori breaths out. "I have to be strong from this point on." She lifts her head and wipes her tears. Eli quickly takes out a handkerchief and offers it to her Princess. She takes it and clears her face of tears.
"It's okay to be sad about it. Don't hold it all in, okay? You can come always come to me...and if not, then Nozomi."
"Thank you, Eli-chan. I'll be sure to remember that."
After lunch, Eli and Nozomi wander around the Castle together. Since she was assigned to Nozomi for this trip, she was technically doing her job. From afar, it looks like Eli's escorting Nozomi, but they were really just hanging out talking about dumb stuff. "Hey, I just had a cool idea." Eli smirks and Nozomi rolls her eyes.
"Oh yeah?" Nozomi replies.
"How about we go outside and play in the snow? I bet I could make a huge snowman with my powers."
"And I bet I could get hypothermia first."
"Aah, you don't want to come out?"
"...Let me change first."
"Aaaaah!"
"Nozomi..!"
"Elichi!"
Nozomi's grip on Eli tightens. As their speed slows down, Eli can feel Nozomi's breath on her ear. "You okay?" Eli asks.
"Y-Yeah..." She rests her head on Eli's back. "That was scary."
"Man, Nozomi. I can't believe you've never gone sledding before!" Eli helps Nozomi up and they fall together on the snowy ground. "But I suppose it was a really big hill we went down."
"I thought we were going to get hurt! I thought I was going to slip off your ice sled." Nozomi lets out a breath of relief. "But it was fun."
"Want to go again?"
"Maybe in a little bit, I'm a little tired. Let's build a snowman as I catch my breath." Nozomi sits on her knees and begins piling up snow together.
"Alright Princess. Whatever you say." Eli joins her and helps roll snowballs.
"Have you thought about making snow from your hands?"
"Huh...Not really I guess." Eli looks down at her hands. She empties her mind and concentrates on making snow from her fingertips.
"Close your eyes it might help."
"Okay." Eli can hear Nozomi quietly chuckling. Suddenly, she feels a snowball hit her face and Nozomi can't contain her laugh.
"N-Nozomi!" Eli quickly wipes away the snow from her face. Nozomi quickly runs to the nearest tree to hide behind. It was a tall skinny tree, a terrible hiding spot. Eli begins making a pile of snowballs. "I'm going to get you, Nozomi!" Eli tries to quietly step in the snow, as to not give away her location. Right as Eli was closing in on the tree Nozomi was hiding behind, she jumps out and puts her hands up.
"Wait!" Nozomi yells.
"What now? You give up?" Eli smirks.
"No." Nozomi shakes her head. "I just have one thing to say."
"And that is?"
"You lose, Elichi!" Nozomi grabs the tree and shakes it, making all the snow that was piled on the branches fall onto Eli. She falls on her stomach, defeated by Nozomi. "Heh heh heh." Nozomi chuckles.
Eli groans and slowly lifts her head. "Well played. I accept the outcome." Eli breathlessly laughs and Nozomi sits down next to her. Eli sits up and Nozomi brushes off the snow from the blonde's shoulders. "You know. I never got to ask but...Did you ever find out if you had a power?"
Nozomi slowly nods in response. "I haven't really been able to test it out." Nozomi scratches her cheek.
"What is it? Can I help?" Eli asks. "Wow I can't wait to see..."
"It's just um...predictions?" Nozomi awkwardly laughs.
"Predictions?"
"Here. Hold your hands out." Nozomi waits for Eli to hold her hands out. Nozomi takes Eli's hands in her own and closes her eyes. She closes her eyes and stays silent for a couple seconds. "Hmm. It's fuzzy but...you will regain something good today?" Nozomi tilts her head.
"Uh...Are you asking me or telling me?" Eli laughs.
"I haven't had much practice." Nozomi pouts and crosses her arms. Eli grabs one of Nozomi's hands and moves the glove out of the way, to place a kiss on her hand.
"I like your power." Eli smirks at Nozomi. She sees the other girl's cheeks grow red. "It reminds me of fortunes. My grandmother used to read mine and Umi's fortunes a lot. She said we would become powerful but also be bad at cooking. Maybe the cooking part was about the time I burnt dinner but whatever." They both chuckle. "I bet you couldn't predict this." Eli grabs a handful of snow and tries to place it on Nozomi's head, but is interrupted by a kiss on the lips.
"I could." Nozomi smirks as she pulls away from the kiss, leaving Eli dumbfounded. "I can also read fortunes. Maybe I'll read yours someday." Nozomi shrugs, "Let's go back. I'm cold." Nozomi stands up and begins to walk away. Eli stands and creates another ice sled.
"Hop on."
"Where have you been?" Eli's father snaps at her once they return to the Castle.
"Princess Nozomi wanted to have a look around outside the Castle, Commander." Eli clears her throat. He sighs.
"Just...Let us know where you're going to be. Princess Nozomi, your parents were worried about you."
"Forgive me, Commander Ayase. I will return to them at once." Nozomi bows her head.
"Don't worry, Princess Nozomi. We were just worried...as parents." He lightens his tone and facial expression. "Forgive me for raising my voice. Could you excuse us, Princess?"
"Of course." Nozomi nods at them both and leaves. Eli can feel her stomach drop. She was about to get yelled at.
He clears his throat. "Eli."
"Yes, Commander?" Eli would be lying if she said she wasn't scared.
"...I have received some news. Come with me."
"Eh...?" Eli's mind goes blank as she watches her father's back grow farther away. She shakes her head and follows behind him. "News? Like what?"
"It's...It's easier to just see for yourself." He sounded stressed. Whatever the news was, didn't seem to be good. "It might be confusing at first but...It's real."
"Huh?" They stop in front of someone's quarters. Eli's father knocks on the door a couple times before entering. He enters first, and Eli follows behind him.
Inside the room, she can see Umi speaking with an elderly woman. They seem to be in an engaging conversation. Umi didn't seem to look troubled at all, it was like she was speaking with an old friend. Once Umi and the elderly woman are alerted of Eli's presence, they both stop speaking. The elderly woman stands up and so does Umi. Once Eli meets eyes with the woman, she instantly feels a wave of nostalgia. Staring back at her, were icy blue eyes just like her own. Just like her father before her, and his mother before him. The eyes she would never forget, full of love and care, her grandmothers.
"Elichika." She opens her arms. Her voice was something Eli could never forget either. Especially using that nickname, there was no doubt it was her grandmother. She didn't know how, but she didn't care, she was here now and Eli rushes into her arms. Upon touching the woman, Eli knew it was real. The warmth was real and Eli was holding onto it.
"Grandmother..." Eli feels tears forming in her eyes.
"Fear not, Elichika. I'm not going anywhere." She feels her grandmother's hand on her head. She tightens her hold on her grandmother.
"You're stealing all the hug time from me." Umi finally says and wraps her arms around both Eli and their grandmother.
"I don't know how but I don't care. I'll hug you forever grandmother." Eli and Umi start sniffling.
"There there, my strong girls..." She pats both of their heads. "Are you going to join us, Toshinori?"
Without missing a beat, their father joins them in the group hug.
Finally when they all settled down, was when their grandmother would explain to them the truth. Their father had to excuse himself because he had duties to attend to, leaving the girls. "Sit now. I will tell you the truth, about what happened to me." She ushers for both girls to sit down. Once they are seated, she clears her throat. "I did indeed get sick. When your mother and I made it to the Tojo Kingdom for treatment, the cure was not completed yet. We were separated for a few days, but when I found out about your mother..." She grows quiet. Eli swallows and looks at the ground. "I had given up. But the doctors had not given up on me...As I was recuperating, I met young Princess Nozomi."
"Nozomi..?" Eli raises one of her eyebrows in confusion.
"She was not supposed to be where I was. Because I was sick! But there she was, wandering around the kingdom, all alone. She came to visit me regularly and I told her stories. I taught her about fortune telling. Seeing her eyes light up and how happy she was warmed my old heart. I could see how lonely she was and how special she is. I didn't want her to be neglected, I wanted to raise her like how I raised you both. One day the Queen had been visiting the sick that were recuperating when she caught Nozomi with me. She told me that if I recovered, I could have a job being Nozomi's maid, seeing how much Nozomi loved to visit me. And...I took it."
"So...You were in the Tojo Kingdom the whole time?" Umi asks and she nods.
"Why didn't you let us know you were alive? We...We were heartbroken, grandmother." Eli clutches her jacket.
"It was foolish of me to have not said anything. I knew that your father would find a way to bring me back home, but I just could've leave Princess Nozomi like that..." She sighs. "I regret it. Seeing how your father became breaks my heart. Seeing you two now only makes me think that...that the Young Mistress could've turned out like that as well if it weren't for me...I am truly sorry that I chose someone else over you. My own family..." She bows her head to Eli and Umi. "Truly the Ayase name has been sullied."
"Grandmother..." Both of them look at each other. Eli didn't know what to say. Their grandmother had left them for someone else, although with good intentions, it led to the downfall of her own family.
"Girls...I do not expect you to forgive me. But I want you to know that I am proud of the both of you. I will dedicate whatever time I have left of this life to guide you all, including your father and Alisa."
"I...I'm sure Alisa would like that. She will be happy to see you." Eli softens her expression and meets eyes with her grandmother. She could tell that she had been beating herself up about it. "It was hard, but if you say you will change...Then we will accept it. Please help father."
"I agree as well. If we've learned anything these past few years...If someone is willing to change for good, then we will accept." Umi nods. "It must've been hard being away from home, grandmother."
"It was. I'll always be sorry for not being around to help. I hope you both know that." She reaches for their hands. Eli and Umi grab one of her hands and hold it. She was frailer than before, due to her old age. "I'll make it up to you both."
They sit together in silence. The father that neglected his children had begun to change for the better. The grandmother they believed to have passed away had abruptly and miraculously returned. It seems the recovery of the Ayase family will take some time, but with the help of grandmother, it doesn't seem totally impossible.
"I'd like to stay for longer, but I have matters of my own to attend to." Umi stands and dusts herself off. The girls and their grandmother were catching up.
"Of course. I'll be around so don't worry about missing me." Grandmother pats Umi's head. "Work hard."
"I always do." Umi gives her a soft smile. She meets eyes with Eli. "I'll be meeting with Princess Tsubasa and Honoka. You should join us if you have time."
"Okay, I'll stop by." Eli nods. "See you later."
Umi exits the room quietly. The return of her grandmother definitely lifted her spirits. It was a surprise she was never expecting. She was a little sad she had to leave early, but she had work to do. Important work.
Upon arriving to the Grand Summit, Princess Tsubasa had mentioned doing research about the prophecy. She had requested that Honoka assist her, and Erena would come in from time to time to help. Since Umi had grown close with Erena in such a short time, Erena invited her to help, so Umi spent her free time helping Princess Tsubasa. Eventually Commander Kazuno poked her head in the research as well and started to help, bringing in Nico.
When Umi arrived to Tsubasa's study, Honoka was spotted hovering over Tsubasa. "Ah, Umi-chan's here." Honoka turns to Umi and waves for her to walk over.
"Good evening, Vice-Captain." Tsubasa replies. "Take a look at this. Grandfather found the continuation for the prophecy. I've been translating it for a few hours and so far it looks like...there are special ruins for each element?"
"Ruins?" Umi scans over the old scroll. She couldn't understand a thing. It seemed like that scroll contained symbols too advanced for Umi, since Tsubasa only gave her a book that went over basic symbols. Umi could only transcribe the simple symbols, so Tsubasa could finish it off.
"But the thing is..." Tsubasa gently places the scroll back on her desks and sighs, "There seems to be more elements. Along with sub-elements."
"There's more than just fire, lightning, ice, and earth?" Umi asks. Tsubasa only nods in response. She looked tired, Umi was definitely going take over from here.
"Yeah. Not only that...But there are usually more than one user of the element." Tsubasa runs a hand through her short hair. "We'll have to monitor the meteors that landed near the Nishikino Kingdom."
"Right right, but Tsubasa-chan you need rest." Honoka places her hands on Tsubasa's shoulders.
"Let me study for another hour."
"Noooo!" Honoka shakes her head. "You said that a couple hours ago! Let's go and get some fresh cold air." Honoka was already dragging Tsubasa out of the room.
Tsubasa could only shake her head, "Okay...Vice-Captain Sonoda, could you finish what you can?"
"Of course, Princess. Please get some rest." Umi bows her head.
"I'll bring you back some snacks, Umi-chan!" Honoka waves at Umi before closing the door. "Alright, Tsubasa-chan! Let's go!"
"Right." Umi could hear Tsubasa chuckling.
"Ah, those two..." Umi mumbles as she takes a seat at the desk. Honoka seemed to be a little different around Tsubasa. Other than being a full fledged Knight, she seemed a lot happier and cheerful around Tsubasa. It wasn't a bad sight, Umi cared for Honoka and wished for her to succeed and be happy. She was her best friend after all. Deep down, Umi wished for the same to happen to her. Her heart clenches at the horrible thought. "Kotori..."
Ever since Kazuno found Umi outside the meeting yesterday, she's been giving Umi advice here and there. It was helpful advice, but she wishes it would make the pain stop completely. Umi knew not to completely hold it in, for it would drag her down until she couldn't hold it in anymore. She talked about it in small bits and pieces to both Kazuno and Erena. She had yet to speak about it fully with Honoka and Eli. Other than that, Umi had busying herself with work. She had not seen Kotori since the meeting, and refused to do so. What would happen to her if they spoke? Umi feared a complete breakdown. Especially in front of the girl she was so fond of.
Kazuno explained the feeling of love. Apparently, Kazuno's love life had not turned out well, she had been through a similar experience. So it was easy for Kazuno to relate, and Umi understood everything. Parts of her knew it was true, that she loved Kotori. But she was really afraid of admitting it. There was no way she would ever say it out loud.
Umi was glad that her father took over her duty to attend to Kotori. Tsubasa's research was the perfect alibi. Facing Kotori was something Umi did not feel ready for. "Facing Kotori..." Umi's stomach drops. She felt uneasy. Umi had come to the realization that she could not run away forever. Once they return home, it would be back to her normal duties. Watching over Kotori everyday, talking with her everyday. Eating with her everyday.
Umi could hear the door open. She turned quickly to see who had opened it. Honoka appeared, and she was quietly closing the door behind her. "I know I said I would bring you a snack but I thought I'd never get a chance." Honoka laughs awkwardly.
"Honoka? I thought you were with Princess Tsubasa." Umi tilts her head.
"I was. But I saw Erena-chan and asked her to take over for me. I wanted to talk to you, Umi-chan." Honoka drags a chair over to the desk.
"About...?" Umi nervously swallows and looks down at one of the old scrolls. Honoka waves her hand over the scroll, gathering Umi's attention.
"Umi-chan...Talk to me. Ever since they announced Kotori-chan's engagement, you've been different. I haven't got the chance to really check up on you. What kind of friend would I be, if I didn't?" Honoka places her hand on Umi's shoulder. Umi sighs and looks down.
"It's hard, Honoka."
"I know it is. But I'm here for you. Please talk to me, for at least a couple minutes."
"I..." Umi looks away. It was now or never. "Okay..." She takes a deep breath.
"Take your time, Umi-chan."
"I feel...empty." Umi feels something in her throat. She tries to clear it, "I have...feelings." Honoka nods, waiting for the rest. "I..." She feels her cheeks start to burn and sweat starts to build up on her face. She had never admitted out loud to anyone close that she had feelings for Kotori. She had always thought it was strong admiration for Kotori. But this was different. As a girl, Umi admitting that she likes Kotori could be good or bad depending on who she was speaking to. Kazuno and Erena didn't care, because they also liked girls, but what about Honoka? What about her father?
"Hey." Honoka places a hand over Umi's. "It's okay Umi-chan. I think I'm getting what you're trying to say."
"You do?" Umi furrows her brows.
"Well...If I'm correct. You have feelings for Kotori-chan...?" Honoka says slowly.
"I...Yeah." Umi nods. "I'm sorry I just...I feel weird admitting it. Eli always knew, but I never told her, father or anyone else. It's so improper."
"It's okay Umi-chan. It doesn't matter who you love, I'm still going to support you no matter what. Even if it's Kotori-chan!" Honoka holds her fist up and smiles. "I support you both."
"I- It's just not proper at all. It was foolish of me to even have feelings in the first place. Kotori is a Princess and I'm just a Knight. And we're both girls, it would never work-"
"Hey hey hey! Not just any Knight. You are the Vice-Captain, Sonoda Umi! So what if you like girls? It doesn't change the fact that you could literally put anyone in the ground. People respect you, Umi-chan. I respect you so much. And I'm going to support you no matter what, like I said earlier."
Umi feels tears build in her eyes. "H-Honoka..."
"Waaah, Umi-chan!" Honoka waves her arms frantically. "I didn't mean to make you cry!" Honoka tries to wipe Umi's tears, but Umi only chuckles.
"Thank you, Honoka." Umi lets her tears drop. "Thank you."
"Can I give you a hug?" Honoka asks. Umi nods in response and Honoka throws her arms around the blue haired girl. They laugh together for a couple minutes. Umi felt like weight was lifted from her back. Talking to Honoka really was relieving, especially since she was so close. "Don't feel bad about liking girls. To tell you the truth, I kinda think Tsubasa is cute, so we're both in the same situation." Honoka sighs.
"Ehh? Honoka you too?" Umi pulls back from the hug. Honoka only shrugs.
"Yeah but this isn't me we're talking about. I haven't got a chance to speak with Kotori since the announcement but I'm positive she doesn't want to marry him. You know why?"
"Why...?"
"Because of you."
"Me?" Umi was confused.
"Kotori-chan is my best friend. She tells me a lot of things. Well, except the engagement, but about you."
"...What about me."
"She likes you!"
Umi only frowns. This was not something she wanted to hear, Kotori was engaged to someone else and that was it.
Honoka sighs, "I'm sorry to bring this up, but she told me about the kiss."
Umi's face instantly grows red, "Honoka!"
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! But really just...Listen. This might be the only time I give you actual good advice."
"Okay..."
"You come from the Ayase family, a family with a strong lineage of Knights, so you're already close with Royalty and nobles."
"Yeah..."
"I'm just a girl who's father owns a popular sweets shop. An outsider. It's easy to give up from your perspective, because traditions and rules have been drilled into your mind. But I'm still new and fresh in this system. There might be a way to fight this engagement."
"No way. It's not happening." Umi shakes her head.
"If Kotori is going to be the future Queen, she should be more upfront about how she feels. So if we can nudge her in the right direction, maybe she'll get out of it."
"It won't work. Once Queen Minami decides something, it's absolute."
"We have to try, Umi-chan! If you don't give up, then I won't either." Honoka stares deeply into Umi's eyes. "Kotori won't be truly happy if she marries Prince Takano."
"Tatsuya."
"Prince Tatsuya. C'mon Umi-chan. What do you say?" Honoka holds her hand out, waiting for Umi to grab.
Umi sighs. If she decides yes, it will be very difficult. But she remembers advice Kazuno had given to her previously.
"I ran away from my problems. I ran away from the girl I loved because I could not see it through until the end. I regret it everyday. If you have a chance to change the outcome, then do it. Don't run away."
Umi nods slowly and grabs Honoka's hand, "Alright. You better be giving it 110% because that's how much I'm going to put in."
A/N: Sorry for updating so late! College is killing me but I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Tides are turning and this is really where its about to get good. Let me know how you like the story, by leaving a comment!