Monday early afternoon, April 18th – Southern Cross Drive
Sydney, Australia
Deena was uncomfortable with… everything. Her uniform was similar to what she used to wear, but she now sported the single thin line of the lowest ranked officer, instead of the thick chevrons of the sergeant that she used to be. But that wasn't the end of her discomfort. She was riding in a limousine… well, it wasn't one of those ridiculously stretched limos with a bar, a dance floor, and a hot tub – but it was a helluvalot nicer than any taxi she had ever been in, and it was driven by a chauffeur.
At least, Deena thought he was a chauffeur. He wore a very chauffeur-like suit and a chauffeur-like hat. He opened the door for for her when she got in and replied with yes mum or no mum. It wasn't like she was asking him any questions, but that didn't matter. The fact that a girl like her was in such a nice car was scaring her, and the elegant man that drove the car and answered so politely only made her feel even more out of place.
But the majority of her discomfort came from the person that the chauffeur was responding so politely to. The person who was already in the car when she got in at the airport. The person who was sitting next to her now and chatting so casually… Faye Stapleton from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade – or DFAT.
The first time Deena had met the woman had been in the Squadron Leader's office and in the presence of the Group Captain. Always nervous around senior officers, she had been almost petrified in front of the man. But the Squadron Leader had set her straight about who the most important person in the room had been. She still remembered his parting words before she left the training facility at East Sale.
"Ya did good Walker. I know it was tough… I made sure it was, but you persevered Walker. Ya done good. If there was one thing I'd say ya need to work on, it'd be the way you clam up around senior officers. I remember how you were like a little mouse in front of the Group Captain… but ya'd better get over that… and fast. And just in case ya think ya won't havta deal with it for a while, ya should know this: civilians working in government have ranks that equate to military ranks, ya know. Remember that lady from DFAT that called the Group Captain by his first name? She did that for two reasons. She's the little sister of the Group Captain but more importantly, she holds the civilian equivalent rank of a General. You should keep that in mind before ya shoot your mouth off at her."
That conversation was playing itself back in her mind over and over. Remembering the Squadron Leader's instructions, and knowing that the short woman next to her in the limo was at the level of a General – made it very difficult to ask why she was being taken away from the airport when she was supposed to be heading for Japan. Instead, Deena tried her best to answer any questions quickly and firmly, and to rely on her military bearing to get her through this ordeal.
But Faye Stapleton didn't get to the position she was in without being able to read the people around her. Little brother Devin had given her a dossier on the young lady, but she didn't need it to know that the poor girl was scared to pieces.
"Deena, this is not going to work if you stay uptight." Faye scoffed.
"Yes ma'am, sorry ma'am." Deena replied stiffly.
"That's what I'm talking about." Faye sounded worried, "I knew you were nervous around senior officers, but why are you like this with me? I'm not in the military."
"Ma'am, your civilian rank equates to a General in the military." Deena explained.
"It does?" Faye blinked, then asked, "Just a moment. How do you know that? Civilian's don't wear their pay grade or position on their sleeves like you military types. How do you know what my rank is?"
"The Squadron Leader did not reveal any specifics about your personal information, but he did tell me that your rank equates to a General."
"That prissy little shit." Faye hissed.
"Ma'am?" Deena was surprised by the lady's reaction. She had heard the DFAT director get upset back in the Squadron Leader's office, but she had not heard her use any foul language before.
"Listen to me Deena," Faye grabbed Deena by the shoulders and shook her to make sure the younger woman was really listening to what she had to say, "I don't want this… rank reverence. I don't need it and it will only cause problems. I need you to talk to me like you talk to your Japanese friends. I want you to call me Faye and I will call you Deena. Can you do that?"
"Yes ma'am!" Deena replied automatically.
"Yes ma'am?" Faye looked at Deena incredulously, "Did you not listen to anything I just said?"
"I'm sorry ma…" Deena could see how she was letting the lady down and decided to be honest with her, "I can't do what you ask… while I'm wearing my uniform. I just… can't. Let me change into my civilian clothes and I… I promise to do my best to do just like you want."
"All right." Faye backed away from Deena and considered the young woman's offer. Turning to the driver, she asked, "Charles, how much time do we have until the meeting?"
"A little over three hours, mum." the driver replied after a moment.
"Excellent, take us to the Queen Victoria Building." Faye said happily.
"Mum, may I suggest Veronika Maine, instead." the chauffeur asked.
"Oh? Is there a problem with the Queen Victoria Building, Charles?" Faye asked.
"No mum. I agree that it is a truly splendid place." Charles replied diplomatically, "It is, unfortunately, so remarkable that you have never been able to spend only three hours there."
"Charles…" Faye started to argue.
"Not even once, mum." Charles insisted.
"Charles!" Faye sounded a little angry this time.
"And, there is no way you would make it in only three hours if you had an attractive young woman along as your dress-up doll." Charles added.
"Charles!" Faye squeaked. The embarrassment colored her face a bit from what Charles said, but even more when she admitted to herself just how much she wanted to see this tall girl in her drab military uniform dressed up in some fashionable clothes that could properly show off her attractive side.
"..." Faye fumed for a moment, but the chauffeur was right. Her pout turned into a sigh and she acquiesced to his suggestion, "Very well, Charles. Veronika Maine it is."
"What… are we doing, ma'am?" Deena asked with growing trepidation.
"Well, you said it yourself," Faye shrugged her shoulders as if it were now a matter of fate, "You can't relax around me when you're in uniform, so we'll just have to get you into civilian attire."
"But… I have clothes in my baggage. There's no need to go shopping." Deena tried to keep the fear out of her voice, but it was difficult. All of her shopping experiences with DFAT people had been… terrifying.
"Nonsense." Faye dismissed the idea, "Your luggage must be packed with spring fashions since you are heading for Japan, but it is autumn here in Australia, so we must get you into something appropriate."
"Yes ma'am." Deena reluctantly agreed. She had to admit that Faye was right. Although the Japanese friends she had were involved in fashion, she wasn't even close to being a fashionista. But with the small amount of fashion sense she had picked up from her friends, she knew that the color choices of the clothes she had picked out were not 'fall' colors. Of course, if I'm heading for the Northern Hemisphere, I wouldn't need any fall clothes… or rather, I shouldn't. Why do I need to wear fashionable autumn clothes for a trip to Japan in the spring? What's going on?
.
Monday afternoon, April 18th – Kawashima House in Tokyo
Taiga and Minori were relaxing in the nursery while little Tatsuya was draining one of the bottles Taiga had fetched from the small refrigerator. Ami and Ryuuji had left shortly after they got there and Yasuko hadn't come back from her exercise run yet, so the girls had the house to themselves.
"He sure is getting big." Minori commented. She could see Taiga struggling to keep the eight month old baby properly supported and was itching to use that as an excuse to get to hold him for a while.
"Of course he's big," Taiga said testily, "both of his parents are mutant giants."
"You think he'll grow up to be as big as Ryuuji?" Minori wondered.
"I hope he's even bigger!" Taiga got a wild look in her eyes and her voice had that evil villain sound as she encouraged the baby she was feeding, "Yes my minion! Grow to be huge and surpass both your unsuspecting parents. Show them what it's like when the little ones become bigger than them! Make them feel small and insignificant!"
Tatsuya stopped suckling on the bottle's nipple and started laughing. He always laughed whenever Taiga made her funny voice.
"I'm glad he has a good sense of humor." Minori said with relief.
"What do you mean?" Taiga said while trying to get the baby interested in the bottle again.
"Most babies would cry if you started sounding maniacal like that." Minori said.
"Huh, when was I sounding maniacal?" Taiga asked innocently.
"Taiga..." Minori said with an exasperated frown. Having known Taiga for as long as she did, Minori was not impressed with the innocent act.
"Anyways…" Taiga skirted her friend's comments and asked, "Do you have any plans for Golden Week? I mean… you're always going off to baseball camp, but I thought I'd ask."
"Actually, baseball camp will only be the first two days. There's more crowding than usual at all the facilities this year." Minori didn't have to mention why this year was so different. As usual, the earthquake and tsunami from March were the causes of the problems. But, since they were also the causes of the scandal issues for Ryuuji and Ami, it was something that both of the girls felt uncomfortable talking about in their house. "Why do you ask?"
"Noto-kun's grandmother invited us to spend the break at her place in Tokushima." Taiga told her friend.
"Really!" Minori's eyes lit up at hearing the offer. She had enjoyed her time there and looked forward to another visit. Noticing the very happy look on Taiga's face, she knew that her short friend really wanted to go. "I think she likes you."
"Huh?" Taiga asked while putting the bottle down and reaching for a cloth to clean up little Tatsuya's cheeks.
"Obāsama Hisamitsu, obviously." Minori laughed, "Seriously, if you were an orphan I'm pretty sure she would adopt you."
"Yeah… I don't get it though." Taiga was charmed with little Tatsuya who was grabbing at her fingers while she cleaned him up – and yet, feeling melancholic at the same time. "I figured she would be done with me by now. Most people don't like me any more after they get to know me."
"I do." Minori objected.
"That's because you're a special case." Taiga threw the cleaning cloth at Minori and smiled for a moment. But the moment didn't last, "Sooner or later she'll just tolerate me… like Ya-chan does."
"Huh? I thought things were better with Yasuko?" Minori asked.
"She told me that I could call her Ya-chan again… like I used to. But that was two weeks ago. At the time, I really thought I was finally starting to win her over. But nothing else has changed and… I feel like I've already lost."
Minori was about to tell her friend not to give up hope, but a voice from the doorway surprised both of them.
"She likes you because you remind her of herself when she was young." Yasuko was still wearing the sweats from her run. She had a towel around her neck and it was evident to the two athletic girls that she had just finished an intense workout. As usual, she didn't look all that worn out from the exertion. So, the pained expression on her face was from something other than physical fatigue.
"Ya-chan?" Taiga gasped in surprise and worried about how much of their conversation Yasuko had overheard.
"She is a nice person, and smart too." Yasuko smiled a little as she remembered the fun she had at the Hisamitsu estate. But she also remembered the conversations with the old matriarch and warned the two girls, "If you accept her invitation, you should watch out… both of you."
"Huh?" Taiga and Minori were both surprised to hear Yasuko warn them about such a nice old lady.
"She is a wonderful person, but her family is always first with her. So, don't be surprised if a visit also includes an omiai with some of her available male family members." Yasuko said airily.
"Ah! We're not even out of college yet!" Minori wailed.
"I don't think either of us are ready to get married or raise kids yet. Besides, who would want a person like me in their family?" Taiga laughed.
"I did." Yasuko replied sadly. She saw the girls' shocked reactions and smiled weakly. Summoning the energy she had left, Yasuko pulled herself out of the doorway and headed to her room to get cleaned up and changed.
Taiga thought over Yasuko's response and wondered what it might have meant.
I did.
It was certainly true that Yasuko had been even younger than Taiga when she had taken on the responsibility of being a mother all by herself. But there was another possible meaning… Could she have meant that she wanted me to become a part of her family? I know she had accepted me, but was it something she had really wanted? No… no way.
.
Yasuko went into her room and closed the door. She wanted to get cleaned up but there was something else that drew her over to the little desk that faced the tall window in her room. She opened the drawer and looked down at the precious pictures.
Her hand reached down to the picture of little Tatsuya. He was already so much bigger than when that picture was taken. "I need a new shot of you, little one."
'Gazing at the pictures' wasn't what had drawn her here though. There was a little slip of paper that she had laid down next to Tatsuya's photo. She had thought it might have had meaning for Tatsuya, but now she had to reconsider. Taiga's recent words played back in her mind.
She told me that I could call her Ya-chan again… like I used to.
Yasuko remembered the moment. She had been wanting to close the distance with Taiga for a while and yet… it had been very hard for her to say even that much.
At the time, I really thought I was finally starting to win her over. But nothing else has changed…
Yasuko kept the slip of paper but set Tatsuya's picture back down in the drawer. Picking up the old picture of Taiga in her High School uniform, she remembered the last comment that had caused Yasuko's mind to start wandering down this path of thoughts and memories.
I feel like I've already lost.
Then, she unfolded the slip of paper and looked at the odd fortune that the silly machine at the shrine had given her.
Small Blessing - a lost person waiting thing for found you.
In the picture, Taiga's face wasn't pretty. She had been flashing her characteristic scowl when the photo was taken. But it was something that seemed to capture the short girl's essence more than a fake smile ever would.
Yasuko knew what she wanted… but she was afraid. She wanted to be close to Taiga again, see her smile again, and feel that warmth again. The kind of warm feeling one has when they are relaxed in the company of familiar people. Yasuko never had a sister or a daughter… but having Taiga near had been that kind of feeling, and she wanted it back.
But she was afraid. Betrayal had been something she could get over. The man she had been hopelessly in love with – had run off with another girl as soon as she was pregnant. Her parents hadn't supported her at all when she had counted on them the most. Through the years, she had been let down by her employers, Ryuuji's teachers, and busybody neighbors. But Taiga had done much worse to her than any of them.
Her hands trembled and tears came to her eyes while she looked at the picture in her hands. Taiga's picture from those wonderful days when Ryuuji was finally able to make lots of friends. It was a time that she had wished would never end. And it was just before the time when Taiga's thoughtlessness had almost… killed her son.
As always, anger over what had been done and fear that it could happen again, warred with her desire to welcome Taiga back into her heart. She blinked away the tears in her eyes and read the fortune once again.
Small Blessing - a lost person waiting thing for found you.
"Oh Taiga," Yasuko sobbed softly in her lonely room, "are you a lost person? Are you waiting for me to find you?"
Her eyes glanced down at the picture of Ryuuji and Ami in their wedding Kimono's. He was happy and healthy in that picture, but she could remember how he had been. Less than a year before that, he was hollow and dying. She hadn't kept any pictures from that time, but she didn't need them. The horrors from back then were engraved into her memory… whether she wanted those images or not.
Her gaze shifted back to the picture in her hand and a new stream of tears blurred the picture of Taiga. "Why?" she asked as she wiped her tears on her sleeve. At a rational level, she knew that Taiga hadn't intentionally hurt her Ryu-chan. Indeed, Yasuko was sure that if anyone had been able to get word to Taiga back then, she would have come running to Ryuuji's rescue. But they hadn't, and she didn't.
"Taiga, I'm so sorry." Yasuko saw that some of her tears had fallen onto the photo in her hand. She held it to her chest to blot the tears away onto her blouse. Then she looked at the photo once more before she returned it to the drawer.
"I want to find you. I really do," Yasuko said to the picture looking up at her from the drawer, "but… I can't yet. I can't help it… I'm still scared of you."
Small Blessing - a lost person waiting thing for found you.
Yasuko folded up the fortune slip and put it with Taiga's picture this time. "If you're waiting for me, please try to wait a little longer. Maybe… maybe I'll be better tomorrow."
.
Sunday evening, April 17th – California: University Student Lounge
At the same time that Deena was finishing her shopping with the DFAT executive and Yasuko was struggling with her feelings for Taiga, on the other side of the Pacific Ocean it was the evening of the previous day. Kitamura and Sumire were at a table in the student center with several friends. They had been studying for a while, but they were all taking a break to look out the windows at the beautiful colors of the sunset.
The big windows of the student center faced East where they were seated, so they weren't looking directly into the final rays of sunlight. Instead, they could see the vibrant colors of the Pacific sunset reflected in somber hues of red, gold, and blue across the white plaster walls of the Spanish style buildings of the sprawling university campus. The distant dark sky behind the brilliantly lit buildings were cloud free and provided a startling contrast of dark blue and black.
Typical of someone driven to become an astronaut, Sumire was trying to see past the illuminated foreground to catch the first stars that would appear in the night sky. But she wasn't the only one that wasn't watching the light show.
"Hey, your friends are on the news again." another student at the table called out.
"What's going on?" another friend asked while Kitamura and Sumire both turned to face the wall mounted monitors.
"Old news." Sumire said with a little disgust in her voice. "They are talking about the group's decision to give up on the entertainment industry. They're not coming right out and saying it, but they are insinuating that it is a cowardly decision on their part."
"Cowardly?"
"Yes." Kitamura replied, "Persevering, even in a hopeless situation, is what is expected in Japanese culture. Anything else is just… cowardice."
"Do you think so too?"
"Not at all." Kitamura replied instantly. Despite the critical look he got from Sumire, he continued on, "Ryuuji is fully aware of the situation. He knows how the entertainment culture can eat up young talent, rob them of any other future by insisting that they focus solely on their craft, and then spitting them out when their popularity falls. From the beginning, he has insisted that they stay in school and continue to develop their other interests."
Sumire felt conflicted. She too thought that it was cowardly of them to just give up on their careers – especially when it looked like their fight against the industry had been won. On the other hand, she also felt very strongly that giving up on their education was totally unacceptable.
"I bet they're all crushed. From those video's we saw of them in Australia, it looked like they were really having fun."
"They might be sad, but it doesn't look like they are letting it get to them too much." Kitamura pulled out an envelope from his backpack, "In fact, Sumire and I have been invited to come to a reunion party during the summer break."
"What?" Sumire reacted with shock. This was the first she had heard of it.
"Haven't you received your invitation?" Kitamura asked her, "Ryuuji said he sent ours at the same time."
"I… haven't checked my mail recently." Sumire lied. As usual though, she didn't get away with it.
"You forgot your combination again, didn't you?" Kitamura asked with a knowing glance.
"NO… yes." Sumire pouted that her tendency to be forgetful was exposed yet again.
"I'll take you to the post office to get your mail tomorrow morning." Kitamura promised.
"Are you going?"
"When is it?" another friend asked. Kitamura had already told them that it would be during the summer break, but that was why the question was asked. Unlike the collegiate summer break in Japan that goes from the end of July to the first week of September, the summer break at the American university where they were attending would start around the middle of June and last all the way to the third week of September. It seemed like a terribly long break, but the university did offer several classes during that summer session.
"It's in early August." Kitamura said gently. He knew that Sumire had wanted to plow through a number of classes over the summer and there wouldn't be any way to do that if they took a week off to visit their homeland.
"Does that mean you won't be taking the summer classes?"
Kitamura was about to respond that he and Sumire would have to talk about that, but Sumire replied with an unexpected answer to their friends.
"Right! No classes this summer for us." Sumire said firmly.
"Are you sure?" Kitamura asked. He was aware of how strongly Sumire wanted to quickly finish her college so she could begin her astronaut training. This deviation to their plans would set them both back several semester hours and he didn't want Sumire to have any regrets.
"Absolutely!" Sumire said with determination, "We've been going at it hard for a while and I think it's a good idea that we take a break."
"It looks like it's decided then." Kitamura smiled, "I'll let Ryuuji know that we'll both be there."
.
Monday late afternoon, April 18th – Government House
Sydney, Australia
The old Gothic Revival building with it's battlements, arches, and turrets would have looked at home in Europe. But it didn't look entirely out of place amidst the foliage and fountains of Sydney's Royal Botanical Gardens. The modern skyscrapers that towered over it in the background seemed a bit odd at first, but the with the incomparably artistic and unique Sydney Opera House bracketing it on the other side, an atmosphere was established that was distinctively Australian.
Deena only had a few moments to enjoy such an ambiance before she was whisked past construction barriers and security cordons to an ornate room with high ceilings and a stage at one end. A few folding chairs were set up in the middle of the room, but there was no other furniture.
"Please excuse the mess," the guide who was escorting Deena and Faye to the room explained, "work continues in preparation for the Governor to move back into the house later this year."
Deena didn't know that the governor was supposed to live there in the first place, but she didn't ask any questions that might make her look ignorant.
"That's not a problem," Faye replied but her smile faded a bit when she looked at the number of chairs that had been set up, "haven't our guests arrived?"
"They have. They should be here presently." the attendant answered. "Now if you'll excuse me, I must see to some restoration progress on the Western terrace."
"Of course." Faye waited until the man was out of the room before turning to Deena and speaking quietly, "The governor hasn't lived in this building since the late nineties."
"Why not?" Deena replied in a whisper, "It seems like a grand place."
"Politics," Faye answered with a frown, "at the time, they thought it was too ostentatious and that the governor should be in a more mundane place so that he could be closer to the people."
"I see." Deena did think the place was incredibly pretentious, but there were more important matters at hand, "Ma'am, could you tell me now why we are here?"
Faye just glared at Deena. She made a point of also looking at the elegant new dress that Deena was wearing.
"Faye…" Deena gave in, "why are we here?"
"Lovely!" Faye brightened right up and revealed her plan, "After all the controversy since the tsunami, a number of people want to just cut our losses and move on. So, we are going to try and persuade them that the current plan to increase our fashion trade with Japan is still a good idea."
"Unh." Deena groaned and felt a little light-headed. She would have to be charming, diplomatic, and convincing… none of which were characteristics that she felt she was any good at.
"Do you not believe in the plan any more?" Faye asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I don't believe that I can be much help at convincing a bunch of powerful people to do something they've already decided against." Deena replied.
"I won't ask you to do that." Faye winked and told her, "When the time comes, all I want you to do is tell them about your friends. Just like the things you told me, I want you to tell them what happened to them when they returned to Japan, and what kind of people they are. Can you do that?"
"Yes ma'am." Deena did feel that she could do that much.
The elder diplomat scowled at Deena's reply.
"Yes Faye, I can do that." Deena tried again.
"Good!" Faye sounded thrilled, "I'm sure this will work."
.
Two hours later and Deena wasn't so sure that any of this would work. The people in the room were other government officials, owners and leaders of many textile companies, big name designers, and investors. Some of them seemed to be swayed by Faye's promises and Deena's explanations.
Faye was more concerned that several of the important people that should have been there had not attended as promised. She had been counting on their support and was disheartened at their absence. So now, she was starting to doubt…
Clang! The big door opened and a solitary figure strode into the room. He was wearing a suit that seemed to be made of stiff silk angles. It was hard to describe what color the suit was. At the core, it looked black, but a shimmer of different colors rippled across the surfaces where the rooms lights struck it.
"Hellivin." one of the other people in the room whispered. But Deena didn't need the reminder. She remembered him from the first day of the fashion show when he dressed Ryuuji up in that amazing outfit.
"G'day Faye." Hellivin said as he approached the group. He didn't bother greeting anyone else, but he did cast a glance over at Deena. "I won take up too much o'yer time, but I gots a question or two for Deena, if ya don mind."
Deena swallowed hard as everyone in the room turned to look at her then.
"Please do." Faye gestured for him to proceed.
"Ello Deena. Ya been allright?" Hellivin asked as if they were old friends.
"Fine thanks, and you?" Deena barely remembered how to reply, but the odd man's casual mannerism was helping to calm her down a little so she appreciated that.
"Do ya think ya can do it?" Hellivin was obviously done with the chitchat and cut to the real issue, "Do ya think ya can talk m'boy Ryuuji into getting back into the ring?"
"If it was just Ryuuji, he never would have left the ring. But he's worried about what the entertainment environment might do to the younger ones." Deena reacted to Hellivin's implication that Ryuuji might be afraid.
"Oi, I figured as much! That boy's like a mother hen to those sheilas, ain't he?" Hellivin laughed.
"Yeah, I guess he really is." Deena agreed.
"You too, eh Deena?" Hellivin now looked at Deena in a way that let her know that he could tell if she tried to lie to him, "You're bigger and older than him, but he protects you like you wuz his little sister too, don he?"
"Yes," Deena blushed a little to admit it, but everything the avant-garde designer said was true.
"So, can ya do it?" Hellivin looked very serious now, "Can ya convince the boy that thinks he's your big brother… can you talk him into puttin his little girls in danger again? Can ya do that?"
"Ryuuji is smart. I'd never convince him to do something he knows is wrong." Deena replied, "But he's also compassionate. He knows how much the others enjoyed what they were doing. He remembers how much fun all of them had when they were here. So, half of my job is already done."
"An hows that?" Hellivin asked.
"Ryuuji is the key. His confidence is okay, but his belief in the entertainment industry has been shaken so he's worried about the younger girls. And there is nothing wrong with that." Deena defended Ryuuji's decisions while she explained her position to Hellivin and, by extension, to the rest of the room, "For all the amazing things he's done, he still doesn't have a lot of experience as a manager. All of these malicious attacks and the abusive public reaction, have made him forget that the girls never were in danger… well, they were never in serious danger while he was in charge."
"Can ya really say that though?" Hellivin asked, "I've read up on those friends of yours. Kawashima was terrorized by a stalker and that Kurosawa girl had death threats against her. And, all of that happened before this dipstick's smear campaign. Mebbe Ryuuji has the right of it, to pull the girls out of danger."
"Is that true?" Faye interjected. She hadn't heard any of that before.
"Yes m… Faye." Deena struggled to not call the older woman by an honorific in such a tense situation, but she needed to defend her friends so she pushed through, "But what I said was true too. Both of those things happened before Ryuuji was managing them. Kurosawa Hisako admits that she made some seriously bad decisions back then. In a way, she was asking for that kind of response. Unfortunately, her agent at the time just let her spiral out of control."
Hellivin eyed Deena carefully. He could see that the DFAT lady was a little surprised at the depth of the young woman's answer and decided to ask, "Did you figure that out on your own?"
"No," Deena admitted, "I've been corresponding with Ami and Hisako. They shared things with me that weren't in any of the interviews. Even now, they regret giving up on their performing careers but not enough to want to go back into it with a manager other than Ryuuji. That's why I think… I have a chance at getting them to start performing again."
"So then, what will you do?" Hellivin asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Hopefully, all I have to do is remind Ryuuji of what he has forgotten. If I can get him to be their manager again, I think…" Deena paused as she realized how much she wanted to see her friends up on stage again. Then she took a deep breath and finished more forcefully, "I'm sure the girls would come back in an instant."
"Good enough." Hellivin then held up a second finger and asked, "Could ya get Ryuuji to model for me again?"
"No." Deena laughed at the unexpected question, "But… I could ask Ami to get Ryuuji to model for you again."
"You really are a clever girl. Sneaky too. I like it." Hellivin then threw up a third finger and asked, "Would ya be okay with me comin with ya? I know the DFAT people don want any surprises, so I'll tell ya right now; I got two things on my agenda. I want m'boy Ryuuji to model for me again and I want to meet with Nanako-chan for some idea-sharin."
"Um…" Deena turned to Faye and saw her nod her head in approval, "Y...yes. I can make that happen."
"That's all I needed to know." Hellivin turned and walked back toward the door he had come through just a few minutes before and announced, "I'm in."
Even before the extravagant designer made it through the door, the room exploded. There were no longer any arguments about abandoning the plan. Faye suddenly had to fend off attacks and allegations that she was giving Hellivin preferential access. It wasn't the cordial agreement with professionals that Faye had been hoping for, but she wasn't a fan of confrontation either. For a moment, she wondered if Deena would flee from this cacophony of angst and drama that Hellivin had whipped up, but the freshly minted RAAF Officer stood her ground.
For her part, and despite Faye's favorable impression, Deena didn't know what to do. All at once, everyone started yelling, insisting on answers and making demands. While little of the angry conversation seemed to be directed at her, she felt that she was somehow to blame for it. As such, she knew that her military superiors would give her a royal basting if the DFAT lady blamed her for this mess. So, she moved in behind Faye and did what she could.
She stood her ground.
She held the line.
She outlasted the civilians that outnumbered her.
"Deena," an exhausted Faye said after the last of them finally left, "you did good."
"Thanks." Deena put a hand on the older woman's shoulder and confessed, "I don't think I would have had the courage if your friend Hellivin hadn't showed up when he did."
"Never met him." Faye put her hand on Deena's and admitted, "Before tonight, I'd only ever seen his dossier."
"What?" Deena was stunned.
"In fact… he never replied that he would come to this meeting." Faye was oblivious to Deena's shock while she pondered what had just happened, "What a strange man."
"Indeed." was all Deena could say. She couldn't tell whether the thought of working with this strange man was making her feel uneasy or excited… or both.
.
Tuesday morning, April 19th – Sydney Airport, International Terminal
Sydney, Australia
Deena arrived at the airport with plenty of time. Per Faye's instructions, she was wearing comfortable travel clothes, and not her military uniform. After all, the eight thousand kilometer flight would take a while and there was no point in suffering for the next thirteen hours. Deena had to admit that the DFAT lady had a point, even if it was against military protocol. Then again, she was on loan to a civilian department, so… following their guidelines should be okay, right? This is what she was thinking through, when she noticed two men that seemed to stand out from the rest of the travelers.
One was wearing a neo-gothic style trenchcoat. It was open in the front to reveal a black leather vest over a dark maroon shirt. The other man wore a military steampunk style coat that reminded her vaguely of an anime character. They weren't entering the terminal. Rather, it looked like they were waiting for someone. Both of the men looked tall because of how lean they were, but she noticed that they weren't as tall as her when she got close to them. A few people were taking pictures of them.
"What're you lookin at?" the trench-coat asked. Although he was wearing attention grabbing clothes, it seemed that he was tired of being gawked at.
"Something tells me that you're waiting for me." Deena replied.
"Neh," the trench-coat replied as his eyes moved up and down her tall body. "Yer close, but you ain't it."
"Let me guess… you're looking for a military uniform." Deena said casually, "An RAAF Officer, maybe?"
Both the trench-coat and the steampunk turned to give her another look then. Trench-coat asked, "Maybe. Whatch're name then?"
"Tell me who sent you and I'll tell you my name." Deena countered.
"Hellivin." steampunk said.
"Deena Walker. I'm not in my military uniform because I'm on loan to DFAT now. What is your business with me?" Deena asked curiously.
"Your plane tickets have been canceled. Mr. Hellivin would like you to fly with him." trench-coat told her.
"Now just a minute…" Deena started to argue.
"Please don't be upset," steampunk actually sounded apologetic, "the tickets getting canceled was a mistake. My mistake, actually. I was just trying to tell some government flunky that Mr. Hellivin had room on his plane for you and we wanted to invite you to join him. Unfortunately, the silly dipstick said regulations prevented him from giving us your contact information, but he canceled your reservation since you had other transportation."
"That… does sound believable." Deena hated to admit it but… "You said, 'his plane' right? Mr. Hellivin has a plane?"
"That he does, mate." steampunk said with a gleam in his eye, "A right nice one too."
"Well then, let's go see Mr. Hellivin's nice plane." Deena smiled and followed the men to a different terminal.
.
Tuesday night, April 19th – Kawashima residence
The temperature had dropped in the early afternoon from the warmth that had started the day. It wasn't bitterly cold, but it was colder than either Ryuuji or Ami had planned for. To make matters worse, their last class had let out late and it was now dark as well as cold. Their only luck was that the wind had died down.
"Brrr, why didn't you listen to the weather report this morning?" Ami complained.
"I did, and they didn't say anything about this." Ryuuji replied testily.
"Sorry." Ami realized that she was snapping at Ryuuji unfairly. She apologized by explaining, "These udders are making me real uncomfortable right now."
"Oh, I'm sorry too." Ryuuji said as he slowed down his gate, "I've been walking faster, thinking it would keep us warm. But that's just making it harder for you, isn't it?"
"I…" Ami was about to say that hurrying was okay since she was really wanting to get home and soak in a tub of hot water. But her thoughts were interrupted when they came around the corner and saw something strange on their street, "There's a car parked in front of our house."
"Your mother… or uncle?" Ryuuji guessed. The car was large and black, with heavily tinted windows. If it was a little longer, it would look like those stretch limousines that celebrities used.
"No… I don't think so." Ami knew it was a possibility, but her mother was supposed to be shooting a movie in Kyoto and her uncle…
"It has diplomatic plates." Ryuuji could see more when they got closer to the car. A sticker on the window had the Roman alphabet letters 'AU' prominently displayed. "AU..."
"Austria? Do we know anyone from Austria?" Ami asked.
"I think Noto worked with a disaster recovery team from Austria, but… Waitaminit, 'AU' isn't Austria!"
"Australia!" both of them shouted and ran toward the car. There was only one reason they could think of, for a car with Australian markings to be here.
One of the back doors opened before they made it to the limo and a tall blond woman came running toward them. "Ami, Ryuuji!" Deena cried out.
"Deena!" both of them called her name as they collided in a hug in the middle of the street.
.
A few moments later, the scene sort-of repeated itself. As expected, Ami and Ryuuji had invited their dear friend into their house. Deena was thrilled since she had been looking forward to seeing Yasuko and little Tatsuya.
The three of them were walking to the nursery when Taiga stepped out and looked up at the three tall people she almost bumped into.
"Aiko-chan!" Deena swooped the short girl up into her arms and gave her a big hug.
"Wait! Deena-chan, that's not hmpf?" Ryuuji tried to warn their Aussie friend, but Ami covered her husband's mouth.
Ami had a mischievous look in her violet eyes. She watched Taiga's surprised face as she was cuddled like a little girl. For some reason, this little misunderstanding was exceedingly satisfying to Ami and she didn't want it to end just yet. But it didn't last too long, even without Ryuuji's attempted warning.
"Um… you're not Aiko-chan, are you?" Deena asked worriedly. Several things had rung alarm bells in her mind. This girl was too light. She was too short. The chest was too small. Her body had gone stiff and she wasn't reacting to Deena's hug at all.
"What clued you in?" Taiga asked irritably.
"A number of things, really." Deena said while remembering the conversations about who Aiko-chan looked like. Deena had a pretty good idea of who she had just seized and apologized while putting the little person back down, "You must be Aisaka-san. I'm terribly sorry for grabbing you like that. I thought you were…"
"I know who you thought I was." Taiga snapped. She didn't like being compared to the grade schooler, especially now that the fourth grader was both taller and bigger in the… chest. But that isn't this blond giant's fault. Taiga took a deep breath and tried to calm down. She just mistook me for someone she cares a lot for. She wasn't trying to insult me. Unclenching her fists, Taiga sighed and told Deena, "I'm sorry for letting it get to me and taking it out on you. It's just that… that little girl is so amazing and I'm…"
"You're the Kendo girl!" Deena exclaimed. She remembered something else about Taiga and her excitement was blasting out of her expressive face. "Ami showed me the video of your match. You were so awesome!"
Awesome!?
Taiga was stunned. She glared at Ami then looked at Deena to see if the tall blond was serious or was picking on her.
"I am the mother of your child. You have to try and save me if she attacks." Ami said quietly as she clung to Ryuuji's jacket. Ami's acquisition of Taiga's contest DVD had been a point of contention between the two of them for a while.
But Taiga's anger diminished when she saw that Deena was honestly thrilled to meet her.
"She's a fan of Japanese culture." Ryuuji explained to Taiga's confusion, "There aren't many things more culturally Japanese than Kendo."
"If you have another match while I am in town, please allow me to come and watch. You will, won't you?" Deena begged.
"I'm not really…" Taiga was about to suggest that she should go see a professional event.
"Please! I beg of you!" Deena bowed so low that her head was lower than Taiga's, which was difficult for someone of her stature.
"Aigh! Stop bowing to me. It's creeping me out." Taiga backed away from the resolute Aussie.
"Please, I really want to see your performance live… just once. Please?" Deena insisted.
"Okay fine, do what you want!" Taiga said and tried to turn away but was suddenly snatched up into the air again.
"Domo arigato gozaimasu!" Deena squealed as she wrapped Taiga into another hug. Taiga wasn't as stiff this time, but enough that Deena realized… "I did it again, didn't I?"
"At least you're aware of it." Taiga grumbled. Her attitude made her sound more upset than she really was. Indeed, being called 'awesome' and the begging to see her perform, had seriously warmed her heart to this Aussie… if she could just tone down the creepy touchy-feely stuff.
"Deena-chan," Ami said sweetly, "be a good girl and put Taiga down so I can show off my baby."
"Baby!" Deena promptly set Taiga down and followed Ami into the nursery.
The departure of Ami and Deena left Ryuuji and Taiga in the hallway in a mild state of shock as they waited for the residual frenetic energy to die down.
"Is she always like that?" Taiga finally asked.
"Not always, but when she gets excited…" Ryuuji replied.
"What is she doing here? Doesn't she live in Australia? I mean… that's pretty far, right?" Taiga wondered while she watched the open door that led to the nursery.
"Yeah… it's pretty far." Taiga's comment made him think. "Something tells me that this isn't just a social call."
"What?" Taiga asked as she turned to face Ryuuji.
"It might be nothing but," Ryuuji bit his lip while he considered his options but he knew he would probably need this favor, "we might need you to take care of Tatsuya more often. Will that be a problem?"
"Not for me." Taiga replied. She didn't have to explain her answer though.
Ryuuji was aware of the issues his mother was having with Taiga, but if his suspicions were correct, there may not be any other options.
.
In the nursery, little Tatsuya was wide awake. He hadn't been asleep long when all the squealing just outside his room had awakened him. He looked around the room for what might have made the noise, but didn't see anything. Then he got distracted by his foot. He could grab it with his little hands and discovered that it tasted pretty good. But the inspection of the immediate universe had to wait. The door opened and the blue haired mommy came in. Only recently had he been able to differentiate all the mommies that took care of him. There was the orange haired mommy, the pink haired mommy, the yellow haired mommy, and the blue haired mommy. He let go of his foot and opened his arms up wide. The blue haired mommy was was the best in his opinion. She smelled like the yummy food that he liked the most.
"He's so cute!" Deena said as she bent over the cradle.
"Looks like he wants to be picked up." Ami smiled down at her little boy. His arms thrown wide and the expectant smile on his face always warmed her heart. "Do you want to hold him?"
"Can I?" Deena pleaded.
"Actually, it would be a big help if you did. I still need to empty these milk jugs." Ami grouched.
"Sure." Deena took the child from Ami and pulled him into a safe hold. She was surprised at how light he was. But then, she didn't do a lot with infants, so she didn't have much to reference against. Peripherally, she knew that Ami was taking off her shirt and bra, but she only had eyes for the little package of joy in her arms. Actually… he wasn't looking all that joyful at the moment. "He looks… confused?"
"You're a new face. Give him some time to get used to you." Ami advised as she finished extricating the full collection bags from the auto-milkers in her bra. By the time she finished getting cleaned up and into a house blouse, Tatsuya was giggling and tugging on strands of Deena's short blond locks. Ami wondered if Tatsuya might be confusing Deena with Yasuko, since they had similar hair color.
"Hey, don't pull so hard!" Deena laughed while she pried his little hand loose from her hair and offered her finger for him to clutch instead.
"You'll be staying with us, I hope. We do have the room for you here." Ami asked cheerfully. There were several guest bedrooms, and she looked forward to chatting with the foreign friend she had made during that incredible year. But Ami was concerned by the unexpectedly sad look on Deena's face after she made the offer.
"Oh… I appreciate the invitation, but I'm… here for work." Deena replied.
"Work? What does the Royal Australian Air Force need in Tokyo?" Ami asked.
"I'm working for DFAT again." Deena revealed. She bit her lip because she knew that Ami was smart enough to figure out what that meant.
"So, you're here for us? But, we aren't performers any more." Ami could see that her friend was conflicted. Deena seemed happy to be here but it was like she had to do something she didn't want to do.
"That's the reason they sent me." Deena looked up from the baby so Ami could see the tears in her eyes, "I'm supposed to use our friendship to convince all of you… not to give up on your entertainment careers."
Tatsuya could sense the mood change from the person whose arms he was in, and it carried over to him. In moments, he was bawling to give an audible presence to Deena's silent tears.
Ami was upset at first. But she knew it wasn't Deena's fault. She had been given orders by someone with power… an uncaring someone who didn't know how it might hurt the person who had to carry out those orders. But I care! I care when my friends get hurt, dammit! I should tell Deena to just tell her bosses to go to hell. But… that wouldn't be fair to her. Just because I threw my career away, doesn't mean I should ask her to do the same. Ami took a deep breath and firmly told Deena, "Regardless of why you came, you're my friend, so you're staying here."
"But..."
"No butts!" Ami folded her arms and declared imperiously, "If you want me to listen to anything you have to say, you have to agree to this."
"Well… it seems I have no choice then." Deena now had a smile on her face, even if there were still tears on her cheeks, "Thank you, Ami."
.
Wednesday morning, April 20th – The walk to the Meiji Affiliated Schools
Suzume and Umeki were walking on either side of Aiko-chan. With the school uniforms they were wearing, it should have looked like two high school girls escorting their grade school friend, but with Aiko-chan's 154 centimeter height, which was three centimeters taller than Umeki, it was hard to pull off that appearance. None of them minded though.
Even Umeki wasn't upset about being shorter than the grade-schooler. She knew that Aiko-chan was a special case since she was a… Oh yeah, she's not a performer any more. Now she's just a tall girl. I hope she's not too sad about that. At least, she doesn't seem sad.
Indeed, Aiko-chan's excitement was bubbling over. If anything, she looked too happy. Both Suzume and Umeki started to wonder if Aiko-chan was pushing herself to look happy for their sake.
"You sure are cheerful this morning." Suzume observed.
"Yup! How could I be anything but cheerful? I'm going to school with my two best friends and with Yuri-sensei teaching again, I don't know how I could be any happier!"
"I guess… when you put it that way." Suzume was convinced that Aiko-chan's mood was real just when the bouncing and bubbling pre-teen came to an abrupt stop.
"Aiko-chan?" Umeki turned to see a look of complete shock on her friend's face.
"Is something wrong?" Suzume asked. But the shock morphed into absolute delight and her immobility ended when she took off at a run, shrieking all the way.
"Deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeena!" the orange-gold haired girl in the grade-school uniform attracted all the attention on the street as she quickly closed the distance and then jumped into the waiting arms of the blond giantess.
Suzume and Umeki couldn't believe what they were seeing. The tall woman easily plucked Aiko-chan out of the air and spun her around in a tight hug. All this despite the fact that she seemed to be encumbered with several gift bags. Such a commotion got the attention of the teachers that awaited the students at the gate and they descended on the pair at the same time that Suzume and Umeki caught up with them.
"Somebody tell this foreign yankee to get lost. She has no business here." a physical education teacher said irritably.
"Ah sensei," Suzume winced at the embarrassment she was about to deliver to a teacher, "she speaks fluent Japanese."
"Sensei, I apologize for the commotion but," Deena said as she opened her jacket to reveal the temporary ID badge she wore underneath, "I do have permission to be on the school grounds."
The physical education teacher was taken aback that this foreigner had understood his insulting words, but that was nothing compared to the embarrassment from the intimidation he was feeling. Deena had taken a step toward the man and was now standing close enough that the twenty centimeter difference in their height was extremely apparent. On top of that, she moved with a physical prowess that spoke of confidence and capability. He was fortunate that one of his peers came to his rescue while he was trying to figure out just what to say.
"Welcome to the Meiji Affiliated Schools." another teacher said with a polite but far from welcoming smile, "May I ask what business you have here today?"
"Of course!" Deena said cheerily, "I brought a presentation that I requested to show to the classes of my friends, Suzume-chan, Umeki-chan, and Aiko-chan. But your Principal decided that it should be shown to the whole school. I do hope you're looking forward to it."
"Deena-chan, what is it?" Aiko-chan pleaded.
"Is it something from Australia?" Umeki asked.
"You'll see! Now let's get you girls to class so you don't miss the announcement." Deena answered mysteriously. Dozens of students followed after the four girls as they headed into the school building.
The two teachers were left standing at the gate as a parade of students hurried by. Rumors already started about what kind of exciting thing might be in store for them.
.
Wednesday morning, April 20th – Tokushima University
A large room of mostly bored students stirred with minimalist curiosity as their lecture was interrupted by a messenger bringing a note to the instructor. The lecturer read the note then turned to the room and called for, "Hisamitsu Noto?"
"Yes, hakase?" Noto replied. All eyes in the room turned to him slowly. It wasn't often that someone was called out of a class, but it wasn't unheard of either.
"Pack your things. It seems that you will be needed elsewhere for the remainder of the day." And with that, the professor went back to his lecture while Noto packed up and left the room as quietly as he could.
As soon as he made it into the hallway, he was greeted by one of the college staff and a man that looked like he had just stepped out of a post-apocalypse themed movie.
"Hisamitsu-san, you are an acquaintance of Kashii Nanako and you can translate English?" the staff person asked.
"Yes. Is Nanako in trouble?" Noto asked with concern.
"Not at all." the staff person smiled, "You see, this gentleman is a distinguished visitor. Will you take care of him for me?"
"Yes, certainly." Noto looked at the man again and noticed how his sinister looks were vaguely similar to his friend Ryuuji. Turning to him he asked in English, #How can I help you?#
.
Nanako was seated in the first row and valiantly trying to pay attention to the lecture. It was one of the business classes that was required for fashion majors. The business aspect of fashion didn't really interest her but she was a diligent student… or tried to be. And besides, even if the lecture was boring, it was better than overhearing the nasty comments that many of the other students were making about Hisako. Even if the media furor died down after Ryuuji exposed the bastards who were behind it all, there were still a lot of bad feelings for the black haired girl with the troubled past.
Nanako was hearing some of those comments now, since their teacher had been called out of the room for some urgent matter. But all conversations died down when the instructor came back into the room looking excited for once.
Thank the gods, maybe his monotone won't put me to sleep today. Nanako hoped. But she didn't believe there was much chance of that. This professor's picture should be in the dictionary under the word 'boring'.
"Class, we have a special visitor today. Since most of you are in the university's fashion program, you might know of him. He is already a successful designer and a talented businessman. He is living proof that you can do both if you try." the professor announced.
Nanako was impressed that he actually sounded interested in what he was saying today, but she wondered who he had managed to guest-lecture to his class, with his meager charisma. She was about to take a sip of her canned coffee when she saw Noto enter the room. What? He's not a fashion designer! What the hell is he doing in this class? He's supposed to be taking much more intense business classes than this lame one.
Nanako's surprise jumped straight to shock when she saw who followed Noto into the room. He was tall, compared to most Japanese men, and wearing a suit that positively screamed who he was. The style would be described as avant-garde neo-gothic with it's emphasis on angles, leather, and buckles.
"Hellivin!" someone else in the room gasped his name before she could find any words.
"Who?" others, who were less familiar with the style, asked.
"Good morning, my name is Hisamitsu Noto. I am a fellow student at this university and have been asked to assist Mr. Hellivin with translation as he speaks very little Japanese. For those of you who do not know who he is, Hellivin is an international brand based in Australia. If any of you watched the recent broadcast of the Melbourne Fashion Festival, my good friend, Takasu Ryuuji was wearing a Hellivin original when he escorted his wife, Kawashima Ami, down the red carpet." Noto made the statement as more of a challenge than announcement. He watched the room to see if anyone dared to disparage his friends.
There were a few gasps, but no-one spoke. Hellivin too was watching the room, until his gaze found Nanako. Then his face burst into a huge smile. He raised his hand to point directly at the the purple haired Nanako and cried out something with great satisfaction.
"I found you!" Noto translated. He too looked at Nanako, but he wasn't surprised at the man's excited display since the visiting Australian had already told him who he was looking for.
Hellivin strode across the room to where Nanako sat. Still smiling and looking into her eyes, he slammed his hands down on her desk and said some rapid English that Nanako could barely keep up with.
"I want you, Kashii Nanako, to work with me. Promise me you will consider this offer and I will give this class my best performance on what it takes to do international business in the fashion industry." Noto translated the words for Nanako and for the others in her class to hear.
"Yes!" Nanako yelped. Her usual calm demeanor was shaken to it's roots. Having always been a fan of Hellivin's designs, she couldn't help but be swept up in the excitement he had brought into the room.
"All right then," the Asian looking man with the Aussie accented English said to the room, "listen up and listen well, mates. The things I am going to tell you won't be found in any textbook. They're the lessons I have learned in building my own empire."
Infected by the energy of their surprise lecturer, the room was abuzz with movement as people sat up in their seats, pulled out notepads, and prepared to hear the words of wisdom from someone who had actually made it to a place where most of them aspired to be.
Noto translated as quickly as he could but the man was often caught up in his own enthusiasm and Noto had to occasionally ask him to repeat himself. The class didn't mind though. The pauses gave them a chance to catch up with their notes.
Is this it? Are we finally going to be able to put these bad times behind us and be happy again? Nanako's thoughts echoed the hopefulness that she was feeling. She hoped that all of her friends were feeling the happiness that was blooming inside her now.
.
Wednesday morning, April 20th – Hachinohe
Near the northern end of the island of Honshu, 560km from Tokyo, and bordering the Pacific ocean, the town of Hachinohe basked in the Spring sunlight as it spread over gently sloping river valleys between the hills and the sea. While not nearly the megalopolis of Tokyo, there is still a distinct downtown area and sprawling streets with many houses and shops.
In the middle of Hachinohe's sprawl and just south of the downtown district, there is a splash of green where tall trees still grow. Almost hidden in the foliage are three Shinto shrines and a Buddhist Temple that act like their own downtown area as they are surrounded by their own sprawl of black and gray gravestones.
Of late, the temples, shrines, and cemetery's had sadly been quite busy. Although Hachinohe had been spared the worst of the tsunami's destruction, many families in the stricken areas had their family tomb in Hachinohe.
On this bright but cold April morning, as he walked away from the family tomb that he had visited too many times in the last few weeks, Haruta was sure that there was no more happiness left anywhere in the world.
.
Glossary
Omiai: a matchmaking event designed to lead to courtship and marriage.