Snow, loads of it!
The storm had wiped every clue as to where the gondola had fallen down clean.
As far as Shirai was concerned, the accident with the gondola never even happened.
Apart from a couple of beams that were positioned like it would hold some sort of construction, everything that even remotely represented anything civilized was completely gone.
Taken away by the avalanche.
Shirai took another look around.
The search area was wide and now that she has a clear view of the destruction the avalanche had done, Shirai suddenly was a lot less enthusiastic about their chance of finding Sissy.
"Look for any sign of smoke." Itsuwa said.
She was scanning the mountainside with a pair of binoculars she lent from one of the officers preparing to sent out search parties of their own.
Hokaze was mostly scanning up the mountain.
"What are you looking for?" Shirai asked.
It was a bit pointless since Shirai knew Sissy would never climb up that mountain when an avalanche is about to crash down upon her.
And even if she would have done just that, Shokuhou sure has hell wouldn't.
"I'm trying to find out where the avalanche came from. That way we can try to find out what had happened here."
Hearing these words, Itsuwa turned around.
"That's actually something I can help with."
She took a couple of small, mysterious items out of a small bag she had taken with her and started positioning it in the snow.
"It might save us some time if we know what has happened and if they got away. I usually save this in case of emergencies, but since this is something like that, we can at least determine which direction they've went."
Shirai and Hokaze watched as itsuwa drew a bunch of lines, circles and strange symbols in the snow before looking back at the two girls.
Hokaze was the first to respond.
She quickly took an expensive necklace from her neck and gave it to Itsuwa who sent the girl a confused look.
"It's Shokuhou's. Right before I moved here, she gave it to me with the promise to come back for it. Something to do with first getting the courage to tell a crush how she felt." The girl smiled.
"I hope she did. Any boy would be lucky to have her." The two girls smiled.
But Shirai smirked.
She knew a completely different side of the blonde and still remembered the friction her best friend had with the Blonde.
"Or maybe she could try to romance Misaka. They would make a cute couple." Hokaze said, answering Shirai's smirk with a little tease of her own.
Shirai found it best not to answer her.
{.}
"Yeah" Misaka said. "It's definitely getting better."
The girls stood in front of the door and were amazed at the landscape that seemed to open up in front of them.
Misaka couldn't really explain it.
The snow was by no means melting.
But somehow the nature around them seemed to have started recovering from the white prison the storm had put it in.
Bits of green now began peeking out of the white mass and even trees didn't seem so sad and deprived of life anymore.
"Does that mean we're leaving?" Shokuhou asked.
Misaka noticed a slight disappointment in her voice.
The disappointment they now shared since Misaka would like to stay as well.
But then again, 'we cannot be hiding here forever.' She thought.
"I guess so." She answered the blonde.
She was surprised how sad she sounded herself.
These last couple of days have gone by pretty fast and Misaka realized that she didn't wanted this to end just jet.
But they had to leave at some point.
Besides, it's not like they would leave each other. Only this place.
But she would miss it though.
Misaka didn't got long to think about how much she would miss this place, because without a warning, a ball, the size of about a fist, of snow impacted her right in her face.
The impact caught her by surprise as she lost her balance and fell butt first into the snow on the ground.
She looked around, trying to find the source of where the snowball came from.
There she stood.
Almost battle ready, throwing a snowball up in the air and catching it with the same hand while her other arm demonstratively at her side.
"You need to stop thinking."
The blonde said before throwing another snowball straight at Misaka's face.
The snow was soft, so it didn't really hurt.
But the cold of the white substance was uncomfortable and didn't feel nice on the warm, exposed skin of her neck.
She had a moment of decisiveness, but then decided the blond had to feel what she felt, and almost out of nowhere, Misaka launched a Snowball in Shokuhou's general direction, who could dodge it just before it would hit her.
As a response the blonde aimed yet another snowball at Misaka.
But this time she was prepared! She quickly dived to her left, throwing another ball of snow in the process.
This time, the snow exactly hit where Misaka wanted, right in Shokuhou's face.
The blonde confusedly gasped for air as she needed a moment to figure out where this cold came from.
That gave Misaka the opportunity to throw two more snowballs at her general direction.
One hitting the blonde in the torso, the other just missing her face!
In response, shokuhou dived down to the ground and tried making new snowballs while trying to dodge Misaka's rapid fire.
Misaka noticed the blonde on the ground and now tried rushing to her to try and shove the blondes head in the snow!
But Shokuhou was done just in time to notice and the person that ended up eating snow again was Misaka.
She heard Shokuhou laughing.
It was a genuine laughter of fun.
And as she heard it, Misaka realized she was also having a lot of fun!
She used to think snowball fights were for children. But she really enjoyed it.
No she loved it!
It was the simplicity of it. Just hit the other person more than she hits you.
And when you get hit, just go on and try to do even better!
No rules, no complications, just the drive to get the other person soaked in snow.
Because she got hit right between the eyes, her speedrun ended in a struggle to find her own balance.
She wiped the snow out of her face and was just in time to see how the blonde run straight up to her and bodyslammed her onto the ground. Misaka, whith the back of her head in the snow, noticed how the Shokuhou had pinned her arms down and kept her body from standing up with her own. Their faces, close to one another, breathing little clouds of steam in the air, felt like magnets, hopelessly attracted to each other.
Misaka could read in Shokuhou's eyes that she hesitated for a moment.
But she wanted the same thing the blonde wanted and the moment she closed her eyes, she felt Shokuhou's lips on hers.
It has become a familiar, but addicting sensation and it was that moment she realized, no matter what or where this girl went, Misaka would do anything to stay by her side.
{-}
"So they've been there?" Kamijo asked.
A response on the phone was a positive one and even though Saten didn't hear much of it, she was almost convinced they had somehow found her. "Okay," she heard Kamijo say.
"Then I might have an idea. I'll call you back." He turned around.
"So" he said as multiple eyes now turned in his direction.
"They located them. But weren't able to get to them because of the risk of other avalanches." He started.
"They'll try to find the place they've been staying. But in the main time, we could help as well."
Saten was here to help.
But being a level zero and having no experience on things like this whatsoever, she just didn't know how.
"how are we suppose to help?" she asked.
The answer came from someone who hasn't really participated in the conversation so far.
"Kuroko and the others will trace their steps back all the way to where they are. We are expected to work on this from the other way."
It was Awaki that said this, and Kamijo nodded.
"Exactly. Does anyone have the map Hokaze left with us?"
Uiharu pulled the map out of her laptopcase and gave it to Kamijo.
"So." He said while opening the map. "We're currently here." He pointed at a specific point at the map.
"and this area is where the local authorities say Zapper and Shokuhou could be."
He pointed to a couple of mountains, locked in between a multitude of villages and a city at its side.
"This means that we should go to the town that is closest to the point Itsuwa gave us." He started searching on the map where this point was. Once he found it, there's only one place that would be good to set up camp. "We need to go here."
Saten stood up from her chair and looked at the town Kamijo was pointing at.
"That's where one of those rescue workers was talking about. Maybe I can try to convince him to ride along with him when he goes on his search." Kamijo nodded. Yeah that would be perfect. Okay guys. Let's try to find our girls."
{-}
"You ready to go?" Shokuhou asked.
She was dressed up in her warm winter gear and she looked like she was about to spend a month in the arctic.
Misaka knew this was everything she had on her when they got here a little over a week ago.
"Almost." She said as she wrote the last words on a piece of paper that was supposed to be for the owners of the bungalow.
As she finished the letter, she read it one more time and as Shokuhou turned out the lights, she laid the piece op paper in the middle of the table, with the pen over it so that it wouldn't be blown of the table by any gusts of wind that may occur when somebody opens the door or window.
"Right." She said. "I'm ready."
the girls walked outside and immediately, the cold air got a grip on their faces.
"So," Shokuhou asked. "Which way?"
They had this conversation earlier but she knew this was Shokuhou's way of telling her she was in charge.
"That way." She said and she pointed in a direction where at the near horizon a couple of mountains rose up.
Shokuhou nodded and grabbed Misaka's hand as they started walking.
The experience felt familiar yet strange.
It was only a few days since they've been walking through the snow like this.
But back then, it was a fight for survival in a raging blizzard.
This time, the sun was shining brightly and the weather was, aside from the cold, actually kind of nice.
She remembered feeling lost. But now look at how much she had gained.
As time went by, both girls fought their way through the snow and Misaka noticed the terrain started to change as they started making their way through the mountain ridge. The sun went up and started going down again when suddenly Shokuhou halted.
Her eyes spread wide open! "I feel someone!"
{-}
"We gotta turn back!" the man in front yelled to Saten who was basically holding on for dear life at this point.
When she suggested to the man that she wanted to ride along because two eyes see more than one, she didn't expected the snow scooter to be this fast, loud and uneasy!
The words the man said needed to find their way into Satens brain and it took her a couple seconds to process what the man meant.
"No!" she yelled back.
"They're out here! I can feel it!"
The man slowed down the snowscooter so he could turn around and talk to the girl behind her.
"We can't do that. You see that pile up of snow up there?"
He pointed to one of the many mountainsides they're crossing between.
Up on what looked like a ridge, a pile up of snow and ice hang around the sides and was build up against the mountainside.
"That right there is at risk of causing an avalanche and needs to be dealt with before we can continue through there."
Saten looked once more at that ridge. She understood what the man said.
But her intuition just screamed at her to go further! Even if it is just a little bit.
"How much further can we go?" she asked.
The man frowned as he was trying to come up with an answer. "maybe another 5 minutes before we reach the no access point."
She smiled at him. "maybe we can go for another five more minutes?"
The landscape was actually kind of nice.
Pure and white.
Saten kept looking at the mountains and at the valley's below to make sure there weren't any girls walking through the snow below or above her. But no luck.
There was one moment she thought she saw somebody walking in the depth below them.
But upon closer inspection, that turned out to be a figment of her own imagination.
She told the man to wait for a moment as she once more looked at that very ridge.
Internally she cursed it!
That ridge was the whole reason she might not be able to find her friend!
Her black hair was waving in the wind as she kept staring in the distance.
"We really gotta turn back Miss." The man said behind her. Saten nodded.
"Yeah, I guess so." She said as she turned around.
She sat down upon the back of the Snow scooter, and took one more look around.
Deep within her, she felt someone reaching out to her.
But she didn't really know if this was something she wanted to feel or not.
{-}
With a bang, the three girls appeared about 35 meters from the entrance of the small house.
Hokaze looked around.
Shirai didn't know what she was thinking, but she figured it was something along the lines of, 'It's horrible what they've been through.'
At least that is what she was thinking.
She grabbed her phone out of her pocket and flipped it open.
On the screen, a picture of herself and Awaki before a wall of roses sharing a kiss, served as the background of a currently useless device.
"No reception. No wonder they weren't able to contact us." She mumbled.
Itsuwa nodded. "Yeah. But this is definitely the spot." She said as she started to walk toward the door.
Shirai followed her with Hokaze following behind her.
The door was unlocked and once inside, Shirai quickly discovered the house had indeed electricity.
Something houses like this usually don't have when not in use.
"Guys!"
The voice was muffled a little bit since it came from the living room where Hokaze was the first person to walk into.
"Looks like this is the place." Itsuwa said.
Shirai, still inspecting the electricity and still in the hallway, became curious and ran into the livingroom.
At a first glance, everything looked exactly as Shirai would expect.
A tiny, clean living room with some small but comfortable furniture and a fireplace from which the whole house could be warmed.
Both Hokaze and Istuwa seemed to look at that very fireplace when Shirai came walking in.
She followed the girl's lead and looked into the fireplace.
The people who have lived here have been quite clean and seemed to have disposed of most of the ashes around the fireplace.
However, on the steel bars and the stone edge around it was a whole different story.
Blackened wood and the ashes of what used to be wooden logs, still contained some embers and glowed bright orange as the insides of it were still hot and alight from the flames they had once put out.
Shirai knew embers like this could last for hours.
But seeing so many of them, she realized the flames couldn't have gone out much more than an hour ago.
That would mean somebody was here earlier this day.
"It has to be them!" Hokaze said. "Who else could it be?"
Shirai looked to her side to see Hokaze's reaction.
She looked surprised but determent.
"Could be the owners?" Isuwa asked, but by the sound of her voice Shirai knew the girl didn't believe that either.
"Whoever it was, maybe they left a clue?" she said, while shifting her attention to the rest of the interior.
Right on the middle of the table, she found a Letter.
Dear Owners,
My apologies for using your house without your consent.
By now the news about the avalanche and blizzard must have reached you.
we got lost in this weather and your house was our only hope to survive.
We've been here for a week and used some of your food to keep ourselves alive.
I'd like to thank you for that and repay any inconveniences you may experience due to our visit.
There's also something else I'd like to ask in person.
so when you'll find this letter, please contact me.
You'll find my contact information below.
Best regards,
Mikoto Misaka
{-}
Their boots were heavy from the long walk and the melted snow that turned to water inside the filling, therefore once again, wetting and freezing their socks and feet. But, ever since Shokuhou felt the presence of other people, the cold wasn't on either of the girls minds.
People meant safety, maybe even civilization!
They didn't notice how the sun was going down and the dark was now setting in again.
All they thought about was putting one step in front of the other.
Every now and then the Mental out had to check if she could still feel the people she felt earlier.
It was still way too far out to send that person a message or any of the sort, but still Shokuhou smiled at her girlfriend.
"We're closing in. And I feel a LOT of people!" The stars in her eyes started to sparkle as she realized her instinct was right!
There's at least 200 people there. Too big for any search party! It must be a village!
And she was right!
About two and a hours later the girl first set their sights on what they thought were the contours of what had the feel of a village.
From multiple houses, light shines through the windows and the smell of burning wood from the fireplaces smelled like a welcoming hug.
Soon they were able to lie down.
Safely. Soon, they could go home again!
They had been lost for 8 days, but single-handedly found their way back to the human world.
It was something truly remarkable! Almost as if destiny would have it they would get stuck together..
As the girls got closer to the village, the started seeing more and more details of the place.
The thought that in this place some 200 people lived, was rather frugal.
The first houses were build higher up the mountain, making them seem like they're their own community, yet still connected to the other towns below. In total it seemed like at least 500 people lived here and even had shops, hotels and restaurants!
It wasn't big, but by no means small either and when the girls finally reached the first building on the foot of the mountain, they noticed this house was not just a house! It was a restaurant! And it was open too!
The building seemed to be made out of wood.
A wooden fence showed the area of the terrace that was filled with benches, chairs and even a swing with the building in the middle.
This building was decorated with Christmas decoration and provided a warm cozy feel that was inviting and festive.
The smells that were coming from the house were those of fries, of cooked meat and hot coffee mixed with the smell of a burning fire that would provide a warm, exiting contrast to the cold, icy landscape surrounding it.
Inside Misaka heard the sound of laughter and even though it didn't seem like a lot of people were in there, it sounded like they're having a good time. 'Maybe good enough to help us get back to the rest of the group?' Misaka thought.
Suddenly Misaka noticed how hungry she was and how much she yearned for a decent meal!
She felt a hand forcing itself in hers and she looked her girlfriend in her eyes.
In Shokuhou's eyes, she read the exact thing she was thinking!
"Let's see what's inside!" The blonde said as Misaka smiled and nodded.
Pulled by the arm by her girlfriend, Misaka went inside.
The inside of this little place was as cozy as it seemed on the outside.
Wooden chairs, couches and tables formed a whole with the roof who's made with the same wood.
Red pillows complemented the curtains that covered a white wall.
In the corner, a cast iron fireplace kept the place warm while at a small bar the bartender was washing a couple glasses from the few guest that took up two tables and clearly enjoyed a well cooked meal.
The bartender looked at the two girls.
"Bitte setzen die sich. Ich bin gleich bei Ihnen." He said as he pointed at the tables.
Misaka turned around and for the first time she got a good look at the people in the back.
Seven people took up place in the couches, each enjoying a delicious meal.
Misaka's mouth fell open as she noticed the characteristics of these people!
The first person she noticed was a girl with flowers in her black hair.
She was completely focused on her food and didn't even noticed new people coming in!
The person on her left was a girl with silver hair that was hidden under some kind of religious cloth with white and golden accents.
Like the girl next to her, she also went all up in her food and by far ordered the most food out of the entire table.
In the far left, leaning against the white wall, a girl with a thick winter coat that got partially covered by the beautiful long red hair, stuck out as this place was way too warm for such a coat.
Yet the girl seemed to like it.
Her plate was clean and she had her eyes closed, seeming vast asleep.
On the opposite side of the table, right on the opposite side of this girl, a head with bright pink hair desperately tried to be the main authority figure. Which was hard when you've had as much beer as this person had drunk!
Next to her, on the opposite side of the religious girl, Misaka noticed a boy with spiked black hair and a slender posture.
His hands were at the back of his neck and he seemed to enjoy the appetite of the silver blue haired girl.
Having not yet finished his plate just jet, he seemed to take it a little bit slower than others at the table.
He was currently having a conversation with the boy next to him which, from the back, misaka noticed, could very well be brothers.
Yet this boy, also still eating his food, had less spiked hair and was a little more natural.
From the looks of it his hair naturally was wild and the couple spikes he did have, fell in line with the rest of his posture.
Also, it was a little more brown that his neighbor.
A white jacket hang over the back of the couch and from the back, Misaka also noticed a headband in the same color.
In a chair at the head of the table there was a slender but good looking girl.
She had long black hair and wore one white flower in it, just above her ear.
She too was wearing a lot of winter gear but instead of the sleeping girl in the back, this person had taken off her coat and was now using it as a sort of pillow on her back.
She wore thick black pants with even thicker black snow boots and her shirt was Turquoise with white accents.
This girl was the one who noticed the two girls standing at the bar looking at them and her bright blue eyes widened.
She stood up from the chair, that fell over in the process, earning her confused looks from the other members of her party.
But before they noticed what was going on Saten mumbled.
"Misaka!"
{-}
Still not truly believing her eyes, Saten took a sprint towards the brunette while her brain was still trying to piece together how it could be that one of her very best friends could be standing there after being lost for more than a week!
Was it her?
Was it actually Misaka?
She could read it in Satens eyes.
The brunettes mouth was still open as she could also not quite comprehend how it was that her friends are here, just sitting at a table in a restaurant in the middle of nowhere!
She didn't get much time to think about this, because Saten body slammed the brunette, causing her to lose her balance and fall on the floor.
The over enthusiastic body of Saten still over her and still hugging and kissing her on the cheeks, head and pretty much everywhere she could. "Sat…. Happy t… ..ut.. C. Breathe…"
She stumbled, not noticing even more footsteps coming towards her.
When Saten finally let go of her.
Meaning she gave Misaka enough space to breathe and to sit up straight so she could look around, she noticed the happy faces around her who, once she noticed them, all started to talk through one another!
Not giving her, or Shokuhou any time to answer anything.
Everyone, except for Awaki, who's still sleeping, now stood around the two girls.
The blonde standing, and looking rather jealous at the one sitting on the floor with Saten still on her lap with her arms around the brunettes neck.
"I'm sure you all got a lot of questions, as do we. But can we get something to eat and drink first?" Shokuhou asked.
Gently reminding the other about their manners.
The girls told everybody what exactly happened and how they got to this restaurant.
They conveniently left out what happened that one night and their relationship as a whole.
That was something they simply weren't ready to go public on that just yet.
They'll find out soon enough. Misaka thought.
It was great tasting something fresh again.
After a week living on pretty much the same thing over and over, it was a luxury tasting the freshly made meat pastries with sauerkraut and apple. A real Austrian dish, and something Misaka has never tasted before.
But is was good and wonderful.
The others let the two girls eat in peace before they would start to ask questions again.
"You arrived just in time." Miss Komoë said.
"We were waiting for the others and were about to order desert."
"Yeah!" Index added.
"They've got these things here called Apple noodles! And I don't know what they are yet but they sound yummie!"
Touma put a hand up to his face.
"Apfelstrudel." He mumbled just loud enough do that both girls could hear it.
Shokuhou and misaka shared an amused look but didn't press on the matter.
"So," Misaka started, realizing what miss Komoë had said. "Who else is here?"
Uiharu took a breath so that she could answer but at that exact moment, the group got alarmed by a strange sound fight behind them.
"Well we didn't find them but about a days walk from here there's this cabin they definitely stayed in!"
It was Hokaze who had started the conversation but Shirai quickly took over.
"We even found this note written by….."
She stopped mid-sentence when she saw her best friend in the whole world standing there, right beside her friends!
"Sissy..!"
It wasn't much louder than a whisper, but that one word had all the emotion, all the stress and frustration build up over the last couple of days, and all the worry about the electromaster, cramped into one sigh of relief as the word left Shirai's lips.
Misaka felt it.
She saw the tears in the eyes of the teleported and she knew that she had to confirm it really was her.
"Hey Kuroko."
The words came out as playful and unbothered as ever, but she knew her friend and she knew that these words would impact her like a bomb! "Thank you for looking for me." A soft smile ran down her lips as she said it.
Not even a moment later she felt the pull of a falling body onto her neck as Shirai teleported over and, in a very similar fashion as Saten before, put her arms around Misaka's neck.
"Not again!" Was the only thing the brunette could say before once again losing her footing and falling onto the floor for the second time.
{-}
It was nice being able to sleep in a comfortable bed again, yet somehow Shokuhou couldn't sleep.
Miss Komoë felt both she and Misaka were tired from the whole adventure and once they've eaten, both girls practically fell asleep right on the spot.
As it turns out the group had managed to get a couple of rooms in a nearby hotel.
But since the hotel was under renovation, the only two who weren't sharing any rooms until now, were Uiharu, who didn't mind sharing with Misaka, and Hokaze, who was now laying next to Shokuhou in a bed only a little bigger than the one she had shared with Misaka the past week.
The key difference is the person next to her.
Shokuhou misses the warm body of misaka, pressed against her.
Would she have the same problem? She'll probably never got the answer.
She sat up in bed and walked to the window.
And opened it. A cold breeze blew across her face as she looked at the mountain that got lit up by the light of the moon.
She sighed.
A combination of relieve and indecision about what she was gonna tell Misaka.
Behind her, she heard movement as a sleepy voice started to speak.
"What are you doing up?"
Shokuhou smiled.
A couple of years ago the owner of this voice would have put a 'My Queen' in there somewhere.
How far they've both come.
Shokuhou sees Hokaze as her best friend and the one person she could confide in.
She was heartbroken when Hokaze told her she was moving.
And seeing her again was nice.
"Can't sleep." She answered.
Hokaze stood up, her nightgown waving in the cold winter air, as walked to the window right next to her friend.
"What's on your mind?" She asked the blonde.
Shokuhou sighed.
"A better question would be to ask me what's not on my mind." She answered, a little guilty.
Hokaze put her arms down on the windowsill, turned her head to her friend and kept on looking at her.
"You know, you used to be harder to read."
Shokuhou didn't answer.
"Tell me what's bothering you."
Shokuhou now turned her head and looked her friend in the eyes.
What she saw convinced her that she could still tell her deepest secrets to the person she always trusted in.
She sighed. "Okay." She started.
"The first thing you need to know is that i hold some stuff back that we're not quite ready to tell everyone yet. You see, Misaka and I.. we're…."
She tried to find the words for what they had but Hokaze was faster.
"You're dating her."
There wasn't an ounce of surprise in her voice as she said it.
Which took Shokuhou by surprise.
Her cheeks turned red as she felt a rush of adrenaline enter her body.
"Is it that obvious?" She stumbled a bit surprised.
Hokaze chuckled. "Well you two have been at it since you've been 15 years old. It's about time you two took things to the next level."
Hokaze saw Shokuhou's face and burst out laughing.
"I'm so glad to see you haven't changed Misaki." She sighed and now looked at the mountain Shokuhou was looking at earlier.
It was the very mountain the girls survived.
"Will you tell me what happened up there?" Hokaze asked, and Shokuhou nodded.
{-}
Mikoto Misaka was vast asleep.
She didn't even notice how Uiharu and Saten met up in her room and occasionally glanced at her with both concern and tenderness.
"It's a miracle she made it out of there at all." Uiharu said, again making sure she was still there and still alive.
"Tell me about it." Saten answered. "I mean you heard what she's been through!"
"Yeah, soldiering a storm like that with someone that completely relies on you for survival." Uiharu added, now looking outside the window, mirroring Shokuhou a floor above them.
"But if anyone can do that, it's our Misaka." Saten sat down on the bed and gently started to stroke Misaka's hair.
Saten always had warm feelings about Misaka, and for a time even had a bit of a crush on the girl.
It's something she would never admit to anyone, but this girl, one of her best friend in the whole world, well, she idolized this girl!
" I can't imagine being stuck in a cabin in the middle of nowhere with only Shokuhou to talk to." Saten sighed.
Uiharu took another glance outside, then lovingly looked at her friends. "Who knows. Maybe they became closer than before."
{-}
"I don't get it." Hokaze said.
"You want to be with Misaka, but you want to leave?" Shokuhou nodded.
"It's not really that I want to leave. I just don't want to hurt her."
Hokaze rolled her eyes. Sometimes she can't with her friend. "But then why would you leave?"
"Because" Shokuhou tried explaining, "I am miserable in that city."
A tear welled up in her eye. "I can't go back there. Even if it is with her."
Hokaze raised an eyebrow. "Misaki, what happened?"
A silence fell between them as Shokuhou contemplated wether or not she should tell her friend about the misery that city caused her?
'Yes' she thought. 'She should know.'
She sighed. "Junko, you know what that place can do to you. They broke me to a point where I had no other reason than to retaliate. And I did."
A chill went down her spine as she thought back about that moment.
"You killed them?" Hokaze asked with fear in her voice.
"What?" Shokuhou said in surprise. "No! I'm not a murderer."
She noticed Hokaze instantly relaxing again as she continued. "I fried their brain. And they deserved it. Thing is.."
There was a slight hesitation as this was the thing that has been haunting her.
"I put so much stress on to my powers, that it spiraled out of control. Causing the children locked up in the floor below to be collateral damage."
It was at this moment Shokuhou's eyes started watering and tears started rolling down her cheeks.
"For years I've tried to fix what I had done to these children. Even tried an education for it. But all it ever did was rub my face into the fact that I failed. That I'm a failure! I can't even finish my study with good grades, so how am I ever supposed to protect people from the injust experiments going on at the top?!"
It was an huge burden to bare, an Hokaze looked at the blonde with a whole new kind of respect.
"The doctors in the hospital saved these children and I'm so, SO glad they got better after only 2 or 3 weeks."
Shokuhou closed her eyes.
"But everywhere in that god forsaken city, no matter where I look, I see glimpses of those kids. I feel people silently judging me and I just can't take it anymore."
Hokaze compassionately put her arms around Shokuhou's neck and pulled herself in for a big hug.
"I understand." She said softly.
Now more than ever Shokuhou needed a big sister, and if anyone could fulfill that role, it was her.
"And Misaka will understand as well."
Shokuhou started to sob.
"You just have to give her the chance to come up with her own solution."
Shokuhou lost it. Her silent sobbing and her watery eyes now turned into crying as she got pulled in for a warm hug from the one person she could always count on.
"I'm scared."
Hokaze nodded. "That's completely normal Misaki."
Shokuhou buried her face deep inside Hokaze's shoulder and let herself go.
After a while she mastered the courage to speak again and while her voice broke multiple times, she managed to speak again.
"I just got her. But I am so scared to lose her if I tell her this."
Hokaze broke her hug and guided Shokuhou to the bed, to sit down next to her.
"You love her yes?" Shokuhou nodded. "Yes."
"And does she love you the same way you do?"
Shokuhou thought back on everything they had been through the last couple of days and that night.
Misaka would never make love like that if she didn't mean it.
"Yes." She was sure of it! Hokaze smiled.
"Then you've got nothing to be afraid of. Just tell her what you've told me." She smiled again.
"Trust me. You'll be fine."
{-}
It was early in the morning when Misaka sat down for breakfast in the almost empty restaurant.
Only in the back she saw a young couple being a little bit to lovey dovey with one another, punching the boundaries of what was and was not allowed in a public space.
She sat down at one of the tables and enjoyed her meal.
She also made herself a cup of coffee with a teaspoon full of honey mixed in for the flavor.
She brought the cup of black gold to her mouth and let the tasty hot fluid numb her mouth and throat.
"Ehhhhh" she mumbled satisfied. "That's good!"
She had left Uiharu sleeping in bed and went down as quietly as she could.
The silence in the restaurant was familiar but strange at the same time.
The time was just over half past 7 and Misaka suspected that most people were still asleep.
Probably better because her morning attire wasn't exactly ladylike.
Not that she cared.
Her bathrobe and pajama beneath it was good enough for her.
So it's good enough for the others.
"Good morning."
A friendly, warm voice said.
Misaka turned around and apparently, Shokuhou had the same idea as she had.
Yet somehow the blonde can even make a bathrobe look fabulous!
Her hair, wet and still pretty much a mess, indicated she'd taken a shower before heading down to breakfast.
"Good morning." Misaka replied lovingly.
She watched as the blonde picked up her breakfast before sitting down right next to her and leaned in for a kiss.
Which Misaka happily agreed to.
For a moment the two ate in silence.
A moment of happiness shared between the two of them.
Still, Misaka noticed Shokuhou had something on her mind.
For a moment she wondered if she should wait for Shokuhou to start on her own.
But patience has never been her strong suit and once again, her curiosity won from her patience.
"What's on your mind honey?" Shokuhou looked at her.
She had a serious look in her eyes. "You know, we never got to finish our conversation."
For a moment Misaka was lost. "What conversation?" Shokuhou smiled. "About me leaving."
"Oh…" Misaka said, remembering how that conversation went a completely different way they both thought it would go.
"So why do you wanna leave?"
Shokuhou told Misaka the whole story she had shared with Hokaze earlier.
Misaka listened to her without interrupting.
"I couldn't bear the thought of you leaving me."
Misaka didn't know what to think.
First and most of all she felt bad for her girlfriend!
But she was also puzzled.
"Why did you never come to me with this? I could have helped you."
Shokuhou smiled while she wiped away a tear.
"That's just it Mikoto. I was, am embarrassed for what I've done. And I didn't want to upset you."
It made sense.
There has been a time Misaka dealt with a similar issue.
And she remembers she also pushed her friends away.
She didn't know back then.
But today is a different story.
"Okay, so where do we go?"
Misaka saw a slight surprised expression in her eyes, that quickly turned to excitement and love!
"Anywhere! As long as you're with me!" Misaka noticed she started blushing again and suddenly felt the urge to kiss her again.
Which she did with all the love she had to give.
"Well I guess your talk went well!"
A girl in a green dress and Silver hair came walking in with a big smile on her face as she walked straight to the table Misaka and Shokuhou desperately tried to untangle themselves to make it look like nothing happened.
Needless to say they failed miserably at that.
Behind Index, Saten walked in, just in time to see what Index saw.
Her mouth widened and a scream got stuck in her throat, causing her to remain stuck in a silent scream position.
Both Misaka and Shokuhou turned red by the realization Saten had seen them kissing and acted as if they got caught doing something wrong!
She didn't really know why but suddenly Misaka realized she didn't do anything!
Why should she hide the fact that she was in love with Misaki Shokuhou?
Misaka looked Saten dead in the eye, Smiled, put both her hands on Shokuhou's cheeks and with a lot of theatre and display of affection, She now kissed the blond passionately. Short, but intense.
She heard Index laugh as she pulled away from Shokuhou, who's surprised from her sudden action and kept looking at her as Misaka started her conversation with the girls on the other side of the table.
"It went okay." She said to Index.
"You're welcome sparky." The silver haired girl said. "So does that mean that you're now official?"
Misaka wanted to answer, but just in time she realized that they've never even talked about this.
For some reason Misaka just assumed they were now a couple.
But faced with the meaning behind this question, a cold hand gripped her heart.
What if Shokuhou doesn't think about her the same way?
She looked the blonde in the eyes, and her insecurity faded as quickly as it came up.
Shokuhou's eyes told nothing but love for her.
And in an unspoken conversation, Shokuhou turned to Index and nodded. "We're official."
{-}
The four girls agreed to keep this quiet until both Misaka and Shokuhou decided they were comfortable with other people knowing, and when the others, one by one came down for breakfast, the four girls got into a conversation about how the group got into that restaurant in the first place and finally, Misaka got to hear how her action with the gondola had in fact saved everyone on board!
"I mean it!" Index said.
"If you didn't do what you did, the outcome would've been very different!"
Misaka blushed.
She didn't like to be in the spotlight.
"What else was I supposed to do?" She said in a tone that would suggest that stunt wasn't that much of an achievement.
Shokuhou took Misaka's arm and gently squeezed it while smiling at her.
"I'm proud of you." She said softly, and the others couldn't agree more.
{-}
"What do you mean the first flight departs tomorrow!?" Kamijo's voice carried all the way through the departure hall of the Vienna airport, to the place where the rest of the group was waiting for him to fix the tickets.
"I'm sorry sir but all flights are fully booked and as you know today is New Year's Eve so after 9 PM most flights have been suspended."
Kamijo let down his head and smashed his fist upon the desk in a show of disappointment.
"Just my luck!" He cried.
Itsuwa, standing behind him, had a more optimistic approach and asked the lady if there was a place where they could enjoy themselves and spend the night without traveling too far away from the airport.
"Actually yes." The lady answered.
"I understand you guys traveled from a place near Salzburg yes?"
Itsuwa confirmed. "Yes, a place called Werfenweng. But some people from our group also had a decent view of the city as well."
"That's great. That means you haven't seen Vienna yet is that correct?"
Itsuwa shook her head. "We haven't." The lady opened a drawer and took a moment before she took out what looked like a city map.
I've got some good options for you all.
{-}
"Can I ask you something?" Shirai asked Misaka.
Both girls, along with Uiharu and Saten had decided to go about going into the city by themselves without the others.
It felt a little bit like old times.
Just four best friends enjoying their time together like they used to back in their school days.
Misaka looked at her and smiled. "You just did." She teased her.
Shirai sent her a quick smile but then got serious again.
"Back in that bungalow, I've found your note to the owners. Why'd you do that?"
Uiharu, who was listening in on this conversation but like Saten knew nothing about that letter, walked up to the other side of Misaka and started to partake in the conversation.
"What note?"
Shirai glanced over to her friend. "It was a letter asking the owners to get in contact with Misaka for there's something she'd wanted to ask them." She now halted and looked Misaka in the eyes.
"What is it you wish to know from these people Sissy?"
'Jeez sometimes Kuroko could be so annoying.' Misaka thought.
But after noticing Uiharu and Saten also wanted an answer and sighed.
"Well as you might know I've been stuck there for a week and I'd like to repay whatever food we have used."
She wasn't even halfway through the sentence when Shirai started shaking her head.
"No Sissy. You have another reason for that note. One you're not telling us. What is it?"
"I'm curious Misaka," Uiharu said.
"It's so unlike you to leave a secretive note only to repay some food. Did something happen you don't like to talk about with us?"
Misaka exchanged a quick glimpse with Saten before answering.
"If you must know, yes. A lot happened, and I've grown somewhat attached to that place. And I would like to thank the owners in person."
"That's admirable Sissy." Shirai said.
"But I'm worried you're not telling us the truth. What happened over there between you and Shokuhou? I thought you two could finally get along?"
For a moment Misaka didn't know what to say.
"Kuroko I….." she stumbled, looking at Saten for help.
"I wouldn't worry too much Shirai, they'll get along just fine!" Saten said while desperately trying to fight the urge to burst out laughing.
Misaka sent her an angry glance.
"Kuroko, Shokuhou and I are just fine. And what I said about wanting to contact the owners is true. But you're right. I like to buy that place if I can."
Shirai was taken by surprise, which Uiharu took as a sign that she should be the one to continue the conversation.
"Buy it?! Wouw Misaka, you must've had a good time in that house then!"
That was the moment Saten couldn't hold it in anymore.
She bursted out laughing.
Tears rolling down her eyes as both her hands were on her belly, almost causing her to loose her balance.
Misaka couldn't help but nervously laugh along while her friend was experiencing this meltdown.
Her eyes found Shirai, who looked back rather suspicious.
Uiharu, innocently looked from Saten to Misaka and back. "Do I miss anything?" She asked.
"What exactly happened between you two Sissy?" Shirai clearly decided to ignore her immature friend and instead focus on her best friend.
Misaka sighed. For one moment she was contemplating telling her everything.
But no.
Sure, Kuroko of all people would understand.
And she did tell her how close she and Shokuhou have become.
But there was always this belief of 'we are rivals, and rivals shouldn't be friends.' Between her and the blonde.
Shirai had brought it up multiple times over the years.
But that was to make sure she was still Misaka's No.1 friend.
And nothing has changed. She still is.
But Misaka didn't know how Shirai would react when she'd find out she has a girlfriend now too.
Besides, she'd rather let Misaki Shokuhou decide when she wanted the world to know.
"We had a couple of good conversations the last couple of days." She answered, carefully choosing her words.
"And it turns out, we actually get along really well and we became quite close because of it."
Shirai stared at her for a moment.
Misaka knew she was trying to decide if she spoke the truth and if Shokuhou was a contender for the bond she had with Misaka and smiled. "Kuroko, I assure you, it's nothing you have to worry about." She said as the pulled the girl in for a hug.
"You guys are my best friends and nothing would change that!" It earned her a hug from the other two girls as well.
"Still." Uiharu said once they broke.
"That doesn't explain why you want to buy that house so bad."
Misaka looked up in the air. "I have a couple of pleasant memories in there I don't wish to lose."
She let the other girls exchange looked before realizing her phone was ringing.
"Hello, Mikoto Misaka speaking."
{-}
As time went on and new year came closer, it started snowing again.
Without the wind and in such a small amount it was actually really nice and only enhanced the festive feeling that was already there due to all the stands and stalls standing at the square before the palace.
The whole group mostly sticked together, drinking hot cocoa with whipped cream and trying all kinds of different delicacies the stands provided.
The atmosphere was electric and Shokuhou enjoyed everything!
Without the burden of her insecurities to worry about, she could let go of her fear and participate in the fun.
Nobody noticed but most of the time, Misaka and herself continued to remain close to each other the entire night.
The only thing she was still worried about was how she would tell everyone here that she was now dating the one person she was in love with for years now!
When its time, she'll know. That thought was what kept her standing.
Shokuhou didn't know why it bothered her so much that she wanted to keep this thing a secret.
For some reason she thought it'd be awkward if everyone knew.
She did tell Misaka about it earlier this evening but th brunette didn't seem all that bothered.
"I think it's normal. If Kuroko and Awaki are an indicator, things will happen naturally. I remember the nervous wreck Kuroko was when she told me she had found someone else." The brunette laughed. "Really, we'll be okay."
And she gave Shokuhou a small peck on her cheek.
Maybe Misaka was right. Maybe she was overthinking this whole thing.
so she had just let it go and decided she would enjoy this time with her friends.
"There's one more thing I should tell you." Misaka said.
Immediately, Shokuhou's angst was back!
Misaka smiled. "Will you relax?" she said, grabbing her hand and holding it gently.
"I got into contact with the owners of our hotel in the mountains."
This surprised Shokuhou.
She knew Misaka had left a note to the owners of the house, but she didn't know what it said and if she had left any information to reach her. "Really? How? What'd they say?" She saw the pride in Misaka's eyes and not for the first time wished she could read her mind.
Damned electro magnetic fields.
"For one thing they're glad we made it out safely." She said.
"But it also seems like we have a solution for your Academy city problem."
That confused Shokuhou.
"huh… what do you…."
Misaka put her hand up to show Shokuhou that she was about to explain.
"It turns out the owners of the house wanted to sell it because of their old age. They couldn't go to it anymore so they were plan to sell it to someone who could love it the same way they had done. So I decided to buy the place."
The tone Misaka spoke with was lighthearted and like it wasn't a big deal, but Shukuhou was shocked!
"You bought the place?" Misaka nodded. "Yes. We own a house."
The blonde pulled Misaka in for a big hug. 'Yeah' she thought. 'Living here with her ain't so bad.'
"Thank you." She said. The brunette nodded.
More and more people came to the square as time went by.
Within only a couple of minutes, it would be new year.
One after another, their friends joined the pair in the middle of the snowy square.
Hokaze, now holding the arm of a jong man about her own age with a little girl of about three years old walking in front of them, waved at Shokuhou. "Hey, I'd like to introduce you to my daughter." She said as the girl looked up to her with a look of surprise and awe.
"This is Sophie." Hokaze said.
Shokuhou didn't even know her friend had a daughter!
"uhmm…. Hey Sophie! I'm Shokuhou."
Hokaze laughed as she seemed to notice how awkward her friend would get when confronted with situations like this.
"You met my husband yes?" this time Shokuhou nodded.
"Good to see you again Will." The man called Will nodded.
"Hallo Shokuhou. Good to see you again."
The rest of the group also joined them as the very last minutes of the year started to run out.
A huge clock showed the time till midnight and the electrifying atmosphere turned into somewhat of a nervous one as people started making their dreams for the next year.
Couples holding each other's hands or hugging tightly, families excitedly talking to one another and friends drinking and celebrating.
She looked around. Kamijo and Istuwa. Kamijo had his arm around her and pulled tightly against him.
10!
Then there was Saten and Gunga, just being their silly selves.
9!
Index, Miss Komoë and Uiharu, drinking and pretty much making fun on others behalf with Uiharu being the police officer she was born to be.
8!
There's Shirai and Awaki. Who didn't really care who was watching them being as intimite as they could be without going over the line.
7!
And then there was Hokaze. Arm in arm with her husband and her daughter.
6!
She made eyecontact with Hokaze, and in the silent conversation they had, Hokaze encouraged her to get Misaka.
5!
Misaka, the girl next to her. Focused on the clock and all alone!
4!
Something started to itch within her. Why would she care that she had fallen in love with the electromaster?
3!
But what would Misaka think?
2!
Who cares!
1!
"Hey Misaka!" she jelled if she walked over, finding herself in the middle of the attention of all of her friends AND the object of her desire.
About a thousand voices started to yell and to scream as the fireworks went off in the background, lighting the night sky into various colors.
Shokuhou didn't care.
She pulled Misaka tightly up against herself, and pressed her lips against the brunettes.
It was a long kiss.
A good kiss.
A kiss that would signal the start of what would be their life together.
Misaka, at first surprised by the sudden action, enthusiastically responded and started kissing back.
Both girls were aware of the faces their friends made.
Hokaze, Index and Saten knew and smiled as they were genuinely happy for them.
Awaki smiled.
She knew the feeling and was glad these two found each other.
Kamijo and itsuwa looked surprised but understanding. As did Uiharu.
The only person who didn't see any of this coming was poor Kuroko Shirai!
her head getting red while her Jaw dropped to the floor! Sissy and Shokuhou?! HOW?!
But the girls didn't care. They broke, forehead to forehead, both knowing they're official.
"Happy new year Misaki." The brunette said.
Shokuhou Smiled.
"Happy New Year."