The Castle Guarded by the Swaying Cherry Blossoms II

"Really? You think the risks are worth the fun of it all?" she asked.

She felt about ready to slap herself on the forehead. She had forgotten to mention her name. "Oh, I don't think I introduced myself. I'm Erena Ito."

Sure it was awkward as hell saying it now, but better late then never.

"Nice to meet you, Erena." Go replied, "You're, one of the few girls who wasn't all closed-off and jerkish and haughty towards me. Nice to know not everyone's a big jerk."

Flashback

The red haired lady brought Kei to a bench on a nearby playground and sat right at his side "Alright then, now tell me everything"

Orihime saw at her and just smiled. "Don't fret, I'm fine. How about you?"

Kimi just fell flat on her back, right behind Go. "Ow!"

"I... I guess it all started after we were told to clean up the statues in one of the city's parks. And then... something called... no, drew us to the castle ruins up on that hill. There was a girl in pink there... she's the one who told us to fight. She wouldn't tell us why, or explain why it was the right thing to do. She just told us to do it." She fingered the bracelet that held her powers nervously. "I still don't understand what the things she set us against at the shrine were, but when the others showed up, I just... Asking us to fight other people without a single word saying why? And all supposedly in the name of defending a city I barely know and would rather not be living in?" Kei sighed.

"Hey, it's time to wake up you lazy kitten!" Nao commanded as she stoop watching over her little brothers bed. She had woken up earler and was already fully dressed and finished almost all her preparations for the day with the exception of breakfast.

"If you won't wake up... I'll have to do this!" She said, grabbed the cover sheet and pulled it off Ryota and the bed

Hana waved goodbye to her mother and wnet on her way to school. The book she gained — she learned that it was called The Book of Ells last night when she read some of it before going to bed — was in her schoolbag.

Ryota just ignored his sister until she pulled the covers. When his blanket was pulled away from him, he cried out one word. "Nya!"

It was only natural, with Nao around Ryota is not going to get the chance to sleep in. "Why did you have to wake me up? Unlike you I can't get a full night's sleep and I barely got to nap yesterday..."

"Indeed... that sounds like the height of selfishness on her part. Having all of you fight just on her word... harming others without letting you know what the other side thinks, all to keep herself safe. If you fight it should be for something you believe in" says the red haired lady.

"Just like those kids you fought off at the Shrine... all of them are fighting for something they hold dear to their heart, Kei" says the lady, looking at him with a kind smile.

"Hana! Hey Hana! Over here!" called a voice as Hana walked to school.

If she looked around she would find, just under the shade of a nearby cheery blossom tree, the ghostly image of Sakura waving at her.

Hana looked to the side. Was that Sakura? Anyway it was a good idea to check. She walked to the cherry tree.
"Good morning, Sakura," she said, bowing slightly.

"I'm not sure I have anything to fight for..."

"Yeah, I'm OK." Kanako dusted herself off.

"Well, it's school today! And you are not skipping it, mom and dad will kill me if you do!" Nao told her little brother and crossed her arms. From the looks of it she was already ready to go, dressed in her school uniform and having padded her chest.

"Now hurry up and eat breakfast."

"Really?" Erena asked. "Why would people be so rude? From what I saw, most of our allies were fairly nice, though admittedly I didn't really talk to any of them."

"Because they're outcasts and don't like people," Go said, dramatically fingerquoting at each epithet. "What they fail to realize, however, is that they now have friends: us, their fellow fighters. It's for the same reason that, in any given team sport, you will be close friends with your team by the end, even if you don't know eachother at all at the start."

Ryota got out of bed with a frown, had breakfast. He was pondering whether he should tell his parents about the guardian deal, revealing the new responsibility might make things easier for him...but than again, he's guardian form is a bit too cute. They might treat him less like a man and could even start calling him a kitten like Nao!

In the end, Ryota didn't saying anything about being a guardian, ate breakfast and did everything else needed before going to school.

The boy rushed out the door, forgetting to wait for his sister as he ran towards school.

"Good morning, Hana" says Sakura as she bows in kind "Would you like some spiritual company as you walk to school?"

"Really Kei? Is there no wish, no ambition, no desire you would ever fight to accomplish?" asks the woman.

"I'd enjoy a companion to converse with. Thanks," said Hana. She continued to walk toward her school. Contrary to what she said, she walked quietly. Every little while she'd glance aside to Sakura's floating form.

Orihime smiled shyly to Kanako. "I'm glad to hear." She fingers her medallion, currently under her clothes, and looks at Kanako closely. "BTW, I'm Orihime. Nikkou Orihime. Pleased to meet you." She bows courteously.

Kimi managed to stand up, inadvertently using Go as a support. "OMG, I really need to fix that..."

edited 17th Aug '12 4:14:39 PM by RESP

"I-I've never really thought about this..."

"I suppose that makes a level of sense." she said. "Well, the dislike of people in particular. A lot of people seem to think that detachment prevents pain from loss. I've not entirely sure whether I think those people are weak and foolish or disturbingly smart."

She looked strangely embarrassed as she finished.

"It's selfishness!" Go replied. "They make everyone else's lives harder in order to prevent any sort of uncomfortable relationships, you know?!" He seemed rather angry about this. "Like, like Starlight Shade! I caught her out of costume last night and she loses it! For no reason, this really cool girl refuses to hang out with me later, refuses to talk or anything, because she'll get made fun of! What's her deal?!" Go began madly gesticulating, throwing himself into a full-on yelling rant. "It makes no sense! She's a fucking superheroine, the fuck does that girl have to be afraid of?! She's an anti-fun, anti-relationship, anti-progress wuss."

Go slumped forward, panting after he realized he hadn't taken a breath since he started ranting. "Sorry. I just really, really hate behavior like that. A lot of bad writers do it to arbitrarily create conflict outside just the good guys and the bad guys, I've seen it in way too much anime. Sorry to dump all this on you."

Kimi grabs Go's pants to get on het feet, having heard the whole conversation. "Excuse me, are you Sakurasaki's knights, too?"

"Hrrg—oh hey." Go turned to the girl as she grabbed him, his rage seemingly abated. "Yeah. She and I are, at least." Go gestured to himself and Erena. "Not sure about a good three quarters of the other reclusive sadsacks that got drafted in." He dragged the girl to her feet. "You too, then? You obviously aren't some, uh... the Americans on XBOX LIVE would say Sperglord. I'm Go, nice to meet someone else who actually wants friends. Erena and I—well, I was just ranting to Erena here about it, how nobody we fought with wanted to be friends, and it was really obnoxious." He extended a hand to the new girl.

She beamed up and replied Go's hand "I'm Kimi Nakajima. Pleased to meet you, Go-kun"