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Disclaimer: Sakurako Kimino, the creator of Strawberry Panic and Media Factory, the company that sponsors its anime, own all copyrighted material this fanfiction may include such as characters, events, et cetera.
The rest of it is mine... ALL MINE! BWAHAHAHHA! *thunder crackles in the background* ... So no stealing! =p Well, unless you ask me nicely. ^.^;;;
Author's Note: Smash! Action is so much fun, but to really immerse you, my lovely readers, into the world of Strawberry Panic, we need drama! We need escalation! We need more naked lesbian action! Okay, that last bit is more for me and those of my readership that fantasise about fictional animated women, but you get the idea. =p
Thanks again to Nene-chan and my dear Guest. I'm glad everyone enjoyed the tennis match and the jealousy is only going to advance as we enter the deeper drama of this year. I'm also very happy to know Shizuka's being received well. Now's for the remainder of my OCs, Misato, Makoto, and there's going to be more. This chapter's not going to be getting too much into any of them, but we'll get there. =p
I've noticed that without Shizuma, Miator is rather dull. Tamao's obsession can no longer be present as Nagisa is unavailable and Nagisa's drama is at an end. oO It's skewed the attention from Miator to Spica, what with Yaya's unresolved issues and the introduction of Makoto as her rival. Furthermore, Kaname is still going strong with her scheming. I'm sensing a trend. Perhaps if someone should be so inclined, a Strawberry Panic: The Third Year should focus on Lulim. xD
Chapter six and I'm already speaking about a sequel. It doesn't get better than that! =D
~Strawberry Panic: The Second Year~
Eiko looks out of the window of her room. Her roommate is still out studying. Her thoughts linger on Tsubomi. A shooting star passes by in the night sky as her eyes light up. She clasps her hands together and bows in prayer, "No matter what happens this year, please let me stay by Tsubomi-senpai's side. Please, let her find happiness and prosper."
Chosen One
Nagisa walks through the rows of books, perusing the volumes of the library beside the Miator Student Council President. Though exams are still a few months away, Tamao has been kept so busy with her Student Council responsibilities, especially with the new programmes created by the Etoile, that even being the top student she is isn't enough reassurance to her about staying her grades. In an unlikely twist of fate, it is actually Nagisa who feels confident about their classes, though the points still favour the President.
"Tamao-chan, do you think they have the book you want?" Nagisa asks, though her attention is elsewhere.
"Yes, they should. I hope they do because I don't have time to sift through websites and blogs." Tamao replies, sighing her frustrations.
Unfortunately for her, Miator's philosophy curriculum had undergone a change at the end of last year and incorporated more modern topics, which meant printed sources were less available at the dated school. The update was meant to promote students using modern means to gather resources, but the majority of the student body wasn't very receptive. The President only exemplifies that.
"But I thought the internet was supposed to have everything." Nagisa ponders, putting a finger to her cheek.
Tamao takes another book from a high shelf before turning back to her roommate, "That's the point, Nagisa-chan. They have everything and, because they have everything, it is too easy to find what you don't want. I'm not sure what the sisters and teachers were hoping for, but there's much more work to be done."
"I'm sure Tamao-chan will help them work out the bugs." Nagisa chirps.
Further along, the table the redhead's attention has been on draws near and one of the two students sitting there takes notice of their arrival. Chikaru looks up from her book for a second to glance at Nagisa and hint at their ongoing investigation regarding the Miator President before returning to her studies. Shizuka takes her hazel eyes up from her notes to peer at her roommate as she does this, smiling to herself at the thought of what the girl is up to now. Nagisa traces her eyes from the raven-haired Lulim President back to her roommate, but then her attention trails again, this time to the next table where the underclassmen of Lulim sit, also busy studying, or in Kagome's case, helping Percival understand the classes she is taking. While Kizuna struggles and Remon tutors her, Nagisa focuses mostly on the blonde second year, potentially the object of her roommate's affection. The last she's seen showed her as much. Tamao had measured every part of her meticulously and called the numbers treasures. She'd done the same now with little Kagome.
As Tamao continues on, Nagisa daydreams about the pair and how they could have started. Many a romantic scene flashes in her head until Tamao points out that she's unconsciously narrating and its disturbing the other students as the tales are starting to get louder. Nagisa blushes and apologises, bowing before hurrying along behind her friend, the long waves of her flowing cerulean hiding the redhead's embarrassment from view.
Yaya oversees the happenings below from her perch on the upper level balcony. She leans against one of the sturdy oak bookshelves that act as dividers for the floor's sectioned rows. Despite Nagisa's careless ramblings and apology soon after, the bistre-haired fourth year has her eye on the Lulim upperclassmen sitting to their left.
"Chikaru-sama is always on top of things. She never shows any doubts." She grumbles, thinking over what the Lulim President had done in the past year, "Even with a star like Mori-sama as her roommate, she can be confident and aloof. What makes her so sure about everything? How did she know everything would turn out the way it did last year?"
Other students begin to take notice of her soliloquy, but one look from her and they were all on their way. There are whispers following this, but Yaya can't be bothered. Her thoughts stray back to that year and to the time preceding it, when the girl of her dreams descended from the heavens and into her life. How wonderful it had been to have those hopes and feel as though she was living out a love story of her own. Unfortunately, the angel that came to her hadn't been hers to keep. She belonged to another and they had already ascended back into the sky, twin stars shining down on all three schools. But even as the new Etoile couple bathes the whole of Astraea in their light, Yaya finds that she is once again hidden in the shadows. Her thoughts betray her and openly cast themselves on a new prospect. She had been curious. She even dared to admit that she considered it, especially during the final moments of the Etoile-sen. However, that road seems to be closed now, as well. No, even that girl, who Yaya had only ever thought of as a nuisance and a stuck-up brat, seems to have found the light and ascended into it. Only Yaya is left, lost in the darkness. She guesses her parents named her aptly; she is nothing more than a shade.
"The girls of Astraea dream either of becoming stars one day or having their star come for them." Yaya states, continuing to watch the Lulim girls, "I suppose there has to be someone to keep the ground company…"
Though apprehensive given the bistre-maned girl's current hostility, the nearby students of all three schools take interest, gazing upon Yaya at a distance. A moment later, Yaya spots something and, feigning her trademark devilish grin, she goes on the prowl.
"Pesky." Shizuka mutters, engrossed in a sketch she's working on as she takes a break from her studies.
"What is?" Chikaru asks, likewise engaged in personal interests.
"All of the flies fluttering about." Her roommate replies, pretending to swat her hand at them, "In particular, that one on the wall that's buzzing to herself."
"Aren't bees the buzzing type?" Chikaru enquires, stifling a giggle.
"It seems bees are disappearing. Environmental issues or something. Now, there are just flies and they are buzzing." Shizuka mutters a response, leaning her cheek against her hand.
Chikaru ponders this for a bit, but shakes her head and smiles, saying, "Poor Shizuka never liked bugs. But don't you think this one is exceptional?"
"I suppose. Depends on what they choose to annoy." Shizuka admits, flipping her hair just in time to catch a girl by surprise, stopping her with a gasp.
She quickly turns about to find another path, her white jacket fluttering as she runs off. Chikaru takes notice of this, but decides to get more books. She stands while leaning towards the table and Shizuka, nearly brushing the girl's forehead as she moves to the bookshelves opposite the direction the girl had run.
"They could be a nuisance." Shizuka whispers, looking at her pencil.
Tsubomi stares at the eraser end of her pencil as she stops solving the problems in her notebook. She is bored, but doesn't understand why. Part of her wants to stay like this, in this easily exploited position. Part of her thinks it silly and that she should be concentrating on the task at hand. Half of the problems in her notebook are sitting on the page staring back at her incomplete. There is a doodle of a choir outfit with hands and feet, but Tsubomi hasn't finished the face yet.
Yaya sees her target, sitting in an inactive state. Little Tsubomi should have known better. It won't have been the first time she's surprised the girl in the middle of the library. Well, perhaps this time she'll learn of the dangers. It is unwise to be caught unawares.
However, within lunging distance of her prey, another predator arrives, beating Yaya to the take. The short girl with golden curls slides into the adjacent seat, clasping Tsubomi's hands in hers. She begins talking about some improvement she's had on one thing or another, cluttering words as she fumbles to get her message across. Tsubomi is taken by the girl's awkwardness and jokes with her, though she also scolds the first year for being loud in the library. This only draws Eiko closer as Yaya strays, moving away from the area before completely turning around and walking away.
She wanders the rows of bookshelves, her mind in so much of a daze that her path is aimless. Still, she continues on, sinking into boredom, which then grows into melancholy. Eventually, she runs out of bookshelves and finds herself before the exit.
"Might as well." She mumbles to herself, shrugging before taking the first step out.
Just outside, though, bathed in the midday glow, Chikaru appears before Yaya. She smiles at the downtrodden girl warmly, leaning in to her as if asking how she's doing.
"I'm just on my way back to the dorms. Sorry for being in your way." Yaya tells her, trying to move past.
"Well, that means you're not doing anything, right?" Chikaru asks her, making the point physically by lifting her index finger up to eye level.
"I guess…" Yaya responds, though taken aback by the sudden interest.
"Would you like to see some of my newest costume designs? It might be fun!" Chikaru says with a smile.
Before Yaya can answer, Chikaru takes her pause in answering to be a yes and takes her hand, walking her to the club room while the disoriented Spica girl struggles to comprehend what's happened.
A few Lulim girls celebrate something outside, jumping up and down with big smiles on their carefree faces. They act foolish in some eyes. Still, they seem not to be bothered. The opinions of others aren't noteworthy to them. This is what Yaya believes as she watches them from behind the window of the Lulim school club room. The amber eyes travel with the girls until they disappear beneath her, cheering and prancing the whole way inside. As Yaya goes over this idea, her attention turns back to the one who'd absconded with her to this place of jubilant limbo. Like the girls outside, Chikaru is happily busying herself with materials, fabrics and buttons and zippers and that sort of thing. Did these girls have no problems in their lives? How could that even be possible?
"Chikaru-sama?" Yaya asks, keeping her voice low partly hoping she wouldn't hear.
"Yes?" However, Chikaru's hearing is impeccable and she immediately turns to her company.
Yaya struggles with the wording of the question she thought she might have wanted to ask, though as part of her had hoped the raven-haired girl wouldn't hear her, she doesn't know anymore if she should ask it. This, of course, is maddening for the girl and she finally swallows her doubts and frustrations, settling on blurting the blasted thing out and hoping it isn't misunderstood… even if she doesn't quite understand it herself… or understand why she would want to know… Something to that end… maybe…
"Are all the girls here high?" The words leave her mouth without consulting her brain.
As she hears them, Yaya freezes, her mind blanking out but for the words she's just uttered. They play for her over and over again as she comes to realise what she has just asked. As colour floods back into her body, it concentrates in her cheeks and her heart starts climbing up her esophagus. Chikaru sees the girl's petrifaction and only giggles, which frees Yaya with great efficacy, causing more flushing in her cheeks, though this time, it is the reddening of rage and not humiliation.
"I think that question came out the wrong way so I'll interpret it this way. Is Yaya-chan asking if the girls of Lulim are unusually happy as compared to the girls of Spica or Miator?" She asks, offering the polite suggestion.
Yaya grits her teeth. How does she do that? "… yes…"
"Well," The girl replies, unaware of the lit powder keg in the room, "Spica and Miator have high standards and expectations on their students. I think that places a lot of stress on you. Lulim, though we also have high standards, doesn't expect that every girl excel at every aspect of the curriculum."
The girl is speaking in a foreign language from where Yaya stands. She considers the answer for a moment then asks, "What?" Yes, that about covers it.
Chikaru giggles, explaining, "When one of the girls here is good at math, high expectations are placed on her in math classes. If she's hopelessly lost in French, for instance, the teachers offer her tutoring or ask a proficient student to tutor her and don't hold the girl to the same standards until she shows improvement, if she ever does."
"That's just an excuse then. What if the girl is just being lazy? This is why Spica far surpasses Lulim." Yaya proclaims, her school pride showing.
Chikaru giggles again at the girl's obvious reaction, but continues on, "Given the proper environment, it is the belief of Lulim and her students that no person wants to be lazy. We're all attending the school for different reasons, but none of us believe sloth could be one of them. We're here on this Earth to develop and grow, find our passions, and contribute to the wonderful cycle of life."
Yaya is taken aback by this notion, the ideal so alien to her. She considers what's been said and asks, "How can you be sure you'll find that reason? What if your reason is just to be alone?"
"I have faith. I have faith in a love-filled destiny." Chikaru answers her true question, placing her hand over her heart.
"That's easier said than done. How can you trust in something like that?" Yaya says, slowly turning back to the window.
Chikaru smiles as she gazes at the girl's back, looking down at the hand she's placed on her chest, "That is the trouble most encounter with it. But if you can find faith in it, it will find you and guide you out of the maze of uncertainty."
"Have faith in a love-filled destiny."
Yaya finds herself standing in front of the Fountain of the Virgin Mary, her mind drifting in Chikaru's words. She laughs a bit to herself. She's laughing at herself. How could she believe in such drivel? Lulim and their lunacy, where do they come up with these things? Though Yaya believes in concepts such as destiny, destiny is simply a designation for a future point where one's life and the decisions therein has led them. The decisions and the life Yaya has had have only led her to this precarious precipice, teetering from it and whiling her cognitive capacity with the silly notions of Lulim.
"Still… No, what the hell?" In anger, Yaya picks up a stone and throws it into the fountain.
"That's not the proper way to pray, Yaya-chan." The voice of an angel whispers, making her presence known.
Surprised for sure, Yaya turns to look upon Hikari and quickly thinks up a quip, "I was praying to see if I could skip a rock across it. Apparently, she frowns upon it. I think my rock sank like one just now."
Her blush is impossible to miss and to say her mannerisms are off would be a blatant understatement. However, Hikari's known Yaya long enough to know when to call her on what she's hiding and when to simply offer her support. This would be the time to offer support… Although, Hikari has to admit to herself that Yaya's behaviour had been off for some time. Hikari is concerned for her roommate, but she has faith in her and believes as she had when the behaviour began that Yaya will eventually move on.
"I don't think Yaya-chan should be throwing rocks into the fountain even if she prays for it." She says instead with a slight smile.
"Am I violating one of the Etoile's rules?" Yaya teases, lightly kicking another stone towards her roommate.
"Amane-senpai and I haven't made those kinds of changes. Oh, but speaking of the changes, I need to speak to you." Hikari replies, realising that she actually had a subject she could use to distract Yaya from whatever it was plaguing her.
Later that day, Shizuka enters her room, finding her roommate already at her desk, going over some of the older clubs that have decided to merge. There are folders describing the clubs' activities and function. As most of the clubs are unorthodox and/or completely mad, many of the "descriptions" are in photograph format. Chikaru looks at each intently as Shizuka settles herself, taking off her shoes and getting her night wear and towel. She moves over to her roommate, looking over her shoulder at the pictures, her ebony hair blanketing her roommate and mingling with her equally dark raven-coloured strands.
As Chikaru turns her attention to her, the looming girl mentions, "Methinks Aphrodite is playing a risky game."
Chikaru's eyes shift their gaze from the girl's eyes to her lips and responds, "A girl can only play fair to a point. After that, it's only natural to stack the deck."
"Just make sure the house of cards doesn't topple." Shizuka suggests, moving to her other shoulder, her hand gliding across the girl's back.
"That isn't up to me, now is it?" Chikaru explains, "Destiny is chosen by free will."
"I stand corrected, but I am interested to see what will be the chosen destiny." Shizuka replies, moving on to the shower as Chikaru returns to her work.
"We could always go through Minamoto-san." Makoto notes, her hand placed over her eyes so as not to look upon the people she is conversing with.
Makoto stands inside the room of Kaname and Momomi, having been called there to discuss with the President the plans they have for the year. Currently, they are on the subject of Mori Shizuka, the President's personal target. Momomi is wary of their conversations about the Lulim star, but she makes no comments as she sits on her bed, knees hugged close to her. She rests her head on them as Kaname fiddles with her feet, sitting off the edge in her sleep wear that consists of nothing but a thin thread count oversized dress shirt.
"Chikaru-san? I don't think we can coerce her into anything." She replies, tugging at the covers hiding Momomi's indecent form, "She's more Shizuka's shield than any asset."
"Well, that's all I've got." Makoto says, "It's getting late. Perhaps, I should-"
"Come come, little Makoto." Kaname muses, "Why so shy? We really do have important issues to discuss."
"I really don't know enough about Mori-sama to-" Her prey replies, inching her way to the door.
"We're already past that topic, Makoto." Kaname's scarlet eyes narrow at her.
"That's my business." She says, having come to realise the President's meaning.
"Sloppy business." Kaname corrects, "Still, I suppose it hasn't gotten out of hand just yet. I'll allow you to proceed, but be mindful of your surroundings, little Makoto. I wouldn't want you blemishing Spica's glory."
"There's a new romance brewing in Spica. I thought you'd be pleased." Makoto announces.
"Like I said, dear, be mindful." The President implies, passing her gaze down to the girl's legs.
Before she slips on it, the fifth year quickly grabs the skimpy yellow nightgown from the floor and tosses it to the two in bed. Momomi goes to grab it, but Kaname beats her to it, taking it and tossing it on the nearby desk despite her protests. As Makoto manages to reach the door, she shuts it just as the covers come off and a sharp shriek is heard.
The Midnight Tea Party is alive with chatter. Nagisa has found a few new ways to snag more of the snacks and is putting them to good use. Tamao busies herself with the tea preparation and Chiyo aids her with the ingredients. Tsubomi scolds the fifth year redhead as she sees her cookie thievery, blissfully unaware of the oddly silent Yaya sitting next to her. However, Hikari does take notice, glancing over at the girl from time to time while she mediates between Nagisa and Tsubomi.
Giving up her quest for more snacks, Nagisa turns her attention to her roommate, sheepishly saying, "So, besides studying and the Student Council, has Tamao-chan been getting into other activities?"
The emphasis on her statement causes the President to jump a bit, spilling some of the water in the pot she's holding. She immediately returns with, "What is Nagisa-chan saying?"
"Oh nothing. I just wonder what's become of the precious treasures Tamao-chan's collected." The girl continues to press.
Instead of Tamao, it is Chiyo that jumps this time and, in a shakey voice, says, "Nagisa-oneesama, you are being strange."
"Chiyo-chan? Be careful!" Nagisa alerts, but is too late.
In her nervous state, the young girl fumbles the tray in her hands and also trips on her own feet. Cups and the dried leaves in them fly into the air as she falls. In that split second, Tsubomi and Nagisa bound for her, doing what they can to catch the cups and tray before they could clang on the floor and alert the sister to their prohibited gathering. The aftermath is a tangled mess of body parts, each holding something. Nagisa picks herself up and places the cups on the table. Tsubomi sighs in relief, placing the tray down, as well, but a muffled squeal and stares coming from the other girls alarm her. Her eyes suddenly widen and slowly move to her hand, which in the chaos, has found itself cupping a certain unmentioned area on the prone Miator second year.
The blush is the brightest shade of red that is humanly possible, but she manages to keep calm and remove her hand before moving back to her seat in silence. Chiyo remains where she is, shocked into a stupour as Tamao tends to her. Nagisa begins cleaning the tea leaves on the floor, but the one whose reaction should have been instantaneous is unnaturally astray.
"Yaya-chan?" Hikari mutters, turning everyone's attention to her.
"Oh no, don't get Yaya-chan started." Nagisa giggles.
Just then, a sly grin stretches across the dark-haired girl's features and she moves over to her shriveled pink-haired company. As the girl continues to shrink, Yaya gets uncomfortably close and whispers, "Was that your first?"
For the remainder of the night, Tsubomi is unresponsive, her cheeks blushing so much they turn more orchid than red. Even Chiyo has recovered, though she is apprehensive about making any moves. Nagisa and Tamao amuse themselves with their embarrassed friends, making half-hearted consolations through their stifled snickers. Still, the Etoile is unconvinced. There is something amiss, but she isn't the one to discover it.
Author's Note: Now, Hikari's caught on to Yaya's angstiness. What will she do? Why is Nagisa being so promiscuous? Oh, right, Tamao… Still, she's sounding a bit more like…
Anyway, I rather enjoyed having Tsubomi go an accidental boob grab on Chiyo. I always felt that Tsubomi held herself back and Chiyo was too innocent. It would take something like this to open her up and give Chiyo something beyond being an innocent little girl. Of course, the final episode of the anime did allow her some maturity and foresight, Chiyo mentioning that the girls would still be friends in spite of the tensions of the election, but it just wasn't good enough. =o Am I hinting at more development for Chiyo? Mmmmmaybe. =p
I also decided to add in a bit of the manga adaptation of Chikaru in this chapter with Shizuka mentioning her plotting. However, Chikaru's plotting had been seen in the anime, as well, though without sounding as malevolent as the manga had it. This chapter was my attempt at bridging the gap so for those who've read the manga, I hope I did a good enough job that you caught it.
Momomi was portrayed as being shy this chapter, but I'd like to point out that we've never seen her outgoing side with Kaname in the presence of a third party. Kaname, on the other hand, has never been shy, though she's still a bit more conservative than Shizuma must have been, sleeping in the nude while maintaining a platonic relationship with her obviously still infatuated roommate in the room. Anyway, the scene there was to show how confident Kaname is and how Momomi is still the passive one in their relationship. It was also to show that Makoto is likewise not as open about things. Why would I point that out? You'll just have to keep reading. ^.~
次回予告
Hikari: Yaya-chan, is everything alright?
Yaya: Huh? Oh, we're doing this again? Wow, looks like Spica's taking over.
Tsubomi: Yes, and rightfully so!
Eiko: Here here!
Yaya: What's she doing here?
Eiko: Tsubomi-senpai! I need help! The exams! Oh no!
Tsubomi: Not to worry! I'm on the job!
Hikari: Yaya-chan…
Next time on Strawberry Panic, The Ties of Sisterhood!
Hikari: I'll find a way to help you!
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