Disclaimer: While these snippets are canon, they are heavily exaggerated for comic relief. Any flanderization was done for comedic effect.
"It's hopeless! I can't keep up with this!" Hibiki shouted, throwing her hands into the air.
She and Miku were studying, while Rui was laying in the bottom bunk and playing a video game. It had been a while since the Frontier incident, and Hibiki almost wished it was back then.
"I'm probably better off going to sleep and hoping for a good grade." Hibiki muttered.
"Come on, stop complaining." Miku said. "Let's at least try to review the information in our notebooks."
"Lydian is connected to Sector Two, so why are there normal classes like at a normal school?" Hibiki groaned, before she perked up. "Actually, that might just be it."
"What is it now?" Miku asked.
"I feel like I've returned to my everyday life." Hibiki said.
Miku looked a bit confused, while Rui looked up from her game.
"This might be a little late, but… I'm home, Miku."
Rui watched as Miku smiled back. "Welcome back."
"Also, how come oneesan doesn't have to study?" Hibiki asked, pointing at her sister playing on her Switch.
"Rui." Miku said, as if they practiced this.
Rui pulled out a sheet of paper; her report card. Hibiki's eyes practically fell out of her head as she saw the high marks.
"Go back to studying, Hibiki." Rui said, continuing her game.
"It's not faaaaair." She whined, as Miku laughed.
11:55
"Jiiiiiiiiiiiii."
11:59
Shirabe kept staring at the clock.
"Jiiiiiiiiiiiii."
12:00!
The slot opened up to reveal three trays of food.
Meal time! Meal time! Dess!
Shirabe took a bite from the meat, enamoured with the flavor. How can anyone say prison food is bad? She thought.
Maria just watched as Shirabe wolfed down the food, as was Kirika.
How can Shirabe be so content living life behind bars? She thought. I suppose this means Jeanne is living the better life at the moment.
"Are you alright, Jeanne?" Ogawa asked.
"Non, non, non, non!" Jeanne shouted, as she took cover behind a car.
"Sorry, we just got caught off guard this time." He apologized. "I normally go for a stealth approach, but that's difficult with you at my side."
"You pick fights with the yakuza every day?!" She shouted.
"No. Just on occasion." Ogawa said, firing a few shots back. "Sometimes there's information we need that only the underworld has."
He quickly ducked behind the card as another spray of bullets came.
"Don't worry, once we take out the leader, it shouldn't be that difficult-oh."
Jeanne peeked over the car to see that they had stopped firing. Two of the bigger thugs stepped forward, armed with heavier weaponry.
"Is… is that an RPG?!" She shouted. "And an anti-tank rifle?!"
"It appears so." Ogawa quickly picked Jeanne up. "Hold on tight."
He jumped away from the car as a rocket blew up the vehicle. Jeanne was screaming the entire way.
Maria blew on the rice three times, before eating it.
"I don't think it's so hot that you need to blow on it." Shirabe commented.
"I-It's just a habit! I didn't do it on purpose!" Maria said, before turning away. "I'm not a scaredy cat when it comes to hot food!"
"...if it became a habit, then that proves otherwise, dess." Kirika said, as Shirabe nodded in agreement.
Hibiki, Miku and Chris were sitting at the kotatsu, watching one of Tsubasa's concerts. Rui, Maia and Shuri were watching from the couch.
"Seeing her up there makes me think, Tsubasa-san really is one of a kind." Hibiki said.
"Yep. She sure is." Chris said, popping a mandarin slice in her mouth as Maia smiled.
The group had switched positions this time, though Chris was still the one eating mandarins. This time, they were watching one of Tsubasa's game show appearances.
"On the subject of cleaning techniques this is referred to as an exciting-"
Tsubasa had pressed the buzzer. "It's definitely decluttering!"
Incorrect
Tsubasa winced. "What am I even saying…?"
"Seeing her up there makes me think, Tsubasa-san really is one of a kind." Hibiki said.
"Yep. She sure is." Chris said.
"You're going to upset Tsubasa-san, you two!" Miku chided.
"This second-hand embarrassment is painful." Maia groaned, as Shuri patted her on the back.
Rui was surprisingly invested into the game show. She had actually answered several of them correctly earlier.
"The actor that played Yusuke Godai from the year 2000 tokusatsu show, Kamen Rider Kuuga, is-"
"Joe Odagiri!" Rui shouted, eyes sparkling.
Tsubasa pressed the buzzer. "Kento Yamazaki!"
Incorrect
"I'M GOING TO KILL HER!" Rui roared, jumping at the TV. It took all of Hibiki and Maia's strength to prevent the older Tachibana from destroying the television in retaliation for her accidental sin against the toku fandom.
"A double-layered New Year's meal…" Maria said in shock, looking at the fancy boxes that the food came in.
"And yesterday we even had year-end soba, dess!" Kirika cheered, a mouthful of food in her mouth.
"And they weren't even the usual $2.50 instant noodles." Shirabe added.
Maria on the other hand, hadn't even touched her food, and had her hands on her head.
We're being treated to meals we could only dream of while we were still part of FIS. If we refuse to confess or cooperate, we may be able to keep eating like this for even longer! But that goes against my personal code of justice!
"Maria, you don't seem to be very hungry." Kirika said, holding up her chopsticks and looking greedily at Maria's food. "So I'll just help myself…"
"There's chocolate and cookies too!" Shirabe said, looking at the bottom compartment.
"Don't get so used to life here, you two!" Maria suddenly shouted.
Hibiki and the others had decided to visit a month later. Hibiki was holding a box of donuts.
"I'm glad you all seem well." Miku said.
"In spring, we'll all be in school together!" Hibiki grinned.
"I'm your senpai, so you'd better prepare yourself for some tough love!" Chris said.
"Oneesama, please…" Shuri sighed, though she smiled at Kirika and Shirabe. "ThoughI suppose it will be nice to have some new kouhai."
"Sorry we couldn't visit earlier." Maia said. "A lot of stuff was going on that kept us all busy. And Jeanne voice calls you every few days, so you guys at least have someone you know checking in."
"She looked like she went through a hurricane last time, Maia." Rui said.
"Eh, Ogawa's keeping her safe then." Maia shrugged.
"That's what you consider safe?"
Maria smiled. We made the right decision when we turned ourselves in to Sector Two.
"The three of you have become… well rounded." Tsubasa said.
Both Kirika and Shirabe practically fell over, while Maria's eyes were shadowed by her hair. Hibiki, Miku, Chris and Shuri all stared at Tsubasa in shock, while Rui and Maia were trying their absolute best to not break down in laughter.
"W-What are you saying, dess?" Kirika asked nervously.
"T-There's no way we've been eating better here than we did before…" Shirabe said, twiddling her fingers.
Tsubasa looked confused. "I just gave my honest impression, is something wrong?" They've grown into different people ever since they left FIS. Why did they take that offensively?
"Tsubasa… please… no more…" Maia said, stifling her giggles.
"The airhead's edge is as sharp as ever." Maria muttered.
"Maria in particular is the most well rounded!"
That was all Tsubasa needed to say, as Rui and Maia just started laughing like crazy to her confusion.
"This sword just isn't cute…!" Maria said to herself.
"Hah, she got you and the others good, Buzzkill!" Maia laughed at Shirabe.
"Shut up, Cutting Board." Shirabe said, giving Maia a dead stare.
…
…
…
If you re-read that segment, you can pinpoint the exact moment Shirabe murdered Maia's pride and ego in cold blood. Chris and Rui couldn't even laugh at the situation with how brutal the statement was. Maia was now on all fours, a rain cloud of despair above her head.
"Was that too far?" Shirabe asked, her glare disappearing.
"A-A little bit." Shuri said, as she comforted her friend by rubbing her back.
"Though, I am glad you all are enjoying the food." Hibiki said.
"Why?" Kirika asked.
"Because it's all done by a certain supreme chef." Miku said.
The FIS trio looked at the group, before their eyes settled on Rui, the only one rubbing the back of her head and blushing.
"YOU (DESS)?!" Both Kirika and Shirabe shouted in shock.
"Yeah, me." Rui said. "I just had some spare time and I like cooking so…"
The two of them both had starry eyes.
"O-Okay…" Rui said, holding up her hands. "You don't need to go that far."
"You're blessed to have such a talented sister, Hibiki." Maria said, as Hibiki grinned.
"It's just something I like doing." Rui said. "Grandma was the one that taught me everything."
"Your grandmother?" Shirabe asked.
"Yeah." Rui cleared her throat, before pointing up. "Grandmother said this, each meal only happens once in your life, so make each one the most important."
While both Shirabe and Kirika were in awe, Chris had a deadpan stare.
"...really?" Chris asked. "A quote from that kids show you watch?"
"How did you know?!" Rui shouted, blushing.
"I didn't. I guessed."
Everyone laughed as Rui started coughing to try and save face. Maia was still on the floor, brooding at being called "Cutting Board."
An important date had come in Tsubasa Kazanari's life. A day everyone goes through on the journey to being an adult.
Her graduation.
Before the ceremony, Tsubasa had met with the others on the school grounds. Chris was leaning against the wall, playing it cool even though everyone saw through her ruse.
"It's almost time for you to graduate." Hibiki said.
"And after that, you'll probably go to London, right Tsubasa-san?" Miku asked.
Tsubasa nodded, before looking up at the sky. "If the Noise are gone for good then, I can fulfil my dream of having the world as my stage."
Maia smiled at her sister. With the burden gone, she could finally pursue her dreams.
"We can handle things on our own, so don't worry about us." Rui said.
"You're always reliable at times like this, Rui. You and your sister." Tsubasa said. "Though, I'm actually more worried about Yukine."
"HAAAUH?!" Chris shouted.
"Yeah, if anyone's gonna be hiding tears, it's Chris-chan!" Hibiki teased.
"It won't just be a few tears, she'll be sobbing like a baby." Tsubasa added.
"Oneesama, please calm down…" Shuri said, as her sister's face grew redder by the second.
"Maia, you're filming Tsubasa's graduation, right?" Rui asked.
"Yeah."
"Get me a good shot of Chris using all of these tissues." Rui said, handing Chris a box.
"Oh yeah. Though, I'm pretty sure I'm gonna be crying myself when seeing my baby sister graduate, so I dunno if I'll be able to get good shots of Chris." She admitted.
"I'm not some kind of damn faucet! I don't cry over everything!" Chris shouted, knocking aside the tissue box. "If anyone's gonna cry, it's gonna be the one graduating!"
"A sword has no need for tears!" Tsubasa declared. "I've resolved to never cry again!"
Rui ended up having to be the one having to film everything, as Maia, Chris and Tsubasa were all sobbing wrecks during the graduation ceremony. They had all gathered outside again afterwards.
"I told you so." Chris said, wiping away a few remaining tears.
"I'm ashamed." Tsubasa said. "When I thought about being apart from everyone... I just…"
Getting emotional, both Chris and Tsubasa started loudly sobbing once again. The others didn't really know what to make of the situation.
"It's going to be a bit lonely without her around." Miku admitted.
"It's hard to imagine school without everyone here." Hibiki added.
"Well, Tsubasa's not the only one leaving."
Everyone looked at Maia, who had a teary-smile.
"I decided that I want to go with her." She said. "As her sister, I want to support her. And maybe I can find what I want to do in the world too."
"Y-You're leaving too…?" Chris asked, her tears getting stronger.
"Yeah." Maia said. "I was gonna mention it earlier, but everyone was in a good mood and everything so I didn't want to sour it-"
Shuri ran forward and pulled Maia into a hug. Maia could hear her soft sobs, putting one arm around her and gently rubbing her back. Maia looked at Rui, who's eyes were shadowed by her hair.
"Sorry, but this is something I want to do-"
"I know." Rui said, her voice shaking. "I just didn't realize that…"
"You would miss me this much?" Maia finished.
"...yeah."
"Don't worry." Maia said. "Even after I leave we'll always be partners, as long as Earth is here."
Rui chuckled through her own tears, knowing where Maia's words came from. "Really?"
"Are you crying, Rui?"
Rui took a deep breath to try and compose herself. "Don't be ridiculous."
She walked forward and hugged her friend, Maia using her other arm to pull her in.
"Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone." Maia told the two.
"How can we?" Shuri said softly.
"You're taking all the stupid with you." Rui finished.
Their twins watched the heartwarming scene, getting all teary-eyed again. They probably would've also joined the group hug, if not for the alarms that went off on their communicators.
They all took them out, sharing looks before answering together. "Yes?"
"I hope I'm not interrupting Tsubasa's graduation, but there's a bit of trouble." Genjuro said, before he explained the situation.
"A UN space shuttle?" Hibiki asked.
"Guidance system trouble on re-entry?" Chris asked.
"Roger! We'll meet up at headquarters." Hibiki said, before ending the call.
"Tsubasa-san, can we ask you to help us one last time?"
Tsubasa nodded. "Naturally. From here on, no matter how far apart we are, we'll always be together."
"Save that talk for later." Chris said. "Shuri-"
Shuri, Rui and Maia had already suited up in their SOUL uniforms.
"We'll be there to support you all the way." Shuri said, zipping up her jacket.
"We're going to space, huh?" Maia said, fixing her gloves. "Well, that's one way to end off a theoretical last mission."
Rui smiled, as she clicked her buckles. "Can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm excited."
"I don't know how you three did that so quickly, but let's go!" Chris said.
"Right!" They all said.
The six of them all ran off, while Miku waved after them. "Be safe!"
Hibiki and Rui waved back, as the Symphogears and SOUL got ready to save lives once more.