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Author Topic: The Circle of Three [CONCLUSION: 28: Ascension]  (Read 83364 times)

Offline goosefish

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Re: The Circle of Three [25: Scent of Change]
« Reply #220 on: July 10, 2008, 01:43:00 PM »
Miya/Airi! NooOoOoOoO! Even after everything the two had been through together, Airi felt that her place wasn't beside Miyabi. Miyabi probably realised that something was off a few chapters back... maybe she didn't want to see it, she didn't want to admit it coz she couldn't bare the thought of losing Airi, especially to her enemy. *sigh* Even though Airi gave herself to Miya for that one last night, it was sortof cruel in a way.  :cry: And ouch, the one you love saying that you're like a sister to her has got to be the worst feeling.   ;)

So we move onto Airi/Maimi. What can I say, I think you have this talent for making me immediately take to ANY pairing you happen to throw at my face!! :oops: :wub: Maimi being confused and not wanting to believe the situation was amusing. She went into a right panic, hehe! I don't know how Airi can jump right from Miya to Maimi so fast... maybe the urgency comes from the situation at hand... she sees this as her chance to try and right the wrong. It's also good to see that Maimi is showing more of her honest self, the self that Airi was initially attracted to, as opposed to what has been inside of her all this time.

Takagaki = absolute love!!!   :wub:  :inlove::wub:

Offline Maimi_Yajima

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Re: The Circle of Three [25: Scent of Change]
« Reply #221 on: July 14, 2008, 10:44:56 PM »
And the next chapter?
" a look can say more than words" and " a look can even denude the heart"

Offline JFC

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Re: The Circle of Three [25: Scent of Change]
« Reply #222 on: July 22, 2008, 07:48:21 AM »
Sunnovabitch it's Chapter 25 already, and I just realized that I missed 24. :doh:

This is gonna take a while.


Chapter 24 – Seeds of Hope from a Field of Blood

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Airi gazed down from the elaborately gilded throne she stiffly graced. Its back was nearly twice her size, so she always felt dwarfed in it despite the power she wielded. She drummed her fingers on the gold-embossed arm as she studied the scene below. It was as if the entire Earth lay arrayed beneath her, but her current attention was completely focused on three small figures that were rising up through the stratus as if to meet her in her heavenly court.
Considering that they were still under the impression that Captain was dead, it's not that surprising that she was able to get into Airi's head so quickly/easily.



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She glanced to each side where the two she shared her kingdom with sat in thrones similar to hers. She smiled at Miyabi, who studied the oncoming party as closely as she, while Reina only reclined in her throne as if it was her favorite chair.
Now, is this just an illusion that Captain is creating, or is she somehow seeing what really happened in times past? Their collective subconsciousness?



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“Oh that’s right,” Reina continued with a frown. “You were never really one of us like that… How did you ever fall for such a prissy Princess?” The last question was also directed at Miyabi. Airi nearly sighed. Were the two of them going to continue this for another millennium?

“It was the power,” Miyabi said, waving her sparkling jewels at them again, but now turning her eyes their way as well. “Tell me you’re not also a little in awe of what she can do, Reina.”
Ouch, is that really the reason why Miyabi was drawn to Airi? Was it really just because of her power? :O



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Her attention was distracted though as the three figures arrived at the thrones, and as her creamy cheeks flushed she sat back down to join the other two in looking upon those to whom they would pass judgment – their fallen kin. For Airi’s part, her attention was drawn to the taller one standing in the middle, looking haggard in the chains she was bound in. Her eyes widened and she stood again, the light shining from her flickering in her changing mood.

“Can you seriously just relax for once, Suzuki?” Reina asked, still as relaxed as usual in her own seat. Miyabi’s mouth was pursed tightly, though Airi tried to avoid her eyes.

“Maimi…” she breathed, and the girl in chains below her raised her eyes to meet her own.
Sounds like 3 mystery figures are The Circle, but...their "kin"?  To call them "kin" implies some type of connection (often, though not always, familial in nature). Now, in this case, is this just because both triads have powers, or do they have an even deeper connection that we don't know about?



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Maimi…” Airi repeated, until she woke and looked around herself to see that she was held back against a wall by some unseen force, pressed tightly enough that she felt she could hardly breathe. She rolled her head to the side to see Miyabi staring back at her with her mouth tight, seeming furious, before daring to look forward and down to see the girl whose name she was mumbling staring up at them. There was no one else to be seen.
Oh shit...Miyabi frustrated at the circumstances that they're in, or did she figured "it" out?



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“Well we have two…” Maimi said, striding back and forth before them, her eyes never leaving Airi’s face.
Where's Reina?



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She took some steps closer until she was nearly at the wall herself. “Just what the hell were you thinking earlier, huh? Some sick game of yours?”

“Don’t listen to her, Airi!” Miyabi shouted over at her, looking down warily at their captors
Guess Miyabi didn't figure "it" out, after all.



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“I couldn’t find the others,” Takahashi said in a frustrated voice. “Apparently Tanaka got them away somehow while Saki-chan was making her attack.”
Damn, we missed it all.



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“Hya~ah!” came a voice from a doorway opposite where they stood, and Airi looked to see Koharu charging them alone, having apparently found some kind of sword elsewhere in the house. “Stay away from Airi and Miyakko!”

Airi’s eyes widened as the girl flashed into the room. “No!” she shouted, but the ensuing action flashed by too quickly for words.

The lone girl had apparently surprised the Circle – at least, all except Saki, who still only studied Airi and Miyabi as if oblivious to anything else around her. Maimi jumped back, dodging one of the attacks, and when the young Skull swung around for another thrust, this time she wasn’t fast enough as Takahashi slid toward her, grabbing for the sword’s handle also.

The two fought for it a split second, but Airi knew the result from the second she gave her initial cry – Takahashi with her superior preternatural strength quickly took control of the weapon, and in a flash of steel it spun before impaling the younger girl in her midsection.
KOHARU!!!
:OMG:



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Takahashi’s own eyes widened slightly in what Airi thought might actually be surprise as she saw the other girl staring back into her face, the life slowly draining from her eyes as she clutched at the sword’s blade with fingers that were quickly weakening. After a moment she fell to her knees, and Takahashi released the handle in revulsion, causing Koharu to fall onto her side and curl her knees inward, twitching a little before becoming still.
Sounds like there's some humanity still left in Aichan. There might still be some hope for her yet.



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Airi just shook her head in response, feeling weak against the invisible bonds holding her against the wall, until she began to feel herself shake. It took her a second though to realize that it wasn’t just her body that was shaking – it was the wall that held her, and the room around them all.
Oh crap, something (or someone's) gonna blow! :o



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Their three wardens looked around at the shaking, Saki spinning away from her. She seemed to adopt a faraway look for a moment before suddenly running out the door she came in.
Oh man, if Captain bails, you KNOW that it's big.



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“You three are not welcome in my house…” came a voice that sounded like it was from everywhere and nowhere. Airi recognized it – it was Mari’s. Then the woman herself appeared through the blasted hole, marching toward the room with Masae, Kimura and Reina in her wake, the small woman seeming to exude power.

“This is a special place…” she heard a voice say inside her head, and she could see Mari smiling at her. “In here, I have power.”
Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh snap!
:stunned:


So that's where Reina went.



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Airi looked over her shoulder at Maimi, who was now looking like she wanted to be anywhere but there.

“Saki-chan!” she shouted desperately, looking around wildly as Mari, Reina and the others closed in on her.
Now how far is Mari going to take this? Considering how she seemed almost "obsessive" about referring to The Skulls as if they were/are dieties...this could get ugly fast.



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Reina raised her hands as if to attack the lone girl once again, but Miyabi spun quickly away from Airi and toward her. “Reina!” she shouted in her direction, distracting her from her target. She pointed at their fallen friend, and Reina quickly got the message.
Oh man, assuming that Koharu's still even alive, can Reina heal an injury this big?



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Just when she began running toward Koharu though, she fell back in a flash of fur and fangs as a form they all by now recognized burst out of nowhere at their group.
Shit, forgot about the beast.



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Airi’s heart leapt into her throat when she saw that Reina wouldn’t have enough time to make her body react before the wolf met her. The wolf seemed to sense this and gave a triumphant growl, but then Airi gasped as Reina’s eyes glowed, and lightning flashed out from them. However, this lightning was much different than what she had been able to produce with her hands.

The lightning that flashed from Reina’s eyes slammed into the wolf, and then balled around it as if to strike from all sides. With a howl, the wolf was vaulted through the glass of a window and out of sight once again
Yet even MORE untapped powers/abilities?



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Seeing things spiraling worse and worse out of control, Airi finally snapped.

“STOP!!!” she yelled, and time froze.

Feeling herself burning as if on fire, she turned to the men, who were breathing hard with wide eyes staring at her, having managed to just barely raise their weapons before they lost their ability to move. “It’s time for you to go,” she told them in a voice hoarse with her own heavy breathing.

Their weapons snapped up as they managed to just now regain control of them, but after exchanging glances with each other they lowered them. “Take all of your men outside as well back where you came from. You’re not needed here anymore.” The men looked as if they were resisting the order at first, but then they gave short bows and turned to head stiffly out the door.
Wow. They listened to her.
:stunned:


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Reina laid her hands to the side of the girl’s head and concentrated for a minute before withdrawing them slowly and bowing her own head. “It’s too late…” she said quietly. “She was already gone.”
:gyaaah:



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“Damn them,” she swore. “At least we still have her.” She gave a dull smile. “And at least I’ll still be able to have quite a bit of fun.”

“Miya,” Airi warned, catching the girl’s attention. “You’ll do nothing of the sort…” At Miyabi’s quickly angering expression, she continued, “At least until I’ve had a chance to talk with her.”
Now this is starting to tread into dangerous territory. If they're not careful, they're going to end up emulating/mirroring The Circle in the sorts of action they take.



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“Osuzu!” Chisato yelled, running toward her with Risako close on her tail. Junjun and Linlin led the others behind them, all of them gaping at the destruction they witnessed.

...

“Where were you guys?”

“Mari got us out through a hidden passageway in one of the walls…” Chisato responded.
Ahhhhh-so.  :yep:



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“What’s going on there…?” Airi asked worriedly, but after having apparently noticed they were looking, the two elder Skulls and the Chinese girls headed through the now gaping destroyed doorway toward them.

“It’s Mari…” Masae said
Mari too???
:pleeease:



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“This has to end…” Airi said slowly, and she turned back to Maimi, leaning over her. “Please…” she said to the unconscious girl, though she also gave a thought to Takahashi’s expression after she thrust the sword through Koharu. “I think you’re the one who can make a difference...” She reached for her hand. “I’ll do whatever it takes to make you believe in me.”
Does Airi have some gut instinct about Maimi?



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“What would you have me say, Commissioner?” Ai asked the man in a low, cold voice. “Explain once again why your men suddenly turned and ran away.”

The man brought his eyes back up to hers, now visibly affronted. “My men explained to me that they were only following orders. I can only assume that one of—”

“For the tenth time, we gave no such orders!” Ai barked back at him.
It was rather amazing, if not odd, that the men obeyed Airi's orders even though they would have been fully briefed on who they were to take orders from (i.e. just The Circle and no one else).

Commissioner had best choose his words carefully. If he hasn't yet witnessed the powers they possess, if he's not careful he'll definitely see them (and soon) first hand.



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“Nii-chan…” she breathed, “You’ll get blood all over yourself.”

“I was worried…” Risa replied, then looked up into her face. Ai was moved by the moisture she saw shining in her eyes. “The police came back without you, and then you finally make it here, alone, with blood all over you…” She hesitated as if afraid to continue.

“Don’t worry, it’s not mine,” Ai comforted.
I wonder if the breadth of what she's done has hit her yet.  All the fights/battles up to this point were still big and tough, but it's still nothing to standing there, face to face with Koharu, and watching the life drain from her eyes.



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She had hopes for Suzuki at least. The girl had made some bad decisions, but still seemed to have a good heart, despite the rumors she’d heard of the battle at Seishin.
It's almost like Aichan has the same hopes for Airi that Airi has for Maimi.



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“Saki,” Ai said in a neutral greeting, her hand encircling Risa’s waist and spinning her to her side. Saki sauntered into the room, still in her shorts and tee, but Ai noticed she was walking very slowly… too slowly. “Are you all right?”

Stumbling over to the window, Saki leaned against it and looked out. “I don’t know what that girl did to me…” she said in a flat voice.
From her current demeanour, it's almost as if she's been drained or something.



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“I have a headache…” Saki said, and Ai tried to keep her attention, though her eyes seemed to be shifting in and out of focus.

“I think we should get you to a hospital…” she said.

“No, I’m fine…” Saki said weakly, before her eyes rolled back into her head and she collapsed, Ai being careful to hold her up.

“Nii-chan!” she shouted. “Call one of the police outside! Quick!”
Whoa. 
:dunno:



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Ever since the fight at that grand house, she’d thought about how the Skulls were able to defeat them, and she came to only one conclusion… they had the passion of the fight. Saki-chan, despite all her power, was one of the most impassionate people she knew, and she and Maimi didn’t have anything real to drive them either.
Regardless of what the odds may appear to be, there's something to be said for the side that's giving it's absolute all compared to the side that fights strictly through tactics and technique.



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She rose from the desk and walked over to poke the dozing Niigaki, who suddenly jerked alert and looked all around her. “Who?! What?! Where?!” she asked unintelligibly, before rubbing her eyes and blinking up at Ai.

“Come on you crazy. I’m glad you got at least a little sleep, because I have plans to wear you out for the rest of the night.”

Her friend jumped to her feet and nearly almost gave her a short bow. Ai smirked at her. “Ready for anything, ma’am!” Risa said with her own grin.
Hot dayum! :twisted:



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“Ai-chan…” Risa asked, this time in a more careful voice. “Are you really all right after whatever happened when you faced them? You’ve seemed somewhat… withdrawn… since then.”

Ai’s thoughts flashed back to the girl she killed in cold blood, when her fighting instincts had just kicked in automatically. “Yeah,” she said. “I’m fine. Just need a little rest and relaxation.”
By the sound of it, what she needs to do is come to terms with what she did to Koharu. Granted she only did it because Koharu attacked her in the first place. Aichan had been acting in self defense, and at the time probably hadn't planned on killing her. However, that doesn't change the final outcome.  She needs to deal with it, accept the fact that she did it, otherwise it'll just continue to eat away at her.



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“You know… I always thought you looked sexy in that tight suit…”
Who didn't?  :grin:



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“I thought you might like me more with it off…”

...

 Risa soon found out that she really did.
BOOYAH! :hump:



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Having had to leave Mari’s ancestral home due to its almost complete destruction as well as to the fact the whole country now seemed to know about it, they had returned to Airi’s parents’ home, which wasn’t near as elaborate, but still was quite a good sized house.
So now they're all over at Airi's? Considering that the authorities likely have her name on file after having previously holding them in custody, wouldn't this be one of the first places they'd look?



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Upon their arrival her parents had fled, their last look at Airi as if they didn’t even know her.
Ouch.

Makes you wonder, if they (Airi's parents) are seen and questioned by the authorities, would they give them up?



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“If you come…” Miyabi said quietly. “I want it to be because you want me,” she said, her gaze never wavering. “All of me.”

...

Airi at least knew that Miyabi was most definitely a true Skull.

“I want you…” Airi whispered, and with a small smile of relief and excitement, Miyabi pulled her off into the night.
Why does it sound like Airi's saying that to convince herself as much as she's trying to convince Miyabi?



Chapter 25 – Scent of Change

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The next morning Airi sat on the edge of her low bed buttoning her skirt, feeling strangely flat emotionally after making the decision she had come to late the night before… and taking the first profound step in following through with it. It would soon be time to take the next, and final, step before entering into uncharted territory. However, despite her knowing it was what she had to do, the thought of it tied her stomach into knots.

...

she stood up stiffly to take a couple steps toward her childish pink and white, if still designer, vanity, as if to peer into its mirror. Upon seeing her own unsmiling face beneath the hair she’d let down, she looked carefully into it. She didn’t look very different, nor really feel any different. Shouldn’t she be able to see that something had changed? Perhaps she’d been right all along. Perhaps the change that really mattered had already happened.
Uh-oh. This can't be good.



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“You’re leaving me, aren’t you,” Miyabi said in a voice as flat as she felt, little hint of a question in it. She turned to see the girl she last night gave herself to now sitting up, still holding the blanket above her chest. Miyabi was studying her closely.

“I had hoped that last night was a sign that you’d changed instead of what it was… what I had feared for a while now… but you were just letting me go, weren’t you?” Miyabi asked in a detached way.

“I’m… sorry…” she responded in a small voice.

The other girl was still peering intently into her face. “You know I’m not like Reina who’d take just anyone.” She nodded that she knew. “You know I love you.”

“I know,” she agreed quietly again.

“But you don’t love me,” Miyabi said, a simple statement of fact.
:mon waterworks:



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“You’re saying you want to be just friends.” Her voice didn’t rise a whit.

Airi hesitated again before answering. “It’s more than that,” she said quietly. “I… I think of you as a sister.”
RED ALERT!
 :mon spit:



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“Do you love her?”

The question was simple, short, but it cut her like a knife.

“Do you love her, like you can’t love me?” the inimitable girl repeated.

Airi bowed her head slightly. “Yes…” she breathed, and took the next step, letting the door fall shut behind her.
Gawdammit. How long had Miyabi suspected?
 :fainted:



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“I can’t say I’m thrilled about you just keeping her here like this,” Reina said, standing still behind her.

“It’ll be okay,” Airi said, reaching over to brush another stray hair away from her enemy’s eye. “I’m watching over her.”

“You’re very confident. It’s a good trait in a Skull, but in this kind of situation there is very little margin for error. Even if you can contain her, they’re still likely to come for her.”

“I’ll just have to succeed before they do,” Airi responded simply, reaching to take Maimi’s hand.

“Do you really think you can sway her? That kind of thing seems to be more down Miyakko’s alley.”

“I have to succeed,” Airi responded. “And I think I’m the only one who can.”
Even if she can, can she do it before it's too late?



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“I’m in the middle of scolding you! So, what are you going to do about Chisa?”

“Do about her?” Reina asked, still staring warily at the threatening finger.

“Yes,” Airi said. “She’s my friend, and something like that is very special to her, so I’m not going to let you get away with treating her just like any other girl you might have had! I’ll be watching you.”

“But—” Reina protested, but Airi poked the finger at the bridge of her nose, and the girl flinched before Airi turned back to Maimi, a small smile coming to her lips.
:cool1:



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“So,” Reina said. “Descendants of gods. You know, I think the Circle believes they’re the same thing, but for some reason I can’t trust it’s true about them. What if we’re no different?”
If they're not, then just what are they?



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Airi said, and she leaned down to kiss the sleeping girl.

Maimi’s numbly tired lips were unresponsive at first, but as Airi held her own there, eventually they began moving against hers, and the two shared a slow and tender kiss that Maimi likely thought was still a dream. At least, that was until she opened her eyes.

“Eeeeee~hhh!!!” she nearly screamed, almost bumping into Airi’s forehead as she pulled back quickly when the girl jerked up. “What…. the…. HELL?!?!”
:lol:



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Airi straightened, jabbing her fists at her hips. “Now Maimi,” she said in a stern voice. “Where is the strong leader that seduced that young innocent first year into the bath last year, huh?” Maimi stared at her. “What happened to the kisses you tried to steal in there while we were even both all naked? Where’s that confidence in yourself?”
Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait

...

...

Maimi did WHAT???  :shocked:

Damn, she must have REALLY had it bad for Airi.



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Airi could tell she was paying attention. “Now,” she said, lifting her finger. Her voice quieted too. “You can’t deny it because it’s written all over your face, but you… have feelings for me, don’t you?”

Maimi rolled her head to the side, cheek against the bed, in an attempt to not meet Airi’s eyes. “I have more than feelings for you,” she growled in a low voice. “But you chose that whore.” Her head spun back forward, and her eyes pierced Airi’s own. Airi’s breath nearly caught at the fire she saw in them. “I wanted them to go away, but they didn’t.” Her eyes suddenly changed to pleading and terrified. “Why won’t they go away? Why can’t I forget about you?”
Now we might get to see the side of Maimi that she's kept buried, but that Airi knew existed.

Raburabu confession time.  :oops:



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Seeing Airi’s smile, Maimi’s eyes filled with anger again and narrowed. “What are you smiling about?”

In response Airi wrapped her arms around Maimi’s midsection and snuggled into her neck. She felt the girl go stiff beneath her in shock. “You…” she said. Then more seriously, “I… didn’t know what I wanted before. I didn’t know who I was. Now I know who I am, if not completely where I came from. And I know what I want…” She rose up to look Maimi in the eyes again. “And it’s you.”
Awwwwwwwwwwwww...

Airi =  :gmon love2:



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Maimi looked at her as if she had sprouted horns. “What the hell?” she asked again, but in a much less harsh voice this time.
Maimi =  :mon wtf:



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Airi’s face saddened. “I’m sorry for what I did. I didn’t know what I was doing. Somehow I could see inside you, and that there was something dark… that was hurting you… I just wanted to get rid of it, to protect you.”

“Protect me…?” Maimi breathed. “But there’s nothing inside of me.”

“Yes there is,” Airi continued sadly. “Although I’m afraid it’s now an irremovable part of you.”
She's talking about the same dark influence that has been passed down amongst all Circle leaders, isn't she? It's the same thing that's "transformed" Captain, and that took Aichan when she first thought that Risa was dead.  And Airi says that whatever it is can't be excised from Maimi?



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“If you truly do… feel something… for me,” she said, eyes glistening as if striving hard not to accept something that she wouldn’t let herself believe could be true, “Then come with me. We have the opportunity to do something great – something that people will remember for ages! – and…” Her voice broke as she began to smile, apparently finally letting herself accept something she’d believed impossible. “…and with you at my side, I know we can make those who are the most powerful in the world tremble!”
Despite Maimi's protestations to the contrary, it's there all right.  :bleed eyes:



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"I’ll go with you, Maimi,” she said. “I’ll always go with you.” Excited, Maimi closed back in on her and took her hand. “But on one condition…”

...

“We go as Skulls.”
:k-crazy:



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“You killed someone, Ai-chan. And don’t tell me it didn’t affect you. I could tell how you were when you got back. I just hope you didn’t take me to this bed just because of what you felt because of that…”
Even though it's obvious just how much Aichan really does love her, Risa's concerns are well-founded. Just how much was the previous night really about them, and not about Aichan trying to escape having to come to terms with what she did.



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The commissioner general glanced nervously between the two of them before continuing, “Those whom you fight. You’ve been secretive about them except for short descriptions, such that they are young girls. Hardly worth the effort, in my opinion…” He shifted his eyes dismissively.

“I’m surprised you still hold that opinion about young girls, general,” she said warningly.

The man opened his mouth as if to correct her once again as to his title, but thought better against it. “I only say, my lady,” he said formally and with a flourish and bow, “If we had more information on the fugitives, perhaps we could better locate and fight them.”
Hmmm...so The Circle hasn't been telling them all the details? Might that have something to do with why those troops withdrew when Airi told them to?  Was it one of those situations of "good soldier that follows orders" versus "good soldiers follow orders that are JUST, rather than just doing so blindly"?



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“About Shimizu-san… We heard word from the hospital. Apparently she is up and walking around – amazing considering what they said of her injuries – and is awaiting the results of the scans.”
Not really surprised at her quick recovery, and definitely curious about the results of the examinations.



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Ai spun back to the man in tightly held fury. “Why didn’t you tell me this earlier?” she growled at him. Thunder cracked outside loud enough to be heard in here as if to accentuate her question.

“Ai-chan…” Risa insisted again, tugging at her wrist. The man apparently didn’t yet know enough to make the connection.
What the...he doesn't know about their powers???



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“You hadn’t asked,” he responded. At that, a lightning strike shattered the doorway below with an earsplitting crack, and Risa screamed and clung to her side. The man and his retinue fell as well, holding their ears. Then his eyes darted up to Ai.

For a split second she stared at what she saw in them. Then… “Come on!” she shouted to Risa, who was still seeming to recover, and she began pulling her down the stairs. “Run!”
*LIGHT BULB GOES OFF*

Oh, OF COURSE! The only other times that they had seen anyone exhibit those types of powers was when The Skulls broke out of the prison! The authorities would have therefore (in all likelihood) classified anyone that had those powers as extremely dangerous. And now that Aichan has let the cat out of the bag, she's shown that she and the girls with her are just as much of a threat (if not moreso, since she's seen their operation from the inside).



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The two girls leapt down the steep stairs, and just made the hole before they heard gunshots fired behind them, followed by hoarse shouts that Ai couldn’t decipher.
Oh please say they don't hit Risa. :cry:



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“Were they shooting at us…?” the other girl asked astutely. Apparently she wasn’t completely as frantic as she’d seemed.

“I believe so,” Ai responded darkly. She would have to see to there being a new Commissioner General when she was able to return.
If she plans on replacing him, she should also replace all of his other staff as well. Tactically speaking, she needs to ensure that the troops that are there will be loyal to her and the others.



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“You should rest…” Ai said, feeling her hopes and plans for getting back at the police, and even of going after Maimi, falter at Saki’s condition.  She couldn’t do this alone…

The smaller girl shook her head slowly in response as if anything faster would give her that much more pain. “I need to be up and about. If I lie down I get too sleepy… just too sleepy…” she said, staring blankly at the bed.
Hmmm...almost sounds like Captain has a concussion. Can't help but wonder though how much this is due to the strain that Captain has been putting on herself with all that she's done.



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“Doctor!” Ai exclaimed. “Is there any news of the test results?”

...

“In initial images done upon arrival, we noticed a mass operating near the frontal lobe.” He looked meaningfully at the three girls before he went on. “In other scans we received from Utsunomiya from some weeks ago, it was detected as well, although in a much smaller capacity
Osnap, Captain has a tumour!?!?!



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We did a biopsy as soon as we found the results this morning while you slept. It’s already malignant. The only option is to get you into surgery as soon as possible, or else you could have weeks, perhaps even days to live.”
Oh damn.

Could this have been the cause of Captain's apparent change in demeanour?  They say she was a fairly normal girl when she first came to the school and joined The Circle, and that it wasn't until a bit later that she became the quiet, eerie girl that we've seen recently.



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“Well I suppose we might as well do the surgery, huh?” she asked, looking up at Ai, slight sadness in her features. Ai’s heart reached out to her. If this new power… or perhaps the whole thing… was due to this tumor, what would she be like if she was facing the prospect of suddenly having it gone?
It couldn't be that simple, could it?



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The door swung open again, and Momoko stepped in. “The police have gone,” the scarred girl said, looking down at Saki.

Ai tensed up at the second dose of bad news. “They left?” she asked, slightly confused.

Momoko looked up at her with a blank face. “Yes. With no word. I told them I would report it, but they ignored me.” She looked back toward Saki again. “Is everything going to be okay?” she asked, and for the first time since the Battle at Seishin Ai thought she heard concerned emotion work its way into the girl’s voice.

Left… she thought, clutching Risa’s hand tightly at her side. They didn’t try to attack us… Her chest clenched as she took one more misty-eyed glance at Saki. What the hell is going on…?
I'd be more concerned with "What if they return?"



Damn that was exhausting. My wrists hurt.  :lol:

JPH!P :heart:'s kuro808, Fushigidane, ChrNo, Jab & marimari. Always.

Offline Maimi_Yajima

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Re: The Circle of Three [25: Scent of Change]
« Reply #223 on: July 22, 2008, 06:11:31 PM »
WowWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!
My respects to you JFC!
incredible!
Their comments are longer than the mine!
My respect!
And his comments are very funny!
It's fun reading your comments JFC
:otomerika:
" a look can say more than words" and " a look can even denude the heart"

Offline Maimi_Yajima

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Re: The Circle of Three [25: Scent of Change]
« Reply #224 on: July 24, 2008, 10:59:49 PM »
OH!
I have visited this topic. :heart: :heart:
And I have cleaned! :yep: :otomerika: :grin:
There were cobwebs on it. :( :( :O :(
Because the writer Rokun has not put its next chapter ... :O :O :wub: :cry:
Two weeks have already passed ... :cry: :cry:
This sad that this topic ... :cry: :cry:

but ...
I am hopeful that soon will put its chapter ... :P :D :lol: :)

but ...
We are still waiting. :lol: :lol: :sweatdrop:
Because its chapters are incredible! :wub: :wub: :wub: :wub: :otomerika: :otomerika:
" a look can say more than words" and " a look can even denude the heart"

Offline rokun

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Re: The Circle of Three [25: Scent of Change]
« Reply #225 on: July 25, 2008, 05:33:25 PM »
Wow, JFC, and I wasn't even expecting the comments from you after you said you were taking your break! Thank you for including mine in "those fics" you'd put the effort into, at least a little. ^____^ Not that this was a little effort... Also, thanks Maimi_Yajima for the constant :heart: in the thread, though I do get a little embarrassed sometimes by all the comments. :oops:

This is of course not to say I don't :heart: everyone else for commenting! It seems like they're getting longer as the story winds down toward the conclusion! :D Now, in a little attempt to respond to people (sorry, waaay too much to quote this time, and you all just want to see the next chapter, right? :mon thumb:)

sbk: Nothing wrong with getting enthusiastic about sex! :lol: Keep imagining how things are going to go. :) Hopefully this chapter will only give you more things to imagine...

slasha: You're right, something is going on. XD

maize: I :heart:'d your comment, and your loyalty to Miya :heart:. Until your post I never really noticed what I was like to her, but you're right lol. >.> And even though Saki stayed with her for awhile afterward, it still ended up in a rather nasty breakup... Well, hopefully from now on in both stories things will go a bit better for her. ^_^ It's funny too cause she may be my favorite idol. I guess with my favorites I just like to give them the full range of emotions to see how they respond... Anyway. Your post also was excellent foreshadowing of things upcoming in the next chapter. You'll definitely see what I mean, although I'm afraid afterward you might just have more questions... lol. And though you thought you should have more to say, let me tell you that you did say quite a bit! :D Keep up the Miya :heart: and loyalty! *salutes*

ayase: Miya unfortunately has a ways more to fall before rising back up again. >.> You guys are probably going to be driven more crazy by what's to come next. Keep up the MiRii :heart: though! And yes, Miya is not going to like seeing the one she loves with the one she perhaps most hates...

mode: Thanks for seeing how Miyabi took things. ^_^ Now you'll get to see something different though... lol.

peti-chan: Nice to see an Ai-chan-focused perspective on things! :D Hopefully that was some satisfactory Takagaki, and yes, Ai is going to be in an interesting position when she runs into the others again... Thankfully she's got Risa at her side...

goosefish: No, Miyabi really didn't want to admit it to herself... As she said, she'd suspected for a while, but she felt too much in rabu... Glad you have come to like the Airi/Maimi and Takagaki. ^___^ Hopefully this next chapter will sway some of the rest of you too...

JFC: All I've got to say is "wow". XD

Just kidding. XD I have to give some kind of response to that.
I'm glad you picked up on the "kin" thing from Airi's "vision". That vision was a mix of many things... her own emotions she's going through at the time... potential history and myth... as well as truth. Some things are meaningful though. ;) I'd address some of your specific comments and questions, but many will just be followed up in the chapters themselves. :)

Yes, Maimi did (and still does) have it bad for Airi. :P You're right about somethin else though too - that "force" that's come into Maimi is a part of her now. The ceremony each Circle member undergoes upon promotion to the post gives the "spirit" (or you might say "demon") possession of them, but that was the extent of it to all the Circle members up until this time. When Tsunku unleashed the true power of the Founders though, they became their true "heirs".

Also I wanted to say, what's going on with the authorities may be a bit more complicated than blindly following Airi's orders or who they were actually looking for... That won't even be answered fully in the next chapter, but it's integral to the conclusion. So stay tuned! :mongeek:

Maimi_Yajima: Itsumademo, ouen yoroshiku onegaishimasu. ^____^ I may not be able to understand exactly what you're trying to say all the time, but I'm glad you're able to enjoy the story as well as it seems you are.
You're not going to like what happens with Yuuka in this chapter... It's not going to be quite as you envisioned it lol. It's cute to see your worry about Chisato too. ^^ Hopefully some of my comments in response to JFC help with some of your questions too. It seems like you were saying some things in response to his comments. Airi and Maimi (and before with Miya) is the turbulent pairing because it's the only one where both girls are so powerful. It can cause some great happiness and triumph... but also some great strife. It is what is perhaps most written into "destiny", though don't believe destiny has completely forgotten figures such as Risa and Chisato either. Each of the girls in their respective trios also regards the others in that group quite fondly - you see almost familially as in Airi's case with Miya and Reina. The Founders were close, and the Circle perhaps even closer. What happens to one can have a profound effect on the others...

Well, I've spent enough time commenting. Time to get the update out (though I might have to eat lunch first! :P). I didn't realize until now just how many comments there were, and I'm humbled by you all. :heart: Thank you, and I hope I can continue entertaining you. :)

Offline rokun

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Re: The Circle of Three [26: Through a Doorway, Truth and Skulls]
« Reply #226 on: July 25, 2008, 07:28:11 PM »
I don't think I left anything unsaid after my last post... Enjoy~ :oops:


Chapter 26 – Through a Doorway, Truth and Skulls

“Have you seen Miyakko?” Chisato asked. Risako shook her head.

“Kowa~i!” Asuna said cutely, and Chisato poked her in the ribs, earning an even cuter pout. She was having trouble lately beating her sister with regard to cuteness, a title she worked very hard to uphold.

“Well, if you’re not a frightened little girl…” Chisato continued, teasing her. “I wouldn’t say she’s scary, but she’s definitely in a bad mood.”

“Is she?” Risako asked, as she polished the head of her flail. She wasn’t exactly sure why she was so obsessive over polishing it, when it was only likely to get stained again rather quickly with the life they seemed to lead now. Perhaps it was just because she liked things clean. They did of course have to be just so. “And by the way, if you start calling her Miyakko now…”

“Hey, I’m a Skull!” the girl replied defensively, eyeing the short stubby spikes scattered around the steel head she was polishing. “I suppose I should start acting the part one of these days…”

Risako sighed and stood up, looking at the floor after turning halfway to the two sisters. “Do you have any idea what a Skull really is?” Risako asked quietly.

There was a moment’s pause, before Chisato gave a small “Yes”.

Risako looked up at her. Chisato was stroking her sister’s hair gently while the youngest girl rested her head on her shoulder. Despite her comforting actions though, her eyes held Risako’s piercingly. What she saw in that gaze gave her pause. She didn’t know how, but she knew the girl was right.

“I’m going to look for Miya,” she said quietly, and turned as if to leave.

“I think she and Osuzu broke up,” Chisato said in a tight voice.

Risako froze at the suggestion. “Why do you think that?” she asked in barely above a whisper, her own face drawing tighter. This couldn’t be happening…

“I saw her come from Osuzu’s room this morning,” Chisato responded. “She spent the night there.” Her voice had become soft. “Osuzu left just a bit before and went straight to the attic.”

Risako tried to swallow back the knot that was rapidly forming in her throat. “Why are you telling me this…?” she managed to ask hoarsely.

“I know how you feel about Miyakko,” Chisato explained. “I don’t want you to go and do anything stupid.”

Risako spun toward her, holding the handle to the flail in front of her chest, her fingers clenched tightly around it. “And you think I’m less likely to do something stupid now?”

Asuna was now looking up into her sister’s face with curious eyes. Chisato still looked intensely at her. “I think it’s best if you know the truth,” she said evenly.

Turning away, Risako dragged her flail into the hall. Ever since they started fighting, she’d done her best to hide her emotion within her, emotion that took over all too easily before then. Whenever she saw the girl she had what she thought of now as a schoolgirl crush on, she’d run away, scared to talk to her. She had reason to run of course, since for all they knew then she was more than likely to be beaten up if she hung around. Still, she never tried. She thought of herself as pretty – many of her acquaintances even called her the prettiest in the school – but she just was too unsure of herself. That had changed. Unfortunately, other things had changed as well.

Eventually she saw the girl from her thoughts emerging into the hall from one of the toilets. She was hunched over as if brooding, and seemed to disregard her surroundings. With a heave at the handle, Risako lifted the flail head from where it drug behind her to arc up near the ceiling and fall hard to the ground, making a not insignificant hole in the floor. People she hung out with now looked more at the flail than at her it seemed, and she knew some were wondering how a girl like her could even use such a weapon. Well, appearances could be deceiving sometimes. She was stronger than she looked.

At the crash of the flail into the floor, Miyabi nearly jumped and turned around to stare at her. The girl brought her arms up to her chest to cross them. “What do you want,” she growled in a mean voice.

“I want to know what you did to Airin!” Risako demanded, fury welling up in her eyes as she stared at the Skull, the Skull she feared so much, as well as the one she felt so much for.

Miyabi stared back as if she were insane. “What I did to her?” she asked incredulously. “What I did to her?!?”

“I heard you broke up,” Risako said through thin lips. “She’s my friend, and I won’t have you hurting her like that!”

Miyabi’s lips turned up in a vile-looking lopsided grin. “Oh, you won’t have me hurting her, will you?”

Suddenly she was standing right in front of Risako, her face glaring down so very close to her own. Risako gaped. How could the girl move so fast? She tried to lift her flail again, but a hand that seemed to have a steel grip grabbed her wrist, and the other wrenched the handle from her own tight hold as if it was no effort at all. She threw the weapon down the hall, the spiky ball arcing in the air again before crashing to make another sizable dent in the floor.

“You’d better be careful, little girl,” Miyabi said, reason having apparently fled her. “That I don’t hurt you as well.”

Risako tried to swallow. From the girl’s grip on her hand, she knew what happened. Her old fear returned to her, and she began trying to struggle futilely at her hold. She wasn’t running anymore, but at long last she knew she was about to be beaten to a pulp.

The pride she’d obtained in the battle tried to fight back against her fear, and she felt herself raise her chin. “Go ahead,” she forced herself to say. “Then I can join my friend in her pain.”

Miyabi’s other hand came up, palm flat and tensed in front of her face as if she would swing it at any second. Risako flinched slightly, but succeeded in suppressing any further reaction. “No…” Miyabi breathed, and her hand, which had now balled into a shaking fist, lowered slightly. She looked hard into Risako’s eyes. “You don’t understand pain.”

Risako looked back into that fierce gaze, and she finally saw the truth in those eyes. Chisato was right; such knowledge was important. “I’m sorry…” she whispered, and Miyabi released her wrist to take a step toward the wall, laying a hand on it to support her up as she leaned against it, her eyes downcast.

Then, to Risako’s surprise, she heard quiet, raw laughter start to come from the girl. “I suppose that’s the way it’s turned out after all, isn’t it? I thought I was the immoral one, the one who’d punch anybody for a fight, the one who’d take who she wanted… but she surprised me yet again. She’s a truer Skull than I am.”

“That’s not true,” Risako said, reaching a hand tentatively up to rest on Miyabi’s shoulder. When the girl didn’t try to push her away, she squeezed lightly but firmly. “But… there’s a lot I still don’t know. Teach me what a Skull is?” she asked pleadingly, stepping closer to the older girl. “Help me understand your pain?”

Miyabi’s face turned slowly back toward Risako’s. She swallowed as she looked back into those eyes, eyes that now appeared completely different than just a minute ago. They were no longer intense; they were hollow.

“Maybe then you’ll be able to tell me ‘why’…” the Skull whispered in response, before letting Risako guide her away, her just-polished flail left behind buried halfway in the floor of the hallway.



“What are you talking about?” Maimi asked finally as they rode one of the women-only cars on the Sobu line into Tokyo from Airi’s home in Chiba.

After hearing Airi’s condition, Maimi had walked straight out of the attic. Airi was right behind, close enough at least to catch Kamei and Shige from trying to stop her, since they had been set to guard the room. To her credit, Maimi ignored them, and thankfully they didn’t come across any others on their way outside. Now, after Maimi had led them onto the train into the city, Airi could only wonder at where they were going. She quietly watched Maimi as the Circle member, and who knew what else by now, looked anxiously through the windows from time to time as if they would be late for something.

“What am I talking about?” Airi asked quietly, pleased that she might finally be able to explain more to the girl. To her surprise, Maimi’s eyes focused on her and she quickly grabbed her hand and held onto it tightly.

“Before we left that… that house,” Maimi said, her nose scrunching as if disgusted at the remembrance.

“That house…” Airi responded thinly. “Is my house.”

Maimi’s face suddenly relaxed completely, and she looked to Airi apologetically. “I’m sorry. I mean… what are you talking about ‘going as Skulls’? Those girls who hate us? Whatever…” she said, shaking her head. “It’s still you and me and...”

“Maimi,” Airi said firmly, cupping both her hands around the one holding her own. The older girl was a bit antsy, but after Airi’s promise seemed to be, as Airi had hoped, at least willing to comply. “I need you to understand what the Skulls are.”

“What they are?” she responded blankly. “They’re bullies that torture defenseless children. What could they matter?”

“Maimi,” Airi repeated. “I am a Skull.”

“Nonsense,” Maimi said, completely under her spell even though she was not within the thrall of any of Airi’s magic. “You’re too nice. You’re sweet.” She smiled over at her. “You’re wonderful.”

Airi’s heart gave a little leap at the flattery from the one she loved, but held her ground. “Oh really?” she chided. “Do you forget the things I’ve done to you already? I tried to rip your soul apart!”

Maimi fell back slightly, a haunted look flickering within her eyes as she winced at the memory. “But you said you were just trying to help me… even though I of course didn’t need it,” she followed up quickly.

Airi felt the hand reflexively trying to pull away from her own, though she kept it held tightly between them. “You have no idea of the kinds of things I’m capable of…” she said, trying to wrap a commanding aura around her as she stared hard into Maimi’s eyes. Maimi began to look somewhat fearful again. “Then again, that’s part of what drew you to me, wasn’t it? You saw it before anyone else did…”

She let go with one of her hands and raised it to the older girl’s chin, lifting it slightly as she continued staring into her eyes. Maimi gazed back, transfixed, until she seemed to come back to herself and pulled away, blushing and looking around them self-consciously. It was toward the end of the morning rush hour, and the car was full of other women, but focused on their own lives, they didn’t pay two perhaps “overfriendly” schoolgirls any mind.

“Maybe,” Maimi said, looking down at their hands that were still held atop her knee. “I knew you were special.”

“I am special,” Airi said. She waited until the girl looked back up to her. She wanted to make sure she had her full attention. “That’s what I’m trying to explain to you about the Skulls.”

“What does that have to do with the Skulls?” Maimi asked, a hint of disgust still in her voice at saying the name.

Airi sat back, pondering the words to explain what she wanted Maimi to know. “I don’t even fully understand it yet, but we have power that was given to us by our ancestors long ago…” She decided not to tell Maimi yet about Mari’s claim about herself being descended directly from Amaterasu, something that she’d come to believe recently, but still wasn’t sure whether she liked.

Maimi perked up. “So you’re like us, how we’re the heirs of the founders of Seishin, and their power.”

“Well…” Airi responded. She still wasn’t quite sure of that connection yet. “In a way.”

“But you’re not like them. They must get their power from evil people. You’re not evil…”

“Some of our ancestors were persecuted long ago by…” She paused. “…by those in power at the time. Ancient Japan, in the time of Himiko, was a place of mysticism and magic.” Her eyes adopted a faraway look. “There was chaos because nobody had enough power to bring it under central rule. The Emperor had no real authority, so those with the respected and feared mystical power fought for it. There were some that had more power than others… more perhaps Divine Right to the rule.

“Some worked in the open, but some preferred the shadows. There was no hope for them as they were, so they had to hope for the future. Unfortunately through that time, the ‘power from the shadows’ came to mean something different in the school that was somehow central to it all. As for now, I think that future has come…” She paused a moment again. “They’re my sisters…” she said, still staring off into nothing.

Silence dragged out for a minute, Airi thinking sadly on past events, and Maimi trying to make sense of what she was saying. “But you… you have different parents… don’t you?” she asked suspiciously. “I mean you… and Natsuyaki…” Her nose scrunched up again in distaste.

Airi snapped out of her pseudo-trance and turned to Maimi, stifling a giggle. “Yes, silly. We’re not literally sisters. But… I know…” She tried to choose her words carefully to avoid giving away too much. “That ancient power we have, the original people it came from were siblings. Nobody before us though has been a direct descendant of that power. It’s more like… a reincarnation. That’s why I feel the sisterly bond to them.”

“That’s still weird, Airi,” Maimi said, her eyebrows narrowing in a scolding look.

“It took me a while to figure out who I truly was…” Airi continued, staring deeply into Maimi’s eyes. “And what I want.”

Maimi swallowed, and beneath Airi’s spell, seemed to come to a realization that had escaped Airi. Her eyes widened slightly. “The red Sun…” she said, never breaking Airi’s gaze. “It doesn’t mean what they… what we… thought it did, does it?” Her eyes began to reflect an image of wonder and awe. “…Who are you?”

Airi smiled. Had she finally swayed the girl? Before she could respond though, a jolt deposited Airi into Maimi’s lap as the train skidded suddenly to a halt. Maimi fell against the window slightly as well, and they heard cries from other passengers at the unexpected motion. When they recovered, Airi’s head lay against Maimi’s leg, and she wrapped her arms around the girl’s waist, pleased at her warmth.

“What the…” Maimi said, craning her neck to look out the window. “We’re somewhere in Sumida…”

The doors to the train opened, and silhouettes rose up of a few stiff figures stepping in. Airi’s comfy smile faded, and she sat up, if with an arm still around Maimi’s waist. She could now see that uniformed policemen had entered the train, and her body tensed. She was ready for them, but she was still not looking forward to the confrontation. Did they actually stop a train just to catch her?

One of the men, the one most decorated in fact, caught her eye, and he gestured for the two who flanked him to lead him over to the two girls. Each of the men except for the one Airi thought must be the Captain felt the cold steel at their belts nervously, though she didn’t detect fear in their eyes as much as… awe, for some reason.

Maimi straightened as if to address them, but the Captain’s eyes met Airi’s. “I take it you are… Suzuki-san?” he asked, in a carefully controlled voice of his own, and the three men bowed their greetings to her.

Airi stared back at him, feeling Maimi give a look of puzzlement beside her. “Yes…” she said, trying to sound confident even though she was about to be arrested. At least, she tagged that as their intent, even though the bowing seemed rather out-of-place.

“Would you come with us please? We have someone who wants to see you,” the Captain continued.

“You are not going to arrest her,” Maimi stated in a surprisingly authoritative tone. “I am Maimi Yajima, a Supreme Director at Central, and—”

“Please,” the Captain interrupted, to Maimi’s chagrin. Airi could feel that temper of hers give a flare at the rudeness. He still didn’t even look at her though as he gazed fixedly at Airi. “She is not under arrest. There is just someone who… greatly wishes to see you.”

Airi’s eyes became unfocused momentarily as she noticed another presence standing back toward the doorway, a man not in a uniform but in what looked like a very expensive suit. He was watching them along with the rest of the quietly chattering passengers of the train. His scrutiny betrayed iron-hard attention though.

She felt that Maimi was about to burst out in anger, but instead, Airi gave her a squeeze around the waist that made her hesitate, and Airi spoke up, “I can’t imagine why someone would want to see me,” she said meekly. “But,” she continued, raising her eyebrows as she indicated the stopped train they were in, “It sounds like an offer I can’t refuse.”

The Captain seemed to sigh with relief, as his men did as well, though they were carefully studying the ground as if afraid to meet the girls’ eyes. Airi stood, pulling a worried Maimi up behind her, and she noticed the men’s gaze rise to their legs. “This way, then,” he said, and they walked toward the man in the suit. Airi was glad to have the eyes on their legs gone; some people were just positively indecent!

She turned to Maimi and shrugged, giving a “What can you do?” smile. Maimi’s stern, heated gaze in return excited her, but she just pulled her on after the Captain, her curiosity about the man in the suit perhaps overriding her rational sense. After all, even if this was a trap, what did she have to worry about?



Risako stared at Miyabi wide-eyed as they shared a drink over Airi’s dining table. “She did what?” Her composure was once again shaken, and she felt as if she was reverting back to her old, scared self again. She could even barely hold a grip on her flail. Her timid-ness hadn’t changed, but what she cared about did. At least that was what she thought…

Miyabi stared back at her levelly, raising the glass of some kind of orange punch back to her lips for a long swig. “Yeah,” she said afterward. “Natsuyaki Miyabi, beaten at her own game. If Reina were to hear about this…” She lowered her chin nearly to the table, a scowl twisting the corner of her mouth. “That’s what a Skull is, little girl.”

“She did what?” Risako asked, her mind striving its best still to wrap around the concept. She hadn’t believed it before, even after she knew by Miyabi’s actions it was true, but it took her actually saying it to get through. How could Airi do this to her? Her best friend! Of course they were dating… and it’s not like she ever told Airi what she felt… She flushed. Miyabi was right; she was acting like a little girl.

Miyabi eyed her over her glass. “Why do I feel like you’re taking this harder than I am? Oh that’s right, you had a crush on me, didn’t you.” She looked back to her class, for the first time appearing a bit uncomfortable.

For her part, Risako flushed. “I…” she began, but was distracted by the crack of what sounded like a gunshot from toward the front of the house.

She exchanged a wide-eyed glance with Miyabi, and they ran out into the hall, another shot blasting as they did. Miyabi wrapped an arm protectively around Risako’s shoulders – an action that made Risako quite self-conscious – and the two slowly made their way toward a doorway through which the sounds of shouting seemed to be coming.

“Where is she?!” came a high-pitched yell from a voice Risako didn’t recognize.

“We told you, she’s not here!” came a voice she did recognize in response, although it sounded very desperate. “Please, you have to listen to us!”

The two girls finally reached the doorway and peered around it, to see a rather small girl with a mole in the center of her throat holding a pistol in front of her aimed at a cowering Erina, who was crouched over a heavily breathing Konatsu she was supporting up from the floor. Konatsu had blood soaking through her shirt at her shoulder. Maasa lay apparently unconscious in a chair across the room, Anri kneeling with her hand pressed to a spot just above the right side of her waist.

The gunner looked torn between fury and horror at what she was doing, but she held her weapon steady. A slightly taller girl stood behind her with a sword raised in her hands as if to give close-range support. Erina was the one who spoke, and she gave a hard, brave stare at the two threatening girls.

“Why should I believe you?” the girl with the gun asked, her voice seeming tight. “You’re with them. Why shouldn’t I just shoot the other two of you and take a look for myself?”

Risako looked up to Miyabi, whose brows were knit in intense concentration. “I can’t get into her head,” Miyabi whispered soft as a feather to her. “The emotion within her is so intense, it’s overwhelming anything I try to do. I could try the one behind her, but I have a better idea.” She turned to look at Risako. “Stay here.” Then she turned back, her arm pulling away from Risako’s waist.

Before she could perform whatever action it was she intended though, the front door burst open and another girl ran in. Risako gasped. This girl she also recognized, but was one she never would have expected to see here.

“Stop it, Yuukarin!” Aika yelled as she skidded to a stop at the edge of the rug near the door. “You’re—”

She cut off though as another gunshot rang loud in the air. At the sudden noise, the anxious attacker had spun toward the door and fired without even registering who had arrived.

Aika stumbled back, holding a hand to her chest and looking disbelievingly down at it before sliding down the doorframe hard to the floor, quickly losing consciousness.

“Stay back!” the girl with the sword yelled, keeping her composure, warning Erina who had half-risen as if to take her opportunity on the shooter.

For her part, the shooter – Yuuka did Aika say she was? – stared at the girl at the door as she slumped forward. Risako was staring in a very similar manner, and she felt Miyabi tense beside her, still unmoving apparently at the shock.

“Why were you here…?” Yuuka asked in a terrified voice, before turning back to the others in the room, pointing the gun back at Erina. “See what you made me do? So tell me where she is! Now!”

“Shoot her leg,” the other girl murmured to her. “She’s not gonna say anything otherwise.”

Before anyone made another move though, there was a flash from across the room as two girls jumped from the doorway opposite where Risako and Miyabi hid. The attackers couldn’t turn quickly enough before Junjun and Linlin had knocked them down to the floor. The gun flew from Yuuka’s hand and slid to land not far from where Miyabi stood. The other girl kept her grip on the sword, but couldn’t swing it in time, so Junjun ended up fighting with her for it. Linlin looked like she wanted to help, but she had her hands full with trying to keep the frantically struggling Yuuka pinned down.

“Stay here,” Miyabi said suddenly, and she stepped into the room to pick up the gun, which Erina had first jumped to head toward. When she saw Miyabi with it though, she went deferentially back to her charge. Miyabi tried to aim the gun at the invaders, but couldn’t get a clear shot as the two Chinese girls continued fighting with them.

“That’s enough!” came another voice from the opposite door, and Reina strolled commandingly into the room. She threw up her hands, apparently causing vines to burst up through the floor and wrap tightly around Yuuka and her partner. Junjun and Linlin jumped back from the girls they fought with, as they were quickly rendered incapacitated by the sudden growth of vegetation. Risako gave a fleeting thought to Airi’s floor, which now would have sizable holes right inside the front entrance, as well as smaller ones back in the hallway.

Reina took at look over at Maasa and Konatsu as she stalked into the room, before turning a fiery gaze onto the two now helpless and terrified girls. Thunder crashed outside the house quite loudly, but it didn’t take the volume for Risako to know the lightning was likely quite close indeed.

“What is the meaning of this?!” Reina demanded of the two, even though they couldn’t possibly respond now that the vines had completely encircled their bodies and were now snaking around their mouths. Miyabi started walking toward her, and Reina must have caught sight of her, as well as the fallen girl at the door, because she quickly left the trapped two and knelt down to Aika.

Please let her be in time… Risako prayed as she saw the remarkable Skull lay her hands on her friend. Even though Aika had betrayed them by siding with the Circle, she was still her close friend, as well as Airi’s and Chisato’s. Whenever one of the three wasn’t with another, she was usually hanging out with Aika. Plus, Risako didn’t know what had caused the girl to fly in after her supposed allies.

Miyabi, an even sterner and more tightly furious face on her than Reina – Risako in her empathy for the girl thinking that might partly have to do with the others beating her to the capture, as well as the attack on their comrades – walked up to Yuuka and poked the barrel of the gun to the side of her forehead. The vines had finally stopped growing just below their noses, giving the two barely enough space to breath. With the gun pressed to her, Risako could see Yuuka’s chest heave as well as hear a loud muffled cry as if she was truly scared to death. Despite what she’d just done, Risako suddenly began to feel a bit sorry for the girl.

“You’d better talk,” Miyabi growled as Reina concentrated on Aika. “If you don’t, I’m going to pull this trigger.” She cocked the gun as she held it there, and the girl’s cries increased as she tried unsuccessfully to talk through her muzzle. The other captive was shooting Miyabi a glare of the rawest hate. “No?” Miyabi asked. “Okay then…”

She’s going to do it… Risako thought in shock. She’s actually going to do it! “No!” she shouted, running into the room.

Miyabi’s eyes darted to her, and Risako could feel some of the hate and anger within them as well. “No?” she asked, then looked around the room. “Have you seen what she’s done in here?” She gestured toward the girl Reina was tending to. “She even shot her own friend. She’s only going to get what she deserves.” Risako didn’t detect any remorse in Miyabi’s voice – she had reached a breaking point, and she didn’t think anyone could stop what she was going to do next.

“Please…” Risako whined. “Don’t…”

Miyabi’s gaze didn’t waver though, and she turned back to her helpless victim, whose attempts at speech behind the vine’s grip now turned only to screams.



“You really don’t have to come, Nii-chan,” Ai said as they closed back in on the place they’d left in such an explosive way earlier in the day. “It could be dangerous.” In order to distract herself from the surgery Saki was currently having, she decided to try to go find Maimi. However, she wanted to stay true to the promise she’d made to Yuuka, and she would also be grateful for any support she could find that wasn’t a girl she loved and wanted protected at all costs. She glanced to the side at the determined Niigaki walking beside her. Since the last she knew of their other guards was that they were at Central, she thought it would be a good place to start. Plus, if nothing else, she had to make sure they were all okay.

“I go wherever you go,” Risa said in response to the concern she’d uttered at least five times along the way. She gave Ai a sidelong glance. “Especially to a place that might be dangerous.”

Ai smiled, though with caution. It touched her greatly that the girl felt as she did, but it also made protecting her very difficult sometimes.

After another few blocks, the building that housed Central appeared around a corner. Construction crews had already begun repairing the damage to the front, and the masses of people who seemed to always crowd the downtown street passed by with nary a glance as if there was again nothing out of the ordinary.

As they approached the structure, Ai raised her arm in front of Risa to gesture her back slightly behind her, a direction her girlfriend gave no complaint to. It didn’t look like anyone was waiting outside the building, but with Central the people you needed to pay the most attention to were usually the ones that managed to attract the least.

However, they walked unmolested up to the hole, and the construction staff even just gave them cursory glances as they continued their work. Ai found this odd, but didn’t complain, and instead started up the stairs with caution.

When they reached the landing, they looked around, but nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. She headed toward the administrative offices, and with a deep breath, and a gesture for Risa to stay well behind her, marched in, trying to wrap as much authority around her as she could.

Officers worked busily at their desks as always, but when the receptionist looked up at her, it wasn’t with the disinterested expression of one who didn’t want to meddle with matters of their top directors. Two officers, armed with rifles, stepped up from behind her before halting in front of the desk, staring at Ai warningly.

“Ai-chan…” Risa said, creeping up to her as door guards began coming in from the sides too.

Ai looked down so she could catch a glance at the girl behind her. “Stay back,” she said, but Risa kept her slow advance forward. I’m sorry, Nii-chan… she thought to herself, and a gust of wind suddenly whipped up behind her, knocking the girl back out the door as it slammed shut behind. Some of the officers’ weapons jerked up in response to her action, but when they saw it wasn’t intended for them, they held their fire.

Well, Ai thought, So much for the easy way. She’d hoped it wouldn’t have had to come to this, and she wasn’t even sure if she was up to the challenge. Suzuki might be able to stop bullets as they hurtled toward her, at least as far as she’d heard, but she didn’t know if her own powers were quite that reliable. The perception of her chances became especially dour as more and more officers came toward her with weapons drawn, as well as some differently-dressed people in suits. They still carried guns though, and somehow Ai got the impression they were even more dangerous than the officers.

She heard pounding on the door behind her of Risa likely trying to get in, but a current of wind she’d set against the door held it firmly closed. “I love you, Nii-chan…” she whispered to herself. She thought briefly of the poor girls they’d left behind, hoping their fate was better than hers looked to be.

She focused inward with intense concentration against the dull noise of the construction outside in an attempt to collect more power than she ever had before. If this was going to result in the end of her life, she would at least take as many of these traitors with her as possible.



Airi and Maimi walked hand-in-hand down the street in downtown Tokyo, still being led by the Captain and his two escorts. The main in the suit walked with the two of them on the other side of Airi.

They’d found out, unsurprisingly as far as Airi was concerned, that the man was apparently not the one who wanted to meet them. Who he was though was still quite a surprise. He introduced himself simply as Ken, and that he was a member of the Imperial Household Agency.

Airi had never met someone from the Agency before, but as with all Japanese, she of course knew of them. They were the caretakers of the royal family. What interest they would have in Airi troubled her greatly, and made her wonder at some of the memories she’d begun to acquire lately, as well as the things Mari had said.

Maimi stared fixedly ahead of them. Her attitude had completely changed when she learned their guide was from the Agency, and she had gone along with them willingly. Now, she walked as easily as the others, almost as if she knew the way.

Maimi must have caught her looking over at her, because she spoke up softly, “Yes, I know where we’re going. They’re taking us to the same place I was taking you – to meet Ai-chan and Saki.” She cast a glance across Airi to Ken. “I don’t know why they would be giving us the escort though…”

As they continued walking, Airi caught the odd sight of a building whose front door seemed instead to be a gaping hole. Surprisingly, their escort led them straight there, and they paused for a moment at the bottom of a set of stairs between some workers who were making quite a racket in apparent attempts at restoring the front doorway. Peering up at the blackened edges of the hole, but noticing that inside there was hardly a mark, Airi began to become suspicious about the cause of the rupture.

Maimi was peering around as well, but in surprise as well as, as always, thinly veiled anger. “What happened here?!” she snapped. “I thought this location was supposed to be secret?”

Ken turned to them and bowed an apology. “I apologize for the state of the entrance,” he said in his smooth, almost silky voice. “There was an… incident this morning. But I assure you, no expense is being spared in repairing the building as soon as possible.”

“I think it’s time you tell us why you’re here, Ken-san,” Maimi said, a hint of disrespect in her voice at their limited knowledge of who he was. She tilted her head toward the Captain and his officers. “I can understand them, but what is a member of the Imperial Household Agency doing here, now? I’m surprised you even know about this place.” She finished with a skeptical raised eyebrow at him.

Ken’s eyes flashed to Airi before returning to Maimi. Airi decided for the moment to let them have their discussion. He adopted a charming smile. “Of course we would know about such as this,” he said, and Airi noticed a bit of the imperial inflection in his voice. “Suzuki-san is a… very anticipated visitor to the premises.”

Maimi’s face adopted a dark expression. “Things must have changed then, because last I knew… last I directed… her or her friends would have been shot on sight if they came near.”

The man’s smile never faltered. “We did not expect you to be accompanying her, Yajima-san,” he said with a slight bow, as if that explained anything. Then he gestured to include them both. “Please, come with me into the building. I assure that your questions will be answered soon.”

“They’d better be…” Maimi grumbled, but Airi reached up to take hold of her arm before they went forward again.

“Maimi…” Airi said, peering into her face. “Where are we?” Despite the query, she had quite a firm idea of what the place must be.

“Don’t worry,” Maimi responded distractedly as she stared up the stairs, and patted Airi’s hand. “They won’t shoot you as long as I’m here.”

That’s not what I’m worried about… Airi thought. Something tugged at her inside, telling her that what was about to happen was vital to her destiny, but from the setting, she wasn’t sure she liked it one bit. Still, without further word, the two girls followed their formidable escort slowly up the stairs.

As they made their way indoors, they didn’t notice that outside clouds were rapidly forming above them, thunder beginning to roll gently from within. Those observant of the weather in the area recognized the pattern that soon began to swirl, even though they were amazed that it was occurring right above the city. It appeared to them as if a typhoon was forming in their midst.

Loser87

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Re: The Circle of Three [26: Through a Doorway, Truth and Skulls]
« Reply #227 on: July 26, 2008, 02:02:17 AM »
will come back to edit when my modem stops being a piece of crap =T

-edit-

That was one long chapter Rokun~
As expected of course hee..

Anyway, starting right off with Risako's POV on things no? haha, its cute how you included Chisato's and Asuna's interaction with eachother seeing as they are sisters. A nice touch lol.

But I always saw Asuna as more independent and I suppose a little more serious than Chisato but the way you wrote her as the cute and I suppose timid girl works too lol.

I have to wonder, Will you ever let Risako seperate from her flail? XDXDXD
It's like everytime you mention her, she always has her flail with her, like its her pride and joy, her child or something, as humorous as it is, you have to wonder if Risako will ever let it go XDXD.

But I suppose it is her pride and joy, since it is the weapon that helped her defend herself in battle and whatnot..

Continuing on, Questioning what a Skull really is.

We've been given idea's and perceptions of what the skulls are, Mari saying that they're there to keep control and defend the world against the circle's lust for power, the circle's view and students view in the earlier chapters that the skulls were nothing but a bunch of scumbags who enjoy bullying others.

But we've never got into depth of what they really are.

Are they really the scumbags as the school percieves them as, are they suppose to be vigilante-like heroes to defend against those who abuse their powers, or are they something...More.

Cute, how Chisato know's more about Risako than what she lets on. For example, Risako's feelings for Miyabi. I mean, she did her very best to hide those emotions and make it look more like disappointment than an unrequited type of love thing.

Shows how close they really are if Chisato is able to tell that Risako is head over heels for our dear Miyabi. Its also cute, when Chisato tells Risako that Airi and Miyabi broke up, Risako's initial thoughts are 'Miyabi and Airi broke up = Miyabi must have hurt Airi'

Instead of thinking of it as an oppurtunity to move in, she'd rather beat up the person that hurt her best friend =) really cute. (but obviously we know it was Airi who broke Miya's heart)

then there's that whole super cute Miyabi/Risako interaction where Risako wants to try to understand what Miyabi is going through while Miyabi just wants to know answers and the reasons why Airi would do such a thing.

Airi's desperate attempt to get Maimi onto the skulls side seems very futile, seeing as Maimi see's them as nothing but thugs and whatnot. Its possible that she could be swayed but Airi....more or less seems less like Airi lol..

Airi, I don't know but I got that feeling of her being more...Out there, using her knowledge that Maimi is totally into her to get her to sway and do things her way..Like a seductress really.

It could be that whole ancestor thing in her that's altering her personality a little but its a little surprising to see Airi be less timid-like, less I guess...what makes Airi lol.

I can't help but imagining though Airi will end up doing something incredibly stupid due to this I guess 'new' persona she has and endanger the chances of the skulls winning and defending the world but...I sort of doubt it =T just a feeling though.

LMAO at Risako's reaction when Miyabi explained what happened.

I can only guess it's either due to the fact that Airi was the one to do that whole one night stand thing and broke Miya's heart that made Risako go 'She did what?" or the fact Airi actually went through with having sex with Miyabi in the first place to make her say "she did what?"

In my opinion, I'd go with the latter XDXD

The gun scene was rather alarming and sort of unexpected, appeared out of no where lol.

But it was pretty cool, I laughed when Reina did that whole, "I'm almighty" bit with her vines and Risako's sudden thought of Airi's poor floor XDXD I like keeping that childish innocence you did with Risako, like 'oh no...Airi's gonna kill me if she see's her house...' typical best friend feeling lol.

I doubt Miyabi is going to go through with the shooting, its obvious she's very capable of going through with it but Risako in the way and her begging not to, Miyabi's not going to do it lol.

Afterall Miyabi thought of Risako as rather cute anyway.

Next up, Takahashi and Niigaki's little scene.

I can't help but think of Niigaki more like a dog than anything, following Ai everywhere and protecting her when she can like a good little dog. Its that blind loyalty that makes me think as the major flaw in the circle's conquest for world domination. =T

And captain well, she's clearly out of her mind and with a brain tumor (or was it cancer?) I can only imagine Captain's last attempt would end in a bang..

Takahashi and Maimi in my opinion are more likely to see the error in their ways and attempt at redemption once something horrible happens to them (ie. something bad happening to someone or something close to their heart =T)

Captain is quite an enigma, she doesn't really have anything that's close to her, her mind is set on one thing, and she most likely lost her mind a long time ago..Plus, you really don't know who she is, we're not clear of who she really is or was..

We know she has an objective and she'll kill anyone who gets in her way is all =T

We barely know what she was like before she was a circle or what goes in her mind really..
Something we'll probably find out in a last showdown I imagine when Captain is at the end of her rope.

MMmm the last scene, I can't say I enjoyed too much. I didn't really like the government involvement in something mystical such as the circle and skulls. I mean it's like trying to force teachings of god along side teachings of evolution lol.

It's just major clashing, especially when the government is very narrow-minded in such things, everything is thought as tactical and controlled when it can't be thought of as tactical or controlled.

It works here in this story but I get annoyed everytime I read an official being there or a group of soldiers its like, "gosh Airi could just blow them up right now..."

But either way whatever dude..

It was a cool chapter, lots of explantion done and even more questions rising.

props to ya' Lmao

Another epic comment for ya' (whoo!)

Now update on either story or I just might have to come after you with a chainsaw =T

=) the end XDXD
« Last Edit: July 26, 2008, 02:57:57 AM by Loser87 »

Offline Maimi_Yajima

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Re: The Circle of Three [26: Through a Doorway, Truth and Skulls]
« Reply #228 on: July 26, 2008, 03:50:00 AM »
Quote
She’s going to do it… Risako thought in shock. She’s actually going to do it! “No!” she shouted, running into the room.
Miyabi’s eyes darted to her, and Risako could feel some of the hate and anger within them as well. “No?” she asked, then looked around the room. “Have you seen what she’s done in here?” She gestured toward the girl Reina was tending to. “She even shot her own friend. She’s only going to get what she deserves.” Risako didn’t detect any remorse in Miyabi’s voice – she had reached a breaking point, and she didn’t think anyone could stop what she was going to do next.

“Please…” Risako whined. “Don’t…

Miyabi’s gaze didn’t waver though, and she turned back to her helpless victim, whose attempts at speech behind the vine’s grip now turned only to screams.

In this chapter the most showy thing Risako and Miyabi was.
Risako was the star in this chapter.
Miyabi was the girl who feels pain and this pain it seems to turn slowly into rancor and anger.
Miyabi...
I will be too attentive to her.
I did not know this dark side of Miyabi.
Good, perhaps this dark part of Miyabi begins to go out.


Cruel Miyabi was too with Yuka.
Poor  of Yuka to meet Miyabi. Truly it was an inopportune moment to come across with Miyabi.

Yuka also had a big participation in this chapter!!
The way which I enter the secret storage of the Skulls.
The way that began to do damage everything for to find the person who loves. ' Maimi Yajima '
Tanaka was calm in this chapter, she do not torture Aika.
I am afraid for the life of Aika.
It was notable that Risako has fondness to Aika.
Risako considers her to be his friend.
Ai and Niigaki  Shut up in his romance!!
Maimi and Airi: to where were they going?
I hope that Yuka should not be dead...

Risako was to love in this chapter!
The pride of Risako and the attitude that it had was incredible!
Risako is a girl who thinks a mature way.
It is an emotion to see more Risako taking part in the chapters!

Airi reporting to Maimi the history of the Skulls.
It was interesting.
It is seen that airi it worries too much for the past of his forefathers.
The person who wanted to see Airi is very mysterious.
I hope that there should be more emotion in the next chapter on Maimi and Airi.


Airi has a bad foreboding...
What will this mysterious man show to Airi?
Because he wants to see her?
What will happen when Maimi and Miyabi are face to face?
The meetings of Maimi and Miyabi are always short.

Maimi and Miyabi are declared rivals and enemies up to the death.
Miyabi always hurts and hurts the persons who surround to Maimi.
First it was Saki and now Yuka.
It is as if Miyabi wanted to hurt too much everything what it surrounds to Maimi.

Risako was trying to stop the character of Miyabi.
Airi and was trying to stop the character of Maimi in the train.
Maimi Miyabi and its incredible strong character.
When Maimi and Miyabi are face to face strong earth tremble.




There are many hanging things even...
Maimi is not entereda on the tumor of Saki, is not informed that the police officers attacked those of the Circle, is not informed that Airi is a daughter of Amaterasu, is not informed that Miyabi tortures   to  Yuka.

And also this another point.
what will happen with Chisato and Tanaka?

What will happen with the operation of the tumor of Saki Shimizu?

but...
the most curious thing this man is.
What will do them to Airi and Maimi??
or not!!!
Will they be in danger???
A little on the destination???
It is seen that Airi and Maimi will have a lot of together adventures!!!
Incredible Airi went away with Maimi of tour!!
That one if it is a love!!

The absence of Airi is evident in the perfection in the skulls.
When this Airi everything is different.
Airi does not allow to torture the persons.
Risako in this chapter took the position of Airi.
In stopping to the Skulls.

Although I think that Tanaka  to will detain Miyabi.
or Risako perhaps.
Miyabi is unrecognizable in this chapter...
It is the side of the evil!!!!


Risako, Ai, Maimi, Tanaka and Airi are the best!!!
Risako either it has turned into a favorite personage for me, either he shares the position with Ai Takahashi, Maimi Yajima, Reina Tanaka and Airi Suzuki!!

Second personage favorite: Miyabi Natsuyaki , Niigaki Risa and Saki Shimizu and Yuka Maeda.


I wait that not so much delay in writing the next chapter!
MO!





« Last Edit: July 26, 2008, 08:52:34 PM by Maimi_Yajima »
" a look can say more than words" and " a look can even denude the heart"

Offline mode107

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Re: The Circle of Three [26: Through a Doorway, Truth and Skulls]
« Reply #229 on: July 26, 2008, 05:06:30 AM »
Wow.  That whole fun fight was the highlight of this chapter. 
ok, Yuuka with a gun, pointing at Erina. I kinda pictured that scene as a bit funny as first, but then I just got really into it.  It's scary seeing Yuuka like that, and all cuz she was searching for Maimi.

I like the way you described how Aika was shot, and went down.  Hope she lives, though the chances seem unlikely.   At least Erina wasn't shot.  ^-^

I don't think I fully understood Maimi's disgust about Airi house (before she was told it was Airi's) :lol:

I'm sensing a showdown coming up sometime  :w00t:
"Under the beautiful blue sky"

Offline berryzkouboumm1989

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Re: The Circle of Three [26: Through a Doorway, Truth and Skulls]
« Reply #230 on: July 26, 2008, 06:40:18 AM »
What a.....GREAT CHAPTER THAT WAS!!!WOOT!I'm still a little bummed from the last chapter how Airi went for Maimi instead...

This chapter was very interesting.I hope that Aika survives though.Well I can't think of what to say anymore, but I really enjoyed this chapter.Keep it up! :mon lovelaff:

Offline strawb3rrykream

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Re: The Circle of Three [26: Through a Doorway, Truth and Skulls]
« Reply #231 on: July 26, 2008, 06:51:34 AM »
Uwaaa~
Asuna-chan sounds so cute and Chisato seems like a good big sister. To me, Chisa really knows what it is to be a Skull. Risako is still carrying that thing around? :lol: But I can see why Miya is so pissed. Especially when Risako asks why she did what she did to Airi. Airi's the one who betrayed her (kinda) and broke her heart. Speaking of Airi, her and Maimi.... :thumbdown: I don't know why but it just seems weird. So the Skulls are descendants of Amaterasu? And the Circle are descendants of the founders of Seishin? The man kinda freaked me out too. I thought she was gonna be arrested. Oshit, Yuuka and a gun?! :shocked: Who was the one with the sword? Because Aika came in after, so it's not her. Can't believe YUUKA of all ppl is going around being reckless with a weapon! But then again, she's in love with Maimi and love makes you do insane things. Hate to see what happens when she finds out about Airi. Ouch. But she may never find out if Miya blows her brains out. So where is this place that Ai-chan and Gaki are at? Who are these guys with guns? I'm confused~ Wait....she's gonna kill them with her powers, but she might die too? NOOOOO!!! :cry: I mean, I know she's a Circle member but we've already lost so many ppl. Gaki needs you, Ai-chan! Don't do it! Oshit again, Airi and Maimi are being led to the same place that the other two already are at?! I'm afraid about what's gonna happen!!!! Hold on....Ai-chan's doing the weather thing isn't she???? AHHHHHHHH~ 8)
Good update, btw! XD

Offline Maimi_Yajima

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Re: The Circle of Three [26: Through a Doorway, Truth and Skulls]
« Reply #232 on: July 26, 2008, 08:39:48 PM »
  So the Skulls are descendants of Amaterasu? And the Circle are descendants of the founders of Seishin? The man kinda freaked me out too.

I have the same doubts that he.

But ...
Those who worry me most in this chapter are Yuka, Aika, Airi and Maimi.
It also gave me a great curiosity  he mysterious man. He captain.
The story continues to unfold in an excellent way, spectacular!
The suspense, mystery and love and the revelations are at the maximum in this story!
Miyabi ...
Miyabi is a character who always knows what she wants and desires.
It's good to see someone like Miyabi.

Always seem weak, even I thought that the skull Miyabi is weakest.
but ...
Now I think differently ...
but ...
The love of Airi was always Maimi.
Since the beginning of this story began to Airi and Maimi.

Just who were separated by the problems began to arise between the Circle and the skull.
But ...
When someone is attracted to someone at the outset is hard to forget.
Always remains stored in a hidden part as the heart.
Airi  never forget to Maimi. :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart: :wub: :wub: :wub: :wub: :wub:


Airi before  could see it clearly did not know where to be directed.
Now you see a Airi safest and clear!
It sees an Airi sure what She wants.
A strong Airi, and this  me excited!!!!!!!!!!

Airi was strong in knowing that is what she wants.
    And it was sincere in talking with Miyabi and tell their true feelings.
It was wonderful to speak to the truth to Miyabi.
That was a sincere act.
Miyabi but only wanted to be next to Airi, was wrapped in his passion.
Airi is a noble girl.
To speak the truth with the person you want is not bad.
Malo that would have followed in that ilucion which remained in Miyabi.
My view is:
Being with someone who does not love ...
That would be wrong if ...
Airi does not love to Miyabi.



Before I only inetesaba Maimi in history.
Only Maimi.
Even still interest me much Maimi.
but ...
Now more people interest me.
Now I am interested in all the characters!
But ...
Always Maimi, Airi, Tanaka, Takahashi will be my number one!

The battles that arise in this story is the action!
With only thinking about the next chapter!
I feel my heart beating strongly!
I am excited !!!!!

This story is excellent!
battles and romance.
Deaths, passion, loves,pain, bitterness, anger, happiness, hatred, cruelty.
It is a mixture of everything!
It is incredible as Rokun manages and directs all those sentiments in this story!

Now I want to see how developed  Risako and Miyabi!
awaits them with these two girls together!


Maimi and Airi. :heart: :heart: :heart: :heart:
Ai and Risa. :heart: :heart: :heart:
Miyabi and Risako :heart: :heart: :heart:
« Last Edit: July 27, 2008, 02:55:16 AM by Maimi_Yajima »
" a look can say more than words" and " a look can even denude the heart"

Offline JFC

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Re: The Circle of Three [26: Through a Doorway, Truth and Skulls]
« Reply #233 on: July 27, 2008, 04:51:04 AM »
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Wow, JFC, and I wasn't even expecting the comments from you after you said you were taking your break! Thank you for including mine in "those fics" you'd put the effort into, at least a little. ^____^ Not that this was a little effort...
Considering your epic chapters, you make it hard for me NOT to do it. :D

Honestly though, right now I can't remember anything that I said in that post without scrolling up and actually looking at it. XD





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“Have you seen Miyakko?” Chisato asked. Risako shook her head.

...

“I wouldn’t say she’s scary, but she’s definitely in a bad mood.”
Well, you can't really blame her.  :sweatdrop:



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“Is she?” Risako asked, as she polished the head of her flail. She wasn’t exactly sure why she was so obsessive over polishing it, when it was only likely to get stained again rather quickly with the life they seemed to lead now. Perhaps it was just because she liked things clean. They did of course have to be just so. “And by the way, if you start calling her Miyakko now…”
Jeez. Jealous Socko is probably enough of a mystery. But give jealous Socko a weapon (that she's adept at using, nonetheless), and now it's just worrisome.



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“I know how you feel about Miyakko,” Chisato explained. “I don’t want you to go and do anything stupid.”

Risako spun toward her, holding the handle to the flail in front of her chest, her fingers clenched tightly around it. “And you think I’m less likely to do something stupid now?”

...

“I think it’s best if you know the truth,” she said evenly.
Well, the way I see it, that depends on 2 things:
a) who would she have done the stupid thing to/in front of, and
b) what exactly qualifies as "stupid". :P

Is Socko going to try and swoop in now? Remember that she had already confessed to Miyabi in a previous chapter. If she did this and they did end up together, would they really be happy? In all likelihood Socko would just be the "rebound" girl.  Would she be okay with that?

Chisato's right though in that it's better that Socko know the truth. Wouldn't want to risk a misunderstanding now, considering how she's got a connection to both Miyabi AND Airi.



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Eventually she saw the girl from her thoughts emerging into the hall from one of the toilets. She was hunched over as if brooding, and seemed to disregard her surroundings. With a heave at the handle, Risako lifted the flail head from where it drug behind her to arc up near the ceiling and fall hard to the ground, making a not insignificant hole in the floor.

...

At the crash of the flail into the floor, Miyabi nearly jumped and turned around to stare at her. The girl brought her arms up to her chest to cross them. “What do you want,” she growled in a mean voice.

“I want to know what you did to Airin!” Risako demanded, fury welling up in her eyes as she stared at the Skull, the Skull she feared so much, as well as the one she felt so much for.
Uh oh, looks like I spoke too soon. :O



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Miyabi stared back as if she were insane. “What I did to her?” she asked incredulously. “What I did to her?!?”

“I heard you broke up,” Risako said through thin lips. “She’s my friend, and I won’t have you hurting her like that!”

Miyabi’s lips turned up in a vile-looking lopsided grin. “Oh, you won’t have me hurting her, will you?”
Ooooooooooooh boy.

I guess because of Socko's own feelings about Miyabi, it never occured to her that Airi would be the one to break things off, and that Miyabi was the "hurt" one. :(



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She looked hard into Risako’s eyes. “You don’t understand pain.”

Risako looked back into that fierce gaze, and she finally saw the truth in those eyes. Chisato was right; such knowledge was important. “I’m sorry…” she whispered, and Miyabi released her wrist to take a step toward the wall, laying a hand on it to support her up as she leaned against it, her eyes downcast.
* JFC sees light bulb flashing above Socko's head.



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She’s a truer Skull than I am.”

“That’s not true,” Risako said, reaching a hand tentatively up to rest on Miyabi’s shoulder. When the girl didn’t try to push her away, she squeezed lightly but firmly. “But… there’s a lot I still don’t know. Teach me what a Skull is?” she asked pleadingly, stepping closer to the older girl. “Help me understand your pain?”

Miyabi’s face turned slowly back toward Risako’s. She swallowed as she looked back into those eyes, eyes that now appeared completely different than just a minute ago. They were no longer intense; they were hollow.

“Maybe then you’ll be able to tell me ‘why’…” the Skull whispered in response, before letting Risako guide her away, her just-polished flail left behind buried halfway in the floor of the hallway.
Socko = :k-sad:
Miyabi =  :k-sad:



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what are you talking about ‘going as Skulls’? Those girls who hate us? Whatever…” she said, shaking her head. “It’s still you and me and...”

“Maimi,” Airi said firmly, cupping both her hands around the one holding her own. The older girl was a bit antsy, but after Airi’s promise seemed to be, as Airi had hoped, at least willing to comply. “I need you to understand what the Skulls are.”

“What they are?” she responded blankly. “They’re bullies that torture defenseless children. What could they matter?”
In war, they often say that the best weapon one can have is to know and understand their enemy.  All that Maimi thinks she knows about The Skulls is just based on their school rep and what they were told by other Circle members (which would obviously lead to their perspectives being skewed by what they heard). In all likelihood, none of The Circle members know the actual historical background of The Skulls, and how they're actually connected with them. 



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“I don’t even fully understand it yet, but we have power that was given to us by our ancestors long ago…” She decided not to tell Maimi yet about Mari’s claim about herself being descended directly from Amaterasu, something that she’d come to believe recently, but still wasn’t sure whether she liked.
Yeah, it's probably better that she take this slowly. If she just came out and told Maimi she was the descendant of Ameretsu Maimi would probably either laugh at her in disbelief or panic.



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*AIRI'S STORY*
Nicely done. It's better to avoid naming names right now, since doing so might lead to a bit of trouble if certain sides are implied as being the "bad" side instead of the "good" one.



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She paused a moment again. “They’re my sisters…” she said, still staring off into nothing.

Silence dragged out for a minute, Airi thinking sadly on past events, and Maimi trying to make sense of what she was saying. “But you… you have different parents… don’t you?” she asked suspiciously. “I mean you… and Natsuyaki…” Her nose scrunched up again in distaste.
Well, duh, not literally.
:mon lol:



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“Yes, silly. We’re not literally sisters. But… I know…” She tried to choose her words carefully to avoid giving away too much. “That ancient power we have, the original people it came from were siblings. Nobody before us though has been a direct descendant of that power. It’s more like… a reincarnation. That’s why I feel the sisterly bond to them.”

“That’s still weird, Airi,” Maimi said, her eyebrows narrowing in a scolding look.
No more weird than the closeness that The Circle members have probably shared.  :roll:



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Before she could respond though, a jolt deposited Airi into Maimi’s lap as the train skidded suddenly to a halt. Maimi fell against the window slightly as well, and they heard cries from other passengers at the unexpected motion. When they recovered, Airi’s head lay against Maimi’s leg, and she wrapped her arms around the girl’s waist, pleased at her warmth.

“What the…” Maimi said, craning her neck to look out the window. “We’re somewhere in Sumida…”

The doors to the train opened, and silhouettes rose up of a few stiff figures stepping in. Airi’s comfy smile faded, and she sat up, if with an arm still around Maimi’s waist. She could now see that uniformed policemen had entered the train, and her body tensed. She was ready for them, but she was still not looking forward to the confrontation. Did they actually stop a train just to catch her?
Oh crap. The Commissioner probably had arrest warrants put out on all The Circle members, not to mention the ones that were already on The Skulls.
:mon scare:



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“You are not going to arrest her,” Maimi stated in a surprisingly authoritative tone. “I am Maimi Yajima, a Supreme Director at Central, and—”
Oops. Maimi doesn't know about what went down there earlier. :doh:



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“Please,” the Captain interrupted, to Maimi’s chagrin. Airi could feel that temper of hers give a flare at the rudeness. He still didn’t even look at her though as he gazed fixedly at Airi. “She is not under arrest. There is just someone who… greatly wishes to see you.”
Eh? That was unexpected.  :?



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Airi’s eyes became unfocused momentarily as she noticed another presence standing back toward the doorway, a man not in a uniform but in what looked like a very expensive suit. He was watching them along with the rest of the quietly chattering passengers of the train. His scrutiny betrayed iron-hard attention though.
Hmmmm...a new player to the game?



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The Captain seemed to sigh with relief, as his men did as well, though they were carefully studying the ground as if afraid to meet the girls’ eyes. Airi stood, pulling a worried Maimi up behind her, and she noticed the men’s gaze rise to their legs. “This way, then,” he said, and they walked toward the man in the suit. Airi was glad to have the eyes on their legs gone; some people were just positively indecent!

She turned to Maimi and shrugged, giving a “What can you do?” smile.
Pervs.
:on lol:



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Risako stared at Miyabi wide-eyed as they shared a drink over Airi’s dining table. “She did what?”

...

 “Yeah,” she said afterward. “Natsuyaki Miyabi, beaten at her own game. If Reina were to hear about this…” She lowered her chin nearly to the table, a scowl twisting the corner of her mouth. “That’s what a Skull is, little girl.”

“She did what?” Risako asked, her mind striving its best still to wrap around the concept.
Socko = :stunned:
Miyabi = :mon unsure:
Socko = :stunned: :stunned: :stunned:

Like I said earlier, it's hard for Socko to conceive, let alone believe that Airi would break up with Miyabi.



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Miyabi eyed her over her glass. “Why do I feel like you’re taking this harder than I am? Oh that’s right, you had a crush on me, didn’t you.” She looked back to her class, for the first time appearing a bit uncomfortable.
:mon sweat:



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For her part, Risako flushed. “I…” she began, but was distracted by the crack of what sounded like a gunshot from toward the front of the house.

She exchanged a wide-eyed glance with Miyabi, and they ran out into the hall, another shot blasting as they did. Miyabi wrapped an arm protectively around Risako’s shoulders – an action that made Risako quite self-conscious – and the two slowly made their way toward a doorway through which the sounds of shouting seemed to be coming.
A gun?   Sunnovabitch, the cops track them down? :shocked:



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“Where is she?!” came a high-pitched yell from a voice Risako didn’t recognize.

“We told you, she’s not here!” came a voice she did recognize in response, although it sounded very desperate. “Please, you have to listen to us!”
High-pitched?

Okay, probably not the cops. But then, who is it, and who are they looking for?



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The two girls finally reached the doorway and peered around it, to see a rather small girl with a mole in the center of her throat holding a pistol in front of her aimed at a cowering Erina, who was crouched over a heavily breathing Konatsu she was supporting up from the floor. Konatsu had blood soaking through her shirt at her shoulder. Maasa lay apparently unconscious in a chair across the room, Anri kneeling with her hand pressed to a spot just above the right side of her waist.

The gunner looked torn between fury and horror at what she was doing, but she held her weapon steady. A slightly taller girl stood behind her with a sword raised in her hands as if to give close-range support. Erina was the one who spoke, and she gave a hard, brave stare at the two threatening girls.
Okay, so we've got 2 intruders, and one of them has shot one of the girls who were staying at the mansion.

Sounds like we've got someone that's either really coldhearted, or really desperate. And the fact that it was said that she was screaming, I'd say it was likely to be the latter.



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“Why should I believe you?” the girl with the gun asked, her voice seeming tight. “You’re with them. Why shouldn’t I just shoot the other two of you and take a look for myself?”

Risako looked up to Miyabi, whose brows were knit in intense concentration. “I can’t get into her head,” Miyabi whispered soft as a feather to her. “The emotion within her is so intense, it’s overwhelming anything I try to do. I could try the one behind her, but I have a better idea.” She turned to look at Risako. “Stay here.” Then she turned back, her arm pulling away from Risako’s waist.
Well, it has been said that a calm mind works best when trying to work with telepathy. If Miyabi's having trouble getting a feel for this person, then he/she must really be "worked up."


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Before she could perform whatever action it was she intended though, the front door burst open and another girl ran in. Risako gasped. This girl she also recognized, but was one she never would have expected to see here.

“Stop it, Yuukarin!” Aika yelled as she skidded to a stop at the edge of the rug near the door. “You’re—”

She cut off though as another gunshot rang loud in the air. At the sudden noise, the anxious attacker had spun toward the door and fired without even registering who had arrived.

Aika stumbled back, holding a hand to her chest and looking disbelievingly down at it before sliding down the doorframe hard to the floor, quickly losing consciousness.
OCRAP IT'S YUUKA!!! SHE MUST BE LOOKING FOR MAIMI WHO HASN'T COME BACK YET!!!

AND OMGASS NOW SHE'S SHOT AIKA TOO!!! SOMEONE CALL REINA!!!
:mon wtf::mon wtf::mon wtf:



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“See what you made me do? So tell me where she is! Now!”

“Shoot her leg,” the other girl murmured to her. “She’s not gonna say anything otherwise.”
Okay, just who IS this other girl with Yuuka, and why do I get the feeling that SHE was the one who got her all worked up and who convinced her to come here to shoot up the place?

* JFC tries to remember if Yuuka was left with anyone when Aichan gave her that guard duty.



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“That’s enough!” came another voice from the opposite door, and Reina strolled commandingly into the room. She threw up her hands, apparently causing vines to burst up through the floor and wrap tightly around Yuuka and her partner. Junjun and Linlin jumped back from the girls they fought with, as they were quickly rendered incapacitated by the sudden growth of vegetation. Risako gave a fleeting thought to Airi’s floor, which now would have sizable holes right inside the front entrance, as well as smaller ones back in the hallway.

Reina took at look over at Maasa and Konatsu as she stalked into the room, before turning a fiery gaze onto the two now helpless and terrified girls. Thunder crashed outside the house quite loudly, but it didn’t take the volume for Risako to know the lightning was likely quite close indeed.
Okay, containment of the intruders...done. Now GET TO HELPING THE SHOT GIRLS!
 :frustrated:



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Miyabi, an even sterner and more tightly furious face on her than Reina – Risako in her empathy for the girl thinking that might partly have to do with the others beating her to the capture, as well as the attack on their comrades – walked up to Yuuka and poked the barrel of the gun to the side of her forehead. The vines had finally stopped growing just below their noses, giving the two barely enough space to breath. With the gun pressed to her, Risako could see Yuuka’s chest heave as well as hear a loud muffled cry as if she was truly scared to death. Despite what she’d just done, Risako suddenly began to feel a bit sorry for the girl.

“You’d better talk,” Miyabi growled as Reina concentrated on Aika. “If you don’t, I’m going to pull this trigger.” She cocked the gun as she held it there, and the girl’s cries increased as she tried unsuccessfully to talk through her muzzle. The other captive was shooting Miyabi a glare of the rawest hate. “No?” Miyabi asked. “Okay then…”

She’s going to do it… Risako thought in shock. She’s actually going to do it! “No!” she shouted, running into the room.

Miyabi’s eyes darted to her, and Risako could feel some of the hate and anger within them as well. “No?” she asked, then looked around the room. “Have you seen what she’s done in here?” She gestured toward the girl Reina was tending to. “She even shot her own friend. She’s only going to get what she deserves.” Risako didn’t detect any remorse in Miyabi’s voice – she had reached a breaking point, and she didn’t think anyone could stop what she was going to do next.
Okay, okay, they might be fighting with The Circle and their supporters but even this ain't right.

Emotional Miyabi + gun = BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD situation

OI! SOMEONE STOP HER FROM DOING SOMETHING SHE'S GONNA REGRET!
 :mon blowhorn:



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“You really don’t have to come, Nii-chan,” Ai said as they closed back in on the place they’d left in such an explosive way earlier in the day. “It could be dangerous.” In order to distract herself from the surgery Saki was currently having, she decided to try to go find Maimi. However, she wanted to stay true to the promise she’d made to Yuuka, and she would also be grateful for any support she could find that wasn’t a girl she loved and wanted protected at all costs. She glanced to the side at the determined Niigaki walking beside her. Since the last she knew of their other guards was that they were at Central, she thought it would be a good place to start. Plus, if nothing else, she had to make sure they were all okay.
Makes sense. If Maimi did come back she probably would have returned there since she wouldn't have known about what happened there the previous night.



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As they approached the structure, Ai raised her arm in front of Risa to gesture her back slightly behind her, a direction her girlfriend gave no complaint to. It didn’t look like anyone was waiting outside the building, but with Central the people you needed to pay the most attention to were usually the ones that managed to attract the least.
Indeed, who knows if The Commissioner had placed some undercover agents there or not?



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Officers worked busily at their desks as always, but when the receptionist looked up at her, it wasn’t with the disinterested expression of one who didn’t want to meddle with matters of their top directors. Two officers, armed with rifles, stepped up from behind her before halting in front of the desk, staring at Ai warningly.

“Ai-chan…” Risa said, creeping up to her as door guards began coming in from the sides too.

Ai looked down so she could catch a glance at the girl behind her. “Stay back,” she said, but Risa kept her slow advance forward. I’m sorry, Nii-chan… she thought to herself, and a gust of wind suddenly whipped up behind her, knocking the girl back out the door as it slammed shut behind. Some of the officers’ weapons jerked up in response to her action, but when they saw it wasn’t intended for them, they held their fire.
Well, Risa won't be happy about it, that's for sure, but it likely WAS for the best that Aichan did this. She can't guarantee Risa's safety if the officers start suddenly shooting (though the fact that they haven't yet is rather curious).



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The perception of her chances became especially dour as more and more officers came toward her with weapons drawn, as well as some differently-dressed people in suits. They still carried guns though, and somehow Ai got the impression they were even more dangerous than the officers.

She heard pounding on the door behind her of Risa likely trying to get in, but a current of wind she’d set against the door held it firmly closed. “I love you, Nii-chan…” she whispered to herself. She thought briefly of the poor girls they’d left behind, hoping their fate was better than hers looked to be.

She focused inward with intense concentration against the dull noise of the construction outside in an attempt to collect more power than she ever had before. If this was going to result in the end of her life, she would at least take as many of these traitors with her as possible.
Wait a sec, she's not gonna...is she??? :o



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Airi and Maimi walked hand-in-hand down the street in downtown Tokyo, still being led by the Captain and his two escorts. The main in the suit walked with the two of them on the other side of Airi.

They’d found out, unsurprisingly as far as Airi was concerned, that the man was apparently not the one who wanted to meet them. Who he was though was still quite a surprise. He introduced himself simply as Ken, and that he was a member of the Imperial Household Agency.
The Japanese Imperial family wants to see them? Are they actually aware of who they really are???



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Maimi stared fixedly ahead of them. Her attitude had completely changed when she learned their guide was from the Agency, and she had gone along with them willingly. Now, she walked as easily as the others, almost as if she knew the way.
Really now?
 :pig huh:



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“I think it’s time you tell us why you’re here, Ken-san,” Maimi said, a hint of disrespect in her voice at their limited knowledge of who he was. She tilted her head toward the Captain and his officers. “I can understand them, but what is a member of the Imperial Household Agency doing here, now? I’m surprised you even know about this place.” She finished with a skeptical raised eyebrow at him.

Ken’s eyes flashed to Airi before returning to Maimi. Airi decided for the moment to let them have their discussion. He adopted a charming smile. “Of course we would know about such as this,” he said, and Airi noticed a bit of the imperial inflection in his voice. “Suzuki-san is a… very anticipated visitor to the premises.”
K, should I be worried/concerned/suspicious about Ken? 'Cuz I am, you know.
 :mon annoy:



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The man’s smile never faltered. “We did not expect you to be accompanying her, Yajima-san,” he said with a slight bow, as if that explained anything. Then he gestured to include them both. “Please, come with me into the building. I assure that your questions will be answered soon.”
Looks like the Imperial family might be more aware of things that either The Circle or The Skulls thought.



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“Don’t worry,” Maimi responded distractedly as she stared up the stairs, and patted Airi’s hand. “They won’t shoot you as long as I’m here.”

That’s not what I’m worried about… Airi thought.
Agreed.
 :gmon blonde:



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As they made their way indoors, they didn’t notice that outside clouds were rapidly forming above them, thunder beginning to roll gently from within. Those observant of the weather in the area recognized the pattern that soon began to swirl, even though they were amazed that it was occurring right above the city. It appeared to them as if a typhoon was forming in their midst.
AICHAN!
 :scared:

JPH!P :heart:'s kuro808, Fushigidane, ChrNo, Jab & marimari. Always.

Offline Grisours

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Re: The Circle of Three [26: Through a Doorway, Truth and Skulls]
« Reply #234 on: July 27, 2008, 07:56:55 PM »
Ah, so much to comment. Let me start with saying "yeeeey" for the new chapter!  :lol:
I found the Miya/Risako interaction very cute in this chapter. Even if it was a little sad or emotional, it was still cute. I still got a weird feeling about Miya/Airi breaking up, but if it is really permanent, at least Risako might have a chance...
It's also very cute that Maimi likes Airi that much, but she's still got a lot to learn: about Airi, about the Skulls, about the Circle's situation...
And yeah, with this sort of end, there's like a showdown waiting to happen... Ai has been treated in a very hostile way by the people on the office, so it's weird that Airi and Maimi were brought there so peacefully... But, I guess that's what we're going to see on the next chapter... Looking forward to it!

Offline Maimi_Yajima

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Re: The Circle of Three [26: Through a Doorway, Truth and Skulls]
« Reply #235 on: July 27, 2008, 09:02:22 PM »
I have read comments from everyone and I'm emotions!
Actually all the reviews are good!
Very interesting and strong!

I ...
I do not think Maimi want to Airi to find information on skulls.
but ...
Another point of view I want to say is:
Airi is always timid. :gmon sweet:
Now Maimi's shy.
Maimi has never been shown as timid.
Maybe Airi has matured And since ceased to be the girl timid.
Maimi is strange being timid.
Maimi has always been the passion and nothing shy. :mon yoyo:

Saki Shimizu ...
What will happen with she?
Yuka Maeda ...
What will happen with she?

Miyabi Natsuyaki ...
In what was converted?

Risako Sugaya ...
Miyabi Will Help?

Maimi and Airi!!!!!! :mon inluv: :mon innocent: :mon cute: :mon love: :mon lovelaff:
 Ai and Risa !!!!!!! :mon love: :mon lovelaff: :gmon shy: :gmon flowers:
What fate awaits them?


I'm scared! :mon scare:
I'm scared! :gmon tears: :mon scare:
Or not! The chaos is looming!
I'm scared! Very scared!
:mon scare:
" a look can say more than words" and " a look can even denude the heart"

Offline ayase909

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Re: The Circle of Three [26: Through a Doorway, Truth and Skulls]
« Reply #236 on: July 28, 2008, 07:10:18 PM »
  :hee: an update! an update! .......god, i didnt noticed it till now! how baka i am!  :frustrated:

hmm.........YAY! Natsuyaki and Sugaya!  :farofflook: but......i just cant accept that Airi somehow broke's NAtsuyaki-sama's heart! but well, i like yajima..........as in really like because of the cinderella complex video.....she's so stunning there! the way she dance, i was like  :luvluv2:.........anyway! just poor miya, glad that risako was there to cheer her up...............though i want to read some fluff and sweet moments about those two....................im such a die hard fun of them.........haha  :luvluv1:

hmm......i hope though Airi could convince yajima that skulls are not that bad.................oh, poor ai, i dont want her to get hurt!

your story is getting more way interesting.....it was like there are other villains here which will made the skulls and circles allies!  :glasses:

im loving the characters, so let them get well along..........haha

oh, maybe you could write something about airi being jealous when she sees miya and risako, just a little though, maybe a sisterly jealous......JUST CANT ACCEPT THE FACT SHE WAS SOMEHOW BETRAYED BY AIRI! haha :scolding:....oh well.....that's want i want, for me to have a fun miya-risa to read! haha :shifty:




Offline Maimi_Yajima

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Re: The Circle of Three [26: Through a Doorway, Truth and Skulls]
« Reply #237 on: July 28, 2008, 11:38:38 PM »
oh, maybe you could write something about airi being jealous when she sees miya and risako, just a little though, maybe a sisterly jealous......JUST CANT ACCEPT THE FACT SHE WAS SOMEHOW BETRAYED BY AIRI! haha :scolding:....oh well.....that's want i want, for me to have a fun miya-risa to read! haha :shifty:

etto... :sweatdrop: :sweatdrop:

Airi will not feel jealousy of seeing Miya and Risako... :mon annoy:  :mon cweepy:  :mon geek: :mon pissed:
because Airi loves  to Maimi. :mon inluv: :mon innocent: :mon lovelaff: :mon love: :gmon hot: :gmon shy: :gmon sweet:

Maimi also suffered much by Airi.
but ...
Maimi persevere with his love of Airi until the end. :mon beam:
She looked  at kisses between Miyabi and Airi. :mon geek:
Now Maimi deserves to be happy with the person she love.
:mon geek: :mon inluv: :mon innocent: :mon innocent: :mon innocent: :mon cute: :mon lovelaff: :mon pray2: :mon pray2: :gmon flowers: :gmon flowers: :gmon hot: :gmon hot: :gmon love2:
and the person who loves is Airi Suzuki. :hip aww:

Apparently all of you they hate to Maimi Yajima.  :mon look:  :mon wtf: :mon runcry: :mon psst: :mon sigh:
It does not import if they are against her.  :mon determined: :mon cigar: :mon taichi: :mon hanky: :mon nyah: :mon kungfu:
or if they hate her!! :mon wtf: :mon santasad:
I love Maimi Yajima. :gmon flowers: :gmon bang:

Maimi Yajima here you have a fan number one in this history!!!
:mon blowhorn: :mon blowhorn: :mon determined: :mon star: :mon cam: :mon fyeah: :mon fyeah:
« Last Edit: July 29, 2008, 12:11:50 AM by Maimi_Yajima »
" a look can say more than words" and " a look can even denude the heart"

Offline rokun

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Re: The Circle of Three [27: The Final Awakening]
« Reply #238 on: August 20, 2008, 01:35:53 AM »
Thanks for your awesome comments everyone! Things are quite crazy and busy for me as I'm traveling all over and trying to make final preparations for my trip to Japan next week... So sorry I don't have the time right now to respond to each one of them like they deserve... Perhaps I'll try to in the next few days if I can find the time! In the meantime though, I wanted to at least get this next chapter posted. :) As you can see even from the title, things are coming to a close, and there should just be one final chapter after this. Hopefully I'll get that up soon as well so I don't leave you hanging while I'm having the time of my life in the land of H!P... So cheers, thanks again, and as always, please enjoy. :) :heart:


Chapter 27 – The Final Awakening

Miyabi felt nothing but seething anger as she pressed the tip of the gun barrel against the forehead of the young girl bound in Reina’s strange summoned vines. She nearly felt the veins around her eyes throbbing as she stared into the terrified ones before her. They didn’t look like the eyes of someone who may have just murdered three of her peers in cold blood. In fact, Miyabi wasn’t sure what she saw there was even human at all. It was some baser, purer instinct of sheer terror as the girl thought she was staring down the tunnel that would lead to whatever lay beyond.

As Miyabi stared deeply into those eyes, the strange sense that had developed within her also perceived impressions from the girl’s mind that made her realize whatever brought on her initial break, what she’d done since had caused her mind to become almost wild, responding to a disgust she felt for what she did as well as that need… a need that didn’t even seem so important at first, but by her actions had become a matter of life and death, since her actions may very well have been the instruments of death themselves.

Finally the eyes focused harder onto her own, and she saw the fear and loathing inside them. However, the emotions weren’t directed as she expected. “Please…” she heard the girl call out into her head, since she was unable to into the vines gagging her. “Please… Kill me… I deserve it for what I’ve done…” Her eyes flickered in the direction of the fallen girl at the door, who Reina was still tending to.

Miyabi stared back into the face of this girl, this innocent girl who aside from the blood that was now on her hands looked like she could never have hurt a fly. Every fiber in her being told her to pull the trigger, to end her suffering and carry out the final sentence she deserved for what she’d done. After all, now that she’s had this breakdown, what’s to say if she’s allowed to be loose again that she wouldn’t go after other, truly innocent souls?

Something told her to pull that trigger, but something else told her that she was Miyabi Natsuyaki, and that she should do as she had done many times before and just beat some sense into the girl. After all, it didn’t look like she actually had murdered anyone, had she? Reina would surely work her miracle on her friend, and Miyabi knew that she wouldn’t have left the fallen girls loyal to them if she didn’t know they would be able to survive until she could minister to them.

So why should she do it? Beyond that, what gave her that authority over life and death? That little something within her told her that it was authority she had, and that she’d wielded before, but she didn’t recognize where it came from. How well did she really know herself?

“No…” she whispered, her hand now beginning to shake slightly in its intensity as it held the gun. The girl’s eyes squeezed shut as her own body shook, though it wasn’t clear whether it was from relief or distress at not receiving the finality she thought she desired.

She couldn’t do it. Whether it was within her right or not, she wouldn’t end the life of this innocent girl, this girl who she knew was completely distraught at what she’d done.

All of this thought and silent exchange happening within just the span of seconds, she was about to lower the weapon when she heard the sound of ripping as if a thick curtain was being torn asunder. Her eyes glanced beyond the girl before her to see the one that had come with her using apparently all her strength to force a blade which had been caught within the vines at a very awkward vertical position down through those that held her.

Reina, distracted by her charge at the door, had no time to react to replace her living chains. Once free of her trap, the girl with determined focus swung her blade smartly and precisely up her companion’s chest, releasing her arms from their binds and mouth from its gag, and with amazing speed changed direction and swung toward Miyabi.

“Saaya~!” Miyabi’s original target yelled, but fate was already set in motion.

As the ancient sword came down with deadly force toward Miyabi’s skull, she spun. She heard another frantic shout come from Risako, who had now closed the distance to her by half, but was still too far. The crack of a gunshot sounded loud in the room, and the noise throbbed within Miyabi’s head, seeming to echo within her. The sound, and the emotion that she’d tried to hold back so tightly from its full force, reverberated in her soul before expanding without from her like a sonic blast.

Her attacker, having already been knocked back from the bullet that had ripped into her chest, now was thrust back with a supernatural force, flying out the door into conditions that had somehow become a torrential squall. Just missing Reina, who ducked over her patient, the girl’s body was launched toward the street and out of sight in the stormy twilight.

“Ahhhh!” Miyabi screamed, and dropping the gun, fell to her knees, her hands coming to her head as it exploded in piercing sensation.

She could see the broken body of the girl she’d just tossed out like a sack of garbage through mystified and horrified eyes of passersby on the street outside who were just trying to seek shelter from the rain. She saw through Reina’s eyes that her efforts on the girl at the door seemed to be successful. There was still work to be done, but she would survive this injury. She felt the pain of the others in the room that had been shot, empathized with their suffering at what they were feeling as well as what they were witnessing.

She saw all that, but she also saw through the eyes of people all over the country – all over the world – their anguish, their joy, their apathy for what was happening at this moment in each of their lives. And it wasn’t just at this moment. She also saw the horrible experiences in their memories of the past, as well as their most joyous ones. Then, as if through a dark veil, she also perceived visions of futures that might be. Those were the glimpses that gave her the most distress. The future, not yet set in stone, was a place of the utmost piercing anxiety and distress. How could people go on, with these possibilities in store for them? And why, in all of these futures, did she feel as if she had some place in them?

However, it was an event in the present that stole her breath like the stealthiest thief in an endless night. Beneath the ferocious gathering storm they were somehow oblivious of, two girls walked up from a place of destruction on now-creaking stairs. At the top of those stairs another girl stood pounding recklessly and desperately at a rock-solid door, behind which one who was fearless stared down what was to be her death as she formed the core of the tempest around her self.

Desperate at what she saw, Miyabi grasped in her ethereal reach toward a vision of how this encounter might unfold, but apparently the secrets of this monumental encounter were locked even to her. Even so, she knew what came of it would affect all things to an extent greater perhaps than she could imagine. She had to do something. She had to…

Feeling regret with respect to the presence radiating warmth that was now almost upon her, she made this place identical to that of the core of the storm in her mind, and the world shifted.



Distraught, and not by far a little horrified at what she’d just seen, Risako froze in her advance toward Miyabi. However, when she saw the girl who was her idol against all reason fall to her knees in what seemed like intense suffering, she jolted forward once again, now running toward her.

I’m so sorry… Risako thought, feeling her own distress, her eyes fixed on the kneeling Skull. I don’t mean to be so cold to you… Whatever has happened to you, I want to be there. I need to be there! I need you… I love you…

She was almost to her, euphoria rising within at nearly having what she’d always wanted. She opened her arms, but when she brought them together to hold the girl she loved, she stumbled as they grasped around only empty space.

Now on her knees herself, Risako stared at her empty arms before looking up at the helplessly sobbing girl above her. Hardly knowing what she was doing, she stood up and approached the girl. The vines, torn by the blade of the girl who was now lost somewhere outside in the torrent, were falling away from her, but she still stood unmoving.

She drew back slightly when she saw Risako approach her, and when she enveloped the girl in a tight hug, her body tensed in shock for a moment before becoming as weak as a babe, and the two both fell to the floor, crying into each others’ shoulders.

“Aw stop it,” Reina said, passing by on her way to the other injured girls across the room. Risako looked up to her in disbelief at her still-nonchalant attitude, but she could tell that the girl too shared her wonder about what just took place. With her past experience though, the horror was reflected much less in her eyes.

With a sudden thought as the leader of the Skulls passed, Risako turned her head sharply to the door to see Aika trying to push herself up, groaning and holding her chest.

“Mittsi!” Risako cried. She turned to Yuuka, who was now staring at the girl she’d shot with wide, puffy eyes. She laid a finger beneath the girl’s chin, and her attention returned to Risako. “You know Aika, don’t you?” she asked. “That’s why it hurt you so much when you… when you…”

The girl, who appeared about Risako’s own age, teared up as if she was about to break down once again, but managed to nod slightly.

“Don’t worry,” Risako said, doing her best to smile and reaching up to stroke the girl’s hair across her forehead. “She’s okay, see? You don’t have anything to worry about. But let’s go see her, okay? She’s my friend too.”

As the girl stared dumbly at her, Risako took her hand and pulled her up, walking her slowly over to her old friend. When they reached Aika, she had managed to pull herself up into a sitting position against the doorframe. Aika looked sideways up at them and gave a crooked smile.

“How are you doing?” Risako asked her, crouching down again to her level. Yuuka seemed reluctant to do the same, but with Risako’s help, squatted as well, if a bit further back, lowering her eyes in her deep shame.

Aika looked down at the hand over her stomach and winced. “I don’t think I’ll be running to the top of Tokyo Tower anytime soon…” she said dryly, “but I guess I’ll be okay. She…” She looked past the two of them across the room toward what Risako could only imagine must be Reina. “How did she do that?”

Risako smiled. “She’s special.”

Aika refocused back onto her. “But I thought she was…” She looked past Risako once again with a faraway gaze.

“Sometimes there’s more to people than they let on,” Risako replied, turning her head and smiling toward Reina, who was just rising from Konatsu. It sounded like the Captain was actually scolding the girl she’d just healed, and Risako thought she caught a swear word or two as she headed over to the last injured girl. She smiled again.

“…She has a strange way of showing it,” Aika said skeptically, still obviously getting used to her injury being, well, not there anymore.

“I’m so sorry, Aika-chan,” Yuuka suddenly burst out in her high voice, lowering her head almost to the floor in her contrite plea. “I could have… I could have…”

Aika frowned down at her. “Hey, don’t do that. It’s embarrassing!” she scolded. The girl looked up at her as if scandalized. “Everything’s okay…” Aika said, trying not very successfully to comfort the girl. “You were just looking for Maimi, weren’t you?”

“Maimi?” Risako asked. Then she noticed the three of them were no longer alone.

Reina was now standing above them, frowning at everyone as if daring them to say something about her humanitarian and very un-Skull-like efforts. JunJun and LinLin joined her, and Risako noticed that Michishige and Kamei had appeared from nowhere too, along with Chinami, who was their charge after Maimi left. Even Chisato was walking up along with the four others, Konatsu and Maasa now seeming perfectly healthy. Reina cast a wary wonky eye in her direction.

“So what do you think we should do with you?” Reina asked, looking back toward Yuuka when apparently satisfied enough that the younger Matsuura girl wouldn’t jump her anytime soon.

No one had the chance to respond though before a clash of thunder shook the house, and a strong gust of wind slammed the front door shut with a rattling of almost-broken glass. Even with the outside now closed off, they heard the house creaking under the assault of sudden violent winds from outside.

“Wh-what’s going on?” Risako said, clutching Aika and a still-reluctant Yuuka tightly to her.

Reina frowned at the door as she watched through the frosted privacy glass the swaying foliage beyond. “I think something crazy is about to happen…” she said in her plain, but effective language.

Risako looked out there too, thinking back to the girl who had disappeared from her arms. She didn’t know what, but she thought she’d just seen something rare and exceptional. Something happened to Miyabi, and she wasn’t sure if she liked it. Would she be the same again? Then again, would she want her to be the same? She didn’t know which Miyabi would like her… if even any could… Still… Something had happened, and somehow she was sure Miyabi was right in the center of it.

“Miya…” she breathed, her voice too soft for anyone to hear. “Where are you…?” She paused, a tear coming to her eye once again. “Wherever you are… please be safe…”



Airi and Maimi walked slowly up the stairs hand-in-hand, gazing at the damaged building around them. Airi didn’t like the situation one bit, and she was very wary at the irregular banging she heard coming from what seemed like the top of the stairs. Maimi seemed confident enough; why did their escort insist on taking them somewhere she knew? And why did they seem most interested in Airi instead?

“I deeply apologize,” Ken said, glancing with disdain at the dust around them as well. “This is normally a much grander place.”

As he finished speaking, they heard a girl’s voice come from above that made all of them freeze. “Ai-chan!” it exclaimed. “Please…! Let me in…!”

Airi and Maimi looked at each other. Ai-chan? Would that be…? Suddenly, Airi felt the Sun disappear behind gathering clouds, and she heard thunder as she recognized the storm that was brewing outside. What had the man brought them to?!

The two girls started running up the stairs, past a frantic Ken who tried unsuccessfully to stop them, and when they reached the top, they found a girl pounding desperately at a door, crying in her futile effort.

“Gaki-san?” Maimi asked in confusion.

The girl stopped her pounding and whirled to face them, her face a mask of helpless determination. “Maimi!” she cried. “It’s Ai-chan! She’s…” Then she noticed Airi.

The girl snapped her jaw shut as she glared, and then pointed a finger at her. “You!” she barked. “Somehow this is your fault! I don’t know how, but it is…” Her eyes flickered among Airi and Maimi and their hands linked between, not knowing what to make of the two of them together.

“Gaki-san,” Maimi said in what Airi thought was an effort at a calming voice. “Things are different now. Airi is…”

“I’m what?” Airi asked, looking up at her skeptically.

Maimi became flustered and murmured out of the corner of her mouth, “This isn’t the time!”

Niigaki seemed to be ignoring them both though, as she couldn’t help but glance back toward the door. Apparently whatever she was concerned about at the moment overrode her suspicions about what was going on with the two of them.

“Please…” she whimpered, obviously trying her best to hold herself together. “Ai-chan is in there… I think she’s using too much power… and there are men with guns… so many men… I’m scared!” The desperately pleading face the older and from what Airi knew normally quite composed girl turned up toward Maimi shocked her more than anything at the moment.

“What are you talking about?” Maimi asked, appearing flabbergasted at the girl’s words. “Why would Ai-chan be drawing her power here? Did somebody attack?”

Niigaki stared at her as if she’d lost her mind. Then Ken finally came up behind Airi and Maimi. “You!” she growled, pointing the accusatory finger now at him. “You’re just like them! Tell them not to hurt my Ai-chan!”

Ken scrutinized her closely. “Who is being hurt?” he asked. He looked to the door. “What is going on?”

“That’s what I’d like to know!” Maimi interjected demandingly toward Niigaki, who looked like she was about to completely break down at what she saw in the faces before her.

Airi looked to the door too. She could now sense the power from beyond the girl was talking about. It was so intense she wondered how she didn’t notice it before. She looked up at Maimi. Had she been so blinded by her feelings? Whatever the case, this sounded like a situation that had no time for explanation, and Maimi and Ken seemed to be going nowhere fast.

She took a step toward Risa, who in her grief didn’t seem to notice. As she walked toward the door, she drew from the heat within her and projected it out. The door seemed to glow in her vision, and when she waved her hand once more, it melted completely to the floor. Walking past Niigaki, who had just begun to realize what was going on, she stepped over the door’s remains.

Takahashi stood in the center of a large lobby surrounded by dozens of men with wicked-looking firearms. The men were impressive enough, but it was the girl in the center that took Airi’s breath away. She almost glowed with the power emanating from her, and the room even seemed to be becoming colder every second. How did the men not notice what was going on? They would stand no chance…

Then she had a vision in her mind of the world outside. The location where they were standing was in the middle of a rapidly expanding funnel between swirling clouds, which now had almost blanketed the city. She tried to make sense of what she was seeing. The only thing she could relate it to was the eye of a typhoon, but this was more massive than any storm she’d ever heard of.

“Takahashi-san!” she shouted, cupping her hands around her mouth to amplify her voice. She had to start bringing out the heat within her to combat the rapidly cooling environment. “What are you doing?!”

The girl turned to her, and in her eyes Airi saw nothing but tiny swirling storms, mirroring the one going on beyond. A few of the men also turned toward her. Eyes widened, and one of them called out a gruff command, causing the rest to lower their weapons. As they all began turning toward the new arrival, Niigaki came up beside Airi.

“Ai-chan!” she cried in blissful relief. “You’re all right!”

The storms flared once more in Takahashi’s eyes as she looked at the two girls who stood together. “Et tu, Brute?” she said through clenched teeth. “Has the world turned against me?” Airi felt that she had to do something soon. Even though the men had begun standing down, and some even bowing toward her of all things, she sensed Takahashi’s power continuing to rise somehow exponentially. “Well,” she continued, “If the world has turned against me, I’ll just have to turn against the world…”

Her face becoming set in grim determination, Airi tried to think of anything she could do. She could launch an attack against the girl, but she didn’t want to hurt her. The girl next to her appeared just so forlorn at the thought, and she knew Maimi wouldn’t want her hurt either… But if this kept up, she would have no choice…

“Ai-chan, it’s okay,” Niigaki said, not understanding the rebuke that had seared into her. “Just come to me, and everything will be okay…” She started walking toward her, but Takahashi flung out a hand and a strong gust of wind buffeted her back. With the action, Airi could see a shield of the swirling wind form around her in a protective cone of several meters in diameter. She set herself in her own determination. It was quickly becoming too late. She no longer had any choice…

However, as she was calling upon her ancient power, she saw a glimmer as a form materialized behind that shield and near Takahashi. She gasped as she recognized it, and stalled in her recall of the power. “Miya…” she breathed, and the girl glanced over at her before refocusing her attention on Takahashi, who hadn’t yet noticed her at her side.

“I can’t let you do this,” Miyabi said to her, causing her to jerk in surprise, and the strength of her shield faded slightly so that everyone could now easily see within. Miyabi held Takahashi’s arm tightly in her grip as the girl stared at her. She looked back toward Airi and Niigaki. “I don’t think this is the best place for us right now,” she said. “Is it?” She then leaned closer toward Takahashi. “Let’s finish this,” she growled, and Airi felt a sense of exhiliration surge within her as she knew what was coming next. She also felt a hand on her own arm before everything disappeared around her, and the next thing she knew she was soaked head to foot as if she had suddenly been dropped into the middle of the ocean.

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Re: The Circle of Three [27: The Final Awakening]
« Reply #239 on: August 20, 2008, 01:54:21 AM »
I'm kinda sad to hear it's almost over but I'm excited for the ending! Whoa, so Miya spared Yuuka but got rid of that other chick who tried to kill her. And then Miya was able to see into the future and she went to stop Ai-chan. Oshit, Ai-chan thinks Gaki is going against her because she's standing next to Airi?! And now they are....where? :?
Sorry, not much of a comment but more of a gathering my thoughts.
Have fun in Japan, rokun! :heart: Buy lotsa stuff and take lotsa pictures!!! :lol:

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