When they returned to the villa they turned the dirt bike over to the sentries from the Self Defense Forces. Miyuki had wished Tatsuya would have kept it for at least the next few days since she enjoyed the ride, especially the seating arrangement. It would have been nice to take another ride or two before departing. She could tell it was a lot of fun, but on this ride her thoughts unfortunately drifted to more serious things. A ride when her mind was clearer would have surely been even more enjoyable.
They found their mother in the villa reading an actual hardback book on the couch.
Miyuki immediately suggested that they go to the beach for the rest of the afternoon and asked Tatsuya to help her put on her sunscreen with a bright glow of anticipation in her eyes, but their mother interjected to do so instead.
Now Miyuki sat in front of Miya as she applied way too much sunscreen to her. To say this was not what Miyuki had had in her mind would be an understatement. Miya had dismissed Tatsuya to change and prepare the equipment, so it was the two Shiba women alone together. The pout on Miyuki's face told the whole story of how she felt about that.
"Was it….pleasant?"
Miya's sudden question broke Miyuki's brooding.
"…..huh, what was pleasant mother?"
Miya sighed lightly as she rubbed lotion with both hands in a circular fashion down Miyuki's left arm.
"The…ceremony. I assume you said a few words this morning?"
Miyuki furrowed her brows in sudden realization.
"Oh….yes, it was very beautiful there actually. I'm glad Onii-sama insisted on going there."
The last comment was meant as a barb for Miya, but she seemed to ignore it.
"And….Tatsuya did well?"
Now Miyuki furrowed her brows in earnestness.
"Of course he did well, he's Onii-sama. What kind of question is that?"
But she wisely deleted the more sarcastic parts of that thought from her reply.
"Yes, of course he did."
Miya smiled mirthlessly at that comment as she switched her work to Miyuki's right arm.
"This would have been more…'fun'…..had she just let Onii-sama put the sunscreen on me."
Miyuki knew that the word 'fun' didn't quite cover the enjoyment she'd get from having Tatsuya slather and rub in the sunscreen on her body with his strong and warm hands; but she wasn't quite old enough to have the appropriate understanding of what that sensation really could be described as, so she assigned it the innocent sounding name of 'fun'. Fun was certainly a part of the idea of it in her mind, but not nearly the most important part.
"It took you two some time to get back. Did you do something else on the way home?"
Miya again intruded on Miyuki's pleasant thoughts about her Onii-sama.
"Well…we walked up the beach after eating lunch. Then we walked through the dunes and then up to a small hill. Then we….."
Miyuki hesitated here because she suddenly realized Miya might not look favorably on their dirt bike ride home.
"…...we came home."
Miyuki thought she had covered up her awkward pause well enough, but slowly the empty silence from the woman now rubbing lotion into her right leg began to creep into her mind.
Miyuki furtively looked down to where her mother was working the sunscreen into her thigh.
"Well say something!"
Silence was worse than retribution in this case. The tension was building for her by the moment.
"A hill, you said?"
The silence broken, Miyuki let out a light sigh and visibly deflated.
"Um…..yes, a little one in the dunes."
"Um…and did you go to the top of that hill?"
Her mother had finished with her left leg and had turned Miyuki to face her as she asked this relatively innocent sounding question. She was now applying sunscreen to Miyuki's face and neck.
Her mother's seemingly innocuous question for some reason put Miyuki on slight alert. Something in the tone carried a bit too much interest with it.
Miyuki had the sudden feeling that Miya knew all about the hill and what was at the top. Just then mother and daughter locked eyes. Miyuki realized that any pretense they were having "small talk" was just that, pretense.
"The equipment is ready."
Into this little standoff Tatsuya strode in to rescue Miyuki.
"Oh, good! Did Onii-sama put on his sunscreen yet?"
Before waiting for the answer Miyuki had the bottle in her hand and was approaching him with a look that was somewhat frightening in its intensity, as if she intended to devour him.
"Bring that here."
Their mother's words slapped her in the back of the head. She spun around to confront her.
"I can put it on him mother, it's no problem at all."
Miya extended her hand for the sunscreen bottle. The look on her face broached no tolerance of further defiance from her daughter. Miyuki reluctantly handed over the bottle with an obvious pout.
"Go to your room and let the lotion settle into your skin. I'll send Tatsuya to you when he's ready."
Now Miyuki knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Miya wanted to separate her from Tatsuya. A frightful thought suddenly invaded her mind.
"She's going to use that magic again!"
She had to act quickly.
"I don't mind waiting here mother."
The look Miya sent her daughter then could murder a weaker soul, but Miyuki was prepared to stand her ground.
"…..for Onii-sama."
Then he cut her legs out from under her from behind yet again.
"I'll come get you Miyuki, I promise."
She spun again toward him, with a pitiful look on her face.
"I'm trying to protect you!"
But the warm smile on his face melted her resolve.
"….I….Miyuki will….wait patiently."
He rubbed her head with a smile as she reluctantly passed him, obviously mistaking the reason behind her pouting expression.
"You don't understand Onii-sama!"
She wanted to tell him this so much, but her mouth wouldn't allow her to say the words.
She walked off towards the corridor to their rooms with a final glance. Miya was looking right at her as she spoke.
"Come here Tatsuya."
She squirted some sunscreen in her hands and rubbed them together.
Miyuki retreated down the hallway and left her bedroom door cracked to try to hear.
Nothing reached her, but still she sat anxiously waiting. One eyeball looking down the hallway. One ear searching for the sounds of struggle.
She sat in misery, worried for the fate of her mother and brother. Finally after what seemed an eternity, she mustered up her courage and charged back down the hallway.
Expecting to find them both passed out or at least delirious, instead they both looked at her with shocked expressions.
Tatsuya was squatted down in front of Miya as she rubbed the lotion into his back, shoulders, and chest.
"Is everything alright Miyuki?"
"I thought I told you to wait?"
These were the two responses she received once they recovered from her dramatic entrance.
Recovering from her own surprise, Miyuki stuttered to find an answer.
"I….I….Miyuki is fine Onii-sama. I just…..couldn't wait any longer! Let's go please!"
With his back towards their mother Tatsuya couldn't see the suspicious expression she sent her floundering daughter.
"We're almost done."
With these words Miya nodded her head towards the opposite couch and Miyuki bounded over to it.
Once seated, she was forced to watch her mother rub the last bit of sunscreen into her Onii-sama's well-defined abdomen and chest. The relief she felt at not finding them sprawled out in pain, was now replaced by slight twinges of jealousy.
"I could have done that instead. I should have been doing that instead."
She fought not to pout again. Still, her relief at not finding them in pain was a great relief to her.
"At least she didn't use that damn magic on him again."
Then she randomly thought that this may be the very first time their mother had ever rubbed sunscreen on Tatsuya. Such "normal" bonding tasks would have been Honami's purview had she still been alive.
Now sadness entered Miyuki's mind as she remembered a conversation just days before between herself and Honami as she had Honami vigorously rubbing sunscreen on her.
A tiny smile crossed Miyuki's face at that warm memory. A tiny glimmer of hope that one day the pain they felt for Honami's loss would turn into precious memories of what she meant to them.
As she looked up with that tiny smile she was greeted by another smile on Onii-sama's face as he looked at her with warmth.
Then she noticed that Miya was looking at Tatsuya with that exact same expression from behind him.
Miyuki felt a sudden pang of guilt at having been so angry at her mother for taking over the job of applying sunscreen to Tatsuya.
"This is one of the few times…she can…be a real mother to him."
Miya suddenly locked eyes with Miyuki and any joy she felt disappeared in those cold eyes of hers. She then turned those sad eyes away to speak.
"You're covered now. You two may proceed to the beach. Don't stay out in the sun too long."
"Why hide your love for him from me mother? You have already confessed. What harm is there in sharing with me how much you love him?"
Miyuki looked away sadly now too. Unable to understand why her mother would torture herself this way.
"Of course mother. Do you require anything before we leave?"
Tatsuya looked down at Miya and spoke with the precision expected of him.
Miya shook her head without taking her eyes off the glass walled porch and the beach beyond it.
"We shall return if you need anything."
Then Tatsuya dutifully turned to pick up the supplies and he and Miyuki headed outside to the beach.
Despite the warm August sun, a shiver ran up Miyuki's back as she stepped outside. The words had changed, mother now replaced madam; but it was clear to her that for her beloved Onii-sama, Miya was still just his master, and not his mother.
Miyuki despondently hung her head as she followed Tatsuya down to the sand and waves.
Despite heading down to the beach in a saddened state, Miyuki was determined to quickly recover her mood so that her Onii-sama would have a pleasant time.
Instead of a simple large parasol, this time he brought down a full sized four post open sided tent.
After setting it up and making sure the wind couldn't disturb it, they spread their belonging under its shade and both drank a full bottle of water each, on Tatsuya's insistence, to ward off possible dehydration from their exertions.
Then Miyuki dragged her only somewhat reluctant Onii-sama into the water to play.
Miyuki gently instructed Tatsuya in how she wanted to play and he dutifully tossed her about in the waves with a smile on his face as Miyuki cackled with delight.
At one point, when Miyuki did something particularly embarrassing and amusing, all her efforts at blocking the sadness and difficulties of the previous day were greatly rewarded.
Tatsuya…..laughed.
She smiled back with glee.
"I didn't even think he could do that!"
This was a world all their own.
No one else was on this beach, because most people in this area were off-island vacationers.
And those people had universally decided that yesterday's violence would end their vacations immediately.
Only one person, seemingly on this entire island, refused to be driven from her vacation by some military action.
Coming out of the waves for some refreshment and relaxation, Miyuki and Tatsuya saw that woman reclining under the shade on the porch of their villa, reading her book as if nothing yesterday had ever happened.
"Mother…..is quite implacable, isn't she?"
Tatsuya said these words while staring up at their mother.
It didn't sound like praise or criticism to Miyuki's ears, and truthfully she wished it had been one or the other of those two emotions.
"She…she is a determined person. She refuses to be budged by outside forces."
Tatsuya never took his eyes off their mother as they approached their tent.
"Yes, she is certainly predictable in that way."
Perhaps he sensed Miyuki's saddened expression then, because he turned towards her and "corrected" his previous statement.
"I mean…..she's reliable."
A small smile accompanied his statement and Miyuki returned that smile.
"She's just some…..obstacle for you. Something to overcome."
Miyuki remembered Honami's lesson on false masks and tried even harder to smile at Tatsuya as they sat on their towels.
"How could you think of her any other way?"
Miyuki continued to force a smile as Tatsuya handed her a snack and some water.
"She forcibly made you see her that way."
Miyuki fought her sadness down again as they sat there silently snacking and drinking.
After finishing her snack she laid on her tummy and let the sounds of the sea relax her mind. Every few minutes she would crack an eyelid to see Tatsuya sitting beside her and scanning the horizon.
"My vigilant sentinel."
He turned a playful smirk towards her when she said this.
Eventually Miyuki sat back up and joined Tatsuya in scanning the view.
After a few minutes Miyuki decided to conduct her test, if for nothing else than to relieve her own mind.
"Still a beautiful day, but I thought that the beach this morning was even prettier than this one."
Tatsuya nodded at her words as he continued looking outward.
"It was beautiful there."
Miyuki looked sideways at him.
"I especially liked the view from the hill, do you remember the hill from this morning?"
She braced herself for any response he might give her.
"Indeed, you could see the whole shoreline from up there."
Relief seeped into her then, relaxing all her muscles.
"He remembers…"
She looked away and smiled now.
"It's too bad we didn't go to the top of the hill. Might have had an even better view inland. I would have liked to have reviewed the damage from the battle."
And with that statement the bottom dropped out from under Miyuki. Concerned eyes returned to her Onii-sama then.
"The….top?"
He nodded while still not looking at her.
"Yes, though it looked pretty barren up there. I suppose the sea winds treat it like the beaches below and only trees can grow on the slopes. The wind not hitting the slopes all the time because the body of the hill protects it from all but a direct wind."
She was glad he was looking away from her then and couldn't see her attempts to hide the despondency on her face.
"Yeah…the wind."
Tatsuya nodded with her words.
"Of course once we found Honami's dirt bike we had to return it to the SDF immediately."
"Of course…Onii-sama."
She had a more difficult time enjoying their second sea frolicking session after that. It was hard to drive the thoughts of that magic their mother used on Tatsuya from her mind. The pain she saw Miya endure the day before was unnatural to say the least. Miyuki was certain it was bad for both of them.
"And she's used it again!"
She thought this as she occasionally directed a furtive gaze towards the porch of their villa.
"To make him forget about the hilltop and the ditch he made with magic."
The frail but beautiful woman still sat there reading her book under the shade.
"How often does she use this magic on him?"
She had a pretty good idea of how that magic took away Tatsuya's "pain" now.
"But why does it cause YOU pain in return?"
Her intuition told her she would hate the answer to that question.
"What does using that magic cost you mother?"
Miyuki feared the answer to that question intensely. Every fiber of her being told her the price to use that magic was way too high for her mother to pay.
"Except…..for something she loves more than herself?"
Miyuki now knew the only thing that would make her mother self-inflict such pain on herself.
"Except….for her children's sake?"
The sun and the waves, and even playing happily with her beloved Onii-sama, seemed significantly less enjoyable than before.
They packed up everything but the tent, since Tatsuya was certain there was no one around to disturb it before they came back out tomorrow, and headed back inside to rest before dinner.
Miya still sat on the porch and once he spoke with her, Tatsuya told Miyuki that their mother was fine and that she should rest up before preparing dinner.
Miyuki showered off the sunscreen, sand, and sea water; and then laid on top of her bed to pursue her data terminal.
She knew Tatsuya had headed back out to perform his own security sweep of the area and to talk to the military sentries and patrols.
Miyuki began to dutifully search the network for info on magics that removed pain and memories from the mind. As she sadly suspected beforehand, there wasn't much out there to be seen on the topic. Only the most widely used and publically known magics had significant info online about them, and even then it was just theories and vagueness.
Nations and their magicians guarded magic knowledge better than their national treasuries. Something as obscure and dangerous as a mental interference magic to alter the mind wouldn't turn up anything beyond conspiracy theory websites. Miyuki began to suspect that she already had significantly more knowledge on mental interference magics than multiples of the entire world-wide network combined.
In frustration she turned off her terminal and rolled on her back to stare at the ceiling.
"How can I help them if I don't understand?"
With that thought still rolling through her mind she fell into involuntary sleep. Without the adrenaline from yesterday to fuel her onwards, her own mild activities today had sapped away her already depleted energy reserves.
In her dreams she saw her Onii-sama playing with her at the beach interspersed with memories of her early life and Honami's part in it.
Yet the last thing she dreamed about before waking was the disturbing nightmare from that morning.
"Won't you let me go?"
The enemy ships exploding in the fireball of Material Burst.
"I CAN'T LET YOU GO!"
"…Onii-sama?"
The hilltop engulfed in Decomposition as Kazama and Sanada pulled back from it.
"She loves you more than you can ever know."
Psions radiating wildly from Tatsuya as tears poured from his eyes and a scream erupted from him.
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!"
The barrel of the rifle lifting towards the ships.
"For Miyuki's sake alone."
"…Onii-sama?"
Honami laying on the ground with tears flowing from her eyes, but a smile on her face. Her hand reaching up.
"YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE THAT LOVES ME!"
"…Onii-sama?"
Tatsuya raging in the torrent of Decomposition again.
"You are the most important person in the world."
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!"
"…Onii-sama?"
He couldn't hear her desperate calls to him.
"Won't you let me go?"
Terror streaked the tear stained eyes of her Onii-sama.
"WHY WON'T THIS WORK? I CAN'T LET YOU DIE!"
"She loves you more than you can ever know."
"I CAN'T LET YOU GO!"
"To die for your sake is the honor of my life."
Tatsuya releasing his rage in the torrent of Decomposition.
"YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE THAT LOVES ME!"
"For Miyuki's sake, alone."
"…Onii-sama?"
Material Burst filled the horizon as the blast and sonic boom buffet her.
"Won't you let me go?"
"HONAMI! PLEASE DON'T DIE! PLEASE DON'T LEAVE ME!"
"Won't you let me go?"
"You're the only one that loves me….."
"THAT'S NOT TRUE! THAT'S NOT TRUE! I LOVE YOU! I DO!"
Miyuki sat bolt upright on her bed screaming these words to the empty bedroom. Ragged breaths fighting to go in and out of her pounding chest. Her heart felt as if it would crack her ribs and sternum in an attempt to free itself from her body. Tears flowed uncontrolled from her eyes as she fought to regain her sense of consciousness.
Then a primal fear burst forth from her in a scream.
"…..ONII!"
And through her door burst the brand new hero of her life. The one from whose hand her very life flowed and to whom all of her devotion and love flowed back alone.
"MIYUKI?"
As he flung himself through her doorway she flung herself off the bed towards him, her arms reaching in desperation for him.
"SAMA!..."
In the next second he caught her in mid-air in his arms and wrapped himself around her.
Face buried in his chest her emotions flowed forth unchecked.
"I LOVE YOU ONII-SAMA! PLEASE BELIEVE ME, I DO! I will never abandon Onii-sama! I will always be by Onii-sama's side! I LOVE YOU ONII-SAMA! YOU ARE NOT ALONE!"
As she screamed this to him he took turns scanning the room for threats and looking down at her in concern. Finally satisfied there was nothing in the room to endanger her, Tatsuya turned to comfort his desperate imouto's raging heart.
"It was just a nightmare Miyuki, I have you now everything is fine. I will protect you."
"NO! NO! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! MIYUKI WILL PROTECT ONII-SAMA! MIYUKI WILL KEEP ONII-SAMA SAFE. MIYUKI LOVES YOU ONII-SAMA! PLEASE BELIEVE ME!"
He squeezed her tightly into him and whispered to her ear as stroked her head.
"I know Miyuki. I love you too."
A wail escaped her trembling body as her fears flowed out of her with his words.
"Please, Onii-sama, again."
"I know you love me Miyuki, I love you too."
Tears of fear were instantly replaced by tears of joy.
"What in the world is all this?"
Miya stood over them with a suspicious look on her face, directed at her daughter as she huddled inside of Tatsuya's arms on the floor.
"Miyuki had a nightmare, but she is fine now."
The first half of his statement was directed toward their mother, the second half directed as a hidden question to Miyuki, who nodded in reply.
Miya sighed heavily then, half frustrated and half relieved.
"Well, get yourself ready Miyuki. See to it."
The second half of Miya's words were directed to Tatsuya. Then Miya slowly returned to the living room.
"Get ready…to cook?"
Miyuki, regaining some of her composure, asked Tatsuya in confusion as he helped her to her feet, still holding her in his arms.
He looked somewhat uncomfortable as he spoke.
"Oba-ue has arranged a call with us, in fifteen minutes."
Miyuki took in a sharp breath as memories of her mother's tense phone conversation with Hayama from yesterday flooded her memories.
"…all of us?"
Tatsuya somewhat reluctantly nodded back to her.
Fourteen minutes later, Miyuki, seemingly fully recovered from her episode only minutes before, entered the living room in her best sundress, her luxurious long dark hair resplendently braided and laying across her right shoulder.
She took a seat beside her mother on the couch as they exchanged questioning looks. Once seated, Miya spoke to her.
"Better now?"
Miyuki, somewhat embarrassedly, nodded.
"Sorry about earlier."
Miya smiled reassuringly to her then, before leaning in to whisper to her.
"Well he certainly knows how much you love him now."
Miyuki flushed with additional embarrassment, but Miya's words seemed more teasing and playful than the usual chastisement Miyuki expected from her when discussing Tatsuya.
From a place next to the wall monitor Tatsuya spoke to them.
"The main residence is ready to connect the call."
He was wearing the same summer suit he had worn to Kuroba-oji-sama's dinner party a few nights before.
Miyuki heard Miya's jaw pop as she tensed her facial muscles.
"Let's get this….over with."
Tatsuya nodded and pushed a few more buttons, then a ten second countdown appeared in the bottom left corner of the otherwise dark screen in front of them.
To Miyuki and Tatsuya's mutual surprise, Miya used a hand gesture to indicate that Tatsuya should stand behind them. It was a position that Honami, as Miya's Guardian, had often occupied during video calls to the main residence, but to Miyuki's knowledge Tatsuya had never been on a video call to the main residence before, at least not with mother and her.
Tatsuya moved quickly and postured himself behind the couch and between the two ladies. His hands clasped behind his back as Honami would have stood.
At that moment the countdown ended and another image appeared on the screen.
At first glance you might have thought the screen had gone to mirror mode.
There was her mother's face, staring back at her across the screen.
But certainly not her mother, because this face instantly sent a shiver down Miyuki's spine.
Shiba Miya usually wore her hair straight along the sides and tied up in back in a relatively simple style. She dressed very conservatively in the somewhat dated "New-Victorian" style that had been popular when she was a teenager, with high necked collars that never exposed a hint of her ample cleavage or porcelain skin beneath her chin. She was so skinny you had to wonder if she was malnourished, yet the dignity and grace of her appearance and speech instantly dispelled such misconceptions. Shiba Miya was a woman best described as beautiful and refined, almost ethereal.
The similarities between her mother and the woman with her mother's face on the other side of the screen ended at that face. Flowing curled locks of luxurious hair flowed around that face. The dark red dress she wore was also in the New-Victorian style, but much less "Victorian" and much more "New". With her ample bosom pushing out of the dress's blouse opening, no one could doubt that this woman was anything close to malnourished. Had she been standing, the tight fitting dress would have provided more evidence, hugging and accentuating her well curved hips and buttocks in alluring fashion. This woman was best described as seductive and enthralling. With an "equal" face she was equally beautiful, but there was nothing ethereal about her. The words tempting and dangerous best described this woman's beauty, and a lot more about her personality as well.
But there was one more similarity between these identical twins.
"…those eyes."
Empty and cold, like her sister's; but where Miya's cold and empty eyes inspired thoughts of sadness and loneliness, this woman's eyes inspired pure fear and dread.
And those cold dark eyes instantly locked onto something behind Miya and Miyuki.
"…..Onii-sama."
Miyuki fought the urge to turn to see if her precious Onii-sama was bothered by those terrible eyes.
This terrifying stare belonged to the world renowned and feared Demon Lady of the Far East, also called The Queen of Night or The Midnight Queen. The undisputed ruler of the most mysterious and feared collection of magicians in the world. Even the far-famed USNA's elite magic Special Forces unit, STARS, didn't inspire the same awe and fear as The Family that Destroyed a Nation.
The Yotsuba.
And the leader of that feared family.
YOTSUBA MAYA.
And then Miyuki watched as those cold eyes turned warm and a seductive smile laced those lips. Her eyes never left Tatsuya.
She was clearly delighted to lay her eyes upon him.
Miyuki had always hated the way their aunt looked at her Onii-sama, even before her new-found admiration for him had developed.
It was similar to the look General Saeki had directed towards him the day before; but where the General just wanted to use her Onii-sama, their aunt had a love of possession gleaming in her eyes.
Like she owned him.
Like she "wanted" him as her own.
Miyuki fought a sneer down from crossing her face at this thought.
"Ara, ara! I hear from Hayama-san that our Tatsuya-kun has been a naughty boy."
And the same voice as her mother's, but very much also not the same voice. Miya would never speaking in this constantly flippant fashion.
She smiled mischievously with a squint at Tatsuya. It was as if she was trying to tease him with her chiding.
"I hope you have punished him appropriately for vexing your poor mother so, Miyuki-san."
Those cold eyes and that fake smile bore on Miyuki then, much to her discomfort.
"Did you really call to just tease my daughter about her Guardian's actions imouto?"
The irritation in Miya's voice had the same effect on her audience as stopping music suddenly in a concert. Maya's eyes drifted to her sister then with considerably much less mirth.
"Because I am not in the mood for your usual time-wasting effusions."
Miya was the only person who ever dared to speak to Maya in this condescending fashion. Miyuki remembered her thoughts from the day before, of these two "titans" of magic going toe-to-toe in battle. Another shiver ran down her spine.
Then the cold gaze of Maya towards her sister softened and an indulgent smile crossed her lips.
"I can see that Onee-san is still stressed out from yesterday's unpleasantness. You would have felt better at home, had you taken my offer to bring you back immediately."
The sharp glint and cold stare Miya had worn since the screen came on was still there.
"Neither of us would have felt better had I come home yesterday imouto."
Maya laughed lightly at this.
"Ara, ara, Onee-san! And they say you have no sense of humor!"
The only one amused in this situation was Maya. Miyuki certainly wasn't having a good time.
Suddenly Maya redirected her gaze back to Tatsuya.
"I have reviewed Tatsuya's report on the incident to Hayama-san, and while I clearly have some issues with going to the extreme of using Material Burst; I am satisfied that Tatsuya only did what he felt was necessary to protect you both."
Miyuki was relieved to hear this. She was painfully aware that if Maya had her doubts about the need for Material Burst to be used, then there could be serious consequences for all of them, especially Tatsuya.
"I do have some questions for you though."
Miyuki's relief vanished with those words. Maya's eyes and mouth took on a hard line.
"Did you evaluate the possibility of using Decomposition on the enemy ships or their components?"
Tatsuya didn't hesitate.
"Unfortunately I am still limited to the range of approximately ten kilometers for the usage of Decomposition. By the point where the ships would have been within that range, they would have been able to bombard the base for several minutes, or potentially never enter my Decomposition range at all while still attacking the base unmolested."
Without losing the cold glint in her eyes, Maya smirked some at that answer.
"Unfortunate indeed, and it would have drawn similar interest from the SDF either way I suppose. Still, we would have kept Material Burst hidden in our back pocket a while longer….oh well, a shame."
Then the gaze turned completely cold again.
"Still, Onee-san's own research indicates you have the potential to propagate Decomposition to a much farther range."
"With age and further training. We have already discussed the limitations that youth imposes on juvenile magicians ad nausea imouto."
In her response, Miya didn't bother to hide her irritation. Maya sighed dramatically in response.
"Yes, that is true….."
But another cold gaze fell on Tatsuya.
"…yet they were safe in a bunker under several hundred meters of earth, steel, and reinforced concrete. You still chose to use Material Burst to eliminate the enemy despite their relative safety still being…."
"Onii-sama did what he felt was necessary to protect mother and me! I have no doubt that Onii-sama evaluated all the possible solutions and came to the rational conclusion that using Material Burst was the only…..realistic…option."
Miyuki, in her defense of her precious Onii-sama, had bolted upright from the couch and proclaimed her defense of him with vigor. Near the end of her statement she began to lose steam under the amazed gazes of three sets of stunned eyes.
"…..oh no! What have I done?"
Realization that she had rudely interrupted the Demon Lady of the East had begun to set in. Maya stared at her with those cold eyes boring into her. Another set of cold eyes fell on her from her right side.
"Did….ONII-SAMA…..indeed?"
Maya's surprised expression drifted from Miyuki to Tatsuya as she spoke. Miyuki bowed deeply then.
"Please…..um…forgive my rudeness….."
But that tiny little voice that had been pushing her boldness forward all week wouldn't let her just fold up and sink back to the couch.
"…but…"
Maya's eyes went back to her niece and grew even wider in surprise as Miyuki continued her bold declaration.
"…I have no doubt that Onii-sama…..acted in mother and my best interests and…with the best judgment possible….speaking as his Primary….and his imouto…..Onii-sama has my FULL confidence…..in all things."
She turned slightly and directed a warm smile back over her shoulder to a concerned looking Tatsuya, who weakly smiled back to her. Then she turned back and bowed lightly to Maya before sitting back down. The rebuking sideways glace of her mother felt as if Miya was poking her with a sharpened stick.
Across the monitor screen Maya still looked at her with a cold but dumbfounded expression, which she then turned again on Tatsuya and finally to her own sister.
Then glee unexpectedly crossed her face and a conspiratorial glint entered her eyes as she smirked at her obviously unhappy twin sister.
"ARA, ARA, ARA! It seems our quiet little Miyuki-san has finally found something she feels….VERY PASSIONATELY…about."
That teasing smirk drifted over to Miyuki as she spoke.
"With such a ringing endorsement of confidence from his Primary….how can we possibly doubt…."
Now that smirk returned to the very unhappy Miya.
"….O…NII-SA…..MA's judgment in the matter?"
Miyuki couldn't understand why Maya seemed amused by this situation. In her judgment she should be receiving a two sided bombardment of reproach from the twin sisters now. Instead, her mother looked back at her obviously amused twin on the monitor as if it were Maya who was misbehaving and not Miyuki.
"Pardon the interruption Oba-ue, but I would like to elaborate further to prevent any misunderstandings."
Tatsuya spoke up behind them. Maya twisted her lips up in the corner of her mouth before nodding at him.
"As I first reported from the sailing incident a few days ago, it is still my belief that Miyuki and mother were the primary targets of what was undoubtedly a kidnapping attempt."
Maya directed another stunned yet amused glance at her uncomfortable looking sister when Tatsuya called her "mother". Miya herself winced slightly at his choice of title for her, but quickly recovered to return the previously cold gaze back on her sister.
Miyuki was somewhat surprised by his words, since it slightly conflicted with the previous theories she had heard behind why the submarine had targeted their sailing cruiser.
"I believe that the intention of the attack was not only to steal magic related information from the Onna Airborne base, and to isolate and eliminate a significant portion of our nation's military magicians while they were on this island and far away from additional support from the mainland; but also to capture or eliminate very high value magic targets, specifically two mental interference magicians."
"We…were the reason?"
Miyuki looked back up at her brother in shock. He tried to reassure her with a sympathetic look. Then Miya reached her left hand across to reassuringly squeeze Miyuki's right hand.
Maya looked slightly off screen as if seriously pondering Tatsuya's words in her mind.
"This matches General Saeki's assessment of the situation as well."
"So you have already met with her?"
Miya's irritation was evident with her tone. Her sister directed a cold gaze back at her.
"She visited this morning. We conferenced in Major Kazama from the island."
Maya then looked away again to ponder further. After a few moments silence she put those cold eyes on Tatsuya again.
"The Major and his unit went there as bait. They suspected an issue inside the SDF. That someone on the inside was leaking combat magician movements and deployments to people who didn't need to know."
Miyuki was stunned, and she was about to be stunned further.
"Which of course matches your own assessment of the situation from the submarine incident report."
Miyuki stared up wide-eyed at her Onii-sama as he lightly bowed back to Maya.
"They knew that having a good portion of our nation's combat magicians in an exposed location and with the information they carried as well, it would be too tempting a target for a nation with a lack of magical powers to simply ignore."
Miya spoke up next.
"The Great Asian Alliance, obviously."
Maya replied casually.
"Of course, though it will never be made 'public' that it was them. The spineless politicians aren't ready for open war with the continent just yet."
The tone both women used indicated on this topic they found rare agreement. Both showed distaste for the dictatorial nation-state on the other side of the East China Sea.
Maya redirected to Tatsuya then.
"The Left-Bloods rebelling was a total surprise to the SDF though. That situation must have only been fostered within the last week or two. It's possible some form of hypnosis magic was used to develop that level of animosity to the point of open rebellion so quickly. They won't know more until they examine and interrogate the prisoners. We have offered our assistance in that task."
Then she directed an incredulous look towards Tatsuya.
"Still, considering…..YOUR MOTHER….and Miyuki-san's relatively safe position within the bunker, you still felt using Material Burst was warranted?"
Tatsuya nodded with no hesitation.
"Under the assumption that Miyuki and mother were the targets of either kidnapping or elimination; I had no viable alternative than to prevent further enemy forces from attacking or invading this island. Under the conditions as they were at that time, to allow the enemy further access to them was an unacceptable risk, per my standing orders as a Guardian. Material Burst was the only option available to me at that time to accomplish the goal of safeguarding their lives without significant risk of failure."
Miyuki looked on in awe as Tatsuya, unbent by the intimidating and cold gaze of Maya, stood with supreme confidence, his determined eyes never wavering.
"And you didn't consider once that hiding your unusual abilities, which you are aware are considered top secret classified information by us, warranted any additional reasonable risks on the parts of your Primary and her mother?"
Tatsuya shook his head and replied with confidence. His expression almost seemed to indicate he thought the question asked of him was stupid.
"There is no compromising where Miyuki's safety is concerned. All of my abilities, no matter their level of classification or the results of their exposure, are to be used to insure Miyuki's safety. That is my only priority as her Guardian."
Miyuki couldn't help but smile and feel safe. In her heart, hearing his emphatic proclamation made her melt with love for him. She couldn't be bothered to hide the joyous smile on her face now.
"That is indeed your charge as her Guardian."
And then a light smile and a flippant look swept Maya's coldness off her face.
"Well, we always knew they find out about him someday….."
Then she once again bore those cold eyes into him.
"Still, even if there is a leak in the SDF; assuming your assumption is correct, how do you propose the GAA identified you as Yotsuba or significant magicians to target?"
Tatsuya didn't wavier as he answered.
"Mother has a relatively famous face, your face, Oba-ue."
Miyuki blinked at Tatsuya in mild amazement.
"Something as simple as a facial recognition software hack into any public area closed circuit viewing system could explain how mother was identified. Since they clearly had planned the attack for some time, it's only natural that they would put additional surveillance in place beforehand. Once they confirmed her identity, then obviously underage children in her company would be assumed as her children and also made targets."
Maya smirked back at this.
"So you're saying that they just got lucky and found you by chance?"
Tatsuya had only the slightest curve to his lip as he replied.
"I wouldn't say by chance Oba-ue. Clearly they had something already in place on Okinawa to look for known magicians. They clearly knew the Major and his unit were here. The only other plausible alternative is that there is a leak within the Family."
Maya scoffed at that suggestion.
"As if anyone associated with us would dare."
Tatsuya nodded his agreement.
"Once we were identified we immediately became primary targets. Without doubt some of the intelligence on the Family that the GAA inherited from Dahan would be of enough inducement to risk our capture or elimination."
Then he stunned Miyuki again.
"The two spies Honami and I eliminated two nights ago clearly had advanced surveillance equipment on them. The kind of equipment that is only available from nation-level entities. Plus their skill level indicated Special Forces training. Since no other potential targets in the area warranted that kind of effort, we were clearly the target of their surveillance."
Miyuki was the only one surprised by this news. Neither Miya nor Maya showed any discomfort with his words.
Maya had another pondering look on her face.
"Yes….that was Mitsugu-san's assessment as well. He has already begun clean-up of the remnants of these people. We'll soon have the whole picture of what happened."
Mention of the fact that the Kuroba were involved meant that Maya was fully invested in getting to the bottom of how this attack was allowed to happen.
"I did warn you against going there, did I not Onee-san?"
Miya directed an irritated gaze back to her sister.
"And you also said Mitsugu had cleared the area for us, clearly he failed that simple task."
Maya only smiled back at her.
"Well, his attention was focused on likely threats. A full scale invasion by the GAA military simply couldn't have been anticipated. Those people are so reckless."
Miya seemed unimpressed.
"But the SDF knew enough to set a trap for them? Are we slipping some these days?"
Miya's criticism was intentional. No one in the Family would have been happy to learn that the Yotsuba didn't know something happening within the SDF.
"The SDF didn't anticipate a full scale invasion either, only a small incursion. The scale of the event was beyond their very realistic expectations. And General Saeki's little group is a surprisingly close-knit and tight-lipped unit. Our sources indicate the SDF higher-ups didn't know anything about her attempts to entice a response. A total surprise for everyone it seems."
"I'm aware of that. I have familiarized myself with her and Major Kazama's history. Neither is what you would call a 'friend' to the Ten Master Clans or the SDF High Command. So you're saying Saeki and Kazama planned this trap without approval from the government or SDF leadership?"
Maya laughed a little before answering.
"Well, if you're asking me if they moved the training to Okinawa to tempt their mole out of hiding or to get his confederates to expose themselves then the answer is yes. Clearly they also didn't expect a full scale invasion either, no one did. It was an insane and outrageous act."
Hearing this, Miyuki couldn't help but feel resentment towards Saeki and Kazama. Their actions were directly responsible for Tatsuya having to expose his true powers and worse, Honami having to die to save him. Then Miyuki also remembered that had the events of yesterday not occurred, then she would still be at least partial "blind" to all of the wonderful things her Onii-sama is to her now. To say she felt deep confusion over these conflicting thoughts would be an understatement.
"And we can assume they will suffer no penalty for this rash and reckless action?"
With these words Miyuki could tell just how much her mother didn't like General Saeki.
Maya laughed yet again.
"You mean for acquiring the bearer of the most powerful strategic class magic ever known and delivering him into the government's hands? Quite the opposite Onee-san. They now have direct access to the Prime Minister and his full support. They have become practically an independent branch of the military. Certainly the SDF mundane leaders won't have significant authority over them anymore."
Miya's face turned cold and hard. Her dead eyes now took on the feeling of pure disgust.
"Surely it's my imouto who should be rewarded by the government for handing my son over to them without any resistance."
The look Maya sent back to Miya was equally disgusted.
"Ara, I could never claim such an honor Onee-san, since it was you who took your family to that island against my recommendation in the first place. And surely it was you that let him go to smite the enemy for the SDF weaklings. If anyone should be rewarded for introducing the government to….YOUR SON….it is clearly his own…..MOTHER."
The feral and sarcastic smile of Maya versus the cold and empty glare of Miya. Miyuki could feel the tension in the air between them. The extra emphasis on the words "your son" and "mother" Maya added in was meant to tease and chastise her sister, but Miya showed no regrets in her hardened expression.
"So how much did you sell…..MY SON…to the SDF for? Or did you roll over like a trained dog for them and let them have him for nothing?"
Any mirth Maya had was instantly wiped away. Miyuki could feel the animosity and hatred between these two sisters pulsating inside her with its intensity.
After an interminable and terrifying silence had sat in, suddenly Maya broke out with a smile.
"I see my Onee-san is indeed still suffering the after effects of yesterday's stresses, so I will forgive your rudeness. As for what is now the agreed upon arrangement regarding…..YOUR SON…..he will be participating as a reserve member of a new SDF unit to be headed by the Major under Saeki's general command. The easiest description is that it will be a combined magic weapons testing and magic Special Forces unit similar to STARS."
For the first time during this conversation Miya looked genuinely surprised and stunned.
"…..you're joking."
With a serious expression and a head shake Maya responded.
"Am I known for joking about such things?"
Miya couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"…how, what's changed?"
Maya smirked at her and titled her head at Tatsuya. Miya still couldn't accept it though.
"…..they surely haven't told Sensei about him."
Miyuki knew instantly who "Sensei" was. Kudou Retsu was not only the head of the Japanese Branch of the International Magic Association, but was universally hailed as one of the greatest magicians of all time. A hero who lead Japan's magicians during the Third World War to victory. It was an accepted fact in Japan and the world at large that he was the symbolic and de facto leader of all Japanese magicians, or at least the so-called modern magicians. The so-called ancient magicians were another story. No other magician, even Maya, held the public persuasive power of the man known as "The Patriarch", or simply as "Elder".
Of course Miyuki understood enough about Ten Master Clans politics even at her young age to realize that Elder Kudou wasn't a one man show, and that the web of power and influence was more complicated than it seemed to outsiders; but Elder Kudou still held a unique power at the center of this convoluted web, all his own.
"We have no evidence that Sensei has any direct knowledge of Tatsuya, but as well connected with the government and SDF as he is he might have seen Material Burst live in action sitting beside the generals. He's the first person they'd call to consult once they knew enemy combat magicians were involved. He certainly is aware of it by now, and you know that once he has the scent, he is on the hunt."
Miya pouted slightly at Maya's words.
"To be expected of him. Still, he has always opposed an SDF-only magic military force before. The politicians and generals wouldn't dare form this unit without his approval."
Maya answered flippantly.
"Which obviously means they now have his approval."
Miya shook her head in disbelief.
"He'd only do that for one reason alone. He is assuming that the Material Burst user is already in the SDF and he thinks he can get access to that info only by cooperating."
Maya laughed wickedly in response.
"That old fox only ever opposed a separate military magic unit because of "principles" alone. I can image the look on his face when he saw Material Burst. He'd sell Makoto to a slave trader to find out who had THAT magic power, his principles be damned."
Miyuki knew Kudou Makoto was the Elder's oldest son and current head of Clan Kudou. Everyone who ever talked about him around Miyuki seemed to think Makoto managed the day-to-day affairs of the Kudou, but it was still assumed that major final decisions had to have his "retired" father's blessing.
Miya replied thoughtfully.
"So he agreed to this magic Special Forces unit to try to gain access to the Material Burst user, since obviously the user would be in or at least associated with the unit? Unfortunately I think you're right. Still, even he couldn't get this approved alone…."
Then Miya smirked at her sister's image.
"…..even with your support."
The rebuke in those words made Maya's brows furrow.
"You think HE isn't interested too? At least Sensei is partially interested due to patriotism. THAT PERSON only wishes to acquire more power for himself."
Miya looked despondent and perturbed by Maya's words. A single word name slipped past her lips.
"…..Saegusa."
Maya curled her nose up as if smelling something foul.
"The blessed Saegusa, children of the Gods, pristine and sanctified sons and daughters of Heaven. The darlings of the Japanese Magic Community."
Miya inhaled hard at her sister's sarcastic description of the Yotsuba's arch rivals within the Ten Master Clans.
"…Kouichi."
Miya seemed to deflate with the speaking of that name, but Maya became agitatedly expressive again.
"Paragon of modern magic virtue. The brave boy who sacrificed an eye in an attempt to save his useless fiancée. An example to us all."
Where it was only sarcasm before now Maya's words were laced with pure contempt for her former fiancé.
After…..Taipei….the Saegusa had publically spun the story of Maya's kidnapping to emphasis Koichi's brave attempt to save her, and how he had been gravely injured in the attempt. Koichi was portrayed as a hero to the public by the Saegusa while the Yotsuba, and specifically Maya, retreated back into the silent shadows without so much as a word about it.
This of course fit each families' preferred styles of dealing with the public, but that didn't make anyone in the Yotsuba less contemptuous of the Saegusa's egregious post-event grandstanding. Maya's rape and torture was never acknowledged publically by the Yotsuba or the rest of the Ten Master Clans, so the public perception of the event was that the boy raised with superior Saegusa Family virtues of self-sacrifice was a suffering hero who had lost his love, and the real victim of the event was practically forgotten.
And it was a perception that that same boy still fostered about himself today, only now as the head of that supremely most virtuous of modern magic families. Miyuki could understand her aunt's, the real victim, contempt for all things Saegusa, and especially all things Kouichi. Miyuki certainly didn't detect in her aunt anything that would indicate she once was deeply infatuated with that boy, as her mother had described to her the day before.
"Do you think they'd work together to achieve their mutual goal?"
Miya looked like she dreaded asking that question. Maya screwed up her face in thought.
"Who knows? It wouldn't be the first time they have worked against us together."
Miyuki could feel a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach now.
Maya sighed heavily before continuing.
"Still, Sensei has completely different motivations than THAT PERSON, and Sensei is aware of how THAT PERSON would use Tatsuya if he ever found out about him. I doubt Sensei would cooperate with HIM without a backup plan to thwart HIM in the end. The one principle Sensei will not compromise on is magician rights."
Miya smirked back at her sister.
"That is a two way street imouto. Our contempt for the Saegusa aside, Kouichi is no fool. We can never afford to underestimate his cunning."
Maya looked back at Miya with cold contempt on her face.
"As if I would ever take THAT PERSON lightly? We'll find the angle to pit them against each other long before they get anywhere close to the truth."
Miya's expression didn't seem to take Maya's assertion with any level of confidence.
"And we can trust our new SDF friends Saeki and Kazama to not expose Tatsuya to them?"
Maya smirked back at Miya with a gleeful look.
"I thought you said you had researched them Onee-san? Saeki and Kazama are outspoken critics within the SDF of the Ten Master Clans System. Which of course make them no friends of Sensei. As for THAT PERSON, let's just say I'm certain that the Prime Minister and General Saeki are aware of the price they'd pay for that foolish action. The friendship of the Yotsuba has more value to them than anything the Saegusa can bring to the table; and of course the loss of our friendship is even more terrifying."
Miya looked back coldly to her smiling twin.
"And once again we must rely on 'hope'. Let us 'hope' they haven't forgotten the lesson of Dahan."
Miyuki remembered her mother's words from the day before, contrasting the assurance of anonymity against the uncertainties of 'hope'. Maya just smirked back even more in response.
"If they have forgotten, they will not survive the refresher course."
Miya was still unsatisfied.
"Better to never get to that point in the first place."
"Agreed Onee-san. Conflict is not the goal."
Miya took in another deep breath before continuing.
"So…..how are we resolving Tatsuya's new priorities?"
Miyuki visibly tensed up at this, but Maya smiled reassuringly across the screen at her.
"Ara, ara, Miyuki-san! Have no concern. I made it perfectly clear that on…..ONII-SAMA…being by your side there would be no compromise. Tatsuya-kun's first loyalty is as it has always been. He is yours without question."
Miyuki couldn't help but smile brightly. She rose to her feet and bowed to Maya. Tatsuya joined her in this action.
"Thank you very much Oba-sama."
Maya simply nodded back with a smile.
"Well, at least there is that. Now that you have given us the one piece of good news, let's hear all the bad."
Maya smirked at her sister's words, but recovered quickly.
"The rest is as I'm sure you expected. The SDF, specifically Saeki's new unit, now has second priority to Tatsuya's services."
Miya smirked mirthlessly at that.
"So….he is to be their weapon?"
Maya looked at her sister incredulously.
"What would you have had me do, declare civil war against our native land? You know as well as I do that they would never allow a known strategic class magician to not be under their control in some form. We should be thankful for the deal I was able to craft together out of your mess."
Miya sent a deathly cold gaze back to the screen.
"How low we have fallen. Father and Uncle would have never been bullied by the government in this way."
Maya visibly clenched her jaw in anger at this stinging rebuke. Then suddenly her expression went strangely placid.
"Well father is dead, and so is Oji-sama. I'm the best you have Onee-san. Or would you have preferred if I had stepped back and let you try to negotiate with them alone?"
Miyuki was having a hard time reading the odd expressions these two sisters were sending each other now. The atmosphere was strangely more intimidating than when they were clearly angry at each other.
Miya broke the tension with another question.
"What's the time length of this agreement?"
Maya answered as if the previous tension had never existed.
"It's perpetual, however either side can request a good-faith renegotiation at any time. To ensure Miyuki is his first priority we gave the SDF second priority. Family work is third, however, neither side is privy to the details of his work for the other, well, at least not from his lips anyway."
Maya laughed lightly then as Miya smirked back mirthlessly to her little pun. Miyuki understood well that the Yotsuba had numerous sources everywhere, including in the SDF, from which they could monitor Tatsuya's activities for the SDF without him having to violate his oath of office.
"Tatsuya will of course take the SDF officer's loyalty oath once Saeki and Kazama set up their new magic unit. Tatsuya will report to Major Kazama directly, and should the command structure or stated function of this new unit change, they understand that we will immediate renegotiate the terms of his service. He cannot be transferred to any other unit, and he will not accept commands not issued from Saeki and Kazama without my express consent."
Never once did Maya or his mother ask Tatsuya if he was alright with this arrangement. This drove home to Miyuki that Tatsuya's status within the Family was no better than it had been before. She turned concerned eyes back to him, but he only looked on with his hands still calmly clenched behind his back and a placid look still on his face. Seeing her concerned expression he smiled reassuringly to her.
But the weight of her Onii-sama's burdens on her heart could not be relieved by even his warm smile alone.
Miya sighed lightly then.
"Well, I suppose that's not…terrible."
Maya dramatically patted her chest and showed a stunned expression.
"You mean….my precious Onee-chan isn't completely disappointed in her errant imouto?"
Miya smirked back mirthlessly at Maya's play acting.
"Not….completely."
Maya smirked back at this biting response.
"High praise indeed for the Mistress of Lethe."
Then Maya turned serious again.
"Now, about your Guardian situation…."
"I have already discussed this with Hayama-san. I do not want or need a replacement Guardian. As I have stated before Tatsuya is more than adequate to protect Miyuki and me; and since Honami's loss has been particularly hard on Miyuki I have no intention to exposing her to additional potential hardships when she is already well protected herself."
Maya sighed heavily then and frowned somewhat. Miyuki was well aware that the Yotsuba's Guardian Program had been initiated as a direct response to Maya's kidnapping. As such it only made sense that she herself was a proponent of it.
Maya turned her eyes again to Tatsuya.
"With a light towards your additional duties with the SDF Tatsuya-kun, do you have any objections to taking on the additional responsibility of protecting your mother? You may speak freely."
Miyuki was stunned that the head of the Yotsuba was asking a "servant's" opinion on their service, even if he was a blood relative.
"Please let me clarify the position Oba-ue. Where would protecting mother fall in my priority list?"
Maya turned a questioning glance to her sister then.
"Miyuki is your top priority. If you are forced to make a choice between us you will always protect Miyuki first. Understood?"
Miyuki looked on terrified as her mother basically told her brother to let her die to save Miyuki.
"Understood."
Tatsuya's unflinching agreement with those words only amplified Miyuki's discomfort.
Maya weighed in as well.
"I have no objection to that arrangement, but…..YOUR MOTHER'S protection comes before SDF related activities."
With a nod Tatsuya replied.
"Of course."
Then he adjusted his posture slightly to continue.
"While I do not wish to suggest in any way that Honami's protection of mother was unnecessary, I do believe I can maintain a similar level of protection for mother under the conditions specified. I cannot however replicate the service portions of Honami's service to either Miyuki or mother at her excellent level of proficiency."
"I believe I speak for Miyuki when I say that we are not concerned with the service portion of your duties at any level. Your protection abilities far make up for any lack in the other area."
After confirming visually with Miyuki's emphatic nod, Miya continued.
"Miyuki and I don't mind a little work if it means we are so well protected."
Miyuki turned her emphatic nod towards the screen then.
"Ara! Very well, but I do reserve the right to deploy additional "temporary" protection to your household should I judge specific conditions warrant it. After all, you're my closest family members, and Tatsuya-kun is about to become a significantly busier young man. At the end of the day I, as family head, am responsible for your protection."
Miya didn't reply, which everyone else took as her reluctant agreement.
"Well…..I'm satisfied for now. Seeing you all well and safe is truly gratifying enough."
Maya directed a warm gaze at Miyuki, with a teasing glint in her eyes.
"I am depending on you Miyuki-san to take good care of….ONII-SAMA…and his MOTHER."
Miyuki nodded, but she never got the chance to verbally reply.
Miya's expression went deathly cold again.
"Aren't you forgetting something imouto?"
Maya looked on in confusion and suspicion. When it was clear she didn't know what Miya was talking about, her sister elaborated.
"You owe me an apology."
Maya stopped just short of laughing at that suggestion.
"You can't seriously expect me to apologize for pulling you out of this fire you created yourself by letting him go off to fight, can you Onee-san?"
Miya's cold stare never wavered.
"That's not what I want an apology for imouto. That was my decision and it was and still is the correct one."
Now Maya redirected a perplexed and agitated look to the cold-eyed Miya.
"As you have pointed out several times in this conversation, Tatsuya is…MY SON."
Miyuki felt special emphasis behind Miya's declaration that Tatsuya was her son. Normally it would have brought her delight, but somehow Miyuki felt see was missing something important behind her mother's strong verbal inflections.
Miya started staring daggers at her sister then, who returned that gaze in kind.
"You made decisions for MY SON without once consulting ME, HIS MOTHER. Not being a mother yourself….."
Miyuki fought hard not to show fear, applying her newly learned false mask with all her might. Across the screen, the Demon Woman of the East looked like she was about to explode. Maya's face went red and her eyes looked like she wanted to kill her own sister. Miya, in reply, remained as placidly cold and unforgiving as a full on blizzard. Miyuki didn't think her own magic could make the room any colder than her mother's demeanor and words had. Summer, just outside the doors and windows, seemed like a distant memory suddenly.
"….you can't possibly understand the complete and utter breach of my rights that you committed. You even refused to speak to me when General Saeki mentioned I was right there. Not a single word from you, my own sister, when my own family's position was on the line and in your hands."
Miya looked back to her practically "boiling" twin sister as if she herself was a mountain, unmovable and unyielding.
"To decide…MY SON'S…destiny without HIS MOTHER'S consent? To interject yourself between me and MY CHILD without a word to me. I simply don't feel I can possibly forgive that breach without an apology imouto. No….MOTHER…could possibly bear such indignity."
Again Miya was applying considerable weight in her wording to her relationship with Tatsuya. Miyuki was stunned and confused by her sudden need to emphasis the obvious with her own sister.
And across the screen Maya seethed in obvious anger as her sister stared back at her with utter contempt.
And then, to Miyuki's dumbfounded surprise, Maya's anger vanished instantly and a smile crossed her lips.
"What in the….how?"
"Well, I certainly hope my Onee-san realizes that my actions yesterday weren't an attempt to offend her…MOTHERLY sensibilities. I hope she understands the pressures I was under to help her rectify the situation she found herself in."
"It's like…..she flipped an emotional switch?"
"Time was of the essence and I did have a lot of phone calls to make on your behalf, both before and after I spoke to the General."
"How can…..anyone switch so quickly?"
"However, I admit I was wrong, I should have consulted you about the situation first. I do hope you realize that despite this mistake I did try to get the best possible resolution to your situation for us all."
"Is she even the same person who was so angry just moments ago?"
"So Onee-san, I sincerely apologize. I was wrong to not consult you first. I humbly ask your forgiveness."
And then to Miyuki's continued amazement, Maya bowed slightly to her sister.
"I of course realize the situation you were in imouto, and I do appreciate the lengths you went to for our sakes."
Miyuki turned stunned eyes to her suddenly smiling mother then.
"What in the world is all this?"
"Imouto's heartfelt apology is all I need. Of course I forgive you, consider all this water under the bridge."
Miyuki's stunned eyes turned back to a radiantly smiling Maya.
"Oh thank goodness! I couldn't bear to think my Onee-san and I would be crossed with each other for too long."
"I….I don't…how?"
It was all too quick and sudden for Miyuki to comprehend. How could such a contentious verbal battle brewing before her eyes dissipate so quickly and seemingly unnaturally?
"Well, now that that's settled, please contact Hayama-san if you change your mind about departing earlier."
"Of course, but we'll stay on our original schedule. Please inform me once Mitsugu's people have ensured that we'll have no problems being tracked at Naha airport or when we get home."
"Of course Onee-san, Mitsugu should have everything arranged so you can depart discreetly in two days."
"That sets my mind at ease imouto."
"Perhaps when you all get back, after you're rested up, the three of you will come up for a visit? It will be nice to have my Onee-san home again and with HER CHILDREN too."
"We'll of course try, but school will be in session again shortly once we get back. It might have to wait for the New Year break."
"I understand, do try though, and don't hesitate to contact Hayama-san for anything."
"Of course."
Miyuki couldn't believe how quickly everything had changed. She felt like she was somewhere else entirely now with two women she barely recognized.
"Well then, ta-ta Onee-san. Miyuki-chan, take good care of ONII-SAMA and your MOTHER for us."
Miyuki bowed dutifully towards Maya and when her head came back up the screen was blank. She turned immediately to get Tatsuya's reactions and inputs; but he was leaning in towards their mother with concerned eyes.
"Mother, can I get you a water, or some tea?"
With his concerned words Miyuki turned her own concerned eyes towards Miya, who had her eyes closed and was breathing rapidly, too rapidly.
"….Momma…what's…."
"Miyuki."
Tatsuya emphatically calling her name drew her immediate attention.
"Would you please get mother some water and a cold cloth for her head?"
Miyuki nodded and went into the kitchen with speed. She quickly had the wetted cloth and water bottle in hand. Then she spun around at words coming from behind her.
"Mother, you shouldn't….."
"I'm fine…..Tatsuya."
She came towards them quickly as her brother went to their mother's side to support her as she weakly stood up.
"I'll be…..fine…."
Miyuki let out a sudden and sharp noise then as she watched her mother's eyes roll to the top and her body collapse backwards.
Tatsuya, despite being a little less than a head shorter than their mother effortlessly caught her body and lifted her in his powerful arms.
"Miyuki, bring that stuff to her bedroom please."
He then turned, their mother effortlessly cradled in his arms, to take her towards her room. Miyuki quickly followed.
Once in the room Tatsuya indicated with his eyes for Miyuki to pull her bedding down, which she quickly did. He then gently laid her own her back and straightened the pillow under her head.
Miyuki couldn't help but feel relief when she again saw their mother's chest heaving upward, and less rapidly than before, but still with too much effort.
Tatsuya took the cold cloth Miyuki had in her hand and laid it across Miya's brow.
"What….what happened? Why did she….."
From his side and slightly behind him Miyuki could see that Tatsuya was trying to avoid her looking at his face.
"…Miyuki….."
Their mother weakly reached her left hand to Miyuki who grabbed it desperately with both of hers.
"Momma…are you?"
"I'm fine….dear, just a little….tired. Too much….stress these last…..two days."
Despite the reassuring words Miyuki didn't believe her. Something inside Miyuki screamed in her mind that her mother was lying to her.
"Momma!"
Tears flowed from Miyuki's eyes unchecked now. Miya used her hand to wipe them away gently from her daughter's face.
"Darling….don't cry….your aunt…just has that….effect on me."
Miyuki looked at her mother's face through her tears.
"Momma…..please…."
"Miyuki."
Tatsuya still wouldn't look directly at her. This multiplied her fear.
"Mother needs to rest. I will watch her diligently till she recovers."
"….Onii-sama?"
"Dear….."
Miya called to her again.
"…..you need to start…..dinner now….I've been looking…..forward to….seeing what you…..can do…..in the kitchen."
Each word seemed as if she had to force it out between her ragged breaths.
"But you…"
"I'm in…Tatsuya's care…..I'll be fine dear…I promise."
Miya managed a weak smile then for her troubled little girl.
"Please Miyuki, let's let mother rest."
Tatsuya said this from behind her, with his hands gently on her shoulders.
"I'll…be up soon…..promise….."
Miyuki nodded to her mother's reassurances, but that didn't mean her heart could believe them.
Tatsuya gently guided her towards the doorway. At the threshold she rounded on him, but he threw his arms around her before she could look at his face.
"Why won't he look me in the eyes?"
"I'll take good care of her and we'll be out soon."
He then pulled back and finally looked her in the eyes. Seeing her tears he took out his handkerchief and wiped her face gently.
"Do not worry. If it was something serious that required me to use Regrowth, I would have done so by now."
He managed a smile towards her, and she nodded meekly in reply. Then he stroked her hair.
"We'll be out soon, promise."
And then he closed the door. Miyuki sat there facing the door for a few moments afterwards.
"He didn't lie to me….."
But sadness filled her heart.
"…..but he didn't tell me the truth either."
A few more tears slipped from her eyes as she finally turned towards the kitchen to begin tonight's meal prep.
"…momma."
In her heart Miyuki now knew what she had suspected for a long time. There was something wrong with their mother.