"" Dialogue
'' Thoughts

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

Chapter 7: About the Future

(or wondering about it)

The next morning

As both got up, Yoshika and Shizuka did not bring up back they conversation they had yesterday nor the fact that Yoshika woke up in Shizuka's futon, again. The morning went by as if nothing had happened. After being done with the chores at home, Yoshika decided to warm a bit as she had rested more than enough after she took a break before the exams.

"Hey, Shizuka, would you like to jog with me for a little?" Yoshika asked.

"Ehh, all right." Shizuka replied but she was not really expecting that she wanted to train, these were her vacations after all, but she did not really mind it as she also trained with Mio.

After running for a quite a while around the forest that surrounded the clinic, Yoshika stopped and so did Shizuka, and though the latter was regained her breath, Yoshika jumped and grabbed a tree's branch and began doing pull-ups.

'She's really taking this seriously.' Shizuka thought and watched her for a while a bit surprised noticing that she was just using one arm. After some minutes of her not stopping, Shizuka decided to do the same for some time until she started feeling her arms aching a little, yet Yoshika seemed to be still full of energy and not being bothered in the least.

Afterwards, Yoshika let go of the branch and she began doing push-ups, puzzling even Shizuka more in the process but she just stayed watching her, for a few minutes, sitting on a tree trunk.

"Is this how you trained with commander Minna?"

"More or less, though I mostly used a Striker." Yoshika calmly said, then she stood up, and dusted off the dirt of her hands.

"C'mon, Shizuka let's go home." Yoshika said as she extended her hand.

"All right." She replied and both began walking home, talking a bit about how she trained with Minna and after a few minutes, they arrived home.

There, they could notice that the lunch was almost ready, still they helped them to finish it as a patient just arrived looking for Sayaka. Then, Shizuka washed her hands, but she noticed something rather weird as Yoshika waited for her.

"Huh." Shizuka exclaimed realizing her hand had a bit blood on it.

"Is something wrong Shizuka?"

"Nothing, it's just that…" Shizuka added then she gazed her, "Yoshika your hand." She added noticing it also had blood on it.

"What?" Then, she checked both her hands, realizing that her right hand was bleeding, "I guess I got cut."

"Let me check," Shizuka said as Yoshika showed her hand, "huh? I cannot even see the cut."

"It's nothing really."

"Did you ever got your hand burnt?" Shizuka asked noticing her skin was scarred.

"Huh?" Yoshika gulped. "Oh, that, when…. When I was little, and I was learning to cook, I got burnt with a pot." She added in a neutral tone with a soft smile, yet Shizuka wondered why she was not healed when that happened as there were several burnt marks, and they literally ran a clinic.

"Well, I've never got burnt cooking, I mean father never let me on the first place." Shizuka added a bit ashamed. "But I've been practicing."

"I noticed it."

"You did?" Shizuka asked a bit surprised. "But I… but I still need to learn more."

"I can help you if you want."

"Would you do that for me?"

"Surely." Yoshika added and she began telling her how to improve her cooking, yet she only could tell her about Fusoan dishes as they were only ones she knew about it, though she wished she could learn how to cook Ostmarkian food as it was so good.

After they were done with the lunch, they went to pick up Michiko after the school and they spent the evening together just talking and also helping his grandfather to harvest watermelons, though Michiko was a bit surprised when she noticed that both seemed a bit knowledgeable with plants and harvesting.

By the night, after Michiko went home, both girls took a bath together, and thankfully to Shizuka, she was started to get accustomed of doing so the two of them alone, in the rather small bathtub.

And after having dinner and before going to sleep, Yoshika continued reading the book she brought from Europe, but she had started to regret not bringing more. After reading for a while, she decided to go to sleep. Even though both futons were out, the next morning they woke up sharing one, in either Yoshika's or Shizuka's but neither of them mind it.

This was the routine they followed for the whole week and throughout it, Yoshika taught Shizuka how to cook better, she followed in her instructions rigorously as she could, and she seemed to be improving but she still relied too much on her supervision.

Yoshika had already planned a way to help her, an exam. She would have to cook the dinner for her family and for Michiko too and they all must give her feedback.

That Sunday

At home, there was everything Shizuka could need to prepare something for them. But she still decided to play it safe as she was going to prepare something that she saw Yoshika prepared many times here and back in Den Helder as well.

It took her a bit more than what she expected as she was not that good chopping and some of the ingredients ended a bit overcooked, not burnt at least. By the time she finished, she was a sweating a bit, though, even herself was not sure if it was nervousness or just the heat of the kitchen.

And then, she served them the food she prepared. They watched it with a bit of suspicion, nonetheless they started to eat the food, but their faces were not as happy Shizuka was expecting them to be. The lunch was better than what Yoshika or even everyone expected, but it was okayish at best.

After they were done with it, the three girls took care of the dishes, but Shizuka was still disappointed about the whole thing.

"I'm sorry I let you down again." Shizuka regretfully added.

"Don't worry, Shizuka. It was fine."

"Yes, I liked it, but I think it needed a bit more of salt." Michiko added making a Shizuka look down in regret.

"Let me tell you something, when I went to Europe, I wasn't that great of a cook either."

"Is that true?" Shizuka asked.

"But Yoshika you were pretty good cooking before you became a Witch." Michiko commented.

"I also thought the same but when I began preparing food for the rest of the squad, they didn't like it that much." Yoshika made a pause. "But I think the food I made was better than what they were eating before because it soon became one of my duties."

"And it still is."

"Nowadays everyone knows how to cook a little, even Commander Minna but don't tell her I say that." Yoshika added chuckling a little, yet Shizuka wondered if she was the only one who did not know how to cook.

"Well, it took me a while to learn how they liked the food because even Perrine started to tolerate what I cooked."

"Huh?" Both girls said in unison.

"I guess you didn't know, but Perrine actually hated what I cooked." Yoshika made a pause, "and she didn't like me either." She added with a low tone.

"Why wouldn't she like you?" Michiko asked wondering what was not to like about her.

"Nothing important really." Yoshika added in a neutral tone as they finished cleaning the kitchen, yet Shizuka started to recall the conversation she had with her long ago.

"Michiko, would you like to spend the night here?"

"Of course, but I need to call home first."

"We're going to get everything ready." Yoshika added and both headed to her room. There, they put the futons together and also put on their nightgowns and shortly after, Michiko came to the room and also put on a bedgown and after turning off the light, the three got into the futons and talked for a bit of more trivial things before falling asleep.

Still, Shizuka was the only who could not, and she noticed that Michiko was hugging Yoshika, and shortly after, Yoshika was hugging her too and Shizuka hugged her back and though Yoshika's head was cuddled in between her breasts, she had started becoming used to that as it had been happening throughout the week, yet she was still feeling a bit odd.

As the warmness her body and breath made her sleepy, she wondered how much time they could spend it like this, the two of them together, at home, safe, away from military matters and everything that came with it. Just doing more trivial things, she had never to do chores at home, her father used to tell her that it was not her duty, nor helped the fact that she was Witch, and her father did not let her spend the time with children of her age. So, she treasured this time she could get to share with her or rather them before she could finally rest.

The next Monday

The second day of September had already arrived and after Michiko left for the school, the two Witches continued with routine, but at the distance an engine could be heard approaching the clinic.

"I wonder who is coming?" The aspiring medic wondered.

"That sounds like type 0." Shizuka stated.

"That answers my question." Yoshika added as finished hanging the clothes.

Shizuka sighed, "I guess it does." Shizuka said putting the broom aside and shortly after, the Witch landed abruptly, and both headed to check on her.

"You're Shizuka Miyafuji and Yoshika Hattori, right?" the Witch said breathing heavily, rubbing her head.

Both Witches exchange a quizzically glance. "I guess we are." Yoshika said chuckling a little.

"Thanks goodness," she said panting, then she got two letters from her bag, "here, Major Sakamoto sent these to you." She added handing them the correspondence, hands shaking a little.

"But please, please…." The Witch tried to regain her breath, "tell her that you receive them, last Friday. I'm begging you."

"Okay…" both Witches said in unison not really understanding what was happening.

"Thank you." The Witch added, then the engine turned on. "I must get going." And she took off leaving the two Witches exchanging looks.

"That was weird." Shizuka commented.

"Just a little." Yoshika said, then both began checking to whom the letters really belonged.

"This is yours." Both said in unison and began reviewing the letters.

"No wonder she told us that, it was sent a week ago from Sasebo." Shizuka added.

"Let's see what else is here." Yoshika sighed as she opened the letter, knowing what to expect but she still needed to read it and so did Shizuka. Yet, after reading the letters both were stunned and speechless, looking at each other and the letters.

"I heard a Striker, Yoshika, did someone arrive?" Sayaka asked coming out from the house.

"Yoshika? Shizuka?" Sayaka asked again noticing that they were reading something near the entrance, not even noticing her.

As she headed there, she could notice they were reading letters, looking at bit gloomy.

"Mom." Yoshika softly said.

"Bad news? Did something happen to any of your friends?"

"No, thankfully, nothing like that." Yoshika gulped. "It's just that…"

"We must return to Europe." Shizuka added.

Sayaka just sighed, "when will you depart?"

"Today, they will pick us up at seventeen hundred hours."

Sayaka's chest tightened. "Why so soon?"

"I- I just don't know." Yoshika hesitated.

"I guess that cadet got lost en route coming here."

"Still, there's nothing we can do." Yoshika with disappointment in her voice.

"That's also true."

"And where are you going to be stationed this time?"

"In… Munich" Yoshika replied.

"To take down the hive over Nuremberg."

"You better start packing then." Sayaka sighed.

Both Witches exchanged glances and nodded in agreement and headed to Yoshika's room, leaving a thoughtful yet worried Sayaka behind. Shortly afterwards, she told the news to her mother too.

By the time they were done packing, it was midday and they had lunch together almost in completely silence. Both elders tried to lessen the uncertainty that was palpable in the room, but they could not. They were worried that something might have happen to them, after hearing what Mio told them, and the fact that their one of their own was going to be deployed in the frontlines, again, for the fourth time.

After they finished with the lunch and being done with the dishes, both Witches headed to the school. By the time they arrived, Michiko was already waiting for them, but before they could say anything, she had already noticed they had a more troubled look on their faces.

"Did something happen?" Michiko asked yet she knew what to expect.

"It's just that…." Yoshika sighed, "we are going back to Europe." Yoshika added with somewhat pensive tone, but she tried to keep a smile.

"When are you going to depart?" asked Michiko.

"Today at seventeen hundred hours." replied Shizuka with more boldness in her voice than Yoshika.

"Today?" Michiko requestioned what she just heard, and both Witches just nodded in response. "Why?"

"It seems the notice got delayed." Yoshika softly added.

"I found a place you'll enjoy and reserved it for the weekend, but I guess it's today. Let's go." Michiko added as she began walking.

Yoshika and Shizuka exchanged glances, but they did not say anything, just shrugged and began following her.

A quarter of an hour afterwards

They arrived at what seemed like some sort of hotel, but as they had a better look, they realized it was a hot spring resort. Yoshika and Shizuka were kind of surprised when they realized where Michiko had taken them, but they both enjoyed hot baths, so it was a rather pleasant surprise.

When they entered the resort, it was dim with not much decoration, dull even. It made the place feel empty and it did not help the fact that there was just one man inside behind the only piece of furniture there, a desk. He greeted them politely and showed them the dressing rooms and pointed them where the baths were.

He also told them they were separated, so they were relieved after hearing that, specially Shizuka. Yoshika then remembered she had already heard about the place, but she never came until today, yet it felt similar to the one Mio took her or them long ago.

The man went back to the entrance, and they were left alone, thus they entered the dressing room. They unclothed, and wrapped themselves in towels and went through the wooden curtains to where the spring was, and it was bigger than what they expected.

It was lit by lamps and the interior was surrounded by bamboo and lot of steam was coming, creating a pleasant aroma. It had hot water flowing through the rocks forming a stream that ended in a small fall creating a pond.

The trio carefully made their way through the slippery rocks but before they submerged themselves, Michiko wrapped her towel in her head, while Yoshika left it in a rock nearby, and then, the duo dipped in the hot water.

Shizuka stayed behind them, peeking at her, wondering what waited for her or them in the next couple of days.

"C'mon Shizuka." said Yoshika while slapping the water, "It feels so nice", she added without noticing Shizuka's pensiveness.

"Yes, of course." Shizuka answered coming back to her senses, then she also submerged in the hot water, covered in her towel; there, she just sighed as the water was so relaxing, just as Yoshika said.

Shortly after, Yoshika began floating in the water and was moving with the flow, in front of the girls.

On the other hand, Michiko could not help it but glance at her body, noticing that she seemed to be more fit, a bit muscular even. But she understood that being in the frontlines must have been challenging for her or rather them and she had to be ready to go back.

Still, after Sayaka told her what happened, she was disappointed that when Yoshika came back home, she still did not tell her what really encountered since she went back to Europe supposedly just as an exchange student.

'Does she not trust me?' Michiko asked herself. but Sayaka assured that she did it so that they did not worry about her as they not even learned that until a few months ago.

And now, Yoshika and Shizuka were going to be deployed again, to the frontlines and who knows what dangers they would be facing and yet there is nothing she could do for them, at least they can enjoy themselves the last day of this rather short vacations.

Meanwhile, Shizuka noticed that Michiko gazing was glancing at Yoshika with thoughtful look. 'I wonder what she's thinking.' She said to herself, still she also peeked at her trying to understand how she was feeling. Even before she met Yoshika, she had admired, even idolized her and even if she was not a perfect soldier by any means, she had come to admire her willingness to give everything to protect everyone whatever it costed her.

And, after hearing her struggles since she became a Witch, in the battle of Brittania, in operation Mars, Berlin and the aftermath and now spending more time with her just by the two of them, she had come to feel different about her, but she was not sure how.

She had started to feel a bit of regret thinking about the fact that they could no longer spend the time, mostly alone but they were going to be deployed together again.

'Why am I feeling like that?' Shizuka wondered.

Nevertheless, she was trying to not look at Yoshika now, who was just floating in front of her, but the truth was the Yoshika also seemed to be lost in her thoughts just as Michiko and herself too.

As Yoshika moved in the pond with the flow of the water with her mind coming back to the conversation she had with her grandma, 'things will not always go the way you want no matter what you do'. 'It doesn't have be like that, does it?' She asked herself.

What happened in Berlin was solely her fault for her uselessness, but now it must be different, she had been preparing herself, yet the encounter with Shindou showed her that she still needs to improve.

Still as her grandma said, 'give it your best' and she was going to do just that to protect her friends and everyone and hopefully, things would end just fine, it really must.

Regardless of that, Michiko had taken them to this place to enjoy themselves on their last day in Fuso, so she better start with that. Thus, she splashed water into them, making the duo stop daydreaming, and thus initiating a small water battle in the pond, splashing, laughing, and just chitchatting they spent there just until half an hour before they departure.

A couple of hours later

They thanked the administrator for his attention, and the trio began walking home yet as the hour of departure draw near, the nervousness could be felt among the group in their walk towards the clinic, but Shizuka decided to break the silence.

"Yoshika, do you think everything would be fine?"

"What do you mean? We're all going to be fighting together, there's nothing to fear." Yoshika pointed out as she held her hand.

"I guess you're right." Shizuka said, but she still felt uneasy about it, it was after all, the second time she would be commissioned to take a hive, at least she was going to be fighting alongside Yoshika and that was something she was looking forward to.

"Yoshika, please promise me you'll not do anything reckless." Michiko added yet they continued walking and the only sound that could be heard was of the leaves being stepped on.

"Please, Yoshika."

"You know I cannot do that; you know me pretty well." Yoshika added with a pensive tone as she held her hand.

"I'll make sure of that, don't worry." Shizuka added yet Michiko did not look relieved, even she could notice that she had teary eyes.

"But I've been training, there's nothing to worry about, not this time." Yoshika added, and Shizuka could just look down in regret and the same happened with Michiko.

Shortly after, the clinic could now be seen and as they entered, and at the distance a loud gasoline engine could be heard and a miliary truck stopped behind them. Then, Sayaka and Yoshiko came from inside carrying their luggage.

"I guess this is it." Yoshika sighed with a soft a smile. "Thank you, grandma." She added as she picked her luggage.

"Thank you." Shizuka added, "I'm really grateful I could spend these days here."

"There's nothing to thank for, we were happy to have you here." Sayaka added as she handed her the luggage, "Please be careful both of you."

"We'll try, mom."

"And Shizuka, please take care of her." Yoshiko said.

"Don't worry, I'll protect her." replied Shizuka, yet Yoshika just side glared at her, dropping her smile.

"And Yoshika, don't be reckless." Sayaka added yet she just hugged her as a response, and a couple of seconds later, she let go her.

"I'll write you Michiko." Yoshika said as she then hugged her, yet a few tears had started from greyish eyes.

"Please promise me."

"I'll do what I can." Yoshika added with a regretful tone as she let go of her, then both Witches got witches loaded their luggage on the bed and got into the truck.

"Goodbye everybody, we'll be back." Yoshika said through the truck's window as they disappeared.

Author Notes:

If just holding Mio's katana burned her hands, there's no way Yoshika ended unscarred after using the Reppuzan, or at least that's my head cannon.

Regarding the bath scene, there's actually an official artwork of the three of them in a public bath, I just wanted to recreate the scene as it would take a long time for them to be together again and it is also the seventh chapter ;-).

This chapter took me longer than what I initially expected but it turned out pretty well.

The next chapter will come next week at the usual time, and it is going to be a bit longer .