All eyes turned to the entrance of Scepter 4 as the, Blue Clan's newest members stepped out, one of them accompanied by Saruhiko Fushimi. The bespectacled young man seemed to be keen on playing Hikaru Okamihime's bodyguard, his sharp blue gaze sweeping the open lawn, his bored expression never changing.

On the day he had been initiated into Scepter 4, it had been raining, but the downpour hadn't deterred the Blue King, Reisi Munakata, or the withdrawn, hidden weapons user who had agreed to join his clan. A few minutes before that, Hikaru had accompanied him on his way there, although she stopped at the gates, and continued to watch the young man from a distance. Despite his stoic aloofness, Fushimi was grateful that she was there, had cared enough for him that she didn't mind getting soaked herself. She watched from her place on the branch of the tree that she had climbed as he was accepted into Scepter 4, her umbrella folded beside her, and when it was over, she approached the gates.

" Oi! " Saruhiko frowned when he saw that the silver haired girl was soaking wet despite the umbrella she was carrying. " You're soaking wet! "

Hikaru stuck her tongue out. " So are you, silly! " she smiled. " It's not fair that I'm dry and you're not! We're even now! "

They were both visions of beauty to behold.

Despite wearing their uniforms in the style of the men of the Blue Clan, no one could say that it didn't fit them. Their uniforms concealed their bodies while at the same time, enhanced their slim figures just enough so that they could be appreciated.

Hikaru Okamihime, the taller of the two females, had the glory of her silver hair bound in a low, loose braid that was held by a light pink ribbon that Fushimi had bought her last week which was similar to the one she had wrapped around his wrist when they were children, some of the shorter tendrils escaping to caress her earthly beautiful face. She moved with the grace of a wolf when strolling through the forest in a moment of peace, her deep violet eyes meeting those of the young man beside her every now and then, her smile only for him.

Amira Arashikage was fully aware of the glances that the loving pair beside her were giving each other, although she kept silent and minded her own business so she could give them their space. Her eyes were on the Blue King who was standing at the head of the lines that were formed on either side. She breathed an inward sigh of relief at the sight of his calm demeanor, a vast contrast to what she had walked in on last night.

Last night, she had caught a brief glimpse of the anger he seemed to be hiding as he gazed at the woman who had come to see him, and when Amira had held him in her arms, that hard façade had crumbled, revealing a vulnerable side that she suspected that no one had ever seen.

Munakata watched Amira Arashikage and Hikaru Okamihime as they neared him, his violet eyes twinkling as they took in the sight of the little mermaid in the uniform of his clan. She moved with the grace of a night breeze, her beauty so haunting that she could have been a spirit not of this world. The sweeping veil of her black hair hung loose down her back, the side panels held back from her lovely face by a pair of silver Japanese bellflower pins…

She held him for a long time, none of them speaking, her presence melting away the tension from the confrontation with the unwelcome page of his past that looked like she wouldn't be leaving anytime soon. He moved his hands from her waist to her upper arms, a tremor going through him at the chill that pervaded his entire being as Miyuki Hizamaru's face flashed in his mind.

Gentle hands continued to hold him in the midst of the chaos that threatened to consume him, refusing to let go…

Amira felt him tremble, and pulled him closer, quietly running her fingers through the glossy strands of his midnight hair. She held him as he trembled, running soothing hands over his back and arms, not asking any questions, just holding him.

It was a while before he calmed, but even then, she didn't let go of him; it was as if she knew without being told that he needed to be held, and she didn't judge him for it….

" Thank you… " he breathed, placing a soft kiss on the side of her neck, the contact sending unfamiliar, warm sensations through her. Closing her eyes, Amira allowed herself to enjoy the warmth and closeness of this moment…

Munakata sighed, and moved his left arm around her waist, startling Amira.

" Wh-what..? "

She gasped when he wound his other arm behind her knees as he rose to his feet, lifting her up.

" Uh..! "

Munakata chuckled as he carried her in his arms , making his way to the door. " As feisty and stubborn as you are, " he told her. " It would not benefit you to deprive yourself of sleep – even for my sake. "

Amira felt her face turn bright pink in less time than it took for her inhale. " I-I can walk, Captain! " she protested, squirming to try and get him to put her down, with no success. " Please put me down! "

He smiled down at her as he turned off the lights in the office before exiting, and locking the door.

It was dark and starting to quiet down as he carried her to her room, and thankfully, no one saw them. Without realizing it, Amira settled down and wound her arms around his neck, pillowing her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes.

When she opened her eyes, he had pulled off her boots, and lain her on her bed, pulling her duvet up to her chin as he did so. She saw her uniform coat hanging from a hanger.

" Goodnight, little mermaid, " he whispered, bending down and touching his forehead to hers.

Everything could have been a dream, but when she opened her eyes again, the horizon was the color of his eyes with the rising of the sun.

But she knew that it had all been real when she saw what was on her bedside table….

So, he thought as she came to stand in front of him. You wore them.

The sight of Amira Arashikage wearing his gift for this particular occasion filled Munakata with a sense of joy and contentment – something he hadn't thought he would ever feel again. But now, as he thought of it, he knew that those feelings coursing through him now had never been present during the time he had been with Miyuki Hizamaru and Mitsuo Shokichi.

He bought those hairpins yesterday afternoon while taking a stroll several hours before Miyuki Hizamaru strode into his office. For some reason, he had ended up going to the open market, and found a stall that sold trinkets of all kinds. He had chosen the Japanese bellflower pins because they had been simple, but beautiful, just like Amira Arashikage; from his interactions with the young lady, she had struck him as simple and low key, never flamboyant.

After he accepted Hikaru Okamihime into Scepter 4, and handed the young she-wolf her sword, which she decided to name Hesperides, he moved onto Amira Arashikage, enveloping her in his aura. It was noticeable how the blue aura seemed to wash over her, just like the waves of the ocean; when the Captain of Scepter 4's aura became hers, and vice versa, he handed the young Strain her sword, which she named Astraea.

Scepter 4 had two new recruits.

An hour after both females were accepted into Scepter 4 and everyone went back to work, Munakata invited his newest recruits and Fushimi to have lunch with him, extending the invitation to the other members of the Special Squad. The other members of the squad – including Awashima who was still smarting from Amira's point blank choice of words about how she poisoned everyone's food with red bean paste, declined, so in the end, the four of them ate together. Much to the Blue King's amusement, and Amira's, Fushimi removed all the vegetables from his own dish, only to have them eaten by Hikaru who gave him some of the meat on her plate.

It was around that time that the Red Clan walked in, led by Mikoto Suoh himself since they couldn't eat at the HOMRA bar due to some renovations being made. The tension between the two clans, along with their respective Kings was felt by everyone present, although it seemed to break when Anna Kushina, who had been hiding behind the Red King, peered around him, and caught sight of Amira. Her black haired friend smiled and stood up to greet her with a loving embrace as the little albino ran to her.

As much as she wanted Anna to sit with her, the Amira knew that the child wanted to be with her Clan, so she allowed her to go to them, kissing her precious albino softly on the forehead before she went. Both Munakata and Amira noticed how Fushimi and Hikaru had simply looked at – and ignored – a rough looking, somewhat brash Red Clansman on a skateboard who had turned red while glaring at them, before turning his back, and sitting at a table near the window. The audible clicking of Fushimi's tongue while he drank some water wasn't missed by Amira, although she knew better than to ask what was the deal between him and the Red Clansman while there were so many people around.

They were put in the Information Department, their immediate superior being Saruhiko Fushimi.

Much to the surprise of everyone ( except Munakata and Fushimi ), both females did their work well, managing their tasks with minimal supervision – which was almost none.

After Hidaka's run in with the Information Department's chief, he notably kept his distance from Hikaru Okamihime, especially because Fushimi would glare at him if he tried to get near her. Everyone working in close proximity of Saruhiko Fushimi seemed to recognize that he and the silver haired Strain were in an unofficial relationship, constantly paired with one another during assignments. They worked together very well, each seeming to complement the other.

It was as if each was the missing part of the other…

Amira Arashikage worked well with the said pair, but it was noted that on more than one occasion, she managed to accomplish her assigned tasks on her own – whether in the office, or on the field. Her combat skills – whether hand to hand or with a weapon - were on par, or maybe even surpassed – Hikaru Okamihime since she had grown up holding a sword, resulting in her beating Lieutenant Awashima twice during kendo sessions in the Scepter 4 dojo since her arrival.

Captain Munakata also seemed to be keeping an eye on her – not because she was a deadly Strain when crossed, but because he seemed to enjoy her company, and vice versa. She was also the only member of the Special Squad who wasn't afraid of the Blue King whenever he decided to play games or socialize with his men; in fact, she seemed quite amused, especially whenever the others were fidgeting with discomfort. It became normal to see her playing chess, or any type of word game with the Blue King until the wee hours of the morning, or to see her having dinner with him at a restaurant, or accompanying him to the book shop to find something to read.

Some of the Blue Clansmen speculated that Amira wasn't afraid of Munakata due to her heritage and abilities; others wondered if it was the mutual hobbies they shared ( on more than one occasion, they were seen to trade books, or work on a puzzle together ).

She seemed to be a bit of a mystery to those who knew almost nothing about her except that she was highly intelligent, anti-social, and somewhat bad tempered when pushed or crossed, obviously impatient with Andy Domyouji's childishness, and Akira Hidaka's tactless optimism that always seemed to cause trouble.

She had already changed into her sleeping attire – a long sleeved nightgown that reached her ankles, and had just left the Information Department after finishing her report when someone shrieked louder than a banshee, startling her. Turning her head towards the direction of the sound, Amira found herself looking at Domyouji and Hidaka who were both gaping at her in horror, their profiles backlit by the single light at the end of the already darkened hallway.

These two were really starting to irritate her. " Just what the living hell do you two idiots think you're doing, causing a racket at thirty minutes before midnight?! " she demanded, turning around fully while placing her hands on her hips. " Other people are already asleep, in case you failed to notice! "

Munakata was still going through the reports on his desk when he heard the noise at the same time that Fushimi and Hikaru were about to round the corner as they were on their way back from getting some coffee. All three individuals made their way towards the source, stopping in their tracks when they saw a furious Amira Arashikage clad in a long nightdress that hid her figure confronting the horrified pair of Andy Domyouji and Akira Hidaka, her black hair seeming to float around her as she glared at them.

All in all, she looked really scary at the moment.

" What is all this noise about? "

All eyes turned in the direction of the Blue King who was taking in the scene with an amused expression on his face.

" Uh… " Hidaka swallowed, feeling foolish. " Domyouji-san and I mistook Arashikage-chan for a ghost just now, Sir. "

" Good grief! " the said female exhaled in exasperation. " It's just me, for crying out loud! Try double checking before you draw any conclusions! You caused all that fuss for nothing! "

" Tch, " Fushimi clicked his tongue in irritation. " These two are such idiots. "

I couldn't agree more, she thought, glancing at her friend's bespectacled beau.

" Go to sleep, you two, " Amira told the abashed pair. " Your lack of sleep seems to be impairing your comprehension. " A sudden thought struck her, and she reached over to turn on the overhead light, her hair no longer floating. The corridor flooded with light as she flipped the switch just outside the Information Room. Everyone could now see that she wasn't clad in white, but in a sky blue nightgown.

Amira turned towards Munakata, noting his amused smile, and the look in his violet eyes that she couldn't comprehend. " My apologies for the unnecessary disturbance, Sir, " she bowed in apology.

" It is quite understandable, Arashikage-kun, " Munakata acknowledged, moving closer. " In poor lighting, you would easily be mistaken for a ghost – an onryo, perhaps – however, at the same time, " his eyes moved to the two clansmen who had caused all the noise. " Domyouji and Hidaka jumped to conclusions. It is best for all of us to get some rest, and think nothing more of tonight's episode. Goodnight to all of you. "

" Goodnight, Sir. "

Munakata chuckled as he made his way back to the office.