"" Dialogue

'' Thoughts

Disclaimer: I do not own "Strike Witches", so this is just a fan made.

Chapter 6: About the present

As they got closer to the school, they noticed that the students were already leaving, 'we are too late', Yoshika thought, but at the distance she recognized Michiko, "look over there, it's Michiko", "Let's hurry". They both rushed to catch her but as they were running, some students recognized her old friend and classmate, Yoshika and stopped her to ask for an autograph.

Blushing a bit, she politely tried to go pass them, but it did not quite work out as more and more people were gathering around her. Yoshika still feel weird about it but not as the day she arrived at Fuso. 'I guess people heard Commander Minna's speech? that must be it.' Hattori was kind of overwhelmed too that Yoshika had become kind of famous in her homeland. She was already well-known among the army, but it seems that her heroic feats had become recognized among the general population too. She was happy for her though, she had done so much for the war, and it just felt right that she got the recognition she deserves.

Michiko heard the commotion and noticed that the crowd was gathered around some people. She decided to check what was going until one person said "Michiko, it's Yoshika, she came back", she went through the crowd hoping to find her friend, and there she was, overwhelmed with papers around her, "Yoshika", she screamed but unlucky for her she could not hear here as it was quite noisy there. Some tutors heard the commotion too and started to scatter the students until all of them had left save for Michiko of course.

They also greeted Yoshika as she used to be one of their students too and congratulated her for the liberation of Berlin. Still, she apologized for the trouble she caused and finally she was able to properly greet Michiko and they hugged each other. "I missed you Michiko" "I missed you too".

Hattori watched with a bit jealousy how close they were but shortly afterwards, Michiko hugged her too but not as tight as to Yoshika "when did you came back?" "we've just come home yesterday" Yoshika replied ''But, Hattori, I heard you were helping Major Sakamoto to train new recruits, is that true?" "That's correct, but Yoshika just came flying from Europe yesterday" "Flying? do you mean by herself" "Yeah, it took me a while" and so she started to tell the story of her journey as the trio walked home.

On the other hand, Michiko told them everyone heard Commander Minna's speech in Berlin as it was broadcasted all over Fuso, and everyone here in Kamakura were thrilled when Yoshika's heroic feats were announced. 'I knew it', Yoshika thought as now she knew why there was all the fuss when she arrived, still Michiko congratulated her.

Both Witches also told her what they had been doing since Hattori escorted Yoshika to Helvetia more than a year ago, though they avoided the part that both were heavily injured, they would not want to worry her, but Sayaka told her as she was Yoshika's best friend.

As they got closer to the clinic, Yoshika thought that it would be nice if they helped her to get new clothes. Yoshika asked them if they wanted to go to the city to buy some clothes for her. They agreed and so they did a small shopping tour. While it is true that Yoshika sent most of her money back home, she also had saved some just in case she needed to get something for in Europe.

It was well past midday and as they were close to the city, they stopped at a restaurant to have lunch. She also bought some clothes for both Hattori and Michiko even though they almost did not let her. As they walked through different stores, Yoshika notice that an ice cream store, Yoshika grabbed their hands and entered the place.

There, Yoshika ordered a chocolate milkshake while Hattori and Michiko asked for vanilla and melon ice creams respectively. As they were delighting themselves with the desserts, they continued just talking girl things. When they finished, they continued in their shopping tour. As Yoshika tried on new clothes, there was a new thing she noticed, she was a bit taller, since the last time she bought clothes, no wonder her swimsuit was getting uncomfortable to use.

She needed to get a new one and new underwear too as they had become uncomfortable as well. While the girls, especially Hattori, noticed it too, but choose to not tell her anything, they just help her to choose clothes that looked great on her, some were skirts, blouses and even a dress for more formal events. It was a stunning dark blue dress that went just above her knees, it had narrow straps with bodice with a sweetheart neckline that showed just a tiny bit of cleavage and just tight enough in her waistline so that it shaped her just perfectly, and it ended in half circle thus it flowed freely as she turned around.

As she finished dressing it up, she got out of and went to model it for the girls, "Don't you think it's a bit too much" she said with a bit of redness in her face as she moved around to have a better look at herself. "What do you mean Yoshika, you look amazing" Michiko said "Yes, you… you look beautiful" added Hattori with a flushed face trying not to look at her face. Yoshika did not notice it though "So I guess I'm gonna get it if you think I look nice on it" and then she went back to the dressing room to change back to her usual but new clothes.

They spent the rest of the evening visiting other stores, but it was getting late, so they decided to go back home. Michiko went to her home and by the time the duo arrived at the Miyafuji clinic, the night had already come.

Hattori and Yoshika greeted her family and explained how they spent the evening while making and having dinner afterwards, they also checked out Yoshika's new clothes and they were also impressed that Yoshika had agreed to get a formal dress, 'she really has grown', they thought as she would never have bought something like that a few years ago.

As Yoshika showed them, they agreed it looked cute, though Yoshika was reluctant to wear it again, but after some convincing, she coyly agreed. As she modeled them, Hattori still blushed but now she looked more carefully at her, not only she, but everyone realized that she looked just beautiful, they complimented her, and she blushing she thanked them, as she went back to her room to put on her nightgown as the night had already come.

It was already late, so they decided to go to sleep. In their futons, Yoshika and Hattori talked for a while about what were they plans after the war ends. "I want to become a great medic after the war ends", "but what about now", asked Hattori, Yoshika said, "I just want to be sure that I can protect everyone, that's why I asked Commander Minna to give a special training", Yoshika affirmed, "It's because what happened in the dome, isn't it?", Hattori enquired her, but the truth was that she vaguely remember what happened after she was shot down, the last thing she remembered before passing out was seeing Yoshika's crying over her and then hearing Yoshika's desperate cry.

After she regained her conscious, she recalled she was being carried in her arms, healed and how she went to face the neuroi. But Yoshika did not reply anything, "it was not your fault Yoshika, I should have been more careful", Hattori added, "None of that would have happened if I had learned to control my magic pressure", Yoshika confessed, "You tried your best, I saw it, everyone saw it", Hattori comforted her, "But it wasn't enough!", she argued, "You could have… died", she mourned.

Hattori, of course, had realized that, she knew what it meant dying in the line of duty, as her father passed away just like that, "Yoshika, I know that but I still wanted to protect you, even, even if I didn't make it", Hattori confessed, "Don't you ever say that to me again", Yoshika scolded her, Hattori was expecting that kind of response but it still made her feel bad to make her mad, "I would never forgive myself if I let you or anyone die if there's something, anything I could do", Yoshika stated "that's why, I have been training", Hattori knew Yoshika was determined even stubborn when it came to protect people, but she seemed different, it seemed to her that something changed in her after what she faced in the dome, it would be better if she explained the situation to both Commander Minna and Major Sakamoto the next time she see them.

"I know that Yoshika, we saw how much you improved", Hattori said, hopefully she calmed down a bit. "but still, and… and what about you Shizuka", asked Yoshika, "I haven't thought about, that I mean my father was a military so I've never thought of being anything else", Hattori replied with a hint of doubt in her voice, "I bet you can become a great commander, just like Major Sakamoto or Commander Minna", Yoshika suggested her, Hattori did not reply anything because she was thinking about Yoshika just said, "I guess that could be a good idea, but I must become a better Witch if I want to be like them", truth to be told, she had also admired her even before she met her and she hoped to become a great commander someday, "Let's do our best", Yoshika said. Nevertheless, deep inside Yoshika still re.

They talked for a bit more until one of them did not reply, and unlike the last time, it was Hattori who had fallen asleep although Yoshika did not know she wanted to speak many times before. Now with no one to talk to, she dived into her thoughts and could not help but thought about the coming days, 'what would happen first, the next semester or the next operation to take down the rest of the hives and which would it be'.

She hoped for the latter, the sooner the war ends, the sooner everyone could finally live in peace without the fear of losing someone, and then later, she could always continue her studies at the school.

It was getting way too late but even though she tried different sleep positions, but she could not fall asleep, she was bit a jealous when she saw how peaceful Hattori was sleeping. 'I better get some milk', she thought, so she carefully got up and exited her room as quietly as possible to now wake up Shizuka, as she arrived at the kitchen, she became stunned as she was not expecting anyone to be there, "Grandma, you scared me", she claimed with her hand over her chest.

"Yoshika, what are you doing here", "it's just that I can't sleep so I came for milk" "Thinking about someone? Maybe a young man", she asked while she handed her the milk "No, of course not" she replied while blushing "It's just that so much has happened in such a short time" Yoshika asserted with a more serious tone of voice "Are you worried about of something" said Yoshiko "I'm not sure, maybe" "What is it child" Yoshika took a sip of her milk and then she said with sorrowness in her voice "Sometimes I'm afraid of losing someone, I mean my dad and… and… after what happened to.. I mean in Berlin", she gulped "Yoshika, we know what happened to both of you", "You do?", Yoshika trembled, "Major Sakamoto told us, why didn't you tell us", Yoshika did not reply and could not even look at her, "do you not trust us?", Yoshiko asked "of course I do", "then why?", "I just… didn't want to worry you", "Yoshika, we are more worried if we don't know anything about you", "But I did write you", "You know what I mean", Yoshika still could not look at her, "I'm sorry", she said with teary eyes "Yoshika, we also have had problems controlling our magic" "Is that true?", Yoshika asked with genuine curiosity "Yes child, we could have help you to overcome it", "I have been training myself so that I've never had to feel helpless again", "We heard about that too but bear in mind that sometimes things will not go the way you expect no matter what you do", she said as she wiped Yoshika's tears" but give it your best so when you later think about it, there will be no regrets" she encouraged Yoshika while holding her hands "And no matter what happens, we always will be by your side", she promised her "Thanks grandma" "Now, finish you milk and go to sleep" and then Yoshika gulped the rest of her milk and went back to her room. Fortunately, Shizuka had not woken up, so she cuddled in her futon hoping to sleep and now with some burdens of her mind lightened up, she could finally fall asleep.