Chapter 4: Dessert / Romantics Upon Parting
"So, the Enterprise has had its maiden voyage, has it? She is one well-endowed lady. I'd like to get my hands on her ample nacelles, if you pardon the engineering parlance."
- Montgomery Scott
"My warp core is spewing excessive amounts of plasma!"
- Some dude named BrownBannister replying to a thread about the Kotobukiya Kirk-chan figure on the Red Letter Media subreddit
"It's good. I like the chapter where they talk about wrecking the truck in the desert on the way to film an episode of Hey Dude."
- A reply I wrote to someone who asked me what I thought about the book "Slimed: An Oral History of Nickelodeon's Golden Age" (because it's one of the books you can see in the background in my photo of the Kirk-chan figure)
"Naturally, the Klingons got even more popular within the fandom, and so when Star Trek: The Next Generation debuted in 1987, it featured a Klingon officer on the bridge. Worf's presence on the show let the writers build up Klingon culture from snarling autocrats to snarling Viking Spartan Bushido Hells Angels."
- Kyle Kallgren in his review for The Klingon Hamlet
"You schmuck. Do you really think I'd be stupid enough to... kill myself?"
- Sick burn for anyone who thought Erstin was actually going to kill Roxy, or vice-versa, in the previous chapter (Erstin and Roxy are clearly supposed to be reflections of the same shared soul. It's as if one spirit was violently ripped in half to create two separate demi-souls. And now they constantly yearn to be reunited, so they can be intact, wherever they are whole. Oh, damn. My Goonies reference just turned into a Men in Black reference.)
"Hello, guy who wrote the 'why Mikoto's genderswap helps prime the audience for the CHOMP' post. I'm the guy who wrote the 'Yui's doomed first team gets reborn in a medieval magical girl setting and things immediately get so screwed up from them being alive in their alternate Enterprise-C timeline that they essentially become the BETA and the local Minami Kuribayashi-based character is their food source' fanfic."
- Ya see, I was replying to a thread PelleKuklos made for one of his Muv-Luv / Symphogear crossover fanfics (I think he goes by the name Amon Kingsley around these parts). And I was really thinking about putting this quote in the utter madness that is chapter 3's opening quote section, but my dilemma was: It completely, accurately describes the basic outline of "Timeline Manipulation" straight through chapters 1 to 3. I mean, it describes it TOO accurately once you "get" all the little nuances. There are a lot of silly gibberish quotes at the beginning of chapter 3 that, when you combine them / decrypt them in a certain order, completely spoil chapter 3 before you read it. But those at least take some effort to figure out, and they leave plenty of room for ambiguity. THIS quote, however, just straight up tells you what happens in chapter 3 as a one-part meta-reference. And I thought that was just saying too much too quickly, and too specifically. But now I've written a chapter 4, and we're past the events of chapter 3, I think it's perfectly safe to put this here.
"How do you like how that shit works?!"
- Nicolas Cage killing Tony Todd with his own missiles in The Rock (Tony Todd is the same guy who plays the avatar / personification / spokesperson for Death in the Final Destination movies, so it's like he's using Death to kill Death)
"Aww man I just Rebened all over my Wolf."
- A comment on the GameFAQs Gunpla thread (the HG Reben Wolf is an upcoming model kit depicting the most exotic variant of the Gundam Mk-V / Doven Wolf line, fielded by an isolated Zeon faction operating out of Mars. They're basically like "What if they built Gundam grunt suits that were dressed up like the guy from Jin-Roh?" It's the only new Gunpla release on my pre-order list for this year and I'm really looking forward to it. The Gundam Mk-V itself can be considered a sort of "Proto Wolf," since it's the original Earth Federation basis from what becomes Zeon's Doven Wolf, and the later Silver Bullet variant could be called the "Silver Wolf" or "Gundam Wolf," since it's really just a silver / gray-ish rebuild of captured Doven Wolfs [Wolves?] converted back for Earth Federation use. Also, the Zuikaku units in Teito Moyu could be considered an off-shoot design called the "Dopin' Wolf," because those girls be drugged out of their damned minds when they're piloting those things straight into their gruesome miserable deaths in the visual novel. Did I ever mention the official name for Yui's team is the White Fang squadron? Okay enough with the educational lecture on 80s-derived Japanese mecha designs. Here's the rest of the fanfic.)
- Epilogue -
"I have to admit, Your Majesty, you freed us from quite the nasty snake trap." Headmistress Shizuru smiled serenely over the balcony of the capital palace. The sun had just finished setting and the sky was turning black. She had come as a visitor as soon as Cardair returned to peacetime, to see if the emperor needed any further diplomatic aid, and to check on the progress of the hopeful young princess.
"It was all my fault to begin with. I almost murdered everything Akane ever wanted," Emperor Kazuya replied coldly. He was staring at his extravagantly-dressed scrawny feet more than anything else.
"It was a little bit all our faults, Your Highness." Shizuru slowly nodded in sympathy. "We all lost track of something after we lost her. We're truly blessed to have your daughter lead us back into the light."
"You guys taught her everything she knows. All I ever did was try to ruin her life." Kazuya peered to Shizuru for advice. The expression on his face said he wanted to be anywhere but inside his own skin.
"That's not so, Your Majesty. You gave her the most important thing of all." Shizuru bowed her head slightly as she spoke. "A commitment to do what's right for her kingdom, and for her household. That's always been the center of this. That's the one thing Garderobe can't teach, and she came right in the nick of time to save us."
The corners of Kazuya's mouth twitched into the weakest hints of a thankful smile. But then he turned his eyes away in shame.
"I feel terrible for Roxy's father, after everything I put him through. He was looking out for everyone in the country, when all I cared about was myself."
"How is the old fellow these days?" Shizuru asked softly. "Roxy tells me he's the healthiest he's been since she was toddler."
"He's very friendly... after I came to the hospital and conceded all of his demands on a silver platter. Now it's like I'm less of a sovereign ruler and more like an errand boy." And that's all Emperor Kazuya would say on the matter.
"But isn't that the Kazuya I've come to know?" Shizuru suggested in a more joking voice. "Always running around between society's lines, never wanting to get tied up in other people's trouble. But never wanting to start trouble, either. Never wanting to get bolted down to the same throne for too long. Always trying to pass your responsibilities to someone else, so you could just live your own happy life without bothering anyone. That's the Kazu my Sister Akane loved the most. The complete opposite of every emperor Cardair has suffered under since poor Argos XII never got his chance. That's why you and she were exactly the type of leaders this country needed."
"A Civil War, though... We almost tore ourselves to pieces. And we weren't even feuding with Akane's country this time." Kazuya shivered in his lavish mantle.
"But that's what it took for Cardair to find its new place in the world. Erstin accomplished her mission. She healed all the hearts in the kingdom so they can grow to be something better. That's what we're really celebrating tonight."
The headmistress gazed up at the black sky. The stars were starting to come out, like thousands of ancient sparkling pearls emerging together from an endless ocean of darkness. Shizuru saw every single one of them as a Sister she could confide with, even the ones that were far too old for her to know by name.
"I just wish Akane was still here to see this. It's everything she was always hoping for." The emperor stared downward in grief.
"She sees it, Your Highness. You don't have to worry about that. She's always keeping an eye out for us." Shizuru peered downward with him. Straight down, straight through the floor, toward the chambers far below the palace balcony. The walls and ceiling around the empress's chapel were freshly repaired, undoing all the damage from the recent historic Otome battle. Healing the scars so only the victory could be remembered.
Shizuru smiled toward the floor, and some of her infectious cheer started to raise Kazuya's spirit.
Behind them, the ceremony participants were anxiously waiting for their cue to start. They were directed by two high-ranking members of the Otome order: General Chie Hallard, visiting from Aries, and Mahya Blythe, still acting as the Deputy Column of Garderobe.
The five Imperial Guard Meisters were armed in their Robes and ready for lift-off. All five including Lily Claudel, proudly back in the service of her team in Cardair. Their voices added plenty of happy youthful chatter to the night air, while the two uniformed chaperones remained relatively quiet.
It was peacetime, the mood of the moment was jovial and lively, but Chie and Mahya took their jobs seriously. As serious as a couple of old snarky friends of Empress Akane could be, anyway. After all, someone with experience needed to make sure the new girls were learning their trade. They were still a gaggle of recruits barely out of their Pearl Robes and saddled into their Meister contracts. The only thing they managed to survive so far was themselves, but they seemed to be off to a pretty strong start.
"Sooo, Princess..." Mahya scratched her chin while she was eying her five younger charges. She focused on the green jewel decorating the front of Erstin's flight collar. "Other than bringing dead gymnasts back from the grave, do you have any other uses for that glowy-glittery-spooky-sounding thing?"
"Sure!" Inghild was the first to gleefully answer. "She can double the strength of my Element shields!"
"And she expands the communication range on my Probe with her energy boost!" Ikaho joined in.
"And she saved my butt from getting burned by the Probe's laser when Ikaho was test-firing it," Lily admitted with slight embarrassment.
"Beautiful and multi-functional." Mahya smiled coyly toward Princess Erstin. "You're quite the gifted lady."
"Sister Shizuru told me there's not really much to it." Erstin cheerfully said to her mother's former probation officer. But those were much older, much different times. "All I'm really doing is converting Meister energy to Founder energy for a few seconds, and sharing it with everyone around me. It just looks weird because it's generated through my Robe. Founders aren't supposed to have Robes... or be alive, technically."
"There you go again, Akane." Mahya jokingly rolled her eyes. "Rebelling against the system and making it work better for everyone in the long run."
"You know, I could always use a little recharge in these busy field missions." Chie wrapped her arm over Erstin's shoulder and guided her closer. The much older Meister was giving her peer some shifty eyelashes the whole time. "So where do I find another girl like you?"
Erstin gulped nervously. Part of her was playing along with the joke. The other part of her was scared of actually being devoured.
"I'm afraid you'll have to find your own, Ma'am." Roxy protectively, and sarcastically, placed herself between the Aries army general and the Cardair princess. "She's already devoted her power quota for our services."
It was a nice way of saying "I don't want you wearing her out."
Erstin sighed in relief behind her faithful knight. Roxy's right arm sometimes had a little tingly spot ever since Erstin accidentally shattered it in their fight, but at this moment it had no problem extending and creating a solid iron barrier between Erstin and Chie.
"Face it, Sis. We're the older models." Mahya turned toward her fellow veteran and playfully shrugged in submission. "We're getting phased out by these new rascals."
Chie shrugged, crossed her arms, and simply let the matter be.
"I've seen your mom pull some crazy stuff in my time, and you wound up with an even better version of what she could do on her last mission. So how does your Nano-Mumbo-Jumbo work?" she asked Erstin with growing interest. "You just flipped a switch when things were turning into a total shitpile. And ta-da, you're an Otome Reactor?"
"It's hard to say." Erstin peered down toward her flight belt as she tried to concentrate. "I just remember how much I wanted to save everyone, and I realized how much I needed Roxy's help. And then it just kind of... happened."
Automatically, while Erstin was still talking, all of the flight discs on the Malachite Robe purred into action and started emitting Founder energy in a soft green swirl. It was a gentle purr, like a mother cat instinctively gathering her kittens to make sure they were well-fed. All of the team's surrounding Robes were caught in the swirl, and all five Otomes briefly glowed like living emeralds for few seconds.
Erstin started to say "Uh..." when her surprise broke her concentration. The effect came to a sputtering stop, and her Robe's equipment made a short rumbling sound that released a lopsided ripple of energy.
Ikaho quickly covered her mouth to muffle all her giggling under a flood of snorting.
"What's so funny?" Lily tilted her head.
"Erstin's rings farted." Ikaho couldn't stop smirking. The princess shyly hid her face behind her long charcoal bangs.
"Nothing to be ashamed of. New software always comes with some bugs," Chie casually advised with her arms still crossed. "I'm sure she'll get better control of it with experience."
The sky suddenly echoed with the pop and sizzle of fireworks in the far distance. The first colorful volley signaled it was time to launch.
"Ah," Mahya sighed in a cheerfully impatient way. "Looks like they're starting. Let's finally get this show on the road!"
The two older Meisters took a step back on the balcony, and their five younger successors gradually rose into the air together.
"Here we go, papa!" The princess exclaimed from ten feet off the ground. "You and Sister Shizuru get the front row seats!"
"Break a leg, honey... I'm sure you'll heal it right back up." Kazuya waved upward to her, as encouraging but slightly nervous fathers do. He couldn't help but chuckle a little at his own bad joke.
When they were a row of five sparkling dots hanging in the black curtain over the royal palace, the Cardair squadron broke into their rehearsed sub-formations and began their dance in timing with the fireworks. Roxy and Ikaho were one team. Lily and Inghild comprised the other. Erstin hovered in the center axis of the zero-gravity waltz.
The four lower-ranking Meisters arched around their princess in mirroring patterns, crossed in front of her, and continued their curving aerial dance in the opposite direction. The glowing silver-white trails from their flight rings were drawing a continuous shape in the air. A shape that became dazzlingly brighter when Princess Erstin switched to her Burning Mode, and her own yellow-gold trails changed to green, and turned all of her teammate's trails the same color. Like electrons orbiting a bright and powerful nucleus.
The fireworks grew more intense as the fliers increased the speed of their orbits. The vibrant trails left by their Robes' flight rings connected end-to-end like a looping route of train tracks in the sky.
The dancing joyous Otomes decorated the air with a giant looming figure-eight. Eight was the most frightful number for any Otome carrying Empress Akane's lineage. It was the number of weeks Kazuya and Akane managed to live as refugees, the only time they were able to live a relatively carefree life together, before they were captured by Mahya and Cardair's royal appointment committee. It was Erstin's ranking number in her Pearl class when she graduated under tumultuous circumstances. It was the eighth month of the year when her mother died, eight months into her pregnancy, and Erstin was born a month premature.
Emperor Kazuya shook his head with decades of burden and dread. Then he raised his head higher with a renewed sense of hope.
When viewed from just a slightly different angle, that massive lingering eight took on another meaning. The real, intended meaning of this ceremony: It formed a glittering symbol for Infinity lighting up the skies of Cardair.
Author's note: And then Erstin's team was slaughtered and eaten by a horde of dragon robots led by Neo-Techno-Cyber-Midori for some reason. Such is the inescapable plight of so many tragic Cardair maidens. The End.
Author's note 2: I fought really hard over whether or not I should feature Roxy's Dad in this chapter. But I still don't want to ruin the off-screen mystique of Guy in a Frilly Black and White Puritan Collar (Which Conveniently Matches the Color Scheme of Roxy's Meister Robe) Who Goes into Ambitious Tirades About European Parliamentary Ethics Every 30 Seconds. Mr. Take Richard Harris' Character from Gladiator and Replace Him with Richard Harris' Character from Cromwell. I think what you DON'T see and you're left to imagine makes him way cooler. I did reach a compromise by having Kazu and Shizuru chat about him for a couple lines, though.
Author's note The Third: I think the overall "vibe" of the Erstin Kx team is something like: "We can't decide if we're supposed to be Yui's team from Teito Moyu, or if we're supposed to be the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, so F*** IT! WE'RE DOIN' BOTH!"
Author's note The Revenge: I thought about changing General Chie to Queen Ahn Lu when I was in the middle of writing this chapter, because her goofy lesbian groupie thing seems more like something Anh Lu would do imho. But Chie has a lot more stuff going on that's emotionally connected to Akane, so I kept her in the final version. I'm not even sure if Akane and Ahn Lu have official screentime together, outside of the one hot springs comedy bit in the Otome Zwei OVA.